It’s not everyday that we’re treated to “the biggest fight in the history of the sport”, and even rarer that a single gif covers the pre-fight warm up, the bout, the post-fight celebration, and the after party at Ghost Bar. That calls for a GIF party. Though the sole focus of last night’s UFC on FOX event yielded precious little in terms of motion-picture awesomeness, the fighters relegated to the dark corners of social media came through in spades.
Join us after the jump for an incredible collection of throws, slams, submissions, knock outs, spinning everythings, and even some good old fashioned mid-fight showboating.
It’s not everyday that we’re treated to “the biggest fight in the history of the sport”, and even rarer that a single gif covers the pre-fight warm up, the bout, the post-fight celebration, and the after party at Ghost Bar. That calls for a GIF party. Though the sole focus of last night’s UFC on FOX event yielded precious little in terms of motion-picture awesomeness, the fighters relegated to the dark corners of social media came through in spades.
Join us after the jump for an incredible collection of throws, slams, submissions, knock outs, spinning everythings, and even some good old fashioned mid-fight showboating.
Confirmation comes at the 12:35 mark of the press conference highlights. Props to MMAFighting.com for the video.
Leading up to last night’s historic UFC on Fox broadcast, there were rumors that the winner of Benson Henderson vs. Clay Guida would be fighting Frankie Edgar in Japan for the UFC lightweight title. As you know, Ben Henderson went on to defeat Clay Guida by unanimous decision in a Fight of the Night winning performance. Now, it has been confirmed that Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar will be the main event of the UFC’s return to Japan.
Since losing to Anthony Pettis back at WEC 53, Ben Henderson has gone 3-0 in the UFC. Even though all three victories have come by unanimous decision, Henderson has proven that he is incapable of being involved in a boring fight. Likewise, Frankie Edgar is coming off of a come from behind fourth round TKO over Gray Maynard at UFC 136 in October.
Confirmation comes at the 12:35 mark of the press conference highlights. Props to MMAFighting.com for the video.
Leading up to last night’s historic UFC on Fox broadcast, there were rumors that the winner of Benson Henderson vs. Clay Guida would be fighting Frankie Edgar in Japan for the UFC lightweight title. As you know, Ben Henderson went on to defeat Clay Guida by unanimous decision in a Fight of the Night winning performance. Now, it has been confirmed that Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar will be the main event of the UFC’s return to Japan.
Since losing to Anthony Pettis back at WEC 53, Ben Henderson has gone 3-0 in the UFC. Even though all three victories have come by unanimous decision, Henderson has proven that he is incapable of being involved in a boring fight. Likewise, Frankie Edgar is coming off of a come from behind fourth round TKO over Gray Maynard at UFC 136 in October.
UFC Japan is set to take place on February 26, 2012. In order to accommodate the fact that no one in North America wants to wake up at 9 AM for a PPV card, the show is set to start at 10 AM in Japan. Waking up before noon on a weekend? That’s a level of dedication that our Gaijin asses just can’t understand.
We’ll keep you posted as more fights get confirmed for this card.
In the weeks leading up to last night’s Heavyweight Championship bout, Dana White trumpeted that “whether this fight goes 30 seconds or 30 minutes, this is going to be a fight right here.” It was a fight, and it was slightly longer than 30 seconds, but in the post fight analysis Dana appeared frustrated and was searching for a reason that his champion went down so quickly. With all of the buildup and hype, I can’t help but think that first time viewers were equally confused and found the whole affair to be anticlimactic. Were that all the action we got to see last night, we’d probably be disappointed as well, but thank god for Facebook.
With regards to the main event, there’s not a lot to say, really. Junior Dos Santos hits hard. Cain’s game plan has been under attack, but it’s not like he got butchered on his feet for two rounds while doggedly refusing to shoot for a single. Velasquez got nailed with a huge overhand right just 55 seconds into the bout after already trying unsuccessfully for a takedown. Obviously, getting Dos Santos off of his feet quickly would have been Cain’s best option, but for a versatile heavyweight fighting under the brightest lights ever shone on a UFC fighter, shooting in for a Couture-Toney ankle pick with the opening bell still ringing wouldn’t do. Props to Dos Santos for getting it done quickly and violently in the Knock Out of the Night. It wasn’t the most epic fight that the UFC and FOX could have hoped for, but it was a memorable one. That Dos Santos did it with a torn meniscus is all the more impressive.
In the weeks leading up to last night’s Heavyweight Championship bout, Dana White trumpeted that “whether this fight goes 30 seconds or 30 minutes, this is going to be a fight right here.” It was a fight, and it was slightly longer than 30 seconds, but in the post fight analysis Dana appeared frustrated and was searching for a reason that his champion went down so quickly. With all of the buildup and hype, I can’t help but think that first time viewers were equally confused and found the whole affair to be anticlimactic. Were that all the action we got to see last night, we’d probably be disappointed as well, but thank god for Facebook.
With regards to the main event, there’s not a lot to say, really. Junior Dos Santos hits hard. Cain’s game plan has been under attack, but it’s not like he got butchered on his feet for two rounds while doggedly refusing to shoot for a single. Velasquez got nailed with a huge overhand right just 55 seconds into the bout after already trying unsuccessfully for a takedown. Obviously, getting Dos Santos off of his feet quickly would have been Cain’s best option, but for a versatile heavyweight fighting under the brightest lights ever shone on a UFC fighter, shooting in for a Couture-Toney ankle pick with the opening bell still ringing wouldn’t do. Props to Dos Santos for getting it done quickly and violently in the Knock Out of the Night. It wasn’t the most epic fight that the UFC and FOX could have hoped for, but it was a memorable one. That Dos Santos did it with a torn meniscus is all the more impressive.
It’s easy to say that the Henderson-Guida bout should have been broadcast in hindsight, but it was pretty obvious ahead of time as well. There was no doubt that their fight would be balls to the wall, and it may have been the organization’s best chance of finally securing the Prell sponsorship that’s eluded them for all these years. Guida’s style relies on a relentless pace and a controlling top game, but he met a superior wrestler and a cardio-equal in Bendo. His take down defense gave him control of the fight and his crisp striking allowed him to counter Guida’s wild barrages. It’s a shame that only a small fraction of those who caught the FOX broadcast are even aware of their Fight of the Night performance, but I’m sure the extra $65k makes up for it a little.
Cub Swanson headed into his bout with Ricardo Lamas with an abundance of confidence and some of the ugliest tattoos I’ve seen since “Katie’s Revenge”. After getting the better of Lamas in the striking department, Swanson nearly ended the fight with a deep guillotine in the first. He seemed indifferent as Lamas took him down and worked his way behind him, but that apathy was nowhere to be seen as he struggled to break free from an arm triangle. Lamas secured the tapout, and the Submission of the Night bonus, at 2:26 of R2.
Alex Caceres put on an absolute clinic against Cole Escovedo in his debut at 135 lbs. “Bruce Leroy” came after the former WEC champ from every possible angle with every strike in the book from the opening bell. On the ground Caceres was too much as well, coming close to sinking in a triangle and an armbar as he transitioned from one sub to the next. He picked up the unanimous decision—his first win in the Octagon–in his bantamweight debut.
Quick Notes:
Tough break for Mackens Semerzier. No one wants to get knocked out, but when it comes from an illegal (albeit accidental) headbutt it’s a lot harder to swallow. Hopefully he can get the “L” overturned.
Darren Uyenoyama knows a thing or two about grappling. Kid Yamamoto is now 0-2 in the UFC with only one win in his past five fights, and once again JMMA looks to be on life support. I’m sure Kid will be kept on board for Zuffa’s upcoming visit to Japan. His slide started just after divorcing this. We’d be depressed too, Kid.
This was Clay Harvison’s second straight loss, and it came via knock out at the hands of a mid-pack fighter just 1:34 into the bout. It was a nice recovery for DaMarques Johnson, but I don’t think Clay’s up to snuff.
Main Event (On Fox): -Junior dos Santos def. Cain Velasquez by KO at 1:04, R1
Undercard (On Facebook and FoxSports.com): -Benson Henderson def. Clay Guida by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
-Dustin Poirier def. Pablo Garza by submission (d’arce choke) at 1:32, R2
-Ricardo Lamas def. Cub Swanson by submission (arm triangle choke) at 2:16, R2
-DaMarques Johnson def. Clay Harvison by TKO at 1:34, R1
-Darren Uyenoyama def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
-Robert Peralta def. Mackens Semerzier by TKO at 1:54, R3
-Alex Caceres def. Cole Escovedo by unanious decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
-Mike Pierce def. Paul Bradley by split decision (28-29, 30-37, 29-28)
-Aaron Rosa def. Matt Lucas by majority decision (28-28, 30-26, 30-26)
ANAHEIM, Calif. — UFC president Dana White, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Clay Guida and Benson Henderson addressed the media following Saturday night’s UFC on FOX event. Below are the press conference highlights.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — UFC president Dana White, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Clay Guida and Benson Henderson addressed the media following Saturday night’s UFC on FOX event. Below are the press conference highlights.
Benson Henderson is one of the true examples of what it means to be a challenge or a “threat” to a fighter in the UFC Lightweight Division.The man is an enduring sort of guy who often seems very difficult to submit, even when everyone can see that his …
Benson Henderson is one of the true examples of what it means to be a challenge or a “threat” to a fighter in the UFC Lightweight Division.
The man is an enduring sort of guy who often seems very difficult to submit, even when everyone can see that his opponent has his submission hold locked in deep on Henderson, and he hasn’t looked terrible (he hasn’t been bruised much) since the first time he fought Donald Cerrone.
He last lost to Anthony Pettis at WEC 53 in a bout that saw fans find difficulty in backing one fighter without disrespecting or downgrading the other, but of course, we all know how that went.
Since WEC 53, however, Henderson’s toughness, grit, and ability to handle good fighters on the ground have made him something of a fan favorite, and his UFC on Versus 5 win over Jim Miller cemented that fact in what was a classic encounter.
In Clay “The Carpenter” Guida, Henderson combats a durable wrestler with relentless top control and the ability to finish fights by way of submission or ground-and-pound, but Guida is a wild sort that has posted up memorable wins only to get a bit crazy and cost himself the fight somehow.
Of course, Guida is still an exciting fighter, but if he has a chance to get Henderson down and control him, he will do so even if it means lulling crowds to sleep.
Henderson’s will to win comes in his ability to stay calm in tough situations and work past difficult scenarios in which his opponent seems to have control. It is due in part to his takedown defense and his ability to adapt to his opponent’s game plan in order to combat it.
Guida’s best chance might be to hope that he can wear out Henderson the way he was able to wear Pettis out, but even when it seems like a man is wearing Henderson out, it winds up being Henderson that wears his opponents out.
The key for Henderson is to keep his composure, create mistakes for Guida to make through his own striking, if possible, and get Guida to the ground, or wear him out enough to catch Guida in a submission and make him tap out.
It’s not going to be easy, but none of Henderson’s past outings were easy, and the last anyone checked, that was just the way Henderson liked it.
Going Team Guida? If you’ve got to back Guida, you can click here to find out why you’re making a good decision.
You don’t have to like Clay Guida, nor do you have to appreciate the fact that he grounded-and-pounded his way past a tough-guarding Anthony Pettis en route to a unanimous decision, but when a man fights like Guida does, it’s hard to not like the guy.S…
You don’t have to like Clay Guida, nor do you have to appreciate the fact that he grounded-and-pounded his way past a tough-guarding Anthony Pettis en route to a unanimous decision, but when a man fights like Guida does, it’s hard to not like the guy.
Save for the Pettis fight, in which he seemed to slow down a touch after a first round that started off how everyone predicted, Guida is one of the few wrestlers that will bring it and bring it hard with little to no sign of relenting.
Guida has the wrestling needed to put a good fighter in great danger, but he faces a problem in former WEC lightweight champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson.
What’s the problem, exactly, in fighting Ben Henderson?
“Bendo” has the crushing submission power that has famously put Guida down in the past, the jabs and striking that might force Guida to resort to frantic takedown attempts (thereby possibly affeting his gas tank), and he has the warrior’s spirit that Guida has not seen in a fighter since the TUF 9 classic versus Diego Sanchez’s.
Guida could lock Henderson in the same exact choke that put Takanori Gomi away, but to no avail—that is not as much an under-estimation of Guida’s own submission game as much as it is a testament to Henderson’s heart.
At the end of the day, though, strong wrestlers can do work and do work dominantly if they pace themselves correctly, and in a nutshell, that’s what Guida will do to Henderson, or at least hope to do to Henderson at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Guida’s head and body movements, as well as his footwork, are going to get a brief mention in this thesis because we’ve come to expect this in his defense, and he uses his footwork to attack from angles some foes find difficulty in effectively countering.
Leg kicks, jabs, and anything to keep Henderson at bay—that is what Guida has to use in order to put himself closer to winning the fight, as it will help break down any defense Henderson has and help Guida effectively mount his signature offense en route to what could be a submission victory. Guida should choose to attack the neck of Henderson and anyone who is familiar with “The Carpenter” and his submission offense knows that he does well at attacking the neck.
It will be a miracle if any man at 155 right now can make Henderson tap out, but if anyone could do so at this level of active lightweight competition, it would be Guida, and if he can do it on Saturday, there would be little question as to whether Guida should get Frankie Edgar next or not.
Going Team Bendo? Henderson supporters can click here for an opposing view.
Benson Henderson is one of the true examples of what it means to be a challenge or a “threat” to a fighter in the UFC Lightweight Division.