The Jon Jones Bandwagon is currently full, but there’s still room for plenty of other fans to hop aboard. Before you punch your ticket to stardom, there’s reason for you to reconsider.This isn’t your typical “I hate Jon Jones” piece. I don’t care for t…
The Jon Jones Bandwagon is currently full, but there’s still room for plenty of other fans to hop aboard. Before you punch your ticket to stardom, there’s reason for you to reconsider.
This isn’t your typical “I hate Jon Jones” piece. I don’t care for the guy, but I do respect his talent and ability. There’s no doubt the kid is talented and has the potential to be one of the greatest MMA fighters.
But the people who want to call Jones the greatest fighter of all time right now need to slow their roll.
Even though Jones has accomplished a lot at such a young age , the people who say he’s unbeatable should prepare themselves for the inevitable—Jones is human and can be defeated.
The UFC and WWE have what you might call a “friendly rivalry.” The two companies compete for viewers and PPV dollars all the time, but still remain on relatively good terms in the corporate world.The close connection between the two has often led some …
The UFC and WWE have what you might call a “friendly rivalry.” The two companies compete for viewers and PPV dollars all the time, but still remain on relatively good terms in the corporate world.
The close connection between the two has often led some athletes to switch organizations depending on their needs.
We’ve seen guys like Ken Shamrock switch over to WWE (then WWF) in order to make money while guys like Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley made their money in wrestling and were seeking real competition.
There are a number of guys in the WWE right now who could attempt to switch sports given their natural physical talents, as well as some of them having amateur wrestling careers.
I’m not saying any of the guys on this list would succeed in the UFC, most would likely fail in a manner that even James Toney could laugh at, but rather to say the people on this list would create a sincere interest in appearing in the UFC.
Chael Sonnen certainly knows how to work a crowd. As if his constant stream of one-liners weren’t enough self-promotion, Mr. Sonnen is going to get help from a world champion.Not from a UFC champion, but from the WWE champion, CM Punk.For years MMA fan…
Chael Sonnen certainly knows how to work a crowd. As if his constant stream of one-liners weren’t enough self-promotion, Mr. Sonnen is going to get help from a world champion.
For years MMA fans have tried to distance themselves from their WWE cousins, but there’s no denying that there’s a distinct group of fans that were or still are WWE fans and love to watch the UFC as well.
There’s a certain audience set for both sports but there’s also a lot of crossover in fanbases. If you don’t believe me just look at the MMA career of Brock Lesnar.
Sonnen doesn’t really need the help of Punk in building his name, but the UFC should capitalize on one of the biggest stars in wrestling appearing on their show for a number of reasons.
UFC heavyweight contender Frank Mir may be in line for a title shot in his next bout. The former champion came back from the brink of defeat in his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and broke Nogueira’s arm in what is sure to be one of the top UFC vid…
UFC heavyweight contender Frank Mir may be in line for a title shot in his next bout. The former champion came back from the brink of defeat in his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and broke Nogueira’s arm in what is sure to be one of the top UFC videos on YouTube this year.
Another way Mir could be put in front of fans’ eyes is by doing some commentating during his off time for the UFC.
I know there’s a strong anti-Mir group of fans, but if you’ve taken five minutes to listen to the guy talk about the sport, it’s very clear he knows what he’s talking about.
Sure he’s likely to ruffle some feathers along the way, given his arrogant ways at times, but that would be a positive for him as well.
Anyone can read a book about jiu-jitsu or take some boxing classes at the local YMCA and tell you useless facts about what you’re watching. It takes something very special to deliver informative information and entertain your audience at the same time.
In the journalism world, the word “info-tainment” was created in an effort to get journalists to realize they couldn’t simply present facts, but they had to entertain their audiences as well.
Mir has already done some work for the WEC as a commentator, and it’s clear that he can speak in an articulate manner about the sport. He knows how to combine the intricacies that few people can see into common language that any MMA fan can pick up on.
Besides showing an ability to speak about the sport, Mir also provides first-hand knowledge due to him fighting in the Octagon.
As much as we love to hear Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg talk about what it means to fight in the UFC, neither man can give an accurate depiction of what it’s like to be in the cage and against the opponents Mir has faced.
And he’s faced quite a lot of opponents. Most people forget just how long Mir has been in the UFC. The horrific motorcycle accident took years off his career, but Mir’s been in the game for a while now.
But being a mainstay in the UFC doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a fan or company favorite.
It’s pretty clear Mir isn’t too high on Dana White’s “In the Mix” list and he will likely have to go through another opponent before he sees a title shot. If he doesn’t want to call it a career just yet, providing some solid commentary would probably get him out of White’s doghouse a little.
Perhaps he could even find his true calling as an announcer and sway public opinion back into his favor. We saw Tito Ortiz go from being an arrogant, hated fighter into “The People’s Champion” following his coaching stints on The Ultimate Fighter.
If Mir does lose in his next bout, the UFC should begin warming up a seat next to Rogan in the booth because another loss would likely end any title aspirations Mir has.
Dan Hardy has been absent from UFC TV screens since August when he lost to Chris Lytle via submission. Following the loss, many MMA fans were calling for the release of Hardy as it was his fourth straight loss in the promotion. But that didn’t happen a…
Dan Hardy has been absent from UFC TV screens since August when he lost to Chris Lytle via submission.
Following the loss, many MMA fans were calling for the release of Hardy as it was his fourth straight loss in the promotion. But that didn’t happen and now Hardy is looking to get his career back on track in 2012.
“I’d like a May or June return in Vegas. I want the time to invest with my coaches. And fighting in Vegas means I can do my camp at home where all my coaches are, that would allow me to focus fully on the fight.” (ESPN.co.uk)
One of the ways Hardy can get back into the good graces of MMA fans besides winning his next fight is by beating someone of note. “The Outlaw” knows this and even has a particular person in mind for his next fight.
The legendary Matt Hughes may not be the fighter he once was, but his name still resonates with fans and would provide a win over a credible opponent if Hardy could defeat him.
A major obstacle in the career of Hardy thus far has been his ineffectiveness in the grappling department. All of his recent losses sans the Carlos Condit bout have resulted from Hardy being beaten on the ground.
To his credit, Hardy has realized his shortcomings and moved his training camps to Las Vegas. Although I would’ve liked to have seen him move into a gym like Xtreme Couture, training with Roy Nelson will no doubt improve his ground game considerably.
Hardy should also turn his focus from landing a one-punch/kick KO into streaming together combinations.
Looking at his UFC record, you’ll notice only one of his wins has come by KO: a win against Rory Markham in 2009.
“The Outlaw” has the technique down, but doesn’t have the raw power to induce a KO when he lands with his strikes. Forgetting the tendency to try and take his opponents head off and instead try to “beat them up” would go a long way in helping Hardy’s career.
Like a draft pick in any of the major sports, Hardy has the potential to be great in MMA. He has a fan-friendly fighting style and personality, he’s shown the awareness to work on his faults and his promotion ability is top-notch.
It will be interesting to see how much of a changed fighter Hardy is when he returns to the UFC. If he comes back in the summer like he wants to, it will have been almost a full year away from the Octagon.
Although most people would agree that cage rust is a detriment to any fighter, in Hardy’s case, it may have been just what he needed.
Sometimes, the post-fight interviews can be more exciting than the fights that preceded them. Put a microphone in front of an adrenaline-filled person who’s just recovering from a natural “kill or be killed” instinct and you’re likely to get raw emotio…
Sometimes, the post-fight interviews can be more exciting than the fights that preceded them. Put a microphone in front of an adrenaline-filled person who’s just recovering from a natural “kill or be killed” instinct and you’re likely to get raw emotion and truthful feelings.
Or sometimes they’re overly boring and make us feel like it’s just filler time until the next fight can be put together.
It’s not always the fighter’s fault. Most of them have engaging personalities but as the saying goes, “It takes two to tango.” The fighters need to be asked questions that allow them to give some good quotes in return.
The questions on this list are the worst possible questions to ask after a fight, yet are prevalent in almost every single post-fight interview.
So grab a snuggie and prepare to be put to sleep by some of the worst questions in post-fight history.
UFC heavyweight contender Frank Mir may be in line for a title shot in his next bout. The former champion came back from the brink of defeat in his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and broke Nogueira’s arm in what is sure to be one of the top UFC videos on YouTube this year.