UFC Atlantic City Podcast Notes, Stats And More

With the success of my podcast notes that I publish for WWE events that help guide my shows, I'll also be running them for select UFC shows. As I did the Atlantic City post-show solo, it'll serve as the first. 

#10 Corey Anderson over #11 Patrick Cummins

• Cummins' striking is ABYSMAL. Anderson doesn't have it in him to finish Cummins, which are both things I mentioned during the preview show. Cummins scrambled really well after the takedown. Anderson mixes it up well with kicks, punches, takedowns and head movement. This was a really complete round for Anderson.
• Round 2 was more of the same. Anderson rode Cummins like a cowboy. Anderson's 12 takedowns were the most ever in a light heavyweight fight. Anderson really dominated the body lock in just a humbling manner. I had this as a 30-25
• Anderson, 28, ends 2 fight losing streak. Cummins, 37, ends 2 fight winning streak.

Siyar Bahadurzada over Luan Chagas

• I was surprised that Bahadurzada was an underdog here. He's pretty much coasted on pure talent for years and 1-2 combos.
• Bahadurzada landed nice GNP, but Chagas is able to scramble and take Siyar's back. Chagas has his chin straight up far too much. Chagas is crumbled with a teep to the liver
• Siyar missed well over two years after a rough patch, and has won three in a row in finishing fashion. Chagas has one win in four UFC fights.

Ricky Simon over Merab Dvalishvili

• Merab hit that kosoto gari real, real well. Ricky Simon looked really underwhelming and had his hands down, and got cracked. Dvalishvili has a pace that Simon just can't keep.
• Oh my god, that sequence of rolls, scrambles, sitouts and counters. Merab landed 11 takedowns in a fight he SHOULD have won against Saenz.
• Simon rolls into a guillotine! Paul Felder saying a guy is out while he's moving is peak "OH IT'S OVER!" This is such a mess. I don't doubt that Merab was out and his body was on autopilot. But the fight was essentially finished retroactively. The idea that judge Eric Colon gave that fight to Ricky Simon on his scorecard says plenty about the state of affairs
• Simon went into this 19-1 between pro and amateur, had headlined shows and been on Dana White's Contender Series.

Ryan LaFlare beats Alex Garcia

• This wasn't great. LaFlare found success with body kicks and had the kind of control I don't like to see rewarded much. Laflare has won three of four and is now 7-2 in the UFC with NO FINISHES and no bonuses. Garcia now 5-2 and has alternated wins and losses. 

Dan Hooker defeated Jim Miller

• Hooker looks huge next to Jim Miller. Still, Miller countered effectively. When Miller caught that kick, I thought the takedown attempt was over when he got to the cage, but still pulled it off. Hooker catches Miller with a sick knee that drops Miller dead. Miller eats another punch.
• That's four losses in a row for Jim Miller and Miller tied the UFC record with 29 fights.
• In a cool moment, Dan Hooker calls out Paul Felder, while Felder interviews him.
• Hooker's third win in a row. 

#8 Aljamain Sterling defeated #14 Brett Johns

• Johns holds on to the head of Sterling as the fight goes to the ground, which helps Sterling get the underhook and turn the tides. Aljamain Sterling's defense on the feet isn't optimal, especially when moving backwards.
• Sterling drags Johns into a war and then takes him down. Johns was able to land a really nice flying knee earlier on, and Sterling found some success with the body kicks that really seemed to affect Johns. The takedown at the end of round three from Sterling was great. He grabbed the waistlock and jumped with Johns' momentum into it. 
• Aljamain Sterling was facing a guy whose shoes he'd been in before. This was the best performance I've ever seen out of Aljamain Sterling. He put it together in this fight.
• Sterling now has won three of his last four, including Johns and Renan Barao. You could argue his fight with Caraway was a draw. 

#8 David Branch knocked out #12 Thiago Santos

• Santos stalks Branch, but gets caught with a SICK overhand right. He's out. That was a thing of beauty from Branch. Great head movement, duck under and overhand.
• This is Branch's first KO in 7 UFC fights. He's now 2-1 in the UFC and has won 12 of 13. His only losses are to Luke Rockhold, Rumble Johnson, Rousimar Palhares, Gerald Harris. 
• David Branch, confirmed not hilarious. He calls out his boxing coach.
• Thiago Santos' four fight winning streak ends. Arguable the best run of his career, and arguably the biggest win of Branch's

Justin Willis over Chase Sherman

• This is a wing and swing war plain and simple. Sherman gets dropped, and I thought he was out, dead. Somehow he survived and cracked Willis himself. This continues through round two. Sherman posts off of Willis' face in the clinch really well to land elbows. Him doing this well after what he overcame is something. 

#3 Frankie Edgar defeated #4 Cub Swanson

• Both men are feinting and trying to time the other early, and figure out patterns, rhythms and footwork.
• Edgar clips Swanson………..goes for a takedown. Doesn't get it. Yeehaw. There's a whole lot of hitting air here. They're very evenly matched.
• Edgar sets up a punch with a knee tap. There aren't a whole lot of guys who have the speed to pull that off. Swanson can't seem to fire off. Edgar's leg kicks are really paying off. He's mixing in punches, footwork, leg kicks, but can't make takedown happens.
• For some reason, Swanson's corner tells him that he's winning the fight after two rounds, and outlanding Edgar. That's a flat out lie. 
• Edgar gets baited into a war briefly. Both men land solid shots, but Edgar looks scary when he stands and trades. 
• Edgar has won three of four since his last UFC title shot. Swanson's loss puts him at 4-2 in his last 6, including two losses in a row. 

#6 Kevin Lee finished #5 Edson Barboza

• Lee takes a pretty good body kick and punch from Barboza but double legs him and gets the fight to the mat. Heavy ground and pound with elbows from Lee, but Barboza is able to regain guard.
• Barboza better get up before he goes all three rounds and the commission retroactively stops the fight based on this first round beating.
• Barboza shooting for a takedown on Kevin Lee is his way of tapping out without actually tapping out.
• Kevin Lee has his weight on Barboza's hips, controlling him, dominating him. Barboza is down 20-16.
• There wasn't a whole lot about the Ferguson fight that told me that Lee was incapable of something like this. I want to see that fight without the presence of staph.
• BARBOZA LANDS THE SPINNING WHEEL KICK! KEVIN LEE IS DANCING! Takedown for Lee, but wow. 
• Lee very much needs to push forward and get a takedown and not do the thing where he stands with Edson Barboza.
• Lee slugs it out with Barboza just after losing a round, and wears a head kick pretty well before scoring a big double leg takedown.
• In the fifth round, Barboza is still throwing heat, and Lee isn't afraid. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. 
• The doctor stops the fight. An insane performance from Lee.