Tag: Brock Lesnar

UFC 131 Fight Card: Should We’ve Seen Junior Dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin Coming?

The term “expected” is seldom thrown around much in MMA circles unless you ask someone that goes off of name recognition to make their picks, but when it is said that we as a sports community should have seen something coming, the first question relate…

The term “expected” is seldom thrown around much in MMA circles unless you ask someone that goes off of name recognition to make their picks, but when it is said that we as a sports community should have seen something coming, the first question relates to how we should have seen it coming.

Fedor losing two fights in a row, Randy Couture losing a fight against a top-five light heavyweight after defending the sport’s honor, Jose “Scarface” Aldo looking vulnerable, Urijah Faber being booked for a fight against a guy that he genuinely did not like—these are all the things we should have seen coming when they went down, but the fan in all of us prevented us from seeing the events of the past year coming.

Maybe we just wanted those dream fights to happen, but for whatever reason we chose and are sticking by, the fact is we chose to not see those upsets coming.

Maybe it’s me, but we may have to add the brand new UFC 131 headliner—the long-debated Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin bout, still existent as a UFC heavyweight title eliminator until otherwise confirmed—to the list of MMA events in time that we should have expected.

From the moment it was announced that Lesnar and dos Santos were announced as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 13 and UFC 131 headliners, there’s one question we all had before and during TUF 13 before we found out about Lesnar’s recurring diverticulitis:

Why is there not the same hype for this fight as the Velasquez bout got?

Was one of the men involved not named Brock Lesnar?

Maybe it was because the belt was on the line in the Velasquez fight, but Brock Lesnar is arguably the most polarizing name in the sport right now, so the belt should not have been preventing Dana White from hyping the bejeezus out of this sucker.

We also could have pointed to Junior dos Santos, who only had the hype of being unbeaten in the UFC and being one of the three arguable most technical strikers, pound-for-pound, in the UFC heavyweight division to his credit.

Aside from that and the fact that he’s learning English and able to conduct an interview without subtitles, there’s not much you can do with JDS because he’s so damn nice.

You’ve seen him on the show…you guys know what I’m talking about.

The dude couldn’t be a jerk if it meant saving his career.

Anyway, it seemed like we had all the answers, but then diverticulitis forced itself into a rematch with Lesnar as of yesterday, so Carwin had to step in for the man who took his “0”.

Then during a discussion someone sparked up earlier today, the thought came up about why a Brock Lesnar fight, of all fights, would not be as heavily promoted up to this point, and that’s when I started questioning it myself.

Should we have expected this dream-fight to become a reality from the minute we first heard that Lesnar and Dos Santos would first coach TUF, and then meet up in Vancouver?

I mean, Velasquez and Lesnar didn’t trade too much trash talk either.

The most offensive thing I can think of was Lesnar saying he’d eat a burrito and drink a Corona after beating Velasquez, but he didn’t say too many outlandish words to Velasquez either.

Maybe the fight was never meant to happen, or maybe Dana White just wanted us to have this fight since we’ve been talking about it for so long.

Whatever the reason was, whether we should’ve seen this coming or not, let’s answer one question honestly:

Whether we should’ve seen this one coming or not, can we really say the end result is disappointing?

Au contraire, I don’t think the end result could make me any happier than I am right now.

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UFC 131 Fight Card: Junior Dos Santos on Shane Carwin: "It Will End by Knockout"

While all the attention has been on Brock Lesnar recently, his former opponent, Junior Dos Santos has been left lurking in the shadows. Lesnar’s withdrawal from his bout with Dos Santos at UFC 131 has left the Brazilian a bit surprised, to say the…

While all the attention has been on Brock Lesnar recently, his former opponent, Junior Dos Santos has been left lurking in the shadows. 

Lesnar’s withdrawal from his bout with Dos Santos at UFC 131 has left the Brazilian a bit surprised, to say the least.

“I got a little upset about this change, but I’m happy that the UFC got another opponent for me,” Dos Santos told Sherdog.com. 

The opponent that Dos Santos is referring to is heavy-handed, Shane Carwin. Carwin has been out since last year after a back injury put him out of action. Carwin was originally scheduled to compete on the same card against Jon Olav Einemo, but was slotted in the main event to replace the former UFC heavyweight champion. 

Although it is not the opponent he had been hoping to face, the fact that Dos Santos is still receiving the opportunity to fight is fine with him. 

“His boxing skills are great,” Dos Santos said of his opponent. 

“It’s gonna be a great fight with tough blows from both sides. I would say that it will end by knockout.”

Although Carwin is taking a risk of fighting Dos Santos on a thirty day notice, the winner of the heavyweight bout will be next in line to challenge UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez. 

While there is hardly any time to change his strategy, Dos Santos will not let this opportunity go to waste, realizing his dream of becoming UFC heavyweight champion. 

“I’m in the best moment of my career and I want to make my dream of being a UFC champion come true,” Dos Santos said.

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UFC News: Jon Jones Declines Surgery; Bout with Rashad Evans Still Possible

While currently nursing a torn ligament in his right hand that kept him off of UFC 133, MMAJunkie reveals that Jon Jones will not require surgery.
Jones suffered the injury as a result of wear and tear from his previous collegiate wrestling years, and …

While currently nursing a torn ligament in his right hand that kept him off of UFC 133, MMAJunkie reveals that Jon Jones will not require surgery.

Jones suffered the injury as a result of wear and tear from his previous collegiate wrestling years, and the injury amounted more pain through each mixed martial arts bout. 

According to MMAJunkie, Jones was originally scheduled to go in for surgery yesterday, but after specialist Dr. James Vahey inspected the injury, he determined that the surgery was optional more than anything. 

“The actual thumb itself, the actual ligaments that attach to the knuckles, are torn,”Jones’ manager, Malki Kawa said of the injury.

“Initially, Jon didn’t want to have surgery,” Kawa continued. 

“But as we kept getting additional opinions from doctors we all trusted, they all recommended having surgery based on the initial report from the UFC’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Steven Sanders.” 

For the time being, Jones will attempt to avoid the procedure and fight through the injury. Kawa said Jones has been fitted for a hard cast and has been asked not to train until June 11. 

The news of the injury couldn’t have come at a better time as both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard were forced off the UFC 130 card, as well as former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, who had to pull out of the main event of UFC 131 after contracting diverticulitis again. 

Kawa said that Jones does not want to delay anything further and will only go under the knife when it is absolutely necessary.

“When the pain is unbearable and/or he has an issue with the function of his thumb, that’s when Jon will have to have surgery,” he said.

Kawa added that Jones is hoping to return to defend his title as soon as he can, citing Rashad Evans as a possible opponent, should he get past light heavyweight prospect, Phil Davis, at UFC 133. 

“We met with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta and let them know we would like to set up a fight to get back in the cage as quickly as possible,” Kawa said.

“It could very likely still be Rashad if he gets by Phil Davis, but we could fight sooner, maybe September, October or November depending on what the UFC wants to do.”

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Brock Lesnar: A Timeline of His MMA Career

The news that Brock Lesnar was once again suffering from diverticulitis broke on Thursday afternoon when the UFC held a press conference to announce that Lesnar would be forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight with Junior dos Santos at UFC 131.Lesn…

The news that Brock Lesnar was once again suffering from diverticulitis broke on Thursday afternoon when the UFC held a press conference to announce that Lesnar would be forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight with Junior dos Santos at UFC 131.

Lesnar has stated that this latest setback will not be the end of his MMA career.

“I will tell you one thing, I’m not retiring. This isn’t the end of my fight career. This is something that I believe, and I have strong faith that there’s a solution to every problem. I just have to find a solution to fix this problem. I love this sport and I love what I do. This isn’t the end of Brock Lesnar. This is a speed bump in the road.”

It is likely that the 33-year-old Lesnar will be sidelined for a substantial amount of time due to his bout with diverticulitis. He was forced to miss the first half of 2010 when he was first diagnosed.

What follows is a look at the MMA career of the former UFC heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar.

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Einemo vs. Herman Signed for UFC 131; Matyushenko vs. Gustafsson in the Works for UFC 133

(This man is earning his paycheck.)

A pair of UFC fight bookings were reported today by MMAJunkie. Heavyweight Octagon newcomers Jon Olaf Einemo and Dave Herman will meet at UFC 131 next month in Vancouver, BC and Vladimir Matyushenko and  Alexander Gustafsson will square off at UFC 133 in August in Philidelphia, PA.

(This man is earning his paycheck.)

A pair of UFC fight bookings were reported today by MMAJunkie. Heavyweight Octagon newcomers Jon Olaf Einemo and Dave Herman will meet at UFC 131 next month in Vancouver, BC and Vladimir Matyushenko and  Alexander Gustafsson will square off at UFC 133 in August in Philidelphia, PA.

Einemo (6-1), who is coming off of a five-year hiatus from MMA, was originally slated to take on Shane Carwin on the june card before “The Engineer” was promoted to a number one contendership bout opposite Junior dos Santos as a result of Brock Lesnar pulling out of the scheduled bout because of a diverticulitis flare-up. His only loss came by decision at the hands of Strikeforce contender Fabricio Werdum at PRIDE 31.

8-2 in his last ten outings including a DQ loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in 2010, Herman (20-2) was supposed to face Joey Beltran on the card before it was reshuffled. A veteran of Bellator, Sengoku, EliteXC, “PeeWee” has stoppages in 19 of his 20 wins.

Matyushenko vs. Gustafsson will see “The Janitor” try to avenge his teammate Jared Hamman’s UFC 105 loss to “The Mauler.” Both fighters will take two-fight win streaks with them into the bout. Matyushenko (26-5) defeated Jason Brilz by devastating KO at UFC 129 last month and Alexandre Ferreira by TKO at UFC  122 in November. Gustafsson (11-1) beat Cyrille Diabate at UFC 120 in October and James Te-Huna at UFC 127 in February. Both wins came by rear naked choke.

Clay Guida and the 5 Biggest Winners If UFC Institutes 5-Round Non-Title Fights

Brock Lesnar versus Junior dos Santos’ June 11 heavyweight tangle at UFC 131 was meant to be the UFC’s first five-round non-title fight, UFC President Dana White recently revealed in Toronto.That fight fell through, but the UFC’s…

Brock Lesnar versus Junior dos Santos’ June 11 heavyweight tangle at UFC 131 was meant to be the UFC’s first five-round non-title fight, UFC President Dana White recently revealed in Toronto.

That fight fell through, but the UFC’s plans for five-round non-title fights haven’t. There are no shortage of candidates that stand to benefit from such a policy, although a few fighters stand out for their style, stature and substance.

Here are five UFC fighters that would benefit most from five-round non-title fights. 

5) Brad Pickett

The British bantamweight’s last three bouts were all-around, back-and-forth 15-minute grueling battles.

He came up victorious versus Demetrious Johnson and Ivan Menjivar and was unanimously defeated by Scott Jorgensen in between.

Anchored at American Top Team, Pickett has developed the cardio to push his grit around the cage more effectively than a straight-banger style.

In a division loaded with incredible pace, Pickett is a contender that can be increasingly dangerous as the clock ticks on. 

 

4) Jim Miller

The most impressive feat Gray Maynard accomplished before beating Frankie Edgar in a potential 10-7 first round of a title fight was dominating Jim Miller.

That’s because Jim Miller is nearly impossible to take out of a fight and he’s proven that by responding to the Maynard loss with a two-year, seven-fight win streak. 

The AMA Fight Club representative has a potent blend of ill-intentioned wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, throwing his hands better with each outing. 

Well-rounded, all-in fighters like Matt Wiman, Mac Danzig, Mark Bocek, Gleson Tibau and Kamal Shalorus have all fallen to Miller’s ability to seize control fights with bull-headed steamrolling.

He’s proven ready for the upper echelon of the division by performing in 15-minute fights like 25-minute fights would be just another day on the job. 

 

3) Michael Bisping

Michael “The Count” Bisping’s cardio is apparent in his ability to play a strong stick-and-move striking game.

It also shines when the Brit turns it up, sits on his punches and fights to finish. He has been able to stay off his back because he is always fresh enough to pop back up if the fight hits the mat.

Consistent footwork and output have carved The Ultimate Fighter season three winner’s place at 185-pounds as perennial contender. 

If there was an ideal striking candidate at middleweight for five-round non-title fights, it’s Michael Bisping.

The skill level in mixed martial arts elevates daily and is represented well in fighters like Bisping, Georges St. Pierre and Frankie Edgar, who are clear-cut winners due to efficiency and strategy while confusing the competition with multiple looks. 

 

2) Jon Fitch

The term “grinder” in mixed martial arts latches on to no one more than Jon Fitch.

American Kickboxing Academy’s welterweight insists if his all fights went into the championship rounds, his last six wins—and his February draw with B.J. Penn—would have been finishes instead of unanimous decisions.

Posting a 10-8 round versus the former two-division champion was no easy feat from inside Penn’s guard—a testament to the suffocating style that has kept Fitch’s record since 2002 spotless outside of dropping a unanimous decision to champion Georges St-Pierre.  

Extra time is just extra time to impose his will and few, if any, welterweights can deal with that for 25-minutes. 

 

1) Clay Guida

“The Carpenter” is simply wired differently. Guida runs to the cage on his surplus supply of high-energy and never rests once inside the Octagon.

He’s had championship cardio since 2006 and that was illustrated best as his Octagon career progressed with classic scraps with Tyson Griffin, Roger Huerta and Diego Sanchez.

The Chicagoan’s performances never waver in entertainment value, crafting a fan base that matches his energy. 

Fighters like Clay Guida beg the question if non-title fights can be five-rounds, is there room for seven-round title fights?

Too much, maybe, but some mixed martial arts still have a no-holds-barred, no-time limit spirit and Guida has the cardio to make it seem practical. 

Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend

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