Jon Jones is the man. There’s no disputing that.
From his perfected precision to an unfathomable physical demeanor, the pound-for-pound juggernaut has dismantled every light heavyweight in the his path.
But as good as “Bones” is and will presumab…
From his perfected precision to an unfathomable physical demeanor, the pound-for-pound juggernaut has dismantled every light heavyweight in the his path.
But as good as “Bones” is and will presumably continue to be, his career is still relatively young.
Compared to other Octagon legends like Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes, just to name a few, Jones’ legacy doesn’t necessarily take precedence.
But at 26, and with all the skill in the world, the ever-evolving phenom has the potential to reach that all-time echelon in just a matter of years.
Here’s who Jones needs to fight, and beat, in order to do so.
With four months left in the year, 2013 has already delivered on all levels for interested MMA onlookers.
From dynamic knockouts to upset title wins, the fastest growing sport in the world has, well, delivered quickly.
Like a flash flood bent on destru…
With four months left in the year, 2013 has already delivered on all levels for interested MMA onlookers.
From dynamic knockouts to upset title wins, the fastest growing sport in the world has, well, delivered quickly.
Like a flash flood bent on destruction, the steady stream of surprises over the past seven months has made the sport more beautiful than ever.
Here are the 10 biggest and most unprecedented gifts to the world of combat thus far.
Wednesday was yet another great showing for the UFC on Fox Sports 1. From the opening main card bell to the last referee stoppage, the Brazil crowd had something to chant about at every turn.
But during a night that featured four main card knocko…
Wednesday was yet another great showing for the UFC on Fox Sports 1. From the opening main card bell to the last referee stoppage, the Brazil crowd had something to chant about at every turn.
But during a night that featured four main card knockouts and one submission, some fighters felt the ugly backhand of defeat; none more than light heavyweight powerhouse Ryan Bader and middleweight top contender Yushin Okami.
For both men, Wednesday marked yet another opportunity to showcase their worth as current or future title threats. Bader was aiming to dethrone the Glover Teixeira hype train as Okami was trying to knock off one of the toughest guys in the division, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
In Bader’s case, a former top dog in the division, he did what he needed to do when initially striking with Teixeira. He kept his distance, circled away from the power hand and mixed things up with a takedown attempt or two.
Everything looked directed toward a big first-round upset after Bader wobbled the Brazilian against the cage, but after looping three straight hooks from the same angle, Teixeira’s superior boxing skills ultimately took over and culminated in a vicious finish.
Now on the wrong end of over-pursuing one of the best strikers in the division, Bader is forced back to the drawing board. He’s still relevant, but in a growing division full of more well-rounded offensive fighters, he’ll have to pick his matchups with caution.
One opponent for “Darth” to sink his saber into next would be none other than Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Rua hasn’t shown the consistency of a top-10 light heavyweight over his past few fights, so he’ll be looking to get back into the win column.
This is perfect for a fighter like Bader, whom people are starting to write off. While Rua isn’t the great champion he once was, his name still carries weight in the sport.
Other guys like Jimi Manuwa, James Te Huna and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante would all give Bader good fights and a chance to showcase his power wrestling.
In Okami’s case, one of the most consistent contenders in recent middleweight memory, his future within the division is still undecided.
He’s good enough to fight nearly anyone in the top 10, but with a lot of key names like Lyoto Machida, Michael Bisping, Mark Munoz, Tim Kennedy and Luke Rockhold already tied up until the new year, Okami will have to pick and choose his next opponent openly.
And when it really comes down to it, the only worthy name out there without a fight is Thales Leites. The Brazilian was once a top UFC title threat and would certainly draw some interest.
However, matchmaker Joe Silva could always throw Okami to a young wolf bordering the division’s top 10 like Brad Tavares.
Now even though a guy like Tavares hasn’t really defeated any prominent figures in the weight class, he’s still one of the hottest fighters outside of the core group of middleweights.
With that said, in culmination with a high-level grappling pedigree and the hunger for victory, Okami should be a huge favorite next time he steps inside the Octagon.
These days, to be a sure-fire title contender in the UFC, you need to be on the good side of Dana White’s VIP list.
That means winning three or fours fights in a row doesn’t necessarily land you in the club.
Instead, fighters now have to not only outpe…
These days, to be a sure-fire title contender in the UFC, you need to be on the good side of Dana White‘s VIP list.
That means winning three or fours fights in a row doesn’t necessarily land you in the club.
Instead, fighters now have to not only outperform their competition inside the cage, but they have to surpass their peers on the divisional wait list.
But as good as all of these key contenders truly are, some are simply overlooked. Chalk it up to stacked divisions, unforgettable losses in the past or uneventful victories (if there is such a thing).
In any case, flying under the radar these days isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It makes that title shot even more elusive than ever.
Here are the most overlooked championship threats in each UFC weight class.
In only a matter of days, the UFC will cap off one of the busiest two weeks of the year.
From their initial debut on Fox Sports 1 to UFC 164, all of it culminates this Wednesday as the Fox network hosts its second installment.
Headlining the main card …
In only a matter of days, the UFC will cap off one of the busiest two weeks of the year.
From their initial debut on Fox Sports 1 to UFC 164, all of it culminates this Wednesday as the Fox network hosts its second installment.
Headlining the main card in Brazil is none other than light heavyweight contenders Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader.
Both fighters are coming off impressive first-round submission victories in which they showed their promise as future top billings.
Here’s how their matchup stacks up in the always entertaining UFC Fight Night head-to-toe breakdown.
Coming into Saturday, UFC 164 was supposed to deliver from the get-go. Fortunately for UFC fans around the world, it did just that.
Even the preliminary battles on Facebook offered subsequent action which featured swift submissions and precise bo…
Coming into Saturday, UFC 164 was supposed to deliver from the get-go. Fortunately for UFC fans around the world, it did just that.
Even the preliminary battles on Facebook offered subsequent action which featured swift submissions and precise boxing from some of the UFC’s best young talents.
However, through all the glitz and glamor, one fight stood out more than the rest; a lightweight title grudge match between Benson Henderson and Milwaukee’s own Anthony Pettis.
After successfully pinning Pettis against the cage for the majority of the first round, Henderson quickly absorbed numerous painful body kicks by the challenger.
The effort by Pettis to launch kick after kick seemed to deter Henderson from doing anything offensively. But once Pettis grew too comfortable and decided to throw an unorthodox strike, Henderson soon found himself in full guard.
It seemed as if Henderson would ride the round out and escape the first five minutes, but Pettis threw up a slick armbar that left Henderson scrambling for an answer.
However, in unfamiliar fashion, Pettis verbally tapped the champ to take home the title and secure yet another victory over Henderson.
It was a finish that’s usually unseen in any fight, let alone a championship grudge match, but it’s something you need to expect when watching Pettis.
The young phenom is capable of pretty much anything inside the cage, such as Saturday night.
What people are going to take from Saturday night’s changing of the guard is that in order to be the best and beat the best, you need to go for the finish.
Guys like Pettis are going to flourish in the eyes of a challenge when they continue to try to win fights outside of a decision.
All in all, a great fight and a flashy finish over one of the best lightweights in recent memory. Milwaukee got what it wanted as Pettis capped off a heroic showing.
Wednesday was yet another great showing for the UFC on Fox Sports 1. From the opening main card bell to the last referee stoppage, the Brazil crowd had something to chant about at every turn.