Author: Austin Green

UFC 166 Predictions: Picking the Winner of Each Main Card Fight in Houston

The third bout between heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos highlights UFC 166, but they aren’t the only fighters worth checking out in Houston. 
The main card of Saturday’s event is loaded with intriguing fighters, from flyweights Jo…

The third bout between heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos highlights UFC 166, but they aren’t the only fighters worth checking out in Houston. 

The main card of Saturday’s event is loaded with intriguing fighters, from flyweights John Dodson and Darrell Montague to heavyweights Roy Nelson and Daniel Cormier. 

It should be another great night for the UFC and fight fans everywhere. With the main card action set to kick off at 10 p.m. ET, let’s get to the predictions. 

 

John Dodson over Darrell Montague

Darrell Montague, 25, is one of the most promising flyweights in the world, but I’m expecting him to struggle in his UFC debut. 

John Dodson is the No. 4-ranked flyweight by Sherdog, and although he lost his last bout, he is still dangerous.

He didn’t go quietly in his loss to Demetrious Johnson, knocking down the champ twice before eventually losing by unanimous decision. And in his last bout against a fighter making his UFC debut, Dodson knocked out Jussier Formiga in the second round. 

Montague has a bright future, but look for a unanimous-decision victory from Dodson on Saturday. 

 

Gabriel Gonzaga over Shawn Jordan 

Once again, I’m going with the veteran. 

Gonzaga, 34, has been a force in the UFC since he burst onto the scene in 2005 with a superman knockout punch against Kevin Jordan. Now, facing a different Jordan, he will be looking for a similar result. 

Jordan, another heavy hitter, has knocked out his last two opponents, so don’t expect this one to go the distance. 

I’m picking Gonzaga by second-round TKO. 

 

Gilbert Melendez over Diego Sanchez

After he lost his lightweight title fight to Benson Henderson in April, expect a hungry Melendez to wreak havoc on Diego Sanchez. 

Sanchez is one of the top fighters in his division and is coming off a split-decision victory over Takanori Gomi. However, the 31-year-old Sanchez isn’t on Melendez’s level. 

Melendez has never been knocked out or submitted, and with his hand speed and power, he should pick apart Sanchez from a distance. Look for a third-round TKO for Melendez. 

 

Roy Nelson over Daniel Cormier

All eyes should be glued to the screen whenever Roy “Big Country” Nelson is fighting. 

The 37-year-old brawler is one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC. He’s won five of his last six fights by first-round TKO, so you can expect him to come out swinging. 

If this fight lasts longer than 1.5 rounds, Cormier will win. Unfortunately for the 34-year-old, I think Nelson catches him off guard and rocks him early to win by TKO. 

 

Junior dos Santos over Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez abused dos Santos in their last bout, but I’m expecting “Cigano” to reclaim his heavyweight title. 

Dos Santos is the most dangerous puncher in the game, and he should be smarter about keeping his guard up this time around.

This one could go either way, but look for the Brazilian to win by second-round TKO. 

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UFC on FX 7: Most Impressive Fighters from Saturday’s Event

Mixed martial arts fans were treated to another spectacular event Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil.UFC on FX 7 was a complete success, as the night was loaded with thrilling battles. Vitor Belfort and Michael Bisping provided an exciting main event, a…

Mixed martial arts fans were treated to another spectacular event Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

UFC on FX 7 was a complete success, as the night was loaded with thrilling battles. Vitor Belfort and Michael Bisping provided an exciting main event, and the lead-up fights didn’t disappoint, either.

A total of 10 fighters were awarded victories on the night. However, a few separated themselves from the pack. The following three fighters gave the most impressive performances on Saturday.

 

Vitor Belfort

The former champion delivered a classic showing on Saturday, knocking Bisping out in the second round.

Belfort landed a left kick to the head that sent Bisping sprawling to the floor. Belfort then pounced on Bisping and blasted him with a series of hammerfists and punches before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

It was the perfect end to the night, as the crowd got to see a fellow Brazilian shine in the main event.

It was also the 15th knockout of Belfort‘s career, and it improved his record to 22-10. He has now won eight of his last 10 fights, and his only losses during that span are to all-time greats Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.

 

CB Dollaway

Dollaway showed amazing determination in his battle with Daniel Sarafian, as he survived a nightmarish first round and won by split decision.

After getting knocked down by Sarafian in the first, Dollaway responded beautifully. He caught Sarafian with a brutal uppercut in the second round, and would have put him away if the bell didn’t save the Sao Paulo native.

Over the course of the fight, Dollaway landed 62 significant strikes to Sarafian‘s 38. He also took down Sarafian twice, while fending off all six of the Brazilian’s takedown attempts.

With the win, Dollaway is now 13-4 for his career. He has won his last two bouts, and after earning Fight of the Night honors, he will be riding a wave of momentum into his next fight.

 

Khabib Nurmagomedov

The Russian continued his rise through the UFC ranks, improving to 3-0 in the octagon with his first-round TKO of Thiago Tavares.

Nurmagomedov needed less than two minutes to finish off Tavares. He knocked the Brazilian down with a vicious left hook, then broke through Tavares‘ half-guard with a series of elbows. The referee stopped the fight, and Nurmagomedov added another impressive win to his resume.

The 24-year-old is now 19-0 as a professional, and he looks to be a serious threat in the lightweight division. He definitely earned some more high-profile fights with his performance on Saturday.

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UFC 150 Results: Dennis Bermudez Proves He Is Rising Star in Mixed Martial Arts

With his submission victory over Tommy Hayden at UFC 150, Dennis Bermudez showed why he is one of the most promising young talents in the featherweight division.Like many of his previous fights, Bermudez was floored early before making a dramatic comeb…

With his submission victory over Tommy Hayden at UFC 150, Dennis Bermudez showed why he is one of the most promising young talents in the featherweight division.

Like many of his previous fights, Bermudez was floored early before making a dramatic comeback. Shortly after the opening bell, he took a vicious knee to the leg and collapsed to the ground. Luckily, he was able to fend off the attacking Hayden and got back on his feet. 

Once he was standing, Bermudez landed a devastating blow of his own, planting a front kick into the gut of Hayden. Hayden was clearly hurt, and it wasn’t long before Bermudez finished him off with a nasty standing guillotine choke.

With the win, Bermudez improved his record to 9-3 (2-0 in UFC).

It was an inspiring victory, and one that was very similar to some of his recent wins. Although it’s not a good habit to get into, Bermudez’s history of winning after getting knocked down early has quickly made him a favorite among hardcore UFC fans.

He is a tough-nosed competitor, and he clearly knows how to handle himself after getting rocked. He’s also a versatile fighter, displaying a good mix of wrestling prowess and pure striking ability.

Bermudez has the skill set to accomplish some special things in the UFC, and at only 25 years old, he’s just now entering his physical prime. He’s not a household name just yet, but you can expect some big things from Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez.

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Silva vs. Sonnen 2: Silva’s TKO Victory Proves He Is Still Growing as a Fighter

Anderson Silva is still progressing as a fighter, and that may be the scariest thing I’ve ever written.After all, Silva is already the undisputed greatest mixed martial artist of all time. With his second-round TKO of Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, he improv…

Anderson Silva is still progressing as a fighter, and that may be the scariest thing I’ve ever written.

After all, Silva is already the undisputed greatest mixed martial artist of all time. With his second-round TKO of Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, he improved to 15-0 in the UFC (32-4 total) and extended his record of most consecutive successful title defenses to 10.

As if that wasn’t enough, he also convincingly defeated his only career rival, and proved that he is still evolving in the process.

At 37 years of age, Silva is defying the basic laws of physics. Wine is supposed to get better as it ages. World-class athletes are not.

And yet, despite being just two years away from the current definition of “middle age,” Silva is deadlier than ever.

It’s expected to see fighters’ athleticism deteriorate as they reach their late 30s, but Silva has shown no signs of slowing down. His strikes are still lightning-quick, his power is still devastating and his elusiveness is still unparalleled.

Silva has always been an incredible athlete, but the fact that he is the same athlete today that he was a few years ago is fascinating.

Where he has really grown—and will continue to grow—is in the mental aspects of fighting. Silva’s ability to take punishment in the first Sonnen bout was amazing, but his adjustments for the rematch were even more so.

Like the first fight between the two, Silva spent most of Saturday’s first round on his back. But rather than wrap his arms around Sonnen’s neck like the first fight, Silva wrapped them around his chest and shoulders.

This limited Sonnen’s movement, specifically his ability to punish Silva’s body, which in turn would open up Silva’s face. It also denied Sonnen the opportunity to land brutal punches to the head, as he was pressed chest-to-chest against Silva.

This robbed him of his power and reduced the size of his target, as Sonnen’s own upper body was often shielding Silva’s face. At one point, a frustrated Sonnen even tried smacking Silva with his chest, but unsurprisingly, it did no damage.

Of course, this adjustment on the ground might not have mattered had Sonnen not slipped in the second round, allowing Silva to pounce.

But what it did do was prove that Silva is still learning—still growing—and with his athleticism remaining at an elite level, this is terrible news for the rest of the UFC.

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UFC 148 Results: Mike Easton Defeats Ivan Menjivar

Mike Easton beat Ivan Menjivar by unanimous decision at UFC 148 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., improving his impressive record to 13-1.It was a solid performance from Easton, who will certainly move up the bantamweight rankings after win…

Mike Easton beat Ivan Menjivar by unanimous decision at UFC 148 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., improving his impressive record to 13-1.

It was a solid performance from Easton, who will certainly move up the bantamweight rankings after winning his eighth consecutive fight. Fight Matrix had him ranked 50th among all bantamweights coming into Saturday, but with his UFC record now standing at 3-0, he is guaranteed to leapfrog some of the fighters ahead of him.

As the former Ultimate Warrior Challenge bantamweight champion, everyone knew the 28-year-old Easton was talented. Now that he’s showcasing his skills on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes one of the more well-known fighters in the division.

Easton specializes in striking, as you would expect from his black belt in Taekwondo. He’s far from a one-dimensional fighter, though, as his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu makes him a dangerous grappler. He’s also got solid wrestling and takedown defense skills.

Easton moved one step closer to a title shot with the win, and although he’s still a few fights away from getting a chance at Dominick Cruz’s bantamweight belt, he should be happy with his current standing within the UFC.

If he can string together a couple more victories, he will be in prime position to snatch the title.

Meanwhile, the veteran Menjivar dropped to 24-9 (3-1 in UFC) with the loss. At just 30 years old, he still has plenty of good fights left in him. Unfortunately, this loss derails his quest for the bantamweight crown.

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Chael Sonnen: Victory by The People’s Champ Would Be Best Result for UFC

If you somehow haven’t noticed, Chael Sonnen is a pretty charismatic guy.When the self-proclaimed “Most Interesting Man in the World” talks, people listen. He’s mastered the art of trash talking and he spews entertaining (or infuriating, depending on y…

If you somehow haven’t noticed, Chael Sonnen is a pretty charismatic guy.

When the self-proclaimed “Most Interesting Man in the World” talks, people listen. He’s mastered the art of trash talking and he spews entertaining (or infuriating, depending on your perspective) rhetoric to anyone who will listen.

While he may not be “the best,” as he often proclaims, Sonnen is easily the most polarizing figure in Mixed Martial Arts. If you’re a UFC fan, you either love him or you hate him.

There’s no gray area when it comes to Chael Sonnen, and that’s precisely why a Sonnen victory at  UFC 148 would be the best possible outcome for the sport.

Until Sonnen wraps that belt around his waist, Anderson Silva is still the greatest MMA fighter of all-time. But while you have to appreciate Silva’s spectacular career, his seven-year reign has made the middleweight division quite stale.

For the better part of a decade, it’s been Silva and everyone else when discussing the division. His run of dominance is reminiscent of Tiger Woods’ run in the early part of the 2000’s, when he simply couldn’t lose.

The only difference is golf needed Tiger Woods. The UFC does not need Anderson Silva. In fact, his 15 consecutive victories haven’t been as good for the sport as you might imagine.

He’s not nearly as captivating as Sonnen (who is?), which means he doesn’t generate the same interest or the same money as his opponent, the man who goes by the semi-sarcastic moniker “The People’s Champ.”

Casual MMA fans will gladly fork over 50 or 60 bucks just to watch Sonnen get punched, kicked, elbowed, kneed and choked. The first time these two guys fought, there were 600,000 pay-per-view buys. You can expect that number to double on Saturday, as Sonnen’s fame has increased dramatically since their first bout.

If Sonnen wins, it means even more money and national recognition for the UFC.

They would have the most marketable champion in the sport’s history, as well as a salivating third fight between the two that would shatter their pay-per-view records.

If Silva wins, Sonnen may just retire, and the middleweight division will return to its dry, boring ways.

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