Even though their once-planned title fight has long since been buried, UFC light heavyweight contender Dan Henderson couldn’t resist taking one final jab at Jon Jones.Although many of the other fighters in the UFC had nothing but well wishes for their …
Even though their once-planned title fight has long since been buried, UFC light heavyweight contender Dan Henderson couldn’t resist taking one final jab at Jon Jones.
Although many of the other fighters in the UFC had nothing but well wishes for their family, friends, training partners and Twitter followers, Henderson’s last Twitter message in 2012 seemed pointedly directed at Jones:
Wishin everyone a Happy New year!! Be safe!No drinking and driving and hitting telephone poles — Dan Henderson (@danhendo) January 1, 2013
Of course, “Hendo” is referring to the infamous car crash that wrecked Jones’ New Continental GT Bentley earlier this past May, an incident where Jones was found to be under the influence of alcohol. Jones’ accident thankfully didn’t involve any fatalities, taking place around 5:00 a.m. in a suburban area of Binghamton, New York.
As noted by WBNG Action News, Jones struck a telephone pole while driving, with two other women in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Jones later pleaded guilty to a DWI charge (driving while under the influence), and was fined $6,563.62 with a six-month suspension of his driver’s license.
Per the terms of Jones’ sentence, he can reapply for a license on Jan. 31, but still must avoid all legal violations for one year after his July 31 sentencing date.
Henderson and Jones were once set to face off for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 151, but the bout was canceled little more than a week prior when Henderson turned up with a knee injury. After Jones rejected late-replacement opponent ChaelSonnen and withdrew from the fight, the event was canceled altogether, drawing the fury of UFC president Dana White.
Nonetheless, Jones will still face Sonnen at a future date in his fifth title defense now that both men are finished filming the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Henderson, on the other hand, will now have to complete a title eliminator match against former UFC champion LyotoMachida. That fight will serve as the co-main event at UFC 157, with women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey headlining the card in a bout with challenger Liz Carmouche.
Practically everyone anticipating the UFC 155 heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos expected an early knockout.Instead, both men stood and traded for five exhausting rounds, with Velasquez getting the better of the former…
Practically everyone anticipating the UFC 155 heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos expected an early knockout.
Instead, both men stood and traded for five exhausting rounds, with Velasquez getting the better of the former champion en route to a unanimous decision victory and a second title reign.
According to Velasquez, though, that was all part of the plan.
In a chat with ESPN during the immediate aftermath of the bout, Velasquez said that he actually had to switch up his tactics after he figured out that the former champion wasn’t going down so easily:
It was hard, you know? I know I hit him with a good shot. When we were down, it was hard. I really wanted to keep a lot of weight on him and keep him down, but also throw a lot of power in my punches. I couldn’t get the amount of power I wanted to knock him out on the ground, it’s very hard to do that. So, I tried to be smart, so once he recovered, [I] kind of slowed it down a bit and tried to take it back down.
Velasquez didn’t manage to get the finish, although he handily won every round of the fight to win back the UFC heavyweight championship belt.
That victory was also punctuated by 11 takedowns (according to Fight Metric), a key element that Velasquez says aided him immensely despite JDS trying to evade the maneuver:
A lot of people were like, “Take him down, take him down.” It’s not like that. If your opponent knows you’re going to take him down right off the bat, then of course he’s going to defend it. But if you throw stuff up top, throw punches and then got to the takedown, it’s a set-up. It makes it so much easier for you.
UFC 155 marks the first time that a heavyweight title fight in the promotion has gone to a decision since UFC 68, where Randy Couture upset the comparatively massive Tim Sylvia.
It was also a rare situation for Velasquez, who hadn’t gone to a decision since a difficult three-round battle against Cheick Kongo at UFC 99 in June 2009. Aside from that bout and UFC 155, Velasquez has scored knockout wins in every single one of his other 10 career fights.
Even though former UFC middleweight Nate Marquardt suffered some huge public backlash at the expense of Dana White, he says it’s water under the bridge.During an interview with Karyn Bryant of MMA Heat behind the scenes at UFC 155, Marquardt spoke…
Even though former UFC middleweight Nate Marquardt suffered some huge public backlash at the expense of Dana White, he says it’s water under the bridge.
During an interview with Karyn Bryant of MMA Heat behind the scenes at UFC 155, Marquardt spoke at length about his rocky history with Zuffa and how he feels now that he’s on the verge of returning to his previous Octagon stomping grounds:
Once I signed with Strikeforce, at that point, it was basically in the past because Strikeforce is under the Zuffa banner and so everything that happened in the past stayed there. There’s no hard feelings going forward and I’m grateful for the opportunity and I plan on making the most of it.
Although White has confirmed that several Strikeforce fighters would be rescued from the dying promotion, Marquardt has had a short stint with the San Jose-based company.
Marquardt also seems to have become a new person after dropping a weight class, re-evaluating his health and temporarily floundering:
It was a tough time for sure. First, we signed with BAMMA and had some trouble there with the fight [that] kept getting postponed. And then we had the opportunity to get out of the contract to come over to Strikeforce, so we took it.
In particular, Marquardt also stated that he hasn’t lost any strength or power at welterweight, noting a massive speed advantage in the exchange. Marquardt was last slated to compete in the main event of UFC on Versus 4 against Rick Story, but was handed his walking papers after failing to pass the required physical test due to elevated testosterone levels.
Before Marquardt transfers back to the UFC, he’ll headline Strikeforce’s final event on January 12, 2013 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.
Originally titled “Strikeforce: Champions” with a main card full of title fights, the headlining bout for the newly-named Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine event is now the only championship bout of the night. Previously, the original schedule was set to feature a mega-event with Strikeforce champions Gilbert Melendez and Luke Rockhold, before both pulled out due to training injuries.
One of the most interesting things about the UFC heavyweight division is the perceived gap between the top of the food chain and everyone else.Right now, the title picture seems to revolve solely around Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Alistair Ov…
One of the most interesting things about the UFC heavyweight division is the perceived gap between the top of the food chain and everyone else.
Right now, the title picture seems to revolve solely around Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem. As it stands, those three men dominated the division for the last handful of years.
But are other fighters in the rankings being overlooked?
That’s a question we can’t answer until the halfway point of the next year, as no less than eight top heavyweights will be competing to round out the division. Until then, here’s a look at the most legitimate contenders to the UFC title right now.
For the second time in two fights, Alan Belcher was thoroughly dominated by Yushin Okami in a unanimous decision loss.That defeat comes at a particularly bad time for Belcher, killing what could have been an impressive five-win streak in the suddenly f…
For the second time in two fights, Alan Belcher was thoroughly dominated by YushinOkami in a unanimous decision loss.
That defeat comes at a particularly bad time for Belcher, killing what could have been an impressive five-win streak in the suddenly flexible UFC middleweight division.
Maybe he wasn’t remotely close to challenging the likes of Anderson Silva or Michael Bisping, but Belcher likely sniffed his last whiff of elite competition for a while on Saturday. Barring any breakout victories, there’s also not likely going to be any title talks for the next year or two.
So where does “The Talent” go from here?
At this point, the only way to go is up.
Even though Belcher lost at UFC 155, he’s still on the right side of 30 years old and has a little over a year to quietly rack up another winning streak.
Conventional wisdom says that Belcher could spend 2013 playing gatekeeper status to the division’s “Top 10” group, where he could rack up some wins fighting equally-skilled UFC opponents or the upcoming influx of Strikeforce middleweights.
Optimally, a fight with Chris Leben or Mark Munoz seems like the best option.
Both Leben and Munoz are coming off losses, and they have enough name value to make a fight with Belcher a solid addition to the main card of an FX, Fuel TV or PPV card.
However, Belcher could also upset a big-name middleweight coming off a loss.
In a few months, the losers of Bisping vs. VitorBelfort and Brian Stann vs. Wanderlei Silva will likely need game opponents, while Rich Franklin also needs a tune-up fight. Belcher more than fits the bill, as he’s still a tough test for anyone in the division.
Either way, Belcher‘s only option is another winning streak.
Recovering lost ground will be his best move right now, and with a little luck, Belcher might even be able to get himself another four-fight winning streak before he eventually runs up against some even stiffer competition next year.
Even though the UFC 155 title fight this weekend features Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, the winner still won’t have escaped the shadow of Alistair Overeem.Sure, tomorrow’s winner gets a shiny championship belt.And yes, the victor will rise to t…
Even though the UFC 155 title fight this weekend features Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, the winner still won’t have escaped the shadow of Alistair Overeem.
Sure, tomorrow’s winner gets a shiny championship belt.
And yes, the victor will rise to the top of several consensus heavyweight rankings in the eyes of many MMA publications across the globe.
But no matter who wins, Overeem can still continue to sell himself as “the man to beat” within the UFC’s heavyweight division.
Despite suspensions, speculation over his cartoonish physique and his somewhat questionable strength of competition, “The Demolition Man” actually holds a claim as the uncrowned king of the giants. But with only one fight in the UFC so far, exactly how is that possible?
Although the issue’s been briefly addressed before, let’s break down a few things about the Dutchman that sets him apart from everyone else in the promotion’s heaviest division.
Overeem is the MMA Heavyweight (Lineal) Champion
“To be ‘The Man’, you have to beat ‘The Man’.”
That’s been the core rule behind the idea of lineal championships, a concept in combat sports that doesn’t always follow a title belt or where it’s defended.
In the case of the heavyweight division, the original lineage is a bit difficult to pin down (Fight Matrix starts it with Ken Shamrock at Pancrase’s second MMA event).
However the succession pans out, though, it generally comes down to Fedor Emelianenko, who had the lineal title ripped from his grasp by Fabricio Werdum. But ever since Werdum lost to Overeem in his very next bout, the MMA heavyweight lineal title has rested with the Dutch fighter.
But does it matter?
That might ultimately depend on how much we value intangible status symbols within the sport—do pound-for-pound MMA rankings matter?
Few Fighters Can Match Overeem’s Record
Fact: No active heavyweight fighter in the UFC has as gaudy a career as Overeem does.
Although hardcore fans know better than to judge a fighter on numbers alone, his 36-11-0-1 MMA record alone is something that’s relatively easy to sell to potential viewers.
Overeem hasn’t faced the toughest competition since permanently moving to heavyweight five years ago, but it’s all about how the UFC summarizes his history.
Heck, the broadcast highlights practically write themselves:
• 36 Wins, 11-Fight Undefeated Streak • Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion • Dream Heavyweight Champion • K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Champion
Even if you can argue the relative worth (or worthlessness) of his various titles, Overeem fans can still boast that he has more career MMA wins and total fights than every other UFC heavyweight.
Shane Carwin exposed Lesnar’s chin and Velasquez handed the former WWE superstar his second humiliating defeat in MMA.
But Overeem will hold the notable distinction of being the one who sent the UFC’s best pay-per-view draw back to professional wrestling.
Yes, Lesnar did say after the fact that he intended to retire from MMA no matter what. That still doesn’t change the fact that “The Reem” left him little choice, as the mountainous kickboxer obliterated the still-larger former heavyweight champion in less than three minutes.
True, getting suspended for high testosterone levels right afterward didn’t help Overeem’s UFC debut, but he still seems to carry that enigmatic air that’s surrounded him since his impressive 2010 run. Fans still want to see Overeem fight, and the UFC still seems to value him as a potential star in the making.
So, let’s recap.
Alistair Overeem is an MMA legend with 48 professional fights, two major MMA world titles, a world kickboxing championship and a legitimate claim as history’s “real” MMA heavyweight champion.
Maybe all of that comes with an asterisk or two, but handing “The Demolition Man” his first defeat in five years should be a major incentive for the JDS vs. Velasquez winner—provided that Overeem doesn’t lose to Antonio Silva at UFC 156 this coming February.
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.
Even though their once-planned title fight has long since been buried, UFC light heavyweight contender Dan Henderson couldn’t resist taking one final jab at Jon Jones.