Author: Jordy McElroy

UFC 138 Results: This Event Is Proof You Don’t Need Big Names for a Great Event

Styles make fights.This clichéd saying in the world of MMA was proven once again on Saturday night as the highly-criticized UFC 138 fight card showed that marquee names aren’t needed to put on a great show.There wasn’t a single bout that went to…

Styles make fights.

This clichéd saying in the world of MMA was proven once again on Saturday night as the highly-criticized UFC 138 fight card showed that marquee names aren’t needed to put on a great show.

There wasn’t a single bout that went to a decision on the main card. The fighters involved put on a solid showing on a shockingly stellar card that was initially deemed as one of the worst events ever put together in UFC history.

With major MMA events, the main event can make or break the expectations of an entire fight card.

The idea of Chris Leben and Mark Munoz headlining was met with the utmost scrutiny. In hindsight, some of the pre-fight assumptions surrounding the Leben-Munoz main event were a bit harsh and unfair.

There is a huge difference between marquee names and marquee matchups.

Fans are generally infatuated with major bouts boasting marquee names. A couple of easy examples would be the UFC 129 championship bout between Georges St-Pierre and Jake Shields and the upcoming UFC 141 No. 1 contender bout between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem.

In a champion versus champion showdown, St-Pierre and Shields was billed as one of the biggest welterweight title bouts in UFC history, but the actual fight didn’t really live up to the hype.

Despite their star power, St-Pierre-Shields isn’t that interesting of a style matchup. While St-Pierre is one of the most well-rounded and technical fighters in all of MMA, Shields’ only advantage was his world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

The world knows St-Pierre isn’t necessarily a finisher on the feet, and Shields has an underrated chin and great recovery. With that said, this “historic” showdown turned into what the styles dictated. St-Pierre kept the fight standing and periodically jabbed at Shields for five rounds.

As for Lesnar and Overeem, who can really say if the actual fight will live up to the monumental hype the bout will surely receive?

Overeem is one of the most feared strikers in the entire heavyweight division, and Lesnar tends to shy away from standup exchanges and look for an opening to shoot in for a double leg takedown on the outside.

This has the potential to be a good fight, but the styles could easily be a precursor for a slop fest.

Fans look to marquee names, but they’re really looking for marquee matchups.

Leben and Munoz would sell out very few venues as a headliner for a major UFC card. Renan Barao and Brad Pickett, who competed in the co-main event, would be lucky to even make the Spike TV prelims.

Still, these fights managed to deliver more action than some of the UFC’s most blockbuster bouts.

Instead of marquee names, UFC 138 consisted of a multitude of great stylistic pairings. Leben and Munoz are known for their knockout power and incredibly wild striking styles. Barao and Pickett are both well-rounded, constant aggressors and phenomenal grapplers.

Along with the names involved, fans should try to pay more attention to the actual matchups to get a better feeling on what to expect.

As the old saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover.

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UFC 138 Results: Chris Leben Still Has Much To Offer to MMA

Washed up, bum, overrated, gatekeeper…When asked to describe the present day Chris Leben, these are the terms that are generally being thrown around, but are they fair assumptions of where the “Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 alumnus is at in his career?S…

Washed up, bum, overrated, gatekeeper…

When asked to describe the present day Chris Leben, these are the terms that are generally being thrown around, but are they fair assumptions of where the “Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 alumnus is at in his career?

Since entering the UFC in April 2005, Leben has been quite a character. His trademark has always been his hair, which he usually dyes blood-red before every fight.

Along with the red hair, fans have grown accustomed to seeing “The Crippler” adorning black toenail polish and a plethora of interesting tattoos. Still, you can never judge a book by its cover.

Just when you think you have him figured out, Leben is the type of individual who enters a sold out arena to RHCP’s “Roller Coaster of Love” or Gary Jules’ “Mad World.”

He is a unique individual, and his time in MMA has been invaluable.

Regardless of his troubled past, people have always respected Leben as a fighter. Sure, his brawling style has hampered his progression, but it isn’t just about world titles and rankings when dissecting the career of Chris Leben.

He fights solely for the fans. When Leben steps into the octagon, he always comes with the mindset of either knocking someone out or getting knocked out. This same berserker-like mentality has been tied to MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, who Leben knocked out at UFC 132.

Leben may never be a world champion or even a highly ranked middleweight, but what’s wrong with that?

He’s still an exciting fighter and one of the tougher guys in the entire middleweight division. In all sports, there can only be one world champion. This doesn’t mean those who have fallen should tuck their tails and run for cover.

As long as people are still willing to watch him compete, Leben will always have a place in MMA.

His UFC 138 loss to Mark Munoz speaks volumes to that sentiment. People trashed Leben and Munoz for weeks as an unsuitable headliner for a major fight card, and both middleweights went out and put on a better showing than most “blockbuster” main event bouts on pay-per-view.

Unfortunately, the bout had to be stopped at the end of the second round due to a badly placed cut, which prevented Leben from seeing.

Leben may not have been born with the athletic gifts of Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre or Jon Jones, but he was born a fighter.

As long as he’s entertaining and picking up an occasional win, fans of the sport should expect nothing more or less from the red-headed brawler.

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UFC 138 Fight Card: Mark Munoz Could Be a Win or Two Away from a Title Shot

Mark Munoz is quietly knocking on the door for a UFC title shot.While the masses snub their noses at the UFC 138 fight card, “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” prepares to do battle with Chris Leben in a bout with possible world title implications.The mid…

Mark Munoz is quietly knocking on the door for a UFC title shot.

While the masses snub their noses at the UFC 138 fight card, “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” prepares to do battle with Chris Leben in a bout with possible world title implications.

The middleweight division has been left in shambles by UFC champion Anderson Silva, who has defeated every high-profile contender in the entire weight class.

When thinking about the middleweight title picture, only an endless slew of rematches come to mind.

Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson have all been defeated by Silva, but they are all front-runners for another crack at the UFC title.

Munoz, being a fresh face, makes him a welcome addition to the middleweight title picture.

He is coming off three straight wins over tough opposition in former title contender Demian Maia, Aaron Simpson and C.B. Dollaway.

His style makes him a viable threat to any fighter in the entire division.

Along with jarring knockout power, Munoz is a world-class wrestler. He was a two-time All-American and an NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Oklahoma State University.

As long as he remains rooted in his wrestling base, Munoz could make some noise in the 185-pound division.

With that said, a win over Leben won’t sway the masses to believe Munoz is ready for a title shot, but limited contenders and outcomes in future bouts could move him along quicker than expected.

Sonnen will likely get the next shot at the UFC title. What if Belfort and Henderson both lose in their next outings?

It wouldn’t be hard to envision the UFC calling Munoz’s name.

UFC 138 may not be the most exciting card on paper, but fans should definitely pay attention, as the main event has the potential reshape the entire middleweight division.

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UFC 138 Fight Card: Can Thiago Alves Become an Elite Welterweight Again?

Merely two years, Thiago Alves was considered one of the top 10 best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.Now, the former welterweight contender could be on the chopping block at UFC 138 when he rolls out the welcome mat for newcomer Papy Abedi.After …

Merely two years, Thiago Alves was considered one of the top 10 best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Now, the former welterweight contender could be on the chopping block at UFC 138 when he rolls out the welcome mat for newcomer Papy Abedi.

After losing to Jon Fitch in June 2006, Alves went on a reign of terror in the welterweight division that lasted two years and earned him a shot at UFC champion Georges St-Pierre.

Heading into the epic UFC 100 showdown, many believed Alves would be St-Pierre’s biggest test. He was riding a seven-fight win streak, which included victories over world-class opposition in Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck and Karo Parisyan.

All of the momentum in the world didn’t matter for Alves, who was outclassed by St-Pierre in every aspect en route to a lopsided unanimous decision loss.

Since that fight, Alves has suffered multiple injuries, struggled to make weight and endured a steep decline in fight performance.

To put it bluntly, Alves, who is 1-3 in his last four fights, just doesn’t seem like the same fighter anymore.

At only 28 years of age, Alves has plenty of time to turn things around. He is still one of the best strikers in the entire welterweight division. If he can clean up his takedown defense, he would be a nightmare for any 170-pounder.

As well as cleaning up his defense, it would be nice to see Alves add dimensions to his game. People tend to forget that he’s a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

While Alves is by no means Demian Maia on the ground, it would be a nice change-up to see him implement takedowns and groundwork to round off his skills.

Can Thiago Alves become an elite welterweight again?

He most certainly can, but the road back has to begin against Abedi. If not, “The Pitbull” could be barking his swan song at UFC 138.

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Dana White: Are Fans Being Hypocrites in GSP, Diaz and Condit Situation?

The month of October was a roller-coaster ride for an unsuspecting passenger in Carlos Condit.His opportunity to achieve a lifelong goal of being a UFC champion was taken away twice in the same month.It’s almost like fate has some twisted agenda of toy…

The month of October was a roller-coaster ride for an unsuspecting passenger in Carlos Condit.

His opportunity to achieve a lifelong goal of being a UFC champion was taken away twice in the same month.

It’s almost like fate has some twisted agenda of toying with Condit’s emotions and throwing them back in his face.

Condit first emerged into the welterweight title picture when former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz lost his opportunity to challenge Georges St-Pierre, after missing two scheduled pre-fight press conferences for UFC 137.

With Diaz out of the championship bout, UFC President Dana White appointed Condit, who was coming off impressive performances over tough opposition, as the new No. 1 contender for the UFC title.

“Um, I was blown away [that I got the shot], I got pretty emotional. I started to tear up, which was pretty awesome because I was in public. I had to try to compose myself thinking of all the hard work that got me to this point,” Condit reminisced in an exclusive interview with Buddhasport.

Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last long. An injury sustained in training forced St-Pierre to withdraw from the card a couple of weeks leading up to the fight.

While this was devastating news to Condit, Diaz’s camp saw a golden opportunity to leap frog back into the contender’s seat. After being yanked from the main event, Diaz would still be competing on the UFC 137 fight card, but instead of St-Pierre, he would face another MMA legend in B.J. Penn.

With St-Pierre out and the main event scrapped, the Diaz-Penn bout was bumped from co-main event to headliner of the entire fight card.

If Diaz impressed in his performance against a fighter of Penn’s caliber, he could present a strong case to bypass Condit and get a crack at the world title.

Still, White pretty much assured the MMA world that Condit would still be the top contender regardless of the outcome of the Diaz and Penn bout.

“Condit’s in,” White told MMAJunkie. “Condit is sitting and waiting.”

It’s amazing how quickly things can turn around in the sport.

Diaz impressed in his performance against Penn, picking the legendary fighter apart in the second and third rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Even though Diaz put on a tremendous performance, it was his words after the fight that put the final nail in the coffin of Condit’s world title aspirations.

“Where you at Georges? Where you at mother (expletive)?” yelled Diaz. “I don’t think Georges is hurt, I think he’s scared. I think he’s scared to fight everybody right now.”

The entire MMA world looked on as St-Pierre fumed at Diaz’s taunts and accusations. Condit was quickly slipping from the title picture, and in a matter of seconds, the world was now consumed with the infatuation of a potential grudge match between St-Pierre and Diaz.

In other words, Diaz proposed a fight that both the UFC and fans couldn’t resist.

“Nick needs motivation. He’s got it. He’s going to fight Georges St-Pierre,” White said at the UFC 137 post-fight press conference.

“Carlos Condit has agreed to step aside and get the next guy. [St-Pierre] said, I quote, ‘[Diaz] is the most disrespectful human being I’ve ever met, and I’m going to put the worst beating you’ve ever seen on him in the UFC.'”

While the world rejoiced at the announcement of a St-Pierre and Diaz superfight, Condit sat quietly in disbelief.

Who steps aside and turns down an opportunity to fight for the UFC title?

Not Carlos Condit, according to his manager Malki Kawa.

“Contrary to what has been stated, Carlos did not step aside to allow this to happen, and would not just hand over an opportunity for him to achieve his greatest career goal, one that he has earned through strong performances in the Octagon. No option was given to him,” Kawa said in a statement issued to Inside MMA.

On the outside, it’s easy to point fingers at White for going back on his word and giving Diaz the title shot. The UFC is a business, and its job is to put on the fights fans want to see.

The interesting fact is that the vast majority of fans pointing fingers want to see St-Pierre face Diaz over Condit.

This is a tough break for Condit, who is well-worthy of a UFC title shot. In such an unpredictable sport, these kind of opportunities are lucky to be seen once in a lifetime.

Still, there is no right or wrong in this situation. Condit was promised a shot at the title, and he has every right to be upset. The UFC’s motto is putting on the big fights fans want to see, and it’s hard to argue against the blockbuster possibilities of a St-Pierre and Diaz showdown.

As for Condit, he can take positives away from this unfortunate situation. This will give him even more time to polish his skills and take his fight game to another level.

It isn’t the belt that makes the legend. Some fighters have held the coveted UFC title in their days, and only a few fans can recall their careers. It’s all about the matchups, which Condit should have no problem finding in the incredibly-stacked welterweight division.

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Chris Leben Questions Anderson Silva’s Progress, Wants Title Shot After Munoz

You can throw Chris Leben’s name into the sweepstakes for a shot at Anderson Silva and the UFC middleweight title.Coming off a first-round knockout victory over MMA legend Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132, Leben has positioned himself to climb back into the …

You can throw Chris Leben’s name into the sweepstakes for a shot at Anderson Silva and the UFC middleweight title.

Coming off a first-round knockout victory over MMA legend Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132, Leben has positioned himself to climb back into the contender’s picture with a win over Mark Munoz this Saturday night at UFC 138.

“It was five years ago that I fought Anderson Silva, and I believe I’ve changed immensely. I don’t know how much he’s progressed,” Leben told Bobby Cavian of StudioMMA.

“I would love to get that shot again, and personally, I’m getting older,” he said. “I’ve been in this sport long enough that I think if I win this fight in decisive fashion, people should be able to go, ‘OK, look, he’s won five of his last six fights. We know he was sick going into the [Brian] Stann fight, but he took it anyways. He didn’t pull out. Give him a shot.'”

Leben is notorious for rolling out the welcome wagon for Silva in June 2006.

“The Spider” made quick work of The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 alumni, Leben, in the bout that catapulted his career toward the UFC title and pound-for-pound supremacy.

Other than a minor hiccup against Stann, Leben has impressed as of late, with victories over Silva, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Aaron Simpson and Jay Silva.

A win over Munoz would be huge in climbing his way back up the middleweight ladder, but the line for a title shot remains crowded.

UFC 138 is set to take place at LG Arena in Birmingham, England. Leben and Munoz will serve as the main event for the fight card, which will air free on Spike TV.

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