Knockout Empire – Cormier Reigns

Knockout Empire – Cormier Reigns / Lesnar Returns

UFC 226 was proclaimed as the card of the “Superfight” between longest reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion, Stipe Miocic and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Cormier for the Heavyweight strap. Cormier, 20-1 1 NC, went going into this contest 13-0 in Heavyweight fights. However, Miocic had a UFC record four straight heavyweight championship victories, which breaks the previous record held by former champion Brock Lesnar. So, going into this fight, everything was on the line for Miocic, trying to place himself as the best heavyweight ever. This fight brought all the stories into it, the unbeatable champion Miocic, the most dominant wrestler to do it in Cormier, plus the fact that it is Champion vs Champion, it was promised to be a memorable night.

 

The challenger Cormier came out to a fantastic reaction from the Vegas crowd as he made his way to the Octagon. Followed was the champion Miocic. And with both men in the Octagon, it was TIME for the Main Event of the evening. After a show so far, that had lost it original co-Main, replaced by an awful fight between Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis which included Ngannou only connecting with nine (yes, 9) total strikes in a losing decision for him. For what was a disappointing co, came a purely entertaining main and post-fight.

 

Finally, after Bruce Buffer introduced the two men, the Super Fight was on. Miocic came out throwing early, including scoring a take down and at times it looked as if Cormier could be overmatched early. Miocic was using his fists early and often, but Cormier was throwing back. With the wrestler that Cormier is and how much more experienced he is compared to, well, anybody really, I was ready to watch Cormier wait it out and beat him down in the later rounds. Psych, instead on a clinch, Cormier connected with a punch, knocking Stipe to the floor and finishing him by TKO, becoming the second ever UFC Double-Champion.

 

The smile on Cormier, almost 12 months to the day that he was seen crying in the octagon after a bout with Jon Jones that saw him on take defeat once again (later overturned), was all fans could be happy to see. And right before he went to the ref to get his hand raised, he was yelling out the cage to someone. Once his hand was raised, he went to speak with Rogan, which resulted with him taking the mic, and calling out Brock Lesnar. Yes, that Brock Lesnar… the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, NCAA Division 1 Champion, and well-known WWE performer. Lesnar, there in attendance, ran right into the ring and shoved Cormier back, powerful enough to almost knock him down. What followed was Rogan putting the mic to Lesnar, asking him what he thought about the challenge. How did Lesnar respond? Like you would expect – “I’m coming for you, motherf*cker”. And just like that, we may know what is happening, thanks to Jeremy Botter on his twitter:

https://twitter.com/jeremybotter/status/1015809467437518850?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

 

So there you have it, after a few PPVs without that big fight feel, we received that with the Main Event of UFC 226, and even better, we will be getting one come this November in Madison Square Garden.

 

Hope you enjoyed reading, please feel free to share, like, comment, and even give a prediction on the possible Lesnar vs Cormier bout.

Alright, I’m out, congrats to Daniel Cormier on the accomplishment, getting to 21-1 and possibly cementing himself as the best to ever do it.

 

• Scott Edwards, Creator of WTF Sports

“Money” Mayweather to the UFC?

This is crazy. We live in a crazy world, we really do. This past summer, we got to witness a superfight with undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather facing UFC Undisputed Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor in an exhibition Boxing match. It was such a big fight that it came second in all-time PPV sales, just behind Mayweather/Pacquiao. And today, Dana White shocked us all when he stated:

This means they’re in talks to get Floyd “Money” Mayweather into the octagon. This would be, well, something is for sure. Almost a guarantee to be the UFC’s highest PPV buys if they somehow get him in there, and it would for sure be against a true opponent. Mayweather is at the age of 40, but showed in his last fight that he still has the quick hands and dominance he once possessed. And now, it looks as if his next destination is the Octagon.

My Take: This could be extremely dumb by this man. I’m sorry, yes, he is one of the greatest boxers to ever do it, maybe even the best being 50-0, but the Octagon brings so much more than just throwing punches. He is usually at 150 lbs around his fights, and now you’re trying to tell me he could take on the likes of Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov or Eddie Alvarez inside the Octagon? That is unsafe. That is just an insane idea. The best bout is clearly a rematch between him and McGregor, as this would be a fair deal, with Mayweather now stepping in his home. In brings a whole dynamic to look forward to in 2018, with the sheer possibility that we get Floyd Mayweather inside the Octagon, in the UFC.

Please feel free to share and enjoy, even give your take on the Mayweather/UFC possibilities.

– Scott Edwards, The Creator of WTF Sports

Knockout Empire – Super Fight Galore

This past Saturday, UFC 218 took place from Detroit, Michigan, where the Main Event brought us Featherweight Champion Max Holloway (18-3) taking on former dominant champion, Jose Aldo (26-3). The Co-Main Event was a heavyweight slugfest between seasoned vet Alistair Overeem (43-15-0) and highly touted up and comer, “The Predator” Francis Ngannou (10-1-0). And before I jump into both of these, let me discuss quite possibly the fight of the night.

Bout – Eddie Alvarez (28-5-0, 1 NC) vs Justin Gaethje (18-0-0)

Former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (28-5-0, 1 NC) took on the undefeated Justin Gaethje (18-0-0) in a fight that will be remembered for a long time. Alvarez and Gaethje took home the fight of the night, in a battle won by Alvarez (29-5-0, 1 NC). This was back and forth between the first two rounds, but in the third, the former champion went for the kill against the undefeated young gun, winning by KO/TKO with 1:23 left in the final round. Alvarez was able to land 40 significant strikes in the third round, which involved the final blow that brought Gaethje down, a knee to the face knocking Gaethje out. Alvarez admitted after the fight that he felt if it was a five round fight, and he didn’t end it there, he would have been in trouble with the amount of damage delivered to his leg and the fact that his leg was blown up like a damn balloon. My opinion of this fight was simple, it was two badass dudes going in there and putting on a show. Alvarez is one of the best to just go in there and give it his all, while Gaethje is just getting started and will be a contender if he learns to bounce back from a loss.

RESULT: Alvarez (29-5-0, 1 NC) over Gaethje (18-1-0) by Third Round KO (R3 1:23)

Main Event

Bout – Max Holloway (C) (18-3-0) vs Jose Aldo (26-4-0)

I am actually going to skip ahead to the Main Event here, as I have lots of praise for the heavyweight battle. However, the main event was something to remember as well. Holloway and Aldo had their second fight in a row, and it was one to remember once again. At UFC 212, Holloway went in as the underdog, even though he was a interim champion. Well after this fight, any doubts in Max Holloway as a fighter was long gone. He was able to not only win, but for the most part dominate one of the best to ever do it, Jose Aldo. Now let me say, Aldo hasn’t been the same since he was knocked out by my guy Conor McGregor, but he had bounced back at UFC 200 with a interim title win over Frankie Edgar, who Aldo was replacing in this fight. So Holloway caught Aldo multiple times, including the final flurry of dominance by Holloway, leading to the TKO victory. The best of Jose Aldo has officially come to a close, and as we thank him for his former dominance, we look to the future dominance of Max Holloway, who has simply become a new star in the sport of MMA.

RESULT: Holloway (C) (19-3-0) over Aldo (26-4-0) by Third Round TKO (R3 0:09)

Co-Main Event

Bout – Alistair Overeem (43-16-0, 1 NC) vs Francis Ngannou (10-1-0)

This was absolutely everything I was hoping for. The Co-Main Event had Alistair Overeem (43-15-0, 1 NC) taking on Francis Ngannou (10-1-0) in one of the bigger heavyweight battles in a while. This was essentially to decide the number one contender for Stipe Miocic’s UFC Heavyweight Title. This would be Ngannou’s toughest fight yet, and simply put, he wasn’t even worried. This one lasted one round. ONE ROUND. Not even a full two minutes actually. Let me just say, my dude Ngannou is a freak of nature. This man brings so much power and explosiveness that not many others possess. Ngannou ended this fight with a huge uppercut to Overeem, getting the KO instantly. The first time I ever saw Ngannou, I had a good feeling about him. He has everything that the heavyweight division needs. He now becomes the unquestioned number one contender for Stipe Miocic. I wish I could talk about this one more, but it was just two minutes of pure domination of a seasoned veteran.

RESULT: Ngannou (11-1-0) over Overeem (43-16-0, 1 NC) by First Round KO (R1 3:17)

So, I titled this Super Fight Galore, because of the news that followed UFC 218. There has been a lot of chatter to have two super fights coming from this super event. First, is Stipe vs Ngannou. This one is almost set, as there were reports last night via Ariel Helwani that Stipe vs Ngannou for the UFC Heavyweight Title is almost confirmed for UFC 220 in Boston on January 20th. This would be the second fight on this card, joining Daniel Cormier vs Volkan Oezdemir. This would stack the top two fights for Boston, with hopefully more to follow. This would be the biggest heavyweight fight in the UFC in years, and we may be lucky enough to get it soon enough.

The other Super Fight is a bit tougher to get. Many are calling for the super fight between UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway and UFC Lightweight Champion, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor. The trickiest part of this is the part of McGregor coming back to the UFC to even fight. McGregor never needs to fight again, if he was fighting for money. After his super fight with Floyd Mayweather, he sits here with $100 Million in his back pocket. But if he was to come back, he is only going to want the biggest fight possible. McGregor has not defended his championship ever, which is hysterical, and he would only come back to make history. McGregor vs Holloway would have so much entertainment, so much lead up, and ultimately be a great fight, which matters most. This would be their second fight, but it would be much different, as both have become much more experienced and polished fighters.

So that is it, the second edition of Knockout Empire is wrapped up, and it leaves us with hope, curiousness, and excitement for the present and future.

Please feel free to enjoy and share as always!

-Scott Edwards, The Creator of WTF Sports Nation

Knockout Empire – The Beginning (Wilder / UFC 217 Recap)

This is something that I simply have developed completely on my own, the idea of being able to discuss, review, and give my opinion on events in combat sports. And after a huge night of combat, from the Boxing world, to the Octagon of the UFC, I feel it is time I branch out into this aspect as well and bring you a series of my thoughts on certain events, PPVs, and huge moments in the combat sports world. So with that, I proudly bring you Knockout Empire.

So, with that, let’s dig in. Beginning with possibly the most dominant boxer in all of boxing today, “The Bronze Bomber” Deontay Wilder. Wilder has been underappreciated it seems, as he doesn’t seem to be on as big of a stage with the likes of Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez, or GGG. But it is time that he gets recognized for what he is doing. Wilder is now 39-0 after his fight tonight against Bermane Stiverne. Stiverne was the only man to bring Wilder all the way to the limit in their first fight in 2015, so how did Wilder answer back? He knocked Stiverne out in the first round. It is no longer acceptable to look past Wilder, and he shows it every time now. He is giving it his all, making it look easier and easier, more dominant as he is in the prime of his career. As a fan, I will no longer allow Wilder to be overlooked, this man is dangerous, dominant, and it is time to book the best heavyweight fight in years between the best two in boxing. Anthony Joshua, it is time to step up, the Bronze Bomber is waiting for you. Wilder is a generational talent with the knockout power and explosiveness for a man his size, and with 38 knockouts under his belt, he has the next knockout penciled in as Joshua. So after a year of mega fights, lets set one for 2018. Congrats to Wilder on a dominant victory.

Now to the biggest event of the night, UFC 217. This event featured three huge title fights as the UFC took over New York City and the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. The event had undefeated Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejcyk take on Rose Namajunas for the belt. As a Joanna fan, this was a tough one to watch. Namajunas was dominant over the champion, winning by TKO in the very first round to become the NEW Undisputed UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion of the world. Namajunas came in as the aggressor of the two, which may have been the most shocking thing of it all. Joanna’s record now goes to 14-1, but I completely expect her to bounce back, getting her title back in the future. In a crazy night just to start, I would like to give a congratulations to the new champion, Rose Namajunas. #AndNEW

The co-main event had undefeated Cody Garbrandt taking on former champion TJ Dillashaw for Grabrandt’s Bantamweight Championship. Let me just start off by saying this, this fight was crazy. Crazy in the fact that one second they would be trying to figure out each other, and the next second they would be throwing at each other like it was a all out brawl. At the end of the first round, Garbrandt planted Dillashaw with a huge shot, knocking Dillashaw down and looking to end the fight. Thankfully for Dillashaw however, the round ended, and he was able to shake it off by the beginning of round number two. Had their been a few more seconds, we would be saying #AndSTILL. After recovering, Dillashaw was able to rally, knocking Garbrandt loopy with a powerful head kick, which would eventually lead to a win by TKO, and the NEW Undisputed UFC bantamweight champion of the world, now for the second time, TJ Dillashaw. This would result in another new champion and another undefeated record being broken. The biggest thing to take out of this was the challenge put down by Dillashaw to the pound for pound best fighter in the entire world, Demetrious Johnson. “Demetrious, let’s do this!” This brings a very exciting possibility to the future, as well as Mighty Mouse’s biggest threat yet. Congrats to the new champion TJ Dillashaw, on top again. #AndNEW

Now finally, the MAIN EVENT of the evening. And this wasn’t just a regular championship main event, this was the long-awaited return of Georges “Rush” St. Pierre. After a four-year hiatus, St. Pierre stepped into the octagon, a weight division up, to face the Middleweight Champion and long UFC vet Michael Bisping. In an unheard-of situation, St. Pierre looked like his old self, dominating in any way possible. If it was in the stand up, or on the ground, St. Pierre looked right where he belonged. As the fight continued however, you could see fatigue starting to set in. Bisping was no slouch, catching Georges with a head kick and showing the former champion that he is going to give it his all. He was able to open up St. Pierre in round two, as blood was gushing everywhere. However, round three was where St. Pierre took completely over, dominating in the round, eventually knocking Bisping to the floor with a thunderous left hook. Bisping was essentially out of it, but was able to stay in it when the fight would not be called. St. Pierre then took his back, locking in the rear naked choke which would choke Bisping completely out do complete a successful return for St. Pierre. St. Pierre has successfully become the NEW Undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion of the world. This win does so much for the sport of MMA and the brand of UFC. This brings one of the, if not, the best fighters of all time back into the picture and on top of the entire UFC. It opens up so many doors that were not open for so long, including a specific mega fight that would possibly be the biggest in UFC history. As a fan, I can say I am so glad to see Georges St. Pierre back in the octagon and at the top of his game. I can remember him going away and thinking that maybe it as years continued to pass. Now it begins to make you wonder and hope that Conor McGregor is interested in the biggest mega fight in UFC history in the future. But until then, congratulations to the NEW Middleweight Champion and one of the best to do it, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre. #AndNEW

Well that is a wrap, a very fun first edition of Knockout Empire, which happened to include three knockouts and a submission by a returning legend. I hope you enjoyed the first of a hopeful many editions of the Knockout Empire. Hopefully this became a new outlet for you combat fans to find a new home for combat sports news and opinions, or a way to make people who have not really understood the hype around MMA and Boxing to find a liking in it, or at least what I am putting out there. Anyways, thank you for reading, and I hope to have you join me for future writings of the Knockout Empire.

Thank you.

Please feel free to share and like this post and all others before it, we here at the Nation are thankful for everyone and just want to be discovered more and more.

– Scott Edwards, The Creator of WTF Sports