Author: Jesse Reed

Silva vs. Weidman Rematch Would Be Must-See TV

Dana White absolutely must find a way to get Anderson Silva on board for a rematch with Chris Weidman.Weidman destroyed the man, the myth and the legend of Silva with a left-right combo that sent the Brazilian former champ to the mat in stunning fashio…

Dana White absolutely must find a way to get Anderson Silva on board for a rematch with Chris Weidman.

Weidman destroyed the man, the myth and the legend of Silva with a left-right combo that sent the Brazilian former champ to the mat in stunning fashion at UFC 162 to claim the UFC Middleweight Championship. 

After the fight, Silva made statements that, for all intents and purposes, appeared to potentially signal an end to his epic career in the UFC.

As reported by MMAWeekly, Silva said:

Chris is the champion now. I finish my work. I no more fight for the belt. I fight for the belt for a long time. I’m tired…I want to take some time off and maybe three to four months, think about what I want to do. Really, right now, I can’t think about (a rematch).

I just want to take some time off, go home, and think about everything and be alone. There’s a lot of pressure in defending this title. I defended it for a long time, so I need some time to myself.

It’s hard to blame Silva for taking the loss so hard. 

He lost the fight in the most embarrassing way possible, as he taunted Weidman before getting knocked the (you know what) out. 

The loss put an end to Silva’s unbelievable 17-win streak—during which he earned the UFC Middleweight Championship and defended it 11 times. And, at the age of 38, it would be easy to understand if Silva didn’t want to get back into the ring any more after such an impressive run. 

That said, these reasons are exactly why it would be so incredible to watch him attempt to reclaim his belt against Weidman. 

Nobody had ever gotten to Silva like Weidman did. His previous four MMA losses came by way of submission, disqualification or by way of decision. 

White knows what kind of hype a rematch between Silva and Weidman would generate. He told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times that it would be the “biggest in UFC history”:

You have to know White will be relentless in his attempt to stoke Silva’s competitive fire in an effort to convince one of his most bankable stars to get back onto the mat at least one more time. 

He was so fired up about the prospect of getting these two fighters back into the ring together that, at one point, he told Pugmire that he was considering adding the fight to the schedule at UFC 168:

After careful consideration, however, White decided he’d be better off keeping the Ronda Rousey versus Meisha Tate bout on schedule for UFC 168, as noted by Pugmire, but he’s not going to give up on his quest to get Silva back in the Octagon:

And should Silva agree to the fight, the pay-per-view numbers would inevitably be off the chart. Everyone will want to see if Silva abandons his “what, me care?” attitude and opts instead to put his full focus on the man who put him down. 

It would be just as exciting as if Floyd Mayweather finally lost a match and then came back to avenge his shame. 

I know I’d pay good money to watch the fight. What about you?

 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

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UFC 161 Results: Stipe Miocic and Saturday’s Biggest Winners

Stipe Miocic shut down Roy Nelson on Saturday night at UFC 161, working the Canadien fighter over in a bad way in front of his home crowd in Manitoba, Winnipeg. It was a big win for Miocic, but he wasn’t the only fighter who came out of the big event w…

Stipe Miocic shut down Roy Nelson on Saturday night at UFC 161, working the Canadien fighter over in a bad way in front of his home crowd in Manitoba, Winnipeg. It was a big win for Miocic, but he wasn’t the only fighter who came out of the big event with positive momentum.

The main event pitted Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson. Evans won a split decision, thanks to an improved effort in the third round, as noted by the UFC:

While Evans and Henderson headlined the event, some of the earlier fights on the card proved to be more exciting for the fans. 

These fighters came away as the biggest winners of UFC 161.

 

Stipe Miocic Dominates Big Country

Nelson was supposed to put on a show in this fight in order to secure bargaining power for a new contract in the UFC, as noted by Case Keefer of LasVegasSun.com.

Instead, it was Miocic who came out of the fight looking like the guy with a bright future ahead of him with the growing company. 

Miocic absolutely dominated the action from the start, landing big punches like this one, courtesy of Esther Lin:

Nelson was slow and out of shape compared to the ripped Croatian fighter, who wore out the hometown hero before the bell sounded to end Round 1. In the end, Miocic had landed 90 strikes to Nelson’s 19, via ESPN.com, and won a unanimous decision for his efforts.

 

Shawn Jordan Drops Pat Barry

This fight was over before it ever took off.

It took less than one minute for Jordan to log an impressive TKO against Barry, who didn’t stand a chance in this fight. As noted by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Jordan assaulted Barry with some gorgeous uppercuts to earn the win:

The official stats, via ESPN.com, show Jordan needed just 10 significant strikes to win this fight, while Barry landed just one. 

Jordan is developing quite a reputation as one of the most impressive strikers in the heavyweight division. He’s now won by way of knockout in his last three victories, and he has 11 knockout wins out of 15 total.

 

James Krause Makes an Excellent First Impression

 

In his UFC debut, James Krause didn’t disappoint, winning by way of submission (guillotine choke) over Sam Stout in the waning moments of the third round.  

For Krause, the man who was knocked out of TUF 15, his victory represents a fresh start.

Though he had just two weeks to prepare for the fight (h/t Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com), Krause was in excellent shape for this fight. He landed 110 strikes, via ESPN.com, compared to Stout’s 81.

Rather than let the judges decide the winner, he took matters into his own hands at the end of the fight, as he told Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com:

It was an excellent showing by Krause, who likely earned a shot to make a name for himself in the UFC. He earned “Fight of the Night” honors and a well-deserved $100,000 paycheck for his work.

 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78 

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UFC 161: Picking Winners for Biggest Fights of the Night

Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson headline UFC 161, but the card for Saturday night’s big event in Manitoba is full of exciting matches.Roy Nelson will take a three-match winning streak into the ring to face Stipe Miocic, who is coming off a dis…

Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson headline UFC 161, but the card for Saturday night’s big event in Manitoba is full of exciting matches.

Roy Nelson will take a three-match winning streak into the ring to face Stipe Miocic, who is coming off a disappointing loss to Stefan Struve. This heavyweight bout has a chance to steal the thunder of Evans vs. Hendo, as both fighters have shown a propensity for knocking out their opponents.

Another match that could generate a lot of buzz post-fight is the one featuring Ryan Jimmo and Igor Pokrajac. Both fighters are veterans who have a bad taste in their mouths after recent losses. 

The action starts on UFC’s Facebook page at 7 p.m. ET for the first two preliminary fights. FX will then carry the next four fights starting at 8 p.m. ET, setting up the pay-per-view main card at 10 p.m. ET.

Here is a closer look at the biggest fights of the night, along with a prediction about how things will shake out in those fights.

 

Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson

One of the top fighters in the light-heavyweight division at one point in his career, Evans still knows how to put on a show. Unfortunately, he hasn’t fared well of late, losing his last two fights to Jon Jones (not a surprise) and Antônio Rogério Nogueira.

Henderson—a living legend—is also coming off a tough loss to Lyoto Machida. Judges gave that match to Machida in a split decision. 

Surprisingly, this will be the first time these two fighters have squared off. 

Evans is the more well-rounded fighter, excelling both on the mat and as a striker. Henderson is an accomplished wrestler who must take the fight to the mat to win.

Prediction: Evans will win a unanimous decision.

 

Roy Nelson vs. Stipe Miocic

My personal favorite for “Fight of the Night” honors, this bout features two dangerous big men who have a knack for catching opponents off guard with brutal strikes.

Nelson is by far the more experienced fighter, with 26 matches under his belt. He’s lost seven fights throughout his career and won by way of knockout 12 times out of his 19 victories.

Miocic is a relative newcomer to the UFC, having signed on just two years ago.

During his two-year run, Miocic has lost just one fight—his second-round knockout loss to Struve last September being the only mark against him. He packs a powerful punch and possesses excellent instincts, having won by way of knockout seven out of nine times.

Prediction: Miocic will win by way of knockout in the second round. 

 

Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac

Jimmo has only lost two fights in his career—his first fight and his last.

He nearly had James Te Huna dead to rights in the first round this past February after nailing him with a head kick, but Te Huna bounced back marvelously to control the fight with his wrestling in the final two rounds.

In his favor will be the home crowd, as Jimmo is Canadian-born and has many supporters in the Great White North.

Pokrajac is much more experienced than Jimmo with 35 professional fights under his belt. His repertoire of skills is vast, and he knows how to win fights in just about every conceivable manner. 

That said, Pokrajac has been extremely up and down in his past few years, winning just half of his fights since September of 2009. 

Prediction: Jimmo will rebound with a win by way of decision. 

 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78 

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UFC 160: Silva Will Avenge Loss To Velasquez in Spectacular Fashion

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva is out for revenge against Cain Velasquez in the main event of UFC 160, and he’ll get it by knocking out the current heavyweight champ in glorious fashion.The big rematch between these two MMA behemoths headlines a l…

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva is out for revenge against Cain Velasquez in the main event of UFC 160, and he’ll get it by knocking out the current heavyweight champ in glorious fashion.

The big rematch between these two MMA behemoths headlines a loaded card for Saturday night’s pay-per-view extravaganza at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. 

Velasquez crushed Silva in the most brutal way possible the first time these two fighters took to the mat back in May of 2012. He had him reeling from the moment the ref said “go,” and completely dominated the action until the bout was finally, and compassionately, stopped at the 3:36-mark in Round 1. 

Fans shouldn’t expect a similar result, however, unless it’s Velasquez on the receiving end of Silva’s salvoes. Since that fateful night a year ago, Silva has emerged as one of the hottest heavyweight fighters in the UFC. 

He has impressively defeated both fighters he faced—Travis Browne and legendary Strikeforce and Pride fighter Alistair Overeem—by way of knockout and TKO. He beat up on both of them, landing vicious strike after vicious strike with his heavy hands.

Velasquez, on the other hand, has only fought once since he beat Silva. He and Junior Dos Santos—the man who took his belt by way of a first-round knockout back in November of 2011—took the fight the full five rounds, and Velasquez was awarded the belt after the judges decided in his favor.

Silva won’t be caught off guard this time around when he steps onto the mat against Velasquez. He never stood a chance the first time, but he won’t make the same mistake twice. 

Furthermore, his stand-up game has vastly improved since that fight, and his heavy hands are as dangerous as anyone’s in the UFC right now. 

Silva will be the aggressor this time around, and he’ll continue his improvement by taking the heavyweight belt from Velasquez in spectacular fashion this Saturday night. 

 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78 

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Breaking Down Jon Jones’ Game Plan for Victory vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 159

Jon Jones will defeat Chael Sonnen on April 27, and he’ll do it in style. The two fighters will headline UFC 159, and this fight has the potential to be one of the best on the card. Sonnen is a tough fighter who always provides a challenge to…

Jon Jones will defeat Chael Sonnen on April 27, and he’ll do it in style. 

The two fighters will headline UFC 159, and this fight has the potential to be one of the best on the card. 

Sonnen is a tough fighter who always provides a challenge to his opponent. He is an excellent wrestler, a dangerous ground-and-pound fighter and is adept at defending against strikers.

He has been fighting professionally for nearly 16 years and has seen everything the sport has to offer, but he has a critical weakness Jones will exploit. 

This is the game plan Jones must follow in order to dominate Sonnen at UFC 159.

 

Goad Sonnen into Takedown Attempts

Jones is an excellent defender against fighters who try and land punches and kicks. He keeps them off balance by using his long legs and countering their strikes with painful strikes of his own.

Sonnen has never been known as a particularly deadly striker, though he does throw a lot of punches from time to time. His strengths come from his wrestling background, and he usually tries to get his opponent down on the mat as soon as possible. 

Jones should take advantage of Sonnen‘s over-aggressive approach and goad him into thinking he has a shot at taking him down.

As good as Sonnen is at taking opponents down, Jones is even better at turning the tables on opponents who try to take him down. 

 

Patience Is Key

Jones likely wants to get this fight over with in a hurry. 

Sonnen has been doing his classic Sonnen thing—trash-talking from sunup till sundown for the past month or so—and Jones can’t stand it. 

After abstaining from responding to Sonnen‘s antagonistic remarks for the past month, Jones went on a rant on Tuesday night’s episode of UFC Tonight, per Yahoo! Sports, accusing Sonnen of being a long-term steroid user—a rant he later apologized for, via his official Twitter account.

Bones Jones is motivated to shut Sonnen‘s big mouth with a resounding victory, but he’d be smart to wear Sonnen out for a round or two before making his big move.

An excellent striker, Jones should make Sonnen chase him around the ring while tagging him with a consistent barrage of strikes to his legs. Sonnen is known for having excellent stamina, and he’s a strong fighter on the ground. 

Once Sonnen‘s legs get sore and he starts to lose his wind a bit, that’s when Jones should strike.

 

Submission 

Sonnen has lost a total of 12 fights in his lengthy career—eight of which have been decided by submission. He’s a terrific offensive wrestler, but Sonnen has never learned how to defend against the top grapplers in MMA.

Jones just so happens to be one of the world’s best wrestlers and is adept at submitting opponents. 

After wearing Sonnen down, Jones needs to take this fight to the ground and work his ground-and-pound game until he finds an opening. 

With Sonnen, the opening will inevitably come, and once it does, Jones will have an easy time of finishing the job. 

 

Prediction: Jones wins by guillotine choke late in Round 3.

 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78 

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Jon Jones Will Wipe the Floor with Chael Sonnen at UFC 159

Chael Sonnen likes to think he has a shot at taking down Jon Jones, but the man is delusional. Jones is going to destroy Sonnen at UFC 159 to retain his light heavyweight title.Sonnen, at the age of 36, is an over-the-hill fighter who is more bark…

Chael Sonnen likes to think he has a shot at taking down Jon Jones, but the man is delusional. 

Jones is going to destroy Sonnen at UFC 159 to retain his light heavyweight title.

Sonnen, at the age of 36, is an over-the-hill fighter who is more bark than bite. 

Jones, at the age of 25, is in the prime of his career, has never been defeated (his only loss came in a disqualification for illegal elbows against Matt Hamill) and is still on an upward trajectory. 

The only reason these two fighters are even going up against one another is because it’s a fight the fans want to see. 

Jones turned down the chance to fight Sonnen at UFC 151 after Dan Henderson tore his MCL before his scheduled fight with Jones. Sonnen volunteered to take Hendo’s place, but Jones wanted nothing to do with the fight on just eight days’ notice. 

Whether you agree with Jones’ decision or not, he had the right to make such a decision.

One thing’s for sure, however—he didn’t do it because he thinks Sonnen is better than him. Sonnen talks a much better game than he presents in the ring these days. He’s lost two of his last four fights and four of his last 11. 

It’s no secret that Sonnen is a trash-talking legend. He’s been consistently hammering Jones on his official Twitter account while pumping himself up for the upcoming title fight. He did the same thing in his recent bout against Anderson Silva, which ended badly for him.

It’s also no secret that Jones absolutely despises Sonnen for using Testosterone Replacement Therapy. We know this because Jones has repeatedly and publicly bashed Sonnen, and he was at it again on Monday, April 15 via his official Twitter account:

You can be sure Jones is motivated to show his superiority over Sonnen, who in his eyes is a cheater.

That’s not the only thing motivating Jones, either. According to Jones’ trainer Greg Jackson, via Marc Raimondi of the New York Post, Jones is using Sonnen‘s constant pestering to hone his focus to a razor’s edge:

He’s really focused and Jon is the most dangerous when he’s super focused and motivated…When Chael says stuff that motivates people, I think he motivates anybody he fights,” Jackson said. “You’re a fighter and you’re a man. So when he does his shtick—which I find actually kind of hilarious—you have the unintended consequence of actually making somebody perform harder.

Jones is already one of the most dangerous mixed-martial arts fighters in the world. He could defeat Sonnen regardless of any personal motivation, but now that he has it, Sonnen‘s chances of winning are at .0001 percent.

Parents should be advised to put their young children to bed early on April 27, because Jones is going to wipe the floor with Sonnen to retain his title.  

By the time the final bell rings at UFC 159, Sonnen will have nothing left to say.

 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78. 

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