MANY OF THE names on the UFC Fight Night 88 bill may not be familiar to casual observers, but don’t allow that to deter you from checking out what this evening’s event has to offer.
The Mandalay Bay bill is stacked with quality from top to bottom, and even though the meeting of Thomas Almeida and Cody Garbrandt isn’t the most high-profile of headliners, the match-up itself is unlikely to disappoint.
Plenty of exciting veterans will be on show — Rick Story, fighting for the first time since he overcame Gunnar Nelson, against former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine; the featherweight debut of ex-UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao too — but some potential stars of the future will take centre stage; specifically, three undefeated bantamweights who are all under the age of 26.
Garbrandt (8-0) — the latest Team Alpha Male product bidding to become a challenger — versus Almeida (21-0) — who’s aiming for his 21st consecutive stoppage victory — will be a fascinating tussle, but the feature bout on the Fight Pass prelims shouldn’t be ignored either.
Fighting for the first time since a contract impasse which looked like it might signal the end of his time in the UFC, Aljamain Sterling (13-0) has been pursuing a fight with Bryan Caraway for quite a while. Tonight he gets that opportunity.
Should Sterling, who’s ranked fourth in the 135lbs division, see off eight-ranked Caraway to pick up his fifth UFC win, he’ll have a legitimate case to call for a title shot against the winner of next weekend’s UFC 199 bout between Urijah Faber and champion Dominick Cruz.
TJ Dillashaw and Raphael Assuncao — who meet at UFC 200 on 9 July — will have other ideas, as will the victor in tonight’s main event between Almeida and Garbrandt. Nevertheless, UFC Fight Night 88 will mark the beginning of an intriguing few weeks for a division which had lost its lustre not so long ago.
Who will be victorious in this evening’s UFC Fight Night 88 main event?
Poll Results:
UFC Fight Night 88
Main card (BT Sport 2, 2am)
Thomas Almeida vs. Cody Garbrandt
Renan Barao vs. Jeremy Stephens
Tarec Saffiedine vs. Rick Story
Chris Camozzi vs. Vitor Miranda
Jorge Masvidal vs. Lorenz Larkin
Josh Burkman vs. Paul Felder
TV prelims (BT Sport 2, 12am)
Sara McMann vs. Jessica Eye
Abel Trujillo vs. Jordan Rinaldi
Jake Collier vs. Alberto Uda
Erik Koch vs. Shane Campbell
Fight Pass prelims (UFCFightPass.com, 11pm)
Aljamain Sterling vs. Bryan Caraway
Chris De La Rocha vs. Adam Milstead
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Delighted! Fatman and Robin upstaged by Krusty!
Sideshow Fell more like!
I am so proud of the Toffees tonight. A master class by Fellaini!
Great result from Everton tonight, all the talk before the game was about United and Van Persie.
Typically now all of the talk is about Utd’s central defender injury crisis…..
A team like Utd should have plenty of cover for all positions, no excuses please, Everton fully deserved their victory. Come on the Toffees ….
Plenty of cover they have 4 centre halves injured! Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling and Jones, all of them would be starters in most premier league sides.
Disgusting from the united fans, the crowds who sang that disgusting chant should be ashamed.
Let’s hope you’re just as critical when Liverpool and city fans are heard singing their Munich chants…
Brian, disappointed that you think I wouldn’t. You never hear singing to that extent about Munich at anfield and if a few idiots try it, they would quickly be shouted down. I find it fairly sad that no united fan has condemned the singing, it wasn’t by just a few either.
so alan,
1. “disappointed that you think I wouldn’t.” – knowing that Liverpool fans have in fact sang Munich related songs can you please post links to were you have in fact been critical of this?
2. “You never hear singing to that extent about Munich at Anfield” – how exactly do you measure “the extent” of chants sung in bad taste? The loudness ( you have some way of measuring this and/or remembering and comparing to Munich related songs by Liverpool supporters)? The percentage of fans singing? The tone of the singing?
3.”they would quickly be shouted down” – Anfield fans have better morals than Manchester United fans?
4. “I find it fairly sad that no united fan has condemned the singing” – about half and hour after the game and only 9 comments in about a big match and you find it “‘sad” that this important event at the game hasn’t been addressed yet???
4. no utd fans shouted down these chants and no utd fans rushing on to thescore.ie to condemn it…alan, am i to believe, that in your heart, with all you have just said, that you believe that liverpool supporters are BETTER people than Man Utd fans? Honestly Alan?
Eh, so you’re not going to condemn then so
whatever makes you happy baron munchhausen…
I think you are painting the picture as to why so many people hate united.
And for the record I’ve spoken to a few utd fans this evening and all have condemned it. So they’re not all idiots
thank you, first of all, for addressing all my points made to you in the original comment.
i was merely pointing out that that all clubs have moron fans and that united aren’t any worse or better than liverpool fans. so many people hate utd fans for the same reason so many people hated liverpool fans in the 80′s and how so many people will hate man city or chelsea in the future.
I don’t need to address any points, what was sang tonight was disgusting, as are Munich, heysel, ibrox chants. You just found it more important to deflect attention.
yeah english soccer fans in disgusting chant shocker. thanks for the heads up…
Time to sell Rooney while he’s still worth something. Looks overweight and just not putting in a shift.
Poor display from utd their keeper had best match since joining
Textbook Scholesie tackle! That fat kid up front for United’s hair plugs have grown over the summer
Typical utd play two midfielders in defence and lose the match how many times have utd done that over the last few years- fergie buy a defender and shoot the twitter happy Ferdinand who’s over the hill and always injured
Will Fergie get banned for throwing that rattle on the pitch?
The first game if the season away to Everton, just paid €24 million pounds for Arsenals best player, lost the league title on the last kick of the game to their nearest and dearest, City, not 3 months ago and all that’s on their mind is Liverpool. I suppose it’s flattering really.
A disastrous start but Man U will still win the league.
Lmao yea you keep thinking that, where was the savior RVP????
Apparently he’s already handed in a transfer request, told Fergie he wants to win something this season
Lol
De Gea looking ropey again, doesn’t bode well for United’s season ahead, maybe they could get Gary Bailey to come out of retirement too
Put on a pair if glasses gaius de gea has been fantastic in the first half
you watching espn classic?
Everton 1 Manchester United 0, let’s be ‘avin ya!!!
At least United have got their toughest game of the season out of the way. Was always going to be tough with Carrick at centre back and Valencia at right back.
But Kagawa looked like he’s going to be a real star for them, I don’t think he gave the ball away once.
And they’ll still be there or thereabouts when the medals are being handed out next May.
You might be right but for a while tonight I thought I was watching Rugby – United having loads of possession and all backward passes. Of course Fergie will get the act together but a major improvement is required
Toughest game of the season. Everton is a harder game than city, Chelsea or and i can say Liverpool because you don’t win at Anfield that often. Ridiculous comment to make. Typical really, every united defeat is the same. Carrick at centre half, the best winger in the league at right back. Would suggest that the problems lay elsewhere other than 24 million for a striker that has averaged 12 goals a season since coming to England. Before you reply with the usual man united/sky sports opinion I am a Liverpool fan and we are atrocious but difference is im not completely delusional about where we are at.
Toughest game of the season? Not a hope in hell. City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Spurs would be bigger opponents than Everton I think
Won’t sleep a wink tonight. – like fcuk!!
Ask to leave the bar for my own safety as one other person and myself cheered as the beauty of a header went in :) had to stay after that great game utd didn’t show up at all.
of course fowlers gonna say that isn’t he. That nose plaster must ne a bit tight.
wat were they singing?
They were singing “If it weren’t for Scousers we could stand” in reference to the hillsborough disaster
Going to bed disappointed at the result but happy in the knowledge that liverpool will be wallowing in 8th or 9th place possibly lower and rodgers will more than likely be sacked by the end of the season!
Whos Wooton?
No dolce vita for united then….
Alas, not even Fatman and Robin could save MU. :-)