Tag: benson henderson

UFC on FOX 5: Nate Diaz Will Not Get in the Head of Benson Henderson

The Diaz brothers are the most misunderstood and wrongly-classified fighters in all of mixed martial arts. Older brother Nick is likely the one who will shoulder the blame for most of the reputation they carry. He’s brash, headstrong and tends to …

The Diaz brothers are the most misunderstood and wrongly-classified fighters in all of mixed martial arts. 

Older brother Nick is likely the one who will shoulder the blame for most of the reputation they carry. He’s brash, headstrong and tends to do things that we, as seemingly regular people, just cannot seem to mentally grasp. Normal people don’t usually film crazy, nonsensical solo videos or bring a heavy case of the awkward to a typical post-fight interview. And it goes without saying that normal folks, well, they just don’t decide it’s a good idea to no-show a pre-fight press conference and cost yourself the biggest opportunity of your fighting life.

That’s Nick. You never know what he’ll do or say, and you love him for it even when he continually shoots himself in the foot. Nick Diaz definitely pilots his own special version of a crazy train, and there are plenty of you along for the ride. 

But Nate Diaz is different. I think a lot of the negative feelings that people have towards Nick are usually applied to Nate, but the shoe doesn’t fit. Sure, Nate’s had his share of aggressive moments and middle fingers, but almost all of them have either come in the heat of the moment—in the middle of a fight—or in the buildup to the fight itself.

We’ve already had plenty of talk about Diaz attempting to get into the head of his next opponent, Benson Henderson, whom Diaz faces for the UFC lightweight championship in December. Henderson himself is under the impression that Diaz enjoys playing mind games.

“I know he likes to go into his fights getting guys worked up in the head a little bit and stuff, so you know, his camp, everyone involved in that 209 stuff, you know, God bless ‘em,” Henderson said during the UFC 150 post-fight press conference. “My hat’s off to him, he’s a tough fighter.”

Here’s the thing about Nate Diaz: He’s a refreshingly respectful young man when he’s not in the cage. I’ve had numerous dealings with both Diaz brothers through the years, and Nate never fails to make me feel incredibly old by answering all of my questions with a polite “yes sir” or “no sir”. Things get a bit more intense when he nears fight time, and even more so when he feels like his opponent is trying to disrespect him or play games of any kind.

But for the most part, Diaz is simply a nice dude who loves martial arts, loves to fight and loves his big brother. Both brothers are driven by a desire to be the best in their profession. It’s a trait they developed growing up when it seemed like they’d never amount to anything or have anything nice at all, and they proved to the world that they could be something.

For Nate, being the best in the world is all that matters. He’s not trying to get into your head, because getting into your head requires playing games. Diaz hates playing games. Just lace up his hands and line someone up across the cage, and he’ll be happy and content. His next opponent is the best lightweight in the world, and that’s enough to drive him forward.

“It’s definitely gonna be a good, hard fight. Now it’s time to fight for a title, and I’m gonna do what I can to win that belt… I’m trying to do it for my team,” Diaz said in a recent interview. “[Expletive] the belt, I’m trying to beat the number one guy in the world and that’s him right now.”

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Frankie Edgar Doesn’t Think Making 145 ‘Would Be Too Much of a Problem’

After losing a controversial split decision to UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at UFC 150 on Saturday, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar is finally seriously considering a move to 145 pounds. “I don’t think making the weight would be too …

After losing a controversial split decision to UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at UFC 150 on Saturday, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar is finally seriously considering a move to 145 pounds. 

“I don’t think making the weight would be too much of a problem,” Edgar said on Sherdog Radio Network’s It’s Time show with Bruce Buffer. 

“I don’t think I’d have to tweak much,” he said. “I probably would clean my diet maybe some. I like to eat fairly clean and I’m not a huge eater, so I wouldn’t have to change too, too much, but I’ll be honest: I think a lot of 145-pounders are probably bigger than me down at that weight class anyway.”

After consecutive losses to “Smooth,” fans and analysts are begging louder than ever for the New Jersey native to try out a lighter weight class better suited for his frame. 

Edgar, who has fought all 18 of his professional fights at lightweight, is considering the move but is far from making a concrete decision on the matter just yet. 

“Forty-five is a possibility. Fifty-five, I’ve been so successful and I would love to get a shot at the 155-pound belt again. Who knows? The 145-pound belt is definitely a prestigious belt to go after, especially with Jose Aldo at the helm of it all, but I’ve just got to really sit down and just discuss it with my team and my family and just make the right decision for myself.”

The former Clarion University wrestler shocked the MMA world by defeating BJ Penn in his prime at UFC 112 to capture the UFC lightweight belt. 

Despite the controversy, Edgar silenced his critics by beating “The Prodigy” much more convincingly at UFC 118. 

However, Edgar has gone just 1-2-1 since then, with both the win and draw coming against Gray Maynard. Edgar definitively ended their trilogy by knocking out “The Bully” at UFC 136. 

Is The Answer destined to dethrone featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo or does Edgar still have his best fights ahead of him at 155 pounds?

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UFC 150 Medical Suspensions: Benson Henderson Suspended Indefinitely

UFC 150 took place on Saturday, August 11 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. In the evening’s main event, Benson Henderson retained his UFC lightweight crown, defeating former champion Frankie Edgar via split decision. The result of that fight …

UFC 150 took place on Saturday, August 11 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. In the evening’s main event, Benson Henderson retained his UFC lightweight crown, defeating former champion Frankie Edgar via split decision.

The result of that fight continues to be debated among MMA fans and pundits, as many had the fight scored in favor of the former champion. While the debates give fans something to discuss until the next fight card, they really have no bearing; the decision of the judges stands and Henderson remains the champ, case closed.

Henderson’s next opponent has already been named and a date set for that fight, as USA Today broke the news that Henderson would meet Nate Diaz on December 8 when the UFC presents their fifth installment of UFC on FOX. 

It’s doubtful that the Henderson versus Diaz fight is in any jeopardy, but it should be noted that Henderson was one of eight fighters handed a suspension following UFC 150 and the only fighter that was suspended indefinitely.

Full list of UFC 150 Medical Suspensions per Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Affairs Office of Boxing:

Benson Henderson: Must be cleared by a physician.

Melvin Guillard: Suspended for 60 days.

Buddy Roberts: Suspended for 30 days.

Justin Lawrence: Suspended for 60 days, and must be cleared by a physician.

Jared Hamman: Suspended for 60 days.

Ken Stone: Suspended for 30 days.

Dustin Pague: Suspended for 45 days.

Eiji Mitsuoka: Suspended for 45 days.

UFC President Dana White opened the post-fight press conference by revealing that the fight card drew a crowd of 15,008 and brought in a gate of $650,000.

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Frankie Edgar’s Coach Says He Should Drop to 135 Pounds


(Frankie Edgar vs. Dominick Cruz for the UFC bantamweight title, with special guest referee Michael Vick. Dare we dream? | Photo via the best communications director in MMA)

For years, everyone from UFC President Dana White to fans of former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar have called for “The Answer” to drop down to a more natural competition weight of 145 pounds because he’s so much smaller than just about everyone he’s faced in the Octagon. To this point, Edgar has only seemed to be annoyed at the suggestion — after all, he clearly has no problem competing with the relative behemoths at lightweight — but now even his team seems to be saying he should drop down…to bantamweight.

You read that correctly (or maybe you didn’t, we really can’t vouch for either your vision or literacy, so get off our back, ok?): Edgar’s boxing coach and The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry says that he’d like to see Edgar, who he says walks around at just 157-159 pounds, instead campaign at 135 pounds:

“Me personally, I’d like to see Frankie for like a year to take a rest on his back and his body to fight people at 135 to do what everybody in the whole MMA community is [doing] and suck him down to nothing, looking like their death the day of the weigh-in and fight people that weigh as much as him,” Henry said while a guest on the SiriusXM Fight Club radio show Monday.


(Frankie Edgar vs. Dominick Cruz for the UFC bantamweight title, with special guest referee Michael Vick. Dare we dream? | Photo via the best communications director in MMA)

For years, everyone from UFC President Dana White to fans of former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar have called for “The Answer” to drop down to a more natural competition weight of 145 pounds because he’s so much smaller than just about everyone he’s faced in the Octagon. To this point, Edgar has only seemed to be annoyed at the suggestion — after all, he clearly has no problem competing with the relative behemoths at lightweight — but now even his team seems to be saying he should drop down…to bantamweight.

You read that correctly (or maybe you didn’t, we really can’t vouch for either your vision or literacy, so get off our back, ok?): Edgar’s boxing coach and The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry says that he’d like to see Edgar, who he says walks around at just 157-159 pounds, instead campaign at 135 pounds:

“Me personally, I’d like to see Frankie for like a year to take a rest on his back and his body to fight people at 135 to do what everybody in the whole MMA community is [doing] and suck him down to nothing, looking like their death the day of the weigh-in and fight people that weigh as much as him,” Henry said while a guest on the SiriusXM Fight Club radio show Monday.

“What he’s doing now I don’t think he gets enough credit for,” Henry continued. “You’re talking about guys that weigh 155-160 — what he walks around at — even when he isn’t training. Who’s doing that? That would be like Ben [Henderson] fighting Anderson Silva. He walks around and he’s 157. He comes back from Disneyland after his last fight or two fights ago and he’s 157, 158 or 159. I don’t think Frankie gets enough credit for what he’s accomplishing and doing in MMA.”

If Edgar truly walks around that light, that must be why he looks like he looked liked he was fighting his uncle in his matches with Gray Maynard and Benson Henderson. What do you say, Nation? Now that he’s lost two fights in row to Henderson, should Edgar do what most other fighters do and diet and cut down from about twenty pounds above their contracted weights for fights? Or would Frankie be better off keeping his speed and energy advantage at lightweight?

– Elias Cepeda

UFC on FOX 5: Will This Be the Breakthrough Card for the UFC on FOX?

When UFC announced the deal with Fox, fans were exciting about the idea of huge pay-per-view-worthy cards coming to national television. Then, UFC on Fox 1 rolled around and gave us…one fight.One.Granted, it was a heavyweight championship fight betwe…

When UFC announced the deal with Fox, fans were exciting about the idea of huge pay-per-view-worthy cards coming to national television. Then, UFC on Fox 1 rolled around and gave us…one fight.

One.

Granted, it was a heavyweight championship fight between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez and featured dos Santos becoming the new champion with a first-round knockout. While it was a major step for the UFC, featuring one fight wasn’t quite the start fans wanted.

So, two months later UFC on Fox 2 featured three bouts on Fox including two title eliminators. All three fights were decisions that were fairly lackluster.

With the UFC wanting to guarantee the next Fox card more excitement, UFC on Fox 3 featured some of the UFC’s most exciting fighters Pat Barry, Rousimar Palhares, Alan Belcher, Lavar Johnson, Jim Miller and Nate Diaz.

It delivered with three of the four fights being finished, including Nate Diaz earning a lightweight title shot.

Earlier this month, UFC on Fox 4 came around and was hit hard by injuries that resulted in the main event being an odd pairing of Shogun Rua taking on Brandon Vera. Luckily for the UFC, the two men brought an exciting fight. 

Although the card didn’t feature a lot of big names, all four fights on Fox were finished in what was one of the more exciting main cards the UFC has put on this year.

Now, we get to December’s UFC on Fox 5, and finally, it appears the UFC will give us a stacked-free card.

As it was announced by John Morgan of USA Today, UFC on Fox 5 will feature a lightweight championship bout between Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz, a light heavyweight bout between Shogun Rua and Alexander Gustafsson and the previously announced battle between returning B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald.

If UFC on Fox hasn’t really clicked with viewers yet, this will be the card that does so. The main card only has three fights so far, but they include a title fight, a title contention fight and a “Big-Name” fight.

UFC on Fox 5 is still four months away, but if these men all stay healthy, we can expect the biggest UFC on Fox card yet.

 

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UFC on Fox 5 to Feature Henderson vs. Diaz and Shogun vs. Gustafsson

Alright, so here’s some late-night breaking news for you courtesy of USA Today’s John Morgan.After his split-decision win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 150, there was some curiosity as to when Benson Henderson would defend his belt against Nate Diaz. …

Alright, so here’s some late-night breaking news for you courtesy of USA Today’s John Morgan.

After his split-decision win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 150, there was some curiosity as to when Benson Henderson would defend his belt against Nate Diaz. 

Well, it seems that everyone’s questions are answered. The final UFC on Fox card will be the home of the lightweight title defense. However, the card doesn’t end there. In the co-main event, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will face rising star Alexander Gustafsson in a light heavyweight bout. 

The card will also feature BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald in welterweight action. Yes, the bout that was scrapped from UFC 152 due to a cut that MacDonald sustained in training. A fourth fight will be added to round out the main card.  

The Henderson/Diaz bout will surely deliver, as both fighters are known for their exciting style and never-say-die attitude.

Diaz secured his shot at UFC on Fox 3 with a submission win over Jim Miller. Henderson’s two victories over Frankie Edgar have cemented him as the top fighter in the lightweight division. 

The Rua/Gustafsson winner will likely be in line for a title shot sometime in 2013.

Many expect Gustafsson to present the biggest challenge to Jon Jones, as he has the physical gifts to match him and the boxing to keep him at bay.

“Shogun” was fighting for a No. 1 contendership at UFC on Fox 4, but he ultimately lost the opportunity to Lyoto Machida.

This card will likely be the most anticipated event on broadcast television since the UFC’s first foray on Fox which saw the heavyweight title change hands when Junior Dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez in the first round.  

UFC on Fox 5 will take place on Dec. 8. The location is not yet known.

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