Author: Mike Hodges

Vitor Belfort’s Road to UFC 142

Vitor Belfort will finally have the opportunity to compete in his homeland of Brazil.”The Phenom” has already begun training for his upcoming bout against Anthony Johnson at UFC 142, and he has released a series of video blogs to document his preparati…

Vitor Belfort will finally have the opportunity to compete in his homeland of Brazil.

“The Phenom” has already begun training for his upcoming bout against Anthony Johnson at UFC 142, and he has released a series of video blogs to document his preparation leading up to the event.

In the second installment, Belfort allows fans exclusive access to his training camp, providing an in-depth look at his preparation. The Brazilian trains in his boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and also has spare time to relax and play with his kids.

Belfort is coming off an impressive first-round knockout victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 and is looking to climb back up the rankings of the middleweight division and earn a title shot. 

His opponent, Johnson, is also coming off an impressive knockout of his own against Charlie Brennan at UFC on Live 6. He will be making his debut at 185 pounds.

This will be Belfort’s second time performing in Brazil after knocking out Wanderlei Silva in just 44 seconds at UFC Brazil in 1998. Coincidentally, both Belfort and Silva will serve as opposing coaches on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil later this year and will also meet in a rematch.

UFC 142 is scheduled for January 14, live from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

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MMA: Online Poll Says Anderson Silva Has the Best Chance to Beat Jon Jones

Jon Jones’ dominant run has lead many fans to believe the 24-year-old will remain undefeated during the course of his current title reign. Jones has completely ran through his opposition with relative ease at this point, and he still has some cons…

Jon Jones’ dominant run has lead many fans to believe the 24-year-old will remain undefeated during the course of his current title reign. 

Jones has completely ran through his opposition with relative ease at this point, and he still has some considerable matchups lined up in the future with the likes of Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson.

But according to TATAME.com, the website promoted an online poll to give fans the opportunity to vote on which UFC fighter had the best chance of defeating the UFC light heavyweight champion. 

UFC middleweight champion, and current pound-for-pound kingpin, Anderson Silva led the voting poll with an overwhelming 41 percent.

Other results determined that 13 percent of the fans believe Jones will successfully retain his 205-pound title, while others choose Henderson and Lyoto Machida as the two other candidates.

Silva has remained silent on relinquishing the middleweight crown in order to move up to 205 pounds and challenge for the light heavyweight title, despite holding victories over James Irvin and former Light Heavyweight titleholder Forrest Griffin. At 37 years old, the Brazilian isn’t bound to continue his fighting career much longer; however, he has insisted on wanting to be involved in some of the best fights.

With fans supporting “The Spider” and favoring him to dethrone Jones, it is still possible that Silva invests his time in preparing for a super-fight with one of the sport’s brightest stars.

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Lyoto Machida Calls Out Chael Sonnen, Says He’ll Beat Him with One Arm

With both competitors taking verbal shots at one another via Twitter, Lyoto Machida’s ongoing feud with Chael Sonnen could culminate into a potential bout in the near future.The former UFC light heavyweight champion recently underwent successful surger…

With both competitors taking verbal shots at one another via Twitter, Lyoto Machida‘s ongoing feud with Chael Sonnen could culminate into a potential bout in the near future.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion recently underwent successful surgery to repair an elbow injury and posted the results on his Twitter account. Machida is coming off a loss to Jon Jones at UFC 140, where the Brazilian was submitted in the second round.

“The Dragon” also called out Sonnen in response to the UFC middleweight contender’s comments regarding Machida’s practice of urine therapy.

“Chael Sonnen, I just got out of an surgery but I can give you your Christmas gift inside the octagon with only one arm. Just take the fight,” Machida wrote.

Sonnen responded to Machida’s challenge a few hours later, but he initially declined the option of facing him.

Sonnen is already expected to meet Mark Munoz later this month on UFC on FOX 2; the winner is scheduled to face Anderson Silva in a middleweight title bout later this year.

If Sonnen is unsuccessful in beating Munoz, there is the possibility of witnessing a matchup between the Oregon native and Machida at 185 pounds. Machida has expressed interest in moving down to the middleweight division if he is unable to recapture the UFC light heavyweight championship.

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Junior Dos Santos Looking Forward to Bout with Alistair Overeem

Although he predicted Brock Lesnar to triumph over Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos is happy to accept a bout against the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion. The UFC heavyweight champion, who captured the title following a knockout victory…

Although he predicted Brock Lesnar to triumph over Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos is happy to accept a bout against the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion. 

The UFC heavyweight champion, who captured the title following a knockout victory over Cain Velasquez, views his future matchup with the Dutch kickboxer as a bout that fans will enjoy due to their respective styles.

“It’s going to be really, really good for the fans, because he’s a striker (and) I’m a striker, it’s going to be a stand-up battle,” dos Santos told USAToday.com. 

Overeem’s debut saw him utilize his world-class kickboxing against Lesnar before dropping his opponent with a body kick to signal the end of the bout. The win has extended the Dutchman’s current winning streak to 12 consecutive victories and has earned him a shot at the Brazilian.

Dos Santos said Overeem possesses a wide variety of striking and he utilizes his kickboxing effectively. However, “Cigano” said his boxing will overcome Overeem’s dynamic striking.

“He’s pretty good at using his kicks, his knees, his punches,” he said. “But I believe so much in my boxing.”

Dos Santos is currently recovering from knee surgery and is expected to defend his heavyweight crown later this year.

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Brock Lesnar: Junior Dos Santos Was Surprised by Lesnar’s UFC 141 Performance

When he attended UFC 141, UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos learned that his next challenger is Alistair Overeem, as the Dutchman defeated Brock Lesnar in the main event. Dos Santos sat cage-side to watch Overeem overwhelm and bully his o…

When he attended UFC 141, UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos learned that his next challenger is Alistair Overeem, as the Dutchman defeated Brock Lesnar in the main event. 

Dos Santos sat cage-side to watch Overeem overwhelm and bully his opponent with his kickboxing and clinch work. Overeem would drop Lesnar with a body kick and follow up with punches to officially end the bout in the first round. 

The Brazilian, who predicted Lesnar to beat Overeem, was surprised to see the former UFC heavyweight champion approach “The Demolition Man” and attempt to stand and trade with him. 

“Brock seemed a little bit anxious to throw punches and kicks,” Dos Santos told USAToday. “That surprised me, because I thought he should have taken Alistair down and kept the fight on the ground.”

Lesnar entered the bout after coming off a 14-month layoff due to diverticulitis. The loss forced Lesnar to announce his retirement from mixed martial arts, finishing his career with a professional record of 5-3.

“Cigano” was recently crowned the UFC heavyweight champion after knocking out Cain Velasquez at UFC on FOX last year. Since then, dos Santos has been out of action recovering from knee surgery after tearing his meniscus just a few weeks prior to his anticipated bout with Velasquez. 

It is expected that dos Santos and Overeem will meet in a title bout sometime later this year.

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UFC 141: What A Loss Would Mean to Brock Lesnar

While Brock Lesnar has enjoyed his tenure in UFC thus far, it hasn’t come without its fair share of criticism.Lesnar attracts audiences wherever he goes, primarily due to the fact he had already built a name for himself while performing for World Wrest…

While Brock Lesnar has enjoyed his tenure in UFC thus far, it hasn’t come without its fair share of criticism.

Lesnar attracts audiences wherever he goes, primarily due to the fact he had already built a name for himself while performing for World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002. Therefore, when he signed with the UFC in 2007, the media was bound to anticipate his arrival.

However, perhaps what they didn’t expect was for the 265-pound heavyweight to capture the UFC heavyweight title in only his fourth professional bout or for him to remain among the best heavyweights in the sport.

That being said, the former UFC heavyweight champion has endured a lot over the last year. Personal life and health issues have forced him to miss 14 months of action. 

If Lesnar is unable to earn the win against Overeem, it is hard to tell how the 34-year-old will react to a two-fight losing streak.

More importantly, it’s hard to not see Lesnar possibly walk away from the spotlight if he is not standing in it, considering his competitive nature has always made him strive to be the best. 

Considering his age and health, his longevity in the sport is likely limited, but a loss won’t necessarily mean his retirement from MMA. He’ll probably stay in the heavyweight division, as he remains one of the top draws for the company. However, his chances at holding the heavyweight strap will become slim.

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