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12:40 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Well, that turned on a dime in a hurry.
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Chad Mendes could've sat in guard and ended the second round that way. Maybe he would've made it the final 15 minutes despite how clearly fatigued he was, maybe not. But, it just goes to show how quick MMA can turn on a dime.
The official time is 4:57 of the second round and Zuffa just saved
their $45 million proposition to end the “Event of the Year”
without question. Get healthy, Jose Aldo.
12:31 a.m. ET Mike Sloan: More exciting opening round than I expected. I don't like the way McGregor allowed Mendes to hit him so many times. That could backfire big time.
12:31 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Incredible opening round from Mendes and McGregor, surprise surprise. Mendes got him with a couple of takedowns and landed the harder, cleaner punches. However, the Irishman is absorbing Mendes' hard punches, grinning at him and pressuring. Mendes is breathing hard and may legitimately have a broken rib from McGregor's body attack.
12:19 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: And now Aaron Lewis of Staind fame is singing Chad Mendes out as Irish fans sing over him. That may sound absurd, but the UFC has never nailed “big fight atmosphere” like this before. Although the “Face the Pain” remix was a misstep, the new production elements have added immeasurably.
12:14 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: The lights are out and Sinead O'Connor is literally singing “Foggy Dew” at MGM Grand. Ladies and gentlemen, the Conor McGregor show continues. For how long and in what fashion will be determined imminently by the man himself and Chad Mendes.
12:06 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Ladies and gentlemen, “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler is still your UFC welterweight champion.
This fight was positively gruelling, with both fighters sporting mutilated, blood-soaked faces. MacDonald started hot in the fourth with Lawler still hurt, but the champion took the round over throughout the last three minutes. Lawler has started blocking MacDonald's right head kick and landing clean lefts. I had it tied 38-38 on my card, but it could've easily been 39-37 MacDonald. Everything was in the balance.
Then, Lawler landed one crisp, clean left cross to MacDonald's already-shattered nose. The Canadian grabbed his nose, then covered his face and crumbled to the mat in a heap, springing “Big” John McCarthy into action. This might be the “Fight of the Year” and “Knockout of the Year,” helping this card easily to “Event of the Year” status before our main event. Seriously, Lawler-MacDonald 2 was a classic, and its unfolding and concluson couldn't be more fitting for Lawler. MacDonald finally breaking and quitting due to the attrition of Lawler is a symbol of this fight and the fighter himself.
11:53 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I was getting all prepared to tell you about how MacDonald's face is even more smashed and bloodied and Lawler is assuming control of the fight. Then, with less than a minute to go in the round, Rory MacDonald landed a right roundhouse kick upstairs that wobbled Lawler back to the fence, where he unloaded with punches and elbows. Lawler bit down on the mouthguard and swung back, but staggered back to his corner. MacDonald's nose is smashed sideways and clearly broken. It's championship rounds time.
11:46 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: After a slow seven minutes to start, both welterweights brought it over the last three minutes of the second round. MacDonald is shooting his right cross harder but Lawler is scoring with all kinds of left hands behind feints. MacDonald's eyes are both swollen and his nose is busted and bloody. The champ is on the board and more importantly, he's forcing MacDonald to abandon jabs and open up with swinging punches. It's 19-19 and we've got a real title fight on our hands now.
11:40 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: As expected, a tense and competitive opening frame but if you're a Rory MacDonald backer, you should feel decent at least. Lawler is doing what Robbie Lawler does, but MacDonald is showing leg kicks and especially body kicks, which are how he had his best success in their first encounter. Even though I have it 10-9 MacDonald, Lawler is patiently feeling his foe out the way that he wants. MacDonald is the fighter who beforehand you had to question, “Well, what exactly is he going to do?” Now we know. For now.
11:25 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Robbie Lawler, facing a man he beat less than two years ago and having won the UFC welterweight championship since, enters his first title defense as a +130 underdog to Rory MacDonald. Unlike McGregor-Mendes later, where the first five minutes could give us real insight into the kind of clash we'll be seeing, this is a fight likely built for the long haul. Lawler vowed to knock MacDonald out, but the Canadian is a patient worker in the cage and Lawler, in spite of his beaucoup power, is a methodical counterpuncher who likes to break his opponents down and overwhelm them. Even if we don't get balls-to-the-wall action here, I'm intrigued by the little technical engagements and adjustments over the course of this fight.
Lawler's homie Matt Hughes famously quipped that you're not a champion until you defend your title, so this is Lawler's chance to consummate it. If MacDonald wins, he takes the throne that was symbolically left for him by Georges St. Pierre and would be the third Canadian UFC champion, all at 170 pounds.
11:14 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: Damn, that was a hell of a fight. What a sensationally brutal finish for Lil Heathen. This one will be a candidate for Fight of the Year and will easily be the best of UFC 189.
11:13 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Hot damn, we're rolling now with an “Event of the Year” sort of vibe.
After 10 minutes of back-and-forth blood and brutality, Jeremy Stephens seized the moment early in round three, landing a beautiful Hayato Sakurai-style jump knee with crushing impact as Bermudez charged him again. The official time is 32 seconds of the final round. It's almost a miracle as Stephens clipped him and partially dropped him in round one, then dropped him twice in round two, including a brutal uppercut that almost had him done there.
Considering Stephens overcoming adversity, the overall violence and the beautiful finish, this would be A+ stuff if Stephens didn't blow weight by four pounds. Oh well, we've now got the table set in a major way for two beautiful title fights.
10:52 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Well, it's almost like the UFC know that a huge portion of this crowd is hellaciously drunk, so we're keeping it moving. Featherweights Dennis Bermudez and Jeremy Stephens are due up now and Bermudez is already into a bit of extra money courtesy of his opponent, as Stephens came in at 149.5 yesterday. Both fighters are coming off of losses and with featherweight as hot as it is, two in a row for Bermudez and especially three in a row for Stephens, would be a serious setback.
10:45 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Gunnar Nelson turns in the best performance of his career all things considered. One, he came out aggressive. Two, he dropped Thatch hard with a beautiful left hook-right cross combo. Three, he transitioned into beautiful back control, sunk the choke with one arm, then finished it instantly with a powerful squeeze. The whole show takes 2:54. Just awesome stuff from Nelson and very redeeming after his hard-to-stomach performance against Story.
10:33 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: More fun prospects as we head to 170 pounds with Gunnar Nelson and Brandon Thatch both coming off of tough setbacks. In February, Thatch took on former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson on short notice and got choked out, while Nelson turned in a lethargic performance and got his face punched in by Rick Story over five rounds in Stockholm last October. Both guys are unique offensive fighters fighting to keep their stock high. Thatch wants to make it a dogfight, Nelson wants a chill jiu-jitsu match before he grabs the back and gets a choke.
I am pretty surprised that Nelson is +150 in some places still, and that's with money coming in on him the last few days. Thatch's aggression can help Nelson's average takedown game and on the floor, Nelson is lightyears ahead, plus he showed a great chin against Story, despite how hittable he was. Even though Thatch is a body-head banger with major power, I'd probably flip those odds.
10:27 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: For three minutes, Almeida was getting killed by Pickett's boxing. Pickett's left hook was killing the Brazilian and he dropped the unbeaten Almeida twice, but Almeida, wearing the crimson mask, battled back in the last two minutes with an array of kicks, spinning elbows and knees. Round one was a hell of a round, and one of the year's best, but Pickett was really pushing him.
Then, wham, Almeida launches a brilliant flying switch knee, faking Pickett out in a midair and knocking him out cold. Pickett did the Nestea plunge onto his back and woke up when he his skull bounced off of the canvas, his body stiff as a board. “Round of the Year” candidate (albeit anything will lose to Arlovski-Browne at this point) and a “Knockout of the Year” contender too. Almeida's defense needs work, but this kid is a real dynamo.
10:10 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Main card time, finally. At 135 pounds, we've got the most lopsided numbers on the card, as 36-year-old Brad Pickett takes on 23-year-old Thomas Almeida. Pickett is a +600 underdog for a reason: Almeida has the goods, including a reach advantage and most tangible striking advantages, while Pickett is slowing down. At his best, Pickett could flurry off punches, then use his real bread and butter, top position grappling, to excel. Taking down Almeida, a diverse sniper who can crush the head, legs and body, should prove difficult here. This is about Almeida getting cage time with a well-rounded, savvy veteran.
10:05 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: The UFC ran a new package to open the pay-per-view up. Visually, it was much cleaner and sharper. On the audio tip? Well, it had some kind of bizarre industrial-EDM remix of “Face the Pain” by Stemm which is already drawing tear-laden reviews. I suppose it's probably here to stay, since the original mix of “Face the Pain” lasted from mid-2003.
9:39 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: And so after some stale prelim action, Fox Sports 1's portion of proceedings ends with exactly the kind of fight you want to end the pre-PPV cable barker section of your broadcast, as welterweight badasses and generally scary men Matt Brown and Tim Means do battle at 170 pounds, with emphasis on “battle.” You ask any serious MMA folk about the roughest, toughest, most violent men in the sport, and Matt Brown is instantly off the tip of their tongue. Means is an even bigger version of Brown, albeit with less pressure and volume. Brown clinically died of a heroin overdose and Means is a reformed meth addict who got shot and went to prison. This is hard man stuff.
9:33 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: 30-27 Garcia in a fight that was ... not good. In fact, these prelims have been brutal aside from Smolka-Seery. Garcia is so thickly muscled that he fights ultra-conservatively and unlike his distant twin Hector Lombard, he doesn't have major punching power. Swick looked like a faded force. The highlight of the fight was Garcia laying in full mount for the last 90 seconds of the fight until Swick bucked him.
Alex Garcia takes a unanimous decision with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 scorecards. The less we say about this, the better.
9:21 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Heads up, MMA justice crusaders:
Guilty that atrocious Pendred/Howard score
is none other than Tony Weeks. Tony is not judging either title
fight. pic.twitter.com/NBH0BZmWDl
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July
12, 2015
9:09 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: For the first time in two and a half years, Mike Swick is back in action, taking on Tristar MMA up-and-comer Alex Garcia at 170 pounds. Swick's last action came in December 2012, when Matt Brown massacred him on network television. Garcia's lone loss in the UFC is his last outing, to streaking Neil Magny, who I thought Garcia actually beat.
As heartwarming as it would be for the 36-year-old Swick to score a dramatic win, maybe even with a trademark quick knockout, it doesn't seem like it's the in cards. I'll be surprised if Garcia doesn't send Swick back to Thailand with a serious headache.
9:02 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Every judge should have this 30-27 for John Howard, then again, I thought that when Sean Spencer got jobbed against Pendred. Pendred is just so stiff and slow in the cage; even though Howard kept going for insane, wasteful takedowns and clinching, he still let off his hands a half dozen times and raked Pendred with every shot. Pendred couldn't check a leg kick. It was rough stuff.
Your scores are 29-28 Howard, 29-28 Pendred (pardon me?) and 29-28 for the winner by split decision... thank the heavens, it's not Cathal Pendred. John “Doomsday” Howard wins the split and sanity prevails. I can't wait to find out who the 29-28 Pendred judge is. Wow.
9:00 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: "Doomsday" should get the nod but then again the fight was so lousy that I honestly wasn't even scoring it because I was the furthest thing from enthralled with it. Does it really matter who wins? It's not like the fans will be clamoring to see either guy the next time out. Let's face it: the fight stunk.
8:55 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: John Howard is fighting Cathal Pendred and his worst instincts. Howard should be up 20-18, but who knows with Pendred and judges? “Doomsday” is still obsessed and shooting for single-leg takedowns, even though every time he lets his hands go, he's landing four-plus punches on the stationary Pendred, and almost knocking him over with leg kicks.
Pendred is tough as nails and a real brute, but there's no nice way to say it: he is horrifically slow and anyone with hand speed at 170 (or 185) is going to make him target practice.
8:55 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: John Howard is fighting Cathal Pendred and his worst instincts. Howard should be up 20-18, but who knows with Pendred and judges? “Doomsday” is still obsessed and shooting for single-leg takedowns, even though every time he lets his hands go, he's landing four-plus punches on the stationary Pendred, and almost knocking him over with leg kicks.
Pendred is tough as nails and a real brute, but there's no nice way to say it: he is horrifically slow and anyone with hand speed at 170 (or 185) is going to make him target practice.
8:40 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Whether it is or isn't, it's very likely doomsday for our entertainment for the next 15 minutes.
8:38 p.m. ET Jeff Sherwood: I think today might be "Doomsday" for Cathal Pendred's undefeated UFC record.
8:37 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Cathal Pendred should probably be 2-2 in his UFC run so far. Nonetheless, Conor McGregor's big, bruising teammate heads into the Octagon looking to go 5-0 in the promotion, taking on veteran John Howard. Pendred was far more consummate in victory last time out against Mexico's Augusto Montano, who ran away from him for 15 minutes four weeks ago at UFC 188. Howard is much more likely to engage Pendred in the gritty clinch battle he prefers, for better or for worse.
8:34 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: Actually, yes a few times I did doze off. Cody's hair is pretty rad, though. Okay, maybe THAT stood out. That and his Cody's Apple tat.
8:33 p.m. ET Jeff Sherwood: Sloan "Could go either way"? Did you fall asleep during that fight? "Absolutely nothing stands out from this fight" How about Garbrandt's hair?
8:32 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Not a thrilling performance, but a consummate domination by Cody Garbrandt, who showed much more restraint and patience and got some likely valuable cage time. However, Briones' chin and toughness had a lot to do with how long this fight went, as “No Love” clobbered him with a right hook and a ground-and-pound assault in round two, then kept the punishment up for seven or eight more minutes. Many other fighters would've quit.
Still, Garbrandt looks uneasy with relaxing and being patient in the cage. He was at his best here when he opened up like a house on fire, dropping the Mexican thusly and ending the fight with a wild chaingun assault of punches after the 10-second clapper went. More of that seems to suit Garbrandt.
My score is 30-27 Garbrandt, and so are the scores of all three official judges who give the 24-year-old the unanimous decision win.
8:28 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: Decent fight with a tense finish. Could go either way but I think Garbrandt should get the nod. Absolutely nothing stands out from this fight, though. Next...
8:05 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Prelims getting started on Fox Sports 1 now, as Team Alpha Male product Cody Garbrandt meets Mexican bantamweight Henry Briones. Garbrandt is good wrestler and hellacious puncher, plus getting TMZ headlines now for dating UFC poster girl hopeful Paige van Zant. They could form a serious MMA power couple one day, as Garbrandt really is a blue-chip prospect if he can stop getting stabbed in drunken brawls and expand his game in the classic Team Alpha Male dimensions.
7:55 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: Excellent fight. Both of these dudes let everything fly and couldn't have fought harder. My score is 29-28 Smolka. Wouldn't mind seeing a rematch at some point, to be honest.
7:56 p.m. ET Jeff Sherwood: What a fun fight between Smolka and Seery. Crazy fun scrambles and strikes from the bottom. Awesome stuff!
7:56 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Well, I thought that fight would be fun because of the complimentary striking styles, but Smolka was intent on flexing his evolving wrestling and grappling, resulting in a very entertaining 15 minutes of transitions and chain grappling. However, Smolka was one step ahead the whole time, hitting an array of takedowns including a fireman's carry from his knees, and racking up tons of submission attempts. The third round was Seery just defending rear-naked and arm-triangle chokes. The Hawaiian fought like he just figured out all the moves in a fighting video game and was excited to dust his friends with them.
It's 30-26 Smolka with a 10-8 third round for me, but all three judges have it 30-27 for the 23-year-old Hawaiian, who continues to improve, all while being entertaining as hell in the cage.
7:42 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: No gripes here. Smolka-Seery went all out in the first. Terrific opening round.
7:31 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: The Fight Pass portion of the card winds down with a fantastic flyweight pairing between 23-year-old Hawaiian Louis Smolka and 35-year-old Neil Seery. The striking styles should be complimentary and make for a very fun contest here, plus the first Irish appearance on the card. Neil Seery has a certain tough dad charm.
7:30 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: Nice comeback win for Pfister. Too bad he won't be able to walk for several days thanks to those nasty leg kicks. Well, at least he can use those motorized scooters in Walmart without feeling like those lazy slobs who simply refuse to walk.
7:29 p.m. ET Jeff Sherwood: That's why wrassling rules! Was that a sneak peek into the main event?
7:29 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's 29-28 Pfister on my card. He was eating hard low kicks in the first round, but Cedeno's shocking lack of fight smarts reared their head in the last 10 minutes, leading to him giving up basic takedowns and getting beat up on bottom. Great athlete with some fun kicking, but even in a diluted UFC environment, 155 pounds is still no place for the profoundly flawed.
Pfister takes the unanimous decision with 29-28's all around. At least no judges failed that easy test.
7:21 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: Pfister listened and he likely won the second round. He scored a few takedowns, did some damage and frustrated the Pink Panther. It’s hard to destroy someone’s legs with kicks when you’re on your back.
7:14 p.m. ET Mike Sloan: Pfister couldn’t have asked for better advice between rounds one and two. He was instructed to close the gap, throw combos and shoot for the takedown. Basically, the exact opposite of what he did in the first. Let’s see if he listens.
7:07 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: We crack the curtain with a lightweight bout not necessarily befitting a card of this stature, but alas, it's 2015. Cody Pfister tries to overcome a dreadful UFC debut in February where he was destroyed by James Moontasri, taking on Miami-based Cuban Yosdenis Cedeno, who has a penchant for karate and sunglasses indoors. The winner likely takes a pink slip.
7:04 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Conor McGregor-Chad Mendes probably represents the greatest disparity in potential outcomes ever for a bout in the UFC. As I wrote about this week for the site, outside of Mendes, his team and ardent McGregor haters, there's no one in this world rooting for Mendes. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported Zuffa's internal estimate that a McGregor loss could cost them $45 million, plus, they're stuck in a rut with Mendes winning an interim title and having lost to Aldo already.
The McGregor impact is real so far. I find it hard to believe they still do anywhere near 1 million pay-per-view buys, but even with Aldo out, web traffic is strong and the median StubHub price for a UFC 189 ticket today was $400. Current get-in price is now around $650. The UFC is standing in front of two doors, each of which holds a vastly different path into a brave new 145-pound future.
6:50 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: As much as I'd love to say “The wait is over!” in a dramatic Mike Goldberg voice, I can't. Nonetheless, here we are: it's UFC 189, the biggest MMA event of the year and two titles are on the line in some form or fashion: UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler looks to replicate his November 2013 win over Rory MacDonald in his first title defense, while in your main event, MMA's Mr. Congeniality Conor McGregor goes for an interim featherweight title against two-title title challenger Chad Mendes.
Conspicuous by his absence, of course, is the greatest featherweight ever, Jose Aldo. Three weeks ago, the 145-pound kingpin took a spinning back kick to the ribs from teammate Alcides Nunes, sustaining a rib injury that has become the topic of much debate. Aldo and his Nova Uniao maintain he has a fractured rib, while UFC boss Dana White claims three Zuffa doctors cleared Aldo, there is no fracture and the rib injury images that Aldo's team released were an old injury.
So, to recap: on the eve of one of the biggest boom-or-bust moments in UFC history, an occasion where Chad Mendes could cost the UFC an estimate $40-50 million if he takes out preferred poster boy McGregor, the company's promoter is out in public burying their actual champion. It's high drama in Las Vegas, fight freaks.
3:00 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Join me and other Sherdog staffers tonight at 7 p.m. ET for live UFC 189 reaction.
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