(“You wanna see drama queens act drama, you wanna see real motherfuckers act real?” Um. Yes?/ Props: SPORTSNETCANADA)
Yeah, yeah…I know we should be discussing the UFC’s new welterweight champion right now, and not Nick Diaz, Gangster in Exile. But it’s always hard to avert your eyes from Diaz talking crazy into a camera. (We missed you, homie!) Diaz was actually brought to UFC 171 on the promotion’s dime, mainly so he could cause trouble and shout at people. He also made himself available for media interviews at the event, telling reporters that he feels ready to return to the UFC after a year-long hiatus.
Check out the above clip of Diaz’s Q&A with Joe Ferraro. While the content of the interview isn’t surprising — Johny Hendricks will get an ass whoopin’ right to his face, bro; Diaz isn’t coming back to the UFC for anything less than an immediate title shot — Diaz’s delivery is a little different. He actually seems…happy? Excited to be at an MMA event and among his peers? He’s smiling, for God’s sake. We have our own theories…
(“You wanna see drama queens act drama, you wanna see real motherfuckers act real?” Um. Yes?/ Props: SPORTSNETCANADA)
Yeah, yeah…I know we should be discussing the UFC’s new welterweight champion right now, and not Nick Diaz, Gangster in Exile. But it’s always hard to avert your eyes from Diaz talking crazy into a camera. (We missed you, homie!) Diaz was actually brought to UFC 171 on the promotion’s dime, mainly so he could cause trouble and shout at people. He also made himself available for media interviews at the event, telling reporters that he feels ready to return to the UFC after a year-long hiatus.
Check out the above clip of Diaz’s Q&A with Joe Ferraro. While the content of the interview isn’t surprising — Johny Hendricks will get an ass whoopin’ right to his face, bro; Diaz isn’t coming back to the UFC for anything less than an immediate title shot — Diaz’s delivery is a little different. He actually seems…happy? Excited to be at an MMA event and among his peers? He’s smiling, for God’s sake. We have our own theories…
The interview ends with Diaz throwing some punches at the camera, in good spirits, clearly thrilled at the prospect of competing in MMA again. So will the UFC cave to Diaz’s demands and give a title shot to a guy who hasn’t won a fight since 2011? I’m going to say no, probably not — unless a legitimate contender gets injured on short notice and Nick is “the only guy who stepped up.” I mean, that makes a title challenger more qualified than anything else, right?
(Gustafsson’s post-fight interview and fight highlights, via YouTube.com/UFC)
Alexander Gustafsson took care of business today at UFC Fight Night 37 in London, England, destroying Jimi Manuwa with a barrage of strikes in the second round and retaining his spot at the top of the light-heavyweight contender ladder. Considering that Manuwa wasn’t even ranked in the top ten going into this fight, things played out the way they were supposed to, pretty much. Still, the ease in which Gustafsson ran through his previously-undefeated opponent reminded everyone how dangerous “The Mauler” can be.
After the fight, Gustafsson didn’t mince words about what he wanted:
“Jon Jones, I want my title shot again. I’m ready, here. Whenever you want, man. Whenever you want.”
(Gustafsson’s post-fight interview and fight highlights, via YouTube.com/UFC)
Alexander Gustafsson took care of business today at UFC Fight Night 37 in London, England, destroying Jimi Manuwa with a barrage of strikes in the second round and retaining his spot at the top of the light-heavyweight contender ladder. Considering that Manuwa wasn’t even ranked in the top ten going into this fight, things played out the way they were supposed to, pretty much. Still, the ease in which Gustafsson ran through his previously-undefeated opponent reminded everyone how dangerous “The Mauler” can be.
After the fight, Gustafsson didn’t mince words about what he wanted:
“Jon Jones, I want my title shot again. I’m right here. Whenever you want, man. Whenever you want.”
Jones, of course, has to get past Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 next month in Baltimore. But assuming he does, Gustafsson has just helped set up a massive title-fight rematch with Bones for later this year. It’s just a shame that the only fans who got to see Gus’s victory/call-out on this side of the Atlantic were Fight Pass subscribers.
Gustafsson and Manuwa earned $50,000 bonuses for Fight of the Night, and Gustafsson got an additional $50,000 for Performance of the Night. Gunnar Nelson nabbed the event’s other $50k Performance of the Night bonus for his first-round guillotine choke of Omari Akhmedov, which kicked off the main card. Complete results from UFC Fight Night 37 are at the end of this post.
“I think a champion versus champion fight makes absolute sense right now. I think we already know how things are going to work out between Benson Henderson and a lot of other lightweight fighters in the UFC, but I’m that mystery fighter. No one really knows how I’m going to matchup with anyone. I have been around for a long time and have been the top lightweight in the world before Benson or any of these other guys.
I think I have a lot of answers for his style. Sometimes he fights a wrestler like Guida who doesn’t have great hands, and sometimes he fights strikers who can’t really wrestle. Look at his fights against “Cowboy” Cerrone back in the day, or even Pettis. I have that wrestling pedigree where he ain’t taking me down, and I’ll be stuffing some shots. I’m not backing away, and I’ll be dropping some bombs. I’m not an easy guy to stand with. I have a lot of power, and I’m not running away from kicks. I don’t run away from anything. I hold my ground. I’ll be coming for him, and anything he dishes out I’ll be answering back twice as hard.”
Later in the interview, Melendez discussed how the reports of Strikeforce’s impending demise — and the coronation of Ronda Rousey as the UFC’s first women’s champion — actually got him excited about the future again, since Melendez could finally get the opportunity to fight some of the best lightweights in the world:
(Melendez slugs Shinya Aoki in the head, back when slugging Shinya Aoki in the head actually meant something. / Photo via Esther Lin)
“I think a champion versus champion fight makes absolute sense right now. I think we already know how things are going to work out between Benson Henderson and a lot of other lightweight fighters in the UFC, but I’m that mystery fighter. No one really knows how I’m going to matchup with anyone. I have been around for a long time and have been the top lightweight in the world before Benson or any of these other guys.
I think I have a lot of answers for his style. Sometimes he fights a wrestler like Guida who doesn’t have great hands, and sometimes he fights strikers who can’t really wrestle. Look at his fights against “Cowboy” Cerrone back in the day, or even Pettis. I have that wrestling pedigree where he ain’t taking me down, and I’ll be stuffing some shots. I’m not backing away, and I’ll be dropping some bombs. I’m not an easy guy to stand with. I have a lot of power, and I’m not running away from kicks. I don’t run away from anything. I hold my ground. I’ll be coming for him, and anything he dishes out I’ll be answering back twice as hard.”
Later in the interview, Melendez discussed how the reports of Strikeforce’s impending demise — and the coronation of Ronda Rousey as the UFC’s first women’s champion — actually got him excited about the future again, since Melendez could finally get the opportunity to fight some of the best lightweights in the world:
“The fire has been lit, and it was lit a few weeks back. When you start feeling the vibes and hearing the word get out about the things happening with Ronda Rousey, you start getting excited. I’m not saying anything is done in that regard, but it doesn’t stop me from getting fired up about the possibility. You get excited you are going to face big names and the possibility of big matchups. It will give me the chance to really prove something to people in this sport. That fire has definitely been lit, and it would be a real bummer if things didn’t work out like I hope they do.
These things play a lot on your motivation, and if everything works out, then it will be great…I’m seeing the difference in everything I do. I’m running harder because I know it’s there. It’s true I wasn’t super motivated for my past few fights, and it showed out there in the cage. I wasn’t happy with my performance, but I was happy I got the ‘W.’ When things are handled a certain way, you get a certain performance. When the opportunity is right—you’ll get the best I have to give…
I should be medically cleared in the middle of next week. After I see the doctor, that should give me that five- to six-week marker. I have been doing a lot of drilling, technique and running. You can’t help but get out there and do things. I’ve been staying busy, working on a lot of my strategy and tactics. I’ll pick it up a lot more once I get cleared. But you could definitely say I’m prepped.
The timing is right for this fight. I’ll be healthy by the time he would be ready to go, and it just makes sense. That is the fight I want. I really want to test myself, and I really want to find out if I’m the best. If Henderson really wants to find out, this is the fight for him to really prove he is the No. 1 lightweight fighter in the world. I say let’s do it.”
Well, are you convinced? It seems likely that Anthony Pettis — who previously humiliated Henderson in December 2010 — would be the front-runner for Bendo’s next challenger if Pettis can defeat Donald Cerrone in January. But a UFC vs. Strikeforce unification bout could be just as interesting. Should Melendez get an immediate title shot in the UFC, or should he have to prove himself first by beating another contender?
Yesterday, Jared wrote up a detailed assessment of the UFC’s middleweight contenders in an attempt to bring some clarity to the pecking order at 185, because sometimes we want to be part of the solution instead of the problem. Anderson Silva‘s management is doing the opposite of that — shooting down logical suggestions and casually calling out a guy who can’t even fight Silva, contractually speaking. It’s a bit of a dick move, to be honest. Here’s the current situation, as reported on Fuel TV’s UFC Tonight (via MMAMania):
“One of Anderson Silva’s managers said that one of the issues with Hector Lombard is he thinks he needs at least three more impressive wins* in the UFC. He said that 85 percent** of UFC fans don’t even know who Hector Lombard is, who is of course making his Octagon debut on Saturday night…As for Chris Weidman, he said, ‘Well, there’s another great unknown fighter.’*** He doesn’t see those match ups as being money making pay-per-view events…He did mention Luke Rockhold, who is the Strikeforce middleweight champion. Alas, Rockhold is contractually tied to Strikeforce, so that fight’s not happening.**** We’ll have to wait and see, but right now, the Anderson Silva camp [is] not too excited about the options out there.”*****
Yesterday, Jared wrote up a detailed assessment of the UFC’s middleweight contenders in an attempt to bring some clarity to the pecking order at 185, because sometimes we want to be part of the solution instead of the problem. Anderson Silva‘s management is doing the opposite of that — shooting down logical suggestions and casually calling out a guy who can’t even fight Silva, contractually speaking. It’s a bit of a dick move, to be honest. Here’s the current situation, as reported on Fuel TV’s UFC Tonight (via MMAMania):
“One of Anderson Silva’s managers said that one of the issues with Hector Lombard is he thinks he needs at least three more impressive wins* in the UFC. He said that 85 percent** of UFC fans don’t even know who Hector Lombard is, who is of course making his Octagon debut on Saturday night…As for Chris Weidman, he said, ‘Well, there’s another great unknown fighter.’*** He doesn’t see those match ups as being money making pay-per-view events…He did mention Luke Rockhold, who is the Strikeforce middleweight champion. Alas, Rockhold is contractually tied to Strikeforce, so that fight’s not happening.**** We’ll have to wait and see, but right now, the Anderson Silva camp [is] not too excited about the options out there.”*****
* Anderson Silva got his first UFC title shot after a single win over Chris Leben. Just thought that was worth mentioning.
** All percentages provided by Brazil’s National Department of Just Makin’ Shit Up.
*** You know, there was a time when winning five straight fights would automatically get you a middleweight title shot in the UFC. (See: Patrick Cote, Thales Leites.) More importantly, Weidman’s not exactly “unknown” after that hurting he put on Mark Munoz. He’s finally caught the attention of UFC fans, and they want to see more of him.
**** How fucking convenient. YOU’RE NOT FOOLING ANYBODY, ANDY. Besides, that’s kind of a kick in the nuts to Rockhold, who would love the chance to fight Anderson. Maybe you two can just spar on the weekends?
***** “What about meeeeeeee?!” But seriously, remember when Silva used to spend his down-time destroyinglight-heavyweights? Those were fun days. We all know the middleweight contender ladder is chaotic right now, but it’s not like Silva doesn’t have other options until things clear up, if he really wanted to compete. Unfortunately, that might entail the possibility of losing, which, as any traditional martial artist knows, could bring great dishonor upon one’s endorsement portfolio.
(Whether you’re a Muay Thai fan or a foot-fetishist, that is one sexy kick.)
When BJ Penn turned down fights against Gilbert Melendez and Josh Koscheck, we figured it was because he was holding out for…well, a third fight against Matt Hughes, if you want to get specific. You know how it is with these old legends. They take a couple losses to younger contenders, and all of a sudden they’ll only consider fights that “make sense,” which usually means big-name opponents who are also on the downside of their careers.
In other words, we just assumed that Penn felt Melendez and Koscheck were too dangerous, and that facing either of them could be harmful to his legacy. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that Penn has now accepted a fight against young welterweight killer Rory MacDonald, who is not a superstar, but is one of the most dangerous sons-of-bitches in the UFC.
(Whether you’re a Muay Thai fan or a foot-fetishist, that is one sexy kick.)
When BJ Penn turned down fights against Gilbert Melendez and Josh Koscheck, we figured it was because he was holding out for…well, a third fight against Matt Hughes, if you want to get specific. You know how it is with these old legends. They take a couple losses to younger contenders, and all of a sudden they’ll only consider fights that “make sense,” which usually means big-name opponents who are also on the downside of their careers.
In other words, we just assumed that Penn felt Melendez and Koscheck were too dangerous, and that facing either of them could be harmful to his legacy. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that Penn has now accepted a fight against young welterweight killer Rory MacDonald, who is not a superstar, but is one of the most dangerous sons-of-bitches in the UFC.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour earlier this week, MacDonald expressed his desire to face the Prodigy before it’s too late: “That’s a guy I really want to fight. I respect him a lot. He’s a legend and I think it’d be a really good matchup for me to have that fight in Toronto…I’d love the opportunity to fight a guy I’ve looked up to for a long time and watched since I’ve been a young kid, so we’ll see if he accepts…how many opportunities am I going to get to fight a guy like BJ after he’s gone?”
The fight would likely take place at UFC 152, September 22nd in Toronto. MacDonald has won his last three fights in dominating fashion, scoring a unanimous decision win over Nate Diaz at UFC 129, then notching TKO wins over Mike Pyle and Che Mills. The GSP protege is still just 22 years old and would take a large step in the public consciousness with a beatdown of Penn. Does anybody think BJ can stop that from happening?
So, the Filipino Wrecking Machine has set his sights on smaller, more manageable prey — namely, the aforementioned British heel, Michael Bisping. As Munoz told ESPN:
(“I WAS ONLY KIDDING! RAAAAAWWWRRRR!!!!” Photo via UFC.com)
So, the Filipino Wrecking Machine has set his sights on smaller, more manageable prey — namely, the aforementioned British heel, Michael Bisping. As Munoz told ESPN:
“Michael Bisping is a guy who has proven himself in this sport. He’s a great mixed martial artist. I’d love to fight him, it’d be an honour to fight him just like it was an honour to fight Chris Leben…I’m ready man, whoever they bring I’m ready.”
Now that makes a little more sense. But there’s a catch, of course. If Bisping beats Jason Miller at the TUF 14 Finale, would he even accept a fight against Munoz? Short answer: No. He’d be clamoring for a title shot himself at that point, and wouldn’t want to “take a step backwards,” or risk losing his spot in a dangerous fight against Munoz.
And the alternate scenario — what if Bisping loses to Mayhem? Then, booking Munoz vs. Bisping makes a lot of sense, but would a win over Bisping (who’d be coming off a loss at that point) vault Munoz into the middleweight #1 contender spot? Short answer: Probably not; it kind of depends on who else is available.
There really doesn’t seem to be a simple path for Munoz to get to a title fight in the near future, especially when you consider that he and Jason Miller are training partners, and may not be eager to fight each other. With four straight victories, Munoz is clearly one of the major players at 185. But until the minor logjam at the top of the division sorts itself out, he’s better off keeping his head down and beating whoever they put in front of him.
