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UFC 139: Hendo vs. Shogun, the Pride Fight That Never Happened but Should Have

It was originally rumored that Cain Velasquez would make the first defense of his title against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 139 in San Jose, California. But soon after it was announced as the main event for the UFC debut on FOX.Many then assumed that it w…

Many then assumed that it would be hard to fill in the event with a high caliber replacement fight, but wow were they wrong.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Dan Henderson was announced and not only does this fight surpass the level that Velasquez/Dos Santos fight would’ve been, it may in fact be one of the biggest fights ever.The thing is, this fight should have taken place years ago.

Henderson has won three fights in a row and seven of his last 10. His last three wins have come by knockout.

Not only did he recently score the biggest win of his career, he scored arguably the biggest win in MMA history when he went up to Heavyweight and defeated Fedor Emelianenko by way of knockout.

After that fight, Henderson’s contract with Strikeforce expired and he has re-signed with the UFC.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is one of the most dangerous fighters in the history of the sport. His biggest downfall is the fact that he has had a big problem with injuries.

In his fight with Jon Jones, he was still not 100 percent. After the fight, he took a little time to heal and was ready for UFC Rio. He defeated Forrest Griffin in quick fashion, avenging his 2007 loss at his UFC debut.

This fight should have actually taken place years ago, but any time there was a moment in which we could see this, the stars would just never align. Well they have aligned this time.

Both men are true champions and will be going for the finish. Henderson is known for his wrestling but over the years has improved on his boxing and now possess one of the most dangerous right hands in all of MMA.

Shogun has the striking that Henderson has not faced in a long time. Henderson has never been knocked out and Shogun recently suffered his first TKO loss.

A healthy Shogun is a very dangerous Shogun. Both men will come in ready for this fight and odds are this one will not go the full 15 minutes.

Not only will the winner be one step closer to a title shot, the winner will also gain a little “Pride” by defeating a true legend of the sport.

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UFC Fight Night 25 Results: Jake Shields vs Jake Ellenberger

We are live at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La. The Main Event of the evening will be Jake Ellenberger and Jake Shields. Jake Shields is coming into this fight after losing his father and manager, Jack Shields. Jake has a…

We are live at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La. The Main Event of the evening will be Jake Ellenberger and Jake Shields.

Jake Shields is coming into this fight after losing his father and manager, Jack Shields. Jake has always been a top fighter and in this fight with Jake Ellenberger, he has the chance to show why he is ranked in the top three.

Ellenberger has been wanting his chance against a top guy and, well, here is his test when he meets Jake Shields.

The crowd was cheering for both men, but Ellenberger soon recieved the praise. Great start for both, but Ellenberger catching Shields with that knee put an end to this fight fast.

Ellenberger has now put himself into the title picture. Big question now is, who’s next? No matter what, keep your eyes on Ellenberger.

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UFC Fight Night 25 Results: Dongi Yang vs. Court McGee

We are live at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. The third bout on the main card was a middleweight bout between Season 11 Ultimate Fighter winner Court McGee and Dongi Yang.I stated earlier that Matt Riddle had the walk-out mu…

We are live at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. The third bout on the main card was a middleweight bout between Season 11 Ultimate Fighter winner Court McGee and Dongi Yang.

I stated earlier that Matt Riddle had the walk-out music of the night, but Dongi Yang takes the cake. Yang has also won 10 of 11 fights.

McGee is a warrior with a no-quit attitude and is also a fan favorite. He trains with John Hackleman, who was the trainer of Chuck Liddell.

Pre-fight, as McGee made his entrance to the cage, Yang was rolling his head on the mat stretching his neck, which was a very interesting stretch. McGee received the louder of the cheers as Bruce Buffer introduced them.

This was an example of a fight that was all about respect. Both men respect each other’s styles. While the fans may not always like it, it is actually an amazing thing to see.

McGee took the decision, but both men have a wonderful future in the UFC.

On a random note of observation, Court McGee vs. Alan Belcher just seems like a fun fight to see in the future.

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Josh Barnett: Secretly the Best Heavyweight in the World?

Since 1997, “The War Master” Josh Barnett has been one of the most dominant fighters in all of MMA. He has posted a record of 31-5, with 19 of his victories coming by way of submission. He has a who’s who list of victories, but once Pride FC folded, it…

“Catch as catch can.” That phrase is the motto of the style Barnett uses inside the cage, which is “catch” wrestling.

Catch wrestling, which is similar to jiu jitsu, is a much more brutal art. In catch wrestling, when you see a submission opportunity, you go for it. Not only does Barnett show off his catch wrestling skills in mixed martial arts, but he also enters grappling tournaments. He has won multiple grappling tournaments and for that, along with his knowledge, he was awarded a BJJ black belt in December of 2009.

Josh also uses his catch wrestling in Japan, where he is a professional wrestler and has competed for organizations like New Japan Pro Wrestling, as well as Antonio Inoki’s Inoki Genome Federation wrestling promotion. He is a very dominate pro wrestler, and is very well liked and accepted in Japan.

Josh has zero “bad losses” on his record in MMA, and has only been defeated by three different men, and two of those he holds a victory over. Since his final fight in Pride against Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera, he has posted an 8-0 record, and has now set himself up to become the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion, that is if he defeats two-time Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier. If he defeats Cormier, then he will be able to add the Grand Prix Championship to his collection, which includes the UFC Heavyweight Championship, and the King of Pancrase Openweight Championship. He is only one of four man to have held a UFC Championship and a Pancrase Championship(Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, and Frank Shamrock).

The problem that Barnett presents to every heavyweight is his size and strength. Add excellent catch wrestling and improved boxing and, well, those are the makings of a force to be reckoned with.

Josh has all of the potential to be number one. He has the resume, and has now aligned himself with an opportunity to show the world what he is truly made of. At this point in his career, he is at the age in which many fighters come into their primes, which realistically is a scary thing. The only person that is going to stop Josh Barnett right now, is Josh Barnett himself.

As Barnett said as he pointed to the crowd after submitting Sergei Kharitonov: “You will all die by my hand!” Heavyweight division watch out, “The War Master” is coming for you!

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UFC 135 Fight Card: Is Jon Jones Ready to Be Champion or Has He Lost Focus?

At UFC 126, Jon Jones defeated Ryan Bader by guillotine choke and after his hand was raised in victory his life would never be the same again. He was informed that since his teammate (at the time) Rashad Evans was injured, that he would be given t…

At UFC 126, Jon Jones defeated Ryan Bader by guillotine choke and after his hand was raised in victory his life would never be the same again.

He was informed that since his teammate (at the time) Rashad Evans was injured, that he would be given the shot to face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua just six weeks later at UFC 128 for the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. Once the words “Let’s do it” left his mouth, Jones has not been the same person.

Leading up to the fight, you could seen a new-found confidence in Jones.

He was already signing autographs as “Champ 2011” he was in most people’s eyes extremely arrogant. One thing is for sure though, he backed it all up in the cage, but after winning the fight and becoming champion is when he was really tested.

After winning the belt, he appeared on many talk shows and was a very popular subject to discuss. It was announced that he would face Rashad Evans as his first title defense, but Jones withdrew due to a “thumb injury.” That was very fishy to many people, especially because just a year before in an interview he was quoted stating the following about fighting a teammate:

“I just think there are lots of ways around it. You know, you could fake injuries. You could do anything. I mean, there’s just so many ways around it, you know? But before I joined the team that was the first conversation we had. It was just about friendship.”

After he withdrew, it was announced that instead Rashad would fight Phil Davis. Shortly after that was announced, Jon Jones announced that he would not need surgery on his hand, and would fight later in the year. That really raised many, many questions. Shortly after, Quinton Jackson defeated Matt Hamill and was named the number one contender and will now face Jones at UFC 135.

So…Has Jones lost his focus?

At a press conference promoting UFC 135, Jones and Jackson were going back and forth, and when the two met for a staredown, Jackson made it a joke and Jones later said that he was unhappy about that. (Click here to see staredown)

Being champion is a tough task. You know what kind of champion someone is once they defend their title. Many fans, and media are hyping Jones like he is the greatest thing to happen to the sport, and as a champion and being young that sometimes can be a bad thing.

Many people will have their opinions on this topic, but just by hearing assumptions doesn’t always mean it is the correct answer. There is no doubt that Jon Jones is a phenomenal fighter, but in MMA anything can happen and at some point in every fighter’s career they suffer a defeat. Some handle it well, and some don’t.

Mental toughness is an extremely important part of a fighter’s arsenal, and at UFC 135 we will see how mentally tough Jones really is. Being young, a world champion, and defending your title for the first time against a legend, well that is something that will definitely test a fighter’s mind.

It is too soon to tell whether or not is ready to be Champion or whether he has lost focus. Actions speak louder than words and on September 24th at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado all questions will be answered and we will know what kind of Champion Jones really is.

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Anderson Silva Will No Longer Be the King at Middleweight as of Summer 2012

Anderson Silva is the greatest champion in MMA history. He has won 14 fights in a row and defended his middleweight championship a record eight times. He has fought at light heavyweight defeating consensus top-10 fighter Forrest Griffin by way of knock…

Silva is the most dominate fighter in the game today, but it appears that his reign may be coming to an end.

Anderson faces Yushin Okami in less than a week at UFC 134: Rio. This fight is a rematch that took place right before Silva started fighting for the UFC, and it was also the last time that Silva tasted defeat. It wasn’t a legit loss, it was by disqualification. Since then both men have changed in one way or another. Anderson is the more dangerous striker, while Okami has developed improved wrestling.

Is Okami the man to dethrone Silva?

He could very well be. He trains with Chael Sonnen, and has good submission defense. If he can literally replicate the game plan that Sonnen had for four rounds, and keep busy on the ground, there is a solid chance that he could become the new UFC middleweight champion.

Realistically speaking.

In most cases, there would be a high chance for Okami to dethrone Silva, but the fight is in Brazil and the odds in this taking place are virtually slim to none. The reason Okami could dethrone Silva is because he has an annoying fight style for fighters, but there is a slim chance that many Brazilians lose in Rio, especially Anderson Silva.

Brian Stann vs Anderson Silva seems in most eyes as a slugfest. The way Stann fights, he always tends to gas out by the second round. This could end up as a typical Anderson Silva finish, unless Stann catches him early.

This fight gives Stann a puncher’s chance, but he is still evolving as a mixed martial artist and realistically is being put in the title picture too soon. Yes, he has looked great, but he needs more time to improve. Silva would win this fight due to his technical style.

Remember though, it’s MMA and anything can happen.

Stann is improving in his BJJ, the bad thing for him is the fact that a bout with Silva would be five rounds. If Stann defeats Sonnen, does he stand a chance with Okami or Silva, realistically? Sure, as long as he keeps it on the feet and exchanges in a smart way instead of blowing his load too soon in the fight. Stann is a good person for the sport, but the odds in him being the guy to take over the middleweight division are virtually slim to none(at the current time).

Then there is one…

Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva need to fight again. The fans need to know, did Sonnen really dominate because Silva had a fractured rib, or is Sonnen really that good? This is the must see fight. If Okami defeats Silva, a rematch between Okami and Sonnen is not a truly marketable fight, but is worth watching. Who wins if Sonnen and Silva fight again?

There are many things that could truly take place in the rematch.

Sonnen has a very good chance of taking over, and dethroning Silva. The odds in him remaining champion are pretty good as long as he can avoid fighters with elite submission skills, which has always been his big problem throughout his career. Of the three men listed, Sonnen has the best chance. But as stated above, it is MMA; anything is possible.

These three men all have a legitimate chance to defeat Anderson Silva to become champion. Silva, in all honesty, has the toughest road ahead of him as champion, but there is a reason that he is the pound-for-pound king. He has faced his fair share of tough opponents, but the way the title picture is starting to look, it appears his run could truly come to an end.

That does not in any way mean that any of the three men are better mixed martial artists than him, but he is now lined up with the type of fights that are his to win but easy to lose. Keep your eyes open these next few months, there may be a new sheriff in town for the UFC middleweight division.

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