Venezuelan fighter Maximo Blanco will make the drop to featherweight and join the UFC. The move was announced by Blanco’s manager, Brian Butler-Au of SuckerPunch Entertainment, via Twitter. Blanco’s previous 13 bouts took place in the lightweight…
Venezuelan fighter Maximo Blanco will make the drop to featherweight and join the UFC.
The move was announced by Blanco’s manager, Brian Butler-Au of SuckerPunch Entertainment, via Twitter.
Blanco’s previous 13 bouts took place in the lightweight division, including his most recent bout, a rear-naked choke submission loss to Pat Healy under the Strikeforce banner on Sept. 10, which ended a six-fight winning streak.
Prior to fighting in Strikeforce, Blanco competed for World Victory Road’s Sengoku Raiden Championship and Pancrase in Japan, amassing an 8-2-1 record with one no contest. His original contract with Strikeforce called for three fights, but with the Zuffa acquisition of the promotion, a move to the UFC is not surprising.
The fighter is known for his wild and reckless striking, finishing seven of his eight wins by way of knockout. In the fight against Healy, Blanco was deducted a point for kicking his opponent repeatedly in the face while the two fighters were on the ground. A similar, illegal foul resulted in a loss under the Sengoku banner in 2009 against Akihiko Mori.
Blanco also possesses high-level wrestling, earning a bronze medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil.
Known as “Maxi,” the 27-year-old recently started training with Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Blanco will add depth to the 145-pound division, which has only been active since the UFC merged with the WEC in late 2010. Should he string together a few wins, his style could give current divisional kingpin Jose Aldo some trouble.
UFC 136 will mark the third attempt at UFC gold for Kenny “KenFlo” Florian as he meets dynamic Brazilian José Aldo. The former finalist on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter is now competing in his fourth weight class wit…
UFC 136 will mark the third attempt at UFC gold for Kenny “KenFlo” Florian as he meets dynamic Brazilian José Aldo. The former finalist on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter is now competing in his fourth weight class within the promotion.
Florian failed in both of his attempts at the lightweight belt, first to Sean Sherk at UFC 64 and then to BJ Penn at UFC 101. Additionally, he dropped a title eliminator to Gray Maynard at UFC 118, which would have earned him a third try at the 155-pound strap. With a strong grappling base and dangerous Muay Thai striking, Florian had managed to finish eight of his nine other foes within the division, but in each of the aforementioned bouts, Florian’s largest deficiency, wrestling, was exploited by his opponents.
As a result, Florian made the decision to drop down to featherweight. With a victory over Diego Nunes in his 145-pound debut at UFC 131, Florian was rewarded the title shot against Aldo. Since Aldo is not known for his wrestling, the casual observer might believe this is Florian’s best chance to finally gain his long-desired championship.
The problem for Florian is that Aldo’s strengths are not only identical to his own, but he’s better at them.
Florian is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Roberto Maia in his native Boston, while Aldo is a black belt under the Nova União camp in Rio de Janeiro. Black belts are not created equal, and Aldo’s camp is one of the best in the world. The biggest difference between the two fighters in regards to their ground game is that Florian has relied on his submission skills in 10 of his 15 wins, while Aldo has only utilized his in one of his 20 bouts.
So, does Florian have the advantage? Not likely. The reason that Aldo has not relied on his ground skills is due to his lethal striking. Florian’s striking game has evolved tremendously throughout his UFC career, training with the likes of Mark Dellagrotte at Sityodtong and Firas Zahabi at TriStar, but he’s nowhere near the level of the Brazilian. Aldo has finished 12 of his 20 fights by way of knockout, while Florian has managed only three.
It’s not only in power that Florian will face a problem. Aldo’s speed is remarkable and he uses it to fire off brutal combinations. In his arsenal is something that was made famous by Ernesto Hoost in the kickboxing world—a jab, cross, hook to the body, leg kick assault—that he used to batter wrestling stalwart Urijah Faber and striking specialist Mark Hominick for five rounds each. Luckily for Florian, he is a southpaw, which will prevent some of the combination’s effectiveness.
All in all, Florian is going to be overmatched when he enters the Octagon on Oct. 8 in Houston. He’s battling one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet, and unfortunately for the Boston native, he does not possess the tools to defeat the Brazilian. Aldo is riding a 12-fight win streak going into the bout, and against Florian he’ll keep his belt by finishing the fight before the championship rounds.
UFC 137 will feature the return of The Ultimate Fighter season 11 alum Chris Camozzi to the promotion. The veteran middleweight will welcome French striker Francis Carmont to the UFC on Oct. 29 at the Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas.The news …
UFC 137 will feature the return of The Ultimate Fighter season 11 alum Chris Camozzi to the promotion. The veteran middleweight will welcome French striker Francis Carmont to the UFC on Oct. 29 at the Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas.
The news was first announced by the UFC, and was confirmed to Bleacher Report after speaking directly to the returning fighter.
Camozzi (15-4) made his way into the house on the reality show by winning his elimination fight against Victor O’Donnell. However, a broken jaw derailed his run on the show.
He was brought back at the TUF 11 finale, where he defeated James Hammortree to secure his place in the promotion.
Despite compiling a 2-1 record inside the Octagon, he was surprisingly cut following a UFC 127 loss to Kyle Noke in February.
Since his release, the Denver-based fighter defeated Strikeforce veteran Joey Villaseñor under the Shark Fights banner in May.
The fight was not short on controversy as the New Mexico commission incorrectly scored the bout a draw on fight night. However, the verdict was overturned and Camozzi was awarded the victory.
The dangerous Muay Thai practitioner was recently announced as the headliner of the Oct. 15 Shark Fights 20 event against Matt Lucas, but with his return to the UFC that will now change.
Awaiting Camozzi will be Georges St. Pierre’s TriStar training partner, Francis Carmont (16-7). The French striker has largely competed in the light heavyweight division while fighting in Europe.
In his most recent fight, Carmont defeated UFC veteran Jason Day by TKO. Of the fighter’s 16 wins, 10 have come in the first round.
UFC 137 is headlined by a welterweight title bout between champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Carlos Condit.
Also on the card is former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, making his return to the UFC against multi-time champion BJ Penn. The main card airs on pay-per-view.
No word on how the Camozzi/Carmont fight will be broadcast.
In what very well could have been the most chaotic week in the history of the UFC, a former champion’s return was announced and an upcoming fight card was temporarily blown up, only to be salvaged a day later.Heavyweight Brock Lesnar will return in Dec…
In what very well could have been the most chaotic week in the history of the UFC, a former champion’s return was announced and an upcoming fight card was temporarily blown up, only to be salvaged a day later.
Heavyweight Brock Lesnar will return in December to welcome Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem to the promotion, headlining UFC 141 in Las Vegas.
Another Vegas event, UFC 137, saw its main event and co-main event get swapped as a result of the antics of former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz. Diaz now faces B.J. Penn, while Georges St-Pierre defends his welterweight championship against Carlos Condit.
Additionally, a broken hand forced a former Ultimate Fighter off the UFC 135 co-main event, two former champs will square off for a second time, and an MMA legend steps back into the cage.
Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza may not yet be a household name to casual fans, but that may just be a matter of time.In addition to his 14-2 record in the sport of MMA, the Brazilian is recognized as one of the best Brazilian …
Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza may not yet be a household name to casual fans, but that may just be a matter of time.
In addition to his 14-2 record in the sport of MMA, the Brazilian is recognized as one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the world. His five world championships put him in the upper echelon of the grappling art.
Since joining the promotion, “Jacare” (Portuguese for alligator) has reeled off four straight victories, including an impressive win over Tim Kennedy last August that earned him the vacant middleweight strap. In that bout, the Brazilian showcased his improved striking to compliment his dangerous ground game.
With UFC parent company Zuffa purchasing the promotion, the team Blackhouse fighter likely has his sights set on moving to the big show and challenging the fighters already there. Let’s see how he stacks up against the top ten middleweights within the UFC.
Looking back at the week from Aug. 27 through Sept. 2, it was a busy week for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as numerous injuries shuffled multiple upcoming events, and the promotion announced the headlining bout for its upcoming Fox debut on Nov….
Looking back at the week from Aug. 27 through Sept. 2, it was a busy week for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as numerous injuries shuffled multiple upcoming events, and the promotion announced the headlining bout for its upcoming Fox debut on Nov. 12.
Making waves as the first UFC fight to be televised on network television will be a heavyweight title tilt between returning champion Cain Velasquez and No. 1 contender, Junior dos Santos.
Additionally, changes have been made to the Ultimate Fight Night 25, UFC 135, UFC 137 and UFC 138 cards as injuries have forced a number of fighters out of action.
Outside of the UFC, former Strikeforce welterweight title challenger Paul Daley will be back in the cage soon, and rising promotion Bellator recently announced it will finally be broadcast in high definition.
Venezuelan fighter Maximo Blanco will make the drop to featherweight and join the UFC.