Strikeforce was live from Las Vegas on Saturday night as UFC veteran Keith Jardine dropped to 185 pounds to challenge new Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. Rockhold looked like a champion in his first defense of the title, picking apart…
Strikeforce was live from Las Vegas on Saturday night as UFC veteran Keith Jardine dropped to 185 pounds to challenge new Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.
Rockhold looked like a champion in his first defense of the title, picking apart the older Jardine with some nice body shots before catching him with a staggering jab to the mouth.
Moments later, the fight was over as Rockhold wasted no time smashing Jardine with numerous brutal punches until referee Herb Dean finally pulled him off.
The champion was obviously one of the big winners from Saturday, but he wasn’t the only one whose stock rose or dropped significantly on Jan. 7.
Let’s take a look at the real winners and losers from Saturday night’s fights.
MMA in Minnesota was on display Friday night, Jan. 6 as Driller Promotions and the Sterling Entertainment Group teamed up to promote Downtown Showdown 2 from the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis. A great night of undercard fights ha…
MMA in Minnesota was on display Friday night, Jan. 6 as Driller Promotions and the Sterling Entertainment Group teamed up to promote Downtown Showdown 2 from the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis.
A great night of undercard fights had the crowd hot for the headliner between two of the better female fighters in the sport as Canada’s Anna Barone traveled to the states to challenge hometown favorite Kaitlin Young.
These two warriors slugged it out in the cage for 10 minutes, with Young finally being announced as the winner after a doctor’s stoppage due to a cut above Barone’s right eye. The victory brought Young’s record to 6-5 while Barone fell to 2-3.
After an entertaining bout like it was, it’s almost easy to forget that the fight almost never happened.
A difficult situation at the weigh-ins on Friday afternoon had the bout in question as Barone weighed in 4.5 pounds over the 143-pound weight limit that the fighters had agreed to just weeks ago.
The bout was originally set to take place at a catchweight of 140 pounds, but an illness requiring antibiotics hurt Barone’s opportunity to cut as much water weight as she otherwise would have. As such, she and Young agreed to the 143-pound catchweight.
So when an exhausted and visibly dehydrated Barone stepped on the scale at 147.5 pounds, it began to look like there was a possibility the fight would not even happen.
Thankfully the two women came to an agreement behind closed doors and the fight was on.
It’s hard to know for sure how much the weight cut hurt Barone in the cage, but she did not quite look to be “on” as Kaitlin Young really punished her, particularly in Round 1.
Young came in with a game plan and stuck to it as she absolutely punished Barone’s midsection with countless body kicks. She then used the clinch to throw a few vicious knees, adding even more damage to the Canadian’s already punished body.
The punishment she inflicted to Barone’s body left the opportunity for some open strikes to the face. Young obliged by landing some punching combinations and even a few elbows, opening up a cut on Barone’s right eyebrow.
Between rounds, the cage-side doctor took a look at the cut. He could be telling the referee, “I’m looking at this cut and I’m not liking what I’m seeing.”
Barone’s corner was upset as the cut did not appear to be much worse than some of the cuts other fighters had sustained earlier in the night. The doctor told Barone and her corner, “I’m going to let it go one more round” as he walked out of the cage.
Round 2 saw much of the same action as a very well-conditioned Kaitlin Young picked apart her opponent from the North, smashing her with body more kicks.
It was in the second round that Young began to really pull away, utilizing countless kicks to Barone’s lead left leg in an effort to chop her down.
A battered Barone continued to press forward, likely knowing that this was her last opportunity to win the fight. She nearly crumbled numerous times as Young continued to hack away at her leg, but fought through it, tagging Young a few times along the way.
Still, the round was clearly Young’s as Barone had fallen behind 20-18 on the scorecards as the doctor stepped into the cage to look at the cut once again.
Much to the dismay of Barone and her corner, the fight was called between rounds due to the cut, giving Young the victory in a very one-sided contest.
Young thanked her teammates at The Academy and announced that she would likely be looking to take a bit of time off between now and her next fight. The hometown fighter really seemed to be on another level and some time off is well deserved.
A new year brings us a new set of rankings in the 155-pound lightweight division in MMA. Perhaps the most stacked division in the entire sport, the lightweights shot into the spotlight in 2011 and appear ready to do so again in 2012.The upcoming UFC …
A new year brings us a new set of rankings in the 155-pound lightweight division in MMA.
Perhaps the most stacked division in the entire sport, the lightweights shot into the spotlight in 2011 and appear ready to do so again in 2012.
The upcoming UFC lightweight title bout between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson will headline the UFC 144 fight card from Japan in February, a fight which many are calling an early candidate for Fight of the Year.
That fight is expected to settle the debate of who the best 155-pounder in the world is, but there are a number of other fighters who will be attempting to stake their claim to the lightweight throne in 2012.
These 10 lightweights are all on track and maybe only a fight or two away from their own chance at being No. 1 in the world.
These rankings are the combined effort of some of Bleacher Report MMA’s best writers, as we continue to try to provide you with the best content on the web.
Brock Lesnar’s UFC return after a year-long battle with the intestinal disease diverticulitis was one of the most highly anticipated moments of 2011. The UFC 141 battle between he and Alistair Overeem was essentially a No. 1 contenders’ bou…
Brock Lesnar’s UFC return after a year-long battle with the intestinal disease diverticulitis was one of the most highly anticipated moments of 2011. The UFC 141 battle between he and Alistair Overeem was essentially a No. 1 contenders’ bout with the winner likely being the next man to fight current heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.
It didn’t last long, though, as Overeem battered Lesnar’s weakened body with kicks and knees before finally knocking him out less than halfway through the first round. With that, Lesnar announced his retirement from the sport in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
So what’s next for the former NCAA and UFC champion?
Well, if you’ve been looking around on the Internet much since Friday night, you have probably seen the rumors that he will be returning to the WWE.
As crazy as that might sound on the surface, it actually makes quite a bit of sense for the WWE to bring in the former superstar. There is a potential program available with a man who he has quite a bit of history with. I’m talking, of course, about The Undertaker.
These two pro wrestling legends have feuded before on camera, but a famous video following Lesnar’s UFC 121 loss to Cain Velasquez in 2010 showed that there may be some legitimate bad blood between the two mammoth heavyweights.
The WWE has a great opportunity to promote a feud between Lesnar and The Undertaker in 2012. A question of real life bad blood has made countless storylines much more effective in the past, and when it has to do with two guys who legitimately could beat the snot out of one another, things just become that much more intriguing.
Only one match has been officially announced for WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1. The event, which will take place from Sun Life Stadium in Miami is set to be headlined by the much-anticipated legend-vs-legend bout between John Cena and The Rock.
However one thing that has become a WrestleMania tradition is the winning streak held by The Undertaker at the event, which currently stands at an unbelievable 19-0. As of right now, “The Dead Man” does not have a scheduled opponent for the event.
Needless to say, a semi-main event between Lesnar and The Undertaker could help make WrestleMania XXVIII an even more monumental event than it otherwise looks like it will be.
While it’s true that pro wrestling is still a strenuous activity, the training is quite a bit different. While performers are looking to hurt one another in MMA, pro wrestling is more of an art of working together to create the appearance that the performers are trying to hurt one another. As such, perhaps pro wrestling might be a better option for Brock’s health going forward, particularly if he doesn’t plan on making it a long-term return.
Lesnar has made it known that he wants to be more of a family man, but the WWE has been pretty good about making that possible for their “for hire” top-level superstars like The Rock in recent years. It is possible that Lesnar could have a very light schedule that would allow him to still be a Dad to his children and a husband to his wife, former WWE diva Rena “Sable” Mero-Lesnar.
If it is a possibility under the law, a return to the WWE does make sense. Will he do it? Time will tell. But certainly it’d be a big pay day for a small time investment.
For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron
Being the younger sibling of a superstar athlete is not an easy life. Sure, you might have access to some cool parties and people might suck up to you in an effort to have access to your brother, but just imagine the amount of pressure that would be …
Being the younger sibling of a superstar athlete is not an easy life.
Sure, you might have access to some cool parties and people might suck up to you in an effort to have access to your brother, but just imagine the amount of pressure that would be on you if you want to be an athlete yourself.
That’s what Nate Diaz has had to deal with throughout his life, being the younger brother of superstar welterweight Nick Diaz. When you add in the fact that he was trying to make it in the same sport, the pressure only gets even greater.
But after his performance at UFC 141 when he thoroughly schooled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Nate Diaz may have finally figured out how to meet the lofty expectations set by the media because of his older brother.
A former winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Diaz’s UFC career actually started off extremely impressively. The lightweight winner won the show and quickly parlayed that into an impressive five-fight win streak inside the Octagon.
However, since that streak, Diaz’s UFC career has been somewhat of a roller-coaster. Though he is often involved in entertaining fights, Diaz has struggled mightily to create any sort of consistency. He even opted to make a change by moving up to the welterweight division for a while, though that experiment did not go very well and he made his return to lightweight at UFC 135.
It was in that bout against Takanori Gomi that Nate Diaz seemed to finally realize his full potential. The kid from Stockton smacked Gomi around on the feet before the fight went to the ground where he was able to secure an armbar and a subsequent submission.
As great as Diaz looked in that fight, he looked even better at UFC 141 when he picked apart Donald Cerrone for the entire bout on his way to winning a unanimous decision.
In each of these past two fights, Nate’s style has begun to look increasingly more like Nick’s. Not just on the ground where both Diaz brothers are expert submission artists, but particularly in the stand-up—the style that Nate deployed against Donald Cerrone almost seemed to be a carbon copy of what Nick did against BJ Penn at UFC 137.
The “slap-boxing” that Nick is known for was on full display in Nate’s fight against Cerrone as he repeatedly snapped his jab into “Cowboy’s” grill, dropping his hands and taunting him the entire time—a trademark of his older brother.
The Diaz attitude was also on display as he stood in his corner between rounds and proceeded to flip Cerrone off from across the cage.
As he heads into 2012, Nate Diaz is firing on all cylinders. His physical skills have finally caught up to his mouth and he appears to be ready to make a real run in the next 12 months.
With Nick Diaz on his way to a shot at the UFC welterweight title in February and Nate Diaz appearing ready to make a run in the lightweight division, there is a real chance that the UFC could be looking at two new champions in 2012…and both of their names could end in Diaz.
A shocking knockout loss to Johny Hendricks at UFC 141 has questions circling over the head of former No. 1 contender Jon Fitch. The smothering welterweight, known for his grinding and sometimes difficult-to-watch style, has long been considered the …
A shocking knockout loss to Johny Hendricks at UFC 141 has questions circling over the head of former No. 1 contender Jon Fitch.
The smothering welterweight, known for his grinding and sometimes difficult-to-watch style, has long been considered the No. 2 welterweight in the world. However, following the loss, suddenly the critics are out in full force, ready to drop him down the rankings.
MMA rankings are always completely subjective and it’s hard to blame anyone for dropping Fitch a bit after his loss when so many of the other top 170-pounders have avoided falling into the “loss” column in 2011. However, it is important to not be a prisoner of the moment in situations like this.
Make no mistake about it, Jon Fitch is still an elite welterweight.
Some of you might be thinking, “Of course he is, who is saying he isn’t?”
Well folks, you might be surprised to hear it, but I have personally spoken to numerous MMA analysts who are ready to drop Fitch out of their top five. One even told me that he is dropping him from his top 10 entirely.
I mean no disrespect to Johny Hendricks, who came in and did exactly what he said he was going to do, but unexpected knockouts happen. It’s a hazard that practically no one in the sport has been able to avoid throughout their entire career.
Even current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre suffered a surprise knockout loss to Matt Serra back in 2007. Though the loss still counted on his record, the fact that so many analysts were quick to drop St-Pierre from the No. 1 ranking goes to show that MMA rankings can be absolutely crazy at times.
Serra went from barely being a top-10 welterweight to suddenly skyrocketing to No. 1, even though just about everyone agreed that it was a fluke knockout. Serra held the title for another year with an injury keeping him from ever defending the title before he fought St-Pierre again in one of the most dominant, one-sided and almost embarrassing beatdowns that has ever happened in the Octagon.
St-Pierre proved that even though he lost a fight, he should have never dropped from the No. 1 ranking.
Jon Fitch’s loss to Johny Hendricks should be looked at in much of the same way. While it’s understandable that some people will drop him down a few slots, Fitch should still be firmly entrenched in the top five at 170 pounds.
MMA analysts should remember not to let their personal dislike get in the way of reality. This guy is 13-2-1 in his UFC career and is an absolutely terrible matchup for just about anyone in the division other than Georges St-Pierre.
Crazy knockouts happen in MMA all the time. Don’t let one punch be the reason that you look ridiculous in 2012 when Fitch gets back to grinding out decision win after decision win against UFC opponents.
For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: Follow @NicholasCaron
