The UFC is holding its 20th anniversary show with an absolutely stacked UFC 167 card. It has been preceded by a tour and many other activities, as the UFC has pulled out all of the stops.
The card is headlined by the greatest welterweight of all time t…
The UFC is holding its 20th anniversary show with an absolutely stacked UFC 167 card. It has been preceded by a tour and many other activities, as the UFC has pulled out all of the stops.
The card is headlined by the greatest welterweight of all time taking on a powerhouse wrestler and striker. That of course is the fight between Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks.
Also on the card is Chael Sonnen, former light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans, St. Pierre teammate Rory MacDonald and TUF original Josh Koscheck. With all that, you cannot miss this pay-per-view.
Before that, let’s take a look at the stacked prelims and make some predictions.
Welcome to the TUF 18 live blog. On tonight’s episode, the first women’s semifinal will take place as Team Tate comrades Sarah Moras and Julianna Pena will square off.
If you are unaware, these women fought professionally not long ago. …
Welcome to the TUF 18 live blog. On tonight’s episode, the first women’s semifinal will take place as Team Tate comrades Sarah Moras and Julianna Pena will square off.
If you are unaware, these women fought professionally not long ago. In that bout, Moras secured an armbar and broke Pena’s arm, guaranteeing a doctor’s stopage from the injury.
Stick around with Bleacher Report as the show beings at 10 pm EST. We will cover all the shenanigans and the fight starting then.
Bellator has started to pick up a little bit of steam coming off its amazing Bellator 106 card, which was free on Spike TV. The card was originally on pay-per-view, but an injury to Tito Ortiz, who was in the main event, forced a cancellation.
This was…
Bellator has started to pick up a little bit of steam coming off its amazing Bellator 106 card, which was free on Spike TV. The card was originally on pay-per-view, but an injury to Tito Ortiz, who was in the main event, forced a cancellation.
This was the best-case scenario for Bellator, as it did record numbers on free TV. This came on the back of three championship fights, including a Fight of the Year candidate in Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez.
The problem Bellator is having right now, other than the fact that it has become the island of misfit UFC veterans, is that it is trying so hard to be relevant by using old-school names as top draws that it is taking away the credibility of its world titles and the stars it should be building.
Exhibit A is Bellator 106 before it became free on television.
There were three world title fights, one of which was an interim title bout, but none of those fights was the headliner for the pay-per-view. Instead, a light heavyweight feature between two men who have failed to put together a winning streak—or any wins, for that matter—took the prime spot.
How weak does that make the Bellator titles look?
You’re telling me that a bout between two over-the-hill fighters who haven’t been relevant in years is more important than your championships? I get it: They are draws because of their name value. But they are not guys to build your company around.
This may not seem like a big deal, but the placement of the interim title bout between King Mo and Emanuel Newton over the third title defense between Pat Curran and Daniel Strauss was also troubling. Curran, who was arguably a top-10 featherweight going into the bout, was thrown on earlier in the card, but he should have had a later spot in the card due to his higher status in the company.
Instead, an interim title bout—which should have never taken place, given the circumstances—topped the featherweight title bout on the card, showing Bellator‘s love for name value (King Mo) over future stars who will help build the company.
That may not seem like a big deal, but we have ourselves another conundrum in the near future in Bellator 108.
Once again, the Bellator brass has jazzed up the order of its next show instead of throwing the big name in the co-main event behind the title fight.
Bellator 108 is headlined by Rampage Jackson, who will make his debut opposite two-time UFC cast-off Joey Beltran. Not only does that devalue the heavyweight championship, which sits in the co-main event slot, but it also shows that Bellator is a UFC-talent vacuum that is purely picking up crumbs.
Sure, I am a Joey Beltran fan. But to put him in a main event over a heavyweight title bout between Alexander Volkov and VitalyMinakov—two of the best Russians and heavyweight prospects in the weight class—is demeaning.
If Bellator wants its company to survive long term, it needs to stop using stars of the past over stars of the future. Bellator wants credibility as a rival of the UFC and as the second-biggest MMA promotion in the world, but if it keeps things up, UFC will make Bellator look even more minor league than it already appears. World Series of Fighting will also catch up, as it is doing things the right way.
The reason some MMA companies have exceeded expectations is because they built stars. Bellator did that in the past, but, for some reason, it has resorted to relying on men past their prime. This problem needs to end, or Bellator could be on the slippery slope to becoming a less credible MMA organization.
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The end of 2013 continues to be absolutely stacked, as UFC 167 furthers the championship parade in current times. This time, the welterweight title is up for grabs as long-time champ Georges St. Pierre defends his belt against the hard-hitting Johny He…
The end of 2013 continues to be absolutely stacked, as UFC 167 furthers the championship parade in current times. This time, the welterweight title is up for grabs as long-time champ Georges St. Pierre defends his belt against the hard-hitting Johny Hendricks.
Also on the card is a light heavyweight showdown between friends, as Rashad Evans and ChaelSonnen take to the cage. Both men are anchors/analysts on UFC Tonight, which leads to an interesting dynamic leading in.
The card is absolutely stacked from top to bottom. Here are the predictions for the bonuses come UFC 167.
Submission of the Night: Rory MacDonald
Rory MacDonald was heavily criticized in his last performance against Jake Ellenberger for being safe and not looking for the kill. That could be because of the offensive wrestling and powerful hands that the American possesses.
Coming into UFC 167, MacDonald is likely going to be fighting with a chip on his shoulder. In the eyes of some, his opponent, Robbie Lawler, is a step down from Ellenberger against MacDonald because Lawler will be aggressive in looking to knock his head off.
Lawler‘s biggest weakness is when he is on his back with a skilled grappler on top of him. MacDonald, though he hasn’t had a submission in a while, has the takedown chops and submission skills to make Lawler another victim.
It may earn him a little more walking-around money for his tacky suits and hair style.
Also in the running: Erik Perez, Jason High
Knockout of the Night: Donald Cerrone
Although it may not appear this way, I don’t see UFC 167 having too many knockouts. There are some bangers and tough guys on the card, but they are matched up against guys with similar styles who will be ready for that.
This may seem like a long shot given the circumstances, but Donald Cerrone, if he shows up as killer Donald Cerrone, could get the Knockout of the Night check against Evan Dunham.
Dunham is a good striker and has a good chin, but Cerrone is more technical and just powerful. His aggressiveness might open up opportunities for him to smash Dunham‘s chin and put him down.
Look what Melvin Guillard did to Dunham. Now look at what Cerrone did to Guillard. It kind of makes more sense when looking at it that way.
Also in the running: Sergio Pettis, Gian Villante
Fight of the Night: Tim Elliott vs. Ali Bagautinov
I am really happy that lately the UFC has been placing flyweight bouts on the main card. At UFC 166, John Dodson and Darrell Montague got the nod to kick off the card and now for UFC 167, Tim Elliott and Ali Bagautinov will kick things off.
Elliott and Bagautinov are both hard-headed sluggers with complete games. While Bagautinov is a sambo fighter with powerful strikes, Elliott is a wrestler with equally devastating power.
These guys are both in great shape and quick. To blink during this fight means you may miss multiple combos and ferocious exchanges.
When it’s all said and done, they will have the best, most entertaining fight of the night. It has some serious competition, but it should work out well for both of them.
Also in the running: Georges St. Pierre-Johny Hendricks, Donald Cerrone-Evan Dunham, Sergio Pettis-Will Campuzano
On paper, UFC Fight Night was an event that many fans felt they could miss without regret. In terms of execution, it was one of the most exciting cards in recent memory.
In total, there were nine finishes in 11 fights. There were brutal finishes on the…
On paper, UFC Fight Night was an event that many fans felt they could miss without regret. In terms of execution, it was one of the most exciting cards in recent memory.
In total, there were nine finishes in 11 fights. There were brutal finishes on the feet and pretty submissions on the mat. Everything that was executed made the crowd go nuts both in the arena and at home.
Now that the event is over, where do the fighters stand? Here is the post-fight stock report.
The UFC is wrapping up a busy week, as UFC Fight Night 32 will be live from Brazil on Saturday. This event follows UFC Fight for the Troops, which took place Wednesday and featured some awesome fights.
UFC Fight Night 32 is headlined by legends Dan Hen…
The UFC is wrapping up a busy week, as UFC Fight Night 32 will be live from Brazil on Saturday. This event follows UFC Fight for the Troops, which took place Wednesday and featured some awesome fights.
UFC Fight Night 32 is headlined by legends Dan Henderson and VitorBelfort, who will fight in a rematch of a bout from earlier in their careers. Henderson took their first meeting, but he is in his 40s now, while Belfort seems to be in his prime.
The card promises to be solid despite the lack of high-level names. Let’s take a look and make some predictions for the fight night bonuses.
Submission of the Night: OmariAkhmedov
Although OmariAkhmedov can bang on the feet, he has a good submission arsenal that could be the difference in his fight with ThiagoPerpetuo.
Perpetuo is a striker whose only loss has come via submission. Akhmedov has the takedown chops and grappling acumen to ground and tap Perpetuo.
Russian mixed martial artists have been taking the sport by storm lately. Considering Perpetuo has been out of commission for a while, this fight could be a recipe for tapout of the night.
Also in the running: Jose Maria Tome, GodofredoPepey
Knockout of the Night: Brandon Thatch
If you saw the debut of Brandon Thatch, you know he doesn’t mess around. He gets right down to business.
Thatch debuted against Justin Edwards and immediately blitzed him with a barrage of violent strikes. After touching his foe’s chin a few times, he took a nap.
Now, Thatch takes on Paulo Thiago, a man who has shown holes in his striking defense in the past. If that’s not tailor-made for Thatch to hit the home run shot, I don’t know what is.
Expect some good, old-fashioned violence.
Also in the running: Rafael Cavalcante, VitorBelfort-Dan Henderson winner
Fight of the Night: Rony Jason vs. Jeremy Stephens
The minute Rony Jason-Jeremy Stephens was announced, I knew it would be a must-see fight. The minute it was cancelled, I could have cried.
Then, by the grace of a higher being, it was rescheduled. That led to renewed interest in the fight.
Jason is powerful and vicious. Stephens is violent and savage. When combined, that usually leads to an instant classic.
On the feet, you could see an amazing brawl. On the ground, Stephens has the better wrestling, while Jason is more the submission grappler.
All things considered, this is an amazing way to kick off the televised portion of the card. Don’t be surprised if Jason and Stephens take home an extra check.
Also in the running: VitorBelfort-Dan Henderson, Rafael Cavalcante-Igor Pokrajac, Adriano Martins-Daron Cruickshank
The end of 2013 continues to be absolutely stacked, as