Author: Kyle Symes

Nate Marquardt Set to Make Welterweight Debut at BAMMA 9

Former UFC middleweight Nate Marquardt finally has a fight.After being kicked out of the UFC for failing his medical tests, Marquardt had been rumored to face off against Paul Daley. That bout never materialized and now Marquardt will get for…

Former UFC middleweight Nate Marquardt finally has a fight.

After being kicked out of the UFC for failing his medical tests, Marquardt had been rumored to face off against Paul Daley. That bout never materialized and now Marquardt will get former UFC fighter, Yoshiyuki Yoshida at BAMMA 9 in February of 2012.

Yoshida is currently riding a two-fight win streak and coming off a unanimous decision over ex-UFC competitor, Phil Baroni.

BAMMA CEO responded to fans’ criticisms about waiting for Marquardt to debut.

“Although we had planned for Nate’s first fight to be in December, we believe it is worth waiting a further eight weeks for such a great matchup.”

Marquardt will no doubt be a heavy favorite in the Yoshida fight as Yoshida was pretty much destroyed in his brief UFC appearances.

However, he does have something to tip his hat to for his UFC run; he’s part of the two most devastating knockouts in UFC history.

Marquardt, no doubt, will be the larger of the two men and should be able to use his size advantage to handle Yoshida on the feet or on the ground.

Many fans were expecting, and still want a Daley vs. Marquardt match, but now we will have to wait an extra two months for Marquardt to even make his promotional debut.

The Daley fight can still happen, but it looks far from a sure thing as Daley continues to struggle with making 170 lbs.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 138 Results: Mark Munoz and the 10 Most Underrated Fighters in the UFC

With his victory over Chris Leben at UFC 138, Mark Munoz has moved into title contention. If there was ever a way to be a top five middleweight without anyone knowing who you are, Munoz has accomplished it.He has to wait for a few fights to play out be…

With his victory over Chris Leben at UFC 138, Mark Munoz has moved into title contention. If there was ever a way to be a top five middleweight without anyone knowing who you are, Munoz has accomplished it.

He has to wait for a few fights to play out before the title picture becomes clear, but Munoz could find himself competing for the UFC Middleweight belt in 2012.

Munoz, along with many of the other men on this list find themselves in the middle of a successful career run but without much praise from fans.

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UFC 138: Mark Munoz vs. Anderson Silva Head-to-Toe Breakdown

With his impressive victory over Chris Leben at UFC 138, Mark Munoz should definitely be considered “in the mix.”Munoz brings an exciting fighting style that’s highlighted by some of the most vicious ground and in the UFC today. He also has a…

With his impressive victory over Chris Leben at UFC 138, Mark Munoz should definitely be considered “in the mix.”

Munoz brings an exciting fighting style that’s highlighted by some of the most vicious ground and in the UFC today. He also has a very likable personality and provides the UFC with an outlet into the Filipino market.

He could find himself next in line for a title depending on what happens with the Chael Sonnen situation. With that in mind, how does the Filipino Wrecking Machine stack up against the Spider?

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UFC 138 Results: Can Thiago Alves Make Another Title Run?

Thiago Alves looked very impressive in dismantling the highly touted Papy Abedi. Alves showed the killer instinct that had been lacking in his previous fights.Alves has long been considered a top 10 welterweight, but coming off an impressive win, fans …

Thiago Alves looked very impressive in dismantling the highly touted Papy Abedi. Alves showed the killer instinct that had been lacking in his previous fights.

Alves has long been considered a top 10 welterweight, but coming off an impressive win, fans are going to start to ponder another title run from “The Pitbull.”

Alves just defeated a prospect with eight total fights. Should we really be astonished at Alves winning in convincing fashion? That’s what’s supposed to happen.

If Alves would’ve lost, we would be saying how he’s done as a welterweight contender but a win really gives him nothing as far as rankings go.

Alves still hasn’t beaten a top welterweight since Josh Koscheck back in 2008.

When he’s faced one of the better caliber fighters, Alves has found himself on the mat and on the losing side. Against Jon Fitch, he was clearly affected by the weight cut and found himself repeatedly put on the canvas.

Against Georges St-Pierre, he showed some promise with his stand-up, but had no answer for GSP’s takedowns.

Thiago needs to improve his wrestling ability if he wants to make another run at the title.

He’s going to need to defeat the winner of Koscheck/Carlos Condit or Nick Diaz should he lose. All of those men have competent ground games that would test Alves’ talents.

Besides working on his takedown defense, Alves needs to focus on his weight-cutting issues. Previously, he made weight in his fights against John Howard and Rick Story, but failed to make weight for his UFC 138 bout.

If Alves can get his weight issues under control and come into fights in peak physical condition, his strength and speed could be enough to overcome his lack of takedown defense.

Unless Alves can correct his weight issues and his wrestling, don’t expect “The Pitbull” to be fighting for UFC gold in 2012.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 138: What Papy Abedi Must Do to Beat Thiago Alves

Papy Abedi will be making his much anticipated UFC debut at UFC 138. Abedi brings a black belt in judo and some thunderous power to the Octagon.In eight professional bouts, only one person has had the unfortunate pleasure of lasting until the final bel…

Papy Abedi will be making his much anticipated UFC debut at UFC 138. Abedi brings a black belt in judo and some thunderous power to the Octagon.

In eight professional bouts, only one person has had the unfortunate pleasure of lasting until the final bell. His last bout ended as a result of a knockdown that transitioned into a guillotine choke.

For most fighters, their first bout in the UFC is against someone who’s either relatively new themselves, or a veteran well past their prime. Abedi instead has a welcoming party that’s hosted by top 10 welterweight Thiago Alves.

Besides making his UFC debut, Abedi will also be making his welterweight debut as well. He didn’t look drained at the weigh ins and it seems the cut hasn’t bothered him at all.

His opponent Alves has some of the best striking in the 170lb division. “The Pitbull” has bone breaking leg kicks to go along with lightning fast knees and hands.

Alves is likely to use a lot of leg kicks to attempt to control the distance and keep Abedi at bay. Alves will have openings for his power hand as Abedi is a southpaw and has shown to lead with hooks at times.

Abedi is no doubt confident about his own stand up abilities but he should look to avoid any extended striking contests.

He has to close the distance and use his clinch game against Alves. At UFC 130, we saw Rick Story able to implement a strategy that forced Thiago into corners. Once Alves was near the cage, Story was able to take down Alves or hit him with a few shots.

Alves’ kryptonite has always been wrestlers. Georges St-Pierre and Jon Fitch were able to take Alves down at will in their bouts. Granted those are the top two welterweights in the world so I don’t expect Abedi to have the same success.

Even if Abedi can clinch with Thiago, it won’t be easy getting the Brazilian to the ground. Abedi will more than likely eat a few knees in his attempts to take Thiago down so he has to be prepared to take a few shots to get the take down.

It will be interesting to see how much Alves is affected by his weight cut, which is something that’s always a concern when he fights.

If Alves doesn’t have his usual speed, expect to see Abedi work his way inside and use his judo background to take Alves to the mat. Holding Thiago down not only prevents him from using his best offensive weapons, it is the area Abedi has the greatest chance of winning.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 138 Leben vs. Munoz: 11 Reasons Why We Can’t Wait for Saturday

Fresh off the heels of UFC 137, the UFC looks continue its momentum this Saturday night, across the pond in Birmingham, England. The show features a pair of top 10 middleweights, Chris Leben and Mark Munoz, squaring off in the main event.UFC 138 also f…

Fresh off the heels of UFC 137, the UFC looks continue its momentum this Saturday night, across the pond in Birmingham, England. The show features a pair of top 10 middleweights, Chris Leben and Mark Munoz, squaring off in the main event.

UFC 138 also features perennial top 10 welterweight Thiago Alves, as he faces prominent prospect, Papy Abedi.

Along with these bouts, UFC 138 features a handful of UK products and an exciting match-up of bantamweights.

Besides the main event, which should provide fireworks, fans have plenty of other reasons to look forward to UFC 138.

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