Author: Steven Cook

Johnson vs. Bagautinov: Start Time, Viewing Info and Preview for UFC 174 Bout

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson looks to defend his title for the fourth consecutive time on Saturday night in Vancouver, Canada’s UFC 174 main event, but this one won’t come easy against Ali Bagautinov.
The Russian fighter has only three UFC showing…

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson looks to defend his title for the fourth consecutive time on Saturday night in Vancouver, Canada’s UFC 174 main event, but this one won’t come easy against Ali Bagautinov.

The Russian fighter has only three UFC showings to his name but won all of them convincingly. The 29-year-old hasn’t lost a fight since 2011 and has been turning heads ever since his UFC debut in 2013.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Johnson has been dominating his opponents as of late. He knocked out Joseph Benavidez in December 2013 just two minutes into the first round. 

Let’s break down the upcoming flyweight championship bout between Johnson and Bagautinov. 

 

When: Saturday, June 14

Where: Rogers Arena; Vancouver, Canada

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET (preliminaries), 10 p.m. ET (main card)

TV: FX (preliminaries), pay-per-view (main card)

 

Johnson vs. Bagautinov Preview

It’s not all smiles for both fighters heading into Saturday’s title fight, as UFC captures:

Sure, Johnson enters the weekend as a massive favorite over Bagautinov, as told by a line as high as minus-600, per OddsShark.com. The champion is getting better and better each time he enters the Octagon, and that’s unlikely to change Saturday night.

But with few challenges left in the flyweight division, Johnson’s next task could be the toughest one he faces before he explores another division or rematches an opponent he’s already beaten.

Bagautinov is somewhat of a mystery man, as he’s only fought in three bouts in the UFC and two in North America. But every appearance has been captivating. From a technical knockout of Marcos Vinicius to a recent unanimous-decision win over John Lineker, he has put his talents on display plenty of times.

But when in doubt, Johnson has no problem relying on his elite speed and ability to outhustle opponents, per Fightline.com’s Dana Becker, via UFC Tonight: “He looks like a very durable guy. If I need to beat him up for 25 minutes, I will. The speed advantage, that’s what I’m known for.”

Bagautinov makes his opponents pay by sitting back and attacking on the counter, but that likely won’t be an option against Johnson, who is undoubtedly the fastest fighter in the flyweight division. That will force the Russian out of his comfort zone, and Johnson will be keen on taking advantage.

Plus, the champ has a big advantage in title-fight experience. Bagautinov has only seen four of his fights go to three rounds and has never competed in a five-round affair. Meanwhile, Johnson has seen four fights go the full five rounds.

For Bagautinov to pull off the shocker and come away with the title belt, it will take something we haven’t seen from the Russian. It will also take something we haven’t seen happen against Johnson in years—an opponent truly proving to be a serious test.

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Davis vs. Johnson: Keys for Both Fighters in UFC 172 Light Heavyweight Bout

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson figures to have his hands full and then some in his return to the Octagon on Saturday in his UFC 172 co-main event light heavyweight bout with Phil Davis.
“Mr. Wonderful” has proved to be a force in mixed martial arts, with his…

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson figures to have his hands full and then some in his return to the Octagon on Saturday in his UFC 172 co-main event light heavyweight bout with Phil Davis.

“Mr. Wonderful” has proved to be a force in mixed martial arts, with his only career loss coming against Rashad Evans in 2012. He most recently defeated Lyoto Machida, a former light heavyweight champ and is currently No. 4 in the light heavyweight division in the UFC rankings. 

Johnson, on the other hand, hasn’t fought in the UFC since his 2012 defeat at the hands of Vitor Belfort. But he has made his resurgence in the World Series of Fighting and other various events, where he’s put together a six-fight win streak. 

Everything is on the line for these fighters, so let’s break down how each can best will their way to a victory in Baltimore. 

 

Davis: Don’t Look Past Saturday

As the No. 4 fighter in his division, “Mr. Wonderful” is undoubtedly feeling confident heading into Saturday.

But perhaps too confident. 

Davis has been looking forward so much into potentially fighting title-belt holder Jon Jones, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole, that he’s hardly been directing any ire Johnson’s way:  

“Jon Jones said I was going to break him apart like a sugar cookie, man, that’s not exactly correct,” Davis said. “I promised I was going to break him apart like a sugar cookie. Big difference.”

Jones wasn’t feeling like engaging in the same sort of banter, per Iole:

I just think when you talk like that, and you be so goofy, it puts a lot of pressure on you. I mean, what if he goes out there and gets caught with one of those high kicks from Anthony Johnson and gets knocked out? It’s going to be really embarrassing to talk so much trash to me and then get knocked out by Anthony Johnson. So I’m going to keep my mouth shut and stay focused for what I’m here for, and that’s Glover.

The biggest thing about this—it happened Monday on the week of the fight. 

All of this smells of a fighter who isn’t completely locked into his current matchup.

As much as boxers and fighters look to stir the pot with controversial remarks and call out others that they have the potential of facing in the future, Davis is crossing the line. 

“Mr. Wonderful” might be the favorite in this matchup, but he’s not going to cruise to a victory. He will have to tough it out, and if he’s mentally locked into a fight in the future, he might be knocked into next week.

Davis is undoubtedly the better wrestler at this stage of each fighter’s respective careers, but he has to be all there or he won’t stand a chance in the return of “Rumble.”

 

Johnson: Battle Through Takedowns, Find KO Opportunities 

A quick look at the credentials is all it takes to see this will be a wrestling-heavy bout. 

Johnson spent his college days at Lassen College winning a National Junior College Association national championship, and he’s well versed in grappling and fighting on the ground with technique. 

However, in rare fashion he may be outdone in that regard Saturday. Davis was a national champion as well as an All-American at Penn State. 

“Mr. Wonderful” has proved to be so good at wrestling that he has avoided being knocked out in his MMA career. That’s in sharp contrast to the 11 knockout victories that “Rumble” boasts in his days of fighting.

But that’s the best chance that Johnson has at winning—staying upright, avoiding takedowns and landing significant blows when the two are exchanging pleasantries. 

Johnson proves to be effective when striking, as Fight Metric states his striking accuracy is 47 percent—nine higher than Davis’ 38. Just as well, his takedown defense is 75 percent, which will have to hold up and perhaps be even better against “Mr. Wonderful.” 

But if Davis can get Johnson to the canvas more than a few times early on, it could get the man making his UFC return off his mark and unable to find momentum for a potential knockout blow. 

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Machida vs. Mousasi Results: Winner, Scorecard and Analysis from UFC Fight Night

In a packed house and a crazy environment in Arena Jaragua in Brazil, Lyoto Machida defeated Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision to stay perfect in the middleweight division Saturday night during UFC Fight Night 36.
UFC recapped Ma…

In a packed house and a crazy environment in Arena Jaragua in Brazil, Lyoto Machida defeated Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision to stay perfect in the middleweight division Saturday night during UFC Fight Night 36.

UFC recapped Machida‘s dominant win on Twitter:

With two fighters who combined for a 54-7-2 record heading into the contest, you knew a lot of pride would be on the line. That was evident early on, as both fighters came out looking to get into their own very different respective rhythms.

Both fighters distanced themselves from each other in the early goings, as Round 1 was slow. Machida danced around and was able to control the pace, landing a number of punches on the outmatched Mousasi, who looked more interested in keeping up.

Machida landed a huge kick to Mousasi‘s neck and jaw area midway through the second round, and although Mousasi was eventually able to answer, it wasn’t enough to make up for that early blow. 

Both fighters never truly settled in until the third round, when Machida was still able to control things with his pacesetting. Mousasi began bleeding heavily from his nose, as Machida was beating him up profusely and running circles around him.

Boiled-over tensions after a slow start to the fight led to Machida attacking Mousasi, taking him down to the canvas. It turned out to be a bad idea for him—Mousasi controlled the battle on the canvas until the end of the period.

In the fifth and final round, Machida looked spent, and constant jabs had his nose bleeding. Mousasi was able to control the pace and bloody up Machida‘s face a bit more down the stretch.

As Fox Sports’ Mike Chiappetta noted, that’s not something that happens often:

But Mousasi‘s resurgence in the final stretches of the bout wasn’t enough to make up for Machida controlling the vast majority of the fight.

There was little question during most of the match that Machida was the man on top, and if there was, it was quelled when he laid a number of punches onto Mousasi in the final seconds. Mousasi may have been able to rebound in the fourth round, but for the four other rounds, it was all Machida. 

In the end, there was little doubt when Machida was named the unanimous victor after his lopsided win.

The fight went a full 25 minutes, not all of which were exciting but certainly included a number of hard-hitting, violent moments that left each fighter badly beaten, cut and bruised. 

Machida didn’t look dominant for the entire fight. Mousasi certainly battled and brought his best, but Machida simply looked to be controlling the energy and was on the attack for much of the bout.

Saturday’s fight was an unorthodox moment for UFC marketing-wise, putting on a free program for standard cable viewers on Fox Sports 1. Machida-Mousasi was a rare marquee bout on cable TV.

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Rousey vs. Tate 2: Biggest Storylines Heading into Epic UFC 168 Rematch

Christmas cheer won’t resonate for Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey and Miesha “Cupcake” Tate long past the holiday, with no shortage of compelling storylines heading into the UFC 168 co-main event and Women’s Bantamweight Championship on Saturday, Dec. 28. 
…

Christmas cheer won’t resonate for Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey and Miesha “Cupcake” Tate long past the holiday, with no shortage of compelling storylines heading into the UFC 168 co-main event and Women’s Bantamweight Championship on Saturday, Dec. 28. 

While the main event of Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman will be the final match of the card, the anticipation has mounted for this epic women’s clash that will carry huge implications as to who will be more of a female face of the sport moving forward. 

There’s an enticing past between these two fighters, and it’s safe to say that both Rousey and Tate are licking their chops at the opportunities available on Saturday, Dec. 28.

Let’s take a look at the biggest storylines surrounding Rousey vs. Tate heading into the rematch.

 

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

A one-sided match in their first fight. A season of a television show centered around their rivalry. A bar fight surrounding one fighter hitting on the other’s boyfriend on said TV show. Spiteful, personal jabs flying back and forth.

Could this get any juicier?

After their first bout—a Rousey submission in the first round—the two agreed to do Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter to promote this very fight. And as you can see in this Fox Sports video, Rousey got a little too touchy with Tate’s guy at the bar one night before things got physical.

Tate has thrown plenty of words around, including her own blog post on Yahoo! Sports where she rips her arch-rival for the bar incident.

Rousey, notoriously feisty and headline-prone in her own right, wasn’t done talking in the days before Saturday’s fight as you can see below.

On nearly every occasion possible, these two fighters have made their displeasure with the other quite obvious. And to say that it’s only gotten more personal and fierce since their first bout would be a vast understatement.

Big words and animosity for the opponent is nothing new in boxing and martial arts. But it’s apparent that the Rousey-Tate rivalry goes well beyond simply fighting. 

 

Will Tate Make it to Round 2?

Tate’s nickname of “Cupcake” isn’t supposed to represent her as an easy win for her opponent, but that’s just what she was in her first bout with Rousey.

Tate made it 4:27 into the opening round of the fight before succumbing to Rousey, who landed her unavoidable arm bar that has taken so many victims, effectively ending the fight with a first-round submission.

It’s not a coincidence that Rousey took care of Tate in the first round. In fact, it’s the only victory Rousey knows—each of her seven career victories were first-round submissions.

Cupcake nearly made it to the second round in their first affair, something that Rousey has never seen her opponent do. If she can make it to her corner after the first five minutes, it will be a huge statement.

We’ve never seen Rousey fight in the second round before. If she exerts too much energy going for the early submission and fails to land it, Tate’s chances of winning go from minuscule to very possible. 

 

How Much Will Fight Help Women’s UFC Popularity?

There may have been bigger fights for women’s martial arts in recent history, but it’s undeniable that the Saturday, Dec. 28 showdown could have a huge effect on the popularity of the sport among females.

Women’s MMA fighting is usually saved for Strikeforce and Invicta FC, but it’s gained a large amount of popularity since Rousey appeared in the first women’s UFC fight ever earlier in 2013. That has only set the stage for this fight, which should continue to increase popularity.

Dana White and company wasted little time cashing in even more on the women’s side of the sport. According to USA Today‘s MMA Junkie, UFC added a “strawweight” after signing 11 fighters from Invicta in a marquee move for the state of women’s martial arts. 

Strawweight is now the second women’s division after bantamweight, the title that Rousey will hope to defend from Tate on Saturday, Dec. 28. 

Rousey has been the face of women’s MMA, and there’s no shortage of excitement heading into a bout that is co-main event with perhaps the men’s fiercest division. It’s set up to be a huge moment for the future of women’s UFC. 

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UFC 162: Fighters Chris Weidman Should Consider for First Title Defense

After an upset for the ages on Saturday night, when Chris Weidman took down living legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva, we’re left figuring out where the new middleweight champion will look to next.It took Weidman just 10 fights to get to the top of the…

After an upset for the ages on Saturday night, when Chris Weidman took down living legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva, we’re left figuring out where the new middleweight champion will look to next.

It took Weidman just 10 fights to get to the top of the ultimate fighting world and end the most historic run the sport has ever seen. Now, he’ll weigh out his options for his first title defense.

With a heap of talent in the weight class, Weidman will have his hands full figuring out who the best option is to successfully defend his new crown against for the first time.

Will he choose an established veteran or opt to go with an up-and-comer like himself? Let’s take a look at the fighters he should consider most.

 

Vitor Belfort

Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort deserves to be the next fighter who gets a shot at the middleweight crown, and it’s been coming for some time. However, it’s not the rematch with Anderson Silva that so many expected.

Belfort, who has been adamant on Twitter about his desire and right to fight the winner of Silva-Weidman, reiterated his stance to contend for the crown after Weidman‘s improbable victory:

English translation: Now my turn, I deserve and want my dream to come true more congratulations I’m the next.

The Phenom has been on a roll through the UFC and Affliction, with his only losses since 2006 coming against Dan Henderson, Silva and Jon Jones. He recently took down Luke Rockhold and elite fighter Michael Bisping, each with a crushing kick in knockout fashion. 

The 36-year-old has been around, and his 23-10 record reflects more on his early-career difficulties than the fighter he is now. But when he faced Silva, he was knocked out very early with one of the most devastating kicks we’ve ever seen.

Belfort should match up better against Weidman, who utilizes a much more conventional and straight-forward approach than the mind-boggling Silva. 

Look for Belfort to be one of the most talked-about names for Weidman‘s potential next opponent.

 

Anderson Silva

Despite what you may have heard from the fallen champ after the fight, Silva shouldn’t be discounted for a potential rematch for the crown.

The 38-year-old, battered and confused from the four-punch flurry that ended his reign, shot down the idea of a rematch before even leaving the Octagon. 

But according to Dana White, UFC’s president and head honcho, there’s no scenario that is more likely than Silva-Weidman II, per the Los Angeles Times.

“I guarantee you there’s nothing more he wants than that rematch with Chris Weidman,” White said, per the Times report. 

There’s no doubt that Silva has earned the right to immediately rematch Weidman for the crown. After all, he successfully defended his title 10 times and was just coming off a 17-fight winning streak before letting his guard down.

Silva made a fool out of himself by acting how he always acts, the only difference this time around being that he got carried away and his opponent jumped at the opportunity. 

The Spider may not want a rematch right now, but if he’s not immediately jumping into retirement, let’s wait a bit for him to clear his mind and figure out if he wants to rematch the new champ.

 

Tim Kennedy

It’s far from the conventional opponent or the household name that one would expect a middleweight champion to fight, but Tim Kennedy has proven he can stand up to any task and would put up a heck of a fight.

Kennedy was on the fight card on Saturday night, dominating Roger Gracie in a decision ending for what was the 33-year-old’s UFC debut. He’s spent the latest stretch of his career as one of the top fighters in Strikeforce.

He’s 8-2 in his last 10 fights, with those losses coming against Rockhold and Ronaldo Souza, so he’s not exactly losing to unknown fighters. Perhaps the biggest win of his career was against Robbie Lawler in 2011 or Gracie on Saturday. 

The U.S. Army veteran has deployed for multiple missions to Iraq and Afghanistan, which only proves he has the toughness that is so important in the Octagon. 

Kennedy showed in his first appearance in a UFC Octagon that he’s well-suited to take his game wherever it needs to go. He can dominate on the ground by spinning his opponents into guard, or he can fight the entire bout on his feet while throwing jabs and hooks.

It may take some time, but Kennedy will get his chance against the best in the UFC. 

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UFC 161 Results: Dan Henderson Must Regain Focus Following Tough Loss

Dan “Hendo” Henderson fought valiantly in his UFC 161 performance despite losing a split decision to Rashad “Sugar” Evans, and he’ll be able to bounce back from this tough loss.In a UFC 161 fight card that proved to be exciting from the get-go, Evans v…

Dan “Hendo” Henderson fought valiantly in his UFC 161 performance despite losing a split decision to Rashad “Sugar” Evans, and he’ll be able to bounce back from this tough loss.

In a UFC 161 fight card that proved to be exciting from the get-go, Evans vs. Henderson had some living up to do. After a slow start, both fighters started connecting blows as things went back and forth.

After Round 1, Hendo was the undoubted front-runner after landing 10 of his 30 signature strikes, compared to Evans’ 5-of-24, per post-match stats from Fight Metric. Sugar was slow to come out of the gate, and Henderson’s attacking prowess got him ahead early.

But as the fight wore on, the 42-year-old began to show signs of his age and deteriorated energy-wise. Though, he did put up a fight at the end, landing 64 percent of his signature strikes in Round 3.

Sugar’s 39-25 advantage in strikes for the final round, however, proved to be too much for Hendo to overcome as the split decision was announced, ensuring a two-match losing streak after losing to Lyoto Machida in UFC 157. 

Now, Henderson must bounce back quick. Age isn’t exactly a helpful factor, as he’ll turn 43 before his next fight and is certainly in the twilight of his career. 

Despite his age, Hendo commands the best of the best in the UFC to step in the Octagon. It will take a big-time fight for Henderson to agree to anything.

People recognize the danger that Henderson poses to any opponent. Evans knows, as he nearly fell victim to it Saturday night in Winnipeg and was oh so close to doing so. Machida knows, as he also went to a split decision.

Henderson may have lost his past two fights and post a 29-10 overall record, but his skill in the Octagon far outweighs those two statistics. 

He may be turning 43, but Henderson still has some good fighting left in him and should look to make a quick rebound against a worthy opponent. If he can keep it together in Round 3 next time around, he’ll be just fine performing like he did against Evans. 

The former Strikeforce fighter has found his place in the UFC, emerging as one of the most dangerous fighters in the history of the sport. Worthy opponents will be lining up to fight against Henderson, and while he may not get a major title bout, he could still go out a winner. 

But if he wants his career to go out with a bang, it’ll take a massive amount of focus and determination to find the proper next opponent and pull out a victory. 

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