UFC of FOX 14: Gustafsson vs Johnson

This card is sandwiched between some bigger events, but it quietly sports a few cool match ups. The main event is an even money fight in my eyes. Rumble Johnson has looked absolutely unstoppable since leaving the UFC back in 2012. He quit fighting his own weight issues and has settled in nicely at 205 pounds. I think Gustafsson is far more refined but Rumble's relaxed, bomber mentality is going to create a tough test for the Sweede.

Meanwhile Dan Henderon squares off against Gegard Mousasi. Both guys were beaten down in their last fights. Cormier manhandled the smaller Henderson while Jacare just plain whipped Gegard. For Henderson, fighting at 185 is clearly the best move at his age. He typically has success against strikers as his powerful right hand normally scares guys into limiting their output. Hopefully Mousasi won't fall into that trap. If he does, the 192 year old Henderson will make it interesting.

And Phil Davis versus Ryan Bader is a cool little match between two guys that are fighting to earn slightly more relevance than the other. They are evenly matched and both almost always fail to step up in important fights. Their wrestling will cancel each other's out, and we will get a relatively sloppy stand up battle where Bader's power will probably be the difference.


[TABLE="class: toccolours"]
<TBODY>[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #CCCCFF, colspan: 8, align: center"]Main Card (Fox)[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #E6E8FA, align: center"]Weight class[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: #E6E8FA, align: center"][/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: #E6E8FA, align: center"][/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: #E6E8FA, align: center"][/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: #E6E8FA, align: center"]Method[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: #E6E8FA, align: center"]Round[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: #E6E8FA, align: center"]Time[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: #E6E8FA, align: center"]Notes[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Light Heavyweight[/TD]
[TD]Alexander Gustafsson[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Anthony Johnson[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][SUP][a][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Middleweight[/TD]
[TD]Dan Henderson[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Gegard Mousasi[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Light Heavyweight[/TD]
[TD]Phil Davis[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Ryan Bader[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Featherweight[/TD]
[TD]Akira Corassani[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Sam Sicilia[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #CCCCFF, colspan: 8, align: center"]Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Welterweight[/TD]
[TD]Nico Musoke[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Albert Tumenov[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Welterweight[/TD]
[TD]Kenny Robertson[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Sultan Aliev[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Featherweight[/TD]
[TD]Andy Ogle[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Makwan Amirkhani[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Light Heavyweight[/TD]
[TD]Nikita Krylov[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Stanislav Nedkov[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Lightweight[/TD]
[TD]Mairbek Taisumov[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Anthony Christodoulou[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Featherweight[/TD]
[TD]Mirsad Bektic[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Paul Redmond[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #CCCCFF, colspan: 8, align: center"]Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Heavyweight[/TD]
[TD]Viktor Pešta[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Konstantin Erokhin[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Flyweight[/TD]
[TD]Neil Seery[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Chris Beal[/TD]
[/TR]
</TBODY>[/TABLE]

 

dont know anyone in the preliminary card besides chris beal, but the main card is solid. can't believe johnson was able to make 170 at one point.

 

The main event is an excellent one. It's one of those fights I'm not gonna think about strategies or who is gonna win and why, I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy it.

The rest of the card is entirely missable. I never cared about Henderson even when he was at his best, so I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to see him now. And Mousasi just pisses me off. He showed so much promise, so much potential to be an elite fighter, then suddenly he was struggling with the Keith Jardines of the world.

I'm hoping Bader violently KO's Davis to the point where they never televise another one of Davis' fights.

Kinda surprised they didn't throw a chick fight on this one.

TFK

 

The main event is better than Anderson vs Diaz next week, imo. A lot better.

 

Same here, how the fuck is he still in the UFC?

 

I find Mousasi hilarious. Back when he was ripping through DREAM, his calm, stoic disposition seemed kind of bad ass like Fedor. But since he got whipped by King Mo, it just comes off as lazy and disinterested.

When you really shake it out, the guy was just never really an elite fighter. He has always been exactly what he is now. He is a competent, middle of the road talent that just isn't good enough to beat the top guys.

That being said, I'm kind of looking forward to the fight because I think it marks the end of the road for the loser. Both guys have already reached their "meaningful" end of the road but this fight probably sends the loser to Bellator.

 

Mousasi still has potential in the UFC. He might not beat the guys at the very top, but he could beat a lot of good fighters out there. Henderson was a great fighter, but he really should have retired when they banned TRT. I don't see him beating the top guys anymore at 44.

I hope Gustafsson wins. He's the only guy who's come close to defeating Jon Jones. I've been wanting to see a rematch ever since then.

 

Alexandr Gustaffson's Going to Have to Fight Almost PERFECT to Beat Rumble Johnson...& Despite Gustaffson's STRIKING Skills, it Probably Behooves him to Take (& KEEP) the Fight to the GROUND...

Johnson just Might Be THE Hardest Single Shot Puncher in MMA, Currently...& He Doesn't Throw Predictable Haymakers like a Rampage Jackson or Dan Henderson, Either...Gustaffson will Need to Be VERY Cautious Early...

REED's "Prediction" is Johnson EARLY, Gustaffson LATE...If the Bout Enters the 3rd Round, Gustaffson will Win It...

Dan Henderson's OLD as Dirt, but he's Still PHYSICAL, Whereas Mousasi is a FINESSE Fighter...Give REED Henderson, Because REED Simply Can't Bring himself to Pick a Dude Named "GAY Guard" to Win a Fight...

Phil Davis & Ryan Bader are 2 Gatekeeper Types...Davis is SLIGHTLY Better, in REED's Opinion & Will Win a Lukewarm Decision...Good Night of Fights Overall...




REED

 

ufc refs are a joke. They always stop fight way too early

 

Yep. That ref would have stopped Hendo-Rua II early and robbed fans of a brutal slugfest.

Unreal.

 

Henderson is done. Stopping the fight then probably saved Henderson from getting Liddelled.


TFK

 

Joe Rogan has the hands of a 200 year old man.

TFK

 

Gay Guard completely outclassed him, but they should have given Henderson more of a chance. It's funny, everyone said the same thing when he beat Fedor.

 

Outclassed him? The fight only lasted a minute ::

Hendo might have needed a few minutes just to warm up.

 

But yeah, I think it's safe to say Hendo's age had more to do with it than anything else.

Prime Hendo would batter this Armenian can.

 

That gay European 'oh oh oh' chant is so fucking gay.


TFK

 

Very true ::

 

I'm not aware of this European "oh oh oh" chant.

 

Now that was a fucking statement.


TFK

 

yes, fuck Gustavson. Happy that he got clipped after doing his little sucker kick, just moments after touching gloves

 

Brutal

 

By the way, that's the ref inconsistency that pisses me off. Gus was far more hurt than Henderson and the ref gives him EVERY possible chance to recover.

 

damn, Ruble is sacry right now. Him versus Jones should be explosive

 

It's amazing how Rumble has turned his career around.

TFK

 

Wow, didn't expect that. Kind of thought Gus was the better of the two.

Told you Jones wasn't an elite striker though :kidcool:

Indeed, Jones Vs Johnson now seems like a pretty fucking interesting fight.