With two consecutive stoppage losses against Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve, and a 3-4 record in the UFC overall, Pat Barry truly needs to get his shit together tomorrow night in Nashville. He and Christian Morecraft will be slugging it out in the opening bout of UFC on FX 1‘s main card, and a third loss could spell the end of Barry’s UFC contract.
Or maybe not. UFC president Dana White has long been a fan of Barry’s “Hype or Die” style, and records don’t matter to Barry anyway. As he told MMAJunkie:
With two consecutive stoppage losses against Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve, and a 3-4 record in the UFC overall, Pat Barry truly needs to get his shit together tomorrow night in Nashville. He and Christian Morecraft will be slugging it out in the opening bout of UFC on FX 1‘s main card, and a third loss could spell the end of Barry’s UFC contract.
Or maybe not. UFC president Dana White has long been a fan of Barry’s “Hype or Die” style, and records don’t matter to Barry anyway. As he told MMAJunkie:
“Coming off two losses is no different than coming off two wins, in my opinion…The sport has evolved nowadays to where it’s not just about fighting any more. We’re entertainers. We’re athletes first, but we’re entertainers along with being athletes. So we’ve got to be able to fight, and we’ve got to be able to perform. I can throw a jab and run from anybody. But who wants to see that?…I come into put on a show. It’s ‘HD.’ Either I’m killing people, or I’m getting killed. I’m going to lose better than anybody if I do.”
We’ll give it to Pat; he definitely loses better than anybody.
Filed under: UFCThe UFC heads to Nashville this Friday night for a fight card that makes up for with easy accessibility what it lacks in star power. Sure, maybe we’re not talking about the biggest names here, and maybe the big(ger) names on the card ar…
The UFC heads to Nashville this Friday night for a fight card that makes up for with easy accessibility what it lacks in star power. Sure, maybe we’re not talking about the biggest names here, and maybe the big(ger) names on the card are mostly coming off losses, but what do you expect for a Friday night on FX?
At least oddsmakers still care enough to handicap the action, and at least I still care enough to see if I can’t make them pay for it.
When you talk about this fight, you’re going to end up comparing losses. There’s just no way around it. You take two lightweight contenders who had their respective rises suddenly and violently halted, and it’s only natural that we’d go back and try to sort through whose loss was worse, and what it means now. Miller had a pretty thorough beating put him on by Ben Henderson, but now that Henderson’s getting set to challenge for the lightweight title that doesn’t look so bad. Guillard, on the other hand, lost a shocker to Joe Lauzon after getting dropped and then choked early in the first round. It’s a longer fall, quality of opponent-wise, but it does have a bit of a fluke-ish quality to it, which you can attribute to Guillard’s reckless overconfidence. You know, if you really want to.
This is what makes picking a winner in this fight so difficult. You can kind of talk yourself into anything. It’s a little surprising to see Miller this much of a favorite, but then you think about his ground game, his seven-fight win streak prior to the Henderson loss, and it makes sense. And Guillard? Guillard has the allure of pure ability. The promise of speed and power and an athletic ability that even he can’t help but overestimate at times. Guillard seems like the kind of guy who can beat anybody when things fall his way, but also like the kind of guy who could lose to anybody and at any given moment. It’s not hard to imagine him knocking Miller out with a flying knee, nor is it difficult to picture him missing that same flying knee, landing on his end, and getting submitted seconds later. It all depends on what you want to tell yourself. My pick: Miller. Unlike Guillard, he never beats himself. In a fight like this, don’t be surprised if that turns out to be enough.
Right off I’ll say it: I’m surprised at this line. I would have thought that Ludwig would have been the clear favorite and Neer the obvious underdog. That’s not meant as a knock on Neer, who still does a few things very well and for whom toughness is never a question. But Ludwig seems to be undergoing a sort of mini-Renaissance lately. He seems more at home in the welterweight division than he ever was in the lightweight class, and he’s sharpened his defensive wrestling skills to the point where his kickboxing is even more of a problem for opponents. As long as he’s fully healthy, it’s hard for me to see how Neer wins this. At one point, oddsmakers agreed. He was up in the +120 range until the money started to flow in, but it’s not like his chances have really improved since then. He still deserves to be a slight underdog against Ludwig. It’s just that, if you jump on it now, you won’t get anywhere near the value out of him. My pick: Ludwig. I wouldn’t say it’s a lock, but I would say this is his fight to lose. If he plays it smart, he ought to pick Neer apart on the feet for as long as it takes.
You can always tell that the odds are going to be heavily in one guy’s favor when his opponent doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page yet. Maybe it was Wednesday’s Wikipedia protest blackout, or maybe the denizens of the internet just don’t care enough about a UFC newcomer until he actually does something in the Octagon. Either way we’re looking at another bantamweight bout that oddsmakers expect Mike Easton to win and win easily. That makes sense. Easton’s had a pretty charmed career up until this point, while Papazian has been up and down, winning some and losing some against the knowns and unknowns alike. Papazian does have a three-fight win streak going, which has to count for something. Then again, those are three wins over guys most fans probably never heard of. The UFC must have seen something in him, even if that something was a warm body for Easton to throttle on a card so lacking in big names, Christian Morecraft appears on the poster. Hey, somebody had to say it. My pick: Easton. It’s a parlay pick for sure, but I can’t think of a single reason to think that Dominick Cruz’s personal hype man won’t swarm all over Papazian.
You never know exactly what you’re going to get with Barry. On paper, he looks like a mediocre heavyweight who’s just barely holding on to a UFC roster spot. But those who’ve actually seen him in the cage know that he’s probably the best 6-4 fighter in all of MMA. It’s just that, lately, none of the breaks have gone his way. Morecraft is another of the big, hulking heavyweights that seem to have popped up like weeds in the UFC recently. He’s in the same mold as guys like Travis Browne and Ben Rothwell, all towering heavyweights who look like they’d make great extras in a Viking movie. Morecraft will obviously have a size advantage, but that’s nothing new for Barry. It would probably throw him off more to fight someone his own height at this point. On a pure skill level, Barry’s on another planet. Morecraft has to know he can’t win a kickboxing match against him. What he has to do is treat this like a bar fight and take technique out of the equation. He’s the bigger, stronger man, with an edge on the mat. Again though, if Barry isn’t used to that by now, he never will be. My pick: Barry. I know, this is usually the point where I talk myself into taking an underdog, but I can’t do it here. Eventually Barry has to catch a break. He just has to.
Quick picks:
– Jorge Rivera (+115) over Eric Schafer (-146). If I have to choose between two fighters down on their luck, I’ll take the guy who got that way by facing superior opponents.
– Khabib Nurmagomedov (even) over Kamal Shalorus (-130). First of all, Nurmagomedov needs a nickname in a bad, bad way. Secondly, I have yet to be impressed with a full performance by Shalorus, who tends to look good only in short bursts.
The ‘For Entertainment Purposes Only’ Parlay: Ludwig + Easton + Barry. Also throw in Charlie Brenneman, who’s at -300 over Daniel Roberts. Because why not?
Filed under: UFCCan Melvin Guillard get back on track after his swift loss to Joe Lauzon in October? Or is Jim Miller going to hand Guillard yet another submission loss? Who’s more likely to keep his recent momentum going, Duane Ludwig or Josh Neer? An…
Can Melvin Guillard get back on track after his swift loss to Joe Lauzon in October? Or is Jim Miller going to hand Guillard yet another submission loss? Who’s more likely to keep his recent momentum going, Duane Ludwig or Josh Neer? And what kind of heavyweight brawl are Pat Barry and Christian Morecraft going to give us?
I’ll attempt to answer those questions and more as I predict the winners of Friday night’s UFC event below.
What: UFC on FX 1: Guillard vs. Miller
When: Friday, the Fuel TV preliminary fights begin at 6 p.m. ET and the FX main card begins at 9.
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Predictions on the four FX fights below.
Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller Guillard has a ton of talent, and when he’s on his game he can look spectacular. The problem is there’s a certain type of fighter who can take Guillard off his game, and Miller is exactly that kind of fighter.
Nine years and 42 fights into into his professional MMA career, Guillard still hasn’t given us any reason to think he’s going to beat a guy like Miller, who can take him down and submit him on the ground. Guillard has nine losses in his career, and eight of them came by submission. Miller has 20 wins in his career, and 11 of them came by submission.
Guillard is a good enough striker that it’s possible he could catch Miller and become the first person ever to finish him. But it’s much more likely that Miller will make Guillard tap. Pick: Miller
Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer Things have gone very well for Ludwig lately, as he’s on a surprising two-fight winning streak in the UFC and was recently handed the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history, as the UFC decided to ignore the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which says Ludwig took 11 seconds to knock Jonathan Goulet out, and call it officially a six-second knockout.
So will Ludwig keep his momentum going against Neer? I don’t think so. Neer is on a five-fight winning streak and looked good in his UFC return against Keith Wisniewski in October. After a couple years out of the UFC, Neer appears to be focused and determined to get his career back on track, and I see him earning a big win against Ludwig. Pick: Neer
Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian Easton is a very impressive young bantamweight who made his UFC debut with a TKO of Byron Bloodworth in October. I love Easton’s potential to make waves in the UFC. Easton was originally slated to fight Ken Stone on this card, but when Stone suffered an injury, Papazian stepped in on short notice to fill the slot. Papazian is a solid prospect making his UFC debut, but Papazian would be better suited as a flyweight, and he’s not quite ready for an opponent on Easton’s level. Pick: Easton
Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft Both of these heavyweights are coming off losses, and if the heavyweight division weren’t so shallow I’d think the loser might be in danger of getting cut by the UFC. But the heavyweight division is shallow, and so the UFC needs guys like Barry and Morecraft, who are both limited as fighters but both usually put on good shows. It wouldn’t shock me to see Barry soften Morecraft up with leg kicks and finish him off with punches, but Barry struggles so much on the ground that I suspect Morecraft is going to take Barry down and make him tap. Pick: Morecraft
UFC on FX to air in January 2012 with 2 bouts announced: Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer and Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft. MMA Junkie website (which was newly acquired by USA Today) will debut.
UFC on FX to air in January 2012 with 2 bouts announced: Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer and Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft.
MMA Junkie website (which was newly acquired by USA Today) will debut a live MMA news magazine show on Spike TV in January 2012.
Shane Carwin is recovering from back surgery which was necessary to keep him from “feeling paralyzed” when he competes.
UFC 141 books Nam Phan vs. Jim Hettes for December 30th event in Las Vegas.
Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio added to UFC 142 event on January 14th in Rio.
UFC 143 receives Dustin Poirier vs. Eric Koch in February.
Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch and Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis set for UFC 144 in Japan.
Justin Bieber paternity suit is dismissed by Mariah Yeater.
*UPDATE: The Bieber paternity case is still on. Reports earlier from TMZ indicated Mariah Yeater had dismissed the case but her lawyer says Yeater “believes Justin Bieber is the father.” In other news, judging by these recent pics both Yeater and Bieber look like excellent parental figures:
Filed under: UFC, NewsThe first live UFC on FX event will happen in January and while an exact date and location is to be announced, there are now two fights scheduled.
On Wednesday, the UFC announced that Josh Neer will fight Duane Ludwig in welterw…
The first live UFC on FX event will happen in January and while an exact date and location is to be announced, there are now two fights scheduled.
On Wednesday, the UFC announced that Josh Neer will fight Duane Ludwig in welterweight action and Pat Barry will take on Christian Morecraft in a heavyweight scrap.
Under UFC’s deal with FOX, the promotion will bring four live events to FOX and six to FX each year. These live cards on FX will be similar to the former “Fight Nights” on Spike/”UFC Live” on Versus events. All four fighters announced so far are coming off appearances on UFC Live cards.
Neer and Ludwig matchup well considering that Neer has an aggressive style and Ludwig’s strength lying in his background as a Muay Thai fighter. Neer (32-10-1) made his return to the UFC last month with a bloody TKO win over Keith Wisniewski. Ludwig (21-11) has won his last two fights and last competed in August, beating TUF winner 7 Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision.
Barry and Morecraft are heavyweights desperately in need of a win. Barry (6-4) is riding a two-fight losing streak from losses to Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve. Morecraft (7-1) was knocked out in June by Matt Mitrione and is 1-2 in the UFC.
Filed under: UFC, NewsFive fighters from Sunday’s UFC on Versus 4 card in Pittsburgh have been hit with medical suspensions following their fights, three of them for 60 days.
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission released the post-fight suspensi…
Five fighters from Sunday’s UFC on Versus 4 card in Pittsburgh have been hit with medical suspensions following their fights, three of them for 60 days.
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission released the post-fight suspensions to MMA Fighting on Tuesday.
Most notably, main event heavyweight Pat Barry was suspended for 60 days and will need clearance from a neurologist before returning. Barry looked to be on his way to a win over Cheick Kongo after dropping him twice, and it looked as if referee Dan Miragliotta was close to stopping the fight.
But Kongo rallied back, still wobbly on his feet, and delivered a massive right hand that put Barry on his back. Kongo’s win is already being discussed as one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history.
And the damage he took from an illegal knee by Charles Oliveira will have Nik Lentz out for 60 days, as well. He also must have his right eye cleared before returning. Lentz said Monday on Twitter that he had broken bones around his eye that will likely require surgery, and his coach, Greg Nelson, told MMA Fighting on Tuesday his fighter has a broken eye socket.
After an exciting first round – one that led to a Fight of the Night bonus – Lentz took a knee to the head in the second that the referee didn’t see. Lentz’s right knee was grounded, and Oliveira went on soon after to secure a fight-ending rear naked choke. The PSAC has confirmed the result of the fight is under review. It is possible Oliveira’s win could be overturned to a no contest.
And Christian Morecraft, who ate a three-punch combination from Matt Mitrione that knocked him cold, also was hit with a 60-day suspension. The win by Mitrione, who will appear on Tuesday’s edition of “The MMA Hour” to talk about the fight with host Ariel Helwani, improved his record to 5-0 in the UFC with four wins by TKO or knockout.
Additionally, Matt Grice, who suffered a first-round TKO loss to Ricardo Lamas in the fighters’ featherweight debuts, will be on the shelf for 45 days. And Edward Faaloloto, who opened UFC on Versus 4 with a first-round TKO loss to Michael Johnson, Season 11 runner-up on “The Ultimate Fighter,” will be shut down for 30 days.
None of the fighters involved in unanimous decisions were issued suspensions, and only one fighter involved in a stoppage loss was spared a suspension – Curt Warburton. Warburton tapped to a kimura just 1:58 into the first round against Joe Lauzon, and it appeared that his right arm might be damaged. But Warburton said Monday on Twitter that his arm and shoulder were OK after the fight.
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