After tying a ribbon around the mega UFC 205 pay-per-view (PPV) event last weekend (Sat., Nov. 12, 2016) in New York City, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back at it again with a double-header, as the fight promotion presents UFC Fight Night 99 and UFC Fight Night 100 today (Sat., Nov. 19, 2016) in Belfast, northern Ireland, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, respectively. UFC Fight Night 99 will feature a rematch between Gegard Mousasi and Uriah Hall, while UFC Fight Night 100 also features a do-over between Ryan Bader and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
What UFC fight is on today? UFC Fight Night 99
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Fight Night 99? Uriah Hall vs. Gegard Mousasi is the Fight Pass (PPV) main event
When does UFC Fight Night 99 start: Today (Sat., Nov. 19 2016), beginning with "Prelims" at 12 p.m. ET on Fight Pass
Where will UFC Fight Night 99 take place? SSE Arena in Belfast, northern Ireland
How can I watch UFC Fight Night 99? Main card start time at 3 p.m ET on UFC Fight Pass, "Prelims" undercard start time at 12 p.m. ET; also on UFC Fight Pass
Where can I get live UFC Fight Night 99 updates and results tonight? Live UFC Fight Night 99 play-by-play coverage is right here.
What's Hot:
Uriah Hall became the first man to ever knockout Mousasi, finishing him via strikes back at UFC Fight Night 75 in 2015. Their respective roads have gone down a different path since then, as Mousasi has gone on to win three straight, while hall has dropped two in a row. Now, the two men will run it back one more time, as Gegard will look to get some much-desired revenge, while possibly inching himself closer to a shot at the Middleweight strap. rarely does a fighter get the chance to kill two birds with one stone, but "The Dreamcatcher" is in a great position to advance his combat career, while Hall has the opportunity to save his.
What's Not:
Other than the main event, the rest of the main card leaves much to be desired, as no other matchup really jumps out at you with names such as Timothy Johnson, Stevie Ray and Teruto Ishihara.
Original Card vs. Actual Card:
Gunnar Nelson was set to face Dong Hyun Kim in the headlining act, but after Nelson bowed out due to injury, the promotion booked the rematch between Hall and Mousasi. Ross Pearson was originally set to face James Krause before Krause was forced to withdraw with an injury of his own and was subsequently replaced by Stevie Ray. Ian McCall was geared up to face off against Neil Seery, but after "Uncle Creepy" fell sick, it took him out of the equation.
New Blood:
Alexander Volkov, Jack Marshman, Amanda Cooper, Mark Godbeer, Brett Johns, Charlie Ward and Abdul Razak Alhassan will all be making their Octagon debuts at this event.
Injuries:
Gunnar Nelson and James Krause fell victims to the injury bug, bouncing them from their respective bouts, while Ian McCall was bounded out of the event due to an illness.
How the "Prelims" look:
The prelims will feature a lot of newcomers, so there isn't much to be excited about, though admittedly, I am interested to see Brett Johns make his debut. I'm also interested in seeing how the bout between Ali Bagautinov and Kyoji Horiguchi plays out.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
Uriah Hall has dropped two in a row since defeating Mousasi in 2015. Another defeat will not only give him three losses in a row, but it will put his UFC career in danger, as the new regime isn't opposed to thinning the herd, especially if certain fighters aren't pulling their weight and performing well.
Interest Level: 5/10
If I'm being honest, the card doesn't do a whole lot for me other than the headlining act. No, it's not a UFC 205 hangover, but this card is just seriously lacking interesting fights other than the main event and one ore two "prelim" bouts. I get it, not all can be "New York" - type events, but the promotion has plenty of talent to go around, though this event won't show that.
UFC Fight Night 99 Full Fight Card:
UFC Fight Pass Main Event:
185 lbs.: Uriah Hall vs. Gegard Mousasi
UFC Fight Pass Main Card (3 p.m. ET):
155 lbs.: Ross Pearson vs. Stevie Ray
265 lbs.: Timothy Johnson vs. Alexander Volkov
145 lbs.: Teruto Ishihara vs. Artem LobovUFC Fight Pass "Prelims" (12 p.m. ET):
125 lbs.: Ian McCall vs. Neil SeeryCANCELED - - FULL REPORT HERE
185 lbs.: Magnus Cedenblad vs. Jack Marshman
125 lbs.: Ali Bagautinov vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
155 lbs.: Kevin Lee vs. Magomed Mustafaev
115 lbs.: Amanda Cooper vs. Anna Elmose
265 lbs.: Mark Godbeer vs. Justin Ledet
170 lbs.: Zak Cummings vs. Alexander Yakovlev
135 lbs.: Milana Dudieva vs. Marion Reneau
135 lbs.: Brett Johns vs. Kwan Ho Kwak
170 lbs.: Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Charlie Ward
For much more on the upcoming UFC Fight Night 99 event click here and here.
Ryan Bader is set to become a free agent following his bout against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, so you know he plans on trying to impress his current employers in order to gain some leverage when it comes to renegotiating a new deal. Also, Thomas Almeida looks to bounce back after suffering the first loss of his MMA career when he faces off against fellow prospect, Albert Morales.
What UFC fight is on today? UFC Fight Night 100
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Fight Night 100? Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is the Fight Pass (PPV) main event
When does UFC Fight Night 100 start: Today (Sat., Nov. 19 2016), beginning with early "Prelims" at 6 p.m. ET on Fight Pass
Where will UFC Fight Night 100 take place? Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil
How can I watch UFC Fight Night 100? Undercard start time at 6 p.m ET on UFC Fight Pass, early "Prelims." Undercard start time at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Main card begins at 9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
Where can I get live UFC Fight Night 100 updates and results tonight? Live UFC Fight Night 100 play-by-play coverage is right here.
What's Hot:
Ryan Bader will be fighting with extra motivation come fight night, as he opted to roll the dice, bet on himself and not sign an extension with UFC prior to his rematch against "Lil Nog." It's a bold move, to say the least, but it just goes to show you the confidence he has in himself. If all goes as planned for "Darth," his next contract with the promotion could be a lucrative one.
Original Card vs. Actual Card:
Alexander Gustafsson was set to face off against "Lil Nog'" at the event before "The mauler" suffered an injury. that is now the third time a proposed matchup between them has failed to see the light of day. Michael Graves was yanked from his fight Sergio Moraes after he was arrested on domestic violence charges. Matheus Nicolau was pulled from his bout against Ulka Sasaki after United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) revealed a potential anti-doping violation.
New Blood:
Gadzhimurad Antigulov and Darren Stewart will look to make a splash in their respective Octagon debuts.
Injuries:
Alexander Gustafsson couldn't escape the injury bug ahead of his return to action, as we will now have to wait longer to see if "The Mauler" can string together back-to-back victories for the first time since 2012.
How the "Prelims" look:
Not bad, considering there aren't really many well-known names taking part. I'm really intrigued to see if Jack Hermansson can make it 10 in a row against hometown favorite Cezar Ferreira. A win against an vet like Cezar could see Jack vying for a spot on the main card for his next outing.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
Ryan Bader isn't on a losing streak, but he desperately needs a win since he opted not to resign with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in hopes of winning his last fight on his contract in order to gain leverage at the negotiations table. While a loss won't mean the end of his fighting career, it could mean his time inside the Octagon could come to an end, as the promotion won't likely dish out top dollar for someone coming off a loss.
Interest Level: 6/10
Mousasi is adamant his fight against Hall isn't going to get him closer to a title shot, but it will give him four wins in a row, and since one top contender (Chris Wiedman) was eliminated from the title picture last week (see how here), "The Dreamcatcher" could find himself in the thick of things with a win. Also, it will be interesting to see how Thomas Almeida responds after getting brutally knocked out by Cody Garbrandt, in front of his hometown crowd, no less.
UFC Fight Night 100 Full Fight Card:
FOX Sports 1 Main Event:
205 lbs.: Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
FOX Sports 1 Main Card (9 p.m. ET):
135 lbs.: Thomas Almeida vs. Albert Morales
115 lbs.: Claudia Gadelha vs. Cortney Casey
185 lbs.: Krzysztof Jotko vs. Thales Leites
170 lbs.: Warlley Alves vs. Kamaru Usman
170 lbs.: Sergio Moraes vs. Zak OttowFOX Sports 1 Undercard "Prelims" (7 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Cezar Ferreira vs. Jack Hermansson
205 lbs.: Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
135 lbs.: Johnny Eduardo vs. Manny Gamburyan
265 lbs.: Christian Colombo vs. Luis HenriqueFight Pass Undercard "Prelims" (6 p.m. ET):
125 lbs.: Pedro Munhoz vs. Justin Scoggins
205 lbs.: Francimar Barroso vs. Darren Stewart
For more upcoming UFC events click here.