Author: Jordy McElroy

Brock Lesnar: Overeem Doesn’t Understand the Beast He’ll Face in the Octagon

Brock Lesnar knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity.The former UFC heavyweight champion has battled back from two cases of diverticulitis that nearly ended his fighting career.Now that he has a clean bill of health, Lesnar is reinvigorated in …

Brock Lesnar knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity.

The former UFC heavyweight champion has battled back from two cases of diverticulitis that nearly ended his fighting career.

Now that he has a clean bill of health, Lesnar is reinvigorated in his pursuit to recapture the UFC title and climb back to the top of the heavyweight ranks.

At UFC 141, former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem will be the man standing in his way.

“I’m knocking on the door to being the UFC heavyweight champion again,” Lesnar said in his pre-fight interview for UFC 141. “I got this fight against Alistair, and this guy is not going to stand in my way. There’s no way in hell that I’m going to let that happen.”

Overeem has been wreaking havoc in the heavyweight division as of late. He is currently riding a 10-fight win streak, with his most recent victories coming over Fabricio Werdum, Todd Duffee and Brett Rogers.

While UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos certainly makes a case, Overeem is widely recognized as the best striker in the entire heavyweight division, but all of the accolades in the world won’t faze Lesnar when the cage door closes.

“He’s very versatile on his feet, and he’s got a long range, both with his hands and legs,” admitted Lesnar. “I don’t care how many fights he’s had. I don’t care where his career has been. When the door shuts and it’s time to go, he’ll know really quickly that he’s got a fight on his hands.”

After nearly losing everything, Lesnar has refocused his training in his time away from the sport. Filled with a new purpose, he plans on making an example out of Overeem and beginning his road back to the heavyweight title.

“In my mind, I think he’s in over his head,” said Lesnar. “He doesn’t understand the beast that he’s going to enter the Octagon with.”

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Dana White: Anderson Silva Close to Retiring, Last Fight Against Jones or GSP?

The clock is ticking on Anderson Silva’s career.
At 37 years of age, the UFC middleweight champion has achieved every accolade in the sport, but a plethora of nagging injuries could finally force him to hang up his gloves.
UFC President Dana White rece…

The clock is ticking on Anderson Silva‘s career.

At 37 years of age, the UFC middleweight champion has achieved every accolade in the sport, but a plethora of nagging injuries could finally force him to hang up his gloves.

UFC President Dana White recently spoke with AFLA about the possibility of the curtains closing on arguably the most illustrious career in the history of the sport.

“He’s probably the greatest fighter in history,” said White (through Google translation). “I think he has two more title defenses and [don’t] know what’s next, if he will retire.”

Silva is widely recognized as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Since becoming UFC champion in October 2006, “The Spider” has decimated all comers on his way to breaking a multitude of UFC records.

In the octagon, Silva holds records for most consecutive title defenses, most successful title defenses, most consecutive wins and the longest title reign in UFC history.

There will never be another Anderson Silva.

“Age is [expletive] man. It’s the only thing you can not cheat,” said White. “The fighters who become champions never finish their careers at that height. Anderson may have the ability to do this. The problem is that you never know when time will end for you. You are the king of the world, get in there and one day is half a second slower than before, and only you will know right away.”

Silva has been dealing with persistent injuries that have kept him from competing on a more consistent basis. He is currently dealing with shoulder issues that will likely keep him sidelined until June 2012.

If the end truly is in sight, White expects the middleweight champ to go out with a bang.

Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping are all possible contenders for Silva’s title, but when considering the end of perhaps the greatest career in MMA history, White understands that fans deserve more than just rematches and unmarketable side shows.

“He could end his career with a super fight against Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre. Then he could take a boat and sail into the sunset.”

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Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal Complete Main Card B/R Staff Predictions

Strikeforce comes to the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., with a solid card featuring two championship bouts, including the return of top pound-for-pound female fighter Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez’s ti…

Strikeforce comes to the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., with a solid card featuring two championship bouts, including the return of top pound-for-pound female fighter Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez’s title defense against top contender Jorge Masvidal will serve as the main attraction.

Currently on a five-fight win streak, Melendez looks to defend his title for a third consecutive time, but Masvidal, who is coming off back-to-back wins over K.J. Noons and Billy Evangelista, won’t be an easy mark.

This bout could very well be Melendez’s audition for a UFC contract. He would certainly be a major addition to the lightweight roster, considering most publications have him listed at No. 3 in the 155-pound rankings.

In the co-main event, Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cyborg makes her long-awaited return against Japanese striker Hiroko Yamanaka.

A contractual dispute with Strikeforce has kept Cyborg out of action for well over a year. She’ll have her work cut out for her against Yamanaka, who is typically listed at No. 2 in the female featherweight rankings.

Bleacher Report MMA featured columnists John Heinis, Dwight Wakabayashi, Brian Benchimol-Lopez and yours truly, Jordy McElroy, will break down and give our predictions on Saturday night’s event.

The time has come once again for you to feast on some manly induced knowledge in preparation for the upcoming fights. Snatch a cold beverage out the fridge and get comfortable. It’s prediction time.

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Jon Jones: "GSP and Anderson Silva Are Ahead of Me in Pound-for-Pound Rankings"

Is Jon Jones now the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world?Following his submission win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140, fans are debating whether or not the 24-year-old light heavyweight champion has done enough to surpass Anderson Silva and Georges …

Is Jon Jones now the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world?

Following his submission win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140, fans are debating whether or not the 24-year-old light heavyweight champion has done enough to surpass Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre in the pound-for-pound ranks.

Since defeating Ryan Bader in February, Jones has gone on to dominate three former world champions and MMA legends in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida.

UFC commentator Joe Rogan has talked up Jones’ impending greatness in UFC promotional trailers for months.

“Jon Jones is a star. He’s one of those guys who comes along every few years who just stands out.”

Seeing the path of destruction Jones has carved out in 2011, this could be considered an understatement. There has never been a fighter quite like Jones in the history of the sport.

With that said, Silva and St-Pierre share the same unique aura that has enabled them to maintain pound-for-pound supremacy for so many years.

“A lot of people are really ranking me up there in the top three of the UFC as a whole, and that’s a great honor,” Jones said in an interview on ESPN SportsCenter. “The two guys that are ahead of me are Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva, and they’ve just simply been in the game a lot longer than I have.”

With both St-Pierre and Silva on the shelf recovering from injuries, the spotlight is slowly shifting in Jones’ direction.

Is it Jones’ destiny to overtake the pound-for-pound rankings, or will Silva and St-Pierre continue to dominate their respective divisions and leave the young lion in the dust?

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UFC 140 Results: Jon Jones and Frank Mir Taking Heat for Post-Fight Actions

Mind your manners?After impressive performances at UFC 140, Jon Jones and Frank Mir are being showered with criticism for unsporting conduct supposedly displayed immediately following their victories.In a Facebook post on Sunday, MMA trainer Erik Pauls…

Mind your manners?

After impressive performances at UFC 140, Jon Jones and Frank Mir are being showered with criticism for unsporting conduct supposedly displayed immediately following their victories.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, MMA trainer Erik Paulson voiced his disappointment in the post-fight behavior of Mir and Jones.

“A little bummed out to see Mir break Nogeras Arm and not check to see if he was okay after the Fight. Also to see Jones Drop Machita on his face after he knew that he was out! safety and Well being of your Brothers after you share sweat and blood. then don’t care about their well being. leaving a statement for the next generation of fighters that do it to you someday.”

In his bout with MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mir recovered after getting dropped with a punch and locked up a kimura. The hold was completely locked in, but Nogueira refused to tap and kept trying to find an opening to escape.

With the fight on the line, Mir was left with no choice but to crank the hold all the way through and break Nogueira’s arm. Nogueira began to tap just as his arm was being wrenched in a complete circle, but it was too late. Fans all over the world watched as Nogueira’s bone snapped, and Mir got up to celebrate.

While Mir didn’t immediately check on Nogueira, he was incredibly humble after the fight.

“I honestly hope that Nogueira ends up being okay,” Mir told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview. “I idolize him. When you’re our size and you’re as dangerous as we are, things happen. You can get caught. It takes nothing away from Nogueira.”

As for Jones, he ended Lyoto Machida‘s title hopes in the second round of their UFC championship bout with a modified guillotine choke.

The choke was locked in the standing position against the cage. After the referee realized Machida was unconscious, he stepped in to call a halt to the action.

Instead of slowly lowering the unconscious challenger to the ground, Jones merely released the choke, and Machida‘s body crumpled to the floor.

Despite his post-fight actions, Jones was also humble in his post-fight interview with Rogan.

“He didn’t have me hurt, but he did punch me pretty good and wobble me a little bit,” said Jones. “He’s just really smart. He kicks really hard, and he knew his range. He has great tactics. He was definitely a very tough puzzle.”

It’s tough to ignore the incredible adrenaline rush fighters go through. After pushing their bodies for months in training, they come out and compete live in front of thousands, with millions watching around the world.

A rare moment of greatness can overtake any athlete.

For those few seconds, Jones wasn’t thinking about Machida being unconscious and the fact that Mir had just broken Nogueira’s arm was probably the furthest thing from his mind. Their initial thoughts likely revolved around all of the hard work it took to accomplish a goal.

Football legend Vince Lombardi may have said it best in a memorable sports quote.

“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle—victorious.”

 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis.

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Dana White Explains His Decision Over Releasing Miguel Torres

Rape is certainly no laughing matter.Unfortunately, Miguel Torres had to learn the hard way. The former WEC bantamweight champion was released from the UFC on Thursday after “jokingly” posting a comment pertaining to rape on his Twitter.”If a rape van …

Rape is certainly no laughing matter.

Unfortunately, Miguel Torres had to learn the hard way. The former WEC bantamweight champion was released from the UFC on Thursday after “jokingly” posting a comment pertaining to rape on his Twitter.

“If a rape van was called a surprise van, more women wouldn’t mind going for rides in them. Everyone like surprises,” Torres posted.

Torres tried to rectify the situation by changing the word “rape” to “windowless,” but the damage had already been done.

UFC President Dana White made the decision to release the legendary bantamweight from his UFC contract.

“It wasn’t that I thought this was offensive. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous and stupid, and yeah, I’m sure offensive to many people,” White told Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com. “That’s not a funny joke to me. It’s just not something you tweet. If that’s your sense of humor, keep it at home around your buddies and yourself.”

While Torres is the only fighter to be fired after making such comments, former light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin have also come under heat for making light of rape.

At a pre-fight press conference for UFC on Fox 2, Evans went for the juggler in a heated exchange with rising light heavyweight Phil Davis, an alumni of Penn State.

“I guarantee you’re going to be the first one to take a shot because I’m going to put those hands on you worse than that dude did to them other kids at Penn State,” Evans stated.

In November, a controversial comment posted on Twitter left Griffin in hot water as well.

“Rape is the new missionary,” posted Griffin.

With similar instances involving major UFC superstars, why was Torres the only fighter released? Is there some form of meter that determines what comments are more offensive?

“We don’t come out in the UFC with these canned statements that are written by our lawyers. We handle everything on a case by case basis with the idea that people are gonna make mistakes, and it’s how you handle yourself after you make a mistake,” said White.

Griffin’s comment pertained to the media’s obsession with a plethora of rape incidents including the case of Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant coach at Penn State charged with child molestation.

In Evans’ case, his comments were directed at Davis, an upcoming opponent with a connection to Penn State.

Torres’ tweet came out of left field, and so far, his only explanation is that the comment was meant as a joke. It was certainly an outlandish comment that deserved some form of discipline, but did Torres deserve to lose his job?

The MMA community has lit up over the past 24 hours with passionate fans lashing out at the UFC and concocting petitions to bring back Torres. Despite the pleas of fans, White isn’t budging in his stance. The UFC has always done business a certain way, and a few petitions won’t change White’s business philosophy.

“I don’t give a (expletive) what people think. I really don’t. If you haven’t figured that out in the last 10 years, then you’re pretty thick headed,” White said.

“The bottom line is nobody is going to persuade me, and nobody is going to pressure me into attacking my own guys and going after my guys because I feel like it’s what should be done. I’m going to handle this thing the way that I want to. I’m not going to be pressured by the media, by the fans or anybody else to go in and attack my guys when they make a mistake.”

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