Those on the fence about the dynamic athletic prowess of fifth-ranked UFC featherweight Conor McGregor obviously haven’t watched the above video—or bought into its concepts.
Although he’s yet to truly prove his worth in the Octagon, McGregor …
Those on the fence about the dynamic athletic prowess of fifth-ranked UFC featherweight ConorMcGregor obviously haven’t watched the above video—or bought into its concepts.
Although he’s yet to truly prove his worth in the Octagon, McGregor backed up his claims that he’s a “master of movement” during this experiment at California State University Fullerton’s Center for Sports Performance.
The lab’s team examined McGregor‘s reaction time with punches and kicks and tested his movement in a room with 360-degree, high-definition, slow-motion cameras. The team also checked McGregor‘s angular velocity, or the rate of speed at which his hip moved during kicks.
The evaluation determined that McGregor doesn’t just possess athletic dexterity that’s on par with the top-flight athletes who have been tested at the Center for Sports Performance, he’s actually a step above them. The test revealed that McGregor is a rare breed of athlete who’s exceptionally gifted in the departments of balance, movement, speed and power.
Of course, the UFC’s massive stable of fighters includes a large clan of extremely blessed athletes, and many of them have proved their gifts in the Octagon. The silver-tongued McGregor has only done so four times, and because of that fact, many doubters have the fuel to argue the lengths of his potential.
McGregor‘s certainly a polarizing figure who has spawned many fans and naysayers with his unmatched confidence, but he’s not just talk. If McGregor hadn’t looked so prophetic in his four fights in the UFC, or during this exam, he wouldn’t have become such a prominent figure in the sport.
The Irishman will get his next opportunity to silence his critics and please his fans when he faces 10th-ranked Dennis Siver in the main event of UFC Fight Night 59 on Sunday in Boston.
Although surely aware his heyday had since passed, former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia still fully committed to taking his 42nd pro fight on Saturday at Reality Fighting at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Instead, a surprise c…
Although surely aware his heyday had since passed, former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia still fully committed to taking his 42nd pro fight on Saturday at Reality Fighting at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Instead, a surprise chain reaction that began just three days before Saturday’s scheduled fight with JulianoCoutinho persuaded Sylvia to announce his retirement from the sport.
According to a report from ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation (MDAR) didn’t discover that Sylvia was 40 years old until three days before his fight. Several websites, including Sherdog and Wikipedia, had Sylvia listed as 38.
In light of its discovery, and according to its policies for fighters 40 and older, the MDAR required Sylvia to undergo further testing—which included an MRI—in order to get licensed.
Sylvia’s MRI revealed an issue that prompted the MDAR to reject his application for a license, a decision that ultimately prompted the Iowa resident to retire from a career that began in early 2001.
Sylvia’s manager, Monte Cox, expanded on the findings of the MRI to Okamoto by saying, “He can go back and get another MRI in a year, but basically what they’re saying is there’s damage from blunt force trauma. He’s got damage there. Does it affect his everyday life? Not so far. Not that he can tell—but it’s certainly something to pay attention to.”
Sylvia hadn’t competed in the Octagon since getting choked (guillotine) by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in an interim heavyweight title fight at UFC 81 in early 2008.
Cox said Sylvia, who has suffered three TKO/KO losses since leaving the UFC, hadn’t underwent an MRI since 2005.
“The commission didn’t realize Tim was over 40 until three days before the event. There were some things on the MRI that weren’t on another MRI we had on file from 2003, meaning something happened over the course of the last 11 years. A neurologist said it could be something or it could be nothing.”
Sylvia dropped his last three bouts and hadn’t scored a win since TKO’ing journeyman Randy Smith at NEF Fight Night 3 in his home state of Maine in 2012. Since leaving the UFC, Sylvia was finished by FedorEmelianenko (rear-naked choke), Ray Mercer (KO), Abe Wagner (TKO) and Tony Johnson (TKO).
Cox pointed out that it was more than just a concerning MRI that caused the resilient Sylvia to call it quits.
I think it’s the end. He had gotten to a point where his body, through all the wars, just wasn’t able to get in the kind of shape he used to. Obviously, you could see that in his weight. He just can’t get into competitive form. I think (retirement) is good. With this MRI, why go on, when you’re only getting paid a fraction of what you’re worth?
Sylvia won the heavyweight title in just his second fight with the promotion by KO’ingRicco Rodriguez in the first round at UFC 41 in 2003. Sylvia finished with a 5-4 mark in UFC title fights and a 9-4 record in UFC competition.
An emotional Daniel Cormier didn’t conjure up any excuses or assume the role of a sore loser following his devastating, unanimous-decision loss to Jon Jones in their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 182 on Saturday.
Instead, Cormier swallowed his p…
An emotional Daniel Cormier didn’t conjure up any excuses or assume the role of a sore loser following his devastating, unanimous-decision loss to Jon Jones in their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 182 on Saturday.
Instead, Cormier swallowed his pride and proved that he’s a genuine sportsman by paying Jones respect for his extraordinary abilities during the UFC 182 post-fight press conference.
“I can’t say enough about his mentality inside of that Octagon,” said Cormier. “I’ve shared that cage with some very, very strong men and some very big men, heroes (and) superheroes, and I can’t say enough about his grit and his determination, because I pushed him and I went after him and I fought him but he did a good job.”
Jones and Cormier had engaged in a typical alpha-male war of words, one that began four years ago with a backhanded comment from Jones regarding Cormier‘s wrestling.
The feud reached a breaking point in August when Jones and Cormier brawled seconds into a staredown/photo opportunity at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
The 27-year-old Jones and the 35-year-old Cormier then showed the world just how authentic their rivalry was by putting on a tantalizing, Fight of the Night-worthy performance in the main event of UFC 182.
Each man got down to business early in Round 1 and didn’t let up until they were both seemingly running on fumes in the fifth round. Jones made adjustments after a tumultuous second round and rebounded to control the third, fourth and fifth rounds, while Cormier, who certainly never gave up, slowly faded.
Jones not only denied seven of the former Division I All-American wrestler’s shots, he also amassed three takedowns and became the first man to ground Cormier. In the stand-up department, Jones outstruckCormier126-78, including 92-58 in the significant strikes category.
Cormier spoke about Jones’ effectiveness in this regard:
He got me with a good shot in the body in the first round that made it difficult. You know, Jon and his coaches did a great job of coming up with a game plan. Early in the fight he was hitting me left and right hooks to the body, and as the fight progressed he started throwing them a little straighter and that knee actually took a lot out of me early.
Earlier in the press conference, Cormier pointed out what caught him off guard most about Jones, who essentially took a page out of Cormier‘s book and bullied the challenger up against the fence.
“If anything surprised me, it was that he felt a little bigger in the cage than he looks normally. He’s a big guy (and) he’s strong. He hangs on you and when he starts to hang on you, it can zap you a little bit later in the fight.”
Cormier also said Jones surprised him by countering while moving backward, something the previously unbeaten former Olympic freestyle wrestler didn’t see on tape in Jones’ previous fights.
One thing Cormier didn’t attribute his performance to was the 12-inch reach disadvantage he had to deal with. In fact, Cormier said Jones’ length had little to do with the fight’s outcome:
That was my intent was to be close. We talk a lot about reach, (but) even on the outside we were kind of trading jabs and stuff, so it wasn’t as big of a deal. I think it’s more his tactics than anything. He has a way of making himself feel actually bigger inside of the cage. It’s not his height or anything. It’s abilities that make him hard to deal with.
Still, despite all the respect and camaraderie Cormier showed in the post-fight presser, Jones admitted that his feelings for the American Kickboxing Academy stalwart haven’t changed.
“I don’t like Daniel Cormier,” Jones told Fox Sports (h/t MMA Fighting). “I don’t respect Daniel Cormier. I hope he’s somewhere crying right now. I’m sure he is. I can’t wait until he earns his way back, so I can whoop him again.”
And like he’d done in each of his nine UFC title fights, Jones said he attained his goal of beating his opponent in his respective areas of expertise.
“I outgrinded him. I held him against the cage. He could not get off the cage. He could have got off the cage, but I wanted to prove he’s not the king of the grind. It wasn’t a pretty fight. It wasn’t a technically sexy fight. But I proved that he wasn’t the king of the grind tonight, I was the king of the grind.”
For a man who’s just entering his heyday, 27-year-old UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones could have the most fruitful year of his illustrious career in store for him in 2015.
Bones began the year the way he envisioned it and defended his belt for th…
For a man who’s just entering his heyday, 27-year-old UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones could have the most fruitful year of his illustrious career in store for him in 2015.
Bones began the year the way he envisioned it and defended his belt for the eighth consecutive time by outlasting second-ranked and previously unbeaten Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 182 on Saturday.
Aside from some swelling on his face, Jones (21-1) emerged from his captivating clash with Cormier, a former Olympic freestyle wrestler, void of any injuries of concern. And unlike 2014, in which Jones had just one fight—a unanimous-decision win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 in April—Bones plans to have a busier year in 2015.
At the UFC 182 post-fight presser, the New York native explained that making a permanent move to the location of his team, Jackson’s MMA, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will prove a major step in his attempt to truly immerse himself in the sport.
My plan is to become the greatest fighter of all time, and it’s so feasible and it’s so attainable. All I got to do is just stay focused and keep believing just the way I believe and to keep working and I do believe 2015 will be the year that I solidify it. The big thing that I’m excited about is getting back to Albuquerque. I do not train in between fights and that’s pretty well documented. I’m sure a lot of people have seen pictures of me having this big gut and things like that. … But now that I live in Albuquerque it’s going to be huge. This next fight is going to be something else.
Bones will have several months to heal up from his war with Cormier, but in just 20 days, his focus will shift to the winner of the title-eliminator bout between top-ranked Alexander Gustafsson and third-ranked Anthony Johnson.
Gustafsson and Johnson Each Pose Different Problems for Jones
Gustafsson has won seven of his last eight bouts, with his lone loss in that span coming against Jones at UFC 165 in September 2013. Johnson is riding an eight-fight winning streak that includes wins over Phil Davis and Andre Arlovski.
Gustafsson has a 79-inch reach (5.5 inches shorter than Jones’), great boxing chops and solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling skills. His footwork, hand speed and unpredictability enabled him to surprise Jones and take him into deep waters in their first encounter.
Gustafsson has a never-ending gas tank and the rare mental fortitude needed to push Jones to the brink again in a rematch. He just needs to get past arguably the most dangerous man in the division, Johnson.
If the venomous Johnson happens to topple Gustafsson, he’d be an equally concerning threat to Jones’ throne.
Johnson has a 78-inch reach, tremendous pop in all of his strikes and a trusty wrestling base. Since making the ascent to light heavyweight, Rumble has won seven straight bouts, including five by way of TKO/KO.
Jones Won’t Be Bumping Up to Heavyweight in 2015
Jones said he’ll entertain challenges from heavyweights when the proper time comes. Apparently, though, that time isn’t in the near future.
Jones sounded off on the matter at the UFC 182 post-fight presser.
Making 205 is not a challenge for me at all. It hasn’t been a challenge for me. For a long time I’ve been criticized for being too big for my weight class and I think it’s an excuse of people who don’t understand my success. I’m not too big for the light heavyweight division. I’m built the way I’m built (and) I have very skinny legs, but I make weight just fine. So I’m a true light heavyweight (and) I’ll be a light heavyweight for a long time.
Bones did, however, address the idea of some day locking horns with UFC heavyweight champ and Cormier‘s teammate, Cain Velasquez.
To be honest, I would fight Cain Velasquez in a heartbeat. I really would. I’d love to fight AKA’s best athletes, and I believe I could defeat them all (and) I believe our team is the best team in the world. … But fighting at heavyweight would be surely to entertain the fans and would have to be against a perfect opponent.
Even after back-to-back losses to Chris Weidman, former longtime UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva still carried the moniker of the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Silva won 16 UFC fights in a row between June 2006 and October 2012, defe…
Even after back-to-back losses to Chris Weidman, former longtime UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva still carried the moniker of the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Silva won 16 UFC fights in a row between June 2006 and October 2012, defending his middleweight strap 10 times in the process.
Silva’s remarkable run still stands as one of the most prolific in the sport’s history, and it forever ingrained his name among the elite in MMA lore. However, a fighter who has long deserved a place in the conversation, Jon Jones, made a strong argument for passing Silva at the top of the GOAT list when he overcame arguably his greatest challenge in his 6.5-year UFC career on Saturday.
Jones beat second-ranked and previously unbeaten Daniel Cormier at his own game to score his fifth win over a current UFC Top 10-ranked light heavyweight on Saturday at UFC 182.
Had Bones not been disqualified for throwing illegal downward elbows on Matt Hamill’s face at The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Finale, Jones’ win over Cormier would have tied him with Silva for most consecutive UFC victories (16). Jones was beating Hamill handily before being disqualified.
By topping Cormier in such impressive fashion, Jones, who defended his light heavyweight strap for the eighth consecutive time, surpassed the great Silva in the highly debatable conversation of the sport’s GOAT.
Examining the careers of Silva and Jones,,it’s clear to see that Bones has faced stronger opponents and molded a more well-rounded skill set than The Spider. The 27-year-old Bones has also achieved his greatest at a younger age and has done so in a more evolved version of the sport that Silva once ruled.
Jones has triumphed over more UFC champs (five) than Silva (three), and he’s beaten them all in a less-than-four-year span. During his title run, Jones has only faced three challengers (his last three opponents) who were making their first and only appearance in a title fight.
Silva, conversely, has taken on five guys who were appearing in their first and only title bouts. And standing 6’4″ and enjoying a division-long 84.5-inch reach, Jones is an even more intimidating and imposing figure at 205 than Silva is at 185.
It’s a tricky debate delving into the skill sets of Jones and Silva as strikers, simply because both men have perpetually displayed such great resilience and such an array of dazzling techniques. But in terms of ground fighting, wrestling in particular, Jones, who has been taken down once in his career, holds a clear advantage over Silva, who surrendered three takedowns in one fight against Chael Sonnen.
While Jones may have—and may still—emulate Silva, the fact remains that he can do the things Silva does best, and The Spider can’t match his strong suits. Silva will never score an early takedown and pummel a foe into submission in top-guard position with elbows and punches like Jones has done. The Spider also wouldn’t attempt to wear an opponent down up against the cage round after round while blending in effective dirty boxing and elbow strikes like Jones did to Cormier.
In the same vein, Jones could easily mimic something out of Silva’s repertoire and render an opponent unconscious with a flying knee or a front kick.
Add in the fact that Jones, who’s arguably just entering his prime, has a sturdier chin and just as much perseverance and determination as Silva, and it becomes evident that Bones has surpassed his idol in terms of greatness.
During the UFC 182 post-fight press conference, company president Dana White didn’t quite declare Jones the GOAT, but he essentially said the Jackson’s MMA stalwart is heading in that direction.
“It’s hard for me because Jon Jones is so young and has so many more things to accomplish, but yeah, he’s beaten the who’s who, he’s cleaned out the division and he’s breaking records. If this continues, yeah, he’s probably the greatest ever.”
Jones’ longtime Jackson’s MMA teammate, Cub Swanson, chimed in with opinion of Jones’ legacy:
When asked at the UFC 182 post-fight presser where he stands in the GOAT conversation with Silva, Jones chose to respond modestly.
Anderson, I’ll start by saying is a guy I respect tremendously. I’ve been looking up to him since I was about 19 (or) 18 years old. I’ve studied all of his fights (and) I really want to model my career after him. Anderson has won so many world titles and you can’t discredit what he’s been able to do. At the same time, with that being said (and) with all due respect, I believe that I’ve had the toughest resume in the history of this sport. I’ve fought so many amazing athletes and so many times people thought I was going to lose. I will give Anderson and Georges (St-Pierre) being above me (because) I think that attitude will keep me honest (and) it will keep me determined and driven. I will keep that as my psychology until it can’t be argued anymore.
Jones will get a chance to further cement his legacy as the GOAT when he faces the winner of the matchup between Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson, which takes place on Jan. 24 at UFC on Fox 14.
Gustafsson gave Jones his stiffest test inside the Octagon to date at UFC 165 in September 2013. Jones won a controversial unanimous decision in what several major media outlets named the “Fight of the Year.”
After beating one of the sport’s best grinders at his own game at UFC 182 on Saturday, UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones can begin to shift his focus to his next obstacle: facing the winner of the Alexander Gustafsson-Anthony Johnson fight.
He’ll c…
After beating one of the sport’s best grinders at his own game at UFC 182 on Saturday, UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones can begin to shift his focus to his next obstacle: facing the winner of the Alexander Gustafsson-Anthony Johnson fight.
He’ll certainly have several months to lick his wounds, but Bones won’t have much time to savor the satisfaction of besting arguably his greatest nemesis, former Olympic freestyle wrestler and second-ranked UFC light heavyweight Daniel Cormier.
That’s because on January 24, top-ranked former title challenger Gustafsson will lock horns with third-ranked Johnson in the main event of UFC on Fox 14 in The Mauler’s home country of Sweden.
Regardless of who prevails between Johnson and Gustafsson in their title eliminator bout, either man will provide Jones with yet another arduous and perplexing challenge. Johnson (18-4) has won eight straight fights since getting his walking papers from the UFC in early 2012, and Gustafsson (16-2) has won seven of his last eight bouts, with his only loss coming to Jones at UFC 165.
Gustafsson is widely considered the most complete fighter in the division, aside from Jones, and Johnson’s wrestling base and potent striking game have helped him emerge as one of the sport’s most dangerous athletes.
But the 27-year-old Jones, who already holds wins over five of the UFC’s current Top 10 205-pounders, sure looked like a man who is ready to take out the likes of Rumble and The Mauler against Cormier.
Jones not only scored on three of five takedown attempts, notching the first takedown ever against Cormier, but he also stuffed seven of the former Division I All-American wrestler’s shots. In the stand-up department, Jones outstruck Cormier 126-78, including 92-58 in the significant strikes category.
Despite Jones’ impressive performance, Gustafsson, who lost a controversial unanimous decision to Jones in their only meeting in September 2013, claimed to be less than impressed by Bones’ showing against Cormier.
Gustafsson was set to face Jones in a rematch for the belt in September at UFC 178, but he had to pull out of the fight in July after tearing his meniscus in his right knee during training. He TKO’d Jimi Manuwa in the second round of his last bout at UFC Fight Night 37 in March.
Vitor Belfort handed Johnson his last setback when he submitted him in his final fight of his first stint with the promotion at UFC 142 in January 2012. Since then, Rumble has beaten the likes of Jake Rosholt, Andrei Arlovski, Phil Davis and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
According to OddsShark.com, Gustafsson has opened up as a minus-248 favorite to best Johnson (+192).
Although surely aware his heyday had since passed, former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia still fully committed to taking his 42nd pro fight on Saturday at Reality Fighting at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.