Block out your calendar for Dec. 19 right now.
You’re busy. No, you can’t go to that office Christmas party. Your family reunion can wait.
Junior dos Santos will fight Alistair Overeem at UFC on Fox 17, and that’s all that matters for that …
Block out your calendar for Dec. 19 right now.
You’re busy. No, you can’t go to that office Christmas party. Your family reunion can wait.
Junior dos Santos will fight Alistair Overeem at UFC on Fox 17, and that’s all that matters for that Saturday.
The UFC’s Thomas Gerbasi announced this high-profile heavyweight clash today via the company’s official website, and fans immediately began to buzz and stir. After so much time waiting for these two to square off inside the cage (including a previously canceled bout at UFC 160), it’s finally here.
Dos Santos strolls into the bout ranked No. 2 in the heavyweight division, while Overeem clocks in at No. 9. Despite this rankings discrepancy, dos Santos has won one of his past two bouts, while Overeem has emerged victorious in two straight.
To his credit, dos Santos has faced the tougher competition during his stretch, losing to former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez and defeating StipeMiocic. Overeem, meanwhile, has triumphed over Stefan Struve and Roy Nelson in succession.
If the thought of two top-tier heavyweight strikers throwing fists, elbows, shins and knees inside the UFC Octagon until somebody falls down doesn’t tickle your fancy, the UFC on Fox 17 card gets even better.
Above this co-main event between dos Santos and Overeem is a lightweight title fight between champion Rafael dos Anjos and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
Dos Anjos already beat Cerrone at UFC Fight Night 27 in August 2013, but no lightweight has been as hot as Cowboy since that time.
The 32-year-old combatant has fought eight times since dropping that decision to dos Anjos, winning all eight, with five coming via stoppage.
This remarkable run earned him a shot at dos Anjos‘ crown. Tune in when the UFC touches down in Orlando this winter to see if he can snag it.
Block out your calendar for Dec. 19 right now.
You’re busy. No, you can’t go to that office Christmas party. Your family reunion can wait.
Junior dos Santos will fight Alistair Overeem at UFC on Fox 17, and that’s all that matters for that …
Block out your calendar for Dec. 19 right now.
You’re busy. No, you can’t go to that office Christmas party. Your family reunion can wait.
Junior dos Santos will fight Alistair Overeem at UFC on Fox 17, and that’s all that matters for that Saturday.
The UFC’s Thomas Gerbasi announced this high-profile heavyweight clash today via the company’s official website, and fans immediately began to buzz and stir. After so much time waiting for these two to square off inside the cage (including a previously canceled bout at UFC 160), it’s finally here.
Dos Santos strolls into the bout ranked No. 2 in the heavyweight division, while Overeem clocks in at No. 9. Despite this rankings discrepancy, dos Santos has won one of his past two bouts, while Overeem has emerged victorious in two straight.
To his credit, dos Santos has faced the tougher competition during his stretch, losing to former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez and defeating StipeMiocic. Overeem, meanwhile, has triumphed over Stefan Struve and Roy Nelson in succession.
If the thought of two top-tier heavyweight strikers throwing fists, elbows, shins and knees inside the UFC Octagon until somebody falls down doesn’t tickle your fancy, the UFC on Fox 17 card gets even better.
Above this co-main event between dos Santos and Overeem is a lightweight title fight between champion Rafael dos Anjos and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
Dos Anjos already beat Cerrone at UFC Fight Night 27 in August 2013, but no lightweight has been as hot as Cowboy since that time.
The 32-year-old combatant has fought eight times since dropping that decision to dos Anjos, winning all eight, with five coming via stoppage.
This remarkable run earned him a shot at dos Anjos‘ crown. Tune in when the UFC touches down in Orlando this winter to see if he can snag it.
It looks like the UFC wants to run back one of greatest heavyweight scraps in the sport’s history.
According to a report from MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani, the promotion is targeting a rematch between Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Mark Hunt for …
It looks like the UFC wants to run back one of greatest heavyweight scraps in the sport’s history.
According to a report from MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani, the promotion is targeting a rematch between Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Mark Hunt for UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
The UFC is sparing no expenses for this Nov. 14 card (Nov. 15 in Australia due to time difference), bringing these massive fighters to an equally massive venue in Australia’s Etihad Stadium, which seats almost 54,000 fans. If the success of their first fight serves as any indication, Silva and Hunt will have the stadium rocking early and often.
Their previous encounter at UFC Fight Night 33 ended in a majority draw after each man found success throughout the fight. The rock ’em, sock ’em affair saw each man earn a knockdown, and both fighters repeatedly scored with massive blows that would’ve ended lesser men throughout the 25-minute tilt.
In all, it was unquestionably one of the greatest, most competitive fights in heavyweight history, and it’s one UFC commentator Jon Anik points to as one of his favorite moments in his professional career.
The fact that the first fight was so incredible—and the fact that it was deemed a tie—makes the rematch incredibly compelling.
The two men’s trajectories since that fight also add to the intrigue.
Both fighters are 1-2 since UFC Fight Night 33, losing twice and winning once via knockout.
With that in mind, it’s likely we’ll see a much different fight the second time around, as each man has shown a decreased ability to absorb punishment since their first encounter.
The good news is when the cage door closes, there will be no more questions, only answers. Bigfoot and Hunt will pen their responses with punches, kicks, knees and elbows to the delight of millions across the globe.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for an official announcement regarding this much-anticipated rematch.
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is undefeated in his mixed martial arts career, defeating legendary fighters such and Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort during that spotless run.
Top 185-pound contender Luke Rockho…
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is undefeated in his mixed martial arts career, defeating legendary fighters such and Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort during that spotless run.
Top 185-pound contender Luke Rockhold yawns at these accomplishments.
The American Kickboxing Academy product recently spoke with MMAFighting.com,and he didn’t hold back when he was inevitably asked about Weidman. The two will fight Dec. 12 at UFC 194 in Las Vegas, but the war of words is already well underway.
After Weidmancalled Rockhold “insecure” on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, the California native returned fire. MMA Fighting’s Chuck Mindenhall has the transcription:
“It sounds like [Weidman]’s asleep in bed. I just don’t know what the hell is going on in his head. I don’t know if he’s psychologically convinced himself that we’re scared of him or something, but he’s not on the right page. I feel like he’s in for a rude awakening.”
Rockhold then took his sentiments a step further, questioning Weidman‘s mindset inside the cage. According to Rockhold, the Team Serra-Longo product lacks restraint once the cage door closes, and his fight IQ suffers because of this fact:
“He’s so tough, he gets by on a lot of toughness, but I don’t think he uses his head too well,” Rockhold said. “It seems like he’s a little cloudy in his vision in a fight. He doesn’t fight with the highest IQ. You can see when he comes in, he comes in kind of carelessly, kind of going through the motions. He doesn’t adjust well.”
That’s certainly a fresh take. Weidman is generally regarded as a studious, intelligent fighter who meticulously game-plans to maximize his chances of winning. To this point, it’s worked, leading him to 13-straight victories as a professional.
Last October, Bleacher Report stopped by Weidman‘s home gym, LAW MMA, to chat with head coach Ray Longo, and the man behind the machine lauded the champ’s mental toughness and understanding of the fight game.
“He (Weidman) understands fighting,” Longo told Duane Finley. “He’s got a fighting IQ that’s off the charts. If they had Mensa for fighters, he’s in Mensa. He’s a genius, man. He really is. And he puts it to work…He functionalizes everything that he can think.”
Either Rockhold or Longo is wrong on this front, and we’ll get to find out in December.
Personally, I see this as the toughest fight so far in Weidman‘s career. Rockhold is in the prime of his fighting life, and he’s obliterated his past four opponents, finishing them all in progressively more impressive fashion.
He has the training camp, the sparring partners, the coaching and the athletic abilities to reach the top, and this one will come down to who is more prepared on fight day.
Forced to pick, however, I side with Weidman based solely on his ability to get the job done when the lights go down. When it matters, Weidman rises to the occasion, becoming a fighter who is better than the sum of his parts. That’s special.
We’ve seen Rockhold falter in the past, losing twice in his career via knockout, and he hasn’t dealt with a fighter possessing the sheer power and will of Weidman.
That’s not necessarily his fault—nobody in the division can match Weidman in those departments. The champ mixes his striking and wrestling as well as anyone in the sport today, conjuring memories of former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre’s utter dominance every time he planted his foes on the mat.
His control is otherworldly, and his grappling game is only getting better, a point evidenced in a recent Instagram post by world-class jiu-jiteiro Garry Tonon.
In the caption, Tonon says:
If you think “MMA GUYS” don’t possess the skill to submit Grapplers at the highest level, you are dead wrong. The level of #submissiongrappling that@chrisweidmanufc brought to the table today was incredible as usual. I’d put my money on him in a sub only grappling match with any high level grappler in his weight category.
Rockhold is a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt himself, but Weidman routinely receives this type of praise from the best in the business, so it’s hard to bet against him in that department until proven otherwise.
It’s a close fight, and Rockhold has all the tools to dethrone Weidman at UFC 194, but I just can’t pull the trigger on the upset.
The New Year will begin with the man hoisting gold in the UFC’s middleweight division.
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s place in the UFC’s middleweight division is complicated.
The 35-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist has won eight straight fights dating back to March 2012, posting a perfect 5-0 record since stepping into the Octagon…
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s place in the UFC’s middleweight division is complicated.
The 35-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist has won eight straight fights dating back to March 2012, posting a perfect 5-0 record since stepping into the Octagon in May 2013.
He’s finished four of his five fights under the UFC banner, establishing himself as a top-ranked 185-pound fighter and one of the most feared men on the UFC’s stacked roster.
With that resume, he deserves a title shot, right?
Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t seem the UFC sees it that way—and for good reason.
Luke Rockhold, the current top contender to middleweight champion Chris Weidman’s belt, has won four straight fights of his own, all via knockout or submission. During his run, the American Kickboxing Academy product has defeated increasingly difficult competition, most recently demolishing former light heavyweight champion and middleweight title contender Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida via rear-naked choke in Round 2 at UFC on Fox 15.
Rockhold is also the last man to defeat Souza, notching a unanimous-decision victory over the Brazilian powerhouse in September 2011 when the two competed for Strikeforce.
Because of this, it will be Rockhold, not Souza, who will face Weidman next, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com.
Souza is taking the news in stride though, looking to the future and considering some interesting options for his career moving forward.
In the short term, he believes a fight with No. 3-ranked middleweight Yoel Romero makes the most sense. The two have been scheduled to fight twice already, and both times the bout fell through because of injury.
Perhaps now is the time the stars align and these two settle their score inside the cage.
“There’s no other opponent that makes sense except for Romero, so that’s a fight that might happen,” Souza told media members during UFC 190 fight week in Brazil (transcription courtesy of MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz). “I’m just waiting for the UFC to announce it. People always ask me who’s going to be my next opponent, and I believe it’s Romero, but I’m waiting for the announcement.”
If that bout once again fails to materialize, Souza has a backup plan. He’d be willing to test his skills 20 pounds north at light heavyweight—whatever it takes to become champion.
“If the UFC sets a date with any opponent at 185 or 205 pounds, I will be ready to become the champion,” Souza said. “I will be the next UFC champion, no doubt about it.”
It’s tough to dislike Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.
The former UFC lightweight champion and current top featherweight speaks openly and honestly, rarely (if ever) resorting to hyperbole or smack talk to assert a point.
He’s a tough and gritty…
It’s tough to dislike Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.
The former UFC lightweight champion and current top featherweight speaks openly and honestly, rarely (if ever) resorting to hyperbole or smack talk to assert a point.
He’s a tough and gritty former wrestler with polished all-around skills inside the cage, and his heart and will to compete has earned him an impressive four-fight winning streak inside the UFC’s 145-pound class.
As such, Edgar finds himself near the top of the division, patiently awaiting a matchup with golden implications.
Current divisional champion Jose Aldo and interim champion ConorMcGregor will face off at a yet-to-be-determined time and location to unify their belts, and beyond them, Edgar is on the shortlist of reasonable challengers at 145.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com backstage at World Series of Fighting (WSOF) 22 in Las Vegas, Edgar recognized both the impending matchup between Aldo and McGregor and his place in the division.
Where the latter is concerned, Edgar hinted that he’s not planning to wait around and twiddle his thumbs while Aldo and McGregor settle their differences.
“I’ve got three kids, man,” Edgar told MMAjunkie. “I’m trying to make some money. I’m not getting any younger. I want to challenge myself and keep improving. The best way to improve is to test yourself in the cage.”
And when Aldo and McGregor do face off, Edgar said he believes the Brazilian will retain his championship.
“I still think Aldo wins that fight,” Edgar said. “Anything can happen, obviously, but I just think Aldo is a step ahead of him.”
Edgar previously lost a unanimous decision to Aldo at UFC 156 in February 2013, and while he would like to avenge that defeat, he said a bout against McGregor would be equally enticing at this stage in his career.
As he mentioned earlier, he’s not getting any younger, and the belt is all that matters—which man hands it over is of no importance.
“I don’t care, man. I really don’t,” he said when asked if he’d rather fight Aldo or McGregor. “I used to say I would like to be the guy to take it from Aldo, but at this point, man, I just want that belt, so whoever it is.”
Whether Edgar wins another fight in the meantime or he ends up waiting for the winner of Aldo vs. McGregor, there’s no doubt he’s earned a second chance at the featherweight title. Currently ranked No. 2 in the division, the options are slim for Edgar.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report to see where Edgar goes in the division from here.
Block out your calendar for Dec. 19 right now.