Author: Scott Sawitz

UFC Fight Night 35: Why Dillashaw vs. Easton Is the Bout to Watch

It’s going on two weeks since the last UFC event, but before withdrawal sets in, UFC Fight Night 35 has appeared on the horizon. Headlining the card is a tantalising middleweight bout between former Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold and boxing powe…

It’s going on two weeks since the last UFC event, but before withdrawal sets in, UFC Fight Night 35 has appeared on the horizon. Headlining the card is a tantalising middleweight bout between former Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold and boxing powerhouse Costa Philippou.

However, expect the lighter weight classes to steal the show on Wednesday, with bantamweights T.J. Dillashaw and Mike Easton facing each other in a match with Fight of the Night written all over it.

That will be nothing new for these two. Both men scored Fight of the Night honors in their last outings, even though both men lost close split decisions. That will just add intensity to a must-win bout for the pair.

That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of interest elsewhere on the card.

The main event will see two top-10 185-pounders go at it, with both Rockhold and Philippou as potential contenders in their divisions. However, this is a grappler vs. striker match and you should expect the fighters to play to their strengths—meaning a lot of clinching from Rockhold and, depending on Philippou’s takedown defence, much of it could be ineffectual.

Elsewhere, be sure to check out Charlie Brenneman’s return to the UFC after a 16-month hiatus. He was initially cut in 2012 after struggling in the UFC’s welterweight division, but since his release he’s gone on a remarkable four-fight winning streak as a lightweight.

Brenneman has become a submission machine and his opponent, Beneil Dariush, is in for a short night if he gets ahold of him.

Dariush brings plenty of threat himself, though, as he’s coming off six straight wins leading up to his UFC debut on Wednesday. However, he doesn’t have anywhere near the experience of Brenneman and this is likely to be a very one-sided affair.

Another fighter to watch is middleweight Brad Tavares, who is looking to cap five straight wins on the night. His opponent, Lorenz Larkin, is a Strikeforce veteran and quite possibly the most dangerous man Brennaman has faced.

However, the Dillashaw-Easton fight will pit two sluggers who both love to push the pace against each other. That makes for a volatile mix, which is what makes this the fight to watch.

UFC Fight Night 35 takes place on Jan 15. at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga.

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Chris Weidman Deserved ESPN Fighter of the Year

There were many contenders for Fighter of the Year for 2013, but ESPN had no doubts when it gave its honors recently.
To quote the Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com, “ESPN Fighter of the Year is not a close race in 2013. It’s Chris Weidman&nbs…

There were many contenders for Fighter of the Year for 2013, but ESPN had no doubts when it gave its honors recently.

To quote the Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com, “ESPN Fighter of the Year is not a close race in 2013. It’s Chris Weidman by a landslide.”

Of course there were other contenders. Cain Velasquez cemented his legacy as the unassailable champion in the heavyweight division, as Ronda Rousey did in the women’s bantamweight division. Vitor Belfort also stormed to number one contender status at the age of 36, and now awaits Weidman.

But among all these people, Weidman’s accomplishments are greater.

In 2013, he knocked out the man many consider the greatest fighter of all time, Anderson Silva. In doing so, he not only won the UFC middleweight title, but he also ended several of UFC’s most significant records held by the Brazilian, such as most consecutive wins, most title matches won and longest title reign.

And then he did it again six months later.

The second victory was even sweeter than the first. In the first match, Silva’s antics made Weidman look a fool, but in the second, even before the gruesome leg-break which ended the fight, the Long Island native almost finished the fight in Round 1.

Weidman beating Silva the first time shocked the MMA world. The rematch became the biggest fight in UFC history.

Unlike many of Silva’s opponents, who seemed like they were beaten before the fight even started, Weidman showed a level of confidence before the first fight that none of Silva’s opponents in years could muster. He also carried with him an almost unassailable run, becoming a champion in just 10 fights.

On paper, Weidman’s strengths—strong wrestling, strong top control, great submission awareness and conditioning—added up to a recipe perfect for beating Silva. But this wasn’t the Brazilian’s first opponent with skills on paper to beat him.

However, Dan Henderson didn’t have the conditioning and was spent after the first round, as was Travis Lutter. Chael Sonnen didn’t have the submission awareness, nor did Nate Marquardt. Demian Maia and Thales Leites—excellent submission artists—couldn’t get him to the ground. Vitor Belfort looked beaten before he was front kicked into the next country in the first significant move of the fight.

Weidman deserves Fighter of the Year because he achieved something that no other fighter has been able to do in seven years, and then did it again.

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