UFC 170 Review: Rousey and Cormier remain unbeaten

Kingdom MMA Review of UFC 170

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Another UFC event is in the books and – it must be said – compared to the lacklustre events fans have witnessed so far in 2014, this one was actually very enjoyable. With several notable attendees there to experience a night at the fights including Will Smith with family and Stone Cold Steve Austin, the event certainly delivered overall. While the main card was generally outstanding, this was primarily thanks to the fights outside the main and co-main events (which were on both counts painfully one sided).

RONDA ROUSEY (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) VS. SARA MCMANN (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)

For a long time now Sara McMann has been slated as the woman to eventually dethrone Rousey, utilising her Olympic-level wrestling to neutralise the champion’s judo. Despite this lofty praise, when this fight was announced back in December, many believed that McMann had been given the title shot too soon and she would be far better off amassing more MMA experience.

These fears were confirmed yesterday when Rousey picked up the TKO win over McMann coming via a wicked knee to the liver. The stoppage resulted in a chorus of boos from the fans in attendance, who believed Herb Dean stepped in prematurely – Herb seems to be on bad form of late … It’s unfortunate as until that point McMann and Ronda had been throwing bombs at each other in a highly entertaining first minute.

It was believed that the chink in McMann’s armour would be her striking and – whether you dispute the stoppage or not – this was confirmed last night. McMann did show flashes of promise though; she managed to stuff the hip toss of Ronda which was so dominant in her last match.

Next in line to face Ronda will likely be Alexis Davis who picked up a huge win on the undercard, though Cyborg’s recent announcement that she will be dropping to 135-lbs could throw a spanner in the works.

Result: Ronda Rousey def. Sara McMann via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:06

DANIEL CORMIER (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) VS. PATRICK CUMMINS (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)

This one went exactly according to the script as DC made his Light Heavyweight debut with a bulldozing victory over UFC debutant Patrick Cummins. DC was as high as a 1/16 favourite with UK bookmakers and, as the odds suggest, he made short work of Rashad Evan’s late replacement.

The former Olympic wrestler barely utilised any of his wrestling skills as he quickly rocked the newcomer with a vicious uppercut from the clinch. This visibly stunned Cummins triggering DC’s killer instinct to swarm him with punches till the then-unbeaten Light Heavyweight collapsed under the relentless pressure, making it an easy call for Mario Yamasaki to step in.

I was never a fan of this fight. Props to Patrick Cummins for stepping up, but making your UFC debut in the co-main event of a PPV against a guy like Cormier does not make for good viewing. Though I expect the UFC to use this win to hype DC fighting at 205-lbs, realistically it proves absolutely nothing. Here’s hoping that we’ll see that DC vs Rashad fight in the not-too-distant future.

Result: Daniel Cormier def. Patrick Cummins via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:19

RORY MACDONALD (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) VS. DEMIAN MAIA (18-6 MMA, 12-6 UFC)

In what would receive ‘Fight of the Night’ honours, we saw the clash of two top Welterweight fighters coming off loses looking to put their names back in the title mix. It would pit the awesome BJJ skills of Demian Maia against the more well-rounded Rory Macdonald, or in other words the timeless grappler vs striker matchup.

In the first round Maia scored a quick takedown and – for what remained of the five minute – displayed his amazing BJJ to dominate Macdonald on the ground. Every time Rory attempted an escape of a sweep Demian would be two moves ahead in a highly compelling chess match taking place on the ground. To his credit, Macdonald managed to survive the round and took the fight to Maia in the second, using his rangy attacks to bloody-up and rock the former Middleweight title contender on the feet.

Going into the third round it was unquestionably one round apiece. Macdonald had inflicted the more damage but if Maia could somehow take Rory back down to his world he could steal the win. Though Maia was able to get the quick takedown, Macdonald displayed grappling skills of his own to stand-up and continue the fight on the feet. He then continued to win the final round on the feet, easily stuffing the remainder of the Brazilian’s takedown attempts.

Rory may now be in a position where he is next in line to challenge the winner of the Hendricks vs Lawler match-up as he showed the aggression many believed he’d been lacking in his more recent fights.

Result: Rory MacDonald def. Demain Maia via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

MIKE PYLE (26-9-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) VS. T.J. WALDBURGER (16-9 MMA, 4-4 UFC)

Experience triumphed over youth in this Welterweight clash as veteran Mike Pyle was able to get the late TKO stoppage over Waldburger.

Waldburger has built a name for himself for being an all-or-nothing style fighter – either he’ll pick up a flashy submission victory or he’ll be unconscious on the mat. Who needs judges, eh? True to form, this one didn’t hit the scorecards as a late flurry from Pyle which started with a spinning back fist rocked Waldburger, forcing him to shoot for a half-hearted takedown. Pyle reversed the attempt and found himself on top of Waldburger, raining down some of the heaviest elbows you’re ever likely to see in MMA. It was clear that Waldburger – who is known for his suspect chin – was out but still referee Herb dean didn’t jump in, making for some highly uncomfortable viewing. It was only after several more nasty looking shots landed that the fight was stopped. It’s really not been your year, has it Herb?

Result: Mike Pyle def. T.J. Waldburger via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 4:03

STEPHEN THOMPSON (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) VS. ROBERT WHITTAKER (11-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC)

This was always going to be one of those blink-and-it’ll-be-over type matchups as these two strikers met in the Octagon; Stephen Thompson’s unpredictable karate style would take on the more powerful boxing of Aussie Robert Whittaker.

Though the fight was over quickly, Thompson was able to display some beautiful karate techniques. Using a traditional karate stance and his reach advantage he was able to keep Whittaker on the outside while landing plentiful front kicks, body kicks and leg kicks. Though Thompson kept his hands low throughout, Whittaker’s well-documented power was nullified by this ranged assault. Frustration set in on the Australian TUF Smashes winner as he began to rush in, eventually resulting in him being clipped with a crisp straight right which rocked him and allowed Thompson to pounce for the finish.

With a big win over a tough opponent, Wonderboy is likely going to be in a position to push for a top ten 170-lb opponent.

Result: Stephen Thompson def. Robert Whittaker via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:43

Stars of UFC London predict who will win at UFC 170

Phil Harris, Danny Mitchell and Brad Scott predict UFC 170

by Ben Heather @benheather

Normally before all the UFC events we put out our own predictions picking who we think will win and our reasoning for why. This week we thought we would try and mix it up and instead of giving you our picks we have instead asked some of the best UK fighters, who will all be showcasing their skills in the Octagon in a little over 2 weeks at UFC Fight Night 38 in London.

The fighters who will be predicting the fights for this event are:

Phil Harris (1-2 UFC 22-11-1 MMA)

The english flyweight who meets Louis Gaudinot in London. That fight will kick off the show in London and is sure to be a great battle between two tough flyweights. Phil will be looking to return to London in the UFC and get his hand raised again as he did in February '13 when he defeated Ulysses Gomez.

Danny Mitchell (14-4-1 MMA)

The Cheescake Assassin will make his UFC debut next month against Igor Araujo. Mitchell has a very good record and is a welcome addition to the UFC roster. Mitchell has faced a lot of top opppnents including Dean Amasinger, Gunnar Nelson and also fought to a draw against former Cage Warriors Welterweight champion Cathal Pendred.

Brad Scott (1-1 UFC 9-2 MMA)

First became a familiar name to UFC fans when he was part of Team UK on TUF: The Smashes where he made it all the way to the final of the welterweight bracket. He would lose that fight against Robert Whittaker but then moved up to middleweight. He made his UFC middleweight debut against Michael Kuiper in Manchester finishing him in the first round and will return to action again in London.

So lets get down to business, below you will find the predictions for the fighters.

Ronda Rousey vs Sara McMann

Harris: Rousey by Decision

Mitchell: Rousey by Submission Round 1

Scott: McMann by Decision

Daniel Cormier vs Pat Cummins

Harris: Cormier by TKO Round 1

Mitchell: Cormier by Decision

Scott: Cormier by KO

Rory MacDonald vs Demian Maia 

Harris: MacDonald by Decision

Mitchell: Macdonald by TKO Round 2

Scott: MacDonald by Decision

Mike Pyle vs TJ Waldburger

Harris: Waldburger by Decision

Mitchell: Pyle by TKO Round 1

Scott: Pyle by Decision

Robert Whittaker vs Stephen Thompson

Harris: Whittaker by TKO Round 2/3

Mitchell: Whittaker by Decision

Scott: Whittaker by TKO Round 2/3

There you have it, we would like to thank all the fighters for picking who they think will win and we will see on Saturday night who comes out with the most correct results.

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.

Thiago Alves injured Matt Brown now faces Mike Pyle

Matt Brown to meet Mike Pyle at UFC on Fox Sports 1

by Tommy Strong @Strong_tea

UFC Welterweight Thiago 'Pitbull' Alves has been forced to withdraw from his clash with Matt Brown (17-11) at UFC on Fox Sports 1 card in Boston due to a bicep injury that occurred in training.

Alves' replacement has already been announced and we will now get to see Mike Pyle vs Matt Brown on August 17th. Pyle (28-8-1) last fought at UFC 160 on May 25th which lead to a razor thin split decision win over Rick Story, putting Pyle on a four fight winning streak.

Brown (17-11) himself is on a winning streak of his own after stringing together five consecutive wins, finishing four of his last five opponents via TKO/KO.

To a lot of MMA fans this will seem as a more of a sensible match up as both fighters come in to the fight on winning streaks and a win would move one of them nearer to that title shot. Where as Alves was coming in to the fight off a submission loss to Martin Kampmann back in March '12. That was a fight in which he was controlling for the first 2 rounds before being forced to submit at the end of the third round.

UFC on Fox Sports 1 will be headlined by light heavyweights Shogun vs Sonnen in Boston on August 17th and will also see the return of Heavyweight Alistair Overeem who will be facing Travis Browne in the co-main event of the evening.

Gunnar Nelson injured, Replaced by Rick Story at ufc 160

Rick Story steps in after Gunnar Nelson forced out with injury

by John Haigh @JohnBjayHaigh

Iceland’s Gunnar Nelson has been force out of his fight with Mike Pyle at UFC 160 due to an undisclosed injury.
It was announced late on Tuesday night that Rick Story had been lined up to step in for the injured Nelson.
Rick Story (15-6 MMA) has been on a rough ride of late going 2-3 in his last five fights but was back to winning ways in his last fight against Quinn Mulhern at UFC 158 in Montreal last month. He’ll be looking to win back to back fights for the first time in 2 years.

His opponent Mike Pyle (24-8-1) has been on quite an opposite run of form, coming off the back of a three fight winning streak and will look to make it four.
This will be Pyle’s first fight of 2013 having not fought since his TKO victory over James Head last December at TUF 16 Finale.

Pyle had been looking at a victory over the undefeated Nelson as a way to get back into the UFC welterweight title picture.