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Chris Weidman Set Up for a Potentially Huge 2015…If He Can Stay Healthy

Chris Weidman is on the cusp of mixed martial arts stardom. Since the start of his run in the UFC, Weidman’s maturity in competition has been something worth watching. As 2015 approaches, the current middleweight champion finds himself in a posit…

Chris Weidman is on the cusp of mixed martial arts stardom. Since the start of his run in the UFC, Weidman’s maturity in competition has been something worth watching. As 2015 approaches, the current middleweight champion finds himself in a position to have a huge year, if he can continue to stay victorious and healthy.

The UFC has set up an interesting start to next year. The middleweight division is filled with a number of contenders. Vitor Belfort, Yoel Romero, Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold are the four names that leap to recognition as potential challengers for the current champion. Belfort has his shot at the belt in two months at UFC 184. Romero and Souza are set to fight that same evening, with the winner presumably getting the next shot at the belt, per a report by Adam Guillen Jr. of MMA Mania.

If Weidman can defeat any three of those competitors next year, it would be hard to deny him a nomination for “Fighter of the Year” in 2015. Defending his title multiple times in 12 months would help him put together one of the most difficult runs in recent MMA history. However, Weidman has one factor working against him at times—his physical health.

As with many other fighters, Weidman has been forced to back out of multiple fights due to injury. His proposed bout against Tim Boetsch at UFC 155 was pushed back due to a shoulder injury (via MMA Fighting). Weidman’s next complication would come before facing Lyoto Machida in which a knee injury pushed that fight from UFC 173 to UFC 175 (via UFC.com). His title defense against Belfort was originally scheduled for this weekend’s UFC 181, but a broken hand suffered by Weidman caused this fight to be postponed to UFC 184 (via Newsday).

These are just the injuries that are known to the public. As with every other mixed martial artist who competes, chances are that Weidman has and will continue to compete while dealing with other physical issues. This is a serious precaution when predicting how great of a fighter he may become.

At 30 years old, Weidman has nearly six years of professional experience. That combination may allow him to stay around in the sport longer, but his potential for greatness and bout with injuries can draw a comparison to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Rua is just 33 years old, but numerous dealings with knee injuries have stifled his ability to remain at the top of the light heavyweight division (via Sports on Earth).

Weidman has already broken through some of the barriers that have stopped other MMA athletes. Appearances in major magazines and on networks such as ESPN will only fuel his rise within the sport. If he can stay healthy and victorious throughout 2015, Chris Weidman may finally reach the point of super stardom that has been projected for his career.

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‘Karate Hottie’ nickname will stay, but Michelle Waterson is ‘a different person now’

Michelle Waterson was a 19-year-old Hooters waitress when she first started fighting. That’s when she was given her “Karate Hottie” nickname.
Nine years later, Waterson is the 28-year-old mother of a 3-year-old daughter and doesn’t necessari…

Michelle Waterson was a 19-year-old Hooters waitress when she first started fighting. That’s when she was given her “Karate Hottie” nickname.

Nine years later, Waterson is the 28-year-old mother of a 3-year-old daughter and doesn’t necessarily still relate to the moniker. But she has long since embraced it as part of her brand.

“The name is still there, because it stuck,” Waterson told MMA Fighting. “But I’m a different person now.”

A person who happens to be the budding face of an entire organization. Waterson will headline her second Invicta FC event in three months Friday when she defends her women’s atomweight title against Herica Tiburcio at Invicta FC 10 in Houston. The card will air live at 9 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass.

Waterson (12-3) headlined the first Fight Pass event, against Yasuko Tamada back in September. UFC commercials for the bout included the line: “Have a date with the Karate Hottie.'” The marketing slant drew criticism for its focus on looks. But Waterson said she wasn’t offended by the way she was advertised.

“No,” Waterson said. “It is what it is. If it makes me uncomfortable, I don’t think I should be having the nickname ‘The Karate Hottie.’ I have no problem being the face of that. That’s what people want to see. They want to see attractive women go in there and show that their skills match their looks. If I can accomplish both, I’m happy.”

Waterson did not expect to be competing at this event. The main event was supposed to feature Cris “Cyborg” Justino’s debut at 135 pounds. But Justino injured her ankle and Waterson was asked to fill in on somewhat short notice. The Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA fighter has become a safety net for the organization and perhaps the face of it after most top fighters in the 135- and 115-pound divisions have moved on to the UFC.

That’s a role Waterson is very happy to embrace. She does admit there is some pressure that comes with it, however.

“First of all, there’s just pressure as a fighter,” Waterson said. “In the cage, putting your heart on the line, add in having that belt, add in having people saying you’re the face of the organization. Oh, there’s pressure. But it’s good pressure.”

In Tiburcio (8-2), she’ll face a top 22-year-old prospect who has won three straight bouts. The Brazilian is known for her ground game — six of her eight career victories have come by submission.

Waterson’s biggest strength is her athletic, technical striking style. But she’s also quick to point out that she’s pretty darn good on the mat, too. Jessica Penne was supposed to have the advantage over her in that department in April 2013, but Waterson submitted her by armbar to win the Invicta women’s atomweight title.

Penne is now competing on the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter reality program in the 115-pound division. Waterson has fought at that weight class before and would not rule out a move up sometime in the future.

Right now, though, she has a growing organization to help elevate. And if you’re not a big fan of her “Karate Hottie” nickname, she has a message for you.

“I think it’s catchy,” Waterson said. “I think it fits me. If you don’t know by now how serious I am as a fighter, then watch me this weekend.”

Spoken like a true face of a promotion.

Alexander Gustafsson wants to take UFC title from Jon Jones, not Daniel Cormier

From a fan’s perspective, Alexander Gustafsson wouldn’t mind seeing Daniel Cormier become the UFC light heavyweight champion by beating Jon Jones at UFC 182.
But selfishly, Gustafsson has a different rooting interest. There’s only one person…

From a fan’s perspective, Alexander Gustafsson wouldn’t mind seeing Daniel Cormier become the UFC light heavyweight champion by beating Jon Jones at UFC 182.

But selfishly, Gustafsson has a different rooting interest. There’s only one person he wants to see across from him with the belt on the line. And it’s not Cormier.

“Me personally, I want Jones to win, because I want to fight him,” Gustafsson told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “If I want to take the belt from anyone, it would be Jones. Not DC.”

Of course, for those plans to go into motion two things would have to occur. First, Jones would have to beat Cormier on Jan. 3 in Las Vegas. Then, Gustafsson would have to knock off Anthony Johnson at UFC on FOX 14 on Jan. 24 in Gustafsson’s hometown of Stockholm, Sweden.

Jones and Gustafsson have a history. The two competed in one of the best UFC light heavyweight title fights ever at UFC 165 in September 2013. Jones took the unanimous decision to retain the belt, but many people think Gustafsson was the true winner. He seemed to do more damage.

The two stars were supposed to have their rematch this past September at UFC 178, but Gustafsson injured his knee and Cormier stepped in. The Jones-Cormier bout never happened either when Jones, too, hurt his knee. But because Jones and Cormier had so much heat with each other — everyone remembers the press conference brawl in August — Cormier was kept as the No. 1 contender.

“Well, I think ‘DC’ is a great athlete and a great person, so, like I said, it would be great to see him win because it would mix things up,” Gustafsson said. “He’s a great fighter.”

That might be true. But for Gustafsson, that rematch with Jones would just have more juice.

On The MMA Hour, the Swede also spoke about the odd timeslot of UFC on FOX 14. Gustafsson and Johnson might not enter the Octagon until after 3 a.m. local time to accommodate the United States audience. Gustafsson said he would begin to train late at night his last few weeks of training camp to adjust.

“It’s gonna be a big change,” Gustafsson said. “I’m a morning person. I like to go to bed very early and get up very early. I’m very curious to see how this will affect me.”

As Long as He Moves the Needle, Tito Ortiz Will Have a Pro MMA Career

Tito Ortiz is a superstar in mixed martial arts. Whether the fans or pundits want to accept it, the 39-year-old, 18-11 professional fighter is still a star in this sport. He moves the needle whenever he is in front of a camera and microphone. As long a…

Tito Ortiz is a superstar in mixed martial arts. Whether the fans or pundits want to accept it, the 39-year-old, 18-11 professional fighter is still a star in this sport. He moves the needle whenever he is in front of a camera and microphone. As long as he can stay “healthy,” Tito Ortiz will have a place in the world of MMA.

Coming into Bellator 131, Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar had combined for three wins since 2011. Yet, these two former UFC competitors were selected to headline the show. Even through Will Brooks versus Michael Chandler was easily the most important fight on the card and there was a title on the line, they were not given the opportunity to carry the event. Entertainment took precedence over sports value.

The results of the show proved why. According to Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog, the show averaged 1.241 million viewers, which is a record for Bellator MMA since landing its time slot on Spike TV. His report also mentions that the event hit two million viewers during the Ortiz vs. Bonnar main event. Their ratings were more than enough to defeat the UFC 180 preliminaries that were going on the same evening (via 5thRound.com).

Ortiz is playing a part in breaking records when facing off against Bonnar, who was never a major star in this sport. Imagine the possibilities if he’s placed against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson or “King” Muhammed Lawal. In fact, Lawal and Ortiz have already started taking shots at each other, which could result in huge paydays for both men and even bigger ratings for a Bellator show (via MMAjunkie).

There are numerous opportunities for Bellator MMA to take advantage of Ortiz’s star power. As it builds fighters such as Liam McGeary, Ortiz can play a part in doing so because his name, while not valuable in win-loss purposes, has the ability to bolster any competitor’s resume and recognition.  

Then there is the potential for the fighters who compete on cards that feature Tito Ortiz. Patricio Freire, Bubba Jenkins and Daniel Straus are three examples of competitors that have very good MMA skill sets, yet they do not have the ability to draw nearly as much as “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.” The professional wrestling term of “giving the rub” to these lesser-known fighters would greatly benefit Bellator MMA while momentum is at this point.

Tito Ortiz is a character in the world of mixed martial arts. He’s no longer the fighter that dominated the Octagon a decade ago; however, he’s still using another set of abilities that he learned during that time. Tito Ortiz can draw attention to nearly anything that he does. The results of Bellator 131 show that he can be a lightning rod for the promotion as it looks to re-establish itself in the industry. As long as Ortiz can keep this up, the promotion should get as much from him as it can.

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Why Joseph Benavidez Should Get a 3rd Shot at Demetrious Johnson Now

Joseph Benavidez has already lost to Demetrious Johnson twice. As long as Mighty Mouse is the champion, Benavidez at the back of the line for a title shot, or so the story goes. Regardless of who comes out victorious at UFC 183 between Ian McCall and J…

Joseph Benavidez has already lost to Demetrious Johnson twice. As long as Mighty Mouse is the champion, Benavidez at the back of the line for a title shot, or so the story goes. Regardless of who comes out victorious at UFC 183 between Ian McCall and John Lineker, though, Benavidez should be the next challenger for the UFC flyweight title.

Right now, the UFC is in an odd position with its lightest men’s division.  It has an extremely dominant champion who has thus far reigned supreme over all who weigh the same as him. Johnson has risen to the No. 3 spot in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings with his unbeaten reign as flyweight champion.

Johnson has beaten six fighters currently in the Top 10 over the last two years and has looked dominant throughout. He put the stamp on Benavidez in their rematch at UFC on Fox 9 last year with a first-round KO.

The flyweight division is as filled with talent heading into 2015 as it has ever been. The problem isn’t a lack of aggregate skill amongst the top fighters; it’s the fact that Johnson is so far ahead of the pack.

If Mighty Mouse emerged from a Jones vs. Gustafsson or a Melendez vs. Sanchez type of fight, he’d immediately gain some traction with disinterested fans.  The level of competition at flyweight will inevitably catch up to Johnson, but in the meantime, we are left dissecting the resumes of fighters who have already lost to Johnson.

At UFC 183, we are finally going to see the showdown between McCall and Lineker. The fight was originally set for last month in Brazil, but McCall got sick after the weigh-ins with a blood infection, and the fight was called off.

Lineker didn’t make the weight on his first attempt for that fight and has missed weight three times in the past. It’s safe to say it isn’t a certainty that he’d make 125 pounds on the dot for a title fight should he defeat McCall on January 31.  

A win over Lineker would be great for McCall, who started off his UFC run by going 0-2-1 in his first three fights. It would be the third win in a row for Uncle Creepy and would likely position him for a title shot against Demetrious Johnson.

But if you look at the resumes of Johnson, McCall, Benavidez, and Lineker since the beginning of 2013, which was almost two full years ago, Benavidez stands out as being the most deserving of the next title shot.

The problem with Benavidez is that when he’s not fighting for a championship, he’s wreaking havoc on the rest of the division.

Even though Benavidez is 0-2 against Mighty Mouse, he’s gone 5-1 against everyone else since the beginning of 2013. He put a beating on Dustin Ortiz at Fight Night in Austin last month and prior to that had one of the most impressive submissions of the year at UFC 172 when he got Tim Elliot stuck in a mounted guillotine with both arms trapped, forcing Elliot to submit by stomping his feet.

Lineker has gone 4-1 over the past two years, but his aforementioned issues with cutting weight precede him. His last fight with Alptekin Ozkilic was a thriller, but beating McCall shouldn’t be enough when Benavidez is fighting more often, against tougher competition and not having a single issue making the flyweight limit.

Johnson has gone 5-0 since the beginning of 2013, meaning that Benavidez has fought even more than the champion over the same time period.

There is also the merits put forth by the man who is quietly holding down the No. 1 spot on UFC.com’s flyweight rankings, John “The Magician” Dodson. He’s looking to return to action after surgery to repair a torn ACL. He’s said he’d fight for either the flyweight or bantamweight title recently.

Even though the injury and layoff were unfortunate, and Dodson has been dominant enough to maintain his top spot in the division despite his inactivity, he simply hasn’t been fighting. He needs at least one more fight before he gets another shot at the title.

If a win over Lineker would justify a third crack at Johnson for McCall, shouldn’t the recent performances by Benavidez warrant a third shot for him? A fighter should get as many title shots as he or she searns, regardless of how many times he or she has lost. Despite two losses to the champion, Joseph Benavidez has emphatically earned another title shot, and Johnson vs. Benavidez III would be the biggest fight the division has seen yet.

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Chael Sonnen: Wanderlei Silva Is Making Bad Choices

Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva were never close friends. By most accounts, they’ve been enemies for a long, long time. 
Pegged to fight each other at UFC 175 and put an end to the verbal feud the two men had built in years past, one failed drug …

Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva were never close friends. By most accounts, they’ve been enemies for a long, long time. 

Pegged to fight each other at UFC 175 and put an end to the verbal feud the two men had built in years past, one failed drug test from Sonnen and one averted drug test from Silva put an end to the fight that should have been. 

Both men have since retired from mixed martial arts. Sonnen now spends his days as an analyst on ESPN while Silva spends his days in front of a camera disparaging what MMA has become as a result of the UFC’s mainstream takeover, accusing them of slavery and underpaying fighters. 

At first the former Pride phenom’s sentiments forced fans to take a closer look at what Dana White and company were doing as they took control of the MMA market. But now that people have had time to marinade in Silva’s statements for a bit, some—including our very own Jeremy Botter—are beginning to question the Axe Murderer’s accusations. 

It’s reached such a height that his former nemesis has waded through the rivalry-induced clouds to play a role in understanding Silva’s recent transgressions, he told Bloody Elbow’s Steph Daniels:

As athletes, we go through these life altering changes while we’re still young. Athletes don’t retire at 65. We have to retire much earlier, so I think what we’re all seeing is Wanderlei going through some of these changes that he’s struggling with. He’s still trying to figure out how to navigate them. I don’t know who’s managing him, but the things he’s doing are not things I would advise him to do.

Sonnen‘s always been one to have his way with a microphone when a valuable opportunity for self promotion presented itself, but he’s also been one to take a step back and pay attention to the bigger picture at hand. He told Daniels:

He and I never get it right. We butt heads, we’re oil and water, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a good guy. I don’t know if he’s a good guy or not; I don’t even know him, but I do know I want him to have a good life. I do know he has a beautiful family and he cares about them. I just think he’s making some bad choices.

If I could just get him on the phone for 10 minutes, I’d give him some advice. I doubt he’d listen, but I would try to help him. I tried to give him some advice on The Ultimate Fighter, but he didn’t take it. I know if he gave me advice, I’d listen. He’s been in the sport for a long time, and if he was to sit me down and say, ‘Here’s what I regret in my career,’ and whether it was training or diet or taking fights or management or PR, I’d listen, particularly to the stuff that he said I did wrong.

It’s tough to imagine that any one of Sonnen‘s words make a profound impact on the person Silva’s become, but here’s hoping Silva takes a break from his webcam videos to enjoy the riches he earned after putting his body on the line for almost 20 years.

 

Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report MMA. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA. 

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