Author: Joseph Zucker

Anderson Silva’s Legacy Wouldn’t Be Damaged by 2nd Loss to Chris Weidman

Win or lose, Anderson Silva’s legacy will remain intact on Saturday night.
The 38-year-old looks to avenge his only loss in UFC when he takes on Chris Weidman at UFC 168. Their first bout ended with a shocking knockout, when Silva’s in-ring antics left…

Win or lose, Anderson Silva‘s legacy will remain intact on Saturday night.

The 38-year-old looks to avenge his only loss in UFC when he takes on Chris Weidman at UFC 168. Their first bout ended with a shocking knockout, when Silva’s in-ring antics left him too exposed, and Weidman connected with a combination of punches to end the fight.

A loss in the rematch may leave Silva feeling as if his career is unfinished, but there’s no doubting he’ll remain one of, if not the best fighter in the history of UFC.

Nothing will change the fact that Silva defended his Middleweight Championship 10 times, a record for the company. There’s also the little matter of his 16 victories—tied for third-most in the company—two of which went to the judges’ scorecards.

You can’t retroactively change the record books. What Silva has done heading into Saturday night will remain forever.

In general, athletes, especially those in combat sports, are remembered by their best days. It’s why hardly anybody remembers Muhammad Ali losing to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick, but his wins over George Foreman, Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier are the stuff of legends.

Fighters like Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes are also legends for what they did during their best years, not the ignominious way in which they ended their careers.

The same will be said of Georges St-Pierre.

In his prime, Anderson was head and shoulders better than the competition. He exerted such a dominance over his opponents that it became almost boring to watch him fight. “The Spider” would avoid any major blows and then effortlessly lock a submission or connect with one of those deadly knees.

After a while, it gets monotonous watching the same guy win over and over again, rarely having been tested.

Yet, that doesn’t take anything away from Silva’s accomplishments.

Genius is never truly appreciated in its time. Plenty of fans want to look at Silva and use whatever they can find to pick apart his legacy.

Maybe they didn’t like his showmanship in the Octagon and what appeared to be a lackadaisical attitude toward his opponents and the sport in general.

While it’s understandable why that could rub many the wrong way, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports succinctly summarizes what’s made Silva so great and why he commands so much respect:

He’s a pro’s pro, and Silva understands what is needed to succeed. He’s never been the most outgoing with the media, and so perhaps he hasn’t gotten the credit he’s deserved for an incredible career – doesn’t it seem that Georges St-Pierre got more credit, for doing less, than Silva? – but no one can knock his preparedness.

He never failed to be in shape and he never failed to be ready to fight. He might have spoken in riddles, but when the bell rang, the one constant is that we knew Anderson Silva would be ready to fight 25 hard minutes, if need be.

With any luck, the coming years will help to turn some fans around.

Silva made it seem as if he has no plans of retiring, via Fox Sports’ Damon Martin:

After the last fight, after the dust settled I was sitting thinking alone and thinking maybe I should stop.  Maybe this is it. But I got on the phone with my son and my son said, “Hey dad, do what you want to do, do what makes you happy,” and that’s what I’m doing.

[…]

I still have eight fights left on my contract and as long as I’m still enjoying it and I still want to go out there and have that desire to fight, I’m going to keep on fighting. If I’m going to retire, there’s no way to say that right now.  That’s something that’s going to come from the heart.

Make sure to tune in on Saturday night, because nobody knows if Silva will see out that contract. With his mercurial nature, he could end up walking away after UFC 168.

One thing is for sure: It’s only in time that Silva’s accomplishments and record will truly be appreciated. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ronda Rousey Will Turn Public Perception Around at UFC 168 with Convincing Win

The best way to earn respect is to beat it into people. In lieu of bringing a PR disaster to the UFC, Ronda Rousey can settle for dismantling Miesha Tate at UFC 168.
While the reigning Women’s Bantamweight Champion remains one of the most popular fight…

The best way to earn respect is to beat it into people. In lieu of bringing a PR disaster to the UFC, Ronda Rousey can settle for dismantling Miesha Tate at UFC 168.

While the reigning Women’s Bantamweight Champion remains one of the most popular fighters in the company, she’s beginning to undergo what would be considered a heel turn in professional wrestling or perhaps has already entered into that territory for some.

There was a time when Rousey was a refreshing face. Now, she has been featured on so many different television shows and magazine covers that she’s been overexposed to the sporting public. Fans are getting sick of seeing her face everywhere they look.

It’s happened to plenty of celebrities and athletes before, plenty of whom aren’t even that good to begin with (see Tebow, Tim).

Coaching a team against Tate on The Ultimate Fighter did nothing to present Rousey in a good light or help her public image.

However, she accused the show of splicing together clips in order to fit the narrative, via Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times:

We were really mistreated and really disrespected by the whole production staff. Everyone was constantly being instigated and manipulated to get the most dramatic response. … Constantly poked and prodded, like we weren’t even people. … It left a sour taste in my mouth.

They edited as they pleased. They needed a villain and they made me fill that role. … It came off terribly for me.

Rather than using her words to change the public’s perception, Rousey instead needs to dispatch Tate with ease. Nothing turns fans around quicker than seeing a great athlete be great.

Gareth A. Davies of FoxSports.com illustrated how fickle UFC fans can be:

Look at Jon Jones. He gets a strange rap from the UFC fan base. Jones told me not long after he became light heavyweight champion how he applies the “10-80-10 rule”, and never departs from it.

His theory is this: 10 percent of fans will hate him no matter what; another 10 percent will follow him devotedly even if he went on a lay-and-pray streak and sent a series of arenas into slumber. The remaining 80 percent, he reckons, swim with the tide. Pretty wise theory.

And I’ll wager it holds true. Ever recall a fighter being booed into the Octagon, and then cheered out of it, or cheered as they come back and rescue a victory from the throes of defeat?

Those Coliseum moments which draw us all in, when a baying crowd turns, and the heel leaves as hero, are legion in MMA.

What drew so many people to Rousey was the way in which she won fights. It didn’t hurt that she’s a female athlete who happens to be beautiful, but that only gets you so far for so long (see Patrick, Danica). In order to keep fans interested, you have to be good, and there’s no doubt about Rousey‘s talent.

None of her seven fights has gone past the first round, and each of which was ended when she slapped on the armbar.

On Saturday night, Rousey has the chance to make everyone remember what was so awesome about her in the first place—her talent. Watching Rousey is like watching any other great athlete at the peak of their powers.

It’s similar to what you see with Floyd Mayweather. You may not like the way he constantly flaunts his wealth, but you have to respect the guy for how he’s continued to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He talks a big game, but he backs it up.

The more Rousey fights, and more importantly wins, the less people will care about what kind of person she is. Beating Tate will help turn everybody back around and get the narrative back to how great Rousey is in the Octagon and not whether she’s a saint outside of it.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ronda Rousey’s Most Important Objectives on Saturday at UFC 168

It isn’t enough for Ronda Rousey to retain her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship at UFC 168. She has to dispatch Miesha Tate with ease if she’s going to be a winner in the fans’ eyes.
With Georges St-Pierre’s self-imposed hiatus, Rousey has arguabl…

It isn’t enough for Ronda Rousey to retain her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship at UFC 168. She has to dispatch Miesha Tate with ease if she’s going to be a winner in the fans’ eyes.

With Georges St-Pierre’s self-imposed hiatus, Rousey has arguably become the biggest star in the company. Nobody creates more of a buzz than she does. Rousey is on the cover of magazines, a guest on talk shows and featured in major motion pictures.

As a result of all this added attention, Rousey will be faced with increased scrutiny. She has to win and win in dominant fashion in order to keep her reputation from taking a hit on Saturday night.

Going in, the 26-year-old champion has at least two objectives that she must complete in order for UFC 168 to be a success.

 

End the Fight Quickly

This fight isn’t unlike any other sporting event where a major underdog tries to upset the odds and shock the world. The longer the fight goes, the bigger the window is for Tate to win.

Rousey hasn’t been faced with a real test in the Octagon. She’s always gotten ahead early, locked on the armbar and won in a matter of minutes.

Nobody truly knows how Rousey would handle adversity. Liz Carmouche locked on that rear-naked choke in the first round in her match with Rousey, but the champ never looked like she was in major trouble.

Should the fight get pushed past the second round or so, a tiny seed of doubt could get planted in Rousey‘s mind. She begins pressing and leaves herself open for Tate to lock in a submission or possibly land a couple of knockdowns that impress the judges.

Neither outcome is good for the reigning champ.

You also have to consider the aura of invincibility that surrounds Rousey in the Octagon. As Ivan Vanko said in Iron Man 2, “If you could make God bleed, people would cease to believe in him.”

Even the most minute of weaknesses Rousey shows will be analyzed by future opponents, and they’ll start to believe that she isn’t the unstoppable monster her previous fights would have you believe.

It’s like watching early Mike Tyson fights. Some of his opponents were beaten before they even stepped in the ring.

Then Buster Douglas came along, and it was open season on “Iron Mike.”

 

Win over the Fans

Rousey has become overexposed to the point that she’s beginning to lose fans. It’s the same thing you see with every major star in any sport.

Of course, her appearance on The Ultimate Fighter did her no favors, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole:

She didn’t make many new fans during her coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter. She frequently came across as mean and petulant and constantly seemed to have a sneer on her face.

The fact that Tate beat her head-to-head in the first round of a fan-voting contest to be on the cover of a video game says much about the perception of her after TUF. To be fair, Tate campaigned to win the vote and Rousey did not, but the public outcry against her from TUF viewers was loud and clear.

Tate sums up many fans’ feelings toward Rousey (via Fox Sports’ Marc Raimondi):

She runs her mouth. She’s very loud, very boisterous, very opinionated. Love her or hate her, you take notice of her. I think that’s the biggest thing. She’s different than most of the girls who fight in MMA. A lot of fans out there have the WWE mentality. Those are the fans that fell hook line and sinker and loved her. She was that controversial one, that s**t talker, she started drama.

The best thing that Rousey can do to swing the fans back to her side is dominate the fight and win quickly. That would make people remember what was so cool about Rousey in the first place. She was a force of nature who made opponents tap in minutes.

What’s not to like about an athlete demonstrating mastery of his or her sport?

Since she hasn’t fought in 10 months, some have forgotten how talented she is.

By winning, Rousey can get everybody talking about her performance in the Octagon rather than what she said on a television show or how she acts outside of the UFC.

Just ask LeBron James, Ray Lewis and Kobe Bryant, for starters. There is no better redemptive agent than performing well as an athlete. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Events Schedule 2014: Biggest Takeaways from PPV Lineup Reveal

The UFC has officially released its general schedule for 2014. While many of the cards are still unknown, there’s plenty here to whet fans’ appetites.
According to the company’s website, the UFC will put on 35 events next year. Fox Sports Live tweeted …

The UFC has officially released its general schedule for 2014. While many of the cards are still unknown, there’s plenty here to whet fans’ appetites.

According to the company’s website, the UFC will put on 35 events next year. Fox Sports Live tweeted a breakdown of how those events will be carried on television and pay-per-view.

The year will start out with UFC on Fox on January 25 in the United Center. The other highlights include UFC 169 in New Jersey at the beginning of February and then UFC 170 in Las Vegas later in the month.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the unveiling of the schedule.

 

Are You Ready for Some Fighting (Then Football)?

One of the cooler elements on the schedule is that UFC 169 will take place on February 1, a day before Super Bowl XLVIII, in the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The Super Bowl is roughly 10 miles away in East Rutherford at MetLife Stadium.

It’s a nice bit of synergy for Fox.

This was a smart move by the UFC. The entire week building up to the Super Bowl is covered by just about every sports outlet in the country. But nothing ever happens. It’s just a bunch of players talking platitudes and about how their team is going to win.

With so much of the media focused on the NFL and so little in terms of substance, it’s a great chance for the UFC to steal some of that spotlight or at least piggyback on it. Going right up against the Super Bowl is never a good idea. On the other hand, having an event the night before is bound to create buzz and draw in plenty of fans.

 

UFC Looking to Expand Overseas

The UFC will be taking the fight to Europe and Asia, quite literally, as it looks to gain more of a foothold in international markets.

Per Fox Sports.com’s Mike Chiappetta:

The UFC’s plans for international expansion continue to be molded into shape as UFC’s executive vice president in charge of the European, Middle Eastern and African regions Garry Cook laid out a plan designed to grow the market and eventually stage events that would be specifically produced for local markets. In other words, not designed for U.S. audiences.

The plan would be to create a UFC Fight Night series with a minimum of six events in 2014, and the objective would be to give the UFC’s European broadcast partners primetime programming and create regional stars…

For 2014, London has already been targeted for kicking off the series in the spring, while Istanbul was also mentioned as a likely landing spot. Other cities including Dublin, Lodz, Glasgow and Berlin are also frontrunners for events.

Growing overseas can only be a good thing for the UFC.

By scheduling events in foreign countries, it’s opening up new revenue streams. Sure, plenty of international fans have probably heard of the UFC, but never before will so many have an opportunity to see fights in person.

The Fight Night series is also a great way to grow new stars. These fighters might get lost in the shuffle in the U.S, but now they can build a reputation on a huge stage closer to home. As they become bigger stars, those international fans will become more interested in the product and gain a rooting interest.

That in turn means more dollars in the UFC’s pocket.

 

Will the Product Get Watered Down?

Slowly but surely, the UFC has been increasing its number of events over the years. Between 2010 and 2014, 11 more cards have been added to the calendar, via TheMMAReport.com’s Jason Floyd.

When you think about it, that’s a significant number. The schedule has increased by almost a third in the span of five years. It speaks to the growth of UFC and the sport in general.

Clearly, fans will be happy to see more MMA. You do have to wonder when enough will be enough, though. At what point will UFC’s ambition begin to hamper the product?

Thirty-five doesn’t seem like too many events. Yes, some cards will be letdowns, but that’s always going to happen, unless you would rather see five big shows a year.

Fans also run the risk of being burned out by too much UFC. Sure, they’ll tune in when the shows are on cable, but some might become wary of shelling out money to see the PPVs every month.

Striking that happy balance will be key for the company in the coming years. With too few events, you’re leaving money on the table. With too many events, you risk alienating fans and having absolute stinkers when it comes to the cards.

That hurts the product and can do long-term damage.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson: Rematch Is Necessary After Bones’ Close Win

How much longer until Jon Jones-Alexander Gustafsson 2?
That’s one of the biggest questions after the two put on an instant classic on Saturday night. ESPN’s Todd Grisham wasted little time in predicting the fighters will meet in the Octagon again in t…

How much longer until Jon Jones-Alexander Gustafsson 2?

That’s one of the biggest questions after the two put on an instant classic on Saturday night. ESPN’s Todd Grisham wasted little time in predicting the fighters will meet in the Octagon again in the near future:

It was an extremely close fight. The margin for error on the scorecards was minute, according to the UFC’s official Twitter account:

In the end, you could see why the slight edge would go to Jones. According to FightMetric, he had 134 signature strikes to Gustafsson‘s 110, and 137 total strikes to his opponent’s 114. In addition, each guy had one takedown.

The judge who scored it 49-46 was completely off, but a 48-47 decision to Jones makes sense—giving Jones three rounds to Gustafsson‘s two. The champion should inherit some sort of advantage, and the challenger didn’t do enough to take the belt off of him.

However, those who thought Gustafsson won the fight have a valid argument as well. His blows seemed to be having a big impact. While he didn’t have the volume of punches Jones did, he was able to do more with what he landed.

Gustafsson has at the very least earned himself another shot at the champion.

He was the second guy since Jake O’Brien at UFC 94 who went the distance with Jones. The other was Rashad Evans, and he wasn’t as close to earning a win as the Mauler.

Perhaps more importantly, Gustafsson was able to send Jones to the hospital, according to Fox Sports’ Ariel Helwani:

And this wasn’t Bones getting hurt because of an errant kick, like what happened against Chael Sonnen. This was the champion taking such a beating that he to be carried off on a stretcher.

Regardless of your opinion as to who won, everybody has to agree that the two fighters must have a rematch at some point in the future. It would help to determine who is beyond a shadow of a doubt the better fighter. In a sport like mixed martial arts, there’s no reason to have any unfinished business between fighters.

This is not to say that Gustafsson should immediately be handed a title fight again.

The Swedish star should have to move up the rankings again. After all, he had his shot at the king, and he missed. Once he picks up one or two wins, Gustafsson should be right up there again.

Saturday night shouldn’t be the last time we see Jones and Gustafsson battle in the Octagon.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chael Sonnen’s Stamina Will Prove Difference in Fight with Shogun Rua

It won’t be pretty, but Chael Sonnen will dispose of Mauricio Rua at UFC Fight Night 26.
Sonnen’s ability has begun to dwindle in his mid-30s. That’s generally not a good sign for a fighter who was arguably never at an elite level, even in his prime.
T…

It won’t be pretty, but Chael Sonnen will dispose of Mauricio Rua at UFC Fight Night 26.

Sonnen‘s ability has begun to dwindle in his mid-30s. That’s generally not a good sign for a fighter who was arguably never at an elite level, even in his prime.

The thing that has kept the 36-year-old near the top of UFC is his stamina. He continues to be extremely well-conditioned. It’s that conditioning that will prove vital against Shogun.

There won’t be any fans who are predicting Sonnen to win by knocking out Rua, no matter how much his poems say otherwise.

Only seven of his 27 wins have been by knockout. The only way for the American Gangster to get a win is to leave the decision up to judges.

The one area Sonnen has excelled at his entire career is out-wrestling and out-working his opponent. He seemingly has an unlimited gas tank and continues going strong well into the later rounds of his fights. Six of his last seven wins have come via decision.

He’s the kind of guy who isn’t going to give you an aesthetically pleasing fight. Instead, he grinds out results quite effectively.

That will be his blueprint for facing off against Rua.

Sonnen will look to go right at Rua and take him to the ground. It may not be effective in the early part of the fight. As it drags on, though, he’ll begin to take control and really start dominating Shogun.

It’s hard to believe that Rua is five years Sonnen‘s junior. The amount of punishment Shogun has taken means he’s 31 going on about 40. His fights have always been entertaining, but that entertainment has come at quite a cost.

While the punishment hasn’t led to Rua becoming a slurring, incoherent mess like some retired boxers, it has robbed him of whatever stamina he had earlier in his career.

Rua‘s energy level will drop precipitously as the fight goes on. Don’t be surprised if he gets gassed just walking to the Octagon.

Shogun has the ability to end this fight in the first round. The problem for him is that Sonnen is smart enough not to be baited into opening himself up for that kind of early knockout. He’ll keep his distance and let Rua tire out.

Sonnen is also smart enough to pick his spots and look to take down Rua. Those chances will only increase when Shogun’s tank approaches empty. In addition, he’ll lose the ability to get off the one strike that could knock his opponent out.

Rather than an artful display of ability, Sonnen will dispose of Rua with a ruthless efficiency.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com