Author: Matthew Hemphill

UFC 146: Is This Dan Hardy’s Last Chance with the UFC?

If Dan Hardy loses at UFC 146 against Duane Ludwig, even if the fight is exciting, he will be cut from the UFC.Hardy is an exciting fighter and a great marketing tool as far as being a top British MMA fighter, but he is in the fight business and to com…

If Dan Hardy loses at UFC 146 against Duane Ludwig, even if the fight is exciting, he will be cut from the UFC.

Hardy is an exciting fighter and a great marketing tool as far as being a top British MMA fighter, but he is in the fight business and to compete at the top level you have to win. Hardy has lost his last four.

It is easy to think that Hardy might have another shot with the UFC. He has sold fights for them consistently and knows how to deliver a thrilling performance. He just doesn’t know how to give a great fight and win.

Even if Hardy has a close fight at UFC 146 but loses, the company has to fire him. It is a matter of perception and principle. Fans come to see the UFC at its pinnacle. 

To some casual fans the UFC is MMA. They don’t know about the smaller organizations and don’t pay attention to them even if they do.

If the UFC allows fighters like Hardy to stay on because they are favorites it will damage that reputation.

It will also harm the relationship it has with its fighters. No-name fighters have been cut for as much as one or two losses in a row. Sometimes they are cut if they lose two out of three bouts. Having to watch Hardy lose four fights and stay employed could grind on some of them.

While it is ultimately the UFC’s decision on who to keep, that kind of ill will won’t help nurture a healthy company atmosphere if Hardy remains.

Of course, if Hardy wins, then it doesn’t matter, and this time, the UFC is making it easy for him.

Ludwig is a Muay Thai striker and not a wrestler. That doesn’t mean he isn’t an impressive striker. Ludwig had an entire kickboxing career before he came into MMA or the UFC, but he isn’t a grappler.

While Hardy lost by knockout in his fight with Condit, a bout that never saw the ground, all three of his other losses he was beaten by men who knew how to take him down. In two of them he lost because of dominant wrestling.

Dan Hardy isn’t a fan of wrestling in MMA and has been vocal about it, as shown in an article posted by MMAFighting.com. He even mentioned that he wanted wrestlers who take people down, but don’t try to submit them or knock them out to be deducted points.

Hardy doesn’t like wrestling and it’s obvious why. He hasn’t beaten anyone in the Octagon who would be considered a top wrestler.

Now he is being given an opponent who will stand and trade with him. Something that Hardy is good at—but it’s a double-edged sword. Hardy has the kind of fight he wants, he just has to win it. If he can’t do that then the UFC can’t use him.

And at five losses in a row it will take Hardy some time to try and make it back to the top again.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FOX 3: Head to Toe Breakdown of Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares

If Alan Belcher wants to win his fight against Rousimar Palhares, he needs to avoid the fight going to the ground.If Rousimar Palhares wants to win the fight, he needs to make sure the fight gets there.In the end, it’s as simple as that, but what are t…

If Alan Belcher wants to win his fight against Rousimar Palhares, he needs to avoid the fight going to the ground.

If Rousimar Palhares wants to win the fight, he needs to make sure the fight gets there.

In the end, it’s as simple as that, but what are the chances of each man getting what they want?

Belcher has proven to be competent on the ground and at striking, but Palhares is on another level when it comes to submissions. Indeed, Palhares is considered one of the best in the world when it comes to leg locks and heel hooks.

He has submitted three opponents in the UFC by heel hook and one by kneebar. That isn’t including the other opponent he took out with an armbar.

Belcher has won submission of the night on two occasions himself, but playing to his opponent’s strength would be a mistake. Belcher has the skills to keep the fight from going to the ground and the striking game to win the match.

He has been in a fight of the night twice, and while he is 1-1 in those bouts, his one loss was a close one. He must turn this match into a scrapper if he is intent on getting his hand raised.

Palhares has only one win by knockout. What’s more, in a fight with Dan Henderson, he showed how limited he was when it came to being a complete MMA fighter. Palhares is already 32 and there is little chance of him changing his ways now.

Belcher has to be careful of Palhares changing levels and transitioning to his patented leg submissions or trying to goad him to the ground. If he can be patient, and be willing to hear more then a few boos in the process, he will come out victorious.

Belcher has shown an evolution in his mindset and in his skills inside the cage. While the Arkansas native will have some cage rust, having last fought in September 2011, he should have enough to beat his opponent and move on to the next one.

Expect a Belcher victory by unanimous decision.

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15 Best Submissions in the UFC

The UFC is known for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The very basis of the tournament was invented by the Gracie family in an effort to prove the dominance of their art.While some submissions have come from wrestling, a large amount of the tec…

The UFC is known for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The very basis of the tournament was invented by the Gracie family in an effort to prove the dominance of their art.

While some submissions have come from wrestling, a large amount of the techniques in this article prove that masterful Jiu-Jitsu helps mixed martial artists to win fights.

So in an effort to celebrate all that the Gracies and the UFC has done for the sport, here is the top 15 submissions ever to be seen in the Octagon.

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Ken Shamrock, Tito Ortiz Fight On: How Old Is Too Old to Still Compete in MMA?

MMA doesn’t have a mandatory age for retirement, but with fighters like Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz continuing to compete, it isn’t a bad idea.At the end of the day, it is a fighter’s choice to continue taking matches, and nothing should stop them from…

MMA doesn’t have a mandatory age for retirement, but with fighters like Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz continuing to compete, it isn’t a bad idea.

At the end of the day, it is a fighter’s choice to continue taking matches, and nothing should stop them from doing so. They are grown men, and it is up to them how they want to lead their lives.

There are mixed martial artists who will stay too long and damage their bodies and minds while they try to climb back to the top, even after they are past their prime.

But what is a fighter’s prime?

Most would say it is the early to mid-30s, but Randy Couture proved that isn’t always the case. Anderson Silva is approaching middle age quickly as well and hasn’t shown any weaknesses or flaws.

A prime is something that varies from fighter to fighter.

Each fighter has a different time when they need to step back and realize that their time is past, but it is difficult for any man to know when that is.

Most fighters, especially on the highest level, never lose their passion for their job. They love training for every fight and want to keep going.

When an martial artist loses his passion, it is easy to slink off into the distance and move on. Their heart isn’t in it anymore and that means that they are going to start losing. There are other ways of making money that don’t involve getting punched in the face.

People like Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock who never lose the love of competition face a different challenge and a harder choice. They have to turn away from the job that they take pride in and find something new to do.

Ortiz has lost his last two fights in the Octagon, but is asking for one last chance to show that he isn’t washed up.

Shamrock has been on an incredible losing streak, yet he continues to fight because that is what he is known for.

It is hard for them to pull away, especially on a losing streak because fans and fellow fighters see them as being at the bottom of the heap.

They need the win.

Need is a dangerous word. When someone needs something, they become immersed in it to the point where friends, family, health and happiness become second. They have to prove to themselves and every one around them that they are the best.

They need to make it back to the top.

Every loss can be blamed on the right circumstances not being presented to them and the next time will be different. They keep chasing that elusive win and after a while, that is all they see.

They train and focus on their next opponent because that fight will turn it around for them. If they can just get the big win, then the next will be easier. That is rarely the way it turns out.

There is no set age for when a fighter should retire, but there is a set mentality. When a fighter starts losing fights and needs to win the next one to prove they aren’t over the hill, that is when they need to move on.

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Why Bellator Signing UFC Castoffs Hurts the Company’s Image & Future

Bellator is the second largest MMA organization in the world today and if it keeps buying up former UFC fighters and placing them in their tournaments, that is all they are ever go to be.UFC is the largest brand available today and when a fighter compe…

Bellator is the second largest MMA organization in the world today and if it keeps buying up former UFC fighters and placing them in their tournaments, that is all they are ever go to be.

UFC is the largest brand available today and when a fighter competes long enough for them, they become a UFC fighter. Even those that don’t last long in the company are branded “former UFC fighter” status. It’s a great marketing tool, helps increase the salary for any fighter who has it and gives them bigger awareness in MMA news.

It is something that every fighter should willingly embrace because, at the end of the day, it helps their career.

Bellator is embracing it to having signed fighters like Maiquel Falcao, Rob McCullough and Ben Saunders to their ranks. They even acquired War Machine despite the fact that he had troubles with the law in the past which has lead him going to jail yet again.

There isn’t much of a point in signing a fighter like War Machine or letting Ben Saunders take place in a tournament to fight for the belt except for one reason.

They have name recognition.

For a new promotion like Bellator, they want to have as much built in marketing as they can for their events, but using branded stars won’t help them.

It may be a bit callous to refer to fighters in a way that sounds like Bellator is dealing with cattle, but the logic isn’t unfounded. Fighters who have been built up and tied in with a certain brand will always be stuck with that connection.

People like Tito Ortiz or Randy Couture, even when they weren’t active in the company, were considered UFC fighters.

There was no way to escape the brand and what it had done for their careers or the notoriety it had given them.

If Bellator continues to buy up former UFC fighters, they will get the reputation of having some great fighters. They will also be known for having fighters who couldn’t make it in the UFC and, if those fighters win the championships or even come close, then that is all Bellator will amount to.

A place where those who couldn’t be the best in the world go to still get a healthy paycheck. That is all their championship will amount to as well.

Bellator now has the possibility of rivaling the UFC someday. It wasn’t possible in the past, but now that they have been bought by Viacom, they have the capitol and the backing to do so.

They just need to remember that just like their tournament format, they are a different product then the UFC.

Their fighters need to be the same.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

10 Reasons Why It Seems Like MMA Fans Hate MMA

MMA has some of the most passionate fans in all of sports, but sometimes that love turns to anger and comes off negatively.It makes it seem like MMA fans hate the sport.Enjoying something like MMA on such a serious level means that fans take their dedi…

MMA has some of the most passionate fans in all of sports, but sometimes that love turns to anger and comes off negatively.

It makes it seem like MMA fans hate the sport.

Enjoying something like MMA on such a serious level means that fans take their dedication to extremes and harm the sport’s image along with the experience of watching the fights themselves.

They may not be the most popular things to point out, but here are 10 things that fans do that show a negative side of their emotions for the sport.

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