We are just a few weeks away from UFC 140, where Jon Jones will take on Lyoto Machida to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship for a second time. This match up is a very interesting one. While Jones is explosive and flashy, Machida is rese…
We are just a few weeks away from UFC 140, where Jon Jones will take on Lyoto Machida to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship for a second time.
This match up is a very interesting one. While Jones is explosive and flashy, Machida is reserved and elusive. Machida’s style is a difficult style to figure out, and for this camp he has brought in former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “King” Mo Lawal.
Mo is an outstanding wrestler, has much-improved striking and is a great person to add to Machida’s camp for this fight.
Machida has added 20 pounds of muscle, and physically looks totally different. A photo was released once Lawal had arrived in Brazil, and Machida looks bigger. You can view the photo by clicking here.
In Machida’s last fight, he scored a fantastic knockout over MMA legend Randy Couture at UFC 129, and afterwards had a little disagreement with the UFC, and while originally expected to face Phil Davis, will now face the champion due to Rashad Evans being injured.
It is not fair to count a fighter out before their fight has even taken place, and this is a fight that appears is being overlooked, even though it is truly a tough stylistic match up for Jones.
This is a huge opportunity for Machida. This is a fight where he cannot afford any errors. If he is going to win this fight, he must keep his distance, and choose his moves wisely.
Jones hasn’t been tested in very deep water’s yet, and he was possibly gassed in the Shogun fight. If Machida can fight his fight, then he has a better chance of winning than many spectators are giving him.
At The Ultimate Fighter season 14 finale, coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller will meet in a middleweight bout that will put the winner in the top five of contenders in the division. Michael Bisping won the Ultimate Fighter season three as a …
At The Ultimate Fighter season 14 finale, coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller will meet in a middleweight bout that will put the winner in the top five of contenders in the division.
Michael Bisping won the Ultimate Fighter season three as a light heavyweight, and has put up an 11-3 record in the UFC, 7-2 as a middleweight. He is currently on a three-fight winning streak, and is just floating around the title picture. A win here would truly put him in the discussion.
Bisping is a patient fighter and is very good at picking his shots. Over the years, his wrestling has improved greatly. In his fight with Miller, his ground game as a whole will truly be tested.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller has not competed in over a year, and hasn’t competed in the UFC in over six years. Miller has trained all over, but his main base is at the Reign Training Center, as well as Kings MMA. Those two gyms are known for cross-training together.
Miller is an excellent grappler, and was technically the second man to ever submit MMA Legend Kazushi Sakuraba. Miller’s ground game is legit, and he has the clear advantage in this area.
On their feet, Bisping is the better striker, based on the fact of what people have seen, due to Miller taking most fights to the ground.
Miller is not an easy guy to finish, and his skill set is actually a bad matchup for Bisping. Not fighting for over a year, and training with excellent strikers and striking coaches means that Miller’s stand-up will be no joke.
One thing is for sure: Both men are very intelligent fighters and know the game well.
To call a winner in this fight, you just have to favor Miller. He has a wonderful ground game, and on his feet, he will be able to set up takedowns with his striking.
This is MMA, and anything can happen, but one thing is guaranteed: Jason Miller will have the better of the two entrances.
Saturday night, the UFC will have its first ever network televised fight when Junior Dos Santos challenges Cain Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Championship of the World. These two men are two of the hardest-hitting men on the planet, and there is a …
Saturday night, the UFC will have its first ever network televised fight when Junior Dos Santos challenges Cain Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Championship of the World. These two men are two of the hardest-hitting men on the planet, and there is a good chance this fight will not go to the judges.
The challenger, Junior Dos Santos, has been nothing but dominate since bursting onto the scene. He defeated Fabricio Werdum in his UFC debut, and six wins later, he is finally getting his shot at UFC gold.
Junior Dos Santos was originally slated to face-off against Brock Lesnar in a title eliminator bout, but Lesnar was forced off of the card due to diverticulitus. Once Brock was announced off of the card, the UFC pulled Shane Carwin from his fight with Jon Einemo to face Dos Santos in the main event.
Junior dominated Carwin all three rounds and both men showed that they had very solid chins. Junior showed improvement in his wrestling, which is a must if he wants to defeat Velasquez, and now Saturday night, he will be given his chance to shine.
Current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez is a big question mark going into his first title defense against Junior Dos Santos. He has been out of action for over a year due to shoulder surgery, and post-surgery the recovery process didn’t go so well at first.
Cain needs to stick to his strengths in this fight: wrestling and cardio. If he controls the pace, then at the end of the night, his hand should be raised.
That being said, there are two men who will be fighting at the end of December at UFC 141 to see who will face the winner of the UFC on FOX main event.
Brock Lesnar will be returning after having a foot of his colon removed due to diverticulitus, and he will be welcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion and the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Alistair Overeem to the UFC.
Both men are monsters and weigh in at over a combined 500 lbs. Brock is the wrestler while Overeem is the striker, but he has a solid submission game as well.
This fight is a big fight, and it is hard to call a legit winner in this, because where one man is weak, the other is strong in terms of skill. This fight is definitely one to keep your eyes on.
Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, does either man have a chance to truly dethrone the winner of Velasquez and Dos Santos?
For Lesnar, he poses threats to both men with his size, strength and speed. His wrestling is more of a threat to Dos Santos, but his power and speed is a problem for both men. Everyone saw the first fight between Lesnar and Velasquez, and maybe a rematch would be the same result, or maybe it will be a continuation of what occurred before Lesnar tripped across the cage and was met with punches when he regained his balance and was soon after finished. In MMA, anything is possible, and in this case, Brock could defeat both men, but both men could defeat Brock as well.
Overeem is more of a threat to Dos Santos than he is to Velasquez. The reason is because Velasquez has wonderful cardio, and wrestling. Overeem lacks in the cardio department, and over the years his chin has been heavily questioned, which is where his downfall would be with Dos Santos, that is if Dos Santos landed first. While fighting Werdum, yes, Overeem may have been injured, but the way he fought due to fear of being taken down really makes things interesting when you imagine him facing a wrestler. In all actuality, Overeem has a striker’s chance against both men, but his best chance is definitely against Dos Santos.
Anyone in the world can predict the outcome of a fight, the good thing is that in MMA, you have to expect the unexpected. Of these four men, it is hard to say which one will come out on top, but no matter who it is, expect some exciting action. Velasquez, Dos Santos, Lesnar and Overeem. Those names are one thing, but when you add in Mir, Noguiera and the possibilities of Barnett and Cormier, it is almost impossible to not be excited for the future of the Heavyweight division.
Many fans often over look Nick Diaz. He is easily in the top five of the most hated-on fighters in MMA. In most cases his talents are overlooked, and he is constantly judged by past actions. Nick is a very gifted and well rounded fighter, and at U…
Many fans often over look Nick Diaz. He is easily in the top five of the most hated-on fighters in MMA. In most cases his talents are overlooked, and he is constantly judged by past actions.
Nick is a very gifted and well rounded fighter, and at UFC 137 he will have the biggest fight of his career when he faces one of his favorite fighters , BJ Penn.
BJ Penn is one of the most well known and dangerous fighters in MMA history. He has fought in multiple weight classes, and has been champion in two of them. He has beat some of the greatest fighters in the world, but the last couple of years, he has had some odd luck.
In his last five fights, BJ has posted a 2-2-1 record. In that span he had fought at both lightweight, and welterweight.
This fight with Nick Diaz should be an absolute war. Nick always starts with a fast pace, and what is usually a problem for opponents is the fact that Nick doesn’t slow down. BJ has had his troubles with cardio when fighting at welterweight, but for this fight he is training heavily is this area.
The mental aspect is where Nick Diaz is strongest, and BJ Penn is weakest. Nick is always able to get into his opponents minds, as he taunts them throughout the fight. Once a fighter get’s in BJ’s mind, and he starts to wear down, that is when BJ is at his weakest.
Nick’s striking is often overlooked, and many say that he has no punching power, even though most of his victories come by way of KO, or TKO.
When it boils down to the fight, you have to match each other up properly.
Cardio- Nick Diaz is a triathlete, and this is his area of strength. No matter how hard a fighter works on cardio, it is rare to see someone with greater than or equal to cardio to Diaz.
Mentality- Once again, this is an area of strength for Diaz. His ability to taunt his opponents and take control of fights is amazing. He throws his arms up, starts saying obscenities and from that moment on, it is his fight.
Striking- This is a hard one to call. Diaz has a weird striking style, but it is very effective. He is very accurate with his punches, which softens his opponents up leading to the kill. BJ is a well-rounded striker. He is great at mixing it up, and once he unleashes, he is extremely dangerous. In this area, both men are fairly even, and on paper it would go to Diaz, but in technicality it goes to Penn.
Wrestling- Many will instantly give this to BJ, but in all actuality this is a head-scratcher. Nick hasn’t faced a wrestler in a long time, but when he did it was literally impossible to pin him on the ground. Nick likes to be on his back, so maybe it isn’t that his take down defense is weak, but that he wants to go there. That being said, just by what has been seen, BJ has the better wrestling.
BJJ- Both men are wonderful here. To say one is better than the other is not logical. Neither man has ever been submitted, and it would take something freaky for one of these two men to lock up a submission.
Heart- This is where you are tested. This is when a fighter is pushed to his or her limit and is either able to weather the storm or give up. This area is all Diaz. Being 14-1 and 1 NC (the NC was originally a beautiful gogoplata victory), Nick showed his heart and dedication by defeating fighters where they are best at.
His best example was in the Daley fight, where he was rocked and came back to get the finish. Once Penn is in trouble, his track record has shown that he has given up literally. BJ may be one of the all time greats, but his heart has been questioned many times, and a lot of that could have something to do with his cardio when fighting at welterweight.
Expect this fight to start out fast. Both men going for it all. There would be no surprise is BJ went for a take down, but that being said both may respect each other’s ground games so much that it could stay on the feet, and see who is truly the better striker. If BJ’s cardio isn’t 100 percent then Nick Diaz will finish him. Nick will not stop until he gets the job done. If Penn plays it smart and tries to wrestle with Nick, then BJ could pull out the win.
A quick prediction: Fast start with both feeling each other out in the first. Midway through the second, Penn will begin to tire and become frustrated, giving Nick the chance to close in and capitalize, leading to a second round TKO victory.
Nick Diaz, love him or hate him, this weekend will show the world who he really is.
Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar are a rare “match made in heaven” when it comes to MMA. Both men are primarily wrestlers, but have developed solid striking and grappling to add to their arsenals. At UFC 125 in January, these men put on what will mo…
Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar are a rare “match made in heaven” when it comes to MMA. Both men are primarily wrestlers, but have developed solid striking and grappling to add to their arsenals.
At UFC 125 in January, these men put on what will most likely become fight of the year for 2011.
Round 1 of that fight was one of the worst overall beatdowns in which an opponent wasn’t finished in MMA history. What made that first down special was the fact that Frankie came back and ended up winning the second round.
The fight ended in a draw, and raised questions about Anthony Pettis getting a UFC title shot. Later that night Dana White announced that there would indeed be a rematch, and that has led to where we are today.
Injuries arose, so the fight was postponed, and now both men are healthy and ready to go.
This fight has the potential to be just as exciting as the last fight, but with both men playing it smart and doing whatever it takes to not make a mistake.
Maynard proved last fight that his wrestling translated to MMA has improved. Edgar also proved that he may have the biggest heart in the sport today. From this fight, there are many “what ifs” that have occurred.
What if Maynard would’ve paced himself, and didn’t almost gas after the first round?
That is the main question, and lucky for the fans and Maynard, we all may see Gray pace himself and become the new UFC Lightweight Champion of the World.
On paper, Frankie Edgar is the favorite. Maynard dominated the first fight with his wrestling from start to finish. The second, Gray won only two of the five rounds, but the first round was by a score of 10-8.
Who truly has the advantage?
Taking away belts and putting each other side by side, a lot of people say that Edgar will reign supreme, but is that true?
The speed advantage goes to Edgar. While overall Maynard may be the better wrestler, the speed of Edgar truly balances that out.
When it comes to size and power, it is all Gray Maynard. That being said, once again, the speed of Frankie Edgar really makes things difficult. The last fight proved that if Maynard connects, that it can be bad for Edgar.
Mentally, Edgar takes it here. In the last fight, 90 percent of fighters would’ve given up, but Edgar did not let that get to him, and he prevailed.
When it comes down to the gas tank, Edgar is clearly the favorite. While he is the smaller of the two, he is terribly fast and has excellent footwork. He never slows down from start to finish, and this could be the difference in the fight.
Overall this is a very even match up. Edgar wins this fight if he dictates the pace from the beginning and takes the center of the octagon. Maynard takes this fight if he plays a smart gameplan, picks his shots and doesn’t throw out his gameplan early in the fight.
Expect many fireworks from these two lightweight warriors, and be sure to see live up to date action and news at Bleacher Report MMA.
Since 2007, Anthony Johnson has been fighting for the UFC. In that time, it has been nothing but a roller coaster ride for him. He has been sidelined due to knee injury, as well as lost a fight after being poked in the eye. That being said, he has stil…
Since 2007, Anthony Johnson has been fighting for the UFC. In that time, it has been nothing but a roller coaster ride for him. He has been sidelined due to knee injury, as well as lost a fight after being poked in the eye. That being said, he has still put together a 6-3 record inside the octagon, and has a chance to put himself “in the mix” Saturday night, that is if he defeats Charlie Brenneman.
Anthony Johnson is a great fighter, but at welterweight is he truly hype or bite?
The biggest concern most people have with Anthony is his size. He is the biggest welterweight in the division, and truly should fight at middleweight and honestly could make light heavyweight. He has had his troubles with his weight, and with the middleweight division being partially slim, sooner or later he may not have a choice but to fight there.
Johnson has had hype behind him since he made his debut, and his KO victory over Tommy Speer really put him in the spotlight.
He had bad luck against Kevin Burns, but got his redemption a few months later in the rematch where he won by KO in the third round. He then went on to defeat Luigi Fioravanti and Yoshiyuki Yoshida, which meant three wins in a row for him, and he was now in the contender picture, and the hype had never been so high for him.
His fight with Koscheck didn’t go as planned. Koscheck was the faster fighter, with the better wrestling. In the end, it ended with Koscheck scoring the rear naked choke victory.
After the loss, Johnson was expected to face John Howard, but was forced off the card due to a knee injury.
Johnson was out for over a year due to the knee injury, but returned to face Dan Hardy at UFC Fight Night 24 last March. During his time off with the injury, things were quiet with Johnson, and besides some Twitter beef with John Howard many just really wrote him off.
In his return, he dominated Hardy with his wrestling. It was obvious that the weight cut took its toll on him, because he was slower than normal during the fight. He took the unanimous decision victory, but left many questions in the eyes of the fans.
Like stated before, Johnson is a good fighter, but he is in the wrong weight class. When a fighter must lose 55 pounds to make a fight, that right there shows that not only are you in the wrong weight division, but also that he has heart, because that is a very tough task to complete.
At the moment, sadly Johnson is more hype than bite, but this Saturday night he has a chance to prove all of the critics wrong and place himself one step closer to a title shot.
We are just a few weeks away from UFC 140, where Jon Jones will take on Lyoto Machida to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship for a second time. 