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Nate Diaz vs. Rafael Dos Anjos: Keys to Victory for Each Fighter

The UFC’s lightweight division has passed the point of being a proverbial shark tank. There is a long list of fighters who are waiting in the wings to challenge champion Anthony Pettis.
Rafael dos Anjos is just one of those fighters who can lay claim t…

The UFC’s lightweight division has passed the point of being a proverbial shark tank. There is a long list of fighters who are waiting in the wings to challenge champion Anthony Pettis.

Rafael dos Anjos is just one of those fighters who can lay claim to that top contender’s spot. However, he has to get past Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox 13 on Saturday first. When looking at both of these men, they each have specific pathways to follow for victory.

Diaz vs. Dos Anjos is an interesting take on the striker vs. grappler matchup. Nate battles much like his brother Nick, looking to overwhelm his opponent with constant boxing combinations and forcing him to either fold under the storm or make a bad attempt on a takedown. Once the fight hits the floor, Diaz can then show off his Brazilian jiu-jitsu chops that have helped him earn 11 of his 17 wins.

However, Dos Anjos is not to be outdone on the mat.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has eight submission victories of his own. However, that should not be considered his best route to victory. In fact, he should use his BJJ as a deterrent once this fight hits the mat in order to stave off any attacks that Diaz might attempt. Instead, Dos Anjos should lean on his developing wrestling and kickboxing abilities to secure the win.

He has looked like a different fighter in many of his recent bouts. Based on his performance statistics provided by FightMetric, he has had a lot of success when he has scored multiple takedowns. One one hand, in four of his five defeats within the Octagon, his opponents took him down and controlled the positioning of the bout. On the other hand, in seven of his victories, he scored more than two takedowns of his own. 

Diaz has never been known as much of a wrestling artist. In fact, he has two total takedowns in his last eight fights while defending only 45 percent of takedowns sent his way, via FightMetric.

This dynamic will give Dos Anjos the edge when it comes to the wrestling, but the question still remains as to how well his striking will compare to Diaz’s volume game. Diaz consistently overwhelms opponents with his pressure and boxing. If he can control the range of this fight and pressure Dos Anjos into bad spots, that will help him avoid being smothered on the mat. While Dos Anjos has only been stopped twice in his career—once by TKO and once by submission—Diaz has the ability to pile up the points on strikes.

The question coming into Dos Anjos vs. Diaz is where this fight will take place. If Diaz can control the range, he will have a better shot at picking up the win. However, if Dos Anjos can weather the storm, score takedowns and pepper Diaz with leg kicks, he will claim an important decision victory at a time when the lightweight division is starting to open up for new title contenders.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

JDS: I Will Be Champion Again

Junior dos Santos is desperate to put his 14 months of injury hell behind him with a devastating performance against Stipe Miocic.
The former heavyweight champion takes on Miocic in the five-round main event in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night.
‘My…

Junior dos Santos is desperate to put his 14 months of injury hell behind him with a devastating performance against Stipe Miocic.
The former heavyweight champion takes on Miocic in the five-round main event in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night.
‘My main objective in my career is to be the champion again,’ he added. ‘I really believe I can. I’m just trying to be stronger mentally, to put everything in the right place right now in my career, and have the same desire to win that I always had. The win against Miocic is going to put me in the line to fight for the title again.
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Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve: Keys to Victory for Each Fighter

UFC on Fox 13 features Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve’s return to mixed martial arts when he takes on Alistair Overeem. Struve has been out of action since March 2013 after he was diagnosed with a leaking aortic valve and enlarged heart.
…

UFC on Fox 13 features Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve’s return to mixed martial arts when he takes on Alistair Overeem. Struve has been out of action since March 2013 after he was diagnosed with a leaking aortic valve and enlarged heart.

In his return fight against Overeem, he faces one of the most dangerous strikers in the heavyweight division. And, despite chronic setbacks, Overeem still possesses the power and technical ability on his feet to put away anyone that stands in front of him.

This will be Struve’s 14th UFC fight, and the 26-year-old is accustomed to sharing the cage with world-class heavyweights. He made his Octagon debut against Junior dos Santos when he was just 21 years old.

Overeem comes into this fight with the all-too-familiar sting of a TKO loss—this time at the hands of Ben Rothwell in September.

Both men justifiably believe they have a lot to prove on the big stage, and here are the keys to victory for both fighters.

 

Alistair Overeem: Keep the Fight Standing and Don’t Get Caught

At this point in his career, Overeem needs to come out with guns blazing. It’s do or die for The Demolition Man. Being tentative has cost him dearly in past fights against Antonio Silva, Travis Browne and Rothwell.

Against Struve, he needs to have the type of start he did against Browne without slowing down and allowing his opponent to recover. He shouldn’t be entirely reckless, but he needs to fight with some serious finishing instincts. Struve is the tallest fighter in the UFC, so it shouldn’t be hard to land some mean kicks to the body to set up the knockout.

The road map is there, and Overeem has been on this trail before. He just needs to avoid making the wrong turns he’s taken in the past.

 

Stefan Struve: Avoid Power Shots and Look for Openings

We don’t know how a nearly two-year layoff is going to impact Struve. Here’s to hoping his issues are behind him and he’s prepared for battle.

Against Overeem, he needs to weather the early storm—or avoid it altogether. If past is prologue, Overeem will leave himself vulnerable at some point, and that is where Struve needs to capitalize.

He needs to try to tire Overeem out—or let Overeem do that to himself. He needs to avoid a clinch fight, as that is where Overeem can deal the most punishment. He needs to stay on his bicycle and try to counterstrike against Overeem. The longer the fight goes, the more it favors Struve and his ability to latch onto submissions. He needs to be patient and find his moment.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Angela Magana on newfound Twitter infamy: ‘I’m actually just being myself’

Angela Magana was known mostly for being a longtime women’s MMA fighter and competitor on The Ultimate Fighter 20. Until about a month ago. That’s when the seven-year veteran kind of discovered Twitter, in her own way.

“I was never big fan of social media,” Magana told MMA Fighting. “I was too busy living life to talk about my life. Who gives a f—?”

The way Magana explains it, she was drawn into Twitter by haters who didn’t much like her persona on TUF and took to their keyboards to express that opinion publicly.

Since then, Magana’s Twitter account has been the most buzzed about in the UFC. From brutal honesty to lewd language to nearly nude pictures, Magana’s feed has not been everyone’s bag. But people are paying attention. She has gained more than 10,000 new followers in less than a month. And she’ll go into her fight with Tecia Torres at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale on Friday in Las Vegas as one of the most well-known competitors from the show, even though she didn’t win a single tournament bout.

Magana (11-6) said attention-seeking was not the aim. She was simply trying to defend herself against trolls and things have taken on a life of their own organically.

“My motivation wasn’t to gain followers,” Magana said. “It was just these f—ing scumbag losers on Twitter who want to abuse me. I’m not gonna sit back and let them abuse me.

“I might as well use it as my tool. I’m like addicted to this s— now.”

Magana, 31, has even spawned her own catchphrases, not unlike the pro-wrestling characters she grew up watching. She has taken to calling her Twitter followers “peasants” and herself “Your Majesty.” The latter has stuck so much that she’ll be using it as her official UFC nickname. Bruce Buffer will actually announce her as Angela “Your Majesty” Magana on Friday night at the Palms.

“It comes from me being so much better than those f—ing losers on there,” Magana said. “I’m not like that in my every day life. I don’t think I have peasants and stuff. But on Twitter? Hell yeah.”

While Magana, 31, did not intend to have her follower count grow exponentially, it has been a nice side effect of her uncensored, no-filter style of tweeting. She firmly believes fighters should be themselves, though most of them are watered down and try too hard to be polite and politically correct. The ones like Conor McGregor who let it all hang out verbally are the ones who have the bigger chance to stardom, she said. Magana uses her TUF castmate Emily Kagan as an example of the opposite.

“Nobody is gonna f—ing remember Emily,” Magana said. “I love Emily, but she has no charisma. She has no personality on TV. Even if she puts on a great fight, nobody remembers those people. The only people they’re going to remember is people who talk.”

Magana hasn’t just been vocal. She’s also taken to posting risqué pictures of herself on Twitter. In one, taken from behind, she’s fully nude. Magana has taken criticism for the photos, but she said she isn’t doing anything differently than her women’s MMA peers.

“They all did it,” Magana said. “I don’t know why it’s so crazy that I did it. Look at Felice [Herrig]. Look at Ronda [Rousey]. Look at Miesha [Tate]. Cris Cyborg said all you have to do is take sexy pictures in women’s MMA. I took her advice. It worked.”

There might be a method to Magana’s social media madness. But mostly, she just doesn’t to come off as phony. Maybe her tweets are a little over-the-top, but Magana herself is that way, too.

“I believe just being myself, not censoring myself and just being who I am definitely helps me,” said Magana, who owns wins over current MMA champions Barb Honchak and Jessica Aguilar. “Ronda been talking her entire career. I’d rather not be the Jon Jones type who’s going to be fake and say it’s all about Jesus.”

And the critics and haters and trolls? They’re all liable to feel the Twitter wrath of “Your Majesty.” They created this monster in the first place.

“All these people started abusing me on Twitter, people who didn’t know anything about me, people who watched me on an edited TV show and became so emotionally invested that they had to message me and call me all kinds of nasty, hateful things,” Magana said. “It comes from me being so much better than those f—ing losers on there.”

Angela Magana was known mostly for being a longtime women’s MMA fighter and competitor on The Ultimate Fighter 20. Until about a month ago. That’s when the seven-year veteran kind of discovered Twitter, in her own way.

“I was never big fan of social media,” Magana told MMA Fighting. “I was too busy living life to talk about my life. Who gives a f—?”

The way Magana explains it, she was drawn into Twitter by haters who didn’t much like her persona on TUF and took to their keyboards to express that opinion publicly.

Since then, Magana’s Twitter account has been the most buzzed about in the UFC. From brutal honesty to lewd language to nearly nude pictures, Magana’s feed has not been everyone’s bag. But people are paying attention. She has gained more than 10,000 new followers in less than a month. And she’ll go into her fight with Tecia Torres at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale on Friday in Las Vegas as one of the most well-known competitors from the show, even though she didn’t win a single tournament bout.

Magana (11-6) said attention-seeking was not the aim. She was simply trying to defend herself against trolls and things have taken on a life of their own organically.

“My motivation wasn’t to gain followers,” Magana said. “It was just these f—ing scumbag losers on Twitter who want to abuse me. I’m not gonna sit back and let them abuse me.

“I might as well use it as my tool. I’m like addicted to this s— now.”

Magana, 31, has even spawned her own catchphrases, not unlike the pro-wrestling characters she grew up watching. She has taken to calling her Twitter followers “peasants” and herself “Your Majesty.” The latter has stuck so much that she’ll be using it as her official UFC nickname. Bruce Buffer will actually announce her as Angela “Your Majesty” Magana on Friday night at the Palms.

“It comes from me being so much better than those f—ing losers on there,” Magana said. “I’m not like that in my every day life. I don’t think I have peasants and stuff. But on Twitter? Hell yeah.”

While Magana, 31, did not intend to have her follower count grow exponentially, it has been a nice side effect of her uncensored, no-filter style of tweeting. She firmly believes fighters should be themselves, though most of them are watered down and try too hard to be polite and politically correct. The ones like Conor McGregor who let it all hang out verbally are the ones who have the bigger chance to stardom, she said. Magana uses her TUF castmate Emily Kagan as an example of the opposite.

“Nobody is gonna f—ing remember Emily,” Magana said. “I love Emily, but she has no charisma. She has no personality on TV. Even if she puts on a great fight, nobody remembers those people. The only people they’re going to remember is people who talk.”

Magana hasn’t just been vocal. She’s also taken to posting risqué pictures of herself on Twitter. In one, taken from behind, she’s fully nude. Magana has taken criticism for the photos, but she said she isn’t doing anything differently than her women’s MMA peers.

“They all did it,” Magana said. “I don’t know why it’s so crazy that I did it. Look at Felice [Herrig]. Look at Ronda [Rousey]. Look at Miesha [Tate]. Cris Cyborg said all you have to do is take sexy pictures in women’s MMA. I took her advice. It worked.”

There might be a method to Magana’s social media madness. But mostly, she just doesn’t to come off as phony. Maybe her tweets are a little over-the-top, but Magana herself is that way, too.

“I believe just being myself, not censoring myself and just being who I am definitely helps me,” said Magana, who owns wins over current MMA champions Barb Honchak and Jessica Aguilar. “Ronda been talking her entire career. I’d rather not be the Jon Jones type who’s going to be fake and say it’s all about Jesus.”

And the critics and haters and trolls? They’re all liable to feel the Twitter wrath of “Your Majesty.” They created this monster in the first place.

“All these people started abusing me on Twitter, people who didn’t know anything about me, people who watched me on an edited TV show and became so emotionally invested that they had to message me and call me all kinds of nasty, hateful things,” Magana said. “It comes from me being so much better than those f—ing losers on there.”

The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale: Can K.J. Noons Make a Real Run at Lightweight?

K.J. Noons has the potential to become a dark horse within the UFC’s lightweight division. A group that can be considered the toughest division in the sport has a long list of potential contenders. Noons will not be found on any of the “major” top-10 l…

K.J. Noons has the potential to become a dark horse within the UFC’s lightweight division. A group that can be considered the toughest division in the sport has a long list of potential contenders. Noons will not be found on any of the “major” top-10 lists within the sport, but that does not mean he should be overlooked in any fashion.

At 32 years of age, it is hard to say that Noons is “done” or past his prime. The only man to ever hold the Elite XC lightweight title has gone 2-1 since moving over to the UFC, but that does not negate the past few performances he has given the fight community.

Yet his upcoming fight against Daron Cruickshank at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale has the potential to quickly change that diatribe.  

Cruickshank versus Noons is one of those bouts that places two unranked men against each other but has the potential to steal the show. As Mike Wellman of Bleacher Report stated, “The two are both known for their knockout power, and this fight should bring the violence.”

That knockout power is one of the reasons Noons should not be forgotten within this weight class. Nine of his 13 wins have come via KO finish. The way he stopped Sam Stout at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Kennedy was a sudden reminder of what he brings into the Octagon. Noons has an 11-2 professional boxing record to lean upon when promoting his ability to finish his opponents via knockout.

The current UFC rankings have Noons and Cruickshank outside of the top 15 in the division. If one of them can pull off a big win on Friday, it could open the victor up to major fights within the division.

Noons would be able to leverage a victory into potential matchups where his skills can be showcased. Fights against opponents such as Bobby Green, Michael Johnson and even a rematch with Jorge Masvidal would be captivating fights for Noons. These are the types of opponents who do not shy away from exchanges, where Noons excels, while having the name value to push K.J. up the rankings.

However, the question then lies as to whether or not Noons would have the ability to defeat men within the upper echelon of the division. The lightweight division is deep with men who are excellent at securing takedowns when that is the best method for victory. Noons has struggled against men who can take him down, and this is what awaits him if he was to break into the top half of the 155-pound rankings.

K.J. Noons has had his high points in mixed martial arts. The rivalry with Nick Diaz stands out as an example that he can carry his weight in the limelight. This Friday’s fight against Cruickshank has the potential to set off another run for Noons. At this point in his career, it will be interesting to see if he can put together another string of wins that will once again place his name on the marquee.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

TUF 20 Finale notes: Jeremy Stephens confident vs. Charles Oliveira since it ‘isn’t a submission grappling match’

LAS VEGAS — Charles Oliveira is one of the best submission artists in the featherweight division, maybe in the UFC. Jeremy Stephens knows all about that and it doesn’t make him wary.
Stephens meets Oliveira in the co-main event of The Ultim…

LAS VEGAS — Charles Oliveira is one of the best submission artists in the featherweight division, maybe in the UFC. Jeremy Stephens knows all about that and it doesn’t make him wary.

Stephens meets Oliveira in the co-main event of The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale on Friday night here at Palms Casino Resort. And “Lil’ Heathen” is pretty sure he knows how things will go.

“This isn’t a submission grappling match,” Stephens told MMA Fighting on Wednesday at TUF 20 Finale media day. “This is an MMA match and I feel like I excel at MMA matches. I’m able to punch you in the face. I’m able to do a lot of things, keep you away from me. I feel like I’m a better athlete than him, I have better footwork, I’ve been in there with more versatile fighters. I’ve been in the game, man. I think that overall experience is just going to overwhelm him. I’ve got the power.”

Stephens (23-10) is coming off a tough, five-round unanimous decision loss to Cub Swanson in June, A win there would have put him in the 145-pound title discussion. Instead, he’ll have to work his way back up starting with Oliveira, who has won two straight, both of which earned him Performance of the Night bonuses.

“I know he’s looking to come back and make a statement,” Stephens said. “I’m looking to break it. I’m looking to break his mentality. I’m looking to eat him up in there.”

Stephens is undoubtedly one of the hardest hitters in the division and Oliveira (18-4, 1 NC) one of the very best Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists. So if you’re into the classic striker versus grappler matchups of yore, this one will be a treat.

Stephens, though, just sees it as another rung in the ladder. If he beats “Do Bronx,” he plans on coming back to fight early in 2015 and starting on another run. Stephens won three straight before falling to Swanson. By the end of next year, “Lil’ Heathen” is hoping to be right back in that title mix — or better.

“It’s only going to be a matter of time,” the 28-year-old said. “I’m here to stay. I’m going to make a statement come Friday and guys are going to know that I’m for real and I mean business.”

Not that he’s looking past Oliveira. Stephens just figures he knows how it’ll end up.

“As soon as I start touching him up, landing that damage, I think it’s going to change his mindset,” Stephens said. “I think it’s only a matter of time until I get that finish.”

Penne wasn’t at her best during ‘extremely difficult’ TUF tournament

Jessica Penne made it all the way to the semifinals of The Ultimate Fighter 20 tournament. Yet she never once felt like she was completely at 100 percent in the house. The living situation just didn’t agree with her.

“I did the best that I could with my circumstances,” Penne said. “I definitely know that I can do a lot better than what I showed. I’m proud of myself for my accomplishment. It was really hard for me being in that house, not having any alone time and being away from the comforts of home, but it was difficult for everyone.”

Penne, who meets fellow semifinalist Randa Markos at the TUF 20 Finale on Friday night, said training since leaving the Las Vegas house has been almost a breeze.

“For me personally, it was extremely difficult,” she said of The Ultimate Fighter. “I tried to prepare myself to go into it and to know what was expected. But it was really different than anything I’ve ever done and I think it was definitely the hardest training camp I’ve ever had to go to. Afterwards, everything just seems a little bit easier, a little bit more relaxed.”

TUF drama not quite buried yet

Randa Markos and Carla Esparza had one of the biggest rivalries on The Ultimate Fighter this season even though they didn’t fight each other. The feud spilled over onto FOX Sports 1’s post show after one episode with each woman firing barbs at the other.

Markos made it seem like the hatchet has not been put away.

“The biggest negative was people’s attitudes,” Markos said. “You go in there thinking you’re going to train with the best in the world, they’re professional athletes and they act so unprofessional. That was really sad to see. It just shows what kind of person you are and the people they are, the attitudes they have. It just bothered me to see how far people have gotten with their attitudes. Like being a champ in Invicta and having such a horrible attitude.”