Author: Michael Evans

UFC on Fuel TV Fight Card: Last-Minute Main Card Predictions

Here we are in the second full week of February with yet another stacked free card on a Fox network. Fuel TV hosts its first-ever UFC fight and it promises to provide another night of great mixed martial arts bouts.The card features some interesting ma…

Here we are in the second full week of February with yet another stacked free card on a Fox network. Fuel TV hosts its first-ever UFC fight and it promises to provide another night of great mixed martial arts bouts.

The card features some interesting matchups and many of the weight classes featured in the UFC. The main event between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger promises to be one heck of a barnburner, as does the co-event, the heavyweight clash between Dave “Pee-Wee” Herman and Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve.

On top of those two terrific matchups, there are also four more bouts on the main card tonight for a total of six. That is a pretty awesome number considering this is the inaugural card on Fuel TV. In addition, the UFC is airing a pre-fight and post-fight show on Fuel as well.

 

Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger

Jake Ellenberger is a native of Omaha, Nebraska and will be making this his homecoming fight. In certain situations that can be a good thing, and in others it can be not so good depending on how a person chooses to deal with the emotional high of that situation.

Ellenberger is a young warrior who is one of the up-and-coming guys in the UFC welterweight division. He exploded onto the UFC scene in 2009 losing a close split decision to now-interim champion Carlos Condit. In that fight Jake repeatedly tagged Condit, wobbled him and really pushed the champion to his limits.

Since that setback Jake Ellenberger has been on an absolute tear in which he has won his last five bouts in a row. The win streak culminated with a vicious first-round knockout of Jake Shields last September in New Orleans.

The Nebraska native has shown time and again that he possess a well-rounded game that can hang with the best, and possibly beat them en route to becoming a UFC champion.

Diego Sanchez has been in the UFC a long time now. He is the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season one at middleweight and since his victory in 2005 he has been a contender in the UFC. After a failed attempt to wrest the lightweight belt from B.J. Penn in 2009, Diego has moved back to the welterweight division where he looks far more comfortable.

Diego has amassed back-to-back victories over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann. A win over Jake Ellenberger could set “The Dream” up for a number one contender bout against possibly the winner of the Johnny Hendricks-Josh Koscheck fight.

Diego’s main weapon is his will. He just keeps coming and trying to beat you up over and over until one of you is beaten.

Diego’s game is to take people down, ground and pound or bull rush people on the feet. Most of his MMA game centers around his ability to work his wrestling. Kampmann isn’t known for his wrestling, yet Sanchez couldn’t get him down.

Jake Ellenberger is an excellent wrestler, so if Diego cannot get him to the ground then he must constantly pressure Jake with strikes and work for advantageous positions.

The problem for Diego Sanchez is that Ellenberger also has very good cardio and boxing. Not only does Jake have good boxing, but he has power in his strikes, something that is lacking for Sanchez.

Ellenberger will use his cardio and durability to survive the early flurries and rushes of Sanchez and he will look to counter.

Seeing that both of these men are tough and hard to finish, I see Ellenberger winning a tough decision by surviving the early onslaught and rocking Sanchez with heavy punches and kicks late. I just don’t see Sanchez being knocked out.

 

Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman

Stefan Struve is never in a boring fight. Let’s just start with that. In his nine bouts inside the Octagon, he has gone to the judge’s scorecards only once.

The real question with Struve is if he will ever learn to properly utilize his 83-inch reach. This advantage could be used to fight in a style similar to Jon Jones. Seeing that Stefan has a Dutch kickboxing background, this is possible.

Dave Herman, a native of Indiana, enters UFC on Fuel TV looking for his second victory in the Octagon. In his UFC debut, a thriller TKO win over Jon Olav Einemo, Herman countered the grappling veteran on the ground and then outstruck him on the feet.

Herman has a wild and wide-open style that leaves him very susceptible to counters. This is a lesson that Struve knows all too well after getting knocked out by a Superman punch (courtesy of Travis Browne at UFC 130) while trying to throw a flying knee from long range.

Struve has another strength though. He has very long limbs and uses them to set up some very slick submissions. If Herman takes this fight to the ground he needs to watch out for the triangle choke and other submission holds.

Herman is a madman and can never resist to go for broke. That is a very exciting style, however it will be his undoing here.

Struve will use his reach to keep Dave Herman honest and will secure a submission late for the victory.

 

Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes

Aaron Simpson and Ronny Markes have straightforward styles. Aaron Simpson wants to land solid shots and then take you down. Ronny Markes wants to take you down and deliver some ground and pound.

Two factors weight the heaviest on my mind about this bout. The first is that Aaron Simpson has shown better striking lately. The second is that Ronny Markes is moving down in weight.

Both of these factors make me lean towards Aaron Simpson. I see Simpson winning another decision to bring it to four in a row for former Arizona State Wrestlers. Aaron Simpson is suddenly in the proverbial mix at middleweight.

 

Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries

The first heavyweight bout of the main card features two undefeated heavyweight prospects in Miocic and De Fries. The fact that two undefeated heavyweights are fighting each other in the UFC automatically makes this fight relevant. When you add this to the fact that they are each fighting in the UFC for the second time you can understand how this is a rare affair.

Miocic and De Fries were both unimpressive in their debuts winning lackluster decisions. Each man will be looking to improve tonight in Nebraska.

Miocic is the eventual winner here. De Fries’ striking is nonexistent and Stipe will use this advantage to keep the fight standing. Miocic will finish with a TKO in round two.

 

TJ Dillashaw vs. Walei Watson

Dillashaw is probably better than we saw on TUF and his cardio is very good, like all other fighters from Team Alpha Male. He uses his wrestling to win his bouts.

Watson is a striking ace who is coming off of a close split-decision loss. Watson enters this fight on little rest, this being his third bout in five months.

Watson will use his reach to keep himself standing for most of round one, but Dillashaw will score takedowns and ground and pound late and get the nod.

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UFC 143 Preview: Inside the Complicated Mind of Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz has finally earned respect. He probably deserved that seven years ago when he first entered the Octagon, for his first UFC bout, but either way the man should get his props now. Recently, I harshly and unjustifiably criticized Nick Diaz. I ad…

Nick Diaz has finally earned respect. He probably deserved that seven years ago when he first entered the Octagon, for his first UFC bout, but either way the man should get his props now.

Recently, I harshly and unjustifiably criticized Nick Diaz. I admit my fault there. But anyone who follows MMA knows that Nick Diaz can be tough to root for sometimes. It is an overused statement in this day and age, but Nick Diaz is a polarizing figure. 

Georges St-Pierre dislikes Diaz to the point of rooting for him to beat Carlos Condit, in Las Vegas, this Saturday, at UFC 143. That wouldn’t be all that shocking except that they both spend time at the same gym. I guess that shows us how much Nick Diaz gets under the skin of his opponents.

To try and better understand Nick Diaz and the forces that drive him, I will take a brief trip into the psyche of the fighter, and the man that is Nick Diaz.

Like most people I was very upset over the actions of Diaz leading up to UFC 137, not the mention his rant after beating the living hell out of B.J. Penn. Upon further review, I have started to feel much differently about the man.

Anyone who has recently watched the UFC Primetime specials on FX has seen a different side of Nick Diaz that we don’t normally see. He is portrayed as a misunderstood fighter, a frustrated warrior, and I think there is some truth to that.

Sure, Diaz has been involved in some altercations. Yes, he tested positive for marijuana after his bout with Takanori Gomi in Japan years ago. But at the end of the day the man is a fighter plain and simple. He brings it every time and leaves it in the cage.

From what I can tell Nick Diaz appears to be a very private guy. He doesn’t associate with a lot of people and doesn’t trust a lot of people.

When the UFC forces cameras in his face he feels uncomfortable. When he has to field question after question from the media, he gets frustrated. The bottom line is that he just wants to train and fight. That other stuff is not part of the equation to him. He does it simply because of his fans and because he has to do it as part of his contractual obligations, period.

Another thing that we must realize is that Nick Diaz is a smart guy.

He often comes off as a brute, an unintelligent barbarian. That is not the case. The guy is intelligent and he shows it to us in every fight. Muhammad Ali used to psyche out opponents with verbal jabs, in-ring antics and taunts during his bouts. Nick Diaz does the same thing in the modern era.

In the sense of messing with an opponents’ head, Nick Diaz is the modern day MMA version of Ali. He is not only a great fighter, he is smart. Diaz, like Ali before him, knows that sports is largely a mental game. Both Diaz and Ali have used their mental edge to gain an upper hand on their opponents. Many others have done the same, but few fighters have ever done it so well.

Diaz constantly mocks and frustrates opponents before, during and after his bouts to throw off his opponents, and it works.

It takes a smart guy to understand the mental game as well as the physical game. Why else would so many current MMA fighters seek the services of sports psychologists?

Ali was also a master of playing possum. He would pretend to be in serious trouble when he was not. He would bait guys in with his famed rope-a-dope technique and then when they were weary he would strike like a coiled king cobra snake.

Nick Diaz moves forward and baits fighters into thinking they can knock him out. They make mistakes and then he capitalizes. Judging by the success he has had of late, it is safe to say that Nick Diaz is on to something.

Lastly, Nick Diaz is a fighter.

Georges St-Pierre has often said that he considers himself a pure sportsman, a martial artist. Nick Diaz is the opposite. He is just there to knock your damn head off. St-Pierre is a finesse and technique guy. Diaz just gets in your face and dares you to stop him. That is a major reason for his appeal, his style is very exciting.

Diaz is many things: He is a private man, he is an athlete, he is a fighter. One thing is sure, he is not dumb. As a matter of fact Diaz is the most cerebral fighter in mixed martial arts. He may also be the most exciting as well. 

At UFC 143 this Saturday February 4, 2012 he takes on top contender Carlos Condit. Condit is also an explosive fighter who couldn’t be boring if he tried. Nick Diaz will be his normal foul-mouthed self.

One thing about Diaz is certain, he is a smart man and smart fighter. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn’t understand the mind of Nick Diaz.

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UFC 2012: The Beginning of Big Things to Come

“There is, in this world, no force such as the force of a man determined to rise.” — W.E.B. Dubois Combat sports have been fighting a much more heated battle than their athletic competition counterparts for over 150 years. Boxing fought for accep…

“There is, in this world, no force such as the force of a man determined to rise.” — W.E.B. Dubois

 

Combat sports have been fighting a much more heated battle than their athletic competition counterparts for over 150 years. Boxing fought for acceptance throughout the late 19th and early 20th century. It is still attacked today from time to time when a finger needs to be pointed at someone, a common thread in American society.

The NFL seems to avoid such scrutiny, though its athletes still suffer concussions each time they take the field. It is a matter of when and not if. Still, even today it seems to be easiest to single out the combat sports. Maybe it is their visceral nature. Maybe it is the fact that they don’t command billion dollar payrolls yet. Whatever the reason, the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts are now actively persuading the public day by day that they represent a top tier company and sport, respectively.

In the fall of 2011, the UFC announced a landmark deal in mixed martial arts history. They had signed a seven year deal with Fox to include programming on Fox, FX and Fuel TV. The deal was for hundreds of millions of dollars.

With the deal beginning on January 1, 2012 the UFC has announced an exhaustive schedule and an unprecedented amount of new programming. Bellator Fighting Championships, the recognized number two organization in the United States, announced a buyout by Viacom and a move to Spike TV in 2013. This also will only serve to further the furious rise of MMA.

So Far

The new year has already been huge for mixed martial arts with events popping up like weeds in a summer field and new ventures blossoming as they should. There are still many injuries in MMA, sure, but the talent pool is getting deeper and the holes in the boat are being patched with a calm assertiveness. 

Already this year, Bellator has announced a spring schedule, HDNet has further committed to the sport of MMA while deciding to re-brand the network, the UFC had a huge event in Brazil that was watched by more than 20 million people in that country alone, and this Saturday marks the third UFC card of the year and fourth overall if you count Strikeforce. It is shaping up to be a big year.

Big Things to Come

2012 is the first year of the historic UFC deal with the Fox family of networks. It marks another year of UFC material on Spike TV and Bellator featured consistently on MTV2. HDNet will do their part to give exposure to many regional MMA organizations.

Counting UFC on Fox 2, which airs Saturday January 28, 2012 from the United Center in Chicago, the company will have 8 events in the next three months alone. UFC 145 will take place in Atlanta, Georgia and Jon Jones is rumored to be defending his light heavyweight title in the main event.

It seems that many past civilizations have predicted 2012 to be the end of days. But I say, no way! It ain’t the end of the world, not by a long shot. This is just the beginning. As for the UFC and the sport of MMA, the future looks pretty darn good.

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MMA Dream Bout: Why Randy Couture Should Be Fedor’s Last Foe

First, this is purely fictional. I understand that Randy Couture is retired and will realistically never fight again. But, anything is possible and this fight almost happened once.Back Story If we rewind to 2007, Fedor Emelianenko was still on his…

First, this is purely fictional. I understand that Randy Couture is retired and will realistically never fight again. But, anything is possible and this fight almost happened once.

Back Story

 

If we rewind to 2007, Fedor Emelianenko was still on his famous win-streak having never lost his Pride heavyweight title. The Last Emperor was a machine in his prime. He was tactical, durable and relentless in his attack. Plain and simple—he won fights. Whoever was put in front of Fedor, lost.

His aura of invincibility made him a legend. But, there were still challenges that he had not embraced for one or another reason. One dream bout for Mixed Martial Arts’ fans was a collision with then UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, a Hall of Fame fighter in his own right. Because of a contract dispute in the numbers, it suddenly looked as if Randy Couture would be fighting Fedor and for a brief glorious moment the clouds parted and a dream bout fell into our laps.

But, in the end it was a dream that would not come true. Randy was contracted to the UFC plain and simple. So he could not break that contract by fighting Fedor elsewhere—but in the Octagon. M-1 successfully botched an amazing opportunity to enhance their brand and line their pockets by not putting Fedor in the UFC in 2008. 

They could have used the UFC and its marketing machine to make millions, introduce the United States fan base to M-1 Global and to get the fights that everyone wanted to see. Instead, this bout never happened and Fedor never made it to the UFC.

2012

 

In 2011, Fedor took a further slide in his now infamous decline out of the top-tier heavyweight picture. He was beaten soundly in 2010 by Fabricio Werdum by submission. Then the next year, he was beaten so badly by Antonio Silva that the doctor intervened. Lastly, he had been knocked out by Dan Henderson. It wasn’t the best year for the former recognized pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet.

Randy “the Natural” Couture entered last year on a three-fight win-streak amid rumors of a title contention—once again at an impossible age for any lesser man. He wanted a fight and he was given one at the historic UFC 129 event in Toronto, that broke the MMA attendance record for North America. His opponent would be Lyoto Machida.

Randy had seemed primed to defy the odds one last time. But, it was not meant to be. Captain America went out on his shield as the victim of one of the most epic knockouts in UFC history. Machida caught Couture completely off guard with a leaping crane-kick that knocked the legend violently to the floor. He would not get up. The fight was over.

Couture retired and an era had ended. Like Chuck Liddell before him, Couture walked away from the sport that made him a legend in his own era.

Fedor ended 2011 with two wins over respectable, but clearly outmatched opposition. It was a clear indication that Fedor was going to stop fighting on any serious level soon. The end may be very near for the legendary Russian as well.

A Viable Option

Randy Couture hopped on the opportunity to get back in the UFC when they gave him a big fight on Pay-Per-View with Brock Lesnar. He flew across the world to film an action movie. He fought in the UFC before he even knew one bit about what it meant to be a mixed martial artist.

The point I’m trying to make is that he is an opportunist. I think Fedor is too. I also think there is some sense in making this a legend’s retirement one-night-only farewell bout. That was quite a mouthful, but you get the point.

Below is a possible scenario that has little chance of actually happening. What makes this a viable option is that it would greatly benefit all parties involved in sheer dollars because this fight would sell like hotcakes.

  • Fedor signs to fight Bobby Lashley under the Dream banner in Tokyo, Japan on March 17, 2012.
  • Randy Couture finishes final publicity tour and premiere-week appearances for feature film The Expendables on April 1, 2012.
  • MMA outlets tout Fedor’s return to form. Randy Couture says in an interview with the Sagerville Sun that he could still beat Fedor—April 11, 2012.
  • After a three-fight win-streak Fedor and M-1 Global sign modest three-fight deal, and he immediately requests to honor the challenge presented by Randy Couture on May 3, 2012.
  • Randy Couture says he is healed, still in great shape and training. He indicates that his next film does not begin production for “some time.” May 24, 2012.
  • HDNet’s Inside MMA breaks the news that Randy Couture has signed a one-fight-only deal with Pay-Per-View bonuses and performance incentives, as well as a merchandising agreement on May 27, 2012.
  • Fedor Emelianenko vs. Randy Couture is confirmed for UFC 150—August 25, 2012 for Madison Square Garden in the newly regulated state of New York, New York. The fight is a truly epic affair. The winner is—.


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UFC Summer 2012: A Very Early Breakdown of Overeem vs. Dos Santos

On Dec. 30, 2011, the world witnessed the post-fight retirement of Brock Lesnar.He was beaten and he was beaten soundly.The former WWE and UFC heavyweight champion was reduced to a crumpled mass curled up and wincing in the Octagon as Alistair “Demolit…

On Dec. 30, 2011, the world witnessed the post-fight retirement of Brock Lesnar.

He was beaten and he was beaten soundly.

The former WWE and UFC heavyweight champion was reduced to a crumpled mass curled up and wincing in the Octagon as Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem swarmed him with a barrage of right-hand haymaker punches. Ding dong, the king was dead. Brock Lesnar’s MMA career was no more.

Overeem has had a habit lately of making knockouts look really effortless. The former Dream, Strikeforce and K-1 World Grand Prix champion has been on a tear in the past four years since moving up to heavyweight and putting on a small child worth of muscle.

In 2010 he had arguably one of the best years in recent combat sports history when he demolished Brett Rogers to defend his Strikeforce heavyweight title, clubbed his way to the K-1 championship and then finished off the year by knocking tough prospect Todd Duffee out in 19 seconds to win the interim Dream heavyweight title.

It was shocking to see Lesnar beaten so easily. Overeem seemed to make easy work of him. There is, however, a very large and determined Brazilian problem in his future.

Current UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos is unlike any other heavyweight on the planet right now and that includes Alistair Overeem. He took out a previously unbeaten Cain Velasquez in 64 seconds and he is yet to be presented with anyone who can challenge him. Can Overeem do what no other man has done is the UFC?

I will analyze each fighter individually, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses, and then I will do my best to predict an unpredictable outcome.

 

Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeem is a decorated Dutch kickboxer and submission ace with Herculean strength. Physically, he is an absolute beast. The way he broke Brock Lesnar down piece by piece just as he promised was shocking at the very least. It’s not shocking he won, it’s shocking he did it so easily when so many experts picked Overeem to lose.

Overeem has been a world champion. Out of his 36 mixed martial arts victories, the Reem has only went to the cards twice, notching 15 knockouts and 19 submissions. He is very dangerous in the cage. But, then again, so is the man he is facing.

Overeem has been knocked out a few times and he has been beat up in the past; however, it was four and a half years ago that he was knocked out in MMA and he has fought quite a few hard-handed men at heavyweight and none of them have been able to do it. Maybe his chin grew up with his muscles? Is it possible to recover your ability to take a punch? I’m not a doctor or a scientist.

What I do know is Overeem does not have a gas tank to fight past Round 3 against a pace JDS will set for this fight. Overeem will get tired in the second half of a five-round fight and that will make him much easier to finish him with strikes.

The thing is, no one can seem to stop his powerful strikes. Can Junior Dos Santos be the man to end the impressive streak the Reem is on?

 

Junior Dos Santos

Junior Dos Santos is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who just so happens to punch like a jackhammer. He is not exactly a man you would want to meet in a cage. As a matter of fact, he is probably the last you would ever want to see. He terminates his opponents. If he is an artist, his fists are his brushes.

Dos Santos fights in a style that reminds me of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell. He uses his good ground skills to keep his opponents upright so he can knock them down with his power punches. If he were any other fighter I would complain that he needs to use kicks, but when you can knock out Cain Velasquez in a minute, there is very little criticism to impart.

Overeem is very dangerous early, but then again, so is “Cigano.” Dos Santos could win this fight early as well, but his advantage lies after Round 2 when his pace will stay steady and Overeem’s will wane considerably.

Can Dos Santos bring his UFC winning streak to nine wins in a row?

 

The Breakdown

Overeem is always a threat early in a fight. He has heavy hands, elbows, knees and kicks. That is his only advantage. He has a variety of weapons Junior Dos Santos does not have. Junior has a great ground game, but he has been submitting people. Overeem has more submission wins than knockouts.

The bottom line is that it won’t matter. Overeem has a good chance early, but the champion will weather an early storm and bide his time, waiting for his opening. He will soften up Overeem until the Reem starts to fade, then he will take him out. It is possible Overeem will be the UFC champion before his career ends, but it will not be in 2012.

 

The Winner

Junior Dos Santos wins by knockout late in Round 2.

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UFC on FX 1: Music City Mayhem

Nashville is one heck of a town. It is the official country music hotspot in the United States and, like many other American cities, it loves a good fight.I badly wanted to attend this event. However, due to work obligations, I am forced to watch on te…

Nashville is one heck of a town. It is the official country music hotspot in the United States and, like many other American cities, it loves a good fight.

I badly wanted to attend this event. However, due to work obligations, I am forced to watch on television like most other fans.

I am not complaining, of course, but it would have been amazing to have been there. Not only is a UFC event an awesome spectacle, but Nashville itself is a great city for such a sporting affair.

The fight takes place at Bridgestone Arena. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Nashville, Tennessee, this arena has one of the best locations of any venue in the United States.

The arena is located in the heart of the city, and it is literally in the middle of the music and bar scene on Broadway. And because it is in the great state of Tennessee, a person can grab a ticket at the last minute from those kind gentleman who like to help a person out when they need to make a purchase en route to the event.

Friday’s UFC on FX  event will mark the first of its kind to appear on the Fox-owned channel. Fox and Fuel will also air fights throughout the year that are part of the seven-year contract between the UFC and the Fox family of networks.

The UFC is pulling no punches with its first FX card. The evening features UFC fan-favorite fighters such as Melvin Guillard, Pat Barry, Duane “Bang” Ludwig and Jorge Rivera.

Music City is always ready for a good time, and the when the UFC comes to town, the atmosphere will be electric and the fans will be rabid with anticipation.

It is safe to say to Friday, January 20, 2012 will be night to remember.

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