Author: Kenny DeJohn

UFC 171 Results: Biggest Winners from Saturday Night’s Bouts

We’re only a few months into 2014, but UFC 171 likely featured what will end up being one of the top bouts of the year.
All eyes were on the main event—Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler—as the two competed to be the only person other than G…

We’re only a few months into 2014, but UFC 171 likely featured what will end up being one of the top bouts of the year.

All eyes were on the main event—Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler—as the two competed to be the only person other than Georges St-Pierre since 2008 to wear the UFC welterweight title belt (although Carlos Condit did serve as interim champion in 2012). Needless to say, the implications were huge.

The main event was just part of the story, however. There were multiple compelling bouts Saturday night, and the winners of the fights have set themselves up to do great things in the coming months of 2014.

You don’t have to be an actual winner from Saturday night to be in good shape for the coming months, though. Here are the real winners from UFC 171.

 

Johny Hendricks

It took five hard-fought rounds for the judges to decide the winner of the main event, and Johny Hendricks was awarded the UFC welterweight title belt after the scores were gathered.

The match was really a tale of two halves. Hendricks dominated the first two rounds with a flurry of strong kicks and body shots. Robbie Lawler then got into a zone in Rounds 3 and 4, executing with incredible power. After four rounds, it appeared to be anybody’s match.

That’s when Hendricks stepped it up. The UFC’s official Twitter account had this statement from Hendricks following the bout:

Both fighters were exhausted in the round, but Hendricks was able to grit out a tough win. Hendricks is obviously a big winner because he is the first to don the welterweight title since it was surrendered by Georges St-Pierre. That’s not the only reason, though.

Hendricks deserves legitimate praise for fighting back to end the strong run of Lawler. After starting strong, Hendricks faded in the middle rounds. It took serious guts to come back and win the fight.

The rest of the UFC should be on notice. Hendricks has the spirit of a fighter that might just retain this belt for a long time.

 

Robbie Lawler

Robbie Lawler was the tough-luck loser to Hendricks, but he was successful in proving himself on the big stage. After entering the UFC at 18, Lawler got beaten up pretty badly and needed to come back seasoned as a veteran. That’s exactly what he was able to do here.

It took him a couple of rounds to get into his rhythm. Hendricks was the no-doubt winner of the first two rounds, as Lawler had trouble knocking Hendricks off his game. The momentum was clearly not in his favor entering Round 3, but he easily swung it his way.

Lawler is one of the strongest pure strikers in the sport. He put that on display after taking his hits early. He made Hendricks pay with a variety of uppercuts and jabs, ultimately forcing Hendricks’ hand and bringing the match to what would be a deciding fifth round.

He ultimately had nothing left in the tank. Here’s how Todd Martin of the Los Angeles Times broke down that final round:

Lawler was pouring it on in the third and the fourth and it looked like it was strongly going Lawler‘s way. Hendricks pulled it out in the second half of the final round, beating a dangerous striker at his own game. 

Lawler‘s unbelievable striking ability makes him a fighter to watch in 2014 and beyond—even if he didn’t earn the win at UFC 171.

 

Dennis Bermudez

While the welterweights mostly stole the show, featherweight Dennis Bermudez battled through an impressive fight of his own.

Jimy Hettes was the victim of a third-round TKO because of the fantastic display from Bermudez. He was fast with his hands and on his feet. This allowed him to find openings in Hettes‘ defense to strike through, and boy, did he capitalize on those.

Bermudez delivered punishing blows when given the opportunity. They were blows that Hettes simply could not combat or match. When Bermudez wasn’t toying with Hettes on his feet, he was dominating him on the mat.

Currently on a six-fight winning streak after losing his UFC debut, Bermudez has his sights sets on big things. This is what he said after the fight about , via Mark La Monica of Newsday: “I’m looking forward to improve my spot in the rankings. Going 6-0 in the UFC is absolutely incredible.”

Climbing the rankings shouldn’t be difficult for Bermudez if he can keep fighting like this.

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Miesha Tate Must Win Against Ronda Rousey at UFC 168 to Remain Relevant

Getting lost in UFC limbo is a real possibility for Miesha Tate at UFC 168, as a second loss against Ronda Rousey could put a serious halt to her progression through the ranks of the MMA world.
Tate previously lost to Rousey in 2012. A first-round arm…

Getting lost in UFC limbo is a real possibility for Miesha Tate at UFC 168, as a second loss against Ronda Rousey could put a serious halt to her progression through the ranks of the MMA world.

Tate previously lost to Rousey in 2012. A first-round armbar was enough to finish Tate off in that bout, but she’ll be hoping for better results this time around. Not making it out of the first round hurts her chances in UFC 168, as Tate didn’t get to experience the full repertoire of Rousey firsthand.

“I think I underestimated her a bit because I was too busy discrediting her, saying she didn’t deserve the title shot and whatnot,” Tate told Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “She’s better than I thought she was going to be.”

Tate can’t afford another loss against Rousey, though. It would derail her career before it even gets off the ground.

For starters, Tate technically wasn’t even supposed to be given this second shot at Rousey. Cat Zingano earned the honor of No. 1 Contender for the title after defeating Tate, but an injury to Zingano opened up the opportunity for Tate.

UFC President Dana White stuck by Zingano as the No. 1 Contender, however. Via Elias Cepeda of Yahoo! Sports: “Oh she’s the No. 1. She’s numero uno, when she’s healthy she’ll be ready to go.”

Given the fact that Tate technically didn’t even earn this second chance, the chances that she earns a third shot from the UFC are slim.

Rousey also would have no reason to accept a third fight against Tate. There would be nothing left for her to prove if she can defeat Tate at UFC 168. A loss to her in a future bout would only hurt her legacy in women’s MMA.

On the flip side, a win against Rousey would propel her career to new heights. Rousey defeated Liz Carmouche in UFC’s first women’s bout back in February, and defeating a trailblazer like Rousey would be a huge victory for Tate’s career.

Marc Raimondi of FOX Sports also thinks this bout against Rousey could propel Tate’s career to new heights: 

The Ultimate Fighter had made Tate a star nearly on the level of Rousey. And at UFC 168, she has the chance to be the face of women’s MMA—a champion, in her mind, that would be true to her forbearers.

Winning the title and setting her up for a presumed rematch against Zingano would be an added bonus. Avenging her loss to Zingano in an effort to prove she deserved the honor of being the No. 1 Contender would help her to bring this snippet of her career full circle.

Rousey is the current face of women’s MMA, but that title could belong to Tate after UFC 168. There’s a lot on the line for both fighters, but Tate can make the biggest statement with a victory.

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UFC 167: Predicting Fighters Who Will Dominate Their Opponents

UFC 167 will get under way on Saturday night, and there are several quality fighters that appear to be poised to absolutely dominate their opponents.
The title match at UFC 167 will be between current champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Johny Hen…

UFC 167 will get under way on Saturday night, and there are several quality fighters that appear to be poised to absolutely dominate their opponents.

The title match at UFC 167 will be between current champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Johny Hendricks. St-Pierre hasn’t lost in 10 straight title defenses, while Hendricks is 15-1 and will give GSP a run for his money.

With such talented fighters in the title bout, neither fighter should dominate the contest. It may very well go to a judge’s decision, but expect the results to be close if that’s the case.

As for the rest of the fights, expect a few dominating performances from some lesser known fighters.

 

Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen is taking on Rashad Evans for UFC 167, and the struggles/inconsistencies of Evans over the past three fights will work in Sonnen‘s favor.

Evans has hesitated to deliver powerful strikes in those past three matches—hence the struggles—and hesitating against Sonnen will result in a quick defeat. Sonnen has never been shy about unleashing a string of violent blows, and two or three solid combinations could be enough to wear Evans down.

Sonnen may dominate the fight on his feet, but he’ll win the fight on the ground. Sonnen is a great fighter on the mat and will tire Evans before taking him down to the ground. With Evans on the ground, all Sonnen has to do is use his wrestling skills to win.

Evans is a great fighter, but his recent hesitation in three previous fights leaves me weary. I think Sonnen will take this fight in a unanimous decision, and it won’t be remotely close.

 

Rory MacDonald

This bout between Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler won’t even be close. It probably won’t even make it to a judge’s decision.

MacDonald has been deemed the next great fighter in the welterweight class, and this fight will put him on the perfect stage to demonstrate just how complete of a fighter he is. He’s a tactical fighter, but he also packs more punch than you’d expect.

Combining his strategic skills with his subtle power make him the total package. Lawler has done well in recent fights, but MacDonald’s skills are far and away superior to his opponent’s.

MacDonald will use his tactical skills to get Lawler on the ground, and then his power to grapple him into submission. While on the ground, don’t expect Lawler to find his way back to his feet. Once MacDonald brings the fight to the mat, Lawler may as well just tap.

Whether it be via knockout or submission, MacDonald will prove he is one of the next great fighters of the welterweight division.

 

Sergio Pettis

Sergio Pettis, younger brother of Anthony Pettis, will put his 9-0 record to the test against Will Campuzano. This match won’t last very long at all.

Pettis is exceptionally quick. He likes to bounce around and sprinkle in a flurry of kicks and punches before backing off and regrouping for another onslaught. Campuzano, who is more of a bruiser, will struggle against a much quicker opponent.

The key to this fight will be how composed Pettis is in his first UFC appearance. Previously, he was the RFA flyweight champion and the NAFC bantamweight champion.

Pettis will bring his career mark to 10-0 after quickly disposing Campuzano. The bout likely won’t last more than a round or two.

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UFC 167: Hendricks Has the Skill and Power to Take Down St. Pierre

Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks will square off for the welterweight title on Saturday night at UFC 167, and even though St. Pierre has successfully defended his title belt 10 consecutive times, Hendricks has the skill set and overwhelming power…

Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks will square off for the welterweight title on Saturday night at UFC 167, and even though St. Pierre has successfully defended his title belt 10 consecutive times, Hendricks has the skill set and overwhelming power to take down GSP.

In his second-straight title defense against a southpaw fighter, St. Pierre must be prepared for the power that Hendricks, a two-time NCAA champion wrestler, will be throwing his way. The left hand of Hendricks will be what decides this bout.

Hendricks obviously uses his left hand to deliver thunderous blows. He generates so much power from the left side of his body that St. Pierre will still feel the force should he block the jab or cross. He isn’t a one-dimensional fighter, though.

Hendricks uses his right hand as well, and he’ll use it in this fight to check the jabs of GSP. Being able to go to his right and check GSP will give him an advantage over other fighters who attempted to take the welterweight title away.

That being said, if Hendricks wants to win, he needs to look for the knockout with a well-placed left. He generates so much power that a solid blow would surely knock down St. Pierre. Even as a collegiate wrestler, Hendricks doesn’t have the chops to win this bout if it becomes a battle on the ground.

Hendricks relies on his ability to get back on his feet after being taken down, and he doesn’t possess exceptional skills at keeping his opponents down. Sure, he might be able to steal a few body shots while grappling on the mat, but Hendricks holds the striking advantage and needs to capitalize on it.

Against Carlos Condit in March, Hendricks showed great awareness and strategy in waiting for his opportunities to strike. When up against the fence, Condit would look to send knees toward the upper body of Hendricks.

Hendricks took a good portion of those, but he also countered with strong left hands when Condit recoiled. Expect him to take a similar approach against GSP.

When St. Pierre delivers strikes or kicks, look for Hendricks to do his best to counter with what he does best. It won’t be particularly easy to get close enough to St. Pierre to deliver the knock out punch, but Hendricks’ strategy will give him the opportunity to counter and deliver a fatal blow.

If nothing else, Hendricks seems to be in the proper mindset heading into the title bout. At the pre-fight press conference on November 14, Hendricks told everyone in attendance that he’s ready for St. Pierre (via SportsNet): “My mind is to kill him. I mean not in that sense, but it’s to beat him, to demolish him. I want to win where he doesn’t want to fight me again.”

Words won’t be what wins the fight, but Hendricks’ mindset entering the match will have him hungry and out for blood.

Should he (intelligently) enact his counter-strategy and look to deliver strong lefts when opportunities arise, Hendricks has a real shot at taking down GSP. His ability to check jabs with his right will be key, though.

If Hendricks begins to neglect the jabs of St. Pierre, then the body shots will add up and eventually take their toll on him. The champion wrestler will need to stay within himself, take the fight round by round and capitalize on opportunities when GSP lets his guard down.

That seems to be the strategy for every opponent against one of the UFC’s best fighters, but Hendricks will put up the strongest fight against GSP yet. Don’t be surprised when he wins the welterweight title.

 

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Liz Carmouche Must Become More Polished Fighter to Be Successful

Liz Carmouche was defeated by Alexis Davis on Wednesday night in a unanimous decision, and the loss can easily be attributed to her lack of polish as a professional fighter.

The entirety of Carmouche’s loss can be attributed to the fact that she didn’…

Liz Carmouche was defeated by Alexis Davis on Wednesday night in a unanimous decision, and the loss can easily be attributed to her lack of polish as a professional fighter.

The entirety of Carmouche‘s loss can be attributed to the fact that she didn’t pay attention to Davis’ strikes. Carmouche let several kicks go without challenge as they struck the lower half of her body, and that ultimately led to her downfall.

The first round can be summarized by Carmouche‘s carelessness in defending Davis’ leg kicks. Carmouche tended to go outside with leg kicks of her own, but Davis countered with inside leg kicks that landed on more than one occasion. Davis had landed so many by the middle of the round that Carmouche couldn’t help but hobble here and there.

The second round saw a little more strategy on the part of Carmouche. Having learned from her previous errors, she began to block the inside leg kicks and counter. Davis was just a bit smarter, though, as she transitioned to outside leg kicks that went without challenge. 

In the third round, Carmouche realized she needed to do something immediately to swing the fight in her favor. Instead of checking the leg kicks of Davis, Carmouche went for the all-out brawler’s approach. She threw huge punch after huge punch, ultimately connecting with very few. Given all the hits Davis had totaled during the fight’s three rounds, the decision was easy for the judges.

Carmouche is a very talented fighter. She is powerful and a strong grappler, and she always fights hard to the end. That being said, there is a ton of room for improvement in the defensive aspect of her game. Improvements in this area will propel her to the top of the charts in women’s UFC.

It’s much easier said than done, but the areas she needs to improve upon are pretty self-explanatory.

Take how often she let Davis’ leg kicks go unchallenged, for example. Had she challenged, say, 50 percent more of the kicks, Davis would not have managed nearly as many clean hits and Carmouche likely wouldn’t have tired out as easily.

Going for the knockout punch on every hit isn’t how a fighter technically wins fights. Carmouche must learn that she needs to fight strategically while also taking advantage of the openings that will inevitably be given to her because of her quickness and power.

In future bouts, all Carmouche needs to do is focus on the defensive aspect of her fighting style. She needs to recognize more quickly and make adjustments mid-fight—something she didn’t do well against Davis.

There’s a lot to take from this fight, but if nothing else, Carmouche should know that allowing opponents to rack up hit after hit is not the best way to win. With a little polish, she can be an exceptionally successful fighter in her sport.

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