… In response to some statements Gray Maynard said about not being too impressed by Anthony Pettis and that save for Ben Henderson, he’s only fought scrubs, Pettis told HeavyMMA: “I feel bad for the.
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In response to some statements Gray Maynard said about not being too impressed by Anthony Pettis and that save for Ben Henderson, he’s only fought scrubs, Pettis told HeavyMMA:
“I feel bad for the guys in the WEC. He’s downgrading all of the WEC fighters, which are doing very well in the WEC,” said Pettis. “If I’m fighting scrubs, his peers are getting beat by the scrubs I’ve been fighting. I feel that he might a little jealous of my level of success so fast. I’m probably the most famous UFC fighter that hasn’t fought in the UFC yet.”
Maynard is not known for trash-talking but it looks like the lines have been drawn for a good ol’ rivalry between the two Lightweights. Pettis faces Clay Guida this June 4th at the TUF 13 Finale.
Brock Lesnar versus Junior dos Santos’ June 11 heavyweight tangle at UFC 131 was meant to be the UFC’s first five-round non-title fight, UFC President Dana White recently revealed in Toronto.That fight fell through, but the UFC’s…
Brock Lesnar versus Junior dos Santos’ June 11 heavyweight tangle at UFC 131 was meant to be the UFC’s first five-round non-title fight, UFC President Dana White recently revealed in Toronto.
That fight fell through, but the UFC’s plans for five-round non-title fights haven’t. There are no shortage of candidates that stand to benefit from such a policy, although a few fighters stand out for their style, stature and substance.
Here are five UFC fighters that would benefit most from five-round non-title fights.
5) Brad Pickett
The British bantamweight’s last three bouts were all-around, back-and-forth 15-minute grueling battles.
He came up victorious versus Demetrious Johnson and Ivan Menjivar and was unanimously defeated by Scott Jorgensen in between.
Anchored at American Top Team, Pickett has developed the cardio to push his grit around the cage more effectively than a straight-banger style.
In a division loaded with incredible pace, Pickett is a contender that can be increasingly dangerous as the clock ticks on.
4) Jim Miller
The most impressive feat Gray Maynard accomplished before beating Frankie Edgar in a potential 10-7 first round of a title fight was dominating Jim Miller.
That’s because Jim Miller is nearly impossible to take out of a fight and he’s proven that by responding to the Maynard loss with a two-year, seven-fight win streak.
The AMA Fight Club representative has a potent blend of ill-intentioned wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, throwing his hands better with each outing.
Well-rounded, all-in fighters like Matt Wiman, Mac Danzig, Mark Bocek, Gleson Tibau and Kamal Shalorus have all fallen to Miller’s ability to seize control fights with bull-headed steamrolling.
He’s proven ready for the upper echelon of the division by performing in 15-minute fights like 25-minute fights would be just another day on the job.
Michael “The Count” Bisping’s cardio is apparent in his ability to play a strong stick-and-move striking game.
It also shines when the Brit turns it up, sits on his punches and fights to finish. He has been able to stay off his back because he is always fresh enough to pop back up if the fight hits the mat.
Consistent footwork and output have carved The Ultimate Fighter season three winner’s place at 185-pounds as perennial contender.
If there was an ideal striking candidate at middleweight for five-round non-title fights, it’s Michael Bisping.
The skill level in mixed martial arts elevates daily and is represented well in fighters like Bisping, Georges St. Pierre and Frankie Edgar, who are clear-cut winners due to efficiency and strategy while confusing the competition with multiple looks.
2) Jon Fitch
The term “grinder” in mixed martial arts latches on to no one more than Jon Fitch.
American Kickboxing Academy’s welterweight insists if his all fights went into the championship rounds, his last six wins—and his February draw with B.J. Penn—would have been finishes instead of unanimous decisions.
Posting a 10-8 round versus the former two-division champion was no easy feat from inside Penn’s guard—a testament to the suffocating style that has kept Fitch’s record since 2002 spotless outside of dropping a unanimous decision to champion Georges St-Pierre.
Extra time is just extra time to impose his will and few, if any, welterweights can deal with that for 25-minutes.
1) Clay Guida
“The Carpenter” is simply wired differently. Guida runs to the cage on his surplus supply of high-energy and never rests once inside the Octagon.
He’s had championship cardio since 2006 and that was illustrated best as his Octagon career progressed with classic scraps with Tyson Griffin, Roger Huerta and Diego Sanchez.
The Chicagoan’s performances never waver in entertainment value, crafting a fan base that matches his energy.
Fighters like Clay Guida beg the question if non-title fights can be five-rounds, is there room for seven-round title fights?
Too much, maybe, but some mixed martial arts still have a no-holds-barred, no-time limit spirit and Guida has the cardio to make it seem practical.
Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend
Filed under: UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, Bellator, Rankings, LightweightsGilbert Melendez thinks he’s the best lightweight in mixed martial arts. Is he right? I don’t think so, not yet. But I sure would love to find out.
Gilbert Melendez thinks he’s the best lightweight in mixed martial arts. Is he right? I don’t think so, not yet. But I sure would love to find out.
The best thing about the UFC buying Strikeforce is that it means we’ll eventually see the champions of the respective promotions fighting each other. For now the mantra is “business as usual,” but we all know it’s just a matter of time before we see the best of Strikeforce inside the Octagon. And there might not be a better fight out there than Melendez taking on the top of the UFC lightweight division.
It will probably be 2012 before we get to see that: UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar has to fight Gray Maynard in May, and the winner of that fight is expected to fight the winner of the June Anthony Pettis-Clay Guida bout after that. But it sure would be fun to see Melendez retiring the Strikeforce belt to his trophy case and fighting for the UFC gold.
Find out where I think Melendez stacks up in the lightweight division below.
Thanks to Cagewriter for posting this TMZ photo of UFC Lightweight, Clay Guida siphoning his beverage from a keg. It says the photo is from this month, but that’s okay, he’s still got plenty of time to work off that beer belly before his June 4th headlining fight with Anthony Pettis at the TUF 13 […]
Thanks to Cagewriter for posting this TMZ photo of UFC Lightweight, Clay Guida siphoning his beverage from a keg. It says the photo is from this month, but that’s okay, he’s still got plenty of time to work off that beer belly before his June 4th headlining fight with Anthony Pettis at the TUF 13 Finale.
Can you imagine how many drunk college chicks he banged that night? Where are those pictures???
(Video courtesy YouTube/MMACanada)
MMACanada caught up with Clay Guida in Edmonton over the weekend where they asked him about his upcoming bout with former WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis at the TUF 13 finale June 4. According to "The Carpen…
"It’s a very exciting fight. Anthony Pettis has a lot of hype around him right now. He’s a very advertised fighter. The kick heard around the world. ‘Showtime’ is gonna be ‘No Time’ once I get in there. I’m really excited about it. [He’s a] very tough kid, but the WEC and the UFC merger is gonna show you what the UFC’s all about."
MMACanada.net caught up with Clay “The Carpenter” Guida to ask him his opinion on his next opponent, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. Guida admits to being impressed with “the kick heard around the world” but Guida thinks Ben Henderson showed Pettis too much respect in his standup, which lead to his loss. Guida plans to […]
MMACanada.net caught up with Clay “The Carpenter” Guida to ask him his opinion on his next opponent, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. Guida admits to being impressed with “the kick heard around the world” but Guida thinks Ben Henderson showed Pettis too much respect in his standup, which lead to his loss. Guida plans to show Pettis what the UFC is all about.
When asked about his gameplan against Takanori Gomi at last month’s UFC 125. Guida says the plan was to have a lot of movement to avoid Gomi’s hard strikes. He says the “funky chicken dance” moves we saw from him were not entirely planned, but that he felt the wind in Gomi’s strikes that would just miss him and knew he’d be in trouble if even one landed, so he decided to keep moving. Watch the full interview below:
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