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Cain Velasquez Won’t Suffer Letdown vs. Antonio Silva in UFC 160 Title Fight

UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been down this road before.To make a fight interesting, people start saying stuff like, “He’s due for a letdown.” “He can’t keep this up forever.” “All it takes is one punch.”Etc., etc.But while it’s true tha…

UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been down this road before.

To make a fight interesting, people start saying stuff like, “He’s due for a letdown.” “He can’t keep this up forever.” “All it takes is one punch.”

Etc., etc.

But while it’s true that Velasquez can’t do this forever, don’t expect him to suffer a letdown in a rematch against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva on Saturday in UFC 160.

The last time the 30-year-old from San Jose faced Silva, he demolished him, scoring a TKO on punches in the first round.

Since then, Velasquez has gone on to capture the UFC heavyweight championship, against Junior Dos Santos, no less. The victory via unanimous decision was a bit of payback for Dos Santos handing him the sole loss of his career in November 2011.

Silva is expecting to do the same against Velasquez as Velasquez did against Dos Santos, but he’s simply not in the same class as Velasquez. Few are.

We all know what Velasquez can do inside the Octagon. His combination of speed and power standing up is virtually unrivaled. Of his 11 victories, nine have come via knockout. He won’t submit you on the ground, but he doesn’t need to. All he needs to do is get position and let his hands go.

Silva’s best bet is land first. It’s as simple as that. He has the power to knock out Velasquez, with 13 knockouts in 18 career fights.

But landing against Velasquez, especially when you could be one punch away from hitting the canvass yourself, is easier said than done. Silva isn’t the kind of fighter who will out-box you, so that figures to be a problem against his more talented opponent.

Silva’s best chance is to catch Velasquez sleeping or unprepared. But, given Velasquez’s professionalism and work ethic throughout the years, that’s highly doubtful. In fact, he’s said as much headed into the fight.

Velasquez said, via ESPN UK:

In the first fight, I didn’t overlook him, and I’m not going to overlook him now. He’s very dangerous. I’m not following in the footsteps of others who’ve made that mistake. I’m taking this fight very seriously.

Whenever Velasquez takes a fight seriously (which is all the time), opponents tend to hit the deck. With respect to Silva, I don’t see that changing on Saturday in Las Vegas.

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Ronda Rousey: MMA Superstar Goes 1 on 1 with HBO’s Real Sports

MMA fighter Ronda Rousey was profiled on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on Tuesday leading up to her UFC debut on Saturday against Liz Carmouche.The interview spanned from the 26-year-old’s childhood when her father committed suicide to her rise …

MMA fighter Ronda Rousey was profiled on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on Tuesday leading up to her UFC debut on Saturday against Liz Carmouche.

The interview spanned from the 26-year-old’s childhood when her father committed suicide to her rise into mixed martial arts with the help of her mother, Ann Maria Rousey DeMar, a former judo world champion.

Rousey‘s life started with complications, strangling on her mother’s umbilical cord. She wasn’t able to speak until she was 6 years old. It was her father who got her through it.

After a sledding accident, Rousey‘s father dealt with extreme pain and complications. He ended up committing suicide when she was just 8 years old. Rousey started out as a swimmer, but gave up the sport when her father passed because she couldn’t bear to swim without her father.

That changed the California native’s life forever.

Rousey began taking up judo with the help of her mother from that point on. She said it came natural to her, noting, “I hate losing.”

She even learned her trademark armbar from her mother, which has since defeated all six of her opponents as a pro in MMA. She teared up when talking about winning the Strikeforce bantamweight women’s championship against rival Miesha Tate in March 2012.

When asked whether she enjoyed hurting other fighters, Rousey simply replied, “It’s a fight. We’re not baking cakes for each other.”

Beyond that, Rousey talked about her appearance in ESPN The Magazine‘s 2012 Body Issue. She noted that if you want exposure, you need to expose yourself.

On the other hand, Rousey was adamant she would never pose for Playboy. She said in the HBO interview, “No one should be able to see my ‘cash and prizes’ for $5.”

Overall, Rousey‘s interview with HBO’s Real Sports showed a strong, confident young woman who has already been through a lot. She will headline UFC 157 on Saturday and she’s earned every bit of the opportunity.

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UFC 156 Results: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Defeats Rashad Evans

In a spectacular upset, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Rashad Evans via unanimous decision at UFC 156 on Saturday in Las Vegas.Nogueira came into the fight as a heavy underdog with Evans but impressed the judges with his boxing and takedown defense …

In a spectacular upset, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Rashad Evans via unanimous decision at UFC 156 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Nogueira came into the fight as a heavy underdog with Evans but impressed the judges with his boxing and takedown defense to win a narrow decision. The fight was much lighter on action than anticipated but Nogueira ultimately did more to win the fight with his effective counter-punching.

Despite losing to the merciless Jon Jones via unanimous decision in April, Evans was a heavy favorite headed into the fight on Saturday against Nogueira.

That’s because the 33-year-old New Yorker figured to pose problems for the Brazilian, both standing up and on the ground. Evans’ combination of speed and agility had many believing he would conquer Nogueira.

There was also the fact that, despite scoring a TKO against the overmatched Tito Ortiz in UFC 140, Nogueira hadn’t fought in over a year’s time. And despite the 36-year-old’s confidence in his wrestling abilities, he had simply been outwrestled in previous losses to Phil Davis and Ryan Bader.

Before his loss to Jones in April, Evans had won four straight fights. He also had posted a 17-2-1 mixed martial arts record (12-2-1 UFC) before the loss on Saturday to Nogueira, using an impressive blend of takedowns and takedown defense to do most of the damage.

As for the Brazilian, he had a 20-5 MMA record, but had only gone 3-2 in the UFC.

One thing’s for sure: Nogueira showed that he was underrated on Saturday, backing up a convincing victory over Ortiz with a sensational display against Evans. Despite Evans being a heavy favorite in Vegas, Nogueira apparently didn’t get the memo.

Evans came into the fight on Saturday with serious title aspirations, whether it be at light heavyweight or middleweight. But after Nogueira’s surprising performance, Evans is still wondering where it all went wrong.

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Belfort vs. Bisping: The Phenom Will Make the Count Pay for Comments

Leading up to Saturday’s clash at UFC on FX 7, Michael Bisping laid down some comments incendiary enough to make any opponent boil.The 33-year-old Brit, referencing Vitor Belfort’s alleged use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy, said, via ESPN.co.uk:H…

Leading up to Saturday’s clash at UFC on FX 7, Michael Bisping laid down some comments incendiary enough to make any opponent boil.

The 33-year-old Brit, referencing Vitor Belfort‘s alleged use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy, said, via ESPN.co.uk:

Have his testicles shrunk? I think so. Does he have a penis? He is a penis. But just because he is a penis, it doesn’t mean he has a penis!

UFC trash-talking at its finest, ladies and gentlemen.

Bisping is quite confident for not having a signature win in his career. That’s just the kind of blind confidence that stands to doom him against the experienced 35-year-old Brazilian.

While Belfort lost via submission to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in September, he was perhaps Jones’ greatest challenge throughout his illustrious career. Belfort has won seven of his last nine fights, only losing to Jones and Anderson Silva along the way. In his last four wins, he’s defeated his opponents via knockout in the first round.

If Bisping can extend the fight to the second or third round, perhaps he has a shot at upsetting Belfort on Saturday. His exceptional conditioning will then kick in against the veteran and perhaps give him a chance to wear him down.

But we all know that’s easier said than done. Belfort‘s striking ability is extremely dangerous, and many of his prior opponents have learned that the hard way. He has also learned to be a bit more patient in the first round, waiting for his opportunity to attack before going in for the knockout. We saw that against Rich Franklin, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Anthony Johnson in his last three victories.

That has in turn made Belfort a better fighter, which isn’t good news for Bisping, who needs this win to get a title shot against Silva.

Bisping has made careless, fundamental mistakes before, which has hurt him. Doing that against Belfort is a recipe for disaster. I think Belfort will find an opening and silence Bisping for good.

It’s never a good idea to rile up a former UFC light heavyweight champion.

What are your thoughts?

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Ronda Rousey Reportedly Becomes UFC’s First Female Fighter

So much for women never fighting in the UFC.Less than two years after UFC president Dana White said women would never compete in the UFC, Ronda Rousey will reportedly become the first female fighter to join the organization, per TMZ.com.Rousey, who has…

So much for women never fighting in the UFC.

Less than two years after UFC president Dana White said women would never compete in the UFC, Ronda Rousey will reportedly become the first female fighter to join the organization, per TMZ.com.

Rousey, who has become a star in Strikeforce, has won six professional fights, all via her devastating armbar. She won a highly publicized fight against Sarah Kaufman in August after dispatching rival Miesha Tate in March.

Rousey’s last two fights have truly shown just how dominant she is, and how her trademark armbar is virtually unstoppable.

According to the TMZ report, Rousey is expected to defend the women’s 135-pound title in 2013. Potential opponents include Tate, Sara McMann and Cris Cyborg.

This has to be a thrilling time for the 25-year-old. Her star has grown so quickly since first fighting Ediene Gomes in March 2011. In a year-and-a-half, she has ascended into the spotlight with unbelievable speed.

This is also a thrilling time for female MMA fighters. White’s stance has changed and Rousey—a controversial figure throughout her Strikeforce career—is the main reason.

My guess is that Tate’s opinion of Rousey will be altered just a bit knowing that she now has an opportunity to fight in the UFC.

Or she will bring that fiery rivalry into the UFC, which is what most of us are hoping for.

Watch out world, Ronda Rousey is just getting started.

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Rousey vs. Kaufman: Ronda Rousey’s Ground Game Will Doom Sarah Kaufman

Sarah Kaufman may be a dangerous striker, but she doesn’t have the reach, nor the ground game, to defeat Ronda Rousey.As the challenger goes after Rousey’s Strikeforce bantamweight belt on Saturday in San Diego, Calif., she may have a shot of making it…

Sarah Kaufman may be a dangerous striker, but she doesn’t have the reach, nor the ground game, to defeat Ronda Rousey.

As the challenger goes after Rousey’s Strikeforce bantamweight belt on Saturday in San Diego, Calif., she may have a shot of making it a contest if she stays on her feet.

Then again, that’s easier said than done.

Rousey owns a 5-0 record in her Strikeforce career. She’s won all five of her fights via armbar in the first round. And she’s coming off a signature defeat of Miesha Tate in March.

The strategy against Rousey is simple: keep it standing up and get through her boxing defense.

Unfortunately for Kaufman, Rousey is so adept at getting opponents on the ground that you can be in good position and still find yourself on the wrong end of a submission in a few seconds’ time.

Tate lasted a grand total of four minutes, 27 seconds, but it was over in an instant, with the 25-year-old suffering a dislocated elbow in the process.

The intrigue in Kaufman is that she will be the most accomplished striker Rousey has faced, with the potential to test her like she’s never been tested before. If there is one weakness for the defending champion, it’s that she’s not very comfortable standing up.

But Kaufman is bound to get thrown down at some point in the fight, and that’s been a recipe for disaster for Rousey’s opponents. She may have the endurance to last against Rousey, but she doesn’t have the skill on the ground to withstand Rousey’s submission attempts.

Kaufman’s best shot is landing a big hit on Rousey. Then again, she doesn’t have the greatest reach (66 inches), which makes it hard for her to throw inside without Rousey taking her down.

What does it all add up to?

Yet another victory, likely via armbar, for Rowdy.

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