Alexander Gustafsson (13-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5)
Alessio Sakara (15-8, 1 NC) vs. Brian Stann (11-4)
Siyar Bahadurzada (20-4-1) vs. Paulo Thiago (14-3)
DaMarques Johnson (16-9) vs. John Maguire (17-3)
Damacio Page (12-6) vs. Brad Pickett (20-6)
Diego Nunes (17-2) vs. Dennis Siver (19-8)
Jason Young (8-5) vs. Eric Wisely (19-7)
Papy Abedi (8-1) vs. James Head (7-2)
Yoislandy Izquierdo (6-0) vs. Reza Madadi (11-2)
Cyrille Diabate (17-8) vs. Jorgen Kruth (5-0)
Francis Carmont (17-7) vs. Magnus Cedenblad (10-3)
Simeon Thoresen (16-2-1) vs. Besam Yousef (6-0)
0 recs | 71 comments
Very good card, although DeMarques has no place on a main card
Over Page/Pickett and Siver/Nunes.
I sense a lot of knockouts on this show. Stann is going to pound Sakara out.
SSreporters - February 20, 2012
Definitely think Siver/Nunes deserves main card.
Don’t know what they’re thinking.
The Armchair Juggernaut - February 20, 2012 via mobile
thats wut i was thinking
Especially after this past fuel card had 6 fights on the main card
JonBon Joey - February 20, 2012
Don’t forget guys, the last Fuel card only had four main card fights until the week of the show when they bumped up the final two. I suspect Page/Pickett and Nunes/Siver will get promoted up last minute too.
exzacht - February 20, 2012 via mobile
The only reason they got promoted is they wanted as many fights to show
On the free preview as possible.
Unless there’s another one if there’s 4 fights I suspect that’s what we’ll get.
SSreporters - February 20, 2012
Also, don't sleep on Jason Young being a decent prospect at 145
Definitely think he’ll beat Wisely, and he’s very fun to watch.
SSreporters - February 20, 2012
He had a good showing against Poirier,
And that’s saying something. He’s had a tough schedule though.
The Armchair Juggernaut - February 20, 2012 via mobile
Glad to see this guy back in action
Earl Montclair - February 20, 2012
He’s got a tough opponent in Siyar though, especially if the fight stays standing. On the ground, Paulo Thiago should win this one.
chrisbboy82 - February 20, 2012
What the Hell was that choke even called?
Looks to me like a front-facing modified darse choke.
McKinley B. Noble - February 20, 2012
It's a basic darce choke
Thiago used a pretty common setup to it. When the bottom player in half-guard works for an underhook to work to sweep or reverse the position, it puts him in a position to get choked however.
dreamers_12345 - February 21, 2012
That's why you have to keep a tight underhook and be aware of where your head is.
discoandherpes - February 21, 2012
If anyone complains about this card, I’ll probably explode. It’s a fun card and the ratings probably aren’t as important as the fact that the UFC is going to a new country.
This post is inspired by stuff I saw on another forum. People were unanimously bashing the FX 2 card :( the words “atrocious” and “nobody cares about flyweights” were used, along with Johnson being the most boring fighter in the UFC.
Tim Bernier - February 20, 2012 via mobile
This seems a lot like a boxing style of profitability, and a good use of Fuel.
It’s a debut in a new territory that sold out the gate nearly instantly. The gate receipts should more than cover the payouts to fighters as well as most expenses. Factor the in ring sponsorship and license money from Fuel, it’s easily turning a profit on it’s own.
But it also has a lot of fighters that hardcore fans want to see. Semi-casual fans have started noticing Gustafsson as a guy who punches people in the head really hard until they fall down. Brian Stann is a known name (although no draw, he’s well known) thanks to his exciting KOs and getting tons of screen time lately. Every hardcore fan loves Paulo Thiago and the extra hardcores know Siyar is fun as hell. It’s a great card to make fanatics call up their provider and say “start offering Fuel or I’m finding somebody who does.” And that’s the point of having fights on Fuel.
Good work, UFC folks.
pdl - February 20, 2012
If someone can't admire the wrestling clinic Mighty Mouse put on against KID
Then maybe they shouldn’t be an MMA fan. Those takedowns were almost perfect.
discoandherpes - February 20, 2012
It's a Fuel card
So I’m assuming big ratings aren’t what they are having in mind…
Fuel cards are just places where guys can get on ‘a main card’ and in ‘a main event’ before graduating to a ‘real’ show on FX, PPV, or maybe even Fox.
Chris Groves - February 20, 2012
Stoked to see Stann back in action!
The Mauler is going to make a statement.
The Armchair Juggernaut - February 20, 2012 via mobile
lookin forward to
seeing Carmont & Abedi again…Nunes SIver fight should be fantastic!
JonBon Joey - February 20, 2012
Free Dennis Siver!
I dig this card, but are we really gonna NOT watch Nunes vs Siver in favor of a guy who got worked by Amir Sadolla? That be crazy, mon.
big matt - February 20, 2012
Prelims will still be aired on fuel
Chris Hall - February 20, 2012 via Android app
BUT NOBODY GETS FUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!
Earl Montclair - February 20, 2012
Your tears are delicious.
Chris Hall - February 20, 2012 via Android app
i get fuel
all these other guys need to step it up!
Earl Montclair - February 20, 2012
Exactly
Chris Hall - February 20, 2012 via Android app
Prelims are on on Facebook. The whole card would be on Fuel then. : )
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
Won’t they do the majority of Prelims on fuel like they did last week tho?
Chris Hall - February 20, 2012 via Android app
This is a Fuel card. They had 6 main card fights, and the rest on facebook.
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
Then how many were on fb?
Chris Hall - February 20, 2012 via Android app
Three. Would have been 4 but Loeffler got hurt.
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
Gotcha. Here’s hoping they add a few to the main again, then.
Chris Hall - February 20, 2012 via Android app
Um, aren't Fuel prelims usually put on Facebook? Like last time?
Chris Groves - February 20, 2012
Fuck yea Siyar
II SMASH II - February 20, 2012
Good card for Fuel
I really hope Gustafsson beats little Nog and does it in dominating fashion. I think he is skilled enough to be a top 10 LHW. His lost to Davis really opened his eye’s. If he wins i wouldn’t mind seeing him face Machida next. If Little Nog wins then i think he should face Shogun. Brian Stann vs Sakara makes no sense. I think Okami vs Stann would have made more sense.
Alfxtream - February 20, 2012
I can't name ten LHWs I'd rank above Gustafsson right now.
Jones, Rashad, Rampage, Shogun, Hendo, Davis… and who else? Lyoto maybe but he’s on an awful skid. Forrest hasn’t done anything noteworthy in a good while. Maybe Lil Nog is still above him somehow? Certainly none of the guys in Strikeforce have a better resume.
Honest question… can you name 10 guys who deserve to be ahead of him at light heavyweight?
pdl - February 20, 2012
Forrest and Lyoto deserve to be ahead of him right now. His best wins are still Vladdy and Hamill. I’d have Thiago Silva ahead of him too. He’s at 10 for me.
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
I drop guys from my rankings if they are suspended until they fight again, so no Silva.
And if I did include him, his only wins in the past four years are Kieth Jardine and Antonio Mendes. Also rank on a 3 year window with the 4th year kinda mattering but not as much. Forrest’s wins are a washed up Ortiz and an aging, small (but still crafty and tough) Rich Franklin by decision. Gustafsson finished Hamill, which Rampage couldn’t do a few months earlier, and finished Vladdy better than anybody not named Jon Jones. I still have Lyoto above him but he hasn’t looked good for two years and it’s hard to ignore the skid.
And before you ask, I do factor in some subjectivity based on observation. Finishes matter more than close decisions. Phil Davis clearly taking a decision against Lil Nog matters more than Bader eeking one out that could have gone either way. I also do allow a bit of room for hindsight when I look at a fighters resume. Good example: Luiz Cane beating Steve Cantwell… who gives a shit? Who else even remembers that fight happened?
pdl - February 20, 2012
Yeah, true enough about Silva.
But finishes don’t matter to me. Forrest is ahead of him for being Franklin and Ortiz.
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
*beating
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
The Ortiz win means just short of nothing.
I… had a joke here that I’ll hold off on. But beating Tito Ortiz in 2009 doesn’t mean much. Especially without a finish or looking particularly impressive, although he did own the third against a gassed, irrelevant shell of a fighter.
pdl - February 20, 2012
Well, Thiago Silva has 0 wins over current UFC fighters
No one in the top 20 in the last few years.
SSreporters - February 20, 2012
Thiago Silva came this close to beating Evans… that’s more impressive than anything Gus has ever done, IMO.
Shnak - February 21, 2012
My LHW top 10 list
1. Jon Jones
2. Rashad Evans
3. Dan Henderson
4. Shogun
5. Rampage
6. Machida
7. Phil Davis
8. Gustafsson
9. Gegard Mousasi
10. Thiago Silva
I did not put Little nog in the top ten because he lost to Jason Brilz, Ryan bader got beat by Tito, and Rafael Cavalcante because I believe Gust, Silva, and Gegard can beat him.
Alfxtream - February 20, 2012
There isn't a single fight for Yushin Okami that would be fan-friendly at MW right now
Zero.
Stann/Okami would be ugly and boring.
SSreporters - February 20, 2012
But the fight makes sense
Stann needs to prove his takedown defense is improved, and Okami needs to prove that he is one of the top MW in the division. Also Okami lost in the title fight, and Stann just lost to the number 1 contender.
Alfxtream - February 20, 2012
It makes sense
But it’s pretty obvious they want Okami and Stann to get back in the win column before they even think about contending again.
Stann vs. Sakara is a joke fight, but clearly they want Stann to get an impressive KO and build him back up.
MW is a really bad division. I think they need their best fighters to not be on two-fight losing streaks.
SSreporters - February 20, 2012
the fuck is the Johnson fight doing on the main card?
What a high potential violence quotient this card has…
John Danaher's Hair - February 20, 2012
EXPLOSIVE something
Fun Fact: Johnson is the only stoppage win for Matt Riddle, only stoppage win for Amir Sadollah post-TUF, and only UFC win for James Wilks…and obviously a stoppage.
TUF 9 was bad enough that if they called that show off I’d have no complaints.
SSreporters - February 20, 2012
I’m so torn on Nunes vs. Siver.
T.C. Engel - February 20, 2012
Fuel
Nobody gets that piece of crap fuel – look at the ratings! twice as many people were watching all free fights on spike the last go around. Either get crappy fuel to the mainstream, switch the channel for your ufc contract or we’ll just watch other sports. Nobody cares that I just said that but I feel better now.
Hammer Fist - February 20, 2012
I get fuel
Chris Hall - February 20, 2012 via Android app
The point of being on Fuel isn't to help the UFC,
it’s to help FOX. This deal is a two-way street, they put it on Fuel so more people would want it.
Sugel Mendoza - February 20, 2012
Mark those words.
By the end of the seven-year deal, Fuel subscriptions will increase by at least 50%.
McKinley B. Noble - February 20, 2012
I hope they increase
by more than just 18 million
Andy Anderson - February 20, 2012
is this Siyar dude any good ?
never seen him in action.
carmine99 - February 20, 2012
Violent kickboxer. Might have trouble on the ground though.
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
would you say, a potential....
WW contender, or just someone like hardy, middle of the pack ?
carmine99 - February 20, 2012
In a wrestler-heavy division, I’d say middle of the pack.
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
I hear he’s a pretty good prospect. throwing him to the wolves with Thiago a little I think. He don’ mess around
AHutch - February 20, 2012
It's about god damn time that Thiago is the one who is the wolf
Because they purposely try to give him the hardest schedule in the history of the UFC.
Koscheck, Fitch, Volkmann (was supposed to be Thiago Alves), Swick, Kampmann, Sanchez, David Mitchell (was supposed to be Johny Hendricks on an earlier card), Siyar (was supposed to be Mike Pyle).
SSreporters - February 20, 2012
He was originally supposed to meet Erick Silva at another event.
Tim Burke - February 20, 2012
lol, no kidding...
strikers cant catch a break in that div.
carmine99 - February 20, 2012
titty sprinkes =[
Kevin Jennison J. Zametov-St Pierre - February 20, 2012
I hope this leads to Goldberg/Florian and Anik/Rogan pairings…
Shnak - February 21, 2012
About half good there..
Goldberg/Florian has the potential to make me want to core my eardrums out with a spoon. Rogan/Anik on the other hand, has legitimate potential.
Fistbeard - February 21, 2012
Yep, agreed on Rogan/Anik. And honestly, I don’t care who commentates on Fuel/FX cards if it means the PPV/Fox cards get Rogan with anyone not named Goldberg.
Shnak - February 22, 2012
hey i miss that great Thiago/Murica gif from here
:)
szanpan - February 21, 2012
And what about Stann vs. Sakara?
What do you think of that fight?
szanpan - February 21, 2012
Sakara’s gonna get beat up.
Tim Burke - February 21, 2012
Who stole Sivers' picture?!
It’s not lsike it’s his debut… Nice card overal btw!
Vetr - February 21, 2012 via mobile
It wasn’t working for some reason and I was short on time so I had to go with shadowman. : )
Tim Burke - February 21, 2012
Gustafsson by ass woopin in round 2!
yonsson - February 21, 2012
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