Although UFC on Fuel TV 7 in London will star plenty of notable fighters on a tightly-packed MMA card, there’s sure to be a lot of attention on the company’s newest talent.That would be Carly Baker, the promotion’s first European Octagon Girl…
Although UFC on Fuel TV 7 in London will star plenty of notable fighters on a tightly-packed MMA card, there’s sure to be a lot of attention on the company’s newest talent.
That would be Carly Baker, the promotion’s first European Octagon Girl.
As announced on the UFC UK Twitter feed, Baker will be making her UFC debut at the Wembley Arena on Feb. 16, where she will be on “round card duty” for the duration of the 12-fight event:
Baker is a notable glamour model in the European scene, who has previously worked for PlayStation, FHM and Nuts Magazine. According to her official website, Baker has also been a previous Miss Wimbledon candidate as the “Miss Great Britain” entry.
Baker also turned heads in 2011 when she appeared in a photo shoot as Mortal Kombat character Sonya Blade (via Ve3troGamesMedia), cosplaying as part of a promotion for the series’ video game reboot.
Earlier last year, Baker was thrust into the UK news spotlight when her boyfriend, famed Welsh cricketer Tom Maynard, died in an assumed suicide.
Shortly following a drunk-driving incident in his Mercedes C250 coupe last June (via Daily Mail UK), Maynard reportedly stepped on an electric rail at Wimbledon Park Station, and his body was not found until an hour later.
UFC on Fuel TV 7 will feature a bantamweight title fight as its main event, with interim champion RenanBarao making his first title defense against Michael MacDonald. Barao rides a 30-fight undefeated streak going into the match, capped off with a 4-0 UFC stretch against Urijah Faber, Scott Jorgensen, Brad Pickett and Cole Escovedo.
Vitor Belfort has looked better than ever in his recent UFC run, carving a 3-1 trench through the middleweight division and nearly defeating light heavyweight champion Jon Jones via armbar submission.But his most recent win—and possibly his previ…
Vitor Belfort has looked better than ever in his recent UFC run, carving a 3-1 trench through the middleweight division and nearly defeating light heavyweight champion Jon Jones via armbar submission.
But his most recent win—and possibly his previous ones—come with a large, TRT-shaped asterisk.
Specifically, Belfort apparently received a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), according to a report from MMA Junkie’s John Morgan:
Additionally, Vitor Belfort was on TRT for the fight. — John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) February 6, 2013
It begs the question: Is that why Belfort wasn’t offered a title shot against Anderson Silva?
That would actually make a lot of sense, as Belfort stepped into the UFC on FX 7 weigh-ins looking in suspiciously better shape than he had just two years ago at UFC 126 in February 2011.
In his prime, Belfort was a physical specimen of a killer who simply faltered against true elites of the sport. But with his spectacular head-kick KO of Michael Bisping and near-win against Jones, “The Phenom” is possibly more threatening than ever.
Maybe this new TRT-fueled Belfort could even defeat the likes of Anderson Silva.
But the fact is, that bridge looks pretty much burnt.
Although Silva’s own front kick KO defeat of Belfort could be reason enough for the UFC to not grant a rematch, Belfort’s TRT use doesn’t seem like it helps his case much either.
As one of Brazil’s biggest stars and a still-growing pay-per-view draw, the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter remains a big investment for Dana White and the UFC—so much to the point that the company desperately wants superfights for “The Spider” against Jones or Georges St-Pierre.
Any Silva vs. Jones or Silva vs. GSP card would be a record UFC event, both in attendance and PPV revenue, which could even fill an entire football stadium.
But if Silva rematched the lab-engineered Belfort and lost, all those matchups go away in a puff of smoke.
What’s also good for this case is that Belfort has already lost to Silva, so that rematch can be swept under the rug.
Of course, Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson, two noted TRT users themselves, were also given title shots against Jones. But perhaps it’s fair to assume that Belfort is far more dangerous than either of them at this point in all their respective careers.
If that’s the case, it’s probably better to throw someone relatively green like Chris Weidman at the champion and hope that Silva shows off his usual brilliance with a stunning victory.
Belfort’s suspected TRT use had been a key issue in the buildup to his main event title eliminator in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The story became larger after ESPN writer Brett Okamoto was sidestepped after directly asking Belfort whether or not he was using it.
Now, we all know the truth.
Moreover, we all know for certain what seemed pretty clear before—Belfort’s faith alone isn’t the only thing pushing him to new heights.
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.
Leading up to the third episode of The Ultimate Fighter 17, preview clips strongly hinted that Uriah Hall was responsible for Tuesday’s brutal knockout.Although there may have been doubts, they seem to have vanished.Uriah Hall of Team Chael Sonnen has …
Leading up to the third episode of The Ultimate Fighter 17, preview clips strongly hinted that Uriah Hall was responsible for Tuesday’s brutal knockout.
Although there may have been doubts, they seem to have vanished.
Uriah Hall of Team Chael Sonnen has been labeled as the man to beat in Season 17, especially if he really is this “terrifying” mystery fighter that UFC president Dana White cryptically warned MMA fans about.
Could it be anyone else?
That seems unlikely, as poor Team Jones member Adam Cella suffered one of the most brutal head kick KOs in TUF history—a blow so damaging, it scared both teams.
More than the kick itself, it was the aftermath that seemed most frightening.
As Cella went limp and crashed to the Octagon mat right on the back of his head, Team Sonnen didn’t even have time to celebrate as the TUF gym went dead silent.
Hall’s own post-fight celebration was also cut short, as he quickly saw worried ringside officials trying to revive his fallen opponent. His own summary of the finish was simply brilliant:
I felt good right after that, but when I saw he wasn’t getting up—immediately, I started to worry. This feeling was overwhelming. I was like, “Oh my God, I hope I don’t kill this guy.”
It seems pretty cool so far. It might be little bit of tension. [The cast] is probably looking at me as the guy to beat, but I welcome that and I’m looking forward to the next fight.
But if that’s the kind of power the TUF 17 cast has to worry about, it’s fair to guess that none of them were looking forward to the next fight.
However, we still can’t know for certain if Hall is this fearsome killing machine that also steamrolled three more men, sending them all to the hospital. Don’t forget, Team Jones’ Clint Hester—their No. 1 pick—still lurks in the background, not getting an overly unusual amount of camera time.
It would be foolhardy to overlook him, especially considering Hester’s impressively strong performance in the qualifying rounds.
If no one else takes an ambulance ride in the first-round bracket, that process of elimination paired with Dana White’s clues pretty much locks Hall as a favorite to win.
But if somebody else is rushed to the hospital in the aftermath of a first-round elimination match, we’ll still have to wait before calling it for certain.
Many MMA fans are already crowning Hall as a finalist, having seen his power and citing his past professional record: 7-2 with six wins, his only two defeats coming against UFC middleweight Chris Weidman and Constantinos Philippou. Do we dare doubt Uriah Hall again?
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.
For once, UFC president Dana White wasn’t over-embellishing just for the heck of it—that was an extremely grisly knockout.In the second first-round fight of The Ultimate Fighter 17, series favorite Uriah Hall of Team Sonnen squared off against Te…
For once, UFC president Dana White wasn’t over-embellishing just for the heck of it—that was an extremely grisly knockout.
In the second first-round fight of The Ultimate Fighter 17, series favorite Uriah Hall of Team Sonnen squared off against Team Jones’ No 6. pick, Adam Cella, with Cella looking like the clear underdog.
• Let’s get the big news out of the way first. Uriah Hall nearly broke Cella’s neck with a HARD spinning rear-hook kick to the skull. What’s especially scary is that Hall flicked it out from nowhere, like the attack was a simple jab. Cella eventually woke up but was sent to the hospital for a CAT scan.
• Hall vs. Cella started out kind of slowly for much of the first round, although Hall was the only fighter scoring knockdowns and trip takedowns. As the round was about to end, Uriah Hall spun a picture-perfect rear-hook kick right into Cella’s face, catching him completely off guard.
• Seriously, Cella’s hands were barely up. He took the full force of the blow, dropping to the mat like he’d been shot.
• Team Chael Sonnen now has a 2-0 lead on Team Jon Jones for Season 17, with Sonnen lining up Kevin Casey vs. Collin Hart next. Here’s the updated roster, with winners in bold, losers scratched off and the next competitors in italics:
Team Jones:
1. Clint Hester (7-3) 2. Josh Samman (9-2) 3. Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (20-6) 4. Gilbert Smith Jr. (5-1) 5. Collin Hart (4-1-1) 6. Adam Cella (4-0) 7. Dylan Andrews (16-4-1)
Team Sonnen:
1. Luke Barnatt (5-0) 2. Uriah Hall (7-2) 3. Zak Cummings (15-3) 4. Tor Troeng (15-4-1) 5. Jimmy Quinlan (3-0) 6. Kevin Casey (5-2) 7. Kelvin Gastelum (5-0)
• Just to reiterate, what made the KO so memorable was that both teams went silent went Cella hit the Octagon mat—and judging by the editing, it took a little while for Cella to wake up. Even Hall seemed shocked by what he’d done, later apologizing to Cella via the camera for hurting him so badly.
• Brrr. Suddenly, I fear for Josh Samman if Hall gets his hands on him.
• After Cella and Jon Jones were packed off to the hospital, White came into Team Sonnen’s locker room to congratulate Hall, telling his teammates that they may as well give up on earning the $25,000 cash prizes for “KO of the Season” now. Yeesh.
• Casey will be fighting up a notch with Hart. Bubba McDaniel made a point to whine about the match, saying that Casey was ducking him.
• So that seals it, right? Uriah Hall must be a finalist.
• Man, it’s going to feel like a long wait for Uriah Hall’s next fight on the show. Regardless, we’ll be back next week for another TUF 17 recap with Episode 4, but if you missed the play-by-play, check it out right here.
Frankie Edgar may be the first man in MMA history to lose three straight bouts and still be considered one of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world.And yet, he’s ranked at No. 9 with that very distinction in the official UFC rankings.It’s be…
Frankie Edgar may be the first man in MMA history to lose three straight bouts and still be considered one of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
And yet, he’s ranked at No. 9 with that very distinction in the official UFC rankings.
It’s been a point of controversy to many MMA fans, especially considering that Edgar’s 0-3 losing streak has extended over two divisions at lightweight and featherweight.
He’s also just the fourth fighter in UFC to get a title shot off more than two losses.
What’s going on here?
Once again, this is the asterisk that seems to have followed Edgar around ever since he first lost his title to Benson Henderson at UFC 144 last February. Despite being overwhelmingly outsized by one of the sport’s largest 155-pounders, “The Answer” still managed to put in a good showing against “Bendo”—even after being nearly finished with a brutal upkick.
Unfortunately, Edgar’s next fight made things more nebulous, as he stormed back in a much more competitive effort at the UFC 150 rematch.
And finally, he dropped a division and got an immediate title shot against featherweight champion Jose Aldo, battling back from two early rounds of punishment to take “Scarface” to a decision.
In every fight, Frankie Edgar looks incredible against the UFC’s elite.
But gutsy performances aside, it doesn’t change the fact that he still loses.
That seems to be a key reason why MMA fans are in disbelief that 15 out of 28 panelists voted Edgar on the UFC’s official pound-for-pound list at all, with 26 of them giving the former champion a top 10 rank at featherweight.
Is it a flaw in the concept of MMA rankings to begin with?
That’s a little harder to answer, especially with the guidelines set by the UFC itself. At the very least, placing a title contender just below the champion in defeat is a common practice, although Edgar’s case is harmed by his losing streak.
But if you adhere to the strictest sense of “pound-for-pound,” that can give leeway to rank fighters based on the value of their opponents and accomplishments, rather than their actual record.
UFC president Dana White himself addressed this same point (via MMA Mania) in Oct. 2011, when he then made a case for Edgar as the world’s No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter over Georges St-Pierre:
If you really look at what pound-for-pound means, you cannot deny that Frankie Edgar is now number two. The guy weighs 145-pounds. He’s beating people at 155-pounds.
Tonight he beat [Gray Maynard] again who had him out of it, he was done in the first round and a guy who many people believed had his number … he knocked him out tonight. I’m telling you, man, I’ve never seen any sh*t like that in my life. … What he did tonight was amazing and he’s the number two pound-for-pound fighter in the world, I don’t give a sh*t was anybody else says, it’s the truth.
But does Edgar’s pound-for-pound status really hold up now that he’s dropped a weight division and lost to a featherweight?
Maybe it does and doesn’t. But there’s plenty of MMA fans who don’t believe that Edgar warrants a spot on the list at all, much less a spot over Dan Henderson (ranked at No. 10).
Don’t forget, FightMetric (the official database of UFC statistics) also plays a part in tabulating the consensus rankings, and Edgar amazingly holds five all-time records in the UFC so far: significant strikes landed, longest average fight time, total fight time, takedowns landed and significant strike defense.
Either way, it’s undeniable proof that for whatever personal or logical reasons, Edgar’s performances over the years haven’t lowered his value with key members of the MMA media too much.
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.
Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter continues Tuesday night at 9 p.m. PT on FX with the middleweight tournament between Team Jon Jones and Team Chael Sonnen.In episode three, all eyes are on middleweight bruiser Uriah Hall, who will attempt to keep some …
Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter continues Tuesday night at 9 p.m. PT on FX with the middleweight tournament between Team Jon Jones and Team ChaelSonnen.
In episode three, all eyes are on middleweight bruiser Uriah Hall, who will attempt to keep some early momentum going by putting his crew 2-0 over their opponents.
To do that, Team Sonnen‘s No. 1 pick will have to get through undefeated prospect Adam Cella (Team Jones’ No. 6 pick), a strong striker with some submission skills in his back pocket. As most of the cast members have already admitted, the mighty Hall is the clear favorite.
Seemingly outgunned, the question is whether Team Jones and Cella can score an upset. Whatever happens will be memorable, as UFC President Dana White calls the end of this second quarterfinals match “one of the nastiest knockouts” he’s ever seen in the fight business.
Check back here at 5:45 p.m. ET/8:45 p.m. PT as we provide our live commentary and play-by-play of The Ultimate Fighter, with an additional recap on Bleacher Report MMA after the end of the show.
Although UFC on Fuel TV 7 in London will star plenty of notable fighters on a tightly-packed MMA card, there’s sure to be a lot of attention on the company’s newest talent.