The showdown between Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Muñoz (12-2-0) and Chris Weidman (8-0-0) on UFC on Fuel TV 4 will usher in a new era for MMA in the Philippines.On July 14, at 11:00 p.m. PHL time (11:00 a.m. EST), the replay…
The showdown between Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Muñoz (12-2-0) and Chris Weidman (8-0-0) on UFC on Fuel TV 4 will usher in a new era for MMA in the Philippines.
On July 14, at 11:00 p.m. PHL time (11:00 a.m. EST), the replay will be telecast across the whole archipelago for free on leading local TV channel ABS-CBN
This move will boost the awareness of MMA among sport fans in the home country of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, the 12th most populous in the world (with 101,833,938 people as of 2011).
A three-part UFC special has been running since June 30 on ABS-CBN, hosted by the Ultimate Panel composed of Filipino actor Luis Manzano, matinee idol and former amateur MMA fighter JM De Guzman, former professional MMA fighter Christian Wong and top Filipino grappler Ali Sulit.
On the first two episodes, aired on June 30 and July 7, the trio discussed the background of Muñoz as a “fighter, coach, father, brother and friend.”
Previous UFC fights won by the fighter, whose parents hail from the Southeast Asian country, were also shown and analyzed.
The Filipino Wrecking Machine emerged victorious over Aaron Simpson, C.B. Dollaway, Demian Maia and most recently Chris Leben to build up a four-fight winning streak in the UFC. He also previously beat Nick Catone, Ryan Jensen and Kendall Grove.
His two losses inside the UFC were dealt by Matt Hamill and Yushin Okami.
The last episode, which will air on July 14, will cover Muñoz’s fight versus Chris Weidman.
Widely perceived by fight fans as a potential title eliminator for the UFC middleweight belt still worn by Anderson Silva, who stopped Chael Sonnen last Saturday night, Filipinos everywhere will be rooting for Muñoz to overcome the tough test that Weidman will provide.
Manny Pacquiao lost to Timothy Bradley last month, while Nonito Donaire Jr.—another top Filipino boxer—unified the WBO and IBF superbantamweight title by dominating Jeffrey Mathebula last Saturday.
Filipinos are hoping that Muñoz will follow up Donaire’s victory with his very own inside the Octagon for a second celebration this week.
Karlo Silverio Sevilla is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
Although rapidly approaching , UFC on Fuel TV 4 hasn’t gotten much attention from the media due to the highly anticipated UFC 148. However, just four days after Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen square off.
Although rapidly approaching , UFC on Fuel TV 4 hasn’t gotten much attention from the media due to the highly anticipated UFC 148. However, just four days after Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen square off for the second time, two other top middleweights will face off in an attempt to continue their run at the middleweight title.
Top contenders, Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman, will be headlining UFC on Fuel TV 4, which will take place July 11th. The betting odds for the main event have come out, and surprisingly, it is Weidman who is the favorite over Munoz. Now while casual MMA fans may not question this, it does raise a few eyebrows from the more enthusiastic fans. Both fighters have demonstrated their skills over talented opponents, which places both fighters among the top of the division, arguably in the top ten. However, nobody can argue with the repertoire of Munoz being more impressive.
Mark Munoz has won seven of his last eight fights, losing only a split decision to Yushin Okami, who at the time, was ranked in the top five. He has since beaten four high-level opponents, with only two of those fights seeing judges score cards. Chris Weidman hasn’t faced the number of high-level opponents that Munoz has. Although Weidman was able to finish UFC veteran, Tom Lawlor, with a guillotine choke in just over two minutes, it was his decision win over jiu-jitsu specialist, Demian Maia, that labeled him as a top middleweight contender. Coincidently, Munoz and Weidman share Demian Maia as a common opponent, and it’s the comparison of their bouts with Maia that reveal just how baffling these betting odds truly are.
Mark Munoz fought a confident, energetic Demian Maia, who came out aggressive, throwing a plethora of solid, accurate strikes. It was the first time Maia demonstrated his newly achieved striking skills and completely caught Munoz off guard with them. However, Munoz was able to come back in the last two rounds, using powerful strikes and elite wrestling to stifle the jiu-jitsu attempts of Maia, and win a unanimous decision. In Chris Weidman’s bout with Maia, eight months later, Maia’s performance was sluggish and mundane. His strikes were hesitant and predictable, while his take down attempts were feeble. Even commentators, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg, made the comment that the performance of Maia and Weidman wasn’t installing any fear to the rest of the division, and that they both looked physically exhausted. While this was understandable for Weidman, seeing he agreed to the fight with Maia on only eleven days notice, there was no explanation for Maia’s poor performance. Bottom line, Mark Munoz defeated an elite contender at the top of his game, and Chris Weidman didn’t.
By no means should anyone count Chris Weidman out of this fight. He may very well remain undefeated when it’s all over. However, there is a reason that every MMA website has Munoz ranked above Weidman. When looking at the skills, past performances, and overall resumes that both of these fighters poses, Mark Munoz has simply accomplished more. Clearly somebody was misinformed when making these betting odds, and if not, then favoring Weidman is just plain ignorant and bias.
Boxing has Rocky Balboa … MMA has Chris Weidman. The Long Island mixed martial artist is the combat sport’s true underdog story. The 28-year-old was an All-American wrestler during his college days at Hofstra University, and then became a …
Boxing has Rocky Balboa …
MMA has Chris Weidman.
The Long Island mixed martial artist is the combat sport’s true underdog story.
The 28-year-old was an All-American wrestler during his college days at Hofstra University, and then became a wrestling coach there after he graduated. But he was looking for more of a challenge. After meeting trainer Ray Longo, Chris found that challenge in MMA.
MMA promoter Bellator offered Weidman a contract, but Chris – despite living in his parents’ basement with his wife and daughter – didn’t agree with the terms of the deal and declined.
In 2011, Weidman then attended a StrikeForce event with his best friend. UFC called to see if Chris could fill the card of an injured fighter, to fight Alessio Sakara.
Despite nursing broken ribs and being overweight, Weidman whipped himself into shape and took the fight on only 3 weeks notice.
Weidman won the match and has not looked back.
He is undefeated and goes for win #9 against Chris Munos in San Jose.
Bleacher Report gets an inside look at how a young, hungry and relatively unknown fighter is trying to make a name for himself in the rough and tumble world of MMA.
One week from today, the most anticipated rematch in UFC history will finally be settled.Anderson Silva, the fighter regarded by many to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, will attempt to silence Chael Sonnen once and for all.With their …
One week from today, the most anticipated rematch in UFC history will finally be settled.
Anderson Silva, the fighter regarded by many to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, will attempt to silence Chael Sonnen once and for all.
With their first clash resulting in an instant classic, all eyes in the MMA world will be fixed on the main event of UFC 148.
This go-around will come in just shy of two years since the two fighters first squared off at UFC 117. The division in which they are competing to champion looks much different than it did in 2010.
Leading up to their first fight, Sonnen was thought to be the final contender left in a division Anderson Silva had ravaged and conquered.
But when they collide on July 7th in Las Vegas, a weight classes’s upper tier once considered thin, now has a handful of contenders eagerly awaiting their shot at middleweight gold.
Mark Munoz
The former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler’s hard work has certainly paid off.
After entering the WEC as a light heavyweight, Munoz turned up his intensity and commitment to his goal of becoming one of the best fighters in the world.
Following his decision to drop to 185 pounds, “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” has won seven out of eight, including four consecutive wins inside the Octagon.
Following his victory over Chris Leben at UFC 138, Munoz made his title intentions known as he addressed his friend and former training partner, Anderson Silva.
While his title hopes wouldn’t come to fruition, the UFC granted him a matchup with Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago. Unfortunately, an injury would force him to withdraw from the bout and temporarily sideline him from the title race.
Up next, Munoz faces rising star Chris Weidman. He will have the power advantage when the two square off, and if Munoz can implement his brutal brand of ground and pound, it could be the factor which tips the affair.
UFC fans may not clamor and throw praise on Michael Bisping, but the former TUF winner has proven himself to be a legit threat at the 185-pound throne.
The brash Brit had put together four in a row before he came up on the losing end of a judge’s decision against Chael Sonnen.
Bisping replaced Munoz in the bout and was able to use his footwork to keep Sonnen off-balance.
For his next outing, he was supposed to face Tim Boetsch at UFC 149, but the injury bug bit again and forced Bisping to withdraw.
There has been no date set for his return, but “The Count” has been vocal about his place in the division.
He believes he is closer to a title shot than most, and if he can put two solid wins together, he just might get there.
Hector Lombard
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has never been shy in his belief that Hector Lombard can beat Anderson Silva. Thanks to an exodus to the UFC, the fight could become a reality.
The former Bellator middleweight champion will enter the organization on a 24-fight win streak. Lombard’s resume and name recognition have immediately put him into the mix in the division’s upper tier.
He was originally slated to face Brian Stann in his debut, but after the “All-American” injured his shoulder, the fight was scrapped. Following the injury suffered by Bisping, Lombard was tapped to step into the fight with Tim Boetsch, and the two will meet at UFC 149 next month in Calgary.
Lombard will bring his one-punch-sleeper power and his Olympic-level judo to the sport’s biggest stage.
Although he hasn’t been defeated in nearly six years, Lombard has received criticism for his lack of high-profile opposition. This will not be the case in the UFC where Lombard will face legitimate tests at every turn.
Should he find victory against Boetsch, Lombard could be one fight away from a title shot. If he is defeated, consider the Lombard hype train derailed.
Alan Belcher
There was a time where Alan Belcher was a fighter unable to grasp his full potential.
Despite game performances, “The Talent” was stuck in a pattern of “two steps forward, one step back.” Fortunately for Belcher, this trend appears to have been broken and he has notched four consecutive victories.
In his most recent outing against the dangerous submission artist Rousimar Palhares, Belcher proved he is a threat no matter where the fight takes place.
He was able to fend of Palhares’ signature leg attack before pounding out a TKO stoppage late in the first round. The performance signaled Belcher’s arrival to the mix of contenders at 185 pounds.
During the fight with Palhares, he suffered an injury to his right hand which has him on the shelf for an uncertain amount of time.
When he returns to action, it will undoubtedly come against one of the division’s best. If he can continue his impressive run, a title shot will appear on the horizon.
Chris Weidman
At this time last year, the former two-time All-American wrestler was a prospect on the rise.
Impressive outings in his first two appearances under the UFC banner led to stronger competition, and Chris Weidman was able to answer those challenges.
While he looked fantastic in his victory over Tom Lawlor, Weidman’s performance against Demian Maia left much to be desired. He stepped up on 11 days notice to take the fight and ultimately looked sluggish despite earning the victory.
Up next he will face his biggest test to date in Mark Munoz.
With strong wrestling and a solid jiu-jitsu game, Weidman will find out exactly where he stands in the divisional hierarchy when he faces Munoz.
Should the New York native be able to best “The Filipino Wrecking Machine,” the transition from prospect to contender will be complete.
In June 2010, we posted a list of the ten greatest fighters who had yet to take a loss. By November 2011, none of their perfect records were still intact, proving once again what a cruel bitch this sport is. Half of the fighters on our original list — Shane Carwin (#1), Megumi Fujii (#2), Ryan Bader (#6), Evan Dunham (#7), and Lyle Beerbohm (#10) — have even lost *twice* since then. So we decided to start over from scratch and come up with a new ranking of undefeated MMA fighters. Check it out, and let us know who you think will hold onto their ‘0’ the longest. -BG
#1: DANIEL CORMIER (10-0, six wins by first-round stoppage) Notable victories: Jeff Monson at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum (UD), Antonio Silva at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov (KO R1), Josh Barnett at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier (UD)
Next fight: TBA
The former collegiate wrestling star and Olympic competitor went through hell to get to where he is today. Less than three years after kicking off his MMA career, Cormier battled his way to a career-defining matchup against ex-UFC champ Josh Barnett — a catch-wrestling savant with four times as many fights on his pro record as Cormier — in the finals of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix. But Dan didn’t need to turn the meeting into a grappling match. As he also demonstrated against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in his previous outing, Cormier packs enough speed and punching-power to win fights with his striking alone. It’s only a matter of time before he enters the UFC to take on the best in the world, and we have a feeling he’ll make an immediate impact.
#2: MICHAEL CHANDLER (10-0, eight wins by stoppage) Notable victories: Patricky Freire at Bellator 44 (UD), Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 58 (sub R4), Akihiro Gono at Bellator 67 (TKO R1)
Next fight: TBA
Michael Chandler is the perfect example of how a tournament can transform a fighter from unheralded prospect to breakout star. After winning his first two Bellator appearances by swift first-round stoppage in 2010, Chandler was invited to participate in the promotion’s season four lightweight tournament. The Xtreme Couture product sliced through it, starting with a first-round submission of Polish prodigy Marcin Held, and ending with a decision win over knockout artist Patricky “Pitbull” Freire in the finals. Then, Chandler did the unthinkable — he took the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez, choking out the formerly untouchable Bellator champ in the fourth round of an insane Fight of the Year candidate last November. (A follow-up non-title match against Akihiro Gono was little more than a one-minute showcase of his killer instinct.) In eight months, Chandler went from 5-0 up-and-comer to newly-minted champion with a win over a top-ten ranked opponent. Is it okay if we use the “meteoric rise” cliché, just this once?
In June 2010, we posted a list of the ten greatest fighters who had yet to take a loss. By November 2011, none of their perfect records were still intact, proving once again what a cruel bitch this sport is. Half of the fighters on our original list — Shane Carwin (#1), Megumi Fujii (#2), Ryan Bader (#6), Evan Dunham (#7), and Lyle Beerbohm (#10) — have even lost *twice* since then. So we decided to start over from scratch and come up with a new ranking of undefeated MMA fighters. Check it out, and let us know who you think will hold onto their ’0′ the longest. -BG
#1: DANIEL CORMIER (10-0, six wins by first-round stoppage) Notable victories: Jeff Monson at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum (UD), Antonio Silva at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov (KO R1), Josh Barnett at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier (UD)
Next fight: TBA
The former collegiate wrestling star and Olympic competitor went through hell to get to where he is today. Less than three years after kicking off his MMA career, Cormier battled his way to a career-defining matchup against ex-UFC champ Josh Barnett — a catch-wrestling savant with four times as many fights on his pro record as Cormier — in the finals of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix. But Dan didn’t need to turn the meeting into a grappling match. As he also demonstrated against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in his previous outing, Cormier packs enough speed and punching-power to win fights with his striking alone. It’s only a matter of time before he enters the UFC to take on the best in the world, and we have a feeling he’ll make an immediate impact.
#2: MICHAEL CHANDLER (10-0, eight wins by stoppage) Notable victories: Patricky Freire at Bellator 44 (UD), Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 58 (sub R4), Akihiro Gono at Bellator 67 (TKO R1)
Next fight: TBA
Michael Chandler is the perfect example of how a tournament can transform a fighter from unheralded prospect to breakout star. After winning his first two Bellator appearances by swift first-round stoppage in 2010, Chandler was invited to participate in the promotion’s season four lightweight tournament. The Xtreme Couture product sliced through it, starting with a first-round submission of Polish prodigy Marcin Held, and ending with a decision win over knockout artist Patricky “Pitbull” Freire in the finals. Then, Chandler did the unthinkable — he took the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez, choking out the formerly untouchable Bellator champ in the fourth round of an insane Fight of the Year candidate last November. (A follow-up non-title match against Akihiro Gono was little more than a one-minute showcase of his killer instinct.) In eight months, Chandler went from 5-0 up-and-comer to newly-minted champion with a win over a top-ten ranked opponent. Is it okay if we use the “meteoric rise” cliché, just this once?
#3. RONDA ROUSEY (5-0, all wins by first-round armbar) Notable victories: Sarah D’Alelio at Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Duarte (sub R1), Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challengers: Britt vs. Sayers (sub R1), Miesha Tate at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey (sub R1)
It seems that there are two paths to recognition as a female MMA fighter — be a fight-finishing beast like Cris Cyborg, or a feminine sex symbol like Gina Carano. In the relatively brief time we’ve been aware of her, Ronda Rousey has proven herself to be both. Add in a dose of Sonnen-esque trash-talk, and it’s easy to see why we’ve become infatuated with the bronze-medal-winning Olympic judoka. After dispatching her first four pro opponents in a combined time of two minutes and 18 seconds, Rousey fought/talked her way to a Strikeforce title shot against bantamweight champ Miesha Tate. Was it too much too soon? Not exactly. Rousey went home with a new belt and another shattered arm for her trophy case, proving once again that success is the best revenge.
#4: TRAVIS BROWNE (13-0-1, nine wins by first-round stoppage) Notable victories: James McSweeney at the TUF 11 Finale (TKO R1), Stefan Struve at UFC 130 (KO R1), Chad Griggs at UFC 145 (sub R1)
Travis Browne answers the age-old question: “What if Tim Sylvia was a fucking badass?” Browne has the imposing height and reach of the Maine-iac, but uses those natural gifts with a bloodthirsty aggression that has led to most of his opponents being laid out in the first five minutes. “Hapa” entered the UFC on a three-fight stretch where he knocked out Brian Campbell, Abe Wagner, and Aaron Brink in a combined 52 seconds (!), and did everybody a favor by squashing TUF 10 heel James McSweeney at his UFC debut in June 2010. Though a follow-up match against Cheick Kongo was a dirty mess of a fight that ended in a draw, Browne’s been golden ever since, most recently turning Chad Griggs from Strikeforce Cinderella-story to ex-heavyweight.
#5: CHRIS WEIDMAN (8-0, five wins by first-round stoppage) Notable victories: Alessio Sakara at UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann (UD), Tom Lawlor at UFC 139 (sub R1), Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis (UD)
His nickname is “All American,” but you might as well call him Mr. Clutch. When Chris Weidman made his UFC debut against dangerous middleweight striker Alessio Sakara, he was just 4-0 at the time and coming in as an injury replacement on just two weeks’ notice. Despite the lack of preparation, Weidman’s top-shelf wrestling chops and unbreakable spirit carried him to a unanimous decision victory. Two masterful first-round submissions of Jesse Bongfeldt and Tom Lawlor followed, proving that the Serra-Longo product was the real deal. Weidman passed the biggest test of his career at UFC on FOX 2 in January, coming in once again as a last-minute injury replacement against Demian Maia. Though his conditioning began to fail him late in the fight, he didn’t stop pushing forward, and the judges rewarded him for the effort. With a little more seasoning — and a full training camp — Weidman will be a threat to any contender in the middleweight division.
#6: PAUL SASS (13-0; eight wins by “Sassangle,” three by heel-hook) Notable victories: Jason Young at OMMAC 4 (sub R1), Michael Johnson at UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson (sub R1), Jacob Volkmann at UFC 146 (sub R1)
Next fight: TBA
Also known as one of the greatest one-trick ponies in MMA, Paul Sass kicked off his career with seven consecutive triangle-choke victories. Once he racked up ten professional wins in his native Liverpool, Sass was picked up by the UFC where he’s gone 3-0 so far, with all wins coming by first-round submission. His latest appearance at UFC 146 was by far his most impressive. Facing lightweight contender Jacob Volkmann — who had out-pointed five straight opponents since dropping from welterweight — Sass needed less than two minutes to tie up Volkmann on the mat and submit him with a triangle-armbar, thus saving us from another uncomfortable post-fight interview.
#7 BEN ASKREN (10-0, four wins by first-round stoppage) Notable victories: Dan Hornbuckle at Bellator 22 (UD), Nick Thompson at Bellator 40 (UD), Douglas Lima at Bellator 64 (UD)
Next fight: TBA
Maybe you don’t like his top-control-based style of fighting, and maybe his unapologetic attitude about it makes you like him even less. Doesn’t matter. Ben Askren’s wrestling expertise — honed during a legendary collegiate career — suggests that he’ll probably be Bellator’s welterweight champion as long as Bellator’s welterweight division exists. So while Dana White has called him “the most boring fighter in MMA history,” we feel obligated to quote Pat Miletich’s more respectful viewpoint: “The level of wrestling in mixed martial arts needs to improve in order to stop a guy like Ben Aksren from controlling them and putting them on their back.”
#8: STIPE MIOCIC (9-0, seven wins by KO/TKO) Notable victories: Joey Beltran at UFC 136 (UD), Phil De Fries at UFC on FUEL: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger (KO R1), Shane Del Rosario at UFC 146 (TKO R1)
Next fight: TBA
Any fighter who pulls on a pair of Croatian flag shorts sets himself up for lofty comparisons. But this 29-year-old knockout machine (and firefighter/EMT) has exceeded our expectations, going 3-0 in the UFC since his debut last October. In his last fight, Miocic faced another undefeated heavyweight blue-chipper in Shane Del Rosario, and demonstrated the difference between “prospect” and “contender,” pulling off the gnarliest elbows-from-above TKO since Melendez vs. Kawajiri. The UFC’s heavyweight division is deeper than ever this year, and it’s because young lions like Miocic and Travis Browne are coming in to clear out all the dead weight.
#9: JIMY HETTES (10-0, nine wins by submission) Notable victories: Jacob Kirwan at MASS: Inauguration (sub R2), Alex Caceres at UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle (sub R2), Nam Phan at UFC 141 (UD).
We don’t like to toss around the word “prodigy” unless it’s truly warranted, but honestly, Jimy Hettes is the Little Man Tate of grappling. At just 24 years old, the Pennsylvania native is already an expert, innovator, and educator of the ground game, and submitted his first nine MMA opponents with shocking ease. The only guy he wasn’t able to finish was Nam Phan in his last UFC appearance, and even then, the thrashing he gave Phan was so lopsided that two judges scored the fight 30-25. We can’t wait to see Jimy’s run in the UFC featherweight division continue once he’s healthy again.
#10: KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV (17-0, 13 wins by stoppage) Notable victories: Vadim Sandulitsky at ProFC Ukraine Cup 3 (sub R1), Arymarcel Santos at ProFC 36 (TKO R1), Kamal Shalorus at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller (sub R3)
There’s a good chance you may not be familiar with Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov, so here’s a brief primer: Nurmagomedov is a 23-year-old Russian lightweight who made his MMA debut a week before his 20th birthday, and spent three years running through local competition in Russia and the Ukraine before the UFC took notice. The 17-0 start to his career is nearly unprecedented, outside of Megumi Fujii. Judging from the above weigh-in photo, he might be a Ben Askren fan. And in his Octagon debut, he choked out former WEC standout Kamal Shalorus, which earned him a crack at longtime UFC vet Gleison Tibau in July. The former Combat Sambo Russian National Champion currently trains out of KDojo MMA in Fairfield, New Jersey. God help the CagePotato writers who have to type his name during liveblogs. (Not it, guys.)
Big Nog is coming off his gruesome kimura loss to Frank Mir at UFC 140 in December, a defeat that had many fans and pundits pleading for the legend’s retirement. Following that fight, Nogueira said he expected to return within nine months. Just seven months later, he’ll be taking one more kick at the cat against a tough striker in Kongo, who ate a first-round TKO loss against Mark Hunt in his last outing. Still, you can’t count either of these guys out (see: Nog vs. Schaub, Kongo vs. Barry). Are you happy to see Nogueira back in the Octagon? And who do you think will be left standing?
In other booking news…
(Fun fact: Nogueira’s body is composed mainly of replacement parts from grave-robbed corpses.)
Big Nog is coming off his gruesome kimura loss to Frank Mir at UFC 140 in December, a defeat that had many fans and pundits pleading for the legend’s retirement. Following that fight, Nogueira said he expected to return within nine months. Just seven months later, he’ll be taking one more kick at the cat against a tough striker in Kongo, who ate a first-round TKO loss against Mark Hunt in his last outing. Still, you can’t count either of these guys out (see: Nog vs. Schaub, Kongo vs. Barry). Are you happy to see Nogueira back in the Octagon? And who do you think will be left standing?
Weidman increased his perfect MMA record to 8-0 at UFC on FOX 2 in January with a unanimous decision win over Demian Maia. Munoz was scheduled to compete against Micchael Bisping at the same event, but had to withdraw due to elbow problems. Munoz is currently riding a four-fight win streak, most recently stopping Chris Leben at UFC 138.
The showdown between Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Muñoz (12-2-0) and Chris Weidman (8-0-0) on UFC on Fuel TV 4 will usher in a new era for MMA in the Philippines.
