Author: Nathan McCarter

UFC 188: Can Tecia Torres Deliver a Star-Making Performance in Mexico City?

Tecia Torres enters UFC 188 with a perfect professional record, and is currently ranked No. 5 in the strawweight division. Can she take it to the next level on Saturday?
If so, the UFC gave her a perfect opponent.
Angela Hill, ranked No. 15, is striker…

Tecia Torres enters UFC 188 with a perfect professional record, and is currently ranked No. 5 in the strawweight division. Can she take it to the next level on Saturday?

If so, the UFC gave her a perfect opponent.

Angela Hill, ranked No. 15, is striker. She will stand right in front of Torres. That is exactly what Torres loves to do, but it is the perfect opponent for Torres because she may be forced to show the other facets of her game. Hill is no joke on the feet. Torres may have to show that she can utilize her grappling, and that’s a good thing.

Torres already should be in title contention. Quite frankly, Rose Namajunas being ranked ahead of her in the UFC rankings makes absolutely no sense.

Namajunas is 2-2 with two consecutive losses, and one of those is to the undefeated Torres. As much as some want to point to The Ultimate Fighter season 20 and its results it has to be pointed out that those are unofficial bouts and do not count. Period.

This will be Torres fight to show what she can do as a complete mixed martial artist. She will have an edge standing with her varied attacks, but there is little reason she should put herself in danger against Hill. If Torres looks like a complete fighter, there may be reason to believe she can give the champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, a run for her money – if she is still champion after June 20, that is.

Carla Esparza was not able to threaten Jedrzejczyk on the feet at all, and that allowed Jedrzejczyk to easily stuff predictable shots. Torres will be able to threaten on the feet. That opens the door for Torres to surprise Jedrzejczyk with level changes. Torres trains at American Top Team so there is little doubt she has some grappling ability.

If Torres can oust Hill without any issue, she will walk away as a true contender in this division.

Torres has looked good in her young MMA career. “The Tiny Tornado” is a perfect nickname for her style. She is relentless with her attacks, and even though she is only 5-0 in her career she has already faced solid competition. Every name except for her debut is a notable one: Paige VanZant, Rose Namajunas, Felice Herrig and Angela Magana.

Torres has also been given a prime spot to make her case to be a star at 115-pounds. We have seen the women be placed on the undercard time and again in spite of their rankings or talents. At UFC 188, Torres will open the pay-per-view. That shows faith from the UFC that this fight will be exciting, and that they want to build the winner after the event.

“The Tiny Tornado” is a significant favorite entering the bout. Currently, she is a minus-325 favorite. She gets a lot of respect for what she has already accomplished, and a recognition that this is a favorable fight.

The UFC set-up Torres with a matchup perfect for a star-making performance. Now, it’s all on Torres to deliver.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 188: Can Tecia Torres Deliver a Star-Making Performance in Mexico City?

Tecia Torres enters UFC 188 with a perfect professional record, and is currently ranked No. 5 in the strawweight division. Can she take it to the next level on Saturday?
If so, the UFC gave her a perfect opponent.
Angela Hill, ranked No. 15, is striker…

Tecia Torres enters UFC 188 with a perfect professional record, and is currently ranked No. 5 in the strawweight division. Can she take it to the next level on Saturday?

If so, the UFC gave her a perfect opponent.

Angela Hill, ranked No. 15, is striker. She will stand right in front of Torres. That is exactly what Torres loves to do, but it is the perfect opponent for Torres because she may be forced to show the other facets of her game. Hill is no joke on the feet. Torres may have to show that she can utilize her grappling, and that’s a good thing.

Torres already should be in title contention. Quite frankly, Rose Namajunas being ranked ahead of her in the UFC rankings makes absolutely no sense.

Namajunas is 2-2 with two consecutive losses, and one of those is to the undefeated Torres. As much as some want to point to The Ultimate Fighter season 20 and its results it has to be pointed out that those are unofficial bouts and do not count. Period.

This will be Torres fight to show what she can do as a complete mixed martial artist. She will have an edge standing with her varied attacks, but there is little reason she should put herself in danger against Hill. If Torres looks like a complete fighter, there may be reason to believe she can give the champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, a run for her money – if she is still champion after June 20, that is.

Carla Esparza was not able to threaten Jedrzejczyk on the feet at all, and that allowed Jedrzejczyk to easily stuff predictable shots. Torres will be able to threaten on the feet. That opens the door for Torres to surprise Jedrzejczyk with level changes. Torres trains at American Top Team so there is little doubt she has some grappling ability.

If Torres can oust Hill without any issue, she will walk away as a true contender in this division.

Torres has looked good in her young MMA career. “The Tiny Tornado” is a perfect nickname for her style. She is relentless with her attacks, and even though she is only 5-0 in her career she has already faced solid competition. Every name except for her debut is a notable one: Paige VanZant, Rose Namajunas, Felice Herrig and Angela Magana.

Torres has also been given a prime spot to make her case to be a star at 115-pounds. We have seen the women be placed on the undercard time and again in spite of their rankings or talents. At UFC 188, Torres will open the pay-per-view. That shows faith from the UFC that this fight will be exciting, and that they want to build the winner after the event.

“The Tiny Tornado” is a significant favorite entering the bout. Currently, she is a minus-325 favorite. She gets a lot of respect for what she has already accomplished, and a recognition that this is a favorable fight.

The UFC set-up Torres with a matchup perfect for a star-making performance. Now, it’s all on Torres to deliver.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

8 Must-See MMA Fights in June

June features six major MMA cards, and we have already seen one of those pass. If UFC Fight Night 68 is any indication, we may be in for a wild ride this month.
Ten of the 12 bouts from UFC Fight Night 68 were finished, and many in spectacular fashion….

June features six major MMA cards, and we have already seen one of those pass. If UFC Fight Night 68 is any indication, we may be in for a wild ride this month.

Ten of the 12 bouts from UFC Fight Night 68 were finished, and many in spectacular fashion. Joe Proctor had a slick guillotine over Justin Edwards, Shawn Jordan pulled out a hook kick on Derrick Lewis and Francisco Rivera flattened Alex Caceres in 21 seconds. And the night was just half over by that time.

Anthony Birchak, Brian Ortega and Dustin Poirier all still had incredible KO/TKO performances remaining, and if you thought the action was over, you were wrong. Ben Rothwell surprised in more ways than one with an entertaining promo following his win to lead into the main event—a main event where Dan Henderson finished Tim Boetsch in just 28 seconds.

June started off on the right foot for fight fans.

The UFC still has three events to go this month, and Bellator chimes in with two of their own. There is to be a lot of televised fisticuffs in the sixth month of 2015. And plenty of gold is up for grabs as well.

Here are your can’t-miss scraps for the remainder of June.

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Dustin Poirier vs. Yancy Medeiros: What We Learned from UFC Fight Night 68 Tilt

Ladies and gentlemen, Dustin Poirier looked outstanding at UFC Fight Night 68.
Poirier blasted Yancy Medeiros time and again on the feet. He rocked Medeiros multiple times early on, but he failed to finish over the tough-as-nails Medeiros. Poirier got …

Ladies and gentlemen, Dustin Poirier looked outstanding at UFC Fight Night 68.

Poirier blasted Yancy Medeiros time and again on the feet. He rocked Medeiros multiple times early on, but he failed to finish over the tough-as-nails Medeiros. Poirier got on his back and looked for the rear-naked choke but couldn’t get it under the chin.

Poirier and Medeiros got back on their feet, and it wasn’t long after that Poirier hurt Medeiros to the body. Once he was hurt, Poirier blasted him again with shot after shot. Finally, John McCarthy stepped in to save Medeiros from more punishment.

Let’s take a look at what we learned from Poirier‘s destruction of Medeiros.

 

What We’ll Remember About the Fight

Poirier‘s flurry of pinpoint accurate strikes.

It wasn’t a one-shot knockout, or anything singular that put Medeiros out. It was a barrage of strikes. Poirier put it all over Medeiros, and there was little he could do about it. Poirier simply outclassed him on Saturday evening.

And he did it all within 2:38 of the first round.

 

What We Learned About Yancy Medeiros

We knew he was tough, but we learned he is very tough. He took massive shots from Poirier, but he did not get knocked out cold. He was calling for more at one point. Although, that proved not to be the smartest thing he has ever done.

Medeiros took a lot of punishment and ate most of it while staying upright.

 

What We Learned About Dustin Poirier

We learned he is a potential top-15 fighter. That is a big statement considering the depth in this division, but since moving up to lightweight, he has looked outstanding.

Poirier remarked in the post-fight interview that he feels great at 155, and it shows. He knocked out rising star Carlos Diego Ferreira and followed that up with his performance at UFC Fight Night 68 over Medeiros. He will need to prove himself against an already established top-15 fighter before entering the rankings, but he is well on his way.

 

What’s Next for Yancy Medeiros

There is no shortage of options in the lightweight division, but perhaps Christos Giagos makes the most sense exiting Saturday’s fight card.

They both competed on the same card, and both lost.

It puts them on the same timetable, and as neither are viable top stars in the division the UFC could cut the loser to make room for better prospects in the future.

 

What’s Next for Dustin Poirier

In the post-fight interview, Poirier failed to call anyone out. He did say he wants to take some time off, but he looks to fight at least once more before the end of 2015. I would line up Poirier against the Al Iaquinta-Bobby Green winner. They meet at UFC Fight Night 71 on July 15.

They are both stylistic matchups that will provide fireworks. The winner would exit with a wealth of momentum as a top-10 lightweight.

Iaquinta‘s ground game would be a test for Poirier, but Poirier‘s athleticism would make it difficult for the Serra-Longo product to take it to the canvas. On the feet, it would be a battle of styles. Poirier is more loose and open with his striking, and he is more dynamic. Iaquinta brings in a developing boxing attack with big power.

Green is a bit more like Poirier with an open and athletic striking attack, but he does not throw as many kicks. It is a little bit better fight, on paper, than Iaquinta-Poirier as it is more well-matched, but both fights are stellar lightweight scraps.

I would love to see either of these fights, and it is something the UFC can look at during the latter part of 2015.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Kimbo Slice, Son with Autism Train Together Every Day Before Ken Shamrock Fight

Kimbo Slice is known for his menacing look and viral street fighting videos, but Slice is much more than that.Bellator MMA recently released a video where we get to see Slice as a thoughtful and caring father. The “In Focus” piece shows a h…

Kimbo Slice is known for his menacing look and viral street fighting videos, but Slice is much more than that.

Bellator MMA recently released a video where we get to see Slice as a thoughtful and caring father. The “In Focus” piece shows a human side to the bare-knuckles legend ahead of his June 19th fight against Ken Shamrock.

Kevlar, Slice’s son, has autism. Slice trains with his him every day. Slice spoke with the camera crew while his son was on the mat putting in work.

I’m giving him a part of me; he’s giving me a part of him. Every now and then he’ll just want to make sure I’m looking. He makes sure I catch his eye to see is my dad looking, is my dad watching. I want my dad to see me do this. That in itself is a great accomplishment to see my son learning how to wrestling, learning how to do jiu-jitsu. Makes me feel good inside. He loves it.
The video went on to follow Slice and his family having a fun time at Dave & Buster’s. It was a refreshing look at Slice opposed to how we typically see him marketed. A softer side of a hardened figure.


Slice headlines the June 19th Bellator show against Shamrock on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dan Henderson vs. Tim Boetsch: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC Fight Night 68 was supposed to feature Daniel Cormier vs. Ryan Bader, but after Cormier replaced Jon Jones at UFC 187, a new main event was put in place.
Former PRIDE welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson will take on No. 1…

UFC Fight Night 68 was supposed to feature Daniel Cormier vs. Ryan Bader, but after Cormier replaced Jon Jones at UFC 187, a new main event was put in place.

Former PRIDE welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson will take on No. 13-ranked contender Tim Boetsch in a middleweight tilt to headline the New Orleans card.

Henderson lost his last two outings to Daniel Cormier and Gegard Mousasi and will try to revitalize his career one last time this weekend. Boetsch remains a ranked middleweight, but he is 2-4 in his last six fights. This would appear to be their last hope at significance in the division.

This is a fight between two men in desperate need of a win. It does not hold much divisional importance, but it will mean a lot for their careers.

Their backs are against the wall. Could that produce an exciting brawl of a fight? Let’s break down the UFC Fight Night 68 main event between Dan Henderson and Tim Boetsch.

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