UFC 134 is just four days away, and two former champions, Shogun Rua and Forest Griffin, will once again have a chance to redeem the light heavyweight championship strap. But most fans and pundits still debate whether Shogun should be given a seco…
UFC 134 is just four days away, and two former champions, Shogun Rua and Forest Griffin, will once again have a chance to redeem the light heavyweight championship strap.
But most fans and pundits still debate whether Shogun should be given a second shot at the championship belt with a win against Griffin at the upcoming mixed martial arts event on August 27, 2011, at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Jainero, Brazil.
Some MMA rankings still consider Shogun as the No. 2 light heavyweight fighter in the world, followed by Rashad Evans, who is bidding for a title shot. And many believes that, if Rampage Jackson should win against current champion Jon Jones, a fight against Rampage and Shogun is the most likely one.
However, if Jones managed to retain his belt, the more likely scenario is Evans vs. Jones, due to the way the champion beat Shogun during their last fight.
Another factor to be considered is the fifth man in most rankings, Lyoto Machida. Many are saying that he is still a viable candidate for a title shot. If this is the case, then a rematch between him and Rashad should be considered, since both fighters have fought already, with the former winning via knockout.
Whatever the case might be, a title shot will surely be awarded based on how Shogun manages to win his fight against Griffin, who is also someone who should not be looked upon. Should he defeat Forest in a spectacular fashion, then a title shot is probably more likely to happen.
Just last week at UFC 130, we saw the importance of using wrestling skills in winning a fight and using proper wrestling defense to avoid losing.The former was highlighted during the title-eliminator match between Clay Guida and Anthony Pettis, while t…
Just last week at UFC 130, we saw the importance of using wrestling skills in winning a fight and using proper wrestling defense to avoid losing.
The former was highlighted during the title-eliminator match between Clay Guida and Anthony Pettis, while the latter was showcased in the main event matchup between Rampage Jackson and Matt Hamill.
Guida managed to earn a unanimous decision against upcoming star “Showtime” Pettis by utilizing his wrestling in controlling where the fight happens and holding it there for the majority of the fight, spoiling Pettis’ title bid in the process.
Meanwhile, Jackson, who also won his main-event fight, showed great counter-wrestling ability in his fight with Hamill. Jackson gave the former wrestling champion no chance of taking the fight to the ground.
The two fights set different talks in MMA forums, with some criticizing the way wrestling was used to win and some praising the way wrestling was avoided to notch a victory.
But even before these fights have occurred, wrestling has already been the talk of the fighting community. Some say that the skill is the key factor in winning championships, as four of UFC’s six current champions utilize the skill well in winning. UFC analyst and commentator Joe Rogan has even been heard saying that the skill is the most important foundation in mixed martial arts.
However, there are many who are criticizing fighters who are taking advantage of their wrestling skills to win matches, as most of them are considered “boring” fights (e.g. John Fitch). Some of those who criticize are even fighters themselves (e.g. Dan Hardy) who are denied of winning a title.
Nonetheless, there are fighters who let their skills do the talking and won against wrestlers by using superb skills. They have shown what a champion is made of and that one skill is not enough to beat them.
Here is my list of former and current UFC champions who set the blueprint in defeating wrestlers.
“Speed kills.” Ask anyone in the sports of boxing who will win between a fighter who has fast hands and someone who possesses power but lacks speed, and you will often get the former as the answer. If this will apply in the upcoming title-eliminat…
“Speed kills.” Ask anyone in the sports of boxing who will win between a fighter who has fast hands and someone who possesses power but lacks speed, and you will often get the former as the answer.
If this will apply in the upcoming title-eliminator match between former title contender Shane Carwin and upcoming superstar Junior dos Santos, then it is much likely that the Brazilian will take the victory, as he is known to be the faster fighter.
Just take a look at “Cigano’s” last six fights in the UFC, and you’ll find out how he managed to win by out-striking notable stand-up fighters known for their power: Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirco Flipovic, Gilbert Yvel, Gabriel Gonzaga and Roy Nelson—all of which ended with a finish except for the last one.
In dos Santos’ fight with Nelson at UFC 117, he managed to out-point the former IFL heavyweight champion who is known for his knockout power. Nelson tried to land power shots during the fight but was overwhelmed with the speed that dos Santos possesses.
Even though “Cigano” had not managed to end the fight with a finish, he had still done enough to earn a unanimous decision by turning “the Big Country” into a punching bag.
Meanwhile, Shane Carwin can brag about his own record of knockout wins over four of his last five opponents in the UFC. Nonetheless, none of those fighters possessed the same striking skills as dos Santos, with the only notable ones being Frank Mir and Gabriel Gonzaga—two fighters who are not even classified as “pure strikers.”
If Carwin’s fight against dos Santos turns out to be a boxing match, as most predict, then Carwin might be in for a long night with dos Santos.
Remember how boxing’s pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao defeated his supposed-to-be toughest test in Miguel Cotto? The Pacman used more of his speed than his power to win, making Cotto, who is known for his power-punching, quit due to the number of punches he received.
The strategy of using speed as an advantage is well-supported by Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddy Roach.
For instance, in one of his trainee’s fight, he was quoted saying, “We took a lot of the muscle out of the upper body and put it in his lower body, into his legs. If you have a guy with speed, it’s the best asset in the world, why would you take away from that and try to build him up? There’s no sense in that whatsoever. Speed kills,” when asked about the camp’s strategy in Amir Khan’s title fight against Andreas Kotelnik.
In order to win, Carwin should use more of his wrestling to gain control of the fight. He can try to test the water in the stand-up department but must be wise in choosing where the fight goes should he discover that he is in a certain disadvantageous position.
Perhaps Carwin should take a lesson or two from fellow contender Brock Lesnar on using power for wrestling rather than boxing. In my opinion, this is the only way he can gain victory from dos Santos and align himself to get another title shot.
UFC 134 is just four days away, and two former champions, Shogun Rua and Forest Griffin, will once again have a chance to redeem the light heavyweight championship strap.