Every UFC champion currently dictating his or her respective division has successfully and methodically pieced together memorable title reigns.
But even with the elite athleticism, world-class technique and blazing potential, no single titleholder is p…
Every UFC champion currently dictating his or her respective division has successfully and methodically pieced together memorable title reigns.
But even with the elite athleticism, world-class technique and blazing potential, no single titleholder is perfect.
It’s a realization that each and every one of them takes to heart when grueling training camps commence and hungry contenders take center stage.
By understanding certain weaknesses and unprecedented quarrels, each divisional king is able to pinpoint the tools needed for greater evolution.
With that said, here’s what each UFC champion needs to prove moving forward.
A fight card is a delicate entity. Nobody ever knows for sure which matchups are going to produce and which ones are going to disappoint.
So it’s often obvious that a handful of things need to fall precisely in place in order for the word “good” …
A fight card is a delicate entity. Nobody ever knows for sure which matchups are going to produce and which ones are going to disappoint.
So it’s often obvious that a handful of things need to fall precisely in place in order for the word “good” to even be associated with a fight card.
But sometimes, when all the pieces find a home in the puzzle, and each and every fighter does his part, a fight card shatters expectations in the eyes of millions.
This was never more evident than Saturday night in Houston, Texas for UFC 166.
On a card centered around a heavyweight trilogy for the ages, every single round of every single fight offered something to boast about.
Whether it was four TKO’s, three first-round knockouts, one polarizing submission or various nail-biting decisions, it seemed as if the Texas air truly made all things bigger.
What was a night for heavyweights turned out to be a night for all. One draped in lightweight blood, female ferocity, welterweight lightning, flyweight speed and heavyweight punishment.
So is it fair to call UFC 166 the best card ever? Is it fair to discard titanic events like UFC 100 and UFC 140?
In the eyes of sheer heart, will, determination and gusto, absolutely. UFC 166, for now, could be considered the best fight card of all time, from top to bottom.
The main card didn’t necessarily incorporate endless legends and torchbearers of the sport, but every single round of action displayed in front of a ravenous Houston crowd spilled a certain barbarism resembling a throwback street brawl.
It was fighting at it’s absolute simplicity. It was human heart and animal terror wrapped into one perfected beauty. In some cases, the devastating and profound action at hand seemed simply unexplainable.
Whether it was Junior dos Santos’ iron chin being smashed into oblivion or Diego Sanchez brutalizing a game Gilbert Melendez despite having a gaping cut the size of his entire eyebrow, every fighter gave it his all.
From Jessica Eye and Sarah Kaufman’s back-and-forth battle to Adlan Amagov’s prolific punishment of TJ Waldburger, Tim Boestch and C.B. Dollaway’s barnyard throwdown to Andre Fili’s fill-in finish, the action was relentless.
So for casual fans this was a rude awakening. It was a chance to see mixed martial arts at its purest and most violent form. It was a chance to see how skilled and professional the women truly are and that Facebook prelims aren’t just throwaway bouts put together to fill time.
But for hardcore fans, the ones who remember shallow rosters, limited matchups and sometimes hazy Octagon action, UFC 166 was a blessing undisguised.
It was a throwback for the flag-waving patrons who drunkenly boo transitions. It was a throwback for old-school fans who rapidly cheer as more and more blood spews onto the canvas. It was a throwback for all of us.
Even more so, it was a chance to see how far the UFC has come from its adolescent days. Names like Tony Ferguson, KJ Noons and Kyoji Horiguchi are proof that the sport is growing exponentially.
It’s no longer a game of checkers. The sport is so evolved and so intricate these days that brutally outstanding fight cards like UFC 166 will gain relevance heading into the future.
On a card riddled with massive cuts, bloody knockouts and one-sided beatdowns, there may not have been a more deserving winner than Hector Lombard.
Over the past 15 months, the former Bellator standout has struggled to produce relevant in-cage action f…
On a card riddled with massive cuts, bloody knockouts and one-sided beatdowns, there may not have been a more deserving winner than Hector Lombard.
Over the past 15 months, the former Bellator standout has struggled to produce relevant in-cage action following grueling weight cuts, debilitating injuries and failed game plans.
But after looking like a true welterweight at the weigh-ins and looking even more dangerous when the cage door shut Saturday night at UFC 166, it seems as if the real “Lightning” has finally arrived.
Here’s three fights the Cuban southpaw should take next following his quick display of violence opposite an overwhelmed and over-the-hill Nate Marquardt.
Martin Kampmann
The Dane has now tasted brutal defeat in back-to-back marquee welterweight fights. He’s struggled to gain the upper hand in either fight opposite Johny Hendricks and Carlos Condit, but that doesn’t necessarily take away from his overall prowess.
Kampmann is still one of the bigger names in the division and a handful for any fighter. He isn’t quite a gatekeeper yet, but Lombard’s heavy hands could eventually make him one.
If the Cuban wants to take a step up in competition and test the waters against a top-10 opponent, then “The Hitman” is the perfect target.
Hopefully Lombard would pay attention to Kampmann‘s grappling skills and wouldn’t try to out-power the former top contender at every turn.
Jake Ellenberger
This is a matchup made in fan heaven. Like Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown or Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez, this fight would have fireworks written all over it.
And what would make it even more special and worthwhile is the fact that it makes sense. Ellenberger is coming off a disappointing and uneventful loss to Rory MacDonald, while Lombard is sniffing the division’s top 10.
It’d almost be a crime not to pin these two juggernauts against each other at this point in their careers. The action that would ensue would be so explosive and uncontrollable that a retractable roof-supporting venue would be the only option.
This, of course, is assuming that Ellenberger can punch his way past TarecSaffiedine in January.
Winner of Josh Koscheck vs. TyronWoodley
Both Koscheck and Woodley would be smart adversaries for Lombard to test his raw innate strength against next.
On one hand, you have Koscheck, a former title contender whose name alone would launch Lombard straight to the top of the welterweight crop heap.
On the other hand, you have Woodley, a former Strikeforce standout who possesses the hunger and overall skill set to make any bout with any welterweight a potential Fight of the Night candidate.
Koscheck would obviously be a better draw if he wins, but Woodley‘s debut split-decision loss opposite Jake Shields isn’t look all that disappointing following Shields’ win over the red-hot Demian Maia.
In any case, the UFC should pick its spots with Lombard and give him a good opportunity to make a run at a top contender spot. Not for nothing, but the guy is a high-pace, high-caliber knockout artist who has unparalleled upside.
For a heavyweight trilogy to play out like it did, maybe Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos wasn’t really a trilogy to begin with.
The first encounter was so short and abrupt that it almost escapes the mind when you look at Velasquez’s body of work o…
For a heavyweight trilogy to play out like it did, maybe Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos wasn’t really a trilogy to begin with.
The first encounter was so short and abrupt that it almost escapes the mind when you look at Velasquez’s body of work over the last 10 rounds.
He’s dominated JDS from start to finish, taking him down at will, exhausting him before the championship rounds, making his face look like mashed potatoes and keeping the belt around his own waist.
So even thought it’s going to seem as if their rivalry—if you can call it that—was a trilogy, looking at the champ’s accomplishments last night and in the past should take precedence over all.
Here are the pivotal moments from UFC 166‘s main event showdown and why Velasquez ultimately separated himself from “Cigano” in the record books.
Not much can be said about Cain Velasquez that wasn’t spilled with blood on Saturday night at UFC 166, as a titanic heavyweight trilogy came to a screeching halt.
The bottom line is that the baddest man on the planet showcased the skills that left Juni…
Not much can be said about Cain Velasquez that wasn’t spilled with blood on Saturday night at UFC 166, as a titanic heavyweight trilogy came to a screeching halt.
The bottom line is that the baddest man on the planet showcased the skills that left Junior dos Santos mangled in their second meeting en route to handing the Brazilian his first TKO loss of his lengthy career.
At times, it seemed as if the scientific training of “Cigano” was paying off, as he successfully defended takedowns and scrambled back to his feet, but the pressure of the champ was too overwhelming.
Like glue on paper, Dos Santos was unable to pry Velasquez off his body without absorbing major damage. Chalk it up to sheer heart, determination and will displayed by the best heavyweight in UFC history.
But what specifically helped fuel Velasquez’s decisive finish that proved more monumental than either outcome of the first two installments? Look no further for answers.
Striking
What made Velasquez’s striking even more fluent and prominent this time around is that he needed it.
After defending numerous takedown attempts by the champ, Dos Santos showed that he wasn’t going to flop to the mat like he did in the last bout. He clearly stepped up his training and displayed the balance, technique and will to keep this title bout standing.
So even though Velasquez wasn’t completely sharp and considerably outstanding in this grudge match, his timely execution of combinations, elbows, knees, kicks, body punches and mid-cage head work proved too much for a contender who prides himself on his elite hands.
Chin
Unlike the first fight that saw Velasquez get dropped in about a minute, he was able to withstand various shots thrown by JDS throughout all five rounds at UFC 166.
Whether it was against a quick barrage after the open bell or the punishing short elbows that followed, the champion’s chin has never looked better.
Sure, Dos Santos was depleted for the majority of the bout, but he’s still one of the best strikers in the world and never stopped winging shots.
While it was a victory for Velasquez’s pace and pressure in the end, it was also a serious accomplishment for a chin that has failed him in the past.
Clinch Work
Velasquez has always been an elite wrestler in the heavyweight division. It has been a huge catalyst for his success in the past and will continue to fuel his dominance heading forward.
However, in a fight where he couldn’t take his opponent down at will, his unrivaled clinch game ultimately sealed his fate.
For nearly five rounds, Velasquez stuck to Dos Santos’ hip, punishing him with combinations to the body, pestering knees to the thigh, dirty boxing up top and the always formidable threat of a takedown.
The champ’s efforts to stay inside took away from the contender’s ability to land crisp strikes and find his range. This frustrated and tired Dos Santos early, making this fight look more and more like the last one.
Cardio
For first-time viewers, hearing Joe Rogan say Velasquez outworks welterweights in the gym as the champ walked out to the cage must have been astonishing.
But after just a few minutes into Round 1, it was evident that the UFC color commentator was speaking the truth.
Now we’ve seen Velasquez’s conditioning reign supreme in the past, especially when he had to take away a striker’s bread and butter, but it’s so marvelous and unique that talking about it never gets old.
On Saturday night, when the outcome would spell his legacy, Velasquez never looked more promising. His pace was torrid, and his game plan was tactical.
What was a five-round war looked like a walk in the park for a man equipped with persistent heart and physical determination.
On a pay-per-view card situated around a championship trilogy, a heavyweight grudge match and a bloody lightweight war, some marquee matchups are simply being overlooked.
From the first fight to the last, UFC 166 has all the key ingredients to be one o…
On a pay-per-view card situated around a championship trilogy, a heavyweight grudge match and a bloody lightweight war, some marquee matchups are simply being overlooked.
From the first fight to the last, UFC 166 has all the key ingredients to be one of the best events of the year, especially when you consider the number of bouts currently flying under the radar.
Whether it’s a women’s battle for divisional title contention or two lightweights fighting to stay on the UFC roster, Saturday is going to pack a devastating punch.
Here are five underrated and undervalued fights set to occupy the Octagon this weekend.
A fight card is a delicate entity. Nobody ever knows for sure which matchups are going to produce and which ones are going to disappoint.