We kicked off the week on Monday with the welterweights. Now, the “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series moves onto the lightweight division.
The lightweight division is a shark tank that is stacked with talent from top to bottom. Anthony Pettis is the…
We kicked off the week on Monday with the welterweights. Now, the “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series moves onto the lightweight division.
The lightweight division is a shark tank that is stacked with talent from top to bottom. Anthony Pettis is the champion, but he is always in danger with guys like Gilbert Melendez, TJ Grant and others waiting in the wings.
We already missed out on what would have been our top prospect in Carlos Diego Ferreira, who just inked a deal with the UFC to debut in San Antonio against Colton Smith. However, there are still many prospects to choose from who could bolster the roster.
Without further ado, here are the five lightweight prospects the UFC should ink.
Fans have been waiting anxiously for the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 19, which was announced in full Tuesday.
The season, which will be coached by BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, premieres April 16 after the TUF Nations Finale on F…
The season, which will be coached by BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, premieres April 16 after the TUF Nations Finale on Fox Sports 1. The season will host a field of middleweight and light heavyweight participants who will fight for a UFC contract.
The season has a nice mix of past competitors, unknowns, up-and-comers and even a former Bellator champion.
There are three men on the series who have already competed on a season of TUF. Two of them (Tim Williams and Jake Heun) were on the 17th season, while one man (NordineTaleb of Team Canada) competed on TUF Nations. Williams and Heun lost their elimination-round fights to Dylan Andrews and Adam Cella, respectively. Taleb lost his quarterfinals bout in a potential fight of the season to Tyler Manawaroa.
Former Bellator welterweight champion Lyman Good is also slated to appear on the show, moving up from welterweight to middleweight. His contract with Bellator expired and he jumped on a chance to try to make the UFC soon after.
Other notables on the cast include Irish phenom CathalPendred, who is a teammate of ConorMcGregor; Dhiego Lima, the brother of Bellator title challenger Douglas Lima; and Eddie Gordon, a disciple of Matt Serra and Ray Longo’s gym.
According to the list of men the UFC released, only 31 participants have been announced, meaning the list is one man short. That means we will probably find out who the 32nd man is upon the season premiere April 16.
Below is a list of all the participants on the show:
Another week, another continuation of the self-proclaimed best series on all of the Internet. That’s right, the “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series is back with a vengeance. We left off with the middleweights, and now, we move on to the welterweight…
Another week, another continuation of the self-proclaimed best series on all of the Internet. That’s right, the “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series is back with a vengeance. We left off with the middleweights, and now, we move on to the welterweight division.
The welterweight division is one of the most stacked and talent-laden divisions in the UFC and all of MMA. The landscape has greatly changed as well, as long-time champion Georges St. Pierre is no longer the king of the division. Johny Hendricks now holds that distinction.
Even though there has been a changing of the guard, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be replenishing our welterweight talent. So, with that in mind, here are five welterweight prospects that the UFC should sign with the intent of keeping a talent-rich division.
UFC Fight Night 38 aired live on Sunday from Brazil. Headlined by an epic rematch between Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua, the card did not disappoint in terms of action.
In a fight that didn’t even see the main-event championship rounds, Henderson over…
UFC Fight Night 38 aired live on Sunday from Brazil. Headlined by an epic rematch between Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua, the card did not disappoint in terms of action.
In a fight that didn’t even see the main-event championship rounds, Henderson overcame a slow start against Rua to score a vicious knockout. The blow left Rua in a confused state and his nose in a crooked formation.
What did we learn from the main event? Let’s take a look at the performances and next steps of both men.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
The finish. The way in which Henderson threw that missile of a right hand at Rua’s face was pure violence.
He hit Rua square in the schnoz. It sent Rua tumbling in mass confusion, his nose in an opposite direction and Henderson back into the win column.
What We Learned About Henderson
We already knew this, but he is tough as nails. Henderson took some big shots in that fight, which was on the verge of getting stopped, but he kept his composure.
He is looking every bit of his 40-plus-year-old age these days. However, if he continues to win, the UFC will continue to give him fights. However, one day his chin will deteriorate like Chuck Liddell’s did and his fighting days will be over.
What We Learned About Rua
He does not have Henderson’s number. Rua dominated the first two rounds with striking and superior ground work. Rua looked like he was on his way to a finish a couple of times, but it was not to be.
Now, he has a mangled nose, another loss and questions regarding his future. A run at the title just took a major detour after this defeat.
What’s Next for Henderson?
A rematch with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira seems like a good move going forward. He is nowhere near a title shot and may be more of a novelty at this point. Either way, he is still a draw and should still get tough opponents.
What’s Next for Rua?
Rua needs to rebound in the most serious of ways. A bout against the loser of Phil Davis-Anthony Johnson at UFC 172 seems like a smart choice for Rua, who is still one of the best light heavyweights the UFC has to offer.
UFC Fight Night 38 comes to you live from Brazil this weekend on the special date of Sunday. This is a big move, as the UFC usually presents cards on Saturdays for the general viewing of the public.
A legendary rematch headlines this card, as Pride and…
UFC Fight Night 38 comes to you live from Brazil this weekend on the special date of Sunday. This is a big move, as the UFC usually presents cards on Saturdays for the general viewing of the public.
A legendary rematch headlines this card, as Pride and UFC vets Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua square off again. The first fight was arguably one of the best fights ever witnessed in MMA; both men left everything in the cage in a bloody, gritty affair.
The 12-fight card becomes official at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon, so stick with Bleacher Report as we update each fighter’s weight as it becomes known.
UFC Fight Night 38 Fight Card
Mauricio Rua (205) vs. Dan Henderson (202
Cezar Ferreira (185) vs. CB Dollaway (184)
Leonardo Santos (155) vs. Norman Parke (156)
Fabio Maldonado (203) vs. Gian Villante (204)
Michel Prazeres (155) vs. Mairbek Taisumov (155)
Rony Jason (145) vs. Steven Siler (146)
Diego Brandao (144) vs. Will Chope (146)
Ronny Markes (190*) vs. Thiago Santos (183)
Jussier Formiga (125) vs. Scott Jorgensen (125)
Thiago Perpetuo (!70) vs. Kenny Robertson (171)
Francimar Barroso (204) vs. Hans Stringer (204)
Godofredo Pepey (145) vs. Noah Lahat (145)
***Ronny Markes misses weight by four pounds and surrenders 20% of his fight purse to Thiago Santos.
It’s time to explore another edition of Prospects the UFC Should Sign.
We last left off with the light heavyweights. Now it’s time to look at the middleweights.
The middleweight division has seen enormous changes of late. Long-time champion Anders…
It’s time to explore another edition of Prospects the UFC Should Sign.
The middleweight division has seen enormous changes of late. Long-time champion Anderson Silva has been dethroned, while Chris Weidman has grabbed the reins.
There are new faces emerging into the upper part of the division. Prospects are starting to develop and threaten the old landscape of the division.
So with that, we look at five middleweights the UFC should consider signing soon. These men would add depth to the division and be possible main carders.
Fans have been waiting anxiously for