Author: Jordy McElroy

Dan Henderson on Michael Bisping: "He Has No Chance Against Chael Sonnen"

You can add Dan Henderson’s name to the long list of people expecting Michael Bisping to get steamrolled in his UFC on Fox 2 bout with Chael Sonnen.
In an interview with Tatame.com, the former Pride middleweight and Strikeforce light heavyweight champi…

You can add Dan Henderson‘s name to the long list of people expecting Michael Bisping to get steamrolled in his UFC on Fox 2 bout with Chael Sonnen.

In an interview with Tatame.com, the former Pride middleweight and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion gave a fairly straightforward prediction on the upcoming No. 1 contender’s bout.

“I don’t see Bisping even having a chance,” said Henderson.

Bisping was originally slated to face Demian Maia, but after an injury forced Mark Munoz to pull out of his bout with Sonnen, the Brit was bumped up as a late replacement. When it comes to styles, Sonnen and Maia are completely different animals.

Maia is easily one of the best submission artists in all of MMA, but he lacks the world-class wrestling abilities of Sonnen, who is known for persistent takedowns and suffocating top control.

It’s certainly going to be a tough bout for Bisping to prepare for.

At the prefight press conference, UFC President Dana White confirmed that the winner of this bout would move on to face Anderson Silva for the middleweight title at a later date.

Henderson feels Sonnen is next in line for a title shot, but he hopes to get another crack at Silva somewhere down the line. “The Spider” submitted Henderson nearly four years ago, and there remains no love lost between the two.

In a Twitter post, Henderson admitted he felt Silva was ducking him and Sonnen to maintain his position at the top of the division.

“I just think he just don’t want to fight us,” Henderson said. “Maybe it’s more of his managers didn’t want him to fight us, but he’s gonna end up doing the fight. Probably, Chael first.”

Depending on the outcome of the UFC on Fox 2 main event between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, Henderson could be next in line to challenge light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

“They did offer me [Antonio Rogerio] Nogueira, but for me, it didn’t make much sense,” Henderson said.

“I didn’t think it was a good fight for me. For me to get ready that quick for a five-round fight, I would’ve been a little bit out of shape. I told them I’d do a three-round fight, but not a five-round. I would rather wait and maybe fight Jon Jones first.”

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Diego Sanchez on Nick Diaz: ‘I’d Kick His Ass Again’

Diego Sanchez believes he still has Nick Diaz’s number.In November 2005, the former UFC lightweight contender dominated Diaz with superior wrestling and great submission defense.Nearly seven years later, Sanchez doesn’t think much has changed as far a…

Diego Sanchez believes he still has Nick Diaz’s number.

In November 2005, the former UFC lightweight contender dominated Diaz with superior wrestling and great submission defense.

Nearly seven years later, Sanchez doesn’t think much has changed as far as how he matches up with the former Strikeforce welterweight champion. He recently spoke with MMAValor.com about how he thought a rematch with Diaz would unfold.

Man, everybody out there, straight up, I don’t like to hear this crap about Nick Diaz. I’m hearing this stuff on Sherdog, “Oh Diego Sanchez and Nick Diaz…gotta pick Nick Diaz. That was a long time ago, and he’s gotten so much better.” You know what man, we’ve all gotten better. Styles make fights! I’m still a guy that’s gonna take down Nick Diaz. I’m still a guy that’s gonna push the pace on Nick Diaz. I’m still a guy that’s tough enough to take Nick Diaz’s little pitter-patter punches. Styles make fights. Nick Diaz has his grappling on point and so do I. We get back in there again, I’m going to kick his ass again.

After losing to Sanchez, Diaz went on to lose his next two fights and was subsequently released from the UFC in 2006. The three fight skid apparently lit a fire under the Cesar Gracie student.

Minus a cut stoppage to K.J. Noons, Diaz hasn’t lost a professional bout since his UFC release. He has climbed ahead of Sanchez to the top of the welterweight division, and at UFC 143, he’ll be competing against Carlos Condit for the interim title.

Sanchez’s career has been a bit more inconstant as of late. He is 2-2 in his last four fights, but he is coming off a pair of impressive wins over Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago.

Is there truth behind Sanchez’s madness? Could he dominate Diaz a second time?

Wrestling is one aspect of fighting that Diaz has struggled with throughout his entire career. It has nothing to do with any learning deficiencies. Diaz is an intelligent fighter, and with hard work and dedication he could drastically improve his wrestling skills.

Diaz’s wrestling woes seem to be more tactical than anything else. As a world class black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he doesn’t mind being taken down. Diaz is just as confident in fighting from his back as he is on his feet.

The problem with this way of fighting lies in a strong wrestler with great submission defense. Regardless of recent hiccups, Sanchez still exhibits both of those attributes.

Could “The Dream” still be Diaz’s nightmare?

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Melvin Guillard Is Proof That Potential Doesn’t Guarantee Success

If potential always equated to success, Melvin Guillard would be a UFC champion.The world of sports is a complicated place. It isn’t always about being the bigger, stronger or more explosive athlete. There are numerous intangibles that separate a champ…

If potential always equated to success, Melvin Guillard would be a UFC champion.

The world of sports is a complicated place. It isn’t always about being the bigger, stronger or more explosive athlete. There are numerous intangibles that separate a champion from a contender.

UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is far from being the biggest and strongest in the division, but his willingness to fight through adversity in back-to-back title bouts against Gray Maynard propelled him to succeed at the highest level.

Anderson Silva, who is widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, went backstage and sparred two extra rounds immediately after a lackluster performance in his October 2008 win over Patrick Cote.

After dominating Dan Hardy for five rounds at UFC 111, Georges St-Pierre was more concerned about fixing problems with his submission technique than celebrating his fourth consecutive title defense.

These are just a few examples of a champion’s mentality. Fighters like Silva, Edgar and St-Pierre aren’t seeking momentary success. They are looking to achieve all-time greatness.

What is Guillard looking to achieve?

After an impressive five-fight win streak, the former Greg Jackson pupil is coming off back-to-back submission losses to Joe Lauzon and Jim Miller. Coincidentally enough, both losses came in the first round by rear naked choke.

From purely a physical perspective, Guillard has all the tools you could ask for in a fighter. He’s strong, explosive, a terrific wrestler and a dangerous striker.

With all of the physical tools in place, what’s keeping Guillard from succeeding at the highest level?

Most people will point to holes in his submission game. In his most recent submission loss to Miller, Guillard acknowledged his submission woes and vowed to improve his weaknesses.

“Give me about a year man; just be patient with me, and I’ll submit someone,” Guillard said at the postfight press conference for UFC on Fox.

With over 40 bouts under his belt, Guillard is one of the most experienced fighters on the UFC roster. Why has it taken this long for him to take his submission game seriously?

Great submission artists have been a thorn in Guillard’s side throughout his entire career. In 10 losses, nine of those bouts were ended by submission.

Regardless of overall success and accolades achieved, it is important to stay grounded and remain an avid student of the sport.

There is nothing more important than the mental aspect of fighting. Champions never stop learning and evolving. Knowledge fuels confidence, which enables a fighter to perform at the highest level.

Is Guillard doing everything he needs to do in training to perform at the highest level?

Guillard and his trainers are the only people who can truly answer that question. The potential is definitely there, but Guillard has some serious work to do in shoring up submission deficiencies.

How bad does he want it?

So far, we know not as bad as Miller and Lauzon.

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Jim Miller Not Interested in Strikeforce Title Bout with Gilbert Melendez

Jim Miller’s ultimate goal is to one day be a world champion, but he isn’t willing to leave the UFC to do so. In April 2011, the rumor mill was buzzing about a potential deal that would send Miller to Strikeforce for a superfight with lightweight champ…

Jim Miller’s ultimate goal is to one day be a world champion, but he isn’t willing to leave the UFC to do so.

In April 2011, the rumor mill was buzzing about a potential deal that would send Miller to Strikeforce for a superfight with lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

A deal never came together, and the rumors were defused by Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker a few days later.

Melendez has long been considered an upper-echelon talent in the 155-pound division. Most publications have him listed alongside Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard as a top-three lightweight.

Unfortunately for Melendez, he is the only world class lightweight competing under the Strikeforce banner.

“Melendez is a great fighter and could come over to the UFC and jump right into the mix without a doubt,” Miller told Five Ounces of Pain. “I don’t know what’s left for him over there, but I am sure they will find him some quality opponents.”

There’s no shortage of tough opposition. Strikeforce houses lightweights such as Josh Thomson, Jorge Masvidal, Billy Evangelista and K.J. Noons. None of these guys are easy marks, but they pale in comparison to the upper-echelon talent in the UFC.

Melendez is well past the point of merely proving himself against middle of the pack opposition. He is working to craft a legacy as one of the greatest lightweights of all time. To do that, he needs to be fighting the best in the world on a consistent basis.

Unless he signs with the UFC, it’s going to be tough for Melendez to set himself apart from Edgar and Maynard. As for the possibility of UFC contenders coming over to Strikeforce, that’s like asking an NFL player to join the Arena Football League.

“Even if the money was comparable, I don’t think I would make the move over there,” said Miller.

“Once you have been in the UFC, you don’t want to go backwards. This is the major leagues of MMA. Nothing against Strikeforce, but the opportunities here are far better. More exposure, more sponsors, bigger crowds and obviously more challenging fights.”

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King Mo on Rampage: "He Doesn’t Want Young Black Fighters to Rise Ranks"

The feud between Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is getting personal.King Mo recently appeared in an episode of Beatdown on the Sherdog Radio Network and spoke with TJ De Santis and Jon Luther about the root of his ongoing proble…

The feud between Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is getting personal.

King Mo recently appeared in an episode of Beatdown on the Sherdog Radio Network and spoke with TJ De Santis and Jon Luther about the root of his ongoing problems with Rampage.

Rampage is the type of dude that doesn’t like to see other people that are like him, or similar to him, come up. I don’t think he likes to see other young black fighters come up. That’s what it is. That’s how I feel.

The feud began in July 2009 at an autograph signing at the UFC Fan Expo for UFC 100. Rampage and King Mo rode in the same van traveling to the event, and they got into a heated back and forth quarrel about past comments and overall accomplishments in the sport.

Since the encounter, the two light heavyweight superstars have continued to throw verbal jabs at one another through the media via interviews and Twitter.

There was hope that the UFC would finally ink King Mo to a deal and put together a bout with Rampage, but the former light heavyweight champion will remain in Strikeforce after signing a new four-fight deal with the promotion at the beginning of the year.

To make matters worse, it was announced on Tuesday that King Mo tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone at the January 7 “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine” event.

If his appeal is unsuccessful, King Mo faces a fine and one-year suspension, which would pretty much kill any hope of a future bout against Rampage.

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UFC 142 Results: 5 Fights for Terry Etim to Take Next

Terry Etim made history in his UFC 142 bout with Edson Barboza, but it wasn’t in a good way.The English native became the first fighter in UFC history to get knocked out by a spinning wheel kick. The spectacular finish came late in the third round.Barb…

Terry Etim made history in his UFC 142 bout with Edson Barboza, but it wasn’t in a good way.

The English native became the first fighter in UFC history to get knocked out by a spinning wheel kick. The spectacular finish came late in the third round.

Barboza and Etim earned fight of the night honors for a competitive and entertaining scrap. As the third round winded down, Barboza pulled off a beautiful spinning wheel kick, smashing his heel clean across Etim’s face.

The brunt force of the kick sent Etim crashing to the canvas like a log.

It’s hard enough on a fighter to taste the bitter pill of defeat, but for Etim, he knows he’ll be on the wrong end of a major highlight reel for years to come.

There’s no use dwelling over the past. Etim is still a solid talent in the lightweight division. He has some major defensive issues in regards to his wrestling and striking, but at only 26 years of age, he has plenty of time to shore up holes in his fight game.

Here are five fights Etim should take next…

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