Women Strawweight (115)
[#7] Rose Namajunas (3-2-0, 115.5lb) vs. [#22] Paige VanZant (6-1-0, 115.5lb)

Last 3 Fights: Rose Namajunas (1-2-0)
2015-10-03: W vs. [#47SW] Angela Hill (2-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:47 of round 1
2014-12-12: L vs. [#6SW] Carla Esparza (10-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:26 of round 3
2013-07-13: L vs. [#15SW] Tecia Torres (6-0-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Paige VanZant (3-0-0)
2015-09-05: W vs. [#53SW] Alex Chambers (5-3-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 1:01 of round 3
2015-04-18: W vs. [#32SW] Felice Herrig (10-6-0) via UD (30-26, 29-27, 30-26)
2014-11-22: W vs. [#134SW] Kailin Curran (3-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:54 of round 3

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Rose Namajunas 68, Paige VanZant 96
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Lightweight (156)
[#27] Michael Chiesa (12-2-0, 156.0lb) vs. [#32] Jim Miller (25-6-0, 155.5lb)

Last 3 Fights: Michael Chiesa (2-1-0)
2015-04-04: W vs. [#75LW] Mitch Clarke (11-3-0) via UD (29-26, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-09-05: L vs. [#20LW] Joe Lauzon (25-10-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 2:14 of round 2
2014-05-24: W vs. [#24LW] Francisco Trinaldo (18-4-0) via UD (30-26, 30-27, 30-26)

Last 3 Fights: Jim Miller (1-2-0)
2015-07-25: W vs. [#53LW] Danny Castillo (17-9-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
2015-04-18: L vs. [#8LW] Beneil Dariush (12-1-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-07-16: L vs. [#2LW/#10P4P] Donald Cerrone (28-6-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:31 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Michael Chiesa 250, Jim Miller 138
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Jim Miller leads 1-0
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Lightweight (156)
[#185] Cody Pfister (12-4-1, 156.0lb) vs. [#206] Sage Northcutt (6-0-0, 155.5lb)

Last 3 Fights: Cody Pfister (2-1-0)
2015-07-11: W vs. [#225LW] Yosdenis Cedeno (10-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-02-14: L vs. [#108WW] James Moontasri (9-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:49 of round 2
2014-09-06: W vs. [#1653LW] Brett Glass (4-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in ? of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Sage Northcutt (3-0-0)
2015-10-03: W vs. [#385LW] Francisco Trevino (12-2-0) via TKO (Elbows and Punches) in 0:57 of round 1
2015-08-28: W vs. [#1506WW] Rocky Long (21-33-1) via Submission (Neck Crank) in 3:30 of round 2
2015-06-26: W vs. [#873WW] Gage Duhon (5-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:26 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Cody Pfister 152, Sage Northcutt 68
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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In a weekend full of great fights, a few encounters are bound to fly below the radar. Considering the state of the UFC and their mammoth schedule, a contest between undefeated prospects like Colby Covington and Warlley Alves would normally be main card material. However, it is currently situated on the Fox Sports 1 undercard of UFC 194.

The bout is a classic example of Joe Silva matchmaking. Both fighters joined the promotion last year and have built 3-0 records inside the Octagon. Instead of continuing to schedule these fighters against middling opposition, the UFC has created a matchup between top prospects.

Covington is currently ranked 36th and Alves ranks at 39th. The former Oregon State wrestler was actually ranked as the 338th best welterweight before joining the UFC. Alves, who had fought extensively for a higher profile promotion, Jungle Fight, held the 98th spot. The following chart shows the progression of both fighters in terms of ranking points over the last two years.

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Ahh.. another Fight Pass event.  And once again, what could have been a decent card (by Fight Pass standards, at least) got turned into a steaming pile of crap in the weeks preceding the fight, as one after another fighters dropped off the event for various reasons.  First we lost the co-main of Mirko ‘Cro-Cop’ Filipovic vs Anthony Hamilton when Cro-Cop withdrew from the bout with simultaneous reasons of a nagging injury, a decision to retire from the sport, and a failed drug test for HGH.  Then, Thiago Alves, who was scheduled to face Ben Henderson in the main event, also pulled out with an injury.  As a result, the UFC reshuffled a few fights on the card, and were able to salvage the main event.  As for the rest of this card, the most interesting thing about it is that there are now two Dong Hyun Kims on the UFC roster, in the same weight class.  So try not to mix up the established welterweight ‘Stun Gun’ Kim with the debuting welterweight ‘Maestro’ Kim. All right, enough of this nonsence, let’s get on with it.

Main Event:  [#16 WW] Ben Henderson vs [#21 WW] Jorge Masvidal

Worth: $10

Why: This is a fight that just a short while ago we might have seen in the lightweight division.  Former 155 lbs champion Benson Henderson made a move to the welterweight division after two consecutive losses at lightweight, stepping up on short notice against Brandon Thatch at UFC Fight Night 60, and scored a late submission win after working through some difficulties in the early rounds.  For a while Henderson was noncommittal on which weight class he will call home, but it seems that he has finally settled at 170, at least for the time being.

His opponent Jorge Masvidal has also fought at lightweight for most of his career, though he has had a few welterweight bouts on occasion.  He too came out victorious in his first UFC fight at 170 lbs, knocking out Cezar ‘Mutante’ Ferreira in the first round.  With both guys still near their prime, and ranked in the welterweight Top 20 (or close enough to it, in Masvidal’s case), the winner of this bout could earn a Top-10 ranking and make a run for title contendership in the wide open and ultra-competitive division.

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Welterweight (170)
[#16] Ben Henderson (22-5-0) vs. [#21] Jorge Masvidal (29-9-0)
Ben Henderson is the All-Time #19 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Ben Henderson (1-2-0)
2015-02-14: W vs. [#72WW] Brandon Thatch (11-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:58 of round 4
2015-01-18: L vs. [#2LW/#10P4P] Donald Cerrone (28-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-08-23: L vs. [#1LW/#5DD/#7P4P] Rafael dos Anjos (24-7-0) via KO (Punch) in 2:31 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Jorge Masvidal (2-1-0)
2015-07-12: W vs. [#169WW] Cezar Ferreira (8-5-0) via KO (Elbows and Punches) in 4:22 of round 1
2015-04-04: L vs. [#10LW] Al Iaquinta (13-3-1) via SD (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#39LW] James Krause (22-7-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ben Henderson 287, Jorge Masvidal 139
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Ben Henderson leads 2-0
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Welterweight (170)
[#10] Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1) vs. [#177] Dominic Waters (9-3-0)

Last 3 Fights: Dong Hyun Kim (2-1-0)
2015-05-23: W vs. [#48WW] Josh Burkman (27-12-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 2:13 of round 3
2014-08-23: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:01 of round 1
2014-03-01: W vs. [*] John Hathaway (17-2-0) via KO (Spinning Back Elbow) in 1:02 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Dominic Waters (2-1-0)
2015-07-12: L vs. [#50WW] George Sullivan (17-4-0) via UD (29-27, 30-25, 29-28)
2015-03-21: W vs. [#649LW] Jack Montgomery (16-18-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:05 of round 1
2015-02-06: W vs. [#671WW] Mikey Gomez (17-12-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Dong Hyun Kim 189, Dominic Waters 139
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[*] Alberto Mina (11-0-0) vs. [#235] Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5-0)

Last 3 Fights: Alberto Mina (3-0-0)
2014-08-23: W vs. [#144WW] Shinsho Anzai (9-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:17 of round 1
2013-12-21: W vs. [#174WW] Glenn Sparv (12-3-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 2:44 of round 1
2011-08-07: W vs. [*] Boy Eggels (2-1-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 3:11 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Yoshihiro Akiyama (1-2-0)
2014-09-20: W vs. [#405WW] Amir Sadollah (6-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2012-02-26: L vs. [#14WW] Jake Shields (31-8-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2011-08-06: L vs. [#3MW] Vitor Belfort (25-11-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:52 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Alberto Mina 462, Yoshihiro Akiyama 434
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Last week in Melbourne, Australia, Holly Holm scored a huge upset at UFC 193 when she knocked out the reigning women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, claiming the title with a head kick in the second round.  This weekend we’re off to Monterrey, Mexico, for a rather pedestrian Fight Night event on Fox Sports 1. The original main event for this card pitted Kelvin Gastelum against Matt Brown; after Brown pulled out with an injury, Neil Magny once again stepped up as a short-notice replacement.  The main card also features a flyweight matchup between Jussier da Silva and Henry Cejudo, which will most likely determine the next contender for Demetrious Johnson’s title.  A couple of other so-so fights round out the main card, while the prelims – both the ones on Fox Sports 1 and the ones streamed on Fight Pass – don’t offer anything worth mentioning.

Main Event:  [#13 MW] Kelvin Gastelum vs [#21 WW] Neil Magny

Worth: $10

Why: While I would have preferred to see the original matchup of Kelvin Gastelum vs Matt Brown (because who doesn’t love a Matt Brown fight?), the UFC managed to salvage the main event with a fight that’s almost as interesting.  Thank Neil Magny, who is becoming the go-to guy for last minute replacements in the welterweight division. Magny did not start his UFC career on a high note, dropping 2 of his first 3 fights, but then went on an unlikely 7 win streak against gradually increasing level of competition.  He then took a big step up against Demian Maia, and was dominated on the ground and eventually submitted by a superior grappler.  Magny rebounded with a split decision win against Erick Silva and will now attempt to move further up the rankings against a highly touted prospect who is making his return to 170 lbs after a temporary exile from the division.

‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Season 17 middleweight winner Kelvin Gastelum looked like he was on a fast track to contendership, rattling off four straight wins since dropping to welterweight, but had trouble making weight in almost every fight.  After badly missing weight for what could have been the #1 contender bout with Tyrone Woodley, and subsequently losing a split decision, Gastelum was banished back to middleweight, where he beat up a way over the hill Nate Marquadt.  Somehow, Gastelum convinced Dana White to give him another chance to make 170.  And so we end up with quite an interesting fight between two up-and-comers, the outcome of which will propel one of them into the upper echelon of the division.  Assuming Kelvin makes weight, of course.

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Welterweight (170)
[#13MW] Kelvin Gastelum (11-1-0) vs. [#21] Neil Magny (16-4-0)

Last 3 Fights: Kelvin Gastelum (2-1-0)
2015-06-13: W vs. [#36MW] Nate Marquardt (33-15-2) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2
2015-01-31: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
2014-11-15: W vs. [#23WW] Jake Ellenberger (30-10-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:46 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Neil Magny (2-1-0)
2015-08-23: W vs. [#26WW] Erick Silva (18-6-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
2015-08-01: L vs. [#7WW] Demian Maia (21-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:52 of round 2
2015-05-16: W vs. [#75WW] Hyun Gyu Lim (13-5-1) via TKO (Punches) in 1:24 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kelvin Gastelum 161, Neil Magny 90
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featherweight (145)
[#8] Ricardo Lamas (15-4-0) vs. [*] Diego Sanchez (25-7-0)
Ricardo Lamas is the All-Time #13 ranked Featherweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Ricardo Lamas (2-1-0)
2015-04-04: L vs. [#6FW] Chad Mendes (17-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:45 of round 1
2014-11-15: W vs. [#23FW] Dennis Bermudez (14-5-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 3:18 of round 1
2014-06-28: W vs. [#21FW] Hacran Dias (23-3-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Diego Sanchez (1-2-0)
2014-06-07: W vs. [#39LW] Ross Pearson (18-9-0) via SD (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)
2014-03-15: L vs. [#13LW] Myles Jury (15-1-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-10-19: L vs. [#7LW] Gilbert Melendez (22-5-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ricardo Lamas 231, Diego Sanchez 532
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#45] Efrain Escudero (24-9-0) vs. [#73WW] Leandro Silva (18-2-1)

Last 3 Fights: Efrain Escudero (2-1-0)
2015-06-13: W vs. [#109LW] Drew Dober (15-7-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:54 of round 1
2015-02-14: W vs. [#430LW] Rodrigo Goiana de Lima (8-3-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-09-13: L vs. [#34LW] Leonardo Santos (14-3-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Leandro Silva (2-0-0, 1 NC)
2015-06-27: W vs. [#111WW] Lewis Gonzalez (10-2-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-03-21: NC vs. [#109LW] Drew Dober (15-7-0)
2014-11-08: W vs. [#328LW] Charlie Brenneman (19-8-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:15 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Efrain Escudero 161, Leandro Silva 147
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Less than five years ago, UFC president Dana White stated that “women will never fight in the UFC“.  What a difference a few years makes.  Today, the UFC has two (somewhat) thriving women’s divisions, and Ronda Rousey is arguably the biggest star of the promotion.  And now we have our first Pay-Per-View card with two headlining matchups featuring the two women champions defending their titles.  And despite both of these fights being major mismatches, and the fact that I’m still somewhat lukewarm on WMMA as a whole, I am very much looking forward to this card.

A couple of other oddities about UFC 193. First, I happened to give every fight on the main card the same valuation of $10. This was not intentional – I truly am more or less equally interested in all five PPV bouts. Second, this is the only card of the year where the cable-broadcast prelims received a negative net valuation.  The fights slated to be of Fox Sports 1 are mostly stinkers, and the only interesting preliminary fight on the card is buried as the opening bout on the Fight Pass portion of the event.

Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

Main Event:  (C) [#1 W135] Ronda Rousey vs [#8 W135] Holly Holm for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship

Worth: $10

Why: This fight is a huge mismatch, at least judging from what I’ve seen so far in Holly Holm’s two UFC fights. Despite Holm’s boxing credentials, she lacks knockout power in her punches, and failed to score a knockdown or even do any significant visible damage to her opponents.  Most of the knockouts in her pre-UFC MMA career came from kicks, but she is unlikely to be throwing much of those given the threat of the takedown.  And once Rousey gets this fight to the ground, it will be as good as over.  Nonetheless, I am looking forward to another episode of the Ronda Rousey show. Rousey does something crazy in every fight, whether it’s submitting Cat Zingano with her signature armbar in 14 seconds, or knocking out Bethe Correia (who was supposed to have a striking advantage over Rousey) in 34. The likelihood of Holm winning this fight, or even lasting a round, is slim to none. The only real question is ‘how will Rousey dispatch of her opponent this time, and how quickly will she do it?’ The answer, in my opinion, is worth $10 to find out.

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Women Bantamweight Championship (135)
[#1/#1DD/#1P4P] Ronda Rousey (12-0-0) vs. [#8] Holly Holm (9-0-0)
Ronda Rousey is the All-Time #1 ranked Women’s fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Ronda Rousey (3-0-0)
2015-08-01: W vs. [#14BW] Bethe Correia (9-1-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:34 of round 1
2015-02-28: W vs. [#4BW/#9P4P] Cat Zingano (9-1-0) via Submission (Straight Armbar) in 0:14 of round 1
2014-07-05: W vs. [#2BW/#6DD/#5P4P] Alexis Davis (17-6-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:16 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Holly Holm (3-0-0)
2015-07-15: W vs. [#19BW] Marion Reneau (6-2-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-26)
2015-02-28: W vs. [#9BW] Raquel Pennington (6-5-0) via SD ()
2014-04-04: W vs. [#30FLY] Juliana Werner (8-5-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 1:50 of round 5

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ronda Rousey 105, Holly Holm 122
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Women Strawweight Championship (115)
[#1/#4DD/#3P4P] Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10-0-0) vs. [#7] Valerie Letourneau (8-3-0)

Last 3 Fights: Joanna Jedrzejczyk (3-0-0)
2015-06-20: W vs. [#13SW] Jessica Penne (12-3-0) via TKO (Punches and Knee) in 4:22 of round 3
2015-03-14: W vs. [#6SW] Carla Esparza (10-3-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:17 of round 2
2014-12-13: W vs. [#2SW/#7DD/#7P4P] Claudia Gadelha (13-1-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Valerie Letourneau (3-0-0)
2015-08-23: W vs. [#16SW] Maryna Moroz (6-1-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2015-04-25: W vs. [#48SW] Jessica Rakoczy (1-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2014-06-14: W vs. [#32BW] Elizabeth Phillips (5-3-0) via SD (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Joanna Jedrzejczyk 147, Valerie Letourneau 83
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Joanna Jedrzejczyk leads 1-0
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Heavyweight (265)
[#9] Mark Hunt (10-10-1) vs. [#11] Antonio Silva (19-7-1)
Mark Hunt is the All-Time #19 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Antonio Silva is the All-Time #20 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Mark Hunt (1-2-0)
2015-05-10: L vs. [#5HW+] Stipe Miocic (13-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:47 of round 5
2014-11-15: L vs. [#1HW+/#4DD/#5P4P] Fabricio Werdum (20-5-1) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 2:27 of round 2
2014-09-20: W vs. [#21HW+] Roy Nelson (20-12-0) via KO (Punch) in 3:00 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Antonio Silva (1-2-0)
2015-08-01: W vs. [*] Soa Palelei (22-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:41 of round 2
2015-02-22: L vs. [#10HW+] Frank Mir (18-10-0) via KO (Elbows) in 1:40 of round 1
2014-09-13: L vs. [#4HW+] Andrei Arlovski (25-10-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:59 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Mark Hunt 188, Antonio Silva 105
Previous Match-up Record: Even: 0-0-1
Wins Against Common Opposition: Antonio Silva leads 2-0
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Middleweight (186)
[#5] Vitor Belfort (24-11-0, 185.0lb) vs. [#10] Dan Henderson (31-13-0, 186.0lb)
Dan Henderson is the All-Time #3 ranked Middleweight and #11 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Vitor Belfort (2-1-0)
2015-05-23: L vs. [#1MW/#1DD/#2P4P] Chris Weidman (13-0-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:53 of round 1
2013-11-09: W vs. [#10MW] Dan Henderson (31-13-0) via KO (Head Kick) in 1:17 of round 1
2013-05-18: W vs. [#2MW] Luke Rockhold (14-2-0) via KO (Spinning Heel Kick and Punches) in 2:32 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Dan Henderson (1-2-0)
2015-06-06: W vs. [#22MW] Tim Boetsch (18-9-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:28 of round 1
2015-01-24: L vs. [#8MW] Gegard Mousasi (37-6-2) via TKO (Punches) in 1:10 of round 1
2014-05-24: L vs. [#2LHW/#10DD/#6P4P] Daniel Cormier (17-1-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:53 of round 3

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Vitor Belfort 168, Dan Henderson 154
Previous Match-up Record: Even: 1-1-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 4 win(s) against common opposition.
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Light Heavyweight (206)
[#7] Glover Teixeira (23-4-0, 206.0lb) vs. [#33] Patrick Cummins (8-2-0, 206.0lb)

Last 3 Fights: Glover Teixeira (1-2-0)
2015-08-08: W vs. [#13LHW] Ovince St. Preux (18-7-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:10 of round 3
2014-10-25: L vs. [#5LHW] Phil Davis (15-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-04-26: L vs. [#1LHW/#2DD/#1P4P] Jon Jones (21-1-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

Last 3 Fights: Patrick Cummins (2-1-0)
2015-08-01: W vs. [#44LHW] Rafael Cavalcante (12-6-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 0:45 of round 3
2015-04-18: L vs. [#13LHW] Ovince St. Preux (18-7-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:54 of round 1
2014-12-20: W vs. [#43MW] Antonio Carlos Jr. (5-1-0) via UD ()

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Glover Teixeira 91, Patrick Cummins 98
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Glover Teixeira leads 2-1
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Bantamweight (136)
[#19] Thomas Almeida (19-0-0, 135.0lb) vs. [#48] Anthony Birchak (12-2-0, 136.0lb)

Last 3 Fights: Thomas Almeida (3-0-0)
2015-07-11: W vs. [#60BW] Brad Pickett (24-11-0) via KO (Knee) in 0:29 of round 2
2015-04-25: W vs. [#85BW] Yves Jabouin (20-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:18 of round 1
2014-11-08: W vs. [#131BW] Tim Gorman (9-4-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Anthony Birchak (2-1-0)
2015-06-06: W vs. [#77BW] Joe Soto (15-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:37 of round 1
2014-12-13: L vs. [#74BW] Ian Entwistle (9-2-0) via Submission (Heel Hook) in 1:04 of round 1
2013-10-04: W vs. [#236BW] Tito Jones (11-8-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:30 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Thomas Almeida 119, Anthony Birchak 154
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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After the previous UFC Fight Night card fell short of expectations when two of the main fights were cancelled due to injuries, the UFC soldiers on to the next Fight Night.  This one will take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.  This is kind of an odd card as there are no huge fights here, no top contenders or over-hyped prospects, yet almost every fight on the line-up interests me in some way.  So even though I didn’t valuate any single fight higher than $7.50, overall they all added up to a seemingly worthwhile event.

Main Card (Fox Sports 1)

Main Event:  [#5 MW] Vitor Belfort vs [#10 MW] Dan Henderson

Worth: $7.50

Why: The main event is a battle of two old lions who are no strangers to each other in the ring or the cage.  The longevity of these fighters careers is remarkable, and so it’s no wonder that they are meeting for the third time. Their first two fights could not have been any more different from each other. Back in 2006, Henderson defeated Belfort via a wrestling-heavy decision, a boring fight that was for some reason aired twice during the Pride 32 broadcast. Belfort took revenge seven years later, knocking out Henderson with a head kick, a little over a minute into the first round at UFC Fight Night 32. Now they meet again – this time as middleweights, and without Testosterone Replacement Therapy or Performance Enhancing Drugs being used by either fighter, allegedly.

There isn’t much on the line here, with Henderson 1-1 in his most recent run at middleweight and Belfort coming off a quick loss to the champ; however the winning fighter will remain in the top 10 and could be not that far from a title shot, especially if an unexpected injury comes up and calls for a short notice replacement.  I just hope that this goes more like their second fight than their first – in terms of entertainment value, not the outcome.  Though I suspect that the outcome will also be similar to their second fight.

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UFC Fight Night 76 is another Saturday afternoon Fight Pass-exclusive event, taking place in Dublin, Ireland.  The card originally featured a heavyweight matchup between Ben Rothwell and Stipe Miocic; however Miocic pulled out with an injury and UFC matchmakers were not able to find a replacement opponent on short notice.  Without this bout, there are very few interesting fights remaining on the card, and so it will be a rather short write-up.  On a somewhat related note, why is Miocic – one of the top heavyweight contenders – always being placed on Fight Pass cards?

Main Event:  [#20 LW] Dustin Poirier vs [#82 LW] Joseph Duffy

Worth: $10

Why: 26-year-old Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Porrier has been a mainstay of the UFC’s featherweight division, where he racked up a respectable 8-3 record; however after a TKO loss to Conor McGregor, Porrier decided to move up in weight.  He scored first-round TKOs in his first two fights as a lightweight, and now gets to take on Joseph Duffy, who also happens to be the last fighter to hold a victory over McGregor.  Even though the McGregor fight will be touted as Duffy’s biggest accomplishment (at least until the Conor hype dies down), 27-year-old ‘Irish Joe’ has proven to be a great prospect in his own right, holding two first-round stoppages in his two UFC fights to date.  Both guys are well rounded and always fun to watch, so this should be a great scrap.

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Flyweight (125)
[#10] Louis Smolka (9-1-0) vs. [#13] Patrick Holohan (12-1-1)

Last 3 Fights: Louis Smolka (2-1-0)
2015-07-11: W vs. [#32FLY] Neil Seery (15-11-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-11-07: W vs. [#108FLY] Richie Vaculik (10-3-0) via KO (Side Kick and Punches) in 0:18 of round 3
2014-05-10: L vs. [#37FLY] Chris Cariaso (17-9-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Patrick Holohan (2-1-0)
2015-07-18: W vs. [#87FLY] Vaughan Lee (14-11-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-01-18: W vs. [#488BW] Shane Howell (13-10-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-10-04: L vs. [#33FLY] Chris Kelades (9-2-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Louis Smolka 105, Patrick Holohan 98
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#57] Norman Parke (20-4-1) vs. [*] Reza Madadi (13-3-0)

Last 3 Fights: Norman Parke (1-2-0)
2015-05-30: L vs. [#27LW] Francisco Trinaldo (18-4-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2015-01-18: L vs. [#28LW] Gleison Tibau (32-11-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-07-19: W vs. [#297LW] Naoyuki Kotani (33-13-7) via TKO (Punches and Elbows) in 3:41 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Reza Madadi (2-1-0)
2013-04-06: W vs. [#9LW] Michael Johnson (16-9-0) via Submission (Brabo Choke) in 1:33 of round 3
2012-10-13: L vs. [*] Cristiano Marcello (13-6-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
2012-04-14: W vs. [*] Yoislandy Izquierdo (9-2-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 1:28 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Norman Parke 147, Reza Madadi 931
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#53] Nicolas Dalby (14-0-0) vs. [#141] Darren Till (13-0-0)

Last 3 Fights: Nicolas Dalby (3-0-0)
2015-05-30: W vs. [#117WW] Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (14-5-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-11-15: W vs. [#249MW] Mohsen Bahari (8-3-0) via UD ()
2014-03-22: W vs. [*] Sergei Churilov (15-2-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 2:19 of round 4

Last 3 Fights: Darren Till (3-0-0)
2015-05-30: W vs. [#272WW] Wendell de Oliveira Marqu (24-9-0) via KO (Elbows) in 1:37 of round 2
2015-05-09: W vs. [#865WW] Laerte Costa e Silva (11-6-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:01 of round 4
2014-12-20: W vs. [#360WW] Guillermo Martinez Ayme (8-2-0) via UD ()

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Nicolas Dalby 147, Darren Till 147
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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