Author: Riley Kontek

The Ultimate Fighter 15: Lightweight Finalists Revealed

The 32 lightweight finalists of the 15th installment of The Ultimate Fighter has been revealed. Featuring Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as the opposing coaches, this will be the first season on FX, as well as the first season where the fights will be …

The 32 lightweight finalists of the 15th installment of The Ultimate Fighter has been revealed. Featuring Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as the opposing coaches, this will be the first season on FX, as well as the first season where the fights will be aired live.

Here are the competitors.

Akbarh Arreloa (Chula Vista, Calif.) 19-6
Al Iaquinta (Wantagh, N.Y.) 5-1
Ali Maclean (Belfast, North Ireland) 9-5
Andy Ogle (Tynemouth, England) 8-1
Austin Lyons (Cordova, Tenn.) 9-1
Brendan Weafer (New York, N.Y.) 6-3
Chris Tickle (Bloomington, Ill.) 7-4
Cody Pfister (Amarillo, Texas) 6-3
Cristiano Marcello (Curitiba, Brazil) 12-3
Chase Hackett (Littleton, Colo.) 4-1
Chris Saunders (Long Beach, Calif.) 9-2
Dakota Cochrane (Omaha, Neb.) 11-2
Daron Cruickshank (Wayne, Mich.) 10-2
Drew Dober (Omaha, Neb.) 7-3
Erin Beach (San Diego, Calif.) 3-1
James Krause (Blue Springs, Mich.) 15-4
James Vick (Fort Worth, Texas) 4-0
Jared Carlsten (Los Angeles, Calif.) 3-0
Jeff Smith (Mechanicsburg, Penn.) 9-1
Jeremy Larsen (Phoenix, Ariz.) 8-2
Joe Proctor (Pembroke, Mass.) 7-1
John Cofer (Hull, Ga.) 7-1
Johnavan Vistante (Pearl City, Hawaii) 3-1
Jon Tuck (Hagtna, Guam) 6-0
Jordan Rinaldi (Matthews, N.C.) 5-0
Justin Lawrence (Villa Ridge, Mo.) 3-0
Mark Glover (Liverpool, England) 6-1
Michael Chiesa (Spokane Valley, Wash.) 7-0
Myles Jury (San Diego, Calif.) 9-0
Mike Rio (Miami, Fla.) 8-1
Sam Sicilia (Spokane Valley, Wash.) 10-0

Vinc Pichel (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)6-0

Notable cast members include Ring of Combat veteran Al Iaquinta; Titan Fighting Championships veterans James Krause and Dakota Cochran; Ultimate Fighter 13 veteran Myles Jury, who was ousted from the show following a leg injury; and Cristiano Marcello, the man who famously triangle choked Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett to sleep following a backstage confrontation at PRIDE Shockwave 2005.

These men seem to be the early favorites to this season. Season 15 kicks off on Friday, March 9 at 9 PM ET/PT.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 144 Results: Why Anthony Pettis Does Not Deserve a Title Shot

Following wins over this past weekend by Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson, it appears that the two former WEC Champions are on the path to face each other again. But, in looking at the current contenders in the lightweight division and scoping Anthony …

Following wins over this past weekend by Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson, it appears that the two former WEC Champions are on the path to face each other again. But, in looking at the current contenders in the lightweight division and scoping Anthony Pettis’s record so far in the UFC, it really looks as if Pettis does not deserve the next crack at the lightweight crown.

Yes, Pettis was promised a title shot when the WEC was absorbed into the UFC. Yes, Pettis did not receive the promised title shot after the draw between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. And yes, he opted not to wait for the winner, which was an honorable thing to do.

But that is where the line is drawn. By not waiting for his title shot, Pettis took on Clay Guida and lost in a lackluster performance. He kissed his title shot away with that loss.

So on the rebound, he defeated Jeremy Stephens, who is an exciting, powerful fighter, but not a top 15 and maybe not a top 20 opponent. He won by decision, using wrestling and opting to stay away from the striking that Stephens possessed.

He then this past weekend beat Joe Lauzon. Although it was a definitive win, it most definitely does not warrant Pettis a title shot. In his last fights, Pettis is 6-2. While this is a good record, his only notable victories, in my opinion were over Henderson and Lauzon (no disrespect to Stephens because I am a huge fan).

He has lost to now-featherweight Bart Palaszewski and the aforementioned Guida, who is a top 10 lightweight. If he was unable to beat Guida, I don’t see how he is going to beat Henderson, who dominated Guida.

Pettis, for now, is still a prospect in my eyes. He is a future title contender in the UFC, but as of right now needs to polish his all-around skills. Guys like Jim Miller, Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar and even Gray Maynard are closer to the title at this point. I believe that the winner of Miller/Diaz or an Edgar rematch are the best choices for the next title fight.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Top European MMA Fighter by Weight Class

Mixed martial arts is continuing to gain popularity in Europe. With its growth, a number of legitimate European fighters will emerge in each weight class in pursuit of their respective weight class title.With a number of already established fighters in…

Mixed martial arts is continuing to gain popularity in Europe. With its growth, a number of legitimate European fighters will emerge in each weight class in pursuit of their respective weight class title.

With a number of already established fighters in combination with emerging prospects, Europe is set to become a haven of talent.

Let’s take a look at the best fighters Europe has to offer by weight class.

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Nick Diaz, Chris Leben and 11 UFC Fighters Who Perform Better When Angry

Fighting with anger, for some, is not the preferred way to enter a fight, as it may lead to silly mistakes.For some, fighting with anger brings the best out of them. Anger fuels them and motivates them to push the fight into a finish.Let’s take a look …

Fighting with anger, for some, is not the preferred way to enter a fight, as it may lead to silly mistakes.

For some, fighting with anger brings the best out of them. Anger fuels them and motivates them to push the fight into a finish.

Let’s take a look at the fighters who perform better when they are angry.

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UFC 144: 6 Guys Fighting for Their Jobs

UFC 144 is coming up this weekend and should be very intriguing. A lightweight championship scrap headlines the event, and an abundance of Japanese fighters will look to defend their turf at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.But not everyone will be fi…

UFC 144 is coming up this weekend and should be very intriguing. A lightweight championship scrap headlines the event, and an abundance of Japanese fighters will look to defend their turf at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

But not everyone will be fighting for a title. Some will be fighting for their job with the UFC. Let’s examine which fighters may be on the chopping block.

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Foreign Cities the UFC Needs to Visit Soon

With the global expansion that the UFC looks to bring in the coming years, there are a number of places they plan on visiting to promote the sport.Currently already planned for this year, the UFC will travel to Brazil, Japan, Australia and Sweden. The …

With the global expansion that the UFC looks to bring in the coming years, there are a number of places they plan on visiting to promote the sport.

Currently already planned for this year, the UFC will travel to Brazil, Japan, Australia and Sweden. The UFC has traditionally booked events in mainstays like the United States (obviously), Canada and the United Kingdom.

While these markets are important to the UFC, they will need to continue to tap new markets, which will be examined now.

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