The heavyweight division in the UFC isn’t much better than the heavyweight crop in professional boxing. Because pickings are slim for Dana White, UFC fans will watch Cain Velasquez destroy Antonio “Big Foot” Silva for the second time in almost exactly …
The heavyweight division in the UFC isn’t much better than the heavyweight crop in professional boxing. Because pickings are slim for Dana White, UFC fans will watch Cain Velasquez destroy Antonio “Big Foot” Silva for the second time in almost exactly a year.
Velasquez pummeled Silva in 3:36 of the first round in May 2011, and there is no reason to believe the result will be different Saturday night at UFC 160.
There are only two elite heavyweight fighters in the promotion, just like there is in boxing with Vitali and WladimirKlitschko.
The only difference in this dynamic is that Junior “Cigano” dos Santos and Velasquez aren’t related, so they have no problems clobbering each other.
Before we see a third fight between Cigano and Velasquez, both must win on Saturday night at the MGM Grand.
Cigano should win his bout, but it should be noted, his opponent is no tomato can. Mark “Super Samoan” Hunt is one of the hardest punchers the sport has seen and he also has an excellent chin.
This isn’t the main event at UFC 160, but it is a far more intriguing bout than Velasquez-Silva 2. First and foremost, dos Santos and Hunt have never fought.
Secondly, Hunt has not only never lost to dos Santos, but he also hasn’t lost to anyone since 2010. This creates some doubt as to whether Hunt can pull off the upset.
There is no drama involved with Velasquez and Silva. I’m not completely selling Silva short—he’s a solid pro and he proved to Alistair Overeem he can’t be taken lightly.
Velasquez isn’t Overeem, though. He proved that to Silva in their first bout.
These two men’s styles would create a similar result almost every time they faced one another. Velasquez is quicker and a far better wrestler. If Silva isn’t fast enough to prevent Velasquez from taking him to the ground, he’s destined to be pounded again.
Even if Silva can somehow stop the takedown attempts, Velasquez’s quickness gives him an edge in striking.
If you just like watching a KO—like most of us do—you won’t be too disappointed. If you’re interested in seeing something fresh and new, you won’t find it here.
Velasquez-dos Santos 3 is almost inevitable.
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The MGM Grand will be the site of several bloody battles on May 25 when the UFC takes over the Las Vegas venue for UFC 160. Two heavyweight bouts headline the card with champion Cain Velasquez in action.Velasquez will rematch Antonio “Big Foot” Silva i…
The MGM Grand will be the site of several bloody battles on May 25 when the UFC takes over the Las Vegas venue for UFC 160. Two heavyweight bouts headline the card with champion Cain Velasquez in action.
Velasquez will rematch Antonio “Big Foot” Silva in the main event, while his rival, Junior “Cigano” dos Santos will take on Mark “The Super Samoan” Hunt. It is very possible the winners from Saturday night could meet in each fighter’s next bout.
With those four explosive heavyweights in action, there is a high probability fans will see at least one brutal knockout.
It should come as no surprise that one of these bouts is my prediction for KO of the Night.
Velasquez Will Destroy Silva…Again
After Velasquez finished Big Foot in just 3:36 of their first meeting at UFC 146 on May 26, 2012, there is no reason to believe the challenger will fare better the second time.
As a matter of fact, the way he’s talking, it sounds as if the finish could come even quicker. Silva told MMA Weekly/Yahoo! Sports:
I’m going to need to keep my hands healthy and heavy to go in there and I’m sure that the first punch that I really land, he’s going to go down.
That sounds a lot like a fighter who has designs of brawling. Silva’s best chance to win is to avoid going to the ground where Velasquez is elite.
But it is hard to imagine Silva being quick enough to outstrike Velasquez.
If he stands in front of the champion, the MMA world will be reminded that Velasquez is not just a great wrestler, he’s also an explosive puncher.
I see the fight ending something like this:
The Eagle Will Run His Streak to 20 By Impressive Submission
Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov’s undefeated run in MMA is going to continue on Saturday.
His opponent at UFC 160, Abel Trujillo, is no pushover, though; he’s explosive, powerful and aggressive.
Trujillo has won five fights in a row, including his UFC debut against Marcus LeVesseur at UFC on Fox 5 in December.
Despite Trujillo’s physical gifts, the Eagle is the more well-rounded fighter of the two.
Of his 19 wins, seven have come by submission. The 24-year-old Russian is adept at using fighter’s aggression against them. He’s especially good going for submissions off his back and even transitioning between techniques.
This is a skill we’ve yet to see a lot from The Eagle in the UFC, but it is definitely in his bag of tricks.
Taking a look at Trujillo’s style, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him jump for top position quickly. When he does that, the Eagle will clamp in one of his patented triangle chokes and force Trujillo to tap out.
T.J. Grant and Gray Maynard Will Steal the Show
These two 155-pounders aren’t headlining the event, but once UFC 160 is over, their fight will go down as the most exciting.
If someone is stopped, it won’t likely happen to at least the third round. Both lightweights have proven their mettle and toughness in previous bouts.
Maynard isn’t looking to submit his opponent; he’s out to strike, manhandle and punish. Grant is well-rounded, but it is hard to ignore the 13 submission victories on his record.
This is his greatest advantage against Maynard, but making the Bully tap out is no simple task. He’s only lost once in his career and that was by KO.
This will be a great match of styles that should be bloody, ferocious and strategic. That sounds like Fight of the Night stuff.
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The UFC heavyweight title picture will develop before our very eyes at UFC 160 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will defend his title in a rematch with Antonio “Big Foot” Silva. Just a yea…
The UFC heavyweight title picture will develop before our very eyes at UFC 160 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will defend his title in a rematch with Antonio “Big Foot” Silva. Just a year ago, Velasquez destroyed Silva in 3:36 at UFC 146. Since then, Velasquez has regained the title he lost to Junior dos Santos, and Silva humbled an over-confident Alistair Overeem.
Thus, we have the second meeting of two very big men in the small world of UFC heavyweights.
Speaking of dos Santos, the man they call “Cigano” will take on Mark “The Super Samoan” Hunt in the co-main event at UFC 160.
Cigano is looking for redemption after losing his title to Velasquez at UFC 155. He knows he must go through the hard-punching and resilient Hunt to turn his rivalry with Velasquez into a trilogy.
The top portion of the card should be heavy-hitting, but the rest of the bouts scheduled aren’t exactly snoozers.
Check out the full card, times, networks, my predictions for each bout and fight night bonuses.
You know a card is pretty solid when the Facebook preliminary bouts feature fighters like Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens and Brian Bowles. Both men have spent their share of time in the title picture in their respective weight classes.
Back From a Hiatus
Bowles is a former WEC bantamweight champion who hasn’t fought since 2011.
In his last bout, he was submitted by Urijah Faber, but he is making his return to the Octagon. At 32 years old and armed with excellent submission skills, Bowles could still make some noise in the bantamweight division. The road back to title contention starts on Saturday against George Roop.
Desperate Measures
Stephens has hit a tough road in his career, having lost his last three bouts. The opponents he has lost to are all tough and well respected (Donald Cerrone, Yves Edwards and Anthony Pettis), but three straight losses is still three straight losses.
Expect to see Stephens fight with urgency. What is more dangerous than a desperate Lil Heathen?
Undefeated Eagle and a Developing Story
Say My Name?
When it comes to Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov, I’ve never been more pleased that a fighter had a nickname. I would feel like an idiot every time I miserably tried to properly pronounce his last name.
Trust me, I know what its like to have a last name people regularly mispronounce.
With a perfect 19-0 record, MMA fans will soon have no other choice but to learn of The Eagle. Imagine if Nurmagomedov was pummeling an opponent while trash-talking: “What’s my name?”
Even if the poor guy wanted to respond, he may not be able to. That is a sadistic form of MMA torture.
All jokes aside, the 24-year-old Russian is quickly becoming a serious title contender at 155 pounds. MMA Weekly doesn’t currently have him listed in their top 10, but a win over Abel Trujillo could change that.
Nurmagomedov has already dispatched GleisonTibau and ThiagoAlves with relative ease. With every win, he garners more respect. At UFC 160, he will try to keep his streak alive.
Rick “The Horror” Story Means Excitement
It seems like every time Story gets some momentum, he gets tripped up. His TKO over Quinn Mulhern at UFC 158 has given him a new buzz at welterweight. He must take out Mike “Quicksand” Pyle to move to the next level.
Story’s fights are almost always action packed. Everything he does in the Octagon is performed with ruthless aggression. That aggression can sometimes work to his detriment, though.
The double-edged sword has led him to exciting stoppages, and also made him vulnerable to submissions. The last time he faced a submissions artist, he fell victim to a neck crank from Demian Maia at UFC 153.
Pyle isn’t exactly on Maia’s level in the art of submissions, but they don’t call him Quicksand for nothing. Of his 24 victories, 16 have come by way of submission.
Will Story be able to blast through Pyle, or will he be derailed on his way up the ladder again?
T.J Grant and Gray Maynard Will Probably Get Bloodied
Blood is almost a given for this 155-pound bout. Both of these men are hard-nosed, tough fighters with good striking on their feet and on the ground.
Grant’s win over Matt Wiman at UFC on Fox 6 was full of the red stuff. He pounded Wiman out for his fourth straight win and solidified himself as a real force in the crowded 155-pound division.
Maynard isn’t likely to be intimidated. He fought two epic wars with Frankie Edgar and defeated Clay Guida by split decision at UFC on FX 4 in June 2012.
These guys come to bang, and it should be an excellent fight.
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Many of Brazil’s finest fighters will be in action when the UFC returns to Brazil on Saturday. Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil, will be rocking as the legendary Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort headlines a Brazil-centric card for UFC on FX 8.The…
Many of Brazil’s finest fighters will be in action when the UFC returns to Brazil on Saturday. Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil, will be rocking as the legendary Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort headlines a Brazil-centric card for UFC on FX 8.
The 36-year-old veteran will serve as Luke Rockhold‘s welcome wagon to the UFC.
Rockhold is 10-1, but he had a 9-0 run in Strikeforce. He comes to the UFC with a good measure of hype, but facing The Phenom in Brazil is no small task.
Will this be the event that launches a successful UFC run for Rockhold and sends Belfort‘s career possibly to an end; or will The Phenom prove yet again that he isn’t done?
Here’s how you can watch.
Date: May 18, 2013 Time: 9 p.m. ET Where: Arena Jaragua, Jaragua do Sul, Brazil TV:FX; FUEL TV and Facebook prelims
Predictions with asterisks (*) have deeper analysis beneath
Rio is not just one of the more interesting personalities in the UFC; he’s also a well-rounded fighter.
He’ll be facing a raucous Brazilian crowd who will be firmly in the corner of his opponent Francisco Trinaldo, but Rio’s size and versatility will win out.
Although Rio is a very good striker, his submission win over John Cofer in his UFC debut showed he could handle himself on the ground as well. He isn’t going to out-grapple Trinaldo, but his length and power will stifle the Brazilian in the stand-up game.
If the fight does go to the mat, Rio can hold his own. Look for The Wolverine to come away with a unanimous decision victory.
Natal’s Athleticism Will Give Him the Edge Over Zeferino
Both of these men are excellent submission artists; which could turn this into a stand-up battle. Staying on the ground could continually end in a cat game, so this is an opportunity for both to prove their mettle as strikers.
If that happens, Natal’s agility and varied striking attacks gives him an edge.
Sometimes he gets a bit too comfortable and it leads to careless defense. This was the case when he was finished by a head kick from Andrew Craig on UFC on Fuel 4. However, when he’s focused, he’s a handful for most middleweights.
I actually like Zeferino‘s ability, but with no major edge on the ground in this matchup, I favor Natal more as a striker.
Look for Sapo to win by unanimous decision.
Evan Dunham‘s Improvement Will Show
I’m expecting Dunham to make a huge statement on Saturday night.
Since he lost to T.J. Grant in a war in September 2012, Grant has destroyed Matt Wiman. That bout only makes Dunham‘s performance against Grant look even better.
Dunham rebounded well with a close decision victory over GleisonTibau in February. But he’ll be facing a tough Brazilian submission artist in dos Anjos. Dunham is at home on the ground and has never lost a fight via submission in his career.
The 28-year-old has a three-inch height advantage and is the stronger man physically. If the fight stays in the stand-up for any length of time, Dunham should pick dos Anjos apart.
I fully expect the two men to go to the ground eventually, but Dunham‘s ability to handle himself on his back and in top position will serve him well.
I predict yet another unanimous decision victory for Dunham.
Souza Will Best the Gutsy Carmozzi
Carmozzi will always put up a great fight; the guy has tremendous heart and will. But sometimes, he’s just overmatched from a talent standpoint and this will be one of those times.
Jacare is the real deal. The only losses he’s had in the past five years came to GegardMousasi and Rockhold. Carmozzi has the size advantage, but I don’t believe he has the takedown defense to keep Jacare from taking over this fight.
The Brazilian is quicker and he’ll use that advantage to close distance. I predict a submission win for Jacare.
Rockhold Will Take Down the Legend
I truly believe Rockhold will be the next serious challenger for Anderson Silva. Belfort has surprised me in both of his last two fights, though.
He nearly submitted Jon Jones and he stopped Michael Bisping, but at some point, the age will show on a consistent basis. Rockhold is young, hungry, versatile and strong; his future in the UFC seems quite bright.
Belfort isn’t quite as quick as he used to be. The striking edge he might have had in the past he won’t have on Saturday night. I think stamina will be the biggest factor in this fight.
If Rockhold survives Belfort‘s initial charge and adrenaline rush, he will take over the late rounds of the fight with takedowns and top position control.
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Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen are headed in two very different directions professionally. Jones can rest and ponder his next challenge inside the Octagon. Meanwhile, Sonnen must decide whether he should continue competing in the sport at all.The outcome o…
Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen are headed in two very different directions professionally. Jones can rest and ponder his next challenge inside the Octagon. Meanwhile, Sonnen must decide whether he should continue competing in the sport at all.
The outcome of Jones vs. Sonnen at UFC 159 was no surprise.
Jones proved that he deserved to be the favorite. He made a statement by beating Sonnen, a renowned wrestler, at his own game.
He made an even bigger impression after cameras revealed he had severely broken his toe at some point during the one-round fight, per Mike Whitman of Sherdog.
Jones’ brief win and post-fight interview showed toughness and grit. Though the two qualities are intangible, they are very real and important in professional sports—especially in MMA.
This was the second time in as many fights Jones has suffered an injury.
His arm was injured as he fought off a submission from Vitor Belfort at UFC 152. This time, he banged up the toe in the process of pummeling Sonnen against the cage.
At any rate, Jones’ stock is sky high.
Any light heavyweight aspiring to knock him off his perch had better be prepared to face one of the greatest in MMA history.
He has already destroyed many of the best fighters in the division. Lyoto Machida, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Ryan Bader and Rashad Evans have already learned firsthand why Bones is an elite fighter.
Among those who have yet to have their run at the champ are Alexander Gustafsson, Dan Henderson, Glover Teixeira and Phil Davis. Quite honestly, I don’t see any of them faring much better than Sonnen did on Saturday night.
Right now, the gap between Jones and everyone else in the weight class is huge. No other UFC champion—including Anderson Silva—is as head-and-shoulders above his peers.
Barring some fall-off or fluke occurrence, it could be a long time before we see Jones lose.
As for Sonnen, the gig is up.
The trash-talking and self-promotion are entertaining and overall good for the sport. Whether his critics realize it or not, sports are more interesting when there is a story to follow.
Stories need heroes and villains, and Sonnen happily plays the latter role.
The only problem is that villains are only fun when they are formidable. While Sonnen could still defeat most middleweights and some light heavyweights, he has failed every time he’s gone for the gold.
When you’re 36 years old and as high profile as Sonnen is, anything less than fighting for a championship is pointless.
At this point, MMA fans will have a hard time buying into Sonnen as a serious challenge to any champion.
It is time for him to take his mic skills to a place where they can be appreciated. This may sound like a joke, but I’m totally serious when I say this: Sonnen should consider the WWE.
His ability to cut promos and sell tickets with his personality is perfect for sports entertainment. Fighters from both worlds have crossed over before.
Ken Shamrock, Dave Batista and Brock Lesnar have all spent time in MMA and professional wrestling.
With about 30 more pounds of muscle, Sonnen could instantly become a major draw in the WWE. He understands business as well as any MMA fighter I’ve ever seen.
Knowing when to transition is part of being a smart businessman. Sonnen has to know it is time to make a change.
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I’m not sure UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones could rise any higher than he already was, but the performance and toughness he displayed on Saturday night was amazing.Not only did he manhandle one of the best wrestlers in the sport at his own ga…
I’m not sure UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones could rise any higher than he already was, but the performance and toughness he displayed on Saturday night was amazing.
Not only did he manhandle one of the best wrestlers in the sport at his own game, but he also did so in part with a severely broken big toe, per Mike Whitman of Sherdog.com.
Champion is the top of the food chain for tangible honors, but doing an interview with Joe Rogan after breaking his toe had to raise Jones’ level on the machismo meter.
This guy is a beast. MMA fans should enjoy his brilliance while they have the privilege of watching him compete.
Jones’ dominant performance stands out in a major way from Saturday night, but he wasn’t the only fighter who raised his stock at UFC 159.
Roy Nelson
Big Country destroyed Cheick Kongo on Saturday. Kongo isn’t exactly Cain Velasquez, but there is no denying how good Nelson looked.
The right hand he landed on Kongo in the first round was enormous, but the way Nelson controlled Kongo against the cage was just as impressive.
Referee Kevin Mulhall actually separated the two men prematurely earlier in the round. Nelson was working toward a takedown and top position, but that momentum was disturbed.
In the end it didn’t matter.
Nelson earned KO of the Night with his scary display of power. With three straight wins by KO, Nelson is inching closer to a shot at the title.
Phil Davis
There was a ton of jawing between Davis and Vinny Magalhaes leading up to their clash on Saturday. Davis was the only man that backed up his talk.
Mr. Wonderful won a unanimous decision over Magalhaes with a blend of striking and takedown defense. Davis would not allow himself to be pulled into Magalhaes‘ world of jiu-jitsu.
His wrestling expertise allowed him to fend off Magalhaes‘ overtures. Davis was content to dismantle his opponent with strikes.
He showed a good amount of diversity on Saturday night. After such an impressive submission victory over Wagner Prado in his last fight, it was good to see Davis win a fight almost entirely because of his stand up.
He looks to be two or three wins away from getting his shot at Jones.
Pat Healy
Healy‘s performance was surprising. Miller’s toughness and power seemed to make him the favorite in this fight coming in.
Instead, it was Healy‘s grit and determination that led to a win by technical submission. It was a grueling fight and both men had their moments. But Healy locked in the rear-naked choke late in the third round to take the victory.
This was a great way for Healy to return to the UFC. He hadn’t fought in the promotion since 2006. Miller is a tough opponent, so defeating him will garner Healy plenty of respect at 155 pounds.
He instantly becomes a player in perhaps the UFC’s most-talented division.
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The heavyweight division in the UFC isn’t much better than the heavyweight crop in professional boxing. Because pickings are slim for Dana White, UFC fans will watch Cain Velasquez destroy Antonio “Big Foot” Silva for the second time in almost exactly a year.