Author: Kyle Symes

Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos Look To Answer Questions on Free Tv

The big boys are coming out to play on November 12th. The UFC announced today that their first special on Fox will feature the much-anticipated heavyweight title fight between current champion Cain Velasquez and challenger, Junior dos Santos. The situa…

The big boys are coming out to play on November 12th.

The UFC announced today that their first special on Fox will feature the much-anticipated heavyweight title fight between current champion Cain Velasquez and challenger, Junior dos Santos.

The situation is a win-win for both the UFC and fight fans. The UFC wins by putting a major title fight on free TV to not only gain viewers, but to increase the marketability of Velasquez or dos Santos. Neither man is a proven pay-per-view draw, but that could all change after the UFC on Fox event.

Particularly in the case of a Velasquez victory, the UFC stands to gain fans in the Latin community. If dos Santos emerges victorious, the UFC has a new champion that has an exciting style that is one punch away from a highlight reel knockout.

The fans win because we get a chance to see arguably the top two heavyweights in MMA square off for free. The general public’s fascination with heavyweight fights is well documented, and this fight promises to be entertaining from start to finish.

Velasquez has dominated virtually every foe in his path to the top. He dominated the self-proclaimed baddest man on the planet, Brock Lesnar, to win the UFC heavyweight title in his last fight. Following the fight, however, news leaked out that Velasquez would require shoulder surgery, and he has been on the shelf since the Lesnar fight.

It will be interesting to see if Velasquez’s shoulder will be 100 percent following the operation. The general consensus is that nobody comes back stronger after going under the knife, but Velasquez has more weapons in his arsenal than his hands.

He is perhaps the most well-rounded fighter in the division. He mixes his strikes up very effectively, his wrestling is top notch and he also owns freakishly good cardio for a heavyweight.

Speaking of freakish talents, the challenger to Velasquez’s title has some of his own. While Velasquez is regarded as the most well rounded, dos Santos is heralded as having the best pure boxing in the division.

His “soul stealing” power, as some have called it, allows dos Santos to be one punch away from shutting the lights off for his opponent.  In his last fight against Shane Carwin, dos Santos even showed off some wrestling skills by taking down the former collegiate wrestling standout.

Undoubtedly, dos Santos will try to keep the fight standing and has shown some good takedown defense in his fights, but Velasquez is an entirely different fighter than he will be used to seeing. Roy Nelson had some success standing in his fight with dos Santos and Velasquez’s striking is light years’ ahead of Nelson’s.

Can dos Santos defend the takedowns? Will Velasquez have the same punching power as before? Can dos Santos fight off his back? Does Velasquez still have his cardio even after being on the sidelines for over a year? Will dos Santos land one of his crushing uppercuts?

The good thing about all these questions is that fight fans can have them answered without dropping a dime on November 12th.

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UFC 135: Rampage Jackson vs Jon Jones Will Be Fight of the Year

No matter the outcome at UFC 135, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon “Bones” Jones will provide MMA fans with the fight of the year.The fight offers everything that a mega fight needs. Fans have reasons to like/dislike both Rampage and Jones, the fight …

No matter the outcome at UFC 135, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon “Bones” Jones will provide MMA fans with the fight of the year.

The fight offers everything that a mega fight needs. Fans have reasons to like/dislike both Rampage and Jones, the fight showcases two of the most exciting 205lb fighters in the world and just in case that’s not enough to for you to tune in, the fight is also for the UFC Light Heavyweight title.

The reason this fight will be the best of the year is very simple; hype. The anticipation of Rampage and Jones being in the cage at the same time is enough to sell the event. Once you add the personalities of both men, fans will have to make the choice of what fighter to cheer against, which means interest in the outcome will rise.

The history of both men offers two separate paths to this title fight that have gained and lost them fans along the way.

Let’s start with the challenger. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has proven to be one of the most exciting fighters in the light heavyweight division for quite some time. Making his mark in Japan for Pride, Rampage burst into UFC stardom by flooring Chuck Liddell at UFC 71.

Although known to the knowledgeable fans of MMA, Rampage became a star overnight to the casual fans. His affinity for howling before his bouts—as well as looking to take his opponents’ heads off—made him a fan favorite.

Rampage’s popularity not only comes from his performance in the octagon but also from outside. He has a personality that seems to draw people to him (both for and against him). He says what he wants and gives people a reason to tune in. His promos for his fight against Rashad Evans in particular were both funny and scary.

He may be an exciting fighter, but getting Rampage to the finish line continues to be a major problem for the former champ. He has openly admitted to fighting for the desire to make money and the lure of Hollywood has made some fans question his desire to keep fighting.

Standing across from Rampage at UFC 135 will be a fighter who offers just as much excitement.

Being hailed as the future of MMA, Jon “Bones” Jones looks to continue his path of destruction through the UFC light heavyweight division. Jones has looked increasingly more impressive from each fight to the next.

His first breakthrough performance was against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94. Executing some highlight real throws and trips along with absolutely devastating striking combos, Jones became a popular attraction for the UFC.

Even his only “loss” is considered a victory. Jones was DQ’d for using illegal elbow strikes against Matt Hamill, but was dominating the fight in every fashion up to that point. Jones’ biggest victory came against another stand out from Pride.

At UFC 128, Jon Jones squared off against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Fans of Rua were clamoring across the Internet about how the Brazilian Muay Thai expert would destroy Jones’ chicken legs. In what can only be described as a bad dream for Rua fans, Jones dominated and controlled Shogun, en route to winning the UFC Light Heavyweight belt.

Following the destruction of Rua, Jones was set to face off against former teammate Rashad Evans. Jones was forced to withdraw with a hand injury and the fight fell through.

After Evans had found a replacement, Jones’ management released a statement saying his (Jones) hand did not require surgery and that Jones was looking for a fight before the end of the year. Jones’ standing with fans fell drastically, as it looked as if Jones was ducking Evans. Jones’
comments made before and after his bout with Rua also caused criticism from the MMA landscape.

Before his title fight, Jones had begun signing autographs “Jon Jones: Champion 2011” and many fans grew tired of his arrogance. His holier than thou persona also did not do him many favors within the MMA community.

Fight fans were left wanting more following Rampage’s contest against rival Rashad Evans at UFC 114. This fight has the potential to provide the excitement that Rampage-Evans was supposed to bring. Jones has never been known to “lay ‘n pray” like Rashad Evans, and Rampage is always one strike away from ending the fight.

From the second the bell rings, fans will be on the edge of their seats, anticipating a thunderous punch from Rampage or a devastating elbow from Jones. In advertising the adage is “sex sells.” In the fight game, “hype sells” and Rampage vs. Jones offers the most hyped fight of 2011.

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