Brock Lesnar is the most polarizing person in the UFC. Known for imposing size, dominant wrestling and brash attitude inside the cage, the former WWE star is also the UFC’s biggest draw. But Lesnar’s most recent fights have seen his c…
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos suffered a setback last week as far as momentum is concerned.After about two episodes of intrigue, Episode 5 fell a little flat and left the 13th season of the UFC’s flagship reality show in serious…
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos suffered a setback last week as far as momentum is concerned.
After about two episodes of intrigue, Episode 5 fell a little flat and left the 13th season of the UFC’s flagship reality show in serious need of resuscitation. This was supposed to be another watershed moment for TUF as MMA’s biggest name and most marketable star (for now), Brock Lesnar, brought his wattage to an already formidable attraction.
Even better, he was to share the stage with one of the sport’s brightest up-and-coming contenders, Junior “Cigano” dos Santos.
If all had gone according to script, each episode would’ve pitted the two massive heavyweights against each other in a figurative battle that would’ve added even more heat to an already sizzling matchup at UFC 131.
Of course, you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men.
Instead of that weekly adrenaline orgy, we’ve gotten a steady diet of vanilla fare.
But rumors around the virtual water cooler say that Episode 6 can’t be missed, that this is the week everything falls into place and then takes off.
And you know neither lies nor exaggeration is tolerated around the cooler.
So check back in at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT when the action starts in earnest.
UFC 131 will feature a main event between heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos, to solidify a No. 1 contender for the UFC heavyweight title. Dos Santos has steamrolled through every opponent in the Octagon thus far, earning four …
UFC 131 will feature a main event between heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos, to solidify a No. 1 contender for the UFC heavyweight title.
Dos Santos has steamrolled through every opponent in the Octagon thus far, earning four knockouts, one submission and a decision victory. His superior stand-up game is arguably the best in the heavyweight division and he possesses knockout power in both of his hands.
However none of his opponents carry the size and athleticism that Lesnar holds, making the 265 lb behemoth a much more difficult test for the Brazilian than anyone he has faced.
Lesnar’s sheer size and athleticism is something to behold.
But despite his athleticism, one of Lesnar’s flaws just happens to be Dos Santos’ biggest strength: striking. Obviously, Dos Santos’ intention will be to keep the fight on the feet and expose Lesnar, but ultimately it will be Lesnar dictating where the fight goes, and considering he holds a sixty percent take down success rate, it is possible to see this bout contested on the ground before anywhere else.
And if this bout takes place on the ground, will Dos Santos be the fighter who becomes exposed?
The Brazilian has claimed in past interviews that he holds good Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills under the tutelage of his mentor, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, and while he might have not shown his ground skills yet, he did show good scrambling technique in his bout vs. Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC Versus. Gonzaga also happens to hold some of the best ground game in mixed martial arts.
It is been said that Dos Santos displays very good technique and movement in his hips, providing him with more torque in extending his striking and to help him maneuver off of the ground. But given Lesnar’s strength and size, one cannot help but wonder if Dos Santos has enough strength to prevent the former heavyweight champion from taking him to the canvas, and if he does take Dos Santos down repeatedly, will Lesnar’s imposing figure and superior grappling skills overwhelm and tire him out?
Now standing at 6’3″ and weighing at 240 lbs, Dos Santos will not be a push over against the former NCAA Division 1 wrestler, but it’s evident in Lesnar’s bout against Frank Mir at UFC 100, that his physical stature is overwhelming and difficult to compete against. Lesnar controlled Mir and imposed his size, along with his positional dominance, frustrating his opponent en route to a second-round TKO victory.
There is no doubt Lesnar is a dominant figure and his superior strength, size and athleticism certainly provides difficulty for his opponents to deal with, but if Dos Santos is able to avoid the ground as much as possible, then he is likely to expose Lesnar on the feet.
However Dos Santos’ ground game and cardio is questionable, and against a formidable opponent like Lesnar, this bout could expose some holes in the Brazilian’s arsenal as well.
It would be fair to say that not everyone is sure what to make of Steven Seagal and his relationship to Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and the rest of team Black House MMA (which includes Junior dos Santos, Jose Aldo, the Nogueira brothers and other gre…
It would be fair to say that not everyone is sure what to make of Steven Seagal and his relationship to Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and the rest of team Black House MMA (which includes Junior dos Santos, Jose Aldo, the Nogueira brothers and other great Brazilian fighters).
There are a lot of things that we don’t know, but what we do know is that–at least on the surface–both Silva and Machida are crediting Seagal with their head kick K.O. finishes of Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture, respectively.
Speaking with UOL Esportes (courtesy of Fighters Only), the action movie actor promised that both fighters will surprise opponents with other techniques in the near future.
“I’m training other types of kicks, knees, elbows and strikes with them and I am also training their footwork. You have to wait for the new things which we’re working out,” he says.
Seagal revealed he has been training with other athletes from the Black House team but the actor would rather not to speak about details of the trainings, “I’m teaching other fighters but it is something secret,” he concluded.
While many in the MMA community are poking fun at any significance Seagal could in fact bring to the table, third time’s a trend. Next up for team Black House MMA is Junior Dos Santos who will face Brock Lesnar in the Octagon at UFC 131, June 11.
While Dos Santos is known more for his boxing prowess, do not put it past the hard hitting heavyweight to try something flashy. Dos Santos released this video of him perfecting the Anthony Pettis “Showtime kick” and he actually looked surprisingly dexterous in doing so.
UFC 129 is now officially in the books and although the main event was less than stellar, the card as a whole has to be considered a dynamic success.The UFC did an outstanding job getting The Rogers Centre in Toronto ready for 55,000 screaming, rabid f…
UFC 129 is now officially in the books and although the main event was less than stellar, the card as a whole has to be considered a dynamic success.
The UFC did an outstanding job getting The Rogers Centre in Toronto ready for 55,000 screaming, rabid fans who were able to enjoy some memorable bouts and the end of an era with the retirement of Randy Couture.
As we move into the warmer months of the spring and summer, the weather isn’t the only thing that will be heating up. The next few months are littered with title bouts, rematches and fights that will eventually have title implications behind them.
There are fighters returning from injury as well as fighters returning to the UFC after fighting elsewhere.
Speaking of returns, the UFC will make its way back to Brazil for the first time in over a decade when they invade the HSBC Arena in August for UFC: Rio also known as UFC 134. In what promises to be an explosive event, the organization is pulling out all stops to ensure that the Brazilian fans go home happy.
Strikeforce also has some important bouts coming up, the rumored Dan Henderson-Fedor Emelianenko match-up has yet to be signed nor has a weight been determined, but it is drawing a lot of attention.
UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta has become personally involved in the negotiations, so that should tell you the company views the potential fight as an important one.
Let us take a look at a month-by-month breakdown of the most important fights scheduled over the next couple of months. I would love to go over every single match-up, but there just isn’t enough time in the day. I am sure we can come up with enough high-profile bouts to keep us talking for quite some time.
For the time, being I am going to end this article with the July 2 UFC 132 event. Next week I will go over UFC 133, 134, UFC on Versus 5 and Strikeforce in July.
Filed under: UFC, NewsTORONTO — UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is on track for an October return, and his comeback fight could come on Oct. 8 in Houston, UFC president Dana White said shortly after UFC 129.
TORONTO — UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is on track for an October return, and his comeback fight could come on Oct. 8 in Houston, UFC president Dana White said shortly after UFC 129.
Earlier this week, the promotion announced it would visit Houston in the fall with an event and a Fan Expo. On Saturday, White said the event could be targeted for Velasquez to defend his title.
“I don’t know yet but probably,” he said. “It sounds like that would make a lot of sense.”
TORONTO — UFC heavyweight champion