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5 things to take away from UFC: Fight Night 100 (Sao Paulo)

No sooner had the dust settled on the monster that was UFC 205, last weekend saw not one, but two UFC Fight Night events take place. Here’s what we can take from Fight Night 100 in São Paulo, Brazil.

It’s time for Bader to have a title shot

With 20 UFC fights under his belt, Ryan Bader is surely on course for a title shot after a dominant 3rd round TKO victory over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Ranked #4 in the 205llbs division, Bader looks destined to face the winner of the UFC 206 showdown between Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson.

Aside from being rocked early in the 1st, Nogueira wasn’t really a threat to Bader and looked visibly spent by the time the 2nd round had finished. Bader looked lively throughout and wore Nogueria down before exploding towards the end of the 3rd. Following another takedown, Bader hit Nogueira with two big body punches followed by a flurry of strikes to the head. This was enough for referee Mario Yamasaki to call a halt to proceedings. Overall, this was a solid performance from Bader, albeit against an aging yet durable Nogueira.

The big question is what’s next for Bader? Could we see him attempt to avenge his first round KO defeat against Rumble Johnson? Or will Bader have to overcome DC? All will become clearer after UFC 206 main event on 10th December.

Gadhela cements her position as #1 contender

How Cláudia Gadhela reacted following another grueling battle with Strawweight champion, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, was always going to be an intriguing watch.

The #1 ranked Brazilian came up against hard-hitting American Cortney Casey, in a fight that had a controversial moment in the 3rd. Gadhela seemingly landed an illegal head kick to a grounded Casey. Whilst there is no denying that Gadhela got carried away with the kick, replays show that contact was minimal or even not existent. Some quarters, namely the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission, claimed that Casey feigned injury. Whether this is true or not, video replays certainly seem to favour this opinion. Overall, Gadhela, whose last 5 fights have gone the distance, was worthy of her unanimous points victory with accurate punches and strong takedowns throughout.

There’s a good reason why people love watching Thomas Almeida

After a soul destroying defeat to Cody Garbrandt, Thomas Almeida was another fighter who needed a morale boosting victory to get things back on track.

Up against Albert Morales, Almeida notched up his 22nd victory in what is now a 22-1 record. With 17 1st round victories to his name, Almeida is synonymous with explosive displays in the octagon. There is no denying that Almeida is an exciting and dangerous fighter and with this TKO win against Morales, you can see why people love watching the Brazilian. Asked who he wanted to fight next, Almeida declared that he doesn’t want to call anyone out but wants to fight a top 10 fighter, followed by a top 5.



Keep an eye on Jotko

In the middleweight clash between #11 ranked Thales Leites and #15 Krzysztof Jotko, it was the impressive Pole who came out on top with a unanimous victory of Leites. With the highest takedown defence percentage amongst active UFC middleweights, Jotko showcased his defensive skills throughout the fight. Although Leites was quite happy to keep things on the canvas, Jotko notched up a 5th consecutive UFC win with relative ease. The thing that stood out during the fight was the speed in which Jotko was able to turn defence into attack, something which will stand him in good stead in his UFC career.

Kamaru Usman calling out Demian Maia

Following his entertaining unanimous points victory over Warlley Alves, unranked Kamaru Usman sent out a message to the rest of the Welterweight division with his 8th successive victory. Usman also sent out a direct message to #3 ranked UFC veteran, Demian Maia. Calling out Maia after his victory, Usman declared that he would put Maia away in the first round, should they meet. You have to admire the confidence of Usman, but calling out the Welterweight submission king that is Maia, is a bold move. Funnier things have happened but this may be a step too soon for Usman.