Author: Michael David Smith

MMA Top 10 Bantamweights: Dominick Cruz Tightens His Hold

Filed under: WEC, Rankings, BantamweightsIf there was any doubt that Dominick Cruz was the best bantamweight in mixed martial arts, he erased that doubt Wednesday night by defeating the tough but ultimately overmatched Joseph Benavidez in a split decis…

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If there was any doubt that Dominick Cruz was the best bantamweight in mixed martial arts, he erased that doubt Wednesday night by defeating the tough but ultimately overmatched Joseph Benavidez in a split decision that gave Cruz his second victory over the No. 2 fighter in the division.

Benavidez is a great fighter (he’s 12-0 when fighting anyone other than Cruz), but it’s his friend and training partner Urijah Faber who has handed Cruz his only career loss, and is likely to fight Cruz again some time early next year, this time for the bantamweight title.

Once Faber makes the move down to bantamweight, I think he’ll be a Top 10 fighter in the class — and he might just beat Cruz again and move to the top. For now, he’s absent from the Cruz-dominated bantamweight rankings, which are below.

WEC 50: Chad Mendes Out-Wrestles Cub Swanson

Filed under: WEC, NewsThe good news for Chad Mendes is that he beat Cub Swanson by unanimous decision at WEC 50, running his professional MMA record to 8-0.

The bad news is that although Mendes completely controlled the fight with his wrestling, he do…

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The good news for Chad Mendes is that he beat Cub Swanson by unanimous decision at WEC 50, running his professional MMA record to 8-0.

The bad news is that although Mendes completely controlled the fight with his wrestling, he doesn’t look like he’s developing much as a fighter.

WEC 50: Anthony Pettis Submits Shane Roller

Filed under: WECAnthony Pettis put on the best performance of his promising MMA career Wednesday night at WEC 50, dominating Shane for more than 14 minutes before finally getting him to tap out with just nine seconds remaining in the third round, earn…

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Anthony Pettis put on the best performance of his promising MMA career Wednesday night at WEC 50, dominating Shane for more than 14 minutes before finally getting him to tap out with just nine seconds remaining in the third round, earning a submission win and likely a World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight title shot.

Early in the fight the 23-year-old Pettis showed serious improvement in his takedown defense, keeping the fight standing against a good wrestler in Roller. He also showed off some creative striking, employing a variety of kicks that had Roller frustrated. As the fight wore on Pettis also showed a more sophisticated ground game than he had in the past, and the way he finished the fight was a thing of beauty, escaping from a guillotine choke and then catching Roller in the triangle that made Roller tap at the 4:51 mark of the third.

WEC 50: Dominick Cruz Beats Joseph Benavidez

Filed under: WEC, NewsA wild five-round fight for the bantamweight title of mixed martial arts ended with the champion retaining his belt, as Dominick Cruz beat Joseph Benavidez by split decision Wednesday night at WEC 50.

With blood dripping from the…

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A wild five-round fight for the bantamweight title of mixed martial arts ended with the champion retaining his belt, as Dominick Cruz beat Joseph Benavidez by split decision Wednesday night at WEC 50.

With blood dripping from the bridge of his nose as well as an eye and his mouth, Cruz acknowledged afterward that Benavidez had given him everything he could handle.

“I felt the blood pouring down my face,” Cruz said. “Benavidez is a great competitor. I give him all the credit in the world.”

WEC 50 Preview and Predictions

Filed under: WECThe bantamweight championship of the world is on the line Wednesday night at WEC 50, with champion Dominick Cruz taking on Joseph Benavidez in one of the biggest mixed martial arts fights of the year. We’ve got the full preview and pred…

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The bantamweight championship of the world is on the line Wednesday night at WEC 50, with champion Dominick Cruz taking on Joseph Benavidez in one of the biggest mixed martial arts fights of the year. We’ve got the full preview and predictions below.

Mirko Cro Cop Steps Up to Fight Frank Mir at UFC 119

Filed under: UFCMMA legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will get a chance at earning his biggest win in the Octagon to date on September 25, as the UFC has confirmed that Cro Cop accepted a fight with Frank Mir in the main event at UFC 119.

Cro Cop agree…

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MMA legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will get a chance at earning his biggest win in the Octagon to date on September 25, as the UFC has confirmed that Cro Cop accepted a fight with Frank Mir in the main event at UFC 119.

Cro Cop agreed to take the fight — his eighth in the UFC — on short notice after Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira dropped out with hip and knee injuries. Cro Cop’s UFC career has been fairly disappointing, with a 4-3 record and all four wins coming against lower-level competition. But a victory over Mir would be a huge step forward for Cro Cop, who hasn’t beaten anyone as relevant as Mir in the heavyweight division since he defeated Josh Barnett to win the Pride Openweight Grand Prix in September of 2006.