Author: Jake Martin

UFC 153: Career Defining Moment for Each Fighter on the Card

UFC 153 features fighters who are both well accomplished in this sport and young lions who are just beginning to hit their stride.Fighters such as Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar are nearing the end of their careers and have highlights for days.But y…

UFC 153 features fighters who are both well accomplished in this sport and young lions who are just beginning to hit their stride.

Fighters such as Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar are nearing the end of their careers and have highlights for days.

But young up-and-comers like Erick Silva are just getting started in this sport, and their career-defining moment may not be within sight. Heck, the way Silva’s been ripping through competition, his career-defining moment may happen when he’s a champion one day.

So keeping that in mind, here are the career-defining moments for each fighter on the UFC’s main card of UFC 153.

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10 Fighters That Always Look to Finish

Fighters who go into a fight looking to finish their opponent generally become fan favorites in the sport of MMA.No one likes to watch two combatants lay on top of each other and inflict little to no damage for 15 or 25 minutes.Rather, fans want to see…

Fighters who go into a fight looking to finish their opponent generally become fan favorites in the sport of MMA.

No one likes to watch two combatants lay on top of each other and inflict little to no damage for 15 or 25 minutes.

Rather, fans want to see finishes and, more importantly, want to be entertained.

These are the fighters that never fail to entertain and always go for the finish inside the Octagon.

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What Makes MMA Fighters Like Jon Jones Fan Favorites or Villains?

Because Jon Jones has become MMA’s most hated champion, it’s only fitting to look back at what makes certain fighters fan favorites as UFC 152 inches closer.So what is it? What makes fighters so admired and beloved by the fans who pay their hard earned…

Because Jon Jones has become MMA‘s most hated champion, it’s only fitting to look back at what makes certain fighters fan favorites as UFC 152 inches closer.

So what is it? What makes fighters so admired and beloved by the fans who pay their hard earned money to watch them fight?

Well, first they have to satisfy the customer with what they’re selling, which has a lot to do with flash and style. That’s a given. Nobody wants to watch a fighter that’s going to lay and pray on another man for three full rounds to earn himself a decision. Sorry Jon Fitch.

Which brings up another reason why fans gravitate toward certain fighters above others.

What’s starting to become somewhat of a rarity in the sport are fighters that go out there and fight to finish their opponent rather than game-planning their way toward winning a decision. Hello Greg Jackson, or should I say “sport killer“?

Perhaps this is the reason why the Diaz brothers have such strong fanbases in MMA despite being looney. Sure, Nick Diaz might miss a press conference here and there, but when he shows up to fight, it’s going to be a crowd-pleasing affair.

But oftentimes fighters aren’t judged by just their fighting styles. Heck, if that was the case, Jones would be the most beloved fighter on the planet.

Rather, fans tend to look deeper and find out as much as they can about the man they root for and pay their hard-earned money to see throw-down on pay-per-view.

In fact, some could argue that a fighter’s personality is the most important factor in determining a fan favorite simply because of Georges St-Pierre.

Here’s a guy that hasn’t finished a fight since Jan. of 2009 against B.J. Penn, yet he’s still the PPV king in the UFC. People love to watch him fight mainly because he’s a humble, class act that can easily be identified with. Are you taking notes, “Bones”?

Simply put, in order to become a fan favorite in MMA, a fighter must be skilled, flashy and humble. Anything other than that will give fans a reason to turn their back on the fighter, as we’ve seen with Jones.

Jones may be far from a fan favorite, but if he can somehow reason with the people and apologize for his actions, he might take small baby steps in regaining his humility in the eyes of the fans.

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Benson Henderson and 9 Fighters as Comic Book Characters

Comic book heroes and MMA fighters are arguably viewed in the same light.Glorified for their warrior mentality, fighters and heroes capture the essence of courage. That’s why when UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson’s manager Malki Kawa announc…

Comic book heroes and MMA fighters are arguably viewed in the same light.

Glorified for their warrior mentality, fighters and heroes capture the essence of courage. That’s why when UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson’s manager Malki Kawa announced that Henderson wanted a deal with DC Comics/Marvel, it actually kind of made sense.

Fighters who are willing to put their livelihoods on the line are sometimes perceived to be invincible—just like heroes in comics. Well, 2012 has certainly debunked that notion, right Dana White?

Nonetheless, UFC fighters are the closest thing our society has seen to a superhero. So keeping that in mind, here are notable UFC fighters and their superhero counterparts.

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10 Main Event Fights We Want to See in 2013

The UFC missed out on some terrific main events in 2012.Whether it was due to an injury or some other reason, fights that were heavily hyped never happened, but hey, that calls for a good ol’ sports cliche—there’s always next year.Here are 10 mai…

The UFC missed out on some terrific main events in 2012.

Whether it was due to an injury or some other reason, fights that were heavily hyped never happened, but hey, that calls for a good ol’ sports cliche—there’s always next year.

Here are 10 main events that fight fans should be treated to in 2013. They’re not only the fights the MMA community needs, but the fights we deserve.

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Chael Sonnen: Is He the Real ‘People’s Champion’?

The champ is here. Well, without a championship belt, that is.Like a villain-turned-hero in an epic drama, or more fittingly, a heel-turned-face in the WWE, Sonnen went from being one of the most hated fighters in the UFC to one of the most beloved in …

The champ is here. Well, without a championship belt, that is.

Like a villain-turned-hero in an epic drama, or more fittingly, a heel-turned-face in the WWE, Sonnen went from being one of the most hated fighters in the UFC to one of the most beloved in a matter of seconds. Okay, most beloved is a little exaggerated, but fans have found a new level of respect for Sonnen.

In an instance that made the UFC’s biggest superstar to date, Jon Jones, look like a prima donna, Sonnen had his brightest moment to date. With only eight days’ notice, Sonnen accepted a bout with Jones after Dan Henderson’s injury, and Jones was the one to turn the fight down. That’s right—one of the best fighters in UFC history turned down the larger-than-life, trash-talking middleweight challenger.

The move by Jones not only made him look like a coward, but it made him look selfish for letting UFC president Dana White, the company, fellow fighters and the fans down. Meanwhile, Sonnen comes out of this entire situation looking like MMA‘s “white knight.”

Love him or hate him, you have to respect  Sonnen for being a true fighter. Sure, he runs his mouth saying outlandish things to generate hype for his fights, but he does it for the better of the company. And though many hate him for his propaganda on Twitter and promos in interviews, you can’t deny that Sonnen brings it on fight night.

Every single time, Sonnen buries his head into his opponent’s chest and goes for the takedown. Whether he gets his man down or not, he’s pushing the pace with an unrelenting pace that eventually wears his adversary down.

But because Sonnen has been so vocal in the past against one of the greatest champions in MMA history, Anderson Silva, he hasn’t been well received by the MMA community.

And while Sonnen had his eyes set on Silva, Jones was running through challenger after challenger, and coincidentally losing more and more fans. What’s the reason for that?

Well, Jones has been exposed. First, fans loved him for being a young, talented and humble fighter, and as Jones spent more time in the spotlight, Jones’ cocky nature was revealed. It rubbed fans the wrong way, because Jones plays the “good guy” role.

With Philippians 4:13 tattooed on his chest, Jones talked the talk but didn’t necessarily walk the walk. Fans saw through him, especially when he was charged with a DWI in May. And as Jones single-handedly discarded UFC 151, he has truly become a villain at the same time.

Perhaps this is exactly what Sonnen needed to get the people on his side. Sonnen needed a target that fans don’t particularly like, and now that Jones has publicly ducked him, Sonnen can become the real “people’s champion.”

It’s twists and turns like these that make MMA such a compelling sport, and as Sonnen continues his campaign against Jones publicly, expect Sonnen to become more and more lovable. Just like a true champion of the people would.

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