UFC London Results: Cyrille Diabate Loses Retirement Bout to Ilir Latifi

UFC London Results: Cyrille Diabate Loses Retirement Bout to Ilir Latifi
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

ufc.com

Ilir Latifi made relatively easy work of Cyrille Diatate, submitting the 6'6" light-heavyweight in the opening around to end the Frenchmans career.

Latifi who joined the UFC last year as a replacement for injured teammate Alexander Gustaffson to take on Gegard Mousasi on a weeks notice, faired much better this time out with a full camp under his belt.

The opening round started with a rangy Diabate kept his distance early however it wasn't long before Latifi shot in for a takedown where he quickly locked in a D’Arce choke which be released in exchange for a dominate position.

Latifi remained patient on the ground going back to a front choke shortly after, which this time he locked in to finish the fight at the 3:02 mark of the first round following several attempts to escape from Diabate.

“I prepared a lot for this fight, and it feels great to get a win that fast,” Latifi said. “Cyrille posed many challenges – he’s got dangerous striking and a huge reach, which can pose problems.

“It’s amazing to think 10 or 15 years ago I was watching the original UFC events, and now I’m fighting and winning in them. This is one of the best moments of my life.”

With the win, Latifi extends his record to 8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC and will be hoping he can build on his first UFC victory next time he fights.

Diabate, who announced early this week he would be retiring win or lose said:

“I’m a striker and I didn’t pull the trigger,” Diabate said. “Obviously I’m disappointed, but now I walk away from the sport. I want to thank my fans and the guys who have helped me train over the years. I will focus on teaching now.”

UFC Fight Night 37 fight card Official - The Prelims

UFC announce the finalised line up for UFC Fight Night 37 - Kingdom MMA review the Prelims

by Ben Heather @benheather

With the tickets for UFC Fight Night 37 now on sale to fight club members and those who have signed up to the UFC Newsletter it has been announced that the line up for the event has been finalised.

UFC Fight Night 37 marks the return to the UK of the UFC and its first show in Europe of 2014. The fight card has been set at 10 fights and will consist of a 4 fight main card and 6 prelim fights.

Kingdom MMA will now take a look at the prelims and discuss what is on the line in each match up.

Phil Harris vs Louis Gaudinot

The show will be kicked off with a flyweight battle between England's Phil Harris (22-11-1 MMA 1-2 UFC) and #11 ranked Louis Gaudinot (6-3 MMA 1-2 UFC) as both men look to get back to winning ways following losses to John Lineker and Tim Elliott respectively. This fight will also mark the first time that Gaudinot has fought outside of the USA, while Harris will have the crowd on his side with the home field advantage. A loss for either fighter could result in them getting cut from the UFC, although with the flyweight division not exactly overflowing with fighters they may be safe for one more fight.

Danny Mitchell vs Igor Araujo

The next fight is in the Welterweight division and will see "The Cheesecake Assassin" Danny Mitchell (14-4-1 MMA) make his UFC debut against Brazilian Igor Araujo (24-6-1 MMA 1-0 UFC), who trains at Jackson's MMA. Between both men 75% of there victories have come via submission so we could be in for a real treat in this fight if it ends up on the floor.

Davey Grant vs Roland Delorme

TUF 18's Davey Grant (8-2 MMA 0-1 UFC) gets his wish in the next fight, although he didn't win The Ultimate Fighter in 2013 he did enough for the UFC to give him a contract. Now he gets at least one more shot in the octagon at UFC Fight Night 37, back on home soil as he squares off against five times UFC veteran Roland Delorme (9-2-1 MMA 3-1-1 UFC). This will be a tough test for Grant however, a win in this fight will certainly see him settle in the division and prove that he deserves to be in the UFC and he will certainly get the full backing of the English crowd.

Delorme will also be fighting outside of North America for the first time in his career so unlike Grant will have to deal with trying to cut weight while travelling and getting used to fighting at a different time zone. All of these factors could have an impact on the outcome of this fight and will be to Grant's advantage.

Then its the turn of the middleweights as two former TUF contestants Brad Scott (9-2 MMA 1-1 UFC) and Luke Barnatt (7-0 MMA 2-0 UFC) are set to defend British pride as they take on Claudio Henrique da Silva (9-1 MMA) and Mats Nilsson (11-2-1 MMA) respectively, who will both be making their UFC debuts.

Brad Scott vs Claudio Henrique da Silva

Brad Scott will be making his third appearance in the UFC after losing in the final of TUF The Smashes to Robert Whittaker but then submitting Michael Kuiper in the first round with a front choke in Manchester back in October. As with his last fight Scott has been out in American training at The MMA Lab in Arizona training with guys such as former champ Benson Henderson and Joe Riggs, which can only be a good thing for his preperation for this fight. Claudio Henrique da Silva who trains at London Shootfighters will be coming in to this fight looking to make a name for himself and prove to the world that he deserves to be in the UFC. By the time the fight takes place it will be nearly 18 months since his last fight though so UFC debut nerves and ring rust may play a factor in the fight.

Luke Barnatt vs Mats Nilsson

At 7-0 Luke Barnatt will be putting his undefeated record on the line again as he looks to work his way up the rankings with another win in London and this time he is fighting Swedish fighter Mats Nilsson. When this fight was announced many fans were shocked that Barnatt had not been given a bigger name fight but for Luke, as always he will not be leaving anything to chance as he prepares both physically and mentally for his fight. Nilsson, who fought and won twice last year for Cage Warriors is certainly taking a step up in competition as he makes his UFC debut.

I just hope we don't see anymore showboating from Luke in this fight and he sticks to business and focuses purely on finishing his opponent instead of celebrating before the job is complete.

Cyrille Diabate vs Ilir Latifi

The final bout on the prelims sees Ilir Latifi (7-3 MMA 0-1 UFC) make his return to the UFC after headlining UFC Sweden last year as a last minute injury replacement for Alex Gustafsson. The fact that Latifi headlined a UFC event in 2013 had to be one of the strangest stories of 2013 but he certainly didn't embarrass himself, if anything his stock rose in the fight. Yes he clearly lost the fight against Mousasi who was the better fighter and cruised for most of the fight but Latifi didn't look like he didn't belong in the Octagon with him. For this fight he gets a full camp to prepare for Cyrille Diabate (19-9-1 MMA 4-3 UFC) and we will certainly the best Ilir Latifi in March.

I didn't expect to see Diabate on this card due to the fact that his UFC record when fighting in the UK is 0-3 and his overall MMA record when fighting in the UK is 3-6 which is crazy for a guy with a very good record. That being said, two of those loses have come against Alex Gustafsson and Jimi Manuwa who will be fighting each other in the main event of this event so it shows the opposition he has been facing.

I think both men need to win this fight as a loss could have severe implications on their employment status with the UFC.


That marks my preview of the prelims for UFC Fight Night 37, make sure to keep checking Kingdom MMA for the breakdown of the main card.

Tickets are on sale now for this event at www.ticketmaster.co.uk

UFC on FUEL TV 9 Main Card Results - Gegard Mousasi vs Ilir Latifi

Gegard Mousasi defeats Ilir Latifi by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

by Scott Cumming @tummidge

MMA's "Rocky" story didn't get a dream Hollywood ending at UFC on Fuel TV 9 with Gegard Mousasi taking the unanimous decision victory against Ilir Latifi. Latifi stepped into the main event at only 4 days notice to take on the former Strikeforce and Dream champion, but never proved a match for him. Mousasi employed the strategy of a man with everything to lose by keeping Latifi on the end of his punches for 14 and a half minutes and constantly pressuring with his jab.

He kept Latifi backed up for the majority of the fight, only having to defend a couple of takedowns before a rousing last 30 seconds for his opponent as he got him down, but couldn't make Mousasi pay. By the closing bell the only thing "Rocky"-esque was Latifi's face, which was a bloody and swollen mess. Mousasi was big enough to admit he skated along to victory analogising that this was somewhat akin to a stand-up version of lay and pray.

The bout was a hurdle that Mousasi had to get over and it keeps him nicely placed at #10 in the official UFC rankings and the promotion have cited that they still want to see him fight Alexander Gustafsson at some point in the near future. For Latifi, no matter what now becomes of his UFC career he will still always have his debut in the main event of a show in his home country and he is guaranteed at least one more fight with the promotion where we may get to glimpse his true potential in a weight class that is not stacked with talent at present.

UFC on Fuel TV 9 Main Card Picks

UFC Stockholm 2013 Main Card Picks

by Ben Heather @benheather

Gegard Mousasi vs Ilir Latifi

Chris: By all accounts Latifi has pretty descent wrestling, and has been able to translate his skills to MMA with good effect, but Mousasi is one of the best 205ers in the world. Sure, if he does have a weakness its his takedown defence but Mousasi showed his improvement in this area of his game in the Jardine fight, and I doubt very much Latifi's wrestling is on Lawals level.

While I can image the Swedish fans who love a Rocky style victory, I cant see it happening – Mousasi by first round TKO.

Prediction: Mousasi TKO Rd 1

Ben: Before we get to the prediction of this fight (which will come as no surprise) I would like to say that I have got so much respect for Latifi. For a fighter to step up on 4 days notice and not only fight in the UFC for the first time but to headline the card in your home country takes some balls and I hope Dana rewards him for this fact and gives him another fight after this.

But for this fight I struggle to see anything other than Mousasi dominate until he finally finishes Latifi, I cant see anyway in which Mousasi loses this fight unless he gets in the cage and just is not focused on the fight. I predict heart alone will see Latifi get out of the first round but then I see Mousasi finishing him in the second with a TKO.

Prediction: Mousasi TKO Rd 2

Ross Pearson vs Ryan Couture

Chris: Fact – Ryan Couture is not on Ross Pearson's level. Sure he is durable, and hasn’t done too bad so far in his MMA career (certainly better than I expected), but I don't see how he wins this fight. Pearson has fought, and finished better fighters and I expect him to do the same in this bout.

Prediction: Pearson

Ben: Some people have said that Ryan is being punished by Dana because of the beef between Dana and his dad. I don't think that is the case however I really do think that Pearson will be too powerful for Couture. Just look at the last fights of both fighters, Couture won on the final Strikeforce card but that was a split decision win over K J Noons (a fight which many thought Noons should have got the decision win). Now compare that to the last fight Pearson had where he destroyed George Sotiropoulos. Ross did not rush in when he had George rocked in the first round but instead kept a cool head and knew he had him beat it was just a matter of when.

I accept that Couture is a very good wrestler and may be able to test Pearson in that area but i think that Pearson will come in to this game with a plan for that which give him another third round TKO win and back to back wins for the first time since 2010. Pearson's experience in the UFC will prove ultimately too much for him.

Prediction Pearson TKO Rd 3

Matt Mitrione vs Phil De Fries

Chris: I know Ben isn't keen on this fight, but I can see this one being a pretty descent battle, one which could ultimately prove to be a loser goes home fight. I know most people are backing Mitrione going into this one, making him a sizeable favourite with the book makers, but I like De Fries to stay in Mitrione's face, push him against the cage, work for takedowns and grind out a unanimous decision.

Prediction: De Fries UD

Ben: As Chris said I am not really a fan of either of these fighters and i really believe that this is a fight between two guys who's jobs are on the line. The loser in my opinion will be cut from the UFC, and if they are not then they certainly should be. De Fries started his career 8-0 but now finds himself 9-2 after a 1-2 run in 2012 with defeats to Stipe Miocic and Todd Duffee. As for Mitrione, who has only ever fought for the UFC as a professional fighter, he also started his career with a 5-0 run but has lost his last 2 fights and is now 5-2. Mitrione's last win in the octagon was way back in June 2011. 

I believe De Fries has the better chance of winning this fight but it is not a fight that i am looking forward to going in to this card and the fact it is the third from last fight on the card proves the card doesn't have much depth to it. I predict this fight as a good time to go and refill your drinks or pop to the toilet and wait for the Pearson fight. I do however think that De Fries will have enough to eek out a Unanimous Decision victory.

Prediction: De Fries UD

Brad Pickett vs Mike Easton

Chris: Mike Easton is a talent guy, but is it me or does it feel like he holds back in his fights? Not taking anything away from Easton, I think this fight could go either way, both guys are great on the ground, but Pickett is definitely the better boxer – he has better movement and throws better combinations.

Prediction: Pickett

Ben: This is my prediction for fight of the night, we all know all Pickett wants to do is get in to a scrap and have a stand up war, if this happens I think will win the fight and potentially even finish Easton.

However Eddie Wineland proved how to beat Pickett in his last fight so if Easton comes out and does the same again it will ultimately be very disappointing for the crowd and all the fans watching around the world.

I still think that Easton will want to come out and put on a show so this will be great for all of us fans, just not so good for him in my opinion.

Prediction: Pickett TKO Rd 3

Diego Brandao vs Pablo Garza

Chris: This is a flip a coin fight for me. Part of me can see Brandao going out there and absolutely destroying Garza, another part of me can see Garza weathering the storm, using his experience and awkward frame, tiring Brandao out and getting the decision – either way I see this fight as a fight of the night contender. I'm picking Brandao. I think he look great against Joey Gambino, he can credit Jacksons MMA for his ever improving game (takedown defence), and as a rule of thumb I find it hard to back against Brazilians.

Prediction: Brandao

Ben: After seeing Diego fight on the ultimate fighter i thought this guy was going to be a real contender and then his first fight after the show he came out the blocks flying before getting tired early which cost him the fight vs Darren Elkins. I cant see Diego letting that happen again especially against Garza.

Garza ended a two fight losing streak with his win against Mark Hominick but i think this fight will see Brandoa steam roll through Garza and pick up the first round KO. This fight also has a lot of potential to put on a show for the fans and should be a fun fight.... while it lasts.

Prediction: Brandao KO Rd 1

Akira Corassani vs Robbie Peralta

Chris: While it appears Corassani has come a long way since his time on the ultimate fighter – his ground game is greatly improved, I wasn't too impressed with him in his win over Ogle, a fight which I scored for Ogle. His opponent Peralta is a fast, aggressive fighter who enter the bout unbeaten in his last 9 fights. While the home town crowd with be all over the Swede Corrassani, I like Peralta to spoil the parade just as he did in Nottingham either winning by TKO or decisive unanimous victory.

Prediction: Peralta

Ben: Both of these fighters last fought at UFC on Fuel TV 5 and on that night they both picked up wins but in very different circumstances. Peralta won via a 23 second knock out in the very first fight of the night which got people talking about his power. Whereas Corassani won a split decision against Andy Ogle in a fight which i still think Ogle won.

Seeing those fights live, being in the arena in Nottingham was a great experience and it changed my opinion on both of these fighters. If this fight took place 12 months ago I would have predicted Corassani to win but after seeing how powerful Perelta was i cant look past that. I see this fight going the distance but Peralta will disappoint the home crowd in Stockholm and take a Unanimous Decision win.

Prediction: Peralta UD

Keep checking Kingdom MMA for all the latest news on UFC on Fuel TV 9, UFC and all the latest MMA news from around the world.

Gustafsson officially out, replaced by training partner Ilir Latifi

Relative unknown fighter Ilir Latifi to make UFC debut and may headline UFC on FUEL TV 9

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Monday Wanderlei Silva got fans excited and said that he would be happy to step up and fight Mousasi if Gustafsson was ruled out before revealing that this was infact an April Fools joke.

Then earlier on Tuesday news broke that the Swedish MMA Federation had ruled that Alexander Gustafsson (15-1 MMA 7-1 UFC) had not been cleared to fight this weekend. The facial cut which Gustafsson suffered in training a couple of days ago had been ruled too severe to fight with this weekend and so his fight with Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA) was off.

This left the UFC in a tricky position with only four days left until the show how would they fill the space.

Would Mousasi still fight on the card?

What will the main event now be for the show?

and could anybody fill the giant hole left by Gustafsson?

 Dana White broke his silence and put an end to speculation of the past few days with the answer to the question that every MMA fan in the world has been asking for the past few days... What is going to happen to the main event of UFC on Fuel Tv 9. If you predicted the outcome you are either we now have you are either a) A genius, b) Dana White or c) Ilir Latifi as I dont know of anyone who could have predicted the news that Dana White broke late on Tuesday evening.

The new fight for Mousasi at UFC on FUEL TV 9 see's Gegard Mousasi face Ilir Latifi (7-2 MMA) who happens to be Alexander Gustafsson's training partner. For those who had not heard of Latifi before and there may be a few of you he is a 5ft 8" 29 year old fighter who will be making his UFC debut this weekend. He will make his way in to the octagon coming off the back of a 3 fight winning streak with his only two losses coming against current Bellator fighter Emanuel Newton and Tatsuya Mizuno.

The new match up may result in one of the most one sided odds matchups the UFC has ever seen but for now nothing has been announced.

As yet UFC have announced no news as to whether this fight will still be the main event of the night, keep checking KingdomMMA.co.uk for further news on this card.