Author: Jordy McElroy

Melvin Guillard Claims Bout with Jim Miller Will Decide Next No. 1 Contender

Melvin Guillard may have suffered a tremendous upset loss to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, but apparently, he remains very much in the lightweight title picture.In an interview with MMACanada.net, Guillard talked about the lessons he learned from his loss to …

Melvin Guillard may have suffered a tremendous upset loss to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, but apparently, he remains very much in the lightweight title picture.

In an interview with MMACanada.net, Guillard talked about the lessons he learned from his loss to Lauzon and his upcoming bout with Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 1.

“It’s funny how you learn things over the years, and you go back as an adult and learn it again,” said Guillard.

“I think the biggest thing I learned was to be patient and not rush myself. The only reason [Joe Lauzon] won that fight was because I rushed myself, I was rushing my shots trying to hit him, and I actually ran into a stiff jab that actually rocked me. By the time I hit the canvas, I shook it off, but before I could shake it off, he was already on my back.”

Before the loss to Lauzon, Guillard was considered a frontrunner for a UFC title shot, but the old adage proved once again that anything can happen inside the octagon.

Lauzon dropped Guillard with a left hand and latched on a rear naked choke that had the lightweight contender tapping in merely 47 seconds.

The attending crowd erupted in disbelief immediately after, but none were more shocked than Guillard himself, who sat motionless staring off into space as Lauzon celebrated with his corner.

“It’s a life lesson. I walked away with no scratches, no bruises, and now I’ve been blessed even more. After a loss, the first time in my UFC career, they’re actually giving me a number one contender fight against Jim Miller live January 20 in Nashville,” Guillard said.

If true, it would be a pretty interesting circumstance to have two lightweights coming off losses and still receiving an opportunity to compete for a UFC title.

With that said, it isn’t like Guillard and Miller are undeserving of the opportunity.

Miller, who was defeated soundly by top lightweight contender Benson Henderson at UFC on Versus 5, was riding a seven-fight win streak over significantly tough opposition before his loss, and Guillard had amounted five-straight victories over stellar opposition as well, leading up to his bout with Lauzon.

“Jim Miller is one of my favorite fighters to watch. I admire the guy, I love his style of fighting, I love his killer instinct,” said Guillard.

“I’m down in Florida training with Rashad Evans and the guys at Imperial. I got me a personal trainer as far as my Jiu-Jitsu. He actually used to train the Nogueira brothers. I’m working with Rashad and [Mike] van Arsdale on my wrestling, which I’m already a state champion, so I’m sharpening my tools that I keep having the issues with in the ring.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 141 Results: Why All Welterweights Should Worry About Johny Hendricks

The balance of power in the welterweight division endured a major shake-up at UFC 141 on Saturday night.Whether you want to call it luck or untapped potential, Johny Hendricks left the jaws of every MMA fan agape after smashing perennial No. 2 welterwe…

The balance of power in the welterweight division endured a major shake-up at UFC 141 on Saturday night.

Whether you want to call it luck or untapped potential, Johny Hendricks left the jaws of every MMA fan agape after smashing perennial No. 2 welterweight contender Jon Fitch in 12 seconds.

Hendricks had been a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Oklahoma State University. He landed a crushing overhand left in the first round that sent Fitch crashing to the canvas.

Fitch is called a zombie for his ability to withstand significant damage and bounce back. There was no coming back for the former UFC title contender this time.

Hendricks followed up with one final ground shot. That put the nail in the coffin of one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

“The media said that I had no chance. They had said I had no chance, but ever since it first started, I told them that I at least had a puncher’s chance,” said Hendricks at the post-fight press conference.

He continued:

The good Lord blessed me with a left hand, and I put it on him. He’s a tough fighter. I knew it was gonna be a three-round (fight). That’s what I trained for, that’s what I prepared for, and the good Lord blessed me with a knockout.

With the win, Hendricks enters his name on the contender’s list for a possible crack at UFC gold.

Fans are currently infatuated with world-class welterweight strikers Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, but people shouldn’t sleep on Hendricks as a future contender.

Along with heavy hands, he has one of the most decorated wrestling pedigrees in the entire division. Hendricks has the potential to grind out bouts, but he also has the ability to end fights at any moment on the feet.

His style is reminiscent of that of former contender Josh Koscheck.

At only 28years old, Hendricks has the skill set to make some serious noise in the welterweight division, and his performance against Fitch just put the rest of the 170-pounders on notice.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 141 Results: Nate Diaz vs Benson Henderson Breakdown

Nate Diaz is gearing up for a run at the UFC lightweight title, but depending on the outcome of the championship fight at UFC 144, the bout may not be against current champion Frankie Edgar.Former WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson is set to fac…

Nate Diaz is gearing up for a run at the UFC lightweight title, but depending on the outcome of the championship fight at UFC 144, the bout may not be against current champion Frankie Edgar.

Former WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson is set to face Edgar on February 26 to determine the king of the 155-pound division.

The opponent doesn’t necessarily matter to Diaz. He just wants an opportunity to capture a UFC title and finally prove he’s one of the best in the world.

While a bout against Edgar would be incredibly tough in its own right, Diaz would have a difficult time dealing with the pressure from Henderson’s persistent takedowns and strong top control.

Takedown defense has been a consistent problem with Diaz throughout his career. He tends to rely on his world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the great equalizer in dealing with strong wrestlers, but his plans typically go awry when the wrestler has great submission defense.

Henderson could be seen as the Harry Houdini of MMA. He has performed some of the most impossible escapes in the past against accomplished grapplers.

Diaz’s best chances against Henderson will come in the standup exchanges. Henderson is a decent boxer who has the ability to string together simplified combinations. Diaz should be able to use his range, head movement and pinpoint accuracy to land often on the feet.

Can Diaz keep the bout standing?

This one question could decide the outcome of the entire fight. It’s tough to see Diaz stuffing Henderson’s takedowns, but in a five-round bout, it leaves plenty of opportunities for the Cesar Gracie student to nab a submission.

Stylistically, this just isn’t a good matchup for Diaz. Henderson would be relentless with his takedowns and eat chunks of time off the clock from top position.

“Smooth” takes the unanimous decision.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 141 Results: Nate Diaz vs. Frankie Edgar Breakdown

Following an impressive unanimous decision victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 141, Nate Diaz has his eyes set on UFC gold, and lightweight champion Frankie Edgar looks to be the primary target in his crosshairs.”I hope I get a number one contender spot…

Following an impressive unanimous decision victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 141, Nate Diaz has his eyes set on UFC gold, and lightweight champion Frankie Edgar looks to be the primary target in his crosshairs.

“I hope I get a number one contender spot or a title shot because I ain’t trying to play around with these funny fights no more,” Diaz told UFC.com in a post-fight interview.

“I’ve been fighting for too long, and I want to fight the best guys. I want to get what I deserve out of this.”

Coming off back-to-back wins over Cerrone and lightweight legend Takanori Gomi, Diaz can certainly make a case for a UFC title shot.

How would he match up against Edgar, a man UFC President Dana White once proclaimed as the No. 2 best pound-for-pound fighter in the world?

On the feet, Diaz can present a lot of technical problems for Edgar. He is an aggressive striker with a tremendous understanding of range. His accuracy is pinpoint, and he utilizes good head movement.

The high volume of punches is generally where he finds the most success. Diaz is going to press Edgar and force him to exchange in the pocket.

The difference between Cerrone and Edgar lies in speed and grappling abilities.

Edgar isn’t an easy target to find on the feet. He tends to rely on his speed to explode in and out of the pocket with well-placed combinations.

Diaz’s primary concern should be the takedowns. It’s common knowledge that wrestling isn’t his forte, and despite being undersized at 155 pounds, Edgar remains one of the best wrestlers in the entire division.

Diaz is a world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist, but Edgar has proven himself in dealing with the legendary guard of B.J. Penn on a couple of occasions.

While Diaz would put up a solid effort, Edgar has to be the favorite considering his huge wrestling advantage and submission defense.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 141 Results: 3 Reasons Alistair Overeem May Not Be Ready for a Title Shot

Alistair Overeem impressed in his UFC debut against former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar on Saturday night at UFC 141.The former Strikeforce champion came in with a low base and ripped at Lesnar with devastating knees and kicks to the body.It was a…

Alistair Overeem impressed in his UFC debut against former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar on Saturday night at UFC 141.

The former Strikeforce champion came in with a low base and ripped at Lesnar with devastating knees and kicks to the body.

It was a performance that proved once and for all Overeem’s No. 3 positioning in the heavyweight rankings.

The UFC has already confirmed the upcoming championship bout between Overeem and Junior dos Santos.

Most in the MMA world are already singing praises to Overeem as the heavyweight division’s uncrowned king, but a step back and deep breath opens up an entirely different look in regards to the title picture.

As the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Dream heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix champion, there is no questioning whether or not Overeem deserves a shot at UFC gold. He has gone above and beyond to earn a crack at the most prestigious title in the sport.

Still, there is major skill gap between dos Santos and Cain Velasquez in comparison to the rest of the division.

Is the hype real?

The world will soon know as Overeem is set to trek foot into some serious upper-echelon territory.

Here are three reasons he may not be ready for a title shot.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 141 Results: Nate Diaz Is Now an Elite Lightweight

Nate Diaz finally stepped from the long-cast shadows of his brother Nick Diaz at UFC 141.The lightweight contender completely decimated a red hot Donald Cerrone en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory and quite possibly a shot at UFC gold.To …

Nate Diaz finally stepped from the long-cast shadows of his brother Nick Diaz at UFC 141.

The lightweight contender completely decimated a red hot Donald Cerrone en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory and quite possibly a shot at UFC gold.

To many, Diaz’s win over Cerrone represented his true coming out party as an elite lightweight in the UFC, but pundits tend to go back further and see that Diaz has always maintained a solid track record at 155 pounds.

Before jumping to welterweight, the Cesar Gracie student was coming off a win over Melvin Guillard and a highly controversial split-decision loss to Gray Maynard, who is widely considered as one of the top three lightweights in the world.

Diaz has obviously come a long way in his striking, which looked almost identical to his brother Nick’s against Cerrone. He constantly presses forward and wears opponents down with a high volume of punches in the pocket.

Cerrone had opportunities to seek out takedowns or jump into Diaz’s guard, but along with world-class boxing skills, the Diaz brothers are known for having some of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the sport.

The primary hole in Diaz’s game lies in his wrestling, but he tends to brush that fact aside and hope that his submission prowess stands out as the great equalizer.

It’s going to be interesting to see how he deals with strong wrestlers with great submission defense.

Lightweights such as Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson and Gray Maynard should all be significant tests, but if the Cerrone bout was any indication, the year 2012 could represent the rise of Nate Diaz.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com