Dominic Cruz is back, Eddie Alvarez never left, and Cris Cyborg is… Cyborg.
After a rare UFC Sunday night event and an Invicta card Saturday, Rear-Naked Choke Radio (@RNCRadio) brings its powerful weekend review. Hosts Jason Kelly (@JayKellyMMA) and Joe Rizzo (@rearnakedchoke) looked back at UFC Fight Night 81 and Invicta FC 15.
Audio available for download on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio
The UFC was headlined with a bantamweight title match between newly crowned champion Cruz and former king T.J. Dillashaw, a co-main event featuring former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis losing via split-decision to former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, and Matt Mitrione’s bulging eye trumping the infamous hematoma Mark Hominick suffered at UFC 129.
Rizzo and Kelly debated who Cruz should face in his title defense and the options for Dillashaw and the rest of the UFC men’s 135-pound division. They also touched on highlights of the card, questionable refereeing regarding eye pokes and fence grabs. Rizzo announced his fight to make with the night’s co-main event loser if he were playing matchmaker.
Saturday night, Invicta showcased featherweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino, who brutalized another victim in Daria Ibragimova. Cyborg steals the attention on any card she is on, but in one of the more exciting Invicta cards in a while, every competitor on the bill put on entertaining performances, with only fight seeing the judges’ scorecards.
The hosts reviewed the thriller event and looked ahead at Invicta FC 16.
As always, feel free to comment below or send feedback about the show to @RNCRadio or @CombatPress on Twitter, or on Facebook at RNC Radio or Combat Press, and now on YouTube.