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UFC on Fuel TV 3: Fight Card, Predictions and More

With so much going on in mixed martial arts right now, if you blink you will miss the third UFC on Fuel TV spectacular on Tuesday night, live from Fairfax, Virginia and a main event featuring Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier. The Korean Zombie, a…

The Korean Zombie, as Sung Jung is known, is looking to keep his upward momentum going. He has won his last two fights, including his UFC debut against Mark Hominick at UFC 140 last December that lasted all of seven seconds.

Poirier just keeps rolling along, whether he is fighting in WEC or UFC, it doesn’t matter. He enters this fight with a 12-1 record and five consecutive wins. His last two victories have come via submission, and another impressive victory is expected to put him in title contention.

Where: Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia

When: Tuesday, May 15 at 8:00 p.m. EST

Watch: Fuel TV

Fight Card

Main Card

Featherweight Bout: Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier

Welterweight Bout: Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez

Lightweight Bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens

Bantamweight Bout: Yves Jabouin vs. Jeff Hougland

Light Heavyweight Bout: Igor Pokrajac vs. Fabio Maldonado

Middleweight Bout: Jason MacDonald vs. Tom Lawlor

Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout: Cody McKenzie vs. Marcus LeVesseur

Middleweight Bout: Brad Taveras vs. Dongi Yang

Lightweight Bout: T.J. Grant vs. Carlo Prater

Lightweight Bout: Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Kamal Shalorus

Bantamweight Bout: Jeff Curran vs. Johnny Eduardo

Bantamweight Bout: Alex Soto vs. Francisco Rivera

Sung Jung’s Keys to Victory

Control the ground; don’t get caught trading punches with Poirier.

The Korean Zombie’s best shot at winning this fight is by taking it to the ground, controlling the mat and working Poirier over. He is most effective fighting for submissions and using strikes to work the ground.

Poirier’s strength is standing and trading, though he does have a good submission game. Sung Jung needs to avoid the temptation to exchange punches with Poirier from the stand-up. He has a strong chin and can take a punch, but it is not conducive to sustained success in this fight.

Poirier’s Keys to Victory

Don’t let Sung Jung get ground control; mix takedowns in with striking.

Poirier is a more complete fighter than Sung Jung; he has better striking, power and a good ground game with a vast array of submission holds at his disposal. He needs to use all of his strengths in this fight to overcome the lightning quick Korean Zombie.

As long as Poirier doesn’t get cocky and allow Sung Jung to get control on the mat, he has a great chance to at least earn a decision victory because he is the better all-round fighter.

What They Are Saying

Poirier certainly has respect for all that Sung Jung has accomplished in his career, but that doesn’t mean he sees himself in a vulnerable position simply because of the constant-attack style that the Korean Zombie uses.

From MMA Fighters.com:

I really see him having a tough time of getting him down so I think that’s gonna be up to me. I think I might be able to use my wrestling a little bit better than he can to dictate where the fight takes place. Just because a guy does a Twister, I’m not 100% convinced that he’s a brilliant jiu-jitsu practitioner. I’ll find out when we get in there and start moving around.

Given the strength of Poirier is his jiu-jitsu, Sung Jung is going to need every bit of that forward motion to keep up with him in this fight.

Undercard Fight To Watch: Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens

Cerrone was on his way to a lightweight championship fight before losing to Nate Diaz at UFC 141, but his lightning quick style and unique approach on offense makes him one of the most dangerous fighters in the division.

Stephens has had mixed results throughout his UFC career, seemingly changing wins and losses virtually every time out. He wants to stand and trade with anyone standing on the opposite side of the cage, and his power makes him scary against anyone he goes up against. All it takes is one punch to change everything.

Main Event Prediction

While I would be shocked if the fight is bad, or even mediocre, Poirier’s time in the spotlight is rapidly approaching. He is going to get a championship fight as soon as this match is over.

Poirier wins via fourth-round TKO

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UFC on Fox 3: Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks’ Title Hopes Will Be Squashed

Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks have been given the opportunity of a lifetime. They are fighting in the top two matches on a UFC on FOX show and Dana White has said that if they win their respective fights against Jim Miller and Josh Koscheck that title …

With all the pressure on their shoulders for this big primetime event, Diaz and Hendricks will fail in their quests for gold. It is through no fault of their own, they are just locked in bad matchups that don’t play well to their styles.

Miller was on his way to earning a shot at the lightweight championship last year. He was 20-2 with seven straight victories. His momentum got cut off last August against Benson Henderson, who went on to win the title from Frankie Edgar in February.

Diaz’s title shot is interesting, just because he is 5-4 in his last nine fights. He does have two straight wins to his credit—a submission win over Takanori Gomi and a unanimous decision win over Donald Cerrone that was one of the most exciting fights of the year—but he hasn’t beaten a lot of top guys.

The only reason Miller isn’t getting into title contention right now is because he isn’t a flashy, exciting fighter. He shows up, does his job and does it well, then goes home. But he is a better all-around fighter than Diaz and will prove that this Saturday.

As for Hendricks, he has more of a claim to a title shot at welterweight than Diaz does at lightweight. He has three straight wins on his resume, including a 12-second knockout of perennial contender Jon Fitch last December.

Koscheck’s stock might be down just a bit because his victory over Mike Pierce in February looked sloppy, but he is a better wrestler and striker than Hendricks. As long as he doesn’t let his surgically repaired eye get the best of him, which is what happened in the fight against Pierce, he is going to win this fight.

Hendricks does fight a similar style to Koscheck; both are former world class wrestlers who have turned into strong stand-up fighters.

Still, at this stage of the game, Koscheck is a better fighter and tough stylistic matchup for Hendricks.

With two title shots on the line Saturday night, neither one of the fighters vying for the opportunity are going to find the brass ring at the top of the mountain.

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UFC 145: Why Jon Jones Needs Anderson Silva to Move Up to Light Heavyweight

As the months pass by and Jon Jones keeps dominating every light heavyweight in front of him, it is apparent that UFC has to do something drastic in order to keep people interested in who he is going to fight, like convincing Anderson Silva that 205 po…

Both Jones and Silva have upcoming fights that have to take place before we can think of getting to a contest between these two.

Jones will have to tangle with 41-year-old Dan Henderson later this year, while Silva has to overcome his nemesis, Chael Sonnen in June.

Assuming both Jones and Silva get through those fights unscathed, it is time for UFC to make a dream fight that every fan would pay to see.

Mixed martial arts fans love to see great fights even more than they love to see great fighters. We are fascinated by Jones and Silva because of how dominant they are, but they aren’t drawing as well as certain fighters because they don’t have that personality to draw you in.

The only huge drawing card that UFC has right now is Georges St-Pierre, and a lot of that drawing power comes because he is so popular in Canada.

Silva would have to agree to move up to light heavyweight in order to fight Jones. He has made the move up a few times in the past, but UFC president Dana White said late last year that this potential matchup would not “happen anytime soon.”

But when you look at what’s left in their respective weight classes should they win their next fights, how do you possibly convince people to tune in to see it?

Jones and Silva are the most dominant fighters in UFC today. Georges St-Pierre belongs in that class, but he is out with a knee injury. They have taken every challenge put in their way and come out on top every time, most of them in dominant fashion.

If ever there were a time to convince Silva that the best fight for him was at 205 pounds, it would be now against Jones.

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UFC 145 Results: Ben Rothwell Defeats Brendan Schaub

In a battle of heavyweights trying to get back on track, it was Ben Rothwell defeating Brendan Schaub at UFC 145 on Saturday night. The 30-year-old Rothwell moved his UFC record to 2-2 thanks to this victory. His career mark improves to 32-8. He l…

In a battle of heavyweights trying to get back on track, it was Ben Rothwell defeating Brendan Schaub at UFC 145 on Saturday night.

The 30-year-old Rothwell moved his UFC record to 2-2 thanks to this victory. His career mark improves to 32-8. He likely needed this win to keep his job, as the company tends to frown on fighters who are 1-3.

Schaub’s string of bad luck continues. He was starting to make a name for himself in UFC, with four straight wins after knocking out Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 128.

Everything fell apart for Schaub against Anthony Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134 last August—not only that, but he was knocked out in that fight. Nothing against “Big Nog,” he just isn’t the most prolific knockout artist, especially at this stage of his career.

Now, Schaub has to go back to the drawing board to figure out what he can do to get back in the swing of things. Despite being just 29 years old, he has just 11 professional fights under his belt, so his body doesn’t have the wear-and-tear of most other mixed martial artists.

For Rothwell, he got exactly what he needed. It didn’t matter how he got the victory, just that he got his hand raised.

It will be interesting to see where Rothwell goes after this victory. He was on the outside of the top 10-12 heavyweights in UFC before. Now, he has put himself on the periphery of those, admittedly very subjective, rankings.

Schaub is clearly at a crossroads. Assuming he gets another shot in UFC, the caliber of fighter that he will be taking on is not likely to be as high as it has been recently. It would give him a chance to win but doesn’t do much to help his progress as a fighter.

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UFC 145 Predictions: Jon Jones Will Manhandle Rashad Evans in Main Event

The UFC light heavyweight division has quickly turned into Jon Jones and everyone else. The 24-year-old champion has had no problems disposing of some of the biggest names in the sport, including Mauricio Rua and Lyoto Machida. At UFC 145, he is going …

Things have gotten so one-sided in the 205-pound division, that Evans is the last great chance to have someone defeat Jones.

These two have a storied history with each other. In fact, Jones grew up as a mixed martial artist training with Evans in Greg Jackson’s camp. A lot of the things you see Jones do in a cage come as a result of what he learned from working with Evans.

When Jones got his shot in the spotlight, it was Evans who decided that he needed to break away in order to get a title shot, since Jackson fighters don’t like to work against each other inside the Octagon.

Considering that Evans had earned a title shot by defeating Quinton Jackson in 2010, you can understand his desire to do whatever it took to get it.

Jones has evolved into the most unique fighter in mixed martial arts. We already knew about his incredible length, with a wingspan that measures a remarkable 84.5″. He uses those long limbs to try things that no one else in the sport can get away with.

Just looking at Jones, you can tell what an incredible athlete he is. But now that he has tapped into his skills as a fighter, he is unstoppable. His wrestling and ground games have improved by leaps and bounds in the last 14 months, starting with his win over Ryan Bader at UFC 126.

Evans has done his best to prove he can be a stand-up fighter, in addition to his wrestling background. He certainly looks more comfortable on his feet than ever before, but unless he is able to break Jones’ long wall of defense, he is going to have a hard time knocking him out.

Just like Anderson Silva, Jones has reached a point where until he loses it is impossible to predict it. You have to see it to believe it.

I don’t see how Evans overcomes Jones’ sheer athleticism in a five-round fight. It has taken almost two years for Evans to get this shot, but it will not have the happy ending he was looking for.

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UFC 145: Fight Card, PPV Info, Predictions and More for Jones vs. Evans

One of the most intense, personal rivalries in mixed martial arts comes to a head at UFC 145, when Jon Jones puts the light heavyweight title on the line against Rashad Evans. Jones has yet to find anyone who can challenge him inside the octagon. …

One of the most intense, personal rivalries in mixed martial arts comes to a head at UFC 145, when Jon Jones puts the light heavyweight title on the line against Rashad Evans.

Jones has yet to find anyone who can challenge him inside the octagon. In 2011 alone he knocked off four of the best light heavyweight fighters in the world (Ryan Bader, Mauricio Rua, Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida).

Evans has been waiting for a title shot since defeating Jackson at UFC 114 in May 2010. Injuries and timing have kept him from this moment, but now he has his chance to shine against the fighter he mentored while the two were in Greg Jackson’s camp.

Where: Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA

When: Saturday, April 21 at 10:00 p.m. EST

Watch: Facebook undercard fights at 7:00 p.m. EST, preliminary fights at 8:00 p.m. EST on FX, main card fights at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view; online pay-per-view streaming (must pay $44.99) at UFC.tv, Yahoo! Sports, UStream, Android or iPhone.

Fight Card

Main Card

Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones (c) vs. Rashad Evans

Welterweight Bout: Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills

Heavyweight Bout: Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell

Bantamweight Bout: Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald

Featherweight Bout: Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin

Lightweight Bout: Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio

Preliminary Card (FX)

Heavyweight Bout: Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs

Welterweight Bout: Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson

Lightweight Bout: John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani

Lightweight Bout: Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

Welterweight Bout: Keith Wisniewski vs. Chris Clements

Featherweight Bout: Marcus Brimage vs. Maximo Blanco

Jones’ Keys to Victory

Use size and length to keep Evans down; don’t try to outwrestle Evans

Everyone knows about the amazing size and length of Jones. He uses his 84.5-inch reach to attack opponents who try to dance around him.

In addition to understanding the advantage Jones has with his size, he uses it to try moves and strikes that no one else can.

As long as Jones doesn’t try to prove himself as a wrestler against a superb wrestler like Evans, he is going to be difficult to beat.

Evans’ Keys to Victory

Use wrestling to frustrate Jones early; try to time strikes when Jones leaves himself open.

Evans is a smart fighter. He understands that he can’t compete with Jones from a pure athleticism standpoint.

His best chance to walk away with the light heavyweight championship is to bring back his wrestling, which he has put on the back burner lately to prove himself as a striker, in order to keep Jones at bay.

When Evans does try to punch, he has to be careful. If he comes out swinging, Jones is going to destroy him. Rashad needs to keep his ego in check.

What They Are Saying

Evans has been handling all the promotion and talking leading up to this fight, though you might not know there has been any since most of it is happening on the little-known Fuel TV network.

Jones has tried to remain civil, but there have been moments when he appears to be falling into Evans’ trap of trash talk.

“I think Rashad took my interview — me saying I’d never want to have to fight him — and he used that to give himself a reason to challenge me for the belt. Our agreement was to not fight each other on any accord, by any means. The only thing I said was I would never want to fight my teammate, and the only way it was possible was if I was absolutely going to lose my job over it. That’s a pretty major extreme. But he took that and found a reason to challenge me for the belt, which totally disrespected everything we stood for, everything our team stood for, everything that me and Rashad agreed to.”

Undercard Fight to Watch: Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald

While the bantamweight division is very top-heavy with Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, the division desperately needs depth to get legitimacy as a drawing card in UFC.

Torres and McDonald have a great chance to steal this particular show because of their styles and amazing speed inside the octagon.

Torres has a huge advantage in experience, with 44 professional fights. But McDonald has proven that he is not going to be intimidated by the stage and spectacle of UFC.

Whoever wins this fight could conceivably be in line for a title shot later on this summer.

Main Event Prediction

Evans needs to win this fight. He is doing a lot of talking leading up to it; he feels slighted by his former best friend, and this is his chance to prove he is still The Man.

Unfortunately, Jones has reached a point where you can’t predict him to lose. It is just something you have to see to believe.

Jones wins via third-round KO

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