The UFC Brasil team spent the week with Vitor Belfort in Miami. In between training sessions for his fight with Chris Weidman, Belfort gave baseball a try and showed that he is good in other sports as well.
The new season of the series ‘Vai que …
The UFC Brasil team spent the week with Vitor Belfort in Miami. In between training sessions for his fight with Chris Weidman, Belfort gave baseball a try and showed that he is good in other sports as well.
The new season of the series ‘Vai que cola’, aired on Multishow channel in Brazil, has a special appearance of Bruce Buffer, the voice of the UFC.Brazilians are crazy about his famous sentence “It’s time!”.
Camila Oliveira and Jhenny Andrade, the Brazilian octagon girls, were in Brasilia for the launch of UFC Fight Night Pezão vs. Arlovski. The muses f … Read the Full Article Here
At 13 years old, Gunnar Nelson started training in Goju-Ryu karate. Two years later, he won the Icelandic Juvenile Kumite Championship title.
That explains his Lyoto Machida-like stance inside the Octagon.
At 17 years old, the Icelandic figh…
At 13 years old, Gunnar Nelson started training in Goju-Ryu karate. Two years later, he won the Icelandic Juvenile Kumite Championship title.
That explains his LyotoMachida-like stance inside the Octagon.
At 17 years old, the Icelandic fighter stopped his karate training to focus all of his attention on Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Three years later, Nelson earned his black belt from Renzo Gracie.
That explains his nine submission victories, three of which came against UFC-level talent.
So, just how good is Nelson?
In short: very. Just check out his only decision victory against Jorge Santiago at UFC on Fuel TV 7:
In length: keep reading.
Currently ranked 12th in the UFC’s welterweight division, it’s obvious Nelson still has a ways to go before he can find himself sharing the Octagon with anybody who needs to get past TSA with 12 pounds of UFC gold. But having only been alive for 26 years, he still has plenty of time ahead of him to get there.
On paper, it’s easy to explain why Nelson has been unstoppable throughout his seven-year career: He hasn’t really fought anybody. He’ll get his chance relatively soon when he steps into the cage with five-year UFC veteran Rick Story on October 4.
Sure, most of you probably think that pitting Nelson against the 15th-ranked fighter in the division won’t say much about Nelson’s ceiling. Even if he beats Story in dramatic fashion, you’ll probably just nod your head to no surprise—despite just two spots separating these two fighters in the rankings, Nelson is supposed to win (and win big).
Truth is, a matchup with Story should tell us more than this fight does at first glance.
It will tell us how Nelson deals with the pressure of headlining his first UFC card with a potential 13,850 Swedes supporting their adopted continental son.
It will tell us how Nelson deals with Story’s pressure-first fighting style that has frustrated and seen him victorious against fighters such as UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and former welterweight title contender ThiagoAlves.
Nelson’s striking and grappling abilities make him a tough matchup for anybody in the Top 15, not just Story.
He’s elusive and intelligent enough of a striker to “Machida” his way out of a brawl against fighters like Jake Ellenberger, Hector Lombard, Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler. Should fighters like TyronWoodley, Demian Maia, Rory MacDonald and Hendricks manage to wrestle the black belt to the ground, he’s savvy enough of a grappler to contend there, too.
Go ahead and keep shaking your head in disagreement. That’s fine. Just realize that Dana White and friends are doing everything they can to keep this European flame that Alexander Gustafsson and ConorMcGregor lit back when they had their meteoric rise to stardom.
Should they find potential in Nelson as one of many keys to the European market (they do), they’ll bring him along slowly and give him plenty of time to develop his skills enough before headlining another European event—except this time it’ll be for that extra carry-on.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. 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.
So, you’re on a six-fight winning streak in one of the toughest divisions the UFC has to offer. You’ve defeated the division’s fifth-, 10th-, 11th- and 14th-ranked fighters in the process. You even managed to KO the No. 14 fighter in the division above…
So, you’re on a six-fight winning streak in one of the toughest divisions the UFC has to offer. You’ve defeated the division’s fifth-, 10th-, 11th- and 14th-ranked fighters in the process. You even managed to KO the No. 14 fighter in the division above you. That should be enough to grant you a shot at the title, right?
Well, kind of.
Cub Swanson, the UFC’s second-ranked featherweight—behind only Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes—is just a little more than a month removed from a five-round unanimous decision win against Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 44. Though his performance would warrant a title shot, the current featherweight landscape complicates things a bit.
“I’m not really one to cry about things, I’m just excited to be in the position I’m in,” Swanson said after his victory at the UFC Fight Night 44 post-fight press conference. “I’ve worked real hard, so, I mean, there was another fight that was a good opportunity for me, then I would take it. I’m not really trying to wait forever.”
That’s just it; after waiting 357 days in between his last two fights, there’s no way the UFC can allow, or force, Swanson to wait an extended period of time as he prepares for his title shot. Understandably, Swanson wanted the title shot and the UFC was willing to comply, according to Dana White, per UFC’s “The Download“:
Let me tell you what, Jeremy is ranked No. 10 but he’s not the No. 10 fighter. He’s better than that, and Cub took big f****** shots from him early, ate his shots and came back and fought a beautiful fight. I’m very excited for his future. Cub’s going to get what he wants, let’s just put it that way.
But after Aldo pulled out of his original fight against Mendes in August, things got a little more complicated for Swanson and the UFC brass. Considering Aldo and Mendes aren’t scheduled to fight for the crown until late October at UFC 179, Swanson wouldn’t be getting a crack at the belt until February at the earliest.
And that’s if everything goes as planned.
But with more people favoring Mendes as the rematch nears, it’s not completely implausible to see the Team Alpha Male fighter snatch the strap away from the incumbent champion and force a rubber match between the new-found rivals. The rematch would likely take place in February or March, meaning any title bouts exclusively consisting of Aldo and Mendes could only take place around June or July—tacking on another 350-day layoff for the established contender.
Edgar is facing almost identical circumstances. He’s ranked highly amongst the UFC’s featherweights. He’s deserving of a title shot. He spent 365 days in between his last two fights against Charles Oliveira and B.J. Penn.
It wouldn’t be fair to force Swanson to square off against the former UFC lightweight champion, but it makes sense. Fighting each other would clear up some space atop of the ever-crowded featherweight pack and design a clear-cut contender for a spot atop the featherweight mountain.
The long wait isn’t the only variable that should be concerning Swanson right now, though—the UFC has some other favorable rising featherweights waiting for their chance at UFC gold.
Conor McGregor, the UFC’s ninth-ranked featherweight and arguably its most popular star, could be in line to justify a title shot of his own with a win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 in September. A victory against the No. 5 featherweight would likely catapult the Irish sensation into the top five. A microphone would likely catapult him into a title fight.
And if there’s anything we can take away from Alexander Gustafsson’s current misfortune, it’s that the UFC can snatch away a title shot just about as fast as it can grant it. Because for as much as it wants to put on bouts between two viable opponents, it would much rather put on fights between two viable opponents who can make headlines.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. 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.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the newest names in the ever-growing list of mixed martial arts fighters hampered by injuries.
Unfortunately for the athlete, the knee injury that has forced him out of competition came at a time when he was surging t…
KhabibNurmagomedov is one of the newest names in the ever-growing list of mixed martial arts fighters hampered by injuries.
Unfortunately for the athlete, the knee injury that has forced him out of competition came at a time when he was surging toward the top of the lightweight division.
Even though he’s still months away from returning to the Octagon, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has a number of opponents waiting to welcome him back. However, one of the most interesting options isn’t on the UFC’s roster at this time.
That man is current Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
Since joining the UFC back in 2012, “The Eagle” has run his undefeated streak to 22 victories. The Russian native has propelled himself to a point where he is one of the premier fighters at 155 pounds, and he’s currently the No. 3-ranked lightweight in the promotion behind Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez, per UFC.com.
In order to obtain the title shot that has eluded him to this point, Nurmagomedov should be placed against Alvarez, as it would be a challenging bout for both of them.
Alvarez is still under contract with Bellator, but that did not stop the UFC from attempting to bring him over to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 178, per TristenCritchfield of Sherdog. That fight would eventually fall apart, as Cerrone is now scheduled to face Bobby Green. However, that doesn’t mean the UFC should endtheir pursuit of Alvarez.
Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie reported that at the time of Nurmagomedov‘s injury in July he would be out of action for at least six months. During this period the UFC could work on their negotiations with Bellator to reach an agreement to bring over their lightweight champion. The companies would have their work cut out for them, but earlier efforts show that they are willing to negotiate.
Scott Coker recently addressed the situation with Alvarez’s contract with Bellator. “Right now, where it’s at today is Eddie’s still a fighter under contract with Bellator.” Scott Coker told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I know that lawyers are involved, and that’s something that happened way before I came to this company. Right now, I don’t have an update for you on that.”
Alvarez would present an interesting challenge for Nurmagomedov if they were to actually meet in the Octagon. To this point,Nurmagomedovhas been able to overwhelm his opponents within the UFC with effective grappling.
Alvarez uses an aggressive style of a different nature, where he stays on his opponents, looking to land boxing combinations and use his wrestling when possible.Nurmagomedov has yet to face an opponent in the UFC who uses such a style,so a fight against Alvarez would be a clear change of pace for him.
From a business perspective, this fight makes sense for the organization as well. Alvarez has never shied away from promoting himself or the fights that he’s involved in. He would have the ability to carry much of the needed media work for a fight againstNurmagomedov.
A win for either fighter would create enough credibility for them to be considered a No. 1 contender to fight the winner of the upcoming Anthony Pettis–Gilbert Melendez fight with the title. If the UFC were able to set this match up it would work as a co-main event for a pay-per-view card in 2015.
KhabibNurmagomedov was very near to earning a shot at the UFC lightweight title before suffering a knee injury last month. As the promotion awaitshis return, they can use this time to sign Eddie Alvarez and create the best fight possible to welcome Alvarez to the UFC and Nurmagomedov back from the injured list all at once.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the newest names in the ever-growing list of mixed martial arts fighters hampered by injuries.
Unfortunately for the athlete, the knee injury that has forced him out of competition came at a time when he was surging t…
KhabibNurmagomedov is one of the newest names in the ever-growing list of mixed martial arts fighters hampered by injuries.
Unfortunately for the athlete, the knee injury that has forced him out of competition came at a time when he was surging toward the top of the lightweight division.
Even though he’s still months away from returning to the Octagon, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has a number of opponents waiting to welcome him back. However, one of the most interesting options isn’t on the UFC’s roster at this time.
That man is current Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
Since joining the UFC back in 2012, “The Eagle” has run his undefeated streak to 22 victories. The Russian native has propelled himself to a point where he is one of the premier fighters at 155 pounds, and he’s currently the No. 3-ranked lightweight in the promotion behind Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez, per UFC.com.
In order to obtain the title shot that has eluded him to this point, Nurmagomedov should be placed against Alvarez, as it would be a challenging bout for both of them.
Alvarez is still under contract with Bellator, but that did not stop the UFC from attempting to bring him over to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 178, per TristenCritchfield of Sherdog. That fight would eventually fall apart, as Cerrone is now scheduled to face Bobby Green. However, that doesn’t mean the UFC should endtheir pursuit of Alvarez.
Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie reported that at the time of Nurmagomedov‘s injury in July he would be out of action for at least six months. During this period the UFC could work on their negotiations with Bellator to reach an agreement to bring over their lightweight champion. The companies would have their work cut out for them, but earlier efforts show that they are willing to negotiate.
Scott Coker recently addressed the situation with Alvarez’s contract with Bellator. “Right now, where it’s at today is Eddie’s still a fighter under contract with Bellator.” Scott Coker told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I know that lawyers are involved, and that’s something that happened way before I came to this company. Right now, I don’t have an update for you on that.”
Alvarez would present an interesting challenge for Nurmagomedov if they were to actually meet in the Octagon. To this point,Nurmagomedovhas been able to overwhelm his opponents within the UFC with effective grappling.
Alvarez uses an aggressive style of a different nature, where he stays on his opponents, looking to land boxing combinations and use his wrestling when possible.Nurmagomedov has yet to face an opponent in the UFC who uses such a style,so a fight against Alvarez would be a clear change of pace for him.
From a business perspective, this fight makes sense for the organization as well. Alvarez has never shied away from promoting himself or the fights that he’s involved in. He would have the ability to carry much of the needed media work for a fight againstNurmagomedov.
A win for either fighter would create enough credibility for them to be considered a No. 1 contender to fight the winner of the upcoming Anthony Pettis–Gilbert Melendez fight with the title. If the UFC were able to set this match up it would work as a co-main event for a pay-per-view card in 2015.
KhabibNurmagomedov was very near to earning a shot at the UFC lightweight title before suffering a knee injury last month. As the promotion awaitshis return, they can use this time to sign Eddie Alvarez and create the best fight possible to welcome Alvarez to the UFC and Nurmagomedov back from the injured list all at once.
At 13 years old,