Before defending his title against Kenny Florian this weekend at UFC 136, Jose Aldo is making some last-minute adjustments to his game plan. TATAME.com caught up with the 25-year-old at his camp, Nova Uniao, in Brazil.In the final stages of his tr…
Before defending his title against Kenny Florian this weekend at UFC 136, Jose Aldo is making some last-minute adjustments to his game plan.
TATAME.com caught up with the 25-year-old at his camp, Nova Uniao, in Brazil.
In the final stages of his training camp, Aldo demonstrated his skills during a sparring session, and he looked to be in great shape.
This will be Florian’s second bout at featherweight, having previously defeated Diego Nunes at UFC 131.
This will be Aldo’s second title defense inside the Octagon.
Chael Sonnen will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon when he faces Brian Stann this weekend at UFC 136. It will be Sonnen’s first fight back since his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 119 one year ago. While usually known for belittling his …
Chael Sonnen will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon when he faces Brian Stann this weekend at UFC 136. It will be Sonnen’s first fight back since his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 119 one year ago.
While usually known for belittling his opponents, Sonnen doesn’t have any reason to feel the need to do it to Stann, a US Marine veteran who now trains under renowned trainer Greg Jackson, at Greg Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts.
“The Shoot” filmed Sonnen as he prepared for his upcoming bout and he praised his opponent’s skills. While the fight most fans are hoping to see is a rematch between him and Silva, Sonnen said he isn’t looking past Stann.
“He’s well-rounded, he’s got the right team around him,” Sonnen said. “He’s done awesome his last few fights.”
However, Sonnen said he only worries about himself as he prepares for a bout, especially returning from a long layoff. He expects his opponent to show up and compete on Saturday night but Sonnen won’t underestimate Stann, nor any opponent for that matter.
“I’ve never had an easy fight and I’ve never had a harder fight. They’re all hard, they’re so hard,” he said. “The separation is so small,” he added.
And come Saturday night, Sonnen will look to separate himself from the competition and stand alone as the No. 1 contender.
As Mauricio “Shogun” Rua prepares to challenge for the light heavyweight title again, he must face a formidable opponent in Dan Henderson at UFC 139. Rua, who is coming off a knockout victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 134, sees Henderson as a gr…
As Mauricio “Shogun” Rua prepares to challenge for the light heavyweight title again, he must face a formidable opponent in Dan Henderson at UFC 139.
Rua, who is coming off a knockout victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 134, sees Henderson as a great opponent who matches up well against his style. While he admits the bout should have happened years ago, Rua told TATAME.com that he is just content to be fighting again.
“I love fighting, and I’ll fight sooner if I can. I’m not like that, I don’t like to stay a long time without fighting, and it’d be good to gain some rhythm. I’ll go after what’s best for me,” Rua said.
Rua’s recurring knee problems have hindered his success in the past, as he recently lost the light heavyweight title to Jon Jones after being out of action for a year. It is often believed that when the Brazilian is healthy and fights more consistently, he is considered to be one of the most dangerous fighters in the world.
He’ll get his chance to prove that against Henderson, who is coming into his third stint with the organization after earning knockout victories over Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Rafael Cavalcante and Fedor Emelianenko. Henderson is in the best shape of his career and arguably in his best form since PRIDE.
Although Henderson might be 41 years old, Rua still recognizes the danger in facing the current Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.
“He has heavy hands indeed, he can punch you in such a way that leads you to a knockout,” Rua told TATAME.com. “He’s been fighting for a long time, but he’s always looking for the knockout or working on the ground and pound. It’s been this way since Pride.”
And for PRIDE fans, the idea of seeing both competitors square off on November 19th should be a dream come true.
While he trains at Greg Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, Melvin Guillard recently honed his skills elsewhere. The 28-year-old lightweight, who is scheduled to meet Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, reunited with former teammate Rashad Evans at Imperial Athletic…
While he trains at Greg Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, Melvin Guillard recently honed his skills elsewhere.
The 28-year-old lightweight, who is scheduled to meet Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, reunited with former teammate Rashad Evans at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida. Guillard took the trip in part thanks to some convincing from his manager, Glenn Robinson, to seek additional help from Evans and his camp in order to prepare for Lauzon.
The brief transition has reportedly not sat well with Guillard’s trainers, including striking coach Mike Winkeljohn, but Guillard said he wants to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to him.
“Until it presents a problem as far as my coaching goes, then I’ll deal with it when it comes,” Guillard told Sherdog.com.
“I’m my own boss; my coaches work for me, so it’s whatever I choose that I want to do to be successful in this game. I’m going to take those options.”
Despite the ongoing feud between Guillard’s fellow teammate Jon Jones and Evans, Guillard said his decision to train with Evans was based out of respect and their friendship.
Although he is aware of the current rift between Jones and Evans, Guillard said he remains neutral.
“I stay out of their beef, and I keep myself neutral to everything,” he said. “I still love Rashad like a brother, and I love Jon like a teammate. There are gonna be other times when I’m gonna go to Imperial, and I’m probably gonna train there again.”
During a recent episode on “The Reem,” a web documentary featuring Alistair Overeem and his training regime, an unofficial trailer for UFC 141 was unveiled.Overeem, who was recently acquired by the UFC from Strikeforce, will face Brock Lesnar at UFC 14…
During a recent episode on “The Reem,” a web documentary featuring Alistair Overeem and his training regime, an unofficial trailer for UFC 141 was unveiled.
Overeem, who was recently acquired by the UFC from Strikeforce, will face Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 in December, scheduled to headline the card in a five-round bout. The trailer features both competitors in past bouts, as well as media appearances and training.
Overeem is entering the bout coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum. Lesnar is coming off a loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121, and has also recovered from a second battle with diverticulitis, which kept him out of action for nearly a year.
Widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts, Jose Aldo looks to cement that claim with a dominant performance against Kenny Florian at UFC 136 on Saturday, October 8.Aldo, coming off a victory against Mark Hominick …
Widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts, Jose Aldo looks to cement that claim with a dominant performance against Kenny Florian at UFC 136 on Saturday, October 8.
Aldo, coming off a victory against Mark Hominick at UFC 129, has torn through his opposition in the featherweight division. Boasting a resume against the likes of Mike Thomas Brown and Urijah Faber, the Brazilian displays a combination of speed and knockout power that makes him an imposing figure.
While Florian also comes off an impressive win in his featherweight debut over Aldo’s teammate, Diego Nunes, Aldo said he has more experience than Florian.
“I definitely don’t think Florian has the same strength as a featherweight,” Aldo said during a UFC 136 pre-fight interview.
“I also think I’m a much more explosive fighter.”
Aldo has won the past seven of his nine bouts by knockout, and he sees the outcome being no different against Florian.
“I’m going to go in there and push the pace,” he said. “Whatever opportunities present themselves, I will take them and finish the fight. I will beat Kenny Florian.”
UFC 136 is live this weekend from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Chael Sonnen will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon when he faces Brian Stann this weekend at