There’s losing a fight and then there’s just plain getting beaten down. But even among beatdowns there are distinctions; there are beatdowns, and then there are truly memorable beatdowns that transcend the others.Twenty such of these beatdowns happened…
There’s losing a fight and then there’s just plain getting beaten down. But even among beatdowns there are distinctions; there are beatdowns, and then there are truly memorable beatdowns that transcend the others.
Twenty such of these beatdowns happened in 2011, and now that the year is over, we can review them and marvel at them.
So what are the best beatdowns of 2011? Read and find out but keep in mind it’s difficult to rank beatdowns, so they are listed chronologically (although I’m sure I’ll have to explain this again in the comments).
There’s losing a fight and then there’s just plain getting beaten down. But even among beatdowns there are distinctions; there are beatdowns, and then there are truly memorable beatdowns that transcend the others.Twenty such of these beatdowns happened…
There’s losing a fight and then there’s just plain getting beaten down. But even among beatdowns there are distinctions; there are beatdowns, and then there are truly memorable beatdowns that transcend the others.
Twenty such of these beatdowns happened in 2011, and now that the year is over, we can review them and marvel at them.
So what are the best beatdowns of 2011? Read and find out but keep in mind it’s difficult to rank beatdowns, so they are listed chronologically (although I’m sure I’ll have to explain this again in the comments).
Lightweight striker Edson Barboza is one of the most highly touted prospects at lightweight—and its deserved. Barboza is 9-0 in his career and has amazing Muay Thai skills, perhaps the best in the 155-pound weight class. He destroyed BJ…
Lightweight striker Edson Barboza is one of the most highly touted prospects at lightweight—and its deserved.
Barboza is 9-0 in his career and has amazing Muay Thai skills, perhaps the best in the 155-pound weight class.
He destroyed BJJ standout and rubber guard extraordinaire Mike Lullo with leg kicks, and he out-pointed tough strikers in Anthony Njokuani and Ross Pearson so far in his UFC career.
The Muay Thai fiend will face his biggest test at UFC 142 when he faces British grappler Terry Etim.
Barboza has yet to face a grappler of Etim’s abilities (Lullo was alright but he had deficient takedowns). If he manages to defeat Etim, then his stock will rise dramatically. He will become a contender overnight and a fight with a top echelon competitor will be warranted.
So how high can Barboza go if he defeats Etim?
Pretty high—if he has good enough wrestling.
At the top of the lightweight mountain is Frankie Edgar, a man who prefers to box but has a wrestling background. The number one contender, Benson Henderson, also has a wrestling base. Gray Maynard, a man who is perennially near the top, is a dominant wrestler.
There is no question that Barboza has the most brutal leg kicks, knees and overall Muay Thai in the lightweight division. But if he doesn’t have the wrestling abilities to avoid takedowns from the division’s finest and the scrambling abilities to get out from under them if he does get taken down, he’ll go high but stall out towards the top.
UFC 142 will be Anthony Johnson’s last fight in the UFC, period.Even UFC president Dana White said that Johnson’s job is on the line—even if he manages to defeat Vitor Belfort in UFC 142’s co-main event!White went so far as to call Johnson’s botc…
UFC 142 will be Anthony Johnson’s last fight in the UFC, period.
Even UFC president Dana Whitesaid that Johnson’s job is on the line—even if he manages to defeat Vitor Belfort in UFC 142’s co-main event!
White went so far as to call Johnson’s botched weight cut “complete and absolute unprofessionalism.”
After all, Johnson is no stranger to missing weight.
The behemoth fighter has missed weight twice before while trying to fight in the 170-pound division.
He came in at 176 pounds against Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104 and came in at 177.5 pounds against Rich Clementi at UFC 76.
Johnson was simply too big to continuously hit welterweight. When it was announced that he was going to move up to middleweight, the MMA community was thrilled. People thought “Rumble” would be able to dominate the division.
Then, the weigh-ins happened.
Johnson came in at 197, 12 pounds over the 185-pound limit (although they give a one pound leeway, so he was really only 11 pounds shy).
Johnson’s camp claimed it was because he was sick and that the UFC’s doctors forced him to re-hydrate before the weigh-ins, making him miss by such a wide margin.
Can Johnson be saved?
It’s unlikely. He’ll need to have a truly epic victory against Belfort to win, anything else will land him in the minor leagues.
Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson was an anticipated matchup until Johnson missing weight the way he did cast a shadow over the fight and over the event itself.However, the fight is still on; Belfort and “Rumble” will be doing battle in the Octagon in …
Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson was an anticipated matchup until Johnson missing weight the way he did cast a shadow over the fight and over the event itself.
However, the fight is still on; Belfort and “Rumble” will be doing battle in the Octagon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
So who will win the fight?
It depends on two things: Johnson’s gameplan and his conditioning.
If he goes out and tries to strike with Belfort, one of the most technical, fast and powerful strikers in MMA, he’ll get his head knocked into the nosebleed seats via a Belfort punching flurry.
The best bet for Johnson therefore is to try and grapple Belfort and put him on his back, where the Brazilian’s fearsome striking is negated.
Johnson has the wrestling chops to do it, but with the botched weight cut, no one knows what his conditioning will be like. It’s uncertain if he’ll have the energy to bring Belfort to the mat and be able to hold him down/submit/TKO him during the fight.
Belfort will likely be looking to exploit any conditioning issues Johnson may have; look to see him force a high-paced fight on Johnson.
For Belfort to win, he needs to stay off the ground; having a man like Anthony Johnson on top of him may well tire him out. Also, grappling too much will make his shoulders feel heavy with lactic acid, slowing down “The Phenom”s punching.
When you consider all of this, it’s most likely that Belfort will escape with a (T)KO victory. He’s better than Johnson in the striking department and knows he’ll be shooting for a takedown a la the fight with Dan Hardy.
Sports giant ESPN seems to be sending a message to the UFC with its latest exposè that the gloves are coming off, and UFC president Dana White has responded in kind.”Can’t stand the lying 2 faced media [expletive]!! So glad we did this one right…
Sports giant ESPN seems to be sending a message to the UFC with its latest exposè that the gloves are coming off, and UFC president Dana White has responded in kind.
“Can’t stand the lying 2 faced media [expletive]!! So glad we did this one right cause ESPN can NOT be trusted,” White tweeted earlier today in response to ESPN’s recent actions.
What actions could be so heinous as to elicit such a response?
First, ESPN released a video in which it was suggested that the UFC had a monopoly over the MMA business.
The video wasn’t egregiously offensive as it was more or less unbiased.
However, what recently earned White’s ire was an editorial (that hits harder than an Anderson Silva front kick to the face) by ESPN reporter and longtime Dana White/Zuffa nemesis Josh Gross.
The article—which won’t be summarized at length—harshly criticized what the UFC pays its fighters and suggested that Zuffa brass sleep on mattresses made of money whilst low to mid level UFC fighters struggle to make ends meet.
Does this mean that the gloves are coming off between ESPN and the UFC?
After all, the UFC and ESPN aren’t strangers in terms of controversy. Back in August 2011, ESPN canceled an interview with Dana White after the UFC’s deal with FOX was announced.
These recent developments show that the UFC and ESPN will likely never be friends. So don’t expect to see more UFC footage on Sports Center or any other ESPN show in 2012.
A full-blown confrontation between the two may not come to pass but as long as Josh Gross writes for ESPN and as long as ESPN is owned by FOX rival ABC (which is owned by Disney), the UFC will always be treated as minor in terms of coverage on ESPN.
You’ll see more of the world series of poker and championship bowling than you’ll see UFC highlights.
Does this constitute “open war” between the UFC and ESPN?
Only Dana White and the Fertita brothers can answer that.
ESPN may keep the UFC from entering the top echelon of sports organizations or, on the flip side, the UFC may rise up and ESPN may look inept for not covering the next big thing.
All that is known for sure is that relations between the two jilted parties are not on the mend and may never be.
Lightweight striker Edson Barboza is one of the most highly touted prospects at lightweight—and its deserved.