I said it this past summer, and I’m saying it again: Every fall card from the UFC, post-UFC 133—except for UFCs 138 and 139—features at least monumental title collision, and with both UFC 134 and UFC 135 in the books, along with last week’s…
I said it this past summer, and I’m saying it again: Every fall card from the UFC, post-UFC 133—except for UFCs 138 and 139—features at least monumental title collision, and with both UFC 134 and UFC 135 in the books, along with last week’s UFC on Versus 6, we’re rapidly gunning up for UFC 136 in Houston.
In between Steve Cantwell’s return against Mike Massenzio and UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar’s trilogy against Gray Maynard is at least one solid representation of four of the seven established UFC weight divisions, and the who’s who that fills out the card in between that first Facebook preliminary and the main event guarantees fireworks, all before the co-main event and main event take place.
All the potential for Fight of The Night, Submission of The Night and Knockout of The Night exists in each fight on this card—and I say that with genuine excitement—and it’s all well and good on paper, but there’s a big difference between a fight card on paper and a fight card in reality.
So with all of this unleashed from its proverbial Pandora’s Box, what can we expect to go down this Saturday in Houston for UFC 136?
The last time I talked about Demetrious Johnson, I wasn’t exactly nice about his shot at Dominick Cruz’s UFC bantamweight title at UFC on Versus 6. As a matter of fact, I blatantly said he was in over his head to think he would defeat Cruz,…
The last time I talked about Demetrious Johnson, I wasn’t exactly nice about his shot at Dominick Cruz’s UFC bantamweight title at UFC on Versus 6.
As a matter of fact, I blatantly said he was in over his head to think he would defeat Cruz, but fast-forward to right now, just days away from the fight.
Do I still think Demetrious Johnson is in over his head in thinking his tools are anything close to what is needed to beat Cruz?
Well, I can’t afford to place any bets, so until I get some cash, I can’t say he is.
Besides, y’all know Johnson does have the tools to beat Cruz, right?
I never doubted that the Matt Hume product from the AMC Pankration camp would take Cruz down and try to blast Cruz relentlessly before Cruz could get it through his head that he had just been taken down, and I never did doubt that Johnson would give Cruz a fight.
In all honesty, I just don’t see why it’s a federal crime in the MMA world to pick Dominick Cruz—why do we MMA fans not have the right to back the champion if we honestly think he will win?
Besides, Johnson might be on a different level with his wrestling compared to Scott Jorgensen, Joseph Benavidez and the UFC 132 version of Urijah Faber, and Johnson could be a more active grappler than Brian Bowles, but all the aforementioned names were not given any less of a chance to beat Cruz than what Johnson is being given.
And yes, Johnson is being given a chance to legitimately defeat Cruz, because in MMA, any fighter on a good day could defeat the other, bad day or not.
Also, Faber was supposed to be too much for Cruz, as were Benavidez, Bowles and Jorgensen—I would know, as I did choose Jorgensen to win at WEC 53—so why would Johnson fare any better?
Even though he’s not my pick—and coercing me into picking Johnson on the basis of “you don’t know s*** about MMA unless you pick Johnson to win” will only cause me to root harder for Cruz—I’ll tell you why you’re going in a great direction to pick Mighty Mouse if you are doing so.
Though even a first-time MMA spectator can see that Johnson is somewhat small for a bantamweight, the fact remains that Johnson has used his smaller size to his advantage.
With his short size and his obvious cardio comes hard-to-match speed, which helps him get inside quicker on fighters with the reach advantage. And from that point, the speed-cardio blend also makes his aggression from the top—and on the feet—even more painful to contend with.
Even I will admit that Johnson will not stop pushing Cruz to the limit all throughout their bout, but does it change my opinion of Cruz possibly dominating with his hit-and-run striking offense?
Absolutely not, but Johnson does have what it takes to get the win and the belt—there is no question that he has what it takes to get it.
The only question is, will he get it this Saturday?
If Johnson strikes first, he might just get that bantamweight title yet.
Jon “Bones” Jones is your reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and in the minds of his supporters, it’s not hard to envision him as the MMA World Light Heavyweight Champion if he should ever face and defeat Dan Henderson after a win over former tra…
Jon “Bones” Jones is your reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and in the minds of his supporters, it’s not hard to envision him as the MMA World Light Heavyweight Champion if he should ever face and defeat Dan Henderson after a win over former training partner “Suga” Rashad Evans.
However, that fight with Henderson doesn’t come until after a win over Evans, and Henderson’s meeting with Jones only happens if two things happen, the first of which is something on Jones’ end in the form of an old rival of Henderson.
Maybe you’ve heard of this man: his name is Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion of the world, only man to defeat Chuck Liddell twice, and the only guy to score a (still-controversial) decision win over Lyoto Machida.
Real simple, MMA World: Jones has the belt, Rampage wants the belt, Rashad wants the winner, and Henderson wants to become the first UFC fighter to knock out Mauricio “Shogun” Rua without having to hear about a long layoff or ring rust afterwards, but first up is the biggest test of Jones’ career in Denver, Colorado.
Also up for huge testing is Josh Koscheck, who faces UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes in what is Hughes’ last fight under UFC contract, but despite not having fought in a year himself, Koscheck could be the man known as the man who ended Hughes’ UFC career on a sour note.
All this, plus Dana White‘s beautifully polished cranium is right here, as this is UFC 135, right here on Bleacher Report MMA!
Dan Henderson is officially (and without question) in the debate for not only being the one true test left for Jon “Bones” Jones’ UFC light heavyweight crown, but also for being known as the greatest of all time—at least, some would say so, and t…
Dan Henderson is officially (and without question) in the debate for not only being the one true test left for Jon “Bones” Jones’ UFC light heavyweight crown, but also for being known as the greatest of all time—at least, some would say so, and they would not get an argument to the contrary from me.
He’s fought the best, beaten the best and has not severely deterred, despite having been beaten by some of the best also. His streak of fighting the best fighters in MMA will continue as he headlines UFC 139 opposite one Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, the former UFC light heavyweight champ.
Now, anyone who has followed Shogun’s career knows his UFC patterns: He loses one after a knee surgery, wins a couple, then loses the next one, but rebounds easily.
That’s how it’s been for Shogun. The key thing about his losses so far is that they have all come either when Shogun was somewhat rusty or—in the case of his UFC 104 loss to Lyoto Machida—on account of atrocious ringside judging.
As a result, we’re forced to ask if Henderson will be added to the collection of heads that Shogun possesses.
All things considered, will Henderson’s be the next head collected by Shogun?
Ask one man and he’ll tell you that the KO will happen with Shogun on the receiving end, but he will be as healthy of a fighter as he’s ever been.
Shogun will hit Henderson with everything—including the dishwasher and the garage—in order to find the finish. But just like Rafael Cavalcante, just like Michael Bisping, just like Renato Sobral and even just like the great Fedor Emelianenko, he will not be able to obliterate the most legendary iron jaw in combat sports.
Ask another man and he’ll tell you that Henderson will somehow survive the onslaught and will lay Rua out in a more devastating fashion than he did Michael Bisping en route to facing either Jones or Rashad Evans for the first time or Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in a UFC 75 rematch.
It’s not a foregone conclusion that a healthy Shogun will be knocked out by Hendo in San Jose—anything can and always does happen in MMA—so I won’t be so quick as to say Shogun cannot escape this fight without getting knocked out.
That said, is it always possible that Henderson will knock out a healthy Shogun?
It absolutely is, whether it’s on Shogun’s best night or Henderson’s worst night.
If you haven’t noticed yet, UFC 135 is not the only big card this week in the MMA World.That may come as a surprise to anyone who is so accustomed to seeing the UFC brand of MMA all over the world with no hint at other forms of MMA existing, but for th…
If you haven’t noticed yet, UFC 135 is not the only big card this week in the MMA World.
That may come as a surprise to anyone who is so accustomed to seeing the UFC brand of MMA all over the world with no hint at other forms of MMA existing, but for those of you who recognize MMA life forms outside of the UFC, you might actually come to love this week.
Sure, it’s Zuffa and FEG this week, but that should fuel the week up for fans that can’t wait for great MMA action before Jon Jones and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson take center stage in Denver.
Need a reason to care about the MMA that exists before UFC 135?
First off, it’s tough not to love the classic “side-profile staredown” image on a fight card.Second off, we’re a little ways away from “The War Master” Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier but, on Saturday, September 17th, UFC fans can salivate over a ca…
First off, it’s tough not to love the classic “side-profile staredown” image on a fight card.
Second off, we’re a little ways away from “The War Master” Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier but, on Saturday, September 17th, UFC fans can salivate over a card that’s the UFC’s first in Louisiana since 2002.
This nine-years-in-the-making return to The Bayou may not have a lot of people reacting like the crowd at UFC 134 in Rio but, with the caliber of guys on the card, it does have fight-drunk lunatics such as myself thinking sober thoughts.
As a matter of fact, I have ten of them right now, and if you’re as fight-drunk as I am, there’s a good chance you might be having at least one of these sober thoughts.
The last time I talked about Demetrious Johnson, I wasn’t exactly nice about his shot at