Author: Riley Kontek

UFC Fight Night 59: 4 Reasons to Watch McGregor vs. Siver Fight Card

The UFC returns this Sunday with a great free TV card, as UFC Fight Night 59 comes live from Fox Sports 1. Coming to you from Boston, the card is stacked with talent and should fulfill your desire for great fights this weekend.
The card is headlined by…

The UFC returns this Sunday with a great free TV card, as UFC Fight Night 59 comes live from Fox Sports 1. Coming to you from Boston, the card is stacked with talent and should fulfill your desire for great fights this weekend.

The card is headlined by Irish sensation Conor McGregor, who takes on fellow European Dennis Siver in the main event. McGregor is arguably the hottest fighter in MMA right now and is quickly ascending the featherweight ranks. 

Other names that grace the card are Benson Henderson, Donald Cerrone, Uriah Hall and Norman Parke. With that type of talent, the card should be stellar.

Need a reason to watch this weekend? Here are four, as we examine why you should tune in on Sunday night.

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MMA in 2014: The Top 5 Female Fighters

Women’s MMA took a giant step forward in 2014, whether it was because there were a record number of fights, the re-inclusion of women in Bellator or The Ultimate Fighter 20 crowning a UFC strawweight champion. Basically, it was a big year for…

Women’s MMA took a giant step forward in 2014, whether it was because there were a record number of fights, the re-inclusion of women in Bellator or The Ultimate Fighter 20 crowning a UFC strawweight champion. Basically, it was a big year for the ladies.

Ronda Rousey continued to be the face of the charge. Bethe Correia is on her heels after beating two of her stablemates, and Carla Esparza took home UFC gold. Invicta got busy at the tail end of the year, and Cris “Cyborg” Justino failed in an attempt to move to 135 pounds.

I could go on and on. 

Simply put, 2014 was a pivotal year for women’s MMA, and some great things came out of the year. However, in examining the year, who were the top five female fighters? Let’s take a look.

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MMA in 2014: The Top 10 Submissions

Folks, it was a good year for finishes in MMA. This was especially the case for submissions, as audiences were dazzled by some awesome finishes on the ground.
We saw kimuras, bulldog chokes, neck cranks, triangle armbars and everything in between. It m…

Folks, it was a good year for finishes in MMA. This was especially the case for submissions, as audiences were dazzled by some awesome finishes on the ground.

We saw kimuras, bulldog chokes, neck cranks, triangle armbars and everything in between. It made it very tough to narrow down the best tapouts of 2014, but we’ve come to a conclusion here.

So, what were the 10 best submissions of the year? Let’s take a look now at the masterpieces we were given.

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The Beaten Path: Top 25 MMA Prospects for 2015, Part 1

Another year, another set of potential big-show prospects are ready to make a run in a sport that has a seemingly endless supply of up-and-comers who keep promotions strong and stacked with talent.
The Beaten Path is back in 2015 to bring you the top 2…

Another year, another set of potential big-show prospects are ready to make a run in a sport that has a seemingly endless supply of up-and-comers who keep promotions strong and stacked with talent.

The Beaten Path is back in 2015 to bring you the top 25 MMA prospects to look out for this year. These are fighters (men and women) who have yet to make the UFC or a Bellator tournament and are young either in age or in the sport (even though there may be an exception or two).

In evaluating these prospects, we looked for a combination of current ability and future potential that could carry them into the spotlight. Not only that, but we are using original prospects, so fighters who made last year’s list are not eligible for this one.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at Part 1 of this series. Counting down from 25, we will give you the first 13 fighters to make this year’s top prospects list. The second part, counting down the top 12, will come later this week.

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UFC 182: B/R Staff Main Card Predictions

A new year, the same crew. Bleacher Report is back in 2015 to guide you through the main card of UFC events throughout the year.
We kick things off with Saturday’s UFC 182, which is likely the most anticipated main event since Anderson Silva vs. C…

A new year, the same crew. Bleacher Report is back in 2015 to guide you through the main card of UFC events throughout the year.

We kick things off with Saturday’s UFC 182, which is likely the most anticipated main event since Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II. We have UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defending his title against Daniel Cormier, the biggest threat to his crown ever.

There are a number of great fights on this card, but we will stick with the main card as always. Without further ado, Scott Harris, Sean Smith, James MacDonald, Craig Amos and I, Riley Kontek, will guide you through UFC 182.

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UFC 182 Fight Card: 3 Fighters Who Can Make a Name for Themselves

UFC 182 is set to be one of the company’s biggest events in a long time. It boasts a championship main event between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier that is probably the biggest in the division because of the stakes, bitterness and challenge for Jones.
Th…

UFC 182 is set to be one of the company’s biggest events in a long time. It boasts a championship main event between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier that is probably the biggest in the division because of the stakes, bitterness and challenge for Jones.

That main event will attract the eyes of many. It has the star power and implications that can draw massively.

That type of draw is also what can help other guys unintentionally. The other men and women performing on the card now have the stage and a wide audience with which they can leave an impression and make a name for themselves.

Who are some of the fighters that can truly make a name for themselves come Saturday night? Here are three candidates who can do that with impressive performances and big victories.

 

Myles Jury

In the co-main event slot, undefeated lightweight Myles Jury is set to face longtime contender and fan favorite Donald Cerrone. It’s his biggest test to date, and an impressive win could really add value to Jury’s name.

The 26-year-old has long been one of the top prospects at 155 pounds and has shown his talent while fighting increasingly tougher opponents. In looking at his impressive resume, he owns victories against top lightweight Michael Johnson, ultra-tough Diego Sanchez and Japanese legend Takanori Gomi.

Jury is underrated in so many ways, too. Nobody ever talks about his knockout power despite savage finishes of Ramsey Nijem and Takanori Gomi. Plus, his ground game is superb, making him a true all-around threat.

If Jury can add Cerrone to his resume under the win column, especially given the audience size, he can truly became a big-name fighter in the UFC.

 

Kyoji Horiguchi

The UFC flyweight division is not exactly brimming with contenders, so anybody can make a big splash with a victory. That especially goes for Japanese up-and-comer Kyoji Horiguchi, a true dark-horse contender at 125 pounds.

Horiguchi entered the UFC as one of the top flyweight prospects in the world, but has quickly turned into a top overall fighter in the division. His aggressive striking style and underrated grappling ability give him an edge in any fight he takes.

He is already 3-0 in the UFC since debuting in October of 2013. In that time, he has decisioned Darrell Montague while knocking out Dustin Pague and Jon delos Reyes.

With Demetrious Johnson waiting for his next title challenger and a lack of definitive names in the front of the line for a title shot, Horiguchi‘s stock can really rise with a win here on pay-per-view.

 

Josh Burkman

If there is a guy who can really get his name back in the ring come Saturday night, it’s Josh Burkman, a UFC castoff who used World Series of Fighting as his platform to return. He has a tall task in front of him in Hector Lombard, which, if successful, could skyrocket Burkman‘s stock.

Burkman re-entered the minds of fans with his massive WSOF upset of Jon Fitch. That win in itself skyrocketed Burkman‘s name, but imagine a main card victory over a top welterweight in Lombard. 

He has the skill and grit to remain a top welterweight. However, given the platform, viewing audience and stakes come Saturday night, Burkman can really establish his name with a positive performance.

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