if you do not know, now you do know

Roxanne Modafferi vs Casey O’Neill – Flyweight – 125 pounds

February 10, 2022 — Leave a comment

Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi will be hanging up the gloves after she competes in her 50th fight! (Including her 5 TUF fights)

You may be hearing a lot about how Roxanne Modafferi is a “pioneer” and an “OG”. And it can not be overstated enough how true and accurate those terms are.

Roxanne had her first fight in 2003! The same month she debuted, Matt Hughes was defending his title against the fighter turned referee, Frank Trigg. On a main card that featured Tank Abbott!! There are many women who deserve credit for being trailblazers in women’s MMA, but one of those women is without a doubt Roxanne Modafferi. Women in MMA is so common nowadays we almost take it for granted! But it wasn’t that long ago when Dana said women would never fight in the UFC.

And there would have been women who were the first women in their gyms. That is what then leads to two, and three, and so on! And Roxanne is one of those who would have built the foundation needed for women to become permanent fixtures of the MMA world.

Roxanne really feels like an old school fighter. Someone who became successful by being extremely dedicated to their craft and having really clean martial arts technique. But more importantly, they are the fighters whose best attribute was their character. They are strong-willed individuals who never quit, kept working on bettering themselves and we see that strong will in their fights. And we call them scrappy, or tough, or exciting. But what they are showing us is their character, that never die spirit that they live their lives with! It is one of the reasons why we love this sport.

Roxanne Modafferi is a great example of the best MMA has to offer. She is by all accounts, a wonderful person who should be proud of the amazing career she has had. It is extremely rare to have a professional career that spans almost 20 years. Remarkable.

But this is the UFC, and there are no easy fights in the UFC. And oh boy – is the UFC giving Roxanne a difficult fight to end her MMA career. Casey O’Neill is 24 years old and 8-0 in her pro MMA career and between her pro and amateur career, she has a finishing rate of nearly 80%! This is nearly double the average for that weight class.

King Casey O’Neill is an absolute monster. She is relentless and smothers her opponents. She will chain wrestle, and once she gets on top, she seems impossible to move. I wasn’t sold on her initially, but I am becoming really interested in seeing how far she can go. She might be a tough style matchup for the champ, Valentina Shevchenko. Something to watch for.

Roxanne will have one more attempt to display her warrior spirit to the world in the octagon, and she is being given a great chance to do so against the rising contender Casey O’Neill. Thank you, and congratulations on an amazing career, Roxanne!

if you do not know, now you do know

Event Preview – UFC 271

February 10, 2022 — Leave a comment

2nd PPV of the year!

This is what fans would typically call a “weak” PPV. And Dana White would probably say that we can’t judge a card until it has happened! But what has always bugged me about that response, is that we want to watch high stakes fights featuring the best fighters in the world! Its not just about the action.

However, that doesn’t mean Dana hasn’t had the chance to say “I told you so” like, a million times. It is pretty funny how often that happens. There is a “weak” PPV that ends up being wild. Regardless of the name value or the stakes of the fights, there is something in the air on a PPV when a title will be on the line. Especially nowadays, having full crowds for the PPVs gives the fights an extra energy. And the cards are often lots of fun top to bottom.

The matchmakers can play a role in all this as well. Putting fights together that have high potential of action is an easy substitute for that name value we’re looking for in PPVs

And UFC 271 has a bunch of fun matchups, and there is definitely a high likelihood of lots of violence on this card.

Let’s also not forget why the UFC can put on a “weak” PPV – it is because there is a massive superstar in the main event! In an insanely competitive matchup with the clear 2nd best guy in the world.

This fight between Izzy and Bobby Knuckles is far closer than the betting lines, or the general tone around this fight would indicate. This fight could end up looking far different the second time around. Robert getting a second chance to figure Izzy out will most likely mean a new approach.

Looking forward to diving in!

if you do not know, now you do know

UFC Fight Night – Hermansson vs Strickland – Honourable Mentions

February 3, 2022 — Leave a comment

Danilo Marques vs Jailton Almeida – 205 pounds – Light Heavyweight

Jailton is the guy I am watching here. He is a former DWCS alum, and has finished all his pro fights. The majority of those by submission. He looks super strong, and athletic. Jailton could be a real problem at 205, I am curious to see how he looks against UFC competition. He has a favourable style matchup in Danilo Marques, who has a similar style, but does not look to have the same physical gifts Jailton does.

Malcolm Gordon vs Denys Bondar – 125 pounds – Flyweight

I gotta give some love to the only flyweight fight on the card. This is a battle of two fighters who will come to the fight with a grapple first approach.

I do think Malcolm Gordon is better than he has showed in the UFC, and he is taking on a UFC newcomer who does not have nearly the same level of experience against top pro fighters – these are often fights where betting on the UFC vet can be very tempting. But – Denys Bondar, despite the experience gap, does look like to have some very serious skills. Anyone can look good crushing cans, but there is potentially something there.

This fight is great matchmaking. I am really curious to see how both these guys perform.

Julian Erosa vs Steven Peterson – 145 pounds – Featherweight

This will be a fun one. A couple of fun action fighters going at it!

But – I think these two are on different levels. And the betting line is saying the same. Juicy J is a legitimate UFC fighter, he has beat and stopped, a bunch of really good fighters in the octagon. Whereas Peterson has been around for a bit now, but has not been nearly as successful, and against worse competition.

But they gotta play the game! We’ll see how it goes. But my guess is the betting lines got it right on this one.

Tresean Gore vs Bryan Battle – 185 pounds – Middleweight

This was supposed to be the TUF final! But Gore got hurt. Interesting that they are running it back and trying to find the true winner of that season!

I am not sold that either of these guys are real threats to the top of the 185 pound division. But let’s let them battle it out and prove they are!

if you do not know, now you do know

Jack Hermansson vs Sean Strickland – 185 pounds – Middleweight

February 3, 2022 — Leave a comment

This is a high stakes middleweight fight. There are only two guys who get to fight for the title, and there is only one challenger! The winner of this fight will be one step closer and could be next for the title and a chance to change their life! The other will be further away from the title than they are now.

Regardless of the personalities or the style matchups – these top of the division matchups are always intriguing because it gets so narrow at the top of the division. It is so hard to get into the top 5, it is harder to stay there – then actually winning the title!? It is a really tough road. And these fights are a major step in that journey.

But this fight itself is fun! This fight could be considered a pretty classic striker vs grappler matchup. But there is more to this fight, from a technical perspective, than that.

Strickland is very much a volume and pressure fighter. Most of his fights are won with volume on the feet, but I would argue his better weapon is his pace and pressure, more than just his striking. Sean is a well-rounded fighter! He has displayed a full game in the octagon, including in his last fight against Uriah Hall.

Hermansson on the other hand, is very much a grappler, he wins most of his fights with his grappling and top pressure. He has a checkered record, but his two most recent losses are against two of the best guys in the division. Anyone with the grappling ability of Hermansson is dangerous. He is the type of fighter that can cancel out a hype train who likes to keep it standing, so Seans “well-rounded” game is going to be tested.

Hermansson is a perfect litmus test, or “gatekeeper” for the top of the middleweight division. We will have a good idea of what we have in Sean Strickland after this fight.

Hermansson doesn’t get enough credit as a fun personality in the sport. But if there was a “A side” in this fight night main event, it would be Sean Strickland. People are intrigued by this guy. He is pretty whacky, which could make for an interesting build up if he can earn that shot against Izzy (Or Bobby Knuckles?). So that is something else to consider in this matchup.

if you do not know, now you do know

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Carlston Harris – 170 pounds – Welterweight

February 2, 2022 — Leave a comment

Fans are excited for this one. Outside of the main event, this fight is getting the most attention. And that is because people are excited about Shavkat Rakhmonov. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan is 14-0 in MMA and 2-0 in the UFC, and he has finished all his pro fights! 7 TKOs and 7 submissions.

People have been mentioning Shavkat alongside the likes of Khamzat Chimaev as future contenders at 170. I am also excited about Shavkat. And I do think he looks very good. But – I am not sold that he is on the same level as Khamzat. I am fully aboard the Khamzat hype train, but Shavkat is going need to show me a bit more before I fully hop on board.

But Shavkat does look like a beast. He fights long and manages distance really well. He can strike from the outside, but it’s when he grabs a hold of his opponents that his power is truly on display. He doesn’t look like a physical specimen, but he has that strength that comes from clean technique. He has looked fairly dominant in his two UFC victories, against respectable UFC vets. It’s been enough to get people excited about him.

His opponent is Carlston Harris. Another solid UFC prospect, even though Carlston isn’t getting nearly the same hype. Carlston is 34 and has 4 losses on his record, but he has won 5 straight fights – all by finish! And he beat some good guys in that run.

Carlston has some solid power and will be aggressive looking for the finish. He also has 5 subs on his record and is equally dangerous to pull out a submission. The betting line on this fight is interesting. Shavkat Rakhmonov is the one with the hype, and he is the betting favourite at around -225. But Carlston Harris is a live dog here. He is a real threat to finish this fight, on the feet or on the ground. We all love potential blue-chip prospects, but Shavkat Rakhmonov needs to still prove himself before we are assuming he is destined for a title shot.

Sometimes it can be profitable to fade these hype trains…we’ll see

if you do not know, now you do know

Hakeem Dawodu vs Mike Trizano – 145 pounds – Featherweight

February 2, 2022 — Leave a comment

This is one of those fights where I am kind of bothered, and worried that people won’t fully appreciate. The winner of this fight will have a big feather in their cap, I just hope we all recognize it!

Hakeem was someone I thought of as a dark horse at featherweight. And he very well still could be. Hakeems last fight was a unanimous decision loss to the undefeated Movsar Evloev. That loss that will age like a fine wine. Evloev seems to be destined for a title fight, and soon. And the fight was pretty wild! Evloev used his wrestling to keep the Mauy Thai expert on his back and won the 2nd round 10-8 on all scorecards. But then Hakeem came back and won the 3rd round on all scorecards! It was a fun round, and it looked like Hakeem was going to finish him late. But ultimately it goes down as an L on the record for Hakeem.

But I have to imagine, that 3rd round gave Hakeem a lot of confidence. It looked like something clicked for Hakeem. Maybe Evloev was just getting tired, but Hakeem was the one marching forward, threating the level change! Then his striking started to take over. When Hakeem is landing he is one of the most powerful fighters at that weight. He doesn’t have the highlight reel KOs, yet. But they are coming.

Mike Trizano was the winner of the “undefeated” season of the ultimate fighter. But he has battled injuries and has only competed 3 times since winning The Ultimate Fighter in July of 2018. He is 2-1 in the UFC, all against pretty solid competition. He is long and aggressive; he likes to pick shots and overwhelm with volume. He has the makings of a fan friendly action fighter, and I am curious to see how his skills stack up against a high-level striker in Hakeem.

Should be fun.

if you do not know, now you do know

Miles Johns vs John Castaneda – 135 pounds – Bantamweight

February 2, 2022 — Leave a comment

Bantamweight is ridiculous, a guy like Miles Johns feels so far from the top of the division, but he looks like a guy that could compete with anyone in the world. The former LFA champ, and DWCS alum is 3-1 in the UFC and is someone we should be keeping an eye on.

Miles Johns is a really quick and athletic fighter. It would be a mistake to classify him as a “grappler” or a “striker”, he is a new age fighter with a well-rounded game. He has won himself two straight performance bonuses with two 3rd round KO wins. He started out wrestling, winning a state title and wrestling a year in college. But he has been a dedicated MMA fighter for far longer. I am a fan, I’m looking forward to see how he looks.

His opponent is John Castaneda. Just like Miles, Castaneda dropped out of his first year of college wrestling to pursue a career in MMA. Castaneda has less fights in the UFC but arguably has the experience advantage coming into this fight. His first fight was against another top prospect Nathanial Wood, and his second was against the former WEC champ and staple of the bantamweight division, Eddie Wineland.

Castaneda has a solid skillset. He is good at keeping distance and picking clean strikes. He is a lot more dangerous on the feet than I think people would give him credit for. And he comes with a wrestling background himself.

Miles Johns is really the guy I have my eye on, but Castaneda is not going to be an easy fight. This should be a fun scrap.

if you do not know, now you do know

Event Preview – Fight Night Hermansson vs Strickland

February 1, 2022 — Leave a comment

We back!

I know there may be some of you who are writing this card off. And nobody would blame you for doing so, there is not a ton of name value. Even the main event is pretty low profile. But I’d strongly recommend you reconsider. I am actually pretty excited – there is a ton of talent on this card. And some matchups that should make for fun fights.

The card also features one of the most overlooked prospects in the sport! In a really fun fight against another potential prospect.

And while it is not the highest profile main event of the year, Strickland vs Hermansson is an important fight in the middleweight division. Strickland could start to make a case for a title shot against Izzy..wouldnt that be something.

Looking forward to diving in.

If you do not know, now you do know

if you do not know, now you do know

UFC 270 – Honourable Mentions

January 21, 2022 — Leave a comment

Jack Della Maddalena vs Pete Rodriguez – 170 pounds – Welterweight

Jack started his pro career 0-2. But has won 10 straight fights. He won on DWCS and looked really good against a good opponent. He has heavy strikes and solid grappling. Curious to see his UFC debut.

Pete Rodriguez is taking this fight on short notice. He has finished all 4 of his pro fights via 1st round KO, and supports an amatuer record of 7-2. 4 1st round KOs is interesting, and no doubt he has some serious power. But he has done this against regional competition. I am not sure he has the skills or size to compete at 170 in the UFC.

Tony Gravely vs Saimon Oliveira – 135 pounds – Bantamweight

A couple of DWCS series alums.

I like Tony Gravely. He feels like another underappreciated and underrated fighter that is on this card. He is a life long martial artist, and very well rounded. He is 2-2 in the UFC, but he has lots of high level of experience outside the UFC. All his losses outside the UFC are against some of the best bantamweights in the world! And his most recent loss was a flash KO after an impressive performance up until that point.

Saimon Oliveira will be making his UFC debut. He has 11 wins via submission but has a Muay Thai background.

Cody Stamann vs Said Nurmagomedov – 135 pounds – Bantamweight

An important fight in one of the deepest divisions in the UFC. And a classic crossroads fight.

Cody Stamann has competed with some of the best in the division most of his UFC career. But currently finds himself on a 2 fight losing streak after a close fight with Merab Dvalishvili. Cody has had issues beating the best guys, but man is he close. He is your classic wrestler with solid boxing. But he is a good athlete and at only 32 years old, he could still make a run.

Said Nurmagomedov, is a part of Khabibs team, but is not actually related to him. He can grapple, but he is definitely more of a striker. Likes the “spinning shit”. He is a solid prospect, but this is a big step up in competition.

The line here is interesting..

Michel Pereira vs Andre Fialho – 170 pounds – Welterweight

Oh look! The super crazy flippy guy Michel Pereira! The super crazy guy who has gone to a decision in his last 2 fights.
While that in itself is not a terrible thing, it’s just that he has all this hype that he is this super crazy exciting fighter because he has done a few flips. But he actually needs to be good enough to take guys out to be truly exciting. And he doesn’t seem to have that ability..

Andre Fialho is making his UFC debut, but he has plenty of high level experience. He has wins over UFC vets, and is entering the UFC on a 4 fight win streak winning all fights via TKO. Hes got some solid power in his hands.

This fight has all the makings of an excting fan friendly fight. We’ll see who can execute.

if you do not know, now you do know

UFC Championship Fight – Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane – 265 pounds – Heavyweight

January 20, 2022 — Leave a comment

There is nothing like a Heavyweight title fight. The holder of the UFC Heavyweight title has a legitimate claim to being the baddest dude on the planet.
And this one feels different..

Because there is so much happening with this fight!! It can be hard to keep track of it all, so I will try and break it down nice and easy,

This is the last fight on Francis’ deal. If he loses, he is a free agent. If he wins, the ‘championship clause’ kicks in and his deal is extended 3 fights OR 1 year. The other factor here is the new 5 year max on UFC deals. So either way, even with the championship clause he is free and clear at the end of this year. Francis has said he will not fight again on this deal, which could lead to a year long stalemate between the UFC and Francis Ngannou. This has not been emphasized enough in the MMA world. This would be crazy.

Next – they were (or weren’t?) former training partners. Regardless on the status of their friendship, or training partner status. They shared coach. That is interesting.

This fight is a fight fans dream from a stylistic perspective. Francis has that freaky lights-out power. Ciryl Gane is a big HW that moves like a Middleweight. And they are both freak athletes.

But more importantly – the winner of this fight is going to be a major global superstar. The winner of this fight is going to be the King of the damn world for the foreseeable future!

Francis looks like a comic book character. And has the story that feels destined for the big screen. He is a promotors dream Heavyweight Champion. If he can do to Ciryl Gane what he has done to everyone else. Strap Francis to a damn rocket ship. He is going to the freaking moon. He will be one of the biggest stars in the world!!

Ciryl Gane is a superstar in France already. When you have an entire nation behind you, it can propel you to a global audience. And – if Ciryl Gane beats Francis Ngannou? That will mean he is really f—— good. We get excited about star power, and trash talk, and all that. But being the best takes you further than any of that other stuff can. And Ciryl Gane might be a quality of fighter we have never seen at Heavyweight before..

And the winner is being lined up for a massive fight against Jon Jones next! And either of these guys should be a favorite in that fight. Being the first to beat Jon Jones? That is what is waiting for either of these guys.

Who is gonna take it..

if you do not know, now you do know