Author: Mike Hodges

Rashad Evans Says Phil Davis Won’t Want to Stand with Him at UFC on Fox 2

Rashad Evans’ skills have improved considerably since his time on The Ultimate Fighter. He is now regarded as one of the top competitors in the light heavyweight division. Evans has been renowned for his wrestling ability, particularly his technic…

Rashad Evans‘ skills have improved considerably since his time on The Ultimate Fighter. He is now regarded as one of the top competitors in the light heavyweight division. 

Evans has been renowned for his wrestling ability, particularly his technical striking and knockout power. 

So, when the 205-pound competitor meets Phil Davis in the main event at UFC on FOX 2, he said his opponent won’t look to engage with him on the feet, but rather try to utilize his wrestling skills.

“I’ll bet anything he’ll definitely be the first to shoot in on me. I just think that’s where he wants to take the fight,” Evans told Fighthype.com. “I don’t think he’s going to stand and bang with me.”

Evans last fought at UFC 134 against Tito Ortiz. He had come off a 14-month injury layoff and defeated the former UFC light heavyweight champion via TKO in the second round. The victory earned Evans a potential title shot at Jon Jones, but a hand injury prevented him from competing.

Now, Evans gets the opportunity to reenter the title picture again if he is successful against Davis, who is one of the top prospects in the light heavyweight division. 

Needless to say, Evans expects “Mr.Wonderful” to show up prepared and ready to fight.

“I think it’s going to be a war of attrition. The guy who comes in the best shape and the guy who has the edge in the standup department is probably going to take over the fight,” he said.

UFC on FOX 2 is live from the United Center in Chicago on January 28.

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Alistair Overeem Anticipating a Title Bout Against Junior Dos Santos

If there is one cardinal rule in mixed martial arts, it’s to never look past an opponent. Alistair Overeem is prepared to meet Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 next weekend, where the winner will likely slot themselves in for an opportunity to challenge UF…

If there is one cardinal rule in mixed martial arts, it’s to never look past an opponent. 

Alistair Overeem is prepared to meet Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 next weekend, where the winner will likely slot themselves in for an opportunity to challenge UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos. 

Apparently, Overeem already sees himself standing opposite to the champion in his next bout. 

“Style-wise, dos Santos is going to be an excellent fight for me — striker against striker,” Overeem told ESPN.com.

A reigning champion in multiple organizations, Overeem is confident in his skills and abilities to dethrone the Brazilian and believes his experience gives him a distinct advantage over dos Santos as well. 

The Dutch striker envisions himself defeating Lesnar in quick and dominant fashion, en route to a future matchup with the champion, where he attributes a lot of dos Santos’ success to his superior boxing.

“I must say that he is very dangerous with his hands. He’s got a lot [of power] in both punches; he’s clever and he’s fast,” he said.

The idea of witnessing the two strikers competing against each other provides for an intriguing bout in the future, but that would require Overeem to walk away with the victory next weekend. Although he hopes to dispose of Lesnar, the win won’t necessarily come convincingly for the 255-pound Overeem. 

However, the Demolition Man intends on making a statement in his UFC debut, while making his claim for a UFC title shot.

“I don’t see it going past the first or second round, second round maximum,” he said.

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Javier Mendez Is Confident Cain Velasquez Will Win UFC Heavyweight Title Again

Cain Velasquez’s recent loss to Junior dos Santos has the champion’s trainer, Javier Mendez, optimistic about the 29-year-old’s chances of regaining the heavyweight title.Velasquez, who entered the bout owning an undefeated record of 9-0, suffered the …

Cain Velasquez‘s recent loss to Junior dos Santos has the champion’s trainer, Javier Mendez, optimistic about the 29-year-old’s chances of regaining the heavyweight title.

Velasquez, who entered the bout owning an undefeated record of 9-0, suffered the first loss of his career at the hands of the Brazilian and relinquished the heavyweight crown in the process.

While speaking to TATAME,com, Mendez said he is confident that Velasquez will reclaim the heavyweight title in the near future. 

“Cain knows he blew it,” Mendez said.

“Possibly in two or three fights from now. He first has to prove he deserves that chance.”

Despite entering the matchup fully prepared to retain the title, Mendez warned Velasquez to stay wary of dos Santos’ knockout power. Mendez commented on Velasquez’s loss and said his failure to stick to the strategy cost him the bout. 

“I told him not to stand before him because the guy’s a great boxer, the best in activity. Once you do that, you’re screwed,” he said.

“The fight presented itself, Cain stood in front of him for a seconds and Junior landed a powerful right hand.”

Velasquez now will look to re-establish himself in the heavyweight division in order to prove he is a contender once again. While he currently is sidelined with an injury, there is no timetable for Velasquez’s return. 

But when he is called upon to return to the Octagon, Mendez said Velasquez will be prepared. 

“When Zuffa offer us that fight, we’ll work on it,” he said.

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Brock Lesnar:"I’ve Never Been Knocked Out Cold"

Brock Lesnar made an immediate impact on the heavyweight division when he debuted at UFC 81.The former WWE star impressed people with his size, athleticism and freakish strength, forcing fans to accept his status as one of the most dominant fighters in…

Brock Lesnar made an immediate impact on the heavyweight division when he debuted at UFC 81.

The former WWE star impressed people with his size, athleticism and freakish strength, forcing fans to accept his status as one of the most dominant fighters in mixed martial arts.

However, those once-believers immediately changed their perspective on the 265-pound Lesnar once he was exposed to be human and became skeptical of his credibility and passion as a fighter. His victory over Shane Carwin might of shown his resilience, but the loss to Cain Velasquez potentially damaged his aura.

The former UFC heavyweight champion has always faced criticism throughout his career, but when it comes to his ability to take a punch, Lesnar believes his skills are just fine.

“I think it’s a bunch of bulls,” Lesnar told MMAFighting.com. “The fights that I’ve gotten hit, I’ve stood and banged with Heath Herring, Randy Couture, Frank Mir—I’ve taken a lot of shots. I’ve never been knocked out cold.”

Lesnar’s status will be questioned once again when he is put in the spotlight next weekend to face accomplished kickboxer, Alistair Overeem at UFC 141. 

Lesnar is aware of the scrutiny from fans whenever he competes in the Octagon, however, he doesn’t see any reason to listen to the critics. After all, he said it becomes part of the territory when you are facing the best competition.

“There’s criticism. I don’t know if it’s just that people don’t like to see other people succeed, or just if they want to see them fail,” he said. “Any time you’re on top, whatever it is, and I don’t care if it’s the business world or it’s in farming or fighting—and those are all things that I’m in—there’s people out to get you.”

Lesnar and Overeem headline UFC 141 next Friday night, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

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Georges St-Pierre Begins Rehabilitation on His Injury

Georges St-Pierre has already begun his first phase of rehabilitation after undergoing surgery last week to repair a knee injury, according to MMA mania.com.The UFC welterweight champion tore his ACL earlier this month in preparation for his upcoming t…

Georges St-Pierre has already begun his first phase of rehabilitation after undergoing surgery last week to repair a knee injury, according to MMA mania.com.

The UFC welterweight champion tore his ACL earlier this month in preparation for his upcoming title bout against Nick Diaz at UFC 143. The injury would force the champion out of the anticipated matchup and allow Carlos Condit to step in as his replacement. 

A picture was posted on St-Pierre’s Twitter account showing the champion in his first phase of rehab working in a Continuous Passive Motion machine. The CPM machine is designed to help joint recovery and they are traditionally used during the first stages of rehabilitation. 

The 30-year-old has dominated the welterweight division for the last four years and has successfully defended the welterweight title six times. 

St-Pierre is expected to be return in mid-2012, however his physician Dr. Sebastian Simard expects a quicker recovery and believes the champion will return in six-to-nine months. 

Meanwhile, Diaz and Condit are slated to meet for the UFC interim welterweight crown and the winner will face St-Pierre in a unification title bout.

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Brock Lesnar Focused on Remaining at the Top of the Heavyweight Division

Despite having only competed in eight professional bouts in his career thus far, Brock Lesnar is still seeking to improve. Lesnar, who will make his long anticipated return to the Octagon next weekend at UFC 140, has only fought the best that the …

Despite having only competed in eight professional bouts in his career thus far, Brock Lesnar is still seeking to improve. 

Lesnar, who will make his long anticipated return to the Octagon next weekend at UFC 140, has only fought the best that the heavyweight division has to offer. A former WWE star and collegiate wrestler, Lesnar’s main intention was to take the bout to the canvas and dominate his opponents utilizing ferocious ground-and-pound. 

However, the 265-pound Lesnar has reassessed his career since recovering from a second encounter with diverticulitis and he said the only way to remain atop the heavyweight division is to be a more complete fighter than his competition, an essential key that can only contribute to his future success.

“I’ve had plenty of time to train and getting healthy has once again motivated me,” Lesnar told Fightline.com. “This is a sport that you have to evolve in and you have to get better if you’re going to stay on top in this organization.”

Lesnar will headline UFC 141 against arguably the most complete and versatile striker he has faced so far in Alistair Overeem. The Dutchman has accumulated some big victories since transitioning to the heavyweight division a few years ago, perfecting out his skills in Strikeforce and in K-1. 

However for Lesnar, he is aware of the competition that lies in the division and he still sees himself hovering around the title picture, but the former UFC heavyweight champion understands the importance of being a more well-rounded fighter.

“Well, we’ve put lots of hours in the Octagon in training,” he said. “Lots of sparring, grappling, lot of jiu-jitsu sessions. It definitely hasn’t been a lack of trying here.

“It’s definitely getting more competitive, so I’ve got to be more competitive.”

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