And we’re off again! The UFC’s busy spring schedule continues this Saturday as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defends his flyweight championship against Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186. The headlining bout will put Johnson’s title on the line for an impressive sixth straight time, while Horiguchi aims to improve his professional record to 16-1. While this flyweight […]
And we’re off again! The UFC’s busy spring schedule continues this Saturday as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defends his flyweight championship against Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186. The headlining bout will put Johnson’s title on the line for an impressive sixth straight time, while Horiguchi aims to improve his professional record to 16-1. While this flyweight […]
Life on the MMA regional scene can be tough. Paychecks are unpredictable, fights can be hard to come by, and you’re not always fighting the most legit talents around.
Compound that with the fact that women’s MMA is still in its early stages, and a woma…
Life on the MMA regional scene can be tough. Paychecks are unpredictable, fights can be hard to come by, and you’re not always fighting the most legit talents around.
Compound that with the fact that women’s MMA is still in its early stages, and a woman’s life in the regional scene is even tougher.
Lacey Schuckman has found that out. The Colorado-based fighter has been jumping around the regionals for most of her career, taking fights from the 125-pound weight class all the way down to the 105-pound weight class.
At 10-8, Schuckman‘s record is deceiving. Sure, she’s just a tad over .500, but she has taken on some tough competition and has done so, often times, in a weight class above where she should be fighting.
“It’s been tough to find fights; that’s why you see me jumping between weight classes,” Schuckman told Bleacher Report in an interview. “I usually walk around at about 135, so I was able to make 125 and 115 easy. I can fight at 105 if it’s worth it, but that’s a hard cut.”
Schuckman, although a staple of the regional MMA scene, is no stranger to the bright lights. She has been on a Strikeforce Challengers card but has also already taken a couple of fights with Invicta.
Of those fights in Invicta, Schuckman is 0-2 against two of the better fighters on the roster. Top Japanese fighter AyakaHamasaki submitted her, and Michelle Waterson bested her in what was an amazing, back-and-forth MMA match that you should check out.
Now, she’s back with Invicta and hoping for longevity.
“I’m really excited to be back with Invicta. It’s been a while since I fought for them. I wanna show my improvements and solidify myself in the cage.”
Schuckman now looks to start her run at strawweight at Invicta 12 when she takes on Jenny LiouShriver, another woman making her return to Invicta. In Shriver, you have a less-experienced fighter with good skills and potential.
It’s the type of matchup that has Fight of the Night written all over it.
“I think we match up really well; she’s a jiu-jitsu fighter as well,” Schuckman pointed out. “I try to be as well-rounded as possible. I started as a striker but found my niche as a grappler. On the feet, this is more my game, but I don’t want to underestimate her. I expect her striking to be improved since her last fight with Invicta.”
Shriver is just the first fighter in a line of fighters Schuckman will have to defeat to catch the eye of the big promotion, the UFC. She wants to start a winning streak and continue to stay busy with Invicta.
Although she’s definitely not looking past Shriver, Schuckman already has future fights on her mind. She bases who she wants next on skills and style, something that will test her and make fun fights for the fans.
“Myself vs. MizukiInoue would be a great fight. I really respect her; she’s definitely somebody I have had an eye on for a while. Also, I think a matchup with JasminkaCive, another fighter known for her striking, is another person I’d like to test myself against.”
Of course, her first obstacle lies in Shriver. Come Invicta 12 fight night, she will be ready to start her run up the ladder in the strawweight division.
Lacey would like to thank her head coach, Randall Schuckman, her kickboxing coach, Don Lee, her boxing coach, Steve Mestas, her BJJ professor, Joaquin Baca, and her wrestling coach, Mike Laurita, as well as all of her teammates at #TeamGoonies. She would also like to thank her sponsors, 90 Degree by Reflex, Martial Arts Life Apparel, Fighter Girls, Grit Mouthguards, Mass Destruction MMA, MMAROADHOG Racing, Tan Time, LUB MMA and Xionx-mma.com. She’d like to send a shout-out to her manager, Rosa Freitas, for all the hard work. Follow her on Twitter @ladielacey
If you ask the casual MMA fan who the top three pound-for-pound fighters in MMA are, Demetrious Johnson’s name probably won’t come up.
The list is guaranteed to have Jon Jones. Ronda Rousey and Cain Velasquez are not only switching to Metro but l…
If you ask the casual MMA fan who the top three pound-for-pound fighters in MMA are, Demetrious Johnson’s name probably won’t come up.
The list is guaranteed to have Jon Jones. Ronda Rousey and Cain Velasquez are not only switching to Metro but likely on the list as well. Perhaps even Jose Aldo—or as he’s more known these days—”the guy fighting ConorMcGregor.”
Chris Weidman could also be on the list. After all, he’s the one who took down Anderson Silva.
But the one they call Mighty Mouse isn’t likely to be found. Yet if you look at the pound-for-pound rankings on UFC.com as of April 20, he’ll be there at No. 3.
After seven consecutive wins in the Octagon, Johnson is finally starting to get the recognition he deserves in the rankings. At UFC 186, he’ll attempt to prove he’s earned the accolades he receives against KyojiHoriguchi.
Horiguchi has put together a nice winning streak since coming into the UFC. He’s a perfect 4-0 since joining the organization, and at only 24 years old, his potential as a contender is intriguing. MMA Infographics breaks down the records of both fighters:
So is the young Horiguchi prepared to spring an upset on the titan of his division? Here’s a look at how he matches up with the champion along with an early prediction for just how the fight will shake out Saturday.
When: Saturday, April 25
Start Time: Fight Pass prelims at 7 p.m. ET (subscription required); Fox Sports 1 prelims at 8 p.m. ET; main card pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET
Looking at the odds for this bout, Vegas isn’t too confident in Horiguchi‘s ability to find a way to beat the champion. Odds Shark pegs the challenger as a 6-1 underdog for Saturday’s main event.
In actuality, the odds seem even steeper than that. Looking at the way these two match up, Horiguchi only has one path to victory. With nine of his 15 wins coming by way of knockout or TKO, he stands a puncher’s chance against Johnson.
Here’s how the two stack up statistically, via FightMetric:
The problem for Horiguchi is that Johnson has seen powerful strikers before. As Brian Hemminger of MMAOddsBreaker points out, Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson were dangerous challengers in their own right:
The difference between Horiguchi and those other two strikers might be in his style, though. The NorifumiYamamoto-trained fighter doesn’t always have the most orthodox angles and footwork, meaning he can sneak in and out of striking range without relying on being quicker than Johnson on the feet.
The body kick that Horiguchi landed early in his bout against Jon Delos Reyes is a great example:
The greatest challenge for the Horiguchi won’t be keeping up on the feet, though. It’s going to be getting it to stay on the feet. When Johnson has sensed a talent disparity in the wrestling department, he’s often taken advantage. He took down John Moraga 12 times and Dodson five, according to FightMetric.
Where Johnson chooses to take this fight ultimately becomes the storyline to watch as this bout unfolds.
Prediction
This fight bears some resemblance to the aforementioned Johnson vs. Moraga matchup. Moraga came into the bout with Johnson as a promising prospect who had made a good impression in his few UFC bouts but ultimately had very little to offer the champion.
What ensued was a five-round beatdown that ended with Johnson getting a submission victory.
Ultimately, this feels like it’s a classic case of too much, too soon for the young Horiguchi. With his unique style and knockout power, the potential is there for him to be an excellent contender in the flyweight division, perhaps champion.
However, as Patrick Wyman of Sherdog notes, this just feels like poor timing for the challenger:
Horiguchi himself disagrees, of course. “This is the perfect time for me to get a title shot,” Horiguchi said via Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie. “As usual, I’m going to work very hard in training and have a hard training camp before the fight. I am going for the victory and going for the title.”
If Horiguchi‘s karate style can throw Johnson’s rhythm off early, things could get surprisingly more interesting.
However, the more likely scenario is one in which Johnson sets the tone early. Rather than stand and exchange strikes with the younger fighter looking to make a name for himself, Johnson will look to turn the fight into a wrestling match.
If he’s successful doing that early on, things will get ugly quick for Horiguchi. Johnson has found a way to finish three of his last four opponents, and that’s a trend that should continue here.
Michael Bisping has never been one to shy away from confrontation. The brash Brit has made a career out of talking the talk in the lead up to fight night then backing up the bantering when the cage door closes on fight night. The 36-year-old’s unique approach has made him one of the most captivating […]
Michael Bisping has never been one to shy away from confrontation. The brash Brit has made a career out of talking the talk in the lead up to fight night then backing up the bantering when the cage door closes on fight night. The 36-year-old’s unique approach has made him one of the most captivating […]
And we’re off again!
The UFC’s busy spring schedule continues this Saturday as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defends his flyweight championship against Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186.
The headlining bout will put Johnson’s title on the line for an impr…
And we’re off again!
The UFC’s busy spring schedule continues this Saturday as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defends his flyweight championship against KyojiHoriguchi at UFC 186.
The headlining bout will put Johnson’s title on the line for an impressive sixth straight time, while Horiguchi aims to improve his professional record to 16-1.
While this flyweight tilt should offer exciting action from bell to bell, it isn’t the only featured showdown worthy of an audience.
From middleweight contenders to former NHL goons, this weekend’s main card ain’t too shabby.
Here are five reasons to pay the price tag and tune in.
Saturday night was a coming-out party for one of the hottest up-and-coming fighters in the women’s strawweight division. That party was for Paige VanZant, who took advantage of mainstream exposure in her fight with Felice Herrig to turn in her best performance to date. Dominant in her bout, VanZant mixed up her attacks on Herrig […]
Saturday night was a coming-out party for one of the hottest up-and-coming fighters in the women’s strawweight division. That party was for Paige VanZant, who took advantage of mainstream exposure in her fight with Felice Herrig to turn in her best performance to date. Dominant in her bout, VanZant mixed up her attacks on Herrig […]
Life on the MMA regional scene can be tough. Paychecks are unpredictable, fights can be hard to come by, and you’re not always fighting the most legit talents around.