Could Khabib Nurmagomedov have found his next opponent in Michael Johnson?
The past few days have been wrought with drama as Dana White openly discussed his difficulties in finding anyone who wanted to fight Nurmagomedov, via Twitter.
Now, it seems as …
Could KhabibNurmagomedov have found his next opponent in Michael Johnson?
The past few days have been wrought with drama as Dana White openly discussed his difficulties in finding anyone who wanted to fight Nurmagomedov, via Twitter.
Now, it seems as if the answer to White’s problems may come in the form of another TUF alum, Johnson.
Johnson is on a two-fight win streak and looks to be a greatly improved fighter who’s honestly hungry to move up the rankings. His last victory saw him knock out GleisonTibau, and prior to that, he gave Joe Lauzon a thorough thumping.
With both Johnson and Nurmagomedov having their names mentioned as possible opponents for Nate Diaz, perhaps the easiest thing in the world is to have them face each other.
It’s also an interesting clash of styles that would help answer questions about both fighters as they look to move up the ladder.
Thus far, the rejuvenated Johnson has yet to face a fighter who is as dogged about takedowns and working from the top as Nurmagomedov. If Johnson could win such a bout, it would not only officially put his name in the top 10, but it would also give us a glimpse of how good he really is.
Nurmagomedov, for his part, has not really fought a heavy-handed slugger that is also fast and moves well. Given that Johnson is polishing his wrestling game with Olympic gold medalist Kenny Monday, Nurmagomedov has a serious test in front of him.
And if he keeps throwing those telegraphed flying knees with his head out in the open, Johnson has the speed and the power to plant him like Nate Marquardt did to Demian Maia.
This bout seems like a natural resolution for both men, and given their desire, it could make White’s day a little easier.
Ever since Khabib Nurmagomedov stepped into the Octagon, he has displayed a confidence and poise that makes you think he is never going to lose.
He never seems intimidated, lackluster or distracted. To see him before, during or after a fight is t…
Ever since Khabib Nurmagomedov stepped into the Octagon, he has displayed a confidence and poise that makes you think he is never going to lose.
He never seems intimidated, lackluster or distracted. To see him before, during or after a fight is to see a young man who is fully aware of the opportunity before him and plans on seizing it.
And with every fight he wins, more and more fans rally under his banner.
But is he a title contender?
Right now, I have a hard time imagining him defeating Benson Henderson, Gilbert Melendez or Anthony Pettis. It’s not just a matter of Nurmagomedov not getting the opportunity to fight a true, Top 10 lightweight; it’s his style.
He is a relentless fighter, and anyone who puts pressure on his opponent is someone to be respected. But upon closer examination, he’s not reinventing the wheel by any means.
There is no secret to his game plan, as it never seems to change. He’s going to throw strikes while working for the takedown, and he’s going to be looking for the takedown all night.
Can getting the lightweight title really be as simple as that when you consider just how deep the division is?
Given how most MMA fights are scored, part of that answer is “yes.” If he can get enough takedowns in any fight, chances are good he can get a decision victory, no matter who he faces.
Clay Guida managed to defeat Pettis in much the same fashion. Guida took Pettis down repeatedly and won the bout 30-27 on all cards, simple as that.
Nurmagomedov also has very good submission skills, which could keep him out of trouble, as he works a top-heavy game and keeps the fight where he wants it. By controlling where the bout is fought, he can win fight after fight after fight.
So, on paper he looks like a serious contender already: a man eating his way to the crown, one fight at a time.
But thus far, he’s yet to face top-tier opposition. In his last bout against Pat Healy at UFC 165, his striking was a bit wild yet effective, simply because he was throwing more and Healy was walking in. Even then, Healy tagged him with a hard right that clearly hurt.
To expect that Nurmagomedov would find much success against good strikers like Michael Johnson or Pettis seems a little far-fetched at this point. Unless he plans on bull-rushing them every second of every round, he’s going to have to stand and trade in order to set up successful takedowns.
And that could be where he winds up in trouble.
Men like Johnson, TJ Grant and Pettis have the power to finish Nurmagomedov with one shot. If he cannot get the takedown, he’s going to be forced into a situation where a powerful striker will get many chances to end his night early.
But from what we have seen thus far, he has the kind of grit that makes it easy to imagine him pushing forward anyway, ignoring all the blood and pain just to get on top.
The French have a saying: “Plus les choses changent, plus elles restent les memes.” Translation: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” In MMA, no matter how much the sport evolves, the man who decides where the fight takes place is usually the winner, just like it was back in the early days.
While we cannot say for sure if Nurmagomedov will prove this true as the competition gets tougher, we do know that he’s undefeated because he always plays to his strengths.
And if he can put anyone in the Top 10 on his back, I cannot imagine anyone stronger from the top.
By now, most MMA fans know that Nate Diaz has come out swinging upon word from Dana White that he refused a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Now, new manager for Diaz Mike Kogan recently contacted MMAmania.com (as per Michael Stets) to clarify the situa…
By now, most MMA fans know that Nate Diaz has come out swinging upon word from Dana White that he refused a fight with KhabibNurmagomedov.
Now, new manager for Diaz Mike Kogan recently contacted MMAmania.com (as per Michael Stets) to clarify the situation.
“Nate has never turned down a fight with anyone,” Kogan said. “There are conditions that we asked for that were turned down by the UFC, so the fight didn’t happen.”
It started on Twitter, when White declared that Diaz turned down a fight with Nurmagomedov. Diaz replied shortly thereafter with this tweet.
Then, in typical Diaz style, the 155-pound fighter tweeted again, saying that the UFC and White were “Full of s–t” and that he didn’t turn down anything.
Diaz is coming off a first-round bombing of Gray Maynard at The Ultimate Fighter 18 finale. It was his first victory since losing back-to-back fights with Benson Henderson and Josh Thomson, respectively.
Nurmagomedov is undefeated and has won five bouts under the UFC banner. With a style that is based heavily on takedowns and top control, it isn’t all that puzzling as to why Diaz might want special conditions for such a bout.
Now, the next question seems to be a simple one: Is Diaz within his rights to request anything outside of his contract?
White’s actions on this matter are nothing new. In a piece by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden regarding UFC fighter contracts, White discussed his tactic of calling fighters out for refusing fights.
The bottom line is, we’re all in the business of making fights that people want to see. You’re going to have your moments when fighters will lobby to not fight this guy or that guy. And normally what I do is call them out publicly when they won’t. Don’t tell me on the phone you don’t want to fight a guy and then not say it publicly…You can’t make anybody fight anybody. But nobody wants to be that guy.
Hopefully, both sides will come to some kind of agreement and we can see Diaz and Nurmagomedov in the Octagon sooner rather than later.
As perhaps one of the most dangerous and explosive fighters in the UFC, Jose Aldo is a man in the prime of his career.There is no man in the lower weight divisions—save perhaps Anthony Pettis—who is as fluid, precise and devastating as Aldo…
As perhaps one of the most dangerous and explosive fighters in the UFC, Jose Aldo is a man in the prime of his career.
There is no man in the lower weight divisions—save perhaps Anthony Pettis—who is as fluid, precise and devastating as Aldo. With 14 of his 23 victories coming by way of KO/TKO, Aldo is capable of finishing the fight at any time.
Dana White must be thanking his lucky stars that he has Aldo in 2014.
Now, all Aldo really needs is a very big push.
For fans of the combative sports, nothing keeps their interest more than a fighter who can end any fight at any time. It’s the greatest currency to be had in such sports, and that is why Aldo can indeed become a global star.
Some things sell themselves; now all he needs is maximum exposure so that more fans know it’s out there, waiting for them.
Thus far, Aldo has only fought in the UFC five times, headlining just three cards. Thankfully, his last three appearances have been in the headlining slot, which shows that the UFC is recognizing him as a man who can deliver the goods.
He’s already a big name in Brazil. Now all that remains is to take him into other markets. He could grow his name gradually in the featherweight division, but he would be better served by moving up to lightweight.
Aldo is a man designed for big bouts: He has already dominated the featherweight class, and a move up in weight would give him a fresh countryside to terrorize.
Fights with Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Gilbert Melendez, Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis could see him become the biggest name the lower divisions have ever seen. When you consider that he could fight for the 155-pound title right away, all that remains is to make sure his opponent gathers some momentum.
Another positive for Aldo in moving up is that the lightweight division has seen the title change hands three times since April of 2010. In comparison, Aldo has ruled the featherweights since November of 2009, stopping four out of eight opponents.
If Aldo could claim the title, he has a chance to grow his name as the man who dominated one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC.
If he were to defend his featherweight title two more times while Pettis defends his lightweight belt, a bout between the two of them would be one of the most exciting and anticipated fights the sport has seen in many years.
It would be the MMA equivalent to Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera, and given how good both men are, it could give us a trilogy worthy of the comparison. Also, as champion, Aldo’s thrilling style would make for exciting fights with Diaz, Melendez and nearly everyone else in the Top 10 at 155.
And Aldo is in command of a style that could beat them all in highlight-reel fashion.
No one would really be surprised if you told them Miesha Tate did not like losing to Ronda Rousey for the second time at UFC 168.
Tate is a former champion herself. Anyone who can rise to that level in a sport with so many ways to lose is not comfortab…
No one would really be surprised if you told them Miesha Tate did not like losing to Ronda Rousey for the second time at UFC 168.
Tate is a former champion herself. Anyone who can rise to that level in a sport with so many ways to lose is not comfortable with defeat. When you add in the fact that she lost to a bitter rival Rousey, you have a fire that’s still burning.
I told Dana White that I’d fight her as many times as he’d let me. I don’t care if I fought her 100 times and I lost the first 99 of them. I would fight her 100 times, as many times as they let me. If she beats me nine times out of 10, that might be the reality of it, but I would be game to fight her any day at any time they let me.
While many fans may laugh at this, if we look at the history of combative sports, we find that Tate’s thinking isn’t an anomaly. Jake LaMotta fought Sugar Ray Robinson six times, winning only once. If LaMotta had gotten more chances to take on Robinson, he probably would have.
No one likes to lose against a person they dislike. It must have burned Ken Shamrock to lose three times to Tito Ortiz just as badly as it burns Tate to have lost to Rousey again.
While Tate told Chiappetta that she felt “like s–t” during the fight and couldn’t get out of first gear, she did admit that part of her problem that night came in the form of a seasoned opponent. Rousey is used to pressure-cooker situations—she competed on the Olympic stage and also has one UFC title defense under her belt.
Tate went on to praise Rousey, declaring her a “phenomenal” athlete whose judo is “amazing,” both of which she used expertly to retain her title.
Then, of course, there is the matter of the snubbed handshake.
“At the moment I felt that was the right thing to do, to show that I respected her as an athlete. That’s what it was about. Now that it’s over, you won’t see me trying to shake her hand anytime soon.”
By now, everyone has heard the rumors (via Fox Sports’ Mike Chiappetta) that Brock Lesnar may or may not be returning to the UFC.
The idea of getting a pay-per-view draw like Lesnar back into the UFC is clearly intriguing, especially since Georges St-P…
By now, everyone has heard the rumors (via Fox Sports’ Mike Chiappetta) that Brock Lesnar may or may not be returning to the UFC.
The idea of getting a pay-per-view draw like Lesnar back into the UFC is clearly intriguing, especially since Georges St-Pierre has walked away from the sport. Big events are built around big names, and the UFC needs big events like every other promotion.
But until I hear that a fight is actually signed, I will not believe that Lesnar is coming back. Not in any way, shape or form.
Right now, Lesnar is an athlete under some kind of contract with the WWE. How open or flexible that contract honestly is, we don’t really know.
But if one thing is clear, it’s that in the world of professional wrestling (i.e., the entertainment world), rumor and innuendo get people talking like nothing else, and that can be worth a lot of money.
Wrestling fans tune into the WWE for several reasons, chief among them being the unpredictability of that which they witness: “What’s going to happen next?”
They ponder everything from who is going to “turn heel” to how long the creative powers that be are going to allow the flavor of the day to wear the belt. In a realm where villains are every bit as important as heroes, Lesnar is coveted—pure and simple.
It’s not hard to believe that Lesnar would try to create a buzz around his name by starting a fire in the rumor mill. In the WWE, the questions seem to be worth as much as the answers—not a big stretch when you consider the scripted, soap-operatic nature of it all.
And the more people buy into any gossip that speaks to the idea he may be returning to the UFC, the more they want him to stay.
WWE fans are in on the joke, no question about it. They know how demanding the life of a professional wrestler is; they don’t want to see future storylines ruined due to the damage Lesnar may take returning to the UFC.
And so, everyone starts talking again, thanks in part to a tweet from Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.
The truly interesting thing is, should Lesnar want to make even a limited return to the UFC, the time to do it would be now. With the departure of St-Pierre and the injury of Anderson Silva, Lesnar would command a lot of leverage in the contractual negotiations.
But would it be worth it for him?
Lesnar left the UFC after two bad defeats, but above all else it was probably his struggle with diverticulitis that was the deciding factor.
Lesnar came about as close to losing quality of life as one would care to. Fighting in a sport that will see opponents targeting his midsection with brutal kicks, punches and knees seems like a foolish risk.
Now, that is not to say that the life of a professional wrestler is not grueling, because it clearly is. But there is also safety in the script and that goes a long way to seeing an athlete enjoying the money he’s making.
In order to cast safety aside and make a return, the financial reward for Lesnar would have to be incredible. The UFC would have to prove that they value Lesnar more than the WWE does, and right now that is doubtful.
But in this sport, and with an athlete as daring and unpredictable as Lesnar, anything can happen if enough zeroes show up on the check.
Could Khabib Nurmagomedov have found his next opponent in Michael Johnson?