Author: Andrew Saunders

UFC on FX 8: Which Fighter Has the Most to Lose?

Vitor BelfortIn the year 2013, Vitor Belfort is still relevant in the UFC title scene. “The Phenom” knocked out perennial contender Michael Bisping in January, and looks to be one major win away from a much-desired title fight.Belfort feels that the Bi…

Vitor Belfort

In the year 2013, Vitor Belfort is still relevant in the UFC title scene. “The Phenom” knocked out perennial contender Michael Bisping in January, and looks to be one major win away from a much-desired title fight.

Belfort feels that the Bisping KO was enough to get back into a title fight, despite coming up short in a championship bout against Jon Jones only three months prior.

However, at the age of 36, it’s unlikely that the title aspirations of Vitor Belfort could recover from a third loss in a six-fight span.

 

Luke Rockhold

Team AKA’s Luke Rockhold may not walk out to the Octagon holding a title, but let’s not forget that the kickboxer twice defended the Strikeforce middleweight championship before the organization folded earlier this year.

Currently, Rockhold sits at No. 4 in the official UFC rankings and is likely to get a crack at UFC gold should he be successful at UFC on FX 8.

In the world of mixed martial arts, highly touted champions come over to the Octagon and perform below expectations. When that happens, their careers have a tough time recovering. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the current status of Hector Lombard, Nick Diaz and Jake Shields.

However, at 28 years old, Rockhold has time on his side. A loss at this stage of the game wouldn’t condemn his future as much as postpone his inevitable success.

 

Ronaldo Souza

In the evening’s co-main event, Ronaldo Souza was originally scheduled to face No. 6 middleweight Costa Philippou. Unfortunately, Philippou was injured during training and will be unable to compete. Taking his place is Ultimate Fighter alumni Chris Camozzi.

“Jacare” is currently a 6-to-1 favorite according to sports betting website Bovada. Considering that his opponent has four consecutive wins inside the Octagon, this betting line illustrates the incredible skills possessed by Souza.

However, upsets happen more often than you’d think, and stranger things have certainly happened. A loss for Souza would result in the jiu-jitsu wizard falling from the ranks and fading entirely from the title picture.

Don’t misunderstand. We are not suggesting that Souza is likely to lose on Saturday night. However, should the former Strikeforce champion be upset in his promotional debut, it will be hard to overcome this sort of setback.

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Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for all things UFC on FX 8, including live results and post-fight analysis.

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UFC on FX 8: Which Fighter Has the Most to Gain?

With the UFC returning on Saturday night, there is a plethora of fighters looking to have their arm raised in Brazil. As is to be expected, the stakes are higher for some members of the roster than others.The headlining scrap sees former UFC champion V…

With the UFC returning on Saturday night, there is a plethora of fighters looking to have their arm raised in Brazil. As is to be expected, the stakes are higher for some members of the roster than others.

The headlining scrap sees former UFC champion Vitor Belfort welcoming final Strikeforce middleweight kingpin Luke Rockhold into the Octagon.

But who has the most to gain at UFC on FX 8? 

 

Vitor Belfort

Belfort has been vocal about wanting another crack at a UFC championship in either the light heavyweight or middleweight division, he speaks of his desire in this interview with Adam Silvers of Complex.com. After defeating Michael Bisping in January, a win over a top contender like Rockhold would put “The Phenom” on the short list of contenders.

That being said, Belfort has had two title opportunities in his last five fights. In both matchups, the Brazilian was stopped before the fight could reach the scorecards. Unless he scores a monumental stoppage, giving Vitor another crack at the title feels premature. 

 

Luke Rockhold

Considering that Rockhold never lost his belt before Strikeforce folded, a win on Saturday over a respected veteran such as Belfort is essentially a ticket to fight for UFC gold.

Some would suggest that Rockhold doesn’t have anything to gain from defeating Belfort. After all, the Team AKA fighter was named by Anderson Silva‘s management nearly one year ago as the man most deserving of a title opportunity.

In other words, to those who believe that Rockhold is deservedly the man at the front of the line, this fight with Belfort is little more than a stiff challenge to see if he is worthy of keeping his place in line.

 

Chris Camozzi

Let’s be honest here. With the cancellation of Ronaldo Souza vs. Costa Philippou, there aren’t any fights outside of the main event that have much impact on their respective title picture. However, one man’s trouble is another man’s opportunity, and that is exactly the case for Chris Camozzi.

Camozzi was scheduled to compete against Rafael Natal on the main card, but with Philippou’s inability to fight on Saturday, the TUF cast member was bumped into the co-main event.

Instead of facing an unranked middleweight, Camozzi now has the opportunity to pull off a major upset against former champion “Jacare” Souza. With a high-profile victory on Saturday, Camozzi’s stock in the UFC would skyrocket overnight.

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Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for all things UFC on FX 8, including live results and post-fight analysis.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Bellator 96 Announces King Mo vs. Seth Petruzelli; Babalu and War Machine Too

Seven weeks outside of the return of Bellator MMA, popular light heavyweight Mohammed Lawal has announced his opponent for Bellator 96 along with a poster for the event which shares the rest of the main card matchups.Standing across the cage from Lawal…

Seven weeks outside of the return of Bellator MMA, popular light heavyweight Mohammed Lawal has announced his opponent for Bellator 96 along with a poster for the event which shares the rest of the main card matchups.

Standing across the cage from Lawal will be none other than Seth Petruzelli. “The Silverback” is a veteran of the Ultimate Fighter reality program and competed four times in the Octagon. However, the former heavyweight is best known as being the man who infamously knocked out Kimbo Slice and for giving a post-fight interview that led to the collapse of Elite XC.

Lawal will be competing for the first time since being stunned in the Season 7 tournament by Emanuel Newton. After picking apart Newton in the opening minutes of the fight, King Mo was caught with a spinning back fist that turned off his lights. It marked the second loss of Lawal’s professional career.

With the Season 8 tournament switching to a four-man bracket, we now know that the winner of Lawal vs. Petruzelli will square off against the winner of a battle between Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Jacob Noe, who will compete against one another earlier on the same card.

Also announced was a welterweight scrap between the always controversial War Machine and jiu-jitsu practitioner Blas Avena.

War Machine was released from the UFC after the The Ultimate Fighter alum made statements about the death of Evan Tanner, in which he claimed that the former champion had committed suicide and that his death was no accident.

Bellator 96 is headlined by a battle for the Bellator lightweight championship between undefeated Michael Chandler and challenger Dave Jansen, who is fresh off of his Season 7 tournament win.

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15 MMA Fighters on the Hot Seat in the Month of May

Between the heavyweight title fight coming at UFC 160 as well as title eliminators in multiple weight classes, fight fans will witness some tremendously important battles inside the Octagon during the month of May.Some fighters compete this month in ho…

Between the heavyweight title fight coming at UFC 160 as well as title eliminators in multiple weight classes, fight fans will witness some tremendously important battles inside the Octagon during the month of May.

Some fighters compete this month in hopes of reaching the pinnacle of their career. Others are fighting to save their jobs in an unforgiving UFC landscape that hands out pink slips on a regular basis.

Regardless of what each fighter has on the line, there are several stars who simply cannot afford to lose. Here is a look at 15 MMA fighters who are on the hot seat in the month of May.

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The Biggest MMA Losers from the Month of April

With the UFC offering cards every Saturday of the month, there was more than enough action to satisfy the MMA cravings of any fan. The month saw several key matchups, including two title bouts, a title eliminator and much more.For every action, there i…

With the UFC offering cards every Saturday of the month, there was more than enough action to satisfy the MMA cravings of any fan. The month saw several key matchups, including two title bouts, a title eliminator and much more.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every winner, there is a loser, and there were a lot of losers in April.

Here is a look at the biggest losers from the month of April.

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Jones vs. Sonnen: Breaking Down the Pivotal Moments from UFC 159’s Main Event

Jon Jones wasted little time in dismantling three-time UFC title contender Chael Sonnen in the main event of UFC 159. The champion picked up a first-round victory for the first time since 2010 when he earned a TKO stoppage with less than 30 seconds lef…

Jon Jones wasted little time in dismantling three-time UFC title contender Chael Sonnen in the main event of UFC 159. The champion picked up a first-round victory for the first time since 2010 when he earned a TKO stoppage with less than 30 seconds left on the clock.

But how did Jones do it? Let’s go over the pivotal moments from this matchup and see what went right for the champion.

In the opening of the fight, Sonnen closed the distance quickly and looked to unleash damage on Jones with a right hook. However, Jones surprised many when he ducked under the punch and took Sonnen to the canvas.

This sort of pressure was a constant throughout the battle, as some think Jones “Sonnened” Sonnen by scoring a trio of takedowns in the first round.

As if trying to emulate Sonnen’s highlight reel, Jones enjoyed fighting from within the guard of his opponent and throwing quick strikes from the position. It is the take-em-down, beat-em-up style that has made Sonnen famous in fights against the likes of Anderson Silva, Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami.

The finish of the contest came when Jones was able to press a fallen Sonnen up against the cage. The champion returned to his feet, where he continued to pressure him with strikes. As Sonnen looked to cover himself from punches raining down from above, “Bones” unleashed a knee to the body.

For those of you wondering how Jones broke his toe during the contest, the fracture occurred during the final sequence. While the champion was pressuring Sonnen, he was pressing off his back foot to stay tight. The angle was slightly sideways, and with too much lateral pressure on his big toe, the entire thing snapped.

Watch full fight highlights for Jones vs. Sonnen here on Bleacher Report. Also, stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for post-fight analysis on all things UFC 159.

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