With another bout of diverticulitis forcing former UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar to withdraw from a June 11th title eliminator fight against Junior dos Santos, many analysts are speculating whether he will ever fight again.Sidelined the past se…
With another bout of diverticulitis forcing former UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar to withdraw from a June 11th title eliminator fight against Junior dos Santos, many analysts are speculating whether he will ever fight again.
Sidelined the past seven months to coach the current season of the Ultimate Fighter reality show, Lesnar has not entered the Octagon since losing his title to Cain Valasquez last October.
As the UFC gets more and more viewers with each event, the time may be up for the career of one of the promotion’s biggest names.
As the feud between former teammates Jon Jones and Rashad Evans continues to escalate in drama, another pair of training partners are quietly going about their business before they face off next Saturday at UFC 130.Next weekend’s bouts features a co-ma…
As the feud between former teammates Jon Jones and Rashad Evans continues to escalate in drama, another pair of training partners are quietly going about their business before they face off next Saturday at UFC 130.
Next weekend’s bouts features a co-main event battle between former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir and the Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights winner Roy “Big Country” Nelson. Both fighters, born and raised in Las Vegas, are good friends and teammates who are putting aside their friendship to square off in their hometown at the MGM Grand.
“We get paid to win,” Roy Nelson told the press during Thursday’s media conference call. “You put your family before all your other friends,” he said.
Avoiding the back and forth trash talking that the Jones-Evans situation has sparked, Nelson has nothing but the utmost respect for his opponent.
“You always got to be a scared of Frank,” Nelson said. “He’s a true mixed martial artist.”
Asked to compare Mir with his last opponent, Junior Dos Santos, Nelson said that Mir is “bigger” and should “hit harder”.
This respectful gesture means a lot considering Nelson is the only person to not be finished by top contender Dos Santos.
Earning his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie, a man Nelson considers a “living legend” and “one of the best (in) MMA“, “Big Country” has faced Mir in competition before, defeating him in a grappling match in 2003.
Commenting on the match, Nelson doubts that he has an advantage over Mir on the ground, joking that he is “a bigger and fatter guy now.”
With a win possibly pushing the victor into title contention, both fighters will undoubtedly come out looking to put on a show. Regardless of the winner, Mir and Nelson have shown the MMA world that teammates can fight each other while remaining friends.
Quips about Kenny Florian’s move to featherweight have been heard over and over again since he announced his decision to move down a weight class in February.A former middleweight and welterweight as well, Florian is no stranger to the weight cutting g…
Quips about Kenny Florian’s move to featherweight have been heard over and over again since he announced his decision to move down a weight class in February.
A former middleweight and welterweight as well, Florian is no stranger to the weight cutting game, despite the constant jokes and questions about whether he will make weight for his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes in June.
Responding to criticism about not being able to compete against bigger opponents at 155, the former lightweight contender told MMAWeekly, “I know I’ve done well at 55 and I know I can be a champion at 155.”
The real reason for the move: a chance to face current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
“It all started when I was offered a fight with Jose Aldo at 155 pounds, and when that opportunity arose, I just started thinking Jose won’t go up to 155, could I be able to make it at 145?” Florian said.
Finding himself at a stage in his career where he wants “to face the best”, the Bostonian viewed a move down in weight as a way to test his skills against the promotion’s best lighter weight warriors.
With fighters like Mark Hominick and top contender Chad Mendes making waves in the featherweight division, Florian has a wealth of talent to test himself against – but the real prize is the belt.
“I see it as an opportunity to face one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world in Jose Aldo, hopefully, down the line”, Florian stated.
Mendes looks like the next in line for Aldo’s belt, but a win over Nunes at UFC 131 will definitely put Florian into mix, with a shot for the title possibly coming before the year’s end.
With hopes for success in a new division, the newly minted featherweight isn’t done at lightweight just yet, telling MMAWeekly, “Going down to 45 is a new challenge, and I expect to be at 155 (again) soon.”
Anderson Silva is without a doubt the king of the UFC’s middleweight division.The owner of the longest title reign in the UFC, “the Spider” has won each of his thirteen bouts inside the Octagon as well as defending his title eight consecutive times&mda…
Anderson Silva is without a doubt the king of the UFC’s middleweight division.
The owner of the longest title reign in the UFC, “the Spider” has won each of his thirteen bouts inside the Octagon as well as defending his title eight consecutive times—both records.
Set to face top contender Yushin Okami at UFC: Rio in August, there remains very few in the division who pose a threat to Silva’s belt.
Most analysts see the pound for pound king facing Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre or moving up to light-heavyweight if he gets past Okami.
But what about Brian Stann?
War hero and former WEC light-heavyweight champion, Stann quietly amassed a respectable 3-2 record in the UFC coming into the biggest fight of his career against the dangerous Chris Leben in January.
Known for his cut physique and world-class athleticism, analysts saw Stann as a strong, athletic guy, but lacking the striking and technical skills possessed by others in the division. Leben was thought to have the better hands—boy were they wrong.
Stann came out swinging hard, knocking down Leben, known for his tough chin, multiple times. Showcasing any array of techniques, Stann landed a myriad of body kicks and punches before ending the fight with a knee to the body against the cage 3:37 into the first round.
The only other fighter to dominate Leben with strikes—Anderson Silva.
Now don’t get me wrong, Silva is by far the better striker in comparison to Stann. With a list of knockouts including Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin and Vitor Belfort, Silva wouldn’t worry about Stann’s striking.
But the former Marine is ever improving his game, with Leben just the latest victim of his newly added skills.
Stann showed off his submission skills last August, catching Mike Massenzio in a triangle in the third round. His debut at middleweight, this bout also earned the “All-American” Fight of the Night honors.
Training under the mastermind that is Greg Jackson, Stann’s raw athletic ability and hard work ethic make him the ideal student for Jackson. Working with his stable of champions in New Mexico, Stann will no doubt come out even better when he faces Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago later this month.
If Stann can put on another dominating performance, this time against a champion caliber fighter in Santiago, look for this American hero to be catapulted into stardom.
Time will only tell if Brian Stann can craft himself into a champion, but if he keeps dominating opponents inside the Octagon, Silva and the rest of the division will definitely have to take notice.
UFC 131 features two of the promotions best grapplers in the middleweight division, with former top contender and jui-jitsu ace Demian Maia set to face NCAA all-American wrestler Mark Muñoz.With both fighters riding a two-fight win streak coming…
UFC 131 features two of the promotions best grapplers in the middleweight division, with former top contender and jui-jitsu ace Demian Maia set to face NCAA all-American wrestler Mark Muñoz.
With both fighters riding a two-fight win streak coming into the June 11th event, this main card bout showcases the classic battle between Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling, with the winner possibly entering the discussion for a shot at the title.
It has been a few months now since Zuffa, the parent company that owns the UFC, purchased the Strikeforce promotion. Dana White, president of the UFC, has stated numerous times that the two organizations would remain separate, with only minor cha…
It has been a few months now since Zuffa, the parent company that owns the UFC, purchased the Strikeforce promotion. Dana White, president of the UFC, has stated numerous times that the two organizations would remain separate, with only minor changes behind the scenes affecting Strikeforce.
But how long will this separation last?
As fighters and fans alike clamor for superfights between champions like Dan Henderson and Jon Jones or Gilbert Melendez and Frankie Edgar, it seems that cross promotion is already on the horizon.
But if history has taught us anything, a merger may come sooner than most people will expect.
