Newark Still Shoveling Snow

Just Days Before UFC Fight Night

            Newark, NJ and much of the Northeast finds themselves digging out from this weekend’s blizzard. Newark Airport reported an unofficial record snowfall of 28.1 inches, resulting from the Sat-Sun Storm (The National Weather Service will take days to confirm). Power outages, roof collapses and thousands of flight cancellations are just a few of the problems The Blizzard of 16 presented the region.

            Today: Newark Schools remained closed, but LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports are open and with warmer weather (upper 30’s and 40’s) forecasted through Saturday, Fight Night Johnson Vs Bader should not be affected.

 

Velasquez, Then Werdum Pull Out of UFC 196

 

            With no Heavyweight Championship, Super Bowl Weekend event just won’t be the same. Cain Velasquez was forced to withdraw (sighting injury) from his Feb 6 match up with Champion Fabricio Werdum. Stipe Miocic was briefly announced as a late replacement, but Werdum revealed his own injured back as the reason he would be unable to defend the title next Saturday. All of these events took place between Sunday the 24^th and Monday the 25^th.

Johnny Hendricks and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson will likely be moved from co-main to main event. #2 Hendricks comes in 17-3 with 8 KO wins, he is the former WW champ and has gotten back in the win column with a UD over Matt Brown since dropping the strap to Lawler last March. “Bigg Rigg” takes on #8 Thompson. The 11-1 Thompson will enjoy a 6” reach advantage. “Wonderboy” has six KO wins, most recently over Jake Ellenberger in July (1^st 4:29).