Author: Andrew Barr

UFC 146 News: Cain Velasquez Says Frank Mir Getting the Title Shot Would Be Fair

Ever since Alistair Overeem, the UFC’s No.1 contender in the heavyweight division, failed a surprise pre-fight drug test, the MMA world has been wondering who will step in to face heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146.It is worth noting that O…

Ever since Alistair Overeem, the UFC’s No.1 contender in the heavyweight division, failed a surprise pre-fight drug test, the MMA world has been wondering who will step in to face heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146.

It is worth noting that Overeem has not yet been pulled from the fight and has a hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission on April 24th, but things are certainly not looking good for the Dutch kickboxing specialist.

If Overeem is indeed withdrawn from the bout, many have pointed to Frank Mir as the most logical replacement.

One might think that this news would be ill-received by Cain Velasquez, who is a former champion and is supposed to fight Mir at UFC 146, but according to MMAfighting.com, the former heavyweight champion has no qualms with Mir stepping in.

“I definitely think that’s fair,” Velasquez said. “He’s off a three-fight winning streak, and dos Santos beat me fair and square. I’m definitely mad about mine, but I know with one more fight, I’ll be in the same position. If that did come up, then yeah, I’d be fine with that.”

There’s no doubting that Velasquez wants another shot at the title, but it appears he’s willing to wait in line and earn his second opportunity.

Although Velasquez has been preparing for a No.1 contender’s match with Mir, he is prepared to fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him, as long as the stakes remain the same.

“As far as we know right now, it’s Frank, so that’s what I’m getting ready for,” he said. “But if it turned out to be different, it didn’t matter who it’d be, as long as it’s one more to get in that same position, to fight for the heavyweight title.”

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com and stand up comedian. Check him out on Twitter. @AndrewBarr8.

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UFC on Fuel TV 2 Results: Recapping the Fight Night Bonuses

The UFC’s first event in Sweden has just come to a close, and what a night of fight it was!The Swedish fans were treated to a finish-heavy card, with just four of 12 fights going the distance.Fighters have learned well by now that if they put on an exc…

The UFC’s first event in Sweden has just come to a close, and what a night of fight it was!

The Swedish fans were treated to a finish-heavy card, with just four of 12 fights going the distance.

Fighters have learned well by now that if they put on an exciting fight for the fans, they could leave with more money at the end of the night—and tonight is no exception.

Let’s get down to it. Here are the bonuses for UFC on Fuel TV 2: 

 

Submission of the night: John Macguire

Macguire takes home submission of the night, and rightfully so. He hit a beautiful far-side armbar to tap Damarques Johnson.

It was similar to the fashion in which Matt Hughes once defeated Georges St-Pierre, as Johnson over-comitted to a kimura and Macguire was able to exploit this mistake and win the fight.

 

Knockout of the night: Siyar Bahadurzada

Bahadurzada made a big statement in the welterweight division this evening, becoming the first man to ever finish Paulo Thiago.

Thiago was charging forward and Bahadurzada used that momentum to his advantage, landing a beautiful counter punch and putting his opponent to sleep. 

 

Fight of the Night: Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page

Pickett and Page will both leave Sweden with an extra $50k as a reward for the two-round war they put on for the fans.

It was a fast-paced fight, with both fighters scoring takedowns and landing some big shots.

In the end, Pickett proved to be the better fighter, rocking Page on the feet and eventually sinking in a rear-naked choke and walking away with a submission victory.

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

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UFC on Fuel TV 2 Results: What We Learned from Alessio Sakara vs. Brian Stann

Brian Stann got himself back on track, knocking Alessio Sakara out in the first round of their fight.Both men are dangerous strikers, but Stann was able to find his range first and drop Sakara with a knee. From there, Stann hammered away in Sakara’s gu…

Brian Stann got himself back on track, knocking Alessio Sakara out in the first round of their fight.

Both men are dangerous strikers, but Stann was able to find his range first and drop Sakara with a knee. From there, Stann hammered away in Sakara’s guard and ended the fight with a couple vicious left hooks.

This is Stann’s fourth win in his last five fights and puts him back in the hunt for a shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship.

 

What we’ll remember about this fight:

The knockout, of course.

People always remember a knockout and this one in particular was interesting. It’s rare that you see a fighter knock his opponent out with left hooks from inside the guard.

 

What we learned about Brian Stann:

Nothing we didn’t know already.

This dude is one of the hardest punchers at middleweight. If he finds your chin, you’re going out.

 

What we learned about Alessio Sakara:

He’s still not a top middleweight.

If you look at Sakara’s record, he’s had reasonable success within the UFC, but every time he faces a top contender, he falters.

He’s an entertaining fighter, so the UFC will keep him around as long as he wins more than he loses, but Sakara will never be in the title picture.

 

What’s next for Brian Stann:

Yushin Okami.

 

What’s next for Alessio Sakara:

The loser of C.B. Dollaway and Jason Miller would make sense.

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

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UFC on Fuel TV 2 Results: What We Learned from Damacio Page vs. Brad Pickett

Bantamweight standout Brad Pickett kept his hopes of entering the title picture alive, defeating the always-tough Damacio Page via rear-naked choke in the second round.Damacio started the fight well, pushing the pace and landing a solid up-kick, but ev…

Bantamweight standout Brad Pickett kept his hopes of entering the title picture alive, defeating the always-tough Damacio Page via rear-naked choke in the second round.

Damacio started the fight well, pushing the pace and landing a solid up-kick, but eventually faded as Picket was able to take control with his grappling.

As the fight progressed, Pickett was able to take Page down at will and was also able to drop Page standing with a vicious left-hook.

Eventually, Pickett became too much for Page, and he was able to slip in the choke.

What we’ll remember about this fight:

The knockdown and the finish.

The punch that dropped Page was a well-timed left hook, and it was likely the biggest “OH SHIT” of the fight.

As for the choke, there wasn’t much special about it, but the fans always remember a finish.

What we learned about Brad Pickett:

Not much we didn’t already know.

He’s a very well-rounded fighter, and he’s dangerous in all areas. His skills aren’t developed enough to take on the elite of the division, but against lesser fighters, he has the tools to shine.

What we learned about Damacio Page:

Also, not much that we didn’t already know.

He’s aggressive and has heart but isn’t technically good enough in any one area to take out high-level opponents.

Page will likely never be any more than a gatekeeper for the bantamweight division.

What’s next for Brad Pickett:

The loser of Miguel Torres and Michael McDonald.

What’s next for Damacio Page:

Eddie Wineland.

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

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UFC on Fuel TV 2 Results: What We Learned from Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely

Praise the lord—if that’s your thing—the drought has finally ended.Jason Young took a unanimous decision over Eric Wisely in the first preliminary fight at UFC on Fuel TV 2.It was a relatively fast-paced fight with both fighters constantly …

Praise the lord—if that’s your thing—the drought has finally ended.

Jason Young took a unanimous decision over Eric Wisely in the first preliminary fight at UFC on Fuel TV 2.

It was a relatively fast-paced fight with both fighters constantly pressing forward. However, Young had the grappling advantage and that’s what won him the fight, as Young was able to keep Wisely on his back for much of the fight.

What we’ll remember about this fight:

A couple things.

In the first round, Young had Wisely’s back, standing, and was delivering knees while working for the takedown. It was an active scenario with both men jockeying for position, but for some reason the referee decided to separate the two competitors.

Poor officiating always sticks out like a sore thumb.

Also memorable moment was the beginning of the third round. Wisely was blatantly losing the fight at this point, so he came out swinging like a wild man and diving at takedowns. For a minute or two, it looked like he might pull out a Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami-style comeback.

What we learned about Jason Young:

He has some potential in the UFC’s featherweight division.

Before tonight he was 0-2 in the UFC and tonight could have been his last with the promotion, but with the victory tonight, they will likely keep him around

What we learned about Eric Wisely:

He might not have what it takes to compete in the UFC.

Wisely is now 0-2 with the promotion and tonight was not a particularly impressive showing for him. The UFC might give him another shot because of his success outside of their promotion, where Wisely has victories over UFC veterans Hermes Franca and Matt Veach.

What’s next for Jason Young:

Diego Brandao or Marcus Brimage

What’s next for Eric Wisely:

Eddie Yagin or Dennis Bermudez

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 146: 5 Reasons Junior Dos Santos vs. Dan Henderson Makes No Sense

MMA legend Dan Henderson has made it known that he would be willing to step in against UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146.Dos Santos was originally scheduled to face Dutch kickboxing specialist Alistair Overeem, but a failed drug tes…

MMA legend Dan Henderson has made it known that he would be willing to step in against UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146.

Dos Santos was originally scheduled to face Dutch kickboxing specialist Alistair Overeem, but a failed drug test from Overeem has put the fight in serious jeopardy—though it is worth noting that UFC President Dana White has not officially called the fight off.

At first, it seemed likely that either Frank Mir or Cain Velasquez would receive the shot, but Dana White has confirmed that neither of these men will receive the title shot and that their bout at UFC 146 remains intact.

On the surface, Henderson stepping in seems like an excellent solution to a puzzling problem.

After all, Henderson is one of the most accomplished MMA fighters of all time, having held major titles in two separate weight classes, and has even fought at heavyweight before.

It seems to make perfect sense that he jump up to heavyweight, take on Dos Santos, and attempt to become the first man to ever win major titles in three different weight classes.

However, under closer inspection, the fight makes little to no sense at all.

Here are five reasons why Dan Henderson should not fight Junior Dos Santos.

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