Shane Burgos is a Tiger Schulmann’s MMA product, earning a black belt at the gym. He won the first seven fights of his career, four by submission and three by knockout, to earn a UFC contract. The New Yorker won his first three fights in the Octagon, with a TKO against Charles Rosa that earned Fight of the Night. He was then on the wrong side of a Fight of the Night when he was knocked out by Calvin Kattar. Burgos bounced back in his most recent appearance with a first-round submission against Kurt Holobaugh.

Cub Swanson was a well-known name in the WEC, going 5-3 with three submissions before the promotion was absorbed by the UFC. After losing in his promotional debut to Ricardo Lamas, the Californian rattled off six straight wins including victories over Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, and Jeremy Stephens. Losses to top featherweights Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway stopped his run, but Swanson followed the losses with a four-fight win streak. After two grueling Fight of the Night victories against Doo Ho Choi and Artem Lobov, “Killer Cub” has fallen to Brian Ortega, Edgar once again, and Renato Moicano.

Round one was very close, and interesting. Cub came out and immediately tried to do some kicks to the body and legs, mostly to try and slow the movement of the bigger Burgos. However he did struggle with the size of Shane. Burgos is one of featherweight’s bigger fighters. However Cub did some good work as well. He appeared to be the faster of the two. Very close, and interesting, first round.

Round two appeared to be Burgos changing the story of the fight. While Swanson still landed shots, it appeared that Burgos was landing the harder punches as well as pushing the pressure more. Swanson attempted to get creative in the second round, especially early. However it wasn’t as effective. Burgos appeared to be landing the better shots, as well as moving forward more. However, it was still a close round.

Round three, much like rounds one and two, was close. The first half of the round was spent with Swanson in the clinch, and attempting to get the takedown. Even doing so at one point. However, after Burgos escaped the clinch, he spent the rest of the time in the round just putting it on Swanson. Throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the Californian. The fight ended with a flurry by Burgos, that could’ve won him the fight.

Shane Burgos def. Cub Swanson by split-decision (27-30, 30-27, 29-28) 

The post UFC Ottawa Results: Shane Burgos Outlasts Cub Swanson for Decision Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

Brad Katona has impressed in his career so far. The Canadian prospect is 8-0 in MMA and won The Ultimate Fighter 27, defeating current UFC fighters Kyler Phillips and Bryce Mitchell along the way. Katona is coming off a decision win over Matthew Lopez in December.

Merab Dvalishvili started his career at 7-2, defeating top prospects Tony Gravely and Raufeon Stots. The latter victory, a spinning backfist knockout, was in front of Dana White as a part of Lookin’ for a Fight, and the Georgian fighter was subsequently signed by the UFC. He had an unlucky start to his Octagon run, losing a controversial decision to Frankie Saenz in his debut, then losing by submission to Ricky Simon in controversial fashion as he was seemingly unconscious after time expired in the final round. The Serra BJJ product bounced back with a dominant victory against Terrion Ware.

Round 1:

Katona blocks a high kick from Dvalishvili to start the bout. The fighter from the country of Georgia lands an inside kick and then an outside kick. Katona responds with a kick of his own. Dvalishivili misses a spinning back fist. The Canadian steps into the pocket and they exchange hard right hands. The Georgian misses a flying kick but blasts the Ultimate Fighter winner with a combo. He lands a follow up right hand too.

Katona presses forward but gets stung with a combo. Dvalishvili grabs a single and takes Katona down but can’t hold him there. Back on the feet, Katona grazes the Machine with a left hook. He drops down on a single leg of his own and presses Dvalishvili against the cage. They reverse position until Katona gets back tripped to the canvas while having double underhooks.

In Katona’s closed guard, Dvalishvili unloads with some heavy ground and pound as the round comes to an end.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 for Dvalishvili

Round 2:

Katona marches forward but is taken down by a perfectly timed double leg. The Georgian fighter works from the closed guard to half guard with heavy top pressure. Katona is able to capture the full guard but can’t get the Serra / Longo team member off of him. Dvalishvili is basically just holding Katona down while referee Kevin MacDonald warns them off a possible standup. He gives a few rabbit punches to the ribs before being stood up with just over a minute left in the round.

A 1-2 combo lands for Dvalishvili while Katona grabs the clinch. He pressed his foe against the cage and lands to knees. As the round ends, Dvalishvili trips Katona to the canvas.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 for Dvalishvili

Round 3:

Dvalishvili opens the round with a low kick and blocks a high kick from Katona. The Canadian slips a punch from his opponent and lands a right hand of his own. The Ultimate Fighter winner grazes Katona with an elbow

Dvalishvili shoots in on a takedown but Katona defends it well. The Georgian presses Katona against the cage and hits Katona with a small combo as they break. Katona throws a kick that Dvalishvili catches. He tries to take Katona down but it is defended well.

Katona throws a looping punch which Dvalishvili ducks under and takes him to the canvas. He turns Katona off the fence and hits him with a few punches. Katona throws up an armbar attempt but gets blasted with a few punches. In a scramble, the Canadian rolls for an ankle but can’t find the submission as the round comes to an end.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 and the fight 30-27 for Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili def. Brad Katona by unanimous decision (30-27×3)

Another takedown for Merab!#UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/spmN7SPgDl

— UFC (@ufc) May 5, 2019

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Walt Harris is coming off a short four-month suspension after a tainted supplement case that overturned a victory over former champion Andrei Arlovski. The former college basketball player was 6-1 with six first-round knockouts when he first signed with the UFC. After losing in his first two Octagon appearances, Harris was cut and signed with Titan FC, where he scored another first-round knockout. “The Big Ticket” re-signed with the UFC for a short-notice fight and is 4-3 since then with all of his wins coming by knockout.

Sergey Spivak is a Ukrainian heavyweight prospect who is currently 9-0. “The Polar Bear” has five submissions and four knockouts and has only left the second-round once. He’s spent just under five-and-a-half minutes in the cage in his last three fights combined.

Harris blitzes Spivac in round one with two big flurries. Harris pushes Spivac against the cage firing a straight left followed up by some knees. The barrage of strikes sent Spivac down and the hammer fists sent the ref in.

WALT HARRIS WASTES NO TIME! #UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/ZcLtMh40x6

— UFC (@ufc) May 5, 2019

Walt Harris def. Sergey Spivak by TKO (punches) in Round 1 (0:50)

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Andrew Sanchez is a two-time Division II National Champion wrestler who’s transitioned those skills successfully to MMA. “El Dirte” was invited to The Ultimate Fighter 23 after going 7-2 with losses to UFC vets Kevin Casey and Dustin Jacoby. Sanchez went 3-0 on the show then defeated Khalil Rountree in the finale to win the tournament. He then dropped down to middleweight and is 2-2 since then, coming off a victory against Markus Perez.

Marc-Andre Barriault is a top Canadian prospect who simultaneously held the middleweight and light heavyweight titles in TKO before signing with the UFC. “Power Bar” is currently on an eight-fight win streak, knocking out his last two opponents. Of his 11 wins, Barriault holds eight striking stoppages.

A minute into round one and Sanchez shoots in and completes the single leg takedown. Sanchez grinded Barriault for a little over a minute until Barriault worked back to his feet. Another takedown from Sanchez but this time Barriault bounces right back up. The round ends on the feet with Sanchez flaring kicks.

Cageside Press scores round one 10-9 for Sanchez.

Round two Sanchez starts with kicks to maintain the distance but did shoot for another single leg as Barriault shrugged it off. Barriault just throwing that overhand right but with no setups. He’s coming up short. Barriault has a good moment getting the clinch landing striker to the body and some big uppercuts. Barriault changed the momentum landing the one-two a few times. Sanchez ended the round in danger and completely gassed.

Cageside Press scores round two 10-9 for Barriault.

Both guys gassed to the start of the final round, but Barriault is throwing still with fight-ending strikes. Sanchez trying hard for the takedown, but Barriault fending them off well. Sanchez staying of the gas pushing Barriault against the cage finally getting the trip takedown. Barriault gets back to his feet, but Sanchez is relentless against the cage with pressure. The fight ends with Barriault jumping guard for a guillotine, but Sanchez quickly gets out.

Cageside Press scores round three 10-9 for Sanchez.

Andrew Sanchez def. Marc-André Barriault by unanimous decision (29-28×3)

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Macy Chiasson had trouble at the UFC Ottawa weigh-ins yesterday but was able to make the 136-pound limit on her second attempt. The Louisiana native was 2-0 when she was selected to be on the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 28 and took full advantage. Two first-round stoppages sent her to the finale where she defeated Pannie Kianzad by second-round submission, winning the show. She followed up with a first-round knockout in her next and most recent appearance.

Sarah Moras was featured on the 18th season of TUF, where she went 2-1, falling to eventual winner Julianna Pena. Moras made her UFC debut in 2014 but is only 2-3 since then. The Canadian returned from a two-year layoff in 2017 with a submission victory over Ashlee Evans-Smith. She is looking to bounce back from losses to Lucie Pudilova and Talita Bernardo.

Round 1

Moras shoots in immediately and takes Chiasson down as they leave their corners. In the closed guard, Moras strikes Chiasson with some very light elbows, not doing any damage. The Ultimate Fighter winner pulls her close and looks for mission control to stabilize her opponent. Moras is keeping heavy top pressure but landing almost nothing. The Team Fortis product throws up her legs again but can’t find a submission.

Moras lands some elbows in a scramble, but Chiasson is able to reverse the position. She fires down a huge shot and then rains down some huge shots. Chiasson smells blood but her corner tells her to settle down. Chiasson lands a few more shots but finds herself in an armbar attempt from Moras as the round comes to an end.

Chiasson steals the round with the late flurry.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 for Chiasson. 

Round 2

Moras shoots in immediately again to start the round but Chiasson is able to gain the top position. In the half guard, Chiasson hits Cheesecake with some elbows to the body and the head. The Ultimate Fighter winner slowly moves from side control to the mount. Once she finds the dominant position, she unleashes hell on Moras. She batters the Canadian with tons of shots until the referee, Yves Lavigne has mercy and ends the contest.

Macy Chiasson def. Sara Moras by TKO (ground and pound) in Round 2 (2:22)

Short notice, no problem!

@Macy_Chiasson gets the TKO finish at #UFCOttawa! pic.twitter.com/UtOBlgcwPF

— UFC (@ufc) May 4, 2019

The post UFC Ottawa Results: Macy Chiasson Batters Sarah Moras for TKO Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

Aiemann Zahabi, the brother of great trainer Firas Zahabi, is looking to rebound from his first professional loss at UFC Ottawa. He signed with the promotion after three first-round submissions and three first-round knockouts in his first six fights. After winning in his Octagon debut by decision, Zahabi was knocked out by a spinning back elbow and did not fight in 2018.

Vince Morales was 7-1 with a five-fight stoppage streak when he got a shot on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He was unsuccessful, losing by second-round submission. So, he fought for Bellator next time out and won. Two months later, he replaced Frankie Saenz against Yadong Song at UFC Shanghai in November. He lost by unanimous decision.

Round 1

Round one begins in this bantamweight clash as Zahabi takes the center initially, but Morales settles in with his back foot planted in the center. Zahabi lands a right hand, and circles out shortly thereafter in an attempt to pick some more shots.

Right hand lands from Morales, as the two bantamweights continue to attempt to figure the other one out. Right hand partially finds home from Morales, and a good kick to the midsection comes from Zahabi that’s punctuated with a right hand to finish off the combination.

A lot of feinting, ducking, and head movement being used by both guys here as we approach one minute to go in the opening round. More of the same follows in the final minute. The judges will have a tough time scoring this opening round. Morales looked to be the busier party by setting up more combinations. But Zahabi landed a little more efficiently.

Cageside Press scores the round 10-9 for Morales

Round 2

Round number two commences with a low kick from Zahabi starting things off. Morales takes the role of aggessor here early as he walks the Canadian down to begin things in round two. Zahabi backs the American up with a kick to the body, and Zahabi shoots but ultimately fails on a takedown attempt early in the round.

Front kick from Morales, followed by a combination that sees him land a right uppercut through the guard of Zahabi. Solid right hand lands from Morales now as the American looks to be finding a little more success converting his strikes in round two. Another uppercut lands from Morales, and Zahabi uses Morales’ attempt to close the distance shortly thereafter to his advantage and gets his first takedown of the contest.

Zahabi fails to take the back and fires a kick that partially lands as Morales scrambles back to the center to reset. Under thirty seconds to go in the round as both men look content to ride another round out without landing an effective shot. Another close round here, as it could be anyone’s fight going into the third.

Cageside Press scores the round 10-9 for Zahabi (20-18 Zahabi)

Round 3

Third and final round underway as both guys need to surmount effective offense here to stand out. Spinning back fist lands flush from Zahabi. But Morales eats it and gives a smile back to the Tri-star product. Uppercut finds home from Morales, followed by a combination that backs up Zahabi. Morales continues to be active as he fires another combination Zahabi’s way.

Zahabi wings a looping right hook that narrowly misses Morales. We are past the two minute mark in this fight. Right hand to the body from Morales. He’s consistently taken the role of aggressor for the majority of these past two rounds. Morales getting busy as he continues to land and backs Zahabi up, who temporarily had a takedown secured but lost it at the last second with Morales scrambling back up to his feet.

Morales is coming on strong here. Thirty seconds to go in the fight. Morales continues to move forward but finds no luck in finding that fight-changing shot as the horn sounds in this 135 pound contest.

Cageside Press scores the round 10-9 for Morales and scores the fight 29-28 for Morales

Vince Morales def. Aiemann Zahabi by unanimous decision (29-28×3)

Agree? #UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/TXH6mZbmVw

— UFC (@ufc) May 4, 2019

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The UFC is coming to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on May 4 in the Canadian Tire Centre arena. Welterweight Nordine Taleb (14-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) was originally supposed to fight Siyar Bahadurzada on this card. With that said, Siyar would pull out due to an injury. Now with Taleb needing a new opponent, the UFC signed Canada’s own Kyle Prepolec to take the fight.

5’9″
Welterweight
29-years-old
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Maximum Training Centre
12-5
7 KO/TKO
3 Submissions (Armbar, Rear-Naked Choke, Triangle)

How Does Kyle Prepolec Fare in the UFC:

Looking at his resume, Prepolec is deserving of this opportunity. He’s lost to former Bellator veteran Jason Fischer, a top prospect in Troy Lamson, former UFC fighter Alex Ricci, and current top contender and former title challenger Kevin Lee. His wins are to a good prospect in Adrian Hadribeaj and former UFC fighter Cody Pfister. Prepolec is well-rounded with stoppages from both TKO and submission. The Canadian really doesn’t have any glaring holes as his biggest problem is his tendency to be too conservative. He relies on his opponent to strike so he can counter and for his opponent to shoot so he can reverse. That being the reason he’s gone the distance five times. Prepolec hits hard and has a sneaky good lead head kick but lacks aggressiveness and hardly ever presses the action. His latest fight against Pfister was the best he’s looked in his career. He showed excellent takedown defense, counter-wrestling, and produced more volume. Overall, Prepolec is a good prospect but he is just too passive.

• Striking: C+
• Kickboxing: D
• Clinch: B-
• Wrestling: C+
• Grappling: B
• Striking Defense: B
• Takedown Defense: A-
• Cardio: A
• Biggest Strength: Well-rounded
• Biggest Weakness: Timidity

How he Matches Up with Nordine Taleb:

Taleb has fought in the UFC for about five years with 10 fights. Taleb at times can be too patient as well, like Prepolec, so this fight could very well be a chess match. Taleb fights at a steady pace with improving striking and mixing in takedowns. They both lack the killer instinct but are well-rounded. It’s a hard fight to predict cause both are too similar. I would lean Taleb cause he’s fought the much better competition and he just tends to do a bit more.

The post Welcome to the UFC: Kyle Prepolec appeared first on Cageside Press.

At UFC 235 last month, the undefeated Ultimate Fighter season 28 featherweight winner, Macy Chiasson (4-0), made her 135-pound bantamweight debut and did so rather impressively.

Chiasson would face Gina Mazany and end up dispatching of the Alaskan in just under two minutes with a big knockout win. Now, she’s back and looking for another.

Originally scheduled to face Leah Letson at UFC Ottawa on May 4 was the TUF 18 alumni, Sarah “Cheesecake” Moras (5-4). However, Letson has since been pulled from the bout due to medical issues. Thus leading to Chiasson stepping in.

Booking change: 🇨🇦 @SarahCheesecake now faces @Macy_Chiasson at #UFCOttawa!

🎟 ➡️ https://t.co/QOiRhgfDYz pic.twitter.com/PqWxti8dbr

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) April 3, 2019

For Canada’s Moras, this will be just her sixth fight in the UFC since joining the roster in late 2013. Since then she has gone 2-3 and currently rides a two-fight losing streak that has seen her suffer back-to-back losses to the likes of Lucie Pudilova and Talita Bernardo. Chiasson, on the other hand, hopes to score her fourth career win by finish.

As for the rest of UFC Ottawa, the card is all but finalized as Walt Harris now needs a new opponent after Aleksei Oleinik has gone to fill in for Alexander Volkov against Alistair Overeem. The card’s full line-up can be seen below.

• Lightweight – 155lbs: Al Iaquinta vs. Donald Cerrone
• Middleweight – 185lbs: Derek Brunson vs. Elias Theodorou
• Featherweight – 145lbs: Cub Swanson vs. Shane Burgos
• Heavyweight – 207-265lbs: Arjan Bhullar vs. Juan Adams
• Bantamweight – 135lbs: Sarah Moras vs. Macy Chiasson
• Bantamweight Brad Katona vs. Merab Dvalishvili
• Middleweight: Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Andrew Sanchez
• Bantamweight: Mitch Gagnon vs. Brian Kelleher
• Bantamweight: Aiemann Zahabi vs. Vince Morales
• Welterweight – 170lbs: Nordine Taleb vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
• Heavyweight: TBD vs. Walt Harris
• Featherweight: Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Sayles

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