UFC and THQ have pulled out all the stops for the new UFC Undisputed 3 video game. In addition to revamping the controls and moves fighters can use, the roster has been greatly expanded thanks to the inclusion of PRIDE fighters. We have all heard …
UFC and THQ have pulled out all the stops for the new UFC Undisputed 3 video game. In addition to revamping the controls and moves fighters can use, the roster has been greatly expanded thanks to the inclusion of PRIDE fighters.
We have all heard about the inclusion of PRIDE mode, which will allow for kicks and knees to the head of a downed opponent. You get to control the fighters that made it the preeminent mixed martial arts promotion in the early-2000’s.
The PRIDE roster gives the new game a pop that past iterations of the “Undisputed” series have been lacking. Any fan of UFC knows what PRIDE meant to the sport when it was in its prime. To be able to recreate some of those memories will drive this game.
Some of the PRIDE fighters, like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, will be duplicates, but that’s OK since you will be able to use them when they were in their primes.
You can work submissions like Nogueira did when he defeated Mirko Cro Cop to win the heavyweight championship in 2003. You can pick someone up and slam them hard to the mat like Rampage did against Ricardo Arona in 2004.
Plus, using the PRIDE roster allows fans to create those dream fights that have been talked about for years, but never materialized for one reason or another.
If you want to throw Royce Gracie into the octagon against Anderson Silva to see who would come out on top, now is your chance. If you want to know which Chuck Liddell was better, PRIDE or UFC, you can have the Icemen duel.
All of the new features are what sell the game to casual fans, but the PRIDE roster puts it over the top. It is the perfect storm of ideas and execution working together to give MMA fans everything that they need from their video game.
The UFC makes its event debut on Fuel TV with a special Wednesday event that will be headlined by Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger. Sanchez has not fought since his memorable bout with Martin Kampmann last March. He suffered a broken hand last s…
The UFC makes its event debut on Fuel TV with a special Wednesday event that will be headlined by Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger.
Sanchez has not fought since his memorable bout with Martin Kampmann last March. He suffered a broken hand last summer that forced him on the shelf, but he is back and ready to run his winning streak to three fights.
Ellenberger comes into this fight with a lot of momentum. He has won five straight fights, including two consecutive knockouts of Jake Shields and Sean Pierson. He could be in line for a title shot in the not-too-distant future with another impressive performance.
Where: Omaha Civic Center in Omaha, NE
When: Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 8:00 p.m. EDT
Watch: Preliminary fights start at 6:20 p.m. EDT on Facebook; main card airs on Fuel at 8:00 p.m. EDT
FIGHT CARD
Main Card on Fuel TV
Welterweight bout: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger
Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman
Middleweight bout: Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes
Heavyweight bout: Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries
Bantamweight bout: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson
Preliminary Card on Facebook
Bantamweight bout: Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert
Featherweight bout: Jonathan Brookins vs. Vagner Rocha
Middleweight bout: Buddy Roberts vs. Sean Loeffler
Lightweight bout: Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas
Lightweight bout: Tim Means vs. Bernardo Magalhaes
Sanchez’s Keys to Victory
Take Ellenberger’s first punch and wear him down over the course of the fight.
Sanchez’s best skill is his wrestling and grappling, but he has gotten better as a striker over the last few years. He has a strong chin, and has shown the ability to take an opponent’s best shot without getting knocked out.
Ellenberger is going to dictate the pace, so it is on Sanchez to respond accordingly. He will have to hope that he can frustrate his opponent before trying a takedown.
It’s hard to see him knocking out Ellenberger, so he will have to use his effective striking to set up his wrestling in the later rounds.
Ellenberger’s Keys to Victory
Use his stand-up skills to pepper Sanchez with punches, and use wrestling background to defend takedowns.
Ellenberger wants to keep the fight standing, because he has good power in his striking and can knock Sanchez out with one good punch.
He has a great wrestling background, and can use that to stop Sanchez from getting takedowns or go to the ground and unleash a vicious ground and pound assault.
What They Are Saying
In an interview with USA Today, Diego Sanchez said that he likes the idea of going into Ellenberger’s hometown.
I like the idea of fighting him. … It’s just very interesting. I’m just excited (about) how it’s going to play out.
I know that I have a lot of fans that have been following me for eight years. Those people have followed me and I’ve given them some good fights. They honor me because of those good fights. Regardless of being in Jake’s hometown or not, I know that I’m going to have some fans out there in the crowd.
Sanchez has never been short on confidence, but he will have to be on top of his game if he wants to hang with Ellenberger.
Undercard Fight to Watch: Jonathan Brookins vs. Vagner Rocha
Both of these fighters make their living with their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and submissions. They can use striking if absolutely necessary, but they are going to work the fight to the ground and try to make the other tap.
Rocha has shown a lot of toughness in his short UFC career. He went the distance against Donald Cerrone in their fight last June, which is no easy task. That bout showed how good his submission defense is.
Brookins is a former Ultimate Fighter champion and will look to get back on track after losing his last fight.
Main Event Prediction
As much fun as Sanchez is to watch, and as entertaining as he can be, this is Ellenberger’s fight to lose. He is younger, faster and stronger than Sanchez, and has shown the ability to knock out some of the top wrestlers in the world.
Carlos Condit did what he had to do in order to defeat Nick Diaz at UFC 143. He should be celebrating his victory and the interim welterweight championship. Instead, UFC president Dana White announced on Twitter that Condit agreed to a rematch wit…
Carlos Condit did what he had to do in order to defeat Nick Diaz at UFC 143. He should be celebrating his victory and the interim welterweight championship.
Instead, UFC president Dana White announced on Twitter that Condit agreed to a rematch with Diaz. No date or location has been set for the fight yet.
There are conflicting reports about whether the fight will even happen. Cesar Gracie, who manages Diaz, told MMA Junkie that the rematch is not happening.
However, the fact that Condit even agreed to it in the first place is a ridiculously shortsighted move on his part. You have to appreciate his fighting spirit and willingness to put his match with Georges St-Pierre on the line, but he is risking a lot by doing this.
Condit has his unification bout with Georges St-Pierre, who is expected to return from a torn ACL later on this year, set. He can stand toe-to-toe with the best welterweight fighter in the world to determine who is the one true champion.
In addition to being able to fight for the undisputed championship, he is risking a lot of money in the process. St-Pierre is the biggest draw that UFC has now that Brock Lesnar has retired.
Shows that St-Pierre headlines do well over 800,000 pay-per-view buys. No other fighter in UFC comes close to that level.
Condit’s payout for a main event fight with St-Pierre would be significantly higher than any amount of money he has received in the past. He is not a draw on his own, so he needs all the help he can get selling shows.
Condit and Diaz did have a close enough fight at UFC 143 that a rematch makes sense to determine who really is the better fighter, but Condit stands to gain nothing by doing it. He will get respect in the mixed martial arts community, so if that is what he is looking for, then more power to him.
In the best interest of his career, a rematch with Diaz is a mistake. He might win again, and if he does, this argument is moot, but you never put the biggest fight of your career on the line against someone that you have already beaten.
UFC has gotten great mainstream exposure this year thanks to its new contract on FOX, and the two events that have been run on the network. However, there is no excuse for the company to schedule a show against the Summer Olympics and hope that it is a…
UFC has gotten great mainstream exposure this year thanks to its new contract on FOX, and the two events that have been run on the network. However, there is no excuse for the company to schedule a show against the Summer Olympics and hope that it is a ratings success.
It was announced on Tuesday that UFC would run a show on August 4 in Los Angeles. This year’s Olympics get underway on July 27, with the Opening Ceremony in London.
The problem with the show is not that they can’t attract an audience to watch, but whether it will be big enough for network television. They need casual fans to tune into the show, and if the choice comes down to UFC or the Olympics, most casual sports fans will choose the latter.
The UFC hasn’t shied away from the Olympics in the past. UFC 110, which featured Cain Velasquez taking out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the first round, aired against the 2010 Winter Olympics. Georges St. Pierre defended his belt against Jon Fitch at UFC 87 on the second night of the 2008 Summer Games.
But unless the company is going to put one of its biggest attractions—Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silvain the main event of a free show and forego all the money they would make on a pay-per-view, it is going to be hard to sell this show.
St-Pierre probably won’t be healthy enough to fight in August. Silva is fighting Chael Sonnen at a Brazil show in June, so he won’t be ready to fight.
Jones could be available, since his next scheduled bout is with Rashad Evans on April 21. Depending on how that fight goes, he could be ready to fight in three months.
Other than those three fighters, who is going to draw the casual fan? Junior dos Santos is a great fighter, but he does not have the personality needed to sell a fight.
UFC is trying to make a statement going head-to-head with the Olympics on network television, but it is one that is going to backfire on them. The company would have been better off scheduling a pay-per-view, because all they have to do is bring in hardcore fans for it to be successful.
Getting 4-5 million viewers watching a show on FOX is a much taller task. Unless the company is able to put together one of the best cards in recent memory, it is not going to happen.
For the first time since 2008, the UFC welterweight championship will be up for grabs without Georges St-Pierre in the red corner. Nick Diaz will challenge Carlos Condit for the interim championship at UFC 143 on Saturday night. Diaz talked his wa…
For the first time since 2008, the UFC welterweight championship will be up for grabs without Georges St-Pierre in the red corner. Nick Diaz will challenge Carlos Condit for the interim championship at UFC 143 on Saturday night.
Diaz talked his way into a title shot after defeating B.J. Penn last October, but the knee injury to St-Pierre forced Condit into this spot. Diaz is bring an 11-fight winning streak into this bout. He wants to send a loud, clear message to St-Pierre.
Condit originally had a title shot against St-Pierre set for this show, but when Diaz decided to call out St-Pierre, UFC president Dana White changed the match. Condit wasn’t happy, but he got thrown back into the spotlight when St-Pierre went down. This is his moment to make his presence felt in the welterweight division.
Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV
When: Saturday, Feb. 4
Watch: Facebook undercard fights start 7:00 p.m. EDT; Preliminary Fights air at 8:00 p.m. EDT on FX; Main Card fights air at 10 p.m. EDT 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
Interim Welterweight Championship bout: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit
Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum
Welterweight bout: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce
Bantamweight bout: Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen
Middleweight bout: Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks
Preliminary Card (FX)
Featherweight bout: Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway
Welterweight bout: Matthew Riddle vs. Henry Martinez
Bantamweight bout: Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa
Welterweight bout: Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Welterweight bout: Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson
Middleweight bout: Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper
Diaz’s Keys To Victory
Use superior boxing skills to wear Condit down; work the fight to the ground in the later rounds.
Diaz is one of the best boxers in all of mixed martial arts today. He has changed his fighting style in recent years, not using his wrestling as much as he used to. Rest assured that it is still in his arsenal if he wants to use it.
He can’t get too cocky heading into this fight, because Condit does have the skills to match up with him. He needs to stay focused on the task at hand in order to become the interim welterweight champion.
Condit’s Keys To Victory
Use technical skills and deep arsenal of submissions to frustrate Diaz.
Condit doesn’t get the credit that he deserves for being one of the best welterweight fighters in the world, mainly because he does not have the flashy personality that someone like Diaz does.
That being said, he is dangerous. He is a skilled stand-up fighter with good power in his kicks and punches, and he can work a fight to the ground in order to get a submission if he wants to.
What They Are Saying
Nick Diaz is going to talk about anyone, anytime. Carlos Condit has seen Diaz’s antics up close and personal, and he does not care for the way the controversial fighter goes about business.
I’ve never met the guy, so honestly I don’t have much of an opinion. I think that we’re fortunate to be doing what we’re doing for a living. We get paid to train, we get paid to fight, and we get paid to do what we like to do. I think he’s got kind of a bad attitude when it comes to being grateful for the position he’s in. But other than that, like I said, I don’t really know the guy.
Diaz is a paranoid human being, but his attitude does leave a lot to be desired. He is not easy to work with, as evidenced by the shenanigans last October that cost him his title shot against St-Pierre.
Undercard Fight To Watch: Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway
Holloway is an unknown newcomer to the sport, boasting just a 4-0 record. He does not have an impressive resume yet, but in mixed martial arts all it takes is one fight to make a career.
Poirier is making a lot of noise in the featherweight division. He has won 11 of his 12 career fights, including his first three in UFC. He is moving up the 145-pound division quickly, and could put himself in line for a title shot with an impressive showing.
Main Event Prediction
This is Diaz’s time to shine. He wants to be the big star in UFC, believes that he is better than St-Pierre, feels slighted that he has to do battle with Condit to win a title and will take out his frustrations on anything that moves.
Condit is a terrific fighter. He poses a serious threat to Diaz because he is so effective in a number of different areas.
Still, there is too much going in Diaz’s favor not to pick him in this fight.
UFC president Dana White has never been shy about speaking his mind on any topic. It is his best and worst quality as the face of a major sports organization, but his latest outburst against the group that hacked the UFC.com website is going to get him…
UFC president Dana White has never been shy about speaking his mind on any topic. It is his best and worst quality as the face of a major sports organization, but his latest outburst against the group that hacked the UFC.com website is going to get him into a lot of trouble.
Earlier this week, a group of hackers broke into the UFC.com server and redirected users to a different site. They were upset that UFC was supporting the Stop Online Piracy Act and wanted to do something to show their frustration.
White has responded by daring the group to keep messing with him and the website.
Here is a portion of what White had to say, via USA Today:
Keep hacking our site. Do it again. Do it tonight.
You know what’s happening is? These guys look like terrorists now, and a bill that was about to die is about to come back. …
I’m not afraid of the Internet. I love the Internet. It’s fun to get on there and cruise around and stuff. I’m not afraid of you.
You want to keep hacking our site, go for it. Watch what happens. You’re hurting yourself.
The hackers responded to White as all good Internet attackers do: With an anonymous video posted on YouTube.
White is a tough guy, and he is trying to show the world how tough he is by talking down to these hackers. However, there has to be a point where you keep things in house so as to get to the bottom of the whole incident without causing further damage to your website.
Remember, the people being hurt by this whole thing are the fans trying to access the site. If the problem persists, they could just stop trying to go to the website altogether.
Whether you support the bill or not is irrelevant in this case. This group is using illegal tactics to make a statement, and they deserve to be punished if/when they are found. However, it is not White’s job to bait them to keep doing what they are doing just to feed his own ego.
UFC and THQ have pulled out all the stops for the new UFC Undisputed 3 video game. In addition to revamping the controls and moves fighters can use, the roster has been greatly expanded thanks to the inclusion of PRIDE fighters.