Little more than a day before the UFC 153 fight card in Brazil, no one really knows what to make of light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar.Even though he’s a massive underdog and no one expects him to put up much of a fight, Bonnar still insists that he can …
Little more than a day before the UFC 153 fight card in Brazil, no one really knows what to make of light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar.
Even though he’s a massive underdog and no one expects him to put up much of a fight, Bonnar still insists that he can beat Anderson Silva, the greatest fighter in MMA history.
That kind of confidence is admirable, if strange.
Does Bonnar know something we don’t? What makes him so confident?
And if he does defeat MMA’s pound-for-pound king, what then?
As we go further into fight weekend, here are five big questions we still have about “The American Psycho” that won’t be answered until UFC Rio 3 is in the books.
Is Jon Fitch still in the mix?That’s been one of the most frequently asked questions in the buildup to UFC 153, as the American Kickboxing Academy ace prepares to face off against tough Team Nogueira wunderkind Erick Silva.For long-time UFC fans, it’s …
That’s been one of the most frequently asked questions in the buildup to UFC 153, as the American Kickboxing Academy ace prepares to face off against tough Team Nogueira wunderkind Erick Silva.
For long-time UFC fans, it’s hard to think that Fitch is so far away from the second title shot that he’s been chasing since a brutal loss to Georges St-Pierre in 2008.
However, as the old adage goes, you’re only as good as your last fight.
In a nutshell, that’s the current problem for Fitch, as his last outing ended in a shocking knockout loss to NCAA wrestling star Johny Hendricks. Not only did that lower Fitch’s stock in the welterweight division, but it was even more damning since the UFC previously did everything possible to deny him a title shot.
So even if Fitch manages to derail Erick Silva, does that place him back into title contention, or will he have to rack up another five wins against “top 10” fighters to earn it?
It’s hard to tell.
But the truth is, Jon Fitch should still be in title contention either way.
Even though he has a warped attitude about his place in the division, the fact remains that, win or lose, he still has a path to the UFC welterweight title. Losing to the red-hot Silva won’t change that.
While I’ve pointed out that Fitch is now back to being an also-ran title contender, that’s still not a huge step down from being the No. 2 guy in the division.
Considering where Dan Hardy, ThiagoAlves and Jake Shields ended up in their respective UFC careers, Fitch is arguably still sitting in the best position out of all the men St-Pierre’s beaten.
Moreover, if the likes of Nick Diaz, Jake Ellenberger, Demian Maia and even Josh Koscheck are just a few wins away from a title shot, Fitch could be back at the front of the argument with a string of solid victories over any of them.
As long as he keeps knocking off elite competition, Fitch isn’t done being a title contender, no matter how much longer the UFC stonewalls him for his lackluster fighting style. But if he starts losing more than once every three years, there’s no telling how far back he’ll fall.
[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.]
Does it make sense to cheer for Stephan Bonnar?He’s an almost comical underdog against Anderson Silva, to the point that even official UFC 153 commercials lampshade how outgunned he is in comparison to the dominant Brazilian.Moreover, Bonnar can barely…
Does it make sense to cheer for Stephan Bonnar?
He’s an almost comical underdog against Anderson Silva, to the point that even official UFC 153 commercials lampshade how outgunned he is in comparison to the dominant Brazilian.
Moreover, Bonnar can barely be considered an elite light heavyweight fighter, as he’s never beaten a top-tier opponent once in his entire MMA career.
He didn’t earn this match. He just volunteered himself as a willing target to save a destroyed main event. By all rights, we shouldn’t even be talking about Bonnar this weekend. Still, there are those who will root for him.
Why should you? Why should anyone cheer for someone in Bonnar’s position?
As it turns out, there’s actually five good reasons—legitimate, non-crazy reasons—to root for “The American Psycho” when he enters enemy territory in Brazil this Saturday.
This Saturday at UFC 153, all eyes will be on Anderson Silva.He’s a legend. He’s a true phenom, light years beyond his peers.By acclamation, Silva is the greatest mixed martial artist to ever grace a ring or a cage. To root for him is to root for the s…
He’s a legend. He’s a true phenom, light years beyond his peers.
By acclamation, Silva is the greatest mixed martial artist to ever grace a ring or a cage. To root for him is to root for the sport of MMA itself.
But what does it really mean for the sport if “The Spider” continues his streak? Does Silva’s success really affect mixed martial arts more than anyone else?
Once he faces Stephan Bonnar, why should you cheer him on?
It’s actually quite simple. From superfights to the true meaning of greatness, let’s break down five important reasons why any MMA fan should root for Silva.
No one can really afford to lose during a UFC fight card.From the prelim fighters getting their first shot in the promotion to the main carders struggling to stay relevant, everyone has something on the line when they step into the Octagon.But this Sat…
No one can really afford to lose during a UFC fight card.
From the prelim fighters getting their first shot in the promotion to the main carders struggling to stay relevant, everyone has something on the line when they step into the Octagon.
But this Saturday, nine men in particular have a lot more to lose than everyone else.
Some of them will fall out of a title hunt. Others could lose their jobs. Several can propel themselves into title contention, and one of those men is facing the hardest test of his career.
So, who has the most to lose in Rio de Janeiro this weekend?
Here’s a look at the fighters who must win at all costs during UFC 153—and what happens if they fail.
Are we being too hard on UFC champion Jon Jones?Just under two years into his reign at the top of the light heavyweight division, it seems like most mixed martial arts fans have turned on him.Jones’ videos are negatively rated on YouTube, he’s booed at…
Just under two years into his reign at the top of the light heavyweight division, it seems like most mixed martial arts fans have turned on him.
Jones’ videos are negatively rated on YouTube, he’s booed at weigh-ins and most hardcore fans on the Internet ridicule him at every chance. His every word is dissected for “fakeness” or hypocrisy, his every action is analyzed across the Internet, and even inside the cage, he’s derided for using so-called unfair tactics.
But as far as his personality and public image is concerned, aren’t we expecting a bit much from someone who just turned old enough to rent a car?
(Note: Jon Jones technically can’t rent a car with his suspended license.)
How smart were any of us at 25 years old? Didn’t we make mistakes and say outlandish things that we would rather forget?
Sure, Jones does a good job attracting such scrutiny simply by the nature of his job, but why does he rile up fans so much with relatively little effort? Before we judge him, maybe we should give “Bones” a few more years to test positive for steroids or go on a vehicular rampage down a public highway.
Even the UFC 151 fallout can’t be blamed entirely on him.
And yet, the company’s entire PR team painted him as the villain for making a sensible, self-preserving decision, as unpopular as it may have been. That’s easy to do when Jones’ own PR agent quit working for him just a week prior.
Jones is incredibly young to have the kind of responsibility that he does. He’s the face of the UFC, one of his gym’s top athletes and a budding star in the professional sports world.
So, maybe we can cut him a little slack for interviews where he might say things he really doesn’t mean at the time.
Perhaps, we can forgive him for being so cocky when he’s essentially torn through everyone he’s ever faced inside of the Octagon. Perhaps, we can step back and realize that Jones is way too young for us to judge him on a few years of a potentially long MMA career and title reign.
Or maybe, he’s old enough to be responsible for all his words and all his mistakes.
Either way, Jon Jones is about as mature as one can be for his age and background. Expecting anything else from a 25-year-old (with a drunk driving record) who beats up people for a living is truly a fool’s errand.
[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.]
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