In what could turn out to be one of the most important welterweight bouts of the year, Johny Hendricks defeated Martin Kampmann at UFC 154 on Saturday night. Hendricks used his lethal left hand to knock Kampmann out just 46 seconds into the first …
In what could turn out to be one of the most important welterweight bouts of the year, Johny Hendricks defeated Martin Kampmann at UFC 154 on Saturday night.
Hendricks used his lethal left hand to knock Kampmann out just 46 seconds into the first round, shocking the crowd.
Both Hendricks and Kampmann have been rolling lately. Hendricks entered this fight having won his last four bouts, including victories over Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck. He has come back in a big way after suffering his first, and to date only, loss against Rick Story at the end of 2010.
For the longest time, Kampmann looked like one of those fighters whose talent was always going to outweigh his actual performance. He would always let his opponents dictate the pace and style of a fight, which wound up costing him some very winnable matchups.
All that changed after Kampmann lost two fights to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez. He has gotten more aggressive and looked much more comfortable in his own skin, which led to him winning his last three fights.
Obviously plans can and will change, depending on what UFC deems to be in the best interest of business, but on merit, Hendricks has proven himself a worthy contender for the championship. He has beaten some of the biggest and best fighters the 170-pound division has to offer.
It also helps Hendricks’ case that Nick Diaz is suspended until February, and Anderson Silva, who has been linked to St-Pierre if GSP defeats Condit, said that he isn’t fighting again until the end of 2013.
We shall see what direction UFC ultimately decides to go, but Hendricks has certainly left the Dana White and Co. with a lot to think about.
After 19 months away from the octagon, Georges St-Pierre makes his much-anticipated return at UFC 154 in a match with Carlos Condit to determine who is the undisputed welterweight champion. St-Pierre and Condit’s journey to this moment has been lo…
After 19 months away from the octagon, Georges St-Pierre makes his much-anticipated return at UFC 154 in a match with Carlos Condit to determine who is the undisputed welterweight champion.
St-Pierre and Condit‘s journey to this moment has been long and quite strange, almost like something out of an M. Night Shyamalan movie because of all the twists and turns.
But all that is in the past. St-Pierre and Condit have been building to this moment ever since Condit defeated Nick Diaz in February to win the interim welterweight championship. All that is left is deciding who is the better man.
Where: Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
When: Saturday, November 17
Watch: Main Card Fights start at 10:00 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View; Preliminary Card Fights start at 8:00 p.m. ET on FX at 8:00 p.m. ET; Facebook Preliminary Fights start at 6:00 p.m. ET
MAIN CARD FIGHTS
Welterweight Championship: Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit
Welterweight Bout: Martin Kampmann vs. Johny Hendricks
Middleweight Bout: Francis Carmont vs. Tom Lawlor
Middleweight Bout: Nick Ring vs. Costa Philippou
Featherweight Bout: Mark Hominick vs. Pablo Garza
FX PRELIMINARY FIGHTS
Middleweight Bout: Patrick Cote vs. AlessioSakara
Light Heavyweight Bout: Cyrille Diabate vs. Chad Griggs
Lightweight Bout: Mark Bocek vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Lightweight Bout: Sam Stout vs. John Makdessi
FACEBOOK PRELIMINARY FIGHTS
Featherweight Bout: Antonio Carvalho vs. Rodrigo Damm
Welterweight Bout: Matthew Riddle vs. John Maguire
Bantamweight Bout: Ivan Menjivar vs. AzamatGashimov
Featherweight Bout: Steven Siler vs. Darren Elkins
St-Pierre’s Keys to Victory
Don’t try to make a statement early; Control the ground and get the mount
Even for an athlete as disciplined as St-Pierre, there could be a temptation to come storming out of the gate and prove that the injury that kept him on the shelf for so long is very much a thing of the past.
Condit has the speed, power and movement to make St-Pierre pay if he gets sloppy, so it is imperative that St-Pierre doesn’t try to show the world that he is still one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport right away.
St-Pierre’s biggest asset is his ability to adjust on the fly. He can let Condit show him what kind of fight this is going to be, then fight that way and make it work for him.
Condit‘s Keys to Victory
Test St-Pierre’s stamina; Make like a chameleon
We have no idea what kind of fighting shape St-Pierre will be in for this fight. It is easy to say he will be at the same level he was when he last fought, but 19 months away can wreak havoc on stamina and conditioning in the cage.
Condit needs to keep this fight moving along at a fast pace to make St-Pierre prove he can handle a five-round fight.
In addition to the pace, Condit is good at mixing styles. He can stand up or work on the ground. St-Pierre is at his best when an opponent tries to work a singular style to beat him, so it is on Condit to keep changing the way he attacks and keep St-Pierre off guard.
What They Are Saying
While most fighters would be thrilled for the opportunity to hold a title, even if it has the dreaded “interim” tag attached to it, Carlos Condit had some interesting things to say about the welterweight championship that both he and St-Pierre currently hold.
This is Georges’ title. He’s the undisputed champion, no doubt about it. Georges has been so dominant for so long. To be the champion, you have to do one thing: You have to beat Georges St-Pierre. I haven’t done that yet.
Give Condit credit for not sugarcoating how he feels. St-Pierre, as long as he is healthy, has earned that level of respect inside the octagon.
Condit is not a joke, though. This fight is the greatest test that St-Pierre has had since going on this five-year run of domination.
Undercard Fight To Watch: Mark Bocek vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Admittedly, I am a sucker for fights between submission specialists. Bocek used to be one of the better submission artists in UFC, scoring three straight from 2008-09, but as the competition has gotten better, his style isn’t working that well and he is settling for decisions.
Dos Anjos has had four of his last six fights stopped, either via submission or knockout. He won four of those bouts, including two by submission.
This fight could easily turn into a dud as Bocek and dos Anjos jockey for position on the ground or in the clinch, but it could also feature one of the best submissions of the night.
Main Event Prediction
St-Pierre vs. Condit is one of the most difficult main events to offer a prediction on because they are a lot closer than fans might realize, and a Condit win would not be a shocker.
However, St-Pierre has reached that Anderson Silva territory though, where you have to see them lose in order to believe it will happen.
One of the biggest nights for mixed martial arts in 2012 is almost upon us, as Georges St-Pierre returns to the octagon after a 19-month layoff to take on Carlos Condit to determine the undisputed welterweight champion at UFC 154. St-Pierre has be…
One of the biggest nights for mixed martial arts in 2012 is almost upon us, as Georges St-Pierre returns to the octagon after a 19-month layoff to take on Carlos Condit to determine the undisputed welterweight champion at UFC 154.
St-Pierre has been one of the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world for the last five years, but after such a long layoff due to a torn ACL, will he be able to step right back in the cage without missing a beat?
Condit has been rapidly climbing up the 170-pound rankings for a long time before finally getting his shot at the welterweight title back in February. He defeated Nick Diaz in impressive fashion to win the interim championship.
Now we are going to see just how good Condit really is. This fight, more than any other that St-Pierre has had during his run of dominance, will push him to the limit. This could be one of the most exciting main events of the year.
In anticipation of the huge event, here is a look at all the latest buzz, news and rumors coming out of UFC before Fight Night.
After taking a few weeks off to recharge the batteries, UFC returns with a special event in China on Fuel TV that will be headlined by a middleweight showdown between Rich Franklin and Cung Le. The 38-year-old Franklin looks to change a pattern of…
After taking a few weeks off to recharge the batteries, UFC returns with a special event in China on Fuel TV that will be headlined by a middleweight showdown between Rich Franklin and Cung Le.
The 38-year-old Franklin looks to change a pattern of alternating wins and losses, which he has done in his last seven fights. He won his last bout against Wanderlei Silva in June via decision.
Le brings his kickboxing expertise into the octagon for the first time since July at UFC 148 when he earned his first UFC victory over Patrick Cote.
Where:Cotai Arena in Cotai Strip, Macau
When: Saturday, Nov. 10 at 9:00 a.m. ET
Watch: Main Card airs on Fuel TV at 9:00 a.m. ET; Preliminary Card airs on Facebook at 7:00 a.m. ET
FUEL TV MAIN CARD
Middleweight Bout: Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le
Light Heavyweight Bout: Thiago Silva vs. StanislavNedkov
Welterweight Bout: Dong Hyun Kim vs. Paulo Thiago
Lightweight Bout: TakanoriGomi vs. Mac Danzig
Bantamweight Bout: MotonobuTezuka vs. Alex Caceres
Lightweight Bout: TiequanZhang vs. Jon Tuck
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Flyweight Bout: YasuhiroUrushitani vs. John Lineker
Middleweight Bout: Riki Fukuda vs. Tom DeBlass
Bantamweight Bout: TakeyaMizugaki vs. Jeff Hougland
Welterweight Bout: David Mitchell vs. LimHyun-Gyu
Franklin’s Keys to Victory
Use size and reach advantage to overpower Le in later rounds
Franklin should be coming into this fight as a heavy favorite over Le. While neither fighter is at their physical peak due to age, Franklin is a much bigger middleweight than Le and should have a simple game plan to beat him.
Franklin holds a seven-inch reach advantage (76″ to 69″) and three-inch height advantage. He is naturally stronger and more powerful than Le. Franklin should have no problem dictating the pace and tempo of this fight, as a result.
Le’s Keys to Victory
Speed and quick fists are his biggest allies
What Le lacks in size he has to make up for in speed and knockout power. His best bet to win this fight is to keep his hands up and protect himself, hope that Franklin tires himself out early, at least enough for Le to land a big shot.
Le is so one-dimensional in his style that if Franklin gets the fight to the ground, it’s going to end in a hurry. He needs to keep moving around in order to keep Franklin from backing him into a corner and just beating him to a pulp.
What They Are Saying
While Franklin still has business to take care of, he is talking about things a little further into the future with the possibility of a fight with Michael Bisping.
Franklin told MMA Weekly Radio (h/t ESPN UK) that his plan to get back into middleweight title contention, if it is even possible, would be to shoot for one of the top guys in the division.
I don’t believe the UFC, I don’t believe they’re going to give me a title fight after this. I believe there’s going to be another step in that process.
I don’t know who that would be, if it would be somebody like a Bisping, or something like that, but winning a fight always puts you in the right direction.
Selling a third fight, as Franklin goes on to say, with Anderson Silva would be a virtual impossibility. But you have to keep thinking about the ultimate prize if you are an athlete, which is what Franklin is doing.
Undercard Fight to Watch
David Mitchell vs. LimHyun-Gyu
A potentially fun welterweight bout will kick off the show on Facebook, with Mitchell fighting to save his job after two losses to begin his UFC career, and Hyun-Gyu trying to make a name for himself in his first UFC fight.
Mitchell specializes in fighting on the ground, so it will be imperative he gets things to the mat early and control the pace while fighting to lock in a submission.
Hyun-Gyu’s knockout punch has been on display in promotions like M-1 Global and PXC, but we have to see if it will translate to UFC. Considering that this is his debut, and he wants to impress the top brass, don’t be surprised if he comes out firing like a mad man.
Main Event Prediction
As alluded to above, it just seems like it will be very difficult for Le to defeat Franklin due to the size and power advantage Franklin has. You would never say it’s impossible, because Le does have a decent punch, but it certainly doesn’t look good.
Anderson Silva has been the best mixed martial arts fighter on the planet for six years. He has defeated the best middleweights and a few light heavyweights during his UFC tenure, including an incredible knockout of Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153 on Saturda…
Anderson Silva has been the best mixed martial arts fighter on the planet for six years. He has defeated the best middleweights and a few light heavyweights during his UFC tenure, including an incredible knockout of Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153 on Saturday night.
Yet for all his bravado inside the cage, amazing athleticism and apparent inability to be stopped even in the most dire circumstances, one can’t help but feel like everything that we saw on Saturday night did nothing.
Granted, some of that was to be expected. Silva took this fight on short notice basically as a favor to UFC president Dana White, who was left scrambling to find a main event after Eric Koch had to withdraw from his featherweight title fight against Jose Aldo only to see Aldo forced off the card against replacement challenger Frankie Edgar due to an injury.
Bonnar hadn’t fought since last November and was, for all intents and purposes, as close to retired as a fighter can be without actually being retired: He was still around, but not taking any fights.
So, when you put the best fighter in the world against someone like Bonnar, what should you realistically expect to happen? Exactly what we got, which was a spectacular knockout that will be on highlight reels for years to come.
Silva was toying with Bonnar for basically the entire round before he decided to end it. It was a fun fight and provided a great “Holy Cow” moment for everyone watching, yet where do we go from here?
White told reporters after the fight that he is looking into putting Silva in the Octagon with Jon Jones next, though Silva continues to insist that he doesn’t want to do that fight:
I know my man says “no, no, no” to Jon Jones, but the amount of money that will be offered for that fight, he will say “yes, yes, yes.”
This is a gross overreaction to what we saw Silva do at UFC 153. Bonnar is not in the same league as Jones, so trying to take away anything that happened on Saturday night and applying it towards a super-fight is useless.
Silva does have a body type that can handle fighting Jones at 205 pounds, but he would be out of his element against an athlete who can match him, if not outdo him, in many aspects.
Jones’ limbs are so long that Silva would be lucky to touch him in that fight, though Silva’s speed can create opportunities that a normal fighter wouldn’t get.
None of this is to say that I don’t want to see the fight; anyone who has seen seven seconds of UFC would pay to see Jones fight Silva. But trying to put the two in the Octagon just because of Silva’s performance against Bonnar strikes me as incredibly shortsighted.
We didn’t see anything on Saturday night from Silva that we didn’t already know.
One of the most cursed events in mixed martial arts history actually looks more accessible to those casual fans who were on the fence about buying the show, as UFC 153 will be headlined by Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar in a light heavyweight showdo…
One of the most cursed events in mixed martial arts history actually looks more accessible to those casual fans who were on the fence about buying the show, as UFC 153 will be headlined by Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar in a light heavyweight showdown.
Silva stepped up to take the spot vacated by UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who was forced to withdraw from his title fight with Frankie Edgar due to an injury. This will be the third UFC fight for the Spider at 205 pounds.
Bonnar, who is fighting for the first time in 11 months, is basically in a no-lose situation. If he wins, he pulls off the biggest upset in mixed martial arts history. If he loses, everyone expected it and he will at least get a nice paycheck for main eventing against Silva.
Where:HSBC Arena in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil
When: Saturday, Oct. 13
Watch: Main Card airs on pay-per-view starting at 10:00 p.m. ET; FX Preliminary Card starts at 8:00 p.m. ET; Facebook Preliminary Card airs at 6:45 p.m. ET
MAIN CARD
Light Heavyweight Bout: Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar
Heavyweight Bout: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Dave Herman
Light Heavyweight Bout: Glover Teixeira vs. Fabio Maldonado
Welterweight Bout: Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva
Light Heavyweight Bout: Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado
Welterweight Bout: Demian Maia vs. Rick Story
FX PRELIMINARY CARD
Featherweight Bout: Rony Mariano Bezerra vs. Sam Sicilia
Lightweight Bout: GleisonTibau vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Featherweight Bout: Diego Brandao vs. Joey Gambino
Welterweight Bout: Sergio Moraes vs. Renee Forte
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Middleweight Bout: Luiz Cane vs. Chris Camozzi
Lightweight Bout: Cristiano Marcello vs. RezaMadadi
Silva’s Keys to Victory
Speed and power combination
Given what we have seen from Silva in his previous light heavyweight battles, there is nothing he can’t do at this weight class that he doesn’t do at middleweight. He is still so fast, so strong and so agile that it is hard to lay a hand on him, much less do enough damage to stop him.
As long as Silva hasn’t lost a step—it has been over three years since he has fought at 205 pounds—that combination of speed and power will be too much for Bonnar to handle.
Bonnar‘s Keys to Victory
Get fight to the ground; hold Silva down
Bonnar‘s greatest, or only, advantage in this fight is size. He has a slightly larger frame than Silva, so he needs to use every bit of it on Saturday night to at least make this a competitive fight.
While he does have tendencies to stand and trade with opponents, Bonnar can’t keep this fight standing. He needs to do everything possible to work Silva to the ground, either by taking him down on his own or baiting him into going down.
Even though Bonnar is not nearly the wrestler that ChaelSonnen is, we saw in Silva’s second fight with Sonnen how much of an advantage there is to just taking him down and putting all your weight on him. Of course, Silva came back in the second round to knock Sonnen out.
What They Are Saying
Despite being involved in the most important fight in UFC history, vs. Forrest Griffin in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter Season 1, Bonnar believes that this match with Silva is the biggest moment he will ever experience (via ESPN.com).
It’s the defining moment of my whole life. Everything I’ve gone through, all the martial arts training I’ve done, MMA fights, boxing matches, wrestling, grappling — this is a culmination of it all. It’s all meant to be. It’s perfect. It feels like the stars are aligning just like it did on that magical night for the UFC when I fought Forrest [Griffin].
Undercard Fight to Watch: Diego Brandao vs. Joey Gambino
I am a sucker for two things: Youth and upside.
Brandao vs. Gambino isn’t a fight that is going to light the world on fire, as far as names go, but they are both young fighters—Brandao is 25, Gambino, 23—who are looking to make themselves into legitimate UFC stars.
Brandao has a shaky resume already, with just a 14-8 career record (1-1 in UFC), but he is going to leave everything he has on the table. He is a good striker with decent Muay Thai skills.
Gambino lost for the first time in his career back in June, but boasts a respectable 9-1 record. He is a ground fighter who is going to shoot early and work for submissions.
Main Event Prediction
Silva comes into this fight as one of the biggest favorites in the history of sports, currently at -1200, according to Bovada. Normally I would say you always take those odds, but Bonnar is basically coming out of retirement against the greatest fighter of this generation.
In what could turn out to be one of the most important welterweight bouts of the year, Johny Hendricks defeated Martin Kampmann at UFC 154 on Saturday night.