After the UFC 155 pre-fight press conference for Saturday’s card, Dana White spoke with attending media as per usual. While most have focused on his extended rant regarding Victor Conte, there was a pretty important nugget of information that affects t…
After the UFC 155 pre-fight press conference for Saturday’s card, Dana White spoke with attending media as per usual. While most have focused on his extended rant regarding Victor Conte, there was a pretty important nugget of information that affects the future of the UFC’s lightweight division.
After soundly defeating Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox 5, there were questions regarding who was next in line for UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. Diaz was adamant that Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez would pose the biggest threat to Henderson’s title reign.
However, with the future of Strikeforce unclear, most assumed that it would go to the winner of the Donald Cerrone/Anthony Pettis bout that is scheduled for UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago on Jan. 26.
With Strikeforce running its last show in Oklahoma City in January and the fighters making the transition to the UFC, it will likely be Melendez who gets the next shot at the UFC lightweight title.
“It will probably come right away,” said White. “We’ll see.”
This is one of those bouts that needs to happen for a number of reasons. Gilbert Melendez has remained in the discussion for top lightweight in the world despite not fighting in the UFC’s lightweight division.
There have been arguments made that due to the fact that he’s never faced the BJ Penns or the Frankie Edgars or even the Gray Maynards, he lacks the resume to be considered one of the top fighters in the division.
For Henderson, it would all but cement him as the top dog at 155. With two wins over Edgar and a five-round domination of Nate Diaz, Henderson is quickly making the case for best lightweight of all time. A win over Melendez would end all discussions.
Quotes attained firsthand from Jeremy Botter, who is in Las Vegas for Bleacher Report.
MMA isn’t a perfect sport.Whether it’s fans trolling fighters on Twitter or the utter ridiculousness of the Bellator tournament structure, there are times when I’m embarrassed with the direction this sport that I love so much is headed. Those…
Whether it’s fans trolling fighters on Twitter or the utter ridiculousness of the Bellator tournament structure, there are times when I’m embarrassed with the direction this sport that I love so much is headed.
Those two examples pale in comparison to what you’ll find ahead. In the grand scheme of things, they have little effect on the overall way people view MMA.
However, there are five different things that really grind my gears that I would like to see changed in 2013.
Two years ago I found myself in Glendale, Arizona, on the floor at the Jobing.com Arena for WEC 53.I had just left a job at Apple and decided on a whim to fly out for the final WEC event ever. It was so last minute that I flew in the day of the fights …
Two years ago I found myself in Glendale, Arizona, on the floor at the Jobing.com Arena for WEC 53.
I had just left a job at Apple and decided on a whim to fly out for the final WEC event ever. It was so last minute that I flew in the day of the fights and left immediately afterwards. I may have spent a total of 18 hours total in Glendale. At the time, I was unsure what I’d do next with my life after years working in a corporate atmosphere.
Sitting cage-side, I had goosebumps throughout most of the night. I got to see some of the most exciting fights first hand, including the epic “Pettis Kick”.
It was a trip that ultimately led me to MMA journalism and one that I’ll never forget. Now, two years later, I’d like to revisit the WEC and book one final card.
Cain Velasquez is a fighter. There’s absolutely no question that this is the case after he entered the Octagon at UFC on FOX 1 against Junior Dos Santos with a major injury to his rotator cuff. But that shouldn’t surprise anyone as Velasquez has b…
There’s absolutely no question that this is the case after he entered the Octagon at UFC on FOX 1 against Junior Dos Santos with a major injury to his rotator cuff. But that shouldn’t surprise anyone as Velasquez has been fighting all his life.
It’s well documented that the Velasquez family is the very definition of the American dream. His father, Efrain Velasquez, illegally came from Mexico for a better life and opportunities. He ultimately married Cain’s mother, Isabel Velasquez, and gained American citizenship.
Efrain worked in the fields all day to support his family, and that work ethic rubbed off on his son in a big way. Velasquez became a highly sought blue chip prospect after a successful college wrestling career at ASU.
After capturing the UFC heavyweight strap with a first round drubbing of Brock Lesnar, it was expected that Velasquez would hold on to the title for an extended period as champion. But there’s a saying about the best laid plans of mice and men.
His title run was cut short that night in Anaheim, California as Dos Santos shocked the world with a 64 second knockout of the champion. But don’t look for Velasquez to make any excuses or have any regrets for his decision. He’s a fighter after all.
“It was me being a fighter. Junior Dos Santos was hurt as well. We’re just guys who like to go out there and fight. I don’t think it was the best decision. I did it anyways. It’s in the past.” Velasquez continued, “you have to go out there and fight, that’s it.”
It’s refreshing to hear one of the top athletes in the sport discuss a loss with such honesty. No one would bat an eye if he tried to pass off his injury as the reason for losing to Dos Santos. That he isn’t dwelling on past mistakes shows maturity as a fighter.
Though, that may not be entirely honest. Velasquez has been oozing confidence in the lead up to his rematch with Dos Santos. So much so that he’s actually been speaking openly about his game plan for UFC 155.
“I know how he fights. He’s really good at his boxing. I just have to fight my style of fight which is a lot of pressure.”
While his confidence is at an all-time high, he remains one of the most humble men in the fight promotion. Always soft spoken, Velasquez is apparently a believer in Teddy Roosevelt’s Big Stick Theory in which he speaks softly but carries a big stick. It’s taken him far.
So fans shouldn’t expect him to talk trash or put down his opponent in the build up to the fight. Despite media attention, Velasquez will remain who he is, the quiet fighter who does his talking with his fists.
“I have a lot of respect for Junior. The way he carries himself in the cage. There’s no trash talking, just down to business. He’s very respectful.”
Cain Velasquez looks to recapture the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 155 in Las Vegas, NV against Junior Dos Santos in the main event of the evening.
Matthew Roth is a Featured Columnist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes attained first hand.
During his three-year run as the Bellator Middleweight Champion, fans had to hear a constant barrage of commentary from Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock, who made claims that Hector Lombard was one of the top middleweights in the world. They’d praise…
During his three-year run as the Bellator Middleweight Champion, fans had to hear a constant barrage of commentary from Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock, who made claims that Hector Lombard was one of the top middleweights in the world.
They’d praise his five-year undefeated run and his penchant for stopping fights in the most violent manner. They’d argue that his 25-straight fights without a loss somehow made him the Bellator equivalent of Anderson Silva.
And the sad thing is that Zuffa bought into the hype.
A couple months ago, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney released some details of the UFC’s contract offer to Lombard. He claimed that Lombard received a $400k signing bonus, a starting purse of $300k and PPV points—which would have been fiscally irresponsible to match.
Lombard made his UFC debut at UFC 149 against Tim Boetsch, replacing Michael Bisping, who was forced to withdraw due to injury. Boetsch was able to land more than double the significant strikes and earned a split decision victory over the Cuban judoka.
The stats don’t tell the entire story.
Lombard failed to throw any combinations. At no point did he double up a jab or try and make Boetsch guess what strike came next. Heck, I can’t remember him throwing a single straight punch through 15 minutes.
Instead, he threw looping hook after looping hook, connecting on only 34% of significant strikes thrown. In fact, the only positive statistic for Lombard was he prevented all nine of Boetsch‘s takedown attempts.
This past weekend at The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Finale aka UFC on FX 6, Lombard faced an over-matched Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares. It was clear that Palhares‘ sole path to victory was scoring a takedown and finishing with a leg lock.
Lombard proved his worth with a first-round knockout that put Palhares to sleep. It was the stoppage that fans expected in his UFC debut.
After the bout, Lombard called out Michael Bisping in a post-fight interview with Jon Anik. This got me thinking. Can Hector Lombard actually compete at the top of the UFC’s middleweight division? Like, for real?
While fans love to discuss the apparent lack of depth at 185, I’d argue that it’s deeper than it’s ever been. Gone are the days where Patrick Côté and Thales Leites “earned” title shots with wins over Drew McFedries.
And the top of the division is a shark tank of talent with several fighters all justified in demanding a shot at the belt.
Let’s take a quick look at the top 10 fighters in the UFC’s middleweight division and how Lombard would fare against them. Out of fairness to Lombard, I won’t include Strikeforce fighters such as Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
Anderson Silva:LOL. C’mon, stop. The only thing these two have in common is an extended winning streak. The difference is that Silva’s came against top competition and Lombard’s came against Alexander Shlemenko and Joe Doerksen.
ChaelSonnen:Chael is by far one of the best wrestlers in the UFC. Ever. He’s been able to outwrestle everyone he’s faced in the UFC and is relentless on the ground. His one kryptonite is his submission defense and even then, Lombard isn’t throwing up triangles off his back.
Chris Weidman: The heir apparent to the UFC’s middleweight strap. He’s made significant improvements in his striking and was able to take Mark Munoz down when they fought this past summer. There’s no doubts that Weidman could put Lombard on his back and keep him there.
Tim Boetsch: We saw how this played out. It’d likely be the same result again. Lombard didn’t show much in the fight besides takedown defense.
YushinOkami: There was a time when the consensus considered YushinOkami the No. 2 middleweight in the world. He’s strong in the clinch and has worked on improving his striking to the point where he’s got solid boxing. There’s little question he’d be able to own the body lock with Lombard.
Michael Bisping: The man that Lombard wants next. The man who is one of the most under appreciated fighters in the UFC. Love him or hate him, Michael Bisping is one of the top guys. He has the footwork and combinations to give Lombard fits. He’ll win by outworking the Cuban.
VitorBelfort:Belfort is currently scheduled to face Michael Bisping. He has some of the fastest hands in the division and like a good bourbon, he’s gotten better with age. Sure, Lombard could clip him, but it’s more likely that Belfort beats him up from range with straight punches.
Mark Munoz: The Mark Munoz hype train got derailed after he suffered an epic KO loss at the hands of Chris Weidman. But he’s still one of the best middleweights in the division. Of everyone in the top 10, I think that Lombard has the best shot at beating Munoz—but not by much. It’ll come down to his ability to land the big punch.
Alan Belcher:Belcher is an interesting case in the UFC’s middleweight division. It seems like fans are just waiting for him to finally fulfill his destiny of being the champion. He has the striking, wrestling and grappling to wear the gold. He also possesses a crazy chin and won’t get caught with a looping hook from Lombard. This is one of those un-winnable fights in the UFC for Hector Lombard.
Brian Stann: Another winnable fight for Hector Lombard, but not because he has the power to put Stann to sleep. Lombard’s clear advantage is in the clinch, where his judo will overwhelm Stann. The issue for Lombard will be dealing with Stann‘s power and footwork, as well as his reach. It’s winnable, but not a gimme.
And just to be kind of a jerk, I’ll include someone outside of the top 10.
ConstantinosPhilippou: While driving, I was thinking about fighters outside of the UFC’s Top 10 that would present a challenge for Lombard. It’s my belief that Philippou has the skill set to be an absolute nightmare for a brawler like Lombard. He has solid grappling from training with Matt Serra and Chris Weidman, as well as the striking to stay on the outside. He very well could overwhelm the former Bellator champion to a decision victory.
After taking a look at the Top 10 middleweights in the UFC, there are only two fights that are winnable for Lombard. Fights with Weidman and Bisping sound great on paper, but there’s just too great a distance in skills.
Even fights with Stann and Munoz, two fighters on the bottom of the Top 10, aren’t guaranteed wins. And a fight with ConstantinosPhilippou? To be honest, I’d lay money on Philippou—if the line was right and I would do so with confidence.
Hector Lombard is a solid fighter, but his 25-fight unbeaten streak was done so against regional level talent. No offense to those in Bellator, but there’s a big difference in competition.
Being the biggest fish in a small pond is nice, but right now he’s a minnow swimming around aimlessly in an ocean of killers.
The reality is that he’s a blown up welterweight fighting way outside of his natural weight class. He has a better chance of hanging with Rory MacDonald than he does with Michael Bisping. Basically what I’m trying to say is, let’s not fool ourselves. Hector Lombard has reached his ceiling as a UFC middleweight.
Anyone else get the feeling like fighters are going for the finish way more than usual? It just seems like we’ve seen a ton of cards that have delivered in a big way recently.The Ultimate Fighter Finale on Saturday night was one of those cards. De…
Anyone else get the feeling like fighters are going for the finish way more than usual? It just seems like we’ve seen a ton of cards that have delivered in a big way recently.
The Ultimate Fighter Finale on Saturday night was one of those cards. Despite being thin on star power, there were several memorable fights throughout the night.
It wasn’t a perfect evening, though. The bout between Melvin Guillard and Jamie Varner was cancelled during the prelims due to Varner throwing up in the locker room. And then there was The Ultimate Fighter final between Colton Smith and Mike Ricci which was very underwhelming.
But despite those low points, it was a very good night. Find out who had the best performance of the night.
