Aljamain Sterling is looking to start a fight.
All truths being told, the Serra-Longo product is actually angling at a few potential dust ups, but there is one opponent in particular Aljo wants to get his hands on next: Bryan Caraway.
The 23-year-old N…
Aljamain Sterling is looking to start a fight.
All truths being told, the Serra-Longo product is actually angling at a few potential dust ups, but there is one opponent in particular Aljo wants to get his hands on next: Bryan Caraway.
The 23-year-old New York native has set his sights on stepping into the Octagon with The Ultimate Fighter alum, and Sterling has started a public campaign to make that happen.
The way he sees it, there is no other matchup on the current bantamweight landscape that makes more sense than a tilt between him and Caraway. Both are coming off solid performances over tough competition, and with the majority of the major players in the 135-pound ranks sidelined with injury, there are few options available for fighters in the top 10 collective.
Sterling believes facing Caraway is the logical next step for both of them, but so far it’s a fight the Washington state native seems to have very little interest in.
Nevertheless, Sterling isn’t concerned with what Caraway wants and doesn’t want, as he’s determined to make the fight happen.
“I don’t know what I have to say to ruffle enough feathers for the UFC to make this fight because it’s the only one that makes sense,” Sterling told Bleacher Report. “I’m not even trying to be disrespectful. I just believe I’m better than [Caraway] in every single aspect of the game. I’m better at grappling and wrestling, and my striking is worlds beyond what his is. I’d like to slap him around a little bit and collect an easy paycheck.
“He’s calling out Michael McDonald who is still hurt and on the sidelines. I don’t understand anything about that. He’s saying he doesn’t want to fight anyone ranked below him, and I don’t think he realizes I’m ranked above him. He needs to take off his roller blades and let’s go. He’s trying to find the quickest exit to skate out of this.”
While putting a target on Caraway is the next order of business on Sterling’s agenda, it is far from the only item in the talented young bantamweight’s plans. His ultimate goal is to take the 135-pound divisional crown, and Sterling knows he’ll have to knock off a few of his peers in the upper tier of his weight class in order to get that done.
Then again, Sterling could also see himself earning a title opportunity with another impressive win under his belt, but the greater scope of that situation is out of his hands.
What isn’t out of Sterling’s control is his assault on the top tier of the division he calls home. The highly touted prospect turned in that particular label with a victory over TakeyaMizugaki at UFC on Fox 15 back in April in a fight that earned him a place in the coveted top 10 rankings. And while some fighters like to quietly settle into their new environment, Sterling has chosen to take a different route.
He’s not interested in flying under anyone’s radar and wants every one of his peers in the 135-pound division to know he’s here to stay.
“I have a hit list,” Sterling said. “I want to fight Bryan Caraway, Johnny Eduardo and Urijah Faber. Michael McDonald would be on that list too. But he’s hurt, and I’m not going to stoop to calling out someone who is injured.
“I want to get my hands on Johnny Eduardo, but that guy only fights once every three years. This guy talking about how he’s going to break my jaw like he did [Eddie] Wineland, and I’m like, ‘Okay buddy. Sure thing.’ I think he’s a little bit anxious and running his mouth because he really doesn’t want the fight with me. He knows what will happen. I’ll twist him up like a little pretzel and squeeze his head until it pops off like a champagne cork.
“Those are the guys on my list, and I’ll take out any one of those guys on any day as soon as the UFC is ready to book it,” he added. “I think one more win will put me next in line for a title shot. If Dominick Cruz is still hurt and Raphael Assuncao isn’t back from injury yet, I think I’m the next guy if I can get one more win under my belt. I’m looking to come back in October, and I’m ready to get after it.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Ronda Rousey’s entrance into the Octagon has become a grand spectacle in the sports world.
The women’s bantamweight phenom has become one of the biggest stars in the mainstream sporting sphere, and her presence draws attention far beyond the borders of…
Ronda Rousey’s entrance into the Octagon has become a grand spectacle in the sports world.
The women’s bantamweight phenom has become one of the biggest stars in the mainstream sporting sphere, and her presence draws attention far beyond the borders of the MMA community. In less than three years competing under the UFC banner, the former Olympic judoka turned MMA sensation has dominated the women’s 135-pound ranks to become one of the biggest stars on the landscape of combat sports.
Rousey’s championship reign has kicked open the doors to Hollywood for the California native to produce roles in blockbuster franchises, and the future appears to be megawatt for the 28-year-old wrecking machine. That said, everything that could potentially materialize on the horizon for Rousey is directly attached to her ability to continue her dominance on the biggest stage in MMA.
All she needs to do is continue doing what she does best, and her next opportunity to do so came front and center at UFC 190 on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The women’s bantamweight titleholder put her strap on the line against undefeated contender Bethe Correia in a highly anticipated grudge match that came on the challenger’s native soil. Pitbull worked a diligent campaign to earn her shot at championship gold, and Rousey was determined to prove the scrappy Brazilian had bitten off more than she could chew.
And while the UFC touted Correia as Rousey’s biggest test inside the Octagon to date, those are the measures a promotion has to take when their champion has looked nothing short of bulletproof in her five previous title defenses in the UFC. She was a heavy favorite going into the main event tilt, and rightfully so, as Rousey absolutely trucked Correia via knockout 34 seconds into the fight.
Rousey came out guns blazing from the jump, and half a minute later, Correia went crashing face first into the canvas. Going into the fight, many figured turning the bout into a brawl would be Correia’s only hope, but even a slug fest couldn’t save the challenger, as Rousey snuffed her out with a right hand in a wild exchange to make her sixth successful title defense.
It was another amazing showing from Rousey and added one more lightning-quick finish to her already amazing resume.
It was a solid night of fights in Rio de Janeiro. Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the strange from UFC 190.
The Good
If there is a ceiling for Rousey’s talent, it has yet to be found.
The women’s bantamweight champion has steamrolled and finished every opponent she’s faced inside the Octagon, and she added another victim to her list on Saturday night at UFC 190. The Rowdy one absolutely drubbed title challenger Correia in a fight in which she abandoned her signature clinch game and employed a full-throttle striking attack. Rousey went after the scrappy Brazilian from the get-go, and a short time later, Correia was lights out on the canvas.
Where she earned her superstar status for her penchant for armbarring her opposition, Rousey has added a new page to her run of dominance over the past year, as she’s been settling opponents at the end of her strikes. Rousey has always been well above her competition from a technical and athletic standpoint, but developing knockout power in her hands serves to create that much more distance between the champion and the rest of the women’s 135-pound collective.
And that brings us to Cyborg. Cristiane Justino is the only fighter in the realm of women’s MMA who could compete with the juggernaut that is the current version of Rousey. The Brazilian wrecking machine and the bantamweight phenom have been hovering around one another since they were both fighting under the Strikeforce banner, and the time has come for the UFC to go all out to make their long-awaited fight finally come to fruition.
Granted, getting Cyborg down to 135 pounds will be a big hurdle to clear, especially with USADA’s upcoming IV ban coming into place, but that is the only fight left to make. Rousey is slated to face Miesha Tate for a third time in the coming months, but with the previous two fights ending in dominant fashion, there is no reason to think the third fight will end any differently.
Rousey is just that good, and from the work she showed en route to toppling Correia on Saturday night, she’s only getting better.
***
While he’s no longer the perennial contender he once was, Mauricio Rua can still get out there and bang with the best of them. Anytime the former UFC champion steps into the cage, he brings the violence, and there was certainly plenty of brutality to go around in his rematch with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 190.
Lil Nog rocked Rua in the opening round, which forced the legendary striker to shift into full desperation mode. Fortunately for fight fans, a desperate Rua means fists fly with reckless abandon, and the opening round turned into a full scale shootout between the two gritty veterans.
The final two rounds slowed down a bit, as Rua and Nogueira went to the ground, but the closing moments of the tilt saw the fisticuffs once again in full force. Rua ultimately took the win on the judges’ scorecards and snapped a two-fight skid in the process.
***
Stefan Struve broke out of his recent rough patch on Saturday night, outworking Brazilian legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to pick up unanimous-decision victory at UFC 190.
The Skyscraper used his reach advantage to pepper Minotauro with big shots throughout the three-round affair, as he wobbled the former heavyweight champion with crisp punches on several occasions. While the Dutchman was unable to put Nogueira away, Struve did enough to sweep the judges’ scorecards and pick up his first win inside the Octagon since defeating Stipe Miocic back in 2012.
***
No fighter on the lineup for UFC 190 needed a victory more than Antonio Silva. The former heavyweight title challenger came into his bout with Soa Palelei having failed to find the win column in four straight showings inside the cage, and a loss to the Hulk would have all but sealed his fate in the UFC.
Nevertheless, Bigfoot rebounded from a tough opening round to flex his power on Palelei and put away the veteran powerhouse with a flurry in the second round. It wasn’t a pretty performance from Silva, but his win guarantees he’ll live to see another day under the UFC banner.
***
After the women’s strawweight title barely eluded Claudia Gadelha in her first attempt at championship gold, the Nova Uniao product wants nothing more than to get another crack at Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
The 26-year-old Brazilian striker left zero doubt about a title shot being next up for her as she battered highly touted newcomer Jessica Aguilar from pillar to post in their fight on Saturday. While Aguilar has built a career on her aggression, Gadelha’s out-savaged her en route to picking up the unanimous-decision victory.
The only fight to make is a rematch with Joanna Champion. It needs to happen. It needs to happen so much.
***
Demian Maia has been competing against the best fighters in the world for the better part of the past decade, and he was determined to stop Neil Magny’s attempt to break through into deeper waters at UFC 190.
As it was, the Brazilian submissions ace allowed the Colorado native to step out into the deeper waters, then drowned The Ultimate Fighter alum with his signature brand of jiu-jitsu. Maia snapped Magny’s seven-fight winning streak by working his ground talents until the up-and-coming welterweight was forced to tap to a rear-naked choke in the second round.
It was a clinic in ground fighting from Maia from start to finish, and his win on Saturday night will keep his status in the talent-rich 170-pound division intact.
***
There isn’t a whole lot of flash in Patrick Cummins’ game, but he continues to get the job done inside the Octagon. The former Penn State wrestler played to his strengths once again, pounding out Rafael Cavalcante in the final round of their tilt at UFC 190.
While Durkin’s face got shredded in the first two rounds, he stuck to his guns and used his wrestling to wear down the heavy-handed Brazilian until he used a storm of elbows on the canvas to secure the victory. With his win on Saturday, Cummins has now found victory in four of his six showings under the UFC banner.
***
The welterweight division has a certified prospect in Warlley Alves. The undefeated 24-year-old Brazilian gained entry into the UFC by winning the third season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil and has carried that momentum into his run in the 170-pound ranks under the UFC banner.
With each step taken, the buzz around him has increased, and it will do so even more following his submission victory over Nordine Taleb at UFC 190. It was a closely contested affair, but Alves secured the guillotine choke in the second round to pick up his third consecutive victory inside the Octagon.
The Bad
There was a time where Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world. Those days have officially come and gone.
While walking away from the fight game is a decision every fighter makes on their own, retirement seems to be a conclusion Minotauro will be arriving at soon. The former UFC and Pride champion suffered his third loss in as many fights when he came out on the wrong end of a unanimous decision at the hands of Stefan Struve at UFC 190. Nogueira has now been defeated in all but one of his past five showings inside the Octagon and has looked to be a shell of his former self in the process.
That’s a tough look for a fighter who was once at the top of the game, but time and a collection of memorable wars under the bright lights, have combined to take their toll on Nogueira. The 39-year-old Brazilian grappling ace simply can’t perform at the physical level he once could, and when a fighter is unable to use the weapons that made him successful in the first place, it’s high time to call it a day.
Nogueira built a legendary career on his ability to overcome adversity, but Father Time is an opponent who won’t let up at the bell.
***
The rough road Rafael Cavalcante has been traveling of late is about to get a lot rougher following his loss at UFC 190. The former Strikeforce champion was outworked by Patrick Cummins en route to taking a loss via TKO on Saturday night, which is his third setback over his past four showings inside the Octagon.
While only two of those defeats have come in consecutive fashion, and he’ll more than likely hold his roster spot following his performance in Rio de Janeiro, the days of Cavalcante being considered a major threat in the light heavyweight ranks are all but over.
***
While a Ronda Rousey fight is going to amp up any card, filling said card with six other fights is a tough pull for fans tuning into a pay-per-view. Granted, more action is typically something fans are going to celebrate, but seven bouts was just too much.
A lot of that had to do with the UFC planting two TUF fights in the middle of the main card line up. Granted, at least one of those bouts turned into all-out slug fest, but having no clue about who was involved in the bouts only made them more of an annoyance in the grand scheme of things.
All we can hope is that putting TUF fights on a pay-per-view card is a decision they don’t make again. Even UFC fanatic Mario Lopez thought it was too much to handle, and he put up with Screech for five seasons.
The Strange
The Ronda Rousey Effect is true cultural phenomenon.
While anything that manages to carry out of the small, insular bubble that is the MMA community and reach the mainstream is always worth noting, the level of insanity of Rousey’s climb to the top of the combat sports world has produced a reaction never before seen in mixed martial arts.
Pound-for-pound greats such as Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva never registered the pop the women’s bantamweight champion brings, and even the tremendous buzz surrounding Irish star Conor McGregor pales in comparison.
That’s an impressive accomplishment by any measure, especially since UFC President Dana White once infamously stated women would never compete inside the Octagon. Rousey has broken down barriers during her time competing in the structure, and her efforts to blaze a trail have extended far beyond the sport she competes in.
Fans cry when they meet her. Celebrities take to Twitter in force to show their support for her on fight night. Joe Rogan threw around labels such as “cultural icon” and “hero” to describe her in the buildup to her bout with Bethe Correia on Saturday night. While you can either take or leave any one of those things, the thing that can’t be denied is the caliber of dominance and destruction she brings into the Octagon.
Rousey is simply a force of nature, and one that delivers punishment with the worst of intentions. Neither of her previous two opponents coming into UFC 190 made it out of the opening round with her, as she used Alexis Davis and Cat Zingano to cement her place in the record books with 16- and 14 second finishes respectively. Finishing elite-level fighters with tornadoes of violence will make people sit up and take notice, but continuing to do it is going to launch her even further out into the stratosphere.
Her meteoric rise will have only picked up more speed after she smashed Correia in 34 seconds at UFC 190. Deservedly so. At this point, it seems as if Rousey is in full control of how far she will travel into stardom, and the higher she flies, the greater her impact will become. Her continued rise will also serve to the greater overall good of the sport, and that’s just one of what seems like a million feathers in Rousey’s cap at the current time.
The dominant champion has truly transcended the sport in which she competes, and fans need to enjoy her while she’s around. No fighter stays great forever, and there is no question we are seeing Rousey at her greatest. How long will that last? Only Rousey knows that at this point, but with big Hollywood gigs and paydays that don’t involve eating punches filling up her schedule, it’s safe to say Rousey’s run in the UFC could be ending just up around the bend.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
“You’re down two rounds. You have to finish him.”
Those were the words that came blasting from Ben Saunders’ corner as he floated in the moments just before the final frame of his bout against Kenny Robertson got underway at UFC on Fox 16.
Despite his …
“You’re down two rounds. You have to finish him.”
Those were the words that came blasting from Ben Saunders‘ corner as he floated in the moments just before the final frame of his bout against Kenny Robertson got underway at UFC on Fox 16.
Despite his best efforts, Killa B had found himself on the business end of a few heavy exchanges with the former teacher-turned-UFC welterweight throughout the initial two stanzas, and time to turn things around was running thin.
Only five minutes remained, and the American Top Team representative’s coaches were doing all they could to tell their fighter whatever energy and power he had left in the tanks needed to be expended with ill intentions toward Robertson. Saunders looked across the cage toward his opponent, and after a brief nod and a subtle smile to show the first 10 minutes had been a good time, it was time to let the urgency of moment take hold.
“I knew they wanted me to come out strong in that third round,” Saunders told Bleacher Report. “I definitely came out there looking to finish the fight, but at the same time, I was kind of questioning the first round. I remember having a pretty good opening round. He did get the knockdown, but I immediately went to work off my back. I had him in trouble and almost in the triangle position at the end of the first, so I thought that was a round that I may have taken.
“Nonetheless, I listen to my corner and I agree with them. You never know how the judges may have seen things, and I went into the final round thinking I had to finish the fight to win.”
The third and final round between Saunders and Robertson started with more exchanges on the feet until the Peoria-based fighter shot in for a takedown and brought the action to the canvas. Just as Robertson postured up to work his top game, Saunders set his high guard and threw up his legs to attempt a triangle choke.
Rather than catching one of Robertson’s arms to lock in the submission, the South Florida native trapped both of his opponent’s arms with his legs. Once the hold was secure, Saunders then began to pepper Robertson’s head with an endless stream of elbows that opened a nasty cut that turned the remaining minutes into a bloody affair.
“I had both of his arms trapped and had a lot of options from that position,” Saunders recalled. “I could go for the choke from there. I could go for armbars or omoplatas on either side. I could work different triangle variations or kimuras and different sweeps.
“There is a bunch of things that could be done from there, but I’m a big fan of reading off the energy someone is giving me. If I sit there and beat you up, you are going to give me some form of energy, and I’d rather go with the flow than force something to happen.
“Everyone is different with their reactions,” he added. “Sometimes they try to buck out, and it gets slippery later in a fight. That was especially the case here because of all the blood. You have to be intelligent in that position, and I believe I was. We knew he was going to be a tough dude and I was going to be working a ton of submissions in the fight.”
While Saunders was obviously in control of the round, the previous two frames left questions as to whether he had done enough to tip the balance. Being the finisher that he is, Saunders began looking for his window to lock in a fight-ending submission as the clock ticked down, and in the waning moments of the fight, he went for it.
Nevertheless, Robertson was able to escape, and the final bell sounded as he regained top position.
That meant the final outcome of the bout was going to play out on the judges’ scorecards where Saunders would emerge victorious via a razor-thin split decision. Even though he wasn’t able to put Robertson away, picking up his third straight win since returning the UFC last year is something the 32-year-old Orlando-based fighter gladly accepted.
Going into the fight, he knew Robertson was going to be a game opponent, but Saunders sees his gritty performance at UFC on Fox 16 as just another example of his overall mission to be a versatile and dangerous fighter anywhere the action takes place.
“I’m dangerous everywhere,” Saunders said. “I’ll pull guard on a dude or try flying submissions…you name it. I’m game to attack from everywhere, even in places where there doesn’t appear to be anything there. Boxing has the rope-a-dope, and I’ll do the cage-a-dope with squared-stance striking. It’s more of a flow with me. I make myself very technical and I have a lot of different aspects to my game.
“It makes you question where the fight will come from or where you may want to take it, but at the same time, I’m comfortable everywhere. May the best man win, and I’m going to do my best to continue staying on point.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Bethe Correia may have a sizable task waiting for her inside the Octagon at UFC 190, but that hasn’t rattled her confidence in the slightest.
The undefeated Brazilian striker will attempt to do what no other woman has come close to achieving and that’s…
Bethe Correia may have a sizable task waiting for her inside the Octagon at UFC 190, but that hasn’t rattled her confidence in the slightest.
The undefeated Brazilian striker will attempt to do what no other woman has come close to achieving and that’s dethrone women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. The “Rowdy” one has been the picture of dominance since joining the UFC in 2013, as she’s dismantled one title challenger after the next. Every opponent the 135-pound superstar has faced she’s put away, with only one of her past three fights going beyond the opening minute of the first round.
Rousey’s performances in those fights not only rocketed her to phenom status but also widened the gap between the women’s bantamweight champion and the rest of her division. The 28-year-old titleholder has appeared invincible as of late, and that projection has played into Correia being one of the biggest underdogs in UFC history despite her fight with Rousey taking place on her native soil in Rio de Janeiro.
Nevertheless, Correia isn’t concerned with the lines the oddsmakers set or what the former Olympian has done in past fights. The Pitbull Brothers representative spoke to MMA Fighting’s Dave Doyle about all things Rousey and believes she will bring the long-standing champion’s reign to an end in their showdown at UFC 190 on Saturday night.
They’ve built her up to be this invincible fighter from the United States that no one is going to be able to beat. I’m going to show that’s a farce, and I’m going to beat her. … I believe in myself. I’m going to go in there and beat her. I think I can overcome all her strong points. Her weaknesses? I’m not even worried about that. I know what I need to do in there. She doesn’t trade punches. In 11 fights, she’s never really shown her boxing, so I’m going to go in there and box with her.
Correia will be facing an uphill battle at UFC 190, but it’s a challenge she’s certainly earned the right to tackle. While the Natal resident may be lagging behind some of her peers in the women’s bantamweight collective as far as name recognition is concerned, the plan of attack she employed to land a shot at Rousey’s title was as creative as it was effective.
Generating a buzz goes a long way at the highest level of MMA, and the scrappy bantamweight did just that by setting her sights on Rousey’s Four Horsewomen squad. The 32-year-old title challenger defeated Rousey’s stablemates Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler in hopes of getting the champion’s attention and staking her claim for a title shot in the process. Her plan worked so well Rousey accepted, and in turn, demanded the fight take place in Correia’s home country, according to USA Today‘s Ben Fowlkes.
It was a move that considerably upped the stakes in the feud between champion and challenger, but Correia is confident she’ll prove to be the better fighter Saturday night.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Jake Shields has never been one to make a fight personal, but he’s definitely carrying a grudge heading into his bout against Rousimar Palhares.
In a career that has spanned nearly 16 years and produced multiple world titles on various stages across MM…
Jake Shields has never been one to make a fight personal, but he’s definitely carrying a grudge heading into his bout against Rousimar Palhares.
In a career that has spanned nearly 16 years and produced multiple world titles on various stages across MMA, the slick submissions ace has earned his reputation as being one of the most laid-back competitors outside of the cage and one of the most dangerous once the ruckus gets rolling. Along the way he’s faced—and in most cases defeated—some of the best fighters to compete in the welterweight and middleweight ranks to build one of the most impressive resumes in the current era of the sport.
In doing so, the San Francisco-based fighter has racked up a lofty list of achievements and has done it without going beyond the limits of his character to fabricate fictional beef for the sake of fight promotion.
So when Shields starts lacing shots in the direction of his upcoming opponent and current WSOF welterweight champion Palhares, there is reason to believe things have drifted into the realm of personal for the former Strikeforce middleweight titleholder. He sees Palhares’ penchant for holding onto submission and knack for injuring his opponents as a bold sign of the Brazilian’s lack of professionalism and plans to teach Toquinho a lesson when they square off for the welterweight strap Saturday night at WSOF 22.
Shields said it bothers him that Palhares “is out there trying to hurt people.”
“It’s one thing to hurt someone if it happens in a fight, but it’s another to do it intentionally. We go out there to fight, and getting hurt is part of the sport, but looking to do it intentionally is just dirty. Especially in jiu-jitsu. It bothers me even more that he tries to act so nice and comes off so fake. I have a lot to get excited for in this fight.
“We put our careers on the line when we go out there, and trying to hurt someone is just dirty. It doesn’t matter if the guy he’s facing taps out, he’ll crank on it anyway and blow out the knee. That makes me not like this guy and it brings and added element to this fight. I know the kind of fighter he is and I am ready for it.”
Shields knows Palhares is capable of stepping over the line and putting his career at risk once their main event gets underway Saturday, and that has him prepared to tap into the darker side of his own psyche. Fighting is a brutal sport by it’s nature, but the sporting element typically creates an element of sportsmanship between the two competitors.
In Shields’ mind, that won’t exist when the cage door closes Saturday night in Las Vegas, and he’s ready and willing to mix it up anyway the 170-pound champion wants to get down.
“If the guy you’re fighting is playing dirty, then you have to go fight at his level,” Shields said. “You can’t be out there trying to not hurt someone who is definitely out there trying to hurt you. That’s when you have to be willing to get down to that level and do whatever it takes to get the win.”
In addition to his quest to make a statement to a fighter he believes deserve zero respect for the dangerous and illegal tactics he’s consistently displayed over the past several years, the 36-year-old Tareq Azim-trained fighter will also be aiming to add another championship belt to his mantle. Shields has spent the past decade competing at the elite levels of two different weight classes and has held a status as either champion or perennial title threat wherever he’s chosen to compete.
And while veteran resurgences have been increasing as of late, Shields sees his current run as anything but. He believes he’s doing some of the best work of his decorated career, and back-to-back first-round finishes against opponents with devastating power—like the caliber of what Ryan Ford and Brian Foster possess—go a long way to reflect that notion.
“It’s crazy to be honest,” Shields said. “I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt, which is kind of weird with my age and being at this stage of my career to be feeling better than ever. I’m just in a good space mentally, and I’ve really started to enjoy fighting again. I really want to make a statement with these fights. I came into both of those fights with the plan to finish in the first round, and that’s what I did.”
With a victory over Palhares at WSOF 22, the American jiu-jitsu representative’s career would once again shift into a higher gear. While mixed results under the UFC banner spawned questions as to whether or not Shields’ best days in the cage were behind him, any doubts about his motivation to compete have been erased during his time with WSOF.
He’s fallen back in love with fighting, and as long as that love remains, Shields is confident he will continue to step in and give his best. When the day comes where he doesn’t feel that spark, Shields has zero doubt that he’ll walk away. And with everything he’s accomplished in his career, there won’t be anything to regret when that decision inevitably comes to call.
“I feel like I have one of the best resumes in the sport, and it’s something I definitely take pride in,” Shields said. “I’ve won multiple titles and have done it at different weights. That’s not something a lot of fighters have accomplished, and I’m proud to have done it. I certainly wouldn’t mind adding one more belt to my resume and a few more wins.
“I’m just doing it one fight at a time right now. I’ve fought for so long and have pretty much accomplished all of my goals and have done the things I wanted to do, so I’m taking things one fight at a time at this point in my career. I’m feeling so comfortable right now, and I’m enjoying it. After each fight I look at the situation and see if I want to fight again. Right now, I’m feeling great, but once you start slipping it’s time to walk away. This is a dangerous sport, and it becomes a lot more dangerous if you aren’t 100 percent committed to it.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
The hustle doesn’t stop in Ronda Rousey’s world.
The women’s bantamweight phenom has been on a run of dominance since entering the UFC ranks back in 2012, where the Rowdy one has steamrolled every opponent who has shared the Octagon with her. Furthermo…
The women’s bantamweight phenom has been on a run of dominance since entering the UFC ranks back in 2012, where the Rowdy one has steamrolled every opponent who has shared the Octagon with her. Furthermore, Rousey has not only risen to become the biggest star under the UFC banner, but her status has gone stratospheric in the world of mainstream entertainment as well.
From working the talk show circuit, to roles in major motion picture franchises, the nonstop grind that has become the former Olympian’s life moves at an incredible rate these days.
And from the sound of things in her interview with Damon Martin of Fox Sports ahead of her upcoming main event tilt against Bethe Correia at UFC 190, Rousey isn’t planning on slowing things down anytime soon.
The women’s 135-pound champion laid out her plan for the next few months, and did so with her signature brand of confidence as she publicly stated her intentions of defeating the Brazilian title challenger this Saturday night, then putting a third beating on Miesha Tate before diving into her upcoming movie project Mile 22 with Mark Wahlberg.
While knocking out a list of lofty accomplishments of that caliber would be a career for some, just like everything else she has her hand in, Rousey makes it all seem like a foregone conclusion.
“Here’s pretty much the plan,” Rousey said. “I’m going to beat up Bethe, then I’m going to take a couple of weeks to rest, and then I’m going to go beat up Miesha, and then I’m going to go to like Thailand or wherever we decide to film (“Mile 22″) and prep for like a month, and then start filming for like eight to 10 weeks, and then go beat up the next chick. That’s pretty much my plan.”
Although the undefeated phenom has her next challenge inside the cage happening this weekend in Brazil, talk of her next bout against Tate has already generated a bit of buzz. Cupcake was deemed the next contender to the women’s bantamweight crown last Saturday night after she bested a game Jessica Eye to pick up her third straight victory at UFC on Fox 16 in Chicago.
With Rousey already having defeated Tate on two previous occasions, and having done so dominant fashion, questions lingered to how much interest a trilogy fight would generate with Rousey. The no-nonsense-talking superstar addressed those matters in the interview as well and made it clear she’s up for one more tussle with her longtime rival.
“There’s fan interest, so there’s my interest,” Rousey said. “I’m interested in defending my title as many times as I need to before I feel like I’m done. If she’s the best competitor and she’s who the fans want to see, then yeah, I’m extremely interested in doing it.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Aljamain Sterling is looking to start a fight.