Tag: benson henderson

Should the UFC Present PPV-Quality Cards on Fox?

Since their partnership with Fox, the UFC has opened the gates and let the fights pour forth, straight onto “free TV.” But at the same time, there seems to be something missing, and it is clear what it is: PPV-quality cards. For some, this …

Since their partnership with Fox, the UFC has opened the gates and let the fights pour forth, straight onto “free TV.”

But at the same time, there seems to be something missing, and it is clear what it is: PPV-quality cards.

For some, this is totally expected. They see Fox much the same way they saw Spike TV, and then the question becomes “why should the UFC give away a PPV-quality card?”

The answer is simple: because Fox is the key to a much bigger kingdom.

Imagine what the audience response would have been like if the UFC had put the Dan Henderson vs. Shogun card on Fox. They would have eaten it up; swallowing the hook so deep they’d never get it out.

When you get such a big audience, then you should be looking to make an equally big impression. While previous Fox cards have been good, they could be so much better.

Of course, there is no crystal ball available that allows the company to know for sure if a PPV card is going to be great; after all, UFC 33 looked good on paper, but ended up being a disaster.

Still, this whole new relationship with Fox is seeing both sides take risks in order to help the sport explode to the levels they clearly believe in. If you’re going to take risks, then putting a PPV-quality card on Fox is the smart risk to take.

And they need to be taking that risk once every three months.

If the company is really going to put themselves out there for mass consumption, then they really need to go all out, once per quarter. If the sport has proven anything, it’s that it makes an impression, one way or the other.

And if you’re going to make an impression, it might as well be a big one.

Consider for a moment UFC 150, this coming August. You have a rematch between Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title, which more probably than not is going to be a good fight.

You also have Jake Shields, Yushin Okami, Luiz Cane and Ed Herman, and there are sure to be other big-name fighters rounding out the main card as well.

This would be a great card to put on Fox; it has a title bout in a division known for action, and everyone loves anniversaries.

Of course, there are also arguments against this, mainly coming from the crowd that believes you shouldn’t give something away for free when people are willing to pay big money for it.

That is all well and good, except I don’t think putting forth PPV-quality cards on Fox is “giving away” anything.

I look at it as making an investment; showing the people that should they spend their time on a Fox channel, this is what they will receive.

And should that PPV-quality card be as good as UFC 100, or UFC 139: Henderson vs. Shogun, or UFC 116, then many more people are going to get very comfortable with the notion of spending more time with the sport.

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UFC 150: Is Frankie Edgar Being Set Up to Fail Against Ben Henderson?

Frankie Edgar may be walking into a fight with Ben Henderson at less than 100 percent.At least that seems to be the case, as a recent broadcast conducted at UFC on Fuel TV confirmed that Edgar would be challenging for the UFC Lightweight Title against …

Frankie Edgar may be walking into a fight with Ben Henderson at less than 100 percent.

At least that seems to be the case, as a recent broadcast conducted at UFC on Fuel TV confirmed that Edgar would be challenging for the UFC Lightweight Title against Henderson at UFC 150. Dana White reaffirmed the news himself, simply stating that the two would fight on August 11th.

Strangely, this is just a few days removed from Edgar saying that he most likely wouldn’t be able to compete at UFC 150 due to his often-damaged nose, which needed time to heal to due to the abuse it’s taken in several of his recent fights:

Yeah, you know, I had some issues with my nose. My nose obviously breaks pretty frequently, at least for the last couple of fights, so I just need some time to let it heal properly so I can get back to sparring.

Right now, the UFC itself is in the midst of a scheduling crisis due to a variety of freak occurrences. Dominick Cruz is out of UFC 148 due to a torn ACL. Alistair Overeem was removed from UFC 146 thanks to suspiciously high testosterone levels. Dana White and the UFC played musical chairs with Jose Aldo’s next title defense before settling on Calgary, Canada. Carlos Condit is essentially holding the welterweight division hostage while waiting for Georges St. Pierre to finish rehab.

And all of that’s nothing to mention of the various injuries and events that have moved and restructured other matches in the UFC’s upcoming fight cards.

So when Frankie Edgar says that he needs time to heal an injury on Fuel TV, and Dana White turns right around and says that Edgar’s not getting an extra month off, it looks a little weird.

Whatever the case, Edgar seems committed to the UFC 150 date, as his official Twitter account has retweeted the announcement of the fight.

Is this a case of Frankie Edgar playing the role of the good “company man” against his better judgement? Perhaps his injured nose isn’t quite damaged enough to prevent him from getting in a full training camp.

Or maybe Dana White isn’t willing to let Frankie Edgar hold up the UFC lightweight title picture for any longer than necessary—especially when too many of his other title belts are currently in limbo.

After all, Ben Henderson is the favorite to win their rematch. And considering that Edgar hasn’t been a successful pay-per-view draw, the UFC brass might just want this over with so the lightweight division can move on to bigger, better things.

Either that, or someone still has plans on pushing “The Answer” into helping out the ailing featherweight division.

If Frankie Edgar is walking into a five-round title fight with that kind of handicap, the smart bet for Ben Henderson would be targeting Edgar’s nose with every jab, elbow, and kick that he could throw. After so many wars with B.J. Penn, Gray Maynard, and Henderson himself, the question isn’t “if” Edgar’s nose could break again, but “when” it’ll happen.

Hopefully, the former champion can walk into the Octagon this August without any health issues hanging in front of his face—but no matter what, the show (apparently) must go on.

[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and former writer for GamePro, PC World and Macworld. Follow his Twitter account for crazy talk, 1990s movie references, and general weirdness. Or you could just stalk him on Google.]

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Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar Rematch Confirmed for UFC 150

The rematch is official.During an appearance on UFC Tonight, UFC president Dana White announced UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will make his first title defense against Frankie Edgar at UFC 150.The two competitors last met at UFC 144 in Febr…

The rematch is official.

During an appearance on UFC Tonight, UFC president Dana White announced UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will make his first title defense against Frankie Edgar at UFC 150.

The two competitors last met at UFC 144 in February where Edgar would drop the title to Henderson via a unanimous decision. Edgar personally requested a rematch immediately following the bout due to how competitive the matchup was, but White insisted that the former lightweight champion drop to 145 pounds and challenge current champion Jose Aldo.

However, Edgar kept persisting for a rematch and White ultimately granted his wish to face Henderson again.

This will be Edgar’s third opponent in back-to-back title fights after he defeated fellow lightweight contenders BJ Penn and Gray Maynard.

UFC 150 will take place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, which will be the company’s first trip back since hosting UFC 135.

Rumors are still swirling surrounding the event, but the UFC can now begin to build around the main card with Edgar and Henderson set to headline.

Jake Shields is also expected to be featured on the card, as the former Strikeforce middleweight champion makes his return to 185 pounds to face Ed Herman.

Plus, Yushin Okami is looking to rebound off his loss to Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 as he is slated to meet Luiz Cane.

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Can Nate Diaz Step out of His Brother’s Shadow and Capture UFC Gold?

For a while now, Nate Diaz has been stepping out of his big brother’s shadow, slowly but surely. While Nick Diaz is still in many of the water cooler conversations, Nate is getting very close to a title shot for the UFC lightweight title belt. The real…

For a while now, Nate Diaz has been stepping out of his big brother’s shadow, slowly but surely.

While Nick Diaz is still in many of the water cooler conversations, Nate is getting very close to a title shot for the UFC lightweight title belt.

The real question is: Can he do it?

Yes, he most certainly can.

Right now, Nate Diaz matches up well with any of the top five fighters in the division. Yes, he is good where they are great, but he is also great where they are good.

Diaz brings three tools to the table that he can claim are the sharpest in the division: striking, submissions and a love for brutal fights.

Much like his big brother, Nate Diaz never met a fight he didn’t like. He’s got some losses on his record, but they were never really one-sided, even when you consider his loss to Rory MacDonald.

Right now, he has to eat what’s on his plate, and that will be no easy task. Jim Miller is going to go after him, bell to bell, and unlike many in the division, Miller is not going to be intimidated by Diaz.

Should Diaz be able to utilize his reach and superior striking game, he will probably walk away with a decision victory, putting the title square in his sights.

He’ll either be facing Ben Henderson or Frankie Edgar—two incredible fighters who are polished beyond the rest of the pack.

And I think Diaz can beat them both.

Of course, it won’t be easy. Far from it, in fact.

Both Henderson and Edgar are better wrestlers than Diaz. Both have his same kind of cardio and both have proven they won’t wilt under the pressure.

They both also enjoy a very high fight I.Q., and that is normally what makes a champion. They know when to maintain a position, when to go for broke, and most importantly, how to exploit the weaknesses of their given opponent.

It’s going to be hard for Diaz to handle the constant angular movement of Edgar just like it will be hard for him to handle the strength of Henderson.

And, of course, both Edgar and Henderson are faster than Diaz as well, which is another daunting problem.

But still, even considering all of this, I think Nate Diaz can win.

Diaz will have a significant advantage in striking. He put the blocks to Donald Cerrone, who is a great fighter in his own right, and he made Takanori Gomi look almost childish.

On the floor, Diaz can submit anyone in the division. His jiu-jitsu has such a firm base that he can build a submission opportunity seemingly from out of nowhere, and he doesn’t make many of the common mistakes that allow an opponent to slip out.

But, if there is anything about his game that really shines, it’s his style of fighting.

Diaz would be in the face of both Edgar and Henderson. He’s gotten to be very good at controlling the distance and dictating the pace and any moment of contemplation on their feet would see Diaz winging hard hooks and straight punches, both of which he can do with a surprising degree of accuracy.

Nate Diaz is a hard opponent to prepare for, simply because he doesn’t shy away from punches. When a Diaz brother gets punched in the face, they come alive and press the action even further.

Obviously, in a UFC title fight, all the cards are on the table, face up. Men as good as Henderson and Edgar aren’t going to bring anything less than their best, and for Diaz, that means fighting hard to keep from being controlled on the ground by superior wrestling.

Still, I think Diaz can do it. He’s a fast starter who has the courage of his convictions, and I believe we would see him raise his game to a new level come the night of a title fight.

And, let’s be honest, a title fight between Nate Diaz vs. either Benson Henderson or Frankie Edgar would be spectacular.

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UFC to Return to Denver for UFC 150, Headlined by Rematch Between Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar

In 1993, the UFC made history by holding its first event at the old McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. Now, the UFC will celebrate its 150th numbered event (Technically not, but play along) with a return to The Mile-High City on August 11. Tickets for the event, which takes place at The Pepsi Center, will go on sale June 15.

Headlining the event will be a lightweight title fight between champion Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar, who lost the title to Henderson by unanimous decision at UFC 144. It’s an odd time to announce this fight, as Dana White has been adamant about having Frankie Edgar drop to featherweight. Not to mention that just days ago, Edgar seemed to be teasing a fight with Jose Aldo.

But in a way, an immediate rematch for Edgar only seems fair, considering that Edgar had to give out two immediate rematches while he was the lightweight champion.

In 1993, the UFC made history by holding its first event at the old McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. Now, the UFC will celebrate its 150th numbered event (Technically not, but play along) with a return to The Mile-High City on August 11. Tickets for the event, which takes place at The Pepsi Center, will go on sale June 15.

Headlining the event will be a lightweight title fight between champion Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar, who lost the title to Henderson by unanimous decision at UFC 144. It’s an odd time to announce this fight, as Dana White has been adamant about having Frankie Edgar drop to featherweight. Not to mention that just days ago, Edgar seemed to be teasing a fight with Jose Aldo.

But in a way, an immediate rematch for Edgar only seems fair, considering that Edgar had to give out two immediate rematches while he was the lightweight champion.

Currently, there are two other fights announced for this card. There’s a lightweight bout between Thiago Tavares vs. Dennis Hallman and a depressing middleweight bout between Luiz Cane and Yushin Okami. Expect the latter to be a loser leaves town fight; Cane has lost three of his last four fights, and Okami has looked more gun-shy by the minute since losing to Anderson Silva at UFC 134. Okami has most recently fallen to Tim Boetsch at UFC 144.

The UFC was most recently in Denver for UFC 135 last September, where Jon Jones made quick work of former light-heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and numerous heavyweights demonstrated what high altitudes do to a fighter’s stamina. We imagine that there won’t be too many heavyweight bouts this time around.

We’ll keep you posted as more details become available.

Report: UFC 150 to Take Place in Denver

The UFC returns to Denver on August 11 to host the landmark UFC 150, according to the UFC’s website. As of now, only two fights have been slated for the card. Luiz Cane makes his middleweight debut against Yushin Okami, who is of the top-ranked f…

The UFC returns to Denver on August 11 to host the landmark UFC 150, according to the UFC’s website.

As of now, only two fights have been slated for the card.

Luiz Cane makes his middleweight debut against Yushin Okami, who is of the top-ranked fighters in that division.

Cane will drop weight after a loss by TKO against Stanislav Nedkov at UFC 134. The drop should be a welcome change for Cane, who had enjoyed an 8-0-0-1 NC record before joining the UFC as a light heavyweight, where his record in the organization has been 4-4-0.

Okami will also look for a victory to put a halt to his two-loss streak against Anderson Silva and, more recently, Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 this February.

Lightweights Thiago Tavares and Dennis Hallman will also fight in a bout that had originally been scheduled for UFC on FOX 3 on May 5.

Both fighters will be coming off of wins before their long rests. Tavares defeated Sam Stout at UFC 142 in January and Hallman won against John Makdessi in December at UFC 140.

This will also be Hallman’s first official bout as a lightweight in since 2001, when he fought for the UFC lightweight title against Jens Pulver. While Hallman attempted to cut from welterweight to lightweight for his last fight in 2011, he missed weight and instead fought at a catchweight.

According to The Denver Post, UFC officials have said that a rematch between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson for the lightweight title is in the works, though the bout is not yet official.

Edgar lost the belt to Henderson at UFC 144 in a close but unanimous decision that won the “Fight of the Night” award. Since then, Edgar has made it clear that he wants a rematch, despite UFC president Dana White’s attempts to persuade Edgar to drop to 145.

The UFC has a long history in Denver, and this milestone event will mark 19 years since UFC 1 took place in the Mile High City.

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