UFC 170 Review: Rousey and Cormier remain unbeaten

Kingdom MMA Review of UFC 170

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ufc 170 Results: Alexis Davis potentially puts herself next in line for the 135lb title fight

UFC 170 Results: Davis defeats Eye by Split Decision

by Ben Heather @benheather

This battle between two of the best 135lb women in the UFC could decide who will be the next contender for the women's bantamweight title which will be contested later tonight. Only time will tell who will be the champion later but if Ronda Rousey wins I see the winner from this fight being the next in line.

Round 1
Davis starts the round with some leg kicks always targeting the left leg of Jessica Eye. It doesn't take long before Davis locks in a nice Thai clinch and lands a couple of knees to the body and thighs in the clinch.
Just over a minute in to the fight Davis is mixing up her kicks and lands a front kick to the head but then the fight gets clinched against the cage where it stays until the ref steps in to break the women up. Davis goes back to working the left leg before moving up to the body. The fight returns to being clinched against the cage and this time it is Eye who has her back against the cage. The fight returns to the middle and Davis gets the takedown with ease and has 30 seconds left to work on the floor in half guard but can't find any space to lock in a submission as the round ends. A very close round which I believe Davis may have stolen with the late takedown.

Round 2
Round 2 starts the same way as the first as Davis comes out with some leg kicks, still targeting the left leg of Jessica Eye. Just after the minute mark of the round Davis catches a kick and takes Eye down landing in half guard. Davis is controlling the fight on the ground doing enough to keep the fight down without doing any real damage. However, with 90 seconds left it looks like Eye was giving up her back to prevent the body attacks from Davis but Davis keeps her in half guard. With 20 seconds left Davis lands some big hammer fists to the head and Eye clearly had no answer for Davis on the ground. The first round may have been close but the second was very one sided with Davis controlling 4 minutes of the round on the floor.

Round 3
Again as every round has started Davis lands more leg kicks but now Eye begins to catch the kicks but cant find any counters. With 3 minutes of the fight left Eye catches Davis with a left hook when Davis was going for more leg strikes. At the half way point Davis lands a big body shot but nothing more comes from it. As both women exchange on the feet its Eye who is landing the harder strikes with 90 seconds left. Now Eye is trying to give Davis a taste of her own medicine by working her legs. The remainder of the fight sees both women picking there punches but no hard punches are landed. I think Eye won the last and certainly by keeping the fight standing had a much better round but it was too little to late in my opinion.

The judges agree and score the fight 29-28 Eye, 29-28 Davis and 29-28 Davis. It goes in to the books as a split decision victory for Alexis Davis and the crowd react with some boos which I don't understand as to me it was clearly 29-28 to Davis.

Davis could have just booked herself a date with the winner of the main event tonight, only time will tell but if not she is doing a good job at clearing out some of the other contenders to the belt.

Stars of UFC London predict who will win at UFC 170

Phil Harris, Danny Mitchell and Brad Scott predict UFC 170

by Ben Heather @benheather

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

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

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

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

Danny Mitchell (14-4-1 MMA)

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

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

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

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

Ronda Rousey vs Sara McMann

Harris: Rousey by Decision

Mitchell: Rousey by Submission Round 1

Scott: McMann by Decision

Daniel Cormier vs Pat Cummins

Harris: Cormier by TKO Round 1

Mitchell: Cormier by Decision

Scott: Cormier by KO

Rory MacDonald vs Demian Maia 

Harris: MacDonald by Decision

Mitchell: Macdonald by TKO Round 2

Scott: MacDonald by Decision

Mike Pyle vs TJ Waldburger

Harris: Waldburger by Decision

Mitchell: Pyle by TKO Round 1

Scott: Pyle by Decision

Robert Whittaker vs Stephen Thompson

Harris: Whittaker by TKO Round 2/3

Mitchell: Whittaker by Decision

Scott: Whittaker by TKO Round 2/3

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

Is Ronda Rousey Unstoppable?

Who's up next for Ronda Rousey and who's '0' will go?!

by Tommy Strong @strong_tea

Ronda Rousey proved again at UFC 168, that it will take something or someone very special to pull off a victory against her. With another stunning performance defeating Miesha Tate 58 seconds into the 3rd round via her trade mark 'arm bar' to retain the women's bantamweight title.

Though Ronda didn't have all the things her own way, Miesha put up a valiant performance in the first and second round even escaping from a deep arm bar and then rocking Ronda a few times whilst the fight was standing.

Tate made a few errors in the fight, and I was slightly bemused by her fight plan. Trying to take Ronda down and beat her at her own game? Sorry, but this was a massive mistake. You could see when the fight was standing, Tate got the better of the striking, landing some crisp powerful shots that were hurting Ronda. But critically, then wasted heaps of energy trying to take down a former Olympic Judo bronze medallist to the ground.

With Tate having little success other than when the fight was standing, Ronda showed her true skills. Sweeping Tate and landing some powerful takedowns. Once down Ronda looked in her comfort zone and was only a matter of time being the inevitable happened.

Going into the third round with Tate running out of ideas and energy the end was nigh. It wasn't long before Ronda secured the take down and locked in the arm bar forcing Tate to tap right away. There wasn't any danger this time of Tate seeing her arm hyper extended once again.

With the fight over and Tate offering her hand to Ronda in congratulations it was Ronda that snubbed the opportunity to settle the beef and instead turned her back and refused.

I don't want to get into a debate about whether it was good or bad for the sport as that's another topic. Though I do think we as fans get suckered in by a hatred between fighters, only to be put behind them once the fight is over. You know with Ronda, if you piss her off its a grudge match you're going to loss!!

Who's Up First For Ronda?

Shortly after the fight, the UFC were quick to announce that UFC 170 will be headlined by Ronda Rousey and unbeaten fighter Sara McMann (7-0) which will take place on the 22nd February 2014 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay.

With the exception of Cat Zingano, who was originally scheduled to be TUF 18 coach and go head to head with Ronda but was forced to pull out due to a knee injury that needed surgery, forcing Miesha Tate to step in as a late replacement.

This is the next best fight the fans would like to see!

With the champion being an Olympic Judoka bronze medallist and McMann being a Olympic Wrestler silver medallist, both not blessed with the same striking skills. This will be a fight of who can dominate on the ground. Can McMann stop the arm bar? can Ronda take McMann down? who will be the stronger? Or will the fight negate itself and we see a stand up fight for 5 rounds?

All these questions will be answered come 22nd February, though I for one am a lot more excited to see this fight than I was the Tate rematch.

Cat Zinagno:

Cat Zinagno (8-0) has been promised by Dana White, that she will get the chance to fight the winner of the Ronda vs McMann, and rightfully so in my eyes.

She's been very unfortunate with the knee injury that caused her to miss out being a TUF coach. Not only for that, but also for people to see more in the spotlight and get to know her a little better over the weeks of the TUF series to gather more fans.

Being out for this time she is being a forgotten fighter, though I'm sure if she ends up fighting Ronda or McMann we will be in for a real treat.


Finally with Ronda only fighting twice last year, the news she will be back so soon and be more active in 2014 is not only great news for the UFC but also for the fans.

With GSP taking an indefinite leave of absence and Anderson Silva suffering a horrific leg break against Chris Weidman on Saturday night, I can see the UFC trying to push her as hard, and as fast as they can, to be the new face of the promotion.

Roundtable: 2014 End of Year UFC Champion Predictions

Roundtable: 2014 End of Year UFC Champion Predictions

by Chris Houten - @mrhouts, Tommy Strong - @strong_tea, Ben Heather - @benheather, Sam Heard - @SamHeard_

As we start a new year Kingdom MMA are taking a look in to the future with all of our magical crystal balls to predict who will be the champions in the UFC on the 1st January 2015. Once you have read our thoughts on each weight class, let us know if you agree with them and if not who you think will be champion.


FLYWEIGHT

Chris Houten: Demetrious Johnson
Possibly the easiest division to predict in all of the UFC, I generally don't see anyone touching Johnson at the moment. He is sharper than everyone else in the division, quicker than everyone else in the division, a better boxer than everyone else in the division and one of the best wrestlers at 125 as well. 

Tommy Strong:  Demetrious Johnson
Mighty Mouse has shown over the last year he's a cut above the current crop of fighters in the flyweight division, with three title defences in 2013 beating John Dodson, John Moraga and recently a stunning KO over Joseph Benavidez. Though it was Dodson who gave DJ his toughest fight to date, his speed and power gave Johnson real trouble.  But he still found a way to win.

With the arrival of Brad Pickett to the division, who is 1 of 2 people to beat Johnson, it shall be very interesting if they get to face each other again.

Though I predict DJ still being the champion by the end of 2014.

Ben Heather: Demetrious Johnson
Simply put Demetrious Johnson is the best flyweight on the planet!! He has already beat the top contenders in the division and I don't see him being troubled this year. I would love to say Brad Pickett could be champion, but at the minute he is still an unknown having not fought in the flyweight division yet, so I will stick with Mighty Mouse.

Sam Heard: Demetrious Johnson
No one imagined that Mighty Mouse had the power to put away long time #1 contender Joseph Benavidez, let alone in the first round. Johnson has now seen off the division’s top competition in style and I believe he should be able to continue his reign in 2014. His confidence must be sky-high. 


BANTAMWEIGHT

Chris Houten: Renan Barao
2014 will be the biggest year in bantamweight history, with Renan Barao taking on Dominick Cruz in a champion vs champion unification bout. While I wouldn't be surprise if Cruz comes out on top, I think Barao might be too much for Cruz who hasn't fought in over 2 years.

Tommy Strong: Renan Barao
It'll be over 2 years since Dominick last fought back in October 2011 defeating Demetrious Johnson to retain his Bantamweight title. It will be interesting to see if the time out with the ACL injury will take its toll on Cruz or make him a better fighter for the time off. Facing Renan Barao in February will be a very interesting fight, and Barao the current holder of the bantamweight interim title has all the tools and more to get his hands on the title.

Ben Heather: Urijah Faber
Man, Urijah Faber has to be one of the best fighters in the UFC to never hold a title. He wins every fight he has that isn't for a title but I think once Barao vs Cruz has unified the division, Faber will get his chance to get revenge against whoever is champion, a chance I feel he will come good on.

Sam Heard: Urijah Faber
Like a fine wine, Faber just keeps getting better and better with age. I thought his last fight against McDonald would be a difficult test for him but Faber was unchallenged as he picked up another submission win. Though he has already lost to Barao, that fight was very close and Faber seems to be the more improved since the two last fought (assuming of course that Barao beats Cruz).

 
FEATHERWEIGHT

Chris Houten: Jose Aldo
While it wouldn't surprise me if Aldo beats Lamas and commits to a move up to 155, I personally don't think it will come until the end of the year. I don't see anyone at 145 troubling Aldo.

Tommy Strong: Jose Aldo
I'll keep this very short and sweet! Jose Aldo is a beast for this weight. The only way I see Aldo not holding this title is if he decides to move up to Lightweight for new challenges!

Ben Heather: Cub Swanson
This is my most risky pick. The reason I have picked Cub gives away my next pick. I think Jose Aldo will vacate his title and move up to Lightweight in 2014 leaving a stacked division chance to move forward and the first fight to make should be Cub vs Chad Mendes in a rematch to decide the vacated title. I think Cub will get the better of that fight and become the next Featherweight champion.

Sam Heard: Jose Aldo
Even with an injured foot in his last fight against the Korean Zombie Aldo looked as good as ever. This year his biggest test will be the inevitable rematch against Chad Mendes whom he already overcame once in the very first round. Though knockout-machine-Mendes has looked vastly improved, I still believe the Featherweight division will be Aldo-town in 2014.


LIGHTWEIGHT

Chris Houten: Khabib Numagamedov
The lightweight division is a bit of a mess right now with 3 fighters in the division who can lay claim to being the number one contender - TJ Grant as was meant to fight for the title at UFC 164, Josh Thompson who was also meant to fight for it at UFC on FOX 9, and Gilbert Melendez who Dana White claimed was the number 1 contender after his epic battle with Diego Sanchez at 166.

So where does Khabib Nurmagomedov fit into all of this? Simple, with Pettis out injured the division will have to continue to fight each other. Sure it will take a lot for Numagamedov to get the title shot, but I expect Benson Henderson to beat Josh Thompson, knocking Thompson out of contention. I feel Grant may struggle with ring rust on his return. That would only leave Melendez who is rumoured to be fighting Nurmagomedov in the first quarter of the year. With a win over Melendez, Nurmagomedov would become no. 1 contender.

Tommy Strong: Benson Henderson
"Showtime" Pettis showed that his first win over then current lightweight champion Benson Henderson wasn't a fluke by defeating him via first round armbar! This division is stacked with talent, and on any given day we could see 3 or 4 different champions.

This is one of the hardest for me to try and predict, I'm sticking my neck on the line here: and the new Lightweight Champion: Benson Henderson.

Ben Heather: Jose Aldo 
As I said before I see Aldo moving up in weight. However I do not only think he will move up in weight but I think he will then get his shot and begin his reign over the lightweight division. This will lead to a lot of big fights at lightweight which will be great fun for all of us fans.

Sam Heard: Gilbert Melendez
The UFC’s most talented division’s title picture will be put on hold as champion Antony Pettis is out injured until mid-2014. Melendez, in my opinion, already did enough to earn championship gold with his (incorrect) split-decision loss to Bendo; this adversity should reinforce his determination to get another title shot with a different outcome.


WELTERWEIGHT

Chris Houten: Carlos Condit
While Johny Hendricks vs Robbie Lawler will see one of them crowned champion I don't expect either to hold the belt at the end if the year. While it really wouldn't surprise me to see Nick Diaz make a comeback in 2014 to fight for the belt, which I feel he could win. I actually expect Carlos Condit to be the champion of the welterweight division at the end of 2014.

With the retirement of GSP, Condit is the most well rounded fighter in the division. I expect Hendricks to beat Lawler to become champ, only to lose the title to Condit before the years out, with Condit picking up where he left off in round 3 of their first fight.

Tommy Strong: Johny Hendricks
With the devastating news that GSP will be taking an indefinite leave of absence. The UFC have announced that Johny Hendricks will take on Tom Lawler to decide who will become the new champion.

I'm pinning my hopes of Hendricks taking the win and holding the title he deserved in a controversial loss to GSP.  Again, this is another division that it wouldn't surprise me if it changed hands a couple of times this year.

If Hendricks can win the title, I think for 2014 he has the skills and power to hold onto the belt.

Ben Heather: Carlos ConditAt UFC 171 Hendricks will become the new welterweight champion. That same night Condit will get chance for a rematch when he wins the number 1 contender fight. Later in 2014 the two will meet and over 5 rounds I think Condit will be able to get his wish and not just be called interim champ but the undisputed welterweight champion.

Sam Heard: Carlos Condit
The likely winner of the vacant belt has got to be Hendricks. However, had his match against Carlos Condit been a five-round fight I firmly believe Condit would have won as he clearly had more left in the tank. Therefore if he gets a title shot I think he’ll get the W over Bigg Rigg. He first has to overcome Tyron Woodley which is no small task but if anyone can do it its Carlos.


MIDDLEWEIGHT

Chris Houten: Lyoto Machida
The middleweight division is by far the most intriguing going into 2014, with at least 4 or 5 fighters who could potentially be champion at the end of year. Regardless some of the fans thoughts, Chris Weidman is a worthy champion, and although he faces a tough test in Vitor Belfort, I expect Weidman to pass the test.

With a big win over Mousasi, I feel Machida could earn a shot as the middleweight title, and I think he has the skills to dethrone Weidman. Machida is a far better striker that Weidman and I think Chris Weidman would struggle to take Machida down. It really wouldn't surprise me either if Machida, knocked out Chris Weidman.

Tommy Strong: Vitor Belfort
Whatever you say about Weidman, he's champion and deserves to be. Beating Silva not once, but twice is no mean feat. With Silva going to be out for some time, and no word if he will return.

Up next for Weidman is Vitor Belfort, this In my opinion is an even harder test than Silva. Vitor has 3 knockouts in 2013 with victories over top ranked fighters, Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and then the granite chinned Dan Henderson.

If this fights takes place in Brazil then Vitor has to be a firm favourite. I hope this happens in Las Vegas so we get to see a 'clean' Belfort and not one that has an advantage of being able to use TRT.

Ben Heather: Vitor Belfort
Even with his title fight against Weidman being in Vegas I think Belfort will pass all the required drugs tests. After all, we have just seen Antonio Silva fail a drugs test and if Vitor was still abusing the system he would have failed a test by now. I think Vitor's rise will continue and he will become a ufc champion again in 2014.

Sam Heard: Vitor Belfort
There is something preventing me jumping on the Weidman bandwagon and I don’t believe he will be the champion this time next year. Belfort had the best year of any fighter in 2013, consistently making some of the best fighters in the world look subpar. His hyper-aggressive style is probably as different a match-up to Silva as is humanly possible and I believe he can overwhelm Weidman.


LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT

Chris Houten: Jon Jones 
With injuries to Pettis and Velasquez,  GSP retiring, and Anderson Silva out for at least a year if not for good, I expect 2014 to a busy year for Jon Jones, who the UFC will look to push in absence of some of the promotions stars. I expect Jones to run though his next opponent, Glover Texeria, and should be able to make the adjustment to beat Gustafsson.

I expect Daniel Cormier to provide Jones with his biggest challenge this year, but I think Jones wins this one also before committing to a move to heavyweight.

Tommy Strong: Jon Jones   
Jon Jones had the toughest fight of his career when he fought Alexander Gustafsson back in September winning via UD, which many thought was a very close fight and our fight of the year! Next up for Jones is the heavily hyped Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 in April. Glover known for his power and submissions will be up against it facing bones who has a reach and height advantage.

This one was a little easier for me to predict - Jones remains Champion.

Ben Heather: Jon Jones 
This is the easiest choice out of every division. Jon Jones is the pound 4 pound best fighter in the world and will still hold both that title and his UFC belt come this time next year.

Sam Heard: Daniel Cormier
DC will be making his overdue debut into the 205lb division this year and I believe that if he takes well to the weight-cut he possesses the tools to dethrone the current p4p #1 Jon Jones. DC’s Olympic-class wrestling is supplemented by his decent striking and athleticism. A win over Rashad who has himself looked fantastic of late should be enough to get him a title shot.


HEAVYWEIGHT

Chris Houten: Cain Velasquez 
I predicted earlier in the week in My Bold Predictions for 2014 that I don't expect to see Velasquez fight this year and I'm sticking to it. The champions injury seems pretty bad, and Velasquez has a history of delayed recoveries. Should Velasquez return to the octagon this year however, I do rather fancy Werdum's chances against Velasquez, should Werdum beat Travis Browne.

Tommy Strong: Cain Velasquez
Cain has surprised me since his defeat to JDS. After that defeat, I didn't think we would see him get even better. With two stunning and brutal victories in his rematches to JDS no one in the division will be relishing the prospect of fighting the Mexican.

Cain was due to fight Fabricio Werdum at UFC 172, though was forced to pull out due to an injury. With JDS unlikely to get a rematch anytime soon, and maybe the only fighter that could possibly give him a tough fight is his training partner (Daniel Cormier) and he is moving down to light heavyweight. I Think Cain will hold onto the belt for at least another year or two. But as we all know in the heavyweight division, it only takes one punch for things to change!!  

Ben Heather: Cain Velasquez
I don't see Cain fighting in 2014. I think his injury is worse than the UFC have let on. So therefore he will still be the champ.

However, in his absence I think a interim champ will be crowned and that man is Travis Browne. Whether it be against Werdum or somebody else I see his great run of form carrying on in to 2014.

If Cain is back I think Browne will get a shot at Cain but Cain gets the win in that fight to keep his title.

Sam Heard: Cain Velasquez
Perhaps the most stable champion in the entire UFC. The Mexican was steps ahead of JDS at UFC 166; the second best heavyweight is himself head and shoulders better than the rest of the heavyweight competition so this demonstrates just how good Cain is. The likelihood is his first test of the year will be Werdum who I am not massively impressed by.
 

STRAWWEIGHT (WOMEN)

Chris Houten: Carla Esparza
A lot of people are gunning for Jo Jo Calderwood to win TUF 20 and go on to be the Strawweight champion. I do see her doing particularly well, however I feel Carla Esparza has the wrestling background to neutralise the striking of Calderwood, gain top position and grind out a decision, should the two meet at some stage in the tournament. 

Tommy Strong: Carla Esparza
With the announcement of the UFC introducing a new women's 115b strawweight division, TUF 20 ( 'TheUltimate Fighter') will have a new look this year, with the winner of the show being crowned the new champion of the division.

I really can't wait for this. They have shown since the arrival of the bantamweights, they belong here and brought new excitement to the fans.

With 11 of the 16 cast named, we are yet to know who the other 5 might be. Of the 11 named, we are in for a real treat with the likes of Carla Esparza, Claudia Gadelha, Felice Herrig to name a few. We might even see the first British fighter crowned as a UFC champion in Joanne Calderwood.

In the end though, I think Carla Esparza has the tools to become the first Womens 115lb champ.

Ben Heather: Joanne Calderwood
Whoever wins the TUF 20 series will be the champ at the end of the year and I think Jojo is the British hope the UFC has needed to bring home a championship title. She is certainly a top contender and with a bit of luck in the house we could see her have that belt placed around her waist by the end of the year.

Sam Heard: Carla EsparzaArguably one of the harder classes to call as we can’t predict how the inhabitants of the all-new strawweight division will fair on the big stage that is the UFC. However, the former Invicta Strawweight champion looked comfortable at the top, dispatching an array of world-class opponents so she is the most prudent pick to be the champion come year’s end


BANTAMWEIGHT (WOMEN)

Chris Houten: Cat Zingano 
2014 is going to be the busiest and toughest year to date for current champion Ronda Rousey. Up first for Rousey is fellow Olympian Sara McMann who should provide a stern test for Rousey but one which I think she will pass. Waiting in the wings though are the winner of Davis vs Eye and Cat Zingano.

Having watched every fight Rousey has had as a pro I still feel she has flaws in her striking - particularly her defense, and I expect someone to be able to take advantage of these flaws awfully soon. 

Rousey is open to be hit and if Zingano catches her the same way she did Tate, it will be game over.

Tommy Strong: Ronda Rousey
Love her or hate her, Ronda is great for the UFC and MMA in general. If not for her, maybe we still wouldn't see women's mma within the UFC. The women have brought a breath of fresh air to the UFC and long may it continue.

Ronda is coming off a spectacular victory over her arch enemy Miesha Tait last Saturday via her trademark armbar. Great to see her back in action so soon, with the announcement straight after the fight that Ronda would face Sarah McMann a former Silver Medallist at the 2004 summer Olympics. If anyone can withstand Ronda's take downs it surely has to be Mcmann?

Though Sarah hasn't fought the calibre Ronda has, and not been in the spotlight with all the attention like Ronda. If Mcmann can't beat Ronda, I fear unless we see Cyborg fight, the title will be hers for as long as she wishes. 

Ben Heather: Ronda Rousey
I see Rousey defending her title a few times in the year and adding some more arms to her collection. UFC 170 will certainly be her toughest test to date though as McMann may be able to defend her incredible take downs.

Sam Heard: Ronda Rousey
After her recent victory at UFC 168 it would take a bold man to predict the end of the Rousey-era in 2014. Despite losing her streak of first-round victories, Rousey’s grappling and judo throws looked awesome against Tate. Although her striking still clearly isn’t world-class, I believe her amazing ground game will be enough to keep her on top.

Kingdom MMA 2013 Awards: Female Fighter of the Year

Kingdom MMA Female Fighter of the Year Award 2013: Joanne Calderwood
by Ben Heather - @benheather

2013 has been the year women's MMA has joined the big leagues and is started to get the full respect it deserves, not only did the UFC finally introduce a women's division in the 135lb division but Invicta has been building on its debut year last year to have a strong 2013. You also have promotions such as Cage Warriors who have signed a host of women to its roster this year. The UFC has only recently announced that it will introduce a second women's division to its roster in 2014, this time the strawweights are coming on board and in a big way. TUF20 will be the first time where it will be a house full of women and not only that the winner of the series will be crowned the UFC's first 115lb champion.

So as part of our inaugural Kingdom MMA awards 2013 it was an easy decision to include a category for female fighter of the year.

Its been a great year for WMMA, in a year where Ronda Rousey twice defended her UFC title, Cris Cyborg became the first 145lb champion in Invicta FC and Juliana Pena became the first woman to win the title of The Ultimate Fighter its hard to pick a winner. You also have women such as Alexis Davis who has been a pro for more than 6 and a half years and has gone undefeated in 2013 having fought some of the top women in the 135lb division. Then you have some of the new fighters coming on to the scene in a big way such as Scotland's undefeated JoJo Calderwood.

We had a really hard time getting just one winner with two stand outs for the award in Alexis Davis and JoJo Calderwood, both of who went undefeated in 2013 and have beat some of the top women in their respective divisions. In the end after a group discussion we had our winner, Joanne Calderwood.

Jojo had her first professional MMA fight only last year and is now 8-0. She has had four fights in 2013 three of which were under the Invicta FC banner winning each by unanimous division. She also fought in her home town of Glasgow, Scotland fighting for Cage Warriors back in April where she won by TKO. Then possibly the biggest news for JoJo came only a couple of weeks ago when she found out her Invicta FC contract had been acquired by the UFC making her only the second Scottish fighter to be on the books with the UFC, the first was her Dinky Ninjas team mate Rob Whiteford. She also becomes the second British woman to have signed for the UFC with Rosi Sexton the first.

2013 has been a great year for JoJo but 2014 could be a year which defines her whole career. She has the opportunity to become the UK's first UFC champion and in all honesty is our best hope, with only Michael Bisping and Brad Pickett as our other real contenders.

Congratulations Jojo you have been crowned Kingdom MMA’s 2013 female fighter of the year – Jojo we salute you.

Was 2013 The Greatest Year Ever for MMA?

Guest Blogger Emma McHale discusses if 2013 was the greatest year ever for MMA?
by Emma McHale of Sports Direct
Emma McHale trained as a web journalist at the University of Sheffield, has a passion for MMA and currently works at SportsDirect.com.  

MMA has started to become a mainstream sport recently and it is the worlds fastest growing sport. As 2013 comes to a close, we are going to look back at the top MMA moments of 2013 to see if 2013 really was the greatest year of MMA.
 
This has been one of the first years that young talented MMA fighters have completed dedicated training to become simply a MMA fighter. Previous MMA fighters started by learning a specific martial art such as Jiu Jitsu and then become a MMA fighter. This results in more interesting and tougher MMA fights. For example welterweight contender Rory MacDonald has only ever trained as a full mixed martial artist. 

This year celebrated the 20th anniversary of UFC with the UFC 167 event. This year also marked another key event with the introduction of the first women’s division and the first fight in the UFC between rivals Ronda Roussey and Liz Carmouche. 

There have been some of the best MMA fights this year ranging from Silva versus Weidman to Grice versus Bermudez. The year has been highlighted by top knockouts from Weidman, superb submissions from Pettis and controversial judging decisions after the St-Pierre versus Hendricks fight. 

Considered to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Anderson Silva lost his UFC Middleweight champion title to Chris Weidman with a knockout in the second round of the fight. The loss of the title was still a UFC record as it was the longest held title in UFC history after defending the title for seven years. “The Spider” and Weidman are due to have a rematch at UFC 168, but could this be the fall of a great MMA fighter? 

The UFC partnership with Fox has resulted in some of the highest viewer ratings since the partnership began in 2011. 

The BAMMA events get better and better every year. The recent partnership with Channel 5 has resulted in MMA becoming a mainstream sport. There are new fans anticipating the latest MMA fights and new participants looking to learn the combat sport. 

2013 may have been the best year of MMA. From the best fights of the year to the television highlights, MMA has come a long way since its humble beginnings of Brazilian jiu jitsu and shoot wrestling. 

Do you think 2013 was MMA’s greatest year? 

For the latest MMA and martial arts equipment ranging from MMA clothing to martial arts belts, check out the www.SportsDirect.com MMA collection. 

UFC 168 Predictions

UFC 168 Predictions
by Ben Heather @benheather and Tommy Strong @Strong_tea

The UFC is back this weekend, and back in a big way with one of the best cards to take place this year. UFC 168 is sure to send the UFC off in to 2014 in a big way.

For the first time in a long time this weekends UFC event will potentially see two UFC titles change hands with both the middleweight title and the women's bantamweight title on the line. It is also the event which may settle two rivalries as Chris Weidman takes on Anderson Silva in what has to be the most anticipated rematch in UFC history. Also the true grudge match will take place as Ronda Rousey gets back in to the cage to face Miesha Tate and this time its in the octagon. If these fights live up to the hype and so do the remaining fights on the card it could easily be the best event of the year, if not all time.

Kingdom MMA will give you their predictions for the event which is sure to be a cracker!

Chris Weidman vs Anderson Silva

Strong: The fight everyone has been waiting for is finally upon us. Did Silva take Weidman serious previously? I don't think he did. Though he will have tool this time. Silva won't make the same mistake twice and I see Silva putting right when he done wrong in the first fight.

I don't see lightening striking twice!

Prediction: Anderson Silva - TKO RD 2

Heather: I have been waiting for this fight since Anderson Silva was knocked out in the last fight, the reason for that is simple.... Chris Weidman needs to win this fight to finally get some respect. I feel he has not got the respect he deserved for knocking out Anderson Silva and why.... that's simple because Anderson Silva did what Anderson Silva does in every fight the only difference was this time he got caught instead of looking flash.

It was only a matter of time with Anderson fighting the way he does before he got caught and finally Weidman did it.

I also feel that he will do the same again on Saturday night and then he will finally get some respect for the accomplishment which he has achieved. People keep saying how Anderson will be focused for this fight more than the first and will get the win, but I think that's complete rubbish. There is one man who will want to get the win more than anything on Saturday night and that man is Chris Weidman, he has everything to lose and if he does lose will probably not be getting another title shot for a while.

If Anderson changes anything then i believe it will be to Weidmans advantage. He has always thought the same way and so any changes to the way he fights may work against him.

Prediction: Chris Weidman - TKO RD 4


Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate

Strong: This is a real grudge match, with both fighters who truly have a dislike for each other. Though since their first fight in 2012 I feel Ronda is the fighter who's progressed, and Miesha has stood still or even took a step backwards.

Its going to take a special fighter to beat Ronda and feel Miesha's chance has passed. I would love to see Miesha win the title from her fierce enemy, though unless she can keep the fight standing for 3 rounds I don't see her winning.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey - Submission Rd 3

Heather: For me this is very simple... Ronda beats anyone at 135lbs and Tate only has this fight as it is good for business. She is coming in to fight the champ off a loss and nobody seems to be saying anything about it. Yet when other people get title shots when they are not the clear contender everyone bitches about the decision.

I will be surprised if it makes it past the first round and Miesha still has her arm!!

Prediction: Ronda Rousey - Armbar Rd 1


Josh Barnett vs Travis Browne

Strong: I love nothing better than a good heavyweight match up, and this is what we have right here. Both very powerful men who will look to put on an impressive performance to put themselves into the window of title contention.

Barnett will be keen to get Browne to the mat where he can do all the damage, where as Browne will do his utmost to keep the fight standing to put the advantage firmly in his favour.

Prediction: Travis Browne - TKO Rd 1

Heather: This fight has had me going back and forth in my head and to honest I am still not sure how it will pan out. I do believe these guys are right up the top of the division and a win could put them in a potential number 1 contender fight with Werdum if Cain is sidelined for a while.

As Tommy said, I also believe Browne will have the advantage standing up and he has only lost to Bigfoot Silva in a fight he looked great in until he got injured. I think if he did not get injured during the fight, that fight would have been very different. However, Barnett certainly will have the advantage on the ground.

Even as I am writing this I still don't know how it is going to go but it is certainly a fight I am looking forward to watching. I'm gonna take on punt on Browne and say he gets the W on Saturday night.

Prediction: Travis Browne - TKO Rd 3


Jim Miller vs Fabricio Camoes

Strong: Miller will be eager to get back to winning way after his loss to Healy (though later overturned to NC due to Healy's failed drugs test) I think in Camoes he has the perfect opportunity. Camoes is coming into the fight of the back of a defeat to Melvin Gulliard which is no shame, though anything he throws at Miller I can see him dealing with.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision

Heather: I will not waste too much of your time in the write up for my pick for this fight. Jim Miller has a far greater set of skills to lose this fight. I am unsure of the match making behind this fight.... however a loss for Miller would be very bad for any potential future title shot he still dreams about.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision


Dustin Poirier vs Diego Brandao

Strong: This is one of the fights I'm looking forward to most. It has fight of the night written all over it! Poirier will be full of confidence of the back of beating Erik Koch in August. But he will be up against it when facing former TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao.

Brandao has a wild style of fighting that will lend itself to Dustin's striking. Though, if Brandao manages to land one of his wild attacks on Poirier we should be in for a real treat of a fight.

Piorier has fought some of the best fighters within the division, Brandao hasn't fought anyone to the level of Poirier, I feel this might be the key!

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Unanimous Decision 

Heather: Firstly Dustin Poirier is one of my favourite fighters to watch, he always comes to fight and always turns up. That being said I can guarantee to you right now that two things will happen on Saturday night.

1) Diego Brandao will come out quickly with some big shots in the first round
2) Diego Brandao will then gas..... badly!!

What happens next I believe Dustin will take care of business and weather the early onslaught before finishing a gassed Brandao in the third round and probably by pulling off another highlight reel submission.

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Submission RD 3

Please let us know what your predictions are for this event and if you agree with both of ours.

Fighter vs Writer - UFC 168 Calderwood vs Heard

Fighter vs Writer: JoJo Calderwood - UFC 168
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this feature we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Dustin Poirier, Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkinson, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred and Michael Wootten.

This weeks opponent was the perfect woman for the job. After recently taking her MMA record to 8-0 at Invicta 7 with a unanimous decision win over Katja Kankaanpaa she was back in the news when Dana White told the world that the UFC will now have a 115lb womens division and that she was one of 11 women to have signed for the UFC. She is of course Jojo Calderwood and this weekend she will compete against our newest writer Sam Heard.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions

Chris Weidman vs Anderson Silva

Calderwood: I think Silva will be back to his best for this fight with a point to prove.

Prediction: Anderson Silva - TKO Round 3 

Heard: The moment we’ve all been waiting for! I believe we will see a more serious, focused Anderson Silva who will keep the clowning to a minimum. Until he got caught in the first fight, Anderson seemed quicker than Weidman and was landing hard leg kicks at will. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Anderson was able to “give back” the KO to Weidman.

However, as much as it pains me to say it, I think Weidman has the edge here. Historically, championship rematches have never failed the older fighter and though Silva is without doubt the GOAT there is no escaping the fact that he is nearing 40. Weidman is a relentless wrestler who happens to also have decent stand-up and even better submissions; everyone knows that wrestlers are the worst matchups for Anderson. He nearly got that heel hook in the first round of their first clash and I believe we could see Anderson, who could well just have accepted the rematch he initially showed no interest in for the big cheque, tap out.

Prediction: Chris Weidman - Submission Round 4

Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate

Calderwood: I'd love to see this go a bit but Ronda is pretty determined and it's going to go the way everyone expects.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey - Armbar Round 2

Heard: The bookies would have you believe this fight is certain to end with Ronda’s hand raised. I really think that they’re undervaluing Miesha Tate here. In their first match Miesha looked like she had an edge on the feet and displayed some brilliant counter-grappling to resist Ronda’s first attempt at the Armbar and even take the Bantamweight Champion’s back.

So what’s changed since then? Ronda seems to be spending an increasing amount of time on her acting career. There’s no doubting Tate seems more focused on her MMA career at this stage. Added to this, Rousey’s nature as a fighter who’s ultra-specialised in one very focused area means that training and a game plan can be focused on countering her speciality; namely that awesome Armbar of hers. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that not only does Miesha take Ronda into the uncharted territories of the 2nd and 3rd round put that she pulls off the upset.

Prediction: Miesha Tate - Unanimous Decision

Josh Barnett vs Travis Browne

Calderwood: I think Barnett is one of the best heavyweight submission guys, he's dealt with tall opponents before and I think once he gets past Browne's range I think the sub will come.

Prediction: Josh Barnett - Submission Round 2

Heard: Despite coming off two huge wins, I’m not entirely sold on Travis Browne. Though he went on to KO Overeem with that brilliant front kick, I think Overeem did enough to get the stoppage as there were stages where Browne seemed defenceless and have seen referees jump in for far less. Yes, he did beat Gonzaga but Barnett is a very different beast to the Brazillian, having competed at the top level throughout his whole career and has only ever lost to the very best.

I don’t think Barnett will manage to get the finish against Browne but I think he has an advantage in all areas. Browne’s experience is mainly limited to the first round while Barnett has gone all the way in a five round main event so expect Barnett to show better conditioning.


Prediction: Josh Barnett - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Jim Miller vs Fabricio Camoes

Calderwood: I don't know too much about Camoes, I like watching Jim Miller fight and I'm pretty sure he's coming off a loss so he will be even more dangerous.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision 

Heard: I believe this is a showcase fight for Miller with Fabricio being fed to the lions a bit. Camoes is 1-1 in the UFC and coming off a loss to inconsistent Melvin Guillard while Miller is arguably one of the best lightweights to have never had a shot at the title and is coming off a loss which he very nearly won ( and which was eventually overturned) to Pat Healy.

I think Miller has the tools to win comfortably.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30, 27)

Dustin Poirier vs Diego Brandao

Calderwood: Looking forward to this fight, I think it will be competitive for a round or two but Brandao will gas leaving Poirier to win on points.

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Unanimous Decision and FOTN

Heard: There’s no doubting that Brandao’s kamikaze aggression makes for entertaining fights but it makes it very difficult to have any faith in him as a pick. He has a tendency to rush out all guns blazing for the first round only to slow down ridiculously in the latter two thirds of the fight. This bad fight IQ won’t fair well against an athlete like Poirier.

Poirier survived and overcame the elite striking skills of Erik Koch in his last fight so should be able to weather the early storm of Diego Brandao. When Brandao inevitably gases I think Poirier should be able to implement his slick submission skills and get the win in the latter part of the fight, probably by armbar or his signature d'arce choke.

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Submission Round 3


So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to JoJo for providing us with her picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man or woman win!!

Miesha Tate: An unwanted surprise in to face Ronda Rousey

Miesha Tate replaces injured Cat Zingano for coaches role on TUF 18

by John Haigh @JohnBJayHaigh

Filming for season 18 of TUF Rousey vs. Zingano began on Tuesday but there was a huge shock in store for UFC women’s champ Ronda Rousey. Cat Zingano blew her knee out while training on May 16th.
Rousey did not know about Zingano’s injury... nobody did, it was a very well kept secret by the UFC and when Miesha Tate walked out in the UFC training centre she was clearly shocked and stormed out of the gym looking for UFC President Dana White. She later said she was angry because she thought she was the one being replaced, apparently?

Rousey, though, was pleased with the change.
“This is what we really wanted all along,” Rousey told Yahoo! Sports. “Everyone said an Ultimate Fighter between me and Miesha would be the best. We have a personal history with each other and this is a personal show. For some reason, me and Miesha are intertwined in fate like Ali and Frazier or something like that."

“I think people will look back at this as one of the monumental rivalries and look back at this as one of those things that really cemented women’s MMA.”
Tate said she was disappointed that it had took an injury to Zingano to get the spot on the show but felt she was winning the fight with Zingano when referee Kim Winslow stopped the fight. A lot of people agree with Tate it was a fight full of controversy that we at Kingdom MMA took time to discuss – http://www.kingdommma.co.uk/2013/04/kingdom-mma-roundtable-on-talking.html

Tate said she was thrilled to not only get the spot on the show but also the shot at the tittle and to see Rousey get visibly angry when she appeared.
“It was rewarding to see that,” she said. “I was like, ‘Yay! This is getting good.’ I watched her go to her corner and her corner was up in arms. I was just sitting there in the doorway thinking, ‘This is awesome.’"
“I felt I was cheated a little in that fight with Cat. I had two solid rounds and one not-so-good round. Either way, I felt I was meant to be here and it’s come full circle.”

Season 18 of TUF will be on our screens in September and is part of the new Fox Sports 1 channel in the states, I believe this will be on BT Sports in the UK as part of the new TV deal. The coaches are slated to fight December 28th and that fight could turn out to be one of the most anticipated fights of the year.

This is also the first season to feature women coaches with men and women’s divisions in the competition.
Added to that the rivalry between the two coaches, these two really don’t like each other and have history as Rousey took the title from Tate under the now defunct Strikeforce promotion in 2011. It was that fight which got UFC president Dana White’s interest in women’s fighting. To that point, White had maintained that the UFC would be men-only.

Zingano underwent surgery on her right knee on Tuesday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus, as well as to clean up other damage. She said she injured the knee as she came down after clearing a short hurdle.

“I was doing my regular routine, my strength and conditioning,” Zingano told Yahoo! Sports by telephone shortly before she was wheeled into surgery. “I was jumping over tunnels that were about 12 inches high. I’d jumped over them like 10 times already. This one time, I jumped up and my left knee came down right on track and my right knee bent outward."

Zingano said she will be able to resume training in six to nine months. She said the most crushing part of the injury is that she will lose the opportunity to fight Rousey for the belt. She said White promised her she would have the first shot at the Tate-Rousey winner.

Dana white said it made more sense for Tate to fill the spot on the show rather than one of the others in the UFC’s women’s division.
“But with Miesha, she and Ronda already had a great fight and they have a history together. They don’t like each other. We’ll make it work. We always do. You know how I say every day when I wake up, I know some bad [expletive] is going to happen? Well, this was one of them, but we’re doing the best we can here.”

Expect an explosive season with these two coaching and the men and women competing on the show all living under one roof.

Kingdom MMA Roundtable on the talking points from the Tate vs Zingano fight

Kingdom MMA discuss the potential controversy from Saturday nights women's no 1 contender contest

by Ben Heather @benheather

Since Saturday night it seems that everyone who saw the Miesha Tate vs Cat Zingano fight this weekend at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale has been debating some talking points from the fight. So now the guys at Kingdom MMA will throw our opinions in to the hat for you all to read.

Was the fight stopped Early?

Chris: For well over a year its seems the standing joke amongst MMA fans on twitter is that Kim Wimslow is going to end up letting someone die in the cage, with her late stoppages. While this is a gross over exaggeration, you have to admit she has put some fighters in serious danger since her debut. Controversy is never far away in a Wimslow officiated fight, and it appears this fight was no exception.

I've seen a lot of people talk about an illegal knee, the fight was stopped too soon etc. but to be honest I think Wimslow did a pretty good job in this one, in fact one could argue she would have been justified to stop the fight before Tate even stood up - from my point of view Tate certainly wasn't fighting back or intelligently defending herself.

John: When I watched the fight live I thought it was stopped early but after watching it a few more times I think the stoppage came at the correct time. Tate had just eaten four well placed knees followed by an elbow that dropped her against the cage. I think she was one shot away from lights out.

Ben: If I am honest I thought at the time that Tate was taking punishment which she did not need to take at the end of the fight and not wisely protecting herself. When she took the four consecutive knees to the head that ended the fight as a battle and could have been stopped then. By the time the elbow came in Tate did not know where she was.

Watching the fight back..... A LOT, there is no way that Tate was going for a take down. She dropped and put her hands on the floor. She didn't drop and grab Cat's legs and at that point Kim Wimslow saved Tate from any further punishment.

Were the knees legal at the end of the fight?

Chris: While I would have been happy for the fight to be stopped on the ground, when Tate managed to get up the first knee that landed certainly did look illegal. That being said I don't think there was any malicious intent there, and realistically the damage was already done. Personally I would be keen for a review of the definition of a downed opponent - a finger on the floor does not make you a downed opponent if you ask me.

Ben: The opinion I take on this is that if it was illegal it was so close that you can't blame Kim Wimslow for letting the fight continue. If it was such a big talking point and as controversial as some people on the Internet have been making it out to be, then why didn't Jon Anik and Kenny Florian mention it.... at all!! The answer is because in my opinion there is nothing to discuss.

John: I think the first one was, just. Tate was just about to stand up as Zingano was throwing the first knee. Its not like Tate was trying to stay a downed opponent she was fighting her way back to a stand up position.

What you thought of Tate's conduct after rd 1. (Pushing Cat's face away)  

Ben: This to me was the most controversial moment of the whole fight and it seems to have been swept under the carpet. As far as I am concerned what Tate did was a punk move!! She had no reason to put her hands on Cat's face after the buzzer. I was backing Tate going in to this fight but as soon as she did that I wanted Cat to make her pay and was pleased when she got the TKO finish in the third.

John: No matter what people say before or during a fight, if you like the person you are fighting or not you should never put your hands on an opponent in between rounds or after the fight. You are martial artists who do this as a job and not some drunken yobs fighting on a night out, LEARN SOME RESPECT.

Chris: Someone needs to explain the whole martial artist = respect thing to the Tate / Caraway family. From Tate pushing off Zingano's face to stand up, to Caraway promising violence on women his girlfriend can't beat, it's terrible behaviour and one can't help but feel they got what's coming to them.

Who wins the UFC Women's bantamweight title fight Cat or Ronda?

Chris: While Zingano certainly could have success on the feet against Rousey, I see the fight going just like all the other Rousey fights. Zingano proved she is good on the ground in the Tate fight but she did end up in a Tate armbar at one point in time, and although she managed to defend it and eventually escape, Rousey will take her arm home if Zingano allows her anywhere near it. Expect a ferocious few minutes of dirty boxing against the cage, followed by Rousey take down, Rousey armbar attempt, Rousey first round submission victory.

John: I think this is Rousey’s toughest opponent yet no doubt. I think Rousey will have to come out pressuring from the start and try and get her trade arm bar quick before Zingano gets going. Zingano over powers Rousey all day long, if she finds her range early Rousey’s in trouble. Remember Rousey nearly came unstuck against Liz Carmouche when she took her back and was really cranking on Rousey’s neck but couldn’t quite sink it in fully. Should be an interesting fight to watch.

Ben: Cat's heart and determination to get through some tough times in the first two rounds against Tate makes me think that she may be the first person to take Rousey to the second round.

However the way Rousey has dominated all opponents and even though they all know and I imagine trained non stop on preventing and getting out of armbars she has still locked on and got the tap. I can't see anyone taking the belt away from Ronda anytime soon.

In the end somebody will be picking up that first career loss and if the women's fights in the UFC have been anything to go by so far, what I can guarantee is that it will be an absolute war.

Rousey on Fox - "shouldn't be allowed to compete as a woman"

Rousey Opens Up about Fallon Fox

by John Haigh @JohnBJayHaigh

UFC women’s champion Ronda Rousey weighs in on the Fallon Fox debate and she believes that she has an unfair advantage.

The Fallon Fox story has been around for a few weeks now and everybody in and out of the cage has an opinion on this story, the UFC’s Matt Mitrione has even had his UFC contract suspended over his comments on the situation.

Fallon Fox was born a man and underwent surgical procedures and other treatments to become a transgender woman in her 30's. Most people have gone off the deep end when giving opinions on Fallon Fox being allowed to compete in women's MMA.

Rousey did not, she was very considerate when giving her view on Fallon Fox and had clearly looked in to the situation before going on the record in a recent interview.

“Transgender fighters should be taken on a case-by-case basis, and if you already developed through puberty as a man, you shouldn’t be allowed to compete as a woman.”

“In Fallon Fox’s case, she went through puberty as a man. Though I do believe her identity is that of a woman, at this point in her life, it’s just not scientifically possible to make her body exactly equal to that of a woman, science just hasn't caught up yet.”

Keep checking Kingdom MMA for all the latest news from around the world of MMA.