Cory Tait Signs 5 Fight Deal with Cage Warriors

Cory Tait Signs 5 Fight Deal with Cage Warriors
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Cory Tait (Photo: Fight Agents)

Highly touted bantamweight Cory Tait (7-2) has signed an exclusive 5 fight deal with Europe's leading promotion Cage Warriors.

Currently riding a 3 fight win streak, Tait made his professional MMA debut at Cage Warriors 38 before moving to UCMMA where he went on to win the promotions Featherweight & Bantamweight titles.

A formidable striker who holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Tait has taken all of his 7 wins by stoppage, drawing comparisons to Anderson Silva along the way thanks to highlight real finishes over Nathan Beer, and Dino Gambatesa by spin back first and crescent kick respectively.

Speaking on his Cage Warriors deal, the 25 year old said: “I’m excited to be signing with Cage Warriors,” said Tait. “Like myself, the promotion has come a long way in the last few years. I think this is the perfect time for me to show what I’m capable of and for Cage Warriors to have me.”

Tait becomes part of a bantamweight roster that already includes the likes of James Brum, Ronnie Mann, Martin McDonough, James Pennington and Brett Johns.

For all the lastest Cage Warriors news stay tuned to kingdomMMA.co.uk

Rosi Sexton vs Jessica Andrade Scheduled For Manchester

Manchester Gets The UK's First Ever UFC Women's Bout

By Tommy Strong @strong_tea

UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester will see England hold its first ever woman's UFC bantamweight bout when French born - Brit Rosi Sexton faces Jessica Andrade on the 26th October 2013.

Rosi made her UFC debut in June at UFC 161, when she faced Alexis Davis losing in a back and forth battle via unanimous decision. Rosi (13-3) isn't getting any younger and at the age of 36 will be eager to put one over her much younger opponent in Andrade. With the British crowd behind her she will have the home town advantage come October.

Brazilian Jessica Andrade (9-3) who is only 21, made her pro debut only 2 years ago but has been very active with 12 fights in just under 2 years. Andrade made her UFC debut in July when she fought Liz Camouche, losing in the 2nd round via TKO.

With both fighters looking to get back in the winning column the fans could be in for a real treat here.

UFC Manchester will see the much anticipated return of Michael "The Count" Bisping to the UK in a fight which could decide who will be the next number one contender when he takes on Mark Munoz in a middleweight battle.

The Bradley Scott Blog - episode 1

My thoughts on my fight announcement and my first week at the MMA Lab

by Bradley Scott @Bradleyscott89

By now you all know that I am back.

This is the first instalment of my blog which will only be available on Kingdom MMA, I will talk you through my life as I train towards the big fight in Manchester on October 26th against Michael Kuiper. So keep reading over the coming weeks as I tell you about my life as a UFC fighter.

My opponent Michael Kuiper
 

The fight was officially announced on Thursday that I will be fighting in Manchester on October 26th against Michael Kuiper. I have been watching some videos of him and he looks a pretty good Dutch kick boxer, not up there with the likes of Andy Souwer but he is definitely skilled.

I imagine come fight night there will be a lot of punches thrown, I am certainly hoping to finish him I don't want to go the distance. I will be going in there to get the KO/ TKO obviously, the only way I will get a submission victory is if its handed to me on a plate. I'm talking if he grabs my arm and wraps it around his throat and squeezes it for me that's the only way it will be a submission victory. There is no ifs or buts it will be an exciting fight. Loads of punches thrown, loads of blood, claret and shit everywhere I'm just hoping its in my favour.

Training at The MMA Lab
 

For this fight I have decided to go to train in America, I have been training at The MMA Lab in Pheonix, Arizona. I came out to America at the start of last week and last Tuesday (13th August) I had my first training session. It is certainly an experience to say the least, this week has been my induction week and I am just trying to get used to it here. I'm getting starstruck just seeing current UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson and people like that walking around. Joe Riggs is my training partner and its quite an experience. All of these guys which I am used to seeing on TV thinking wow what a legend and here I am training in the same room as them.

Since I have arrived I have been working a lot on my ground game, doing a lot of wrestling at the minute as my striking is pretty good. So I am trying to learn as much as I can, there are so many great wrestlers here. The ground level is just insane here, everyone is a good wrestler.

Training with John Crouch
 

John Crouch is an awesome coach, he looks at all the nitty gritty details. He doesn't care he will make time for you, even if he doesn't have any time he will make the time available for you. Even though Benson's title fight is just over a week away I have been working loads with John. He even set a whole session around me just to help me learn a certain technique. It's really technical here, I like the set up and they only have one hard sparring session a week so you're not really hurting all the time but we do do a lot of sparring.

Benson Henderson
 

He is still training here everyday, he is an absolute fucking monster. People don't understand how hard he trains and he certainly is better than everyone else here and you can see why. His dedication and his training ethics are amazing. He trains everyday and the other day he did 5x five minute rounds and he looked better in the fifth than he did in the first. The guy is a freak!! When I first saw him I was surprised how big he is, he is fucking huge and absolutely shredded. I don't know how much weight he has to cut but I do know he will make weight he is a professional, everything he does is professional.

My initial thoughts on the biggest differences so far between a UK gym and the Lab
 

In the UK most of the gyms I train at I am normally one of the top five fighters at the gym but here I am probably like in the top twenty maybe and that I am getting to train with some top fighters which all forms a good experience.

My first session was an experience, they spar hard here. They only do small sessions like 3 x 5 minutes or 4 x 5 minute sessions and that's your whole day done but its hard. Its also very clever as we don't get hurt or pick up any silly injuries, everyone has got that experience of having a fight. Another big difference is that when you spar everyone else watches so you have about 50 or 60 guys watching you which makes it feel like a real fight, its hardcore.

When was the last time someone like Benson Henderson or Jamie Varner pulled out of a fight due to an injury.... The guys here know what they are doing. Speaking of Jamie Varner, he is awesome. He's massive as well, he's built like a pitbull!! Joe Riggs is obviously built like a tank as well, he's huge. I sparred with him yesterday. The guy is a beast, he's got a fractured orbital bone but he puts a head guard on and then throws down still.... The guys a fucking freak!! He's fast as well and believe me he can bang. Like I said the guys a freak.

The quality of the food and stuff is better over here as well. I'm eating much better foods, there is a lot better variety of foods and I am getting better advice from people and advice of the other pro's here.

My weight
 

Another thing I have noticed is I have lost 10lbs since I have been here (10 days). I'm really struggling, I think a lot of it is to do with the amount of water I am drinking over here. I'm drinking about 8 litres a day due to me sweating so much from the two training sessions and I am having to have loads and loads of Gatorade and electrolytes just to keep me from cramping. So I am forcing myself to eat and am adding in high calorie foods such as nut butter and I am having fattier meats just so I can get the calories in and I am still losing loads of weight. I'm actually under 200lbs at the minute which for a middleweight is fuck all. Just look at Joe Riggs he weighs 210lbs and he is a fucking welterweight.

Everything is going right, making weight is not going to be a problem in fact I am trying to put weight on.

The British Invasion at the Lab
 

I've got two more English guys here as well, Andrew Fisher is here "Copper Bollocks" as I call him he's fucking lovely. There is another guy too but he is a amateur. I was the first Brit here and then all of a sudden two days later two more turn up. We have invaded over here, we are taking over.


In the next blog I will be able to give more details of my game plan and some specifics that I have been training on ahead ready for the fight so stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for the next instalment.

Fighter vs Writer - UFC Fight Night 27 - Poirier vs Heather

Fighter vs Writer: Dustin Poirier - UFC Fight Night 27
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.


For this challenge we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkison, Phil Harris and Cathal Pendred. Last time out at UFC Fight Night 26, Cathal Pendred was defeated by Chris, which still leaves Jim Alers as the only fighter to beat one of our Kingdom MMA writers.

This weeks opponent needs no introduction. He is one of the biggest names in the Featherweight division and is currently ranked #6 in the UFC official rankings. He is also the star of the movie Fightville and holds impressive victories over Jonathan Brookings, Max Holloway and many more. He is of course Dustin Poirier and you can see him return to the Octagon on Saturday night against Erik Koch at UFC 164.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions
(Note: The fight card wasn't finalised when we spoke to Dustin so we will only be picking 5/6 main card fights)

Carlos Condit vs Martin Kampmann

Dustin's Prediction: Carlos Condit - Decision 

Heather: This is a big fight for both guys, a win could push both guys very close to getting the next title shot, however a loss could seriously damage that dream. I have to pick Condit here, I can't see a way which Condit loses. Yes he has lost his last two but against the champion and challenger for the belt. I think that's still respectable. That will be pushing Carlos to get back in the win column and he will come Saturday night.

Prediction: Carlos Condit - TKO Round 3

Donald Cerrone vs Rafael Dos Anjos

Dustin's Prediction: Donald Cerrone - TKO

Heather: Cerrone for me is in a similar group to Urijah Faber, he will beat almost anyone in the division other than the very elite guys and even then (Other than the Pettis fight) he will put up a bloody good fight. In my opinion he is also one of the most exciting fighters to watch. He always comes to fight and rarely disappoints the fans.

On the other hand Dos Anjos has improved so much over the past couple of years after starting his UFC career 4-4 he has gone on a 4 fight win streak and a win on Wednesday would certainly be the biggest of his career. Unfortunately for Rafael I don't see it happening and I see him being finished within the distance. I think Cerrone will be able to beat him a number of ways but I am picking a third round submission for this.

Prediction: Donald Cerrone - Sub Round 3

Kelvin Gastelum vs Brian Melancon

Dustin's Prediction: Brian Melancon - TKO 

Heather: As one of the few guys who predicted that Kelvin would defeat Uriah Hall in his last fight I am not going to pick against him today. Gastelum has a decent skill set and now with the drop down to welterweight he won't be one of the smaller guys.

Melancon has taken this fight on short notice after a very impressive debut in the octagon. That fight proved an upset as he defeated Seth Baczynski on the buzzer at the end of the first round and another win on Wednesday night would be just as big of an upset.

I think Gastelum will be able to grind out an early onslaught from Melancon but then control the fight to pick up a decision victory.

Prediction: Kelvin Gastelum - Decision

Court McGee vs Robert Whittaker

Dustin's Prediction: Court McGee - Decision 

Heather: Whittaker impressed me in the TUF Smashes and was definitely one of a couple of good fighters to come out of the house. At the same time in his last fight against Colton Smith I didn't expect to see the improvements I did and thought he would lose..... how wrong was I!! After that performance I am now expecting to see big things in this fight.

McGee on paper has faced greater competition than Whittaker and in his last fight looked very impressive in the first round before he looked like he was gassed and then just did enough to win the decision when really he should have finished the fight.

Against Whittaker he will not be given the ability to cruise and I think Whittaker will have enough to come away with the win in equally impressive style to his last fight.

Prediction: Robert Whittaker - TKO Round 1

Brad Tavares vs Robert McDaniel

Dustin's Prediction: Brad Tavares  - TKO

Heather: This is simple for me.... If Jon Jones wasn't his coach on TUF Bubba would not have been given a second chance and we wouldn't even have this fight. I really do not understand why this fight has even been made. Tavares has fought and beat a lot better fighters than McDaniel and I can see him cruising to another win come fight night.

Hopefully we will now see Tavares matched up with a big name fighter as he works towards the top 10 in the division. He certainly deserves a better opponent than Bubba McDaniels.

Prediction: Brad Tavares - TKO Round 2


So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Wednesday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Dustin for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

UFC Fight Night 27 Main Card Predictions

Kingdom MMA: UFC Fight Night 27 Main Card Predictions

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b and Chris Houten @mrhouts

On Wednesday night we get our first instalment of school night fights as Fox Sports 1 launches the first midweek Fight Night. Can this card follow on in the footsteps of UFC Fight Night 26 Shogun vs Sonnen? That card drew brilliant numbers with a stacked card. Can this pull in something similar, if it does it will be a massive success!!

This card is full of some very close fights but below you can find the predictions for what some of the guys at Kingdom MMA expect to happen on Wednesday night.

Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann

Jack: The first fight was brilliant to watch and I can't see this being any different. Two of the most exciting fighters in the UFC and they will show up for war again. Condit is brilliant everywhere and will get back into the winning column here.

Prediction: Condit by KO Round 3

Chris: Whoa the bookmakers have got it completely wrong on this one, to have Condit 4/9 favourite over Kampmann at 7/4 is crazy. Don't get me wrong, I do think Condit is the favourite here but these odds are ridiculous for such a pick'em fight.

Prediction wise I'm going Condit, I think he has what it takes to edge out a decsion in this one, revenging his loss to Kampmann, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't gonna throw a couple of quid on Kampmann as he could very well win this fight.

Prediction: Condit by Decision

Donald Cerrone vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Jack: This is great matchmaking and a very good fight. Cerrone is like Jim Miller in a lot of ways. He can look like a complete killer against everyone but the top 2/ 3 guys. Dos Anjos although solid enough isn't a top three guy. Cerrone will kickbox his way to a decision here.

Prediction: Cerrone by Decision

Chris: Is it me or is Dos Anjos one of the most improved fighters over the last year, his wrestling level has really stepped up a notch!

Dos Anjos is on pretty impressive win streak but unfortunately for him, I believe it ends here. Cerrone's stand up is leaps and bounds ahead of Dos Anjos and I don't really see him struggling to defend any takedowns Dos Anjos brings. I expect Cerrone to take this one by Unanimous Decision.

Prediction: Cerrone by Unanimous Decision

Kelvin Gastelum vs Brian Melancon

Jack: Gastelum makes his welterweight debut against a durable opponent who probably isn't in the same class as him. Gastelum will get the flashy finish the UFC wanted Uriah Hall to get.

Prediction: Gastelum by Sub Round 1

Chris: Is Gastelum vs Melancon really main card worthy - just saying! Anyway realistically this fights a pick 'em with both men being on a similar level. I was impressed with Melancon TKO in his debut over Bacznski and equally I was impressed with Gastelum's will to win thoughout the TUF series.

I'm interest to see how Gastelum looks at 170 (although I would have been more interested in seeing Elkins vs Hioki in this fights place if I'm honest), he might not be the same fighter at the smaller weight, but based on personality, I can't see any reason 'The Little Engine that Could' can't find a way to win.

Prediction: Gastelum

Court McGee vs Robert Whittaker

Jack: Another very tough fight to call. I can see this being a standup fight so who has the best hands. You would have to say Whittaker. McGee could get desperate and look for a takedown. Whittaker has a lot of power and McGee will have to be wary of that. Whittaker will show he is a level above McGee in the battle of TUF winners.

Prediction: Whittaker by KO Round 2

Chris: I'll just start by saying how much I hate Whittaker dislike for Brits - I really felt like he and Alloway had something personal against us, and follow it up by saying DAMN was I impressed with his performance against Smith to the point where I don't even care!

I like Whittaker to take care of business. His jab looked on point against Smith and if he can do the same against McGree I really can't see a way to victory for McGee

Prediction: Whittaker

Takeya Mizugaki vs Erik Perez

Jack: This is a solid matchup that will really test Perez's credentials. I think he could potentially go all the way and this is a great learning fight for him as Mizugaki won't just fold. Perez will have to be on his A game to get rid of Mizugaki but I think he has what it takes.

Prediction: Perez by KO Round 2

Chris: Takeya Mizugaki comes in to this fight on a two fight win streak (his biggest win streak since joining Zuffa in 2009) with wins over Jeff Hougland, and Bryan Caraway - yes the infamous 'you have got this fight, coast Brian' fight. His opponent Perez is on an absolute tear finishing fools all over the place, and I expect him to do this same in this.

Mizugaki is a game little fighter, with a higher level of experience going into the fight and in fairness to him he is pretty decent, not an honorable mention for a top ten ranking like sherdog seem to think but still pretty decent, but Perez is looking like a future star for me - plus we all know that Japanese don't travel well.

Prediction: Perez

Robert McDaniel vs Brad Tavares

Jack: I will keep this one short and sweet. Bubba is a complete choker. Tavares is on a tear and the UFC want him to look good. Tavares will dominate from the first bell.

Prediction: Tavares by TKO Round 2

Chris: If I'm honest, I can't say I'm that keen on this fight, mainly because I don't feel McDaniel is ready for, or even deserves this fight. Tavares is a serious guy, he is 5-1 in the UFC with comfortable wins over tricky competitors in Baczynski, Fukuda and Watson.

Sure McDaniel showed moments in the TUF series that he has some skills, but I can't see him getting anything here - I see Tavares dominating this fight from start to finish and really wouldn't be surprise if he was to finish McDaniel.

Prediction: Tavares by TKO

So that is what the guys at the site think will happen, stay tuned to the Kingdom MMA twitter account come fight night and we will live tweet all night to keep you all up to date.

Josh Koscheck vs Tyron Woodley UFC 167

ANOTHER WELTERWEIGHT BATTLE ADDED TO UFC 167
By Tommy Strong @strong_tea

UFC 167 adds another welterweight bout to its card. With the news that Josh Koscheck will face Tyron Woodley on November 16th 2013.

Josh Koscheck (19-7) was scheduled to fight Damien Maia in August at UFC 163, but was forced to pull out due to an injury. Josh will now get the chance to redeem himself after losing his last two fights , a split decision to Johny Hendricks and more recently a 1st round defeat in February to Robbie Lawler.

His opponent Tyron Woodley (11-2) made a spectacular UFC debut in February with a 1st round victory knocking out Jay Hieron in 36 seconds. Though it was polar opposite when he faced Jake Shields in June 2013 losing a split decision in one of the worst fights I've seen to date.

This fight could go one of two way, either be a barn burner or a contender for worst fight of the year!
Lets hope both fighters turn up to entertain the fans!

UFC 167 will be headlined by welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre vs Johny Hendricks, also confirmed for the card will see another welterweight bout between Rory MacDondald vs Robbie Lawler.

Weigh in Results: Cage Warriors 58

Weigh in Results: Cage Warriors 58

 

Headliners Beslan Isaev and Viktor Halmi face off at the Cage Warriors 58 weigh-ins
(Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)


All fighters are on weight and ready for action at Cage Warriors 58 tomorrow at Olympisk Arena in Grozny, Chechnya.

Weigh-ins for the event took place this aft1ernoon at the Grozny City Hotel in the heart of the Russian republic’s capital.

Cage Warriors 58 will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Viktor Halmi and Chechnya’s own Beslan Isaev, while the show will also feature top CWFC veterans such as James Brum, Matt Inman and former title challengers Ivan Buchinger and Pavel Kusch.

The only fighter who initially came in overweight today was Akhad Mammadov, who’s scheduled to take on Liam James in a featherweight bout. Mammadov tipped the scales at 0.3lb above the 146lbs limit, but returned well within the two-hour extension period at a weight of 145.7lbs.

MAIN CARD

Welterweight: Viktor Halmi (170lbs) v Beslan Isaev (168.8lbs)
Heavyweight: Michal Andryszak (249.3lbs) v Ion Cutelaba (228lbs)
Bantamweight: James Brum (135.6lbs) v Ruslan Abiltarov (135.5lbs)
Middleweight: Charles Andrade (184.7lbs) v Bakhtiyar Abbasov (185.9lbs)
Lightweight: Ivan Buchinger (155.1lbs) v Jamal Magomedov (155.7lbs)
Middleweight: Chris Scott (185.3lbs) v Pavel Kusch (185.5lbs)
Welterweight: Matt Inman (170.3lbs) v Bagautdin Sharaputdinov (170.3lbs)

FACEBOOK PRELIMS

Featherweight: Liam James (145.8lbs) v Akhad Mammadov (145.7lbs)*
Welterweight: Mihail Serdyuk (170.8lbs) v Khusein Khaliev (170.4lbs)
Welterweight: Mohsen Bahari (170.5lbs) v Alexander Voitenko (168.2lbs)
Featherweight: Alex Enlund (145.8lbs) v Sebastian Romanowski (145.5lbs)

NON-STREAMED PRELIMS

158lbs catchweight: Denys Pidnebesnyi (155.2lbs) v Zubair Tuhugov (157lbs)
210lbs catchweight: Aslambek Musaev (210.6lbs) v Zubair Kamamyan (195.6lbs)
210lbs catchweight: Radjabov Sohib (208.6lbs) v Abdul-Kerim Edilov (210.6lbs)

*Initially weighed in at 146.3lbs but made the contracted weight within the two-hour limit

A preview of this weekends Cage Warriors 58

Cage Warriors 58 - Preview

Set to take place in the Russian republic of Chechnya this Saturday, Cage Warriors 58 is to be headlined by the meeting of Chechen star Beslan Isaev and Viktor Halmi.

Cage Warriors 58 will mark the promotion’s inaugural visit to Chechnya, with the action scheduled for the Olympisk Arena in the capital city of Grozny.

Isaev (23-6), a Grozny native, is one of Europe’s most highly-regarded welterweights and will be fighting for the 30th time in his professional career.

The 29-year-old has taken all but two of his 23 victories by stoppage - 11 submissions, 10 (T)KOs - and holds notable wins over UFC veteran Xavier Foupa-Pokam and CWFC middleweights Pavel Kusch and Valentino Petrescu.

Halmi (14-5), a 28-year-old Hungarian, also boasts an impressive record which includes 11 submission finishes from 14 career wins.

Elsewhere on the bill for CWFC 58, heavyweight prospects Ion Cutelaba and Michal Andryszak will collide following the clash of rising Ukrainian star Ruslan Abiltarov and top English bantamweight James Brum.

That’s just a small taste of some of the action scheduled for this Saturday’s bill. View the full fight card below.

The Cage Warriors 58 main card will be broadcast live all over the world at 9pm local time (6pm UK, 1pm ET, 10am PT) via the following partners:

MAIN CARD LIVE TV BROADCASTERS

Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola, Mozambique
ESPN | Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, Pacific Rim

MAIN CARD LIVE STREAMING BROADCASTERS

MMAjunkie.com | USA & Canada
JOE.ie | Ireland
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world

MAIN CARD

Viktor Halmi v Beslan Isaev
Michal Andryszak v Ion Cutelaba
Ruslan Abiltarov v James Brum
Bakhtiyar Abbasov v Charles Andrade
Ivan Buchinger v Jamal Magomedov
Chris Scott v Pavel Kusch
Matt Inman v Bagautdin Sharaputdinov (replaces the injured Eldar Eldarov)

FACEBOOK PRELIMS

Mohsen Bahari v Alexander Voitenko
Liam James v Akhad Mammadov
Khusein Khaliev v Mihail Serdyuk
Alex Enlund v Sebastian Romanowski

Rory MacDonald vs Robbie Lawler set to fight at UFC 167

Top Welterweight Contenders Meet in November

by Tommy Strong @strong_tea

Rory MacDonald will face Robbie Lawler at UFC 167 in a Welterweight bout that will take place on November 16th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

With both fighters so close to a title fight, the winner could well see their dreams come true with a win in November.

MacDonald (15-1) who recently come through an under whelming unanimous decision win over Jake Ellenberger in July at UFC on Fox 8. Will be eager to put on more of a display over Lawler to prove he's worthy of a title shot. A win over Lawler may have to see MacDonald put his views to one side about training partner GSP in order to get the title shot. Unless of course, the heavy handed Johny Hendricks can over come the odds and snatch the belt from GSP which happens to take place on the same night.
Robbie Lawler (21-9-1,NC) had a very topsy turvy time in Strikeforce with only a 3-5 record. Though 18 of his 21 victories have come the way of knockout which will make him a very dangerous fighter for MacDonald.

Since signing for the UFC and returning back to Welterweight Lawler has knocked out Josh Koscheck and more recently Bobby Voelker earning himself a shot at MacDonald and now sitting at number 9 in the UFC welterweight official rankings.

With so much at stake, both fighters will be looking to put on an impressive fight to earn the ultimate goal..

UFC 167 will be headlined by the welterweight title fight as champion Georges St-Pierre finally meets Johny Hendricks in what could be the toughest test to his belt in recent history.

Title Hopes For Pickett Derail, As The McGregor Hype Train Thunders on

Brave Heart Pickett Loses in Fight of the Night as McGregor is Victorious

by Tommy Strong @strong_tea

Brad Pickett makes McDonald question his power

UFC and British Bantamweight Brad Pickett saw his hopes of closing in on a title shot take a major set back in a second round defeat to Michael McDonald.

Saturday night saw the UFC debut on Fox Sports 1, with a card that was stacked to the ceiling in quality bouts. Pickett known for his punching power, granite chin and entertaining style, (which is why he's one of Dana White favourite fighters) didn't disappoint. Though this time is wasn't for his punching power.

McDonald entered the octagon on the back of a 4th round submission loss to Renan Barao for the bantamweight interim title in February when the pair met in Wembley London. Its easy to forget that McDonald is only 22 years old and already he has had 5 fights within the UFC before Saturday. So for that reason it was no surprise that he showed maturity years beyond his age in his win over Pickett.

Both fighters came out with one intention in mind, to knock the other guy out! Though it was McDonald who was landing the kicks and clearer punches until he landed a left hook buckling Pickett's legs sensing a early knockout McDonald landed with ease dropping Pickett within a minute of the first round.
Somehow surviving the onslaught from McDonald, Pickett was still standing and trading wild punches to the amazement of McDonald. This is where he showed real maturity , sensing the he couldn't finish Pickett at that moment he backed off , composed himself to conserve energy incase it went the distance.

Going into the second it was a cagey start, Pickett backing up McDonald manages to take him down, working from the top and looking comfortable until McDonald transitions into a brilliant triangle choke and locking it in. Leaving Pickett with little else to do, but to tap!

McDonald showed even at 22 he's a star, and one that maybe isn't appreciated by fans. Pickett finds himself just short of the elite level needed, but boy with fighters like him in the UFC we should be very thankful.
It won't be much consolation for Pickett though winning fight of the night and $50k that goes with it will no doubt help heel the wounds.

Conor remains undefeated in the UFC

Irelands very own featherweight Conor McGregor proved again on Saturday night maybe the 'Hype Train' is for real, with a workman like win over a tough Max Holloway.

The Irishman even got his very own walkout due to high demand by the public and fans Dana White made it happen, despite no other fighter on the prelim card getting this privilege.

Conor isn't one to hold back anything and enjoys telling the world and his fans just how great he is , without proving it. This would be his first real test and he passed with a C.

It certainly wasn't pretty or as exciting as maybe the fans had expected, and we saw 3 rounds of Conor out striking and counter punching Max at ease. Conor's stand up looked slick and fast, throwing from weird angles and throwing kicks we rarely see in the cage.

Holloway was really struggling to work Conor's style out, and had very few answers in return. With the fight being lop sided in rounds 1 and 2, the third round saw Conor take Holloway down, something we hadn't seen him do before, working on top smothering Holloway and eventually gaining full mount until he managed to roll free and get back to his feet for the duration of the round.

With the fight going to the official scorecards, all three judges gave the decision to Conor (30-27,30-27,30-26) its the first time ever in his MMA career that he's gone the distance. Maybe a reason for this was because of his knee.

After the fight Conor went onto say '' I wanted to put him away, but in the second round I caught a kick  and tried to pass his guard. He caught my leg in an awkward position and my knee popped"

McGregor will have a MRI scan on his knee on Friday and is hoping it won't keep him out long to either fight in Manchester or Vegas or well even both!! Being Conor it wouldn't surprise me if he done both!

The Bigslow returns to the Octagon in Manchester

Luke Barnatt vs Andrew Craig set for UFC Fight Night 30

by Ben Heather @benheather

Luke Barnatt (6-0 MMA 1-0 UFC) will get the chance to fight for the UFC in his home country on October 26th when the UFC returns to Manchester, England. Barnatt who made his way in to the UFC through the latest series of The Ultimate Fighter where he was Chael Sonnen's number one pick making him the number one pick overall. He then proved to Sonnen why he was picked first by brutally knocking out Gilbert Smith with a flying knee in his first fight in the house.

Luke ultimately lost out to Dylan Andrews in the third round of his quarter final fight. This loss may have put Luke out of the running to become TUF champion but it did put an extra $25,000 in his pocket when it was awarded the fight of the series. Once out of the house Luke made his UFC debut at the TUF 17 Finale on his 25th birthday where he squared off against fellow house mate Collin Hart. He came out of the fight with a unanimous decision giving him a perfect 6-0 MMA record.

But now comes the real test for Luke, fighting in his home country against a step up in opponent can he keep that perfect record intact?

Andrew Craig (9-1 MMA 3-1 UFC) will be doing all he can to make sure that is not the case. Craig comes in to this fight after picking up possibly the biggest win of his career at UFC 162 where he defeated Chris Leben. That victory got Craig back in the winners circle after losing the first fight of his career to Ronny Markes at UFC on FX 7 in January.

It seems to me that Andrew Craig has the attitude to fighting that he will fight anyone, anywhere and I love that in a fighter. If you take his record since he has signed for the UFC it certainly backs that up. In his four fights for the UFC he has fought and beat Kyle Noke in his home country of Australia, lost to Rony Markes in his home country, Brazil and had two fights in the USA as well. Now in October he will be coming to England to fight one of our own and I am sure the crowd in Manchester will certainly let him know which fighter is being favoured.

The card for UFC Fight Night 30 is filling up now but I am sure we will get a couple more fight announcements in the coming days which will finalise the card.

Diego Brandao Interested in Fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 168

Diego Brandao Interested in Fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 168
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Diego Brandao earlier told MMAFighting.com earlier today that he is interested in a fight with Conor McGregor.

Noted journalist Ariel Helwani reported earlier this week on US TV talk show UFC Tonight, that Mcgregor trainer, John Kavanagh, hopes to return to the Octagon on Dec. 28 in Las Vegas in a bout against TUF 14 winner Brandao; a bout that Brandao has confirmed he is interested in.

"I’m in the UFC to fight the best," Brandao told MMAFighting.com earlier today. "Everybody knows that my dream is to become the UFC champion. I already won The Ultimate Fighter, now I’m going after the title."

"I always liked challenges, and I believe a fight against McGregor would be a good challenge for me," he said. "If he wants to fight me, I also want to fight him. Hey, McGregor, let’s make it happen. It would be perfect for UFC 168 in Vegas. I wanna do a great show."

Stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for all the last UFC 168 rumours 

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Cathal Pendred predicts UFC Fight Night 26 (THE RESULTS)

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Cathal Pendred predicts UFC Fight Night 26 (The Results)

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Cage Warriors Welterweight champion Cathal Pendred stepped in to the hot seat to challenge Kingdom MMA in the latest Fighter vs Writer feature.

This week we put forward the big man himself, the man who started it all, our Editer and Co Owner Chris Houten. Not to put any more pressure on Chris than he already had facing a very talented competitor but we hoped he could do better than he did last time out against another Cage Warriors Champion in Jim Alers. In Chris' previous appearance on Fighter vs Writer he lost in what is still Kingdom MMA's only defeat.
Below you will be able to see the results as the fights happened. It was a closely contested battle and Cathal certainly proved to be a respectable opponent for Chris.

The Scoring

If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

UFC Fight Night 26 Results

Conor McGregor Def. Max Holloway by Decision

• Cathal Pendred: McGregor by TKO Rd 1 - Score 1
• Chris Houten: McGregor by TKO Rd 1 - Score 1

Score after the 1st fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 1

Michael McDonald Def. Brad Pickett by Sub RD2

• Cathal Pendred: Pickett by Decision - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Pickett by Decision - Score 0

Score after the 2nd fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 1

Michael Johnson Def. Joe Lauzon by Decision

• Cathal Pendred: Lauzon by Sub Rd 1 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Lauzon by Sub Rd 1 - Score 0

Score after the 3rd fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 1

John Howard Def. Uriah Hall by Decision

• Cathal Pendred: Hall by TKO Rd 2 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Howard by Unanimous Decision - Score 2

Score after the 4th fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 3

Matt Brown Def. Mike Pyle by TKO RD1

• Cathal Pendred: Pyle by Sub Rd 2 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Pyle by Unanimous Decision - Score 0

Score after the 5th fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 3

Urijah Faber Def. Yuri Alcantara by Decision

• Cathal Pendred: Faber by Unanimous Decision - Score 2
• Chris Houten: Faber by Sub - Score 1

Score after the 6th fight: Cathal Pendred - 3 Chris Houten - 4

Travis Browne Def. Alistair Overeem by TKO RD1

• Cathal Pendred: Overeem by TKO Rd 1 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Browne by Unanimous Decision - Score 1

Score after the 7th fight: Cathal Pendred - 3 Chris Houten - 5

Chael Sonnen Def. Shogun Rua by Sub RD1

• Cathal Pendred: Sonnen by Unanimous Decision - Score 1
• Chris Houten: Sonnen by Unanimous Decision - Score 1

Score after the 8th fight: Cathal Pendred - 4 Chris Houten - 6

FINAL SCORE CATHAL PENDRED - 4 CHRIS HOUTEN - 6

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Cathal Pendred once again for his participation in Fighter vs Writer and would all like to wish him good luck at trying to get in to the house for the next series of TUF. For more on Cathal Pendred, check out and follow Cathal on Twitter - @PendredMMA

Mixed Fortunes For Boston Pair at UFC Fight Night 26

Surprise Loss for Lauzon, Whilst Howard schools Hall

by Tommy Strong @strong_tea



Saturday night UFC Fight Night 26 saw mixed fortunes for Boston's Joe Lauzon and John Howard.

Lauzon (22-9) renowned for his exciting style of fighting that has earned himself 12 bonuses of the night awards, equal with the legend Anderson Silva.

Lauzon came into the fight on the back of a unanimous decision loss to Jim Miller at UFC 155 on the 29th December 2012. Not only did the pair pick up fight of the night bonus, they were also awarded fight of the year 2012! Though it was Michael Johnson that had everyone on the edge of their seats. Being a 2-1 underdog going into the fight, not many had backed Johnson to pull of a win against the submission artist in Lauzon.

Johnson wasted no time in silencing the hometown crowd that were cheering on local boy Lauzon with jabs and leg kicks to keep Lauzon at range and stuffing any take downs he attempted. Over the 3 rounds Lauzon had no answer for Johnson's speed, landing at will with little or nothing coming back.

By the third round Johnson had broken Lauzon, leaving him clueless on what to do next! Johnson produced one of, if not his best performance within the UFC to take a one sided victory on the judges score cards, so much so one judge scored the fight (30-25).

Lauzon offered no excuses after the fight , saying he was 100% fit and healthy, had a great training camp and everything went to plan. It just wasn't his night. Handing every credit to to the winner Johnson. I'm sure this is just a blip in Lauzons career and he will be back in the style we have all come accustomed too.

On the flip side we saw Boston's John Howard returning to the UFC for the first time since 2011 having left a Welterweight, now returning inside the octagon as a Middleweight to face TUF 17 runner up Uriah Hall.

In truth the fight was a stinker! Which had Dana White commenting on twitter:

'HORRIBLE!!!!!!! The high 5 of the night WTF"

With so many eagerly anticipating the Hall that we saw in the TUF series knocking fighters out in style, hoping his loss in the TUF final to Kelvin Gastelum was just a one off. Though sadly it was much of the same.

Hall come out from the bell using his reach advantage to keep Howard at range, though going into round two Howard found his rhythm and showed better striking and wrestling skills to take the advantage over Hall who offered very little in return. The fight didn't get any better in rounds 2 or 3 where the crowd were getting restless and venting their frustrations with chorus of boo's.

Everyone was grateful to hear the final bell and see the fight come to an end. The fight went to the judges scorecards which saw John Howard take a split decision win (30-27-28-29 -29-28)

Uriah Hall is now (0-2) with the UFC and with his back really up against the wall if he wants to stay within the UFC.

Dana White wasted no time giving his opinions on Uriah Hall:

"I love Uriah Hall. I have a great relationship with this kid. He's one of the nicest human beings you can ever meet. He's not a fighter, man. If I could take Brad Pickett's brain and heart and put it inside Uriah Hall's body, holy shit there would be some damage done, because Uriah has all the physical attributes to be amazing. He's got speed, he's got power, he's unbelievable. He doesn't have what it mentally takes to fight here. You know what I mean? He was this killer on TUF, and then he comes into the big show where it really matter and this is going to make your livelihood and everything else, and he turns into a different person. This super nice guy. He was telling me after the Kelvin fight "I really like him, he's a really nice guy. Ok, well that really nice guy just took every fucking thing you ever wanted"

Is this the last we have seen from Uriah Hall?! What do you all think??

Could Matt Brown go all the way??

Could we really see Matt Brown fight for UFC Gold?

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

If you asked that question a little over a year ago you would of seemed mental. It would of been a ludicrous story. Brown has had a fairytale ride lately, his whole life never mind his career has been a mix of massive lows followed by huge highs. On Saturday night he may of just reached the biggest high of them all. His name is now being banded about as a legit possible welterweight title challenger.

At 32 he has matured and finally settled into the best form of his life. His UFC career wasn't always like this though. His past story was revealed when he debuted on The Ultimate Fighter all the way back in 2007. His past drink and drug abuse came to a head when he survived a heroin overdose. "The Immortal" was born. He had moderate success on the regional circuit after realising he had to change his ways. He thought his career was over due to money issues until 'TUF' and the opportunity of a lifetime came along. 

He started life in the UFC very promisingly, defeating Matt Arroyo by stoppage on his official debut. He lost a controversial decision to Dong Hyun Kim before reeling off three straight stoppage wins, including going into James Wilks backyard and stopping him on the back of winning his own series of 'TUF'. That could have been as good as it got for Brown. A horrific 2010 culminated in losing his third fight of the year all by submission. In the space of nine months he had gone from 4-1 with only one harsh loss on his record to 4-4 with three successive finish losses.

 His submission defence had been called into question alongside his spot on the roster. Fans started calling for him to be cut. UFC officials thankfully disagreed and granted Brown another shot. He took his most vital fight to date against John Howard and showed all his mental toughness in a make or break fight. Brown won perhaps the most vital fight of his life that night. His troubles were not over though as his submission defence frailties came back to haunt him immediately. He couldn't get on another hot streak as Seth Baczynski made it four losses out of five. All finishes, all by submission.

 This is where Brown really turned his career around. He got back in the Octagon as soon as he could, desperate to prove himself. He reeled off three wins in six months to prove many of his doubters wrong including two knockouts and beating the much hyped Stephen Thompson. His Fox journey then started. Whether people liked or rated Brown no one could deny he was an exciting fighter to watch. Win or lose he consistently puts it all on the line. Joe Silva recognised this and gave Brown a spot on the free to air fox channel. Brown didn't disappoint and grabbed his chance with open hands. He came out swinging and impressively stopped Mike Swick.

 People were now starting to sit up and take notice. Brown had quietly turned his career around but this was his biggest win in front of his biggest audience by far. The win impressed UFC and Fox executives enough to give him a spot on the next fox card. This time against rising star Jordan Mein. Brown again came out and destroyed Mein winning fight of the night in the process. He was no longer going along quietly. He was now winning fights, not only winning them but stopping opponents impressively. He was now 5-0 since his resurgence. A step up in opponent was required. He was granted that again on Fox's new channel Fox Sports 1.

 He took on the Mike Pyle on Saturday night and made quick work of a tough fighter. He steamrolled through Pyle in just 30 seconds to win KO of the night and putting himself in the title picture. He immediately called for a title shot following his latest dominant win. It would be a true Cinderella story should he be granted it. Realistically he will need to win one more fight though. He may be looking towards the winner of Condit-Kampmann next Wednesday. Could you imagine the violence a potential Condit-Brown fight could bring?

 Whatever happens it guarantees to be one hell of a journey. Strap in and enjoy the ride. Brown is now 6-0 after his past struggles. That shows you can constantly get better in this sport. There is no substitute for pure hard work. Brown is perhaps the single best example of this I have ever come across. Never give up and work as hard as you possibly can and you can comeback from almost anything. Even near death. Brown is a great example for many young fighters out there today.

Vitor Belfort vs Lyoto Machida?

Could we see a middleweight battle between the two Brazilians?

by Tommy Strong @strong_tea



Vitor Belfort's next middleweight challenge could very much be Lyoto Machida, which has been rumoured to be a co-main event at UFC 167.

Machida (19-4) who narrowly lost his last fight to Phil Davis only a couple of weeks ago in what some people saw as a controversial result would be making his Middleweight debut if the fight gets the go ahead.

Vitor (23-10) is only looking for big fights after recently turning down a fight with Tim Kennedy. Vitor is coming off back to back wins with stunning TKO victories over Michael Bisping and more recently a devastating spinning heel kick to knockout top contender Luke Rockhold.

Interestingly the fight could take place at the MGM Arena Las Vegas on November 16th where Belfort's TRT exemption probably wouldn't be given the all clear, forcing Belfort to train and fight all 'natural'.

Machida hasn't fought at middleweight before and would be a great addition to the division, especially now as his friend and training partner Anderson Silva no longer holds the belt. Though this may well change come December when Anderson faces Weidman in a much anticipated rematch!

UFC 167 will see Welterweight champion GeorgeSt-Pierre put his belt on the line when he faces Johny Hendricks.

Fighter vs Writer: Cathal Pendred - UFC Fight Night 26

Fighter vs Writer: Cathal Pendred - UFC Fight Night 26
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Joe.ie & Cage Warriors

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this challenge we challenge some of the big names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkison and Phil Harris. Last time out at UFC 163, Mike Wilkinson was defeated by 2 point by Tommy, leaving Jim Alers the only fighter to beat one of our Kingdom MMA writers.

This weeks opponent needs no introduction. One of the biggest prospects on the European scene, he is the current Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion, holds impressive victories over Gael Grimaud, Che Mills and many more, and is a team mate of Conor McGregor. He is Cathal Pendred and you can expect to see him taking UFCs welterweight division by storm within the next 18 months.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions


Chael Sonnen vs Shogun Rua

Pendred: You never know what you're going to get with Shogun. He can sometimes look like that world class fighter that won the Pride tournament, but at other times he looks very average and even sluggish. You always know what you're going to get with Chael and his style is generally very effective.

Prediction: Chael Sonnen - Unanimous Decision 

Houten: This is a big fight for both guys, with both needing to avoid a loss to save the curtains coming down on their careers. Shogun has looked up for it in the lead up to the fight, and could knock Chael out if he keeps the fight standing. Unfortunately I don't think he will be able to stop Sonnens relentless grinding style.

Prediction: Chael Sonnen - Unanimous Decision

Alistair Overeem vs Travis Browne
Pendred: These big boys are most likely gonna hit each other with big shots early and one of them will probably go unconscious. If that doesn't happen we might see a 3 round sloppy affair where both guys gas out. Lets hope not.

Prediction: Alistair Overeem - TKO (RD 1)

Houten: I think this is the fight Overeem gets found out in - no roids, no good. I expect him to look a little sluggish compared to the athletic Browne. I think Browne grind on Overeem, gets a few takedowns and wins this one.

Predictions: Travis Browne - Unanimous Decision

Urijah Faber vs Yuri Alcantara
Pendred: Faber always brings it. And he is world class, but unfortunately just falls short of being a champion. I haven't seen many of Alcantara's fights, but looking down his record he looks very good. I think this one will go the distance, unless Faber manages to slap on one of his viscous guillotines.

Prediction: Urijah Faber - Unanimous Decision 

Houten:Alcantara is a pretty serious guy, but hes not a patch on Faber. I think Faber will catch Alcantara with a big shot in second and finish the fight by submission.

Prediction: Urijah Faber - Submission

Matt Brown vs Mike Pyle
Pendred: Great welterweight fight here. Both guys are on a serious run here and a win for either will be huge. Pyle definitely has the experience advantage here and I think they'd going to play the difference here. The majority of Pyle's wins have come from submission and the majority of Brown's losses have come by submission.

Prediction: Mike Pyle - Submission (RD 2) 

Houten: This fight could be fight of the night. Both a savy vets who are competent in pretty much all areas of MMA. This fight is a pick 'em if ever there was one, but I'm gonna go with Pyle. I think Pyle has the ability to take more punishment, and might be the deciding factor in what could be an electric fight.

Prediction: Mike Pyle - Unanimous Decision 

Uriah Hall vs John Howard
Pendred: Howard is usually welterweight and I think Hall is a bit over rated because of that infamous KO. I'm really not sure about this one.

Prediction: Uriah Hall - TKO (RD 2)

Houten: John Howard has been knocking fools out since he was cut from the UFC, and say 185 is where he is best at. The problem is he is nowhere the stiker Hall is. I do however think Hall might be a little overrated thanks to the highlight real he produced against a bunch of cans in TUF, and I question whether he has the bottle to hack in on the big stage.

This fight is hard for Hall than people think. I think Howard could take this one - it will be a bit boring the way he does it but I'm having Howard as a dark house.

Prediction: John Howard - Unanimous Decision

Joe Lauzon vs Michael Johnson
Pendred: Lauzon is a submission machine and I don't rate Johnson too much. I actually think this fight is a bit of a mismatch.

Prediction: Joe Lauzon - Submission (RD 1) 

Prendred: The UFC must has decided the want rid of Johnson cause this fight is a major mismatch. Johnson is on a 2 fight losing streak to guys that our half the fighter that Lauzon is. Expect this one to end in Lauzon collection a bonus, and Johnson collection the US equivalent of a P45.

Prediction: Joe Lauzon - Submission (RD 1)

Brad Pickett vs Michael McDonald
Pendred: This is an incredible fight. I can't believe how little attention it's getting! Both guys are awesome, the only thing I can separate them by is experience, which Pickett has more off (although McDonald did fight for the title).

Prediction: Brad Pickett - Unanimous Decision

Houten: The fact that this fight is on the undercard shows how deep the line up for UFC Fight Night 26 is! No. 5 vs No.3 is worth of a main card maybe even main / co-main event on some cards.

I have been thinking about this fight all day, and I' struggling to pick. I can make cases for either guy, and while I deep down I think McDonald is probably the better fighter, I can't go against my man Pickett.

Prediction: Brad Pickett - Unanimous Decision

Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway
Prendred: MY MANNNN!! Conor can finish this fight wherever he wants! Unfortunately for Holloway the fight starts standing. The fight might last 2 rounds because I think Holloway will respect Conor's power and keep his distance. But if I predict anything less than a first round finish for Conor he'll kill me!!

Prediction: Conor McGregor - TKO (RD 1)

Houten: Simple - Holloway way came out in the press this week slating the media attention McGregor has received this week, and I expect him to come out feeling like he has something to prove. I expect Holloway to go toe-to-toe with McGregor in the first round and get knocked out for his trouble.

McGregor deserves the attention he has received, he is a start in the making. Here's hoping a big win sets up a fight on the Manchester card against some one like Nick Lentz or the winner of Poirier / Koch

Prediction: Conor McGregor - TKO (RD 1)

So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Cathal for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

Dustin Poirier talks to Kingdom MMA about UFC 164, fighting Cub Swanson in the UK, Conor McGregor and more

Kingdom MMA catch up with Dustin Poirier for a UK exclusive interview

by Ben Heather @benheather

Yesterday Kingdom MMA had the pleasure of catching up with Dustin Poirier to discuss his fights at UFC 164 as well as a lot of other topics. Dustin comes in to the fight off the back of a loss in the co-main event of UFC on FUEL 5 against Cub Swanson in Wembley Arena, London. Since then he has taken a bit of time out after two fights in the space of two months in December last year and then February of this year, but is now ready to get back to action.

Ben: Your last fight was in the UK, did you get chance to get out and see much of London while you was in the UK and what did you think of England?
Poirier: I was not able to see much but what I did get to see was beautiful, aside from it raining the entire time we were there.

Ben: Last time out you lost in a close battle to Cub Swanson, do you regret taking that fight on short notice?
Poirier: I don't regret taking the fight, it was a learning experience and I'm a stronger fighter because of it.

Ben: I caught up with you in the Hilton hotel a couple of hours after that fight against Cub and at that time you said that you thought you won the first and second rounds and did enough to win the fight. Did you watch the fight back and how do you think it should have been scored?
Poirier: I did watch the fight over and  I think the decision was right, we were one and one going into the third and I think he edged me out in the third.

Ben: Do you feel if you had the full camp before fighting Cub the result would have been different?
Poirier: I definitely think that if I had a full training camp it would have gone differently. I would've been in shape to push the third round.

Ben: Who do you think is now the number 1 contender at featherweight? It seems a lot of guys feel they deserve the title shot but who do you think should be next to get the shot?
Poirier: Ricardo Lamas deserves the next shot at the featherweight title.

Ben: If an opportunity arose and you were asked to step in on short notice for another fight like you did against Cub would you still take the fight?
Poirier: It depends on my weight at the time and if the fight is worth taking on short notice.

Ben: I believe in the past your weight fluctuates a lot when you are not preparing for a fight. How much weight do you normally have to lose during a fight camp? Also, on average how much do you have to cut for weigh ins?
Poirier: I lose an average of 15 pounds during camp and another 15 pounds for the weight cut.

Ben: You have now been training at American Top Team for coming up to a year, how do you feel this had improved your game and how different is it to where you previously trained?
Poirier: I feel like my game is more well rounded and I'm getting pushed by top level guys every day. I'm a completely different fighter than how I was a year ago.

Ben: It seems lately the name on everyone's lips in the UK is Conor McGregor, what is your opinion of him and would you be interested in a fight with him?
Poirier: Connor Mc who??

Ben: At UFC 164 you will finally fight Erik Koch. You were supposed to fight him back in Feb '12 at UFC 143 before he got injured. Has it been easier preparing for this fight due to the past preparation you put in for that first fight?
Poirier: No it's not easier because it's a different fight and we're both different fighters than we were a year ago.

Ben: You will be fighting Koch in what I believe is his hometown, does this add an exciting edge to the fight for you?
Poirier: For sure! I get to be the bad guy for the night and he's going to need a stadium full of fans to cheer him up after I beat him.

Ben: Have you been training on anything specific for your fight against Koch?
Poirier: I've been training and preparing for any way the fight could go but have been focusing on my kickboxing. Everyone looks at me as a jiu jitsu fighter but I started as a kickboxer before anything and you will see that in this fight.

Ben: How do you expect the fight to go at UFC 164?
Poirier: Me knocking Erik Koch out!!

Ben: Where do you think a win will put you in an already stacked division?
Poirier: Back where I belong...At The Top!

Ben: Would you say that putting on a show, entertaining the crowd with exciting fights and being known as an entertaining fighter is important to you? Or is it all about getting the win no matter if its a boring fight.
Poirier: It's all about getting the win for me but luckily, I don't know how to have a boring fight!

Ben: UK fighter and team mate of yours Brad Pickett is in action this weekend, how do you think he will get on against Michael Mcdonald?
Poirier: I think it will be a competitive fight first round and then Brad will pull ahead second and third.

Thank you for your time Dustin, we wish you all the best in your fight at UFC 164 and look forward to speaking with you again soon.

UFC 164 is headlined by the rematch between Benson Henderson vs Anthony Pettis for the UFC lightweight championship in a fight which the fans have been hoping to see ever since Anthony Pettis landed the showtime kick in the first fight between the two. UFC 164 takes place on 31st August and can be seen live on BT Sports in the UK.

Kingdom MMA speak to James Vicks before his UFC Fight Night 26 fight

UFC on Fox Sports 1's James Vick chats to Kingdom MMA about Ramsey Nijem, what it would be like to fight in the UK and more

by Chris Houten @mrhouts

Recently Kingdom MMA had the pleasure of catching up with UFC fighter James Vick who on Saturday night will open up the UFC Fight Night 26 event taking part in the first fight of the night live on Facebook. Vick who made his way to the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter Live as the fifth pick for Team Cruz. Since then Vick has gone off the radar but now he is most definitely back in the spot light.

Chris: It's been over a year since you were not medically cleared to face Vinc Pichel at The TUF 15 finale, how did you feel when you got the news you couldn't fight?
Vick: Well honestly after we both lost in the semi finals of the show I don't think either one of us, me or Vinc thought we were going to fight the next week on the finale. We both believed we were just going to get placed on a different card later down the road.

Chris: Did you ever feel like you might not make your debut or was there always the promise of a fight down the line?
Vick: Well immediately following TUF the UFC matchmaker Joe Silva promised me a fight. Then once I got injured he told me go ahead and get the surgery and then he would find me a fight once I was healthy again.

Chris: You face Ramsey Nijem on the debut UFC on FOX Sports card, why has it taken so long since the TUF finale to be handed your UFC debut?
Vick: I got injured during training and had to have surgery on my shoulder.

Chris: How has your preparation gone for the fight?
Vick: My preparation for this fight has gone great so far!   

Chris: Going into to the fight with Nijem you have a pretty big height and reach advantage, is the game plan to fight tall and keep Nijem from being able to close the distance?
Vick: Yes its no secret that my plan is to stand with him and try to keep him on the outside and land some big shots and possibly knock him out.

Chris: Nijem is known as a wrestler, with the reach advantage you have do you expect him to be keen to try and take you down?
Vick: Yes I definitely think his plan is to take me down. He'll probably start off trying to come in hard and fast with wild punches and then immediately go for the takedown just like he has done in all of his fights I've seen.

Chris: Do you feel any pressure going into the fight knowing the ufc could cut you with a loss?
Vick: I think every fighter feels some pressure going into these fights since they have been cutting people so frequently recently. But I'm not that worried about it because I plan on winning and then won't have to worry about it for awhile!

Chris: What's your keys to victory against Nijem and how do you see yourself winning the fight?
Vick: Well my keys to victory are to use my superior boxing skills to pick him apart or get back up to my feet should he take me down or work my jiu jitsu to catch him in a submission.

Chris: Finally do you have any interest in fighting outside of the US, maybe on a UK card?
Vick: I would love to fight outside of the US, I've never been outside of the country and it would be so exciting to travel the world some. The UK would be a great place to go fight and visit, since the TUF show I've had alot of really cool and supportive fans from the UK so it would be a honor to fight there!

Chris: Is there anyone you would like to thank?
Vick: I would like to thank all my teammates and friends from Team Lloyd Irvin, Phalanx mma academy, Ironside mma, and Weatherford boxing team who have all been so supportive and helped me progress into the fighter I am today. Also my Mom and Dad  and all my brothers and sister who are always so supportive of me and my career.

Thank you to James Vick for taking the time out to talk to us, we all wish him all the best for his fight and for all the fans who want to watch that fight against Ramsey Nijem then log on to Facebook on Saturday night.

Cris Cyborg Takes Muay Thai Fight Meets Martina Jindrova at Lion Fight 11

Cris Cyborg Take Muay Thai Fight Meets Martina Jindrova at Lion Fight 11

Lion Fight Promotions and the D Las Vegas today added a blockbuster women’s matchup to the September 20th LION FIGHT 11 event in announcing that two-time MMA world champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino will take on multiple standup world champion Martina Jindrova.

Scott Kent, CEO of Lion Fight Promotions said, “As one of the best female fighters in the world, we are thrilled that Cris Cyborg is going to fight full rules Muay Thai and take on World Champion Martina Jindrova on September 20. Both of these fighters are fierce, aggressive strikers who like to end fights. With Cosmo Alexandre vs. Nampon and Kevin Ross vs. Tetsuya Yamato already set for Lion Fight 11, Cyborg vs. Jindrova now fully stacks this card.”

Fighting out of San Diego, California, Cris Cyborg Justino is one of the top-ranked female mixed martial artists in the world. With a pro MMA record of 12-1-0-1, she is the former Strikeforce Featherweight Champion and current Invicta FC Featherweight Champion. She has fought in numerous Muay Thai competitions in her native Brazil and is considered one of the most dangerous strikers in the world.

“This is a great fight for me at Lion Fight 11, I fought Muay Thai in Brazil and I love competing in this sport,” said Cyborg. “I’m really excited for this fight. I love to fight. I can’t wait to go to Vegas and get in that ring on September 20.” 

Kent and Lion Fight matchmaker Christine Toledo worked with former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, Cyborg’s manager, to secure this fight. Ortiz expressed confidence and enthusiasm in her return to the Muay Thai ring.

 “We are excited about the baddest woman on the earth fighting Muay Thai at Lion Fight 11 live on AXS TV in Las Vegas,” said Cyborg’s manager Tito Ortiz, former UFC Champion. “Cris is not only the best, but the most exciting fighter to watch and I’m sure September 20 will be full of excitement.”

Fighting out of TKBC Prague in Holland, the 22-year old 5’8” Jindrova has a pro Muay Thai record of 17-5 with three knockouts. Originally, from Kaznejov, Plzensky Kraj, Czech Republic, she is a world champion across four standup fighting organizations. She was a two-time boxing champion in her native Czech Republic. She went undefeated in standup fighting for four years before moving to Holland to train among the world’s best coaches and kickboxers. On September 20 she will fight in the United States against her most accomplished opponent to date.

“I know Cyborg is a huge MMA star and this is a big challenge for me to fight an opponent like her,” said Jindrova. “She is very strong with hard punches, kicks and knees. But this is not an MMA, this is Muay Thai and she will be fighting me against my rules. I’m very proud to be on this historic Lion Fight 11 card and am ready to make a great knockout win for the fans.” 

In Lion Fight 11’s main event Brazilian superstar Cosmo Alexandre takes on two-time WMC Champion and Rajadamnern Stadium Champion Nampon. In the co-main event, American Muay Thai star Kevin Ross will square off against former WBC Muay Thai Japan Champion Tetsuya Yamato.

Gunnar Nelson vs Jordan Mein rumoured for UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester

UFC Fight Night 30 rumoured to have added a welterweight battle

by John Haigh @JohnBJayHaigh

Gunnar Nelson vs Jordan Mein rumoured to be added to the UFC Fight Night in Manchester.

Another fight is rumoured to have been added to the upcoming event in Manchester in the welterweight division, Gunnar Nelson is rumoured to take on Jordan Mein in a battle of young talent.
Nelson (11-0-1) is 2-0 in the UFC, but both of the fighters he faced DaMarques Johnson and Jorge Santiago have since been cut from the UFC. He was originally given a much higher rated opponent at UFC 160 where he was set to fight Mike Pyle, but the Iceland native had to pull out due to injury and will be keen to prove himself against Mein.

Mein (27-9) is only 23 years old but has already clocked up 36 pro fights as well as several amateur ones. After stopping Dan Miller at UFC 158, Mein took a short notice fight with Matt Brown, earning FOTN honours but suffered a second round TKO loss. The young Canadian has won 9 of his last 11 fights overall and will be looking to get back on track with a win in Manchester.

UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Munoz takes place on October 26th and is the UFC's second event in England in 2013. Tickets are now on sale to UFC Fight Club Members but from Friday will be on sale for anyone who receives the UFC Newsletter. Then on Monday 19th August the tickets go on general sale.

Felice Herrig Signs Multi-Fight Deal with Invicta FC

Felice Herrig Signs Multi-Fight Deal with Invicta FC

Twenty-eight year-old Strawweight (115 pounds) superstar Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig (9-4) of Crystal Lake, Ill. has signed an exclusive, multi-fight agreement with women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion Invicta Fighting Championships.

Herrig, a winner of four consecutive fights and protégé of MMA star Jeff Curran, will make her Invicta FC debut later this year.

“I couldn’t be happier than I am now, after signing with Invicta FC,” said Herrig.  “I have seen them do so much for women and really give them a chance to shine.  I don’t think anyone realized how big Invicta FC would become, and I am truly proud to say I have found a home with them.

“We are excited about bringing Felice, one of the brightest, young talents in the women’s field of MMA, under the Invicta FC umbrella,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.  “Felice has overcome a lot of stiff competition, thus far, during her career, and we are looking forward to seeing her perform against some of the top women in the world who fight for Invicta FC.”

A seasoned striker who began her fight career as a kickboxer, Herrig was initially introduced to a national audience as a competitor on Fight Girls, the Oxygen network reality series that followed a group of women Muay Thai fighters vying for greatness in Thailand’s national sport.  Herrig emerged victorious over a champion in Thailand before the series concluded.

Herrig went on to become a world Muay Thai champion, winning the International Kickboxing Federation bantamweight crown on November 15, 2008 by earning a unanimous decision over Katie Meehan in Chicago.  She also enjoyed a stint fighting in Chuck Norris’ now-defunct kickboxing promotion, World Combat League.

In her last MMA fight on March 28, Herrig earned a split decision victory over Heather Clark in Tampa, Fla.

Stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for all the latest on Invicta FC and Womens MMA

UFC finally sign another flyweight

Montague gets a tough debut at UFC 166

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

On October 16th, Darrell Montague will step foot in to the UFC's octagon to make his debut against John Dodson. There are plenty of very good flyweight fighters around and the UFC Flyweight division is very shallow. It should therefore come as no surprise the UFC have added Darrell Montague to its ranks.

Montague has long been rumoured to be in the UFC crosshairs and they've finally got there man. He brings a credible 13-2 record into the Octagon. In 2011 he defeated former UFC fighter Ulysez Gomez for the Tachi Palace flyweight title. He was defeated by current contender Ian "uncle creepy" McCall. He has since gone on a 4 fight winning streak.

His debut will be as tough as they come as he takes on former title challenger John Dodson. Dodson gave champion Demetrius Johnson everything he could handle but ultimately came up just short. He will be looking to bounce right back into title contention with a win here and in the process knock back another potential challenger. 

UFC on FOX SPORTS 1 Main Card Predictions

Kingdom MMA: UFC on FOX Sports 1 Main Card Predictions

by Ben Heather @benheather, Tommy Strong @Strong_tea and Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

This weekend is the launch of Fox Sports 1 in the USA and the UFC will be a massive part of the launch with the highlight being the UFC Fight Night 26 Shogun vs Sonnen. This card has been dubbed the best free to air (in the USA) card in MMA history. At first I was sceptical but now when you look down the fights that will take place on Saturday night you come to realise that this card is absolutely stacked!!

You just need to look at the names on show to realise how good this card is. Obviously you have Chael P Sonnen and Shogun Rua in the main event but when you look a bit further down and see names like Overeem, Faber and Pickett to name a few. On top of that you need to add in the always exciting Joe Lauzon and Matt Brown who I don't believe have ever been in boring fights.

With everything being said I believe the UFC has hit the nail on the head and I can't wait for Saturday night to witness the best free card in MMA history.

Below you can find the predictions for what some of the guys at Kingdom MMA expect to happen on Saturday night.

Chael Sonnen (27-13-1) vs Shogun Rua (21-7) 

Jack: The five round factor of the main event could be key here. Can Sonnen keep Shogun on his back for five rounds? I'm not so sure he will need to. He will put him there enough for Shogun to become desperate and either tire or force a mistake. I think Shogun can hang around to see the end of the fight but I see Sonnen winning a relatively comfortable decision.

Prediction: Sonnen by Decision

Tommy: This is such a sick card! The fans will be in for a real treat here with so many 50/50 fights! So here goes my predictions:

I'll be pleased when we see Sonnen back at this natural weight, Middleweight. He just isn't a light heavyweight and size again will be the difference come Saturday night. 18 of Shoguns 21 victories have come via knockout and at some point I see him catching Sonnen and finishing him inside two rounds.

Prediction: Shogun by TKO Round 2

Ben: I think Sonnen has been criticised far too much about the fact he hasn't won a fight since he beat Bisping in Jan '12. Yes its now over 18 months since he last won but how many guys fight Anderson Silva and then Jon Jones.... not many guys will be coming out of those with even one win.

As for this fight I think Jack has summed it up perfectly. Shogun has not looked the same fighter recently, in my opinion Sonnen will be able to control the fight to begin with in the first couple of rounds and this will tire out Shogun. Then when it gets in to the championship rounds it will start to become easier for Sonnen.

Yes, if Shogun catches Sonnen he could easily end the fight but I don't see it happening.

Prediction: Sonnen by Unanimous Decision

Alastair Overeem (36-12-1) vs Travis Browne (14-1-1) 

Jack: An intriguing battle. Overeem has to win to get back into contention. Browne is kind of an unknown quantity at this stage. He lost to Bigfoot Silva but that was due to him blowing his knee out. I quite like the way Browne matches up with Overeem and I will take him for the win. 

Prediction: Browne by TKO Round 2

Tommy: Seeing Bigfoot knockout Overeem back in February still brings a smile to my face, though I don't see Overeem underestimating Travis Browne having learnt a harsh lesson last time out.
I really rate Browne but this isn't a great match up for him. I hope he wins , though I just don't see it.

Prediction: Overeem by TKO Round 3

Ben: I have been going back and forth with this fight, both fighters have the ability to finish the fight at any stage of the fight. However, after being embarrassed by Bigfoot in his last fight I believe "the Reem" will be coming in to this fight having put everything in to his camp to make sure he does not gas again.

That being said, I don't think it will be a decision. I see Overeem finishing the fight in the second round after picking apart Browne in the first.

Prediction: Overeem by TKO Round 2

Urijah Faber (28-6) vs Yuri Alcantara (28-4-1) 

Jack: This is a great matchup on a card full of amazing fights. This being only a 3 round fight negates Faber's experience advantage. He should however have the overall advantage in this fight and he still seems hungry for UFC gold. It should be a close fight but I see Faber just edging it.

Prediction: Faber by Split Decision

Tommy: I'll keep this very short and sweet! Faber destroys anyone in the division except Cruz and Barao, this will be no different.

Prediction: Faber by a very one sided Unanimous Decision

Ben: I was disappointed when this fight was made. The fight I wanted to see was Faber vs Pickett and I am hoping with a win for both that we can still see that fight next. As for this fight as Tommy said I think Faber will be able to beat Alcantara in any area he wants.

If he wants a submission victory I believe he can pull it off or if he wants to beat him on his feet I am sure he can cruise to a decision victory.

Prediction: Faber by Unanimous Decision

Matt Brown (17-11) vs Mike Pyle (25-8-1) 

Jack: This is a strange fight and could play out a number of ways. Brown and Pyle are both on really hot streaks right now and whilst Brown is getting the attention I'd argue Pyle has beaten the better competition and in better fashion. Brown fights in clusters on the feet whereas Pyle throws power shots. Should the fight hit the ground Pyle has a big advantage there. In a pick em fight I like the look of the underdog here.

Prediction: Pyle by Submission Round 1

Tommy: This fight has me licking my lips!! If you don't like this match up you shouldn't be anywhere near MMA. This has fight of the night written all over it! Brown has TKO/KO'd four of his last five opponents, Pyle has knocked out three of his last four.
Toss the coin and see where it lands on this one! Though I'm edging towards Brown taking a UD in a back and forth battle!

Prediction: Brown by Unanimous Decision

Ben: This is my prediction for KO of the night. I think Matt Brown will pick up yet another finish via KO. I expect him to come out quick like he did in his last fight against Jordan Mein and pressure Pyle before finding his range and finishing the fight in style.


Prediction: Brown by KO Round 1

Uriah Hall (7-3) vs John Howard (20-8) 

Jack: Hall is the biggest favourite on the whole card. I can see why, but Howard is no mug. If he spots an opportunity he will take it. It will be interesting to see what tactics are employed by both men here.

Prediction: Hall by KO Round 1

Tommy: Uriah will be wanting to put the disappointment of the TUF 17 finale behind him and losing to Kelvin Gastelum in an awful performance we haven't been accustomed to.

Howard will have home advantage being a Boston born , and making his comeback to the UFC since being released in 2011. If Hall turns up like he did against Gastelum, I see Howard winning. Though I think that was a one off and we will see the best of Hall and getting him back in the winning column.

Prediction: Hall by KO Round 2

Ben: I'm going to go for the underdog in this fight again. I called Kelvin beating Uriah in the TUF Finale when everyone thought I was crazy and I am calling it again today.

I think the hype behind Hall from his days in the TUF house was crazy. Some people were even calling for him to jump straight from TUF to fighting Anderson.... Seriously what the fuck were these people thinking!! In the TUF house at no point was he tested, he didn't get put on his back and he certainly didn't come up against somebody with the same striking skills as Howard.

I feel its going to be a pretty decent fight but I believe Howard's experience will be able to get him a win in his hometown.

Prediction: Howard by Unanimous Decision

Joe Lauzon (22-8) vs Michael Johnson (12-8) 

Jack: Lauzon is never in a dull fight, Johnson is prime to be submitted. Lauzon will walk away with yet another fight bonus.

Prediction: Lauzon by Submission Round 1

Tommy: Johnson coming into this fight on the back two losses is very much up against it facing Joe Lauzon. Lauzon is one of my favourite fighters to watch and rarely comes out of the octagon without a fight of the night or submission of the night award.

Six of Johnson's eight losses have come via submission, something that Lauzon excels at. This will be his undoing.

Prediction: Lauzon by Submission Round 2

Ben: Now let me ask you a question, if you had to pick one person to open up the main card on potentially the biggest UFC card ever who would it be? If Joe Lauzon is not one of the first names you would pick then I am shocked. Every single Joe Lauzon fight you can guarantee one thing and that is excitement. Win or lose you will know by the end of the fight Lauzon has given his all (and probably most of his blood)

Michael Johnson is in serious need of a victory and is fighting for more than just a win on Saturday night. The bit which will work against him more though is exactly the point Tommy made. 75% of Johnson's losses have come by being submitted. For this reason I think it will be a long night for Johnson before he gets caught in yet another submission.

Prediction: Lauzon by Submission Round 2

Now we will also predict a couple of important fights for the UK fans. These don't feature on the main card but are the last two prelim fights.

Brad Pickett (23-7) vs Michael McDonald (15-2) 

Jack: This fight should have been on the main card. All the potential to be a barn burner and it really is a pick em. McDonald should have the edge standing but Pickett's movement and level changes are fantastic. He will try to mix it up constantly and keep McDonald guessing. This is my fight of the night pick. Both fighters will have there moments and I guess this will be difficult to score.

Prediction: McDonald by Split Decision

Tommy: I'm a little disappointed this hasn't made the main event, with both fighters at the top of their game so we are in for a barn burner here! My heart would love Pickett to win though my head rules on this one. I think McDonald just has a little to much for Pickett and it pains me to say that.
On this one I really really hope I'm wrong!

Prediction: McDonald by Unanimous Decision

Ben: Unlike the other two I am picking Brad here. I think he still wants to prove he can beat the best in the division and his two losses in the UFC are against Barao and Wineland. They are competing for the belt later this year and I see that driving Brad on thinking..... That should be me!!

I see Pickett come out swinging as he always does and I think the fight will carry on this way for the full three rounds. McDonald is a very game fighter and I hope he also does the same, if he does this will surely be the fight of the night. I am not sure if I think Pickett will get the finish but I really feel he will have enough to get the victory.

Prediction: Pickett by Unanimous Decision

Conor McGregor (13-2) vs Max Holloway (7-2) 

Jack: The Irish sensation is back in action and I can't see him being troubled at all here. Holloway will try to keep this standing and that's a huge mistake. Brimage offered more in the stand up than Holloway does and he was dealt with easily. This looks like the UFC are trying to create a highlight reel for McGregor as they are really pushing him in anticipation of an upcoming Dublin card in 2014.

Prediction: McGregor by KO Round 1

Tommy: I've been outspoken about Conor aka hype train and I'm yet to believe in him. A win over a wrestler who decides to stand with a striker isn't the evidence I need to be convinced.
Holloway only being 21 has a bright future, he was very unlucky not to have got the decision win last time out when he fought Dennis Bermudez in May.
If Conor can take Holloway out in fashion, I might just buy a ticket and climb aboard the train! Though I think this will be a harder test for Conor than the odds suggest!

Prediction: Holloway by Unanimous Decision

Ben: I like watching Conor fight. I wouldn't go as far as saying I believe in all the hype that has been thrown around about him as I still feel he has not been tested against a top talent and I don't think that will happen again on Saturday night.

I like Max as a fighter and have enjoyed his fights too but I wouldn't say he is the finished article yet. I think Conor is the better fighter and I think it will be a fairly easy fight for Conor. If the fight makes the second round I will be very surprised.

What I am looking forward to though is that hopefully after a good win on Saturday night we could see Conor fight on the Manchester card against a serious contender. I would love to see the fight against the winner of Koch vs Poirier which takes place at the end of the month.

Prediction: McGregor by TKO Round 1

Our Predictions for Post Fight Bonuses are:

Fight of the Night - Pickett vs McDonald (Jack & Ben) Brown vs Pyle (Tommy)
KO of the Night - Conor McGregor (Jack) Uriah Hall (Tommy) Matt Brown (Ben)
Sub of the Night - Joe Lauzon (all)