To say Josh Thomson is fired up heading into his bout with Tony Ferguson at Fight Night 71 on Wednesday would be an understatement. It would also be one that requires a bit of clarity as well.
The former Strikeforce lightweight champion turned UFC cont…
To say Josh Thomson is fired up heading into his bout with Tony Ferguson at Fight Night 71 on Wednesday would be an understatement. It would also be one that requires a bit of clarity as well.
The former Strikeforce lightweight champion turned UFC contender is coming off back-to-back split-decision losses that could have very well gone his way.
The Punk came out on the short side of a five-round scrap with Benson Henderson at UFC on Fox 10 back in January 2014, only to follow it up with another razor-thin split on the judges’ scorecards against Bobby Green five months later at UFC on Fox 12 in San Jose, California.
That pair of losses served to push the 36-year-old veteran off the radar for a potential title opportunity—one he was originally slated to get until then-champion Anthony Pettis pulled out of their scheduled bout with an injury.
Nevertheless, the fight game is one where winning matters most, and a two-fight skid in what is arguably the most competitive division under the UFC banner was going to change a few things where his place in the lightweight hierarchy is concerned.
The No. 9-ranked Thomson would need to win a few fights in order to get back into striking distance of a title opportunity, and being a veteran of the sport, that is something the American Kickboxing Academy fighter says he completely understands.
But Thomson wants bigger fights to regain lost ground, and getting lined up against fighters who aren’t in the same ranking tier he exists in is something Thomson isn’t happy with.
“After the fight with Benson [Henderson], I was upset,” Thomson told Bleacher Report. “I lost the title fight I was supposed to get because of that. I was scheduled to fight Anthony Pettis for the title before that, but Pettis backed out. I ended up fighting Benson, which I had to lobby to get. Afterwards, they [the UFC] didn’t want to give me any top-ranked guys. They wanted to give me no-name guys I’d never heard of and who weren’t even ranked in the top 20. I only wanted to fight top guys and I was really upset—especially because I believe I won the fight, and did so with one hand.
“I still feel I did enough to win the fight, and losing the fight cost me a title shot. That for me was a hard one to get over. As far as the Bobby Green fight, I blame myself for that because I wasn’t happy about the situation,” Thomson, who was originally slated to face Michael Johnson, said.
“I get stuck with an opponent who was completely different than the one I was scheduled to fight just two weeks out and I was pretty upset about it,” he added. “I was already unhappy about having to fight Michael Johnson, then had to turn around and fight Bobby Green. It showed in my performance. I just wanted to get through it, get the win and get out of there. Obviously, the judges saw it a different way, so it cost me.”
Despite having lost close fights against Henderson and Green, the California native continued to set his sights on the upper echelon of competition in the lightweight ranks, but back-to-back losses don’t exactly get a fighter high-profile bouts against the division’s top five.
So the road back began.
Unsuccessful in landing the fights he was aiming for, Thomson was still ready to go back to work. He agreed to face jiu-jitsu ace Gilbert Burns at Fight Night 62 in Brazil but was eventually forced out of that bout after suffering an injury in his training camp.
The next challenge to come down the line was the 11th-ranked Ferguson, who has won eight of his nine showings inside the Octagon since winning The Ultimate Fighter 13.
In Thomson’s mind, a victory over Ferguson would do little to bolster his case for a future title shot, whereas Ferguson would have much to gain should he find success in San Diego. That isn’t a picture Thomson is content with, but he seems to have settled for it being the reality of his situation.
“I’ve kind of just moved on and it is what it is,” Thomson said. “I’ve come to the conclusion that they want to give me the Dan Henderson approach and have me fight their up-and-coming guys and take away any chance of me ever fighting for their title.”
Thomson’s comments have struck a nerve with Ferguson. According to MMAJunkie Radio (h/t MMAJunkie), Ferguson has been vocal about what he sees as a lack of motivation from the San Jose-based lightweight heading into their fight.
El Cucuy has dropped several pointed barbs in his direction, none of which seem to concern the veteran.
“It’s all talk to me,” Thomson said. “In the day and age of this sport, all these younger guys feel they have to talk trash to get recognition. The problem is they all try to talk trash like ConorMcGregor and ChaelSonnen, and they all sound stupid. They all talk to try to put themselves in the spotlight and get name recognition, but they all sound dumb. Look, dude, at the end of the day we are going to fight, so there isn’t much that needs to be said.
“I’ve asked for [Donald] Cerrone. I’ve asked for [Rafael] dos Anjos. I’ve asked for Pettis. As soon as Pettis lost and was ready to fight again, saying he wanted to get back in there, I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Same with Cerrone, but it was made clear I had no chance of getting those fights. Whether Tony Ferguson is upset over me trying to fight top-ranked guys doesn’t matter to me. Any smart businessman, any smart athlete, is going to try to step in there and seize the opportunity. I think he’s more upset he didn’t think of it first.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
LAS VEGAS — The stakes are high any time a fighter steps into the Octagon, but there was a little something extra on the line for the showcase bouts atop the card at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale.
A welterweight tilt between Jake Ellen…
LAS VEGAS— The stakes are high any time a fighter steps into the Octagon, but there was a little something extra on the line for the showcase bouts atop the card at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale.
A welterweight tilt between Jake Ellenberger and Stephen Thompson filled the headlining slot for Sunday’s card in Las Vegas in a fight that would determine who would remain a contender in the heated 170-pound mix. In the card’s co-main event, Hayder Hassan and Kamaru Usman squared off to determine whether it would be Team Blackzilians or American Top Team who would receive the $300,000 bonus that was on the line in the most recent season of TUF.
Two fights with two entirely different circumstances—but crucial collisions nonetheless.
The Juggernaut has been among the divisional elite for the past several years, but a recent rough patch put his elite-level status in jeopardy. The Omaha native was able to get back into the win column in his last outing against Josh Koscheck, but he needed a victory at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale to ensure his place in the welterweight upper tier would be secure.
Thompson went into his bout with Ellenberger on a different trajectory, as the South Carolina native was looking to take the next step on his ascension up the 170-pound ranks.
Wonderboy was once a highly touted prospect with a decorated kickboxing resume, an impressive four-fight winning streak brought him to the doorstep of a coveted top-10 ranking. A win over a perennial contender such as Ellenberger would guarantee his passage to the next level, but a loss against the former Marine would send him right back down the divisional ladder.
It was a high-risk, high-reward situation for both men at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and it was the phenomenal striking arsenal of Thompson that made the difference. While a powerful right hand from Ellenberger dropped the South Carolina native early, Thompson was able to regain his footing and swing the momentum of the fight with a pair of spinning heel kicks.
The first one took away Ellenberger’s senses, and the second turned out his lights as he went crashing to the canvas. With the victory, Thompson will not only catapult up the rankings but continue to live up to the hype surrounding him.
Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale.
The Good
Stephen Thompson’s striking is something every other welterweight in the UFC needs to be concerned about. If that wasn’t the case prior to his bout with Jake Ellenberger at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, it certainly will be. Wonderboy destroyed the Omaha native with a series of brutal head kicks. Even though the perennial contender was able to sting Thompson with a big shot early, the Simpsonville native weathered the storm and jumped right back into the fight.
While his decorated kickboxing background speaks for itself, being able to bounce back from adversity and knock out a top-10 opponent in spectacular fashion shows Thompson is absolutely ready to face the best the 170-pound division has to offer. He’s worked diligently to shore up the holes in his wrestling game, and while he wasn’t necessarily tested in that department against Ellenberger, it’s all but guaranteed as his journey through the welterweight ranks continues.
Going toe-to-toe with someone as versatile and dangerous on their feet as Thompson is an unenviable task, and one his future opponents are likely to avoid. Then again, every fighter currently ranked in the divisional top 10 are as game as it gets in MMA, and there will be plenty of exciting matchups involving Thompson in the future.
***
It was no secret Kamaru Usman was going to come and use his wrestling against Hayder Hassan, and that’s exactly what he did to secure the victory for his Blackzilians team at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale. From the onset of the fight, the Nigerian Nightmare put his wrestling skills to work as he neutralized and controlled the American Top Team powerhouse. Usman’s grind was clearly weighing on Hassan throughout the opening round, and it forced the Hulk to coming out swinging in the second.
While Hassan stung Usman early in the second round, Usman responded by taking the action to the canvas. Once the fight was back in his realm, Usman worked toward an arm-triangle choke that ultimately secured victory and put a definitive stamp on the most recent season of TUF.
***
It doesn’t matter which weight class Jorge Masvidal competes in because he’s going to bring his signature brand of violence. Even though Gamebred has been a major player in the lightweight division for the past two years, the American Top Team fighter decided to leave the weight class behind and move up to compete at 170.
The Miami-based striker’s first challenge came against Cezar Ferreira at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, and Masvidal knocked out Mutante in punishing fashion on his welterweight debut.
Masvidal remained true to form with a signature slow start, but once he locked into the fight at hand, it was all but over for his Brazilian opponent. With the win, the street fighter turned mixed martial artist has now won four of his past five outings. Had his bout against Al Iaquinta gone his way on the judges’ cards, as many believed it should have, the scrappy knockout artist would be on a five-fight winning streak.
***
Michelle Waterson went into her official UFC debut surrounded by a fair amount of buzz, and the Karate Hottie lived up to those expectations at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale. The Jackson/Winkeljohn-trained fighter put on an exciting performance against Angela Magana, showcasing every bit of her versatile skill set en route to victory.
Where Waterson is primarily known as a stand-up fighter, the former Invicta atomweight champion overpowered her larger opponent at every turn before she locked in a rear-naked choke in the final round to pick up the win.
Waterson is an exciting addition to the women’s strawweight division. It will be interesting to see if the UFC will put her on the fast track to title contention.
***
It took a few fights for Maximo Blanco to find his groove inside the Octagon, but Maxi is starting to build some momentum in the featherweight division with his recent winning streak.
The Venezuelan striker picked up his third straight victory under the UFC banner with a first round knockout over Mike De La Torre to kick off the main card at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale. Blanco clipped the MMA Lab representative with a clean shot that sent De La Torre to the canvas and brought an end to the fight. Referee Yves Lavigne’s questionable stoppage will cast a strange shadow over the win, but it was still Blanco’s crisp combination that sparked the beginning of the end.
***
Josh Samman is rapidly developing into a special type of fighter, and his momentum will only amplify after he put Caio Magalhaes away in the opening round of their bout on the preliminary portion of Sunday’s card.
The 27-year-old Floridian went into the bout fresh off his highlight-reel knockout over Eddie Gordon in his most recent showing, then stopped the highly touted Brazilian’s momentum cold via rear-naked choke. It was another great performance for Samman, and one he kept classy, even after Magalhaes spit blood and sour grapes in his direction after the fight.
***
There wasn’t anything pretty about Trevor Smith’s victory over Dan Miller, but it was the workmanlike performance that was enough to get the job done. Hot Sauce was able to put the gritty New Jersey native on the canvas throughout the majority of the three-round affair, during which he dropped elbows and short punches from the top position. The end result was a lopsided, unanimous-decision victory on the judges’ scorecards, as Smith picked up his second win in his past three showings.
The Bad
There wasn’t much room for error where Jake Ellenberger was concerned going into The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale.
The Juggernaut snapped a three-fight skid by defeating Josh Koscheck back in February, but he needed another victory to keep his place on the competitive divisional hierarchy in the welterweight fold. Unfortunately for the former Marine, Wonderboy’s dangerous arsenal of kicks was simply too much for him to handle. The five-times world champion kickboxer put those skills on display as he knocked out Ellenberger in the first round of their main event bout.
In addition to having dropped four of his past five showings inside the Octagon, the loss against an up-and-coming prospect will cost Ellenberger the top-10 ranking he worked years to obtain.
***
Hype is a difficult thing to carry in combat sports, and Cezar Ferreira has been crumbling under the weight of expectation as of late. The Brazilian powerhouse appeared poised to do big things after winning the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Being tagged as the next Vitor Belfort only served to bolster the buzz surrounding him. Yet all the talk doesn’t mean anything if the wins don’t come, and Ferreira has certainly struggled in that department over the past year.
Losses in two of his last three fights and a debilitating back injury forced Ferreira to drop down into welterweight waters. Suffering a first-round knockout at the hands of Jorge Masvidal on Sunday was the worst possible outcome for the once touted Blackzilians representative. While back-to-back losses certainly sting, getting dusted for the third time in four fights will erase any hype that remained around Ferreira.
***
Angela Magana will likely be facing some rough waters following her submission loss to Michelle Waterson on Sunday night in Las Vegas. While the 31-year-old New Mexico native made a solid attempt to build her personal brand with her Your Majesty persona and social media presence, any attention she’s garnered outside the cage has failed to translate into anything substantial inside the Octagon, as she’s dropped both of her showings under the UFC banner.
Even though consecutive losses don’t typically warrant a release from the UFC, Magana’s current situation will create a make-or-break scenario should another opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in MMA present itself.
***
Fighting inside a cage requires an individual to be able to tap into their non-civilized side when needed, but that doesn’t mean sportsmanship has to go completely out of the window. While there have been cases in the past—Paul Daley’s post-fight cheap shot against Josh Koscheck comes to mind—the move Caio Magalhaes pulled after losing to Josh Samman was as low as it gets.
There’s no doubt the Brazilian was upset after a rear-naked choke brought his four-fight winning streak to an end, spitting at Samman was completely unnecessary.
And with said spit actually being blood, it ratchets up the grossness of it all. However, just the act of spitting on another human being is entirely out of line. You can’t imagine the UFC will just sit back and give Magalhaes a pass for his actions, and it wouldn’t come as a shock to see him fined or suspended for the stunt.
The Strange
In a bit of non-important breaking news, the MGM Grand Garden Arena became the setting for the next installment of The Hangover film franchise. That’s not even remotely true, but that was certainly the feeling upon returning to the scene where the sensational chaos that was UFC 189 had unfolded just 24 hours earlier.
After scores of Irish fans turned Saturday night’s event into their own personal playground as one of the best main cards in the 20-plus year history of the UFC went down inside the Octagon, there was no way The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale was going to carry on the vibe that pulsed throughout Las Vegas for the past week. There’s no possible way it could, and just knowing that cast the same feeling one experiences when retracing their steps after a memorable evening.
Nevertheless, there were fights to be had on Sunday. The competitors involved were going to step into the cage and lay it all on the line, hoping to take the all-important next step in their respective careers. A handful of the bouts on Sunday’s card in Las Vegas even had additional circumstances attached to them, which is when things get interesting.
Having experienced the back-to-back, face-punching goodness that came with UFC 175 and The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale in 2014, I knew what to expect returning to media row on Sunday. Yet as solid as UFC 175 and all the action that unfolded between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida in their middleweight title bout was, it wasn’t even in the same ballpark as what went down at UFC 189.
Bodies were hitting the floor at a rapid rate on Saturday night in Las Vegas, with a handful of moments reaching epic status that will be imprinted in the minds of fight fans for years to come. Again, when things go the way they did at UFC 189, following something of that magnitude is impossible, but the UFC still had to try to get things done on Sunday afternoon.
As for any strangeness that did or didn’t occur at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, the most curious happening on Sunday was the UFC’s decision to announce next season’s coaches during the main card on Fox Sports 1. In all honestly, it’s not the fact they made the announcement but more so their decision to make Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber the two opposing coaches for the upcoming season.
The Dublin native’s performance at UFC 189 shot him to superstar status, and the buzz surrounding his eventual unification fight with featherweight king Jose Aldo is already the most talked about thing in MMA. Allowing McGregor to fall out of public view for a bit and letting the heat continue to build would have been a great move, but putting him on the reality-based fighting program also makes sense in a strange sort of way.
Right now, there’s simply nothing or no one bigger in the sport than the Notorious one, and his presence on TUF will provide a much-needed boost to the show. That said, the random scuffle that went down between the interim featherweight champion and Faber just before the weigh-ins for UFC 189, which Fox Sports 1 just so happened to get the footage of, now looks a bit suspect. Just a little bit.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained first hand unless noted otherwise.
Las Vegas — Something special happens when a fighter rises to meet expectations, and UFC 189 was all about seeing if Conor McGregor could live up to his.
In the two years since his official Octagon debut, the surging Irish featherweight has becom…
Las Vegas — Something special happens when a fighter rises to meet expectations, and UFC 189 was all about seeing if ConorMcGregor could live up to his.
In the two years since his official Octagon debut, the surging Irish featherweight has become one of the biggest names in all of MMA. With undeniable charisma and the ability to back up his talk in the cage, the Dublin native’s trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric as he’s gone from highly touted prospect to supernova.
Yet, despite all the attention McGregor has garnered for his trash-talking and flashy presentation outside the cage, several key elements remained absent from his resume. All the hype and excitement surrounding him would be meaningless if he was unable to claim the featherweight title, and his opportunity to do just that materialized on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Though the scrappy Irishman was initially faced with the challenge of dethroning long-reigning featherweight king Jose Aldo at UFC 189, a rib injury suffered by the Brazilian phenom forced him out of their main event tilt.
Nevertheless, previous title challenger Chad Mendes would step in on short notice, and with the UFC implementing an interim 145-pound title in Aldo’s absence, the ultimate prize McGregor had been hunting remained available.
Furthermore, questions surrounding McGregor were going to be answered one way or another on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Could he become the champion he deemed himself destined to be, or would Mendes‘ wrestling be McGregor‘s kryptonite and knock his rapid rise off the rails?
The anticipation and energy surrounding the main event showdown was palpable inside the MGM Grand Garden, and it was McGregor‘s night to shine.
After being taken down repeatedly for the better part of two rounds, McGregor landed a clean left hand on Mendes‘ chin, dropping the perennial contender to the canvas. Once his opponent was hurt, McGregor rushed in with a flurry of shots that forced referee Herb Dean to step in and stop the fight, and the interim featherweight title was his.
While the main event was the driving force behind the attention UFC 189 received in the lead-up to the event, a bout for the welterweight title between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald in the co-main event slot was a huge showdown in one of the UFC’s most competitive divisions.
Ruthless came into the rematch in the midst of one of the most impressive resurgences in MMA history and was determined to log his first successful defense of the 170-pound strap against the talented young Canadian.
On the other side of the equation, MacDonald has been touted as a future champion since the moment he emerged onto the sport’s biggest stage back in 2010. Over the last five years, the 25-year-old British Columbia native has faced a collection of the world’s best welterweights, and his second go with Lawler brought with it a long-awaited title shot.
The bout figured to be a matchup of Lawler‘s power and MacDonald’s technique, and it was the champion’s greatest attribute that won out in the end.
Although Lawler‘s striking tore up MacDonald’s face during the first two rounds, the challenger rebounded strong in the third to turn the tides with a flurry against the cage. It was anyone’s fight going into the final round, and a straight left from Lawler that landed on MacDonald’s shattered nose crumpled the Tristar fighter to the canvas.
A few more shots from Lawler was all it took for him to put away MacDonald and retain the welterweight strap in what was easily one of the best fights in the history of the UFC’s 170-pound division.
It was a crazy night of fights in Las Vegas. Let’s take a look at the good, bad and the strange from UFC 189.
The Good
McGregor not only became the interim featherweight champion on Saturday night, he may have also become the biggest star in mixed martial arts.
The Irish phenom weathered a wrestling onslaught from Mendes only to bounce back and score a knockout victory in the second round of their main event tilt.
While the Dublin native looked far from bulletproof as he had in every other appearance, defeating a two-time title challenger in Mendes is an impressive accomplishment. McGregor wasn’t able to stop the Team Alpha Male fighter’s takedowns, but that didn’t matter in the end.
McGregor‘s power was too much for Mendes to handle, as a single left hand secured the victory and his first UFC title. And as McGregor‘s star power explodes in the aftermath of his performance at UFC 189, his knockout win over Mendes will only make the unification bout with Aldo that much bigger.
Their scheduled fight at UFC 189 was predicted to be one of the biggest bouts in UFC history, and it’s all but guaranteed that their eventual collision will be the biggest fight the promotion has ever put on. But that’s further down the road. All that matters to McGregor right now are the fruits of his labor: championship gold.
Meanwhile, in the welterweight division, the chapter Lawler is currently writing could go down as one of the best in MMA history. Not long ago the heavy-handed knockout artist appeared to be at the end of his career after a series of lackluster performances under the Strikeforce banner left the once dominant powerhouse looking like a shell of what he once was.
Three years and a welterweight title later, Lawler is a completely different type of monster. In addition to the signature brand of devastation he’s always possessed in his hands, the current version of Lawler is one of measured aggression and patience.
Both qualities were on display in his co-main event title bout with MacDonald at UFC 189, as the American Top Team product chipped away at the Canadian challenger until he finally put him away in the final frame.
While the win over MacDonald will go down as Lawler‘s first successful defense of the welterweight strap, it was just one in a long string of amazing and resilient performances from a fighter who battled back from the brink of obscurity to find greatness.
*** Flying knee knockouts were all the rage at UFC 189, and Jeremy Stephens made another addition to his highlight reel by delivering a blistering one to Dennis Bermudez in the final round of their tilt. Up until the point Lil’ Heathen dropped The Ultimate Fighter alum with the well-timed strike, the fight had been an absolute shootout between two featherweights unwilling to yield.
While the New York native had Stephens in trouble numerous times in the early goings, the Team Alliance fighter battled back to snatch victory in brutal fashion, snapping a two-fight skid in the process
*** There are highly touted prospects in MMA, and then there is Thomas Almeida. The young Brazilian phenom has steamrolled every man he’s faced in the cage, and many in the MMA community believe he will be a UFC champion in the near future.
The Chute Boxe representative’s fight against Brad Pickett at UFC 189 figured to be another step up the bantamweight ladder, but the early goings of the tilt saw Almeida on the receiving end of a beating delivered by One Punch.
Pickett put Almeida on the mat with a slick combination and turned the 23-year-old’s face into a crimson mask by the end of the first stanza. Yet, there is a reason for all the hype surrounding Almeida, and a perfectly timed flying knee that dropped Pickett cold was just another example of how dangerous he is.
Despite being battered in the first round, Almeida bounced back strong to earn a highlight-reel finish that will amplify the buzz surrounding him exponentially.
*** Matt Brown came into his fight with Tim Means at UFC 189 with his place in the upper tier of the welterweight division in serious jeopardy. The hard-charging Ohio native battled back from the brink of obscurity to become a certified contender in the 170-pound fold on the strength of a seven-fight winning streak, but back-to-back losses threatened to erase all of his progress.
The Immortal absolutely needed to get the job done on Saturday night, and that’s exactly what he did, as he put the Dirty Bird away with a guillotine choke and put a definitive stamp on a high-paced carnival of violence. With the win, Brown will remain a major player in the heated welterweight title race and draw one of the division’s best in his next outing.
*** No fighter on the card for UFC 189 needed a win more than John Howard. Doomsday came into his bout against CathalPendred having dropped three consecutive showings, and a fourth-straight setback would have certainly cost the Boston native his place on the UFC roster for a second time.
Fortunately for Howard, he’ll live to see another day in the Octagon, as the heavy-hitting welterweight edged out The Punisher via split-decision. It was a solid win over a fighter who has made a habit out of getting questionable decisions, as Howard was able to topple the “Pendred Effect” on Saturday night.
*** There is a solid amount of buzz gathering around Cody Garbrandt, and it will continue to grow following his performance against Henry Briones at UFC 189.
The Team Alpha Male bantamweight once again showed his willingness to stand toe-to-toe and exchange leather inside the Octagon, as he was able to beat Briones to the punch early and often in their tilt. The end result saw No Love pick up the unanimous-decision victory and his second consecutive win under the UFC banner.
The Bad
Six years ago Mike Swick entered the Octagon one win away from earning a shot at the Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title. The only thing standing in his way was up-and-coming knockout artist Dan Hardy, but the American Top Team product appeared poised to derail The Outlaw’s hype train at UFC 105 in Manchester, England.
Unfortunately for Swick, things didn’t go his way that night, and little has in the years that have followed. A rash of injuries and a stomach condition have continuously kept Swick out of action, and the momentum he once had has entirely vanished.
Yet, with a career filled with solid accomplishments and his part in the historical first season of The Ultimate Fighter guaranteed to mark his place in MMA history, Swick will always be an important figure in MMA.
That said, every fighter has different motivations for competing, and Swick was determined to rise above adversity and return to the sport’s biggest stage. A showdown with surging Tristar product Alex Garcia at UFC 189 would mark his opportunity to do so, but the 27-year-old powerhouse would prove to be too much for the savvy veteran to handle.
While Swick was able to keep up with Garcia in the striking game, the Dominican Republic native’s grappling was ultimately the deciding factor in the fight. Garcia was able to put Swick on his back at will, which created a scoring gap the American Kickboxing Academy staple was never able to recover from.
The end result saw Swick come out on the business end of a unanimous decision and suffer his fourth loss in his past five showings in the Octagon.
Just making it back to compete is something Swick can take great pride in, but it will be interesting to see where he chooses to go from here. The majority of his fellow fighters from the inaugural season of TUFhave retired and moved on from competing, with only Diego Sanchez remaining relevant in the current landscape of the sport.
Now that Swick is running AKA’s Thailand operation and coaching his own squad of fighters, he certainly has options beyond throwing punches in the cage, but again, every fighter has different motivations.
*** Another fighter who will find himself in rough waters after UFC 189 is British slugger Brad Pickett. One Punch suffered his third-straight setback in the Octagon on Saturday night, when he was starched by a flying knee from Thomas Almeida in the second round of their tilt.
With the loss, Pickett has now dropped four of his past five fights despite attempting to find traction by competing in two different divisions. That’s bad news for Pickett any way you cut it, and his recent slump could put his place on the UFC roster in danger.
The Strange
A lot of hyperbole comes with promoting events in the fight business, and there has certainly been no shortage of bold claims in the UFC’s promotion of “The ConorMcGregor Show.” Dana White has suggested the entire country of Ireland shuts down when McGregor fights, and even though we all know this isn’t true, it doesn’t stop the UFC front man from attempting to paint an epic picture.
That said, this writer has spent the entire fight week build-up to UFC 189 in Las Vegas, and can absolutely confirm there is something unique about Notorious’ connection with his countrymen.
The Irish invasion of Las Vegas has been an impressive sight to witness, as scores of MMA fans hailing from the Emerald Isle set up shop and overtook Sin City. Lads gathered with their mates to cheer on their hero up and down the Strip this past week and only served to bolster the buzz surrounding the surging featherweight’s fight on Saturday night.
The best example of the Irish fans’ passion was on display during the pre-fight weigh-ins on Friday afternoon, as nearly 12,000 fans packed into the MGM Grand just to see McGregor hit the scale.
As a writer who has covered countless weigh-ins during his time in the sport, believe me when I tell you the spectacle I witnessed on Friday was something truly unique. Weigh-ins are typically drab but necessary events, but the Irish fighting faithful turned the UFC 189 weigh-ins into a full-throttle party.
Long before the first fighters hit the stage, the raucous crowd was signing along and dancing to every song the UFC’s house DJ spun. In between chants and fist pumping, several fans took the opportunity to launch soccer balls into the crowd that were then swatted from side to side in the arena.
And though the weigh-ins would eventually end, that didn’t mean their party was going to stop, as droves of Irish then moved to the casino floor to continue their celebration.
Las Vegas Metro Police would eventually be called to break up the extravaganza, but that only pushed the merry crowd out on the Strip, where they took their show public and carried on long into the night.
That energy absolutely carried over to Saturday’s event, as they wasted no time rocking the tricolor and firing up the “Ole’ Ole’ Ole'” chants that filled the MGM Grand Garden Arena until McGregor became the interim champion of the featherweight division.
While Brazilian fight fans are known for creating some of the rowdiest environments in all of combat sports, McGregor’s fans created a frenzy that rivaled their best efforts. For the Irish to take over the fight capital of the world the way they did was remarkable.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
LAS VEGAS — Tim Means has been waiting to land a big fight and couldn’t be more excited about whom that opportunity will come against at UFC 189.
The scrappy welterweight will make his first venture into the deeper waters of the 170-pound di…
LAS VEGAS — Tim Means has been waiting to land a big fight and couldn’t be more excited about whom that opportunity will come against at UFC 189.
The scrappy welterweight will make his first venture into the deeper waters of the 170-pound division when he steps in to trade leather with Matt Brown on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Much like The Immortal, Means operates with an aggression-driven, high-volume style that he effectively uses to push the pace and then attack from various distances. He can use his range to keep the fight at a distance, but he’s equally willing to engage in gritty exchanges inside the pocket.
The hard-nosed Ohio native possesses many of those same weapons, and the matchup between Means and Brown has many in the MMA community anticipating an action-packed affair when they collide on at UFC 189.
In addition to the fight being an interesting stylistic pairing, Means also sees a tremendous opportunity to advance his career on Saturday night.
Over the past three years, Brown has battled his way up the welterweight ladder to become a staple in the upper tier of the division, and Means knows a victory over The Ultimate Fighter alum would be the biggest win of his career.
Those conditions have Means fired up to deliver something special, and he’s confident fight fans will have something to talk about after his business with Brown is settled inside the cage.
“I’ve been wanting to face guys who go out there and fight for the bonus checks, and Brown is a bonus check fighter,” Means told Bleacher Report during Thursday’s media day event for UFC 189. “I’m looking over at him right now across the way and we could probably be cousins or something. We could probably be related, but every family has tensions now and then,” he said with a laugh.
“That guy over there is a tough guy and he’s going to come in there looking to hurt me. I just have to react and those are the fights I think are the coolest. I don’t have to shop and look for the openings—I just have to throw back. I know he’s going to be coming forward just like I am and we are going to throw down.”
Even though Means has only been competing under the UFC banner for three years, the 31-year-old welterweight has already solidified himself as a dangerous threat every time he steps into the cage.
And while he’s found both success and struggles going toe-to-toe with the world’s best, the fact that he’s even there at all is an accomplishment of epic proportions.
The Fit NHB representative has never shied away from sharing the hardships of his personal life, which have included multiple near-death experiences and a stint where he was incarcerated in the prison system.
Yet where some who travel down dark paths never find the ability to turn things around and battle their way back to a life worth living, he used fighting as both a literal and figurative means to create a new life for himself.
While the tougher elements of his past are long behind him, the lessons learned from facing up to that adversity is always front and center in Means’ mind. He keeps the chaos of his past close, and it serves as the ultimate source of motivation to push him forward toward his goals.
“Man, I’ve been shot and nearly died. I had my teeth knocked out with a shovel during a street fight. I have seen the light a few different times and that made me tougher because of it. I went through my prison stuff, but I don’t have felonies. I had a family friend who was a judge that took the five misdemeanors I had, stacked them up and sent me to prison. He did it to open my eyes. It was either going to fix me or make me a career criminal, and that criminal life is awful.
“Going through those things makes you tougher. I remember back in high school going out and scrapping dudes in cornfields just to get some respect and take some pride. Money wasn’t involved then, but getting that respect was a big thing. Even if you lost, the fact that you went out and threw down on the plywood in the cornfield, you got bragging rights. People left you alone at the end of the day.
“Not necessarily now, but when I beat Matt Brown, I won’t be alone and I’ll have his respect at the end of the day,” he added. “I’ll also have respect from the rest of the guys in my division as well.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
LAS VEGAS — Anthony Pettis wants nothing more than to reclaim the lightweight title that was taken from him back in March, but settling his grudge with Nate Diaz is also very high on Showtime’s agenda.
The beef between the former WEC an…
LAS VEGAS — Anthony Pettis wants nothing more than to reclaim the lightweight title that was taken from him back in March, but settling his grudge with Nate Diaz is also very high on Showtime’s agenda.
The beef between the former WEC and UFC 155-pound titleholder and the trash-talking Stockton, California, native has been simmering for quite some time, as The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 winner has continuously bashed Pettis over social media platforms.
The Roufusport leader has fired back at every turn, but the situation has reached a point where Pettis wants to shut Diaz‘s mouth once and for all.
Therefore, even though Pettis‘ main objective is to get back to the top of the talent-stacked lightweight mountain and a potential victory over Diaz wouldn’t put him in the express lane toward a title shot, the flashy striker is determined to do what needs to be done to make a fight with the Team Cesar Gracie representative a reality.
“Nate Diaz is definitely on my radar,” Pettis told Bleacher Report. “That dude talks so much s–t and he’s definitely on my radar. He’s kind of a sensitive topic because we just had an exchange of words and I want to fight him. He’s not in the top 10, but we are in the fighting sport, and he’s one of the guys I really want to fight. He’s talking a big mess and let’s make it happen. The fans want to see it. That fight doesn’t really do much for my ranking, but that’s a fight I really want. I need to make that happen and I’m going to make that happen.”
While his desire to fight Diaz stems from a personal vendetta, Pettis‘ bigger focus is locked on winning back the lightweight strap he lost to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185.
That night in Dallas, MMA fans saw a different version of Pettis than they were used to seeing.
The dynamic and versatile knockout artist found himself on the opposite side of an offensive onslaught unleashed by the Brazilian veteran.
Where Pettis has made his name by leveling his opposition with a wide array of rangy attacks, the Kings MMA product put the 28-year-old Milwaukee native up against the sort of adversity he’d never previously faced on the sport’s biggest stage.
With that said, suffering his first loss in more than four years served to tap another level of drive inside Pettis. Once he’s cleared to return to action, he believes something special is going to be unleashed inside the Octagon.
“I’d never got beat up the way I did in that fight,” Pettis explained. “I never got punched in the face like that and I never bled in a fight before. I always come out of these fights unscathed or maybe suffer a small knee injury at the most, but I never got hit the face like that before. That was an eye-opener for me. It made me realize I needed to change some things up and train smarter to make sure I’m ready for these next opponents.
“With my striking, I always felt I was above everybody. That fight was different. I got hit in the face. I took the wrong angles and it woke me up a little bit. I have to make some little adjustments, come back stronger than ever and make these next couple of years count.”
Over the past several years, the lightweight division has become one of the most talent-rich collectives under the UFC banner.
At any given time, there are a handful of potential contenders fighting to earn a championship opportunity, and after losing the title earlier in the year, Pettis will now be among those jockeying for a crack at the lightweight strap.
In order to accomplish his goals, Pettis knows he will have to face one of his fellow members of the divisional upper tier, and that is where getting the right opponent matters most.
He was originally slated to face Myles Jury later this month at UFC on Fox 16 in Chicago, but an injury suffered in training camp forced Pettis to the sidelines. Even though he’s currently in the process of making a full recovery from that setback, Pettis is eyeing a bigger-name opponent for his return fight.
The human highlight reel wants a fight that will guarantee a title shot with a victory, and he believes a matchup against KhabibNurmagomedov is the best possible option.
The Eagle’s undefeated record and impressive run up the 155-pound ranks have him within striking distance of a title opportunity of his own, and Pettis feels derailing the Dagestani grappling machine would make his case for contention hard to deny.
“No disrespect to Myles Jury, but that fight was all about me wanting to get back in there,” Pettis said. “I wanted to erase that loss, but I got hurt and was forced to pull out of the fight. I believe he got injured as well and things just kind of fell apart there. I want to fight whoever is going to get me to a title shot. I have this injury to deal with now, but when I come back that’s what I want.
“Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and I saw each other in New York and I think he said he’s coming back in October or November. That makes sense for me as well, so that fight is kind of on the radar. It makes a lot of sense. He’s undefeated and everybody thinks he should get a title shot. I want that title shot, so it makes sense.
“There is no one player who is going to dominate the 155-pound weight class,” he added. “I was the champ at one time, and the division is so competitive anyone can win on a given night. You wake up and feel even a little bit off, the guy who is just as good if not better is going to beat you. It’s very hard to stay on top, but I’ll tell you this, whoever can do that will become the next big player in this sport. That’s what I’m shooting for.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
LAS VEGAS — There was a lot of buzz surrounding Thomas Almeida’s arrival to the UFC, and the 23-year-old Brazilian has lived up to the hype every step of the way.
While the bantamweight phenom’s upcoming bout against Brad Pickett at UFC 189 …
LAS VEGAS — There was a lot of buzz surrounding Thomas Almeida’s arrival to the UFC, and the 23-year-old Brazilian has lived up to the hype every step of the way.
While the bantamweight phenom’s upcoming bout against Brad Pickett at UFC 189 on Saturday night will only be his third showing inside the Octagon, the up-and-coming prospect’s resume already speaks volumes. Almeida has found victory in each of his 19 bouts as a professional, with only one of his opponents surviving to see the scorecards.
Furthermore, only three men who have faced him managed to make it out of the opening round, and Almeida’s knack for settling the opposition has served to bolster the excitement surrounding him. His ability to not only win fights but do so in spectacular fashion has many in the MMA community following his rise through the ranks of the 135-pound collective.
Even UFC President Dana White has been singing Almeida’s praises, and getting the UFC front man’s attention is something he takes pride in.
“I’m always looking for a knockout in my fights, and I think that is what people love to see the most,” Almeida told Bleacher Report with the assistance of a translator. “I try to give them that every time I fight. People seem to really like my style. It is also very important to have the boss saying good things about you.”
After drubbing veteran Yves Jabouin in his last fight at UFC 186 back in April, Almeida made it clear he was ready for bigger tests. And that is what many believe his bout with the hard-charging British slugger will represent.
However, Almeida isn’t focusing on the challenges Pickett will bring him inside the Octagon but the chance to showcase his skills on the biggest card of the year at UFC 189.
“This is a big event,” Almeida said. “It is one of the biggest in UFC history, and there are a lot of great fighters on this card. What motivates me the most in this fight is that I’m the only Brazilian fighter on this card, and it is on me to represent my culture. There is a lot of expectation on me because people love the way I fight, and that’s exactly how I want it to be.
“I am going to rise to the occasion and showcase my skills on Saturday night. I really want to show the world who Thomas Almeida is.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
To say Josh Thomson is fired up heading into his bout with Tony Ferguson at Fight Night 71 on Wednesday would be an understatement. It would also be one that requires a bit of clarity as well.