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UFC 139 Results: Danny Castillo Overwhelms Shamar Bailey

Shamar Bailey continues to be a disappointment in the UFC after getting blitzed by Danny Castillo on Saturday in UFC 139.Bailey only got into the UFC because of Ultimate Fighter 13, where he slipped into the finale.Before that, he had lost his last two…

Shamar Bailey continues to be a disappointment in the UFC after getting blitzed by Danny Castillo on Saturday in UFC 139.

Bailey only got into the UFC because of Ultimate Fighter 13, where he slipped into the finale.

Before that, he had lost his last two fights.

Now, after being overwhelmed by Castillo on Saturday, falling in the first round via TKO, Bailey has lost his first two fights in the UFC (he lost via unanimous decision to Evan Durham at UFC Fight Night 25).

Bailey has always had the wrestling skills to compete, but he was simply overtaken by Castillo on Saturday, being on the wrong end of numerous takedowns.

Once it got to the mat, Castillo found ways to make him pay, Bailey constantly trying to recuperate throughout the fight.

Castillo was simply the better fighter on Saturday, not to mention the most respectable. He made it rather clear after the fight that Bailey didn’t belong in the UFC, bashing him for showing up to the weigh-in three pounds off.

After a solid campaign in the WEC, Castillo is going the opposite direction of Bailey. His debut against former UFC lightweight title challenger Joe Stevenson was impressive and he wasn’t messing around on Saturday.

As for Bailey, he’s not taking advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity after Ultimate Fighter 13 propelled him to the UFC. He’s not assertive enough, and he’s not using his wrestling skills to his full advantage.

In short, Bailey isn’t fighting smart, and it could lead to him getting kicked out of the UFC.

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Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Video: Deciding Punch Reminder of Dos Santos’ Power

Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos was one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history.UFC president Dana White called it UFC’s biggest fight ever.But it only took just over a minute for the heavyweight title fight to be decided.What Junior d…

Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos was one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history.

UFC president Dana White called it UFC’s biggest fight ever.

But it only took just over a minute for the heavyweight title fight to be decided.

What Junior dos Santos did against defending champ Cain Velasquez on Saturday, scoring a TKO in 1:04, was a shocker. Despite being widely regarded as the No. 2 heavyweight in the world, dos Santos wasn’t supposed to do that. This was Cain Velasquez, after all, a man who seemed to have no weaknesses and was considered virtually unbeatable.

But there was one thing that wasn’t a surprise when the dust settled: that dos Santos won because of his thunderous right hand.

Dos Santos didn’t just have a spectacular record headed into the fight (13-1)—a lot of those victories had come via TKO or KO. And then he knocked out who was widely considered to be the best heavyweight in the world.

You look at the deciding right hand that sparked dos Santos to victory, and it’s hard to watch. Dos Santos hit Velasquez right on the left temple after Velasquez had exposed himself after a swing and miss.

Velasquez crumpled to the ground, stunned, and never was able to recover before it was too late.
Velasquez was a 2-to-1 favorite on Saturday, but dos Santos changed those odds with one punch.

That’s the advantage of having devastating striking ability; you are always a punch away from shocking the world.

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UFC on FOX Results: Velasquez Latest Victim of Dos Santos’ Powerful Striking

Even with Junior Dos Santos’ striking ability, even with his 13-1 MMA record, he was a 2-to-1 underdog to defending heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez on Saturday in Anaheim.Then he showed Velasquez it was he who should have been feared.All dos …

Even with Junior Dos Santos’ striking ability, even with his 13-1 MMA record, he was a 2-to-1 underdog to defending heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez on Saturday in Anaheim.

Then he showed Velasquez it was he who should have been feared.

All dos Santos did in the title fight on Saturday was win via TKO in 1:04 against a man in Velasquez who was widely considered virtually unbeatable.

Coming into the fight, Velasquez had a 9-0 MMA record and was coming off a thunderous TKO of Brock Lesnar in October 2010.

But dos Santos has shown time and time again that his right hand can be absolutely devastating, and he hit Velasquez square on the temple on Saturday.

Velasquez, who apologized to the crowd for his performance after the fight, said he was dazed after the hit, and it became clear quickly after he fell to the mat that he was done for.

Dos Santos, who was one of the coaches in the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, lived up to his billing as one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world and we now have someone who can legitimately provide a challenge to Velasquez. In fact, we have someone who can beat him.

It’s a game-changer in the UFC. As one-sided a fight as it was between Velasquez and Dos Santos, it’s actually a godsend for a sport that really didn’t need one.

MMA is growing faster than any other sport in the world, and now it has two legendary heavyweights who could rival some of boxing’s greatest bouts.

The UFC, which debuted on cable television on Saturday on Fox, just got a whole new legion of followers who can’t wait for the next fight between Dos Santos and Velasquez.

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UFC 136 Results Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard: Edgar Proves Time Is on His Side

Frankie Edgar came into UFC 136 on Saturday with a 13-1-1 mixed martial arts record, the only blemish on his record being a defeat to Gray Maynard.Maynard, who defeated Edgar in April 2008, only to see the UFC lightweight champion rally to a draw in UF…

Frankie Edgar came into UFC 136 on Saturday with a 13-1-1 mixed martial arts record, the only blemish on his record being a defeat to Gray Maynard.

Maynard, who defeated Edgar in April 2008, only to see the UFC lightweight champion rally to a draw in UFC 125 in their rematch, has always been the man for the job against the New Jersey native. But in the defining rematch, Part 3 of the trilogy, it was Maynard who came up short.

Edgar, who has shown he is never out of a fight as long as he’s conscious, once again got the better of Maynard in UFC 136 in the later rounds. This fight started similarly to UFC 125. Edgar got pounded by Maynard in the first round, getting knocked down a couple times and actually sustaining a broken nose.

But given his conditioning (prominently displayed against BJ Penn in their two matches) and his toughness, you got the feeling Edgar would find a way to get back in the fight. You got the feeling that (broken nose and all) Edgar would fight back.

And fight back he did. After quietly winning Rounds 2 and 3, Edgar stormed back in Round 4, executing stunning Maynard with a nice uppercut late in the round.

Before Maynard could regain his composure, Edgar went in for the kill with clean punches to the side of Maynard’s face, taking advantage of Maynard’s curious lack of defense. Referee Josh Rosenthal then put an end to Maynard’s misery, stopping the fight at 3:54 in the fourth round.

This was the third title defense for Edgar. He not only improved since last fight, he looked better in the later rounds, making sure the fight didn’t even go to decision this time around.

The question now becomes: who can beat Edgar now with Maynard out of the picture?

That question may not be answered for a while.

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Lesnar vs. Overeem Video: UFC 141 Trailer Explodes into America’s Living Rooms

If you were waiting for a pre-fight trailer complete with Brock Lesnar pushing giant tires, Alistair Overeem lifting children with his biceps and both of them shooting guns off into the distance, stay right here!As most MMA fans know by now, Lesnar mak…

As most MMA fans know by now, Lesnar makes his much-anticipated return on Dec. 30 against Overeem, and if that wasn’t big enough, this trailer is touting the fight as “King Kong vs. Godzilla.”

Lesnar, of course, has been struggling to get back to the Octagon since losing the title bout to Cain Velasquez on Oct. 23 and seeing his comeback attempt thwarted by diverticulitis.

He’s since had surgery and has been dubbed completely ready by UFC president Dana White despite rumors to the contrary.

Said White, via AroundtheOctagon.com:

“When I talk to this guy, he’s so healthy and feeling good, he’s actually quite pleasant to talk to these days. He’s actually quite pleasant on the phone. I can have a conversation with him forever on the phone now. It’s like night and day.”

“Like night and day.” If that’s the case, hopefully we can see Lesnar make an improbable comeback and face the winner of Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos in the future, because that would be epic.

Almost as epic as this trailer. Almost.

By the way, if you weren’t interested in the fight before, you are now. This trailer made me want to ride a chopper, smoke cigars and lift people with my biceps all at the same time.

Then again, anything involving Brock Lesnar comes complete with your in-your-face action.

Now the question is whether the fight will live up to the hype.

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UFC 135 Results: Is Nate Diaz on the Rise After Impressive Victory?

Nate Diaz may have executed the greatest victory of his career on Saturday at UFC 135 when he stunned everybody by submitting Takanori Gomi at the 4:27 mark of the first round.Gomi—known for his powerful, swinging haymakers—looked like he w…

Nate Diaz may have executed the greatest victory of his career on Saturday at UFC 135 when he stunned everybody by submitting Takanori Gomi at the 4:27 mark of the first round.

Gomi—known for his powerful, swinging haymakers—looked like he was in slow motion against Diaz, and it only took Diaz a couple minutes to begin wailing on the Japanese star.

The fight ended with Diaz locking Gomi up in an armbar and Gomi tapping out.

And while the victory was unexpected, it only confirmed that Diaz had no business being in the welterweight division in the first place. It was no coincidence that Diaz’s decision to return to the lightweight division began with an impressive victory.

In the welterweight division, Diaz was 2-2, including losses against Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. The truth is, the 26-year-old has always been born to fight at 155 pounds, and whatever prompted him to move up a weight class should never surface again.

Diaz has talent, he has the lineage to be a great fighter (his brother Nick also defeated Gomi) and he showed on Saturday that he definitely has a knack for seizing the opportunity.

He’s also young, and if he continues fighting the way he did against Gomi, it won’t be long before he begins making some waves in the lightweight division.

Diaz may have lost his way in the early goings, but he appears to be back on track in his quest to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He still has a lot of work to do, but that victory against Gomi on Saturday had to feel good.

One thing’s for sure: I don’t think Diaz will ever return to the welterweight division.

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