Author: Andrew Barr

UFC 147 Prelims on FX: Results and Analysis

If UFC 147’s main card proves as entertaining as the FX prelims, we are in for an incredible Saturday night of fights.Brazil is a country that loves fights, and the preliminary fighters seemed eager to give fans what they like to see, as all four FX pr…

If UFC 147‘s main card proves as entertaining as the FX prelims, we are in for an incredible Saturday night of fights.

Brazil is a country that loves fights, and the preliminary fighters seemed eager to give fans what they like to see, as all four FX preliminary fights were fun to watch.

Thiago Perpetuo vs. Leonardo Mafra got things started off with a back-and-forth battle. Mafra likely won the first round. He seemed to land more punches than Perpetuo and was definitely more aggressive. In the second, the tides changed as Perpetuo was able to get top position on the ground and land some vicious elbows. In the third, Perpetuo landed a clean right hand that dropped Mafra and followed up with relentless punches until the fight was stopped.

After that, we saw Hugo Viana earn a hard fought split-decision victory over John Teixeira. Teixeira missed weight and came in at 150 lbs. He was noticeably bigger than Viana, who usually fights at bantamweight instead of feather. However, the smaller fighter was able to land effective counters throughout the fight and use his speed to win.

Francisco Drinaldo made a big statement by finishing the much-muscled Delson Heleno with strikes. Heleno tried to use his strength to bring the fight to the mat, but Drinaldo was surprisingly resilient, refusing to be brought to the ground and consistently landing heavy shots. Drinaldo eventually ended up on top of a seemingly gassed Heleno to earn the TKO from half-guard.

Rodrigo Damm looked good, submitting Anistavio Medeiros with a rear-naked choke in Round 1. Both fighters seemed content to exchange standing, and it was Damm who took advantage, badly hurting Medeiros with two solid combinations. Once on the ground it was clear that Medeiros was still rocked, and Damm was able to take the back and sink in the choke.

Four great fights with a variety of finishes, and it was all free.

 

Official Results

Thiago Perpetuo defeats Leonardo Mafra via TKO at 1:04 of Round 3

Hugo Viana defeats John Texeira via split-decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Francisco Drinaldo defeats Delson Heleno via TKO at 4:21 of Round 1

Rodrigo Damm defeats Anistavio Medeiros via rear-naked choke at 2:12 of Round 1

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian. Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dos Santos vs. Mir Results: 4 Questions We Have About Frank Mir After UFC 146

UFC 146 was a rough outing for Frank Mir.The former UFC heavyweight champion had the chance to reclaim his gold but came up well short, losing to current champ Junior dos Santos via second-round TKO.Mir just wasn’t able to fight his fight. He…

UFC 146 was a rough outing for Frank Mir.

The former UFC heavyweight champion had the chance to reclaim his gold but came up well short, losing to current champ Junior dos Santos via second-round TKO.

Mir just wasn’t able to fight his fight. He wanted to get things to the ground, and dos Santos would have none of it.

Forced to stand, Mir was trading with the best boxer the UFC heavyweight division has ever seen, and that generally doesn’t work out too well.

He held on as long as he could, but dos Santos’ power was too much for Mir, who was eventually rocked and finished with a flurry of punches and an emphatic hammer fist.

After his somewhat underwhelming performance at UFC 146, here are four questions we have about Frank Mir.

 

Was he in shape for the dos Santos fight?

Mir’s cardio is always a question mark.

We saw him gas against Roy Nelson,and against dos Santos he seemed exhausted by the second round.

More than that, Mir looked a little chunkier than we’re used to seeing him in the cage.

Given all that, it’s hard to wonder if Mir was in the shape he need to be for this one.

 

Is his heart still in fighting?

I think it’s fair to say that most wouldn’t describe Mir’s performance as motivated.

Indeed, halfway through Round 1, Mir seemed to have already abandoned his game plan and was content to play into dos Santos’ strengths.

At 33 years old, having accomplished so much and being faced with the reality that’s just not as good as the new breed of fighter, Mir doesn’t seem to be the hungry fighter that he used to be.

 

How many fights does he have left?

Age 33 is not ancient for a heavyweight, but Mir has been in the sport for a long time and fought his share of battles.

It has been apparent over the past few years that Mir’s body—his chin, especially—is starting to let him down.

In the heavyweight division, fighters need to be able to eat a good punch, and it’s rare these days that we don’t see Mir rocked in a fight.

He’s one of the best ever and it will be sad to see him go, but you have to think that Mir doesn’t have much more than two years left in him.

 

What does the future hold for Mir?

Mir is one of the smartest and most articulate fighters in MMA history. His ability to analyze fights and break down positions in a way that a general audience can understand is unrivaled.

After Mir retires, it would be a shame to see him just fade away from the sport.

Hopefully, once it comes time for him to call it quits, Mir will stick around as a guest—or possibly full-time—commentator and MMA analyst.

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian. Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 146 Results: 5 Fights for Stefan Struve to Take Next

Stefan Struve had an excellent showing at UFC 146, submitting dangerous brawler Lavar Johnson in the first round.It was a smart and calculated performance from Struve, pulling guard and locking up an armbar early in the fight. The young Dutchman is kno…

Stefan Struve had an excellent showing at UFC 146, submitting dangerous brawler Lavar Johnson in the first round.

It was a smart and calculated performance from Struve, pulling guard and locking up an armbar early in the fight. The young Dutchman is known for his reckless style of fighting, so it was nice to see him put on such a tactful performance.

With the win, Struve has won three straight and is starting to pick up some momentum in the heavyweight division.

Here are five fights for Struve to take next.

Begin Slideshow

Cain Velasquez: Power Ranking His UFC Fights

In case you missed it, Cain Velasquez performed remarkably at UFC 146.The former UFC Heavyweight Champion took Antonio Silva down in the early moments of their fight and from there it was an utter mugging.Silva was unable to contend with Velasquez’ gro…

In case you missed it, Cain Velasquez performed remarkably at UFC 146.

The former UFC Heavyweight Champion took Antonio Silva down in the early moments of their fight and from there it was an utter mugging.

Silva was unable to contend with Velasquez’ ground-and-pound, and the result was one of the bloodiest beatings we’ve ever seen in the cage.

It was a nearly flawless performance from the Mexican-American, who needed a big win to bounce back from his recent loss to Junior dos Santos, but was it the best of his career?

Keep reading to find out, as we rank each of Velasquez’ UFC fights…

Begin Slideshow

UFC 146 Results: What’s Next for Cain Velasquez

UFC 146 was Cain Velasquez’s first fight back in the Octagon since losing the UFC Heavyweight Championship to Junior dos Santos.The former champion needed to make an emphatic statement in his return and did so successfully, absolutely mauling his oppon…

UFC 146 was Cain Velasquez‘s first fight back in the Octagon since losing the UFC Heavyweight Championship to Junior dos Santos.

The former champion needed to make an emphatic statement in his return and did so successfully, absolutely mauling his opponent, Antonio Silva.

Velasquez was able to take the fight to the ground almost immediately, capitalizing on a leg kick thrown by Silva, and from there it was a straight up beatdown.

The Mexican-American cut Silva with an elbow that landed right between the eyes and the resulting bloodshed was borderline sickening. The fight was stopped once so that the cut could be examined and then allowed to continue, but it was clear that Silva was having a difficult time seeing.

Eventually, Velasquez’s pressure on the ground was too much and Silva turtled until referee Josh Rosenthal stopped the bout. It was possibly the bloodiest fight in UFC history.

So, coming off of a dominant victory over Antonio Silva, what’s next for Cain Velasquez?

According to UFC President Dana White, who was clearly impressed with Velasquez, it’s another shot at the gold.

“He was an undefeated champion. He wins a fight. He gets another shot at Junior,” said White in an interview with Ariel Helwani.

Though it is not uncommon for White to promise a title fight to a competitor, only to take it away later, a second fight between Velasquez and dos Santos seems very likely. With Alistair Overeem currently suspended, the heavyweight division is lacking in title contenders and Velasquez is the only man who makes sense.

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian. Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 146 Results: What’s Next for Jason "Mayhem" Miller?

UFC 146 was arguably the most important night in Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s career, and it wound up being probably his most disappointing.”Mayhem” needed a victory over CB Dollaway in order to keep his job with the UFC, and he was unfortunately unable to …

UFC 146 was arguably the most important night in Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s career, and it wound up being probably his most disappointing.

“Mayhem” needed a victory over CB Dollaway in order to keep his job with the UFC, and he was unfortunately unable to earn it, losing via unanimous decision.

In the first round, Miller suffered from a knee injury, and although he was able to continue fighting, it stopped him from preventing takedowns and from effectively using his jiu-jitsu.

It might have been possible for Miller to keep his job with the UFC, given that his loss was clearly influenced by the injury, but according to UFC President Dana White “some crazy s— happened backstage” involving Miller, and he has been cut from the promotion.

The details of exactly what happened backstage are yet to be confirmed.

So, fresh from his release from the UFC, what’s next for “Mayhem” Miller?

Retirement seems like a big possibility.

Miller did say prior to his fight with Dollaway that he would retire from MMA if he lost, though he was sure he was going to win at that point. Outside of fighting, “Mayhem” has hosted his own television show, Bully Beatdown, so there are other career paths he could explore.

If Miller wants to keep fighting, he could always go back to DREAM. He has spent a lot of his career fighting in Japan, and the fans over there would likely welcome him back.

If he’s interested in staying in North America, Miller could see about signing with Strikeforce. Goodness knows their middleweight division isn’t exactly overflowing with contenders.

 

Also check out: Dos Santos vs. Mir Results: 4 Things We Learned About JDS.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com