Author: Andrew Barr

UFC Results: Cheick Kongo Pulls off Epic Comeback, Knocks out Pat Barry

UFC Live on Versus 4 has just come to a close, and it could not have ended in a more climactic fashion.Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry was promoted to the main event of the evening yesterday when the initial main event between Nate Marquardt and Rick Story w…

UFC Live on Versus 4 has just come to a close, and it could not have ended in a more climactic fashion.

Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry was promoted to the main event of the evening yesterday when the initial main event between Nate Marquardt and Rick Story was scrapped at the last minute.

Many fans were disappointed by this news, and so it was important for the new main event between Kongo and Barry to deliver some excitement, and it did just that.

This fight had a lot of potential because both men are excellent kick boxers, and tonight, fight fans saw that potential come to fruition.

The fight started off relatively tentative, with both fighters respecting each others skills and power.

Barry was getting the better of the striking at the start of the first round, but both men were landing. In particular, they traded a lot of heavy leg kicks.

Later in the first, Barry had Kongo moving back toward the cage when he hit him with a huge shot.

Kongo dropped immediately, and it looked like the fight was going to be over.

Pat swarmed on Cheick, throwing more bombs, and a couple times, it looked like Kongo might actually be out; Dan Miragliotta was definitely very close to stopping the fight multiple times.

To Cheick’s credit, he kept moving despite being rocked and showed enough resolve to keep the referee from stopping it.

Eventually, Kongo made it back to his feet and while still on very wobbly legs, landed two big right hands that knocked Barry unconscious.

Immediately after the fight Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan were both toting this fight as the greatest comeback in UFC history.

This is a giant win for Cheick. Due to his inability to defeat top level opponents, he had been labeled the heavyweight division’s gatekeeper. Tonight he showed the world that he isn’t happy with that position and that he is capable of much more.

Expect to see Kongo facing off against a top level opponent next time you see him in the Octagon.

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UFC News: Dana White Weigns in on Nate Marquardt’s Suspension

It has been more than a day since it was announced that Nate Marquardt was not cleared to fight Rick Story at UFC on Versus 4 this evening and has subsequently been released from The Ultimate Fighting Championship.While the exact reason behind Nate bei…

It has been more than a day since it was announced that Nate Marquardt was not cleared to fight Rick Story at UFC on Versus 4 this evening and has subsequently been released from The Ultimate Fighting Championship.

While the exact reason behind Nate being pulled from the fight is still unknown, UFC President Dana White has finally weighed in on the situation.

White and Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission executive Gregory Sirb have both stressed that they are not at liberty to reveal the specifics and that it was up to Nate to reveal the reason if he wants to.

However, Dana did have the following to say about the situation, courtesy of MMAjunkie.com:

“The thing that’s going on with Nate Marquardt, Pennsylvania laws are unfortunate in that the commission can’t come out and announce medical records or medical situations with fighters,” White said. “But I think it’s pretty clear to the fans and everybody else that I’m pretty disgusted with Nate Marqaurdt. He’s been cut from the UFC. He won’t fight in the UFC ever again.

“Bottom line is, what Nate Marquardt did is bad enough to be cut from the UFC. … I’m disgusted with him. He has no business fighting in the UFC.”

By the looks of it, the sometimes hasty Dana White will be sticking to his decision to release Marquardt.

The world of mixed martial arts is waiting in anticipation for Nate to explain the situation in full. No such explanation has been provided as of yet, but Marquardt’s camp did release a relatively vague statement.

“[Saturday], Nate Marquardt was not medically cleared by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission at UFC on Versus 4,” the statement read. “Nate was looking forward to making his welterweight debut and is disappointed by this unfortunate turn of events.

“Nate wants to apologize to his family, friends and fans of the UFC. This outcome was certainly not what he wanted. At this time, Nate wants to be with those closest to him so he can evaluate his situation over the coming days.”

His camp also stated that Marquardt will address this issue himself this coming Tuesday.

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UFC on Versus 4: Nate Marquardt Drops Out, What Does This Mean for Rick Story?

It’s true, folks.The UFC has had to scrap yet another main event; Nate Marquardt was not medically cleared to fight tomorrow night.This news leaves Rick Story in an awkward and unfortunate position.Story fought less than a month ago at UFC 130, defeati…

It’s true, folks.

The UFC has had to scrap yet another main event; Nate Marquardt was not medically cleared to fight tomorrow night.

This news leaves Rick Story in an awkward and unfortunate position.

Story fought less than a month ago at UFC 130, defeating Thiago Alves by unanimous decision.

Coming off that victory, Rick was offered the chance to fight Marquardt, replacing an injured Anthony Johnson.

It was a high risk fight for him to take, what with such a short turn around, but the potential rewards were immense.

A win over Marquardt would have put Story no more than one fight away from a title shot, but now he is fighting Charlie Brennenan. A win over Charlie will not have nearly the same effect that a win over Marquardt would have.

In fact, Brennenan has basically usurped the position that Story was previously in.

Before, Story was doing the UFC a favor by being a replacement fighter, and he was facing a fighter many didn’t think he could beat.

Now, that description matches Charlie much more than it does Rick, and Rick is the fighter with all the pressure on him.

Really, no matter how this fight goes down, the outcome for Story isn’t that great. If he wins, big deal, he’s expected to win now that he is facing a relatively unknown fighter. If he loses, all the momentum he built by defeating Thiago Alves is gone.

Then there’s the risk of injury to consider. Rick probably isn’t totally healed up from the beating he took against Thiago, so the possibility of sustaining an injury by fighting again this soon is significant.

It’s unfortunate, but what was initially a “high risk, high reward” situation for Story has just become exclusively high risk.

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UFC on Versus 4: What Nate Marquardt Must Do to Beat Rick Story

Nate Marquardt will be making his highly anticipated welterweight debut this Sunday at UFC Live: Marquardt vs Story.It is very important for Nate to win this fight. It’s his first fight in the already stacked welterweight division, so he is going to wa…

Nate Marquardt will be making his highly anticipated welterweight debut this Sunday at UFC Live: Marquardt vs Story.

It is very important for Nate to win this fight. It’s his first fight in the already stacked welterweight division, so he is going to want to make a big statement right off the bat.

Marquardt’s opponent will be Rick Story, who is a rising star in the division and is coming off of a big win over Thiago Alves. Rick is gaining popularity, but is still a relative unknown to many fans, so a loss for Nate would look really bad.

Story is a game opponent with a solid chin, an iron will and very good wrestling. He likes to push the pace and make his opponents work.

So, what does Marquardt need to do to be successful in his welterweight debut?

The most important thing he can do is come into this fight in good shape. Nate already looked ripped at middleweight, so he will need to handle the weight cut to 170 lbs. very carefully. If he gets too dehydrated and saps his cardio, Marquardt will be in huge trouble.

In terms of technical ability, Nate doesn’t have much to worry about. I believe that Marquardt has the advantage wherever this fight goes. His striking and submission skills are definitely superior to Story’s and, though some may be surprised to hear this, his wrestling is probably better too.

Some have speculated that wrestling is Nate’s Achilles heel, citing his losses to Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami.

First off, there’s no shame in being out-wrestled by Chael, who is probably the greatest wrestler the middleweight division has ever seen.

Secondly, Nate actually out-wrestled Okami in their fight. The reason he lost was he was getting outclassed on the feet.

So, given that Marquardt is technically superior to Story anywhere this fight could go, all Nate really has to worry about is fighting smart.

He needs to circle away from Story, as opposed to moving straight back, in order to avoid the clinch. The clinch is where Story would have the best chance of tiring Nate out.

We saw in the third round of his fight against Thiago Alves that Story cannot hang with elite strikers. So, if Marquardt can keep this one on the feet, he should win handily.

In summary, Nate needs to avoid the clinch, move side to side instead of moving back, dictate the pace and use his wrestling to keep the fight standing. If he does all that, he will definitely have a successful welterweight debut.

 

 


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Jon Jones, Georges St. Pierre and the 15 Most Commercial Fighters in the UFC

MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world right now (but I’m developing trampoline kickboxing right now, so look out!) and the UFC is pretty much the sole reason for this rapid expansion.As the UFC gains popularity and media coverage, it is importa…

MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world right now (but I’m developing trampoline kickboxing right now, so look out!) and the UFC is pretty much the sole reason for this rapid expansion.

As the UFC gains popularity and media coverage, it is important for Dana White to know which of his fighters have the most commercial potential.

With the right fighters acting as the faces of the organization, the UFC has the chance to grow even more through television interviews, commercials, product endorsements and even film.

Let’s take a look at the most commercial fighters in the UFC…

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UFC 133 Fight Card: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, Early Head To Toe Breakdown

Poor, Rashad.Since losing the light heavyweight championship to Lyoto Machida back in 2009, Rashad Evans has defeated top contenders Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson.Evans was supposed to face Mauricio Rua in March for the UFC’s light heavyweight belt,…

Poor, Rashad.

Since losing the light heavyweight championship to Lyoto Machida back in 2009, Rashad Evans has defeated top contenders Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson.

Evans was supposed to face Mauricio Rua in March for the UFC’s light heavyweight belt, but an injury forced him to withdraw from the bout.

Then, he was supposed to face Jon Jones for the championship at UFC 133, but Jones was forced to drop out of the fight.

Now, Rashad has lost his shot for the title and instead will face Phil Davis.

This is a high risk fight for Rashad. A win will likely earn him the next title shot in the light heavyweight division. However, a loss for Evans would be devastating. Davis looked relatively unimpressive in his last fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, so if Rashad loses people will seriously begin to question his place in the division.

For Phil, this is a very low risk fight. He is a replacement fighter, so the UFC will be happy with him for helping them out of a tight spot, regardless of whether he wins or loses.

If Davis does lose, it doesn’t hurt him too much because most people don’t think he is ready for Rashad anyways. If he wins, it’ll catapult him into title contention.

Let’s see how these two stack up…

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