For the main event, heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and interim heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum have to make a limit of 265 pounds. The co-main event features a lightweight bout between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez, both of whom will have to make a limit of 155 pounds.

The weigh-ins for UFC 188 starts at 7:00 p.m. ET sharp! Make sure to bookmark this page and watch the live stream right here on Yell! Magazine.

UFC 188 Main card (PPV at 10 p.m. ET)

Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum
Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nate Marquardt
Yair Rodriguez vs. Charles Rosa
Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill

Undercard (FX at 8 p.m. ET)

Chico Camus vs. Henry Cejudo
Efrain Escudero vs. Drew Dober
Alejandro Perez vs. Patrick Williams
Francisco Trevino vs. Johnny Case

Undercard (UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. ET)

Augusto Montano vs. Cathal Pendred
Gabriel Benitez vs. Clay Collard
Albert Turnenov vs. Andrew Todhunter called off

In addition, we also included below the other Countdown clip featuring Red-hot lightweights Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez as they brace for their showdown, which has been talked about by fans for years.

UFC 188 takes place on June 13, 2015 at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico.

Countdown to UFC 188: Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez

https://youtu.be/ZRLQA2vSbrY

In the video clip above, we get a short peek into the training world of Melendez before his big fight on December 6, 2015, via UFC PPV in Las Vegas. As you will see, Melendez worked the mitts with coach Edmond Taverdyan and rolled with Ronda Rousey during an intense training session.

Check it out!

Main Card (PPV, 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez
Travis Browne vs. Brendan Schaub
Todd Duffee vs. Anthony Hamilton
Tony Ferguson vs. Abel Trujillo

Preliminary Card (FS1, 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

Urijah Faber vs. Francisco Rivera
Eddie Gordon vs. Josh Samman
Corey Anderson vs. Jonathan Wilson
Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Raquel Pennington

Preliminary Card (Fight Pass, 7 PM ET/4 PM PT)

Sergio Pettis vs. Matt Hobar
Alex White vs. Clay Collard

He acts like it’s real personal and stuff, I just wanted to fight him. I thought he was number one in the world. At this point, I don’t feel that’s the case. I think he’s fallen off the last couple years to be honest. Maybe our paths will cross now, and I’m so not scared at all if that’s the case. – Gilbert Melendez

For the first time in history, the new season of The Ultimate Fighter will feature an all-female cast and will have a UFC championship title on the line. The storied reality series will feature a women’s 115-pound tournament to determine the first ever UFC women’s strawweight champion. UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and No. 2-ranked lightweight contender, Gilbert Melendez, will serve as coaches and meet in a championship showdown of their own at the conclusion of the season.

The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned kicks off with a two-hour premiere Wednesday, September 10, at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

The top 115-pound females on the planet will compete over the course of the season for the honor of being the UFC’s second female champion, alongside bantamweight (135 pound) champion Ronda Rousey. Amongst the cast are two former Invicta FC champions, a former International Kickboxing Federation women’s bantamweight, a United States kickboxing champion, an astrophysicist and a former professional ice hockey player.

In line with previous seasons, the women will be divided into two teams, coached by Pettis and Melendez. The series will follow the teams as they live and train together in preparation for their fights. The culmination of the season will see the two semifinalists meet at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in late 2014, where the inaugural champion will be crowned.

The list of competitors includes fighters hailing from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, United States and Tasmania. The competitors are listed in alphabetical order (Name, Professional MMA record, Age, Hometown):

– Joanne Calderwood (8-0), 27, Glasgow, Scotland
– Heather Jo Clark (6-4), 34, Los Angeles, Calif.
– Lisa Ellis (15-8), 31, Olympia, Wash.
– Felice Herrig (9-5), 29, Crystal Lake, Ill.
– Emily Peters Kagan (3-1), 32, Bangor, Maine
– Angela Magana (11-6), 30, Farmington, N.M.
– Rose Namajunas (2-1), 22, Milwaukee, Wis.
– Bec Rawlings (5-3), 25, Launceston, Tasmania
– Alex Chambers (4-1), 35, Sydney, Australia
– Aisling Daly (14-3), 26, Dublin, Ireland
– Carla Esparza (9-2), 26, Redondo Beach, Calif.
– Angela Hill (1-0), 29, Brooklyn, N.Y.
– Justine Kish (4-0), 26, Cramerton, N.C.
– Randa Markos (4-1), 28, Windsor, Canada
– Jessica Penne (11-2), 31, Huntington Beach, Calif.
– Tecia Torres (4-0), 24, Fall River, Mass.

Source: UFC

Like who didn’t see this coming after Gilbert Melendez inked a new lucrative UFC contract? It now appears that former TUF winner and training partner Nate Diaz wants to pull the plug on his UFC contract.

Earlier this month, veteran trainer Cesar Gracie warned UFC President Dana White over Twitter that other of his MMA fighters will leave the Zuffa owned banner for Bellator MMA. Gracie tweeted, “@GilbertMelendez won’t be punked by @danawhite if not careful our other guys will be leaving @ufc for @BellatorMMA”.

So, it wasn’t a bluff, the unofficial announcement came on Wednesday afternoon when Diaz sent a message directly to White and UFC officials.

@ufc @danawhite I would like to request to be released from the @ufc Its time for me to be on my way .. ?

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) February 26, 2014

Is he for real or is this his way of just negotiating a better contract? At the moment, the UFC hasn’t addressed the situation with Diaz.

Winner: Henderson

This is a very difficult fight to predict but nevertheless a salivating one that should go down as a memorable and exciting lightweight fight. Gilbert Melendez may be relatively unknown to the common fan but he was by far the best fighter outside the UFC for the past couple of years. Benson Henderson is becoming n excellent fighter, with great striking and submission skills. Both fighters have excellent wrestling so expect both to trade until the final horn. Melendez may have more power but Henderson is quicker, able to get on the inside a lot faster. Henderson also defeated Melendez’s training partner Nate Diaz in his last fight – which can work against him if Diaz is dishing out important information on the champion when training with the challenger. Or maybe Henderson could have an idea as to how Melendez will approach this fight. This fight should be as close as Henderson’s fights with Frankie Edgar, if not closer. A complete guess as to who is going to win this fight.

Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir

Pick: Cormier

Oddsmakers who have Daniel Cormier as a virtual lock should not overlook former heavyweight champion Frank Mir. His striking is decent but it’s his submission skills that he possesses that make him really special. Cormier is the best heavyweight wrestler in MMA (alongside training partner Cain Velasquez) so it will be difficult for Mir to have his way with him if the fight goes to the ground. With all the hype surrounding Cormier, he should be able to fulfill expectations and defeat Mir in impressive fashion however Mir can never be counted out – he usually shines when nobody gives him a chance to win.

Nate Diaz vs. Josh Thomson

Pick: Diaz

This could be a riskier fight for Josh Thomson since he had a grueling and memorable trilogy with one of Nate Diaz’s main training partners, Gilbert Melendez. Diaz thinks he knows everything there is to know about his opponent. After an unsuccessful title campaign, Diaz will look to bounce back in ferocious fashion and will probably head up to welterweight when he is done this fight, win or lose. However Thomson provided a blueprint on how to beat Melendez (even if it was just once) so expect him to use the same style he did against Melendez – quick on the feet and relentless on the ground.

Matt Brown vs. Jordan Mein

Pick: Mein

Jordan Mein is a top prospect that has already finished Marius Zaromskis, Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos and the incredibly durable Dan Miller. Having fought just over thirty days ago at UFC 158 in Canada, Mein took the fight on short notice and is confident he has what it takes to beat Matt Brown. “The Immortal” is on an impressive four-fight win streak and being unprepared for him will cost you dearly. His standup is very underrated and his ground game isn’t too shabby either. Mein should be able to take the win home with him but is he coming back too soon?

The main bout headlines UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson and promotional newcomer Gilbert Melendez, who was the STRIKEFORCE lightweight champion. It’s a true fight between champion and champion, which will also determine how STRIKEFORCE fighters stack up to UFC fighters.

Additionally, Daniel Cormier will finally square off with former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, a fight originally destined to happen in STRIKEFORCE, but was canceled due an injury Mir suffered in training.

The official weigh-ins for UFC on FOX 7 goes down today at 7:00 P.M. ET, and all 24 fighters (listed below) will step on the scale this afternoon, which you can watch LIVE right here on Yell! Magazine.

So don’t forget to bookmark this page!

Main Card

Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez
Frank Mir vs. Daniel Cormier
Nate Diaz vs. Josh Thomson
Matt Brown vs. Jordan Mein

Preliminary Card (FX)

Chad Mendes vs. Darren Elkins
Francis Carmont vs. Lorenz Larkin
Ramsey Nijem vs. Myles Jury
Joseph Benavidez vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Tim Means vs. Jorge Masvidal
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Hugo Viana

Preliminary card (Facebook)

Anthony Njokuani vs. Roger Bowling
Clifford Starks vs. Yoel Romero

The 29-year-old Henderson is 6-0 in the UFC, including two consecutive title defenses over Nate Diaz and Frankie Edgar. He’ll look to cement his status as the world’s best 155-pounder when he meets Melendez, a San Francisco resident riding a seven-fight winning streak.

“Benson Henderson wants to beat Gilbert Melendez to prove once and for all that he’s the best lightweight in the world,” UFC President Dana White said. “Gilbert was a champion in Strikeforce and he’s been on an incredible tear. Benson wants this fight badly and I’m excited that it’s headlining such a stacked card.”

In addition, this outstanding card also features:

Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir vs. highly touted Olympic wrestler and winner of the STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight Grand Prix, San Jose’s Daniel Cormier.

Stockton’s Nate Diaz vs. San Jose’s Josh Thomson in lightweight action

A welterweight collision between Dan Hardy and Matt Brown

The main card airs live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, preceded by the prelims on FX at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. FUEL TV previews the card the week before on signature shows UFC TONIGHT and UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER, and also carries the WEIGH-IN SHOW on Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and provides post-event analysis.

2012 Best MMA Fighters On The Planet

MMA has seen champions come and go, legends reach their peak and fall, and young superstars emerge to take the world by storm.

The UFC is the proving ground to see what a fighter is made of, as the company has the most impressive roster in all of the sport and has its fighters face the toughest competition in each fight. To be a UFC champion, it proves there is something great about that individual simply because there is so much gifted talent on the roster. Although that does not mean athletes outside the promotion are complete rubbish either.

Although there are dozens of extremely talented fighters around the globe, Yell! Magazine has compiled a list of the 10 best fighters on the planet today.

No.10 Luke Rockhold

(10–1): Strikeforce Middleweight Champion

Luke Rockhold

Luke Rockhold has voiced his displeasure with not being able to fight the best in the world because he is in Strikeforce. That does not keep him from delivering solid performances. Although Rockhold could be a surprise entry for this list, he is 10-1 in his MMA career and his lone loss happened in 2007. He has only gone the distance twice and he recently beat Tim Kennedy to retain his Strikeforce Middleweight title. He defends that same title against Lorenz Larkin in Oklahoma on October 3rd.

No.9 Dominick Cruz

(19–1): UFC Bantamweight Champion

Dominick Cruz

Sometimes the lower weight-classes are overshadowed by household names that seem more familiar to the casual fan. Dominick Cruz is not yet a household name but he certainly deserves all the credit in the world. His cat-like stances in his standup game are extremely tricky to train for and he has impressive cardio. After avenging the only loss of his career against Urijah Faber at UFC 132, Cruz defeated Demetrious Johnson in an entertaining fight in October of last year. “The Dominator” holds an outstanding record of 19-1 and went 7-1 in the now-defunct WEC.

No.8 Ronda Rousey

(6-0): Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion

Ronda Rousey

It is difficult to say that a fighter could be the best in the world after six fights, especially when only four of those fights were at the highest level of competition. Although it is a different story when that same fighter finishes all of her opponents in the first round, via the same destructive armbar. Rousey’s longest fight clocked in at 4:27 against Miesha Tate earlier this year, a fight in which was supposed to be her toughest test. Not only did Rousey nearly rip Miesha’s arm off, but she also defeated accomplished Canadian Sarah Kaufman last month to retain her Strikeforce Bantamweight Championship. A potential fight with Brazilian powerhouse Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos was in the works but plans have stalled.

No.7 Gilbert Melendez

(21–2): Strikeforce Lightweight Champion

Gilbert Melendez

Gilbert Melendez is easily the best fighter outside the UFC, with 21 victories and 2 losses. He is the current Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and trains alongside Jake Shields and the Diaz brothers over at Cesar Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu Academy. He has had perhaps the greatest trilogy in MMA alongside former champion Josh Thomson. Melendez is not only a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt but also packs a truckload of power behind his punches and elbows. He faces Pat Healy later this month in Sacramento but a crossover superfight between Melendez and Frankie Edgar is long overdue.

No.6 Frankie Edgar

(14–3–1): Former UFC Lightweight Champion

Frankie Edgar

Speaking of the former UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar could almost already be considered as one of the sport’s greatest fighters who ever stepped into the cage. (The reason Edgar was picked over current UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson is not only because his two losses to the champion were very controversial but also because his track record is a little more impressive than Bendo’s, with all due respect). Edgar proved he had the biggest heart in MMA in both fights against Gray Maynard and defeated the legend BJ Penn not once but twice. He has been in a whopping six-straight title fights and has won three of those six. His move to featherweight seems to have taken a slight turn as his UFC 153 fight with Jose Aldo in Brazil has been cancelled.