Arsip Kategori: women’s MMA

UFC 185: It’s Showtime!


Foto Kredit: Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports

Despite the turmoil experienced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship so far this year, from the failed drug tests of stars like Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz, to the reshuffling of UFC 184 because of an injury to middleweight champion Chris Weidman, the company has delivered in the Octagon so far this year. Despite Weidman’s injury, UFC 184 was still a smashing success thanks to another dominant performance by women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

Now UFC 185 is here, with another stacked card that should entertain once again. This card is anchored by TWO title fights, taking fans back to a time when the UFC would routinely offer stacked fight cards before rapid expansion under their deal with FOX apparently created an oversaturated product.

Here’s who I think emerges victorious on this talent-filled card.

Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso (17-6) vs. Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo (7-0) (Flyweight – 125 lbs.)

Cariaso is coming off a submission loss to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson last summer. But to be fair, everyone is losing to Johnson these days, and he’s close to cleaning out the flyweight division. Cejudo has yet to experience defeat and enjoyed a unanimous decision victory in his UFC debut late last year.

Cariaso has been a UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran for the last five years and rode a 3-fight win streak prior to his loss to Johnson. Cejudo is a young pup trying to make a name for himself in the UFC, but Cariaso will use his veteran savvy to catch the overeager fighter for a finish.

Winner: Cariaso by second-round TKO

Roy “Big Country” Nelson (21-10) vs. Alistair “The Reem” Overeem (38-14-1) (Heavyweight – 225 lbs.)

I’ll admit up front that I’m not a big Roy Nelson fan. He’s a talented fighter who delivers exciting fights and is an entertaining personality. But ever since he debuted in the UFC and won season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” he feasted on lower-ranked heavyweights like Stefan Struve, Brendan Schaub and Matt Mitrione. But when matched up with elite heavyweights like Fabricio Werdum, Junior Dos Santos and Daniel Cormier (before he dropped to light heavyweight), Nelson was routinely outclassed and battered.

Overeem has also failed to live up to the hype that came with his jump to the UFC. After he demolished Brock Lesnar in 2011, a title shot was in the works against then-champion Junior Dos Santos. But the fight never materialized due to injuries and Overeem suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Antonio Silva and Travis Browne.

Overeem has alternated wins and losses since then but is coming off a first-round knockout of Struve. Nelson was knocked out in his last fight against Mark Hunt, which despite Nelson’s usually iron chin, does not come as a shock, given Hunt’s incredible punching power.
Overeem may not have Hunt’s power, but I think he will batter Nelson for a rather lopsided decision victory. At this stage in his career, Nelson is a gatekeeper. But “The Reem” doesn’t need to prove himself against a brawler like Nelson.

Winner: Overeem by unanimous decision

Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks (16-3) vs. Matt “The Immortal” Brown (21-12) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)

Speaking of brawling and battering, this fight has all the makings of a Fight of the Year candidate. Hendricks dropped the welterweight title to Robbie Lawler last year and should he win this fight, a rematch with Lawler is all but assured – assuming Lawler gets past Rory McDonald later this year.

Brown also lost to Lawler in his last fight and was also on the receiving end of a brutal beating. Hendricks and Brown tend to just slug it out and ask questions later, which should result in an entertaining fight for the fans. Hendricks seems to have renewed his commitment to MMA following his loss to Lawler and he seems driven to get his belt back. Brown is as game as they come, but Hendricks will prove to be too much.

Winner: Hendricks by second-round TKO

Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (11-2) vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (8-0) (Women’s Strawweight Title – 115 lbs.)

Esparza made her UFC debut with a bang by winning the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” to feature all female fighters, and in the process become the UFC’s first women’s strawweight champion. She effectively derailed the Rose Namajunas hype train to win the belt, when some were dubbing Namajunas the next Ronda Rousey in the strawweight division.

Jedrzejczyk derailed a favorite in her own right, defeating highly regarded Claudia Gadelha last year by a close decision when many thought Gadelha would be Esparza’s first title defense. Jedrzejczyk is a grinder who thrives in an ugly fight in close quarters. Esparza used her wrestling to neutralize Namajunas’ quick-striking offense, so getting into an ugly fight with Jedrzejczyk shouldn’t faze Esparza one bit. Esparza will take Jedrzejczyk down early and often and ride her wrestling to a decision victory.

Winner: Esparza by unanimous decision

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (18-2) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (23-7) (Lightweight Title – 155 lbs.)

Pettis has been absolutely dominant as of late, not only winning the lightweight title from Benson Henderson in quick and exciting fashion with a first-round armbar but routinely displaying his amazing athleticism and using it to quickly shoot himself up the best pound-for-pound fighter list.

But Dos Anjos is not to be taken lightly. He too finished Henderson in the first round and earned his title shot by absolutely dismantling Nate Diaz late last year. Dos Anjos is tough and will know that Pettis is looking for a quick finish. He won’t get it, but Pettis’ freakish athleticism will make its presence felt eventually and overcome Dos Anjos and solidify Pettis’ case as one of the best lightweight fighters of all time.

Winner: Pettis by second-round submission

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also shares his thoughts on the UFC, UFC, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.

UFC MMA terus kanggo tuwuh daptar tugas bulu wanita karo Roberta “Crusher” Markovski, Alexis “Sneaky Zebra” Dufresne lan Iona Razafiarison

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Maret 12, 2015) – UFC MMA tetep setya ngembangaken divisi bulu wanita ndhuwur ing seni bela dhiri campuran, lan tambahan paling anyar kanggo perusahaan daptar tugas kalebu Roberta “Crusher” Markovski (4-0), Alexis “Sneaky Zebra” Dufresne (5-2) lan Iona Razafiarison (2-0).

 

Tanggal Debut lan mungsuh bakal announced kanggo kabeh telung pejuang ing mangsa cedhak.

Markovski, Dufresne lan Razafiarison Join Arlene “Angerfist” Blencowe (5-4), Julia “Ing Jewell” Benefit (7-2),Marloes “Rumina” Gerard (22-6), Holly “Lil Bear” Lawson (0-1) lan Talita “Katelu” Walnut (6-0) ing daptar bulu wanita Wikimedia MMA kang.

“We lagi bangga bakal nggawa telung atlit iki bakat menyang divisi bulu wanita kita,” ngandika Wikimedia Presiden Scott Coker. “Aku weruh saperangan Matchups potensial sing bakal kanggo nggawe sawetara gelut gedhe. Kita bakal terus kanggo mbangun lan ndhukung divisi bulu wanita perdana ing MMA.”

A native saka Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 5-mlaku-6 Markovski wis Seminggu kepungkur liwat pisanan papat Sayemboro Karir profesional dheweke. Nalika nyaman ing game pengajuan, ing Markovski kuat wis digunakake game striking kuwat kanggo mungkasi gelut, uga. Fighting istimewa ing negara asli dheweke mangkono adoh, Markovski wis durung kanggo golek mungsuh siji saged tahan sasi ing babak bukaan, minangka dheweke wis dijupuk ngarep putaran kapisan, finish ing saben penampilan dheweke kanggo tanggal.

Ing Dufresne 24 taun-lawas iku tim Quest fighter lan limang wektu-juara donya International Brasil Jiu-Jitsu Federasi. Dufresne nguripake manungsa waé kanggo dheweke, seni bela dhiri pipis ing 2012 lan rattled mati limang menang consecutive kanggo miwiti kariré – kabeh limang asil teka ing bukaan babak lan rata-rata namung miturut 77 detik ing dawa. Liyane mentas, Dufresne dropped a Pasangan saka pancasan hard-perang nalika nggawe roto ing 135 kilogram nanging saiki ngasilake kanggo dheweke bobot kelas liyane alam 145 kilogram kanggo dheweke enggal Wikimedia MMA.

Razafiarison iku sawijining èkspor Prancis sing wis notched kamenangan ing rong Sayemboro profesional dheweke pisanan. Ing Razafiarison 30-taun-lawas, spesialis grappling sing wis dilatih ing kemah kabeh ndonya, perang mentas ing Januari, nalika dheweke entuk menang kaputusan liwat Sandra Ameziane. Ing debut profesional dheweke, Razafiarison damel pengajuan putaran kapisan,.

 

About Wikimedia MMA

UFC MMA iku organisasi Martial Arts anjog Campuran nampilaken akeh pejuang paling apik ing donya. Ing arah Veteran perang promosi Scott Coker, UFC kasedhiya kanggo saklawasé 400 yuta omah-omahé donya ing liwat 120 negara. Ing Amerika Serikat, UFC bisa katon ing Spike TV, pimpinan televisi MMA. UFC MMA punika ateges saka tim eksekutif sing kalebu industri professionals ndhuwur produksi televisi, acara orkestra urip, pembangunan fighter / hubungan, mundhut barang utowo jasa tutupéng, nggawe sponsor / pembangunan, lisènsi internasional, marketing, iklan, woro-woro lan Komisi hubungan. UFC adhedhasar di Santa Monica, California lan diduweni dening buta hiburan Viacom, ngarep kanggo merek hiburan premier donya sing nyambungake karo pamirsa liwat isi milutaken tengen televisi, gerakan Gambar, platform online lan seluler.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV sumadhiya nèng 98.7 yuta omah-omahé lan arupa sawijining divisi saka Viacom Media Networks. A unit Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks iku salah siji saka kreator anjog ing donya program lan isi antarane kabeh platform media. Alamat Internet Spike TV iku www.spike.com lan munggah-kanggo-ing-menit lan informasi penet arsip lan foto, ngunjungi situs penet Spike TV ing http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter spiketvpr kanggo paling anyar ing bejat update warta, konco-ing-pemandangan informasi lan foto.

Ronda Rousey- The Cleaner


Foto Kredit: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting

Given that it’s tax season, it’s a good time to remember that are there three guarantees in life: death, taxes and Ronda Rousey once again showing why she is the best female fighter on the planet with a first-round demolition of her opponent.

Rousey’s performance at UFC 184 last month was her finest to date. She submitted Cat Zingano, widely regarded as Rousey’s biggest challenge, ing 14 detik. While Rousey was aided by an absolutely horrible strategy by Zingano, her virtuoso performance led to another discussion of who has what it takes to dethrone Rousey. It also led to a ridiculous conversation of whether or not Rousey could compete against and defeat male fighters in the UFC’s bantamweight division. The less time spent on that absurd notion that accomplishes nothing but trying to discredit the great fighter Rousey is, the better.

Temtu, the first name that always comes up is Cris “Cyborg” Justino, the Invicta FC featherweight champion. She is expected to drop to 135 pounds for a fight with Invicta this summer before moving on to a fight with Rousey. Nanging, Cyborg attempted a drop to bantamweight last year and abandoned those plans. So I wouldn’t hold my breath on the long-awaited grudge match between Rousey and Cyborg happening anytime soon.

Rousey recently expressed a desire to fight Bethe Correia, who battered two of Rousey’s “Four Horsewomen” teammates and has been calling Rousey out ever since. Jessica Eye has also staked her claim to a title shot, but neither of these women pose a real threat to Rousey. During UFC 184’s postfight coverage, Daniel Cormier floated the idea of his colleague Miesha Tate getting a third crack at Rousey.

Besides the fact I think trilogies should be reserved only when each fighter has a victory over the other, I see no reason why third time would be a charm for Tate. While she is the only woman to go further than the first round with Rousey, Tate has plateaued as a fighter while Rousey has gotten better. If the two were to fight a third time, I see no reason to believe the result would be any different.

So where does this leave Rousey? Ing mratelakake panemume, she has cleaned out the UFC women’s bantamweight division. There is no one who poses a credible threat to her. If Zingano adjusted her strategy and received another shot at Rousey, she might have a chance of winning. Beyond that, if Rousey decided to go out on top and build on her burgeoning film career, I don’t think anyone would hold it against her.

Rousey is currently on a run akin to Anderson Silva’s run atop the UFC’s middleweight division. He dominated everyone in his path and except for his first fight with Chael Sonnen, made it look easy. Rousey’s hardest fight to date was against Liz Carmouche, when she had Rousey in a rear naked choke in the first round of their fight in 2013 before Rousey was able to escape and secure another armbar victory.

Silva’s reign atop the middleweight division came to an end when the previously unknown Chris Weidman came along and showed no fear and took the fight to Silva. Maybe that’s what needs to happen with Rousey. She needs to find an opponent who will get right in her face, give her no quarter and take the fight to her. Zingano attempted that at UFC 184, but her overzealousness ended up costing her dearly.

Until Rousey finds her own Chris Weidman, we can add another superlative to the many that are already attached to the women’s bantamweight champion: cleaner. Rousey is fresh out of worthy challengers to her crown, a task she accomplished by cleaning out her division.

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also shares his thoughts on the UFC, UFC, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.

MAINE'S Couple FIRST ING wiro sableng MMA Baru

Randi Beth Knowles and Bruce Boyington

Lewiston, Maine (Maret 5, 2015) - Kämpfe New England (Wiro sableng), Amérika kang nomer siji promosi perang regional, ngasilake menyang Westprovinz Bank Colisee ing Lewiston, Maine ing April 11, 2015 karo campuran-tukang pencak seni pitulas sawijining (MMA) acara. The fight card will feature Bruce “Cantik Boy” Boyington (10-7) mbelo Title Lightweight wiro sableng MMA marang nomer siji contender Jamie Harrison (5-1) ing acara utama. Saliyane, Garwane Boyington kang, Randi Bet Knowles (0-0), bakal nggawe debut amatir MMA dheweke marang Alex Walker (0-0) in the female 115-pound strawweight division. It will be the first time a couple has competed together on an NEF fight card.

 

Knowles lagi latihan miturut Bojone ing Boyington kang Taekwondo Academy lan MMA Young ing Bangor, Maine. A regular at bodybuilding and fitness competitions across the region, Knowles is no stranger to performing before large audiences. She has been cage-side for many of Boyington’s past bouts, lan dheweke nampani tantangan sing bakal teka nalika dheweké ketemu dhéwé ing sisih liya saka tembok kandhang ing April 11.

 

“Sawise nonton supaya akeh gelut Bruce kang, Aku ora bisa dadi luwih bungah kanggo njaluk rasa apa iku kaya ing nang saka kandhang,” ngomong Knowles. “Aku wis tansah disenengi kang dites karo tantangan toughest bisa. I thank NEF for bringing women’s MMA to Maine as well as big thank you to Portland Nutrition Corner, Abbott Isolasi Plus, Lewis Used Car Sales, Ya & Pranawa kanggo kabeh dhukungan.”

 

Knowles’ mungsuh, Alex Walker, is not to be taken lightly. Walker trains out of the Kaze Dojo in Lancaster, New Hampshire. Coming in from out-of-town for the fight, Walker relishes ing muter peran saka underdog lan ngarep-arep kanggo uga muter peran saka spoiler ing April 11.

 

“Aku teka saka kutha 2,500 wong,” said Walker. “Ora ngarepake kula kanggo nindakake uga. Ora tau ngarepake tim kita bisa nyumerepi karo gyms ageng. Aku kasebut nalika wong underestimate kita, iku ew kula.”

Acara MMA sabanjuré wiro sableng kang, “Wiro sableng XVII,” wis dijadwal kanggo njupuk Panggonan ingApril 11, 2015 ing Westprovinz Bank Colisee ing Lewiston, Maine. Bruce “Cantik Boy” Boyington (10-7) bakal defend Title Lightweight wiro sableng MMA marang nomer siji contender Jamie Harrison (5-1). Saliyane, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) ing kontes flyweight. Tiket “Wiro sableng XVII” miwiti ing mung $25 lan ing sale saiki ing www.TheColisee.com utawa dening nelpon The Colisee box office ing 207.783.2009 x 525. Kanggo informasi luwih lengkap ing acara lan perang nganyari kertu, please visit website promosi ing www.NewEnglandFights.com. Saliyane, sampeyan bisa nonton video wiro sableng ing www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, tindakake ing Twitternefights lan gabung ing grup resmi Facebook "New England gelut."

 

About Kämpfe New England

 

Kämpfe New England ("Wiro sableng") iku perang perusahaan acara promosi. Misi wiro sableng iku kanggo nggawe acara kualitas kanggo pejuang Maine lan pembuangan Alike. Tim eksekutif wiro sableng kang wis ekstensif pengalaman manajemen olahraga pertempuran, produksi acara, hubungan media, marketing, Hukum lan iklan.

RIWAYAT TO BE digawe april 11 WITH Fight FIRST WOMEN PRO'S IN MAINE

Lewiston, Maine (Februari 25, 2015) - Kämpfe New England (Wiro sableng), Amérika kang nomer siji promosi perang regional, ngasilake menyang Westprovinz Bank Colisee ing Lewiston, Maine ing April 11, 2015 karo campuran-tukang pencak seni pitulas sawijining (MMA) acara. Sadurungé dina, the company announced the addition of a professional female strawweight bout to the fight card. Kaline “The Dark Angel” Medeiros (3-4) wis mlebu menyang pasuryan Priyal “Madu Badger” Cutler (3-0) at a fight weight of 115-pounds. It will be the first professional women’s fight in Maine since the state legislature legalized the sport of MMA in 2009.

 

“Iku pancene sumelang yen iku dijupuk iki dawa,” ngandika wiro sableng co-pemilik lan promosi Nick Kabath. “We’re huge fans of women’s MMA in NEF. We’ve tried numerous times to put pro women’s fights together, but they’ve always fallen through. History will finally be made on April 11 lan, sepisan maneh, NEF is at the forefront. We hope the fans will come out and support this fight, support women’s MMA. This is a very proud moment for everyone involved. It is a step in the right direction for MMA in Maine.

 

This will not be the first time Kaline Medeiros has made history in the cage. Ing 2013, Medeiros Fought ing, lan menang, the first-ever women’s MMA bout to be contested in Rhode Island. Fighting out of Fall River, Massachusetts, Medeiros is a native of Brazil and has been training in MMA since 2008. Having faced top female competitors since arriving in the professional ranks, kayata Invicta FC veteran Peggy Morgan (3-2) lan Stephanie Eggink (4-2), sing aku kalah metu mung pitung detik, Medeiros mesthi wis pengalaman lan pedigree kanggo njaluk bantuan kanggo tingkat sabanjuré ing olahraga.

 

“Iku penggalihipun dhumateng kanggo ngajak kabeh pembuangan kanggo gelut mbesuk ingApril 11,” said Medeiros. “NEF is bringing me to be the first ever professional female fighter stepping in the cage, iku lan pakurmatan kanggo kula. Thanks wiro sableng kanggo pengenalan ing, lan aku ora bisa ngenteni kanggo ngowahi perang macem kanggo pembuangan.”

Michigan’s Calie Cutler has raised a lot of eyebrows since making her MMA debut in 2012. Cutler amassed an impressive 7-1 record as an amateur prior to turning pro. She has finished all three of her opponents as a professional, kalebu kamenangan pengajuan liya-babak liwat Nikki Duncan (0-1) last weekend on a fight card in Michigan. Cutler will look to continue her undefeated streak as a professional on her path towards the big leagues of the sport when she meets Kaline Medeiros on April 11 Lewiston.

Acara MMA sabanjuré wiro sableng kang, “Wiro sableng XVII,” wis dijadwal kanggo njupuk Panggonan ing April 11, 2015 ing Westprovinz Bank Colisee ing Lewiston, Maine. Bruce “Cantik Boy” Boyington (10-7) bakal defend Title Lightweight wiro sableng MMA marang nomer siji contender Jamie Harrison (5-1). Saliyane, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) ing kontes flyweight. Tiket “Wiro sableng XVII” miwiti ing mung $25 lan ing sale saiki ingwww.TheColisee.com utawa dening nelpon The Colisee box office ing207.783.2009 x 525. Kanggo informasi luwih lengkap ing acara lan perang nganyari kertu, please visit website promosi ing www.NewEnglandFights.com. Saliyane, sampeyan bisa nonton video wiro sableng ing www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, tindakake ing Twitternefights lan gabung ing grup resmi Facebook "New England gelut."

 

About Kämpfe New England

 

Kämpfe New England ("Wiro sableng") iku perang perusahaan acara promosi. Misi wiro sableng iku kanggo nggawe acara kualitas kanggo pejuang Maine lan pembuangan Alike. Tim eksekutif wiro sableng kang wis ekstensif pengalaman manajemen olahraga pertempuran, produksi acara, hubungan media, marketing, Hukum lan iklan.

Dana White and the Women


Foto Kredit: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting

Setu, Jan. 28, is going to be a landmark day for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. All the fighters on the pay-per-view card that day will pass their pre-fight drug…….never mind. That’s too easy.

That day will be the first time a UFC card features women’s bouts in both its co-main event and main event. After middleweight champion Chris Weidman was forced to withdraw from his fight against Vitor Belfort due to injury, the new main event at UFC 184 is Ronda Rousey defending her women’s bantamweight belt against Cat Zingano. Ing acara co-utama, much-heralded prospect Holly Holm will make her UFC debut against Raquel Pennington in another women’s bantamweight fight.

As I’ve mentioned before, UFC has come a long way from when Dana White told TMZ that women would “never” fight in his organization. Rousey will main event her third consecutive February PPV and Holm is widely believed to be the next in line for a shot at the title, should she defeat Pennington. Holm is still very raw in mixed martial arts, but trains with the world renowned coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.

Rousey is carrying the flag for women’s MMA and for women in the UFC. Other female fighters have followed her into the Octagon, including Miesha Tate, Liz Carmouche and Alexis Davis. What do those three have in common? They all also fell to Rousey – Tate twice in Strikeforce and the UFC, and Carmouche and Davis both in the first round at UFC PPVs in 2013 lan 2014, mungguh.

Rousey and Tate’s feud is well-chronicled. It led to the two being coaches on The Ultimate Fighter, which included female fighters for the very first time who greatly outshined their male counterparts on the show that season.

Given that season’s success, the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter featured ALL female fighters and the debut of the UFC’s newest division, women’s strawweight. Carla Esparza, the former Invicta FC strawweight champion, won the inaugural UFC version of that belt after defeating Rose Namajunas.

So in the span of four years, UFC goes from having no female fighters and White emphatically stating that it never will, to being home to TWO female weight classes and undoubtedly the promotion’s biggest star right now in Rousey. Don’t believe me? Did you see the third Expendables movie? Or do you plan on seeing the film version of Entourage this summer? You might notice a familiar face.

So where does women’s MMA go from here? I am personally a big fan of female fights, as they tend to be among the more entertaining and action-packed fights on a UFC card. As I previously stated, female fighters are more than capable of outshining their male contemporaries. Why is that? Maybe female fighters feel they have more to prove inside the Octagon and always go for broke. Maybe they go into the Octagon with more of a “go for broke” mentality and actively seek a finish as opposed to “playing it safe.”

The fight between Rousey and Zingano on Feb. 28 will also go a long way toward determining the future of women’s MMA. Should Rousey defeat Zingano – which all signs indicate she will – she will have essentially cleaned out her division, with only unknown challengers like Holm and Bethe Correia left. If Zingano pulls the upset, then the division has a fresh batch of exciting matchups waiting.

But who knows what would have happened if Dana White kept his promise to TMZ?

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, UFC, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.

UFC 183: Who will show up?


Foto Kredit: UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has hit it out of the park so far in 2015, with its first two major cards of the year living up to the hype of their main events. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones dominated Daniel Cormier to prove he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world at UFC 182, and at the UFC’s live card in Boston, Massa., ing Januari, Conor McGregor secured a featherweight title shot against José Aldo and wasted no time getting in his next opponent’s face.

Which brings us to UFC 183 bengi iki, and a main event that is considered a dream matchup by many. Anderson Silva returns to the Octagon after suffering a gruesome leg injury in his last fight against UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in 2013. Nick Diaz also makes his return to the UFC after losing his last fight against former welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in 2013.

Tonight’s card isn’t without its other storylines though. A pair of significant undercard fights are taking place under some controversy, as flyweight John Lineker came in overweight for his fight against Ian McCall, which is expected to determine the next no. 1 contender to the flyweight title. Ing acara co-utama, Kelvin Gastelum came in 9 pounds overweight for his fight against Tyron Woodley, which means 30 percent of Gastelum’s fight purse actually goes to Woodley. Talk about insult to injury.

Temtu, there is always the wild card with Diaz too. He plays by his own rules, having no-showed the open workouts earlier this week. Will he actually show up to the cage for tonight’s main event? It remains to be seen, though most everyone thinks he will.

Dadi, having said all that, who do I think wins tonight?

Miesha “Cupcake” Tate (15-5) vs. Sarah McMann (8-1) (Women’s bantamweight – 135 lbs.)

This is actually the main event of the preliminary card on Fox Sports 1. Tate requested to compete on this portion of the card instead of the pay-per-view card, taking a page from Urijah Faber’s playbook. Tate is also eager for a third fight with Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title. Both of these women suffered Rousey’s wrath, particularly McMann, who was demolished by Rousey in about a minute last year.

McMann is a pure wrestler with very little else to her repertoire, whereas Tate built on her established wrestling skills to become an effective striker. I think she will stuff McMann’s attempts to take this fight to the mat and use her vastly superior striking skills to keep McMann befuddled en route to a dominant victory.

Winner: Tate by unanimous decision

Jordan “Young Gun” Mein (29-9) vs. Thiago “Pitbull” Alves (25-9) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)

Alves has alternated wins and losses in his last six fights, while Mein rides a two-fight win streak. Alves is always dangerous with his Muay Thai and striking, while Mein landed a first-round TKO victory in his last fight. This should be an exciting stand-up battle with neither guy willing to give an inch. I think Alves is the more dangerous fighter here, and will land one good shot to knock Mein silly.

Winner: Alves by second round TKO

Thales Leites (24-4) vs. Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch (18-7) (Middleweight – 185 lbs.)

Leites comes into this fight on a roll, having won his last seven fights, with the last two coming by way of TKO. Boetsch has alternated wins and losses in his last four fights, including a TKO victory in his last fight against Brad Tavares.

Boetsch is a slow, plodding bruiser best known for derailing the Hector Lombard hype train when he first made his UFC debut. Leites is a crafty, dangerous fighter who can finish you with his hands or by submission. I think Leites will avoid Boetsch’s power and wait for Boetsch to make a mistake, where Leits will capitalize.

Winner: Leites by third round submission

Joe Lauzon (24-10) vs. Al “Raging” Iaquinta (10-3-1) (Lightweight – 155 lbs.)

You know what you’re getting with a Joe Lauzon fight. You’re going to see an exciting, action packed bout that will most likely end with him locking in a slick submission or, in the case of his fight against Jim Miller, suffering a gnarly cut that will guarantee a blood battle.

Iaquinta has been on a roll since his time on The Ultimate Fighter Live, having only lost once in his last six fights. A win against Lauzon would be a real feather in his cap and might propel him into title contendership discussion. But Lauzon is one of the best submission specialists in the UFC, and I think the crafty veteran has another submission up his sleeve.

Winner: Lauzon by second round submission

Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley (14-3) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (11-0) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)

As mentioned above, Gastelum weighed in 9 pounds over for this fight and will forfeit 30 percent of his purse directly to Woodley. It was reported that Gastelum spent time in the hospital leading up to this fight, which contributed to him coming in overweight.

Woodley will be angry in this fight, and rightly so. It’s not fair that his opponent will have a weight advantage due to his own failure to do what he was supposed to do. Give Woodley credit for wanting to keep fighting when it would have been perfectly understandable to postpone it.

Woodley will channel his rage into a blitzkrieg of offense at Gastelum, and the lethargic and probably still-injured Gastelum will have no response.

Winner: Woodley by second round TKO

Anderson "Ing Spider" Silva (33-6) vs. Nick Diaz (27-9-1) (Middleweight – 185 lbs.)

This is one of the several main events that have fight fans buzzing in 2015. Many didn’t think Silva would ever walk again after his leg injury against Weidman, let alone come back to the UFC to fight. The matchup style of Diaz wanting to push the pace, get in his opponent’s face and sucker him into trading blows against Silva’s unrivaled elusiveness will be interesting to watch.

Diaz said he wouldn’t trash talk Silva during this fight out of respect. But if Silva keeps bobbing and weaving and dodging Diaz’s punches, we’ll see how long Diaz commits to that. I think we’ll see vintage Silva in this fight, making Diaz look silly in some spots while landing well-timed strikes that will confuse and frustrate Diaz, which will allow Silva to land even more.

Diaz is too tough to finish, but this fight will show that Silva still has it and is the vastly superior fighter.

Winner: Silva by unanimous decision

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, UFC, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.