UFC 177 will have to go on without half of its scheduled main event.
Renan Barao was expected to battle T.J. Dillashaw for the UFC Bantamweight Championship, but the 27-year-old fighter has dropped out of the event, according to Guilherme Cruz of MMA F…
UFC 177 will have to go on without half of its scheduled main event.
Renan Barao was expected to battle T.J. Dillashaw for the UFC Bantamweight Championship, but the 27-year-old fighter has dropped out of the event, according to Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting:
Dave Sholler of UFC.com provides the latest details on the changes:
The Brazilian fighter has been one of the best fighters in the weight class for nearly 10 years while working his way to the title. Unfortunately, he came up short in his latest defense at UFC 173, as Dillashaw came through with a fifth-round knockout to earn the title.
Barao told Dave Doyle of Yahoo Sports that he simply lost focus in the first match: “I got too comfortable. Did I believe what they said about me? Maybe. I have become humble again.”
While this rematch was one of the more highly anticipated battles of the year, it will apparently have to wait if it ever happens at all.
Instead, Soto will step in on Saturday with a huge opportunity to shock the world. Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting provides a little background on the fighter:
The 27-year-old American has a 15-2 record in his MMA career. His last match was less than a month ago against Terrion Ware at TPF 20, which ended by third-round submission.
While an upset seems incredibly unlikely, it will certainly be a memorable 48 hours for the unknown fighter.
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After Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez split their first two matches against each other, the third battle at UFC 166 should now decide it all.
Dos Santos dominated his opponent the first time these two met. The Brazilian fighter won the UFC Heavywe…
After Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez split their first two matches against each other, the third battle at UFC 166 should now decide it all.
Dos Santos dominated his opponent the first time these two met. The Brazilian fighter won the UFC Heavyweight Championship with a knockout in only one minute, four seconds.
However, Velasquez regained control of the belt when he earned a unanimous decision against his rival at the end of 2012.
The two fighters will now look to end the debate once and for all, but they will need to follow these keys to victory in order to come out ahead.
Cain Velasquez
Avoid a Boxing Match
While Velasquez is certainly capable of throwing some big punches, Dos Santos has the clear advantage when it comes to boxing. This is what happened in the first battle, as the Brazilian easily took down the champ with his striking ability.
This means that Velasquez has to play to his strengths, which includes his grappling ability. According to UFC.com, the big man averages 6.49 takedowns per match, while his opponent only averages 0.61.
The California native must be quick on his feet and go for takedowns to get in control while putting Dos Santos in an uncomfortable position.
Keep Opponent Down
This continues the mindset of keeping control of the match. Although Velasquez is not known for his submissions, he still knows how to handle opponents on the mat and continue to punish them there.
After getting takedowns, he needs to be physical with his strikes to inflict as much damage as possible before the end of the round.
While this might not necessarily help him earn a knockout, it will sit well with the judges and go a long way toward helping secure a decision.
Junior Dos Santos
Stay on Feet
If Dos Santos wants to win this match, he will have to spend the majority of time in the standing position. This is where he can utilize his jabbing ability and eventually set up his power punches.
According to Sherdog, Dos Santos has a significant advantage in this matchup when it comes to hitting the head. He has landed 43 percent of jabs and 36 percent of power punches in his career.
These skills, along with his superior reach, should keep Velasquez from going in close enough to earn a takedown. This makes it important for Dos Santos to remain active with his fists throughout the bout.
Go For Knockout
No matter what happens in the match, Dos Santos cannot be conservative. Velasquez has a style much more suited to winning by decision, and that could continue in this battle.
However, the Brazilian fighter can earn the win by going for the knockout, something he has accomplished three times in the last four victories. In fact, he only has two wins via decision in 11 UFC matches in his career.
Although his aggressiveness could end up working against him if he walks into a counter by his experienced opponent, Dos Santos has little to lose while trying to regain the title.
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The past year has seen Miesha Tate fall from one of the top female stars in MMA to a star relatively forgotten. However, she has bounced back in a big way.In 2012, she held the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship for one match before losing t…
The past year has seen Miesha Tate fall from one of the top female stars in MMA to a star relatively forgotten. However, she has bounced back in a big way.
In 2012, she held the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship for one match before losing to Ronda Rousey with a first-round submission.
Since then, her opponent has gone on to become the first UFC women’s champion as well as one of the more popular competitors in the sport.
Meanwhile, Tate lost in her UFC debut against Cat Zingano with a third-round knockout. This was the second loss in three matches after losing only two in her first 14 appearances.
However, some luck has now fallen her way, as Zingano was forced to withdraw from a potential title fight against Rousey. Instead, Tate will now take her place and will fight the champion in December as part of UFC 168, according to Franklin McNeil of ESPN.
From a fighting perspective, this does not make a lot of sense. Tate lost her chance to contend for a title by failing to win her last match and she is now only the No. 6 competitor in her division, according to MMARising.com’s unified rankings.
Still, UFC is all about drawing a crowd, and the 26-year-old star can do that. This has never been truer than after the release of the 2013 “Body Issue” by ESPN The Magazine.
This annual issue is about showcasing the impressive physical form of the top athletes in various sports. The fact that Tate was chosen to be a part of this year’s issue shows her appeal.
In fact, her popularity is only likely to increase after baring all in a magazine seen by a wide range of fans. Those who did not know about a middling contender before now are certain to remember the name going forward.
Considering that Rouseyposed in the issue last year, a battle between the two attractive women is only set to bring in a bigger crowd, many of whom have never watched an MMA match in their lives.
One of the biggest common misperceptions about women’s mixed martial arts is that we’re not feminine,” she says. “So for me it’s important to show that women in this sport are comfortable about their bodies, that we’re pretty and carry ourselves as women — and we can also turn it up a notch in the cage.
The feminine side is the one that most readers will like to see. While it is a sad truth, more people are likely to tune in to watch female UFC fighters if they are more attractive.
With a couple of pictures, Tate introduced herself to the world and showcased her looks to a wide audience of people. This will pay off huge dividends for her career going forward.
Now if she can find a way to beat Rousey in December, it will truly give her new fans something to cheer about.
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A few minutes can change an entire career in UFC. For Rashad Evans, that is a good thing following UFC 161.The former light heavyweight champion was having a tough year and then some. He had a huge opportunity against Jon Jones for the title, but he wa…
A few minutes can change an entire career in UFC. For Rashad Evans, that is a good thing following UFC 161.
The former light heavyweight champion was having a tough year and then some. He had a huge opportunity against Jon Jones for the title, but he was unable to win the decision after five rounds. He then struggled against Antônio Rogério Nogueira and lost by decision at UFC 156.
Despite the fact that Evans was 17-1-1 before this recent slide, it was clear that he was approaching the downside of his career. If he was unable to defeat the aging Dan Henderson, there might not have been many more opportunities in the future.
Fortunately, he showed that he is still lethal on his feet with a great fighting performance.
Evans showed off his speed with 66 strikes on his opponent, compared to only 53 by Henderson. Most impressively, he had 32 power strikes at the head, according to ESPN.
He was clearly in better shape than anyone expected and completely dominated the final round to secure the victory by split decision.
Although Henderson is now 42 years old, this is still a quality victory over a tough opponent. The win will end up being very important for the mindset of Evans and the rest of the MMA community going forward.
The win, regardless of how close it was, will absolutely help the fighter’s confidence going forward. He might have lost some of that in the bout against Jones, which carried over against Nogueira. However, fans should expect the Evans of old in his next time out.
As far as his public perception goes, this win will put him back in the picture for title contention. Even Dana Whiteadmitted to Matt Erickson of USA Todaythat it would be very unlikely for the loser of this match to get back into the title picture.
I mean, anything’s possible. You could lose this fight and then go on an eight-fight win streak. But I would say, statistically, it’d be tough to come back from this loss (and fight for a title someday).
This eliminates Henderson, but it leaves an opening for Evans. However, he first must continue to knock out other contenders before getting another chance at Jones.
One name that has come up recently is Glover Teixeira. The talented light heavyweight had stated that he wanted to face the winner of the UFC 161 main event.
According to Mike Whitman of Sherdog.com, Evans appears open to it, saying, “Glover said he’d like to fight [tonight’s] winner. I’m not calling anybody out… but I’m not turning anybody down. I like to fight.”
Another possibility is Alexander Gustafsson, who continues to climb up the ranks among the best in the weight class. If Evans is capable of defeating him, another opportunity against Jones might not be far behind.
Evans still has a long career in front of him that will feature many high-profile matches, and his win on Saturday night secured that this will happen.
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With a mix of well-known names as well as up-and-coming fighters, UFC 161 is an event that you do not want to miss.The pay-per-view will take place at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada as the league continues to display its influence in many countries…
With a mix of well-known names as well as up-and-coming fighters, UFC 161 is an event that you do not want to miss.
The pay-per-view will take place at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada as the league continues to display its influence in many countries around the world. The fans in attendance will be in for a treat with plenty of stars worth watching.
For those at home, make sure you do not miss a second of the action by following along with this guide.
When: Saturday, June 15, 2013
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Start Time: PPV at 10 p.m. ET; FX Prelims at 8 p.m. ET; Facebook Prelims at 6:35 p.m. ET
For a while, it appeared as though Roy Nelson was approaching the end of his career. From October 2008 until February 2012, the big man only put together a 3-5 record.
However, he seems to have turned things around in his last three matches. Nelson has dominated opponents with three-straight first-round knockouts, including an impressive win over Cheick Kongo.
Meanwhile, StipeMiocic was cruising to start his MMA career before suffering his first loss at the hands of Stefan Struve.
Miocic has the obvious speed advantage in this matchup, although this might come down to the confidence of each fighter. Nelson is riding high at the moment and looking to earn a title fight in the near future. He will try to once again earn a quick knockout.
Adding in the big experience difference in favor of Nelson, and the heavyweight should come away with another victory.
Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton
The women’s bantamweight division will not survive for too long if Ronda Rousey is the only elite competitor. It needs more females to become household names and possibly challenge the champion for the title.
Alexis Davis and Rosi Sexton are both making their UFC debut during the PPV, and the winner will have a good chance to advance her career in a hurry.
Davis has certainly been more impressive lately, as the 28-year-old fighter has won five of her last six matches. Three of those wins were by submission, and the only loss was against the talented Sarah Kaufman.
Although Sexton has more experience in the cage, she has lost a step over the years and is likely to struggle on the biggest stage of her career.
Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson
This battle between two veteran fighters will show the UFC at its best with a great amount of technique from each side.
At 42 years old, you would struggle to believe Dan Henderson could still get it done. However, he fought hard in his split decision loss against LyotoMachida earlier in the year.
While he might not be as quick as he was five years ago, he still knows how to always be in the right position, especially on the mat.
On the other hand, Rashad Evans has the experience to go with the skill to give his opponent trouble. He has run into some tough competition lately to lose two matches in a row, but both fights went the distance.
Evans has beaten some of the best ever in his career, and Henderson could be next on the list.
Full Fight Card
Main Card2
Light Heavyweight
Rashad Evans
vs.
Dan Henderson
Heavyweight
Roy Nelson
vs.
StipeMiocic
Light Heavyweight
Ryan Jimmo
vs.
Igor Pokrajac
Women’s Bantamweight
Alexis Davis
vs.
Rosi Sexton
Heavyweight
Pat Barry
vs.
Shawn Jordan
FX Prelims
Welterweight
Jake Shields
vs.
TyronWoodley
Lightweight
Sam Stout
vs.
James Krause
Welterweight
Sean Pierson
vs.
Kenny Robertson
Bantamweight
Roland Delorme
vs.
Edwin Figueroa
Facebook Prelims
Lightweight
Mitch Clarke
vs.
John Maguire
Bantamweight
Yves Jabouin
vs.
Dustin Pague
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While UFC 159 did not produce too many shocking results in the world of MMA, there were certainly some dominant performances by some of the best fighters in the sport.What fans lacked in close matches, they gained in early knockouts and impressive show…
While UFC 159 did not produce too many shocking results in the world of MMA, there were certainly some dominant performances by some of the best fighters in the sport.
What fans lacked in close matches, they gained in early knockouts and impressive showings by great competitors. This is not always pleasing for fans, but it is obvious there is some separation between the top fighters and the rest of each weight class.
On a night where a number of people stood out, these were the most impressive performances of the event.
Jon Jones
It was not surprising that Jon Jones was able to retain his light heavyweight championship in the match against ChaelSonnen. Still, the manner in which he accomplished that feat was quite impressive.
The champ badly broke his toe in the early stages of the fight, but he toughed it out and stayed aggressive. He was able to get his opponent in a vulnerable position and hit him with a barrage of punches and elbows until the fight was stopped.
This was Jones’ fifth title defense, with four of those wins coming by either submission or TKO. It is a truly dominant run that puts him in rare company as one of the best in the world.
Meanwhile, Sonnen recently battled Anderson Silva in a rematch of one of the best fights of 2010. While the rematch was not as good, it’s clear that the veteran is capable of competing at a high level.
However, Jones embarrassed Sonnen in this one and showed why it will be a long time until he gives up his title.
Roy Nelson
Although Roy Nelson might not have the look of a UFC fighter, he has been pretty impressive over the past year.
On Saturday, the heavyweight did not waste any time getting to work and was able to destroy Cheick Kongo with a first-round knockout. The third-to-last match of the night was the shortest on the card, as it ended in 2:03.
This was the third straight first-round knockout for Nelson, who clearly knows what he is doing with his fists. His strong hits are too much for his opponents to withstand, and recently, they have been almost impossible to defend.
After a poor stretch of three losses in four matches, Nelson is quickly moving up the ranks as one of the top competitors in his weight class.
Pat Healy
The match against Jim Miller almost went to decision, but Pat Healy did his best to make sure it was kept out of the judges’ hands.
At the 4:02 mark in the third period, the light heavyweight earned a submission with a rear-naked choke in one of the best finishes of the night.
While Miller had been up and down in recent matches, Healy‘s win is still an impressive one. He had won six in a row in Strikeforce heading into this battle, and this showing at the sport’s highest level is one that should cause people to take notice.
Obviously, he is a long way away from reaching the level of Jones and others in the division, but the 29-year-old fighter is on his way up after a long career in MMA.
UFC 177 will have to go on without half of its scheduled main event.