Author: Levi Nile

Rousey vs. McMann: Twitter Reacts to Main Event

It’s an amazing thing when an Olympic silver medalist is predicted to lose in a grappling contest, yet that was the case when Sara McMann stepped into the cage opposite Ronda Rousey at UFC 170.
When the competition and expertise gathered in one p…

It’s an amazing thing when an Olympic silver medalist is predicted to lose in a grappling contest, yet that was the case when Sara McMann stepped into the cage opposite Ronda Rousey at UFC 170.

When the competition and expertise gathered in one place is that high, things just seem bound to explode.

Many expected McMann to put up a fight before falling to the Rousey armbar, as has been the case with all of the champion’s previous competition. It’s not that anyone really thought McMann wasn’t elite; to doubt that she was a thoroughbred would have been foolish.

But to doubt the Judo and ferocity of Rousey seemed like it would go beyond folly and into insanity.

Before the fight got underway, fans and writers took to twitter to tell the story of Rousey-McMann in their own words, both the good and the bad.

To say anticipation was high is an understatement. Just seeing two Olympians in an MMA cage was one thing, but two women, in the UFC? It was an historic moment, without question.

After the first round and the sudden stoppage, shock was the predominant expression of those who saw and were left wanting more. The pace was high from the get-go and McMann came out strong, some heavy punches and knees.

Then, almost as soon as it started, Rousey landed a hard knee to the body that hurt McMann, dropping her to the floor. Dean quickly moved in and stopped the fight just as it was starting, much to the dismay of the crowd, and McMann.

Once again, Rousey notched a first round stoppage while McMann suffered her first loss. Given the nature of the ending, a rematch wouldn’t be out of the question. It may not have been the fight we expected but, for now, Rousey remains at the top of the heap.

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Daniel Cormier vs. Patrick Cummins: What We Learned from UFC 170 Co-Main Event

At UFC 170, Daniel Cormier stepped into the Octagon against late replacement Patrick Cummins to make a statement at light heavyweight.
Thanks to the verbosity of the latter, Cormier also had the chance to make the most of a sudden bad-blood situation. …

At UFC 170, Daniel Cormier stepped into the Octagon against late replacement Patrick Cummins to make a statement at light heavyweight.

Thanks to the verbosity of the latter, Cormier also had the chance to make the most of a sudden bad-blood situation. Cummins told Dana White that he had made Cormier cry in a previous training camp and that he broke him every time they hit the mat.

Obviously, Cormier didn’t like this one bit and suddenly was faced with a moment and a man he had to master.

Everyone thought that regardless of the Cummins talk, Cormier was simply going to be too much for him in all areas. Cormier was the known quantity; Cummins was the unknown jumping in at the last minute in the enviable role of underdog.

Perhaps the only question to be had about Cormier was based on the fact that this was his first fight at light heavyweight. Other than that, no one could really fathom how Cummins, coming in on nine-days notice, could win.

But after all the expectations were lain on the table, Cormier and Cummins came together and brought action to the script so many fans and pundits had been writing since the bout was announced.

What did we learn once the smoke had cleared and Cormier stood victorious was two-fold.

First, we learned that what happens in training is vastly different than a real fight. In truth, we’ve always known this, but Saturday night Cummins paid a heavy price in order to see us reminded of this fact.

Secondly, we learned that Cormier is simply better than most fighters out there and stands as a viable threat at 205.

Yes, Cummins did not have the benefit of a full training camp, and that is a disadvantage that cannot be overlooked. That being said, Cormier is more experienced and looks like he is improving with every outing.

What many thought would be a wrestling match turned into an old-fashioned beatdown as Cormier landed heavy punches with both hands. After eating a hard uppercut, Cummins was hurt, and the end was near.

Cormier closed the show with punches until Mario Yamasaki finally called it all off, and it was not a moment too soon. Cummins simply wasn’t ready for a fighter as well-rounded as Cormier, who ran him over and, in doing so, notched his first victory at light heavyweight.

It was a brutal resolution to an impromptu feud, and while we did not get to see what would have been a better test for Cormier in the person of Rashad Evans, we did get to see the former fight with the passion of his words.

And that was what we wanted.

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UFC 170: What We Learned from Stephen Thompson vs. Robert Whittaker

Living up to expectations can’t be easy.
Coming into their bout at UFC 170 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Stephen Thompson looked to be the favorite over Robert Whittaker, mainly based on his accomplishments in the kickboxing world. Whittaker wo…

Living up to expectations can’t be easy.

Coming into their bout at UFC 170 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Stephen Thompson looked to be the favorite over Robert Whittaker, mainly based on his accomplishments in the kickboxing world. Whittaker won the welterweight tournament on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes and was looking to make his name, like so many others before him.

Both men had something the other wanted, and they no doubt expected more from themselves than we did.

Thompson was a proven striker with a 20-0 kickboxing record. With only one loss in MMA, from a technical standpoint, it looked like this fight could be his chance to prove he could impose his skills against a heavy hitter while proving he could handle the pressure of being on the main card.

For Whittaker, he had an equal opportunity to prove that his power and aggression were equalizers that should not be ignored.

After the fight ended, we learned that desire, when coupled with power and pressure, could enable technique with devastating results.  

Thompson looked every bit as good as the hype, utilizing a fierce body attack in the beginning before going upstairs and landing with hard punches to the head. Whittaker did his best to stay inside and eliminate the potent kicks of Thompson, but in doing so he stepped into punching range.

As game as Whittaker was, he simply couldn’t handle the effective aggression of Thompson, who finished the fight via first-round TKO after hurting him with a hard right hand.

Thompson looked very good in the role of main card fighter, acting and reacting with poise and purpose.

Of course, we still don’t know how well Thompson is going to handle stiffer competition given he was only in action for less than five minutes, but that is coming soon. What we do know is that he is a fighter who can utilize a varied striking attack with brutal results, which is going to give his next opponent a lot to think about.

If his takedown defense is up to the task, he could make a lot of noise in a division that is full of strong grapplers who possess some serious power in their punches.

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UFC 170: Keys to Victory for Rory MacDonald

When Rory MacDonald steps into the cage against Demian Maia at UFC 170, he is in for a serious test.
While many think a victory for MacDonald is as easy as pumping his jab and maintaining a safe distance, the truth is that it’s going to take more…

When Rory MacDonald steps into the cage against Demian Maia at UFC 170, he is in for a serious test.

While many think a victory for MacDonald is as easy as pumping his jab and maintaining a safe distance, the truth is that it’s going to take more than that.

Maia is a terribly intelligent fighter who can anticipate like few others. On the feet, he’s not even close to being the best man in any division, but on the ground he’s a nightmare.

Maia has managed to defeat Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Gabriel Gonzaga in grappling competition. Both are bigger and stronger with a grappling game well beyond MacDonald, and that is just the beginning.

In MMA, Maia is wickedly adept at catching fighters with a submission when in the midst of a transition, and to that end he can set things up flawlessly. One example of this was seen when he surprised Chael Sonnen by throwing him to the mat and locking up a triangle leg choke as Sonnen rolled him over.

He’s just one of those rare fighters that can get the fight to the ground in ways you would not expect. He doesn’t always succeed, but if he can grab hold of an opponent who is willing to grapple with him for a moment, he can close the show very quickly.

To avoid this fate, MacDonald needs to avail himself of some very basic yet important strategies. When used together, they could see him victorious, just as they have so many others.

Here are the keys to victory for Rory MacDonald: utterly basic, tried and true.

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5 Most One-Sided Rivalries Where We’d Like to See 1 More Fight

No matter how even a fight looks on paper, sometimes theory falls short of fact.
Perhaps one of the hardest jobs in combative sports is that of matchmaker, who wants to maximize the potential of action toward an honest end every single time. Much of th…

No matter how even a fight looks on paper, sometimes theory falls short of fact.

Perhaps one of the hardest jobs in combative sports is that of matchmaker, who wants to maximize the potential of action toward an honest end every single time. Much of this is based on the styles of the fighters and their proven ability to implement said styles under harsh conditions.

But when this fails for whatever reason, it can end up in a one-sided fight that leaves many viewers disappointed and unfulfilled.

It also leaves behind serious questions for the defeated: Did he just have a bad night, or were his skills simply overstated?

To that end, here are five MMA fights that could see those questions answered with the finality they deserve.

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UFC Fight Night 36 Results: Which Fighter Stole the Show?

With ten fights out of the entire card going to a decision, it would be easy to declare that the fighters who finished their bouts were the clear standouts.Of course, as always, it is far deeper than that.There were many notable performances at UFC Fig…

With ten fights out of the entire card going to a decision, it would be easy to declare that the fighters who finished their bouts were the clear standouts.

Of course, as always, it is far deeper than that.

There were many notable performances at UFC Fight Night 36; Lyoto Machida looked masterful against a terribly good opponent in Gegard Mousasi.

In addition, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza imposed himself on Francis Carmont, taking him down two times and dominating the grappling exchanges. This becomes even more impressive when considering just how hard Carmont is to put on the mat, as the 32-year-old has managed to avoid 80 percent of takedown attempts in his career.

Yet amid it all, one man really seized the moment.

Erick Silva looked fantastic in his bout, exploiting not only his physical gifts but his opponent’s inexperience under the brightest lights on the biggest stage. Many fighters tend to freeze up a bit when they fight for the first time in the UFC, which could have been the case for Takenori Sato, Silva’s opponent.

But there were equal measures of desire, desperation and sheer violence in Silva’s victory that do make it stand apart from the rest.

Silva came out with one clear goal—to take the fight to his opponent right from the very start.

Silva fought as if his career in the UFC was in jeopardy. He paid no heed to the fact that his opponent had a strong grappling base, attacking with a hard kick that set the dominos tumbling in his favor.

In addition, as soon as Sato grabbed hold of his leg in a low single, Silva began attacking with any tool available. At that moment, it was turning and trying to land kicks with his free foot, almost behind his back.

Finally, overwhelming Sato with a tidal wave of aggression, Silva posted on his free leg and began to slam punches into his opponent’s head—over and over and over.

When he finally pulled his leg free, Sato was done and the referee mercifully jumped in to prevent any needless damage. And the damage Silva did in a short period of time was breathtaking. He didn’t just attack with purpose; he attacked with a kind of unrestrained fury that made Sato wilt.

In his destruction of Sato, Silva imposed his will from the beginning, kept his foot on the gas and ran over Sato, and in doing so, stole the show at UFC Fight Night 36.

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