Dustin Poirier is headed back to lightweight.
The former featherweight has decided to return to his original weight class and will meet Diego Ferreira at UFC Fight Night 63 on April 4 in Fairfax, Va., the UFC announced Friday. The event, whi…
The former featherweight has decided to return to his original weight class and will meet Diego Ferreira at UFC Fight Night 63 on April 4 in Fairfax, Va., the UFC announced Friday. The event, which does not yet have a headliner, was also announced Friday by the promotion. It will take place at The Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University.
Poirier (16-4) is coming off a first-round knockout loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 178 in September. But before that, he had reeled off three straight wins and was approaching a title shot at featherweight. Poirier, 25, alluded to a potential change in weight class after the defeat.
At lightweight, Poirier has an 8-1 record with his lone loss coming to Danny Castillo in WEC in 2010. The Louisiana native only lost to elite fighters at 145: McGregor, Chan Sung Jung and Cub Swanson.
Ferreira (11-1) was undefeated as a pro until he fell to Beneil Dariush at UFC 179 in October. The Brazilian prospect and Braziian jiu-jitsu standout had finished both Ramsey Nijem and Colton Smith before that. Ferreira, 29, will try to get back on track against Poirier.
UFC Fight Night 63 will mark the organization’s return to Virginia for the first time since May 2012 when Poirier fell to Chan Sung Jung in the main event.
Add John “Doomsday” Howard to the list of UFC fighters who have challenged Phil “CM Punk” Brooks.
The UFC’s recent signing of the former WWE superstar has drawn a mixed bag of opinions from fighters, media and fans. Among …
Add John “Doomsday” Howard to the list of UFC fighters who have challenged Phil “CM Punk” Brooks.
The UFC’s recent signing of the former WWE superstar has drawn a mixed bag of opinions from fighters, media and fans. Among those to mention fighting him are Cathal Pendred, and now Doomsday says he’s up to the task.
Howard spoke to the media ahead of his Boston fight with Lorenz Larkin, and he said he thinks the exposure for Punk and the UFC will be great but Punk’s skill level isn’t high enough for him.
That didn’t stop the Boston native from laying down a challenge to the UFC newcomer (video by The MMA Word):
I think signing with the UFC for the exposure is awesome. I think with his skill set, I don’t see who he could fight. We are the best of the best of MMA. OK. As a matter of fact, if he went to a lower-tier organization, I don’t see him surviving. But, who’s he going to fight?
Punk won’t be starting out in a smaller organization, so we won’t know how he’d fare against regional-level competition. He’ll get his first MMA bout inside the Octagon, and Howard would be more than happy to be his first opponent, saying:
I’ll put it out there right now: I’ll fight him. … I’ll come to middleweight to fight him. I would love to fight CM Punk and crack his nose—and give him some Doomsday love.
We don’t know who Punk’s first opponent in the UFC is going to be, but it’s a safe bet it won’t be Howard.
A fight between the two might not be out of the question if Brooks racks up several wins and gradually gets to the Howard’s level of competition, but it would be a disastrous matchup for him right out of the gate.
Nonetheless, Howard said he is ready should the UFC need someone to get in the cage with CM Punk:
CM Punk, I challenge you. If you can’t find a fighter, I’ll come up a weight class to fight you.
The UFC hasn’t been subtle about fast-tracking Conor McGregor for a shot at Jose Aldo’s featherweight title, so it surprised many people when they booked the young Irishman to fight Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59, this Sunday in Boston. Why not a highly-ranked wrestler like Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, or Ricardo Lamas? The crack research team at Cage Potato dug into the data and may have figured out how the UFC came to its decision…
1. Siver is familiar with Brazilian jiu-jitsu
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Dennis Siver made his UFC debut at UFC 70, and Mike Goldberg noted that Siver was “a German kickboxing champ” who had “defeated ten of thirteen opponents.” That’s a great record! The UFC matched him with Jess Liaudin, who was also making his promotional debut and had accumulated a 12-8 pro MMA record. Above .500! Also pretty good! Siver took down Liaudin early on, and Goldberg remarked that Siver had a lot of jiu-jitsu training. That training came in handy when he was cognizant enough to tap out to Liaudin’s armbar from guard at 1:21 of the first. People can criticize McGregor for not having fought a wrestler, but they won’t be able to say the same of a jiu-jitsu player after Sunday.
2. Siver is a model of German efficiency
(Dennis is the guy on the right. Poster-’shop via Jeremy Botter)
The UFC hasn’t been subtle about fast-tracking Conor McGregor for a shot at Jose Aldo’s featherweight title, so it surprised many people when they booked the young Irishman to fight Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59, this Sunday in Boston. Why not a highly-ranked wrestler like Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, or Ricardo Lamas? The crack research team at Cage Potato dug into the data and may have figured out how the UFC came to its decision…
1. Siver is familiar with Brazilian jiu-jitsu
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Dennis Siver made his UFC debut at UFC 70, and Mike Goldberg noted that Siver was “a German kickboxing champ” who had “defeated ten of thirteen opponents.” That’s a great record! The UFC matched him with Jess Liaudin, who was also making his promotional debut and had accumulated a 12-8 pro MMA record. Above .500! Also pretty good! Siver took down Liaudin early on, and Goldberg remarked that Siver had a lot of jiu-jitsu training. That training came in handy when he was cognizant enough to tap out to Liaudin’s armbar from guard at 1:21 of the first. People can criticize McGregor for not having fought a wrestler, but they won’t be able to say the same of a jiu-jitsu player after Sunday.
2. Siver is a model of German efficiency
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
After the Liaudin fight, Siver dropped down to lightweight and split a pair of fights. He then fought Melvin Guillard, who was returning to the UFC after one fight outside the organization. Guillard knocked Siver down right off the bat with two overhand rights. Siver attempted an armbar — he had a lot of jiu-jitsu training, remember — but Guillard snuck out. Siver bravely got back to his feet before Guillard landed a right hand that stiffened his legs and another right hand that put him back on the mat. Herb Dean officially stepped in at 36 seconds of the first round. Siver went 0 for 1 in strikes, and it doesn’t get any more efficient than that.
3. Siver is an artist in the cage
(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Siver came into this bout on a four-fight winning streak, the longest of his UFC career. As he entered the arena to Papa Roach’s “Last Resort,” Goldberg mentioned that Siver “is truly the possessor of the most dangerous spinning back kick in the UFC today, but Dennis Siver is a lot more than a spinning back kick.” Cerrone must have known this too, because he didn’t allow Siver to unleash even one. Cerrone followed up an inside leg kick with a high kick that caught Siver flush, sending him Fedor-Fujita fish-flopping. (Fedor’s a great comparison for Siver, because they were both born in Russia and they’re both great fighters.) Siver clinched and recovered, but a Cerrone right hand sent him rolling around on the mat like Lesnar-Overeem. (Brock Lesnar’s another great comparison for Siver since Siver looks like a miniature Lesnar and, of course, they’re both great fighters.) Cerrone locked up a rear-naked choke, and even Goethe would have admired Siver’s irony. Suffocation, no breathing.
4. Siver raised his stock against Manny Gamburyan
(Photo by Donald Miralle/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Siver needed a bounceback after being finished by Cub Swanson, and he got it against Manny Gamburyan at UFC 168. Unfortunately, the Nevada commission found hCG in Siver’s system. This hormone is often naturally produced during pregnancy or by some cancerous tumors. The NSAC decided the Gamburyan fight never happened (though I assure you it did), fined him nearly $20,000, and suspended him for nine months, despite never following up on whether was pregnant and/or had cancer. The silver lining, though, is that these events helped raise Siver’s profile higher than ever before, putting him in position for the McGregor fight.
5. Siver is comfortable under pressure
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Sunday will mark Siver’s first time in a main event, and he’s even stated that it’s the biggest fight of his career. You might worry that the heavy promotion and stature of the fight will play a role in Siver’s psyche, but you needn’t worry. Siver is coming off a victory over undefeated American wrecking machine Charles Rosa (Wikipedia page under construction) that saw him overcome the pressure of fighting on the prelim portion of a Fight Pass event in Sweden. A man who has dealt with the hostile politeness of a nonpartisan Swedish mob will not be phased by the six-degrees-of-Irish-heritage Boston crowd.
Kyoji Horiguchi can be the man that the UFC has waited for with bated breath. Japan has a storied martial arts history, but the sport of mixed martial arts has long lacked a mainstream star from that area. In fact, the UFC has never had a Japanese figh…
KyojiHoriguchi can be the man that the UFC has waited for with bated breath. Japan has a storied martial arts history, but the sport of mixed martial arts has long lacked a mainstream star from that area. In fact, the UFC has never had a Japanese fighter carry one of its title belts. Horiguchi‘s performance at UFC 182 gave rise to the idea that he may be the man to change that point in history.
The UFC currently has Horiguchiranked as the No. 8 fighter within the flyweight division. When looking at the rest of the group listed before him, Horiguchi is in a good spot to find himself challenging for the divisional title if he can keep this pace going.
Damon Martin of Fox Sports recognized the value of this win and what it could do for Horiguchi‘s UFC run: “The win will surely push Horiguchi up the rankings where he will hopefully earn a top five opponent for his next fight. Depending on timing, a matchup with John Dodson, who will be returning from injury later this year, could be just the fight the flyweight division needs right now.”
Horiguchi‘s most recent appearance was at UFC 182 against Louis Gaudinot. In this three-round affair, it was clear that the Japanese competitor was a class above what his opponent could offer.
According to the Fight Metric report, Horiguchilanded 59 of his 123 attempted strikes. While this is impressive, what is even more noteworthy is that he was able to make Gaudinot miss nearly 75 percent of his attempted strikes. His speed also allowed Horiguchi to land the only takedown off of a scramble during the second round of the contest.
Speed is a key factor because this is a vital advantage that current champion Demetrious Johnson has brought to the table during his title run. Johnson has been able to outmaneuver many of his opponents in nearly every area of combat. Joseph Benavidez was one of the only men that could contest that speed, yet it only seemed apparent during their first matchup at UFC 152.
It would be very interesting to see whether or not Horiguchi could match Johnson’s speed during a 25-minute affair. He has shown the ability to land strikes with power, as he has nine wins via knockout. Johnson has been hurt by heavy hitters in the past. While fighting Gaudinot, Horiguchi landed a number of accurate combinations.
Timing will play a major part in where Horiguchi‘s career goes next as John Dodson is currently out with a knee injury. John Lineker will face Ian McCall at UFC 183. Either of these men, or John Moraga, would be a step in the right direction to build up Horiguchi‘s overall value.
It is likely the UFC has long wanted a Japanese star in which the organization can promote to fans in that region of the world. At UFC 182, Horiguchi put on a performance that will help him get one step closer to becoming that fighter.
By most accounts, MMA didn’t see its best year in 2014. For the first time in a long time, the sport had to march forth without any of its biggest stars.
Anderson Silva was mending his broken leg. Georges St-Pierre was taking a leave of absence. Brock …
By most accounts, MMA didn’t see its best year in 2014. For the first time in a long time, the sport had to march forth without any of its biggest stars.
Anderson Silva was mending his broken leg. Georges St-Pierre was taking a leave of absence. Brock Lesnar was busy making history elsewhere, pinning the Undertaker under the WrestleMania lights for the first time in The Deadman’s storied pro wrestling career.
Even the stars who fought in their stead couldn’t remain healthy enough to carry the load.
But now we embark onto 2015, a year that should already excite most fans—so long as the following fighters have big years of their own. Scroll on as we list the fighters who need to have a big 2015.
Add lightweight to the list of things Conor McGregor wants to conquer before his time in the fight game is up.
We all know that the outspoken featherweight has goals of becoming UFC champion and selling out stadiums in Ireland for the UFC, but he …
Add lightweight to the list of things ConorMcGregor wants to conquer before his time in the fight game is up.
We all know that the outspoken featherweight has goals of becoming UFC champion and selling out stadiums in Ireland for the UFC, but he also has goals of competing up in weight.
Speaking to reporters at Thursday’s open workouts (video via Severe MMA), McGregor made his intentions clear that he plans on reigning over two weight divisions, saying:
“The goal at the end of the day is world titles. I came into this promotion as a two-weight world champion. I vacated the belts when I signed with the UFC, and I am in the process of regaining them again.”
UFC President Dana White has already said that the McGregorwill get a shot at the UFC featherweight title with a win over Siver on Sunday night, with Croke Park Stadium in Ireland being a possible venue.
The sky seems to be the limit for the charismatic Irishman, and he wants to add his name to perhaps the most elite of lists in the sport as a two-division UFC champion.
McGregor did come into the UFC holding both the Cage Warriors featherweight and lightweight titles, but thus far in UFC history, only two men, Randy Couture and B.J. Penn, have held titles in more than one weight class.
A year ago, White was greenlighting the idea of featherweight champion Jose Aldo dropping the title and moving up to lightweight to challenge Anthony Pettis, after a superfight between the two had been tossed around at either weight.
If McGregor were to become champion and defend the title, it’s likely he wouldn’t get any pushback from the UFC boss if he were to decide to shine some of his emerald spotlight on the 155-pound weight class.
Thus far, the reality hasn’t much strayed from the rhetoric, and McGregor has been backing up everything he’s been saying. With big tasks in front of him, McGregor seems to only find bigger ones to place in his path, saying at the open workout:
“I am a young man, and I am not small for the lightweight division. I definitely have my eyes on that lightweight division in the future 100 percent.”
There are still plenty of potential matchups for McGregor at 145 pounds, especially considering he has yet to face anyone with serious wrestling credentials. But if he continues on his current trajectory, his visions of a run at lightweight might just come to fruition.
Add John “Doomsday” Howard to the list of UFC fighters who have challenged Phil “
