Author: Alex Ballentine

UFC on Fox 2 Results: Why Michael Bisping Was the Biggest Winner

UFC on Fox 2 will be remembered for producing two immediate No. 1 contenders. Both Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen were able to beat their opponents on the judges’ scorecards to secure the big, lucrative fights they’ve been longing for.That being said, t…

UFC on Fox 2 will be remembered for producing two immediate No. 1 contenders. Both Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen were able to beat their opponents on the judges’ scorecards to secure the big, lucrative fights they’ve been longing for.

That being said, they weren’t the biggest winners of the night. Michael Bisping was.

Bisping, who hasn’t always been the most liked fighter, especially in the United States, may not have earned a title shot but he did finally earn respect.

Besides Bisping’s brash personality and controversial post-fight actions, the knock on him has always been that he has been coddled when it came to matchmaking and didn’t win when actually challenged with top-tier opponents.

Despite losing to Chael Sonnen, Bisping took a huge step forward in shaking that reputation and proving he belongs in the conversation as a top five middleweight. The Brit was able to go the distance with Sonnen and handled Sonnen’s grappling in a way very few have been able to do.

In the postfight press conference, Sonnen himself admitted that he never felt comfortable in any position when he was on the ground, and any time he created space Bisping was able to stand back up.

While Bisping masterfully stalled Sonnen’s usually relentless ground and pound, he wasn’t able to sustain enough offense throughout the bout to win on the cards and that’s something he can work on and improve.

So while Sonnen won the fight and now claims the coveted title shot, Bisping did more for his career and standing in the division with this loss than he has with any of his previous wins in the middleweight division. Bisping went toe to toe with the No. 2 guy in his weight class and didn’t blink.

In fact, many felt that he won the fight, and being on the losing end of a controversial decision could just find him being the fan favorite for once.

Even in defeat, Bisping has punched his ticket for more marquee fights against top level competition because he has shown he can compete with the best.

That has him closer to a title shot than ever before, and while Evans and Sonnen have had shots at the belt Bisping hasn’t, that makes him the biggest winner of UFC on Fox 2.

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UFC on Fox 2: 3 Must-See Fights on the Undercard

The UFC’s much-anticipated return to network television features three bouts on the main card that will no doubt be entertaining and make an impact on their respective weight division’s title picture.Lost in the hype of the main card is an interesting …

The UFC’s much-anticipated return to network television features three bouts on the main card that will no doubt be entertaining and make an impact on their respective weight division’s title picture.

Lost in the hype of the main card is an interesting undercard featuring rising prospects, fighters with their back to the wall and some UFC newcomers.

While these fights may not hold as much importance to their division’s immediate title picture, it’s sometimes the fights that mean less that are the most entertaining. Thanks to the UFC’s new FOX deal, fans will get to enjoy the vast majority of these fights on the FX channel.

Here are four fights you must tune in early to watch at UFC on FOX 2’s undercard.

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UFC on Fox 2: Why the Winner of Bisping vs Sonnen Is a Legit Threat to Silva

UFC on FOX 2 may be headlined by Phil Davis and Rashad Evans, but Chael Sonnen or Michael Bisping may just steal the show come Saturday. The two brash and talkative middleweights will be fighting for a shot at reigning middleweight champion, Ander…

UFC on FOX 2 may be headlined by Phil Davis and Rashad Evans, but Chael Sonnen or Michael Bisping may just steal the show come Saturday. 

The two brash and talkative middleweights will be fighting for a shot at reigning middleweight champion, Anderson Silva. While Sonnen has his doubts that the match will ever come to fruition, Dana White has assured fans that the winner of this match will definitely get a fight against Silva, most likely in the summer.

So while Davis and Evans claim main event status, Bisping vs Sonnen is more important. The winner could very well be the next middleweight champion.

Sonnen is the heavy favorite (at least according to Vegas) going into the fight and his first fight with the champion has been well-documented.

Sonnen was able to challenge Silva in a way that no one has before, dominating the champ for the large majority of the fight before succumbing to a triangle choke/armbar submission late in the fifth and final round.

A rematch would be, as Sonnen himself called it, “the biggest rematch in the business” and a fight that many have clamored for since their first fight in August of 2010.

The question is, can Sonnen do it again?

Obviously Sonnen’s submission defense is questionable at best and his return matchup against Brian Stann didn’t do much to show improvement in that area as Stann isn’t much of a submission artist.

However, Sonnen was able to remain busy against Stann and continually looked to improve position, a stark difference from his fight against Silva when he was content to sit in Silva’s guard—something that cost him in the end.

Should Bisping pull the upset, Silva will probably breath a sigh of relief. However, Bisping could present a threat to the champion.

For years it has seemed like Bisping has been kept away from upper-echelon opponents and has failed to find success against good competition when he has had the opportunity. A win over Sonnen would show major improvement.

A year ago, this fight would be a no brainer. You could bet your house that Silva would easily dispose of Bisping, probably in spectacular fashion. The times they are a-changing though and SIlva’s age may finally be catching up to him.

With Silva’s repeated retirement talk and continuous issues with injuries it is hard to tell if his skills will decline over the last fights of his career.

As Fedor Emelianenko has shown, even legends can have their skills diminish and when it happens, it happens quickly.

Bisping is a huge middleweight and he would have to work extremely hard on his wrestling but if he shows to be skillful enough to get past Sonnen it is feasible he could give Silva a run for his money, especially if Silva has retirement on the brain.

Either way, Anderson Silva will have a legitimate threat emerge from UFC on FOX 2.

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UFC 142 Results: Why Anthony Johnson Needs to Go to Strikeforce

UFC 142 has most likely signaled the end of Anthony “Rumble” Johnson’s current run in the UFC. Johnson’s first-round submission loss to Vitor Belfort on Saturday in his first attempt at the middleweight division, paired with weighing in at a whopp…

UFC 142 has most likely signaled the end of Anthony “Rumble” Johnson’s current run in the UFC. Johnson’s first-round submission loss to Vitor Belfort on Saturday in his first attempt at the middleweight division, paired with weighing in at a whopping 12 pounds over the weight limit, will most likely result (and deservedly so) in a pink slip from Dana White.

However, with a few tweaks and some major dedication, his path back to the UFC should be simple. As Johnson looks to make the changes he needs to make, a trip to fellow ZUFFA-owned promotion Strikeforce could be the perfect fit.

Johnson is extraordinarily gifted but has chronically underachieved in his time with the organization. What Johnson needs is a wake-up call.

Getting cut is about as much a wake-up call as a fighter can get, and some time in a smaller organization would give Johnson time to really pin down what weight he wants to fight at.

With the dissolution of the heavyweight division, Strikeforce is in need of name power more than ever. Johnson could immediately contend in whichever division he would choose, be it middleweight or light heavyweight.

Despite Johnson’s struggles with his weight, he is extraordinarily gifted and has proven he can win in the UFC. While the UFC wants to teach him a lesson, it should definitely not give up on him. Its goals should be to punish him while keeping an eye on his return.

A move to Strikeforce accomplishes both of those goals while also helping out their sister organization. Sounds like a win-win for Dana White and Co.

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UFC 142 Fight Card: 3 Underdogs That Will Pull off Upsets in Brazil

Everyone loves an underdog.When all the odds are stacked against a man, winning becomes that much more sweet, and there’s nothing the fans love more than seeing the unexpected. MMA is a sport where there are plenty of underdogs, and watching an upset c…

Everyone loves an underdog.

When all the odds are stacked against a man, winning becomes that much more sweet, and there’s nothing the fans love more than seeing the unexpected. MMA is a sport where there are plenty of underdogs, and watching an upset can be one of the most exciting things to witness in the sport.

Whether it be by surprise submission, knockout or just a thorough beat-down—as we saw at UFC 141 with Jim Hettes and Nam Phan—fans love seeing the underdog pull off the upset.

Heading into UFC 142‘s card, there are a few fighters facing unfavorable odds that just might be able to pull off the upset.

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UFC 142: Gabriel Gonzaga Makes His Octagon Return in Rio

UFC 142 is stacked with intriguing stories. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo is facing the toughest test of his career. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will make his much-anticipated middleweight debut. Brazil will play host to its second UFC event in the las…

UFC 142 is stacked with intriguing stories. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo is facing the toughest test of his career. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will make his much-anticipated middleweight debut. Brazil will play host to its second UFC event in the last year.

Perhaps the most intriguing story is the return of a former UFC heavyweight title challenger—Gabriel Gonzaga.

The inconsistent Gonzaga was once a highly-touted prospect in the organization who even fought for the title against Randy Couture in 2007 after his upset victory over Mirko Cro Cop.

After posting a pedestrian 3-5 record after the win over Cro Cop, Gonzaga was cut from the organization and largely forgotten as a serious threat in the division.

With heavyweight Rob Broughton a late scratch in his scheduled matchup against UFC newcomer Edinaldo Oliveira, Gonzaga became an obvious injury replacement for the UFC and got the call.

With the addition of the Strikeforce heavyweights coming, the heavyweight division landscape will dramatically change in 2012. If Gonzaga plans on ever being relevant again, he will need to capitalize on the opportunity.

Gonzaga’s opponent, Edinaldo Oliveira, won’t be an easy out.

Oliveira has an impressive 13-0-1 (1 NC) record while fighting exclusively in Brazil. Oliveira has the power to pull off an upset knockout of his own and will force Gonzaga to use his impressive jiu-jitsu to win the fight.

Will UFC 142 be Gonzaga’s first step back to relevance? Or his last stand in the organization?

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