The UFC had a big week kicking off their partnership with ESPN+ at Fight Night 143: Cejudo vs Dillashaw. This week, the UFC is absent from the lineup, but three big events, and a few smaller ones, will more than fill in the void.

First up, Thursday, January 24: Karate Combat in Hollywood California. The event will be held at the Avalon, formerly known as the Hollywood Palace. Fans can watch for free on Karate.com starting at 10 EST. Main events on the card:

Main Event: Luiz Rocha (Brazil) vs. Myrza Tebuev (Russia)

Co-Main Event: Jerome Brown (UK) vs. Abdalla Ibrahim (U.S.A.)

For a full story, go here: Karate Combat

Friday January 25: ONE Championship – Hero’s Ascent in the Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philipines. This event is loaded with great fights, continuing the 2018 Super Series Grand Prix for Kick-boxers and Muay Thai fighters adding the Featherweight Grand Prix this year. Headlining it all is the Championship Bout for the Flyweight World Championship.

Card highlights:

Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio (Champion) vs Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes for Flyweight World Championship

This fight is a rubber match between the two. Moraes winning the first fight via submission, and Eustaquio winning the second via decision.

Honorio Banario vs Lowen Tynanes- Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal

Kahdi Khaled vs Rodtang Jitmuangnoa- Super Series Muay Thai- Flyweight

Josh Tanna vs Hiroki Akimoto- Super Series Kickboxing Flyweight

Brown Pinas vs Bandpleenoi Petchyindee Academy – Super Series Muay Thai Featherweight

Elias Mahmoudi vs Yukinori Ogasawara- Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight

Mohammed Bin Mahmoud vs Hiroaki Suzuki- Super Series Muay Thai Bantam

Saturday January 26: Bellator 214- Fedor vs Bader at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Fights can be watched on the Paramount Network or DAZN.

Last year, Frank Mir, King Mo Lawal, Chael Sonnen, Matt Mitrione, Roy Nelson, Fedor Emilianenko, Rampage Jackson and Ryan Bader began their quest for the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Championship. This group certainly isn’t at the top of their game, but it does include some fan favorites and quite possibly the best fighter on the planet while Fedor was in his prime.

Finally, we are down to two: Fedor Emilanenko (38-5, 1 NC) and Ryan Bader (26-5). While both fighters are not necessarily at the top of their game, this is a very intriguing matchup- both have punching power and both can scrap on the ground. I would not want to bet on this one.

The rest of the main card:

145 lbs.: Aaron Pico (4-1) vs. Henry Corrales (16-3)

265 lbs.: Jake Hager (0-0) vs. J.W. Kiser (1-1)

135 lbs.: Juan Archuleta (21-1) vs. Ricky Bandejas (11-1)

145 lbs.: Brandon McMahan (5-6) vs. Adel Altamimi (7-5)

Extra Events this week:

Friday January 25: Legacy Fighting Alliance 58 at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Jaleel Willis (8-1-0) vs Harvey Park (10-2-0)

Abel Cullum (13-6-0) vs Damacio Page (15-11-0)

David Sanchez (10-5-0) vs Demetrius Wilson (6-2-0)

Fernando Padilla (7-4-0) vs Donald Sanchez (24-17-0)

Vince Fricilone (8-1-0) vs Luiz Antonio Lobo Gavinho (6-4-0)

Friday January 25: Three smaller cards:

Combat Quest 3 in Tampa, Florida

Pure FC 12 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Titan FC 52 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Key match: Jason Soares (11-0) vs Caio Rocha (6-1-0)



Highlights from last week:

Top story: Henry Cejudo shocked the world in beating TJ Dillashaw by TKO in the first round. Dillashaw is creating a narrative that it was an early stoppage and thus the bout was stolen from him. Facts, though, show that he underestimated Cejudo and was caught early multiple times. The ref did an outstanding job protecting the fighter, in this case Dillashaw. It’s time to admit that Cejudo was the better fighter this night. TJ will get his opportunity to prove himself.

Runner Up: Lesson Learned

The lesson that young Alexander “The Great” Hernandez learned was “don’t poke the bear!” He is clearly an up and coming contender. However, in the pre-fight conference, he did not need to trash-talk Donald Cowboy Cerrone. Rather than playing head games with Cerrone, he simply pissed him off. Cerrone was focused and determined to finish the young fighter, and that he did by TKO in the second round.

It seems some fighters now think that trash talking equals big fights and, thus, big money. Conor is on a level that most fighters will never attain. Instead of trash talking and trying to be clever, get in there and do the work in the ring and be open to stepping up on short notice when asked. Trash talking didn’t work for Hernandez this night and it has not gotten Colby Covington the fights that he desires- he has come off as controversial and certainly made no friends with Dana White. There is an art to it.

Conor is on the level of Picasso while these youngsters are drawing Tippy Turtle for the local newspaper.

See you next week for a round up and future events.

I am a 1993 graduate from Indiana University. I have been a teacher, athletic director and assistant principal for the past 20 years. I write for Sports Media Pass and Break the Fourth covering the Indiana Hoosiers, MMA, Music and Comics.