Fighters like Dong Hyun Kim may win their fair share of UFC bouts, but the South Korean star will never get a title shot with the way he fights.At least, that’s what Siyar Bahadurzada thinks about “Stun Gun” and his controlling grappling.In a…
Fighters like Dong Hyun Kim may win their fair share of UFC bouts, but the South Korean star will never get a title shot with the way he fights.
At least, that’s what SiyarBahadurzada thinks about “Stun Gun” and his controlling grappling.
In a recent interview posted by the UFC, “Siyar the Great” broke down his upcoming fight with Kim at UFC on Fuel TV 8 match in Japan’s Saitama Super Arena, heavily criticizing the perceived disrespect he’s gotten from his opponent:
When the UFC offered [Kim] the fight, he went out there and said ‘who is SiyarBahadurzada, I don’t know him. I was expecting that the UFC would give me a better name or a higher profile fighter.
What is he talking about? He says he doesn’t know me? How many guys put Paulo Thiago to sleep? I’m pretty sure when he analyzed his tapes he knew who I was. I think he’s scared of me, and that’s why he said that.
True to his word, Bahadurzada is the only fighter to ever defeat Thiago by strikes, which occurred during a previous UFC on Fuel TV card in Sweden last April.
Not only did Bahadurzada defeat Thiago via KO, but he also did it in just 42 seconds.
Finishes like that are quite valuable to the UFC, which has notably been cutting and displacing less exciting fighters who don’t entertain the crowds in victory and/or defeat. Bahadurzada notes that fighters like that make MMA more “beautiful,” while men like Kim aren’t helping themselves:
We need guys like ‘Showtime’ Pettis to make this sport more beautiful. We need guys like Anderson Silva to introduce this sport to the mainstream. But guys like Dong Hyun Kim, he makes the sport ugly.
He stalls and controls people and doesn’t do damage. Why would you do that? It doesn’t make sense. If he fights like that, he will have 30 more UFC fights and he will never get a title shot because people don’t want to see a boring champion.
Both fighters will have the chance to make their case at UFC on Fuel TV 8 on March 2, with the winner arguably cementing himself a spot in the “Top 10” of the welterweight division.
In addition to that bout, the rest of the event features a heavily-stacked main card with Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann as the headliner, a heavyweight tilt between Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve, TakanoriGomi vs. Diego Sanchez and a middleweight clash with YushinOkami vs. Hector Lombard.
Recent cuts made by the UFC have likely gotten the message across to many fighters: The promotion doesn’t want guys who don’t entertain crowds.After all, just look at Jon Fitch.Despite carrying an impressive 14-3-1 record during his UFC career, he…
Recent cuts made by the UFC have likely gotten the message across to many fighters: The promotion doesn’t want guys who don’t entertain crowds.
Despite carrying an impressive 14-3-1 record during his UFC career, he’s generally been perceived by several MMA fans as a boring fighter to watch. Hence, Fitch was recently cut loose from the roster, along with 15 other lackluster performers.
English MMA star Dan Hardy isn’t surprised though, telling Pro MMA Now that the UFC must be disappointed with fighters who play it safe:
I know the UFC are getting rid of a bunch of guys, and I know that they are disappointed with the way that people are stepping into the Octagon. Maybe it’s just a shake-up, maybe they are just trying to show people that we are in the entertainment industry as well as a professional sport.
When people pay a lot of money for a ticket they want to see a performance, and some people are coming to get a pay check and it’s kinda disappointing.
Hardy is a clear case of what the UFC wants in “exciting” fighters, as “The Outlaw” has maintained his spot in the company’s ranks despite his rather pedestrian 6-4 record since joining the promotion in October 2008.
And even though Hardy has gone to decision six times in his past 10 fights, he’s had enough crowd-pleasing battles to keep himself employed.
It also doesn’t hurt much that he’s notched two bonuses for “Fight of the Night” and “KO of the Night” in his past three bouts.
Fitch currently has yet to announce where he’ll be fighting next, although his UFC name value should land him a job fairly quickly.
Meanwhile, Hardy has his sights set on the upcoming UFC on Fox 7 card at San Jose’s HP Pavilion. On April 20, The Outlaw starts off the main card as he attempts to gain his third straight win against fellow veteran Matt Brown, who will ride a 4-0 streak going into the match.
The battle to legalize mixed martial arts in New York has gone on for so long that UFC president Dana White doesn’t even like talking about it anymore. For several years, whenever the subject of MMA in New York would come up, White would answer back wi…
The battle to legalize mixed martial arts in New York has gone on for so long that UFC president Dana White doesn’t even like talking about it anymore.
For several years, whenever the subject of MMA in New York would come up, White would answer back with brimming positivity, saying over and over “this is the year” that the sport becomes legal.
Now in 2013, mixed martial arts is still banned in the state of New York, but lawmakers are fighting tooth and nail to get the legislation passed to finally bring the sport there by the end of the year.
The sport is once again up for a vote as the bill to legalize MMA in New York is currently weaving through the state Senate, and predictions are better than ever that 2013 is finally the year for the ban on MMA to be lifted.
If New York does indeed lift the ban and vote to regulate mixed martial arts over the next few weeks, the financial windfall for the state could happen as early as November with a major UFC show landing right in the heart of New York City.
Dana White has talked about bringing the UFC to Madison Square Garden for the 20th anniversary show in November, and if that happens, the city could land a dream fight for MMA fans worldwide.
In a perfect world, if White had his way, the bout that would lead the card in November would be the superfight pitting the most dominant champion in UFC history, Anderson Silva, against current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
“If we made that fight, and if everything went the right way – Madison Square Garden on our anniversary,” White answered when asked where the Silva vs. Jones superfight would likely take place when speaking to UFC Tonight.
The UFC’s 20th anniversary show has been connected to New York ever since White first mentioned the possibility in late December, and back then he hinted at a major main event, saying, “I do have the fight, but I can’t tell you guys yet”.
It appears that Silva vs. Jones would be just the superfight the UFC needs to headline a major card like the one it is planning for November.
Now, if New York’s legislature doesn’t pass the bill to legalize MMA in time, that doesn’t mean the UFC’s plans of a major 20th anniversary show go away. White also mentioned that places like Dallas’ Cowboy Stadium, Toronto or even Brazil could host a major card like the one headlined by Silva vs. Jones.
There are still several hurdles that have to be crossed before a hypothetical Silva vs. Jones fight can even come together. First, Jon Jones has to defeat ChaelSonnen at UFC 159 in April, but if that happens, the UFC could easily allow Silva to sit out until November for the proposed bout.
White knows his middleweight champion and longest-reigning titleholder in UFC history is on board for the biggest possible fights, and there may not be a bigger one currently than facing light heavyweight king Jon Jones.
“He wants that Georges St-Pierre fight, he wants that Jon Jones fight. He wants big fights,” White said.
It doesn’t hurt matters much that of all the potential superfights the UFC could promote, White is on board for Silva vs. Jones as well.
“Anderson and (Jon) Jones, that’s the fight I want to see,” White stated.
If MMA can find a way to become fully legalized and regulated in New York, the barrier will be broken down for the UFC to finally land in the Empire State. If Jon Jones can then defeat ChaelSonnen in April, it may be time for the UFC to promote a superfight for the ages.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
A four-fight win streak in the UFC’s heavyweight division is very impressive these days. Taking a look at the top ten rankings, according to the UFC, not a single fighter, save for one, has victories in four consecutive fights, and that one person is U…
A four-fight win streak in the UFC’s heavyweight division is very impressive these days.
Taking a look at the top ten rankings, according to the UFC, not a single fighter, save for one, has victories in four consecutive fights, and that one person is UFC on Fuel 8 competitor Stefan Struve.
The 7’0″ Dutch fighter has started to come into his own in the last couple of years after some rough patches when he kicked off his UFC career as a young, lanky 21-year-old. Now more matured and a bigger body made for the heavyweight division, Struve wants to cement his place as a serious contender this year, starting with his fight against Mark Hunt this weekend in Japan.
“I need to make a statement if I want to put myself right in one of the top spots,” Struve told Bleacher Report. “If I win this fight, I’m going to be the only heavyweight in the UFC that’s on a five-fight winning streak. I think that’s going to make a lot of noise. I need to make a clear statement, win this fight in exciting fashion and don’t let there be any doubts that he had any chance to win this fight.”
Facing Hunt in Japan was a very conscious choice for Struve because he knows what kind of star power the former Pride and K-1 fighter has in the country. Struve knows that MMA is sometimes just as much about business outside the cage as what happens inside the Octagon.
Beating someone like Hunt in the country where he gained his notoriety is something special, and Struve plans on taking full advantage of the situation.
He also knows that Hunt received a ground swell of support last year when at the time UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos lost his original opponent for UFC 146, and Hunt’s name was championed by the fans to take the open slot. Ultimately, the UFC shot down the idea, and Hunt himself actually ended up falling off the card due to injury, as well, but that doesn’t mean Struve wasn’t paying attention.
Now Struve wants to capitalize on his winning streak, Hunt’s fame and roll that all in to one more long stride towards title contention.
“I’m only focused on Mark right now. I’m not thinking about that. Of course I want that belt,” said Struve. “I can beat anybody in the world, that’s really what my mindset is right now. If I hit somebody with the power I have right now, they’re going down. Right now, I’m focused on Mark, I’m not looking past him; that would be a really dumb thing to do.”
Looking at Mark Hunt’s record is a little deceiving when breaking down what kind of fighter he’s become lately. Overall Hunt is 8-7 as a pro mixed martial artist, but that doesn’t speak volumes about the extreme level of talent he faced early in his career or the fact that he jumped into MMA with minimal training outside of his stupendous kickboxing acumen.
Lately, Hunt has transformed into a much better fighter, winning his last three fights in the Octagon, with two of them coming by way of knockout. Struve is also very well aware of everyone that Hunt has beaten, and he actually believes his record could be even better if he was training the way a UFC fighter has to train to stay competitive in the division.
“He’s a really dangerous fighter. The thing is he fought Chris Tuchscherer and if (Hunt) would have been training for that fight, in my opinion he should win that fight. After that, he fought Ben Rothwell and he fought a great fight, but couldn’t finish him. If you look at Rothwell in his last fight against (Gabriel) Gonzaga, I wasn’t that impressed, no offense,” Struve said.
“Then he fought (Cheick) Kongo, and Kongo didn’t seem like his normal self, and he fell after his punches, and if you do that against a guy like Mark, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble. Cheick overdid with a right hand, and Mark caught him with a left hook. As long as Mark is training, he’s a really dangerous guy.”
Hunt is certainly a dangerous fighter, and if he can get inside on anybody and land a punch or two, it’s likely they will wake up a few moments later wondering what just happened. Struve is no dummy when it comes to Hunt’s game plan, and he refuses to play into his strategy for victory.
“Don’t expect a slugfest,” said Struve. “I learned from my mistakes in the past, and I’m not going to do that again. I’m just going to fight my fight like I’ve done for the last four fights, and we make a good game plan and I’m going to stick to that and I’m going to win this fight.”
With a win, Struve will have five straight victories, and it will be hard to ignore him stepping into a top five fight for his next trip to the Octagon and then possibly title contention after that. Struve knows, however, none of that happens if he doesn’t get past Mark Hunt in Japan.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.
Takeya Mizugaki is hoping the 11th time is the charm. Now, to explain the meaning behind that you have to look no further than checking out the long-time UFC and WEC bantamweight’s record to see the unusual nature of his resume. For 10 fights in a row,…
Now, to explain the meaning behind that you have to look no further than checking out the long-time UFC and WEC bantamweight’s record to see the unusual nature of his resume.
For 10 fights in a row, Mizugaki has bounced back and forth between wins and losses while fighting in the UFC or WEC—an inauspicious record to say the least, and something that the Japanese fighter admits haunts him when he thinks about how some of those defeats could have easily gone the other way.
In reality, Mizugaki should be on a three-fight win streak if not for some bad judging at UFC 144, where he lost a decision to Chris Cariaso in his home country of Japan. The decision was so bad, in fact, that the UFC paid Mizugaki his win bonus from the show.
While he harbors no harsh feelings after the fact, Mizugaki learned a valuable lesson in that performance, and it’s given him a new killer instinct in fights.
“I think, because of that fight (vs. Cariaso), I am more matured as a fighter and I believe became a better fighter,” Mizugaki told Bleacher Report. “Ever since that fight, regardless of if the fight goes to decision or not, I started to believe that Kakutougi (combat sports) is about keep attacking and dominate the opponent.
“I don’t even think about engaging in so-called ‘point game’ such as avoiding the danger (to be defensive). I just want to show my best offense all the time.”
Now, as much as any fighter wants to finish every fight they have in the UFC, Mizugaki knows, realistically, that won’t always happen. The positive way he looks at it as he approaches his next fight at UFC on Fuel 8 is to leave everything he has in the cage, for all 15 minutes.
If that happens and the judges still don’t give him the nod, Mizugaki refuses to live with regret.
“To me, the most important thing about fight is to use all my ability. If I can give everything I got in the Octagon, then even if the fight went to decision, I won’t feel any regret,” said Mizugaki.
Throughout his career with Zuffa (between the UFC and WEC), Mizugaki has faced a who’s who list of competitors at 135 pounds. From top-10 fighters to championship contenders, Mizugaki has never backed down from a challenge and it won’t start in 2013, either.
But because of his record bouncing between wins and losses, Mizugaki knows that to get back to fights against competitors like Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles, he has to face and defeat opponents like up-and-comers such as Bryan Caraway this Saturday in Japan.
Caraway only moved to bantamweight recently and he’s looking to get a big win on his resume by beating Mizugaki. On the flip side, however, Mizugaki is looking at Caraway as his entry back to facing the best of the best at bantamweight.
“I consider this upcoming fight to be sort of like a qualifier to get a right to fight top fighters in this weight class,” said Mizugaki.
“I want to win this fight, and I want to win against top fighters and make 2013 a fantastic year for me.”
Mizugaki will have his chance when he faces Bryan Caraway during the UFC on Fuel 8 preliminary fights on Facebook airing Saturday night from Japan at 7 p.m. ET.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Perennial title contender Urijah Faber is set to rescue a scrapped main event for The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, but he’s got his sights set on future fights.Specifically, “The California Kid” wants a crack at Frankie Edgar.During an interview on the&…
Perennial title contender Urijah Faber is set to rescue a scrapped main event for The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, but he’s got his sights set on future fights.
Specifically, “The California Kid” wants a crack at Frankie Edgar.
During an interview on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown,” Faber laid out the case for why he wants bouts against lucrative names in major events:
I’m in an interesting predicament where whoever I fight, if they’re not a top contender or a titleholder, then they’re throwing me a chump. What a lot of people feel, that I get title shots — if I get a title shot, then I’ve got too many title shots. It’s like, I’m in a weird predicament because I’ve been in the top of the weight class for so long.
I wouldn’t mind taking a fight at 145. It would have to be the right fight. I’ve said this for a long time: I want to do the fights that are big, that people care about.
As Sherdog notes, Faber is well aware that he’s gotten quite a few title shots during his World Extreme Cagefighting and UFC careers.
Despite having only five UFC fights under his belt, Faber has twice competed for titles in two different divisions, with his UFC 139 match against Brian Bowles being a title eliminator.
Counting his WEC career, that’s four title shots in less than four years.
However, Faber only loses to the elite.
Mike Brown, Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz and Renan Barao have been the only men to hand the Team Alpha Male star just five defeats in his last 24 professional MMA bouts—and only one of them ended by stoppage.
And as Faber suggests to Sherdog, he’s at the point where he feels he deserves only the most marketable bouts against the most famous fighters. In his estimation, someone like Edgar (a seven-time UFC headliner) fits the bill nicely:
[Frankie Edgar] sounds like a huge fight to me. Frankie, as far as I’m concerned, if he gets the nod on Benson Henderson, he’s one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Then he goes in against who I in my true heart feel is the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world in Jose Aldo and has a great fight with him. It’s really a fight with a couple of the best pound-for-pound guys.
Of course, Faber still has to worry about completing his next match against Jorgensen on April 13 before campaigning for a bout with Edgar.
But regardless of whether Faber wins or loses, a match with Edgar shouldn’t be too hard for the UFC to arrange on television or pay-per-view.
Despite being holding a spot in the official UFC rankings as the company’s No. 10 pound-for-pound fighter, Edgar has lost three straight bouts. But since all those defeats took place in championship bouts, “The Answer” may still warrant a top-ranked opponent for his return.
Recent cuts made by the UFC have likely gotten the message across to many fighters: The promotion doesn’t want guys who don’t entertain crowds.