Author: Dan Hiergesell

UFC 167: 3 Questions We Have About Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen is, well, Chael Sonnen.
He’s a polarizing athlete who says what he wants, does what he feels needs to be done and has the utmost confidence while doing so.
That’s why he’s such a popular entity in mixed martial arts today.  Add unpara…

Chael Sonnen is, well, Chael Sonnen.

He’s a polarizing athlete who says what he wants, does what he feels needs to be done and has the utmost confidence while doing so.

That’s why he’s such a popular entity in mixed martial arts today.  Add unparalleled wrestling, conditioning, motivation and gusto, and you have one of the more game fighters in the sport.

So whether you would sing at his birthday party or spit on his grave, Sonnen is a man who commands and deserves unwavering respect.

This Saturday at UFC 167, the promotion’s best trash-talker will have yet another chance to prove his bite is just as big as his bark.

Here are three questions Sonnen must answer to escape the sheer athleticism of fellow UFC Tonight mainstay and former light heavyweight champion Rashad “Suga” Evans.

 

Can he stand with Evans?

Sonnen isn’t scared to stand and bang.  That’s no secret.

What he likes to do is bombard opponents from the initial bell and attempt to overwhelm them with his “gangster” pressure.

Unfortunately for him, Evans is the last guy you want to do that with.  He possesses great athleticism and movement, allowing him to surge forward with very powerful punches.

While Evans hasn’t recorded a knockout in years, he still holds some of the most impressive and memorable finishes in UFC light heavyweight history.

Sonnen needs to pick his shots, keep a good pace and understand that Evans is going to be much faster than Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was.

 

Will he be the better wrestler?

Through all the trash talk and gimmicks, Sonnen is still regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in MMA.

His ability to lay into a double-leg takedown and bring the fight to the ground is often second to none.  But as good as Sonnen has been at middleweight, Evans has been just as good at light heavyweight.

Not only has “Suga” been able to implement the takedown himself throughout his UFC career, but he’s also been taken down only 13 times in 17 fights.

It’s going to be interesting to see whose wrestling reigns supreme Saturday night.  And if they go to the ground, can Sonnen become the first fighter ever to submit Evans?

 

Will his conditioning be the ultimate factor?

The fact of the matter is Evans didn’t look like himself in his last two fights.  He looked somewhat sluggish and unable to find his rhythm.

Sonnen needs to exploit that and pressure Evans from the get-go.  While he needs to stay patient and understand that “Suga” is still a dangerous threat, Sonnen‘s conditioning could take over this fight and allow him to grind out a victory.

Look for the “bad guy” to stay glued to Evans at all times in order to close the distance, keep Evans busy and deter him from finding any sort of groove.

 

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UFC 167: 5 Reasons to Watch

Headlined by a long-awaited welterweight clash between pound-for-pound perfectionist Georges St-Pierre and the chin-smashing Johny Hendricks, UFC 167 is bound for greatness.
In a year flush with superior fight cards stacked with championship showdowns,…

Headlined by a long-awaited welterweight clash between pound-for-pound perfectionist Georges St-Pierre and the chin-smashing Johny Hendricks, UFC 167 is bound for greatness.

In a year flush with superior fight cards stacked with championship showdowns, grudge matches and boastful barn burners, this weekend actually possesses the ingredients to succeed them all.

Because for what will be a ginormous showdown for the UFC welterweight crown, GSP’s legacy won’t be the only thing hanging in the balance.

Here are five surefire reasons why UFC 167 should be the only thing on your television come Saturday night.

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White: Rousey’s the Only Reason Women Fight in UFC

As the most prolific and famous female fighter on the planet, UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey carries a torch that others simply can’t. 
Over the past nine months, Rousey has been at the forefront of a mixed martial arts evolution.  Sh…

As the most prolific and famous female fighter on the planet, UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey carries a torch that others simply can’t. 

Over the past nine months, Rousey has been at the forefront of a mixed martial arts evolution.  She has served as the sport’s quintessential poster girl, becoming the promotion’s first ever women’s champion after dismantling Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 back in February.

But as successful as “Rowdy” is inside of the Octagon with her first-round armbar wizardry, and outside of it with a polarizing image combining sexuality and ferocity, she isn’t loved by everyone.

Just like any champion in any sport, the 26-year-old has her critics.  It shouldn’t bother a tough competitor like Rousey, but her current stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter Season 18, opposite archrival Miesha Tate, has created a whirlwind of negative perceptions.

She has a responsibility to the sport and her promotion to act as a champion should act.  But despite her weekly ups and downs, UFC president Dana White didn’t seem too concerned during his post-fight media scrum at UFC Fight Night 32 this past weekend, which was originally reported by Bloody Elbow.

“It’s not the way she portrayed herself; it’s who she is,” said White.  “It’s why women fight in the UFC, because of her.  I could care less if you don’t like her or you like her.  It doesn’t matter to me.  She’s the world champion, she’s badass, and she goes out to win.” 

And win she does.  Rousey‘s first-round armbar of Carmouche to capture the title earlier this year was her seventh in a row.  It’s a streak that demands respect from any MMA fan as she continues to prove her worth to the promotion that gave her the shot of a lifetime.

“You could line up all the greatest girls on earth from here to f**king Pluto,” added White.  “And she’s the one that when I met her, I said this chick is insanely competitive and just a different animal.  She’s what it took to get women in the UFC.  Hate her or not, the reason all these girls fight in the UFC is because of her.”

So despite a personality that is sometimes unbearably brash, Rousey‘s accomplishments simply supplant her attitude.  But would her recent public quarrels be less provoked if she was tested by a different coach on TUF?

“The thing is, with her and Miesha, she hates Miesha Tate,” said White.  “When she and Cat Zingano were gonna be the coaches, you heard them talk on the podium, the mutual respect.  She hates Miesha Tate.  Hates her.  And anyone who’s ever hated somebody before knows how that feels.”

The two hard-nosed bantamweights are scheduled for a long-awaited rematch this December at UFC 168.  Rousey will have yet another opportunity to showcase her elite skills against a top contender and continue the historic legacy she began earlier this year.

For more UFC news and coverage,

 

 

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Rory MacDonald and MMA’s New Prototypes

Every sport encounters evolution throughout its life. 
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that mixed martial arts, in all its greatness and growth, falls under this spell as well.
But the evolution of the fastest growing sport in the world doesn’t…

Every sport encounters evolution throughout its life. 

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that mixed martial arts, in all its greatness and growth, falls under this spell as well.

But the evolution of the fastest growing sport in the world doesn’t just stem from international marketing, strategic rule changes and monetary expenditures.  More importantly, MMA‘s rapidly expanding nature manifests from the fighters.

The fighters ultimately enable the sport to grow.  Whether it’s by training multiple disciplines, exuding youthful excellence or challenging the laws of physics with natural gifts, fighters exponentially evolve into more equipped machines.

Here are the new prototypes of today’s MMA, where athletic superiority, mental determination and precision reign supreme.

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UFC Fight Night 32: 3 Fights for Vitor Belfort to Take Next

“Spectacular” is an understatement when discussing Vitor Belfort’s current destruction of top-level UFC talent.
From brutally welcoming Luke Rockhold to the middleweight division to handing the legendary Dan Henderson his first career knockout Saturday…

“Spectacular” is an understatement when discussing Vitor Belfort‘s current destruction of top-level UFC talent.

From brutally welcoming Luke Rockhold to the middleweight division to handing the legendary Dan Henderson his first career knockout Saturday night in Brazil, “The Phenom” is arguably better than ever.

However, while his torrid pace as of late garners immediate title consideration, the ginormous speculation surrounding his well-known use of TRT suggests that more than just talent might be fueling his revived career.

But until speculation becomes fact, nothing can stop Belfort.  Title shot or not, here are three fights he should entertain next after dismantling the formidable “Hendo.”

 

Ronaldo Souza

As hot as Belfort has been, Souza has been just as hot.  Granted, not many of his recent wins have come against elite UFC competition, but the Brazilian has been so dominant that it doesn’t matter.

When you look at this matchup, it makes sense for one lone reason: Both guys need a win against a Top Five divisional threat.

Not to take anything away from Belfort‘s destructive reign of late, but Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Henderson aren’t Chris Weidman, Anderson Silva or Lyoto Machida.  They just aren’t on the same level.

That means that a victory over a guy like “Jacare” would solidify the 36-year-old as the division’s next chosen one. 

It would also serve as an opportunity for the UFC to showcase Souza to fans who may not be familiar with his overall work.

 

Winner of Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi

As new to the division as Machida is and as overlooked as Mousasi is, fighting either one of them would push Belfort toward a title shot.

Mousasi would probably be the smarter fight, but considering how appeasing a middleweight war with Machida would be for the fans, Belfort should entertain the idea.

It’s difficult to pinpoint who would have the upper hand.  Belfort is so brutally offensive, and Machida is a calm and calculated tactician, but it’s a tremendous fight nonetheless.

Of course, if this fight were to happen, the UFC would have to shelve Belfort until at least May 2014.  That’s a long break for a revitalized aging vet.

 

Winner of Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva

If Belfort is going to get the next middleweight title shot, then let the party begin.

Ever since Silva landed that infamous front heel kick to the face of The Phenom back in 2011, fans have been awaiting the rematch.  They want to see two of Brazil’s most decorated fighters of all time once again lock horns.

But as satisfying as it would be to see Belfort‘s newly discovered rage test the precision and greatness of Silva, there’s one tiny little problem: Weidman has the belt.

Now I’m sure Belfort doesn’t mind fighting a wrestler from New York compared to a fellow Brazilian as long as he’s getting a chance to hoist UFC gold, but it isn’t up to him.

At this point, it’s up to Dana White and Joe Silva to decide if Belfort‘s three-fight win streak is good enough to beat out guys like Souza, Machida and Mousasi.

And who’s to say the UFC doesn’t give Weidman a rematch with Silva if the former champ reclaims his throne?  Who wouldn’t want to see that trilogy?

Either way, Belfort deserves ultimate recognition, and a future title shot against December’s victor wouldn’t surprise anyone.

 

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UFC Fight Night 32: 5 Reasons to Watch

After a great set of fights for the troops last night in Kentucky, the UFC universe is geared up for another free card this weekend.
Centered around the long-awaited rematch between legendary fighters Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort, UFC Fight Night 32…

After a great set of fights for the troops last night in Kentucky, the UFC universe is geared up for another free card this weekend.

Centered around the long-awaited rematch between legendary fighters Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort, UFC Fight Night 32 in Brazil has all the fixings for a great night of action.

From the preliminary bouts to the six-fight main card, the collection of contests are guaranteed to satisfy all Octagon appetites.

Here are five bona fide reasons to tune in this Saturday and catch some of the best bouts of November. 

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