Author: Damon Martin

UFC Working on Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman for July Card

Chris Weidman’s wish may finally be coming true in July. UFC President Dana White revealed on Thursday, when speaking to reporters following the end of the UFC 157 pre-fight press conference, that the promotion has started preliminary talks to pit Weid…

Chris Weidman‘s wish may finally be coming true in July.

UFC President Dana White revealed on Thursday, when speaking to reporters following the end of the UFC 157 pre-fight press conference, that the promotion has started preliminary talks to pit Weidman against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in July.

Now it has to be noted that the deal is not done, and nothing is signed at this stage of negotiations, but UFC officials have begun discussions between Silva and Weidman to hopefully put the fight together for later this year.

“That’s what we want, but no we don’t have it yet,” White told reporters on Thursday about ongoing negotiations for Silva vs. Weidman.   “We’ve been talking to (Anderson Silva).  It’s not done, we’ll get it done.”

Chris Weidman has made a grand amount of noise over the last eight months about getting his shot at Anderson Silva and the middleweight title.  Following his blistering win over Mark Munoz last July, Weidman seemed poised as the next contender at 185 pounds, but at the time, Silva’s camp showed little interest in him because of the extreme difference in experience between the newcomer and the incumbent champion.

Still, as other middleweight contenders fell by the wayside, Weidman‘s name stayed right in the dead center of relevancy, and he was poised to jump on the opportunity to face Silva should it arise.

Currently, Weidman is still nursing his injured shoulder that required surgery, forcing him out of his last scheduled fight against Tim Boetsch in December 2012.

It appears, however, with his shoulder on the mend and rehabilitation underway, the UFC is willing to start putting together the framework for Weidman to receive his shot at Anderson Silva in July.

Silva has been out of action since stepping up on short notice last October to help save UFC 153 in his home country of Brazil after injuries decimated the top half of the card.  The most dominant champion in UFC history obliterated light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar in the first round to get a win and once again cement his place as the greatest fighter in the world.

It looks like Silva’s next fight will be his return to middleweight, where he will try to extend his already record-shattering streak of title defenses, which currently stands at 10.

 

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand, unless otherwise noted.

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Matt Grice Doesn’t Need MMA to Pay His Bills; He Does It Because He Loves It

It’s safe to say that every fighter that’s competing in mixed martial arts is there because they want to be there. They love the competitive nature of the sport and want to test themselves against the best of the best, but there is also an additional p…

It’s safe to say that every fighter that’s competing in mixed martial arts is there because they want to be there.

They love the competitive nature of the sport and want to test themselves against the best of the best, but there is also an additional pressure that gets added to many fighters’ lives when they decided to train and fight full time.

It’s the pressure of making the rent check, paying the car payment and making sure they are able to provide for their families.  While many of the top stars in the UFC and some other promotions make the kind of money to live comfortably—even when injuries and other situations arise that force them to sit out for several months or even over a year—there are dozens of fighters who need to stay active to make it through financially.

That’s a pressure that’s beyond just making to the UFC or fighting a top-named opponent.  It’s also something UFC featherweight Matt Grice never has to understand, and he’s happy it doesn’t weigh him down on a daily basis.

June was the last time Grice stepped foot in the Octagon, but the last eight months haven’t been hard on him financially or mentally.  When he’s not fighting in the UFC, Grice is a full-time police officer in his home state of Oklahoma and that provides for his family in every way, so when he gets the call from the UFC, that’s just about wanting to enjoy the thrill of the fight. Grice told Bleacher Report:

I don’t have to go out there four or five times a year and perform to feed my family. I have  a steady job, I have a steady paycheck.  I’m here fighting because I love it, I want to be there. I don’t have that where I have to do this. I don’t have to fight somebody to go pay my bills.  I do it because I love it and I think that’s an advantage. I want to be there, I want to be in the cage.

Mentally, Grice believes it gives him a leg up on a great many fighters in the UFC because this isn’t his primary focus 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  When he’s not fighting or scheduled to fight, he works in his job as a police officer and happily spends his spare time as a husband and father.

Grice absolutely loves to fight, but he’s not hurting if a fight doesn’t come his way every three months.  If he fights twice a year because that’s when the UFC can use him, Grice will happily keep that schedule.

“I take six months off and it’s a time for me to relax.  When I’m in training camp, it’s a hard three months. I hardly see my family and it’s just a grind for three months.  After I have a fight, I like to relax and spend time with my kids,” said Grice.  “I definitely see it as an advantage.”

Facing Dennis Bermudez at this weekend’s UFC 157 card, Grice has had plenty of time to train and prepare, even though he keeps a full schedule with his police department.  He’s in the gym everyday working out and getting ready for the fight.

He admits there are times it gets tough because he misses his wife and he misses his children, but Grice knows the sacrifice pays off when he gets the thrill of stepping into the cage one more time.

It gets tough sometimes between me and my wife we are gone a lot when I’m working and training, and I don’t get to see my kids as much as I’d like, but it’s something that my kids are used to. They go to the gym with me, it’s just a sacrifice.  It helps me stay grounded and on the path I need to take.

So when UFC 157 is over, Grice may not be seen again in the fight game for six months, but as soon as he gets the call, he’ll start getting ready because he loves it and wants to fight—not because he has to fight.

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

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Dana White’s Criticism of Clay Guida: ‘He Runs’ and ‘Nobody Wants to See That’

It wasn’t long ago that Clay Guida was the darling of the UFC because every time he stepped foot in the cage, mayhem ensued and the crowd both in the arena and at home had no choice but to stand up and applaud every moment. Guida racked up five Fight o…

It wasn’t long ago that Clay Guida was the darling of the UFC because every time he stepped foot in the cage, mayhem ensued and the crowd both in the arena and at home had no choice but to stand up and applaud every moment.

Guida racked up five Fight of the Night awards as well as two Submission of the Night bonuses, while navigating his way through a treacherous lightweight division.

Eventually though, as Guida bounced back and forth between wins and losses, the number of cuts, big hits and damage mounted, and he started approaching fights with a different mentality all together.

In his fight against Gray Maynard at UFC on FX 4 last year, Guida abandoned his aggressive, move-forward-at-all-times style and started to bounce more in and out and become more of a counter fighter. The changes were not well received at all by either the UFC or the fans watching his performance.

Guida continued with that same technique in his next fight, which was against Hatsu Hioki at UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago last month, and the changes have turned him from a fan favorite to someone who UFC President Dana White says now “runs” instead of fights.

“The problem with Clay Guida lately is Clay Guida has completely changed his style. The style that made him popular and exciting, what everybody liked, why everybody liked Clay Guida—now he does the exact opposite,” Dana White told the morning show at 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The criticism Guida has received has landed mostly on the shoulders of trainer Greg Jackson, who began working with the Chicago-area fighter a few years ago. In all reality, however, Guida has stated on several occasions that while he was exciting in his past fights, he also didn’t come away with the win and had to endure some serious damage to get that Fight of the Night bonus.

The unfortunate side of those changes for Guida has been the way fans and people like White have reacted. They don’t seem to be cheering for him nearly as much these days.

“He was a buzzsaw and just moves forward and doesn’t stop and he keeps going until he eventually breaks you. Now he does the exact opposite, he runs. Nobody wants to see that,” said White.

Guida‘s next fight will come in April when he faces the ultra-tough Chad Mendes at UFC on Fox 7 in San Jose. It will be his second test at featherweight and Mendes, a former title contender, is no easy challenge. 

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.

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Gray Maynard Draws TJ Grant in Lightweight Showdown at UFC 160

The UFC may find their next No. 1 contender at lightweight in May when Gray Maynard squares off with TJ Grant as part of the UFC 160 card headed to Las Vegas. The bout marks Grant’s fifth fight at lightweight. Maynard returns to action almost a year af…

The UFC may find their next No. 1 contender at lightweight in May when Gray Maynard squares off with TJ Grant as part of the UFC 160 card headed to Las Vegas.

The bout marks Grant’s fifth fight at lightweight. Maynard returns to action almost a year after his last fight in the Octagon, after dealing with injuries that sidelined him for the better part of the last 12 months.

UFC officials made the announcement about the lightweight fight late Thursday night.

Gray Maynard will look to get back into the title picture when he returns to action in May after knee surgery kept him out of his last scheduled bout in December. The former Michigan State wrestler had to go under the doctor’s knife to repair damage to both his medial and lateral meniscus, putting him out of training for more than a month.

Now healthy and back in the gym, Maynard will look to make a strong statement with his next fight and hopefully take one more step towards securing another title shot in the UFC’s 155 pound division.

Facing Maynard at UFC 160 will be Canadian grappler and recent lightweight import TJ Grant.

Debuting in the UFC as a welterweight, Grant went 3-3 overall, but never looked outclassed even against bigger fighters at the time. Grant lost a very close majority decision to current top-ranked UFC welterweight Johny Hendricks in 2010, but eventually made the move down to lightweight where he’s shown true dominance.

Grant has gone 4-0 since dropping to 155 pounds, and after besting Evan Dunham at UFC 152, he returned and obliterated Matt Wiman by knockout in the first round at UFC on FOX 6 in January.

Now, Grant has his best and biggest shot to make a real impact in the lightweight division as he faces a former title contender in Gray Maynard. 

With champion Benson Henderson battling Gilbert Melendez in April, and current top lightweight contender Anthony Pettis dropping down to 145 pounds for a showdown with featherweight champion Jose Aldo in August, the fight between Maynard and Grant could be pivotal in the UFC lightweight championship picture.

 

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jon Fitch Released from the UFC Along with 15 Other Fighters

A growing roster of fighters being brought over from Strikeforce including the women’s division plus 14 competitors from The Ultimate Fighter who will all get at least one more fight in the Octagon have forced the UFC to make some major roster cuts, in…

A growing roster of fighters being brought over from Strikeforce including the women’s division plus 14 competitors from The Ultimate Fighter who will all get at least one more fight in the Octagon have forced the UFC to make some major roster cuts, including former welterweight title contender Jon Fitch.

Fitch was listed among 16 total fighters that the UFC released on Wednesday following the past couple of shows in 2013.

According to UFC president Dana White in a statement released to MMAFighting.com, Fitch was cut along with 15 other fighters coming off recent losses.  The full list is below:

Heavyweight: Mike Russow

Light heavyweight: Vladimir Matyushenko, Wagner Prado

Welterweight: Jon Fitch, Che Mills, Jay Hieron, Jorge Santiago, Simeon Thoresen, Mike Stumpf

Lightweight: Jacob Volkmann, Paul Sass, C.J. Keith, Terry Etim

Featherweight: Josh Grispi

Bantamweight: Motonobu Tezuka

Flyweight: Ulysses Gomez

While a few fighters didn’t expect to be on that list, no one ranks higher than current Top-10 welterweight Jon Fitch.  With a 14-3-1 record in the UFC, Fitch sat near the top of the 170-pound weight class for several years.

Fitch was unsuccessful in his one shot at UFC gold when he lost to champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 87 in August 2008.  After that he reeled off five more wins before fighting to a draw with BJ Penn at UFC 127.

The American Kickboxing Academy fighter fell on harder times of late, going 1-2 over his last three fights, but the defeats came to top-ranked welterweight contender Johny Hendricks and current Top 10 fighter Demian Maia.

The release could have come for a number of reasons, but an expanding roster along with Fitch’s current pay stature could have played a big part in the UFC’s decision to release the former welterweight contender.

All of the fighters released on Wednesday were coming off losses, and per UFC contracts, the organization holds the right to cut anyone after a defeat. 

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.

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Dan Henderson Says Jon Jones Is the One Who Misses Out If They Never Fight

It’s been nearly 15 months since Dan Henderson was in the UFC Octagon, and in large part that’s because he was waiting for his shot at the UFC light heavyweight title and a fight with champion Jon Jones. Following his epic Fight of the Year performance…

It’s been nearly 15 months since Dan Henderson was in the UFC Octagon, and in large part that’s because he was waiting for his shot at the UFC light heavyweight title and a fight with champion Jon Jones.

Following his epic Fight of the Year performance against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139 in November 2011, Henderson sat out the better part of a year because he knew his next challenge would be facing Jon Jones.

Unfortunately the waiting game backfired when Henderson suffered a knee injury that forced him out of his scheduled bout against Jones at UFC 151 last year.  Since that time, Henderson has recovered, but also had to watch his friend Chael Sonnen get the next shot at Jones while he stood on the sidelines waiting for his next fight to happen.

Now that Henderson is on the precipice of his fight with Lyoto Machida at UFC 157, he’s moved past the anger he felt when it seemed like he got passed over for a title shot against Jones despite never losing his place in the division. 

He’s done waiting for title shots, and he’s done sitting out hoping that the big fight will happen.

“I think I’m over it.  I’m over being frustrated with it.  I’m here to fight and hopefully fight the best guys out there, but if I don’t get the chance I’ll fight the next best guy in line for the title.  I’m not going to sit around and wait anymore.  I’m done doing that,” Henderson told Bleacher Report.  

“One, I’m getting older and two I’m here to fight and entertain the fans.  That’s pretty much my job.  I feel that (Jon) Jones is the one missing out if that fight doesn’t happen.”

Jones has said on numerous occasions that he would still like to face Henderson if their paths can cross again, but it won’t be until at least his next fight is finished in April.

Henderson did say that if he had been afforded the chance to coach on the Ultimate Fighter again opposite Jon Jones he would have jumped at the opportunity, only because that would have been a guaranteed title shot and only delay the fight two more months from when he’s fighting this weekend.

“I would have rather coached on the show,” Henderson said.  

“I think that would have been fine with me.  It was two months basically, so I would have rather coached on the show. It is the way it is.”

Since his fight with Lyoto Machida was announced for UFC 157, Henderson has heard UFC President Dana White say he’s next in line for a shot at the belt with a win.  Of course, he’s also heard White say that Alexander Gustafsson is next if he beats Gegard Mousasi at UFC on Fuel 8 in April.

Henderson won’t believe anything until he has a contract in hand, and if the title shot doesn’t come then, he will move onto the next fight.

“I’m not going to worry about it because who knows what’s going to happen. Dana does like to change his mind a little bit so it is what it is,” said Henderson.   

“I’m not going to worry about it now, I’ve got a pretty tough opponent sitting in front of me so why should I be worried about anything in the future?”

If Henderson can beat Machida, he would likely have to sit out six months at least before getting a shot at the winner of Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen, with their fight taking place in late April.  If the waiting game is over, Henderson could easily move on to take another fight in the interim.

Still, it’s hard to deny if Henderson gets a contract in hand, the title shot would be awfully hard to walk away from even if it’s not until late in 2013.

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

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