Author: Andrew Saunders

Gleison Tibau vs. Michael Johnson Added to UFC 168

The month of December continues to be stacked with great fights. As first reported on Thursday by MMAweekly.com, Gleison Tibau will be taking on Blackzilian member Michael Johnson at UFC 168.
Runner-up of The Ultimate Fighter 12, Johnson…

The month of December continues to be stacked with great fights. As first reported on Thursday by MMAweekly.com, Gleison Tibau will be taking on Blackzilian member Michael Johnson at UFC 168.

Runner-up of The Ultimate Fighter 12, Johnson earned the biggest win of his career in August when he thoroughly dominated popular lightweight Joe Lauzon. It was such a statement that UFC president Dana White referred to it as “one of the most lopsided, one-sided beatings you’ll ever see in the UFC.”

Prior to the victory, Johnson was struggling to find his place inside the Octagon. In consecutive fights, the Mo. native gave up losses to considerable underdogs Myles Jury and Reza Madadi, which dropped his UFC record to 4-4. 

Tibau is one of the largest lightweights in MMA, cutting upward of 35 pounds to make weight. Having gotten weight cutting down to a science, Tibau enters the cage well above 180 pounds. In 20 UFC appearances, the Brazilian has never missed weight.

Over the course of his 20 trips to the Octagon, Tibau has defeated like likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Jamie Varner and Jeremy Stephens.

Although he is a respected member of the Zuffa roster, losses to Evan Dunham, Jim Miller and Khabib Nurmagomedov have Tibau stuck in somewhat of a gatekeeper role. A loss to an up-and-comer like Johnson would cause irreparable damage to his hopes of one day fighting for UFC gold. 

On the other hand, should Johnson be able to upset the human takedown machine, his career would be at a high point and “The Menace” would be knocking on the front door of the lightweight rankings.

UFC 168 takes place on Saturday, Dec. 28, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It is currently headlined by a pair of championship rematches. In the main event, Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva do battle for the middleweight title one more time, while UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey takes on challenger Miesha Tate in the co-main event.

 

For news on all things UFC, stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA.

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Ryan Bader Meets Anthony Perosh at UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia

Add another hometown boy to the mix when the UFC returns to Australia in December. The Herald Sun is reporting that light heavyweights Anthony Perosh and Ryan Bader have agreed to a matchup at UFC Fight Night 33.
Perosh has fought on three of the UFC’s…

Add another hometown boy to the mix when the UFC returns to Australia in December. The Herald Sun is reporting that light heavyweights Anthony Perosh and Ryan Bader have agreed to a matchup at UFC Fight Night 33.

Perosh has fought on three of the UFC’s four previous trips to his home country. With a record of 2-1 fighting at home, Perosh was dominated by Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 110 but earned first-round stoppages over Tom Blackledge and Nick Penner in followup appearances.

The Australian fighter has competed inside the Octagon six times during his current stint and has yet to have a fight go out of the second round. Recently, Perosh rebounded from a seven-second knockout loss by delivering a 14-second knockout to jiu-jitsu wizard Vinny Magalhaes.

That’s right. Two fights in 21 seconds.

Ryan Bader is also not a fighter who wastes much time once the cage door closes. Not only does The Ultimate Fighter winner own the record for fastest submission in light heavyweight history, but four of his past six fights have lasted less than three minutes.

Most recently, Bader competed in the main event of UFC Fight Night 28. Although he found early success against top contender Glover Teixeira, he was ultimately knocked out by his wobbled opponent.

A loss for “Darth” would be catastrophic for his career. Despite opening his UFC tenure with a flawless 5-0 record, the wrestler has dropped four of his last seven contests.

Headlined by a heavyweight battle between Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, UFC Fight Night 33 takes place on Saturday, December 7 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Due to the time difference, the event will air in the United States on Friday, December 6. 

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Jones vs Gustafsson: Complete Guide to UFC 165 Fight Card

At UFC 165, the world’s largest combat sports organization returns to pay-per-view for an outstanding card that will be co-headlined by a pair of title fights.
In the night’s top bout, Jon Jones looks to defend his light heavyweight crown for the sixt…

At UFC 165, the world’s largest combat sports organization returns to pay-per-view for an outstanding card that will be co-headlined by a pair of title fights.

In the night’s top bout, Jon Jones looks to defend his light heavyweight crown for the sixth time when he meets Swedish striking machine Alexander Gustafsson. Immediately preceding that contest is an interim bantamweight championship affair between Renan Barao and heavy-handed Eddie Wineland.

The rest of the main card is full of fun fights that promise fireworks. So, with that in mind, let’s take a thorough look at September’s most anticipated MMA event.

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Jon Jones: Glover Isn’t Ready for a Shot & No One Knows Who Daniel Cormier Is

Jon Jones has a lot at stake on Saturday night, but that isn’t keeping the reigning light-heavyweight champion from thinking about what comes after his UFC 165 bout with Alexander Gustafsson.
At a Monday media luncheon (via MMAfighting.com), those in a…

Jon Jones has a lot at stake on Saturday night, but that isn’t keeping the reigning light-heavyweight champion from thinking about what comes after his UFC 165 bout with Alexander Gustafsson.

At a Monday media luncheon (via MMAfighting.com), those in attendance heard “Bones” sound off on contenders Daniel Cormier and Glover Teixeira. 

Not only does Jones feel that Daniel Cormier lacks name value, but he appears to have a personal distaste for the Strikeforce Grand Prix winner:

To be honest with you, I don’t think Daniel Cormier really deserves a big fight. I don’t respect him as a person. I think fighting me would be an opportunity of a lifetime for him. I don’t think I have much to gain from beating Daniel Cormier because no one knows who he is, and he hasn’t really proved much.

Jones feels that African-American fighters owe it to their community to have a good relationship with one another. Along with former teammate Rashad Evans, the champ feels snubbed by Cormier‘s animosity toward him:

He seems to really not like me and be a big hater of mine. It’s sad, considering we’re both African-American and there’s not many of us in the sport. We should try to find a common bond. We don’t need to be friends, but we should at least respect each other. It’s pathetic that me and Rashad have such a bad relationship and me and Daniel have such a bad relationship.

While the champion has no personal beef with Glover Teixeira, he wasted little time in debunking the Brazilian as a legitimate threat to the title:

I thought he showed signs of being a high-level fighter. I don’t think he’s ready to beat me. I thought he showed signs, being punched that hard by Bader shows me where he’s at. No matter what your excuse is, it still happened. If you’re a seasoned vet and you said you allowed overconfidence to be your weakness, it’s still a weakness you allowed to happen in the first place. If you have a great opponent and great understanding, then you won’t rush into a guy like Ryan Bader who is obviously going to swing looping punches at you. I don’t think he’s the guy who’s going to beat me.

It is interesting that Jones referenced the fighter who will (eventually) beat him.

After all, he seems more interested in future matchups instead of the weighty task that awaits him in the form of Alexander Gustafsson. 

Is the champ making a dangerous mistake by gazing into the horizon instead of devoting his full focus on his opponent for Saturday night?

Do you agree with his belief that Daniel Cormier is without the sort of name value needed to be a PPV draw?

How do you feel about his assessment of Glover Teixeira? Let us know in the comments below.

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Jose Aldo Says Chad Mendes Doesn’t Deserve a Title Shot

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is currently recovering from a foot injury, but that didn’t stop him from catching up with MMAfighting.com for a chat about the crowded title picture within his division.
“I’m not the one who decides that, but…

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is currently recovering from a foot injury, but that didn’t stop him from catching up with MMAfighting.com for a chat about the crowded title picture within his division.

“I’m not the one who decides that, but in my mind I believe Ricardo Lamas is the next in line,” Aldo said. “He already earned his chance. If it’s not him, I believe Cub Swanson should be the next option.”

Lamas, of course, captured the eye of fans after upsetting a pair of No. 1 contenders in Hatsu Hioki and Erik Koch. “The Bully” has a flawless record of 4-0 at featherweight, which also includes stoppage victories over Cub Swanson and Matt Grice.

Originally scheduled to face the Korean Zombie at UFC 162, Lamas has not competed since a January victory over Koch. The summer bout was scrapped when Jung was announced as an injury replacement for Anthony Pettis, who was scheduled to meet Aldo at UFC 163.

“If I were Lamas, I wouldn’t fight anyone and just wait for my opportunity,” he said. “He was supposed to fight me already but then (Anthony) Pettis got himself in the middle. Lamas should wait, this is his moment. But it they decide to do a rematch between Lamas and Swanson to see who fights me, that’s ok too.”

Cub Swanson has been more active than Lamas since their 2011 matchup. Currently riding a five fight win streak, the Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter has tried to get the fans on his side with a series of high-profile knockouts. 

When asked about Chad Mendes, whom Aldo defeated via first-round KO in early 2012, the champion voiced his opinion that the Team Alpha Male prodigy isn’t ready for a second crack at gold.

“Chad Mendes is still starting, haven’t fought anyone ranked yet, only fought guys that are not that good,” he said. “He’s coming off good wins, but he hasn’t beaten good guys. So I believe the next two should be Ricardo Lamas and Cub Swanson.”

Mendes has scored four impressive knockout victories since his UFC 142 bout with Aldo. However, Aldo is correct in identifying a lack of wins against top contenders. Of the four opponents that Mendes has bested, only Clay Guida has ever been ranked.

Who do you think should get the next crack at Aldo and the featherweight championship? Is Mendes ready to get one more shot at the belt? Should Lamas and Swanson fight while waiting on Aldo to heal up? Or has Lamas done enough to wait for his crack at glory?

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Pat Barry Booked Against Soa Palelei at Fight Night 33 in Australia

UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia continues to take shape this week, as a matchup between Pat “HD” Barry and Soa “The Hulk” Palelei has been reported (via WAToday.au) for the card.
The battle should provide fireworks, as each fighter brings to …

UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia continues to take shape this week, as a matchup between Pat “HD” Barry and Soa “The Hulk” Palelei has been reported (via WAToday.au) for the card.

The battle should provide fireworks, as each fighter brings to the table the sort of heavy-handed striking that generates knockouts more often than not. Of their 27 collective victories, 23 of them are by way of KO or TKO.

Having lost four of his last six contests, this is a pivotal matchup for Barry’s career. However, due to his exciting fighting style, huge fanbase and the nature of some of his losses, it is doubtful that his job is on the line. 

When it comes to popularity in the heavyweight division, Barry could very well be king. The kickboxer holds a less-than-stellar 5-6 record inside the Octagon, but is beloved by the masses for his willingness to put on a show and his undying love for his fans.

A 2011 loss to Cheick Kongo came in a fight where HD pulverized the Frenchman to a point where Joe Rogan had already declared that the fight was over. A semi-conscious Kongo landed a well-timed punch as Barry charged forward, which earned him both a knockout victory and the greatest comeback of all time. 

In the Summer of 2010, Barry faced his hero: Mirko Cro Cop. After hurting the PRIDE legend badly during the first round, Barry couldn’t find it in his heart to finish off the man he worshiped. He would live to regret that decision when the Croatian rallied to score a third-round submission.

Palelei enters this fight after he scored his first UFC victory. At UFC 164, the Australian fighter earned a third-round TKO against promotional newcomer Nikita Krylov, despite entering the matchup with a broken rib. The Hulk had one other UFC appearance back at UFC 79, where he came up short against Eddie Sanchez.

UFC Fight Night 33 takes place on Saturday, December 7 from Brisbane, Queensland. Due to the time difference, the card will air in the United States on Friday, December 6. The event is headlined by another heavyweight matchup between Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.  

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