After another crazy and controversial night of fights from last night’s (Sun., June 25, 2017) UFC Fight Night 112 from the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, fans have plenty to analyze. From shocking submissions to quick TKOs, UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs Lee delivered in more ways than one. The most glaring was the most […]
After another crazy and controversial night of fights from last night’s (Sun., June 25, 2017) UFC Fight Night 112 from the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, fans have plenty to analyze. From shocking submissions to quick TKOs, UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs Lee delivered in more ways than one.
The most glaring was the most undesired, when highly derided referee Mario Yamasaki called an extremely early stoppage to the Kevin Lee vs. Michael Chiesa main event after Chiesa did not tap, ripping a chance for Lee to decisively win the biggest fight os his UFC career and also not allowing Chiesa a chance to recover even if he was in big trouble.
And it became clear on Sunday night that several longtime veterans are on the way out, while several new prospects emerged in some extremely lacking weight divisions.
Let’s take a look at what we’re left with after the UFC’s foray to Oklahoma City.
5. Dominick Reyes Is A Much-Needed New Face At 205:
For a division severely lacking in prospects and contenders, the light heavyweight class is beginning to finally shape up.
Volkan Oezdemir, Marcel Fortuna, and now Reyes have all scored incredible first round finishes in recent bouts, and their presence is sorely needed.
Reyes absolutely leveled Christiansen within the first 20 seconds, and finished the fight just seconds later. Reyes is heading a new crop of prospects at 205 pounds, which is long overdue to say the least.
Remember when many considered BJ Penn to be the best fighter in the world? During his run at the top, Penn delivered a resounding finish of top contender Sean Sherk in 2008, landing a knee and following up with several uncontested shots to the face. You can relive that moment when Penn “waved off” the […]
Remember when many considered BJ Penn to be the best fighter in the world? During his run at the top, Penn delivered a resounding finish of top contender Sean Sherk in 2008, landing a knee and following up with several uncontested shots to the face. You can relive that moment when Penn “waved off” the […]
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world was dealt an incredibly disheartening blow this afternoon when it was revealed that former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes was in serious condition after being airlifted to a nearby hospital following a collision with an oncoming train in his home state of Illinois. Dana White gave some initial details of the […]
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world was dealt an incredibly disheartening blow this afternoon when it was revealed that former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes was in serious condition after being airlifted to a nearby hospital following a collision with an oncoming train in his home state of Illinois.
Dana White gave some initial details of the accident, stating that Hughes family was en route to be with the 43-year-old MMA star, describing what seemed to be very daunting injuries.
Hughes’ official condition remains uncertain at this point, but some specifics of the accident were released by Marcia Martinez of The State Register-Journal. Apparently Hughes had driven his truck directly onto the tracks where a train was passing, resulting in a collision with the passenger side of his vehicle:
“Hughes, 43, was taken to a Springfield hospital by helicopter. His condition was not immediately available, but Illinois State Police described his injuries as serious.
Illinois State Police said Hughes was heading east on Beelers Trail about 10:45 a.m. and crossed the railroad tracks directly in front of the train. The train struck the passenger side of the truck.
The crossing was marked only with a sign, state police said.
Officers with the Illinois State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit are investigating the crash.”
Officers will investigate the unfortunate circumstance while Hughes’ family, friends, and his legions of fight fans pray for recovery from the decorated former champion, who is regarded as one of the best welterweights to ever compete in the sport of MMA.
Hughes dominated the UFC welterweight division for the better part of a decade when he exploded into the octagon by winning the belt with his now-historic KO win over Carlos Newton in 2001. Hughes went on to defend that championship five times before losing it to then-rising star BJ Penn, only to win it back when “The Prodigy” vacated it with his legendary armbar submission over a still-rising Georges St-Pierre at UFC 50 in 2004.
The Illinois wrestling powerhouse defended the belt two more times against Frank Trigg and Penn, setting up a rubber match in one of Hughes’ final UFC bouts. His rivalries with St-Pierre, Penn, and Trigg undoubtedly ranked as the most heated in the UFC at their time, and produced some truly historical moments in the semi-early days of the rapidly developing combat sport.
Overall, the dominant grappler boasted a 16-6 overall record in the UFC including T/KOs and five submissions in one of the greatest MMA careers we’ve ever witnessed.
Hughes retired in 2011 and took on a job with the UFC under previous promotional owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, and was recently talking about returning to fight if he somehow got the right match-up, even teasing a rematch with fellow legend Royce Gracie, whom he demolished when he was in his prime in the pioneer’s return to the octagon in 2006.
Chronicling Hughes’ amazing career as a whole truly makes the tragedy of his unfortunate scenario even more heart-wrenching, so myself and all of the LowKick team send nothing but the best out to Matt, his family, his friends, and all of his fans. We’ll keep you updated on any new developments surrounding the matter.
No one can dispute that 2017 has been a down year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship thus far. There have been a few bright spots like UFC 211 and the highly anticipated battle between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway at UFC 212, but they largely been overshadowed by mediocre Fight Night cards, some with head […]
No one can dispute that 2017 has been a down year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship thus far.
There have been a few bright spots like UFC 211 and the highly anticipated battle between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway at UFC 212, but they largely been overshadowed by mediocre Fight Night cards, some with head scratching main events.
Things are finally looking up with the McGregor vs. Mayweather super-fight getting finalized. Next month’s UFC 213 also looks outstanding, with two title fights and a bevy of other exciting scraps.
But before the good times start rolling again, there will be another entry to the crappy event list added this weekend. With that in mind, let’s look back at the eight worst bookings of 2017 so far.
1. UFC Fight Night 103: Penn vs. Rodriguez
No list of cringe-worthy bookings would be complete without the epic mismatch between dynamic rising featherweight star Yair Rodriguez and all-time great BJ Penn. The two were set to do battle at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 15, but it wasn’t much of a fight.
Penn was making his return to fighting after a two-and-a-half-year retirement, taking his second-ever fight at featherweight. Various opponent switches, injuries, and suspensions delayed his return by nearly a year, and left him with “Pantera” as his comeback foe. Rodriguez, meanwhile, was undefeated in the UFC and regarded as one of the most promising prospects in the 145-pound division.
Penn looked better initially than he had in his last fight, an embarrassing and perplexing third loss to Frankie Edgar. But the positives wouldn’t last long. The high-flying “Pantera” hurt Penn with a kick to the body in the first round that seemed to sap the Hawaiian’s resolve. Free to unleash the full breadth of his arsenal, Rodriguez teed off, nearly finishing Penn at the end of the frame.
He would mop up Penn early in the second. Another kick dropped “The Prodigy”, and Rodriguez finished him off with ground and pound. The victory gave the exciting young Mexican the most high-profile scalp of his career but did little to test him. It also served as a humiliating setback for Penn. It was a predictable outcome that nevertheless did little to elevate either fighter, more sad than anything else.
2. UFC 208: Holm vs. De Randamie
The premiere MMA organization’s debut in Brooklyn was supposed to be a watershed moment for New York MMA and the UFC. Instead, it was a roundly mocked debacle.
With Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey on the sidelines for 2017, the UFC needed (and still needs) all of the star power it can acquire or manufacture. One star that had shown promise as a draw, particularly in her native Brazil, was Cris “Cyborg” Justino. The former Strikeforce and Invicta FC featherweight champion had two catchweight bouts in the UFC, winning each by first-round knockout, and the company planned to launch its own women’s 145-pound division to showcase her talents.
But negotiations with the cagey “Cyborg” broke down, with the Brazilian insisting that she would not be ready to fight on the Brooklyn card. Frustrated with Justino, and needing a headliner for the pay-per-view (PPV) UFC 208, the UFC brass decided to move forward with their featherweight plans without her.
Enter former bantamweight champion Holly Holm and fellow kickboxing champ Germaine de Randamie. The UFC hoped to cash in on the notoriety Holm still possessed following her earth-shattering knockout of Rousey, despite the fact that she had lost two straight since. De Randamie had little star power of her own. She simply had the good fortune of being a big bantamweight coming off a win with a striking-oriented style that would (in theory) provide a favorable matchup for Holm.
Fans and pundits jeered the fight and the card in general. A UFC women’s featherweight championship fight that did not involve “Cyborg” was laughable; the winner would never be regarded as the best 145er with Justino still lurking.
The fight and its aftermath only served to intensify the mockery. De Randamie won a controversial decision marred by multiple fouls for striking Holm after the bell, fouls that were not punished by the referee. She has since ducked and then flat out refused to accept “Cyborg” has her first challenger, risking having the belt stripped.
Matt Hughes thinks BJ Penn needs to pick better opponents if he’s going to continue fighting inside the Octagon. The pair have fought on three separate occasions; Penn winning their first meeting back in 2004 at UFC 46 via first round submission, Hughes getting the better of the Hawaiian at UFC 63 two years later […]
Matt Hughes thinks BJ Penn needs to pick better opponents if he’s going to continue fighting inside the Octagon.
The pair have fought on three separate occasions; Penn winning their first meeting back in 2004 at UFC 46 via first round submission, Hughes getting the better of the Hawaiian at UFC 63 two years later via round three TKO, and Penn winning their third and final encounter at UFC 123 in 2010 with a knockout in just 21 seconds.
Now that their days of battle inside the Octagon are done, Penn and Hughes have actually developed quite the friendship. Hughes recently joined The MMA Hour to talk about Penn’s recent return to Octagon action, and stated that he’d wish his friend would pick opponents a little more on his level at this point in his career (quotes via MMA Fighting):
“I wish he would just find the right opponent, you know?” Hughes said. “I’ve always told him, ‘hey B.J., you’re so good on the ground, find an older Brazilian that’s not going to have’ … typically Brazilians don’t have the best cardio, ‘find an old Brazilian who’s not in shape who’s going to want to be on the ground, and kind of get your hand in the air, go out that way.’”
Penn recently returned this past January and suffered a nasty second round knockout loss to Yair Rodriguez in Phoenix. It marked “The Prodigy’s” fourth consecutive loss, as his win over Hughes in 2010 remains his last:
“BJ is such a competitor that he wants to fight the best out there,” Hughes said. “That’s just the way he’s always been. My hat goes off to him for being that way, but I wish he would just be kind of a little smarter about it and really really choose a right opponent.”
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Currently, Penn is scheduled to take on Dennis Siver on June 25th from Oklahoma City. The match-up seems much more fitting seeing as both men are 38-years-old:
?“BJ is not quite as quick as he used to be with his hands,” Hughes said. “He used to counter so hard with that hook, and that hook just doesn’t seem to be there anymore. So I do like this match-up. It’s an older guy. It could be better but definitely could be a lot worse.”
We’ve all watched a mixed martial arts fight where one fighter seemed outclassed from the moment the bout was scheduled. Whether that fighter is facing skill or size obstacles, they still show up and fight, even when faced with insurmountable odds against them. Take a look at the 10 biggest mismatches in MMA history: 10.
We’ve all watched a mixed martial arts fight where one fighter seemed outclassed from the moment the bout was scheduled.
Whether that fighter is facing skill or size obstacles, they still show up and fight, even when faced with insurmountable odds against them.
Take a look at the 10 biggest mismatches in MMA history:
10. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Zuluzinho
Anytime you have what might be the beast heavyweight mixed martial artist of all time in the ring, it may always seem a little lopsided.
That fact was no better demonstrated in his 36-second destruction of Brazilian behemoth Zuluzinho.
While Zulu was a formidable 6 foot 7 and over 400 pounds of human, his ridiculous size was not enough to overcome Fedor’s unbelievable win streak and skill-set.
A straight left hand planted the big man on his bottom. Fedor attacked with lightning quick instinct, and felled his foe before he was able to get to his feet from the very first punch landed.
