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Cain Velasquez’s Head Coach Talking Serious Trash in Lead Up to Werdum Fight

Don’t bother showing up to UFC 188, Fabricio Werdum.
You have no chance. Cain Velasquez is going to kill you. Even if you make it to the fifth round, Velasquez is going to beat you up worse than he did Junior dos Santos.
Those are not my words. T…

Don’t bother showing up to UFC 188, Fabricio Werdum.

You have no chance. Cain Velasquez is going to kill you. Even if you make it to the fifth round, Velasquez is going to beat you up worse than he did Junior dos Santos.

Those are not my words. They belong to Velasquez’s head coach Javier Mendez. Mendez has been quite acerbic in the lead up to UFC 188, which features a heavyweight unification title fight between his main man Velasquez and interim champion Fabricio Werdum.

Just for fun, let’s let some of the quotes stand on their own (spread across the two articles linked to above):

“He’s [Cain] gonna kill him [Werdum].”

“Werdum’s not going to be able to handle the intensity”

“Werdum has no chance. Cain’s gonna do what he wants to do with him.”

“By saying a zero chance, it’s not an actual statement. “I’m saying he [Werdum] has little chance.

“He’s [Cain] going to win every round. He’s either going to stop him or give him the beating of his life.”

“He’s never going to make…if [Werdum] makes five rounds, he’s going to get beat up worse than JDS. I tell you that, I say that, and it will happen.”

If that weren’t enough, Mendez specified that Werdum isn’t on the same level as JDS.

“I’ll never forget how great of a fighter JDS is, and I’m sorry — Fabricio is good, I don’t take that away from him, he’s really good — but he’s not JDS. And there’s no one out there that’s at the level of JDS. There isn’t.”

JDS is, of course, Junior dos Santos, the lone man to hold a win over Velasquez. Dos Santos knocked the current heavyweight champ out back in 2011 on the first UFC on Fox fight card. Velasquez went on to get his revenge in the rematch and trilogy, pummeling JDS over the course of nearly 10 full rounds.

Mendez did say that Werdum’s best chance is a knockout or a submission. That he can’t win a decision. That nobody can beat Velasquez in a decision.

And that very well may be true. Luckily for Werdum, he’s been doing a pretty good job as of late beating guys by knockout or submission. He was the first man to submit the great Fedor Emelianenko. Most recently, he leveled Mark Hunt with a flying knee to claim the interim heavyweight belt.

But there is only one Cain Velasquez. He’s the cardio machine. He sets a relentless pace inside the cage that we’ve never seen from a fighter before. The only round Velasquez ever lost came courtesy of a perfectly placed punch from dos Santos.

He’s also been on the sidelines for 20 months.

Injury after injury has kept him from defending his belt. It got so bad that the last time he pulled out of a fight, at UFC 180 in Mexico City last November, the UFC put Mark Hunt in for him against Fabricio Werdum and made it an interim title fight. UFC President Dana White went as far as to say Velasquez could be stripped of his belt outright if he didn’t come back and defend it in a proper time frame.

Werdum, for his part, is doing everything he can to give himself an edge over the cardio king. He set up his camp in Mexico City 35 days before the fight. He’ll certainly be ready for the city’s punishing elevation.

Speaking to Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.com, Werdum said he expects Velasquez to be “100 percent physically, but not 100 percent mentally.” He added:

I expect a different win. I want to surprise the entire world one more time, especially the doubters. It won’t be easy, though. In a perfect world, I see him trying to take me down. I land a front kick to the body or his face, or I submit him quickly after he takes me down. In a more realistic scenario, I see him gassing after three or four rounds. People will be surprised. They are used to watching Velasquez with that non-stop rhythm, but he’s not used with high-altitude and hasn’t fought in two years. We’ll see.

Werdum, who himself has dropped a little trash talk into the ether, told Bleacher Report’s Hunter Homistek that his belt is the real one (due to Velasquez’s inactivity).

All of this sets up to make for a great heavyweight fight. MMA fans haven’t had a heavyweight fight to anticipate this much since perhaps the rematch between Velasquez and dos Santos back in December 2012 at UFC 155.

Even the one and only Stone Cold Steve Austin thinks Cain Velasquez is still the baddest man on the planet. The champ will get a chance to prove that still holds true this weekend when he looks to unify the belt against the incredibly confident Fabricio Werdum.

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UFC Fighter Niklas Bäckström Delivers the Sickest Burn on Fellow Fighter

Apparently Niklas Bäckström hasn’t heard the maxim about respecting your elders. Kids these days.
In an entertaining Instagram post, Makwan Amirkhani instructed fellow fighter Niklas Bäckström to get in the…

Apparently Niklas Bäckström hasn’t heard the maxim about respecting your elders. Kids these days.

In an entertaining Instagram post, Makwan Amirkhani instructed fellow fighter Niklas Bäckström to get in the backseat because he (Bäckström) was the younger of the two. Bäckström was having none of it and delivered the best possible comeback, stating that he was on the main card. (Warning: NSFW)

How’s that for some one-upmanship.

It is worth noting that Amirkhani is only 26, while Bäckström is 25. So the older fighter was pushing it by trying to claim the front seat with the “I’m older” act.

Both Amirkhani and Bäckström are competing on the upcoming UFC Fight Night 69, which takes place on June 20, 2015 at O₂ World in Berlin. Looking at the current bout order for the fight card, both fighters appear to be hanging out on the prelims.

So it is possible that Bäckström is referring to being on the main card of Fight Night 53, which took place back in October 2014. Or maybe he has been told his fight will end up making the main card. Or maybe he just busted out that line because he knew it would shut down Amirkhani in a hurry.

Whatever the case, well played, Niklas Bäckström.

It will be fun to keep tabs on both featherweight fighters to see who gets the last laugh come fight night. If Amirkhani wins and Bäckström loses, it could be backseat all the way for the slightly younger albeit wittier fighter next time they are riding together.

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There’s a Possibility Jon Jones Never Fights Again, According to Head Coach

Usually when you see “Jon Jones” and “coach” in the same sentence, you think Greg Jackson. But Jackson is one half of the head coaching team at the world-renowned gym down in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The other half of the winning formula is the le…

For those who know the hard-nosed coach, he’s not one to pull punches. He also cares deeply about the athletes he trains. That was evident when speaking about Jones to Submission Radio (h/t MMA Torch).

…Is he fighting again or not? I’m not sure. That’s not important. What is important right now is that Jon takes care of himself and his family… Oh yeah [there’s a real possibility he may not fight again]. To us, the most important thing is Jon Jones…at the end of the day it’s for Jon Jones to become the best person he can. The fighter is secondary. We lose sight of it. There’s a possibility that he might not fight. There’s a possibility that he might fight…right now he’s staying busy helping others in the gym. That’s very important. Jon just coming into the gym, doing his job.

Jones is, of course, currently serving an indefinite suspension with the UFC.

The suspension stems from an alleged hit-and-run, where, according to an eyewitness off-duty police officer, Jones crashed into a car with a pregnant woman behind the wheel. This incident, coupled with Jones’ previous DUI conviction up in New York, was enough for the UFC brass to feel like they had no other choice but to sideline Jones and strip him of his light heavyweight belt.

Jones went before a judge in Albuquerque back in late April to face his felony charge. His defense did not challenge probable cause. It is yet to be determined when Jones will be back in front of a judge, and if the district attorney’s office will pursue a felony conviction or allow him to plead to a lesser charge. Jail time is certainly a possibility.

Last week, I wrote that I thought Jon Jones would be back, possibly better than ever. Someone at the gym told me Jones was “laser-focused.” Having covered Jones in person since UFC 100, I can confidently say his hunger for greatness was off the charts. If he can take that to the next level, sans all of the distractions, we may see something unlike the MMA world has ever seen before.

It’s hard to fathom Jones not staging a comeback, reclaim what’s his, and add to to his resume in ways that no other fighter has. He’s only 27 years old and in the prime of his professional career.

But truth is stranger than fiction. Only time will tell if he’ll have the fire in his belly.

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Tim Kennedy Wants to Fight Dan Henderson on a ‘Fight for the Troops’ Card

44-year-old Dan Henderson fought off Father Time this past weekend with a 28-second knockout finish of Tim Boetsch at UFC Fight Night 68. Having lost five of his previous six fights, Henderson, who turns 45 in August, all of a sudden has new life&…

Kennedy, one of a handful of fighters to serve full-time in the United States Army while at the same time competing professionally in MMA, took to Twitter to both congratulate Henderson and suggest they talk to UFC President Dana White about booking them for a “Fight for the Troops” card.

These cards are special events that the UFC hosts in conjunction with a U.S. military base. They help raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which provides support for families of U.S. military personnel lost in service, those who are severely wounded and veterans.

Kennedy headlined “Fight for the Troops 3,” which took place on November 6, 2013 at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. It would appear that the UFC is due for a fourth installment of this popular event, and it’s hard to imagine a more fitting headliner than Tim Kennedy vs. Dan Henderson.

Kennedy has not fought since his controversial loss to Yoel Romero back in September 2014. In February of this year, the special forces officer told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour (h/t Bloody Elbow) that he was not interested in competing again unless it was something special.

A fight with the legendary Henderson for a good cause appears to fit the bill. Will “Hendo” answer the call?

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Don’t Be Surprised If Jon Jones Comes Back More Baller Than Ever Inside the Cage

If you’ve thought to yourself: I’ve never seen anything quite like Jon Jones—or something to that effect—you might be right.
It would be easy to mistake him for some otherworldly thing. Having had the chance, on more than one occa…

If you’ve thought to yourself: I’ve never seen anything quite like Jon Jones—or something to that effect—you might be right.

It would be easy to mistake him for some otherworldly thing. Having had the chance, on more than one occasion, to watch Jones inside the walls of Greg Jackson’s MMA gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I can confirm that he breathes and sweats just like the rest of us.

But if you focus on Jones moving across the tattered mat just long enough, you quickly realize you’re looking at someone who doesn’t move through space and time like the rest of us.

He’s the most savage fighter alive and possibly the smartest one we’ve seen.

He’s also nearly a tragic figure.

That is, if you consider a transcendent athlete flying too close to the sun to be a tragedy. He’s yet to cross that point of no return. Jones’ wings haven’t been burnt off, but they’ve certainly absorbed some serious heat as of late. He likely doesn’t have a death wish, but he’s been walking on razor’s edge longer than anyone should.

He’s a man-child among men who became the youngest champion in UFC history at 23 years old. Before his recent troubles, he had trailed only Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva for most consecutive title defenses. He was on his way to breaking the record.

And then, one more time, he got in his own way.

His most recent run-in—an alleged hit-and-run, where according to an eyewitness off-duty police officer Jones crashed into a car with a pregnant woman behind the wheel—was a final straw of sorts for the UFC. Despite not having a reputation for its discipline, the organization stripped him of his light heavyweight belt and suspended him indefinitely.

It was a bold dropping of the hammer that caught many off guard, even though we all knew it was the UFC’s only real option.

In an Albuquerque courtroom last month, I sat on a bench directly behind Jones. He towered over everyone, including the judge he stood before to face his felony charge. Contemplation of what it would be like to be caged hung in the air, and not the kind of cage in which he’s built his legacy.

It’s possible Jones’ downward spiral hasn’t stopped.

Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. And where there’s fire, there’s usually much more of it hidden in plain sight. Rumors have swirled within the MMA community for years of Jones and his wayward ways. Every so often I’d get pulled into the latest round of “did you hear?” surrounding Jones.

On the other hand, he could be in the process of putting himself back together, a phoenix rising from the ashes of his own undoing. We can all hope for the former and not the latter, because we want to see Jones resume his destructive ways inside the Octagon.

It’s hard to fathom that the man many already consider the greatest mixed martial artist of all time was not training in the sport full-time.

As it stood, Jones was only in Albuquerque for the duration of his training camps. He would rent a different house in a different part of town each time he made the trek down here from his hometown of Rochester, New York.

The rest of the time he was kicking it in upstate New York. He’s admitted that when he was back home, he wasn’t training on a regular basis.

But after his UFC 182 win over Daniel Cormier back in January, Jones indicated he was planning a permanent move to Albuquerque and committing himself to year-round training.

So Jones made the move down to Albuquerque with the right intentions, only to paint himself into a corner so bad that it forced the UFC to sideline him indefinitely. Will he make his return?

Current teammate Carlos Condit recently told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he’d seen Jones around the gym a bit. He passed on what Jones said to him: that he’d be back. Someone at the gym here told me that Jones was “laser focused” on his comeback.

What if Jones could once and for all shuck off whatever has been causing him to break bad? What if he can fully dial in and commit to training full-time?

Could he possibly come out the other side even better than he’s been for the last seven years? That’s both a scary and delightful proposition.

I first met him back in 2009 after UFC 100. On the Las Vegas strip, I ran into him and his brothers heading toward some after-party. We bantered before going our separate ways.

In that moment, I was struck with a knowing that he was going to do something big with his career. He had a magnetism, a magnetic field around him created by electrons that I now know charge through space and time differently than the rest of ours.

Jones has been silent on social media since April 28.

The once-active tweeter and Instagram user signed off on that day with “Got a lot of soul searching to do. Sorry to everyone I’ve let down.” Like any of us are capable of doing, he got lost in this plastic world.

His Twitter avatar is a lion licking its lips. Jones is either at his new home in Albuquerque or possibly in upstate New York, lying low and licking his wounds. He’s burning off the stone.

He’ll be back. He knows he has no other choice but to stage his second act. And if his second act is even better than the first?

Well, that would force us all to reimagine what greatness looks like.

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UFC Fight Night 68: Reasons to Watch Henderson vs. Boetsch Fight Card

This past weekend, UFC Fight Night 67 gave MMA fans the much anticipated return of “The Natural Born Killer.” If anyone had doubts as to whether or not Carlos Condit was still a top-shelf welterweight, they were put to bed by a bone-breaking …

After that violent display, we move to another Fight Night card with potential for more of the same. The main event originally boasted a light heavyweight contender’s bout between now-light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Ryan Bader. But Cormier filled in for the suspended Jon Jones at UFC 187, weathering an early storm from Anthony Johnson to capture gold.

UFC Fight Night 68’s headliner pits two hard-hitters against each other: Dan Henderson vs. Tim Boetsch. The pair are a combined 3-9 in their last 12 fights.

And the co-main event should provide us with a pummeling good time when bruising heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Ben Rothwell collide.

Like most UFC Fight Nights, this card is far from stacked.

But it should offer some measure of action from a handful of compelling-enough fighters. So without further ado, let’s highlight the reasons why you need to tune your TV to Fox Sports 1 on Saturday night.

The Heavyweights Are Always Worth Watching

Fans of combat sports—be it MMA or boxing—have always been drawn to the men that weigh in north of 205 pounds. As a whole, we’ve always had a special fondness for larger-than-life characters like Mike Tyson or Brock Lesnar, which just doesn’t exist in the smaller weight classes. It’s science actually, and Isaac Newton nailed it with his second law: force equals mass times acceleration.

When big dudes are throwing leather with bad intentions, the result is often violent. No doubt Newton would be tuning in to see Derrick Lewis vs. Shawn Jordan and Mitrione vs. Rothwell in the co-main event. All four men have dished out and been on the receiving end of some fight finishing force.

Rothwell vs. Mitrione is a meaningful fight. They are ranked 10th and 12th in the division, and the winner would be in a position to call out one of the bigger fishes.

Rothwell got everyone’s attention in a big way when he flattened Alistair Overeem back in the fall of 2014. Mitrione is riding a three-fight win streak that includes victories over Lewis and Jordan along with Gabriel Gonzaga.

The last time either of these brutes was involved in a fight that went to a decision was back in 2011. Hopefully their penchant for giving and receiving punishment continues; may the best man remain standing.

As for Lewis vs. Jordan, while it is not nearly as meaningful, it may offer an even higher rate of return as far as barbarity is concerned. If these two aren’t overthinking things, don’t be shocked if this fight is over within the first frame.

The Lighter Weight Fighters Should Provide Some Excitement

The main card of Fight Night 68 is top-heavy with lighter weight fighters who are usually in the mood to entertain.

Alex Caceres and Francisco Rivera both bring 10 career MMA wins into their fight, and of those 10 wins, both have seven finishes. If Rivera is beating you, it’s usually by way of TKO, while Caceres tends to prefer the submission route. Both are in need of a big win; they are coming into this bout with two-fight losing streaks.

And then there’s Yancy Medeiros vs. Dustin Poirier.

Medeiros interestingly started out his career at light heavyweight, while Poirier has spent most of his at featherweight. Meeting at lightweight, Medeiros and Poirier combined have 23 finishes in 27 career victories.

Poirier was a top-five featherweight before getting taken out by Conor McGregor. He realized the weight cut to 145 was taking too much out of him, so he moved back to lightweight where he’d experienced some success earlier in his career. Provided he gets through Medeiros this weekend, Poirier could be poised to make a run in the talent-rich 155-pound division.

Is This The End of the Road For an MMA legend?

Dan Henderson is a Hall of Famer. At 44 years old though, he’s nearing the end of his storied career. He’s lost five out of his last six bouts, and he’s had less bounce in his step each time out. Henderson was thrashed by Daniel Cormier last May, which convinced him to move back to middleweight one last time.

He didn’t have much luck in his return bout; Gegard Mousasi quickly proved he was not only the more agile and accurate fighter, but he also happened to be 15 years younger. Henderson has weathered the storm better than most men his age, but no man can shuck off the hands of time forever.

But he seems to refuse to go quietly into that good night. On one hand, you have to love the No Country For Old Men grit from a guy who has one of the most impressive resumes the sport has ever seen.

But at what point does Dana White have a conversation with him like he did with Chuck Liddell a few years back?

If Henderson gets lit up and put on his back by Tim Boetsch, it might be time for that conversation.

Boetsch is not a world-beater, but he sure as heck didn’t pick up the moniker “The Barbarian” by playing patty cake inside the cage. He put a hurting on a young and athletic Brad Tavares last August. He may have lost four of his past six fights, but he is still quite dangerous.

That said, Henderson could very well still have enough fight left in him to outgun Boetsch. It was only last year Henderson was getting carved up by Shogun Rua in their rematch before bouncing back and blasting the Brazilian. And it’s not like Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida blew him out of the water in their light heavyweight affairs back in 2013.

Perhaps Boetsch is the perfect foil for Henderson: A bear of a man who will likely go toe-to-toe with him, providing Hendo the opportunity for one more highlight-reel knockout. Or maybe Henderson will get his lights turned off, and find himself back in discussions that center on whether or not he should once and for all retire.

No matter how things play out for Henderson, the chance to see a pioneer who’s been competing professionally in mixed martial arts since Bill Clinton’s presidency is reason enough to tune in.

Add in the power-punching heavyweight tilts and the action-packed lighter-weight affairs, and UFC Fight Night 68 provides enough reason to plop down on the couch and settle in for a tasty night of fisticuffs from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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