MMA often features some of the most exciting displays of competition a fan can see. Unfortunately, it can also feature some really embarrassing performances as well.Some of the most embarrassing bouts were a result of inactivity or a fighter looking li…
MMA often features some of the most exciting displays of competition a fan can see. Unfortunately, it can also feature some really embarrassing performances as well.
Some of the most embarrassing bouts were a result of inactivity or a fighter looking like they were just there to collect a paycheck.
You would think the idea of fighting in front of thousands of people in attendance and hundreds of thousands of people watching on TV would be enough motivation for a fighter to bring their A game, but the people on this list clearly missed the memo.
With Bellator’s move to Friday nights, the promotion looks to break into a brand-new market by moving their shows to a different night.Although the move has a number of pros and cons, it is a brilliant move on the part of Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjor…
With Bellator’s move to Friday nights, the promotion looks to break into a brand-new market by moving their shows to a different night.
Although the move has a number of pros and cons, it is a brilliant move on the part of Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.
According to MMAJunkie.com, Rebney explained that a number reasons factored into their decision but it all came down to one: ultimate goal.
“It just kind of came down to an analysis of, is there a night where all the factors made it to where we can maximize live-event attendance, where we can reach the largest audience from a television perspective, to give MMA fans an opportunity to really make a night for themselves with Bellator.”
The move has a number of positives for the smaller promotion.
First, it allows Bellator to create its own niche in the MMA market.
The UFC owns Saturday nights so there’s really no need for Bellator to try and compete head-to-head. They will never win against a UFC PPV so no sense in attempting the impossible.
Friday night may not be the best example of “primetime TV,” but it can also be another advantage for Bellator.
With no competition on Friday nights, Bellator can achieve more viewers and likely gain more of a live gate attendance, because for most adults, Saturday night is “bar night.”
It is true that The Ultimate Fighter will be having its weekly finales on Friday nights on FX, but given the fact that the show has been on a downward slope the past few years, there’s no guarantee the show will steal viewers from Bellator.
Also, going up against a weekly finale will be a lot easier than going up against a major UFC PPV on Saturday.
Bellator is doing the right thing by trying to work on improving their product instead of concerning themselves with competing with the UFC.
They’re undoubtedly the second promotion in the U.S. This move signifies that they’ve accepted that role and will in turn provide a better product to their fans instead of trying to be No. 1.
Following yet another dominant win for UFC champion Jon Jones, the clamor for a Jones bout against Anderson Silva only intensified.But Dana White was quick to shoot down those ideas with a rebuttal of his own.If you want the full details, check out Mik…
Following yet another dominant win for UFC champion Jon Jones, the clamor for a Jones bout against Anderson Silva only intensified.
But Dana White was quick to shoot down those ideas with a rebuttal of his own.
If you want the full details, check out Mike Hodges’ piece about what was said in the post-fight press conference.
White’s reasoning for not matching the two superstars up is because Jones is only 24, Silva is 37 and they’re in two different weight classes.
That’s a quick turnaround from five minutes before when White was saying, “Jones is the real deal.”
White has always been quick to say, “If Jones can get through this next guy…” after one of Jones’ dominating performances, but White had nothing but praises until the comment about a matchup against Silva came up.
Let’s examine White’s rebuttal in two parts. The first one is the age factor.
So he says Jones is “the real deal” at only 24 years of age, but when it comes to matching up against Silva, he’s too young? How does his age work both for and against him at the same time?
Tito Ortiz was much older than his UFC 132 opponent, Ryan Bader, but White had no issues with that matchup. Or any matches with Randy Couture fighting men half his age during his career.
Age doesn’t define a fighter’s skill level, talent does.
Speaking of Couture, he’s a prime example of why White’s argument of “two different weight classes” means nothing.
For years, Couture bounced back and forth between the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions and never once did the talk of him not being a natural heavyweight create any concern for White.
If he didn’t have an issue matching Couture with Brock Lesnar, two men whose weight discrepancies are far more than Jones and Silva’s, why does he a have a problem matching the latter two against one another?
It’s not like fighting at 205 pounds is anything new to Silva. He destroyed James Irvin and embarrassed former champion Forrest Griffin in his ventures up a weight class.
The bottom line: just like with the GSP-Silva super-fight, White doesn’t want to lose either investment right now.
If Silva wins, the “future of MMA” hype train is derailed and if Jones wins, White will have a hard time selling Silva in future bouts.
If White really wants to keep sticking to “giving fans what they want,” Jones-Silva needs to happen. Both men have one credible challenger before they’ve virtually wiped out their divisions.
The fans want their super-fight with Silva one way or another. It’s time for White to stop beating around the bush with hollow excuses and put this thing together.
As 2011 enters its final days, fans are already looking ahead to what next year will bring them.Like a child ripping the paper through early Christmas presents, we are caught peeking into the future when there’s still time left before the calender swit…
As 2011 enters its final days, fans are already looking ahead to what next year will bring them.
Like a child ripping the paper through early Christmas presents, we are caught peeking into the future when there’s still time left before the calender switches over.
2011 brought us a lot of great moments, but 2012 promises to be the best year in MMA.
And if the world is going to end, 2012 better be a good year.
Former UFC champions Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will meet again in the Octagon at UFC 140.The first meeting between the two allowed the winner, Mir, to advance into a title shot while the loser, Nogueira was forced down the rankings.The out…
Former UFC champions Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will meet again in the Octagon at UFC 140.
The first meeting between the two allowed the winner, Mir, to advance into a title shot while the loser, Nogueira was forced down the rankings.
The outcome of their rematch could drastically alter the UFC heavyweight rankings again.
With a win, Mir likely positions himself in line for another title shot or at the very least, a matchup with the loser of the next heavyweight title match.
A Mir victory would also likely spell the end of Shane Carwin’s title hopes, as he would be shoved back even further by sitting on the sidelines.
To me, it’s not so much if Mir wins, but how he wins.
If Mir pulls off a convincing victory, like another KO or a submission victory, look for him to be move up the rankings significantly.
Of course, if you consider Mir a top five heavyweight (like myself), there’s only so much farther he can move. You could swap Brock Lesnar or Alistair Overeem at No. three and No. four, and Cain Velasquez is sitting firmly at No. two.
Mir needs the convincing win I mentioned earlier (and in another piece) to solidify his claim for a UFC title shot. He also needs it to please his boss.
It’s no secret Dana White was very annoyed with Mir’s performance at UFC 119 against Mirco “Cro Cop” and White effectively buried the former champion after that fight.
But Mir rebounded nicely with a convincing victory over Roy Nelson who’s notorious for being hard to finish.
A decisive victory over “Big Nog” would mean Mir’s name needs to be next on the list for title challengers after the winner of Lesnar-Overeem.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions toin-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis.
Jon Jones looks to defend his title once again at UFC 140 against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. The main event looks to be quite the clash of styles, as Jones and Machida have some of the most unique fighting styles in the UFC. A win for Jones would soli…
Jon Jones looks to defend his title once again at UFC 140 against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. The main event looks to be quite the clash of styles, as Jones and Machida have some of the most unique fighting styles in the UFC.
A win for Jones would solidify him as one of the best light heavyweight champions in the history of the UFC. In a single calendar year, Jones would have wins against Ryan Bader, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Machida. Three out of those four are former champions, and Bader is an Ultimate Fighter winner.
That’s quite an impressive resume for someone who’s as young as Jones is.
But it’s not just the people he’s beaten (or will beat), it’s the manner in which he’s beaten them. He destroyed Bader and “Shogun” and used a picture perfect game plan to take down “Rampage.” If Jones can reel off another impressive victory against Machida, the “greatest of all-time” talk will only amplify for Jones.
His haters will grow even more agitated and louder. They will look towards the next guy being the one to dethrone the champion. Undoubtedly, that guy will be Rashad Evans, Jones’ arch nemesis.
A win against Machida will feel like a hollow win for Jones. Like beating an opposing team without their best player, he will feel like there’s still more to accomplish.
The UFC can’t bring Evans into the cage after a Jones victory to “steal the spotlight,” but he’s going to be hanging over the head of Jones and the UFC after Jones gets his hand raised.
A victory over Machida will do a lot to cement Jones’ legacy, but it won’t mean anything to fans if the final line doesn’t read “Jon Jones def. Rashad Evans.”
With Bellator’s move to Friday nights, the promotion looks to break into a brand-new market by moving their shows to a different night.