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While we all love mixed martial arts, we can hardly deny that its premier organisation has had its fair share of mind-numbingly boring fights. Whether we’re talking pre-Zuffa or post-Zuffa UFC, both incarnations have offered up some of the most t…
While we all love mixed martial arts, we can hardly deny that its premier organisation has had its fair share of mind-numbingly boring fights.
Whether we’re talking pre-Zuffa or post-Zuffa UFC, both incarnations have offered up some of the most tediously dull bouts in combat sports history.
So without any further rambling, I present to you the five most boring fights in UFC history.
If Shannon Knapp is to be believed, Invicta FC events have attracted up to 200,000 online viewers, curious to discover whether the fledgling promotion can satisfy their lust for MMA. Some have expressed scepticism at the numbers being reported, but the…
If Shannon Knapp is to be believed, Invicta FC events have attracted up to 200,000 online viewers, curious to discover whether the fledgling promotion can satisfy their lust for MMA.
Some have expressed scepticism at the numbers being reported, but there is no doubt that the safe haven for female mixed martial artists has elicited interest from the hardcore fans.
Despite the sustained interest, one must question whether Invicta FC constitutes a viable business venture for its owners.
There has yet been no indication that the promotion is struggling financially. Fighters are paid on time and, based on everything we hear, they are happy with how the organisation has treated them thus far.
Indeed, following the Twitter feeds of Invicta’s stars leads one to believe that they are one big, happy family. It is utterly refreshing, yet it may be equally unsustainable.
Shannon Knapp et al. are artfully straddling the line between business and charity.
On the Co-Main Event podcast earlier this week, Ben Fowlkes pointed out that the reason why Invicta FC shows boast so many fights is because Shannon Knapp can’t say no whenever one of her athletes asks for a fight.
While that might be commendable, it isn’t necessarily the best approach to business.
The problem is that no one has determined Invicta’s ultimate destination: Charitable organisation or business organisation? There is no wrong choice, but it is one that is practically zero-sum.
Succeeding in business often means making difficult decisions, particularly when resources are so scarce.
I wrote an article a couple of months ago, querying whether it would be in Zuffa’s best interests to purchase Invicta FC. On reflection, it may in fact be in everyone’s best interests.
Dana White wants to grow the female side of the sport for a number of reasons, but his recently developed crush on Ronda Rousey is likely high on the list.
In order to get the most out of WMMA’s most bankable star, she needs to be matched up with someone who can hang in there longer than the cumulative length of my love life.
Zuffa could run Invicta FC in much the same way that they ran the WEC—with the goal of developing a section of the sport that is often overlooked and providing opportunities for athletes who deserve to be more appreciated.
I feel quite certain that Shannon Knapp would jump at the opportunity to work alongside the UFC, with their considerable resources at her disposal.
The promotion may well be built for the long haul, but longevity does not necessarily equate to success. Shannon Knapp might soon have to decide whether she wants Invicta FC to flourish or merely exist.
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It’s getting to the stage where we cease to be in awe of Anderson Silva’s ability to seemingly defy the natural laws. His routine, repetitive brilliance has become so utterly predictable that the sublime risks becoming mundane. We all marve…
It’s getting to the stage where we cease to be in awe of Anderson Silva’s ability to seemingly defy the natural laws. His routine, repetitive brilliance has become so utterly predictable that the sublime risks becoming mundane.
We all marvelled at the ease with which he disposed of Stephan Bonnar, waxing lyrical about his uncommon physical gifts.
With that said, where does Saturday night’s circus-like exhibition rank in relation to his other celebrated feats?
Without further delay, I present to you Anderson “The Spider” Silva’s top five UFC performances.
UFC 153 offered up a number of compelling contests, many of which came prior to the main broadcast during the oftentimes overlooked prelims—yet more evidence of why people should always tune in early on fight night.Indeed, three of the fights wer…
UFC 153 offered up a number of compelling contests, many of which came prior to the main broadcast during the oftentimes overlooked prelims—yet more evidence of why people should always tune in early on fight night.
Indeed, three of the fights were amongst the most exciting of the entire evening.
Read on to see how I ranked UFC 153’s preliminary bouts.
It came as no surprise when Anderson Silva bagged most of the headlines during the post-mortem of UFC 153, but the performances of Jon Fitch and Demian Maia offer a more meaningful narrative, particularly as pertains to the UFC’s welterweight div…
It came as no surprise when Anderson Silva bagged most of the headlines during the post-mortem of UFC 153, but the performances of Jon Fitch and Demian Maia offer a more meaningful narrative, particularly as pertains to the UFC’s welterweight division.
Erick Silva was supposed to be the next big thing in the 170-pound weight class—and he might yet be—and it seemed as though Jon Fitch was little more than meat for the beast.
The AKA veteran’s last performance inside the cage could scarcely have gone worse. Knocked out within a few seconds of the opening bell, some speculated as to whether Fitch had already seen his best days.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, it’s fair to say that rumours of Jon Fitch’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Indeed, the former welterweight title challenger looked better than ever on Saturday night.
More shocking still was how utterly compelling his bout with Erick Silva was.
According to some, Jon Fitch fights were occasionally prescribed by neurologists as a cure for fatal familial insomnia. Yet based on how absorbing his most recent contest was, his future bouts may be better suited to treating narcolepsy.
One could argue that Silva’s ability to compete with the 34-year-old’s usual smothering tactics was responsible for making the fight so engrossing, but it is worth pointing out that Fitch was vocal about his intention to win the fight of the night bonus.
Make no mistake, his performance was no fluke.
Crucially, it was also incredibly effective. His usual M.O. of takedowns and pitter-patter punches was replaced by a more forceful, aggressive style that was designed to render the judge’s scorecards irrelevant.
He may still have some way to go before he earns another crack at the gold, but Jon Fitch is at least back on the right path.
Perhaps more surprising than Fitch’s heroics was Demian Maia’s swift dismissal of Rick Story, one of the toughest “outs” in the welterweight division.
The Brazilian’s long overdue cut to 170 pounds has thus far proven to be profitable. No longer faced with larger opposition, he has had a much easier time securing takedowns—even against a tough wrestler like Story—in order to bring his potent BJJ game into play.
Joe Rogan has in the past mocked Maia’s lack of natural athletic ability, suggesting that he “moves like the whitest guy on Earth.” While this may be true—if a touch cruel—the size advantage he enjoys at welterweight in many ways negates his physical limitations.
The multiple-time BJJ world champion has the kind of submission game that is equivalent to Anderson Silva’s striking. In other words, if he is able to dictate where the fight takes place, your chances of going home with a win bonus are slimmer than the cast of America’s Next Top Model.
It goes without saying that matching Jon Fitch and Demian Maia up would make for an extremely intriguing contest.
There are clearly some compelling storylines to explore should Joe Silva decide to put that particular fight together.
While Fitch has an unshakable belief in his grappling, one wonders whether he would, for the first time in his career, voluntarily engage in a kickboxing match.
Would Maia be able to dictate the terms of the fight against such a dominant MMA wrestler, even with his size advantage?
Whatever direction the UFC takes with Fitch and Maia, there is no denying that both have made their presence known in the 170-pound division.
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It seems clear at this point that no single strategy is sufficient to beat Anderson Silva. For a while there, we thought that high level wrestling might be enough to halt Silva’s record-breaking run. Then “The Spider” made it abundant…
It seems clear at this point that no single strategy is sufficient to beat Anderson Silva.
For a while there, we thought that high level wrestling might be enough to halt Silva’s record-breaking run. Then “The Spider” made it abundantly clear that wrestling alone is only effective if he happens to be recovering from double knee surgery or nursing a broken rib.
No, beating the 37-year-old Brazilian requires something a little extra special. It demands a potently eclectic mixture of skills, a high level combination of wrestling, jiu jitsu and striking—a durable chin would also come in handy for when things get a little hairy.
There are a few members of the UFC roster who have the skills to get the job done, and I doubt you will be surprised by who they are.
At the risk of hopping on the bandwagon, Chris Weidman has just the right skill-set to give Anderson a headache—both literally and figuratively.
However, I would simply be repeating myself if I elaborated on why the former All-American wrestler would pose problems for Silva. Read this article from earlier today if that particular matchup intrigues you.
The perennial pound-for-pound No. 2, Georges St-Pierre, has recently been discussed as a potential opponent for “The Spider” next year.
Though he wouldn’t be the favourite coming into the fight, the Canadian star has, at the risk of sounding like Liam Neeson, a particular set of skills that would make him a formidable opponent for the middleweight champion.
The problem for GSP is that he is considerably smaller than Anderson Silva.
However, this may not be as big an issue for him as it would be for some. The long-time welterweight king boasts the kind of athleticism that would allow him to overcome the size disparity.
Perhaps more importantly, GSP is arguably the most dominant wrestler in the sport—despite having no wrestling background. And as ever, this is the key piece of the puzzle.
If you can’t get the Brazilian to the floor, you might as well shake hands and depart the cage—even if GSP is a proficient striker in his own right.
Once on your back, the Montreal native possesses a smothering top game. Indeed, he has proven himself to be one of the sport’s best guard passers, slicing through the legendary guards of BJ Penn and Jon Fitch like a hot knife through butter.
If the pair do meet in the Summer of 2013, do not expect GSP to sit in Silva’s guard and play around with the Brazilian’s tricky bottom game. Rather, he is likely to utilise his passing skills to dodge that particular bullet.
It might not be pretty, but there’s no doubt that St-Pierre has the skill and athleticism to get the job done.
Perhaps the man with the best shot at dethroning the pound-for-pound king is Jon “Bones” Jones—the mention of his name here will come as no surprise to most of you. In fact, he may even enter the contest as favourite, given his size advantage.
Not only does the New Yorker have a terrific wrestling base, but he may be the one fighter on the roster who can compete with Silva’s striking.
While Jones may not be as technical as the Brazilian, his height and reach have thus far proven to be his biggest assets.
He might be able to keep “The Spider” at arm’s length while he searches for openings to initiate grappling exchanges—allow me to again stress that he might be able to.
Yet despite posing a whole host of physical issues for opponents on the feet, Jones would look to put Silva on his back and make use of his near-peerless ground-and-pound, mixing up punches with his razor-sharp elbows.
At this point, it will take a truly next generation mixed martial artist to stifle Silva’s talents. And the aforementioned athletes may be the only ones equipped to do it in the current mixed martial arts landscape.
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