Breakdown UFC Fight Night

Breakdown UFC Fight Night

Johnson VS Bader

 

            UFC Fight Night, Johnson VS Bader takes place Jan 30, 2016 at Prudential Center Newark, New Jersey. The action starts at 3:30PM ET with Prelims streaming on UFC Fight Pass. Then Fox Sports One begins airing live prelims at 5PM ET and switch it over to Fox for the main card at 8:00PM.

            The Main Event matches #2 Light Heavyweight Anthony Johnson and #4 LHW Ryan Bader. Thirty-one year old Johnson is 20-5 with 14 Knock Outs to date. He comes fresh from one of those KO wins over Jimi Manuwa (9/5/15). Of Johnson’s five losses, four were by way of Rear Naked Choke Submission. He last fell victim to the hold versus LHW Champ Daniel Cormier at UFC 187 (May 23, 2015) in the third round at 2:39. Prior to the loss “Rumble” racked up a nine fight win streak, with six by KO.  

            Ryan “Darth” Bader is 20-4, with five straight, decision wins (he has 10 in career). In 2015 he earned a Unanimous Decision over Rashad Evans, in October and a Split Decision win over Phil Davis in January. Bader was a three time Pac 10 Champion and two time All American wrestler at Arizona State University. He has yet to finish by RNC, but does have 4 Sub wins. Of Bader’s four losses, two have been by Sub and two by KO. In Sept of 2013, Glover Teixeira TKO’d “Darth” at 2:55 of the first round and in Aug of 2012 Lyoto Machida ended his night at 1:32 of the second. Bader also credits six of his wins to KO.

Two Veteran Heavyweights in the Top 10 Do Battle

          Josh Barnett, the #8 ranked UFC HW takes on the #7 ranked HW, Ben Rothwell to move up the Heavyweight ladder. With over forty Pro MMA fights, Barnett has fought for all the big promotions: Pride, Strikeforce, Dream, K-1, Pancrase and this is sixth fight in the UFC. His first fight dates back to 1/11/1997, before fellow main card competitor, Sage Northcutt celebrated his first birthday. In nearly twenty years “The Warmaster” has faced the sports best, early fighters like Dan Severn and Pedro Rizzo to more current names like Travis Browne and Roy Nelson. The Catch-wrestler’s last fight was a UD win over Nelson at Fight Night 75 (9/26/15). The Thirty-eight year old is 34-7 with 20 Sub wins and 8 by KO.

The 6’4” Rothwell owns a similar record at 35-9, but he has 20 wins by KO and 12 by Sub. He is currently riding a three fight win streak, putting those finishing skills to task: Sub over Matt Mitrione by Guillotine last June (1^st 1:54), first round KO of Alistair Overeem (2:19) 9/5/14, and TKO over Brandon Vera in the third (1:54) in August of 2013. Rothwell’s career began 1/6/01 with a 0:21 TKO.

Jersey Native VS #14 BW

            Ramsey, New Jersey’s own Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera steps into the Octagon for the third time, opposite #14 Bantamweight Iuri Alcantara. Although he owns twelve wins by decision, before earning a SD over Pedro Munhoz 11/7/15, “El Terror” was causing just that, with three consecutive KO wins. In July he stopped Marcus Brimmage in the first 1:29 of the contest at UFC FN 72. Rivera looks to improve his 18-1 record.

Alcantara is 32-6-1 with 13 KO and 12 Sub wins to date. He is four of his last five, the stumble: UD loss to Frankie Saenz (2/22/15). “Marajo” recovered with a UD of his own over Leandro Issa (8/1/15).

“Super” Welterweight?

          Sage Northcutt takes his 7-0 (all stoppages 3 sub 4 KO) record to the Welterweight Division to face late replacement, Bryan Barberena. Northcutt packed six fights into 2015 (2 in UFC). Staying busy in 16, “Super” is back following his Dec 10^th Guillotine Sub over Cody Pfister, to make three fights in four months. All of this before his twentieth birthday, in March.

Barberena is 1-1 in the UFC. He lost his last time out against Chad Laprise by UD (4/25/15). On Dec 13, 2014 he made his UFC debut, KO’ing Joe Ellenberger (3^rd 3:24). The KO was the eighth of his career. His record is 10-3.