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UFC 175: Is Uriah Hall a Pretender or Contender?

It took all of five minutes and one jaw-dropping knockout against Adam Cella in his second fight on The Ultimate Fighter for MMA fans to buy into Uriah Hall as the frontrunner to win the 17th season of the tournament.
A quick knockout over Bubba McDani…

A quick knockout over Bubba McDaniel and a TKO against Dylan Andrews in his next two fights had fans buying into Hall as a genuine contender in the division once ruled by pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva.

Hall had people thinking less of how he would fare against fellow TUF finalist Kelvin Gastelum in the finale and more about how soon the Jamaican-born fighter would find himself standing across the Octagon with a dude wearing gold around his waist.

He was a contender.

Back-to-back split-decision losses to Gastelum and John Howard had most people, including UFC president Dana White, questioning their original judgments and wondering what happened to the guy that was flattening his opponents out just a few months prior.

“I love Uriah Hall,” White said in his media scrum after Hall’s loss to Howard at UFC Fight Night 26 last August. “I have a great relationship with this kid. He’s one of the nicest human beings you can ever meet. He’s not a fighter, man.”

Whether it be the jitters from being surrounded by thousands of fight fans or the step-up in competition, one thing was certain: Hall was quickly becoming one of the biggest disappointments in TUF history.

He was quickly re-dubbed a pretender.

White was quick to point to Hall’s nice demeanor inside the cage as the crux of his disappointing performances.

“It’s a mental thing. He was this killer that everybody was afraid of on TUF and then he comes into the big show where it all really matters and where you’re going to make, you know, this is going to make your livelihood and everything else and he turns into this different person. This super nice guy.”

White went on to elaborate on why being a nice guy like Hall doesn’t pay off in this business:

“You’re in a fight. You’re here to use your martial arts to win this competition and move forward. You’re not here to high-five and hug. That’s great. It’s one of the things I love about the sport—the sportsmanship that’s displayed, sometimes before, during and after a fight. But, it gets to a point where it gets ridiculous and that’s not what people are sitting at home to watch, that’s not what people paid to come into this building to watch.”

It hasn’t been all bad for Hall inside the UFC cage—he managed to stop Chris Leben back at UFC 169. Though most would be quick to disparage the victory—arguing it had more to do with a past-his-prime Leben realizing he was two years beyond his retirement age than Hall’s performance itself—it’s worth noting that this was the first time Hall seemed comfortable under the bright lights that only the UFC can flash.

Hall has an opportunity to ride this newfound wave of comfort further this Saturday at UFC 175 when he squares off against a 9-2 Thiago Santos. A loss, whether it be a split decision or knockout, would all but eliminate the “pretender or contender” discussion. A win keeps it alive.

Hall’s split-decision losses in the Octagon thus far are not inherently frustrating—they were close fights that could have just as easily seen his hand raised at the end. That’s not who fight fans wanted to see, though—they wanted the guy who was making us feel sorry for the guy standing across from him.

Until people see that guy return, videos (like the one below) that showcase his above-average hand movement and lightning-quick spinning back-kicks won’t matter much to anybody—they’ll forever brand him a pretender in the UFC’s middleweight division.

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.

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Brian Stann Says UFC Had No Other Option Than to Fire Chael Sonnen

Don’t expect Brian Stann to come to the defense of his former opponent and colleague Chael Sonnen.
The retired middleweight and Fox UFC analyst was asked on Twitter Monday if he thought Sonnen’s firing was “just,” and he said he think…

Don’t expect Brian Stann to come to the defense of his former opponent and colleague Chael Sonnen.

The retired middleweight and Fox UFC analyst was asked on Twitter Monday if he thought Sonnen’s firing was “just,” and he said he thinks it was. According to Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting, Sonnen, who tested positive for a total of five banned substances in his two recent random drug tests, was terminated by the UFC and Fox Sports this week.

The former United States Marine has been a consummate professional throughout his WEC and UFC tenure, and he worked alongside Sonnen at the analyst desk on UFC broadcasts. Sonnen defeated Stann at UFC 136 in October 2011 and handed Stann his first loss since his drop to middleweight.

Stann spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour back in April about his motivations for retiring, and he cited the lack of effective drug testing in the sport along with facing off against too many opponents who may have been using performance-enhancing drugs as partial reasons for his exit from fighting, saying:

You can feel the difference in the gym and what big a difference it makes, and I do think there are a number of guys who are using just because the testing currently by our athletic commissions is inadequate.

Stann was awarded the Silver Star for valor in combat for his actions throughout the course of an ambush by insurgents during the Iraq War, so he is no stranger to adversity. Stann’s last opponent inside the Octagon, Wanderlei Silva, ran from a random drug test when it was required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the proposed bout with Sonnen.

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UFC 175: Preview and Predictions for Card’s Biggest Fights

UFC 175 is looking to have some awesome matchups that will provide some great entertainment for UFC fans.
Chris Weidman is coming off back-to-back wins versus Anderson Silva and is looking to take on a well-rounded fighter in Lyoto Machida. Ronda…

UFC 175 is looking to have some awesome matchups that will provide some great entertainment for UFC fans.

Chris Weidman is coming off back-to-back wins versus Anderson Silva and is looking to take on a well-rounded fighter in Lyoto Machida. Ronda Rousey is putting her undefeated record on the line against a very tough Alexis Davis.

Which fighters do you think will win?

Watch Adam Lefkoe and Jeremy Botter discuss these upcoming battles in the Octagon.

Highlights courtesy of UFC.

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Nick Newell Deserves Attention from Mainstream Sports World Before WSOF 11

Nick Newell is a story within mixed martial arts that is being missed by the mainstream sports world. This Saturday at World Series of Fighting 11 two undefeated lightweights will enter the cage to compete for the WSOF lightweight title. Justin Gaethje will defend his title against Newell but that isn’t what makes this story stand out among others in the sport. Newell is a congenital amputee that hasn’t allowed his condition to stop his meteoric rise to this point.

Newell was born with a left arm that stopped just past his elbow. In a sport that demands the ability to punch, grab and wrestle, Newell has proven naysayers wrong since he first stepped into the cage to compete. Five years after his professional debut, the man known as “Notorious” has done nothing but win. His abilities allow him to stay undefeated but can’t take the attention away from his condition that most would deem a disadvantage. Newell has come to terms with his condition as an athlete but doesn’t let it hold him back from performing at a high level.

“I have never been like ‘check me out,’ I have one arm and I’m out here fighting, is that unique?” Newell told MMA Mania’s C.J. Tuttle in 2013. “All I have ever done is put on exciting fights and win. If it helps market me and helps me stand out and make a living, that’s cool. Whatever gets you to watch.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Newell‘s story has captured the attention of the mainstream sports industry. A few days out from the event, major sports mediums such as ESPN haven’t touched the story. The main MMA page on ESPN still lists headlines that are weeks old rather than any mention of the event planned for Saturday.

There are a number of reasons that may have attributed to this situation. Newell fights in the World Series of Fighting promotion which many consider the second or third dog in the MMA promotion game. Even though the WSOF has steadily grown since their first show back in 2012, they haven’t garnered much attention outside the vessels that normally cover mixed martial arts.

Another factor that may pull attention away from Newell‘s story is the continued increase of MMA news and action available to the industry. The Ultimate Fighting Championship just featured two shows in one day this past Saturday. This weekend features not only WSOF 11 on Saturday, but UFC 175 later that evening and UFC The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale on Sunday. Now, with the newest developments of the Chael Sonnen story, Dana White and co will be the talk of the town; taking attention away from Newell and the WSOF.

Still, Newell and Gaethje both deserve to be covered for what they will do on Saturday. The fact that a major promotion is hosting a card that will be headlined by a fighter with such a disability is a story that makes sports so enjoyable. Athletes such as Jim Abbott and Anthony Robles have inspired multitudes of people by overcoming similar challenges. Newell could be a similar story that benefits not only his career, but the promotion of the WSOF as a whole. While there is the question as to whether or not his disadvantage will “catch up with him,” Newell deserves the opportunity that he has coming on Saturday. The rest of the sports world should be aware to cheer him on.

Nick Newell will bring an 11-0 record with him into his main event confrontation on Saturday. With that he’ll bring a story that’s worth telling to the whole sports world. Sadly, the mainstream sports community is missing out on the opportunity to show yet another example of what makes the industry so enjoyable.

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MMA: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Has Dollar-Figure, Not Sporting Value

In the world of MMA, the women’s division is ruled by Ronda Rousey.
She’s snatched the position created by Gina Carano years ago and ran with it into stardom. Even though Carano has been away from the sport for years, she’s still a name th…

In the world of MMA, the women’s division is ruled by Ronda Rousey.

She’s snatched the position created by Gina Carano years ago and ran with it into stardom. Even though Carano has been away from the sport for years, she’s still a name that draws attention when mentioned. As talks between Carano and the UFC seem to have stalled, according to Mike Chiappetta of Fox Sports, one must ask if her return is not only in her best interests but those of women’s MMA as a whole.

Gina Carano made history when she took to the Strikeforce hexagon and became, along with Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, the first women’s main event of a major MMA card. Even though she was toppled in brutal fashion by Cyborg, that one moment led to Carano‘s leap into the movie industry.

At the same time, it pulled her out of the cage for what would be a five-year hiatus. In those five years, women’s mixed martial arts has grown by leaps and bounds.

UFC President Dana White softened his hardline stance against letting women compete in the Octagon. Many attribute that change of heart due to the rise of Rousey. How could you blame him? Rousey immediately become one of the sport’s most important stars and is branching out into other ventures just as Carano did before her.

Comparisons between the two quickly became the norm for fans and talking heads alike. The momentum for a Rousey vs. Carano fight has picked up in 2014. White has even gone on record to say that Carano “deserves” a shot at Rousey. This is Dana White doing the job that he’s become known for doing. While both individuals are trailblazers for women in combat sports, it’s clear where the overall value for this fight lies.

A few things are certain when addressing this potential contest.

First, Rousey, Carano and the UFC would make enormous amounts of money on what would most likely be the biggest women’s fight in the sport’s history. If this bout was made in 2014, there would be a shot for it to be one of the most watched of the year as well. Rousey‘s promotional debut at UFC 157 against Liz Carmouche had one of the highest pay-per-view buyrates of 2013.

Even though her second title defense of the year was a co-main event against Miesha Tate on UFC 168, that card ended up being the best-selling event of 2013 (although the show also featured the rematch of Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva). A fight between Carano and Rousey would be promoted so well that it would easily surpass UFC 157 if not come close to the seven-figure buyrate of UFC 168.

The second certainty of this bout is that Carano would be a major underdog to Rousey. Whether this fight took place at 135 or 145, Gina would be facing an individual that would be the best athlete she’s ever fought. Rousey has faced tougher matchups while enduring a higher level of scrutiny than Carano ever dealt with in her career.

Asking Gina to return after so many years away from the sport to face the pound-for-pound queen of women’s mixed martial arts would be asking way too much, especially if the expectations are for her to be competitive. Many expect Rousey to dispatch of Carano quite easily.

“I really feel that it’s just kind of a joke,” former title challenger Tate stated on MMAjunkie radio. “It really is. Gina was a great fighter, and she’s a beautiful woman. Ronda is a great fighter, and she’s an attractive girl. But to say that Gina should be able to come in after five years of nothing and take on arguably the best female fighter ever? Come on.”

With top fighters such as Holly Holm and Cristiane Justino waiting in the wings, it’s clear why the UFC is making a push to obtain Carano‘s services. As debates rage as to whether or not mixed martial arts is a sport or entertainment, this conversation will stand as a point for those who believe it is clear entertainment. Rousey vs. Carano does have appeal, but that demand comes in the form of dollar figures, not sporting value.

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Dan Henderson’s 5 Potential UFC Middleweight Matchups

Add Dan Henderson’s name to the list of UFC light heavyweights looking for a career-resurgence by dropping to 185 pounds.
MMAFighting.com reported that the former Pride two-division champion will be returning to middleweight for the first time si…

Add Dan Henderson’s name to the list of UFC light heavyweights looking for a career-resurgence by dropping to 185 pounds.

MMAFighting.com reported that the former Pride two-division champion will be returning to middleweight for the first time since his 2010 fight against Jake Shields in Strikeforce.

Hendo hopes to be back in the cage by the end of the year, and the middleweight division is as competitive as it’s ever been. With fighters like Tim Kennedy, Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold currently jockeying for position in the top 10, there are a number of intriguing matchups for Henderson.

Will we see him take on other legends and former champions in what will most likely be his last few fights?

Perhaps Anderson Silva would be a good option if that will be in the case. If Henderson takes the alternative route and acts as a gatekeeper of sorts for the division’s younger, hungrier talent, then a fight with someone like Rockhold or even Costas Philippou would make sense.

Here are the five best options for Henderson’s return to the middleweight division.

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