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About Matt Bricker - RotoBaller
I've been involved in and a fan of martial arts from a very early age. Since May 2018 I've been writing for MMA outlets as well as on boxing. I also train in boxing with an amateur debut soon to come! Follow me on Twitter @LAknockoutMMA
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Matt Bricker - RotoBaller has written 2247 articles so far, you can find them below.
Petr Yan Has A Chance To Recapture His Crown
Losing his title due to an illegal knee in his March 2021 bout with now-champion Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan (16-2) will get a chance to re-capture his title in Saturday night's co-main event of UFC 273. After dropping the title, Yan defeated a tough competitor in Cory Sandhagen in October via unanimous decision. Aside from... Read More
Aljamain Sterling Set For First Title Defense
After winning the UFC bantamweight title in an awkward situation at UFC 259 in March of last year, champion Aljamain Sterling (20-3) will make his first title defense against the man he defeated, Petr Yan, in Saturday night's co-main event. Sterling has shown the ability to go the distance and get a decision (nine times)... Read More
Gilbert Burns Has A Chance To Derail A Major Hype Train
Gilbert Burns (20-4) has a huge opportunity at UFC 273 on Saturday to shoot up the rankings and into the title picture when he faces one of MMA's hottest rising stars in Khamzat Chimaev. A dangerous jiu-jitsu wizard, 14 of his 20 career wins have come by the finish, with eight of those via submission.... Read More
Khamzat Chimaev Can Continue His March To Welterweight Gold
Marching closer and closer to a welterweight title shot and one of 2021's hottest rising stars in all of mixed martial arts, Khamzat Chimaev (10-0) will face off with Gilbert Burns on Saturday night. A perfect 4-0 in the UFC, all four of Chimaev's victories have come by the finish, with three of them in... Read More
Tecia Torres Can Earn Fourth Straight Win At UFC 273
When it looked that Tecia Torres (13-5) could be on the downside of her career with a four-fight losing streak, she was able to turn it around and is currently on a three-fight winning streak. Her most recent victory was a decision win over Angela Hill in August of last year. Proving time and time... Read More
Mackenzie Dern Can Rebound From Her Last Outing
Mackenzie Dern (11-2) finished last year on a hot streak by riding a four-fight winning streak before that streak was snapped in October by Marina Rodriguez and a unanimous decision. The ADCC World Champion and World Jiu-Jitsu Champion is 6-2 since entering the UFC, with four of those wins coming by submission. DraftKings sees Dern... Read More
Mark Madsen Looking To Remain Undefeated
Former Olympic silver medalist in wrestling at the 2016 games, Mark Madsen (11-0) is set to kick off the main card of UFC 273 on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida. Coming off of a split-decision win over veteran Clay Guida in August of last year, Madsen is a perfect 3-0 in the Octagon, including a second-round... Read More
Vinc Pichel Set To Open The Main Card Of UFC 273
Since his time on The Ultimate Fighter 16 in 2012, Vinc Pichel (14-2) has had a solid run in the UFC by earning a record of 7-1, including victories in his last three contests. The only issue with Pichel on the big stage for fantasy managers is that only one of Pichel's seven UFC wins... Read More
Chris Daukaus Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
As the competition gets stiffer for Chris Daukaus, he is finding it harder and harder to earn a victory. In Saturday's main event from Columbus, Daukaus suffered a second-round knockout/TKO loss to Curtis Blaydes. In 5:17 of total action, Daukaus landed 13 significant strikes but absorbed 30. There is no doubt that Daukaus has Octagon... Read More
Curtis Blaydes Dominates In Saturday's Main Event
Getting it all done in Saturday's main event in the standup game, Curtis Blaydes finished Chris Daukaus in the second round by knockout/TKO. With no takedown attempts in 5:17 of total action, Blaydes did tally 30 significant strikes compared to just 13 for Daukaus. Ranked No. 4 in the UFC's heavyweight division, there are big... Read More
Joanne Wood Unable To Rebound On Saturday
Hoping to use Saturday night's co-main-event spot as a chance to rebound, Joanne Wood was unable to secure the win, dropping a first-round submission to Alexa Grasso. Though taking the loss, Wood outscored Grasso in the striking department by landing 34 significant strikes (61 total strikes) compared to Grasso's 16 significant strikes. Right now, Wood... Read More
Alexa Grasso Earns Big Submission Victory
Previously ranked No. 11 in the women's flyweight division, Alexa Grasso earned a strong finish in Saturday's co-main event, defeating seventh-ranked Joanne Wood by first-round submission. In 3:57 of action, Grasso tallied 16 significant strikes (50 total strikes) and landed both takedown tries on the night. The bout came to an end when Grasso locked... Read More
Matt Brown Unable to Get The Win Saturday
It was not the homecoming Matt Brown would have hoped for on Saturday when he dropped a split decision in a striking battle to Bryan Barberena on the main card of UFC's Saturday event in Columbus. In 15 minutes of non-stop action, Brown tallied 81 significant strikes compared to Barberena's 111 significant strikes. The takedown... Read More
Bryan Barberena Delivers Big Performance On Saturday
Earning back-to-back wins for the first time since 2016, Bryan Barberena defeated Matt Brown by split decision in Brown's home state of Ohio on the main card of Saturday's Columbus card. Barberena was very successful in the striking department, landing 111 significant strikes (186 total strikes) in 15 minutes of action. In the fire-fight everyone... Read More
Askar Askarov Takes First Career Loss On Columbus Card
The professional undefeated streak of Askar Askarov came to an end Saturday when he suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Kai Kara-France on the Columbus card. In 15 minutes of action, Askarov tallied only 27 significant strikes compared to the 51 of Kara-France. The wrestling game was not working for Askarov, either, as he whiffed on... Read More
Kai Kara-France Enters Title Picture With Decision Win
Putting himself deep into the flyweight title picture, Kai Kara-France took Askar Askarov the distance and walked out with a unanimous decision (28-29, 28-29, 28-29) on Saturday. Through 15 minutes of their bout, Kara-France tallied 51 significant strikes (64 total strikes) and missed his lone takedown try on the night. On the defensive end, Kara-France... Read More
Max Griffin Takes Close Split-Decision Loss In Columbus
Previously on a three-fight winning streak and hoping to make it four in a row, Max Griffin fell just short on Saturday by dropping a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) to Neil Magny on the main card of the Columbus event. In 15 minutes of action, Griffin tallied 67 significant strikes (75 total strikes) and... Read More
Neil Magny Becomes UFC's All-Time Decisions Leader
Now the UFC's all-time leader in decision wins (13), Neil Magny took a very close split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over Max Griffin in their main-card battle on Saturday. In 15 minutes of action, Magny collected 54 significant strikes (104 total strikes) but was only able to land one of his nine takedown tries on... Read More
Viacheslav Borshchev Unable To Continue Winning Streak
It was not meant to be for Viacheslav Borshchev, who was looking to win his third straight fight in the UFC. In Saturday's main-card opener against Marc Diakiese, Borschev suffered a unanimous-decision loss (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). It was all about the takedowns in this one, with Borshchev being taken down on 11 of Diakiese's 18... Read More
Marc Diakiese Impresses With Dominant Decision Win
Looking to be reinvigorated and ready for a run, Marc Diakiese opened up the main card on Saturday with a strong unanimous-decision win over a very tough opponent in Viacheslav Borshchev. In 15 minutes of action, Diakiese tallied 17 significant strikes (40 total strikes), but he really scored with his 11 takedowns and 12:24 of... Read More
Chris Daukaus Can Rebound Nicely With A Main-Event Victory
After coming off of his first UFC loss, Chris Daukaus (12-4) will look to rebound on a big stage in Saturday night's main event against a top contender in Curtis Blaydes. A big-time striker and finisher in the cage, 11 of his 12 wins have come by the finish, with 10 of those via knockout/TKO.... Read More
Curtis Blaydes Set For Main-Event Showing In Columbus
With only one loss since a defeat in 2018, Curtis Blaydes (15-3) will no doubt look to execute his wrestling and takedown game in Saturday's main event against Chris Daukaus in Columbus, Ohio. Though Blaydes can score takedown after takedown, he can also finish the bout to earn knockout points with nine of his 15... Read More
Alexa Grasso Can Get Her Third Straight Win Saturday
With a chance to earn her third straight victory in Saturday night's co-main event, Alexa Grasso (13-3) will take on the struggling Joanne Wood in Columbus. A grinding-style finisher like her opponent, nine of her 13 career wins have come by decision, while the other four have come by knockout/TKO. After a rough 2-2 start... Read More
Joanne Wood Needs A Win In Saturday's Co-Main Event
Suffering losses in her last two contests and in three of her last four bouts, Joanne Wood (15-7) will hope to rebound in a big spotlight contest as she is set for the co-main-event spot with Alexa Grasso on Saturday. A grinding-style finisher, 10 of Wood's 15 career victories have come by decision. DraftKings sees... Read More
Bryan Barberena Hoping For Back-To-Back Wins
Hoping he can finally string together some success in the UFC, Bryan Barberena (16-8) will battle UFC veteran Matt Brown on Saturday in Brown's home state of Ohio. A win for Barberena would give him his first back-to-back wins in the UFC since 2016. A dangerous striker, 10 of his 16 career wins have come... Read More
Matt Brown Hoping For A Big Victory In His Home State
Still as dangerous a striker as anyone, Matt Brown (23-18) will look to capitalize off of the momentum built from his second-round knockout win in June of last year when he takes on Bryan Barberena on Saturday in Columbus. Fighting in his home state of Ohio, he will look to earn his 15th UFC finish,... Read More
Kai Kara-France Can Continue His Recent Run
Kai Kara-France (23-9) has displayed his ability to earn a finish in the UFC with his last two victories coming by first-round knockout. His last outing was a victory over former champion Cody Garbrandt in December of last year. Finally displaying that finishing power at the highest level, 12 of his 24 career wins have... Read More
Askar Askarov Looking For Fourth Straight Octagon Win
With his only blemish being a draw with former champion Brandon Moreno, Russian ground specialist Askar Askarov (14-0-1) will take to Saturday's main card when he battles Kai Kara-France. Since that Octagon debut draw, Askarov has won three in a row, with all three coming by decision. Though his UFC wins have come by decision,... Read More
Ilir Latifi Can Go 2-1 In The Heavyweight Division
After a lengthy run in the UFC's light-heavyweight division, Ilir Latifi (15-8) made the jump up to heavyweight and has since gone 1-1 after the move up. Literally a balanced finisher, Latifi has five wins each by knockout/TKO, submission and decision. February of 2018 was the last time we have seen Latifi earn a finish,... Read More
Aleksei Oleinik Set For 77th Professional MMA Bout Saturday
Very few mixed martial artists have the professional experience of heavyweight Aleksei Oleinik (59-16-1), who has been a veteran of the UFC since 2014. Set for his 77th professional bout, an astounding 46 of those 59 career wins have come by submission. On the flip side, Oleinik is on a three-fight losing streak. DraftKings sees... Read More
