Author: Eric Ball

Mia St. John Defeats Christy Martin in Final Bout for Both Fighters

In a match that signaled the end of an era, Mia St. John defeated Christy Martin in a 10-round unanimous decision at the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, California to claim the WBC female super welterweight title. St. John (46-11-2, 18 KOs) took more …

In a match that signaled the end of an era, Mia St. John defeated Christy Martin in a 10-round unanimous decision at the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, California to claim the WBC female super welterweight title.

St. John (46-11-2, 18 KOs) took more of a brawling approach to this match, and it paid off as she landed a plethora of clean shots that eventually wore down Martin (49-7-3, 31 KOs).

According to Fightnews.com, the official scores were 96-94, 96-94 and 97-93. Martin had previously beaten St. John in a 10-round decision almost a decade ago.

At the end of the fight both ladies confirmed that it was indeed their last match, and both are now retired from the sport.

It comes as no surprise considering St. John is 45 and Martin is 44.

The two paved the way for women fighters like the 17-year-old Claressa Shields, who just returned home from the London Olympics with America’s only gold in the sport these Summer Games.

Shields and the rest of the women’s team represent a new generation of fighters, and it’s fitting that the torch would be passed with two events that were roughly a week apart from each other.

St. John came from a martial arts background, and began her boxing career in 1997. She used her good looks to land plenty of modeling opportunities that raised her own profile, as well as the entire sport of women’s boxing. She is a pioneer and will surely be missed.

Martin’s career began back in 1989, and she worked her way up the ranks to become one of the most decorated female fighters of all time. 

 

.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 149 Start Time: When and Where to Catch Tonight’s Action

Injuries may have crippled some of the buzz for UFC 149, but there is still a wildly entertaining card for fans to sink their teeth into. The headliner was supposed to be Jose “Scarface” Aldo against Erik Koch, but Scarface was forced to withdraw due t…

Injuries may have crippled some of the buzz for UFC 149, but there is still a wildly entertaining card for fans to sink their teeth into.

The headliner was supposed to be Jose “Scarface” Aldo against Erik Koch, but Scarface was forced to withdraw due to injury and the fight list had to be altered. Now it’s Urijah Faber vs. Renan “Barao” Pegado under the spotlight.

Both fighters have a ton at stake from a legacy perspective, which should make for a thrilling match. But that’s far from the only intriguing bout on the slate. Here is all the information needed to ensure you don’t miss a second of tonight’s action.

(Info coutesy of UFC.com)

 

Where: Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Canada

 

Prelims on Facebook at 7 p.m. ET

Featherweight: Antonio Carvalho vs. Daniel Pineda

Lightweight: Mitch Clarke vs. Anton Kuivanen

 

Prelims on FX at 8 p.m. ET

Bantamweight: Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera

Bantamweight: Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon

Middleweight: Court McGee vs. Nick Ring

Light Heavyweight: Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh

 

Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET

Price: $44.99

Stream: Official UFC website

Bantamweight: Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao

Middleweight: Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch

Heavyweight: Cheick Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan

Welterweight: Brian Ebersole vs. James Head

Welterweight: Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle

 

Injury News

(via Yahoo! Sports)

It’s hard to overcome the thought of what could have been if it wasn’t for so many injuries.

In addition to the main event getting postponed, former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was pulled off the card once his opponent Thiago Silva had to bow out due to injury. 

And Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira still isn’t over his arm injury. He withdrew from his announced bout against Cheick Kongo.

Michael Bisping and Thiago Alves were taken off the card due to injuries.

So, while the depth of the card isn’t up to par with what fight fans expect, there is one fight that could more than make up for it.

 

Faber vs. Barao Prediction

Faber, aka “The California Kid,” may be 33 years old, but few fighters have the determination and focus that Faber has. Faber also possesses a versatile and technically-sound repertoire that has stymied opponents for almost a decade.

The problem is, he’s facing an opponent in Barao who holds a 28-1 record and hasn’t lost since his very first fight. If he wants to be considered an option to fight Anderson Silva, a dominating performance will be required.

The 25-year-old is on the fast track to being one of the major superstars in the sport with his unreal jiu-jitsu and submission skills.

It’s going to be an intense and bloody battle that will come down to who can deliver the stronger kicks to knock their opponent down and turn it into a wrestling match.

I’m going with Barao.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao Pegado: Expect Red-Hot Barao to Pummel Aging Faber

The UFC 149 fight card may not provide a ton of depth after the unbelievable amount of injuries that have popped up recently, but at least one of the main events is still worth watching. Urijah Faber will be fighting Renan “Barao” Pegado wi…

The UFC 149 fight card may not provide a ton of depth after the unbelievable amount of injuries that have popped up recently, but at least one of the main events is still worth watching.

Urijah Faber will be fighting Renan “Barao” Pegado with the bantamweight interim title on the line.  

Last time we saw Faber he was forcing Brian Bowles into submission back in November at UFC 139. But at the age of 33, the Team Alpha Male founder only has so many fights left in the tank.

His record stands at 26-5, but he has lost two of his last five bouts overall. “The California Kid” needs a victory here to work his way back up the ladder one last time. Can he win and secure another chance against champion Dominick Cruz?

He’ll be relying on his supreme cardio conditioning that has been his strongest trait for years. He pushes the pace early and it typically leads to takedowns. Based on his pre-fight interview with UFC.com, it sounds like that will be the plan once again: “Barao is a guy that starts hard and looks for the finish right away but seems to fade a little bit as the fight goes on.”

That sounds great on paper, but I have a hard time believing he can do that against Barao.

At the ripe age of 25, the Brazilian native has a sparkling 28-1 record, with 19 finishes. He mauls opponents with some incredible power punches and kicks that inflict serious pain.

While his fighting skills standing up are impressive enough, opponents are in deep trouble if the fight goes to the ground.

There is no question that Barao’s jiu-jitsu skills are incredibly advanced, and his submission game is top notch.  If he gets Faber on the ground for an extended period of time, this fight will be called before the final round.

It appears as if Barao is going to be the next big thing in the UFC, and pummeling a talented but aging Faber is the natural progression to bigger and better things.  

Faber is going to use his aggressive style early, and as long as Barao doesn’t drain all of his energy fending it off, this is going to be a fight that’s called before the finish.

Prediction: Barao wins via TKO in Round 3 

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Silva vs. Sonnen: Expect Anderson Silva to Breeze to Victory in One-Sided Match

The most anticipated UFC fight of 2012 will fail to live up to its lofty expectations. On Saturday, when Anderson Silva (31-4) takes on Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) at UFC 148 for the middleweight championship, he’ll do so knowing that steroids were a …

The most anticipated UFC fight of 2012 will fail to live up to its lofty expectations.

On Saturday, when Anderson Silva (31-4) takes on Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) at UFC 148 for the middleweight championship, he’ll do so knowing that steroids were a factor in their first match.

Back in 2010, Sonnen was the clear victor in their fight for the first four rounds, but succumbed to a vicious submission in the final round.

After the match, Sonnen tested positive for steroids, something that naturally infuriated Silva. Nobody knows for sure how much it affected Sonnen’s performance, but there is no question he dominated for well over four rounds. Now Silva is taking this fight extremely seriously to show the world he is the better fighter once and for all.

You don’t want to mess with an angry and focused Silva.

Since 2010, Silva has really honed his submission skills. He beat wrestling specialist Dan Henderson with his jiu-jitsu skills. He destroyed Travis Lutter with elbows to the head. He has become the premier all-around fighters in the sport and can handle any sort of style thrown his way.

Already one of the best standup fighters, it’s hard to find any sort of flaw in Silva’s repertoire at this point.

Sonnen is susceptible to mental errors, which has led to way too many submission losses (eight of 11). You don’t want to make a mental mistake against the ultra-cerebral Silva. Sonnen will try and win this fight on the ground, but it’s hard to see him stymieing Silva for too long.

He hasn’t shown the progress of Silva since their last battle, and you have to wonder how much of an impact steroids had on his career before getting busted. He simply doesn’t have the power to keep up with Silva anymore. If he stays on his feet, this fight could be over in the blink of an eye.

Assuming he takes it to the ground, I still like the quickness and agility of Silva. He’ll coax Sonnen into an error that will ultimately lead to defeat.

Age is not a factor considering Silva is 37 and Sonnen is 35. The motivational edge and flying fists and feet of Silva will eventually make this a fight that will be over by the third round.

In a fight between two battle-tested veterans, the decisive edge goes to Silva.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 145: Jon Jones’ Incredible Length Is Crushing the Entire UFC World

The UFC has a big problem, and there is no way to currently fix it. Jon “Bones” Jones is destroying every opponent who stands in his way, and it’s sucking all of the drama out of the sport. His latest victim was Rashad Evans, who was only able to muste…

The UFC has a big problem, and there is no way to currently fix it.

Jon “Bones” Jones is destroying every opponent who stands in his way, and it’s sucking all of the drama out of the sport. His latest victim was Rashad Evans, who was only able to muster two legitimate punches on the lightweight champion.

According to Compustrike (h/t Ithaca Journal), Jones issued more blows than Evans in all five rounds. During the 25-minute bout, Jones registered 112 blows to only 56 for Evans.

Jones joined Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Frank Shamrock as the only fighters to ever win four consecutive UFC title fights at 205 pounds, and there doesn’t appear to be a single fighter in the sport who can unseat his reign of dominance.

How has the 24-year-old become possibly the most dominant fighter in the history of the sport?

Length.

Registering an 84.5-inch reach before the match, it was officially the longest in UFC history. Jones’ reach forces opponents to become defensive almost right off the bat. They can’t land a punch with any real force because they can’t reach the guy. Meanwhile, Jones chips away at opponents with kicks and jabs that seem to really wear down the other fighter, regardless of conditioning.

He uses this physical blessing to his full advantage by consistently keeping his opponent at bay. It frustrates them to the point where they try and get out of their comfort zone in an attempt to be the aggressor. This technique backfires, and Jones systematically destroys the opposition.

Future challengers have to figure out a way to neutralize his length advantage, or we are going to witness the greatest run of sheer dominance that the sport has ever seen.

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan summed it up best with this comment after the fight (via the Baltimore Sun):  

“We may not have ever seen anyone as talented as Jon Jones in the octagon.”

 

.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Undisputed 3: Top 4 Features of UFC’s Latest Video Game

The bar has been raised yet again, with the best UFC gaming franchise. The first two installments of UFC Undisputed were great, but the new game mode, extra fighters and tons of unlockables make UFC Undisputed 3 a must-own. Here are the top four reason…

The bar has been raised yet again, with the best UFC gaming franchise.

The first two installments of UFC Undisputed were great, but the new game mode, extra fighters and tons of unlockables make UFC Undisputed 3 a must-own. Here are the top four reasons to call this installment the best one yet:

 

1. Addition of PRIDE Fighting Championship

The Japanese variation of UFC has a four-sided ring, and a different set of rules. You can engage in soccer style kicks to the head, and unleash crushing knees to opponents on the ground.

It’s not groundbreaking by any means, but it adds endless amounts of game play to the fold.

 

2. Tweaked Gameplay

Veterans will feel comfortable almost right off the bat, but there are plenty of new moves that add an extra layer of strategy to the game. The reinvented submission system is a cat and mouse set-up where players have to trap their opponent’s energy bar in a mini-game. The better the submission skills of the fighter, the easier the octagon shaped mini-game is. For novices that don’t care, you can still button mash as well. Having both features was a great idea.

 

3. Improved Visuals

I guess this is something you’d expect, but the crystal-clear clarity of Undisputed 3 is incredible. Being able to watch beads of sweat drip down, with blood pouring out as well, is pretty awesome. The animation is about the same as last year, with maybe just a slight upgrade.

 

4. Unlockables Galore

While it may not be revolutionary to earn unlockables for succeeding in the career mode of a game, Undisputed 3 does a good job of making you care, by dangling old-school videos that remind you of the past, like when Rampage Jackson took on Wanderlei Silva, as a reward for winning fights in the game. These videos come with background commentary that explains the backdrop for each match. Watching one of these before a match of your own gets you incredibly pumped up, and ready to go.

Undisputed 3 may not be ground breaking, but it’s the best game in an incredible series. This year’s version has taken a step forward, and has raised the bar yet again. 

 

Follow BigLeagueEball on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com