There is no rest for the wicked.MMA Junkie has reported that TUF alum Dustin Pague, fresh off of a first round submission win over Jared Papazian, will take on Ken Stone this Friday as part of the UFC on FX 4 card headlined by Gray Maynard and Cla…
There is no rest for the wicked.
MMA Junkie has reported that TUF alum Dustin Pague, fresh off of a first round submission win over Jared Papazian, will take on Ken Stone this Friday as part of the UFC on FX 4 card headlined by Gray Maynard and Clay Guida, set for Atlantic City.
Though news of a fighter stepping into to replace a sidelined colleague is becoming less and less surprising as the cursed summer of MMA injuries rages on, the circumstances surrounding Pague’s substitution are certainly noteworthy.
When Pague steps into the Octagon Friday, June 22, and it will mark the second time he has done so in a span of two weeks.
Pague last competed on the third installment of the UFC on FX series on June 8. In that contest Pague scored a quick submission victory and took little damage over the 3:21 duration of the fight with Jared Papazian.
While the rapidity of competition that Pague has indulged in is very unusual, it is not entirely without precedent; in 2010 Chris Leben fought two times over a 13 day period, defeating both Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama.
While Jarped Papazian and Ken Stone are not Simpson and Akiyama, Pague would love nothing more than to follow in Leben’s footsteps, and take two “W’s” in a two week period.
Pague is just 24 years old and holds a 1-1 UFC record. While he has plenty of time to amass some UFC wins, there is no better way to jump-start an MMA career than staying active.
Fighting twice in 14 days—that is indeed staying active.
There is perhaps no division in MMA as muddled as the welterweight division.I, of course, speak in reference to the swelling mass of title contenders building inside the UFC’s 170-pound weight class.Here, we will examine what those who comprise the tit…
There is perhaps no division in MMA as muddled as the welterweight division.
I, of course, speak in reference to the swelling mass of title contenders building inside the UFC’s 170-pound weight class.
Here, we will examine what those who comprise the title-holding and title-contending entities must do before the end of the calender year to separate themselves from the rest of the horde.
If you are wondering why the UFC-centric approach should dominate a discussion of the world’s top 10 welterweights, look no further than Bleacher Report’s own fighter rankings—with the exception of Bellator’s Ben Askren, all of the division’s top 10 reside in the UFC.
Let’s begin.
Still to Come
2012 MMA to-do Lists for Each Top-10 Lightweight
2012 MMA to-do Lists for Each Top-10 Featherweight
Did you hear that Bibiano Fernandes inked a deal with the UFC and is set to debut with the promotion against Roland Delorme at UFC 149 this July?Apparently he didn’t.Paullazenby.com reports that Fernandes recently denied any involvement with the o…
Did you hear that Bibiano Fernandes inked a deal with the UFC and is set to debut with the promotion against Roland Delorme at UFC 149 this July?
Apparently he didn’t.
Paullazenby.com reports that Fernandes recently denied any involvement with the organization via his Facebook page.
“It was announced that I, Bibiano Fernandes, have been contracted to fight for the organization at UFC 149 which will take place in the city of Calgary on the 21st of July. I would like to make it clear that I am not a UFC athlete as I did not sign any contract with the UFC organization. Negotiations between the UFC and myself did take place, however, we could not resolve the issues on the table and as a result we did not come to an agreement.”
How negotiations turned into a signing that turned into a scheduled fight with an opponent and venue is unknown. What we do know is that someone sure jumped the gun.
I guess that’s what we call a communication breakdown. Queue the Zeppelin.
Fernandes goes on to say that the UFC failed to provide him with the deal most suitable for him and his family, however, the exact sticking points of the contract are not identified.
Fernandes is the current Dream bantamweight titleholder, owning a perfect 8-0 record under the promotion’s banner. He holds an 11-3 career record overall.
The addition of the Flash to the UFC’s burgeoning bantamweight stable would have been intriguing, but it looks like the Brazilian will continue to operate in the Land of the Rising Sun for the near future.
In the world of sports there is perhaps no better time to look ahead than in June, which contains both the NHL and NBA entry drafts. But what about MMA? There is no draft there. Should fans of the sport really be left out of all the fun associated…
In the world of sports there is perhaps no better time to look ahead than in June, which contains both the NHL and NBA entry drafts.
But what about MMA? There is no draft there. Should fans of the sport really be left out of all the fun associated with looking forward and predicting the future of prospective stars?
Of course not! That is why I have got you covered. It may not be a draft, but here we will take a look at 25 mixed martial artists that will one day contend for a UFC title.
Some ground rules:
A future title contender cannot be a former champion or have fought for a UFC title (there will be no Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard).
This includes current and past interim champions (no Frank Mir or Carlos Condit).
Additionally, a future title contender cannot be scheduled to fight for a title (no Renan Barao), or be a consensus choice to face the winner of an upcoming title fight (no Nate Diaz).
Also, to be included on this list a fighter must be part of, or potentially part of the UFC roster (no Pat Curran).
With a first-round submission win at UFC on FX 3 over wrestling powerhouse Charlie Brenneman, Erick Silva cemented his status as one of the best up-and-coming fighters in all of MMA and threw his hat into the Octagon for consideration as a future UFC w…
With a first-round submission win at UFC on FX 3 over wrestling powerhouse Charlie Brenneman, Erick Silva cemented his status as one of the best up-and-coming fighters in all of MMA and threw his hat into the Octagon for consideration as a future UFC welterweight champion.
While there are few that would question Silva’s status as a top-notch prospect, there is at least one man who would raise an eyebrow at hearing proclamations of Silva’s destiny to become champion.
That man’s name is Rory MacDonald, and he is another fighter with designs on the welterweight throne.
At 31 years of age, current welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is far from over the hill. He is certainly not an old man, and his dominant wrestling and advanced striking skills have allowed him to avoid taking too much damage to this point in his career, which means that he is not ready step aside and let Silva and MacDonald pick his bones clean.
But, GSP has spent the last year rehabbing a knee injury, which threatens to mitigate his future success.
Whether it comes sooner or later, St-Pierre will eventually lose or retire his welterweight championship, and when that day comes, there is a strong chance that it will pass either directly or through a third party to either Silva or MacDonald.
My question to all you readers is this: Who is more likely to take the torch from St-Pierre and become the next great welterweight champion?
Before answering, here are some things to consider.
Silva (27) has five years on MacDonald (22), though their fight experience is relatively equal: The Brazilian has 16 professional fights to his name, the Canadian has 14.
Each fighter has been defeated only a single time (One of Silva’s losses came via disqualification in a fight he had all but won.), though Silva has never been stopped.
Silva owns a finishing rate of 79 percent, while MacDonald tops that with 92 percent.
The majority of Silva’s wins have come by submission, though he has exhibited some very deadly striking during his time as a UFC fighter.
MacDonald has scored six knockouts, six submissions and one decision. Though MacDonald owns a more balanced record than Silva, both fighters are very well rounded.
One could make the argument that Silva’s striking has looked superior to MacDonald’s during each fighter’s time in the UFC, as the former has floored all of his opponents with strikes, whereas MacDonald has been clipped hard by Che Mills and Michael Guymon and was stopped by Carlos Condit.
But, on the other hand, MacDonald does own twice the knockout stoppages that Silva has.
Arguments could be made either way for the grappling advantage, as both guys are very dangerous on the mat. Silva displayed an aggressive sweep-and-submission game in his recent win over Charlie Brenneman, while MacDonald has shown a methodical yet effective approach on the ground over his last several contests.
Perhaps the largest discrepancy in skill lies in wrestling, where MacDonald holds a firm advantage. Silva handled Brenneman’s relentless takedowns quite well, but that does not put him on MacDonald’s level.
Still, each fighter is very well rounded, very dangerous and very likely to be a key factor in the future of the welterweight division.
The UFC’s welterweight division has a long history of being a promotional strength.When Matt Hughes was the welterweight champion, he resonated as one of the sport’s brightest stars. Then, Georges St-Pierre took the torch and became the most recognizab…
The UFC’s welterweight division has a long history of being a promotional strength.
When Matt Hughes was the welterweight champion, he resonated as one of the sport’s brightest stars. Then, Georges St-Pierre took the torch and became the most recognizable face in all of MMA.
Throw legends like B.J. Penn and Royce Gracie into the mix, and you can see why the division has been a powerhouse for so long.
Since GSP has ruled the roost, he has thwarted the claims to his crown of newer blood like that of Jon Fitch, Jake Shields, Josh Koscheck and ThiagoAlves.
Now, he faces the ever-present threat of guys like Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, Martin Kampmann, Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks, a group that preserves the prestige of welterweight contendership as much as GSP preserves the honor of the division’s crown.
Ever since Hughes put his thumbprint on the welterweight division, the classification has not missed a beat raising up legends and providing them with elite contenders to fan the flames.
For the past half-decade, we have lived in the St-Pierre era, and given the level of the current contenders and the promise of two futures stars, it seems highly improbable that the strength of the division will die with the dominance of the French Canadian superstar.
While GSP may be irreplaceable as a public figure and MMA icon, his talent, dominance and success in the Octagon may ultimately be replicated.
It is not inconceivable that any one of the aforementioned talents rises above the rest and takes the torch from the current kingpin, but the next few years will stand as a regency rather than a reign.
Why? Because there are two heir-apparents waiting to wage civil war once a power vacuum is created by the subsiding of St-Pierre’s dominance.
One belligerent is St-Pierre’s own choice for successor: Rory MacDonald. The other, an upstart Brazilian by the name of Erick Silva.
MacDonald has long been heralded as one of MMA’s best up-and-comers, and he has repeatedly shown that he deserves every bit of the hype he has received.
Silva has shown an explosive killer instinct during his 2-1 UFC career. (His loss was by controversial disqualification, ala Jon Jones vs. Matt Hammil.) Silva looks to be every bit the part of a future champion.
It is almost inevitable that MacDonald and Silva will eventually be the strongest players in determining who the next great welterweight champion will be.
The only question is who will etch his name in behind Hughes and St-Pierre in the list of welterweight monarchs.
For now, both remain subject to GSP, as does the rest of the welterweight division.
But when the time comes that St-Pierre begins to lose his edge—whether that is later this year or many years down the road—the prestige and honor that he and Hughes have worked to attach to the welterweight title will be maintained.
There is no rest for the wicked.