Author: By Duane Finley

Being a 7-1 underdog is no joke, except when you win. Sitting on the other side of the planet in his opponent’s home country of Brazil, UFC bantamweight Frankie Saenz literally laughed out loud when he found out he was a 7-1 underdog against Iuri Alcantara in February. A few hours later, Saenz would prove the critics wrong by earning a unanimous decision against the then-top 10 ranked Alcantara.“To be honest, I never really thought about it,” Saenz said of his underdog status. “I was on Facebook and stuff on the day of the fight, just lying around and resting, and I w … Read the Full Article Here

Overcoming adversity and simply getting by is one thing, but to do so while accelerating toward one’s goals is something else entirely. Jessica Eye is no stranger to what it feels like to be on the rougher side of life, but just as she always has, and certainly is now, “Evil” is fighting through and looking for something more.While the end result the Cleveland representative is in search of these days is far greater than what was previously sought, those elements serve as measured progress for the Team StrongStyle fighter. And her next battle is a great example of just how fa … Read the Full Article Here

No matter how hard a fighter works in the gym, or how much natural talent he possesses, the only way to acquire experience in the fight game is to step out under the bright lights and go to battle. Furthermore, there are certain times in every fighter’s quest for experience that become turning points in a fighter’s trajectory, and can be revisited as the evolutionary process continues.For Ben Saunders, that fight came back at UFC 111 in 2010. “Killa B” was coming off an impressive performance where he flexed his signature Muay Thai skills to put away veteran scrapper … Read the Full Article Here

There is a matter of fact directness when Gian Villante talks.Not to say the Long Island native isn’t a man who wastes words, because his fully charged New York style sense of humor allows him to riff when it’s needed, but the scrappy light heavyweight isn’t one to inflate anything about himself or the fight game he competes in. In Villante’s mind, when the Octagon door closes, it is going to come down to a few determining factors, all of which are very much ground in the reality of hard work invested.The history of combat sports is lined with near-mythical fighters w … Read the Full Article Here

In the life of a young fighter on the rise, there is only one phone call that matters. When it comes, and the doorway to the UFC opens up, everything up to that point becomes validated, yet there is still so much left to prove. Furthermore, the road traveled and the time spent waiting for the phone call to come can present a unique set of challenges. Patience has to be shown and progress measured, all the while operating in a space where a misstep of any variety can tear it all down.Hovering in that limbo has been known to take the fire out of some, but Andrew Holbrook knew his arrival to the … Read the Full Article Here

Just because the concept of it being difficult to get to the top and harder to stay there may sound cliché doesn’t take away from the truth involved. The highest level of mixed martial arts is one where consistency achieved is a remarkable feat, especially when it comes while competing in what is arguably the most talent-stacked weight class under the UFC banner. New Jersey native Jim Miller has been a staple in the upper echelon of the shark tank lightweight division for the past seven years, and he has no plans of going away anytime soon.“It’s pretty cool to have bee … Read the Full Article Here