Author: Dustin Filloy

Khabib Nurmagomedov on What Melendez Did Wrong and How He’ll Beat Pettis

Second-ranked Gilbert Melendez tried to contain the sensational striking chops of Anthony Pettis with bell-to-bell pressure in their lightweight title tilt at UFC 181 on Saturday.
Unfortunately for El Nino, his pressure-at-all-cost approach landed him …

Second-ranked Gilbert Melendez tried to contain the sensational striking chops of Anthony Pettis with bell-to-bell pressure in their lightweight title tilt at UFC 181 on Saturday.

Unfortunately for El Nino, his pressure-at-all-cost approach landed him in a precarious position in the second round, which ended with him tapping out for the first time in his career.

He may have been slightly impressed with Pettis‘ performance, but the way top-ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov sees it, he won’t have the same issues with the champion

During an interview this week with Sherdog.com, Nurmagomedov talked about what makes him a threat to Pettis‘ throne:

My wrestling is [on a] different level. Gilbert Melendez is a very experienced guy, good boxing, good heart, good chin. A lot of respect for Gilbert Melendez, but if I have fight versus Anthony Pettis, I think I pressure him, hard punch, go takedown [and] top control. I think he no like this. You see Gilbert Melendez take him down and pressure him, but if Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Anthony Pettis fight, I think l am dominating. He have only [a] lucky punch knockout. His kicks are very good, his boxing is not bad, it’s okay, he’s a striking guy, I like this. If you have [a] striking opponent, you need to pressure it.

When asked if he thought Melendez had devised a proper game plan, which he simply didn’t execute against Pettis, Nurmagomedov answered with the following: 

No, no. I [don’t] think this. I think he try, try, try takedown. He tired. But he need [to] catch his leg [and] takedown. It’s very easy. Catch his leg, takedown, top control. Catch his leg, takedown, top control.

Nurmagomedov, who tore his right meniscus in July, said he’ll be ready to fight in the spring and that he’d prefer to fight Showtime for the belt in his first bout back.

That is, unless Pettis takes another 15-month layoff.

Pettis, in the meantime, threw water on the notion that an apparent injury to his left hand suffered in the Melendez fight will sideline him for any significant stretch of time via Twitter on Monday. 

Nurmagomedov has racked up a 22-0 record with seven knockouts and eight submissions since turning pro in 2008.

A 26-year-old Russian grappling specialist, Nurmagomedov has amassed a 6-0 mark in the UFC with one submission and one TKO.

Pettis (18-2) improved to 5-1 in the UFC and 10-2 under the Zuffa banner. He has finished each of his last four fights, with his last two wins coming via submission in lightweight title fights. 

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Hendricks, Lawler and the 7 Heaviest Hitters in MMA Right Now

Power punching spawns from a blend of the right genetic makeup, proper mechanics and countless hours of grueling work.
Sluggers like Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler are prime examples of these three key elements coming together to create a perfect st…

Power punching spawns from a blend of the right genetic makeup, proper mechanics and countless hours of grueling work.

Sluggers like Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler are prime examples of these three key elements coming together to create a perfect storm—one that captivates fans each time it occurs in the Octagon.

On Saturday, Hendricks and Lawler, two of the heaviest hitters in the sport, will put their extraordinary power-punching abilities on display in a rematch for the welterweight strap in the main event of UFC 181.

But Hendricks and Lawler aren’t the only two fighters who have made the most of their heavy hands.

Here’s a deeper look at the hardest hitters in MMA today.

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UFC and Bellator Vet Arrested for Allegedly HeadButting Iowa City Police Officer

Just 13 days after seeing his three-fight winning streak come to a violent halt at Bellator 131, former UFC fighter Joe Vedepo was arrested for allegedly head-butting an Iowa City police officer Friday night.
According to The Gazette, a newspaper …

Just 13 days after seeing his three-fight winning streak come to a violent halt at Bellator 131, former UFC fighter Joe Vedepo was arrested for allegedly head-butting an Iowa City police officer Friday night.

According to The Gazette, a newspaper that serves eastern Iowa, Vedepo, a current Bellator MMA fighter, refused to leave a bar called the Sports Column, a decision that prompted an employee to call the police.

The criminal complaint, per The Gazette, said Iowa City police officers responded to the call and found a drunken and defiant Vedepo attempting to re-enter the bar against their wishes. After telling officers that he “knew his rights,” Vedepo reportedly head-butted an officer in the chest. The officers responded and threw Vedepo to the ground, where the Iowa native further resisted, causing officers to use a Taser on him.

Since the Taser had little effect on stopping Vedepo, several officers were forced to intervene to subdue the 31-year-old middleweight.

Once they placed Vedepo in custody, officers were forced to move him to another squad car. In the midst of the transfer, Vedepo flailed kicks at the officers, allegedly finding his mark with one attempt.

Police administered a breath test on Vedepo that revealed he had a blood-alcohol content of .241 percent, which is three times the legal limit to drive a vehicle in the state.

Upon arrest, police charged Vedepo with a count of assault causing injury to a peace officer (an aggravated misdemeanor), two counts of assault on peace officers (a serious misdemeanor) and one count of public intoxication (a simple misdemeanor). 

Vedepo is being held on a cash-only bond of $10,000.

According to The Gazette, Vedepo has been convicted on drug and theft charges and on several counts of public intoxication in Iowa. Vedepo also attempted to sue Sports Column in 2006 but ended the lawsuit two years later.

Although he said he doesn’t want to jump to conclusions, Bellator MMA President Scott Coker told MMAJunkie’s Steven Marrocco via text message that Vedepo will receive his walking papers if the initial reports from police are accurate.

“If everything is exactly what it says, we will be cutting him,” Coker said.

In his last fight, Vedepo (17-9, 4-3 Bellator MMA) got TKO’d in the third round by Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal at Bellator 131.

Vedepo got finished in his lone two UFC bouts, first by Alessio Sakara (KO) in 2008 and then by Rob Kimmons (guillotine choke) in 2009.

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Ronda Rousey Talks About the Staredown That ‘Really F—-d’ with Her

Few can dispute the notion that Ronda Rousey represents one of the fiercest and most intimidating competitors in the realm of MMA, particularly once the Octagon door swings open.
And although the UFC women’s bantamweight champ seemingly carries a simil…

Few can dispute the notion that Ronda Rousey represents one of the fiercest and most intimidating competitors in the realm of MMA, particularly once the Octagon door swings open.

And although the UFC women’s bantamweight champ seemingly carries a similarly menacing aura during her pre-fight routines, Rousey claims one opponent got under her skin prior to one of her 10 career pro fights.

Rousey sounded off on how she got distracted by Liz Carmouche during their staredown prior to her first scrap in the promotion at UFC 157 in February 2013.

“You know who was the smartest ever, to really f–k with me in the staredown? Liz Carmouche,” Rousey told reporters at UFC’s “The Time is Now” news conference on Nov. 17, according to Dave Doyle of MMAFighting.com. “I‘ve had girls try to get in my face, I’ve had girls try to smirk with me, stuff like that. Liz Carmouche just started spitting game right then. I was totally distracted.”

Rowdy didn’t divulge the exact details regarding what Carmouche said but offered the following: “Well, I don’t want her girlfriend to get mad at me or anything. Let’s just say it was the most thrown off I’ve ever been.”

Rousey also claimed that, unlike another previous foe, Miesha Tate, she doesn’t try to play psychological games prior to her fights, though she does have a distinct understanding of the promotional value of a memorable staredown.

I don’t try to psychologically break the other person down. I remember Miesha (Tate) was like ‘Ronda’s shaking and she blinks too much and she’s scared of me.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, go back to Psych 101, b—h.’ So no, I don’t really go try to break the other person down. It’s mostly there for promotional value, especially for a press conference that is so far out before the fight. 

Evidently, Carmouche‘s pre-fight strategies did enough to fluster Rousey in the opening minutes of the first women’s bout in UFC history.

Carmouche used a slick maneuver to take Rowdy’s back just 45 seconds into the bout. Carmouche then threatened to submit the unbeaten Olympic judoka with a vicious standing neck crank.

Rousey defended the neck crank before slapping on her seventh straight fight-ending armbar with 11 seconds left in the opening round.

Nearly two years removed from the greatest challenge during her title reign, Rousey essentially said Carmouche’s pre-fight tactics taught her a valuable lesson.

“Liz, I think she started singing her own walkout song and she started to dance and everything and I was like I can’t, I have no previous information on the subject, no knowledge of how to react to this,” Rousey said. “So no, that was the most effective staredown ever.”

Rousey’s latest staredown came at the “Time is Now” event with her next opponent, top-ranked bantamweight Cat Zingano, whom she’ll face in the co-main event of UFC 184 in February at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The 32-year-old Zingano, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt, sports a 9-0 record, with her last two victories coming in the UFC via TKO.

The UFC planned to have Zingano coach opposite Rousey for season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. However, Zingano suffered a knee injury in May 2013 that prevented her from participating in the endeavor.

The 27-year-old Rousey, a longtime black belt in judo, improved to 4-0 in the UFC and 8-0 under the Zuffa banner when she KO’d the now-fourth-ranked Alexis Davis in just 16 seconds at UFC 175 in July.

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Jon Jones on Why He Never Brings His Belt into the Octagon on Fight Night

Apparently UFC light heavyweight champ and pound-for-pound kingpin Jon Jones believes in superstition—particularly when it pertains to his pre-fight rituals.
“I would never bring my belt out to the cage,” Jones said  to a group of repor…

Apparently UFC light heavyweight champ and pound-for-pound kingpin Jon Jones believes in superstition—particularly when it pertains to his pre-fight rituals.

“I would never bring my belt out to the cage,” Jones said  to a group of reporters (per MMAFighting.com) at the UFC’s “The Time is Now” news conference on Nov. 17.

“Bones” further detailed his superstitious ways, telling those on hand at the media event that it began when he took the belt from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128 in March 2011.

When I fought Shogun, his brother Ninja Rua brought the belt out to the cage. And when I was in the cage and I saw Ninja was holding the belt over Shogun, I remember feeling this feeling in my heart that there was nothing in the Octagon that could happen where I wouldn’t leave without that belt. It reminded me why I was there, what I was there for.

In what was the first of eight straight light-heavyweight title bouts for Jones, he claims getting a glimpse of the belt before facing Shogun alleviated his nerves and helped him zero in on his task at hand.

I’m watching Shogun, and then I just see that belt and all my nervousness went away. Everything went away. I was like, ‘Whoa, the belt is right there. I can view this. It’s so close. I’m probably going home with the belt.’ I just became superhuman after that and that’s probably why Shogun lost so much. That belt, I got to see it right before the fight. You dangled it over me.

Jones will attempt to settle arguably his most heated rivalry and defend his title for the eighth straight time when he takes on former Olympic freestyle wrestler and second-ranked Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in January.

Jones and Cormier have not only engaged in several verbal spats since the bout was announced, the two also took part in a brawl at a press event in August in Las Vegas.

Jones has already given the former Oklahoma State University standout plenty of motivation for his first UFC title fight. He doesn’t plan on giving Cormier any more incentive by flaunting the belt prior to their highly anticipated date in the Octagon.

“For the contender, just to see that right before the match?” Jones asked. “It’s like drinking a gallon of water right before walking into the desert, you know what I mean?”

Essentially unbeaten, aside from a disqualification loss to an over-matched Matt Hamill in 2009, Jones (20-1) will look to score his 15th UFC win. If he happens to best Cormier, Jones will pass former teammate and opponent Rashad Evans for most wins in the promotion for a current light heavyweight.

Cormier (15-0) will attempt to take Jones’ belt in just his third career bout in the light heavyweight division. In his four fights in the UFC, Cormier has beaten Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, Patrick Cummins and Dan Henderson.

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Phil Davis vs. Ryan Bader Added to UFC on Fox 14 Card in Stockholm

The same day that tickets went on sale for the event, a bout between a pair of former NCAA Division I wrestlers and world-ranked light heavyweights was added to the UFC on Fox 14 card in Stockholm, Sweden, Friday.
Fifth-ranked Phil Davis and seventh-ra…

The same day that tickets went on sale for the event, a bout between a pair of former NCAA Division I wrestlers and world-ranked light heavyweights was added to the UFC on Fox 14 card in Stockholm, Sweden, Friday.

Fifth-ranked Phil Davis and seventh-ranked Ryan Bader will square off on a card that includes six world-ranked light heavyweights. The card includes a co-main event bout between Dan Henderson and Gegard Mousasi and a main event scrap between Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson.

The card will be held Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Tele2 Arena, a venue in Johanneshov that seats 30,001.

Bader, a former two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State, expressed excitement via Twitter regarding the opportunity to face Davis, a former four-time All-American and NCAA champ at Penn State:

Bader (18-4) has won his last three fights and four of his last five. In his last outing, he halted the five-fight winning streak of ninth-ranked Ovince St. Preux at UFC Fight Night 47 in August.

Aside from his loss to sixth-ranked Glover Teixeira in late 2013, Bader‘s only setbacks have come against former or current UFC champs (Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz and Jon Jones). Bader was finished in each of his four losses (two submissions and two TKO/KOs).

Davis (13-2-1) has also prevailed in four of his last five fights, including a unanimous-decision win over Teixeira at UFC 179 in October. Davis’ only career setbacks came against third-ranked Anthony Johnson and fourth-ranked Rashad Evans.

Although neither fighter has ever scrapped in Europe, both fighters have grown familiar with fighting on foreign soil. Bader, who has fought in Australia twice, has also competed in Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Canada, Brazil and Japan. Davis has fought in Brazil three times and once in the United Arab Emirates.

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