For one round, it was as if Anthony “Rumble” Johnson was trying to prove to the world he could wrestle.
Then he came out and gave the fans in Las Vegas what they expected to see.
Johnson knocked out London’s Jimi Manuwa with a ferocious righ…
For one round, it was as if Anthony “Rumble” Johnson was trying to prove to the world he could wrestle.
Then he came out and gave the fans in Las Vegas what they expected to see.
Johnson knocked out London’s Jimi Manuwa with a ferocious right hand to the jaw in the second round of their UFC 191 fight on Saturday night. The time of the stoppage was 0:31.
“That’s just muscle memory,” said Johnson (20-5), who won for the 10th time in his past 11 fights. “You don’t train for that.”
Johnson tagged Manuwa (15-2) early in the opening round. And while the crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena sensed the kill, Johnson instead went to the ground, where he easily outworked Manuwa for the bulk of the stanza.
In the second, he set Manuwa up with a leg kick before landing his vicious right hand for his 14th career KO.
After the bout, Johnson said he hadn’t planned on showing off his ground game.
“I saw an opening and I took it,” Johnson said. “This fight is for all the people who supported me through thick and thin, and for those that didn’t, this was for you, too.”
This is the UFC 191 live blog for Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir, a heavyweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.Arlovski, who has won five straight fights, will face Mir, who has won two of his pa…
This is the UFC 191 live blog for Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir, a heavyweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Arlovski, who has won five straight fights, will face Mir, who has won two of his past five fights, on the main card.
Rising star Paige VanZant made a successful pay-per-view debut to kick off the UFC 191 card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old defeated Alex Chambers via submission (armbar) in the third round of the main card’s first fight.
Just ove…
Rising star Paige VanZant made a successful pay-per-view debut to kick off the UFC 191 card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old defeated Alex Chambers via submission (armbar) in the third round of the main card’s first fight.
Just over a minute into the third round, VanZant ended things with an armbar of Chambers as her motor kicked into high gear following a strong second stanza.
According to MMAFighting.com, VanZant said she reverted back to basics on-the-fly in order to emerge with the victory:
VanZant spent portions of the first round getting a feel for her opponent, but as Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter noted, the second round wasn’t nearly as close:
However, as Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden observed, VanZant didn’t appear to make great tactical strides:
VanZant’s victory isn’t an all together surprising one. She entered the fight as a 2-29 favorite according to Odds Shark. Chambers was coming off a win against Kailin Curran her last time out, but the 36-year-old was just 1-1 in the UFC in two bouts.
Really, this bout was just about VanZant taking the next step. At 21, VanZant has the skills, look and personality to become a big UFC star. It’s a fact that clearly isn’t lost on the UFC as she’s moved from Fight Pass Prelims to leading off a pay-per-view in just three fights.
I think the reason is with Paige is she’s not supposed to be — the person you see, the cover is totally different than the book. When you see that little cheerleader walk into the Octagon, you’re thinking “that’s the girl my son should be dating and taking to the prom.”
Then the fight starts and you realize that cheerleader can beat your son’s you know what. She is tough. She is very, very game and it surprises people.
VanZant’s age also means she has a chance to make UFC history. As she is well aware, she still has two years to break Jon Jones record as the youngest champion:
The important thing to note here is that she has plenty of time to break that record. VanZant’s potential is tantalizing, but to this point it’s just that—potential.
The Team Alpha Male product is now 3-0 inside the Octagon, but only one of those opponents is ranked in the division. While some may use that as evidence that VanZant isn’t ready for the spotlight quite yet, she isn’t bothered that she’s slow-playing her run at a title.
“I need to remind myself and remind people that this is my ride,” she said, according to Danny Acosta of Sherdog. “This is my journey. It’s up to me what fights I take. I’m going to take my time. I’m 21 years old. I still have two years to be the youngest belt holder if I wanted to.”
Given her exclusive deal with Reebok, skill inside the Octagon and general marketability, it’s a slow ride that the UFC will enjoy for however long it lasts.
Paige VanZant continued her upward trend in the UFC with a third-round submission over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 on Saturday.
This bout seemed like a showcase fight from the moment it was booked, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was sma…
Paige VanZant continued her upward trend in the UFC with a third-round submission over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 on Saturday.
This bout seemed like a showcase fight from the moment it was booked, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was smart booking. VanZant is young (21) and needs a lot of improvement, and these fights help her achieve her potential while introducing her to a large audience.
Chambers landed some solid strikes in the clinch early but faded throughout the fight. VanZant was constantly attached to her in the clinch, landing shot after shot. Eventually, it was too much. Another win for VanZant puts pressure on the UFC to book her in a top-tier bout.
What We’ll Remember About the Fight
Pressure. Constant pressure.
VanZant constantly moved forward and put the pressure on Chambers. The Australian just could not handle it. VanZant did not do huge damage, but the totality of her offense eventually caught up to Astro Girl. The 21-year-old’s constant pressure was the difference.
What We Learned About VanZant
We learned that while she is a top-10 fighter in the UFC’s strawweight division, she is still a long way off from the top.
She has clear deficiencies in her game. Perhaps the biggest is that she doesn’t move her head off the center line. That is going to be a big issue against several of the folks ahead of her in the rankings. Skilled strikers such as Michelle Waterson will have greater success on the feet, and champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk would demolish her existence.
What We Learned About Chambers
I have been a harsh critic of Chambers. I have felt like she is a middling atomweight in the UFC’s strawweight division merely because of her appearance on The Ultimate Fighter. And that may still be true, but in her last two fights, she has shown good improvement as an all-around fighter.
She caught Kailin Curran in an armbar in a fun fight in May, and at UFC 191 she found success in the clinch against VanZant. She connected on several punches against her opponent early. She just couldn’t handle the pressure and eventually wilted.
What’s Next for VanZant
This has to be an excruciating decision for the UFC. It clearly has a lot invested in VanZant, and she clearly isn’t ready for anyone in the upper echelon. Yet, here she is with a four-fight win streak and in the top 10. She has to fight someone ranked.
The best choice may be Joanne Calderwood.
She has underperformed in the UFC and is ultimately one-dimensional. Stylistically, it is a good fight to test both women and one that VanZant could win in grinding fashion. It would avoid a mauling by someone in the top five while building the winner into a future contender.
What’s Next for Chambers
There is another atomweight in the UFC who is coming off a loss, and that’s Seo Hee Ham (who lost to Calderwood in December 2014). It would be another tough fight for Chambers but one where she is on par with her opponent in terms of size.
UFC Fight Night 75: Barnett vs. Nelson Date: Saturday September 26, 2016 Venue: Saitama Sports Arena in Saitama, Japan Broadcast: Live on FOX Sports 1 at 7:00 pm E.T. Draft Your Team at: Draft Kings MMA Main Card: 265 lbs.- Josh Barnett vs. Roy Nelson 185 lbs.- Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall 125 lbs.- Kyoji […]
Main Card: 265 lbs.- Josh Barnett vs. Roy Nelson 185 lbs.- Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall 125 lbs.- Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Chico Camus 135 lbs.- Takeya Mizugaki vs. George Roop 170 lbs.- Li Jingliang vs. Nakamura Keita 135 lbs.- Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Matt Hobar
Preliminary Card: 145 lbs.- Diego Brandao vs. Katsunori Kikuno 155 lbs.- Nick Hein vs. Yusuke Kasuya 155 lbs.- Kajan Johnson vs. Naoyuki Kotan
This is the UFC 191 live blog for Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers, a strawweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.VanZant, who is 2-0 in the UFC, will face Chambers, who is 1-1 in the UFC, on the …
This is the UFC 191 live blog for Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers, a strawweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
VanZant, who is 2-0 in the UFC, will face Chambers, who is 1-1 in the UFC, on the main card.
Rising star Paige VanZant made a successful pay-per-view debut to kick off the UFC 191 card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old defeated Alex Chambers via submission (armbar) in the third round of the main card’s first fight. 
