Author: Clinton Bullock

A Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier Victory: Which One Is Best for Business? (Video)

Long-time light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will face his greatest challenge in the undefeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 182.
Jones, arguably the greatest light heavyweight champion of all time, looks to not only extend his title defense streak to eight…

Long-time light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will face his greatest challenge in the undefeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 182.

Jones, arguably the greatest light heavyweight champion of all time, looks to not only extend his title defense streak to eight, he is also set on settling the “bad blood” that has come about between he and the division’s No. 1 contender.

Both men are driven and accomplished in their own right. However, although a Cormier victory would send shock waves throughout the MMA world (especially a dominant one), given Jones’ polarizing personality, age and dominance among his peers, his triumph at UFC 182 would continue to produce great dividends for the UFC in the long run.

 

Image Issues Equal Success

Despite his dominance in the Octagon, Jones is one of the most disliked champions in the UFC today. Mainly, the champion’s opponents have accused him of being “fake.” Even recently, Cormier voiced his dissatisfaction with Jones’ disingenuous nature. Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Cormier stated:

So fake. He’s a fake individual. A fake person and I am gonna beat him up…

He is such a fake human being.

However, Jones has seemed to embrace comments that paint him in such a disparaging manner. According to Damon Martin of Fox Sports.com, the champion stated:

I just learned to let go.  When I read my comments on Twitter and Instagram, I realize I really do inspire people and touch people and people really do appreciate who I am as a martial artist.  Then when I read some of the people who leave me negative messages, it’s always so dumb.  It’s like ‘dude, you’re fake’. I’ve been hearing that I’m fake for so many years.  It’s like who cares If I’m fake?  I win fights. That’s what I’m here to do.  I’m not here to win you over with my personality.  I’m here to fight.  That’s ultimately my job.

At the end of the day, people either love Jones, or they love to hate him. Regardless, he sports almost one million Twitter followers (versus Cormier’s 159,000), which give light to his massive popularity, while his comments and actions serve as a constant hotbed of conversation in the MMA world.

 

Age, Dominance and the Foreseeable Future

Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history at 23 years old, defeating a veteran and former two-time world champion in Mauricio Rua. During his reign, Jones has gone on to claim victories over four more former world champions. With the exception of his epic battle with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, he has virtually beaten all of his other opponents with ease.

Furthermore, Jones’ age, 27, accompanied by his complete dominance over the light heavyweight division, creates excitement regarding his future. Jones has already defended the 205-pound title more than any other champion in UFC history.

At the same time, he has also expressed a great interest in staking his claim as a dominant heavyweight. Given his success at light heavyweight, there is no reason to believe that Jones would not duplicate that in a heavier weight class.

In fact, Jones believes that he is just “two wins away from a move to the heavyweight division.” According to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Jones stated:

[Cain Velasquez] (the UFC heavyweight champion) would be a hell of a fight, man. It would be a fight of my life. That’s what it’s about, though. I’ve been in one of those fights where I’m bleeding and I’m exhausted and it’s not fun to be a part of. The Gustafsson fight — [that is] not fun. I’d be willing to do that for the right champion, though, and the fans.

Cormier, on the other hand, is 35 years old. In his ascent to the No. 1 spot, DC has fought no one of great value. Cormier’s most significant opponent to date has been Dan Henderson, whom he fought at UFC 173. The stature gained from this victory, however, remains questionable. Many believe that Henderson, a former multi-time world champion, should retire. Hendo is 44 years old and is 1-4 in his last four fights.

In the UFC’s Bad Blood promo, Jones mocked Cormier’s win over Henderson. He exclaimed:

Daniel Cormier’s been asking for this fight for a long time. He beat Dan Henderson, who’s like a 60-year-old, and started talking trash to me on the mic right away. I’m going to give him what he’s wanted, and that’s an opportunity to get his butt whooped by me.

Even if Cormier ekes out a win against his seemingly toughest opponent at UFC 182, longevity in the MMA game is not on his side as he enters into his late 30s.

In the end, the UFC can continue to cash in on Jones’ ability to make headlines, his youth and dominance for years to come.

 

Jones vs. Cormier: Bad Blood Promo

Follow this featured columnist @clintonbullock

 

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CM Punk: 3 Reasons His Joining the UFC Makes No Sense

When it recently came to light that the UFC signed former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion Phil “CM Punk” Brooks to a multifight deal, the news sent shock waves throughout the world of mixed martial arts. The signing came as a s…

When it recently came to light that the UFC signed former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion Phil “CM Punk” Brooks to a multifight deal, the news sent shock waves throughout the world of mixed martial arts. The signing came as a shock to many UFC fighters and fans alike, mainly due to Brook’s lack of MMA experience. The sports world immediately responded:

Many appeared confused by the signing of Brooks, which mainly stems from the UFC’s recruitment of a scripted sports entertainer, who, at 36, boasts a professional MMA record of 0-0. Regardless of the immediate money and fans Brooks will generate, his signing weakens the UFC’s quest for legitimacy in the long run, as it strives to position itself as a mainstream brand.

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Brock Lesnar or Georges St-Pierre: Whose Return Would Benefit the UFC More?

Both Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre are respected fighters in their own right. The two are former world champions and sport a long list of impressive accolades.
However, Lesnar left mixed martial arts competition in 2011, citing his struggles with …

Both Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre are respected fighters in their own right. The two are former world champions and sport a long list of impressive accolades.

However, Lesnar left mixed martial arts competition in 2011, citing his struggles with diverticulitis. In 2013, St-Pierre vacated the welterweight title that he held for six years, stating that he needed “some time off.”

Recently, a great amount of speculation has surfaced regarding the return of both dominant athletes. Both combatants’ star power alone would benefit the UFC on varying levels.

While Lesnar’s return would make more of an immediate impact with respect to money, his age, one-dimensional fighting style and history of health issues would more than likely make it difficult for the Next Big Thing to remain competitive, and eventually may render him inactive (again) altogether.

With regard to fighting, St-Pierre possesses none of the above issues that plague Lesnar, which could potentially set him and the UFC up for big paydays over the next five years at least.

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Fabricio Werdum vs. Mark Hunt: Keys to Victory for Each Fighter

No. 1 heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum and No. 4 contender Mark Hunt will face each other at UFC 180. Hunt replaced heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who recently sustained yet another injury. Since the champion has been inactive for over a yea…

No. 1 heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum and No. 4 contender Mark Hunt will face each other at UFC 180. Hunt replaced heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who recently sustained yet another injury. Since the champion has been inactive for over a year, the winner of the main event this Saturday in Mexico City, Mexico, will secure the interim title in the meantime.

Nonetheless, the stakes for this upcoming bout remain high. UFC president Dana White recently expressed to UFC.com (h/t 5thRound.com) that Velasquez would most likely be stripped of his title if he could not return to the Octagon by March 2015:

We’re headed in that direction now. This next fight in Mexico is for the interim title. So if Cain couldn’t compete again, the winner of this fight (at UFC 180) would be seen as the champion.

Although Werdum and Hunt will battle it out for heavyweight supremacy on November 15, the two possess completely different skill sets. Werdum is a highly accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert, while Hunt is a straightforward, hard-hitting juggernaut. Their clash of styles should make for quite an interesting matchup in Mexico City. The following highlights strengths of each combatant’s skill set that could lead to possible victory.

 

Fabricio Werdum

Werdum (18-5) has won seven of his last eight fights. He is also a two-time IBJJF world jiu-jitsu champion and a two-time ADCC submission wrestling world champion. Werdum’s profound grappling background capitalizes on his opponents’ greatest weakness.

Hunt, however, has suffered major losses on the mat. The New Zealand native sports a record of 10-8, and six of his losses have come by way of submission. Leading up to UFC 179, Rafael Cordeiro, Werdum’s head coach, highlighted this weakness. Per Nancy Gay of UFC.com, he stated:

We know Fabricio has more skills on the floor, and he knows the best way to beat Mark Hunt is on the floor. But it’s hard to put this (advantage) in Fabricio’s mind, because he likes to challenge himself. He’s going to prove to the world that he’s the real champ, and he is ready for the belt. When you are ready for the belt, you fight the opponent that is put in front of you.

In the end, if the 6’4” behemoth is able to turn his matchup against Hunt into a grapple-fest, Werdum should be able to take home the interim heavyweight title with ease.

 

Mark Hunt

Hunt possesses tremendous punching power. His knockout record includes wins over Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve and Cheick Kongo, to name a few. Hunt is more than confident in his knockout ability heading into UFC 180. In fact, in a recent interview on Submission Radio, he gave little regard to his opponent’s tremendous grappling base. Per John Heinis of Bleacher Report, Hunt stated:

Everyone’s a world class ground fighter until they get punched in the face. So, that’s how I deal with all these ground fighters like everyone else. I hit ‘em in the head and there goes your f—ing black belt.

The former K-1 World Grand Prix kickboxing champion boasts a 70 percent knockout rate. Therefore, it would behoove Hunt to keep the fight standing long enough to land one of his patented knockout bombs. This may be the only, yet most effective, way he captures gold at UFC 180.

 

Strikeforce: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum

 

UFC Fight Night 52: Mark Hunt vs. Roy Nelson

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4 Champions We’d Love to See Switch Weight Classes

In the world of mixed martial arts, it is not often that superfights are brought to fruition. Champions who reign over their division often relish their superiority and find comfort and stability by remaining in their own weight class.
However, by swit…

In the world of mixed martial arts, it is not often that superfights are brought to fruition. Champions who reign over their division often relish their superiority and find comfort and stability by remaining in their own weight class.

However, by switching divisions, current UFC champions Jon Jones, Chris Weidman, Anthony Pettis and Jose Aldo would more than likely receive an immediate title shot.

Venturing into another weight class would not only allow any of the above fighters to make history by becoming champion of two divisions, it would also give way to superfights that MMA fans have long awaited. 

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UFC 179: 3 Fighters with the Most to Gain

UFC 179 will set the stage for three fighters whose victories would speak volumes. On October 25, Chad Mendes will attempt to wrest away the featherweight title for a second time from the reigning champion, Jose Aldo. He suffered his only loss to the c…

UFC 179 will set the stage for three fighters whose victories would speak volumes. On October 25, Chad Mendes will attempt to wrest away the featherweight title for a second time from the reigning champion, Jose Aldo. He suffered his only loss to the champion at UFC 142, having been viciously knocked out at the end of the first round. Mendes seeks redemption but will have to weather the storm in Aldo’s home country of Brazil.

Phil Davis, on the other hand, will give great efforts to remain relevant among the light heavyweight division’s top echelon of fighters. His stock severely fell after dropping a one-sided decision to Anthony Johnson in his previous fight, and a loss to his opponent at UFC 179 would place him completely out of title contention status.

Lastly, Beneil Dariush is making strides in the lightweight division and has his sights set on finishing his Brazilian counterpart, Diego Ferreira. If the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace in Dariush is victorious, he’ll more than likely face name lightweight opponents, such as Michael Johnson and Eddie Alvarez, in his next outing.

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