Author: Clinton Bullock

Junior Dos Santos’ Love of His Boxing Will Be His Downfall Against Velasquez

On May 25, 2013, at UFC 160, former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos fought MMA veteran and former K-1 kickboxing champion Mark Hunt.The bout ended in destructive fashion, with dos Santos delivering a spinning heel kick to the head of Hunt. T…

On May 25, 2013, at UFC 160, former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos fought MMA veteran and former K-1 kickboxing champion Mark Hunt.

The bout ended in destructive fashion, with dos Santos delivering a spinning heel kick to the head of Hunt. The New Zealander fell, and the former champion quickly followed up with a straight right to the face.

The blow rendered Hunt unconscious, ending the bout at four minutes, 18 seconds of the third round. Dos Santos’ win also secured him a rubber match against the man who took his heavyweight title at UFC 155, Cain Velasquez.

 

Velasquez/dos Santos II

Dec. 29, 2012 saw the complete annihilation of a prime dos Santos. When dos Santos faced Velasquez at UFC 155, he was completely outclassed and outfought. Velasquez/dos Santos II sported one of the most prolonged, one-sided beatings in UFC history.

For five rounds, Velasquez varied his game, and constantly pressured the Brazilian with swift strikes and even quicker takedowns. Through much of the fight, dos Santos appeared flat-footed and bewildered by Velasquez’s intense cardio and strike/takedown combinations.

In that, at UFC 155, Dos Santos lost a lopsided decision (50-45, 50-43, 50-44), and left the octagon badly beaten and beltless. Velasquez/dos Santos II set the stage for and gave tremendous insight to their third meeting later on this year. 

 

Dos Santos’ One-Dimensional Issues

Dos Santos’ demise at UFC 155 directly relates to his one-dimensional style of fighting. Dos Santos’ entire career has been predicated upon his great boxing talent. He is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the heavyweight division.

The heavy-handed Brazilian has amassed a 75 percent knockout rate, and is able to end a bout at any given moment. He even knocked out a then-undefeated heavyweight champion in Cain Velasquez in just 64 seconds at UFC on Fox 1.

Given Velasquez’s dominance of dos Santos at UFC 155, however, many believe that the Brazilian’s victory over Velasquez in their first meeting may have been a fluke.

Leading up to his fight against Hunt, dos Santos gave light to his own one-dimensional fighting style. While appearing on MMAJunkie.com Radio, the former UFC champion stated, “I was trying to fight standing all the time, but it’s MMA and you have to use Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. So now, it’s more clear to me. I have to use all my skills to win the fights, especially when you’re fighting against someone like Cain Velasquez.”

 

Dos Santos’ Untapped Talent

Dos Santos is not only a great striker, he is also a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt. Yet, only one of wins has come by way of submission. At UFC 160, given Hunt’s takedown and submission defense issues, many thought that dos Santos would exploit these deficiencies and use them to his advantage.

Regarding dos Santos’ game plan heading into UFC 160, Jordy McElroy of Bleacher Report stated:

“Junior dos Santos won’t be looking to stand and bang when he steps into the Octagon against Mark Hunt at UFC 160. He understands that a one-dimensional approach will no longer cut it if he ever hopes to compete with well-rounded studs like Velasquez and Daniel Cormier.”

However, dos Santos only took down his opponent once during their bout and dominated him on the ground with ease until Hunt was able to rise to his feet. The Brazilian then abandoned that successful game plan and chose to box with Hunt for the remainder of their match-up. This paid dividends in the end, however, as Hunt succumbed to his third major issue—cardio.

 

Velasquez/dos Santos III

Velasquez is a completely different fighter than Hunt, and he doesn’t possess the deficiencies in his game that plague his heavyweight counterpart. Like dos Santos, an overwhelming majority of the champion’s wins have come by way of knockout.

However, unlike dos Santos, Velasquez’s wrestling dictates the pace of all his fights. This, accompanied by his speed, intense cardio and constant pressure create immense problems for any fighter, particularly those of the one-dimensional kind.     

More than at UFC 160, dos Santos’ game will need to be more varied and complete when he faces Velasquez for the third time.

In the world of MMA, a fighter must be skilled in a multitude of disciplines to maintain success for long periods of time—even more so to become and remain champion.

For dos Santos, a game plan beyond mere striking will have to be implemented if the former champion expects to recapture the heavyweight title and win the trilogy between him and Velasquez.

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The Jury Is Still out on UFC’s Glover Teixeira

On May 25, 2013, UFC light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira made quick work of James Te Huna at UFC 160. The Brazilian earned Submission of the Night honors by placing his opponent in a tight guillotine choke just two minutes, 38 seconds into the …

On May 25, 2013, UFC light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira made quick work of James Te Huna at UFC 160. The Brazilian earned Submission of the Night honors by placing his opponent in a tight guillotine choke just two minutes, 38 seconds into the first round.

However, although he’s making a name for himself among the 205-pound ranks, and despite the massive hype that shrouds the Brazilian, it still may be too soon to label Teixeira a legitimate threat to Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title.

 

Teixeira’s Lack of Quality Opponents

A great amount of buzz started to surround Teixeira following Dana White’s comments on June 8, 2012. During the UFC on FX 3 post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani , the UFC president exclaimed that MMA legend Mauricio “Shogun” Rua would have preferred a release from the UFC rather than fight his Brazilian counterpart

White stated (via MMA Fighting): “Dude, nobody wants to fight this guy (Teixeira). We’re trying to match the guy up with somebody, but he (Rua) didn’t mind fighting Brandon Vera, so he’s fighting Brandon Vera.”

While Teixeira would have jumped at the opportunity to place Rua on his list of defeated foes,
in the Brazilian’s four fights within the UFC, he has only fought one top-10 opponent in Quinton Jackson.

For two combatants who prefer the stand-up game more than anything else, their bout at UFC on Fox 6 was uneventful, slow and sloppy. However, Teixeira garnered the win via decision and went on to fight a non-top-10-ranked contender in Te Huna at UFC 160.

Teixeira’s last four UFC wins were against three light heavyweight contenders who were not ranked in the top 10, and one who barely made the list (Jackson). Also, the UFC’s current ranking of Teixeira as the No. 4 contender in the light heavyweight division appears to be quite questionable and promotes a fighter whose resume of nameless fighters reflects more hype than substance.      

 

Believer of His Own Buzz

Having barely fought anyone in the top 10 of the light heavyweight division, immediately after his win at UFC 160 against Te Huna, Teixeira declared to Fox Sports his willingness to fight Jones. 

“Hey, if they (UFC) have any problem, I’m here. Whatever they do, I’ll be happy to get in the Octagon again as soon as possible if they need someone. If they have trouble finding an opponent for Jon Jones, I’m here.”

Teixeira’s eagerness to fight for a world title is understandable. The Brazilian is 33 years old, and future title shots may be harder to come by. However, setting aside the hype and digesting the facts surrounding the juggernaut that is the light heavyweight champion should humble any fighter.

With one more win, Jon Jones will be deemed, at least statistically, the greatest light heavyweight fighter the UFC, and perhaps the world of MMA, has ever seen. For the most part, Jones wins his bouts in devastating fashion, sports an 83 percent finish rate and has beaten five former world champions in the process. He’s the youngest UFC champion, and only appears to improve with each fight.

Jones is on the verge of clearing out the light heavyweight division, leaving only superfights and/or a shift to the heavyweight division. On the other hand, Teixeira sports an outstanding record (21-2) and is undefeated within the UFC. However, he lacks the quality of opponents who would prime the Brazilian for someone like Jones.

In the end, the buzz surrounding Teixeira will more than likely secure him a title shot.

At the same time, the UFC light heavyweight champion, Jones, has been known to defuse the hype surrounding any man. This includes those with more limelight exposure and UFC experience than Teixeira—a la former light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Rua, Jackson and, of course, perennial gatekeeper Chael Sonnen.

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UFC Champion Jon Jones: The Early Favorite for 2013’s Fighter of the Year

There are a plethora UFC fighters who have had stand-out performances during the first half of 2013. Some of these combatants include Urijah Faber, Mark Hunt, Wanderlei Silva and UFC Bantamweight champion Rhonda Rousey.However, taking into account curr…

There are a plethora UFC fighters who have had stand-out performances during the first half of 2013. Some of these combatants include Urijah Faber, Mark Hunt, Wanderlei Silva and UFC Bantamweight champion Rhonda Rousey.

However, taking into account current champions, their dominance and reign over their respective divisions, the only individual who fits this mold is the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.

(Disclaimer: Since Anderson Silva, the undisputed, longest-reigning champion in UFC history will not fight during the first half of this year, he could not be considered as an early 2013 favorite).  

Since becoming the youngest world champion in the UFC two years ago at age 23, Jones has handled all fighters—even former world champions—with ease. His 6’4” stature, in conjunction with his 84.5-inch reach, grants him a significant advantage over all his opponents. The New York native generally utilizes this length to keep his opponents at the end of his strikes.

At the same time, Jones’ ground game is unparalleled. A takedown by Jones usually results in a submission or technical knockout by strikes. His amateur wrestling background appears to have parlayed well into the world of mixed martial arts. Jones has even used this strength to win bouts against other, more accomplished wrestlers such as Matt Hamill, Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen.

On April 27, 2013, at UFC 159, Jones fought Sonnen in a bout that tested the champions’ will and ability to remain calm under pressure. The Oregon native closed the distance and rushed Jones at the beginning of the first round, throwing punch after punch. Many of the punches landed, as Jones attempted to control the damage by clinching.

Unwilling to abandon his game plan under duress, the champion eventually secured a couple of takedowns. The last one resulted in Sonnen being placed on his back, and being cut by one of Jones’ elbows in the process. After not responding to several blows, the bout was stopped.

Jones had retained his title once again.

It was later revealed that upon taking Sonnen down, Jones had broken his big toe on his left foot. Regarding his broken toe, at the UFC 159 post-fight conference, the champion stated:

“My coaches wouldn’t have allowed me to give up like that. I can’t sit here and allow myself to sit out, because of a twisted toe. My coaches would’ve allowed that either. So I’m sure one of them would have tried to snag another to straighten it out and send me back out there.”

However, the bout wouldn’t have continued into the second round had Sonnen survived the 27 seconds left in the first round. According to UFC President Dana White, “the doctor would have stopped the fight,” and the Oregon native would have then wrested away the title from Jones on a technicality.

Jones’ ability to produce highlight finish reels (he sports an 83 percent finish rate) and perform well during high-profile matches separates him from many of his fellow UFC comrades.

In addition to his resiliency, the champion has never been taken down in the UFC. This statistic speaks volumes when considering the amount of elite wrestlers in the light heavyweight division.

Respecting the champion’s takedown defense to the highest degree, Sonnen, a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, never once shot for a takedown against Jones at UFC 159. The “American Gangster” is known for grinding out wins by placing his opponents on their back and churning out a decision.

However, Sonnen was consistently taken down by the light heavyweight champion and eventually kept there for the win.

Aside from retaining his title, beating a high-level wrestler with a broken toe, keeping his takedown defense at 100 percent and adding another win to his illustrious career, the Jones/Sonnen bout was significant in that it placed Jones at the threshold of becoming the greatest UFC Light Heavyweight champion ever.

Regarding the latter title, after his bout with Sonnen, Jones stated:

“I know a lot of people don’t like when someone aspire[s] to be the greatest at something. Maybe it sounds arrogant, but I owe it to myself. Aspiring to the greatest is something that I owe to myself, and that’s what I want to be is the greatest, and I believe that’s what will happen eventually.”

At UFC 159, by successfully defending his title against Sonnen, Jones tied former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz’s record for most consecutive title defenses. At the moment, he is considered one of the best UFC Light Heavyweight champions to ever compete in the octagon.

Just one more successful title defense later this year will deem him, at least statistically, the greatest, most complete light heavyweight champion of all-time.   

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