Jon “Bones” Jones has rarely had the support of the MMA fanbase, but when he takes on Vitor Belfort at UFC 152, he will likely receive the kind of hostile reception not witnessed since the Iron Sheik was Camel Clutching all things red, whit…
Jon “Bones” Jones has rarely had the support of the MMA fanbase, but when he takes on VitorBelfort at UFC 152, he will likely receive the kind of hostile reception not witnessed since the Iron Sheik was Camel Clutching all things red, white and blue in the early 1980s.
This article would have been a little more challenging had I decided to write it a few weeks ago, but things change quickly in the world of mixed martial arts.
In the time it took to hold a conference call, Jon Jones went from bankable commodity to public enemy No.1 in the eyes of many fans, and his fickle employer.
It goes without saying, then, that the current light heavyweight king will not be adopting the role of babyface when he takes to the cage in a couple of weeks.
In addition to “Bones’” calamitous exploits outside of the Octagon, he will be facing a sentimental favourite in VitorBelfort. The Brazilian has enjoyed a stellar career, thrilling fans with his blinding hand speed.
One could argue that the former heavyweight tournament champion has already seen his best days go by, but sports fans generally love an underdog—and Belfort is most certainly that.
Indeed, the TUF Brazil coach is listed at between +550 and +650 by some oddsmakers, while Jones is a prohibitive favourite at -900.
Undoubtedly, the fans at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto will rally behind the outmatched Belfort, adopting him as their champion, in the hope that he will defend their honour against the “card-murdering” Jones—or so Dana White would have us believe.
Will it make a difference to the outcome of the fight? Probably not, but at least the storyline adds another dimension to a fight that is otherwise void of intrigue.
MMA is a strange sport. Going back to a little under a year ago, the upcoming Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos bout on Fox would have been described by any fair-minded fan as a “pick ‘em” fight. Fast-forward to present day and the…
MMA is a strange sport. Going back to a little under a year ago, the upcoming Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos bout on Fox would have been described by any fair-minded fan as a “pick ‘em” fight.
Fast-forward to present day and the consensus perspective on their rematch appears to be that “Cigano” would need to break his leg on the way to the cage for Velasquez to have much of a chance; the Mexican-American challenger is simply keeping the champ warm while he waits for his inevitable matchup with Alistair Overeem.
There will be those who say that viewing Velasquez as a significant underdog is justified, particularly when one considers what happened the first time around. However, there is a little more to the story than the infamous 60-second knockout would lead you to believe.
For example, it is worth pointing out that both men went into last November’s bout carrying fairly serious injuries. Had they not been scheduled to meet during the UFC’s debut on Fox, there is no doubt that one, or even both, would have pulled a ripcord.
As it turned out, both fighters gambled and did their employers a proverbial solid, but only one man left the cage feeling as though he would make the same decision again. Looking at Velasquez’s face during the post-fight furore, it seemed clear that regret was the most prominently projected emotion.
We didn’t get to see either fighter compete at even close to their peak, so it is difficult to read too much into the first fight.
When we do examine the action from last November—not that there is much to examine, I grant you—we see Cain Velasquez dictating the stand-up right up until the moment dos Santos cracked him square on the temple with the kind of technique more reminiscent of a baseball pitcher.
There is no denying the quality of the champ’s striking skills. He has not just beaten every opponent he has faced in the UFC; he has utterly dominated them in the stand-up game, while scarcely giving them a sniff of a takedown.
Cain Velasquez, on the other hand, rarely receives the credit he deserves for his proficiency on the feet, with fans and media instead focusing on the former Arizona Sun Devil’s outstanding wrestling credentials—and with good reason, admittedly.
The former champion has thus far torn through the competition, mainly thanks to his superior takedowns and brutal ground and pound, but we have seen occasional glimpses of how advanced his striking game is. Feel free to watch his brutal knockout of Nogueira if you need proof.
Unwilling to risk playing around in Nogueira’s guard, Velasquez instead put on a striking display that would have had Joe Rogan screaming “K-1 level striker!” had it been Overeem putting the combinations together. He was not only technical; he also demonstrated his diversity, mixing up kicks and punches like he had been training kickboxing his whole life.
Most will be surprised to hear this, but I expect dos Santos and Velasquez to compete fairly evenly on the feet. Despite the dominance of his wrestling, I don’t see the former All-American being able to take down the Brazilian.
“Cigano” has tremendous defensive wrestling, which he utilizes in much the same way as Chuck Liddell. He boasts the kind of hips Shakira sings about and most wrestlers dream of, allowing him to stuff the takedown attempts of even the most accomplished college wrestlers.
I expect this fight to be mainly a kickboxing match, with the occasional clinch battle against the cage. However, do not sleep on Velasquez simply because the champion has a reputation for being the superior striker.
Cain Velasquez might just surprise a few people when he gets a second shot at dos Santos, but I won’t be among their number.
Women’s MMA has received a much-needed boost as a result of Ronda Rousey’s arrival on the scene. However, the lack of competitive depth that has long plagued the female side of the sport may still be its ultimate undoing. Dana White…
Women’s MMA has received a much-needed boost as a result of Ronda Rousey’s arrival on the scene. However, the lack of competitive depth that has long plagued the female side of the sport may still be its ultimate undoing.
Dana White is fond of pointing out that he is not opposed in principle to the notion of female MMA making its way to the UFC. Rather, he is simply not yet convinced that there is enough female talent out there to justify its inclusion on UFC cards. And, to be blunt, he isn’t wrong.
Unfortunately, female MMA may struggle to grow without the aid of Zuffa’s significant promotional muscle.
Shannon Knapp is doing a terrific job with Invicta FC, but I am still of the opinion that the UFC should purchase the fledgling organisation and use it to grow women’s MMA in much the same way that they developed the lighter weight classes with the WEC.
The good news is that there is a way to work around the sparse female talent pool.
Specifically, the number of weight classes needs to be reduced. Ideally, this would be done by merging the existing weight classes into what would ordinarily be termed a “catch-weight”. For example, the 135 and 145 pound divisions would become the women’s 140 pound division.
As I wrote in an earlier piece, a 140 pound division would combine most of the female talent into a single weight class, boasting the likes of Ronda Rousey, Sara McMann, “Cyborg” Santos, Miesha Tate, Julie Kedzie and Sarah Kaufman, etc.
It would also partially eliminate the excuse offered by “Cyborg” for her refusal to fight Rousey. A steroid-free Santos should be able to make 140 pounds without any trouble, given that the pesky muscle-promoting substance will no longer be a part of her diet.
The problem is that I see no real indication that any of the above will come to pass. These ideas are all merely hypothetical until someone decides to act on them.
Until someone does, female mixed martial arts will likely continue to dwell on the periphery of the MMA scene.
The most anticipated matchup in the UFC heavyweight division is probably Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem.But is it the right time to put that particular contest together—or even Cain Velasquez vs. Alistair Overeem? The heavyweight division…
The most anticipated matchup in the UFC heavyweight division is probably Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem.
But is it the right time to put that particular contest together—or even Cain Velasquez vs. Alistair Overeem?
The heavyweight division is as competitive as it has ever been, with no shortage of potentially compelling encounters to whet the appetite.
In particular, most point to the inevitable dos Santos-Overeem bout as the most prominent example of the division’s newfound appeal. However, the hype for that particular fight has cooled off to some extent.
Indeed, it has been almost a year since the Hulk-like Dutchman dismissed Brock Lesnar in a contest more reminiscent of a WWE squash match.
When Overeem returns next year, he will almost certainly be dealing with a touch of ring rust. Therefore, one wonders whether he should be greeted by the division’s best upon his return.
It may be more prudent to match the former K-1 champ up with someone on the fringe of the division’s elite, as a tune-up for his eventual run at the heavyweight strap.
But with Overeem out of the picture, who would be next in line for a shot at the heavyweight title? The smart money is on Daniel Cormier.
The former Olympian has developed into a proficient striker, complementing his near-peerless wrestling base. Should he run through Frank Mir, it would be logical to capitalise on his hype and fast-track him to a title shot.
Of course, this is all contingent on a number of factors.
Firstly, Cormier must beat Mir impressively in order to justify the decision to match him up with the UFC’s top heavyweight. Most importantly, though, dos Santos will likely have to overcome Cain Velasquez.
Cormier and Velasquez have been somewhat noncommittal on the issue of whether they would ever fight, but the former has publicly suggested that he may move down to 205 pounds if push comes to shove, while at the same time leaving the door to a teammate vs. teammate contest slightly ajar.
With that said, if all goes as most expect it will, the dos Santos vs. Cormier contest is probably the most compelling matchup on offer while we wait for Overeem to shake off the ring rust—I actually think Velasquez will beat Junior, for what it’s worth.
While the fans are eager to see the division’s two most dominant strikers go head to head, wouldn’t it be that much better if the bout was contested with both at their peak?
Fast-tracking Cormier to No. 1 contender status might just be the ideal way to get us there.
If one were to associate a particular music genre with the UFC, the most obvious choice would be heavy metal—with MMA fans being regularly greeted by the ultra-aggressive sounds of STEMM at the beginning of each PPV. Deadmau5 provides a little mu…
If one were to associate a particular music genre with the UFC, the most obvious choice would be heavy metal—with MMA fans being regularly greeted by the ultra-aggressive sounds of STEMM at the beginning of each PPV.
Deadmau5 provides a little musical diversity for UFC fans in the video for his upcoming single “Professional Griefers”, featuring My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way.
The Toronto-based musician merges the distinctive worlds of MMA and electro-house music, blending them together in an ambitious music video that combines elements of Mad Max and Real Steel within the contextof a futuristic UFC event.
It is officially the most expensive music video ever in the electro genre.
Deadmau5’s decision to create a UFC themed video is perhaps an illustration of the expanding crossover appeal of MMA’s biggest organisation.
Many believed that the UFC’s deal with Fox would be the game-changer that transformed MMA from a niche sport into a mainstream juggernaut; however, their presence on the Fox platforms has thus far failed to capture the imagination of the masses.
In addition, the UFC’s PPV numbers continue to decline, slowly but surely. This can partially be attributed to the current economic climate and the increasing number of events scheduled by the Zuffa brass, but there is no doubt that this combination of factors causes many to question whether the UFC has plateaued.
Despite this relative dry spell, the UFC continues to forces its way into the mainstream consciousness.
Jon Jones’ deal with Nike, increasing ESPN coverage and now the significant exposure that comes with a Deadmau5 music video are just a few examples of the UFC’s continued ascent into the domain of pop culture relevance.
We have all seen them; they are an essential part of any pre-fight build-up. Dana White’s interviews—particularly with Ariel Helwani—are almost always compelling. The UFC’s head honcho speaks on a number of different issues, bot…
We have all seen them; they are an essential part of any pre-fight build-up. Dana White’s interviews—particularly with Ariel Helwani—are almost always compelling.
The UFC’s head honcho speaks on a number of different issues, both relevant and orthogonal; he quashes controversy, yells about various individuals in positions of power, discusses future matchups, etc.
In a nutshell, Dana White is wonderfully candid and engaging.
However, when you watch enough of his interviews, you begin to pick up on certain habits and clichés he has come to unconsciously exhibit.
Consider this a light-hearted piece on some of the aforementioned habits and the occasional verbal missteps, as a modest remedy to the funereal atmosphere that has descended on the MMA community over the past few days.
So without any further delay, I present to you the top five Dana White interview clichés.
Jon “Bones” Jones has rarely had the support of the MMA fanbase, but when he takes on Vitor Belfort at UFC 152, he will likely receive the kind of hostile reception not witnessed since the Iron Sheik was Camel Clutching all things red, white and blue in the early 1980s.