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Glover Teixeira Remains Undeserving of Title Shot, Even with Win over Ryan Bader

On Wednesday September 4, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 28, light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira will face a game opponent in Ryan Bader.
Since his UFC debut, Teixeira has been highly touted and a force to be reckoned with. He is on a 19-fight winnin…

On Wednesday September 4, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 28, light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira will face a game opponent in Ryan Bader.

Since his UFC debut, Teixeira has been highly touted and a force to be reckoned with. He is on a 19-fight winning streak. Therefore, despite having barely fought any name opponents, many, including Teixeira, believe that he is more than prepared to take on the current light heavyweight phenom and champion Jon Jones.

Irrespective of the Brazilian’s astonishing win streak, Teixeira has only fought one opponent of some significance in Quinton Jackson. The Memphis native, who barely made the UFC’s top-10 list at the time, lost to Teixeira via decision in a slow, lackluster bout that was far from entertaining at UFC on Fox 6.

Since his matchup against Jackson, Teixeira has not fought one top-10 opponent. However, he is currently ranked No. 3 by the UFC and has adamantly voiced his desire to challenge the light heavyweight champion for the title. In an interview with Ariel Helwani in 2012, Teixeira stated:

Listen man, I train so hard and I have to believe in myself right? People [are] already saying I [can] challenge Jon Jones…

…Many people that fight in the UFC want to challenge the champion…

…If they put me in a fight with Jon Jones right now, I’ll get the title.

Since that interview, Teixeira has gained an incredible amount of momentum. Provided he puts on a grand performance against Bader at UFC Fight Night 28, a fight between the Brazilian and Jones may be on the horizon.

In fact, the UFC managing director of international development, Marshall Zelaznik, proclaimed as much during the UFC 163 post-fight press conference. He stated: “Dana [White] and Joe [Silva] have confirmed that with a strong victory by Glover, he probably gets the winner of the Jon Jones fight. So, Glover’s got an opportunity to go for that belt with a big win.”

On September 4, Teixeira will be facing a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler who is coming off a respectable win over another MMA veteran in Vladimir Matyushenko. Bader is not currently ranked by the UFC, and a win over his Brazilian counterpart would be of great significance. A devastating loss on his part would more than likely push Bader farther away from the UFC’s top-10, and have Teixeira face Jones for the title.

In the end, however, Teixeira became the No. 3 ranked light heavyweight in the world by defeating no one of significance—except for an unmotivated “Rampage” Jackson, who was on his way out of the UFC at the time of their meeting.

The Brazilian’s questionable ranking, accompanied by his projected win over yet another non-ranked contender in Bader, does not legitimize a title shot and weakens the credibility of the greatest mixed martial arts organization in the world.

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Which Fights Make Sense for Chael Sonnen and the UFC?

On August 17, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 26, Chael Sonnen competed at light heavyweight and submitted Mauricio “Shogun” Rua via guillotine choke. The win has presented Sonnen with a plethora of options. He could transition to a new phase of his career and remain a permanent fixture of the 205-pound division. Sonnen’s other option would be to return to the middleweight division—the one in which he has gained the most fame.

At 36 years old, however, it would behoove the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler to finish his career at middleweight. Following his dramatic and much-needed victory over Rua, some of mixed martial arts’ biggest names expressed interest in fighting the “American Gangster,” including Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.

Sonnen’s options at middleweight far outweigh those at light heavyweight. The former grants Sonnen the opportunity to capitalize off certain fights and possibly contend for another championship title.

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3 Improvements Chael Sonnen Needs to Make to Defeat Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua

On Saturday, August 17, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 26, Chael Sonnen will face former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Irrespective of the outcome, Sonnen is set to return to the middleweight division thereafter. However, a wi…

On Saturday, August 17, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 26, Chael Sonnen will face former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Irrespective of the outcome, Sonnen is set to return to the middleweight division thereafter. However, a win over a name opponent in Rua would raise the Oregon native’s stock and snap his two-fight losing streak.

Nevertheless, deficiencies in Sonnen’s game have sabotaged his last four championship outings. Throughout the former NCAA Division I wrestler’s career, his shortcomings with respect to striking and submission defense have been repeatedly exposed. Sonnen’s inability to enhance his game in these areas has led other mixed martial artists to question the “American Gangster’s” heart.

Unfortunately for Sonnen, his weaknesses play to his opponent’s strengths. Rua is a world-class striker, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and is renowned for his heart and in-Octagon wars. At UFC Fight Night 26, major adjustments need to be made to Sonnen’s game in order to defeat his opponent and former two-time world champion in Rua.

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Three Fights Most Likely to Get Wanderlei Silva Back in the Title Hunt

UFC veteran Wanderlei Silva (35-12) is in the twilight of a remarkable 17-year mixed martial arts career.
“The Axe Murderer” has fought the best in the world, including incredible battles with the likes of Brian Stann, Rich Franklin, Cung L…

UFC veteran Wanderlei Silva (35-12) is in the twilight of a remarkable 17-year mixed martial arts career.

“The Axe Murderer” has fought the best in the world, including incredible battles with the likes of Brian Stann, Rich Franklin, Cung Le, Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Mirko Filipovic, Mark Hunt, Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort.

Considering these MMA wars, and the barrage of devastating knockouts he’s suffered, many have speculated that the Brazilian should retire.

According to the UFC, Silva is not a current top-10 ranked combatant. However, the Brazilian’s popularity in the world of MMA is profound, with his fame stemming from his time as world champion in Japan. Regarding retirement, Silva’s recent destruction of a highly-respected Brian Stann at UFC on Fuel TV 8 all but postponed these talks.

At 37 years old, Silva still possesses tremendous knockout power and is a force with which to be reckoned. It is more than feasible for Silva to regain his standing among the middleweight’s elite fighters.

A victory over key combatants within the 185-pound division could have the former Pride middleweight champion fight for a world title one last time.

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3 Reasons Jon Jones Will Surpass Anderson Silva as the Greatest of All-Time

On July 6, 2013, at UFC 162, newly crowned middleweight champion Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva. In doing so, the New York native all but ruined a possible super fight between Silva and the current light heavyweight king, Jon Jones.
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Previous to UFC 162, however, Silva was the company’s longest reigning champion, holding the middleweight title for seven years. Despite his devastating loss to Weidman, many still consider the Brazilian to be the greatest mixed martial artist to ever grace the Octagon.

Silva’s loss at UFC 162 took nothing away from his legacy. His accomplishments and feats are testaments to the man who made winning look easy for nearly a decade. His ability to make other professional fighters appear amateurish in the Octagon was astounding. In that, he has undoubtedly staked his claim as a future UFC hall of famer.

However, due to time, Jones’ anticipated move to the heavyweight division and Silva’s admission of his inability to defeat the current light heavyweight champion, it is more than evident that Jones will one day surpass Silva as the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time.

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Frankie Edgar Has the Most to Lose at UFC 162

On July 6, 2013, at UFC 162, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will face off against a game opponent in Charles Oliveira (16-3). Now, as the No. 3 featherweight in the world, Edgar (15-4) will attempt to return to his winning ways by defeat…

Oliveira, although not ranked by the UFC, poses a significant threat to Edgar.

If Oliveira is successful at UFC 162, he will most likely earn himself a spot as a top-10 contender and extend Edgar’s losing streak to four in a row. If Edgar continues his losing ways, the one-time lightweight champion may find himself working for another organization following UFC 162.

Edgar’s Obstacle

Edgar, famous for his heart and ability to win against larger opponents, understands the obstacle that he faces at UFC 162. Oliveira is tall for his division (5’10”), and his strikes are precise and quick. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist. He sports three Submission of the Night awards and boasts nine submissions to his credit.

Regarding the complex fighter that is Oliveira, Edgar recently stated to the UFC (via MMA Weekly):

He’s tough. He’s dangerous. Probably the tallest guy I may have ever fought. He’s got pretty good Muay Thai. He mixes it up well with kicks, knees, elbows. He’s got a slick submission game. He’s willing to go from (sic) broke to go for submissions.

However, Edgar is also renowned for his takedown defense. He has never been submitted in his professional career. To that, in his interview with the UFC, the New Jersey native continued:

For him to be able to take the fight to the ground, he has to be able to take me down. As long as I can defend takedowns pretty well, I can keep the fight standing or I can end up on top.

Heading into UFC 162, Edgar is a heavy favorite. Along with never having been submitted in a single bout, he has also never been knocked out. Edgar’s four losses were hard-fought wars, two of which earned Fight of the Night honors.

A Must-Win for Edgar

Despite Edgar’s fighting warrior spirit, the New Jersey native has lost all of his last three fights. His losses, accompanied by also having fought and lost to the division’s featherweight king, Jose Aldo, make his matchup against Oliveira all the more significant.

Therefore, at UFC 162, a win for Edgar is a must. A fourth straight loss would drop Edgar down the featherweight totem pole, destroy his championship title hopes and leave him vulnerable to being released by the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world—the UFC.

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