Demian Maia and Ryan LaFlare meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 62 in Brazil. It may not be the main event you wanted, but it is the main event you deserve.
Do not sleep on this main event or this fight card. They come during a heavy week of top-notch sp…
Demian Maia and Ryan LaFlare meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 62 in Brazil. It may not be the main event you wanted, but it is the main event you deserve.
Do not sleep on this main event or this fight card. They come during a heavy week of top-notch sports action, but the UFC is here to satisfy your MMA needs.
UFC Fight Night 62 features 12 bouts with six fights on the main card on Fox Sports 1. The first two preliminary bouts will take place on UFC Fight Pass before moving to Fox Sports 2 for the remaining four.
With the heavy slate of sports on Saturday, you may be wavering on watching the event. Don’t. Watch it. If you opt not to, you will miss a fantastic night of action.
What the fight card lacks in name-value on paper it will make up for in a variety of ways. Here are five reasons that you should tune into UFC Fight Night 62 this weekend.
Josh Koscheck returns quickly after a defeat at UFC 184 to take on Erick Silva at UFC Fight Night 62 on Saturday.
Silva was originally slated to face Ben Saunders, but an injury sidelined the rising welterweight.
Koscheck returned to action to take on …
Josh Koscheck returns quickly after a defeat at UFC 184 to take on Erick Silva at UFC Fight Night 62 on Saturday.
Silva was originally slated to face Ben Saunders, but an injury sidelined the rising welterweight.
Koscheck returned to action to take on Jake Ellenberger after a year-and-a-half away from the cage in late February. After an early takedown, his offense went away. The loss made him eager to accept a fight to get right back to work.
How will his attempt go? Can Silva level Koscheck to regain some of the hype that was surrounding him when he made his UFC debut? This is your head-to-toe breakdown to answer those questions.
Striking
Koscheck was a pure wrestler when he was on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. We have been treated to seeing his evolution into a complete martial artist.
The All-American showed flashes of tremendous improvement, but he ultimately fell in love with his natural power. Instead of using his technical abilities, he would begin to headhunt. He went away from the strides that he made.
On the opposite side of the cage, you have Silva, who is a dynamic and explosive striker. He uses all his tools—hands, knees, legs. If this is a pure striking contest, it will be Silva who wins. He can get wild, but he is simply a better striker than Koscheck. Where Silva got in trouble in his fight against Matt Brown, he will not get in trouble against Koscheck.
Silva has the clear advantage on the feet.
Grappling
This category is almost a push depending on how you look at it. Koscheck is the better wrestler, and Silva is the better jiu-jitsu practitioner.
Koscheck’s submission defeat at UFC 184 marked only the second time he has tapped out in his professional career.
If you are going to give an edge to either fighter, it would have to be Koscheck. Sure, Silva is the better submission fighter in this matchup, but it will be Koscheck who determines where this fight takes place. His takedowns will be difficult for Silva to stop.
Koscheck has always done a tremendous job of driving through his opponents. If Koscheck moves Silva to the fence and then changes levels, Silva has a good chance to defend. However, if Koscheck blasts through on his patented power double, he does not.
Once on the ground, Koscheck is tough to submit while on top. He has a fantastic base and stays active. Saturday should be your standard matchup between a striker and a grappler.
What to Watch
There are two things to keep an eye on in this fight: Koscheck’s timidness and Silva’s cardio.
Koscheck got hit cleanly against Ellenberger and shut down. How much of that was cage rust and Koscheck falling into a shell? How much was that him being concerned about his eye that was injured years ago at the hands of Georges St-Pierre? Did he take this fight so quickly to erase that notion from our minds?
He will get hit by Silva. How he reacts will be paramount to how this fight plays out.
As for Silva, he gasses out quicker than more top-tier welterweights. It is not that he is out of shape but rather how he manages his explosiveness. It takes a substantial amount of energy to fight the way he does, and he rarely manages it well. If he gets tired early, Koscheck will take him down for the remainder of the fight en route to an easy decision.
Prediction
Silva is the smart play here, but I am going with Koscheck.
For him to jump at the chance for another fight so soon after his last outing leads me to believe he will fix the issues from just a couple weeks of ago that have left a bad taste in his mouth.
If Koscheck fights smarter on Saturday, he gets the takedown and grinds on Silva. After a round of high-paced grappling, Silva will ultimately be done. He will be too tired to do anything of note against Koscheck’s relentless pressure.
I think this is a good showing for Koscheck, and it will put him back in the win column after a clear-cut decision.
A significant uploader of UFC and WWE torrents was taken into custody today in the United Kingdom.
The UK’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) arrested a 55-year-old male in Leicestershire on Wednesday, according to the BBC.
It is sai…
A significant uploader of UFC and WWE torrents was taken into custody today in the United Kingdom.
The UK’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) arrested a 55-year-old male in Leicestershire on Wednesday, according to the BBC.
It is said to be a significant arrest in the fight against piracy for the UFC and WWE. The PIPCU said the user was responsible for more than 3.2 terabytes of data and is one of the biggest uploaders of UFC and WWE content. The 3.2 terabytes of data works out to more than 3,000 uploaded videos from this user alone.
Several computers were taken in the arrest.
PIPCU chief DCI Danny Medlycott said:
Today’s operation serves as a clear warning to anyone thinking of uploading copyrighted material to pirate sites. This is not a victimless crime as copyright infringement is costing our creative industries hundreds of millions of pounds. Our team is dedicated to combating criminals ripping off other’s intellectual property and so those who are thinking of taking this path should think twice, as it might result in a knock on the door from our officers.
PIPCU estimates his uploads were downloaded more than two million times.
Both UFC and WWE officials released statements reinforcing their position against piracy and their commitment to continue work with law enforcement officials.
The UFC’s chief legal officer told the BBC the arrest will “result in a significant decrease in the illegal online distribution of our intellectual property and broadcasts.”
The WWE was “extremely thankful” for the work by PIPCU.
Online piracy of sporting events continues to be a major issue organizations are trying to curtail in the industry. This was a major arrest in the fight against piracy of combat sports content. The name of the offender has not been released as of yet, and no official charge has been brought against him.
UFC Fight Night 62 is this coming Saturday, and fans should temper their expectations following the two stellar pay-per-view events.
This coming event is headlined by No. 7-ranked welterweight Demian Maia and the unassuming No. 14-ranked contender Ryan…
UFC Fight Night 62 is this coming Saturday, and fans should temper their expectations following the two stellar pay-per-view events.
This coming event is headlined by No. 7-ranked welterweight Demian Maia and the unassuming No. 14-ranked contender Ryan LaFlare. It is not the most exciting main event the UFC has ever headlined with, but it is a key bout in the division.
The 12-fight event will see all but the first two contests of the night on television. Fox Sports 2 will have the four-fight TV prelims, and Fox Sports 1 will air the six-fight main card.
There is plenty of action to be had on this fight card if you dig deeply enough, which is what we are set to do.
Here is your guide to all the action this weekend in Brazil.
The Ronda Rousey-Cris Cyborg storyline continues. Rousey’s outspoken mother, Dr. AnnMaria De Mars, chimed in with how she thinks the fight will play out.
Per Submission Radio, as transcribed by Bloody Elbow’s Anton Tabuena, De Mars stated unequivocally…
The Ronda Rousey-Cris Cyborg storyline continues. Rousey’s outspoken mother, Dr. AnnMaria De Mars, chimed in with how she thinks the fight will play out.
“Oh, Ronda will break her arm,” De Mars said. “I can say that right now. I’ll tell you two things: Ronda will break her arm, and Ronda will not go up in weight.”
The highly anticipated hypothetical fight is still a ways off, but the interest continues to grow.
De Mars is never one to mince words, and her latest comments will be sure to invoke a response by the Brazilian powerhouse.
Rousey and Cyborg, for lack of a better comparison, are the Mayweather and Pacquiao of women’s MMA. It’s a fight fans have clamored for for years, but it has not happened for various reasons. The trash talk between the two goes back years and never fails to entertain.
The main obstacle is that they fight in different weight classes.
Rousey is the 135-pound UFC champion and Cyborg competes at 145-pounds, a weight-class the UFC currently does not support. Cyborg would love for Rousey to move up in weight but the champ has insisted on numerous occasions that Cyborg cut weight and meet her in her division.
Cyborg has stated she plans to eventually make it down to 135 pounds. And the UFC has said that if she can prove she can make the weight, they’d likely sign her.
Mayweather-Pacquiao finally got signed in 2015. Hopefully Rousey-Cyborg gets done in 2016. Rousey has quickly squashed just about every opponent currently signed to the UFC. Cyborg is not only the last legitimate threat out there, but she just might be able to beat the unbeatable Rousey.
UFC 185 hits Dallas on Saturday night. The UFC brings the show to the Lone Star State with two title tilts.
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defends his crown against top-ranked contender Rafael dos Anjos, and UFC strawweight champion Carla Espa…
UFC 185 hits Dallas on Saturday night. The UFC brings the show to the Lone Star State with two title tilts.
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defends his crown against top-ranked contender Rafael dos Anjos, and UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza takes on No. 1-ranked contender Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Bleacher Report will give you the play-by-play on each and every contest of the event and have complete analysis throughout the evening. The action gets underway at 6:30 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass (subscription required).
Stick around for all things UFC 185!
UFC 185 Fight Card
Anthony Pettis (155) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (155)
Carla Esparza (115) vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (115)
Johny Hendricks (170) vs. Matt Brown (171)
Roy Nelson (254) vs. Alistair Overeem (247)
Chris Cariaso (126) vs. Henry Cejudo (125)
Ross Pearson (156) vs. Sam Stout (156)
Elias Theodorou (186) vs. Roger Narvaez (186)
Daron Cruickshank (157.5) vs. BeneilDariush (156)
Jared Rosholt (245) vs. Josh Copeland (264)
Sergio Pettis (126) vs. Ryan Benoit (126)
Jake Lindsey (156) vs. Joseph Duffy (156)
Larissa Pacheco (136) vs. Germaine deRandamie (136)
