UFC 142 will be an exciting event for fans of mixed martial arts, but the popularity and excitement over the NFL playoffs will steer casual fans away from this weekend’s UFC event.Let’s be real, the NFL playoffs would dominate anything in a television …
UFC 142 will be an exciting event for fans of mixed martial arts, but the popularity and excitement over the NFL playoffs will steer casual fans away from this weekend’s UFC event.
Let’s be real, the NFL playoffs would dominate anything in a television ratings battle because pro football is king in America.
Last Sunday’s Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game on CBS got a 25.9 rating, the highest ever for an AFC Wild Card game since the 1988 playoffs.
With Tim Tebow competing with the UFC on Saturday night, the ratings for UFC 142 will be very low, and few people will buy it on pay-per-view.
Tebow is the most popular player in sports right now, and his matchup against the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady is so exciting.
The Broncos and Patriots game starts at 8 p.m. ET, and could easily run past 11 p.m. With the game going deep into the night, people will not want to buy UFC on pay-per-view when they can watch Tebow, because that game is what everyone will be talking about on Saturday night.
The best-case scenario for the UFC is if the Patriots are destroying the Broncos by halftime or during the third quarter. That is the only way that casual fans will feel inclined to move from the football game to UFC 142.
Tebow’s journey with the Broncos this season is the most compelling story in sports, and against the UFC, the NFL playoffs will dominate the televisions of sports fans in America on Saturday.
Former UFC lightweight fighter Hermes Franca was convicted this week of sexually abusing an underage female student at a martial arts school and will serve more than three years in prison, according to OregonLive.He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one c…
Former UFC lightweight fighter Hermes Franca was convicted this week of sexually abusing an underage female student at a martial arts school and will serve more than three years in prison, according to OregonLive.
He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of unlawful penetration and one count of first-degree sexual abuse. In addition to his jail time, Franca will be required to register as a sex offender.
Franca was a UFC fighter from 2003 to 2009, and has a career MMA record of 22-11.
This is sad news for a MMA fighter who has potential to be very good but cannot stay out of trouble. Franca received a year-long suspension from competition after testing positive for a banned substance in 2007.
Franca fought Sean Sherk at UFC 73 for the lightweight title but was beaten in a unanimous decision in his most notable bout. For his career, he made 11 UFC appearances.
This also doesn’t look good for the UFC, who don’t need this kind of news when they are trying to grow their brand and even appeal to casual fans who really don’t understand what the UFC is about.
Alistair Overeem knocked Brock Lesnar into UFC retirement with his win Friday night in Las Vegas, but more importantly he proved that he’s ready for a heavyweight championship fight with Junior dos Santos.”I just wanted to show the world that I was rea…
Alistair Overeem knocked Brock Lesnar into UFC retirement with his win Friday night in Las Vegas, but more importantly he proved that he’s ready for a heavyweight championship fight with Junior dos Santos.
“I just wanted to show the world that I was ready and coming,” Overeem said via Fox Sports.
Overeem wasn’t intimidated by Lesnar and refused to give up on his game plan against the superior wrestling skills of Lesnar.
In the end, Overeem was clearly the better fighter and dominated Lesnar with some solid punches and effective knee shots.
Lesnar’s superior strength on the ground was the only major advantage he had over his opponent Saturday night, but he strangely attempted to force Overeem down to the floor just one time during the only round of the fight.
It was clear that Overeem wasn’t going to be taken down easily, and that Lesnar had to fight standing up, which would ultimately end with him being pummeled by Overeem’s powerful punches.
Overeem’s great strength and durability showed he is ready to take on anyone in the heavyweight division, and a future fight with dos Santos will be quite the bout to watch.
His experience in UFC really helped him defeat Lesnar because he knew what to expect and had been battle-tested over the past year.
Overeem is a determined fighter and many people foolishly underestimated him prior to UFC 141 on Saturday night.
He wants to be the best and is capable of defeating anyone. Alistair Overeem will beat Junior dos Santos when he fights him for the UFC heavyweight championship, and will once again prove why he’s a man you should be scored to step into the octagon with.
Alexander Gustafsson dominated Vladimir Matyushenko in the UFC 141 pay-per-view main card with a TKO just 2:13 into the opening round.The young Swedish fighter made a statement that he is here to stay and is a real rising star in the UFC.”I was prepare…
Alexander Gustafsson dominated Vladimir Matyushenko in the UFC 141 pay-per-view main card with a TKO just 2:13 into the opening round.
The young Swedish fighter made a statement that he is here to stay and is a real rising star in the UFC.
“I was prepared for three hard rounds,” Gustafsson said via MMA Junkie. “Matyushenko is a very tough guy. I look up to him.
“It was a good punch. It was my day today. It’s been my dream to fight in Vegas, so this is the biggest win of my life.”
Gustafsson proved why he deserves a major fight for his next bout because he is a legitimate UFC star that is worthy of a shot at the title.
Gustafsson’s punches were just way too much for Matyushenko to overcome after the Swedish fighter came at his veteran opponent with great ferocity in the early going of the fight.
The convincing victory for Gustafsson helped him improve to 5-1 in UFC fights, 13-1 overall, and his UFC winning streak has been extended to four fights.
Gustafsson’s ability to overpower his opponent with quick and effective punches is simply so difficult to defend, and he is certainly someone to watch in the UFC going forward.
The UFC needs fighters such as Gustafsson who are young and exciting, and it will be fun to watch his career develop over the next year.
Dan Henderson has no shot against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the main event of UFC 139 on Saturday night.Henderson was knocked down in the first round of his last two fights, and Shogun has so many effective ways to take Henderson down for a third straig…
Dan Henderson has no shot against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the main event of UFC 139 on Saturday night.
Henderson was knocked down in the first round of his last two fights, and Shogun has so many effective ways to take Henderson down for a third straight time in the first round.
Shogun is way too quick for Henderson, who likes to use his strength to overpower opponents.
The problem with this strategy is that it opens the door for mistakes when Henderson fails to connect on his punches.
When Henderson inevitably throws some bad punches, Shogun will counter and punish him for his mistake. The result could be an early victory for Shogun. This fight could get ugly real quick for Henderson.
If Shogun prevents Henderson from getting off to a good early start then he will have no trouble winning the main event.
Henderson is simply overmatched, and he must connect on some major punches early to have a chance at winning.
Shogun will have a determined approach to this fight and pummel Henderson early and often.
He will embarrass Henderson early in this fight and I would be very shocked if the fight lasts more than three rounds.
Shogun’s combination of quickness, speed and agility will be way too much for Henderson to handle in this fight, and Shogun will knockout his opponent in the early rounds to win the main event of UFC 139.
UFC 135 is Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s chance to reclaim the belt he once had, the one currently owned by Jon Jones.The main event will feature Rampage and Jones squaring off in one of the biggest light-heavyweight fights of all time, with the title on…
UFC 135 is Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s chance to reclaim the belt he once had, the one currently owned by Jon Jones.
The main event will feature Rampage and Jones squaring off in one of the biggest light-heavyweight fights of all time, with the title on the line.
Jones has an impressive MMA record 13-1 (7-1 UFC) and has been called by some as unbeatable. There is no question, however, that he will need to fight his best against Rampage, whose 32-8 (13-2 UFC) MMA record shows he is quite experienced.
This bout is Jones’ first title defense—a new experience for him—and it’s something Rampage has gone through before. Rampage’s title defense failed when he lost the belt three years ago, and he might not get many more opportunities after this fight.
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
When: Saturday, September 24 at 9 p.m. EDT.
Watch: Facebook. UFC 135 preliminary bouts are live on the UFC Facebook page at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Watch preliminary fights on Spike TV at 8:00 p.m. EST. The Main Card fights are 9:00 p.m. EDT on pay-per view, with live streaming for $44.99 at UFC.TV, Yahoo! Sports, UStream, Android or iPhone.
Fight Card
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones (champ) vs. Rampage Jackson
Heavyweight Bout: Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton
Heavyweight Bout: Ben Rothwell vs. Mark Hunt
Light Heavyweight Bout: James Te Huna vs. Ricardo Romero
Middleweight Bout: Nick Ring vs. Tim Boetsch
Welterweight Bout: Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes
Lightweight Bout: Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi
Lightweight Bout: Tony Gerguson vs. Aaron Riley
Featherweight Bout: Eddie Yagin vs. Junior Assuncao
Featherweight Bout: Takeya Mizugaki vs. Cole Escovedo
Bantamweight Bout: Norifumi ‘KID’ Yamamoto vs. Damacio Page
Jon Jones’ Keys to Victory
Jones must use his height, reach and speed advantages to defeat Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. If the bout is fought on the ground, Jones must execute his submissions, especially if he’s able to end the fight early.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s Keys to Victory
Jackson has great hands and has power and strength. All of these will be very important to countering the speed of Jones.
Rampage also must pressure Jones early and make him feel uncomfortable in his title defense.
What They’re Saying
Jon Jones explained to the Vancouver Sun the role of trash talk leading up to a fight.
“It definitely makes me fight better. The only reason it makes me fight better is because it makes me prepare better. I realize every quote I make, I’ve got to back it up. That’s why I try to not insult my opponent and say things that I only think will be true.”
Main Card Fight to Watch That’s Not the Main Event
Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton
Travis Browne has an 11-0-1 record in MMA and stands 6’7″ tall. He’s going up against Rob Broughton, who is one of the strongest fighters Browne will ever face. Both me have a lot to prove, which will make this an intense fight.
Preliminary Fight to Watch
Nick Ring vs. Tim Boetsch
Nick Ring brings an undefeated record into an exciting matchup against Tim Boetsch, who is now 20 pounds lighter and fighting in the middleweight division.
It will be fun to see if Boetsch can make speed more a part of his repertoire or if he has to rely on raw power and strength to give Ring his first loss.
Main Event Prediction: Jon Jones Defends title in Unanimous decision
Jon Jones’ youth, height and speed advantages will be too tough for Rampage Jackson to cope with, and Jones will successfully defend his belt.
Jones must not underestimate Jackson, however, because he is an experienced fighter who has the strength and determination to win any match.
UFC 142 will be an exciting event for fans of mixed martial arts, but the popularity and excitement over the NFL playoffs will steer casual fans away from this weekend’s UFC event.