Author: Duane Finley

Frank Mir: Relaxed, Recharged and Ready to Face Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva

Over the past 14 years, Frank Mir has carved out his own place in the history of the UFC heavyweight division. On Sunday, he’ll face former title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC Fight Night 61 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The Las Vegas nativ…

Over the past 14 years, Frank Mir has carved out his own place in the history of the UFC heavyweight division. On Sunday, he’ll face former title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC Fight Night 61 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

The Las Vegas native rose to prominence in the heavyweight ranks on the strength of a power-submission game that was just as unique as it was brutal. Mir’s prowess on the mat made him Zuffa’s first star in the heavyweight fold, and at 25 years old and in just his ninth bout as a professional, the surging talent claimed championship gold by submitting Tim Sylvia via armbar in the first round of their tilt at UFC 48 in 2004.

While his bout with The Maine-iac only lasted 50 seconds, Mir’s snapping of Sylvia’s arm became not only a stomach-turning highlight but somewhat of a calling card for the Nevada-based fighter. Simply put, Mir’s submission skills were nothing to play with, and other victims would face the decision to “snap or tap” in the future.

Yet, while Mir was reveling in his newly acquired status as the UFC heavyweight champion, a motorcycle accident would bring his career to a tragic halt. It took two years for him to physically recover from the incident and return to action inside the Octagon, but a string of lackluster showings over the next two years would cast serious doubt about his ability to return to his previous form.

Nevertheless, he rediscovered his groove with a come-from-behind victory over former WWE star-turned-mixed martial artist Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 in 2008. In one quick turn, Mir suddenly had more momentum than ever before, and it carried him to a second stint as the heavyweight champion when he became the first fighter to finish Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira with strikes at UFC 82—eight months after Mir submitted The Beast Incarnate.

The tide of Mir’s career took a drastic turn in his rematch with Lesnar at UFC 100, and the next six years would come with mixed results as he found success in only four of his next 10 showings inside the Octagon. That includes a current rough patch where the former two-time champion has lost four consecutive fights.

That said, despite being in the midst of the longest drought of his professional career, Mir has found a silver lining in the chaos. The 35-year-old has been out of action since his unanimous-decision loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 169 last February, and the time away has allowed him to see benefits in both physical and mental recovery.

The fighter inside of him never gave much credence to the necessity of recuperation, as he consistently chose to push on regardless of his physical condition, but he’s since allowed science to overpower his natural instincts.

And once his body had come around to meet his cerebral abilities as a mixed martial artist, Mir knew it was time to return to competing inside the Octagon. He will get the opportunity to turn things around when he faces Bigfoot in the main event of UFC Fight Night 61.

Although both fighters are in desperate need of a victory in order to stay afloat in the division, Mir isn’t feeling any particular pressure heading into his tilt with the American Top Team representative. Instead, he’s excited to be competing for the first time in as long as he can remember with his body operating at full capacity. He believes the results will speak for themselves wherever the fight goes on Sunday night.

“I think I’ll be very efficient in this fight, especially now that my overall athletic ability is back to normal,” Mir told Bleacher Report. “I took time off to heal up. Since the [Junior] dos Santos fight I’ve had about four surgeries to repair my elbow, shoulder, knee and never took time off to really rest them and heal them the right way. It was always a little bit of rest and then let’s jump right into a training camp.

“Over this past year I started taking a look at how competitors and athletes in other extreme sports keep longevity. John Lynch and Ray Lewis…I started looking at some of their programs. With football being such a violent sport, these guys beat their bodies up and are competing for 10, 12 or 15 years.

“I incorporated some of their programs in my training. Now, my overall skills are back to what I’ve been capable of doing in the past. I felt very limited in my last couple of fights. I wasn’t able to do the things I’ve been able to do in the past jiu-jitsu-wise, and I didn’t feel dangerous there anymore. Not for a lack of knowledge, but from a lack of physical ability.

“I’m now able to stand and twist and move like I used to, and I’m doing it in practice where, in the last couple of fights, I was incapable of doing it in practice but always told my coaches, ‘Ah…don’t worry guys. When the fight comes I won’t be in pain and I’ll just do it then.’ And it doesn’t work that way.”

Any athlete who has spent 14 years competing in a realm as rigorous and taxing as mixed martial arts is going to experience physical wear and tear, and Mir is no exception. The heavyweight submissions ace has undergone a long list of surgeries due to injuries, especially recently. Nevertheless, fighters are a different breed, and he admittedly fell victim to the notion that mental toughness is enough to overcome the shortcomings that arrive when the body begins to break down.

Mir soon discovered there was little truth in that mindset, but it wasn’t a destination he arrived at quickly. Despite his physical frame being torn down one limb at a time, he continued to press on through the pain by attempting to adjust his training. He believed he could somehow magically erase all lingering issues on fight night, and that simply wasn’t the case as his performances suffered inside the Octagon.

“For most people to be successful you can’t be logical at all times,” Mir said. “The one thing we kind of ingrain as fighters is we become delusional. We can overcome any odds. We will make it happen or make it work.

“That is a benefit that allows us to walk through fire, but at the same time, it can become a fallacy where you thought you were all of a sudden going to sit back and heal that when it’s not going to all of a sudden fix itself. I don’t think you are going to be able to jump or move with your knee in that condition regardless of how mentally tough you think you are.

“Forrest [Griffin] was in the gym making jokes and saying he knew it was time to retire when he started training like Mir,” he added. “I asked him how I trained, and he said I would be like, ‘Well my left arm doesn’t hurt so let’s work on jabbing today.’ Instead of sitting back and addressing things I would just drive through and push forward because I thought it was all about being mentally tough.

“Surely mental toughness is a big part of our sport, and it’s a great thing to have in life, but that is not really what makes great men great. Intelligently navigating through obstacles and giving yourself the best opportunities to perform at a high level is what matters.”

And returning to form is what Mir wants the most. He took the necessary time off between his bout with The Reem and his upcoming tilt with Silva to ensure his body would be firing on all cylinders. For a fighter who has won multiple world titles and crafted a memorable highlight reel in the process, there are few things the former heavyweight champion has yet to check off his bucket list.

He’s fought the best of the best and stood atop the divisional hierarchy multiple times, but accolades aren’t what drive him forward in his MMA career. Mir simply wants to go out on fight night and perform to the best of his abilities, and he is confident his bout with Silva at Fight Night 61 will present the perfect opportunity to do so.

“I guess I really don’t fight for accomplishments to be honest,” Mir said. “I enjoy them and will look at records or whatnot after the fact and think those things are interesting. Having submission records and things like that are cool, and winning another title is a goal of mine, but when you really get down to it and I’m grinding in the gym that’s not what is really keeping me motivated. I love martial arts. I love fighting and pushing myself up to a higher level. I like being able to see how good I can possibly be. I love the game of fighting. 

“To go out there compete as long as I’m healthy and able to perform is what matters the most to me.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Benson Henderson Finds New Momentum Following Win at Fight Night 60

The once and future king.
That is a mantra that represents the mindset of former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. Those who follow “Smooth” on social media platforms are used to seeing it in hashtag form, but to the man himself, thos…

The once and future king.

That is a mantra that represents the mindset of former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. Those who follow “Smooth” on social media platforms are used to seeing it in hashtag form, but to the man himself, those words set forth a goal he’s determined to accomplish. In Henderson’s mind, he was a champion before and will be a champion again, and the road traveled to make that goal a reality is a journey of progress.

That said, to those looking at Henderson from an outside perspective it appeared that his decision to take the road less traveled could be a perilous one for his career. The former 155-pound strap holder was coming off back-to-back losses when he decided to take a short notice fight up a weight class against Brandon Thatch—a fighter who had looked to be nothing short of a wrecking machine in his two previous showings inside the Octagon.

Suddenly, where Henderson had always lingered within striking distance of getting another shot at the lightweight title, he was now rolling the dice into much more dangerous waters as he prepared to put his elite-level status at stake in a division he had never competed in before. The lead-up to the main event at Fight Night 60 sparked numerous debates across the MMA landscape, and when Henderson and Thatch squared off for the pre-fight faceoff, the size difference between the two men became shockingly clear.

Henderson knew he was going to have his hands full with the surging striker, but he was also supremely confident in what he was going to bring to the Octagon in Denver. A long and successful career had taught Henderson that if he gave everything he had inside the cage, the results he sought were going to produce themselves.

And he was absolutely right.

Despite a close first round and a second stanza where he looked to be hurt and fading, Henderson dug deep and surged back with force. He turned the tides of the bout by taking the action to the canvas in the third, then repeated those efforts in the fourth round until sealing the deal with a fight-ending rear-naked choke.

It was an impressive performance by all measurable standards, and Henderson became the man of the hour in the sport he loves because of it.

“Being a veteran going into the fight with Brandon Thatch helped me a lot,” Henderson told Bleacher Report. “It also helps a lot after getting this win—a big time some are saying—where you get all the accolades, compliments and congratulations. I’ve been there before. I’ve been in this position before. I also know how it feels when you lose and everyone doubts you. It’s one of those things you have to take in stride. If you live for people’s acceptance you’re going to die from their rejection.”

“I definitely appreciate the love, and I like it a lot, but it’s nothing I need. You hope to get that kind of reaction every time you step in and compete. Every time I step into the Octagon I give everything I have to give in there. I don’t hold anything back. Sometimes it works my way and sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t go your way and you don’t have a stellar performance, you get the opposite reception.”

“It is what it is and it is fine, but I”m not going nuts with it,” he added. “I’ve had it before when I first won the belt, and I like it, but this is not my first rodeo so to speak.”

He was facing tough circumstances before the fight got underway, but in the aftermath of his victory Henderson suddenly had plenty of options ahead of him and new roads to travel. The 31-year-old Glendale-based fighter is a man who puts personal progress above all else, and the current landscapes of the lightweight and welterweight divisions hold plenty of potential fights and exciting challenges for him to take on.

On the flip side of things, such a drastic turnaround of public perception hasn’t gone unnoticed by Henderson by any means. The momentum and recognition he’s picked up after defeating Thatch are the fruits of the labor from a calculated risk validated by victory, and the reward he found was options.

Where Henderson was previously locked in the ebb and flow of a lightweight division that has struggled to keep moving over the past two years, he can now don his welterweight hat to keep his quest for progression rolling onward if he so chooses.

“It’s nice to have a lot of options ahead of me,” Henderson said. “It’s nice to get the recognition you think you deserve. I had two losses in a row coming into this last fight. The stoppage against [Rafael] dos Anjos, the referee stepped in and timing-wise it is what it is. The decision loss to Cowboy Cerrone where the judges saw it a different way. Both of those fights are losses on my record. I don’t know if anyone was doubting that I was still pretty good or was still a legitimate, viable threat at 155, but yes, I’m just as legitimate and viable a threat at lightweight as ever. And now at 170 as well.”

“We live in such a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ kind of world that people just tend to forget what you’ve done before. People are like, ‘This guy isn’t very good,’ then when you get a big win they turn that stance around and say, ‘He’s a pretty darn good fighter.’ I have those two losses and they are what they are, but I’m as tough a matchup as there is for anyone at 155. But it is nice to have your name thrown out there a little bit more and get the love and appreciation.”

“This was a good move for me and I definitely think I can grow from this,” he added in regard to his options going forward. “For me to go up to 170, take a fight on short notice against a good opponent and do it at elevation was a big challenge. Especially when you factor in the elevation because that was the biggest thing for me. I don’t think people understand how hard it is to fight at elevation. How much more tired you get. That was just a big pain in the butt for me there and I was happy to have a good performance at elevation.”

And said performance was a resounding sign that whatever propelled Henderson to the top of arguably the deepest collection of talent under the UFC roster is something he very much still has. Henderson outworked and out-paced a much larger fighter and kept himself out of harm’s way while employing his game plan. Granted, there were times when the size and weight differences were crystal clear, but those elements simply became details once Henderson found his groove.

Dabbling in the waters of the welterweight division was something Henderson and his coach John Crouch had talked about for years, and when it was time to go live, the Arizona-based fighter hit the challenge full tilt.

“Oh yeah, [Thatch] is a big boy,” Henderson recalled. “He’s a big boy and he’s strong too. He was 197 or whatever going into the Octagon, but he was a strong 197 pounds.”

“There was one time during the fight, I think in the second round, and my coach John Crouch and my wife and I were talking about it where he hit me in the chest. His coaches did a good job because they were telling him I was hard to hit so he needed to go to my body or throw a jab at my chest rather than aim for my head because he was missing a lot. He jabbed my chest and it sent me flying backwards. It felt to me from my point of view like I flew back three feet when he hit me in the chest like that.”

“I was like, ‘Oh no. That’s very bad and not a good sign at all. Make sure he doesn’t do that again.’ I asked John and my wife after the fight if they saw it and if it looked as bad as I thought it did and they both noticed it and agreed that it didn’t look good at all. I told them that it felt as bad as it looked then.”

While Henderson is fresh off one of the best performances of his career, the organizational banner he competes under is enduring one of the roughest stretches in its 21 years of existence. The first two months of the year have been riddled with scandal over failed drug tests by champions and pound-for-pound greats alike. It has cast a dark cloud over the sport of MMA and caused an overwhelming call for change throughout the MMA community.

Henderson has long been an advocate for hard work and clean living, but he doesn’t see himself as a leader in the push for a cleaner sport. He believes that responsibility falls on the UFC and that the current storm of failed drug tests and backlash are the product of whom the company has put their marketing machine behind.

“I think it comes down to who the UFC as an organization decides to pump up,” Henderson said. “If you want to market yourself to the lowest denominator and you want to market yourself to a lower aspect or type of being, what do you expect is going to happen? You are going to pump up this type of personality, well this is what that type of person does. They do these things, and other things are going to come along with it.

“I think a large part of this is to place the onus on the UFC because they are choosing who they decide to pump up. Who are they deciding to put millions of dollars in marketing behind? When you market a certain type of person, don’t be surprised when they do certain things.”

“For me, that’s more of what it is about,” he added. “The UFC has a ton of guys…great guys who are great fighters to boot. The UFC has a ton of great guys who are family men, good fathers, pay their bills on time and don’t have 17 kids out of wedlock. They don’t smoke weed or do other things like that, but for some reason they choose not to pump them up. You kind of reap what you sow. If you were to pump up these other great guys and girls that you have you’d be just fine. But it doesn’t exactly work that way.”

Although Henderson is reveling in the success of his debut showing as a welterweight, the lightweight title he once had has never drifted out of his mind. After coming over from the WEC in 2011, Henderson notched three consecutive wins to earn a shot at the 155-pound title. He would go on to edge out Frankie Edgar to claim the throne, then proceed to successfully defend the belt on three occasions.

While he would go on to lose the title to Anthony Pettis at UFC 164 in August of 2013, the motivation to reclaim the belt has never been extinguished. Henderson is determined to return to the top of the lightweight fold, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get there. 

“By no means have I forgot about the lightweight title,” Henderson said. “Not for one second. We all have goals and we usually talk about things depending on how reporters and journalists lead with their questions. The interviewee is going to stick in the realm of questions he’s asked. If he’s asked about the color blue, he’s not going to talk about the color red, so to speak. I don’t get asked about the belt at 155 that much, but have no doubt, that belt at 155, and now we are even thinking about the belt at 170, but the belt at 155 has not left my mind for one second.”

“If I can get my hands on Anthony Pettis—should he win—or get my hands on Rafael dos Anjos if he wins, either way I’m ready to face either one of those guys today, tomorrow or anytime we can make it happen. We can go five rounds and I’m good. I would place my house on me winning. The belt at 155 has not left my mindset, my vision or my goal at all. It doesn’t get talked about as much and I don’t get asked about it as much and that’s fine, but that is my goal. That should be every fighter at 155 in the UFC’s goal. They should be thinking about that belt and beating who has it.”

With Henderson further validating his “anytime, anyplace” mentality with his efforts at Fight Night 60, the road ahead will be nothing short of interesting. The UFC could ask him to resume his place in the divisional elite at 155 or offer up interesting matchups in the welterweight division as well. Henderson is game for whatever comes his way, but he ultimately knows the direction—or directions—he wants to travel.

The Colorado native has his eyes on championship gold, but should the right opportunity present itself, Henderson and his team are always down for an interesting challenge.

“We’re not really sure what is next,” Henderson said. “We definitely want to be smart about it. We don’t want to lose this good momentum that we have, but the UFC is really kind of a go-with-the-flow thing. There is no set schedule like the NFL or anything like that. There are at times no rhyme or reason to the matchmaking in the UFC. They can need a guy for something so this or that happens. We don’t know.”

“Say somebody gets hurt for this next card in Brazil and they need a 170-pounder to fight down there. I’m feeling pretty good. I could do that. I could take that fight. Let’s go down to Brazil. I’ve never fought in Brazil before and it’s somewhere I want to fight. I have a teammate on the card so let’s do that. 

“I just play it open and play it by ear. I just go with the flow and I think I do that pretty well. I think that’s one of the great things my gym and my coach John Crouch does; we go with the flow and make the best of any situation. We are always moving forward and that’s not going to stop.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva Seeking Fresh Start Against Frank Mir at Fight Night 61

Mixed martial arts is a sport where growth and the progression of skills is required in order to find continued success. It is also one where the ability to adapt and change can be just as crucial.
Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Antonio “Bigfo…

Mixed martial arts is a sport where growth and the progression of skills is required in order to find continued success. It is also one where the ability to adapt and change can be just as crucial.

Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva knows the latter all too well, and he has gone to great lengths to adjust the elements of his physical game and personal health in order to keep his career in MMA alive. Following his “Fight of the Year” winning performance with Mark Hunt in December 2013, the American Top Team representative tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. He was suspended for nine months and was levied a fine that cost him both his win bonus and $50,000 performance bonus.

The bout’s majority draw decision was ultimately overturned to a no-contest, and Silva used his time on the shelf to remove himself from testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT), as the UFC banned those programs two months after his tilt with “The Super Samoan.” The Brazilian heavyweight would emerge from his suspension with hopes of getting his career back on track, but a first-round knockout against Andrei Arlovski at Fight Night 51 back in September proved to be another setback.

Following his bout against “The Pit Bull” in Brazil, “Pezao” underwent surgery to remove a tumor on his pituitary gland that had reemerged. The operation was a success, and Silva set about preparing for his return to the Octagon two months later. All of those trials and tribulations bring the former Elite XC heavyweight champion up to his current position, which is a showdown with former two-time champion Frank Mir at Fight Night 61 on Sunday.

It’s been a long road for Silva to travel, but one that was necessary in order for him to continue his journey through MMA.

“The surgery went very well and it really helped me,” Silva told Bleacher Report with the assistance of his translator, Alexis Davis. “I’m a lot lighter than I usually am. I’m feeling much better. I have to continue adapting to get better results and continue my career.”

While Silva and Mir have enjoyed success throughout their respective careers, both have been stuck in ruts as of late. “Bigfoot” has gone without a win in his past three outings, while the Las Vegas native has been turned back in four consecutive showings. When the growing competitiveness of the heavyweight division is factored in, a pressure-filled picture is painted for the main event at Fight Night 61.

Neither man can afford a loss, and Silva is determined to make sure he isn’t the one leaving the Octagon disappointed. Nevertheless, the 35-year-old veteran is fully aware that his back is up against the wall against Mir, and he has every intention of rising to the occasion on Sunday night. 

“I always come back strong from my losses and that’s what I have to do here,” Silva said. “I have to give the UFC back what they’ve given to me. They have always given me great opportunities, and I need to give them a great performance on fight night.

“Frank Mir is a great fighter and a former UFC champion. To beat him would be a great accomplishment in my career.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The Good, Bad and Strange from UFC Fight Night 60

Mixed martial arts is a chaotic sport where anything can and usually does happen.
The leadup to the UFC’s return to Denver for Fight Night 60 was a prime example of how hectic things can get at the highest level of the sport, as injury and circumstance…

Mixed martial arts is a chaotic sport where anything can and usually does happen.

The leadup to the UFC’s return to Denver for Fight Night 60 was a prime example of how hectic things can get at the highest level of the sport, as injury and circumstance battered the event’s lineup as fight night approached. The card’s original main event tilt between Matt Brown and Tarec Saffiedine was scrapped when the Belgian striker fell out with injury, and rather than find “The Immortal” a replacement bout, the scrappy Columbus native was shipped off to UFC 185 in Dallas.

He will face former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks in “Bigg Rigg’s” first bout since losing the strap in a bout figured to have heavy implications on a future title shot. In the aftermath of Brown being pushed to UFC 185, the promotion bumped Brandon Thatch versus Stephen Thompson up to the headlining slot at Fight Night 60. In addition to being a highly anticipated squabble, “Rukus” vs. “Wonderboy” was set to be an action-packed showdown between two of the welterweight division’s fastest-rising stars.

A rib injury would force the South Carolina native out of the bout just two weeks out from the event, and the UFC was left with very few options in the 170-pound fold. Nevertheless, in a strange and sudden turn, former lightweight champion Benson Henderson—who was only two weeks removed from his hard-fought loss to Donald Cerrone at Fight Night 59—agreed to go up a weight class and face the welterweight wrecking machine.

While “Smooth” has always been a vocal advocate of the “anytime, anyplace” mentality, stepping in against a fighter who had only been out of the opening round once in 12 fights—and doing so coming off back-to-back losses of his own—seemed to be a dangerous gamble. Furthermore, with Henderson being big for his former weight class and Thatch on the larger side of his current one, there was a drastic size difference between the two fighters.

This became crystal clear during their faceoff at the pre-fight weigh-ins on Friday, and Henderson’s already-difficult task of jumping up a weight class on short notice appeared to become even more Herculean in nature. Still, the former 155-pound champion has never been one to back down from a challenge, and did he ever step up to the plate.

Despite being on the short end of reach and weight, Henderson put on a career-defining performance as he chopped away at the dangerous striker until he put him away with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. The former champion took the talented prospect into deep waters where he put him away in impressive fashion.

It was a roller coaster of a night at 1stBank Center in Broomfield. Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from Fight Night 60.

 

The Good

What a turnaround for Benson Henderson.

Following a loss to Donald Cerrone in his last fight, the former lightweight champion found himself in unfamiliar waters. Suddenly “Smooth” was sitting on back-to-back losses, and he was determined to buck that trend in the quickest way possible. If that meant going up a weight class to take a short notice fight against a versatile striker the likes of Brandon Thatch, that’s what he was going to do.

Henderson was willing to do anything to get back on track, and that’s exactly what he accomplished on Saturday night. The former WEC and UFC 155-pound champion used his speed and agility to stay out of reach of “Rukus” for the opening five minutes, then set about closing the distance where he saw fit. While Thatch was able to tag him a few times in the second round, Henderson went to his wrestling to neutralize the size and length advantage in the third round and turned the tide of the fight.

When the MMA Lab leader was able to put Thatch on the canvas again in the fourth, Henderson’s submission game took over and he closed out the fight. It was a spectacular performance for the Arizona-based fighter, and he kicked open a few doors in the process.

While Henderson is undoubtedly one of the elite lightweight fighters on the UFC roster, his showing at Fight Night 60 proved he’s just as game as a welterweight. No matter where Henderson decides to fight next, it is clear that he’s going to continue to land high-profile opponents. And that is good news for both weight classes.

The UFC’s featherweight division is more stacked than it’s ever been before, and Max Holloway is determined to carve out his place among the divisional elite.

The 23-year-old Hawaiian came into his bout with Cole Miller at Fight Night 60 riding a four-fight winning streak that took him from the prospect ranks and into the higher ground, where tougher competition resides. “Blessed” had earned finishes in each of his four recent victories, and a win over a gritty veteran the likes of Miller would stamp his passage into the next level of the weight class.

While Holloway was unable to put the American Top Team product away over the course of the 15-minute affair, his performance was certainly on point, as he dominated the action throughout. The majority of the opening round was spent with both fighters circling and feeling one another out, but once Holloway settled in it was his show from there. Holloway’s versatility made the difference in the matchup as he picked up the unanimous-decision victory on the judges’ scorecards.

And where the UFC typically waits a few weeks to pair up a winning fighter, Jon Anik told Holloway in his post-fight interview that there was a slot available opposite Cub Swanson at UFC on Fox 15 in April. The scrappy Hawaiian said he was down to make it happen, and it looks like the surging contender will square off with “Killer Cub” in Newark.

*** Neil Magny put himself in the UFC record books by notching five victories in 2014, and he came into Fight Night 60 looking to keep things rolling against Kiichi Kunimoto on Saturday night. The Colorado-based fighter put the pace and pressure on his opponent from the opening bell, and that work paid immediate dividends as Kunimoto began to wilt as the fight wore on. The Japanese veteran was saved by the bell at the end of the second round, and Magny wasted zero time resuming his attack in the final round. After he put Kunimoto on the canvas, The Ultimate Fighter 16 alum sank in a fight-ending rear-naked choke to bring his streak to six consecutive victories.

*** The UFC’s lightweight division is one of the most talent-rich collectives under the promotion’s banner, and Kevin Lee is starting to gain some traction. The 22-year-old Michigan native came into Fight Night 60 with a two-fight winning streak, and he made it three straight victories with a unanimous-decision victory over Michel Prazeres on Saturday night. While “The MoTown Phenom” ate a few shots early, his speed and pressure wore down the Brazilian slugger in the later rounds, and Lee dominated the action in the final two frames. With the win, Lee has solid momentum rolling and should draw a more established opponent in his next outing.

*** In addition to having one of the best nicknames in MMA, Ray Borg is also one of the most promising prospects in the flyweight division. At just 21 years old, “The Tazmexican Devil” has shown a versatile skill set and steady progress every time out. On Saturday night, the Albuquerque native picked up his second victory under the UFC banner when he dominated, then submitted Chris Kelades at Fight Night 60. Borg dominated every minute of the fight until he locked in a fight-ending kimura in the second round. While Borg may be a ways away from a title opportunity, if he continues to progress at the rate he’s moving, a championship fight will be in his near future.

*** No fighter on the card at Fight Night 60 needed was more desperate for a win than Efrain Escudero. Where the MMA Lab representative was once a promising prospect in the UFC fold, a pair of tough runs sent him back to competing on smaller stages around the sport. The TUF 8 winner was brought back for his third tour of duty in the UFC last September, but ultimately he found himself on the business end of a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.

Those circumstances made his fight with Rodrigo de Lima a must-win situation, and Escudero certainly stepped up to the challenge. While the Brazilian veteran had his moments throughout the fight, “Hencho En Mexico” kept his composure and stuck to his game plan. The result was Escudero claiming his first victory inside the Octagon since 2010, keeping his roster spot intact.

*** Team Takedown representative Chas Skelly certainly lived up to his “Scrapper” nickname at Fight Night 60 as he out-slugged Jim Alers in a barn-burner to pick up his third consecutive victory inside the cage. While Alers certainly had his moments in the opening frame, Skelly landed a series of bombs in the second round that left his opponent dazed against the cage. Once Alers was wounded, Skelly poured it on and secured the TKO finish in impressive fashion.

That said, the 29-year-old Texan definitely landed an illegal knee to Alers‘ head as he was already folded to the canvas. In the aftermath of the fight, commentator Brian Stann asked the commission about the strike, and was told the referee declared he was in the process of stopping the fight when the illegal blow landed.

*** Zach Makovsky has been vocal about wanting a shot at the UFC flyweight title, and he took another strong step toward making that happen on Saturday night. “Fun Size” outworked the always scrappy Tim Elliot to pick up the unanimous decision victory at Fight Night 60. While the Grindhouse MMA representative was on his back for the majority of the fight, that didn’t stop him from trying everything he could to score points. Nevertheless, Makovsky had the edge in what turned into a wild fight, and the Pennsylvania native has now won three of his four showings inside the Octagon.

*** While missing weight in your UFC debut is never a good thing, James Moontasri did everything he could to erase his initial misstep against Cody Pfister. From the opening bell, Pfister went all out to put his opponent on the ground, but “Moonwalker” answered those attacks with a knee or kick at every turn, forcing “The Fist” to get more and more desperate with each takedown attempt. Moontasri eventually stunned Pfister with a hard shot and finished off the action with a rear-naked choke to solidify a successful debut inside the Octagon.

 

The Bad

It may be time for Nik Lentz to change his nickname.

While the Minnesota representative has used “The Carny” moniker throughout his professional career, there is now enough evidence to support Nik “Bad Luck” Lentz being a more justified descriptor. There is certainly no denying the former lightweight turned featherweight grappler has talent, but misfortune has seemed to hover above him as of late.

After bouncing back from his loss to Chad Mendes in December of 2013 with a win over Manvel Gamburyan five months later in Ohio, 2014 appeared to a year where the 145-pound grinder could make some moves up the featherweight divisional ranks. That said, his rematch with Charles Oliveira at Fight Night 50 fell apart at the 11th hour as “Do Bronx” first missed weight by five pounds at the weigh-ins, then ultimately fell ill on the day of the bout and the fight was scrapped.

Unfortunately for Lentz, the 30-year-old veteran was unable to secure another bout before the year came to a close and was forced to turn his hopes toward 2015. His long-awaited opportunity to return to the Octagon was slated to happen on Saturday at Fight Night 60 in Denver, but it would be Lentz who fell victim to illness and was forced to withdraw from his bout against Levan Makashvili. 

Lentz being forced to drop out of Fight Night 60 is not only his second consecutive fight that was scratched before ever seeing the Octagon, but those unexpected turns have prevented him from keeping up with a divisional upper tier that is on fire at the current time the way the 145-pound weight class is. The ascension of Irish star Conor McGregor has shifted the featherweight collective into hyper-drive, and Lentz is in danger of being left by the wayside.

That is an unfortunate turn for a fighter who has won four of his five showings since dropping down to featherweight in 2012, but Lentz was already fighting an uphill battle. His wrestling-heavy attack has never been the most entertaining presentation inside the Octagon, but he was in the process of reversing that stigma before his sudden turn of poor luck.

While what happened to Lentz was beyond his control, one fighter who has zero excuses for what went down in Broomfield was Patrick Walsh. 

Not only did the 26-year-old TUF 19 alum fail to make weight on Friday, he then proceeded to put on one of the worst fights in recent memory. Granted, it certainly takes two to tango and his opponent Daniel Kelly didn’t win any fans, but he ultimately won the fight. The UFC has a long track record of not taking too kindly to fighters who fail to hit the contracted weight limit, and they certainly won’t have any sympathy for a fighter who then proceeds to get into the Octagon and fight the way Walsh did.

There were other bouts outside of the should-have-been-middleweight disaster on the main card that garnered boos from the crowd at 1stBank Center on Saturday night, but none that presented the level of despair as Kelly vs. Walsh brought. Again, Kelly has very little to be proud of for how he performed on Saturday night, but at least he made weight and did enough to win the fight.

If Walsh is allowed to make another walk to the Octagon, it’s all but guaranteed there will be a stern conversation to be had with UFC brass before that happens.

 

The Strange

While there were plenty of curious happenings in the leadup to Fight Night 60, once the action got underway in Broomfield, things were relatively normal. I know what you are thinking and I agree. How does a UFC fight card go down without anything strange taking place? And as crazy as that is to write; that was simply the case on Saturday night.

Still, that’s not to say there were not issues with how things went down in the mile high elevation of the Rocky Mountains. Where Denver’s elevation didn’t turn out to do all too much damage to the fighters throwing leather inside the Octagon, the viewers watching at home had to think the show’s production was being zapped by the thin air surrounding 1stBank Center.

Due to Fight Night 60 having six fights on the main card, the pacing of the event presented a serious struggle for anyone tuning in. Where the preliminary portion of the card featured some action-packed squabbles and a pair of finishes, the bouts on the main card were coated in molasses. Granted, this is more than likely do to the talent level of the fighters who were showcased, but that wasn’t the entire reason the majority of the showcased portion of Fight Night 60 struggled.

The opening bout saw flyweight prospect Ray Borg thrash Chris Kelades until “The Taxmexican Devil” put his opponent away with a kimura in the final round. The next bout featured up-and-coming lightweight Kevin Lee as he out-hustled Michel Prazares to pick up the unanimous decision win. Those two fights made for a decent start to Saturday night’s event, but it’s what came after that proceeded to suck the life out of card.

A catchweight sludge-fest between Dan Kelly and Patrick Walsh was painful to watch and served as a strong reminder that NBA’s All-Star weekend was going down on another channel. When the commercial for UFC 184 and Cat Zingano’s scream was played for what felt like the 50th time, it only added to the feeling that Fight Night 60 was taking forever. 

The action would pick up toward the end of the card, but the damage had already been done. By the time Max Holloway and Cole Miller stepped in for the co-main event, the ever-present fighting faithful were barely holding on by a thread. Where Twitter is normally thriving with commentary and analysis during a UFC fight card, the social media realm had the collective disdain of an entire collective of people sitting impatiently at the Department of Motor Vehicles. 

With a mass phenomenon like fight fans and media agreeing something was difficult to get through going down on Saturday night, there is no other way to categorize it other than strange.

Yet, on a different note, everything turned around at the end due to Benson Henderson putting on the performance of his career against a much larger, stronger, longer Brandon Thatch.

That’s MMA folks. That’s the ride we sign up for.

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise. 

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Matt Mitrione Angling Hard for Bout with Andrei Arlovski

Matt Mitrione is picking a fight, and on Thursday he let the world know it.
The former NFL defensive lineman turned surging UFC heavyweight took to his Twitter account and blasted former two-time heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski for his apparent un…

Matt Mitrione is picking a fight, and on Thursday he let the world know it.

The former NFL defensive lineman turned surging UFC heavyweight took to his Twitter account and blasted former two-time heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski for his apparent unwillingness to throw down inside the Octagon.

According to Mitrione, he had just received word that Arlovski had turned down his offer to fight for the second time—citing that “Meathead” was not ranked high enough to fetch his interest.

This turn of events incited the The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 alum, and he launched a tirade at the Jackson-Winkeljohn-trained fighter:

His efforts caught Arlovski’s attention, and the savvy veteran ever so politely returned fire:

While a Twitter back-and-forth with a potential opponent in the last thing Mitrione wanted, Thursday’s events are signs that the Lafayette, Indiana-based fighter’s patience is boiling over. He’s on a three-fight winning streak—all of which have come via first-round destruction—with his most recent victim being former interim title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC on Fox 13 back in December.

Mitrione built some serious momentum with his 2014 campaign and is eager to continue his climb up the heavyweight ladder. He has no problem jumping into the driver’s seat to get that done.

“I’m trying to move up in the world and I’m doing whatever I can to make that happen,” Mitrione told Bleacher Report. “I’m ready to fight and I’m ready to do that as soon as possible. I’ve already been on the shelf for two months and [Arlovski] has been out longer than that. Let’s do the fight in Montreal in April or wherever and whenever we can get this done. I’m looking to fight as soon as possible. I’m looking to move up in the world and I don’t have time to be waiting. I’ve been looking for a fight for awhile and now I’m picking one.

“I was being respectful and waiting for Arlovski to accept the fight, but now he’s clowning me? I don’t have time for that, dude. Come on. He’s going to go on Twitter and ask fans who he should fight when he’s turning down fights with me? I don’t care what the guy says. I’m ready to scrap. I’m ready to do work.”

With Mitrione taking his friction with Arlovski into public view, it will be interesting to see how things develop between the two heavyweights going forward. As he stated on Twitter, Mitrione‘s biggest point of contention is that Arlovski claims he isn’t ranked high enough to warrant a fight, yet the Belarus native held the 14th spot in the rankings when he faced the No. 4-ranked Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva last September.

The affable heavyweight knockout artist doesn’t understand why Arlovski refuses to give him the same opportunity—especially when the current heavyweight landscape leaves few options outside of a future clash between the two.

There is no time line set for Junior dos Santos to return following his victory over Stipe Miocic in December, and a bout against Travis Browne would make sense for the former champion’s next matchup. The only other viable option for the Chicago transplant would be Ben Rothwell, but the two heavyweights already collided once on a previous occasion, with Arlovski getting the KO victory at Affliction: Banned in 2008.

Interim title challenger Mark Hunt could also be an option, but the “Super Samoan” is coming off a loss to Fabricio Werdum in his most recent outing at UFC 180 last November.

In the past, the UFC has favored matchups that fight fans are excited to see, and Mitrione‘s outburst is clearly a play in that particular lane. He’s letting the world know he’s placed a target on Arlovski, and it will be interesting to see how things heat up between the two heavyweights. 

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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Anthony Johnson Felt Bad for Crushing Alexander Gustafsson’s Dreams

Anthony Johnson’s resurgence has been one of the best comeback stories in the 21-year history of mixed martial arts.
Rumble was once a talented, yet floundering welterweight struggling to beat the scale then his opponent on fight night, and those incon…

Anthony Johnson’s resurgence has been one of the best comeback stories in the 21-year history of mixed martial arts.

Rumble was once a talented, yet floundering welterweight struggling to beat the scale then his opponent on fight night, and those inconsistencies led to the South Florida transplant losing his place on the UFC roster in 2012. Being released from Zuffa served as a wake-up call for the heavy-handed veteran, and he took his skill set to a variety of smaller platforms—and a few new weight classes—in order to regain his footing as a mixed martial artist.

The results of Johnson’s decision to move up in weight have been astounding as the Team Blackzilian knockout artist has notched nine consecutive victories inside the cage. Three of those wins have come inside the Octagon, and Johnson has been a force since returning to the UFC in 2014. The 30-year-old Georgia native has earned the opportunity to face Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title, in a bout that will take place later this year.

Nevertheless, in order to claim the No. 1 contender spot, he had to defeat Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on Fox 14, which he did in devastating fashion. Johnson drubbed The Mauler in front of the Swedish striker’s hometown crowd in Stockholm en route to picking up the first-round finish and the right to fight Bones for the light heavyweight strap.

While his victory over the former title challenger was a career highlight for Johnson, he was also aware of how visibly shaken Gustafsson was in the aftermath of the fight. The rangy veteran was not only lamenting his loss but also the fact his long-awaited rematch with Jones had vanished for the time being.

Johnson recently spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour and opened up about feeling bad for Gustafsson in the moments following their main event clash at UFC on Fox 14.

I did because, I mean, we all knew what the deal was before the fight. He was supposed to have his title shot and then he got injured, and then Jon and DC [Daniel Cormier] had their beef going on, so they let that fight continue, even though I think DC got hurt. And Alex should have had his title shot back then. It should have been Alex fighting instead of DC. But this is the UFC. This is their business so, they can do what they have to do. It’s Zuffa.

It just seems like he’s been through Hell and back to get his rematch for a title, and he just didn’t get his opportunity again. I mean, I felt bad for him. So when he was crying, to me that’s what was going through my head. I was like damn, his dreams just got shot to hell. I just felt bad about it. 

Although Johnson may have struggled with his opponent’s emotions in Sweden, he’s turned his aim to the biggest challenge of his career in facing the pound-for-pound great. There is yet to be an official date set for Johnson and Jones to handle their business, but May is the rumored month for the showdown at the current time.

Yet, regardless of when and where, Johnson’s upcoming fight against the longest reigning champion in the history of the UFC’s light heavyweight division will give the resurgent veteran a showcase opportunity to put a definitive stamp on his impressive comeback. Johnson has looked unstoppable during his second run under the Zuffa banner and has built undeniable momentum on his run up the ladder in the 205-pound division.

Should he dethrone Jones to become the new light heavyweight champion, it would be hard to argue Johnson’s redemption inside the Octagon isn’t the best comeback story in MMA history. That said, even if the light heavyweight slugger comes up short against Jones, his battle to reclaim his footing in MMA has still been remarkable to watch.

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise. 

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