- The fourth installment of UFC 201:
Embedded just might be one of the
more interesting ones yet. The series,
which gives you behind-the-scenes
footage from camps and the lives of
fighters, includes an interesting
confrontation between Matt Brown
and Rose Namajunas.
.
.
.
Brown, who faces Jake Ellenberger on
Saturday night, is afraid of dogs.
Namajunas, who meets Karolina
Kowalkiewicz in the co-main event,
forces Brown to confront his fears.
- As part of the UFC's return to
England in October, Vitor Belfort and
Gegard Mousasi will meet at UFC 204.
The middleweight bout is likely to
serve as the co-main event to Dan
Henderson-Michael Bisping for the
middleweight belt.
Belfort (25-12) is a former UFC
champion, but is coming off a loss to
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. He is 7-3 in his
last 10 fights overall. Mousasi (39-6-2)
is an ex-Strikeforce champion who has
won two in a row and is 4-1 over his
last five.
UFC 204 takes place October 8 from
Manchester, England and is expected
to air on pay-per-view, FOX Sports 1
and UFC Fight Pass.
- Kevin Ferguson, Jr., the son of the
late "Kimbo Slice," will make his
Bellator debut next month at Bellator
160. "Baby Slice" will take on an
opponent yet to be announced at the
August 26 card from the Honda Center
in Anaheim, California.
Ferguson, Jr. is 0-0 in his pro career,
having scored a victory in his amateur
debut this past March. His father
passed away earlier this year after
heart failure.
Bellator 160 features Benson
Henderson vs. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
and airs live on Spike TV.
Thursday, 28 July 2016
Big Middleweight Fight Added To UFC 204, UFC Embedded Video, Kimbo Slice's Son Set For Bellator
- The fourth installment of UFC 201:
Embedded just might be one of the
more interesting ones yet. The series,
which gives you behind-the-scenes
footage from camps and the lives of
fighters, includes an interesting
confrontation between Matt Brown
and Rose Namajunas.
.
.
.
Brown, who faces Jake Ellenberger on
Saturday night, is afraid of dogs.
Namajunas, who meets Karolina
Kowalkiewicz in the co-main event,
forces Brown to confront his fears.
- As part of the UFC's return to
England in October, Vitor Belfort and
Gegard Mousasi will meet at UFC 204.
The middleweight bout is likely to
serve as the co-main event to Dan
Henderson-Michael Bisping for the
middleweight belt.
Belfort (25-12) is a former UFC
champion, but is coming off a loss to
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. He is 7-3 in his
last 10 fights overall. Mousasi (39-6-2)
is an ex-Strikeforce champion who has
won two in a row and is 4-1 over his
last five.
UFC 204 takes place October 8 from
Manchester, England and is expected
to air on pay-per-view, FOX Sports 1
and UFC Fight Pass.
- Kevin Ferguson, Jr., the son of the
late "Kimbo Slice," will make his
Bellator debut next month at Bellator
160. "Baby Slice" will take on an
opponent yet to be announced at the
August 26 card from the Honda Center
in Anaheim, California.
Ferguson, Jr. is 0-0 in his pro career,
having scored a victory in his amateur
debut this past March. His father
passed away earlier this year after
heart failure.
Bellator 160 features Benson
Henderson vs. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
and airs live on Spike TV.
Embedded just might be one of the
more interesting ones yet. The series,
which gives you behind-the-scenes
footage from camps and the lives of
fighters, includes an interesting
confrontation between Matt Brown
and Rose Namajunas.
.
.
.
Brown, who faces Jake Ellenberger on
Saturday night, is afraid of dogs.
Namajunas, who meets Karolina
Kowalkiewicz in the co-main event,
forces Brown to confront his fears.
- As part of the UFC's return to
England in October, Vitor Belfort and
Gegard Mousasi will meet at UFC 204.
The middleweight bout is likely to
serve as the co-main event to Dan
Henderson-Michael Bisping for the
middleweight belt.
Belfort (25-12) is a former UFC
champion, but is coming off a loss to
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. He is 7-3 in his
last 10 fights overall. Mousasi (39-6-2)
is an ex-Strikeforce champion who has
won two in a row and is 4-1 over his
last five.
UFC 204 takes place October 8 from
Manchester, England and is expected
to air on pay-per-view, FOX Sports 1
and UFC Fight Pass.
- Kevin Ferguson, Jr., the son of the
late "Kimbo Slice," will make his
Bellator debut next month at Bellator
160. "Baby Slice" will take on an
opponent yet to be announced at the
August 26 card from the Honda Center
in Anaheim, California.
Ferguson, Jr. is 0-0 in his pro career,
having scored a victory in his amateur
debut this past March. His father
passed away earlier this year after
heart failure.
Bellator 160 features Benson
Henderson vs. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
and airs live on Spike TV.
Kofi Kingston Talks Crowds In The South, WWE SummerSlam Concert Pre- Sale Code, Sharknado 4
- Do Savannah has a short interview
with Kofi Kingston, who was promoting
this Saturday's WWE live event at the
Savannah Civic Center in Savannah,
GA. During the interview, Kofi talked
about returning to Georgia.
.
.
.
"I love the beautiful scenery and the
trees and the people will get rowdy
when we come down for the event,"
Kofi said. "Being down South, there is a
different kind of energy than there is
anywhere else in the nation... Any
time we come to Georgia, there is a lot
of energy."
- Sharknado 4: The Fourth Awakens,
which features Seth Rollins, premieres
this Sunday on Syfy.
- As noted, there will be a WWE
SummerSlam Concert that will take
place on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m.
ET at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, with
proceeds benefiting Connor's Cure. The
event is headlined by Flo Rida and pop
superstar Jason Derulo. The pre-sale is
underway, you can use code TWSLAM.
KEEP VISITING
with Kofi Kingston, who was promoting
this Saturday's WWE live event at the
Savannah Civic Center in Savannah,
GA. During the interview, Kofi talked
about returning to Georgia.
.
.
.
"I love the beautiful scenery and the
trees and the people will get rowdy
when we come down for the event,"
Kofi said. "Being down South, there is a
different kind of energy than there is
anywhere else in the nation... Any
time we come to Georgia, there is a lot
of energy."
- Sharknado 4: The Fourth Awakens,
which features Seth Rollins, premieres
this Sunday on Syfy.
- As noted, there will be a WWE
SummerSlam Concert that will take
place on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m.
ET at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, with
proceeds benefiting Connor's Cure. The
event is headlined by Flo Rida and pop
superstar Jason Derulo. The pre-sale is
underway, you can use code TWSLAM.
KEEP VISITING
WWE Q2 Analysis, Would WWE Entertain A Sale Like UFC?, WrestleMania, Live Attendance Drops
This morning, WWE reported record
revenue of $199.0 million for the
second quarter of 2016 (April-June).
This included the impact of
WrestleMania 32 which generated
more than $21.5 million in live event
revenue, $4.0 million from traditional
pay-per-view sales and $3.9 million of
venue merchandise sales. There were
1,517,000 average paid WWE Network
subscribers during the quarter (firmly
in line with WWE's guidance of
"approximately 1.5 million") and as of
June 30, 2016 there was 1,130,000
domestic subscribers and 381,000
international subscribers.
.
.
.
Because WrestleMania 31 was in the
first quarter of 2015 and WrestleMania
32 was in the second quarter of 2016,
the best way to compare financial
results is to look at the combined year-
to-date six month data.
For the first half of the year (H1), WWE
net revenue has grown 13% compared
to the prior year. More than half of the
company's growth has been driven by
gains in the Network and Live Events
segments. However, this $43.7 million
increase in revenue only corresponded
to a $900,000 increase in OIBDA
(operating income before depreciation
and amortization excluding feature
film and television production
amortization and related impairments
– essentially how WWE measures
"profit"). Notably, despite $14.4 million
growth in the Network segment net
revenue (WWE Network + PPV), the
Network OIBDA on this segment
actually declined by $5.6 million. The
majority of the rise in Corporate &
Other expenses was due to "global
branding, data analytics, and certain
talent initiatives, as well as increased
legal expenses related to ongoing
litigation" in Q2'16.
While non-WrestleMania live event
attendance in North America has
dropped about 5% this year (6,100/
show for January-June 2015 compared
to 5,800/show for January-June 2016),
WWE has been successful at raising
ticket prices (+6% in Q1'16, +12% in
Q2'16). Despite WWE's press release
that WrestleMania drew 101,763 fans,
the latest Key Performance Indicators
slide suggests that actual paid live
event attendance for WrestleMania
was in the range of 74,000 to 86,000
people. In Q2'16, WWE had a very
successful European tour where they
averaged 8,000 fans over 19 events
(compared to 6,900 fans over 21
events during Q2'15). Overall, WWE's
live event growth continues to come
from increased monetization of the
remaining domestic fans and growing
business internationally.
Paid WWE Network subscribers are
currently at an all-time high of
1,130,000 domestic and 381,000
international accounts as of June 30,
2016. Paid domestic subscribers have
increased by 21,000 households since
WrestleMania 32 while international
paid WWE Network subscribers have
increased by 36,000 households. Last
year, paid domestic subscribers fell by
184,000 between WrestleMania 31 and
June 30, 2015 while paid international
subscribers increased by 25,000. Free
trials on the WWE Network reached
their peak at WrestleMania 32 with
281,000 domestic accounts and 89,000
international accounts. That number
has returned to the usual levels of
36,000 domestic accounts and 13,000
international accounts. Was the #
FreeWrestleMania promotion a
success? WWE was successful at
growing the number of paid
subscribers from WrestleMania (as
opposed to last year when they
registered less subscribers by June 30).
However, the true value of these
subscribers will come with longevity. If
they are still subscribers at the end of
the year, it was probably a worthwhile
investment. At this time, we don't
have enough specific information from
WWE to categorize it as anything
stronger than a gamble that may still
pay off.
WWE Chairman and CEO Vince
McMahon along with Chief Strategy
and Financial Officer George Barrios
shared prepared remarks and
answered questions during the
earnings call. Vince noted that he was
"pleased with the execution of our
strategy to optimize the long-term
value of our content. He called out
progress on "continued year-over-
year growth of WWE Network, the
transition of SmackDown to a live
format every week, and the
completion of our first exclusive
content agreement in China."
Regarding the recent PPTV deal in
China, WWE talked about how this was
their first exclusive deal in China and
specifically their first digital exclusive
deal. Instead of waiting several weeks
for editing, both Raw and SmackDown
are being aired live in the Chinese
market in Mandarin. As Barrios told
analyst Laura Martin, "I think you're
seeing similar to other parts of the
world that live content has a
premium".
On the brand extension, Vince noted
that things were "working thus far
very, very well" and they were pleased
with the high rating for the Draft on
live SmackDown. However, when
analyst Eric Katz asked whether
storyline programming (such as the
brand extension second screen
experience) was having any notably
influence on gaining WWE Network
subscriptions, Barrios noted,
"SmackDown went live one week ago.
The Brand Extension kicked off three
days ago. We don't have trends in
place but our expectation is more
engagement across all platforms."
Analyst Brandon Ross also asked
about the Brand Extension and the
rationale for why WWE moved ahead,
especially considering that there
would be increased costs. Vince
McMahon responded that they had a
"plethora of talent due to Paul
Levesque's influence on the training
center" and that WWE wanted to
"more personalities, more licensing
opportunities" and expected to
generate more income from the added
pay-per-view events. George Barrios
did admit that the guidance that WWE
gave last year about 2016 did not
include this brand extension while the
guidance that the company is
providing now does.
Regarding gift cards for the WWE
Network, Barrios remarked that the
company believes in the non-holiday
season, most of these gift cards are
being purchased by the primary user
as a form of payment option. The
future may also include gift cards with
a longer duration.
There was a question at the end about
the UFC sale. Barrios response to about
the wildly different valuations of WWE
and UFC was that, "with them not
being public, all you have is what's in
the media". The CFO also said that the
UFC transaction "reflects the value
people are putting on branded live
content." When asked when WWE
would ever entertain a similar sale,
WWE gave their stock answer: "We're
always willing to listen. All we care
about is doing what's best for our
audience, our shareholders and our
employees. If someone has a great
idea, we're open to listening to it."
There was no discussion about Brock
Lesnar's failed USADA test nor any
blockbuster announcements of new
WWE Network programming. Currently,
WWE is projecting a rosy financial
picture for the remainder of 2016. As
noted in the earnings call
presentation: "If recent subscriber
acquisition and retention trends
continue over the remainder of 2016,
management believes growth in
subscribers would be at the upper end
of the range and Adjusted 2016 OIBDA
would be $80M-$85M." That would be
an improvement over 2015 OIBDA of $
61.6 million. However, a lot of
questions remain about whether the
brand extension will be successful in
keeping fans engagement and
spending money on WWE products.
WWE told one analyst that they did not
expect any impact from the Olympics.
Still, WWE television ratings in Q2
continued to slide with 11% decline for
Raw and 10% decline for SmackDown
(which had moved Networks and
moved nights). Meanwhile, the decline
for USA Network and Top 25 Cable
Networks was only -7% and -5%
respectively.
revenue of $199.0 million for the
second quarter of 2016 (April-June).
This included the impact of
WrestleMania 32 which generated
more than $21.5 million in live event
revenue, $4.0 million from traditional
pay-per-view sales and $3.9 million of
venue merchandise sales. There were
1,517,000 average paid WWE Network
subscribers during the quarter (firmly
in line with WWE's guidance of
"approximately 1.5 million") and as of
June 30, 2016 there was 1,130,000
domestic subscribers and 381,000
international subscribers.
.
.
.
Because WrestleMania 31 was in the
first quarter of 2015 and WrestleMania
32 was in the second quarter of 2016,
the best way to compare financial
results is to look at the combined year-
to-date six month data.
For the first half of the year (H1), WWE
net revenue has grown 13% compared
to the prior year. More than half of the
company's growth has been driven by
gains in the Network and Live Events
segments. However, this $43.7 million
increase in revenue only corresponded
to a $900,000 increase in OIBDA
(operating income before depreciation
and amortization excluding feature
film and television production
amortization and related impairments
– essentially how WWE measures
"profit"). Notably, despite $14.4 million
growth in the Network segment net
revenue (WWE Network + PPV), the
Network OIBDA on this segment
actually declined by $5.6 million. The
majority of the rise in Corporate &
Other expenses was due to "global
branding, data analytics, and certain
talent initiatives, as well as increased
legal expenses related to ongoing
litigation" in Q2'16.
While non-WrestleMania live event
attendance in North America has
dropped about 5% this year (6,100/
show for January-June 2015 compared
to 5,800/show for January-June 2016),
WWE has been successful at raising
ticket prices (+6% in Q1'16, +12% in
Q2'16). Despite WWE's press release
that WrestleMania drew 101,763 fans,
the latest Key Performance Indicators
slide suggests that actual paid live
event attendance for WrestleMania
was in the range of 74,000 to 86,000
people. In Q2'16, WWE had a very
successful European tour where they
averaged 8,000 fans over 19 events
(compared to 6,900 fans over 21
events during Q2'15). Overall, WWE's
live event growth continues to come
from increased monetization of the
remaining domestic fans and growing
business internationally.
Paid WWE Network subscribers are
currently at an all-time high of
1,130,000 domestic and 381,000
international accounts as of June 30,
2016. Paid domestic subscribers have
increased by 21,000 households since
WrestleMania 32 while international
paid WWE Network subscribers have
increased by 36,000 households. Last
year, paid domestic subscribers fell by
184,000 between WrestleMania 31 and
June 30, 2015 while paid international
subscribers increased by 25,000. Free
trials on the WWE Network reached
their peak at WrestleMania 32 with
281,000 domestic accounts and 89,000
international accounts. That number
has returned to the usual levels of
36,000 domestic accounts and 13,000
international accounts. Was the #
FreeWrestleMania promotion a
success? WWE was successful at
growing the number of paid
subscribers from WrestleMania (as
opposed to last year when they
registered less subscribers by June 30).
However, the true value of these
subscribers will come with longevity. If
they are still subscribers at the end of
the year, it was probably a worthwhile
investment. At this time, we don't
have enough specific information from
WWE to categorize it as anything
stronger than a gamble that may still
pay off.
WWE Chairman and CEO Vince
McMahon along with Chief Strategy
and Financial Officer George Barrios
shared prepared remarks and
answered questions during the
earnings call. Vince noted that he was
"pleased with the execution of our
strategy to optimize the long-term
value of our content. He called out
progress on "continued year-over-
year growth of WWE Network, the
transition of SmackDown to a live
format every week, and the
completion of our first exclusive
content agreement in China."
Regarding the recent PPTV deal in
China, WWE talked about how this was
their first exclusive deal in China and
specifically their first digital exclusive
deal. Instead of waiting several weeks
for editing, both Raw and SmackDown
are being aired live in the Chinese
market in Mandarin. As Barrios told
analyst Laura Martin, "I think you're
seeing similar to other parts of the
world that live content has a
premium".
On the brand extension, Vince noted
that things were "working thus far
very, very well" and they were pleased
with the high rating for the Draft on
live SmackDown. However, when
analyst Eric Katz asked whether
storyline programming (such as the
brand extension second screen
experience) was having any notably
influence on gaining WWE Network
subscriptions, Barrios noted,
"SmackDown went live one week ago.
The Brand Extension kicked off three
days ago. We don't have trends in
place but our expectation is more
engagement across all platforms."
Analyst Brandon Ross also asked
about the Brand Extension and the
rationale for why WWE moved ahead,
especially considering that there
would be increased costs. Vince
McMahon responded that they had a
"plethora of talent due to Paul
Levesque's influence on the training
center" and that WWE wanted to
"more personalities, more licensing
opportunities" and expected to
generate more income from the added
pay-per-view events. George Barrios
did admit that the guidance that WWE
gave last year about 2016 did not
include this brand extension while the
guidance that the company is
providing now does.
Regarding gift cards for the WWE
Network, Barrios remarked that the
company believes in the non-holiday
season, most of these gift cards are
being purchased by the primary user
as a form of payment option. The
future may also include gift cards with
a longer duration.
There was a question at the end about
the UFC sale. Barrios response to about
the wildly different valuations of WWE
and UFC was that, "with them not
being public, all you have is what's in
the media". The CFO also said that the
UFC transaction "reflects the value
people are putting on branded live
content." When asked when WWE
would ever entertain a similar sale,
WWE gave their stock answer: "We're
always willing to listen. All we care
about is doing what's best for our
audience, our shareholders and our
employees. If someone has a great
idea, we're open to listening to it."
There was no discussion about Brock
Lesnar's failed USADA test nor any
blockbuster announcements of new
WWE Network programming. Currently,
WWE is projecting a rosy financial
picture for the remainder of 2016. As
noted in the earnings call
presentation: "If recent subscriber
acquisition and retention trends
continue over the remainder of 2016,
management believes growth in
subscribers would be at the upper end
of the range and Adjusted 2016 OIBDA
would be $80M-$85M." That would be
an improvement over 2015 OIBDA of $
61.6 million. However, a lot of
questions remain about whether the
brand extension will be successful in
keeping fans engagement and
spending money on WWE products.
WWE told one analyst that they did not
expect any impact from the Olympics.
Still, WWE television ratings in Q2
continued to slide with 11% decline for
Raw and 10% decline for SmackDown
(which had moved Networks and
moved nights). Meanwhile, the decline
for USA Network and Top 25 Cable
Networks was only -7% and -5%
respectively.
This Week’s WWE Smackdown Live Rating,
WWE Smackdown Live
This week’s final rating for WWE
Smackdown Live was a 1.92 rating,
which is down from last week’s 2.20
rating, which was the first live
Smackdown on Tuesdays and the 2016
WWE Draft episode of the show. By
comparison, WWE RAW scored a 2.36
rating this week.
It was previously noted that this
week’s Smackdown averaged 2.743
million viewers, which was down from
last week’s draft show that averaged
3.170 million viewers.
Keep visiting for latest updates and comment your thoughts about us
This week’s final rating for WWE
Smackdown Live was a 1.92 rating,
which is down from last week’s 2.20
rating, which was the first live
Smackdown on Tuesdays and the 2016
WWE Draft episode of the show. By
comparison, WWE RAW scored a 2.36
rating this week.
It was previously noted that this
week’s Smackdown averaged 2.743
million viewers, which was down from
last week’s draft show that averaged
3.170 million viewers.
Keep visiting for latest updates and comment your thoughts about us
UFC renews contract with BT Sport for television rights in Ireland and United Kingdom
According to MMA Fighting, Ultimate
Fighting Championship (UFC) officials
recently announced that it renewed a
broadcasting deal with BT Sport to give
the network exclusive rights to air UFC
events in the United Kingdom and
Ireland until 2018.
James Elliot -- general manager and
vice president of UFC Europe --
touched on the importance of the deal:
"There is no doubt that our initial
partnership with BT Sport placed
UFC and the sport of MMA in front
of an engaged sports audience
and helped to grow the sport in
the UK and Ireland. This renewal
is a signal from both
organizations that there is clearly
more to come and that BT Sport
provides the perfect platform on
which to continue to grow the
sport of MMA and UFC. The
potential for growth for both
organizations is huge and we are
delighted to be continuing our
partnership and to building
something special."
The channel aims to air every main
card and non-Fight Pass preliminary
fight live along with more than 150
hours of action a year, according to the
report.
It’s been a good couple of years for
both United Kingdom and Ireland when
it comes to the mixed martial arts
(MMA) world, as the UK saw Michael
Bisping become the first-ever MMA
fighter from that country to capture
UFC gold at UFC 199 by knocking out
Luke Rockhold.
THANKS FOR VISITING
Fighting Championship (UFC) officials
recently announced that it renewed a
broadcasting deal with BT Sport to give
the network exclusive rights to air UFC
events in the United Kingdom and
Ireland until 2018.
James Elliot -- general manager and
vice president of UFC Europe --
touched on the importance of the deal:
"There is no doubt that our initial
partnership with BT Sport placed
UFC and the sport of MMA in front
of an engaged sports audience
and helped to grow the sport in
the UK and Ireland. This renewal
is a signal from both
organizations that there is clearly
more to come and that BT Sport
provides the perfect platform on
which to continue to grow the
sport of MMA and UFC. The
potential for growth for both
organizations is huge and we are
delighted to be continuing our
partnership and to building
something special."
The channel aims to air every main
card and non-Fight Pass preliminary
fight live along with more than 150
hours of action a year, according to the
report.
It’s been a good couple of years for
both United Kingdom and Ireland when
it comes to the mixed martial arts
(MMA) world, as the UK saw Michael
Bisping become the first-ever MMA
fighter from that country to capture
UFC gold at UFC 199 by knocking out
Luke Rockhold.
THANKS FOR VISITING
UFC renews contract with BT Sport for television rights in Ireland and United Kingdom
According to MMA Fighting, Ultimate
Fighting Championship (UFC) officials
recently announced that it renewed a
broadcasting deal with BT Sport to give
the network exclusive rights to air UFC
events in the United Kingdom and
Ireland until 2018.
James Elliot -- general manager and
vice president of UFC Europe --
touched on the importance of the deal:
"There is no doubt that our initial
partnership with BT Sport placed
UFC and the sport of MMA in front
of an engaged sports audience
and helped to grow the sport in
the UK and Ireland. This renewal
is a signal from both
organizations that there is clearly
more to come and that BT Sport
provides the perfect platform on
which to continue to grow the
sport of MMA and UFC. The
potential for growth for both
organizations is huge and we are
delighted to be continuing our
partnership and to building
something special."
The channel aims to air every main
card and non-Fight Pass preliminary
fight live along with more than 150
hours of action a year, according to the
report.
It’s been a good couple of years for
both United Kingdom and Ireland when
it comes to the mixed martial arts
(MMA) world, as the UK saw Michael
Bisping become the first-ever MMA
fighter from that country to capture
UFC gold at UFC 199 by knocking out
Luke Rockhold.
THANKS FOR VISITING
Fighting Championship (UFC) officials
recently announced that it renewed a
broadcasting deal with BT Sport to give
the network exclusive rights to air UFC
events in the United Kingdom and
Ireland until 2018.
James Elliot -- general manager and
vice president of UFC Europe --
touched on the importance of the deal:
"There is no doubt that our initial
partnership with BT Sport placed
UFC and the sport of MMA in front
of an engaged sports audience
and helped to grow the sport in
the UK and Ireland. This renewal
is a signal from both
organizations that there is clearly
more to come and that BT Sport
provides the perfect platform on
which to continue to grow the
sport of MMA and UFC. The
potential for growth for both
organizations is huge and we are
delighted to be continuing our
partnership and to building
something special."
The channel aims to air every main
card and non-Fight Pass preliminary
fight live along with more than 150
hours of action a year, according to the
report.
It’s been a good couple of years for
both United Kingdom and Ireland when
it comes to the mixed martial arts
(MMA) world, as the UK saw Michael
Bisping become the first-ever MMA
fighter from that country to capture
UFC gold at UFC 199 by knocking out
Luke Rockhold.
THANKS FOR VISITING
Latest UFC rankings update: Valentina Shevchenko rises, Holly Holm falls following UFC on FOX 20 in Chicago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
recently tied a ribbon around its UFC on
FOX 20 mixed martial arts (MMA)
event, which took place last Sat. night
(July 23, 2016) inside United Center in
Chicago, Illinois (results), and there
was a lot to talk about when all was
said and done.
You can thank Valentina Shevchenko
and Edson Barboza for that.
"Bullet" continued her march through
the strawweight division by turning
away former champion Holly Holm in
the five-round main event (see it).
Barboza, meanwhile, put the rest of
the 155-pound division on notice by
knocking around ex-Strikeforce champ
Gilbert Melendez (replay), who debuts
at No. 14 after his extended layoff.
Chad Mendes, meanwhile, was pulled
from the featherweight list following
his USADA suspension (details).
That's not all.
Here's what the latest ranking field
looks like courtesy of UFC.com. Note:
(+/- = movement in rankings, *NR =
Not previously ranked).
POUND-FOR-POUND
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Dominick Cruz
3 Jon Jones
4 Robbie Lawler
5 Daniel Cormier
6 Conor McGregor
7 Jose Aldo
8 Eddie Alvarez
9 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
10 Stipe Miocic
11 Michael Bisping
12 Luke Rockhold
13 Rafael Dos Anjos
14 TJ Dillashaw +1
15 Frankie Edgar -1
FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 Henry Cejudo
3 Jussier Formiga
4 Kyoji Horiguchi
5 Ian McCall
6 Zach Makovsky
7 Wilson Reis
8 Ali Bagautinov
9 Louis Smolka
10 John Moraga
11 Matheus Nicolau
12 Dustin Ortiz
13 Justin Scoggins
14 Ray Borg
15 Sergio Pettis
BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Dominick Cruz
1 TJ Dillashaw
2 Urijah Faber
3 Raphael Assuncao
4 Bryan Caraway
5 John Lineker
6 Aljamain Sterling
7 Michael McDonald
8 Cody Garbrandt
9 John Dodson
10 Thomas Almeida
11 Takeya Mizugaki
12 Eddie Wineland +3
13 Jimmie Rivera +1
13 Johnny Eduardo
15 Frankie Saenz -3
FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion: Conor McGregor
1 Jose Aldo (Interim Champion)
2 Frankie Edgar
3 Max Holloway
4 Ricardo Lamas +1
5 Cub Swanson +1
6 Charles Oliveira +1
7 Jeremy Stephens +1
8 Dennis Bermudez +1
9 Brian Ortega +1
10 Hacran Dias +1
11 Darren Elkins +1
12 Dooho Choi *NR
13 Yair Rodriguez
14 Tatsuya Kawajiri
15 Mirsad Bektic
LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion: Eddie Alvarez
1 Khabib Nurmagomedov
2 Rafael Dos Anjos
3 Tony Ferguson
4 Nate Diaz
5 Edson Barboza +1
6 Donald Cerrone -1
7 Anthony Pettis
8 Dustin Poirier
9 Michael Chiesa
10 Michael Johnson
11 Beneil Dariush
12 Will Brooks
13 Al Iaquinta
14 Gilbert Melendez *NR
15 Rashid Magomedov -1
WELTERWEIGHT
Champion: Robbie Lawler
1 Stephen Thompson
2 Rory MacDonald
3 Demian Maia
4 Tyron Woodley
5 Carlos Condit
6 Kelvin Gastelum
7 Neil Magny
8 Johny Hendricks
9 Matt Brown
10 Rick Story
11 Dong Hyun Kim
12 Gunnar Nelson
13 Tarec Saffiedine
14 Donald Cerrone
15 Thiago Alves
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion: Michael Bisping
1 Luke Rockhold
2 Chris Weidman
3 Jacare Souza
4 Vitor Belfort
5 Anderson Silva
6 Robert Whittaker
7 Gegard Mousasi
8 Lyoto Machida
9 Uriah Hall
10 Derek Brunson
11 Tim Kennedy
12 Thales Leites
13 Dan Henderson
14 Rafael Natal
15 Thiago Santos
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Daniel Cormier
1 Jon Jones (Interim Champion)
2 Anthony Johnson
3 Glover Teixeira
4 Alexander Gustafsson
5 Ryan Bader
6 Ovince Saint Preux
7 Mauricio Rua
8 Rashad Evans
9 Jimi Manuwa
10 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
11 Nikita Krylov
12 Corey Anderson
13 Ilir Latifi
14 Patrick Cummins
15 Gian Villante
HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Stipe Miocic
1 Fabricio Werdum
2 Cain Velasquez
3 Alistair Overeem
4 Junior Dos Santos
5 Ben Rothwell
6 Andrei Arlovski
7 Travis Browne
8 Brock Lesnar
9 Mark Hunt
10 Josh Barnett
11 Derrick Lewis
12 Roy Nelson
13 Frank Mir
14 Stefan Struve
15 Ruslan Magomedov
WOMEN'S STRAWWEIGHT
Champion: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
1 Claudia Gadelha
2 Carla Esparza
3 Rose Namajunas
4 Tecia Torres
5 Karolina Kowalkiewicz
6 Jessica Andrade
7 Joanne Calderwood
8 Maryna Moroz
9 Valerie Letourneau
10 Paige VanZant
11 Michelle Waterson
12 Jessica Penne
13 Jessica Aguilar +1
14 Randa Markos -1
15 Juliana Lima
WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Amanda Nunes
1 Miesha Tate
2 Ronda Rousey +1
3 Valentina Shevchenko +4
4 Holly Holm -2
5 Julianna Pena -1
6 Cat Zingano -1
7 Sara McMann -1
8 Liz Carmouche
8 Raquel Pennington +1
10 Jessica Eye
11 Bethe Correia
12 Germaine de Randamie
13 Ashlee Evans-Smith
14 Katlyn Chookagian +1
15 Marion Reneau -1
There you have it.
You can expect these standings to
change in less than a week --
particularly in the welterweight
division -- as the UFC 201: "Lawler vs.
Woodley" pay-per-view (PPV) event
takes place this Sat. night (July 30,
2016) inside Philips Arena in Atlanta,
Georgia
recently tied a ribbon around its UFC on
FOX 20 mixed martial arts (MMA)
event, which took place last Sat. night
(July 23, 2016) inside United Center in
Chicago, Illinois (results), and there
was a lot to talk about when all was
said and done.
You can thank Valentina Shevchenko
and Edson Barboza for that.
"Bullet" continued her march through
the strawweight division by turning
away former champion Holly Holm in
the five-round main event (see it).
Barboza, meanwhile, put the rest of
the 155-pound division on notice by
knocking around ex-Strikeforce champ
Gilbert Melendez (replay), who debuts
at No. 14 after his extended layoff.
Chad Mendes, meanwhile, was pulled
from the featherweight list following
his USADA suspension (details).
That's not all.
Here's what the latest ranking field
looks like courtesy of UFC.com. Note:
(+/- = movement in rankings, *NR =
Not previously ranked).
POUND-FOR-POUND
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Dominick Cruz
3 Jon Jones
4 Robbie Lawler
5 Daniel Cormier
6 Conor McGregor
7 Jose Aldo
8 Eddie Alvarez
9 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
10 Stipe Miocic
11 Michael Bisping
12 Luke Rockhold
13 Rafael Dos Anjos
14 TJ Dillashaw +1
15 Frankie Edgar -1
FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 Henry Cejudo
3 Jussier Formiga
4 Kyoji Horiguchi
5 Ian McCall
6 Zach Makovsky
7 Wilson Reis
8 Ali Bagautinov
9 Louis Smolka
10 John Moraga
11 Matheus Nicolau
12 Dustin Ortiz
13 Justin Scoggins
14 Ray Borg
15 Sergio Pettis
BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Dominick Cruz
1 TJ Dillashaw
2 Urijah Faber
3 Raphael Assuncao
4 Bryan Caraway
5 John Lineker
6 Aljamain Sterling
7 Michael McDonald
8 Cody Garbrandt
9 John Dodson
10 Thomas Almeida
11 Takeya Mizugaki
12 Eddie Wineland +3
13 Jimmie Rivera +1
13 Johnny Eduardo
15 Frankie Saenz -3
FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion: Conor McGregor
1 Jose Aldo (Interim Champion)
2 Frankie Edgar
3 Max Holloway
4 Ricardo Lamas +1
5 Cub Swanson +1
6 Charles Oliveira +1
7 Jeremy Stephens +1
8 Dennis Bermudez +1
9 Brian Ortega +1
10 Hacran Dias +1
11 Darren Elkins +1
12 Dooho Choi *NR
13 Yair Rodriguez
14 Tatsuya Kawajiri
15 Mirsad Bektic
LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion: Eddie Alvarez
1 Khabib Nurmagomedov
2 Rafael Dos Anjos
3 Tony Ferguson
4 Nate Diaz
5 Edson Barboza +1
6 Donald Cerrone -1
7 Anthony Pettis
8 Dustin Poirier
9 Michael Chiesa
10 Michael Johnson
11 Beneil Dariush
12 Will Brooks
13 Al Iaquinta
14 Gilbert Melendez *NR
15 Rashid Magomedov -1
WELTERWEIGHT
Champion: Robbie Lawler
1 Stephen Thompson
2 Rory MacDonald
3 Demian Maia
4 Tyron Woodley
5 Carlos Condit
6 Kelvin Gastelum
7 Neil Magny
8 Johny Hendricks
9 Matt Brown
10 Rick Story
11 Dong Hyun Kim
12 Gunnar Nelson
13 Tarec Saffiedine
14 Donald Cerrone
15 Thiago Alves
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion: Michael Bisping
1 Luke Rockhold
2 Chris Weidman
3 Jacare Souza
4 Vitor Belfort
5 Anderson Silva
6 Robert Whittaker
7 Gegard Mousasi
8 Lyoto Machida
9 Uriah Hall
10 Derek Brunson
11 Tim Kennedy
12 Thales Leites
13 Dan Henderson
14 Rafael Natal
15 Thiago Santos
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Daniel Cormier
1 Jon Jones (Interim Champion)
2 Anthony Johnson
3 Glover Teixeira
4 Alexander Gustafsson
5 Ryan Bader
6 Ovince Saint Preux
7 Mauricio Rua
8 Rashad Evans
9 Jimi Manuwa
10 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
11 Nikita Krylov
12 Corey Anderson
13 Ilir Latifi
14 Patrick Cummins
15 Gian Villante
HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Stipe Miocic
1 Fabricio Werdum
2 Cain Velasquez
3 Alistair Overeem
4 Junior Dos Santos
5 Ben Rothwell
6 Andrei Arlovski
7 Travis Browne
8 Brock Lesnar
9 Mark Hunt
10 Josh Barnett
11 Derrick Lewis
12 Roy Nelson
13 Frank Mir
14 Stefan Struve
15 Ruslan Magomedov
WOMEN'S STRAWWEIGHT
Champion: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
1 Claudia Gadelha
2 Carla Esparza
3 Rose Namajunas
4 Tecia Torres
5 Karolina Kowalkiewicz
6 Jessica Andrade
7 Joanne Calderwood
8 Maryna Moroz
9 Valerie Letourneau
10 Paige VanZant
11 Michelle Waterson
12 Jessica Penne
13 Jessica Aguilar +1
14 Randa Markos -1
15 Juliana Lima
WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Amanda Nunes
1 Miesha Tate
2 Ronda Rousey +1
3 Valentina Shevchenko +4
4 Holly Holm -2
5 Julianna Pena -1
6 Cat Zingano -1
7 Sara McMann -1
8 Liz Carmouche
8 Raquel Pennington +1
10 Jessica Eye
11 Bethe Correia
12 Germaine de Randamie
13 Ashlee Evans-Smith
14 Katlyn Chookagian +1
15 Marion Reneau -1
There you have it.
You can expect these standings to
change in less than a week --
particularly in the welterweight
division -- as the UFC 201: "Lawler vs.
Woodley" pay-per-view (PPV) event
takes place this Sat. night (July 30,
2016) inside Philips Arena in Atlanta,
Georgia
Latest UFC rankings update: Valentina Shevchenko rises, Holly Holm falls following UFC on FOX 20 in Chicago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
recently tied a ribbon around its UFC on
FOX 20 mixed martial arts (MMA)
event, which took place last Sat. night
(July 23, 2016) inside United Center in
Chicago, Illinois (results), and there
was a lot to talk about when all was
said and done.
You can thank Valentina Shevchenko
and Edson Barboza for that.
"Bullet" continued her march through
the strawweight division by turning
away former champion Holly Holm in
the five-round main event (see it).
Barboza, meanwhile, put the rest of
the 155-pound division on notice by
knocking around ex-Strikeforce champ
Gilbert Melendez (replay), who debuts
at No. 14 after his extended layoff.
Chad Mendes, meanwhile, was pulled
from the featherweight list following
his USADA suspension (details).
That's not all.
Here's what the latest ranking field
looks like courtesy of UFC.com. Note:
(+/- = movement in rankings, *NR =
Not previously ranked).
POUND-FOR-POUND
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Dominick Cruz
3 Jon Jones
4 Robbie Lawler
5 Daniel Cormier
6 Conor McGregor
7 Jose Aldo
8 Eddie Alvarez
9 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
10 Stipe Miocic
11 Michael Bisping
12 Luke Rockhold
13 Rafael Dos Anjos
14 TJ Dillashaw +1
15 Frankie Edgar -1
FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 Henry Cejudo
3 Jussier Formiga
4 Kyoji Horiguchi
5 Ian McCall
6 Zach Makovsky
7 Wilson Reis
8 Ali Bagautinov
9 Louis Smolka
10 John Moraga
11 Matheus Nicolau
12 Dustin Ortiz
13 Justin Scoggins
14 Ray Borg
15 Sergio Pettis
BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Dominick Cruz
1 TJ Dillashaw
2 Urijah Faber
3 Raphael Assuncao
4 Bryan Caraway
5 John Lineker
6 Aljamain Sterling
7 Michael McDonald
8 Cody Garbrandt
9 John Dodson
10 Thomas Almeida
11 Takeya Mizugaki
12 Eddie Wineland +3
13 Jimmie Rivera +1
13 Johnny Eduardo
15 Frankie Saenz -3
FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion: Conor McGregor
1 Jose Aldo (Interim Champion)
2 Frankie Edgar
3 Max Holloway
4 Ricardo Lamas +1
5 Cub Swanson +1
6 Charles Oliveira +1
7 Jeremy Stephens +1
8 Dennis Bermudez +1
9 Brian Ortega +1
10 Hacran Dias +1
11 Darren Elkins +1
12 Dooho Choi *NR
13 Yair Rodriguez
14 Tatsuya Kawajiri
15 Mirsad Bektic
LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion: Eddie Alvarez
1 Khabib Nurmagomedov
2 Rafael Dos Anjos
3 Tony Ferguson
4 Nate Diaz
5 Edson Barboza +1
6 Donald Cerrone -1
7 Anthony Pettis
8 Dustin Poirier
9 Michael Chiesa
10 Michael Johnson
11 Beneil Dariush
12 Will Brooks
13 Al Iaquinta
14 Gilbert Melendez *NR
15 Rashid Magomedov -1
WELTERWEIGHT
Champion: Robbie Lawler
1 Stephen Thompson
2 Rory MacDonald
3 Demian Maia
4 Tyron Woodley
5 Carlos Condit
6 Kelvin Gastelum
7 Neil Magny
8 Johny Hendricks
9 Matt Brown
10 Rick Story
11 Dong Hyun Kim
12 Gunnar Nelson
13 Tarec Saffiedine
14 Donald Cerrone
15 Thiago Alves
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion: Michael Bisping
1 Luke Rockhold
2 Chris Weidman
3 Jacare Souza
4 Vitor Belfort
5 Anderson Silva
6 Robert Whittaker
7 Gegard Mousasi
8 Lyoto Machida
9 Uriah Hall
10 Derek Brunson
11 Tim Kennedy
12 Thales Leites
13 Dan Henderson
14 Rafael Natal
15 Thiago Santos
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Daniel Cormier
1 Jon Jones (Interim Champion)
2 Anthony Johnson
3 Glover Teixeira
4 Alexander Gustafsson
5 Ryan Bader
6 Ovince Saint Preux
7 Mauricio Rua
8 Rashad Evans
9 Jimi Manuwa
10 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
11 Nikita Krylov
12 Corey Anderson
13 Ilir Latifi
14 Patrick Cummins
15 Gian Villante
HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Stipe Miocic
1 Fabricio Werdum
2 Cain Velasquez
3 Alistair Overeem
4 Junior Dos Santos
5 Ben Rothwell
6 Andrei Arlovski
7 Travis Browne
8 Brock Lesnar
9 Mark Hunt
10 Josh Barnett
11 Derrick Lewis
12 Roy Nelson
13 Frank Mir
14 Stefan Struve
15 Ruslan Magomedov
WOMEN'S STRAWWEIGHT
Champion: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
1 Claudia Gadelha
2 Carla Esparza
3 Rose Namajunas
4 Tecia Torres
5 Karolina Kowalkiewicz
6 Jessica Andrade
7 Joanne Calderwood
8 Maryna Moroz
9 Valerie Letourneau
10 Paige VanZant
11 Michelle Waterson
12 Jessica Penne
13 Jessica Aguilar +1
14 Randa Markos -1
15 Juliana Lima
WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Amanda Nunes
1 Miesha Tate
2 Ronda Rousey +1
3 Valentina Shevchenko +4
4 Holly Holm -2
5 Julianna Pena -1
6 Cat Zingano -1
7 Sara McMann -1
8 Liz Carmouche
8 Raquel Pennington +1
10 Jessica Eye
11 Bethe Correia
12 Germaine de Randamie
13 Ashlee Evans-Smith
14 Katlyn Chookagian +1
15 Marion Reneau -1
There you have it.
You can expect these standings to
change in less than a week --
particularly in the welterweight
division -- as the UFC 201: "Lawler vs.
Woodley" pay-per-view (PPV) event
takes place this Sat. night (July 30,
2016) inside Philips Arena in Atlanta,
Georgia
recently tied a ribbon around its UFC on
FOX 20 mixed martial arts (MMA)
event, which took place last Sat. night
(July 23, 2016) inside United Center in
Chicago, Illinois (results), and there
was a lot to talk about when all was
said and done.
You can thank Valentina Shevchenko
and Edson Barboza for that.
"Bullet" continued her march through
the strawweight division by turning
away former champion Holly Holm in
the five-round main event (see it).
Barboza, meanwhile, put the rest of
the 155-pound division on notice by
knocking around ex-Strikeforce champ
Gilbert Melendez (replay), who debuts
at No. 14 after his extended layoff.
Chad Mendes, meanwhile, was pulled
from the featherweight list following
his USADA suspension (details).
That's not all.
Here's what the latest ranking field
looks like courtesy of UFC.com. Note:
(+/- = movement in rankings, *NR =
Not previously ranked).
POUND-FOR-POUND
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Dominick Cruz
3 Jon Jones
4 Robbie Lawler
5 Daniel Cormier
6 Conor McGregor
7 Jose Aldo
8 Eddie Alvarez
9 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
10 Stipe Miocic
11 Michael Bisping
12 Luke Rockhold
13 Rafael Dos Anjos
14 TJ Dillashaw +1
15 Frankie Edgar -1
FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 Henry Cejudo
3 Jussier Formiga
4 Kyoji Horiguchi
5 Ian McCall
6 Zach Makovsky
7 Wilson Reis
8 Ali Bagautinov
9 Louis Smolka
10 John Moraga
11 Matheus Nicolau
12 Dustin Ortiz
13 Justin Scoggins
14 Ray Borg
15 Sergio Pettis
BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Dominick Cruz
1 TJ Dillashaw
2 Urijah Faber
3 Raphael Assuncao
4 Bryan Caraway
5 John Lineker
6 Aljamain Sterling
7 Michael McDonald
8 Cody Garbrandt
9 John Dodson
10 Thomas Almeida
11 Takeya Mizugaki
12 Eddie Wineland +3
13 Jimmie Rivera +1
13 Johnny Eduardo
15 Frankie Saenz -3
FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion: Conor McGregor
1 Jose Aldo (Interim Champion)
2 Frankie Edgar
3 Max Holloway
4 Ricardo Lamas +1
5 Cub Swanson +1
6 Charles Oliveira +1
7 Jeremy Stephens +1
8 Dennis Bermudez +1
9 Brian Ortega +1
10 Hacran Dias +1
11 Darren Elkins +1
12 Dooho Choi *NR
13 Yair Rodriguez
14 Tatsuya Kawajiri
15 Mirsad Bektic
LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion: Eddie Alvarez
1 Khabib Nurmagomedov
2 Rafael Dos Anjos
3 Tony Ferguson
4 Nate Diaz
5 Edson Barboza +1
6 Donald Cerrone -1
7 Anthony Pettis
8 Dustin Poirier
9 Michael Chiesa
10 Michael Johnson
11 Beneil Dariush
12 Will Brooks
13 Al Iaquinta
14 Gilbert Melendez *NR
15 Rashid Magomedov -1
WELTERWEIGHT
Champion: Robbie Lawler
1 Stephen Thompson
2 Rory MacDonald
3 Demian Maia
4 Tyron Woodley
5 Carlos Condit
6 Kelvin Gastelum
7 Neil Magny
8 Johny Hendricks
9 Matt Brown
10 Rick Story
11 Dong Hyun Kim
12 Gunnar Nelson
13 Tarec Saffiedine
14 Donald Cerrone
15 Thiago Alves
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion: Michael Bisping
1 Luke Rockhold
2 Chris Weidman
3 Jacare Souza
4 Vitor Belfort
5 Anderson Silva
6 Robert Whittaker
7 Gegard Mousasi
8 Lyoto Machida
9 Uriah Hall
10 Derek Brunson
11 Tim Kennedy
12 Thales Leites
13 Dan Henderson
14 Rafael Natal
15 Thiago Santos
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Daniel Cormier
1 Jon Jones (Interim Champion)
2 Anthony Johnson
3 Glover Teixeira
4 Alexander Gustafsson
5 Ryan Bader
6 Ovince Saint Preux
7 Mauricio Rua
8 Rashad Evans
9 Jimi Manuwa
10 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
11 Nikita Krylov
12 Corey Anderson
13 Ilir Latifi
14 Patrick Cummins
15 Gian Villante
HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Stipe Miocic
1 Fabricio Werdum
2 Cain Velasquez
3 Alistair Overeem
4 Junior Dos Santos
5 Ben Rothwell
6 Andrei Arlovski
7 Travis Browne
8 Brock Lesnar
9 Mark Hunt
10 Josh Barnett
11 Derrick Lewis
12 Roy Nelson
13 Frank Mir
14 Stefan Struve
15 Ruslan Magomedov
WOMEN'S STRAWWEIGHT
Champion: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
1 Claudia Gadelha
2 Carla Esparza
3 Rose Namajunas
4 Tecia Torres
5 Karolina Kowalkiewicz
6 Jessica Andrade
7 Joanne Calderwood
8 Maryna Moroz
9 Valerie Letourneau
10 Paige VanZant
11 Michelle Waterson
12 Jessica Penne
13 Jessica Aguilar +1
14 Randa Markos -1
15 Juliana Lima
WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Amanda Nunes
1 Miesha Tate
2 Ronda Rousey +1
3 Valentina Shevchenko +4
4 Holly Holm -2
5 Julianna Pena -1
6 Cat Zingano -1
7 Sara McMann -1
8 Liz Carmouche
8 Raquel Pennington +1
10 Jessica Eye
11 Bethe Correia
12 Germaine de Randamie
13 Ashlee Evans-Smith
14 Katlyn Chookagian +1
15 Marion Reneau -1
There you have it.
You can expect these standings to
change in less than a week --
particularly in the welterweight
division -- as the UFC 201: "Lawler vs.
Woodley" pay-per-view (PPV) event
takes place this Sat. night (July 30,
2016) inside Philips Arena in Atlanta,
Georgia
WWE Cruiserweight Classic Results – 7/27/16
CWC First Round
“Textbook” Tyson Dux vs. “The
Technical Wizard” Zack Sabre Jr.
Dux was trained by Terry Taylor and
Scott D’Amore and actually previously
worked for WWE for a few years about
a decade ago as a jobber before tearing
his ACL. Since then he worked for TNA
and ROH some and all over America
and Canada on the Indies. Sabre has
been one of the top technical
wrestlers in the world for the past
several years putting on some true
classics on the Indies in the past
couple of years. He also spent several
years working for Pro Wrestling NOAH
in Japan, where he actually faced
Daniel Bryan a few times (he also
faced him in Europe). Sabre
immediately goes to the mat with an
armlock and then a modified heel
hook. Dux counters with a single leg
takedown and then puts Sabre in his
own modified heel hook. Sabre rolls
over and lifts himself up into a
headlock on Dux. He takes Dux over
but Dux comes right back with a
headscissors. Sabre bridges up and out
of the hold and then ties Dux up in
more submissions and holds. Sabre
puts Dux in a Cravate and everytime
Dux attempts to escape Sabre
counters him right back into the
Cravate until Dux finally manages to
take Sabre over with a Snapmare
Takeover. Dux puts Sabre in his own
Cravate but Sabre actually bridges out
of it and into a wristlock. Sabre puts
Dux in a hammerlock and takes him
down to the mat and uses his leg to
keep the hammerlock on before
twisting the arm of Dux. Sabre puts
Dux in a Jim Breaks Special but Dux
fights out and scoop slams Sabre. Dux
hits a series of chops and then whips
him into the corner. Sabre elbows a
charging Dux and then connects with
a Diving European Uppercut from the
middle rope. Sabre follows up with a
Running European Uppercut in the
corner and then a Pele kick to the
outstretched arm of Dux. Sabre hits a
series of roundhouse kicks to that arm
but Dux catches a third attempt and
connects with a Brainbuster for a
nearfall. Dux puts Sabre in a Fujiwara
Armbar and Sabre rolls through it to
try and get away but Dux holds onto
the armbar. Sabre rolls Dux over into a
nearfall but Dux comes right back with
a Sliding Elbow for another nearfall.
Dux hits a series of forearms and then
hits the ropes but Sabre ducks under
him and locks Dux in an Octopus. Dux
reaches the ropes but then Sabre kicks
the arm again. Sabre attempts a
Roundhouse Kick but Dux moves and
Sabre comes right back with a Spinning
Leg Sweep followed by a Shining
Wizard! 1…2…NO Dux kicks out! Sabre
charges into an Atomic Drop and then
a Spike DDT! 1…2…NO Sabre kicks out!
Dux attempts a Texas Cloverleaf but
Sabre counters into a bridging pin for a
nearfall. Dux gets back up and hits a
nasty Lariat! Dux lifts Sabre up in a
Fireman’s Carry but Sabre counters
into a crazy hanging submission and
then into a Hanging Jim Breaks Special.
Dux falls to the mat and Sabre
transitions right into an Omoplata! Dux
almost gets to the ropes with one of
arms but Dux grabs it and starts
twisting on the fingers of Dux forcing
him to verbally submit.
Winner: Sabre via submission
(Omoplata)
“The Trailblazer” Drew Gulak vs. “The
Bollywood Boy” Harv Sihra
Gulak was trained by CHIKARA in
America with training from Mike
Quackenbush, Chris Hero and the
legenary Jorge “Skadye” Rivera. He has
worked all over America but his home
promotion for the longest was EVOLVE
before signing a developmental deal
with WWE. Sihra is a Canadian that
worked for TNA’s Indian side project
Ring Ka King along with Jeff Jarrett’s
GFW last year. He and his brother, Gurv
Sihra who will also be in this
tournament, are a tag team called the
Bollywood Boyz. Gulak immediately
starts mat wrestling Sihra with an
inside cradle for an early nearfall.
Sihra Monkey Flips Gulak but Gulak
rolls him into a body scissors. Sihra
counters the hold and Gulak
immediately gets to the ropes. They
shake hands and then Gulak takes
Sihra over with a Side Headlock
Takeover. Sihra gets back to his feet
but gets run over by a shoulder block
from Gulak. Sihra speeds things up but
Gulak catches him on a Cross Body
Block attempt. Gulak attempts a
Fireman’s Carry but Sihra rolls him up
for a nearfall followed by a Crucifix
Rollup for another nearfall. Sihra
comes right back with a small package
and again Gulak kicks out. Gulak
elbows Sihra and then hits a Diving
Clothesline off the top for a nearfall.
Gulak slaps Sihra repeatedly and then
actually Scoop Slams Sihra onto the
ropes in a nasty looking spot. Sihra
rolls to the apron and then backdrops
Gulak over the top to the floor. Sihra
hits a Springboard Plancha off the
ropes onto Gulak on the floor! Sihra
rolls Gulak into the ring and covers
him for a nearfall. Sihra rains down
some right hands on Gulak and then
connects with a Spinning Neckbreaker
for another nearfall. Gulak headbutts
Sihra and then climbs up top, but Sihra
crotches him and hits a Superplex off
the top. Sihra goes for a Sharpshooter
but Gulak blocks it and then
immediately locks Sihra in the Gu-Lock
(Dragon Sleeper) for the win!
Winner: Gulak via submission (Dragon
Sleeper)
CWC First Round
“The Premiere Athlete” Tony Nese vs.
Anthony Bennett
Nese was trained by Mikey Whipwreck
and spent the majority of 2011 and
2012 in TNA as a part of the X-Division.
He’s been working a lot for EVOLVE as
well. I don’t know much about
Anthony Bennett at all other than he
has a goofy 80’s style Kid-N-Play
haircut and does some even goofier
dancing. He even has an extra pair of
sunglasses on his hair. Nese takes
Bennett down with a Waistlock but
Bennett counters into a hammerlock.
Nese reverses him into a Side Headlock
only for Bennett to counter right back
into the hammerlock. Nese shoves
Bennett away and then leapfrogs a
charging Bennett. Nese matrixes out of
a clothesline attempt and then hits a
gorgeous series of strikes with knees
and kicks. Nese hits a series of
forearms and then tosses Bennett
through the ropes. Bennett lands on
the apron but then Nese nails him with
a Roundhouse Kick and then a
Spinning Leg Sweep. Bennett falls to
the floor and Nese sets up for a dive
but Bennett gets out of the way. Nese
lands on the apron and then leapfrogs
an attempt by Bennett to sweep his
legs. Nese then Superkicks Bennett
and attempts to Powerbomb him on
the floor! Bennett grabs the ropes to
escape and then dives off the apron
with a Somersault Plancha onto Nese
on the floor. Back in the ring Bennett
attempts a Butterfly Suplex but Nese
blocks it and then Flapjacks him onto
the top rope. Nese follows up with a
beautiful Springboard Asai Moonsault
for a nearfall. Nese goes for a Vertical
Suplex but Bennett counters with a
series of knees, Nese Suplexes him
anyway for a nearfall. Nese puts
Bennett in a Bodyscissors. Bennett
fights out of the hold and catches Nese
with an armdrag. Bennett hits a series
of forearms and then a series of Flying
Clotheslines. Bennett hits the ropes
and connects with a Pop-Up Dropkick.
Bennett goes for a Tornado DDT but
Nese blocks it and lifts Bennett back
up to the top. Bennett blocks a
roundhouse kick from Nese and hits a
Diving Tornado DDT for a nearfall. The
two exchange some stiff forearms and
then Nese attempts to duck through
the legs of Bennett but Bennett falls
botching the spot. Eventually Nese
gets back to the spot and slides
through Bennett’s legs into a Pump
Handle Slam. Nese goes to the top but
then the referee stops him and checks
on Bennett in a horrendous spot. The
referee tells Nese to go ahead and he
hits the 450 Splash for the pin.
Winner: Nese via pinfall (450 Splash)
Daniel Bryan suggests Bennett may
have separated his shoulder as a
trainer looks at Bennett’s arm.
Main Event
CWC First Round
Brian Kendrick vs. Raul “Jinzo”
Mendoza
Mendoza is a Mexican luchador that
was trained by El Mexicano, Gran
Apache, and Black Tiger in Mexico and
previously worked masked as Jinzo and
Tribal. He changed his name earlier
this year to Ronnie Mendoza and now
here as Raul Mendoza. Kendrick is one
of the more well known guys in this
tournament. He was trained, alongside
Daniel Bryan, by Shawn Michaels’
“Texas Wrestling Academy” and
worked for WWE for years before
leaving in 2009. He joined TNA in 2010
and stayed there until 2013 and since
then has began training wrestlers
himself and working in Japan as well.
He is a former WWE Tag Team
Champion and TNA X-Division
Champion. Kendrick immediately takes
Mendoza down with an armlock but
Mendoza sweeps his leg and then
catches him with a Snapmare
Takeover. Mendoza puts Kendrick in a
chinlock but Kendrick counters into a
side headlock. Mendoza shoves
Kendrick into the ropes but eats a
shoulder block. Kendrick leapfrogs
Mendoza but then Mendoza flips over
his back and catches Kendrick with a
hurricanrana. Kendrick rolls to the
floor and then Mendoza fakes a dive
which irritates Kendrick. Back in the
ring Kendrick attempts a dropkck but
Mendoza sidesteps him and puts
Kendrick in a nuts Kneebar spinning
Kendrick in the air and then slamming
him into the mat and continuing to
lock in the Kneebar! Kendrick manages
to get to the ropes and then he kicks
Mendoza in the face as the referee
separated them. Kendrick rakes
Mendoza’s face on the middle rope and
then forces Mendoza’s mouth around
the ropes and kicks the ropes. Kendrick
puts Mendoza in a Double Armbar and
it looks like Mendoza’s lip is busted.
Kendrick attempts a Lariat but
Mendoza rolls him up for a nearfall.
Kendrick comes back with a Sliding
Elbow on Mendoza. Kendrick hits a
Running Clothesline on Mendoza in
the corner and then he attempts to
toss Mendoa into the ropes, but
Mendoza slides through the ropes and
connects with a crazy Springboard
Missile Dropkick! Kendrick rolls to the
floor and Mendoza comes flying over
the top with a gorgeous Corkscrew
Plancha onto Kendrick on the floor!
Mendoza rolls Kendrick in the ring and
then goes for a Springboard 450 but
Kendrick moves out of the way.
Mendoza lands on his feet and
connects with a Leaping Enziguri! 1…
2…NO Kendrick kicks out! Mendoza
slams Kendrick in the corner and then
charges right into a boot from
Kendrick. Kendrick follows up with a
Sliding Dropkick and then he climbs up
top. Mendoza kicks Kendrick’s legs out
from underneath him hanging
Kendrick up in the tree of woe.
Mendoza Superkicks him and then
Mendoza goes to the opposite corner
and hits a UAM Terminator (Van-
Terminator)! Mendoza follows up with
a Backstabber! 1…2…NO Kendrick got
his foot on the bottom rope. Mendoza
hits a series of elbows and kicks and
then Kendrick falls to the mat and
plays like he has a head injury.
Kendrick then pulls Mendoza into the
ropes and rolls him up with the Bully
Choke for the submission!
Winner: Kendrick via submission (Bully
Choke)
QUICK RESULTS
1) CWC First Round: Zack Sabre Jr. def.
Tyson Dux
2) CWC First Round: Drew Gulak def.
Harv Sihra
3) CWC First Round: Tony Nese def.
Anthony Bennett
4) CWC First Round: Brian Kendrick def.
Raul Mendoza
Scheduled for Next Week:
-Rich Swann vs. Jason Lee
-Noam Dar vs. Gurv Sihra
-Jack Gallagher vs. Fabian Aichner
-Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
“Textbook” Tyson Dux vs. “The
Technical Wizard” Zack Sabre Jr.
Dux was trained by Terry Taylor and
Scott D’Amore and actually previously
worked for WWE for a few years about
a decade ago as a jobber before tearing
his ACL. Since then he worked for TNA
and ROH some and all over America
and Canada on the Indies. Sabre has
been one of the top technical
wrestlers in the world for the past
several years putting on some true
classics on the Indies in the past
couple of years. He also spent several
years working for Pro Wrestling NOAH
in Japan, where he actually faced
Daniel Bryan a few times (he also
faced him in Europe). Sabre
immediately goes to the mat with an
armlock and then a modified heel
hook. Dux counters with a single leg
takedown and then puts Sabre in his
own modified heel hook. Sabre rolls
over and lifts himself up into a
headlock on Dux. He takes Dux over
but Dux comes right back with a
headscissors. Sabre bridges up and out
of the hold and then ties Dux up in
more submissions and holds. Sabre
puts Dux in a Cravate and everytime
Dux attempts to escape Sabre
counters him right back into the
Cravate until Dux finally manages to
take Sabre over with a Snapmare
Takeover. Dux puts Sabre in his own
Cravate but Sabre actually bridges out
of it and into a wristlock. Sabre puts
Dux in a hammerlock and takes him
down to the mat and uses his leg to
keep the hammerlock on before
twisting the arm of Dux. Sabre puts
Dux in a Jim Breaks Special but Dux
fights out and scoop slams Sabre. Dux
hits a series of chops and then whips
him into the corner. Sabre elbows a
charging Dux and then connects with
a Diving European Uppercut from the
middle rope. Sabre follows up with a
Running European Uppercut in the
corner and then a Pele kick to the
outstretched arm of Dux. Sabre hits a
series of roundhouse kicks to that arm
but Dux catches a third attempt and
connects with a Brainbuster for a
nearfall. Dux puts Sabre in a Fujiwara
Armbar and Sabre rolls through it to
try and get away but Dux holds onto
the armbar. Sabre rolls Dux over into a
nearfall but Dux comes right back with
a Sliding Elbow for another nearfall.
Dux hits a series of forearms and then
hits the ropes but Sabre ducks under
him and locks Dux in an Octopus. Dux
reaches the ropes but then Sabre kicks
the arm again. Sabre attempts a
Roundhouse Kick but Dux moves and
Sabre comes right back with a Spinning
Leg Sweep followed by a Shining
Wizard! 1…2…NO Dux kicks out! Sabre
charges into an Atomic Drop and then
a Spike DDT! 1…2…NO Sabre kicks out!
Dux attempts a Texas Cloverleaf but
Sabre counters into a bridging pin for a
nearfall. Dux gets back up and hits a
nasty Lariat! Dux lifts Sabre up in a
Fireman’s Carry but Sabre counters
into a crazy hanging submission and
then into a Hanging Jim Breaks Special.
Dux falls to the mat and Sabre
transitions right into an Omoplata! Dux
almost gets to the ropes with one of
arms but Dux grabs it and starts
twisting on the fingers of Dux forcing
him to verbally submit.
Winner: Sabre via submission
(Omoplata)
“The Trailblazer” Drew Gulak vs. “The
Bollywood Boy” Harv Sihra
Gulak was trained by CHIKARA in
America with training from Mike
Quackenbush, Chris Hero and the
legenary Jorge “Skadye” Rivera. He has
worked all over America but his home
promotion for the longest was EVOLVE
before signing a developmental deal
with WWE. Sihra is a Canadian that
worked for TNA’s Indian side project
Ring Ka King along with Jeff Jarrett’s
GFW last year. He and his brother, Gurv
Sihra who will also be in this
tournament, are a tag team called the
Bollywood Boyz. Gulak immediately
starts mat wrestling Sihra with an
inside cradle for an early nearfall.
Sihra Monkey Flips Gulak but Gulak
rolls him into a body scissors. Sihra
counters the hold and Gulak
immediately gets to the ropes. They
shake hands and then Gulak takes
Sihra over with a Side Headlock
Takeover. Sihra gets back to his feet
but gets run over by a shoulder block
from Gulak. Sihra speeds things up but
Gulak catches him on a Cross Body
Block attempt. Gulak attempts a
Fireman’s Carry but Sihra rolls him up
for a nearfall followed by a Crucifix
Rollup for another nearfall. Sihra
comes right back with a small package
and again Gulak kicks out. Gulak
elbows Sihra and then hits a Diving
Clothesline off the top for a nearfall.
Gulak slaps Sihra repeatedly and then
actually Scoop Slams Sihra onto the
ropes in a nasty looking spot. Sihra
rolls to the apron and then backdrops
Gulak over the top to the floor. Sihra
hits a Springboard Plancha off the
ropes onto Gulak on the floor! Sihra
rolls Gulak into the ring and covers
him for a nearfall. Sihra rains down
some right hands on Gulak and then
connects with a Spinning Neckbreaker
for another nearfall. Gulak headbutts
Sihra and then climbs up top, but Sihra
crotches him and hits a Superplex off
the top. Sihra goes for a Sharpshooter
but Gulak blocks it and then
immediately locks Sihra in the Gu-Lock
(Dragon Sleeper) for the win!
Winner: Gulak via submission (Dragon
Sleeper)
CWC First Round
“The Premiere Athlete” Tony Nese vs.
Anthony Bennett
Nese was trained by Mikey Whipwreck
and spent the majority of 2011 and
2012 in TNA as a part of the X-Division.
He’s been working a lot for EVOLVE as
well. I don’t know much about
Anthony Bennett at all other than he
has a goofy 80’s style Kid-N-Play
haircut and does some even goofier
dancing. He even has an extra pair of
sunglasses on his hair. Nese takes
Bennett down with a Waistlock but
Bennett counters into a hammerlock.
Nese reverses him into a Side Headlock
only for Bennett to counter right back
into the hammerlock. Nese shoves
Bennett away and then leapfrogs a
charging Bennett. Nese matrixes out of
a clothesline attempt and then hits a
gorgeous series of strikes with knees
and kicks. Nese hits a series of
forearms and then tosses Bennett
through the ropes. Bennett lands on
the apron but then Nese nails him with
a Roundhouse Kick and then a
Spinning Leg Sweep. Bennett falls to
the floor and Nese sets up for a dive
but Bennett gets out of the way. Nese
lands on the apron and then leapfrogs
an attempt by Bennett to sweep his
legs. Nese then Superkicks Bennett
and attempts to Powerbomb him on
the floor! Bennett grabs the ropes to
escape and then dives off the apron
with a Somersault Plancha onto Nese
on the floor. Back in the ring Bennett
attempts a Butterfly Suplex but Nese
blocks it and then Flapjacks him onto
the top rope. Nese follows up with a
beautiful Springboard Asai Moonsault
for a nearfall. Nese goes for a Vertical
Suplex but Bennett counters with a
series of knees, Nese Suplexes him
anyway for a nearfall. Nese puts
Bennett in a Bodyscissors. Bennett
fights out of the hold and catches Nese
with an armdrag. Bennett hits a series
of forearms and then a series of Flying
Clotheslines. Bennett hits the ropes
and connects with a Pop-Up Dropkick.
Bennett goes for a Tornado DDT but
Nese blocks it and lifts Bennett back
up to the top. Bennett blocks a
roundhouse kick from Nese and hits a
Diving Tornado DDT for a nearfall. The
two exchange some stiff forearms and
then Nese attempts to duck through
the legs of Bennett but Bennett falls
botching the spot. Eventually Nese
gets back to the spot and slides
through Bennett’s legs into a Pump
Handle Slam. Nese goes to the top but
then the referee stops him and checks
on Bennett in a horrendous spot. The
referee tells Nese to go ahead and he
hits the 450 Splash for the pin.
Winner: Nese via pinfall (450 Splash)
Daniel Bryan suggests Bennett may
have separated his shoulder as a
trainer looks at Bennett’s arm.
Main Event
CWC First Round
Brian Kendrick vs. Raul “Jinzo”
Mendoza
Mendoza is a Mexican luchador that
was trained by El Mexicano, Gran
Apache, and Black Tiger in Mexico and
previously worked masked as Jinzo and
Tribal. He changed his name earlier
this year to Ronnie Mendoza and now
here as Raul Mendoza. Kendrick is one
of the more well known guys in this
tournament. He was trained, alongside
Daniel Bryan, by Shawn Michaels’
“Texas Wrestling Academy” and
worked for WWE for years before
leaving in 2009. He joined TNA in 2010
and stayed there until 2013 and since
then has began training wrestlers
himself and working in Japan as well.
He is a former WWE Tag Team
Champion and TNA X-Division
Champion. Kendrick immediately takes
Mendoza down with an armlock but
Mendoza sweeps his leg and then
catches him with a Snapmare
Takeover. Mendoza puts Kendrick in a
chinlock but Kendrick counters into a
side headlock. Mendoza shoves
Kendrick into the ropes but eats a
shoulder block. Kendrick leapfrogs
Mendoza but then Mendoza flips over
his back and catches Kendrick with a
hurricanrana. Kendrick rolls to the
floor and then Mendoza fakes a dive
which irritates Kendrick. Back in the
ring Kendrick attempts a dropkck but
Mendoza sidesteps him and puts
Kendrick in a nuts Kneebar spinning
Kendrick in the air and then slamming
him into the mat and continuing to
lock in the Kneebar! Kendrick manages
to get to the ropes and then he kicks
Mendoza in the face as the referee
separated them. Kendrick rakes
Mendoza’s face on the middle rope and
then forces Mendoza’s mouth around
the ropes and kicks the ropes. Kendrick
puts Mendoza in a Double Armbar and
it looks like Mendoza’s lip is busted.
Kendrick attempts a Lariat but
Mendoza rolls him up for a nearfall.
Kendrick comes back with a Sliding
Elbow on Mendoza. Kendrick hits a
Running Clothesline on Mendoza in
the corner and then he attempts to
toss Mendoa into the ropes, but
Mendoza slides through the ropes and
connects with a crazy Springboard
Missile Dropkick! Kendrick rolls to the
floor and Mendoza comes flying over
the top with a gorgeous Corkscrew
Plancha onto Kendrick on the floor!
Mendoza rolls Kendrick in the ring and
then goes for a Springboard 450 but
Kendrick moves out of the way.
Mendoza lands on his feet and
connects with a Leaping Enziguri! 1…
2…NO Kendrick kicks out! Mendoza
slams Kendrick in the corner and then
charges right into a boot from
Kendrick. Kendrick follows up with a
Sliding Dropkick and then he climbs up
top. Mendoza kicks Kendrick’s legs out
from underneath him hanging
Kendrick up in the tree of woe.
Mendoza Superkicks him and then
Mendoza goes to the opposite corner
and hits a UAM Terminator (Van-
Terminator)! Mendoza follows up with
a Backstabber! 1…2…NO Kendrick got
his foot on the bottom rope. Mendoza
hits a series of elbows and kicks and
then Kendrick falls to the mat and
plays like he has a head injury.
Kendrick then pulls Mendoza into the
ropes and rolls him up with the Bully
Choke for the submission!
Winner: Kendrick via submission (Bully
Choke)
QUICK RESULTS
1) CWC First Round: Zack Sabre Jr. def.
Tyson Dux
2) CWC First Round: Drew Gulak def.
Harv Sihra
3) CWC First Round: Tony Nese def.
Anthony Bennett
4) CWC First Round: Brian Kendrick def.
Raul Mendoza
Scheduled for Next Week:
-Rich Swann vs. Jason Lee
-Noam Dar vs. Gurv Sihra
-Jack Gallagher vs. Fabian Aichner
-Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
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