Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne stand to gain a great deal from their matchup at UFC on Fox 11. On April 19, at the Amway Center in Orlando, both fighters will face off in an attempt to determine the heavyweight champion’s next opponent.
Leadin…
Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne stand to gain a great deal from their matchup at UFC on Fox 11. On April 19, at the Amway Center in Orlando, both fighters will face off in an attempt to determine the heavyweight champion’s next opponent.
Leading up to the main event, Liz Carmouche and Edson Barboza will face higher-ranking opponents who are also more accomplished in the field of mixed martial arts. Victory would translate into a major step up in their respective divisions, leaving them closer to an opportunity at a title shot themselves.
At UFC Fight Night 39, Beneil Dariush (7-0) will take on Ultimate Fighter 13 runner-up Ramsey Nijem (9-4) at the du Arena in Abu Dhabi. Both fighters are attempting to establish themselves among the lightweight division, and a victory for eit…
At UFC Fight Night 39, BeneilDariush (7-0) will take on Ultimate Fighter 13 runner-up Ramsey Nijem (9-4) at the du Arena in AbuDhabi. Both fighters are attempting to establish themselves among the lightweight division, and a victory for either combatant will move him closer to that goal.
Although Nijem possesses twice as many fights as his opponent, Dariush brings a more complete, well-rounded game to the Octagon that may lead him to victory on April 11. Unlike his first fight in the UFC, when he was presented with less than two weeks to prepare, Dariush benefited from a full training camp this time around and is more than confident in his matchup at UFC Fight Night 39.
In an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, Dariush stated, “I’m always confident, but it’s been great to have a full (training) camp.” Regarding his matchup against Nijem, the Iranian-born fighter exclaimed, “I’m going to win, because I’m more prepared (than Nijem) and trained harder. My strength lies in my mindset.”
The executive vice-president of World Series of Fighting, Ali Abdel-Aziz, appears to agree with Dariush‘s mindset, and praised the fighter via Twitter on April 9. He stated:
Dariush is an undefeated MMA fighter and world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. In that, the 24-year-old’s elite grappling and methodical stand-up game has left him the favorite heading into UFC Fight Night 39.
Grappling
Dariush is one of the most decorated grapplers in the UFC today. The upcoming talent has placed in over 50 Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions. He won the silver medal at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships as a blue, purple and brown belt. From there, he went on to become the no-gi world champion at the previously mentioned belt levels as well. As a result, his grappling was on significant display when he faced MMA veteran Charlie Brenneman at UFC Fight Night 35.
Dariush secured his opponent’s back, and locked in a rear naked choked for the win. The 24-year-old’s stardom began just as quickly as the matchup between him and Brenneman ended (one minute, 45 seconds of the first round)—in a flash.
Dariush’s grappling skills far exceed those of his opponent at UFC Fight Night 39. The most intriguing fact surrounding Nijem is that he has been submitted just twice. In that, both of those submissions came within the very first minute of the first round–58 seconds and 21 seconds, respectively.
Based on grappling alone, Nijem will more than likely face one of his greatest challenges in Dariush at UFC Fight Night 39.
The Stand-Up
Dariush’s stand-up game is technically sound. His strikes are calculated and mostly delivered on point. Right before his submission of Brenneman at UFC Fight Night 39, Dariush floored his opponent with a devastating left hook to the face. Over half of the Iranian-born fighter’s victories have come by submission. However, Dariush has set those wins up with methodical striking, putting down his opponents before submitting them.
Nijem’s two other losses have come by knockout, the last of which occurred at UFC on Fox 7 against another undefeated fighter in Myles Jury. In his breakdown of UFC Fight Night 39, Bleacher Report’s own Riley Kontek stated, “Don’t blink: Dariush could end Nijem‘s night early and violently.”
Dariush’s status as an undefeated fighter, accompanied by his spectacular UFC debut, has generated a tremendous amount of momentum as he enters UFC Fight Night 39. If the Ralph Gracie protege is able to capitalize on his sophomore effort in AbuDhabi, he’ll be one step closer to his ultimate goal of becoming the “greatest fighter” ever, at least within his division.
*All quotes were given directly to Bleacher Report, unless otherwise noted.
At UFC 139, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson faced off in one of the most epic battles in mixed martial arts history. In fact, the matchup was considered fight of the year by the UFC, and left mixed martial arts fans salivating for a…
At UFC 139, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson faced off in one of the most epic battles in mixed martial arts history. In fact, the matchup was considered fight of the year by the UFC, and left mixed martial arts fans salivating for a second matchup between the two combatants.
However, since then, neither fighter has been able to maintain a successful winning streak. Given Henderson’s age, Rua’s fluctuating win/loss record and the world titles that they have already gained in and outside the UFC, it would behoove the loser of UFC Fight Night 38 to heavily reconsider his career and perhaps even retire.
Dan Henderson
Henderson was highly touted when he came over from the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships organization in 2007. His accolades are second to none. The California native’s accomplishments include, but are not limited to:
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship
Pride Middleweight Championship
Pride Welterweight Championship
2005 Pride Welterweight Grand Prix Champion
In addition, some of Henderson’s greatest triumphs include epic wins over former world champions in Rua, Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva and perennial contender Michael Bisping.
He left the UFC in 2009, and after securing another world title in Strikeforce, he returned to the UFC in 2011. However, his reappearance in the largest MMA company in the world has been less than lackluster.
Henderson is currently riding a three-fight losing streak. During his last outing, he was viciously knocked out by Vitor Belfort at UFC Fight Night 32. Right before his loss to Belfort, the No. 8-ranked contender stated that he had no plans of retiring. According to Christopher Murphy of BJPenn.com, Henderson exclaimed:
I feel good and I know I’m able to compete with the top guys in the sport. I’m thinking it will be at least two years before I talk about retiring. “[My goal is] try to be the best guy out there, which means getting a belt or having a title shot. Those are the goals and that’s what I’m striving toward achieving.
Even with the recent banning of therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy in many jurisdictions, Henderson’s sentiment regarding retirement has remained steadfast. In a recent interview on Inside MMA (h/t MMAWeekly.com), Henderson stated:
I’m gonna focus on beating Shogun and then business as usual, go to the drawing board and figure things out after that…
…It is what it is. It’s unfortunate that it happened this way (the banning of TRT) instead of conquering the problem of all the performance-enhancing drugs. [But] I’m not done yet. I’m not retiring because of this.
Recent losses and the banning of testosterone replacement therapy aside, at 43 years old, Henderson has become a pioneer within the world of mixed martial arts and has nothing left to prove.
Notwithstanding, the former multi-world champion will be 0-4 in his last four bouts if he loses this Saturday at the Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Brazil. A defeat would also leave Henderson on par with the likes of Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, who were both forced to retire on a string of losses after an illustrious career.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Like Henderson, Rua was an accomplished MMA fighter before entering the UFC in 2007. He is the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Champion, and the Brazilian’s popularity assisted in drawing astronomical crowds during his four-year tenure in Japan. Despite his accolades, the No. 7-ranked contender has garnered inconsistent success in the UFC, beginning with his debut at UFC 76.
After a highly anticipated arrival to the UFC, on September 22, 2007, Rua was submitted by future light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin.
Overall, Rua has accumulated a record of 6-6 in his last 12 outings. He did, in fact, win the UFC light heavyweight title from Lyoto Machida at UFC 113 but quickly lost it during his first title defense against the current champion, Jon Jones.
During his time with the UFC, the Brazilian has seemingly struggled with cardio issues. Rua appeared uncharacteristically sluggish and inattentive against key opponents, such as Forrest Griffin (their first matchup), the then-44-year-old Mark Coleman, Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson and Chael Sonnen.
Leading up to his last fight against James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night 33, UFC president Dana White explicitly stated his intentions with Rua if he would have lost that bout. According to Matt Erickson of MMA Junkie, on an episode of Fox Sports Live on Fox Sports 1, White stated, “…if ‘Shogun’ loses this fight, I probably would have that (retirement) conversation with him.”
Rua went on to defeat Te Huna via knockout in the first round. However, the Brazilian’s opponent was never considered a title contender and is currently ranked No. 15 by the UFC.
All in all, at UFC Fight Night 38, in his home country of Brazil, Rua is granted the opportunity to remain relevant among the 205-pound ranks. If he loses, however, the former world champion will sport a percentage of less than .500 in his last 13 fights, which may lead to him having a “talk” with the UFC president himself.
UFC 171 is set to become one of the most significant mixed martial arts events of 2014. The pay-per-view will feature two former world champions in Carlos Condit and Jake Shields. Both are vying for the top spot in their division, and the former is fac…
UFC 171 is set to become one of the most significant mixed martial arts events of 2014. The pay-per-view will feature two former world champions in Carlos Condit and Jake Shields. Both are vying for the top spot in their division, and the former is facing a possible title shot opportunity with a victory on Saturday night.
In addition, Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez will battle to remain relevant within the lightweight division, and Johny Hendricks will see his second opportunity to capture the UFC welterweight title.
UFC 171, taking place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, will represent a defining moment in the careers of the four aforementioned fighters. A loss for any of these combatants will represent a significant step backward and hurt their chances of reasserting themselves in their respective and extremely stacked divisions.
At UFC 170, mixed martial arts fighter Sara McMann will attempt to wrest away the bantamweight title from the biggest star the Ultimate Fighting Championship has ever acquired in Ronda Rousey.
Rousey is undefeated and has beaten opponent after opponen…
At UFC 170, mixed martial arts fighter Sara McMann will attempt to wrest away the bantamweight title from the biggest star the Ultimate Fighting Championship has ever acquired in Ronda Rousey.
Rousey is undefeated and has beaten opponent after opponent with her signature armbar. At 27 years old, the Olympic judo medalist is at the top of her game and plans on retiring as the UFC’s bantamweight champion. According to Eric Holden of Examiner.com, in a 2013 MMA Junkie post, Rousey stated, “I am the best [expletive] fighter in the world, and I truly believe that…”
However, on Saturday, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Rousey will take on her greatest challenge yet in McMann. Rousey’s opponent at UFC 170 is an Olympic silver medalist herself. She is also undefeated at 7-0. Although a 10-1 underdog heading into her first championship bout, McMann’s world-class wrestling base, accompanied by Rousey’s suspect stand-up skills, may grant the North Carolina native her first world championship.
Wrestling
McMann’s elite wrestling game will more than likely come into play during her matchup against Rousey. Most of the 33-year-old’s wins have come by virtue of her ability to control her opponent on the ground. On Saturday, it would behoove McMann to place Rousey on her back and work from the champion’s guard. In this fashion, she could neutralize Rousey’s legs while implementing some ground and pound at the same time—grinding out the win, Georges St-Pierre style.
In fact, Ultimate Fighter 18 winner Julianna Pena believes that McMann’s chances of beating Rousey are high. According to Damon Martin of Fox Sports, the “Venezuelan Vixen” stated:
Wrestling beats Judo every single time. If there was a wrestler out there to do it, Sara McMann is the one to be able to put it into motion. She’s a silver medalist in the Olympics and she’s as good a wrestler as you’re going to get, and she’s as worthy a competitor and ready for this competition as anybody. If anybody stands a chance at winning, it’s Sara McMann because of her wrestling background.
However, to implement her own game plan, McMann must first avoid being judo tossed to her back and submitted soon thereafter. The latter is easier said than done, as Rousey has literally built a career off manhandling her opponents and defeating them, usually within the first round.
Boxing
McMann may, in fact, attempt to implement a strategy that no other fighter has sought to execute—out strike the champion.
For one reason or another, many fighters have chosen to grapple with Rousey, which has led to their demise. In that, adopting a LyotoMachida-esque, stick-and-move type style may throw the champion off her game. If McMann keeps herself elusive, this would force the fight to remain on its feet. A five-round slugfest would definitely represent an “out-of-the-box” matchup for Rousey, given her affinity for heavy grappling.
In addition, a stand-up battle would grant McMann the opportunity to test Rousey’s chin. The champion has rarely taken a clean shot to the face, due to her eagerness to grapple with her opponent. If McMann is able to avoid Rousey’s vicious judo takedowns and physically insist that the matchup remain standing, this would more than likely increase the challenger’s chances of securing the bantamweight title at UFC 170.
At UFC Fight Night 35, newcomer Beneil Dariush made his mark on the lightweight division by submitting MMA veteran Charlie Brenneman at one minute, 45 seconds of the very first round. Although he entered the Octagon as the underdog, the Iranian-born fi…
At UFC Fight Night 35, newcomer Beneil Dariush made his mark on the lightweight division by submitting MMA veteran Charlie Brenneman at one minute, 45 seconds of the very first round. Although he entered the Octagon as the underdog, the Iranian-born fighter made light work of “The Spaniard,” and will continue to prove his worth, as he makes his climb up the lightweight division. Dariush was so impressive in his UFC debut that UFC president Dana White sang his praises immediately after the fight.
Dariush not only entered the Octagon as an undefeated mixed martial artist, but he is also a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. The 24-year-old received his black belt in the latter practice while under the legendary Ralph Gracie brand in less than five years.
During that time, he won the silver medal at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships (aka Mundials) as a blue, purple and brown belt. He then became the no-gi world champion at those same belt levels, establishing himself as one of the most talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists in the world.
However, in 2009, Dariush embarked on a professional MMA career. He then retired from the sport of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, opting not to compete in the Mundials as a black belt. In an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, Dariush stated the difficulties of having to retire from a sport that has cultivated his fighting style and led him on a successful journey in MMA. He stated:
I retired (from Brazilian jiu-jitsu) to focus solely on MMA…Most people either spend doing the whole year MMA, or they spend the whole year doing jiu-jitsu…It was really difficult for me. It was one of those things that was really breaking me down, because I wanted to do both, but I realized I was never going to achieve greatness in both if I kept doing that. So, I had to pick one. It was one of the hardest choices of my life.
Consequently, Dariush’s choice to leave Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition and work for the largest mixed martial arts company in the world has paid immediate dividends. Leading up to his spectacular performance at UFC Fight Night 35, the jiu-jitsu ace signed a four-fight deal with the UFC.
Dariush was not injured in his fight against Brenneman and stated that, ideally, he’d like to fight four more times this year. Having competed in more than 50 Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments, accompanied by his 7-0 record in MMA, when asked about the origin of his passion for the art of fighting, he exclaimed:
I realized that there’s nothing more enjoyable to me than this. One of the things I enjoyed was improving. I kind of want to see what the world looks like as the greatest fighter. When I’m the greatest fighter, that’ll be when I’m satisfied.
At the same time, the lightweight division is laden with talent and sports some of MMA’s most talented fighters. The 155-pound ranks consist of UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson (No. 1), former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (No. 2), Ultimate Fighter 5 winner Nate Diaz (No. 5) and Donald Cerrone (No. 8), respectively.
Nevertheless, Dariush made it clear that the depth of the lightweight division is of no consequence and that his desire to achieve immeasurable heights within the sport remain unparalleled. He stated:
When it comes to martial arts, I always feel hungry…Staying hungry and never being satisfied is how you always improve…If you’re in the UFC, your goal should be to become champion…Just because you have the belt doesn’t mean that you achieve greatness. I want to be remembered in the sport as the greatest fighter of all time…My goal is greatness.
Dariush has established a track record of achieving tremendous feats, and plans on becoming a force to be reckoned with as he moves up the UFC’s heavily-stacked lightweight division.
(Beneil Dariush Defeats Gilberto dos Santos via TKO at High Fight Rock 2 on his way to the UFC)
*All quotes were given directly to Bleacher Report, unless otherwise noted.
At UFC Fight Night 39,