Author: Mike Hodges

Vitor Belfort Calls out Chael Sonnen, Says He Will "Pound (Sonnen) Out"

While he might be out of action momentarily, Vitor Belfort has made his intentions clear to his next opponent when he does return.Belfort suffered a minor injury, which resulted in him withdrawing from UFC 139 against Cung Le. The UFC immediately found…

While he might be out of action momentarily, Vitor Belfort has made his intentions clear to his next opponent when he does return.

Belfort suffered a minor injury, which resulted in him withdrawing from UFC 139 against Cung Le. The UFC immediately found a replacement in Wanderlei Silva, who Belfort said was a good choice, and that he hopes Silva can regain some momentum and earn a victory in his upcoming bout.

“I think it’s a great fight for Wanderlei to come back,” Belfort told TATAME.com. 

“He won two of his last eight fights, right? So, I think it can put him back, give him a motivation to stay fighting.”

The minor injury Belfort suffered was a recurring injury that almost forced him to back out of his last fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. After receiving doctor’s orders to refrain from doing any contact, the Brazilian decided to pull out of the bout, in order to be fully recovered for his next outing inside the Octagon. 

And “The Phenom” has one opponent in mind: Chael Sonnen. 

“I think it’s the perfect timing, he’s a good opponent and it’s a fight that everybody wants to see,” he said. 

Sonnen has become notorious lately for calling out Brazilian fighters and making disrespectful remarks towards the culture and impact they have on mixed martial arts. His comments have offended fighters like Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Wanderlei Silva, and Belfort said he would like nothing more than to make an example of him. 

“I’d pound him out,” he said. “Let’s hope he wins this fight and the UFC puts him against me. That’s the fight everybody wants to see.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 136: Dana White Says Melvin Guillard Is Close to a Title Shot

Melvin Guillard may be finally reaching his potential. Currently owning a five-fight win streak, should Guillard get past Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, he may very well find in himself next in line for a title shot at 155 pounds. “If he can co…

Melvin Guillard may be finally reaching his potential. 

Currently owning a five-fight win streak, should Guillard get past Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, he may very well find in himself next in line for a title shot at 155 pounds. 

“If he can control himself and focus and keep training and stay serious, I think Melvin Guillard is a force to be reckoned with,” UFC President Dana White told MMAWeekly.com.

Seen as a lost cause during his time on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter, Guillard has had a difficult time remaining mentally focused. But ever since pairing up with Greg Jackson in New Mexico, the once-troubled lightweight seems to be coming into his own and making the most of his opportunities. 

And it’s shown in his recent performances, as he has scored three knockouts in his past five bouts.

““Since he’s been with this (Greg) Jackson camp, it seems like he’s in a much better place. I don’t know, we’ll see,” White continued.

“The Young Assassin” has always proclaimed himself to be one of the top contenders in the lightweight division, and if he is able to get past Lauzon at UFC 136, fans may start to finally envision him as one as well. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 135 Fight Card: Is Jon Jones Under More Pressure to Defend the Title?

Jon Jones is one of a kind. Following his victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 126, no one would of imagined the 24-year-old emerging as the new perennial contender to challenge for the light heavyweight title, but he did. And when the opportunity prese…

Jon Jones is one of a kind. 

Following his victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 126, no one would of imagined the 24-year-old emerging as the new perennial contender to challenge for the light heavyweight title, but he did. And when the opportunity presented itself six weeks later, Jones made the most of it and put on one of the most dominant performances in UFC history. 

Now, as champion, Jones will face a stiff challenge in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in his first title defense at UFC 135. 

In Jackson, he faces an aggressive striker with technical boxing, knockout power, and good wrestling skills, but has since been touted as one-dimensional since his transition to the UFC in 2007. Most people are expecting the champion to walk away from this weekend unscathed, and quite possibly, to have a lengthy title reign. 

But leading up to the event, Jones’ persona and image has taken a considerable hit with some fans and media, as they have questioned his mentality. Fellow adversaries like Jackson and Rashad Evans have publicly stated on many occasions that Jones isn’t what he’s made himself out to be—a humble, respectful and classy fighter—and rather an arrogant, disrespectful and inexperienced champion. And while he has remained true to himself, there have been glimpses in recent interviews where he has come off as cocky, and at some points, weird, to say the least.

It is a true fact that a champion isn’t a real champion until he successfully defends his title and Jones has yet to achieve that accomplishment. The light heavyweight division has been plagued with bad luck as of late and has not seen a successful title defense since Jackson held the belt, dethroning Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson in 2007. 

So when he faces Jackson this weekend, Jones will be under more pressure than before, considering the amount of the hype and attention surrounding him. Not to mention, he will be facing an opponent who has seemingly rededicated himself to the sport and motivated to reclaim the title, a rare sight not seen since he captured it from Liddell. 

Blessed with talent, strength and athleticism, Jones has all the potential to make his tenure at light heavyweight a lengthy one and make him one of the greatest fighters of all-time. But if he is unable to withstand the pressure and expectations that come along with being a successful champion, we could be witnessing one of the biggest collapses in mixed martial arts history.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Junior Dos Santos Looks to Finish Cain Velasquez in the "Second or Third Round"

Since claiming the UFC heavyweight title, fans immediately predicted a long title reign for Cain Velasquez, however Junior dos Santos doesn’t believe so. The Brazilian spoke with MMAWeekly.com following the UFC on Fox press conference and while he…

Since claiming the UFC heavyweight title, fans immediately predicted a long title reign for Cain Velasquez, however Junior dos Santos doesn’t believe so. 

The Brazilian spoke with MMAWeekly.com following the UFC on Fox press conference and while he might look at his striking as advantage over the champion, he is training all aspects to prepare for wherever the fight ends up.

“Cain Velasquez is a fantastic fighter, a compete fighter, a very good fighter. For sure he’s going to be my biggest challenge,” dos Santos said. 

A winner of seven straight wins inside the Octagon, dos Santos earned the opportunity after defeating heavy-handed Shane Carwin at UFC 131. The Brazilian, who is renowned for his precise, technical boxing, displayed more offense during his bout as he showed versatile striking and was successful at taking Carwin down repeatedly.

The dominant performance cemented his place as the official No.1 contender and dos Santos plans on putting on a similar performance against Velasquez. 

“I want to finish this fight. I want to finish this fight by knockout or submission,” he said. “I want to finish this fight in the second or third round.”

The two heavyweights will meet for the heavyweight crown on UFC on FOX November 12.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 135 Fight Card: Does Matt Hughes Have One More Run Left in Him?

Matt Hughes has accomplished everything imaginable throughout his career. So when he enters his bout against Josh Koscheck at UFC 135, it would seem the former UFC welterweight champion has nothing to lose.However, that might not be the case.&nbsp…

Matt Hughes has accomplished everything imaginable throughout his career. 

So when he enters his bout against Josh Koscheck at UFC 135, it would seem the former UFC welterweight champion has nothing to lose.

However, that might not be the case. 

Koscheck is one of the best fighters in the welterweight division, and one of the best wrestlers. A win over him would not only add another win on Hughes’ resume, but more importantly, he would remain relevant at 170 pounds.

The win certainly wouldn’t guarantee a title shot, but it would put Hughes in contention, as he will have won four of his last five bouts. 

The problem is, that the competition has become better since Hughes reigned over the division for the early part of the decade.

Grapplers like Koscheck, Jon Fitch and current champion Georges St-Pierre have dominated their opposition with wrestling skill and ability, while strikers like Carlos Condit and Jake Ellenberger have also run through the competition, boasting respective winning streaks. 

Hughes has been primarily a wrestler and has steadily evolved as a fighter, but it isn’t likely he would compete against some of the division’s top competitors. 

Also, Hughes will be competing in the last bout of his contract, and at 37 years old, it won’t be surprising to see him call it a career regardless of the outcome on Saturday night.

It would be ideal for Hughes to continue fighting if he were to walk out victorious, but the wear-and tear on his body, plus the encouragement from his family to retire, will likely have Hughes reconsider his options. 

So, while he might be fighting for the last time this weekend, whether win, lose or draw, Hughes should walk away with his head held high and his health still intact.

The thought of him challenging for a title shot doesn’t seem realistic at this point in his career, and if anything, would tarnish his legacy.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC: Winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem Is Next in Line for Title Shot

The hype surrounding UFC 141 just got even bigger. When heavyweight giants Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem square off in the main event, they will be competing for more than just Octagon supremacy. It was learned earlier this week that the winne…

The hype surrounding UFC 141 just got even bigger. 

When heavyweight giants Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem square off in the main event, they will be competing for more than just Octagon supremacy. It was learned earlier this week that the winner will receive a future title shot against either Cain Velasquez or Junior dos Santos. 

UFC President Dana White confirmed the news and is intrigued at idea of seeing both heavyweights compete, especially the newly-acquired Overeem.

“I’m excited to see what Alistair Overeem has,” the UFC boss told MMAWeekly.com.

“It’s going to be a really good gauge to find out where Alistair really sits in the heavyweight division.”

Overeem served as the former Strikeforce champion while competing under the brand, and was participating in the promotion’s Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament before a toe injury forced him out of action. Shortly after, the Dutch striker’s contract negotiations and back-and-forth battle with management led to his departure from the company. 

Lesnar, meanwhile, has been out of action since last year, as he battled his second bout with diverticulitis. He was last seen in the Octagon at UFC 122, where he lost the heavyweight title to Cain Velasquez. The former WWE superstar has been a huge draw for the UFC and has brought a lot of financial success. 

The inclusion of Overeem has added more competition to the UFC heavyweight division. This fight will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge in the careers of both fighters. For either Lesnar or Overeem, the opportunity to earn another title shot might not happen again, and the chances of staying in contention might get slimmer and slimmer.

Right now, there is no more important bout for either of them than what lies ahead at UFC 141.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com