The UFC takes its talent from Pittsburgh at UFC Live 4 to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for UFC 132 this Saturday, July 2nd.The feature matchup of the evening is current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defending his title against the prev…
The UFC takes its talent from Pittsburgh at UFC Live 4 to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for UFC 132 this Saturday, July 2nd.
The feature matchup of the evening is current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defending his title against the previous WEC Featherweight Champion, Urijah Faber.
Additional bouts include a middleweight slug-fest between the ultra aggressive and extremely exciting Wanderlei Silva and the heavy-hitting Chris Leben.
Tito Ortiz makes his return to the famed Octagon to challenge the right hand and wrestling prowess of Ryan Bader.
An extremely talented and dynamic welterweight, Carlos Condit, will face off against Dong Hyun Kim and rounding out the night’s main card action will be a lightweight duel matching the German kick-boxer Denis Siver against Matt Wiman.
Please follow along as I dissect all the night’s fights including the preliminary matchups on Facebook and the exciting main card action.
UFC President Dana White’s statement today regarding Nate “The Great” Marquardt has directly impacted not only the UFC Live 4 promotion being held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania tomorrow evening, but Marquardt’s sudden walking papers from the world’s larg…
UFC President Dana White‘s statement today regarding Nate “The Great” Marquardt has directly impacted not only the UFC Live 4 promotion being held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania tomorrow evening, but Marquardt’s sudden walking papers from the world’s largest MMA promotion has created an instant buzz within the ultimate fighting community.
According to Bloodyelbow.com, White issued a statement saying that Nate Marquardt is not only removed from the main event in tomorrow night’s promotion, but he is no longer a member of the UFC.
Swift and decisive action was taken by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva in replacing Marquardt with Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman to face Rick “The Horror” Story in the main event.
Reverberations were voiced by various active UFC fighters. Taking to Twitter, UFC middleweight fighter Brian Stann commented, “I am so confused on the recent announcement concerning Nate Marquardt, one of the nicest guys I’ve met in MMA.”
Additionally, journalist Ariel Helwani has tweeted that an “exclusive statement from Marquardt and his camp” will be delivered during tomorrow’s pre-show at 8 pm EST.
Shrouded in questions, why Marquardt was released is not entirely known. Tomorrow’s announcement by “The Great” will clarify the rationale behind his exit from the UFC.
Until answers are provided, I can only report on the now. And the now pertains to who Nate Marquardt is as a mixed martial artist.
This three-time middleweight King of Pancrase champion is currently the No. 4 ranked best middleweight in the world by Sherdog.com.
With an overall MMA record of 31-10 with 15 submission victories and 10 knockout wins, Marquardt has challenged for the UFC middleweight crown at UFC 73 in 2007.
A very balanced and diverse fighter, Marquardt possesses excellent stand-up skills with solid counter striking, excellent power in both hands, and the ability to effectively implement leg kicks into his arsenal of offensive weapons.
Versed on the ground as a second degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Marquardt has locked up impressive tapout victories over BJJ wizard Jeremy Horn and an arm-breaking arm bar back in 2002 over Kazuo Misaki.
Additional victories over top-tier talent include wins against Martin Kampmann, Demian Maia and Dan Miller.
Deciding to compete within the UFC welterweight division, Marquardt’s debut at 170 pounds was scheduled to take place tomorrow evening against Rick Story at UFC Live 4.
A tremendous talent at 185 pounds, Marquardt’s future may include a run for the Bellator middleweight championship against the ferocious Cuban, Hector Lombard.
Rumors may also swirl if Marquardt decides to remain within the welterweight division and compete for BAMMA overseas.
If the BAMMA promotion is a possibility for “The Great,” a matchup against British star Paul Daley will be inevitable.
The future for Nate Marquardt is certainly unclear. What is clear, however, is that Marquardt is an extremely gifted mixed martial artist and will not remain a free agent very long.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for up-to-the-minute news and coverage regarding this explosive turn within the UFC welterweight division.
Additionally, I will be sitting cage-side at UFC Live 4 in Pittsburgh and will provide insight as to “The Great’s” release.
Breaking news just released that Nate Marquardt has been released by the UFC.According to UFC President Dana White, Marquardt not only failed his medicals, he (adding insult to injury), “is out of this fight, and out of the main event on Versus, (and) …
Breaking news just released that Nate Marquardt has been released by the UFC.
It’s an extremely dire career ending consequence for Marquardt’s failure to make the 170-pound weight ceiling. More news will be released as to the exact details regarding the release of the former “King of Pancrase.”
As more information is released regarding Marquardt’s future as a mixed martial artist, the future of Rick Story is also affected by Dana White’s decision.
Rick “The Horror” Story has been riding a tremendous wave of momentum. With victories in six of his last seven fights, the expectation by Story’s camp with a victory over Marquardt would have been a future title shot against UFC welterweight champion, Georges St-Pierre.
UFC 130 in May of 2011 introduced “The Horror” to the masses of fight fans as Story dominated the very popular and extremely talented Thiago Alves.
Utilizing his wrestling background, dirty boxing skills, and a solid chin, Story captured a unanimous decision victory over the one-time Brazilian championship title contender.
With Marquardt’s release, Story will now face Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman.
Brenneman, a career 13-2 fighter, debuted in the UFC in 2010.
A solid fighter with an exceptional wrestling pedigree, “The Spaniard” is working diligently to balance out his skill-set inside the Octagon.
No disrespect to Charlie Brenneman, but a victory over “The Spaniard” does not carry the same leverage as a victory over Nate Marquardt.
Additionally, the development of Rick Story’s overall fight game will not be on stage tomorrow evening.
The necessary talent to defeat the experience, skill-set, and overall talent of a Nate Marquardt may not be equally necessary to defeat a Charlie Brenneman.
In short, the skills portrayed by Story in his fight with Thiago Alves should defeat Brenneman.
His game plan will be similar to that during his victory over Alves. Successful takedowns, dirty boxing, and an aggressive pace should secure a victory for Story.
I commend Brenneman for accepting this fight on late notice. And I also commend Story for fulfilling his expectations for this main event matchup at UFC Live 4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In the end, however, the inability of Nate Marquardt to make the necessary weight has not only cost “The Great” his career with the UFC, a victory by Story in tomorrow’s main event will not catapult “The Horror’s” career into the upper echelon of the UFC welterweight division.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion and season one winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Forrest Griffin, is currently training in Rio de Janeiro for his upcoming bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 134.Competing in the UFC since 2005, Griffin has compi…
Former UFC light heavyweight champion and season one winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Forrest Griffin, is currently training in Rio de Janeiro for his upcoming bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 134.
Competing in the UFC since 2005, Griffin has compiled a very respectable 9-4 record inside the famed Octagon with notable victories over the aforementioned Rua, as well as Rich Franklin and Quinton Jackson.
Known for his work ethic and dedication to his training, Griffin has proven that diligence and time training in the gym equates to victories inside the cage.
Preparing for potentially his most critical fight with respect to championship title implications, Griffin sat down and spoke with Tatame TV after the UFC Rio press conference regarding his rematch with Rua.
In preparation for “Shogun” in this re-match, Griffin told Tatame, “I need to be in great shape. Be a little lighter. Be a little quicker.”
Asked about whether or not Griffin feels a victory over Rua will put him in title contention once again, in classic Griffin style, he deferred comment in a philosophical manner.
“It’s like climbing a mountain. You look up at the mountain and it’s high. You look down and it’s going to be a big fall. Just concentrate on what you’re doing and put one foot forward at a time.”
Motivated to defeat Rua once again, Griffin stated, “I need to prove that the first time wasn’t a fluke and I need to prove that I am still relevant.”
Focused and driven to defeat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua a second time, Forrest Griffin’s training and preparation for this matchup will be pivotal in determining whether or not he remains within the title talk for the UFC light heavyweight championship.
You can catch the Griffin-Rua matchup at UFC 134 on August 27, 2011 live from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Speaking with Sergio Non from the USA Today, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones was candid with his current skill-set, admiration by MMA experts and his future within the sport.Humbled and flattered that he is considered one of the top po…
Speaking with Sergio Non from the USA Today, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones was candid with his current skill-set, admiration by MMA experts and his future within the sport.
Humbled and flattered that he is considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, Jones stated that his one weakness is his jiu-jitsu game.
“I think jiu-jitsu is my biggest flaw,” Jones said, “and it’s something I’m attacking everyday to become the pound-for-pound best.”
A recent rivalry with “Suga” Rashad Evans has spawned since Jones captured the UFC championship on March 19, 2011 with a crushing defeat of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
“I practiced against Rashad on many days and in practice I always felt like I had the upper hand technically and strength wise and all facets of the sport,” Jones said.
The Jones-Evans rivalry will continue to build as both fighters are scheduled to compete against separate competition prior to possibly facing each other inside the Octagon.
On September 24, Jones will challenge Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 135.
Prior to the “Bones” – “Rampage” duel, Evans will square off against Phil Davis on August 6 at UFC 133.
If both Jones and Evans are victorious in their matchups, a future contest between these two former teammates is inevitable.
At just 23 years old, Jones is the youngest title-holder ever within the UFC.
Not only is “Bones” a dynamic fighter inside the Octagon and a tremendous fan favorite, he also receives accolades from fellow UFC competitors for his talents.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite fighter to watch of the young, up-and-coming crowd is Jon Jones,” UFC heavyweight Junior dos Santos said. “I think Jon Jones surprised the whole world with his talent and his excellent fighting execution.”
Pioneering offensive moves inside the cage has become a forte of Jon Jones. Whether it be spinning back kicks, spinning back elbows, knee strikes from about every angle and any position, Jones is quickly becoming the inventor of a myriad of movies copied by others.
“Seeing guys like Anthony Pettis throwing that kick off the cage, seeing guys do spinning back fists or spinning back kicks and stuff, it’s just opening up people’s minds. They’re realizing, ‘Hey, why don’t I work on a cool, special move or a signature move?’ I think in the future it won’t even be mentioned in interviews. Everyone’s going to be having real cool tricks that they do,” Jones stated to Non.
Jon Jones’ creativity inside the Octagon is second-to-none. He has exploded onto the UFC scene and risen to the top faster than any champion in history. A humble and gracious fighter, “Bones” will continue to mitigate his holes in his game.
I look forward to watching this young superstar continuing to grow as he proudly adorns the UFC light heavyweight championship.
I welcome your comments.
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Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum will take place this Saturday, June 18 from Dallas.Highlighting the night’s action will be a quarterfinal matchup between current Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem, and jiu-jitsu wiz…
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum will take place this Saturday, June 18 from Dallas.
Highlighting the night’s action will be a quarterfinal matchup between current Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem, and jiu-jitsu wizard, Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum, as they collide in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.
Competing against one another back in 2006, both fighters were in different stages of their careers.
Fabricio Werdum has since gone on to secure a tapout victory over the legendary icon, Fedor Emelianenko, elevating his status within the elite of the heavyweight division in all of mixed martial arts.
Similarly, Overeem has catapulted his career over the past five years.
Since originally facing Werdum, Overeem has added nearly 60 pounds of ferocious muscle to his 6’5″ frame. His imposing physique will be a glaring difference between the two competitors when they enter the Octagon in Dallas.
Additionally, like Werdum who is riding a wave of momentum with his submission victory over the immortal Emelianenko, Overeem is currently on a nine-fight win streak, defeating four of those opponents by (T)KO.
A much more confident stand-up striker, “The Demolition Man” has put his nickname to the test as he has annihilated virtually every opponent over the past two years.
Speaking with www.mmaweekly.com, Overeem commented on his fight plan going into this Saturday’s event.
“This fight is going to be different than the last time. You’re going to see a way more aggressive Alistair Overeem, and I’ll be looking for the knockout from the first second,” Overeem stated.
Oddsmakers favor the Dutch man going into this weekend’s quarterfinal matchup. Currently the Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K-1 kickboxing champion, Overeem has a humongous wave of momentum.
Without a fight for six months, Overeem is still focused and dedicated to avenging his previous loss to Werdum.
“I have a lot of motivation, believe me,” commented Overeem. “I’m just happy. I’m just happy this fight is happening. I wanted to fight Fabricio then the tournament came around, for me and excellent opportunity to fight him. I’m motivated, you’re going to see that next week exactly how motivated I am.”
Highly motivated, a monster of a man, tremendously aggressive in his stand-up skills, and riding a volatile wave of momentum, Alistair Overeem will be looking to savagely beat-down Fabricio Werdum, avenging his previous loss, and continue in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament.
Stay tuned this Saturday to see if vengeance will be secured by the Dutch man.
UFC President