Author: Andrew Saunders

UFC 156 Results: What’s Next for Rashad Evans?

On Saturday night, former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans made his much-anticipated return to the cage. It was the first time Evans has competed since a crushing loss to Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 145 last April.The man who stood across…

On Saturday night, former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans made his much-anticipated return to the cage. It was the first time Evans has competed since a crushing loss to Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 145 last April.

The man who stood across the Octagon from “Suga” was former PRIDE star Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. It was a fight Evans was nearly a 6-to-1 favorite with oddsmakers and the former UFC champion was expected to earn a pick-me-up against a star who has name value, but is competing past his physical prime.

However, all expectations went out the window when a lethargic Evans stepped into the cage. The Blackzilian representative was missing the spring in his step and looked devoid of focus throughout the fight.

Nogueira outboxed Evans en route to a unanimous decision victory that gives Rashad the first losing streak of his career. So where does the Ultimate Fighter winner go from here?

It is important that Rashad next steps into competition against someone who is both ranked and noteworthy. Based on that criteria, we can narrow the options to a trio of candidates.

 

Ryan Bader

A power-puncher with tremendous wrestling and a newly-minted submission game, Ryan Bader is looking to establish himself as a legitimate threat at 205 pounds. Considering that he can counter Evans’ wrestling or win the fight with a well-timed right hand, it’s a great matchup between Ultimate Fighter winners.

 

Glover Teixeira

As Ric Flair said, to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man. If Glover Teixeira hopes to get to the top of the light heavyweight food chain, he will need to continue his winning ways against former world champions.

Teixeira is a top prospect in the division and, if Evans can pull off a win against a dangerous foe, he will be propelled back toward the top. On the flip side, if Teixeira is the one who emerges victorious, a new title contender will emerge out of Rashad‘s unfortunate demise.

 

Shogun Rua

Out of sight, out of mind. Sometimes, a highly-anticipated fight can fall to the wayside if Dana White can’t deliver it within a certain amount of time.

Such a situation occurred when Evans was forced out of a title fight against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in 2011. Back then, both fighters were atop the UFC light heavyweight division. This summer, they will be fighting for relevance in a division they used to rule.

This fight features two of the most electrifying stars in UFC history. It could headline a UFC on Fox event, or would be a suitable co-main event for any pay-per-view.

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UFC 156: Which Fighter Has the Most to Gain?

UFC 156 is an outstanding card that promises to be an action-packed and paradigm-shifting event. From the moment that the main card begins, the title pictures of the flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight a…

UFC 156 is an outstanding card that promises to be an action-packed and paradigm-shifting event. From the moment that the main card begins, the title pictures of the flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions will be altered.

With so much happening in such a short period of time, there is a lot on the line for a lot of different fighters. But of everyone competing on Saturday night, who has the most to gain?

You might be wondering why the middleweight and lightweight divisions were included in that list considering that there are no fights in either division occurring on the pay-per-view. Let’s address those first.

 

Jose Aldo

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is currently the No. 4-ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. When he faces Frankie Edgar in the evening’s main event, it will have an immediate impact on both the 145-pound and 155-pound divisions. 

Aldo has been discussing a future move to lightweight for some time but stated in an interview with ESPN that he thinks that the time will be right if he defeats the former lightweight champion.

For that reason, an argument could be made that Jose Aldo has the most to gain on Saturday night, as a victory could see him skip over Anthony Pettis and fight for the UFC lightweight title by the end of 2013. The opportunity for one man to hold two belts simultaneously in the UFC has only be afforded to one man previously (B.J. Penn), and he came up short.

 

Rashad Evans

The other division that could be surprisingly impacted at UFC 156 is the middleweight division. Why? Because fans can’t stop talking about Rashad Evans as a potential contender for Anderson Silva‘s middleweight championship.

Michael Bisping losing to Vitor Belfort in January leaves a question mark next to Anderson Silva in his next fight. If Evans defeats Lil Nog on Saturday night, you had better believe that he is going to put the trash-talk pedal to the metal and sneak into a title fight at 185 pounds. 

There is very little chance that Evans will see a title shot at 205 in the foreseeable future unless Jon Jones loses his belt. For that reason, this fight could save Evan’s career and afford him the opportunity to defeat the most invincible champion in UFC history.

 

Alistair Overeem

Some feel that Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has the most to gain on Saturday due to his promised title shot that will be collected upon victory.

Not only does Overeem have a shot at gold hanging in the balance, but he also gets to squash the beef against rival and former Blackzilian fighter Bigfoot Silva in one shot.

The opportunity to pass a drug test is a win in itself for the Dutchman. 

 

Jon Fitch/Demian Maia

Welterweights collide in the second fight of the main card as Jon Fitch and Demian Maia look to make a case for a title shot against Georges St-Pierre. 

Both men are coming off of impressive victories and each man is ranked within the division’s top 10. The opportunity to stand out in a crowded division such as 170 pounds is absolutely incredible, and a decisive win could drastically alter GSP’s summer schedule.

 

Joseph Benavidez

Some feel that Joseph Benavidez is the best contender for UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. The two had a solid battle at UFC 152 that was fairly close and nearly saw Benavidez pull off a guillotine choke for the win.

However, Jo-Jo came up short in the decision and gets the chance to defeat fellow contender Ian McCall on Saturday night. If he emerges victorious in impressive fashion, there is a good chance that he rematches the champion later this year.

McCall doesn’t stand to earn a title shot in this fight. He has already faced Johnson twice and was unable to earn a win in either contest.

 

Frankie Edgar

The question at hand is, who has the most to gain at UFC 156? The Answer is “The Answer” Frankie Edgar. While there are many fighters on the card who are fighting for a chance at greatness, it is Edgar who stands alone with the most to gain.

Not only can Frankie wrap the UFC featherweight championship around his waist, but as a former UFC lightweight kingpin in his own right, he can become the third fighter in history to be a multi-divisional UFC champion.

Joining the likes of B.J. Penn and Randy Couture, there is no doubt that Edgar has an opportunity to join the best of the best and guarantee himself a future berth in the UFC Hall of Fame.

 

Good luck to all of the fighters who have an opportunity to strike it big on Saturday night. 

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for all things UFC 156, including previews, live coverage and post-fight analysis.

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UFC Veteran Marcus Davis Signs with Bellator; Debut in March

Marcus Davis may have flown under the radar over the last two years since his release from the UFC; however, after winning four of his last five fights on the regional circuit, the popular welterweight will once again be fighting on our television scre…

Marcus Davis may have flown under the radar over the last two years since his release from the UFC; however, after winning four of his last five fights on the regional circuit, the popular welterweight will once again be fighting on our television screens.

On Friday afternoon, Davis tweeted that he has signed on with Bellator Fighting Championships and that he will compete with the organization on March 21.

Davis was once considered a top contender for the UFC welterweight championship after winning six straight fights inside the Octagon. After returning to the UFC in 2006, Davis won eight of his first nine contests, with the sole loss coming to Mike Swick in a razor-thin decision.

“The Irish Hand Grenade” was known for his incredible resilience. In his first 21 fights as a professional, the former boxer was never knocked out or submitted. However, in his final three losses inside the Octagon, he was knocked out twice and choked out via guillotine.

The final UFC loss came in a lightweight debut against Jeremy Stephens. After dominating “Lil Heathen” for two-and-a-half rounds, Davis was caught by an enormous punch that left him limp on the canvas in one of 2011’s biggest finishes.

Davis has notable wins over Chris Lytle, Paul Taylor and Shonie Carter. 

No opponent has been named for his promotional debut, although a potential rematch with Ben Saunders lies in the promotion. Perhaps a slugfest with Bryan Baker could be in the works.

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Vitor Belfort Tweets Photo of a Gnarly Gash over His Eye

The injury bug seems to have slowed his appetite during 2013. Sure, we lost a fight between Dennis Siver and Cub Swanson, but that’s hardly the same thing as seeing title fights evaporate into thin air like they did last year.As evidenced by the recent…

The injury bug seems to have slowed his appetite during 2013. Sure, we lost a fight between Dennis Siver and Cub Swanson, but that’s hardly the same thing as seeing title fights evaporate into thin air like they did last year.

As evidenced by the recent performance of UFC on FX 7 headliner Vitor Belfort, the bug is alive and hungry as ever. However, the fighters themselves are sucking it up, and fighting through their afflictions.

This morning, the former light heavyweight champion turned to Twitter to share a photo that was taken 10 days before his battle with fellow middleweight contender Michael Bisping. It shows a tremendous gash directly above Belfort‘s left eye that is so large, it’s incredible to think that he fought less than two weeks later.

I would like to share something with u guys. Take a look on what happen 10 days before my last fight.

 

Apparently cuts over the eye are going around like the flu, because UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is sporting stitches over his eye heading into Saturday night’s bout with Frankie Edgar.

It’s nice to see that the UFC’s top stars are willing to fight through adversity instead of trying to greatly alter a fight card by pulling out of a main event on only a few days notice.

Although a pay-per-view headlined by Rashad Evans is still a quality event, it’s not nearly as drawing as one that includes a superfight that could send Frankie Edgar into the record books.

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TUF: Live Runner-Up Al Iaquinta to Face Joe Proctor at UFC 159

The UFC continues its constant stream of fight announcements for UFC 159.Earlier this week, the organization unveiled matchups between Michael Bisping and Alan Belcher, Roy Nelson and Cheick Kongo, as well as a lightweight matchup between Jim Miller an…

The UFC continues its constant stream of fight announcements for UFC 159.

Earlier this week, the organization unveiled matchups between Michael Bisping and Alan Belcher, Roy Nelson and Cheick Kongo, as well as a lightweight matchup between Jim Miller and Strikeforce import Pat Healy.

And on Thursday afternoon, the organization tweeted that The Ultimate Fighter: Live runner-up Al Iaquinta will return to the Octagon at UFC 159 against fellow house guest, Joe Proctor.

Iaquinta was a heavy favorite to win the show and was the first pick of coach Urijah Faber. This marks the first time that the Serra/Longo fighter has competed in the organization since an upset loss to Michael Chiesa in the tournament final last June.

Proctor was a teammate of Iaquinta on the show and Faber picked him fourth. James Vick defeated him in the quarterfinals by unanimous decision.

Since picking up a quick victory at the show’s finale, Ramsey Nijem defeated Proctor in December to move the latter’s UFC record to 1-1.

UFC 159 takes place on April 27 in Newark, New Jersey and will be headlined by a light heavyweight battle between champion Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen.

The two men are currently coaching Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter, which airs every Tuesday night on FX.

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B/R MMA Staff Predictions for UFC 156 Preliminary Card

On Saturday night, the UFC returns to Las Vegas for a supercard headlined by Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar battling over the UFC featherweight championship. Also fighting that night are former world champions Rashad Evans and Alistair Overeem, as we…

On Saturday night, the UFC returns to Las Vegas for a supercard headlined by Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar battling over the UFC featherweight championship. 

Also fighting that night are former world champions Rashad Evans and Alistair Overeem, as well as notables like Lil Nog, Jon Fitch, Demian Maia and Joseph Benavidez.

However, the night kicks off with a preliminary card full of outstanding fights, including a lightweight war between three-time Fight of the Night winner Evan Dunham and wrestling machine Gleison Tibau that promises to thrill. 

For every event, B/R MMA offers our predictions on every fight that goes down before the main card kicks off. Staff writers Scott Harris, Riley Kontek, James MacDonald, Dwight Wakabayashi and myself, Andrew Saunders, offer our picks on the upcoming preliminary bouts at UFC 156.

Feel free to give us your predictions in the comments below.

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