Eight Ways of Looking at UFC 136

Filed under: UFCMusings, ramblings, questions, and predictions abound in the final hours before UFC 136 in Houston. Here are just a few of them, for your consideration.

I. After the first Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard fight, who’d have guessed we’d want …

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Frankie Edgar vs. Gray MaynardMusings, ramblings, questions, and predictions abound in the final hours before UFC 136 in Houston. Here are just a few of them, for your consideration.

I. After the first Frankie EdgarGray Maynard fight, who’d have guessed we’d want to see two more? Certainly not me. I remember well the feeling of dull obligation when the main event at UFC 125 rolled around. I was at home, watching the pay-per-view with my wife and some friends. After the Leben-Stann fight most of my friends went home (or to the bars that might as well be their homes), and my wife went to bed. If it hadn’t been my job to stay up and write, I might have DVR’d the final fight and followed her. Thankfully, I had no choice but to watch it live, and by the end of the first round I was debating waking her up and telling her she just had to see what was happening. I didn’t (my wife’s a fan, but she doesn’t mind waiting until the morning to catch the recorded version), and it was probably the right call for the sake of domestic bliss. Still, that fight served as a reminder that no matter how many events you’ve seen, you never know for sure what you’re going to get. That’s a sword that cuts two ways, of course, and with the Edgar-Maynard trilogy we have no way of telling whether the end will be fittingly satisfying or disappointingly mediocre. Maybe the best we can hope for is that finally, after months of waiting, it will really and truly be over.




II. In terms of his legacy, Kenny Florian has never had a more important fight. It’s not just because there’s a title at stake. He’s been there before. It’s because, if he loses, this will almost certainly be the last UFC title that Florian ever gets a shot at. He’s already dropped as low as he can go, and there’s no future for him back at lightweight. Either he’s going to finally win a title, or he’s going to cement his legacy as one of the best UFC fighters to never be a champion — a sort of MMA Jim Kelly, if you will. It’s not the worst thing that could happen. Better to be Kelly than to be Ryan Leaf. It’s better still to be a champion, and Florian is looking at his last best hope.

III. So…have we all just forgotten about that whole Chael Sonnen testosterone thing?
The fact that it was a huge issue after the Anderson Silva fight and a complete non-issue before this fight really makes you wonder, are our attention spans that short, or was it all really just a paperwork and disclosure issue after all? No one seems to be asking Sonnen whether he’s been using testosterone in the lead-up to UFC 136, with the exception of a guy named Aaron on our recent live chat, and kudos to him. Aaron asked Sonnen point blank whether he’s still using it and whether it’s legal for him to do so in Texas, to which Sonnen replied:

“I really can’t get into it because I don’t fully understand it myself. It’s one of those things you try to learn as best you go but I’m not the guy who handles that. I’m not a manager. And they don’t make it extremely clear. There’s not a web site or anything we can go to to find out. …It would be helpful if the commissions told us more. It makes it tough on a guy to follow a rule when nobody is willing to clarify what the rule is.”

Now who’s elusive?

IV. Gray Maynard hasn’t finished a fight inside the distance since 2007. Edgar hasn’t done it since 2009, and that was against not-so-distinguished competition in Matt Veach (who’s now riding a two-fight losing streak in the minor leagues, last time I checked). For the fans who crave finishes and berate champions who don’t deliver them, is this a kiss of death? Will they continue to care about and/or pay to see UFC lightweight title contests if it’s almost a given that it will end up in the hands of the judges? I don’t know, but personally I’ve never understood the line of reasoning that claims the only good fight is a finished fight. Granted, draws like the one we saw last time leave us feeling cold, but who can say they didn’t have a great time watching that fight? Just because no one tapped or got knocked out, that doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t money well spent.

V. Joey Beltran has never lost to a fighter making his UFC debut.
Okay, so he’s only fought two of them so far — Rolles Gracie and Aaron Rosa — but he won both. Now he’ll try to keep the streak intact against undefeated newcomer Stipe Miocic, who the UFC reportedly has high hopes for. Can Beltran play spoiler again? Oddsmakers don’t think so. Most have Miocic as a 3-1 favorite. But then, they’ve been wrong about Beltran before.

VI. We’re about to find out a lot about Anthony Pettis‘ potential. He dazzled us with the Showtime kick in the WEC, then squandered his promised title shot with a loss to Clay Guida in his UFC debut. Now he’s relegated to the prelims in a fight against Jeremy Stephens, who is the exact sort of fighter you simply must be able to beat if you want to be a contender at this level. Stephens is a resilient scrapper with knockout power, but he’s no world-beater. He’s someone who, on paper, Pettis ought to be able to handle. But Stephens never makes it easy on you, and he’s never more than one good punch away from ruining your night. If Pettis can’t beat him, we’ll know that “Showtime” isn’t quite ready for primetime.

VII. Jorge Santiago doesn’t need to panic just yet, but he should be at least a little concerned.
His last UFC run ended after two consecutive losses in 2006. Now he’s 0-1 in his return, and facing a heavy favorite in Demian Maia. A loss here doesn’t necessarily mean he’s gone — Stann and then Maia is a heck of a one-two punch in your first fights back in the UFC — but it doesn’t bode well for his future either.

VIII. Melvin Guillard didn’t have to take this fight, but why wouldn’t he?
After five straight wins, he could have probably opted to sit around and wait for either a title shot or at least a clear number one contender bout. But the way the lightweight division is looking right now, on the sidelines is no place to be. By continuing to take fights Guillard not only keeps his skills sharp and his bank account full, he also keeps himself in the conversation about top UFC lightweights. When the UFC does finally get around to promoting a 155-pound title fight that doesn’t include both Maynard and Edgar, Guillard’s recent triumphs will still be fresh in people’s minds. That is, if he is indeed triumphant here. Naturally, nothing’s guaranteed, but if you didn’t think you could beat Joe Lauzon 99 times out of 100, what would make you think you could be UFC champion?

 

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UFC 136 Fight Card: Live Streaming the Fights to Your Computer

UFC 136 is set to take place in a few hours and many of you may be looking to live stream the event to your computer. If you count yourself among those fans, the information on where you can legally stream is provided below the complete fight card, whi…

UFC 136 is set to take place in a few hours and many of you may be looking to live stream the event to your computer. If you count yourself among those fans, the information on where you can legally stream is provided below the complete fight card, which is listed here:

Main Card

Frankie Edgar  vs. Gray Maynard

Jose Aldo  vs. Kenny Florian

Chael Sonnen  vs. Brian Stann

Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan

Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon

Spike TV Card

Demian Maia vs. Jorge Santiago

Anthony Pettis vs. Jeremy Stephens

Preliminary Card

Joey Beltran  vs. Stipe Miocic

Darren Elkins vs. Tiequan Zhang

Eric Schafer vs. Aaron Simpson

Steve Cantwell  vs. Mike Massenzio

To get you started, the UFC will stream the four fight preliminary card on their facebook page beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

From their you get a break as the Spike TV card will not be streamed, however, you can pick back up and watch the main card at 9 p.m. on any of the following, sure it will cost you, but, it’s legal:

UFC.TV

Yahoo Sports

YouTube

UStream

 

UFC 136: Results, News, Reaction for Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard are set to face off inside the Octagon on Saturday, October 8 in the main event of UFC 136. The fight will be the third between the two lightweights.Maynard holds the edge over Edgar as he defeated Edgar via unanimous dec…

Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard are set to face off inside the Octagon on Saturday, October 8 in the main event of UFC 136. The fight will be the third between the two lightweights.

Maynard holds the edge over Edgar as he defeated Edgar via unanimous decision in their first meeting. The second bout between the two was on January 1 of this year and that fight saw Edgar retain his UFC title after the two fought to a draw.

That fight, which took place at UFC 125, is in the running for Fight of the Year honors. The champion took a beating in the first round of that bout, but he survived, apparently on instincts alone since he claimed after the fight that he could not remember the first round. Edgar came back in later rounds, earning enough points to secure the draw after the lopsided first round. 

The co-main event of the evening will feature a second UFC title fight as Jose Aldo puts his featherweight title on the line against Kenny Florian. For Florian, this will be his third shot at a UFC title, he fell short in his first two attempts, dropping fights to B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk.

Aldo is recognized as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC and will be looking to extend his unbeaten streak to 13 straight fights when he meets Florian inside the Toyota Center.

Also on the card will be Chael Sonnen. Sonnen will return to the Octagon after a prolonged absence and he won’t get a warm up fight on Saturday, as he faces the heavy-handed Brian Stann in a highly anticipated middleweight bout.

The complete fight card is below:

Frankie Edgar  vs. Gray Maynard

Jose Aldo  vs. Kenny Florian

Chael Sonnen  vs. Brian Stann

Leonard Garcia  vs. Nam Phan

Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon

Demian Maia  vs. Jorge Santiago

Anthony Pettis  vs. Jeremy Stephens

Joey Beltran  vs. Stipe Miocic

Darren Elkins  vs. Tiequan Zhang

Eric Schafer  vs. Aaron Simpson

Steve Cantwell vs. Mike Massenzio

Check back often as Bleacher Report will have pre-fight, in-fight and post-fight coverage of UFC 136 right here.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Fighter vs. Writer: UFC 136 Picks with ‘King’ Mo Lawal

Filed under: UFCLast time on Fighter vs. Writer, Michael Bisping picked with his heart rather than his head at UFC 135, and it cost him the victory against yours truly.

With UFC 136 nearly upon us, I challenged former Strikeforce light heavyweight cha…

Filed under:

Mo LawalLast time on Fighter vs. Writer, Michael Bisping picked with his heart rather than his head at UFC 135, and it cost him the victory against yours truly.

With UFC 136 nearly upon us, I challenged former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and noted agent provocateur of Twitter, “King” Mo Lawal. There are few fighters more knowledgeable about the fight game (or more confident in their own knowledge of the fight game) than Lawal, so I have my work cut out for me.

As usual, we’ll start at the top of the card and work our way down. Mr. Lawal, you have the honors…




Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

Lawal: Maynard via decision. “I love both fighters. Frankie’s a soldier, and so is Gray. Gray’s Team Thirsty. But I think Gray can pull off the decision, get a few takedowns early on and then coast. But if Frankie starts fast, he could be in trouble.”
Fowlkes: Edgar via decision. He surprised me last time with how well he dealt with Maynard’s wrestling skills, and that was after getting dropped and nearly finished. I think he sticks and moves his way to a win, and we can all finally move on our lives.

Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian

Lawal: Florian via decision. “This whole card is fighters I like, but man, I think Kenny’s going to pull it off. The southpaw stance, the elusiveness, inside leg kicks, and takedowns. I think he pull it off that way.”
Fowlkes: Aldo via decision. I just don’t see Florian being able to wrestle his way to a win before Aldo tenderizes his thighs with those kicks. The champ is too fast and has too many weapons at his disposal. Another weight class where Florian is better than everybody but the very best.

Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann

Lawal: Sonnen via decision. “I like Brian Stann, but I got to go with the wrestler on this one. Chael’s my boy. …His double-leg is tricky. No one’s figured out how to stop it. They all try and guillotine him and it never works. They get taken down. I don’t know how Brian Stann’s going to be able to stop that.”
Fowlkes: Stann via decision. I agree that the takedown will be hard to stop, but if Stann can manage it I think this becomes his fight to lose. Sonnen’s been off for over a year, and Stann’s had a lot of time to hang out in the gym and plan on how to shut down the double-leg.

Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan

Lawal: Nobody. “I think this fight’s going to be a disappointment. Not a disappointment, but there’s going to be more game-planing, and it’ll be more technical than people think. It’s a toss-up. It’s going to come down to who made the adjustments.” Even when pressed, Lawal refused to make a pick. You know what that means. Now he can only get the win on this one if it ends in a draw or, as has actually happened before, doesn’t take place at all.
Fowlkes: Phan via decision. I expect Garcia to show up telling himself he’s not just going to brawl, but then I expect him to get hit once and forget all about that. If Phan can avoid getting sucked into a street fight, like I think he can, he outpoints Garcia clearly enough this time that even the worst judges can’t miss it.

Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon

Lawal:
Guillard via TKO. “Stoppage. First round. I think he’s much better, much more dynamic, and he’s more mature now. He’s a different fighter.”
Fowlkes: Guillard via TKO. I don’t know if it’ll come in the first round, but it will come. I don’t see Lauzon being able to get him on the mat, at least not for very long, and Guillard is too fast and too powerful on the feet.

Mo Lawal picks: Maynard, Florian, Sonnen, Nobody, Guillard
Ben Fowlkes picks: Edgar, Aldo, Stann, Phan, Guillard

 

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UFC 136: Chael Sonnen and The Best Quotes Leading Up to the Fights

UFC 136 is less than a day away, and it’s anticipated to go down as one of the best cards of the year.What makes the card so great is the matchups it features and the fighters who will be going head-to-head. The event will be headlined by UFC lightweig…

UFC 136 is less than a day away, and it’s anticipated to go down as one of the best cards of the year.

What makes the card so great is the matchups it features and the fighters who will be going head-to-head. The event will be headlined by UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar taking on Gray Maynard for the third time. It will be a rematch of their draw from earlier this year.

In the co-main event, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo defends his title against former lightweight title challenger Kenny Florian.

Also on the card, Chael Sonnen looks to get another shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, but he must get through Brian Stann first.

In the build up to the fight, Sonnen has been more outspoken on Silva than he has on his opponent, who is a former U.S. Marine and former WEC light heavyweight champion.

These are the best quotes leading up to tomorrow’s fights.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 136 Weigh in Results: Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard

The UFC 136 weigh-ins took place on Friday, October 7 and all fighters were on weight.The fight card will take place on Saturday, October 8 from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas and will be headlined by two UFC title bouts. The co-main event will fe…

The UFC 136 weigh-ins took place on Friday, October 7 and all fighters were on weight.

The fight card will take place on Saturday, October 8 from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas and will be headlined by two UFC title bouts. The co-main event will feature Jose Aldo putting his UFC featherweight title on the line against Kenny Florian, while the main event will see lightweight champion Frankie Edgar meet up with Gray Maynard.

Frankie Edgar (154.5) vs. Gray Maynard (155)

Jose Aldo (145) vs. Kenny Florian (145)

Chael Sonnen (185.5) vs. Brian Stann (186)

Leonard Garcia (145) vs. Nam Phan (145)

Melvin Guillard(155.5) vs. Joe Lauzon (155.5)

Demian Maia (185) vs. Jorge Santiago (185)

Anthony Pettis (154.5) vs. Jeremy Stephens (156)

Joey Beltran (245) vs. Stipe Miocic (236)

Darren Elkins (145) vs. Tiequan Zhang (146)

Eric Schafer (185.5) vs. Aaron Simpson (186)

Steve Cantwell (186) vs. Mike Massenzio (185)

Four fights will stream on the UFC’s facebook page beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET. Spike TV will then carry two preliminary card fights at 8 p.m. ET with the main card going live on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET.