Author: Todd Seyler

Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva Talks a Big Game, but Will He Defeat Travis Browne?

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva exclaimed that now “he is focused, there are few heavyweights in the UFC that can defeat him.” Bold words from the American Top Team representative considering the last time Silva was seen i…

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva exclaimed that now “he is focused, there are few heavyweights in the UFC that can defeat him.” 

Bold words from the American Top Team representative considering the last time Silva was seen inside the Octagon, he was wiping his own blood from his face after a vicious assault from the former UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez, in May that left “Bigfoot” dazed and confused with a resounding TKO loss on his record.

Motivated to put that loss behind him, Silva stated that, “I’m coming into this fight with a lot of anger from the last few situations that I’ve been in. But I’m very excited and motivated to get my first UFC win.”

Battling the undefeated Travis “Hapa” Browne, Silva “think(s) Travis Browne is a good fighter, but I don’t know if Travis is in the top 10 based off his last three opponents. But other than that, I believe that after this victory, I’ll be among the top five or six heavyweights in the UFC.”

Vaulting himself into the top five or six heavyweights in the UFC is a bold statement from Silva, considering outside of “Bigfoot’s” defeat of Fedor Emelianenko in February 2011, the Brazilian’s last significant victory inside the cage would be a split-decision victory over the aging Ricco Rodriguez in February of 2008.

If Silva does defeat Browne at UFC on FX on October 5 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, would he be considered a top five heavyweight? That question I will refrain from debating right now.

What I am interested in debating is whether or not “Bigfoot” can defeat “Hapa.”

Both heavyweights will be relatively equal in size when they enter the Octagon. Browne is three inches taller, yet will most likely be giving up about 10 to 15 pounds of body weight.

The striking advantage is also relatively equal. Silva possesses 11 (T)KO victories, whereas Browne has amassed nine knockouts in his short career.

The difference in the stand-up game is their defense. “Bigfoot” has been challenged by athletic strikers in the past. His two most recent defeats to both Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier supports the evidence that an athletic big man who can avoid the slow, lumbering strikes of Silva can be a test for the Brazilian.

“Hapa’s” Hawaiian style Muay Thai striking offense flows fluidly with his athleticism and size. Browne is light on his feet inside the Octagon and moves with the relative athleticism of a Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots or even a Haloti Nata of the Baltimore Ravens.

Browne delivers devastating strikes from all angles with all his weapons. Head kicks, punches and a variety of other strikes have provided “Hapa” with skull-rattling (T)KO stoppages in his career.

Conversely, Silva is an exacting striker who grounds himself solid into the Octagon floor and delivers slow yet pinpoint strikes.

Even though some experts have defined “Bigfoot” as agile, his ability to create striking angles and maximize his reach have been an issue in the past and will be at the forefront of his stand-up exchange against Browne.

Browne will hold the advantage in the stand-up affair, whereas Silva will have a clear advantage in the ground game.

A black belt in BJJ, “Bigfoot” has used his mastery of the submission game to transition into more dominant positions, allowing the huge Brazilian the opportunity to deliver savage ground-and-pound.

Silva’s dominance on the ground was a key to his victory over the legendary Emelianenko as he continued to brutalize “The Last Emperor” with clubbing hammer fists from the mount.

Even though Silva holds the advantage in the grappling department, Browne’s takedown defense is stellar, allowing absolutely zero takedowns out of seven attempts by his opponents under the UFC banner.

If “Bigfoot” wants to take this fight to the ground, his lack of athleticism and pure wrestling talent will make it difficult for the Brazilian to change planes and execute a successful power double or a trip takedown from the clinch.

When the blood is clotted and the sweat is wiped on October 5, Travis Browne will remain undefeated within the UFC picking up his most significant victory to date.

Antonio Silva may possess confidence and the fighting skills on paper; however, he is no match athletically for “Hapa,” and Browne will expose Silva’s weakness with athletic big men and send the Brazilian back to American Top Team with an 0-2 UFC record.

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UFC 152: Detailed Breakdown of Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann

UFC 152 Jones vs. Belfort comes to you live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this Saturday, September 22nd.Headlining the night’s action will be a light heavyweight contest between current champion Jon “Bones” Jones and “The Pheno…

UFC 152 Jones vs. Belfort comes to you live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this Saturday, September 22nd.

Headlining the night’s action will be a light heavyweight contest between current champion Jon “Bones” Jones and “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort.

Additional pay-per-view action includes the always talkative—and at times, disrespectfully honest—Brit, Michael “The Count” Bisping versus “The All-American” and former Marine, Brian Stann.

Truly a dynamic matchup of two rising stars within the UFC middleweight division, this battle will be extremely exciting, as both competitors are eager for a title shot against Anderson “The Spider” Silva.

Please follow along as I break down the skill sets and determine who will have their hand raised in victory in front of the thousands of screaming Canadian fans and millions of UFC followers glued to their televisions at home.

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Do the Blackzilians Provide Vitor Belfort the Edge He Needs to Defeat Jon Jones?

UFC veteran and former Light Heavyweight Champion “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort is slated to challenge current title holder Jon “Bones” Jones at UFC 152.”How could I not be joyful to fight the best guy at the moment? Everybody from my time retired, and no…

UFC veteran and former Light Heavyweight Champion “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort is slated to challenge current title holder Jon “Bones” Jones at UFC 152.

“How could I not be joyful to fight the best guy at the moment? Everybody from my time retired, and nobody would have that opportunity,” Belfort explained in an article published on MMAJunkie.com.

Eager to once again challenge for Light Heavyweight supremacy, Belfort knows that with Father Time calling, his 16 year career may soon be coming to an end.

Known to travel the world searching for the right camp in preparation for his next fight, “The Phenom” accepted the tutelage of former Light Heavyweight Champion—and the last man to face Jones in the Octagon—”Suga” Rashad Evans. 

Evans is the head coach of the Blackzilians Team, training at the JACO Hybrid Training Center in Boca Raton, Florida.  The Blackzilians possess a wealth of talent, including Alistair Overeem, Braulio Estima, Tyrone Spong, Melvin Guillard and Anthony Johnson.

But the question remains: will the Blackzilians provide Belfort the edge he needs to defeat the already-iconic champion Jones in Toronto on September 22nd?

Breaking down the skill-sets of the most prominent members of the Blackzilians, there is no denying that Evans may provide a first-person insight into the destructiveness that Jones presents inside the Octagon.

 

Having received many punishing elbows in his title fight against “Bones,” Evans could serve as a valuable asset to Belfort in breaking down strategy to overcome Jones’ reach advantage and athleticism. 

A perplexing reality remains, however. “Suga” is known for his tremendous lateral movement and footwork inside the Octagon, which provides him the necessary elusiveness and quickness to get inside on his competition.  In his matchup for the belt, Jones remained one step ahead of Evans and continually peppered the former Michigan State University wrestling standout with strikes from a distance, thwarting any opportunity for “Suga” to inflict any serious damage.

Conversely, Belfort is a traditional boxer with lightening fast hands and explosive punches. “The Phenom” does not exhibit the side-to-side movement of Evans and does not utilize quickness from his feet to expose striking angles.  As a more traditional boxer, Belfort remains in the pocket, ready to explode like a boa constrictor with a counter, rather than dancing his way in like a nimble jack rabbit.

This contrast in styles may be a challenging reality for Evans in his coaching strategy to detail a fight plan, considering their techniques are opposite.

What about Alistair Overeem? Will the Dutch kickboxing dynamo provide Belfort with a tactical advantage over Jones?

There is no denying that Overeem is a tremendous striker. As a devastating force within Dream, Strikeforce, K-1, and the UFC Heavyweight Division (just ask Brock Lesnar), Overeem’s striking propensity is a force to be reckoned with.

Obviously, Belfort and Overeem have very different physiques, but even though there is probably a 70-pound weight difference between the two fighters, one aspect that may transition smoothly and be of assistance to Vitor in his matchup with Jones is the “Reem’s” clinch game.

Striking in the clinch and inflicting severe damage is a staple of Overeem’s fight tactics. 

This behemoth of a man has lethal knees and elbows, and has devastated top competitors with blows to the solar plexus and head alike.  The six inch scar Belfort caused on Marvin Eastman’s forehead is proof positive that the Brazilian can deliver a wallop from the clinch, as well, with his knee strikes.  If Overeem is capable of passing on novel clinch game knowledge to Belfort, that pearl of wisdom could serve useful if “The Phenom” is able to get inside on Jones.

In the end, will the Blackzilians provide Belfort the tactical advantage to defeat Jon Jones?

To quote the legendary Mike Tyson, “Everybody’s got a strategy. Until they get hit.”

I will never challenge Belfort’s decision to team up with the Blackzilians in this epic matchup with Jones.  I will say, however, when those cage doors close and the 84.5″ reach of “Bones” punches “The Phenom” in the face for the first time, as Tyson stated, any strategy developed at the JACO Training Center will be sucked out of the Air Canada Centre faster than Chael Sonnen’s belief that Jones is the true champion.

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5 MMA Fighters Whose Talents Will Help on a Deserted Island

With the recent cancellation of UFC 151 and the residual onslaught of finger pointing by media and management alike, I felt that a lighthearted article was due.The summer is coming to a close and if you are not blessed to live in Southern California, y…

With the recent cancellation of UFC 151 and the residual onslaught of finger pointing by media and management alike, I felt that a lighthearted article was due.

The summer is coming to a close and if you are not blessed to live in Southern California, you may dread the upcoming months when the temperatures begin to plummet and the snow begins to fall.

Dreaming of a deserted island as a mental escape is one way to cope with the freezing temperatures, the gusty winds, the sour moods and the desperate hope for spring.

Honestly, on a deserted island, I would not last three days.

I do not possess the survival skills of Bear Grylls, nor do I have the mechanical know-how to engineer housing, or create an effective weapon for protection, or how to hunt, or what, if anything, is a substitute for toilet paper in the wild.

I would obviously need some help.

Scouring the MMA talent, being deserted on an island with these five fighters would definitely increase my chance of survival.

First, I will need someone to build housing

Secondly, a fighter who knows how to hunt is essential.

Third, someone to serve as protection if I am converted from predator to prey.

Fourth, a source for morale.

And lastly, the intangible. The fighter just in case.

These are the top five fighters I would choose to be stranded on an island with based on their individual skill sets and talents outside of the Octagon.

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5 Lessons Learned as a Result of the Cancellation of UFC 151

By now, you have read countless articles regarding the cancellation of UFC 151. Numerous news stories hit the internet more than four days ago recounting the events leading up to decision by Dana White to pull the plug. So I will spare you the time and…

By now, you have read countless articles regarding the cancellation of UFC 151. Numerous news stories hit the internet more than four days ago recounting the events leading up to decision by Dana White to pull the plug.

So I will spare you the time and energy of reading another synopsis and quick-witted retort by this writer.

Rather, I would like to share with you five lessons learned as a result of the cancellation.

In the end, if we the fans cannot take more than blame and criticism pointed at Jon Jones and Greg Jackson, then we have not opened our eyes to more pressing issues for the UFC.

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Is UFC’s Dominick Cruz a Legitimate Champion?

Current UFC bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz, continues to mend from the reconstructive surgery he had in July for a torn ACL.Filling the void as interim bantamweight champion is Renan Barao with his victory over Urijah Faber at UFC 149. A clash of…

Current UFC bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz, continues to mend from the reconstructive surgery he had in July for a torn ACL.

Filling the void as interim bantamweight champion is Renan Barao with his victory over Urijah Faber at UFC 149.

A clash of bantamweight-title holders will occur at some point in the future to declare the true king of the ultra-competitive 135-pound bantamweight division.

It is months away before a matchup between Cruz and Barao should even be discussed. In the meantime, however, why not kick a man when he’s down. Is that not the American way? Admittedly so, this article is definitely ill-timed considering Cruz’s injury. Undeniably so, this article will create a heated debate.

In the end, however, debate forces one to think. And exploring one’s position and viewpoint is the backbone of this great nation.

It is obvious from the title and introduction that this writer is not a fan of Dominick Cruz.

I do not hide the fact that I feel he is a subpar fighter who lacks the ability to be a dominant champion within the famed Octagon. However, I am also not arrogant or stubborn enough to believe that Dominick Cruz is unworthy of his fighting credentials.

Currently, Cruz possesses a very impressive 19-1 mixed martial arts record as well as a seventh-place ranking in Sherdog’s list of the top-10 best pound-for-pound fighters.

Defeating the likes of Urijah Faber twice, Demetrious Johnson, Ian McCall and a who’s who of top competitors, Cruz has defended his title successfully to date.

So what is my issue with “The Dominator?”

At UFC on Fox 4, Clay Guida put on a lackluster performance in a split-decision loss to Gray Maynard. Rather than engaging in what was forecasted as a slobber-knocker, Guida danced around the Octagon and avoided the heavy right hand of “The Bully.”

Criticized by Dana White, the UFC President commented on Guida’s game plan by saying, “Some goof put in his head that running around in circles might win him the fight, and they were dead wrong.”

Wait one second, was not the strategy employed by Guida against Maynard the same tactical maneuvering that Cruz utilizes against all his opponents? Why was Guida’s performance any different than the vast majority of Cruz’s fights?

Both possess excellent cardiovascular conditioning and utilize their footwork and head movement to execute their strikes while limiting the damage received.

Guida and Cruz move in and out of range with constant motion for the duration of their battles.

Yet, experts bashed Clay Guida for his Dancing With the Stars rendition and praise “The Dominator” for possessing excellent footwork and better boxing skills, as he quickly and effectively changes angles and planes to minimize damage. Since he utilizes the same fight strategy, why is Guida the bad guy and Cruz viewed as a top pound-for-pound title holder?

And, what damage does Dominick Cruz inflict?

Of Cruz’s 19 victories, the champ possesses six KO/TKO victories. With that said, however, “The Dominator” has not finished an opponent inside the UFC due to strikes.

Outside of a doctor’s stoppage for a cut to Brian Bowles at WEC 47, this featherweight champion has not convincingly defeated a WEC competitor either. Of Dominick Cruz’s last nine fights, all have come by decision except for the aforementioned stoppage of Bowles by cut at WEC 47, and he has not finished an opponent during regulation since his KO victory of Kenneth Aimes at Total Combat 27 in March of 2008.

Georges St-Pierre was once ridiculed for his inability fight without the bout going to a decision.

Yet GSP has earned eight KO/TKO victories, including knockout victories over welterweight and UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes and the always tough and durable Sean Sherk. Cruz’s KO stoppage came against a fighter whom could be sitting right next to me and I would not know who he was.

Not a single dominant victory by strikes at the sport’s highest levels, yet people are still willing to call the self-proclaimed “The Dominator” a pound-for-pound contender and a fighting champion?

Let me provide a biased, “I am not at all impressed by Dominick Cruz” standpoint.

Cruz is a tremendously gifted cardiovascular machine that has developed mediocre mixed martial arts talent and has essentially duped experts, fans and the UFC brass into believing that his style of mixed martial arts is actually fighting.

The reality, however, is that Cruz does not possess lethal strikes. Outside of his excellent footwork (and I’ll give him that much), he is not a superior boxer. He does not fire counters with the force and power of Renan Barao. He is not as creative as Urijah Faber. And this champion is definitely not as dominant as he believes he is and the media portrays him to be.

Is Dominick Cruz a pound-for-pound contender? Absolutely not. Is Dominick Cruz a superior mixed martial artist? Absolutely not.

And now to bring this story full-circle, is Dominick Cruz a fighting champion? Absolutely not.

Does Dominick Cruz possess a superior cardiorespiratory system that has allowed him to invent a fighting style in which he is praised yet others are chastised? Resoundingly, YES!

One day Dominick Cruz will be forced to actually fight in his matchups and the truth of his legend will be revealed. That day will soon come when he takes on the ultra-elusive, yet tremendously powerful striker Renan Barao. 

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