Author: Dustin Filloy

UFC 156: Why Demian Maia Doesn’t Deserve a Shot at the GSP vs. Nick Diaz Winner

Grappling ace Demian Maia inched closer to a tilt with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre with his workmanlike win over perennial contender Jon Fitch at UFC 156. The 35-year-old Maia presumably made the right choice dr…

Grappling ace Demian Maia inched closer to a tilt with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre with his workmanlike win over perennial contender Jon Fitch at UFC 156.

The 35-year-old Maia presumably made the right choice dropping to the UFC’s talent-rich welterweight division. A former middleweight title challenger, Maia has impressively reeled off three straight wins, including a stellar first-round submission victory over Rick Story at UFC 153.

Last year at this time, a win over Fitch would have immediately thrust the Brazilian’s name into the division’s title picture. But the fact that Fitch has gotten his hand raised just once in his last four outings likely means that Maia needs at least one more quality win to punch his ticket to the big dance.

Although droves of world-class fighters exist in each of the UFC’s nine divisions, fighters like St-Pierre and his next challenger, Nick Diaz, make the welterweight division a proverbial land jungle.

The bulk of the starving fighters in pursuit of St-Pierre’s belt will fight in what UFC president Dana White dubbed a “welterweight tournament” at UFC 158 on March 16. White referred to the event as an makeshift tournament because of the fact that six of the world’s top 10 welterweights will do battle on the card.

Aside from GSP vs. Diaz, UFC 158 will include a pair of pivotal welterweight showdowns in Rory MacDonald vs. Carlos Condit and Jake Ellenberger vs. Johny Hendricks.

If Condit prevails for a second time against MacDonald in their rematch, then “The Natural Born Killer” certainly deserves another crack at the belt. Condit nearly pulled off a massive upset against St-Pierre, plus he’s only suffered one other setback in the UFC, a controversial split decision loss to Martin Kampmann in 2009.

MacDonald would become equally deserving of a title shot with a win over his nemesis and the only man to smudge his record, Condit. MacDonald has yet to lock horns with Ellenberger or Hendricks, but besting a fighter with a résumé like Condit would raise “Ares” stock significantly.

After swiftly dispatching of Fitch and Kampmann, the once-beaten Hendricks will look like an irresistible title challenger if he can get past Ellenberger. “Bigg Rigg” has won nine of 10 fights in the UFC, with his only loss coming via unanimous decision to Story in 2010.

With MacDonald, Condit, Hendricks and Ellenberger fighting on the same card with similar goals in mind, Maia simply must remain patient.

White and Joe Silva will surely pit Maia with a top-flight contender—perhaps one of the elite welterweights fighting at UFC 158—in his next bout. A win over a fighter like MacDonald or Hendricks would make Maia the man to beat at 170.

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Alistair Overeem vs. Bigfoot Silva: What Went Wrong for Overeem

Most high-profile fights, like the heavyweight tilt between Alistair Overeem and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 156, are won and lost in the depths of training camps, long before any opening bell sounds.For Overeem, his inabili…

Most high-profile fights, like the heavyweight tilt between Alistair Overeem and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 156, are won and lost in the depths of training camps, long before any opening bell sounds.

For Overeem, his inability to properly prepare both physiologically and psychologically to do battle with a world-class fighter like Silva cost him an opportunity to duel for a UFC belt.

Rather than walking the easy road and alleviating any potential excess stress, Overeem perpetually baited and belittled Bigfoot in nearly every interview and press conference leading up to their contentious bout.

In a nutshell, Overeem made it clear that Bigfoot possessed inferior skills in every facet of his game.

“The Demolition Man” felt so comfortable minimizing Silva; in fact, he daringly elaborated on multiple occasions about a potential encounter with champ Cain Velasquez in his next fight.

Bigfoot simply wanted respect, but Overeem never entertained the notion of giving it.

Instead, just days before the scrap, Overeem continued to motivate Bigfoot by hurling insults his way via MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.

“There’s no beef. I mean, he’s just acting like a baby. He said, ‘I want to fight him (Overeem), blah, blah.’ And then when I see him, he’s like, ‘Hey,’ (and) giving me a hug. He’s just a fake guy, so I have no words for him. I’m just going to beat him up Saturday and let that be the end of that.”

Once in front of Silva, Overeem spent the majority of the first round walking into clinches with his hands down. He struggled to find his distance but finally scored with some sporadic knees to the body late in the stanza.

Silva surrendered a takedown less than 30 seconds into the second round, but the gargantuan Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt protected himself sufficiently off his back, even scoring with some brutal elbows from the guard.

Bigfoot never deviated from his game plan to wear Overeem down in the first and second rounds and then erupt with waves of high-volume combinations in the third.

Riding the momentum from a few big strikes landed at the end of the second round, Bigfoot charged Overeem and met him in the middle of the Octagon when the opening bell of the third round sounded.

Silva then proceeded to deal Overeem a beating similar to that of the thrashings Chuck Liddell and Sergei Kharitonov put on The Demolition Man in Japan.

Overeem foolishly dropped his hands and underestimated a ferocious striker with an 82-inch reach and hands akin to grizzly bear claws.

Some fighters think they’re invincible because of the drastic measures they take to prepare for a bout. Others, like Overeem, make the mistake of believing they’re indestructible because of their name and reputation.

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UFC 156 Results: Alistair Overeem Loses; Who Does Cain Velasquez Fight Next?

It wasn’t Alistair Overeem’s extraordinary physique that persuaded oddsmakers to deem him a considerable favorite to defeat Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 156 on Saturday. Overeem not only embarrassed Brock Lesnar in his last fight to sway the former c…

It wasn’t Alistair Overeem’s extraordinary physique that persuaded oddsmakers to deem him a considerable favorite to defeat Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 156 on Saturday.

Overeem not only embarrassed Brock Lesnar in his last fight to sway the former champion into retirement, he also entered his bout with Silva on a 12-fight unbeaten streak that began in 2007 and included 10 finishes.

Considering the hierarchy that existed in the division heading into Saturday, many pundits argued that a decisive win over Bigfoot would have led Overeem to a shot at champion Cain Velasquez.

Silva, however, pulled off a highlight-reel knockout that spoiled Overeem’s dreams and instantly made the division’s title picture murky.

With Overeem, who Sportsbook.com listed as a 4.5-to-1 favorite (-450) to best Bigfoot, no longer the division’s surefire title challenger, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva may need to get creative to find Velasquez’s next foe.

During the UFC 156 post-fight presser, UFC president Dana White admitted that Overeem’s loss alters the heavyweight landscape drastically:

Going into this fight, we talked about if Alistair Overeem won (he’d get a title shot). He (Silva) and Cain Velasquez had just fought recently. But I’m telling you, the way that he looked in this fight and what he did to Alistair, then maybe we do this fight again. Again, you guys know I don’t make fights as soon as the fight’s over, but I wouldn’t be opposed to that.

Bigfoot has scored two straight knockouts against top-flight competition, but the gargantuan Brazilian will most likely get passed over for a title shot on account of his back-to-back losses to Daniel Cormier and Velasquez.

Speaking of the former Strikeforce champion, Cormier could solidify his spot atop the heavyweight contender’s list with a win over Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7 in April.

But because of his friendship with sparring partner Velasquez, Cormier claims he’d rather make the descent to the light heavyweight division than lock horns with Velasquez.

And since surging contender Fabricio Werdum already has a date to dance with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in June, the UFC essentially has no choice but to once again pit Velasquez against Junior dos Santos.

Dos Santos needed only 64 seconds to render Velasquez unconscious in their first encounter. But in their rematch, the heavy-handed former champ got outclassed in every facet of the game by Velasquez, relinquishing his belt after just one title defense.

Granted, Dos Santos surrendered 11 takedowns and got outstruck at a rate of nearly 2-to-1 in his last fight against Velasquez, but the 29-year-old Brazilian has already climbed the proverbial ladder by steamrolling fellow contenders Werdum, Mir and Roy Nelson.

And Dos Santos, with the exception of a tender jaw and some bumps and bruises, walked away from the Velasquez fight relatively unscathed.

In a foggy situation, Dos Santos sure seems like the most worthy and available candidate to lock horns with the once-beaten Velasquez.

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Chael Sonnen Must Score Takedowns Early and Often to Beat Jon Jones at UFC 159

Their game plans may differ greatly heading into UFC 159, but Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones will each have rudimentary objectives in mind when the cage door locks on April 27 in Newark, New Jersey.Sonnen, a two-time middleweight title challenger and the c…

Their game plans may differ greatly heading into UFC 159, but Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones will each have rudimentary objectives in mind when the cage door locks on April 27 in Newark, New Jersey.

Sonnen, a two-time middleweight title challenger and the current No. 1 light heavyweight contender, will perpetually look to floor the seemingly imperturbable “Bones,” a Greco-Roman wizard who possesses unmatched length in both his arms and legs.

With a 10.5-inch reach disadvantage and significantly less dexterity in his striking game, Sonnen essentially has just one option—employing a pressure-heavy style that yields takedowns and subsequently leads to lengthy stretches of taxing ground-and-pound.

Unless he intends to reinvent himself in the time before the bout, “The American Gangster” has little choice but to pressure and wrestle, pressure and wrestle and then pressure and wrestle some more if he wants to have a chance to deal Jones his first legitimate setback.

Jones, conversely, will attempt to either engage in a strategic strikefest with the 35-year-old Oregonian—similar to the one he had with former Michigan State University wrestler Rashad Evans— or attempt to score takedowns from the clinch and then get busy slicing Sonnen up with his patented elbows.

Unfortunately for Sonnen, Jones possesses enough size, strength, skill and intelligence for sportsbook.com to legitimately deem him an 8-to-1 favorite (-800).

Akin to fellow elite wrestlers Daniel Cormier, Chris Weidman and Ben Askren, Jones has yet to surrender a takedown in 18 pro tilts. In 12 UFC scraps, Bones has amassed 23 floorings and scored 22 guard passes, facts that make the lopsided odds against Sonnen seem more reasonable.

And if Sonnen shoots lethargically and gives Jones an inch of his neck, the 25-year-old virtuoso won’t hesitate to slap on a fight-ending choke.

Former light heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida and Quinton Jackson can both attest to the perils of allowing Bones’ anaconda-like forearms to slip under their chins. Machida had no inkling as to what had happened to him in a Jones’ guillotine until “Big” John McCarthy woke him up from a deep sleep, and Bones nearly rendered Jackson unconscious before the then 42-fight vet tapped out for just the second time in his career and the first time since 2001.

A long, rangy and extremely unorthodox Muay Thai practitioner, Jones has also out-struck each of his 12 UFC foes, another statistic that doesn’t bode too well for the wrestle-heavy Sonnen.

Bones’ aforementioned stylistic advantages give him a glaring edge in perhaps the most significant area of expertise in the realm of MMA—the element of surprise. Sonnen has better-than-average boxing chops for the UFC, but if he can’t ground Jones, he simply can’t keep him guessing.

Jones, on the contrary, has mesmerized most of the division’s upper-echelon contenders with his extraordinary volatility. Bones’ aptitude for consistently landing risky strikes, engaging in the clinch at will and grounding opponents on a dime has made him downright frightening to prepare for.

But a plethora of apparent advantages didn’t stop Bones’ primary trainer, Greg Jackson, from voicing his opinion regarding Sonnen’s strengths via an interview with FightHub TV.

The matchups don’t really matter to me because it’s not my job to pick ‘em. I just have to solve the puzzle that’s in front of us, and it’s a tough puzzle. It’s actually I think going to be a tougher fight than people think. I don’t to take him lightly, (and) we’re going to go in ready to rock. He’s very, very good. He’s got great takedowns and great ground-and-pound, and his kickboxing isn’t bad either so it’s going to be a tough fight.

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Ronda Rousey: Dana White Is Spot-on About Her Diaz-Like Persona

Unbeaten UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey almost always smiles when a news camera turns her way.Perhaps Rousey’s just akin to her occasional training partners, Nick and Nate Diaz, who enjoy voicing their bold opinio…

Unbeaten UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey almost always smiles when a news camera turns her way.

Perhaps Rousey‘s just akin to her occasional training partners, Nick and Nate Diaz, who enjoy voicing their bold opinions equally as much as they revel in demoralizing their opponents. Or maybe Rousey simply possesses a competitive gusto that makes her unique in the realm of women’s mixed martial arts.

Regardless of what sets her apart, Rousey‘s blend of raw talent and undeniable charisma were characteristics that apparently seemed irresistible to UFC president Dana White.

White proved his confidence in the soon-to-be 26-year-old Californian by awarding her a six-fight contract and a championship belt before Rousey ever graced the Octagon.

White’s since defended his decision to create a women’s division based solely on Rousey‘s exploits on numerous occasions. He’s also denied the rumor that a sexual attraction to the former Strikeforce champion spurred the signing.

In an interview with MMA Weekly, White explained his reasoning behind making Rousey the centerpiece of women in the UFC.

I’ve said this a million times and I’ll say it again. Everybody’s thinking it’s because she’s attractive and this and that, (but) that’s all great. When you here the way this girl talks; she is a Diaz brother inside. She’s like, “After I beat her ass, I’d like to take her out surfing, and whatever.” She’s the real deal. She’s a fighter. She likes to finish people.

Besides continuing to evolve in the fight game, Rousey will also dedicate some focus to honing her linguistic skills while simultaneously promoting her first title fight at UFC 157 against Liz Carmouche.

In typical Rousey fashion, she offered some colorful sentiments regarding Carmouche via an interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.

She (Miesha Tate) said after the last Strikforce show that she didn’t want it (a fight with Rousey). And then (Sara) McMann said she wants another fight to build herself up first, and then Cyborg said she needs more time for the weight. And Liz was the only one that was like, “Me, I’ll do it. I don’t give a s***. Put me in there.” And I’m like, “You know what, I like you. After I beat your ass, we can be friends.”

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Alistair Overeem Deserves a Shot at Cain Velasquez with Win at UFC 156

The hype surrounding gargantuan Dutchman Alistair Overeem has yet to come to fruition in the UFC—a fact that could soon alter, presuming “The Demolition Man” prevails in his co-main event bout at UFC 156 on Saturday. Poli…

The hype surrounding gargantuan Dutchman Alistair Overeem has yet to come to fruition in the UFC—a fact that could soon alter, presuming “The Demolition Man” prevails in his co-main event bout at UFC 156 on Saturday.

Polishing off dangerous opponents has long served as a staple of Overeem’s game, and if the hulking 32-year-old can add another notable submission or knockout to his résumé against Antonio Silva, he could instantly leapfrog Junior Dos Santos as the top contender in the heavyweight division.

Overeem still blames the postponement of his launch in the UFC on a miscommunication with a physician which ultimately resulted in a failed drug test in April.

Delays aside, Overeem immediately thrust his name back into the conversation of possible challengers for Velasquez when the Nevada State Athletic Commission granted the former Strikeforce, Dream and K-1 Grand Prix champion his fight license on Jan. 8.

During a media call for UFC 156, the supremely confident Overeem, who last tasted defeat in September 2007, elaborated on once again having a title shot in his crosshairs.

“It’s just a matter of time, in my sense. We still have one more mountain to climb, and that’s Bigfoot. But to be honest, I don’t see any problem.”

Despite having just one fight in the UFC—albeit a TKO win over former champion Brock Lesnar—Overeem is unbeaten in his last 12 tilts (with 10 finishes in that span) and could jump to the front of a long line of deserving contenders with a decisive win over Silva.

That means potential title challengers like Dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum will surely become Bigfoot fans for a night on Saturday.

Not for a lack of ability, but “Cigano” and “Vai Cavalo” shouldn’t put too much faith in Silva, at least according to SportsBook.com, which lists Overeem as a 4.5-to-1 favorite (-450).

Considering some of his signature victories, which came over the likes of Lesnar, Vitor Belfort (twice), and Werdum, a win over Silva wouldn’t represent Overeem’s most significant career triumph. However, besting Silva in impressive fashion could put “The Demolition” Man in line for a title shot in his next fight.

Regardless of what’s a stake or what the oddsmakers say, Overeem remains adamant that he’s staying fixated on the massive Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

“I’m always focused on my next battle. Winning the next fight is the most important thing.”

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