Author: Ian Hanford

Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller Retires: Fighter Makes Right Choice to Walk Away from MMA

Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s choice to retire from MMA was the tough, but correct, decision to make.In the Cage podcast host Jason Floyd broke the news on his Twitter earlier this evening.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller is currently on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwan…

Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s choice to retire from MMA was the tough, but correct, decision to make.

In the Cage podcast host Jason Floyd broke the news on his Twitter earlier this evening.

Miller’s retirement stems from his loss to C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146 and subsequent firing by UFC President Dana White.

Firing Miller comes on the heels of two straight losses, both of which were extremely lopsided. He did not show a ton of effort, and any incidents behind the scenes would be magnified because of it.

Let’s take a look at why Miller’s choice to walk away from MMA was the right thing to do.

 

Going Nowhere Fast

Miller could have joined another organization after being released from his UFC duties, but why? UFC is the sport’s most popular brand, leaving its estranged athletes nowhere to go but down.

Minimal effort and two straight losses did not bode well for Miller’s future inside of the octagon. Even if White had allowed Miller to remain with the company, he was not even close to contending for any UFC glory.

Why commit yourself to brutal punishment if you are not going to grab the accolades associated with victory?

Miller was embarrassed by Dolloway in UFC 146 and Michael Bisping before that. He has not made any friends since his return to UFC, and he has digressed as a fighter. 

 

Man Without a Country

Miller began his career with UFC then moved to Japanese promotions and finally to Strikeforce. He has not found a home anywhere and probably would have bounced around a few more times.

Miller’s antics have not endeared him to any MMA brass, and his newest antics did not earn him any favors among current UFC fighters.

Fighting is tough enough as it is. When it is you against the world, it is even more difficult.

Every sport needs a villain or someone to soak up negative media attention. Generally, that person needs to be talented in order to make up for their unfavorable publicity.

Miller grabbed headlines in his recently short stint with UFC, and not in a good way. His off-camera incidents are not justified by his poor performances in the octagon.

I’m sure it was a tough choice, but Miller made the right one.

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Dos Santos vs. Mir: Cigano’s Lopsided Victory Sets Up Epic Rematch

Junior dos Santos’ violent fists ended Frank Mir’s heavyweight title hopes in UFC 146 on Saturday night, and will look to dispel Cain Velasquez’s dreams in the coming future.Dos Santos’ second-round TKO of Mir cemented Cigano among UFC’s greats, at lea…

Junior dos Santos’ violent fists ended Frank Mir‘s heavyweight title hopes in UFC 146 on Saturday night, and will look to dispel Cain Velasquez‘s dreams in the coming future.

Dos Santos’ second-round TKO of Mir cemented Cigano among UFC’s greats, at least for the time being. Beating Velasquez for the second time, in about a year, would make his elite position permanent.

Velasquez dominated Antonio Silva in UFC 146. Dos Santos pummeled Mir.

This sets up a clash between UFC heavyweights, sure to be even better than their first battle.

Let’s take a look at Dos Santos and Velasquez’s first matchup last November and what to expect the next time.

 

What Happened the First Time?

Dos Santos embarrassed Velasquez one minute into their first fight last November. He knocked Velasquez out on national television with his vicious striking power.

Dos Santos attacked Velasquez with relentless precision, knocking him out in 64 seconds. Knocking Velasquez out so quickly was incredible, especially considering Dos Santos’ questionable health coming into the fight.

Don’t think both fighters will not remember this first clash.

Velasquez will remember getting knocked out in FOX’s first main event in decisive fashion. Dos Santos will remember every winning ingredient and try to perform to those standards again.

Now, let’s examine the upcoming matchup.

 

How Will Each Fighter Adjust?

I don’t see how Dos Santos needs to adjust, but he will if Velasquez does his homework.

Velasquez should be healthier, stronger and more prepared this time around. He needs to use his fitness and conditioning to turn this fight into his ideal situation.

Dos Santos is not comfortable on his back and has never been chased around the Octagon. Velasquez is a physical freak, definitely capable of wearing Dos Santos down over the course of multiple rounds.

Dos Santos wants to stay on his feet and dictate the tempo. His fists inflict ridiculous damage, something Velasquez is familiar with and Mir just found out.

If Velasquez wants to win the rematch, he must take Dos Santos’ strengths away. If he can force Dos Santos to fight his type of fight, he has a chance of stealing the UFC heavyweight belt.

Dos Santos wins easily if Velasquez allows this to become a fist fight. However, if Dos Santos winds up on his back, this fight could be over quickly.

Two great fighters with different approaches creates a very interesting situation in the coming months. The fact that the two have already squared off once recently, with explosive results, creates an even bigger stir about the pending rematch.

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UFC 146 Start Time: When and Where to Catch UFC Prelims

UFC 146 will get underway tonight at 6:45 p.m.. Aside from the pay-per-view main event, there are several preliminary fights taking place on FX and Facebook.Let’s take a look at who fights, when they fight and where each preliminary fight can be found …

UFC 146 will get underway tonight at 6:45 p.m.. Aside from the pay-per-view main event, there are several preliminary fights taking place on FX and Facebook.

Let’s take a look at who fights, when they fight and where each preliminary fight can be found for your viewing pleasure.

First, the Facebook round of preliminaries.

*Schedule courtesy of ufc.com

*Preliminary coverage on Facebook begins at 6:45 p.m.

Who Weight Class
Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda Featherweight
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira Light Heavyweight
Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass Lightweight

 

The premier matchup is undoubtedly Brown vs. Pineda.

Brown is a former featherweight champion. Pineda has won seven straight fights. This sets up a very interesting preliminary battle.

Brown has fallen from grace against better competition as of late, but his grappling skills are still top notch. He can overpower Pineda late in this match, something Pineda has had a problem with whenever he does happen to lose.

Pineda is one of the hottest fighters in MMA today, but Brown will put a stop to that run tonight.

Now, the preliminary fights taking place on FX.

*Preliminary coverage begins at 8 p.m. on FX.

Who Weight Class
Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig Welterweight
Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway Middleweight
Edson Barboza vs. Jamie Varner Lightweight
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins Featherweight


Hardy and Ludwig provide a great matchup in this grouping. Ludwig has been one of MMA’s best strikers for a very long time and Hardy used to be one of the sport’s biggest rising stars.

Both are dangerous, but Hardy is more fit to win. Ludwig struggles to take any punishment, and Hardy loves to dish it out.

Dollaway and Miller should be interesting as well.

Both are above average wrestlers with so-so reputations overall. Dollaway and Miller will put on a master display of submission and grappling techniques this evening.

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UFC 145: Why Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald Is the Real Main Event

The bantamweight bout pitting Miguel Torres versus Michael McDonald does not carry the hype of Jon Jones versus Rashad Evans, but it should. Jones versus Evans is overblown at this point.Torres and McDonald will both enter the Octagon with something to…

The bantamweight bout pitting Miguel Torres versus Michael McDonald does not carry the hype of Jon Jones versus Rashad Evans, but it should. Jones versus Evans is overblown at this point.

Torres and McDonald will both enter the Octagon with something to prove in UFC 145. Torres has been trending down since joining Tristar Gym. McDonald needs to prove he is ready to compete on a big stage. 

Here is why this is the most intriguing fight of Saturday night’s UFC 145 card. 

 

Unknown Factors

By now, everyone has analyzed Jones and Evans to exhaustion. An unknown factor should be welcomed by every UFC fan at this point. Torres and McDonald provide just that. 

No one knows how these two will react to such a huge contest. 

Torres was kicked out of the UFC briefly for an inappropriate remark. His ability to bounce back and regain his aggressive approach is still undecided. Torres has become passive since joining Tristar Gym and will have a chance to prove critics wrong against McDonald.

McDonald is almost completely unknown. He is only 21 years old and wants to prove he is ready to take his talents to the next level.

His ability to perform on a huge stage will silence critics questioning his ability to contend for a title. 

 

Different Styles

McDonald is the best striker in UFC’s bantamweight division. He is clean, technical and lethal, if given a window of opportunity.

Torres relies on his smarts, jab and ability to work the ring. He must fight smart if he wants to knock off McDonald. 

Different fighting styles always create an intriguing matchup. Two fighters who are very good at their given styles makes for an even better one. 

McDonald will put Torres down if Torres gets caught too far inside. If Torres can play cat and mouse with McDonald, he will bait the youngster into a costly mistake. 

Both fighters will work hard to impose their fighting technique early on. Imposing their will will go a long way in determining Saturday night’s victor.


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