Author: McKinley Noble

UFC on FX 5: Antonio Silva Will Derail the Travis Browne Hype Train

It’s time to put an end to this “Travis Browne is a future UFC heavyweight champion” talk.Sure, he’s a talented heavyweight and will probably settle himself into a long career as a stepping stone for the division’s elite, but it’s time to put an end to…

It’s time to put an end to this “Travis Browne is a future UFC heavyweight champion” talk.

Sure, he’s a talented heavyweight and will probably settle himself into a long career as a stepping stone for the division’s elite, but it’s time to put an end to the hype.

Enter Antonio Silva.

That’s right. We’re talking about the same guy who practically got eviscerated by Cain Velasquez and was turned into a punching bag by Daniel Cormier.

But looking back at those fights, is it really wise to underrate Silva for losing to two of the three best heavyweights in the entire division? Or is Browne simply being overrated for remaining (technically) undefeated in the division with the highest finish rate and biggest athletes?

Maybe it’s a little bit of both.

As skilled as Browne may be, his MMA game still needs a sizable amount of fine-tuning.

Beating up Rob Broughton for three straight rounds and somehow not finishing the fight indicates that Browne doesn’t have the accuracy or technique to stop Silva on strikes.

Getting smothered in the clinch against Cheick Kongo suggests that Browne will have significantly more trouble trying to out-muscle Silva, especially with the 20-pound weight disadvantage.

By far, the most impressive win Browne can claim is a superman punch KO against Stefan Struve, but “The Skyscraper” is far from an elite heavyweight.

Nothing in that resume suggests that “Hapa” is a world-beater. Not yet.

Looking at it critically, Browne didn’t really pass the “Cheick Kongo” test, so he’s a far cry from the top of the division, and certainly not the miracle talent that some people claim.

On Friday night, Browne’s gas tank will start to empty out. His reach disadvantage will be worsened by his terrible footwork. And if he attempts to clinch with Silva, Browne is quickly going to find himself in a grappling situation he doesn’t want—especially if he’s put on his back.

Antonio Silva has buried better fighters than Browne before. Get off the hype train while you still can.

[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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UFC 154: How Carlos Condit Can Defeat Georges St-Pierre

How do you beat Georges St. Pierre?That’s a question 18 men haven’t been able to answer, and Carlos Condit will be the 19th to take his shot in stopping “Rush” at UFC 154.However, Condit actually has some options available to him that no one else did.P…

How do you beat Georges St. Pierre?

That’s a question 18 men haven’t been able to answer, and Carlos Condit will be the 19th to take his shot in stopping “Rush” at UFC 154.

However, Condit actually has some options available to him that no one else did.

People like to say that every title defense for GSP is the toughest one of his career, but that statement has a lot more context this time around.

St. Pierre is coming off two knee injuries. He hasn’t been in a five-round fight in over 18 months. Moreover, he’s going to be pushing his body to the limit in circumstances that no amount of rehab can possibly simulate safely.

If Condit wants to take advantage of this, the gameplan is actually pretty clear.

Sweep The Leg

Fans and fighters may not think it’s the fair thing to do, but if Jon Jones was facing GSP in this fight, every round would be punctuated by sickening, flinch-worthy push kicks to the knees.

That may be Condit’s best chance to win.

Condit used a well-rounded kicking game to frustrate Nick Diaz, but against GSP, every single swing of his feet should be aimed at the knees. Teep kicks, switch kicks, clubbing inside leg kicks—just throw the whole kitchen sink at the most obvious target.

Even if St. Pierre has recovered enough to get back into the cage, chopping away at his legs could take away his movement and maybe even his takedowns. At worst, Condit could even cause a fortuitous (but legal) stoppage by injury.

Keep It On the Feet

This should be painfully obvious to anyone who’s seen GSP fight, but if he takes you to the ground, you’re in deep trouble.

Condit possesses a solid ground game with a guard that’s tough to pass, complimented by crafty sweeps. But if he’s smart about dictating position, he’ll cycle between getting up from takedowns and throwing hooks, counters, and strong jabs at every moment possible.

Georges St. Pierre has good hands, but he’s not going to be the first fighter to stop Condit on strikes. That means the “Killer” has nothing to worry about in the stand-up department.

Push the Pace

St. Pierre has stellar cardio, but we don’t know how he’ll fare after such a long layoff.

Condit should press the action early and often, making St. Pierre breathe deep—try to exhaust the lineal champion into making mistakes. Five-round title fights are GSP forte, but there’s nothing to lose by staying in his face and making him work.

No one will have a better opportunity to see whether ring rust affects St. Pierre, and after 18 months, it’s a good chance to take.

Watch the Arms

Even though GSP hasn’t submitted an opponent in almost five years, Condit shouldn’t overestimate himself in grappling exchanges.

Although he won’t be fighting off triangle chokes or anything too flashy, St. Pierre can snap on kimura and armbar attempts very quickly.

Moreover, the Canadian star has also promised to work for a finish in response to fan criticism, and a submission is his most likely route to a stoppage.

If Condit just protects his limbs while getting back to his feet, the only thing he has to worry about is ending the bout before losing too many points on takedowns.

No, Seriously, Go For His Knees

Look, I can’t stress this enough.

It’s cheap, it’s dishonorable, it’s whatever you want to call it. But Condit is not going to win this fight unless he comes into it with cold, ruthless aggression.

Every final boss has a glowing weak point. Condit would be foolish to ignore this one.

[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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UFC on FX 5: Can Jake Ellenberger Get Back into the Mix at 170?

Jake Ellenberger struggled a long way to get to the top of the welterweight division, but things finally started coming together for the aggressive finisher last year.During 2011, Ellenberger passed a stiff test against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, picked apa…

Jake Ellenberger struggled a long way to get to the top of the welterweight division, but things finally started coming together for the aggressive finisher last year.

During 2011, Ellenberger passed a stiff test against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, picked apart Sean Pierson, then shocked the world by completely obliterating Jake Shields, a pound-for-pound standout just coming off a competitive loss against UFC champion Georges St. Pierre.

But much has changed in the time that Canada’s favorite son has been sidelined, and Ellenberger is once again looking at the long road back to the title hunt.

So what will it take to get “The Juggernaut” back to the top?

Actually, not much.

If Ellenberger plays his cards right, he’ll be back in title contention before the year is out.

One of the good things about GSP’s absence is that it’s given the welterweight title picture time to get interesting again. In the final stretch of 2011, the only people at the top of the mix were Jon Fitch, recently-imported Strikeforce star Nick Diaz, and Jake Ellenberger.

Now, recent defeats for all three men have pushed fighters like Johny Hendricks, Martin Kampmann, and Rory MacDonald to the top of the heap.

Even better, all three of them are fresh challengers that Ellenberger can target in order to vault back to the front of the line.

Just like Kampmann put all of Ellenberger’s win “in his back pocket” at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale, Ellenberger can do the same with any of those three men.

(Although the prospect of a Nick Diaz vs. Jake Ellenberger fight could be just as enticing.)

Moreover, recent matchmaking will give Ellenberger a lot of options for title contention if he beats Jay Hieron on Friday night. There’s even a chance for some interesting rematches again Kampmann or Rick Story, provided both men win their next matches.

Yes, Jake Ellenberger can get back in the mix at 170 pounds, and he can do it very easily.

No matter what, all he really needs to do is put Jay Hieron away with authority and that trademark vicious tenacity. Then, people will remember why the Reign Training Center star was so feared in the welterweight division.

[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.]

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FX 5: Questions We Have About Jake Ellenberger

Jake Ellenberger had everything stripped away from him when lost to Martin Kampmann, something he couldn’t afford in the already log-jammed UFC welterweight division. But where some fighters would get a mere tune-up fight against an overmatched opponen…

Jake Ellenberger had everything stripped away from him when lost to Martin Kampmann, something he couldn’t afford in the already log-jammed UFC welterweight division.

But where some fighters would get a mere tune-up fight against an overmatched opponent, Ellenberger is instead facing a worthy challenge in Jay Hieron.

As the first man (out of only six) to defeat “the Juggernaut” over seven years, the risks and rewards are equally high for Hieron.

To his credit, Hieron has stayed near the top of the division with an impressive 13-2 run since 2007, grinding through the IFL, Strikeforce and Bellator.

It’s one of the division’s most important matchups, and could very well define what happens in the title picture at 170 pounds. There are several questions we have about Ellenberger going into this fight, and hopefully all of them can be answered this Friday night.

 

Can He Pull the Trigger Against Jay Hieron?

To most eyes, there was no good reason that Ellenberger couldn’t put away the battered, bloodied Kampmann. However, the problem with that was two-fold.

Kampmann can somehow shrug off beatings that would kill a full-grown bull, and when Ellenberger swarmed him in the opening stanza of their fight, his inability to land a “kill shot” let the Danish fighter stay in the heat long enough to get an upset win.

Ellenberger can’t afford that same mistake against Hieron. If he manages to put his enemy on shaky legs early in the fight, Ellenberger needs to zero in with a knockout shot or pour on enough damage that the referee is forced to make the save.

How Will He Be Affected By His First KO Loss?

Ellenberger‘s been outpointed and submitted, but not many people expected him to be stopped with a vicious set of Thai clinch knees followed up by ground-and-pound.

Considering how dominant he was through most of the match, it must have been demoralizing to lose to Kampmann and to have the tides turn that quickly.

Does that kind of loss make him rethink his entire stand-up game? Ellenberger‘s never been gun-shy or cautious about throwing heat, but one has to wonder if he’ll be protecting his chin a bit more.

 

Does Xtreme Couture Have His Number?

Jay Hieron trained and cornered Kampmann during his fight with Ellenberger, and the Xtreme Couture duo will put their heads together once again for this weekend’s bout.

That alone may give Hieron a slight advantage in the psychological department, and he’ll also be the first person to ever fight Ellenberger twice. Is the combined 4.5 rounds of experience between him and Kampmann enough to have a set plan for victory?

Should anyone attempt to “figure out” Ellenberger, it may as well be these training partners. That’s a unique situation that ultimately favors two heads against one.  

 

How Will He Look If the Fight Goes the Distance?

Both Diego Sanchez and Kampmann have reminded everyone that Ellenberger is indeed mortal. “The Juggernaut” is at his most vulnerable if he gets dragged into deep waters, where he’s more likely to be caught by counter-punches and flurrying shots.

That small weakness is what almost got Ellenberger overwhelmed in the final round of his fight with Sanchez, and against Kampmann, his advantage slipped away the longer the fight went on.

Hieron doesn’t have as stiff a chin as Ellenberger does, but if he can stay off the receiving end of too many punches, he might be able to grapple the air out of his shorter, bulkier foe and try sinking him during the third round.

 

Does a Win Put Him Back In The Title Picture?

One of the biggest mistakes Ellenberger made after defeating Sanchez was not calling out Carlos Condit. Even though Condit likely would’ve turned down a direct challenge in order to wait for Georges St. Pierre, Ellenberger‘s dominant winning streak and near-win against the now-interim champion looked extremely credible.

But even if he beats Hieron on Friday—with relative ease, no less—Ellenberger will still be just one fight removed from a devastating upset loss. How far has that set him back? How long will Ellenberger have to go before getting a title eliminator bout of his own?

 

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. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Roy Nelson and the Biggest Underachievers in UFC History

In the world of mixed martial arts, few things are more frustrating to hardcore fans than fighters who squander obvious potential.Back in the old days, various UFC competitors could ultimately be forgiven for being underachievers. Unless your name was …

In the world of mixed martial arts, few things are more frustrating to hardcore fans than fighters who squander obvious potential.

Back in the old days, various UFC competitors could ultimately be forgiven for being underachievers. Unless your name was Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz or Ken Shamrock, you likely weren’t getting paid that much in the first place.

But with fighter endorsements, decent paychecks and access to better training methods, it’s strange to see clearly talented athletes who just can’t get it together.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest underachievers in UFC history, the ones who have continually held themselves back from true greatness due to their own habits or shortcomings.

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TUF 16: The Ultimate Fighter Draws Record Low Ratings at 775K Viewers

Three episodes into its season, “The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson” is still suffering from poor TV ratings, reportedly drawing 775,000 viewers on FX this past Friday.MMA Junkie notes this as the lowest-rated episode in the seri…

Three episodes into its season, “The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson” is still suffering from poor TV ratings, reportedly drawing 775,000 viewers on FX this past Friday.

MMA Junkie notes this as the lowest-rated episode in the series’ history, continuing a downward trend that hasn’t recovered since the debut of “The Ultimate Fighter: Live” on March 9th, 2012.

According to their data, viewership has continued to drop by significant amounts each episode:

  • “The Ultimate Fighter 16” episode No. 1: 947,000 viewers
  • “The Ultimate Fighter 16” episode No. 2: 872,000 viewers
  • “The Ultimate Fighter 16” episode No. 3: 775,000 viewers

Ever since “TUF” debuted on FX, a condition of the UFC’s seven-year TV deal with FOX, ratings have slowly regressed from its 1.2 million-viewer network premiere.

In addition to the show’s rating troubles, UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin—coaching opposite Roy Nelson—caused a stir when he posted about a knee injury on his Twitter account a few days ago.

According to MMA Payout, the UFC averaged 1.84 million viewers during its last five seasons on Spike TV. “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” (also known as “TUF 10”) was listed as the highest-rated season in that span with an average of 3.0 million viewers. By comparison, “TUF: Live” averaged 1.01 million during its run on FX.

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