Author: Joseph Zucker

UFC 158: Nick Diaz Would Be Foolish to Retire After Loss to Georges St-Pierre

Nick Diaz should not go out like this.He was outclassed by Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158. The buildup to the fight had been very heated, thus leading up to what looked to be a great fight. Instead, it was just more evidence as to the quality of St-Pierr…

Nick Diaz should not go out like this.

He was outclassed by Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158. The buildup to the fight had been very heated, thus leading up to what looked to be a great fight. Instead, it was just more evidence as to the quality of St-Pierre. He looked to be the clear winner, and the judges agreed. All three scored the fight 50-45 in favor of GSP.

The result had to be a bit disheartening for Diaz. It was his first fight in the Octagon since Feb. 4, 2012, after which he received a 13-month suspension (h/t Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com). Few could have expected that Diaz might actually contemplate retirement (h/t John Morgan of USA Today):

“I think I’m going to have to just kind of figure out if I want to keep doing this,” Diaz said. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve really got it anymore.”

For the most part, when a fighter is weighing whether or not to walk away, discretion is the better part of valor. Hanging on to the last vestiges of a once-productive career only leads to more disappointment.

Diaz is only 29 years old, though. This isn’t the case of a fighter who’s clearly past his best simply hanging on for a few more paydays. Diaz‘s still got more than enough in the tank.

The loss to St-Pierre was Diaz‘s second in a row after losing to Carlos Condit at UFC 143. Let’s not forget that Diaz had won his previous 11 fights before the defeat to Condit. There’s no shame in losing a decision to St-Pierre, who’s one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Diaz is still hovering close to the top of the UFC Welterweight rankings. With a couple more wins, he could very well have himself with another shot at the title.

If his passion is really dwindling, there’s nothing that can really be done or said on Diaz‘s behalf that will make that drive come back. Either he will want to continue fighting, or he won’t.

The quote from Diaz could be nothing more than a disappointed fighter speaking out after a tough loss. When you’ve tried so hard and come up short, it’s only natural to question whether or not you still have it.

The longer he goes without fighting, the stronger that itch will be to get back in the Octagon. Plus, there’s no reason the lasting image of Diaz should his loss to St-Pierre.

In a few months, this could all turn into nothing at all. At the moment, Diaz would be crazy to call it quits. His work is far from finished.

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UFC 157: Fighters Who Will Benefit Most from Strong Performances Saturday Night

Ronda Rousey will become one of the most popular athletes in the world after Saturday night at UFC 157.Rousey will take on Liz Carmouche in what is a rather historic fight for the Women’s Bantamweight Title. UFC President Dana White had long stood by h…

Ronda Rousey will become one of the most popular athletes in the world after Saturday night at UFC 157.

Rousey will take on Liz Carmouche in what is a rather historic fight for the Women’s Bantamweight Title. UFC President Dana White had long stood by his stance that no women would ever get inside the Octagon.

Of course it was Rousey who made White do a total 180. While marketable because of her good looks, the champion has built herself quite a resume as a submission machine. Rousey has won all of her previous six fights via armbar submission, with none of the fights getting past the first round.

The pay-per-view is all set for Rousey to take her place among the elite fighters of UFC, and with another dominating win, she’ll see her star power grow to enormous levels.

Rousey-Carmouche isn’t the only fight on the card, so there are plenty of other fighters who can stand out on Saturday’s PPV.

 

Dan Henderson

It’s been quite a while since Dan Henderson found himself in the Octagon. It’s been a little over a year since his win over Mauricio Rua at UFC 139. Henderson was supposed to fight Jon Jones at UFC 145 but pulled out with a knee injury. His fight with Lyoto Machida was also slated for UFC 156 but instead moved to later in the month.

Henderson-Machida is a fight well worth the wait, though.

There’s a ton on the line tonight. The winner if this fight will put himself in pole position for a shot against the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Machida is extremely elusive in the Octagon, but Henderson is extremely tough. He’ll be able to withstand the Brazilian’s best and deliver a knockout blow.

 

Brendan Schaub

Brendan Schaub finds himself in the middle of the pack when it comes to the Heavyweight Division. He’s far from being worthy of earning a title shot. Schaub’s best chance previously to work up the rankings was a fight against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, which lost via first-round knockout. He followed that up with a first-round knockout to Ben Rothwell.

The 29-year-old now finds himself with a tall mountain to climb. It’s one, though, that has a relatively easy beginning in the form of Lavar Johnson, who is only 2-1 since making the move to UFC.

Schaub needs to keep this fight on the ground. If he can do that, he’s got a great chance at picking up the win.

 

Court McGee

Court McGee has struggled a bit since winning The Ultimate Fighter in 2010. He won his next two fights but is currently riding a two-fight losing streak. His problems in the Octagon caused him to drop to Middleweight to Welterweight.

McGee should be able to get back in the win column after tonight. Josh Neer is very good on the ground, so McGee will be advised to keep the fight off the mat. Should that happen, McGee will be much more in his comfort zone having been a professional boxer while maintaining his mixed martial arts career.

It would be a huge statement for McGee to make the step down to Welterweight and win his first fight.

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UFC on Fuel TV 7 Results: Fighters Who Helped Themselves the Most

Renan Barao took a major step in his UFC career, retaining the interim bantamweight title after submitting Michael McDonald at UFC on Fuel TV.Barao has now won 30 decisions in a row, with one fight going to a no contest. He’s 30-1 overall and 5-0 in UF…

Renan Barao took a major step in his UFC career, retaining the interim bantamweight title after submitting Michael McDonald at UFC on Fuel TV.

Barao has now won 30 decisions in a row, with one fight going to a no contest. He’s 30-1 overall and 5-0 in UFC. Barao just needs to beat the injured champion Dominick Cruz in order to assert his dominance over the entire bantamweight division.

Although the fight went into the fourth round, Barao was never in much trouble against McDonald, and it was only a matter of time before he would pull off a move that would end the fight. With the way in which he won, Barao did himself a ton of favors and is getting some of the recognition he richly deserves.

Here’s three other fighters who benefited the most.

 

Cub Swanson

It’s not always easy in taking on an opponent on short notice. Cub Swanson only had about a month to prepare for Dustin Poirier. It didn’t look to affect Swanson whatsoever as he dispatched Poirier via unanimous decision.

Beating Poirier doesn’t have the same effect for Swanson as beating Dennis Siver would have had. Siver was one of the top contenders in the featherweight division.

Still, Swanson was able to dominate much of the fight against Poirier. It’s the kind of performance that Swanson needed to have in order to continue moving up the featherweight rankings. A much less convincing win wouldn’t have looked good in the eyes of fans or UFC as it looks to weed out the top contenders from the rest of the pack.

 

Gunnar Nelson

Much like Swanson, Gunnar Nelson had the disadvantage of a short period of time with which to prepare for his opponent. Plus, it had been over a year since Jorge Santiago had last fought in UFC. Santiago remains winless in UFC after losing a unanimous decision to Nelson.

The Brazilian put up a good fight, but it wasn’t enough to get past Nelson, especially in the later rounds.

Nelson finds himself quite a ways down in the welterweight rankings. At 24 years old, though, he’s got plenty of time to move himself up. Picking up wins against fighters like Santiago is a great way to get some vital experience in the early stage of his career before working up to bigger fights against much tougher opposition.

 

James Te-Huna

Right behind Barao on the list of fighters most helped has to be James Te-Huna. He wasn’t the most convincing against Ryan Jimmo, but he managed to do even to convince the judges.

What was particularly good was the way Te-Huna recovered to salvage the fight. In the early rounds, it looked like Jimmo might be able to finish off the Australian. Instead, Te-Huna turned the fight around and was able to keep Jimmo on the ground.

The most entertaining thing from the fight, though, was arguably Te-Huna’s entrance in which he resembled one of the agents from Men in Black. It was a bit showy, but it will definitely get Te-Huna noticed.

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UFC 157: Ronda Rousey Will Take Company to Different Level with Dominating Win

Ronda Rousey will become one of the biggest stars in the UFC after dispatching Liz Carmouche.If she’s successful, Rousey has the capability to open up the UFC to an entirely different segment of fans.Women and combat sports haven’t exactly had a great …

Ronda Rousey will become one of the biggest stars in the UFC after dispatching Liz Carmouche.

If she’s successful, Rousey has the capability to open up the UFC to an entirely different segment of fans.

Women and combat sports haven’t exactly had a great partnership. Laila Ali made a nice career for herself. For the most part, though, it wasn’t a very good sell to watch women bash each others’ faces in. MMA is a much more attractive alternative as there aren’t as many blows to the head.

For so long, Dana White had held steadfast to his stance that females would not fight in the UFC. You could understand where he was coming from—simply adding women to the division might appear to be more of a publicity stunt rather than a move to try to grow the product.

Having women in a predominantly male-driven sport can generate a bit of buzz and bring plenty of attention from the general sporting public. If those female athletes aren’t successful, though, they quickly fade from consciousness.

Danica Patrick is the biggest example. She moves the needle a bit, but until she produces results, few will really take her seriously on the racetrack.

Sports fans aren’t going to put up with a substandard product. If bringing in Rousey was nothing more than a publicity stunt, fans, especially those as passionate as the UFC’s, would see right through it.

Rousey, though, comes in having already proven herself to be a beast. With her, White has the perfect candidate for the UFC’s first female star.

She is the total package. From an appearance perspective, Rousey is a beautiful woman and one of the most gorgeous athletes around—however, she is far from just a pretty face. Rousey has built her reputation not simply on her looks, but rather through her devastating armbar submission.

Rousey can open up an entirely new demographic for the UFC. This is not to say that women don’t watch the UFC now, but having a successful female star could really help to grow the company in female viewership.

If Rousey‘s match proves to be a big draw, it could open the door for more women to compete in the company, thus setting up even weight classes for the women’s division.

Then, there’s also the possibility of a mega-fight between Rousey and Cyborg Santos, which could be one of the most heavily hyped fights of the year.

In much less capable hands, this might be a lot for a fighter to handle, however, Rousey is more than ready to carry the female division in UFC.

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UFC 155 Fight Card: Loss to Derek Brunson Should Be Chris Leben’s Last in UFC

It’s time that Chris Leben’s time in UFC drew to a close.Upon his return to the Octagon, Leben lost a unanimous decision to Derek Brunson at UFC 155. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28 in favor of Brunson.It was Brunson’s first fight in UFC an…

It’s time that Chris Leben‘s time in UFC drew to a close.

Upon his return to the Octagon, Leben lost a unanimous decision to Derek Brunson at UFC 155. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28 in favor of Brunson.

It was Brunson‘s first fight in UFC and Leben‘s first in over a year after his drug suspension.

He might have not had the advantage of being able to plan much for Brunson, considering he was a last-minute replacement, but Brunson wasn’t the most intimidating of opposition. He had lost his last two fights before debuting in UFC.

Leben was outwrestled by Brunson in what will have to be remembered as one of the most disappointing fights on the card. He has dazzled crowds in the Octagon for years. In his prime, Leben was one of the most exciting fighters in UFC. His fights were guaranteed to be remembered by fans.

Leben has been around UFC for quite a while now. His first fight with the company was back in 2005 at the finale of The Ultimate Fighter. When you throw in his previous experience, he’s been in MMA for a decade.

Ten years might not be much for some competitors, but for Leben it probably feels like twice that amount.

However, during his time in UFC and MMA in general, he’s managed to put a ton of mileage on his body. Then you have to throw in the damage that drugs and alcohol have done to his body.

When you add it all up, you have to wonder what the future holds for him.

Leben has now lost his last two fights and three of his last four. Despite his long layoff, Leben was almost the consensus favorite to defeat Brunson.

He looked very poor at times during the fight. The action between the two was so bad at times that the crowed resorted to booing the competitors.

Ring rust might be used to defend the loss for Leben. To an extent, it makes quite a bit of sense. It would be hard for any fighter to go a year without a fight to then come back and do well.

But you also have to look at Brunson‘s record and the nerves he was carrying into his UFC debut.

The tank might not be completely empty for Leben, but there’s no sense in continuing what looks to be a downward slide.

He may not have been the biggest name in the company, but he’s likely made enough money to live pretty well. Leben could also likely have a nice career outside the Octagon.

Leben has made a career out of taking a ton of punishment. That’s not the kind of strategy that lends itself to a long career. The longer he fights continuing this way, it’s only going to get worse.

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BJ Penn Next Fight: Fighter Ruins Legacy Continuing Career in Octagon

B.J. Penn looked absolutely spent Saturday night.Simply saying he lost to Rory MacDonald at UFC on FOX 5 doesn’t do justice to how much MacDonald dominated the fight. Two of the judges scored the fight 30-26 with the third a little closer at 30-27.Figh…

B.J. Penn looked absolutely spent Saturday night.

Simply saying he lost to Rory MacDonald at UFC on FOX 5 doesn’t do justice to how much MacDonald dominated the fight. Two of the judges scored the fight 30-26 with the third a little closer at 30-27.

FightMetric had MacDonald scoring 116 signature strikes to Penn’s 24. In terms of percentages, it came out to 57 percent for MacDonald and a paltry 24 percent for Penn.

At one point, MacDonald dropped his hands and simply taunted his opponent. It’s the ultimate sign of disrespect, but it’s also very telling of Penn’s present ability in the Octagon.

The fight might not have been in the weight class in which Penn has excelled in the past, but it doesn’t change the fact he looked like he had nothing left in the tank.

Penn has “retired” before only to return from hiatus, but this time he should make it official.

Even UFC President Dana White put in his two cents regarding Penn’s future. He told ESPN:

I would love to see BJ Penn retire. I really do love the guy. All the good, the bad, the ugly we’ve been through over the last 13 years—I care about him. He’s got money. He’s got a family that loves him. He’s got a beautiful wife, kids, nothing left to prove. I would like to see BJ ride off into the sunset.

White hit the nail right on the head when he said that Penn has nothing to prove anymore. He career exploits already make him worthy of the UFC Hall of Fame. Nothing he does from now on will change that.

The longer he prolongs his career, however, the further he gets from when he was one of the best fighters in the world. He can’t do anything from now that will change how good he was, but it can alter his legacy. The only place left to go is down at this point.

Brett Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, but his career was irrevocably damaged by his waffling on whether or not he would return and subsequent stints with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings.

Mike Tyson hung on way too long and was knocked out by Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. The days of “Iron Mike” are a mere afterthought to his biting Evander Holyfield’s ear and his talking of fading into “Bolivian.”

Fighters especially have a hard time calling it quits.

Whether it’s boxing or MMA, fights can turn with one punch. That’s the attitude that many fighters have. Although their ability is diminished, they firmly believe that they can end a fight with the right opening.

As much as fans might love Penn, they wouldn’t enjoy another fight in which he was thoroughly outclassed again. It leaves another sour image on to the end of his legacy.

Penn has had one of the more illustrious careers in the history of UFC. Now’s not the time to go and mess it all up.

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