It was clear that Brenneman prepared for Silva’s first-round knockout. He worked hard for the takedown and was able to get around Silva’s attack (and absorb some as well). But Silva fought the impressive fight people were waiting for, and h…
It was clear that Brenneman prepared for Silva’s first-round knockout. He worked hard for the takedown and was able to get around Silva’s attack (and absorb some as well). But Silva fought the impressive fight people were waiting for, and his first-round victory by submission showed his versatility in style and adherence to a tradition of quick wins.
What we’ll remember about this fight:
Brenneman’s effort and Silva’s ability to work past it.
Silva has performed exceptionally well in his short UFC career with strong knockout capability, so it was nice to watch him fight against someone who would shoot solidly and frequently. Therefore, Silva’s handling of this with a submission of his own illustrated his future.
What we learned about Erick Silva:
Silva is as versatile as he needs to be to move on in the welterweight division. He’s got good strength, obvious power, and the smart submission skills that he showed early in his career that won him seven of his 12 pre-UFC victories.
Simply put, Silva is ready to move on up.
What we learned about Charlie Brenneman:
Brenneman’s victory over Rick Story that brought him up in the division is slowly being forgotten, and he is now 2-2 since that win. But at 15-4-0 overall, Brenneman is still an experienced fighter with some good wins under his belt.
We learned, however, that his strategy in the UFC so far isn’t paying off highly. He often goes into defense on the ground until it becomes lay-and-pray for the collegiate wrestler. It appears that if he wants to continue his career, he’ll have to make some immediate changes to his style.
What’s next for Silva:
Silva’s ready for a big name in the welterweight division, and Thiago Alves is currently not scheduled.
What’s next for Brenneman:
Brenneman will have to fight any other ranked welterweight coming off of a loss to help mark the winner in the division.
Both fighters were coming off of losses that put them on uncertain ground in the bantamweight division, and they both fought like it. While Scott Jorgensen’s striking was fairly effective, Eddie Wineland’s power eventually got the best of J…
Both fighters were coming off of losses that put them on uncertain ground in the bantamweight division, and they both fought like it. While Scott Jorgensen’s striking was fairly effective, Eddie Wineland’s power eventually got the best of Jorgensen and he won by KO in Round 2.
What we’ll remember about this fight:
Wineland’s powerful punch to KO Jorgensen will remain a highlight focus from this fight, but it likely hurt Jorgensen’s reputation more than it helped Wineland’s. It was the first time Jorgensen has been finished—an impressive feat that makes the finish all the more memorable.
What we learned about Eddie Wineland:
Wineland does have the striking to make some headway in the UFC’s bantamweight division; something his 0-2 record in the UFC before this win left us questioning. His KO here was impressive, and it definitely gives him some momentum (and allows him to keep his job).
Even if the fight would have gone to decision as his last two losses against Uriah Faber and Joseph Benavidez had, Wineland likely would have pulled the win here. However, much of his success seemed heavily based on Jorgensen’s weaknesses.
In the end, though, Wineland fought a great fight against a tested opponent.
What we learned about Scott Jorgensen:
Jorgensen is dangerously close to becoming a gatekeeper figure for the bantamweight division. His last two losses were against some incredible fighters: Renan Barao and Dominick Cruz. His loss tonight, however, didn’t seem to have the same flavor as those.
For one, he couldn’t land the takedown past Wineland’s striking. Furthermore, his stand-up often left him taking some serious strikes from his opponent. He proved he can still take a hit and keep moving, but the fact that he lost by KO—though it may end up being a mere statistic—leaves a question mark.
What’s next for Wineland:
He’ll be moving up in ranking, and perhaps a fight against Brian Bowles could settle both Wineland’s strengths against Jorgensen and Bowles’ loss against Faber.
What’s next for Jorgensen:
It’s hard to say, given the state of the bantamweight division, he’ll likely fight someone like Michael McDonald for a chance to re-establish his veteran presence.
Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger entered tonight’s The Ultimate Fighter Live: Finale fight as the oddsmakers’ favorite, but he left the ring in defeat. His win streak snapped by Martin Kampmann, the question is bound to come up…
Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger entered tonight’s The Ultimate Fighter Live: Finale fight as the oddsmakers’ favorite, but he left the ring in defeat. His win streak snapped by Martin Kampmann, the question is bound to come up: is Ellenberger over-hyped?
Hardly.
Ellenberger’s performance tonight was as impressive as Kampmann’s KO, and that’s meant with the highest respect to both fighters. Kampmann again proved that, if nothing else, he’s tougher than hell and can keep a fight going even if he’s being outstruck—a similar situation to his last impressive win over Thiago Alves.
On the other hand, Ellenberger showed us his ability to brawl, but also revealed his vulnerability on the ground and to sharp strikes not from his opponents’ hands.
In Ellenberger’s history, however, he’s proved he can work past both of these deficits. Kampmann presented a veteran fight, and that’s exactly what Ellenberger needed. But where Kampmann demonstrated his ability to return from seemingly certain defeat and win bouts, Ellenberger is left to prove his ability to take strong performances and turn them into victories.
Perhaps one of the most important examples of his beyond tonight’s fight is his 2009 fight against current interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit. Condit won that fight in an extremely close split decision, a victory that remains one of the most contested bouts to this day.
Ellenberger didn’t stop there, however. He went on to defeat some of the most respected fighters in the division, including Mike Pyle, Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez. It was clear that the fighter was ready to move in quickly for title contention in one of the deepest divisions in its challenge and talent.
On paper, his loss to Kampmann does halt that move to the top. However, it doesn’t take Ellenberger’s name out of the running for title contention. He’s experienced—his record is now at 27-6-0—but he’s still 27 years old. His losses to Condit and Kampmann, both successful veterans, were close and hard-fought, and he could easily stand a rematch with either of them.
Moreover, he’s proved that he’s ready to fight any welterweight the UFC sends his way while Kampmann moves a bit closer to his well-deserved title contention.
In the end, the bout tonight against a seasoned professional ended in a close but clear loss. His six-win undefeated tear through the division has been brought to an end as well. But, much like Kampmann, Ellenberger is not anywhere close to being done moving toward a spot as contender for the welterweight title.
Ellenberger’s fights have shown us he’s talented, he’s still learning despite his experience and most importantly, he’s still got a lot of momentum to ride before we can start counting him out.
Johny Hendricks’ win over Josh Koscheck at UFC on FOX 3 established him in the top ranks of the welterweight division. Still Hendricks will have to wait for the winner of Ellenberger vs. Kampmann before he gets his title shot and a chance to sett…
Johny Hendricks’ win over Josh Koscheck at UFC on FOX 3 established him in the top ranks of the welterweight division. Still Hendricks will have to wait for the winner of Ellenberger vs. Kampmann before he gets his title shot and a chance to settle some old business.
Before his victory over Koscheck, Hendricks has been steadily gaining momentum in the welterweight division. His 13-1 record, four fight win streak and victories in some of the best fights in recent memory combine to make a likely contender for the welterweight title.
Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann, set to meet tomorrow night at UFC on FOX 3, are in different situations with the same contention on the line.
Ellenberger enters tomorrow’s fight with an impressive six-win streak. He hasn’t lost a fight since his 2009 loss against current interim-champion Carlos Condit that ended in a thin split decision. With that loss being his only so far, a win against Kampmann tomorrow certainly places him in line for a title shot.
Kampmann’s more recent record tells a different story of an experienced fighter at 25-5 who lost two of his last four fights. Nevertheless, he is coming off of a two-fight streak, and his last victory against ThiagoAlves was an impressive one. Unlike Ellenberger, Kampmann will show up tomorrow night looking to confirm his place as a top-ranked welterweight despite his latest mixed performance.
And so we have three fighters all fighting for a position behind the top welterweights: injured champion Georges St-Pierre (GSP) and interim champion Carlos Condit. Just to make it more confusing, GSPcontinually promises that his recovery from knee surgery is ahead of schedule and that he’ll be fighting by the end of the year.
In all of this uncertainty, however, the result of tomorrow night’s fight between Ellenberger and Kampmann is the first step in stabilizing the division and its future matchups.
Regardless of GSP’s return by the end of this year to fight Condit, the next to contend should be the winner of Ellenberger-Kampmann.
Assuming victory, each fighter has his case for a title shot. But Hendricks’ momentum alone isn’t enough to place him in contention just yet. I dare say he’s ready to contend, just not in this division and not right now.
The reason has less to do with performance than the beloved history that usually takes precedence in UFC matchmaking. In 2009, Condit both thinly won the aforementioned bout against Ellenberger and lost to Kampmann in an almost equally thin split decision. Now that Ellenberger and Kampmann are set to fight, Condit silently waits, holding the interim title and watching his history come upon him.
All of this—the losses, the wins, the interim titles, the contention and the history shared by Kampmann, Ellenberger and Condit—won’t be laid to rest unless the winner of this fight goes straight to the number three spot. Even then, there’s room for rematches for a good while; that will be the time for Hendricks to join in the mix.
Until then, tomorrow’s fight between Ellenberger and Kampmann should be for title contention in order to settle the history of the top welterweights.
Earlier this year, the UFC announced its plans to host three major events in Canada by year’s end.As we approach the first—UFC 149 in Calgary—you have got to start thinking: Canada may just be more important than the United States to …
Earlier this year, the UFC announced its plans to host three major events in Canada by year’s end.
As we approach the first—UFC 149 in Calgary—you have got to start thinking: Canada may just be more important than the United States to the evolution of MMA.
At the same press conference, UFC president Dana White expressed his confidence in Canada as the place where MMA has found its footing with national support.
Citing great attendance and $40 million in gate earnings in the eight events since Canada’s first, UFC 83, White explained that Canada’s support of MMA attests to this foundation.
“This place has been the Mecca of mixed martial arts ever since we set foot in this country.”
White’s assessment is hard to argue against, given the numbers surrounding this success.
The largest UFC attendance at a single event was at UFC 129 in Toronto, where seating was rearranged to meet the huge demand of more than 55,000 fans. The second and third largest crowds were at UFC 124 and UFC 97 respectively, both held in Montreal.
If nothing else, these numbers bolster bold statements like those from White. Perhaps Tom Wright, director of Canadian operations for the UFC, does speak for Canada when he expressed similar sentiments: “Canadians have embraced…the UFC like nowhere else.”
With Canadian fighters like Georges St-Pierre, his protégé Rory MacDonald, Mark Bocek and others, it is not hard for Canadians to throw their weight behind the hometown athletes. The difference is that when their fighters on are the card, they show up in droves.
To what is this kind of support attributed?
Perhaps it is that Canada’s No. 1 sport, hockey, is one of the few that actually allows physical contact anymore, or that Canadians have some solid fighters to back?
Whatever the case, the fact remains: Canada has been becoming the more important country to MMA and the UFC.
The events the country has received in 2012 remind us of this history and further speak to the future. UFC 149, featuring a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Erik Koch, is scheduled to take place in July at Calgary.
This is the first time the city has seen a UFC event, and tickets sold out minutes after opening to the general public.
It might be impossible to explain exactly why MMA is so popular in Canada, even among Canadians; I’m sure that they, like all fans, have extremely different reasons for enjoying the sport.
But looking back at White’s admiration for the country, the historic attendance at Canadian UFC events and the encouraging future of MMA in Canada, it is hard to argue that the country is not one of, if not the, largest collective supporter of the sport and its head organization.
What does all of this say for the U.S.?
Exactly what you would think. The UFC has to fight a greater sports culture in the US, as there are a number of well-established sports organizations. Moreover, the legislative fight to make MMA legal in Canada is very different from that in America.
Where Canadians cite health, namely concussions, as the main concern, Americans (like New York Assemblyman Bob Reilly) seem to have a moral inclination toward banning MMA.
Admittedly, critics in both countries speak to protecting their country’s children and society, but the argument surrounding this protection are the most telling.
The Canadian push-back against legislation seems to protect children from concussions, while the American criticism tries to protect children from being exposed to things they generally should not be.
One thing is certain, however. Where the U.S. is making small steps toward popular acceptance of MMA, Canada is taking strides.
At a time when the UFC is working to expand its global viewership, it is hard to imagine that the path of least resistance is unappealing.
For the time being, Canada is likely the better patron of MMA and the UFC now and in the foreseeable future.
The television ratings from UFC on FOX 3 are bringing the worst out of the MMA community, and it’s all for nothing. Almost immediately after the fight, viewing numbers were tossed around. At the end, the show had managed to pull in 2.4 million vi…
The television ratings from UFC on FOX 3 are bringing the worst out of the MMA community, and it’s all for nothing.
Almost immediately after the fight, viewing numbers were tossed around. At the end, the show had managed to pull in 2.4 million viewers—a huge drop from UFC on FOX 1’s 5.7 million and UFC on Fox 2’s 4.6 million.
The speculation was prompt. Some critics argued that the card was lacking, especially on a weekend when two household names, Mayweather and Cotto, were also making a television appearance. UFC president Dana White argued that it was, after all, Cinco de Mayo, the film Avengers had just been released and the NBA playoffs were going on among other things, and that these meant less people were at home watching television in the first place.
More infamously, the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer argued that these ratings could mark UFC on network television a failed venture (via BloodyElbow.com). White snapped back with the aforesaid argument exhibiting his standard fervor in what was essentially an ad hominem attack.
As a result, fans are attacking both Meltzer and White, arguing that they knew this would happen or that it will get better, that this is what the UFC deserves and that it deserves much more, that we’re all doomed or no, no—this is only the beginning.
And so I’ve brought my match to the bonfire, but my argument is simple: if the UFC, FOX, and fans are patient, the audience—and viewer ratings—will only get bigger and better.
I’ve never seen Field of Dreams, but I’ve heard it speaks to the basic idea here. Besides, the history of UFC on FOX is only beginning to tell us what the greater viewership wants from the organization.
For a sport that was once some obscure pay-per-view sideshow sold on VHS like some suspect pornography (taglines included “UNEDITED! UNCENSORED! UNLEASHED!” and the warning “Violent Material: Mature Audiences”), the fact that it pulls in viewers at all on network television is—to be honest—not that surprising. Neither is the fact that the sport isn’t immediately jumping to the top of ratings lists or showing some consistency when it does.
But the UFC has been taking huge steps in the past years to make MMA a more popular sport both in America and abroad, and it’s been working. This run on network television is simply the next step. But the general television audience can be fickle, but with some patience and tact, they can be won over.
Each time the UFC showed up on FOX, they offered something a little different to the popular audience. Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos promised a heavyweight brawl for a belt on UFC on FOX 1, pulling in huge numbers. Rashad Evans and Phil Davis pulled in impressive but lower numbers for a contender’s spot in the light heavyweight division.
But UFC on FOX 3 gave us Nate Diaz and Jim Miller headlining a card that really only got established MMA fans excited. Here, I’ll disagree with the fans that say the card was weak—it wasn’t, you just can’t expect the majority of people to know that.
Looking back at the other FOX fights, the population has spoken. They want heavyweight brawls. They want characters like Rashad Evans. They still need something in the fight they’ll understand like knockouts and charisma.
However, if the UFC is patient and gives them these things, that audience will grow. The sport and the organization are still developing rapidly; but UFC on FOX 3 showed just how young it still is. Furthermore, this is a problem many sports face (e.g. the riveting regular season LSU 9-6 OT win over Alabama where not a touchdown was scored).
The plan from here is simple: the UFC needs to put more championship bouts and more heavyweight sluggers on network television. In doing this, it must also be patient. Look to its roots: early pay-per-view UFC bouts never promised to be what boxing is today. Now, I have to tip exceedingly to secure a table at a bar during a UFC event. The sport is huge, and it’s only getting bigger.
For now, though, we can’t jump at the failures of UFC on FOX 3 as damning for the sport’s growth. Instead, take note, keep calm, and let the sport and its audience develop.
It was clear that Brenneman prepared for Silva’s first-round knockout. He worked hard for the takedown and was able to get around Silva’s attack (and absorb some as well). But Silva fought the impressive fight people were waiting for, and his first-round victory by submission showed his versatility in style and adherence to a tradition of quick wins.