Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal believes he could step into the world of mixed martial arts and perform better against UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey than some of her previous challengers.
OK, so maybe Shaq didn’t explicitly …
Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal believes he could step into the world of mixed martial arts and perform better against UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey than some of her previous challengers.
OK, so maybe Shaq didn’t explicitly say that, but he did say during TNT’s Inside the NBA he could “last 45 seconds” with Rousey, a time stamp that is significantly better than the 14 seconds of cage time enjoyed by the most recent challenger, Cat Zingano (h/t FoxSports). Before Zingano, Alexis Davis lasted just 16 seconds with Rousey, so Shaq‘s claim of 45 seconds would be nearly triple the benchmark set by other professional fighters.
Let’s be clear: Any talk of Rousey vs. a man is silly and should only be discussed in good fun. Shaq embraces the idea of “good fun.”
Besides being an MMA fan, Shaq has trained MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu for years, so he’s somewhat qualified to estimate how long he’d last against the likes of Rousey.
He’s also a giant, if you weren’t aware.
At 7’1″ and 324 pounds, Shaq was a man among boys during his 19-year NBA career. He frequently overpowered and embarrassed other 7-footers, and he’s likely put on some weight since his days on the hardwood.
Against Rousey, the size difference would be comical, and I truly don’t know whether Rousey‘s technique would be enough to get the job done without tiring him out a bit first. A guess of 45 seconds seems entirely reasonable when we’re talking about a man of Shaq‘s sheer size and strength.
What do you think? Is Shaq overestimating himself, or could he really last 45 seconds with Rousey inside the UFC Octagon?
The UFC has yet to name the next challenger for Chris Weidman’s middleweight title, but the 185-pound king recently shared his thoughts on the matter.
After wiping out Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort at UFC 187 in the first round, Weidman is …
The UFC has yet to name the next challenger for Chris Weidman‘s middleweight title, but the 185-pound king recently shared his thoughts on the matter.
After wiping out Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort at UFC 187 in the first round, Weidman is sitting pretty in the division. He’s looking better and better with each outing, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to imagine anybody dethroning him.
There are, however, two beastly challengers waiting in the wings.
Common sense says either Luke Rockhold or Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the division, respectively, will get the next crack at Weidman‘s crown. Which man the UFC picks, however, is anybody’s guess.
To Weidman, the UFC’s decision ultimately doesn’t matter, but he does see one man as slightly more dangerous in the cage.
“I would expect a tough fighter, but I’m running right through any of these guys,” Weidmantold Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour.
“[Rockhold]’s well rounded, but he’s not great anywhere. He’s not the best striker I’ve ever fought, he’s not the best jiu-jitsu guy I ever fought. Jacare brings a different element, he’s really good on the ground and he’s probably more dangerous on the feet than Rockhold. Rockhold is well rounded and keeps a good solid pace going throughout the whole fight.
“They are two completely different fighters. If I was to say who was more dangerous, it would probably be Jacare, but there are probably more holes in his game than Rockhold.”
There’s no doubt that Jacare is a scary man.
He’s a world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner who has earned 16 of his 22 victories via submission. Of his other six wins, two were knockouts, and both came within the past three years.
His stand-up is constantly getting better, and that undoubtedly played into Weidman‘s analysis.
But Rockhold is no joke either, and the American Kickboxing Academy product could represent Weidman‘s toughest challenger to date.
Since losing to Belfort in May 2013, Rockhold has won four straight fights, three via submission and one via knockout. While this is impressive on its own, when you add in the names he defeated—CostasPhilippou, Tim Boetsch, Michael Bisping and LyotoMachida—his recent run becomes even more remarkable.
Whichever man Weidman gets next will be a worthy challenger, and the middleweight division is only getting better with time. How long Weidman can continue pushing contenders back down the mountain remains to be seen, but right now he looks poised for a long run at the top, regardless of his opponent.
Daniel “DC” Cormier has a lot to be proud of these days.
While Cormier most recently captured the vacant UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 187 in Las Vegas, the former Olympic wrestler is no stranger to success.
Taking to Instagram, the ne…
Daniel “DC” Cormier has a lot to be proud of these days.
While Cormier most recently captured the vacant UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 187 in Las Vegas, the former Olympic wrestler is no stranger to success.
Taking to Instagram, the newly minted UFC champion made that point abundantly clear with a picture-perfect representation of his achievements in combat.
Saying in his caption that he’s “the luckiest man in the world,” Cormier proudly displayed the hardware he’s earned over his five-and-a-half-year MMA career.
The caption reads:
@dewaynezinkin Called me in 2001 and said hey this new sport mma may just be for you, so after ur done wrestling call me. When I started this sport 5 1/2 years ago I didn’t know what was in store for me. With the help of all of the amazing coaches and teammates at @americankickboxingacademy things have gone better than I could have ever imagined. We’ve won em all. I’m so lucky and blessed to have had this experience and havr been able to share it with all you guys. Thanks for always being so supportive during the ups and downs. I really appreciate u all. I’m the luckiest man in the world. DC #ufcchamp #strikeforcechamp #kingofthecagechamp #xmmachamp #ufc #strikeforce #kingofthecage #xmma @ufc 187
Above the UFC strap is Cormier‘s Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix title, a slab of gold earned in May 2012 after defeating Jeff Monson, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Josh Barnett in Strikeforce’s final heavyweight tournament.
Also pictured are two throwback belts he earned early in his professional career: the King of the Cage heavyweight title, which he earned in August 2010, and the XMMA heavyweight title, which he earned in July 2010.
All things considered, Cormier‘s mantle is looking pretty sweet (and shiny) in the wake of UFC 187.
Whether you’ve recovered from UFC 187’s blistering lineup of high-profile scraps, the UFC is tossing another hard-hitting event your way Saturday with UFC Fight Night 67.
Featuring a main event welterweight showdown between Carlos “The Natural Bo…
Whether you’ve recovered from UFC 187’s blistering lineup of high-profile scraps, the UFC is tossing another hard-hitting event your way Saturday with UFC Fight Night 67.
Featuring a main event welterweight showdown between Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit and Thiago “Pitbull” Alves, UFC Fight Night 67 promises a stand-up battle for the ages at the top of the card.
This main event all but guarantees fireworks, but what about the rest of the card?
Let’s break down this event and highlight the reasons why you need to tune your TV to Fox Sports 1 on Saturday evening.
On the surface, there’s no reason for you to agree with the premise of this article. It’s out there—borderline crazy, even.
In a sport like MMA, however, sometimes we gotta get a little crazy.
Fallen light heavyweight king Jon “B…
On the surface, there’s no reason for you to agree with the premise of this article. It’s out there—borderline crazy, even.
Fallen light heavyweight king Jon “Bones” Jones emerged from Saturday’s UFC 187 main event action as the night’s biggest winner. This, despite the fact that he didn’t actually fight. This, despite the fact that his former title was on the line and he could do absolutely nothing to defend it.
This, despite the fact that his biggest rival to date, Daniel “DC” Cormier, captured his vacant slab of gold and proudly strapped it around his waist.
Looking at the events of UFC 187 through this lens, it’s difficult to see how Jones is anything but a huge loser on the evening.
But let’s step into the optometrist’s office and try out lens No. 2.
Jones, despite watching from the sidelines as his division battled for the title, is still unquestionably the man to beat in the UFC’s 205-pound division.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, whom Jones was scheduled to face before the series of unfortunate events kicked off, fought a solid fight against Cormier, doing his best to show the world that he was the future of the light heavyweight class.
Rumble blasted Cormier with an overhand right from Hades that had stopped lesser men in the past early in Round 1, and the fight looked to be his for the taking.
Since coming back to the UFC in April of 2014, Johnson has looked unstoppable, and this punch on Cormier was just the latest act of destruction handed down from the mighty fist of Rumble.
Had the fight ended right there in the first frame, Jones would have reason to worry about recapturing his throne. Many felt Johnson’s incredible power would give Jones problems before the UFC 187 main event, and now their pile of evidence stacked higher yet.
Jones bested Cormier by decision in January. Rumble needed one round to knock his head clean off. There’s no way Jones—or anyone—can handle that man’s stopping power.
Cormier, though, is not one of Rumble’s past opponents. He’s not a Phil Davis, a Mike Kyle or an aging Antonio “Rogerio” Nogueira.
He’s a former Olympic wrestler who trains at arguably the best camp on this planet, slugging it out with the likes of UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, UFC middleweight contender Luke Rockhold and a stable of killers on a daily basis.
Where others wilted under Johnson’s power, Cormier calmly plotted his comeback.
The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product sprung back to his feet immediately after eating that overhand right, and he looked to initiate the clinch. By round’s end, Cormier would secure two takedowns and control the action on the mat. His strategy was in full effect, and by Round 3, his work would be sealed.
The win was remarkable. To stand up to Johnson’s best weapons, weather the storm and emerge victorious was some kind of accomplishment. In a world where Jones does not exist, there’s no doubt many would peg Cormier as the longtime ruler of the light heavyweight division, one of the finest 205-pound combatants to ever step into the UFC Octagon.
Unfortunately for the newly minted champ, Jones does exist. He’s still there, picking up the pieces of his shattered life and warming out the hot glue gun in an attempt to piece it all back together.
If Jones can successfully rebound and come back the same fighter he was—or better—Cormier‘s stay at the top of the mountain will be a short one. DC dominated the fight against Johnson through his grappling and his sheer will to win—two areas where Jones thoroughly outclassed him at UFC 182. There’s no reason the story would end any differently a second time around based on what we saw Saturday evening.
Cormier‘s win made Jones look even better on all fronts. First, he showcased little evolution, meaning that Jones would probably fare just as well or better in a rematch. Secondly, he exposed Johnson for the same cardio-lacking, submission-susceptible fighter he was during his first run with Zuffa.
Maybe he hits hard, but that’s nothing a little game-planning and grinding can’t take care of, and Jones is perhaps the best ever in those departments.
Following the UFC 187 main event, the results are clear.
Winner by rear-naked choke and new UFC light heavyweight champion of the world: Daniel Cormier.
Winner by still being the baddest mixed martial artist on Earth with no worrisome challenger in sight (and still): Jon Jones.
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is not happy with Vitor Belfort.
Weidman squared off with the 38-year-old Brazilian challenger at the weigh-ins for their upcoming UFC 187 scrap in Las Vegas, and the title-holder quickly made his feelings …
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is not happy with Vitor Belfort.
Weidman squared off with the 38-year-old Brazilian challenger at the weigh-ins for their upcoming UFC 187 scrap in Las Vegas, and the title-holder quickly made his feelings known. The champ barked at Belfort and engaged in some aggressive banter before Joe Rogan asked him to voice his feelings.
Once the stage was his, Weidman let everyone in attendance know why he was so upset (skip to 33:15 in the following video for the altercation).
“You know, I left him alone with this whole drug test thing, but then we just found out during camp he had a 1,200 testosterone score,” Weidman said. “I’m 10 years younger than him and he’s got a way higher testosterone level. This guy’s still cheating, and I’m going to make him pay for it tomorrow night.”
That’s pretty direct, Mr. Weidman.
The root of his anger comes from some recent drug test results, where it was revealed Belfort did, in fact, have higher testosterone levels than the much younger Weidman.
According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who obtained, studied and later released the results, Weidman had a 0.92 testosterone:epitesetosterone level, while Belfort had a 1.7 T:E ratio (most men have a T:E ratio of 1.0, per MMAJunkie.com):
This, combined with Belfort’s less-than-stellar track record with failed drug tests, sent Weidman into a frenzy.
Thankfully for the 185-pound champ, he has the chance to put aside all doubt and prove himself the better fighter—enhanced or not—inside the UFC Octagon on Saturday evening at UFC 187.
Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal believes he could step into the world of mixed martial arts and perform better against UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey than some of her previous challengers.