UFC 141: Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem Is Going to Disappoint

UFC 141 is just days away and excitement for the main event is growing. People are ready to see two of the biggest heavyweights on the planet clash in what’s sure to be an epic fight.At least that’s what we’re hoping for.Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overe…

UFC 141 is just days away and excitement for the main event is growing. People are ready to see two of the biggest heavyweights on the planet clash in what’s sure to be an epic fight.

At least that’s what we’re hoping for.

Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem are a classic mismatch. Two fighters who have no similarities in their fighting styles and will do everything to keep the fight in their territory.

Lesnar is going to shoot for a takedown. He’ll do it early and if he doesn’t get it, he’ll do it often.

Overeem is going to try and strike and keep the fight standing. He’ll do everything he can to stay off the mat.

And that’s why this fight is going to be a let down.

Anyone expecting great action between two these two fighters doesn’t know anything about their abilities. Neither man is going to venture into each other’s territory if they can help it.

If it goes Overeem’s way he’ll hit Lesnar early and we’ll get a replay of UFC 121.

If it goes Lesnar’s way he’ll pound Overeem into the canvas in a replay of UFC 91.

Or, if it doesn’t go well for either man, we’ll get another match where the two fighters are too intimidated by each other and fail to engage for the whole fight.

No matter how this fight turns out, it will be a disappointment. The two men who enter the Octagon will appear to be a complete mismatch one way or another.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 143: It’s Easy to Attack Georges St-Pierre When He’s Down

An ACL tear is not an injury to take lightly. Georges St. Pierre knows that now more than anyone.Doctor’s predict that it will take six to nine months for St. Pierre to heal up and get ready to reenter the Octagon and defend his title.That also gives s…

An ACL tear is not an injury to take lightly. Georges St. Pierre knows that now more than anyone.

Doctor’s predict that it will take six to nine months for St. Pierre to heal up and get ready to reenter the Octagon and defend his title.

That also gives six to nine months for the haters to hate their very hardest.

Since St. Pierre injured his knee before UFC 137 message boards have been lit up with people arguing that St. Pierre is avoiding fights or that he isn’t what he used to be. Since tearing his ACL, the message boards have been on fire.

And now he’s being attacked everywhere.

St. Pierre was recently named one of the year’s most over-hyped athletes by Lefko of Sportsnet.

There has been talk that his injuries are damaging his legacy and that he is no longer one of the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Some are claiming that he should be stripped of his title because he can’t defend it.

And he has even been called a little girl because he’s afraid of heights.

Talk about kicking a man when he’s down.

As it stands, St. Pierre is still one of the greatest fighters who ever lived and his talent and skill in the Octagon has spoken and continues to speak for itself.

People criticize him for not finishing fights. They criticize him for “playing it safe.” They criticize him for getting hurt. They criticize him for not fighting while hurt. Next, they’ll criticize him for being human.

No matter what he does, the haters will always find something to criticize. No matter how much hate they spew, they’re not fooling anyone but themselves.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 141: Do Linear Titles Matter?

To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.Such is the path of a world champion. Often times, however, champions choose to leave their organization and forfeit their title without ever actually losing. In this case, how can someone be the man, if the ma…

To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.

Such is the path of a world champion. Often times, however, champions choose to leave their organization and forfeit their title without ever actually losing. In this case, how can someone be the man, if the man has already left?

In come linear titles.

Linear titles take the concept of beating the man to the extreme, making unofficial titles that are passed on when champions, who have been stripped of their title for one reason or another, fight and lose.

In short, the title is split into the true title that remains with the organization and the linear title which follows the holder.

These titles can be passed on even when fighting outside of the original organization, but are often restricted to the title’s original weight class.

Do these unofficial linear titles matter or is all just a bunch of fluff concocted by fans as a point of debate?

Let’s take a look at some of the linear titles that have been created throughout UFC history and find out.

Begin Slideshow

Gilbert Melendez Is Not Ready for Frankie Edgar or the UFC

Last night, Gilbert Melendez had a lot on his mind. The recent deal between Strikeforce and Showtime stripped away his chances of fighting in the UFC, and the man across the cage, Jorge Masvidal, was threatening to take away not only his titl…

Last night, Gilbert Melendez had a lot on his mind. The recent deal between Strikeforce and Showtime stripped away his chances of fighting in the UFC, and the man across the cage, Jorge Masvidal, was threatening to take away not only his title but also his ranking as one of the top lightweights in the world.

Luckily, Melendez was able to keep a calm head and keep his Strikeforce lightweight title.

Unfortunately he looked far from the top-ranked lightweight he has always claimed to be.

Despite winning all five rounds on two judges’ scorecards and four on the others, Melendez didn’t look terribly impressive last night. His stand-up has shown a lot of progression as he was able to stand and trade with a skilled striker in Masvidal, but he took a lot of punishment along the way.

And Masvidal isn’t even ranked in the top 20.

Watching Melendez last night, it is clear that he is a good fighter but he is far from being one of the best in the world.

If Melendez were to transfer to the UFC right now, he’d struggle right out of the gate. The UFC’s lightweight division is incredibly deep and filled with fighters who are all within inches of fighting for UFC gold.

Not to mention most of them are starving for the title.

While he may be disappointed by the Showtime deal and being locked into Strikeforce, it may actually turn out to be in Melendez’s best interest. He is not ready for the UFC and he’s certainly not ready to fight Frankie Edgar.

In Strikeforce he’ll keep his top-ranked lightweight status without having to dive into the shark tank that is the UFC lightweight division, and he’ll get the opportunity to polish his skills a little more before he makes the inevitable jump.

It’s a consolation prize at the very least.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC: Fedor Emelianenko and 8 Fighters Who Are Getting Screwed Over

The UFC can be a fickle company. Some fighters get the royal treatment, adoration and spotlight while others are left to fend for themselves.Sometimes it’s done intentional. Other times it’s just a mater of bad luck. Occasionally it is because of poor …

The UFC can be a fickle company. Some fighters get the royal treatment, adoration and spotlight while others are left to fend for themselves.

Sometimes it’s done intentional. Other times it’s just a mater of bad luck. Occasionally it is because of poor choices.

Regardless of the reason, here are 10 fighters who have been screwed over by the UFC.

Begin Slideshow

Strikeforce Becoming New WEC by Dissolving Heavyweight Division

In December 2006, Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, purchased a small MMA promotion known as World Extreme Cagefighting or the WEC. The goal was to run two promotions simultaneously and host more events without overextending the UFC.To accomplish t…

In December 2006, Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, purchased a small MMA promotion known as World Extreme Cagefighting or the WEC. The goal was to run two promotions simultaneously and host more events without overextending the UFC.

To accomplish this goal, several changes were made.

First, the WEC was remolded to more closely resemble the UFC with identical rules and similar appearance. Then, the best fighters from the promotion were transferred to the UFC and new champions were crowned in their place. Finally, the heavyweight class was abolished and other weight classes followed until only featherweights and bantamweights were left.

Sounds awfully familiar doesn’t it?

Dana White has said time and time again that Strikeforce will remain business as usual, but has proven exactly the opposite. Their first move was to make Strikeforce follow the Unified Rules of MMA, namely allowing elbows on the mat.

Soon, Nick Diaz left Strikeforce leading to an exodus of champions including Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem and the ever-rumored Gilbert Melendez.

Now Strikeforce is dissolving the heavyweight division. Fabricio Werdum is coming back to the UFC and it’s only a matter of time until we see more heavyweights making the jump.

With the new deal on Showtime, it looks like the Dana White is keen on keeping Strikeforce around for at least a little longer. If the WEC was any indication, Strikeforce will be continually dismantled for the best talent until only a small group of fighters that are not represented in the UFC remain.

For the WEC that was featherweights and bantamweights. For Strikeforce, it’s women.

Is Dana White trying to bring women into the UFC the same way he did featherweights and bantamweights?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com