Despite the fact that three fighters made their UFC debuts on the main card of UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin, there were still a lot of important fights. A few fighters really raise their stock through impressive performances, while others disappointe…
Despite the fact that three fighters made their UFC debuts on the main card of UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin, there were still a lot of important fights. A few fighters really raise their stock through impressive performances, while others disappointed.
While this doesn’t necessarily reflect just who won or who lost, some victories are resulting in title shots while some losses are a cause for concern.
Whether it was an unexpected finish or a display of heart, let’s see who really won and lost at UFC 131.
Heading into UFC 131, the late replacement of Brock Lesnar by Shane Carwin has turned a lot of heads. While late replacements are usually disappointing, many seem to believe that Carwin actually makes for a better fight with Junior Dos Santos.Both are …
Heading into UFC 131, the late replacement of Brock Lesnar by Shane Carwin has turned a lot of heads. While late replacements are usually disappointing, many seem to believe that Carwin actually makes for a better fight with Junior Dos Santos.
Both are known for their vicious knockouts and between the two of them, they have a combined 22 first round finishes.
Still, Dos Santos, for several reasons, will finish Shane Carwin at UFC 131 and get a shot at Cain Velasquez in the process.
UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill was a fairly lackluster card in terms of the importance of the fights.An event that was originally slated to contain a rematch of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard in addition to an explosive matchup between Rampage Jackson and…
UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill was a fairly lackluster card in terms of the importance of the fights.
An event that was originally slated to contain a rematch of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard in addition to an explosive matchup between Rampage Jackson and Thiago Silva instead became riddled with injuries and was relegated to UFC 127-like status.
Still, the card was filled with fights that, while not necessarily making clear No. 1 contenders, allowed for title run talks to begin. Amongst these fighters were Rick Story, Frank Mir, and Rampage Jackson.
Following a lackluster card at UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill, it may be easy for one to disregard the importance of Rick Story’s impressive upset over Thiago Alves.While Story was meant to be something of a stepping stone for Alves—just another fig…
Following a lackluster card at UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill, it may be easy for one to disregard the importance of Rick Story’s impressive upset over Thiago Alves.
While Story was meant to be something of a stepping stone for Alves—just another fight to display his development as a well-rounded fighter—Story utilized superior wrestling, strength in the clinch, and a ridiculous chin to win a unanimous decision.
The UFC has gone from having 2,800 people in attendance at UFC 1 to 55,000 at UFC 129. From 86,592 pay-per-view buys for the first event to 1.6 million for UFC 100. There were once no rounds, no time limits, and hardly any rules. Since the days that Ro…
The UFC has gone from having 2,800 people in attendance at UFC 1 to 55,000 at UFC 129. From 86,592 pay-per-view buys for the first event to 1.6 million for UFC 100. There were once no rounds, no time limits, and hardly any rules. Since the days that Royce Gracie was submitting people who had no idea what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was, there have been a few fighters that have catapulted the sport to where it is today and will continue to do so in the future.
This is yet another big hit to the UFC. Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard both had to pull out of their scheduled bout at UFC 130 and now UFC 131 sees the loss of Brock Lesnar—their biggest draw.In a media conference call at 5:00 PM EST, UFC Preside…
This is yet another big hit to the UFC. Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard both had to pull out of their scheduled bout at UFC 130 and now UFC 131 sees the loss of Brock Lesnar—their biggest draw.
In a media conference call at 5:00 PM EST, UFC President Dana White announced that Brock Lesnar is suffering from Diverticulitis again.
Bloody Elbow reports that Brock is not retiring and that he is debating having surgery, although he has no timetable for his return.
Fortunately, Shane Carwin is now being tapped to fight Junior Dos Santos, with reports indicating that the winner will still be getting the opportunity to fight Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight championship.
This is a big fight for Carwin to be taking on such short notice, but at 36 years old, even he realized he is running out of time. He shared his feelings on being chosen to replace Brock via his website.
“Junior is a serious fight and not the type of fight that you would normally take on a 30-day notice, but I have a dream to chase and I do not have a lot of time to chase it. This is an opportunity to put myself in contention for the title. I know my coaches will have me ready, so I have everything to gain.”
Carwin is a very legitimate contender and a great choice as a late replacement, as he himself had Brock Lesnar bloodied up and nearly finished in their title bout at UFC 116.
The reality of the situation is, however, that he looked absolutely gassed entering the second round of that fight. Although Carwin has proven knockout power, the fact that his tank is already questionable, combined with a recent surgery and short training camp, is a recipe for disaster.
Unless he manages to finish Junior Dos Santos in the first round, which seems unlikely given the Brazilian’s great boxing, he is going to be in serious trouble.
This clearly was not what the UFC was hoping for, as the pay-per-view draw for a card without Brock Lesnar will be significantly less. But at least Velasquez will be given the opportunity to face a new opponent, no matter the outcome. The beating that Cain delivered to Brock the first time around isn’t anything we need to witness twice.
