Author: Hunter Homistek

Anderson Silva: Should the Middleweight Champ Pay Attention to Tim Boetsch?

Anderson Silva should not care about Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch.  Following his win over Hector Lombard at UFC 149, Boetsch finds himself in the thick of title contention in the UFC’s crowded middleweight division, but that does not mean he is re…

Anderson Silva should not care about Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch. 

Following his win over Hector Lombard at UFC 149, Boetsch finds himself in the thick of title contention in the UFC’s crowded middleweight division, but that does not mean he is ready; it simply means he has amassed a nice winning streak. 

Personally, I am a fan of Boetsch, and, being a born and raised Pennsylvania boy, I like rooting for the home-state fighter. 

That said, he cannot beat Anderson Silva. Are you kidding me?!

I do not think it is a stretch to declare the style that beats Silva: You have to be a powerful, aggressive wrestler with a smothering top game capable of pinning “The Spider” to the mat. 

Despite his impressive wrestling pedigree, that is not Boetsch. 

Boetsch is simply a really, really tough dude who always puts himself in a position to win fights with his resilience and power. 

Sorry to say, but you cannot beat Anderson Silva, the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, with just resilience and power. 

Hypothetically speaking, let us say that Tim Boetsch fights Anderson Silva. 

The bout begins, they each circle around, Boetsch may throw a leg kick or two and shoot for a takedown, only to have Anderson sprawl and defend it.

Now, Anderson is ready, and once he strikes, Boetsch falls. 

I legitimately think the fight is that cut and dry. 

Yushin Okami took Boetsch down at will, yet he could not bring Silva to the mat in his most recent fight with the champion. 

Even though Boetsch is a great wrestler on paper, we have yet to really see the explosive takedowns necessary to deal with someone of Silva’s ability. 

Boetsch could not get Hector Lombard to the mat at UFC 149, but Lombard was able to blast a powerful double on Boetsch on two separate occasions. Granted, Lombard could not keep him there, but the fact remains that Boetsch was taken down by a lesser wrestler. 

Anderson Silva has fought and beaten great wrestlers throughout his career, and Tim Boetsch brings nothing new to the table that should concern the champ. 

I would be excited to see one of my favorite fighters in a title matchup, but I would legitimately fret for “The Barbarian’s” well being in a matchup with Silva. 

Silva has eight limbs of fury, and he would need two rounds at most to dispose of Boetsch and add another notch to his already-crowded belt. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Faber vs Barao Results: Breaking Down the FightMetric Numbers

Sports are games of numbers.  If a football game ends 28-21, we immediately know which team won.  Similarly, if a basketball contest is scored 109-97 at its conclusion, we can automatically recognize the victor.  MMA, however, is no…

Sports are games of numbers. 

If a football game ends 28-21, we immediately know which team won.  Similarly, if a basketball contest is scored 109-97 at its conclusion, we can automatically recognize the victor. 

MMA, however, is not so simple.  Numbers are involved in the game, sure, but we cannot simply look at a set of numbers and determine who won a given fight. 

Metrics like “significant strikes” and “takedown efficiency” can tell part of the story of an MMA fight, but it only takes one punch, kick or submission to turn the tides in any given matchup. 

For the main event at UFC 149, the numbers tell a story that you can trust. Renan Barao won based on the numbers FightMetric has provided, and he won in reality.

Let us take a look and see if we can break down this fight numerically.   

 

Significant Strikes

In his matchup with Urijah Faber, Renan Barao landed 85 significant strikes to Urijah Faber’s 60.  Watching the fight, I actually felt that Barao landed much more and that Faber landed much less. 

However, the numbers don’t lie, and Barao held an edge, as expected, in this department. 

 

What does it mean?

Barao’s edge in significant strikes only means that he was landing harder shots on a more consistent basis than Faber.  Neither fighter was rocked or wobbled at any point in the fight; so, while the strikes may be labeled “significant,” the fight was a tale of volume more-so than power. 

 

Grappling

Here is an important aspect of the fight, and the numbers tell the tale perfectly. 

Many people, myself included, felt that if Faber could drag Barao to the mat, he would hold an advantage with his power and grappling prowess. 

Here is a stat to crush that hope: 0-6, Faber’s takedown rate. 

He shot six times on the Brazilian but was unsuccessful on each attempt, meaning that Barao was able to play his rangy striking game for the full 25 minutes of action. 

Barao’s takedown defense looked good, and the numbers certainly back up what we saw. 

 

What Does it Mean?

Faber’s inability to get the fight to the mat obviously means he had to stand and strike with Barao. This turned out to be a fight he simply couldn’t win, and Barao became the new interim champion thanks to his superior technical striking. 

Leg Kicks

It is no secret that Urijah Faber has trouble defending leg kicks, and we saw that story play out against Renan Barao just as it did in his bout against Jose Aldo. 

Barao landed 15 of 19 powerful leg kicks that clearly slowed Faber and reduced his ability to throw strikes and shoot for takedowns (a sentiment echoed in his 0 percent takedown efficiency). 

Conversely, Faber returned fire only three times, connecting on each powerful leg kick he threw.

 

What Does it Mean?

The leg kick statistics show, as we already knew, that Faber is susceptible to having his legs attacked.  Leg kicks rarely end fights, but the work Barao did in slowing Faber and reducing his overall efficiency was a key aspect to the fight. 

 

Overall:

In total, Faber vs. Barao was a stand-up war that went the distance, so the numbers are relatively easy to dissect. 

Barao landed more shots, more powerful leg kicks and avoided ever being taken down. 

For that, he is the clear victor on paper, and he has a shiny UFC belt to back up these statistics. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Faber vs Barao Results: Barao Proves His Record Is No Fluke

Renan Barao entered his bout with Urijah Faber at UFC 149 riding an almost unparalleled 29-fight undefeated streak. He left with an even better streak of 30 fights without a loss.Coming into the bout, many fans and critics alike wondered if Barao&…

Renan Barao entered his bout with Urijah Faber at UFC 149 riding an almost unparalleled 29-fight undefeated streak. 

He left with an even better streak of 30 fights without a loss.

Coming into the bout, many fans and critics alike wondered if Barao’s record was legitimate or if it was the product of fighting lesser fighters in less-established organizations. 

After definitively beating Urijah Faber, one of the sport’s best fighters for what seems like an eternity, we have our answer.

Renan Barao is for real, and he is in the UFC’s bantamweight division to stay.

To any hardcore fan, a streak of defeating 29 straight opponents should never have the word “fluke” attached to it. 

This is, after all, MMA, and there are literally hundreds of ways to win (and lose) a fight.  It takes only one second of lethargy or one sloppy punch, and a fighter can find himself unconscious with a doctor’s flashlight in his eyes.   

This never happened to Barao for the better part of seven years, but since his opponents had little name recognition, many refused to believe his legitimacy as an elite bantamweight. 

After destroying Faber and refusing to allow “The California Kid” to do anything of significance, Barao justified his long winning streak and put to rest claims that he was anything short of a spectacular fighter. 

In defeating Urijah Faber at UFC 149, many might feel as though Renan Barao has finally shown something impressive and finally put himself on the map. 

The reality, though, is that the 25-year-old bantamweight has been doing this for more than one-quarter of his life. Fighting, and winning, is a part of him, and now we can all clearly see this reality.

The future is blindingly bright for Renan Barao, but after destroying opponents for almost a decade, he is already accustomed to the heat. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Faber vs. Barao: Urijah Faber Will Not Be a Title Challenger Again

Ladies and gentlemen, at UFC 149 we witnessed Urijah Faber’s last bid for a UFC title.  Let me preface this article by saying: Urijah Faber is a great fighter.  His loss to Renan Barao does not make him any less of a man or mixed martia…

Ladies and gentlemen, at UFC 149 we witnessed Urijah Faber’s last bid for a UFC title. 

Let me preface this article by saying: Urijah Faber is a great fighter.  His loss to Renan Barao does not make him any less of a man or mixed martial artist; he just got beat, fair and square. 

What the loss does tell us, however, is that Faber is no longer the elite, dominant fighter he once was. 

During his run as featherweight king in the WEC, Faber was unstoppable.  He was ruthless, and he finished fighters in overpowering fashion. 

Since coming to the UFC, however, we have seen Faber’s output taper off a bit. 

Sure, he has still looked good, but the UFC is full of “good” fighters.  These guys do not get title shots; the exceptional ones do. 

At this point in his career, Faber is no longer exceptional. 

Renan Barao used leg kicks, movement and takedown defense to defeat Faber en route to a unanimous decision victory, a game plan we have seen work against “The California Kid” in the past. 

To be an elite fighter, you have to adjust and improve on your weaknesses.  We have not seen Faber do this in the later stages of his career. 

He had to know that Renan Barao is best friends and training partners with Jose Aldo, a man who Faber also holds a loss to at featherweight. 

Still, Faber had no answers when Barao used the same tactics as Aldo, with similar success. 

This shows poor game-planning and an unwillingness to work on weak areas by Faber, and for that, he will never reclaim the throne at 135 lbs. 

Folks, fighters are getting better and better as the sport progresses.  Young fighters like Michael MacDonald have been training MMA, not just a specific discipline, their entire lives, and this is creating a pool of well-rounded fighters who are comfortable wherever the fight may go. 

Faber is not getting any younger, and even though he will hold an experience edge against any up-and-coming bantamweight, the speed and evolution of the game is slowly passing him by. 

“The California Kid” is still fast and powerful, indeed, and he is still a top-10 bantamweight in the world. 

Who cares about top-10, though, when you have been No. 1 for so long and when the UFC belt is the only achievement you strive to obtain? 

Faber undoubtedly wants to be the best, but his time has simply come. 

With rising sharks in the division, Faber finds himself bleeding in deep waters, and unless he calls it quits and assumes his promising business career, he will be eaten before he swims away alive. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Urijah Faber vs Renan Barao: Should That Be Faber’s Last Title Shot?

At UFC 149, Urijah Faber had his chance to set up a trilogy fight and challenge for Dominick Cruz’s bantamweight championship.All “The California Kid” needed to do was beat Renan Barao.  He did not have to win decisively, he did not have to d…

At UFC 149, Urijah Faber had his chance to set up a trilogy fight and challenge for Dominick Cruz’s bantamweight championship.

All “The California Kid” needed to do was beat Renan Barao.  He did not have to win decisively, he did not have to demolish his foe, he just had to win and the shot would be his. 

Unfortunately in the fight game, things do not always go according to plan, and Faber was outpointed for five rounds in what was a lopsided unanimous decision victory for the Brazilian phenom Barao. 

For Faber, the lost opportunity means more than just missing a shot at the belt in the short term; he proved that he should never challenge for the bantamweight strap again. 

Losing a competitive fight is one thing, and Faber is certainly a competitive fighter against 99 percent of bantamweights.    

The problem is that he has not showed any kind of evolution or ability to adapt in his game, and that leaves him at a crossroads in his career. 

The gameplan to beat Faber is relatively simple: stay outside, use your reach (Faber’s stumpy arms almost always give his opponent the reach advantage), kick his legs and avoid being taken down. 

It sounds like a lot, but it really consists of leg kicks, jabs and the occasional sprawl.  If you avoid Faber’s power, you will be fine by following this blueprint. 

 

 

 

We saw it work for Dominick Cruz when he defeated Faber at UFC 132, and we saw it work again at UFC 149 when Barao followed an identical plan. 

Let me say this: Faber is an incredible fighter and one of the best lighter weight fighters in the history of the sport. 

Now, let me also say this: he is old and past his prime.  At 33 years of age, Faber seems like a relatively young man.  Certainly, many men find their prime in their mid-to-late 30’s, so why is Faber any different? 

Faber is different because he has been fighting professionally since 2003.  He has been in some incredible five-round wars, and he has exerted himself to the fullest both inside and outside the cage in those nine years. 

Besides being a top-level mixed martial artist, Faber is a businessman, a writer and star of his fight team, Team Alpha Male. 

With this responsibility, Faber’s career probably feels more like 15 years than it does nine years, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. 

For starters, Faber can get out of the sport while he is still young.  He has already accomplished much, and, as mentioned, he has plenty of avenues to explore should he decide to stop fighting. 

Aside from this though, the bantamweight division is loaded, and it is getting deeper every day.  I still think Faber can beat most bantamweights, but I do not feel he is at the tippy-top form he once was in his career. 

 

Lastly, he had his chances, and other fighters are building more deserving resumes at this point.  Faber finds himself in title shots as often as any fighter due to his skill and marketability, but maybe it is time to say enough is enough. 

Like Kenny Florian, Faber has had his chances and failed. 

Now, he needs to move on. 

Thankfully, the future is just as bright for Faber outside the Octagon, so there is no shame in the fact that we will probably never see him challenge for the belt again.  

It may seem early to declare, but, with his performance against Renan Barao, I think it safe to say that, unless he shows a major evolution in his game, Urijah Faber should never challenge for a UFC championship again. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao: What Went Wrong for Faber?

At UFC 149, Urijah Faber had a golden opportunity. The stipulations were simple: Defeat Renan Barao, and the title shot would be his.  Sure, he would also get a sparkly interim belt, but the chance to square off for a third time aga…

At UFC 149, Urijah Faber had a golden opportunity. 

The stipulations were simple: Defeat Renan Barao, and the title shot would be his.  Sure, he would also get a sparkly interim belt, but the chance to square off for a third time against his biggest rival, Dominick Cruz, is what he really wanted. 

The bout began, and Faber could not get going.

The second round began, and Faber could not get going. 

For five rounds, Faber bobbed and weaved, attempting to take out his foe, but kept coming up short in nearly every aspect of his game. 

What went wrong for “The California Kid?” 

In this fight, I think it was more a case of what went right for Barao that kept Faber off point. 

Barao utilized hard leg kicks for the bout’s duration, and this is something that can keep any fighter off balance (literally), but such a game plan is particularly effective against Faber, as Jose Aldo previously showed. 

With banged up legs, Faber lost speed, power and the ability to dictate where the fight took place.  This was his first obstacle, and that alone was enough to stifle his game plan. 

Barao did not stop there, however.  The rangier, longer fighter, Barao used his kicks and reach to keep Faber at bay, and he never allowed the smaller fighter to get inside where he could use his power.

From this distance, Barao was very effective both offensively and defensively.  To this end, it is pretty simple: If a bout is fought standing and one fighter is better both striking and defending strikes, that fighter will win. 

At UFC 149, that fighter was Renan Barao. 

For Faber, the loss really did not prove anything we did not already know. 

Against Jose Aldo and in his second fight against Dominick Cruz, Faber showed that he has problems with a faster, more technical striker who has excellent takedown defense. 

Faber’s bread and butter are his speed and his powerful grappling, and against guys like Cruz, Aldo and Barao, these focal points are nullified. 

In a nutshell, to understand what went wrong for Faber, you can look directly to the past.  He did not show any new skills or abilities, and for that reason he fell to the same kind of fighter he has struggled with in the past. 

Faber is undoubtedly still one of the world’s top bantamweights, but until he shakes out these areas of his game, he will continue to be second or third best. 

Or, as I like to say, the first loser. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com