Bellator 274 Preview: Gracie Gets The Spotlight
History will be made at Bellator 274. For the first time since it was founded in 2008, the main event will not have a title on the line or be part of a grand prix tournament to determine a champion. Welterweights Neiman Gracie and Logan Storley will be the headliners for this promotion in a card that has some interesting fights. Fellow welterweights Andrey Koreshkov and Mukhamed Berkhamov will also square off, and Georgi Karakhanyan will take on Adam Piccolotti. Neiman Gracie vs. Logan Storley The Gracie Family are royalty in the MMA world. Helio Gracie, Royce Gracie and numerous other Gracies have been heralded for their mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Neiman Gracie comes from the most prestigious pedigree in combat sports. Gracie is looking to make a name for himself, and he is currently ranked No. 4 in the Bellator Welterweight Rankings. Logan Storley might not have the same background as his opponent, but he was extremely impressive as a collegiate wrestler. Storley was a four-time All-American at the University of Minnesota, and he won third place at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in 2014. Considering his wrestling background, you would think that Storley would be a submission expert. However, he has showcased a surprising amount of power and eight of his 12 wins have come by knockout. His other four victories have come by decision, and he has yet to submit an opponent. Storley’s last two bouts could have gone either way, and he lost a split decision at Bellator 252 and won a split decision at Bellator 265. Gracie is a submission specialist. Nine of his 11 victories have come by submission, and he didn’t secure his first knockout until his most recent fight in September. He doesn’t want this fight to go the distance as his only two losses came by decision. Andrey Koreshkov vs. Mukhamed Berkhamov Former Bellator Welterweight World Champion Andrey Koreshkov is looking to climb the ladder and take back the title once again. Koreshkov won the title with a unanimous decision victory over Douglas Lima at Bellator 140, and he successfully defended the title with a unanimous decision win over Benson Henderson nine months later. Unfortunately, he lost the title to Lima in a rematch at Bellator 164, and Koreshkov fell to Lima again at Bellator 206. Mukhamed Berkhamov has yet to lose in his professional career. He is 14-0 coming into this fight with nine of his wins coming by submission. This is just his second fight with Bellator though, and it’s only his third fight since August 2017. That leaves a lot of unknowns coming into this bout. Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Adam Piccolotti We have seen Georgi Karakhanyan win featherweight titles in multiple promotions. Karakhanyan has not been great during his seven years with Bellator though. His record in Bellator is 7-8, and he has been unable to break through in the way that he was hoping after claiming belts in the TPF and WSOF. Adam Piccolotti has had more success in Bellator. He is 8-4 since signing up with Bellator over six years ago, and three of his four losses came by decision. Piccolotti might be close to taking his game to the next level too, as his two most recent defeats came by split decision to former champions Benson Henderson and Sidney Outlaw.
Recap This Weekend’s Bellator 273
For the first time in nearly two months, we had a major Bellator event last weekend. Bellator 273 was the first Bellator promotion since early December and it lived up to the expectations after several weeks of hype. Champion Ryan Bader held on to his Bellator Heavyweight Championship against interim champion Valentin Moldavsky with a unanimous decision victory that was scored 48-47 in favor of Bader by all three judges. That wasn’t the only entertaining fight at Bellator 273 though. Ryan Bader Defends His Bellator Heavyweight Title Against Valentin Moldavsky It had been 28 months since the last time Ryan Bader fought at heavyweight ahead of his title fight against Valentin Moldavsky. Bader originally won the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship at Bellator 180 in June 2017 with a split decision win over Phil Davis and successfully defended the belt at Bellator 186 with a second-round TKO of Linton Vassell. That led to him entering the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix in 2018, and Bader successfully beat Muhammed Lawal, Matt Mitrione, and the legendary Fedor Emelianenko in the span of eight months to win the title. Bader hadn’t fought as a heavyweight since his controversial No Contest against Cheick Kongo in September 2019. After that tussle, he returned his light heavyweight roots and lost to Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson in the span of 14 months to lose his belt and a shot to regain it in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Gand Prix. Those defeats led to most observers picking Moldavsky to get the win, but Bader was able to rock his opponent in the first round and kept the pressure up to the point where he won a narrow unanimous decision. Moldavsky might have done enough to win the fight if it wasn’t for the first-round knockdown. He was able to get the better of Bader on several exchanges, and he looked better in the clinch for long stretches. Immediately after the fight, it was announced that Bader will defend his title against Kongo on May 6 in Paris. Bader did get the better of Kongo throughout the first round of their previous fight, but it was called a No Contest after an inadvertent eye poke. Bader has contended that there was no evidence of an eye poke, and that will be an underlying story in the run-up to this rematch. Benson Henderson Halts His Losing Streak Veteran Benson Henderson had lost three straight matches before finally getting in the win column again with a split decision victory over Islam Mamedov on the undercard. This is Henderson’s fourth fight that was decided by split decision in his last ten bouts, so you can count on him to keep things close against most of his opponents. This was a more stunning result than Bader beating Moldavsky, as Mamedov had not lost a fight in over a dozen years. Mamedov had won 20 consecutive bouts before falling to Henderson on Saturday night. Henderson used his ground game to get Mamedov into uncomfortable positions, and that was enough for the judges to give him the win. Sabah Homasi Secures His First Submission Win in More Than Seven Years Jaleel Willis has now lost two straight fights after starting his Bellator career with back-to-back wins. He will need to work on his ground game, as he was submitted in the first round for the second time in three months. Sabah Homasi is not known for his ground game, and his last submission victory before this fight came in September 2014.
Henderson Unsure Of Future Following Thrilling Win
Benson Henderson scored an impressive win over Islam Mamedov at Bellator 273 this past weekend, surprising a lot of people with how much he had left in the tank. Some are wondering if that’s the last time we’ll see the 38-year-old in mixed martial arts. Complicating matters a little bit is that Henderson revealed that Saturday was the final fight of his Bellator contract. Will Henderson be back? Henderson Going Out On A High Note? For many MMA fighters, they don’t know when it’s the end. We’ve seen a number of them hang on too long and end their careers with a hard-to-watch losing streak. For Henderson, he looked like he was going down the same path with a three-fight losing streak – including a knockout at the hands of Michael Chandler at Bellator 243. However, Henderson redeemed himself with a split decision win over Mamedov on Saturday, ending his 19-fight unbeaten streak. If this was the end, Henderson seemed quite content. “I do know that if this is the last one, this was a great way to go out,” he said after the fight. Henderson En Route To Hall Of Fame? While Henderson’s Bellator career has been uneven – he’s 6-6 – there’s no question that he’s earned the right to have a shot at the Hall of Fame. He went 5-1 in the WEC and 11-3 in the UFC. He has some impressive wins on the resume, including Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar (twice), Clay Guida and Donald Cerrone (twice). He was the WEC and UFC Lightweight Champion was the 2012 Sherdog Fighter of the Year and engaged in a number of battles that earned Fight of the Year honors. In Bellator, he had some good performances but came up short when the Welterweight Belt was on the line. If Henderson wants to come back for more, he’ll be welcomed back by many fans and Bellator will surely find him some competition – especially after how he showed on Saturday. And if that is indeed the last we’ve seen of Smooth, it’s a great way to cap off an illustrious career.
Previewing The NFL’s Championship Sunday
Two teams will punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, January 30, 2022. The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals in the first game, while the Los Angeles Rams will take on division rival San Francisco 49ers in the late game. Kansas City and San Francisco met in the Super Bowl two years ago, and the 49ers would love to get revenge after blowing a 10-point lead in the final seven minutes of the game. San Francisco has history with the other AFC team too, as the 49ers bested the Bengals in the Super Bowl twice in the 1980s. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals We saw Kansas City and Cincinnati square off in Ohio four weeks ago. The Chiefs took an 11-point lead into halftime, but their offense couldn’t move the ball effectively in the second half while the defense couldn’t get off the field. That allowed the Bengals to come from behind and win as the Chiefs had just three points after halftime. However, Patrick Mahomes has looked like an MVP in the playoffs. Mahomes was very good this year, but it felt like something was off during the regular season. He was a little more turnover prone than usual in the first part of the season, but he is back to being the wizard we have come to admire these last four seasons. Mahomes is completing 75.9% of his passes for 782 yards (9.4 YPA) with eight touchdowns and an interception in Kansas City’s two playoff wins. He is also the leading rusher on the team. Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill are going to see a lot of passes from Mahomes, and rookie center Creed Humphrey has helped stabilize the offensive line. There are legitimate concerns about both the ground game and the defense though. Tyrann Mathieu is questionable to play with a concussion, and this secondary was torched by Josh Allen while he was out last weekend. Cincinnati is in the middle of its best season in more than three decades. The Bengals snapped a 30-plus year drought with their win over Las Vegas in the Wild Card Round, and they won their first playoff road game last week against Tennessee. They were rather fortunate in that affair though, and it will be much tougher to beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. Joe Burrow has proven to be the real deal though. Burrow is completing 73.2% of his passes for 592 yards (8.3 YPA) with two touchdowns and an interception this postseason. His numbers aren’t as gaudy as those of Mahomes, but he is behind a much worse offensive line. Burrow was sacked nine times in the win over the Titans. Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers The Los Angeles Rams have not been able to beat the San Francisco 49ers since 2018. The Niners have won six straight games against the Rams, and they beat their NFC West rival in the season finale to make it to the playoffs. Many observers are calling for the 49ers to pull off the upset too. The Rams won’t have much of a home field advantage as thousands of San Francisco fans are already in southern California or are expected to make the trek down I-5. Additionally, the Niners defense is playing very well and Nick Bosa and Fred Warner both looked like they hadn’t missed a step despite playing with injuries against Green Bay. The big question for San Francisco is Jimmy Garoppolo. He is easily the least impressive quarterback left in the postseason, as he has thrown for just 303 yards and has yet to throw a touchdown pass. Garoppolo has thrown two interceptions, and he is struggling despite having two very talented players in Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. There is more starpower on the Rams. Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey are two of the best defensive players in the league, and Donald wreaked havoc in last week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This front seven should be able to stop San Francisco’s run game and make Jimmy G beat them through the air. Matt Stafford is having a great postseason, but the lack of a strong ground game continues to hurt this offense. Cam Akers is averaging just 2.5 YPC after returning from injury, and that leads to Stafford relying on Cooper Kupp in the passing game.
UFC 270 Preview: Who’ll Be Heavyweight Champ?
The first UFC PPV event of the new year will be a doozy. Francis Ngannou will defend his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Although Ngannou is the current champion, there are many that think he will lose to the unbeaten Gane as he has been awfully impressive over the course of his short career. That’s the fight that everyone is circling, but Brandon Moreno will also be defending his flyweight title against former champion Deiveson Figueiredo in southern California. UFC 270 will take place on Saturday, January 22, 2022, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The prelims will get underway at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN Plus, and the main event will start at 10 p.m. ET. Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane In the lead up to this fight, there has been a lot of back-and-forth between Francis Ngannou and Dana White. Ngannou has repeatedly criticized White for underpaying him and other UFC fighters, and he has openly talked about transitioning to boxing to take on current heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The current champion is in an interesting position right now. Ngannou is in the last fight of his current contract, and a loss would mean that he would be free to pursue other ventures. However, a win over Ciryl Gane would activate the champion’s clause, and he would be tied to the UFC for either another three fights or a calendar year. That means it could be in his best financial interests to lose to Gane on Saturday night. Ngannou is the most intimidating heavyweight we have seen in some time. He has won five straight fights, and he finished four of his opponents inside of 75 seconds. Ngannou won Performance of the Night bonuses for his wins over Curtis Blaydes, Junior dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and he claimed the bonus and the UFC Heavyweight Championship against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 last March. Gane has been more methodical than Ngannou, but he has been very intimidating too since joining the UFC in August 2019. He has won seven fights in less than 30 months with the promotion, and he has shown he can go the distance. Gane has two knockouts, two submissions, and three unanimous decision wins in those victories. Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo For the third time in the last 13 months, Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo will square off for the UFC Flyweight Championship. The first fight between these competitors at UFC 256 ended in a majority draw after Figueiredo lost a point in the third round due to repeated low blows. The second fight saw Moreno submit Figueriedo in the third round, claiming the title for the first time with the win. This is expected to be the third and final fight between the fighters, and its winner take all at this point. Said Nurmagomedov vs. Cody Stamann Casual MMA fans will raise an eyebrow when they see the name Nurmagomedov, but Said Nurmagomedov is not related to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Both fighters are from the Dagestan region of Russia, yet they are not brothers or even cousins like some have claimed over the years. Said Nurmagomedov has made a name in his own right as an MMA fighter. He is 14-2 in his professional career with his only two losses coming by decision. Cody Stamann figures to be a fierce opponent although Stamann has lost his last two fights.
2022 Women’s Australian Open Preview
The playing field in women’s tennis has been more level over the last several years than it has been in decades. Fifteen women have teamed up to win the last 24 majors, and the only two women with more than two major wins in that stretch are Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka. That means the 2022 Australian Open is far more open on the women’s wide than the men’s side, as there are several women that could claim this major in Melbourne. The Favorite Ashleigh Barty is the top seed entering the 2022 Australian Open. Barty has never won the Australian Open, but she did reach the semifinals of this tournament in 2020. The winner of the 2019 French Open and the most recent Wimbledon. She has been the No. 1 ranked player in women’s tennis since September 2019, and she has won 14 singles titles in her career. Barty has won 11 of those titles over the last three years, so it won’t be easy to take her down despite her lack of success at the Australian Open. Top Contenders Incredibly, Naomi Osaka might not make the quarterfinals. After taking off much of last year, she was given the No. 13 seed for this tournament, placing her in the same section of the bracket as Barty. However, Osaka certainly can’t be discounted given her track record on hard court. She has been the most successful women’s tennis player since 2018, winning four majors in that span. Osaka won the US Open in 2018 and 2020, and she claimed the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. Garbine Muguruza was the only opponent to take Osaka to a third set last year, as she took down her other six foes in straight sets. Although she has only won one major, Iga Swiatek is someone to be feared. The 20-year-old has shown a lot of promise, and Swiatek will be the No. 7 seed in this event. Swiatek won the 2020 French Open, and she has won three singles titles in her short professional career. However, Swiatek has not made it past the fourth round in any other Grand Slam event other than the French Open. Longshots to Watch Garbine Muguruza is the No. 3 seed at the Australian Open, but she hasn’t been getting a lot of respect. Muguruza has 10 career WTA titles, and she won the 2016 French Open and the 2017 Wimbledon. It’s been five years since she won a major, but she made it to the finals of the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open. The 28-year-old is coached by the great Conchita Martinez, but she has only made it past the quarterfinals of this competition once since her debut in 2013. No one is giving reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu much of a chance either. Raducanu made history by becoming the first qualifier to win a major in the Open Era last year, and she only dropped 15 games in her first four matches. The teenager received a dream bracket, but she made the most of it by not dropping a single set on her way to the title. Raducanu is making her Australian Open debut, and she has been given the No. 17 seed.
2022 Men’s Australian Open Preview
The first major of the tennis season will take place Down Under starting on January 17, 2022. The 2022 Australian Open could be more wide open than we have seen it in years if defending champion Novak Djokovic doesn’t play. Djokovic has won the Australian Open nine times since 2008, making him the first successful player in the tournament’s history by a substantial margin. The Novak Djokovic Situation Novak Djokovic’s status has yet to be determined for the Australian Open. Djokovic was granted a medical exemption to participate in the tournament last week although he doesn’t have the COVID vaccine. That decision met with a fierce backlash from the Australian populace, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Djokovic’s visa had been revoked on Wednesday. Djokovic is currently stuck inside a hotel in Melbourne, and it seems the situation is at an impasse at this moment. He would be the clear favorite if he were able to take part in the event, but that doesn’t seem likely at this time. Contenders Besides Djokovic Last year’s Australian Open runner-up would be the presumed favorite to win the first major of 2022 if Djokovic is unable to participate in this event. Daniil Medvedev had his best season yet in 2021, making it to the finals of the Australian Open and quarterfinals at Roland Garros before winning his first major at the US Open. Medvedev beat Djokovic in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, overcoming the straight set loss he was handed by Djokovic in Melbourne last year. He also made the ATP World Tour Finals in November, so the 25-year-old is playing at a high level. Alexander Zverev has to win a major, but he is close to breaking through. Zverev has made the semifinals of the 2020 Australian Open, 2021 French Open, 2021 US Open, and the finals of the 2020 US Open. He beat Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov on his way to winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year, and he has won 13 titles on hard court over the course of his career. Other Players to Watch Rafael Nadal is no longer the force of nature he once was in the tennis world. Nadal is the greatest clay court player in the history of tennis by a wide margin with 13 French Open titles, but his lone Australian Open title came all the way back in 2009. He has made the finals of the Australian Open four times since his one triumph here, but he was bested by Djokovic (twice), Roger Federer, and Stan Wawrinka. Nadal has lost in the quarterfinals to Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last two years. Speaking of Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 23-year-old from Greece has yet to break through and win a major either. Tsitsipas is currently ranked in the top five in the world, and he made the semifinals of the 2021 Australian Open and finals of the 2021 French Open. He had a poor end to the season though, failing to make it out of the Round of 16 in his last three tournaments in 2021.
2021-22 NFL MVP Race
This season’s NFL MVP race has been wild. We have seen frontrunners come and go over the course of the year, and there has yet to be a consensus build behind one player. No quarterback has been significantly better than any of his counterparts, and that’s left a lot to be decided since a quarterback has won this award in each of the last eight seasons. The Current Frontrunner Three-time NFL MVP winner Aaron Rodgers is currently the most likely MVP choice. There has been a groundswell of support for Rodgers since the Green Bay Packers have the best record in the league, and one of the maxims for voters is to go with the quarterback of the best team when in doubt. However, Rodgers’ overall numbers aren’t great, and he ranks 10th in passing yards. A loss in either of Green Bay’s final two games would probably be a deathblow to his candidacy, and there is likely to be a push for another winner considering Rodgers won the award last year. Strong Contenders Tom Brady will go down as the greatest quarterback of all-time. However, Brady has only been named NFL MVP three times, and that puts him two behind Peyton Manning in that department. The NFL’s all-time passing leader has had another stellar season at 44, and Brady currently leads the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He will also get a boost if Tampa Bay blows out its last two opponents as his top two receivers are out. A running back hasn’t been named MVP since Adrian Peterson won the honor after rushing for over 2,000 yards while averaging 6.0 YPC in 2012. However, Jonathan Taylor has a pretty good chance to be named MVP. Taylor has been far and away the best running back in the league this season, rushing for over 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 5.5 YPC for the suddenly surging Indianapolis Colts. The second-year running back can put on a show these next two weeks, but Derrick Henry ran for over 2,000 yards and didn’t receive a single vote for MVP last year. Longshots to Watch The most intriguing MVP candidate out there is Cooper Kupp. Matthew Stafford’s MVP chances have gone by the wayside after throwing three interceptions last week against Minnesota, but Kupp has a chance to become the first receiver to finish the season with more than 2,000 yards. Kupp currently has 132 receptions for 1,734 yards and 14 touchdowns, so the single-season receptions record is within reach too. However, a wide receiver has never been named NFL MVP so Kupp will have to overcome history. Patrick Mahomes has come out of left field to become a potential MVP choice too. Mahomes was the presumed favorite at the start of the season, but he was less than sharp as the Kansas City Chiefs started the year 3-4. The Chiefs have won eight straight games since that point to become the frontrunner in the AFC for the third straight year, but he has only had a handful of sensational games. Still, Mahomes has the potential to leave our mouths agape any time he steps on the field.
Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley II Picks and Predictions
For the second time in four months, Jake Paul will square off with Tyron Woodley in the ring. Paul won a split decision victory over Woodley in late August, and he will face the former UFC Welterweight Champion once more after Tommy Fury had to back out of their bout two weeks ago. Woodley is hoping to take it to Paul from the outset in the rematch and leave no doubt that he is a better boxer than the social media personality. The second meeting between Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley will not be in Paul’s backyard like the first showdown. Paul vs. Woodley II will take place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, December 18, 2021. These two fighters will headline a Showtime PPV card that will get underway starting at 9 p.m. ET. Deron Williams will also take on Frank Gore in a four-round fight between retired sports stars. Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley II Preview Although you might hate him and his antics, Jake Paul has to be respected for what we have seen from him in the ring. What was initially labeled a sideshow act has proven to be inaccurate, as Paul has shown some innate boxing skills that we haven’t seen from other celebrities that have gone down this route. Paul made quick work of his first three opponents after becoming a professional boxer in January 2020. He scored a first-round TKO of AnEsonGib, and he really made a name for himself by flowing Nate Robinson last November. His first-round TKO of Ben Askren was impressive too although Askren was not known as much of a striker during his time in the UFC. The first fight between Paul and Tyron Woodley was by far Paul’s toughest test to date. Although Woodley gives up a lot in size at 5’9 with a 74-inch reach compared to Paul being 6’1 with a 76-inch reach, he was able to last the full eight rounds. Woodley was able to land one big shot on Paul in the first bout, but Paul landed more punches than his opponent and controlled most of the fight. A rematch with Woodley is potentially dangerous for Paul. Woodley is one of the greatest champions in UFC history. He won the UFC Welterweight Championship with a first-round knockout of Robbie Lawler in July 2016, and he defended the title for nearly three years before losing the belt to current champion Kamaru Usman. Woodley lost his last four fights in the UFC and moved to boxing after his contract with the promotion ran out. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with Woodley in this fight. He wasn’t a stand and trade fighter in the UFC due to his wrestling background, but he showed that he could hold his own against the bigger Paul the first time. Size is going to be an issue though, as this fight will be fought at 192 pounds, and Woodley fought at 170 pounds throughout his career as an MMA fighter.