The UFC’s unfortunate string of injuries continued with Monday’s news that Dominick Cruz has suffered a knee injury and is out for his scheduled UFC 148 bout with Urijah Faber.The story was first reported by PhyteGurus.The news comes as a real disappoi…
The UFC’s unfortunate string of injuries continued with Monday’s news that Dominick Cruz has suffered a knee injury and is out for his scheduled UFC 148 bout with Urijah Faber.
The story was first reported by PhyteGurus.
The news comes as a real disappointment, as his rematch with Faber was one of the most anticipated fights of the summer. The pair have been highlighted each week on The Ultimate Fighter: Live, and while the rivalry hasn’t really reached the heated levels we were promised before the season, it’s still been an intriguing thing to watch.
One real question that the UFC must seriously consider: With Cruz likely sidelined for a year or more, do they need to create an interim championship? I’m in favor of the idea, but only if the interim champion will defend the belt and not wait for Cruz to return to action.
The UFC will likely attempt to find a replacement opponent for Faber. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the three best candidates for the job.
Mixed martial arts is the most amazingly bizarre and violent spectacle in the history of American sports. The fighters are all paragons of courage—men and women who are willing to test themselves in the confines of a steel cage simply to see who …
Mixed martial arts is the most amazingly bizarre and violent spectacle in the history of American sports. The fighters are all paragons of courage—men and women who are willing to test themselves in the confines of a steel cage simply to see who the better person is on a given day.
Also a factor in their willingness to lay it all on the line? Piles of cash.
I write the above to indicate how much respect I have for the people who do this for a living. Fist fighting, even for major dough, is a daunting prospect. But among this subset of special people, one shining diamond has emerged.
I’ve sung the praises of former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz for years. Is hyperbole what gets you through the day? I have even called Nick “the greatest man who ever lived.” That’s high-level hyperbole. And, no, I don’t wish to reconsider my position. Thanks for asking.
The Stockton, California-based bad boy is one of the most dynamic fighters in UFC history. He is a rock-em-sock-em volume puncher who also just happens to be an amazing submission artist, as capable of pulling off a gogoplata against an elite competitor as he is of demolishing them with punches.
On top of that, his antics are legendary. Brawls on national television. Fist fights in the hospital. Terrorizing the ECW Press booth at the UFC Fan Expo. No matter where he goes in this world, Nick Diaz is guaranteed to make things more interesting. What more can you ask of any man?
It turns out, however, that while our eyes were locked on Nick, another Diaz was lurking in the shadows. And as incredible as it may seem, he may trump his older brother in pure and unbridled entertainment value.
Nate Diaz, in many ways, has arrived at a pinnacle of pure entertainment that even his brother will find hard to match. Diaz wowed the world over the weekend, dismantling lightweight contender Jim Miller and making it look all too easy. No one has ever finished Jim Miller, a tough guy from New Jersey who put the “it” in grit. But Diaz made him quit, choking him so hard that announcer Joe Rogan feared Miller was seconds away from biting off his own tongue.
The win earned Diaz “Submission of the Night” and a cool $65,000. In his 16 UFC fights, Diaz has walked away with a bonus check on nine occasions. Only Chris Lytle has surpassed that number, earning 10 awards in 20 fights.
But something tells me that before Diaz is through, he will have more bonus checks than Lytle or anyone else in the UFC.
Still, fighting is just part of the equation. Nate is like his brother, only a version of Nick Diaz dosed on a double helping of Ritalin. Nate doesn’t miss press conferences. Nate doesn’t miss flights. Sure, there was his confrontation with Karo Parisyan in the Ultimate Fighter house—but for the most part, Nate Diaz does his talking in the cage.
Does all this make Nate a more together, professional and promising athlete? Of course.
It also, for better or worse, hurts his chances of ever surpassing his brother in pure entertainment value. Nick Diaz, in my mind, still holds that title, with Chael Sonnen running in close second.
But Nick needs to keep pushing. The dark horse from Stockton is coming strong, and he has the blood lines to make a real run at this thing.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts on a show. Simply put, Mayweather is an artist. Life is his canvas. In his case it’s one giant reality show, filled with more drama than a thousand Real Worlds, more custom made clothing than any season of Project Runway, all …
Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts on a show. Simply put, Mayweather is an artist. Life is his canvas. In his case it’s one giant reality show, filled with more drama than a thousand Real Worlds, more custom made clothing than any season of Project Runway, all punctuated with occasional bursts of sporting brilliance.
More than a great fighter, he’s a superlative entertainer, in a class that few have ever approached in sports history. Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, Mike Tyson and the immortal Hulk Hogan—Mayweather absolutely belongs in that elite class.
Before he ever stepped into the ring, smiles were on millions of faces around the world. An entourage of pro wrestler Triple H, pop star Justin Bieber and rap impresario 50 Cent? Are you kidding me? Mayweather needed all of those hands to carry his huge collection of title belts, a product of his 43 professional wins.
For the first time in recent memory, Mayweather was pushed. Miguel Cotto, himself a future Hall of Famer, was able to bully Mayweather into the ropes and do some solid work. But to the surprise of many, Mayweather never tried to dance away. Instead, he stood his ground, carefully tracking Cotto’s every punch with the military grade radar system he calls eyeballs, and beat Cotto at his own game.
Cotto never yielded to Floyd’s brilliance. That’s something we’ve seen happen all to often in Mayweather fights. There is typically a moment when you can see an opponent deflate, pinpointing to the second they realize in their heart of hearts they can’t win. Cotto never came to that realization. He fought until the end, and when the decision didn’t go his way, he stormed from the ring rather than submit to Larry Merchant’s presumably tortuous post-fight interview.
Sensing the vacuum, Mayweather conducted two interviews, one where he made amends with the legendarily cantankerous Merchant, and another where he charmed Jim Lampley and Emanuel Steward ringside.
All ears perked up when he mentioned a potential bout with Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather seems open to the fight, one boxing fans have been pining for. First there’s the small matter of 90 days in county jail after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge after an altercation with his girlfriend in September 2010.
What will the experience do to Mayweather? Will it ground him? Open his eyes to life’s absurdity? Make him appreciate what he has? Will it make Floyd more likely to pursue Pacquiao and his place among the immortals? Or less? Nothing is ever boring in Floyd Mayweather’s world. I’m just glad to share it for an hour or two.
UFC on FOX 3 is in the books, and some fighters were super impressive while others fell on hard times, daddy. The card lacked name value, but all of the fights delivered with excitement and stories. It’s what makes MMA intriguing and keeps me tuning in…
UFC on FOX 3 is in the books, and some fighters were super impressive while others fell on hard times, daddy. The card lacked name value, but all of the fights delivered with excitement and stories. It’s what makes MMA intriguing and keeps me tuning in as a fan of the sport.
Let’s take a look at the main card and grade the performances of the combatants that took the cage tonight.
A+
Nate Diaz: HO-LEE CRAP! Nate Diaz is the biggest winner on the night. He becomes the first man to stop Jim Miller and earns himself a title shot with the win. Props to him for being respectful in victory.
Post-Fight Press Brownies: THESE BROWNIES WERE CRAZY! DEFINITE A+. SOMEONE GET THEM A “SNACK OF THE NIGHT” BONUS.
A-
Michael Johnson: He didn’t fight on the main card, but his performance tonight deserves recognition. There’s been questions in the past about his fight IQ and ability to maintain his composure when an opponent takes him off his game plan. Tonight, he had the best fight of his career and showed maturity as a fighter. Props to Michael Johnson.
Alan Belcher: Leading into this fight there were huge questions regarding his ability to escape Rousimar Palhares’ leg locks. Not only did he escape but he also attempted some of his own. The TKO finish was phenomenal and he made a case for contender consideration.
B
Lavar Johnson: Is there anyone in the heavyweight division that is physically more imposing than Lavar Johnson? He survived an early submission scare and finished the fight with those ham hocks he has for hands.
Johny Hendricks: He was told that in victory he would become the No. 1 contender for the welterweight title. It was a hard-fought win, but Johny Hendricks prevailed. He landed several powershots and showed improved boxing but lost in wrestling.
Josh Koscheck: This fight has to be disappointing for Josh Koscheck as the decision could have gone either way. Ricardo Almeida’s score card has caused some controversy and Koscheck has reason to be pissed.
C
Rousimar Palhares: He had several chances to finish the leg locks, but he just couldn’t keep the submission. When you only have a single path to victory, you have to get the tap out. He didn’t get the submission and paid dearly for it tonight.
Jim Miller: Jim Miller looked good in the first round and even took Nate Diaz’s back. He wasn’t able to maintain the position, though, and Diaz took over with his boxing. The biggest shame is that he was stopped for the first time in his UFC career.
Pat Barry: This has to be the worst loss of Pat Barry’s career. I was impressed that he had the submission attempt and his grappling looked as best as it has in his career. He made the mistake of letting Lavar tee off. Back to the drawing board, I guess?
UFC on FOX 3 was structured differently than the previous two network television installments. The two prior cards were heavy on superstars, but light on memorable action. With the third broadcast, Joe Silva and the UFC took a different approach: …
UFC on FOX 3 was structured differently than the previous two network television installments.
The two prior cards were heavy on superstars, but light on memorable action. With the third broadcast, Joe Silva and the UFC took a different approach: book four fights with stars that might not be household names, but were almost guaranteed to put on action-packed fights.
And it delivered in spades.
From the Facebook fights all the way to the big Fox card, the entire card was chock-full of excitement. Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the entire night.
A lot of fight fans pretend to love technical classes—fighters who show the kind of textbook precision that makes coaches stand and applaud. I like those kinds of fights too, but I’m not afraid to admit it—there’s something special about a …
A lot of fight fans pretend to love technical classes—fighters who show the kind of textbook precision that makes coaches stand and applaud. I like those kinds of fights too, but I’m not afraid to admit it—there’s something special about a heavyweight slugfest.
Too often fighters promise to stand toe-to-toe with an opponent, knowing full well the game plan involves grinding wall-and-stall or stick-and-move tactics. It’s the worst kind of bait and switch; the kind that turns fans into cynics.
Say this for Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson: When they told the world they intended to bang it out, their noses didn’t grown even a single inch. They came to do harm, and who can deny harm was done?
In the end, Johnson’s size proved too much for Barry. He utilized a tremendous height and weight advantage to control the smaller man in the clinch, casually throwing knees that looked capable of demolishing buildings. If the fight game fails him, Lavar Johnson can rent out his services as a wrecking ball.
To the surprise of many, the fight actually went to the ground for a time. Even there it was a slugfest of sorts—Barry’s submission attempt was an Americana, an armbar that requires as much strength as it does technique.
When Johnson finally escaped, he made up for lost time, absolutely walloping Barry with haymakers. Five, 10, 15 power punches thwacked against Barry’s shoulders, hands and noggin. It was frightening, especially if you’ve ever seen a professional mixed martial artist train.
Their blows fall with such remarkable power and precision, it’s enough to make you thankful you aren’t on the receiving end. If you don’t have religion, you’ll at least ponder your place on the human food chain. Junior dos Santos sits on top. Most of us are so far down it, we need to squint just to see him in the distance.
The fight was just one of many great ones on a memorable night in New Jersey. Johnson’s is a remarkable story. Almost three years ago he was shot and nearly killed at a family barbecue. Today he’s probably another significant win from title contention. And after last night, the guys calling his name out will be few and far between.
Lavar Johnson just landed on the heavyweight map. Lord help whoever wants to try to make him budge.
Mixed martial arts is the most amazingly bizarre and violent spectacle in the history of American sports. The fighters are all paragons of courage—men and women who are willing to test themselves in the confines of a steel cage simply to see who the better person is on a given day.