The average MMA fighter showcases some tact, respect and honor following combat. There’s something special about sharing 15 minutes of combat with a man. Fighters sweat, bleed and hurt together, and it brings them closer in some strange, almost p…
The average MMA fighter showcases some tact, respect and honor following combat. There’s something special about sharing 15 minutes of combat with a man. Fighters sweat, bleed and hurt together, and it brings them closer in some strange, almost primitive way.
That’s why the outspoken or the overtly arrogant fighters are the exception to the rule. Upstairs, they seem to function a bit differently. Either that, or they’ve been working at self-promotion long before entering the cage.
Either way, a few fighters who always bring a little extra something to post-fight interviews and conferences. These are the guys with emotions seeping from their pores and obscenities flying from their lips. These fighters often stand out in our memory, and if you doubt that, take a look at this group of men.
Johny Hendricks truly is one hell of an athlete. The gusto this man brings into the cage is admirable to the fullest, and it has quickly endeared him to a growing legion of fans across the globe. He shows up in solid shape and puts forth offensive effo…
Johny Hendricks truly is one hell of an athlete. The gusto this man brings into the cage is admirable to the fullest, and it has quickly endeared him to a growing legion of fans across the globe. He shows up in solid shape and puts forth offensive efforts constantly.
He can wrestle, he can box, he’s savvy enough to avoid the danger of submissions and as we learned at UFC 158, he can take a huge shot, flush on the chin and keep it moving with little signs of physical angst.
Hendricks is as tough as they come, and while it may not have yielded the results “BiggRigg” had hoped for (it was quite obvious he was eyeing the knockout), his decision nod over Carlos Condit erased any doubt that Hendricks is the real deal number one contender to Georges St-Pierre’s title.
Hendricks has now toppled Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Martin Kampmann and Carlos Condit—four top-10 ranked welterweights—in succession. That’s an accomplishment no contender has managed in the past. Not even Fitch, during his impressive 8-0 run upon entering the UFC managed to eliminate four top-ranked foes in succession.
Hendricks deserves the title shot and if Dana White lives up to his word, he’ll get it soon enough.
But after witnessing his bout with Condit, one must really ponder: does Hendricks have a legitimate chance at dethroning the champion?
Before you leap to say of course, this is MMA and anything can happen, take into account Hendricks’ strengths and his weaknesses.
He’s a wrestler by trade with iron in his fists. However, is he a superior wrestler in the confines of the cage than GSP? Personally, I don’t believe so. Does he hit harder than St-Pierre? Absolutely, but he’s got to land to put the champion in danger, and St-Pierre is inarguably the most elusive welterweight on the UFC’s roster. It’s extremely difficult to hit GSP with a flush power punch.
In terms of overall diversity, I think Hendricks may be a step behind the champion as well. GSP’s top control, submission game and cardio are noticeably superior to that of Hendricks and his footwork puts every other welterweight on the planet to shame. St-Pierre is also a master of assembling the perfect game plan needed to nullify his opponent’s strengths.
Hendricks has one plan: move forward, throw bombs and if the leather fails to land, shoot the take-down and work from top position.
I think Hendricks is an amazing fighter with a personality that I’m personally drawn to. I think he’ll be around cleaning clocks for years to come. I don’t, however, believe he has the required offensive and defensive depth to become the UFC’s new welterweight champion.
Nick Diaz is making it a habit of announcing retirement plans in the immediate wake of virtually any loss sustained.He voiced such thoughts after dropping a decision to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, and issued an echo following his unanimous decision loss …
Nick Diaz is making it a habit of announcing retirement plans in the immediate wake of virtually any loss sustained.
He voiced such thoughts after dropping a decision to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, and issued an echo following his unanimous decision loss to champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158—an opinion that’s since been refuted by Diaz’s trainer Cesar Gracie, who spoke on the MMA Hour yesterday noting that, “He wants big fights. Like, guys in the news that people are talking about. He wants big fights to motivate himself.”
I get it, I really do: Diaz is highly frustrated in those agonizing moments of defeat. The dejected feeling that comes with losing anything competitive in nature aches. It digs deep, saddens you and infuriates simultaneously.
Diaz’s pain is the same pain felt by any man to invest weeks on end in the gym, doing everything possible to prepare yourself to enter a cage with a smile and exit with a victory. But not everyone allows their emotions to pour from their mouths with reckless abandon.
I think Diaz could benefit from a little sports psychology and maybe some public relations advice. That may actually tweak his personality so much that his bad boy appeal diminishes, but I doubt it. This man is magnetic.
We’re all dying to see what Diaz will do or say next, and that—coupled with some stellar skills as a fighter—is what keeps people forking out money to see the Stockton representative enter the cage to wage war.
But after repeated announcements and hints at exiting the sport, questions start to roam the mental cavities. Is the world tired of hearing Diaz cry wolf? Would the world prefer to bypass future tirades and see the man hang his gloves up for good?
Personally, I’d like to see Diaz compete for another decade. I think he’s got the tools to be a perennial top-10 welterweight and pick up plenty of big wins inside the Octagon, and his persona is absolutely fascinating. If this man had a reality show, ratings would be off the charts.
So, the obvious question isn’t whether or not I would prefer to see Diaz retire. I’ve addressed that clearly. I want to see the man continue on in his march for greatness as a professional fighter.
The question is: would you prefer to see Diaz exit the sport at this point in his career?
Fans love to toss about hypothetical matches, often casting a heavyweight fighter in a proposed bout with a light heavyweight, or a lightweight tangling with the larger welterweight.It’s just one of those things we do as mixed martial arts fans, …
Fans love to toss about hypothetical matches, often casting a heavyweight fighter in a proposed bout with a light heavyweight, or a lightweight tangling with the larger welterweight.
It’s just one of those things we do as mixed martial arts fans, and I believe, to a degree, it’s fairly natural.
We all knew Frankie Edgar was an undersized lightweight.
Just like we all know that Chris Weidman is a certified light heavyweight who has mastered the art of trimming a startling amount of weight to hit the 185-pound limit. The guy, like GleisonTibau, is clearly huge when compared to the average man competing in the same weight class.
Every now and then, a specific fight or a long stretch of dominance calls for a shift in weight division. When a man cleans out his division by abusing the top-10 challengers, what do we expect of him? A move to new territory, where new challenges await.
Get a look at six fighters we’d all love to see approach a new weight division.
As MMA fans, we always await the shocking changing of the guard. We keep an eye trained on the potential upset victory. We root for the underdog. It’s in our nature. After all, the norm, with time, becomes mundane. Whether we love or loathe the c…
As MMA fans, we always await the shocking changing of the guard. We keep an eye trained on the potential upset victory. We root for the underdog.
It’s in our nature. After all, the norm, with time, becomes mundane.
Whether we love or loathe the current champions of the sport, we’re always on edge when a bout materializes that could conceivably produce a stunning upset.
Here are eight contenders who will compete for the title before 2013 reaches its conclusion!
James Te Huna is an absolute animal. He owns devastating power, an incredible ability to recover from damage and he employs a constant in-your-face attack. The guy’s a pressure cooker, and any man opposing him had best to be leery of sneaky power…
James Te Huna is an absolute animal. He owns devastating power, an incredible ability to recover from damage and he employs a constant in-your-face attack. The guy’s a pressure cooker, and any man opposing him had best to be leery of sneaky power punches and a respectable physical and mental fortitude.
The man’s earned five victories inside the Octagon, dropping a single bout to current number two ranked light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson. He’s successfully finished three of his five victims, and recently engaged in a thrilling war of attrition with Ryan Jimmo at UFC UFC on Fuel TV 7.
He’s proven himself a consistently improving fighter with a wealth of promise.
But in stepping up for the injured Ryan Bader to challenge Glover Teixeira at UFC 160, Te Huna will face a man unlike he’s ever seen inside the cage.
Glover Teixeira has been adorned the moniker of “The Future of the Light Heavyweight Division.” And, to be fair, that’s a solid brand to carry. Teixeira is an absolute animal who possesses a rare combination of destructive power, a well fueled gas tank, an extremely durable chin and a refusal to succumb to the physical strengths of his opponents.
Teixeira is a rare breed, and if there’s a single fault to point to in regards to the man’s overall skill set, it’s his lack of explosive athleticism.
The question is, can Te Huna survive the onslaught that Teixeira is guaranteed to bring, and can he exercise the proper speed and agility to keep himself out of direct danger, long enough to score the points required to exit the cage victorious?
Te Huna’s reckless attack has left him susceptible to power counters in the past (Ryan Jimmo floored Te Huna with a high-kick at UFC on Fuel TV 7 and Joey Beltran buckled the Australian with a left hook late in the second frame of their encounter at UFC on Fuel TV 4), and he will not be afforded the ability to eat a bomb from Teixeira. If the Brazilian lands heavy leather, there’s a solid chance Te Huna goes down and doesn’t get up for an extended period of time.
If Te Huna fights the perfect fight and abandons some of his brutish rushing tactics, he can win this fight by forcing the action against the cage, where he’s markedly effective with dirty boxing.
The chances of that seem a bit unlikely. However, anything is possible in the sport of mixed martial arts.
If Te Huna is flawless, and keeps that chin tucked, he can shock the world and derail a man that many consider the future of the division. One simple mistake however likely leads to a nasty finish from Teixeira.
Regardless of the outcome of the fight, James Te Huna deserves a wealth of respect for jumping at the opportunity to battle a man often avoided by his professional peers. This could be a career changing fight for the likeable Te Huna, who only stands to gain fans in his willingness to accept this bout.
Win or lose, Te Huna is a damn stud, who’s earned my respect ten fold.
Johny Hendricks truly is one hell of an athlete. The gusto this man brings into the cage is admirable to the fullest, and it has quickly endeared him to a growing legion of fans across the globe. He shows up in solid shape and puts forth offensive efforts constantly.