Tag: cub swanson

‘UFC on FOX’ Aftermath: Thank God for Facebook

The shorts don’t lie. (Pic: UFC.com)

In the weeks leading up to last night’s Heavyweight Championship bout, Dana White trumpeted that “whether this fight goes 30 seconds or 30 minutes, this is going to be a fight right here.” It was a fight, and it was slightly longer than 30 seconds, but in the post fight analysis Dana appeared frustrated and was searching for a reason that his champion went down so quickly. With all of the buildup and hype, I can’t help but think that first time viewers were equally confused and found the whole affair to be anticlimactic. Were that all the action we got to see last night, we’d probably be disappointed as well, but thank god for Facebook.

With regards to the main event, there’s not a lot to say, really. Junior Dos Santos hits hard. Cain’s game plan has been under attack, but it’s not like he got butchered on his feet for two rounds while doggedly refusing to shoot for a single. Velasquez got nailed with a huge overhand right just 55 seconds into the bout after already trying unsuccessfully for a takedown. Obviously, getting Dos Santos off of his feet quickly would have been Cain’s best option, but for a versatile heavyweight fighting under the brightest lights ever shone on a UFC fighter, shooting in for a Couture-Toney ankle pick with the opening bell still ringing wouldn’t do. Props to Dos Santos for getting it done quickly and violently in the Knock Out of the Night. It wasn’t the most epic fight that the UFC and FOX could have hoped for, but it was a memorable one. That Dos Santos did it with a torn meniscus is all the more impressive.

The shorts don’t lie. (Pic: UFC.com)

In the weeks leading up to last night’s Heavyweight Championship bout, Dana White trumpeted that “whether this fight goes 30 seconds or 30 minutes, this is going to be a fight right here.”  It was a fight, and it was slightly longer than 30 seconds, but in the post fight analysis Dana appeared frustrated and was searching for a reason that his champion went down so quickly. With all of the buildup and hype, I can’t help but think that first time viewers were equally confused and found the whole affair to be anticlimactic. Were that all the action we got to see last night, we’d probably be disappointed as well, but thank god for Facebook.

With regards to the main event, there’s not a lot to say, really. Junior Dos Santos hits hard. Cain’s game plan has been under attack, but it’s not like he got butchered on his feet for two rounds while doggedly refusing to shoot for a single. Velasquez got nailed with a huge overhand right just 55 seconds into the bout after already trying unsuccessfully for a takedown. Obviously, getting Dos Santos off of his feet quickly would have been Cain’s best option, but for a versatile heavyweight fighting under the brightest lights ever shone on a UFC fighter, shooting in for a Couture-Toney ankle pick with the opening bell still ringing wouldn’t do. Props to Dos Santos for getting it done quickly and violently in the Knock Out of the Night. It wasn’t the most epic fight that the UFC and FOX could have hoped for, but it was a memorable one. That Dos Santos did it with a torn meniscus is all the more impressive.

It’s easy to say that the Henderson-Guida bout should have been broadcast in hindsight, but it was pretty obvious ahead of time as well. There was no doubt that their fight would be balls to the wall, and it may have been the organization’s best chance of finally securing the Prell sponsorship that’s eluded them for all these years. Guida’s style relies on a relentless pace and a controlling top game, but he met a superior wrestler and a cardio-equal in Bendo. His take down defense gave him control of the fight and his crisp striking allowed him to counter Guida’s wild barrages. It’s a shame that only a small fraction of those who caught the FOX broadcast are even aware of their Fight of the Night performance, but I’m sure the extra $65k makes up for it a little.

Cub Swanson headed into his bout with Ricardo Lamas with an abundance of confidence and some of the ugliest tattoos I’ve seen since “Katie’s Revenge”. After getting the better of Lamas in the striking department, Swanson nearly ended the fight with a deep guillotine in the first. He seemed indifferent as Lamas took him down and worked his way behind him, but that apathy was nowhere to be seen as he struggled to break free from an arm triangle. Lamas secured the tapout, and the Submission of the Night bonus, at 2:26 of R2.

Alex Caceres put on an absolute clinic against Cole Escovedo in his debut at 135 lbs. “Bruce Leroy” came after the former WEC champ from every possible angle with every strike in the book from the opening bell. On the ground Caceres was too much as well, coming close to sinking in a triangle and an armbar as he transitioned from one sub to the next. He picked up the unanimous decision—his first win in the Octagon–in his bantamweight debut.

Quick Notes:

Tough break for Mackens Semerzier. No one wants to get knocked out, but when it comes from an illegal (albeit accidental) headbutt it’s a lot harder to swallow. Hopefully he can get the “L” overturned.

It was judge Gene Lebell that scored Rosa-Lucas 28-28!

Darren Uyenoyama knows a thing or two about grappling. Kid Yamamoto is now 0-2 in the UFC with only one win in his past five fights, and once again JMMA looks to be on life support. I’m sure Kid will be kept on board for Zuffa’s upcoming visit to Japan. His slide started just after divorcing this. We’d be depressed too, Kid.

This was Clay Harvison’s second straight loss, and it came via knock out at the hands of a mid-pack fighter just 1:34 into the bout. It was a nice recovery for DaMarques Johnson, but I don’t think Clay’s up to snuff.

Full Results: (via: MMAWeekly.com)

Main Event (On Fox):
-Junior dos Santos def. Cain Velasquez by KO at 1:04, R1

Undercard (On Facebook and FoxSports.com):
-Benson Henderson def. Clay Guida by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
-Dustin Poirier def. Pablo Garza by submission (d’arce choke) at 1:32, R2
-Ricardo Lamas def. Cub Swanson by submission (arm triangle choke) at 2:16, R2
-DaMarques Johnson def. Clay Harvison by TKO at 1:34, R1
-Darren Uyenoyama def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
-Robert Peralta def. Mackens Semerzier by TKO at 1:54, R3
-Alex Caceres def. Cole Escovedo by unanious decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
-Mike Pierce def. Paul Bradley by split decision (28-29, 30-37, 29-28)
-Aaron Rosa def. Matt Lucas by majority decision (28-28, 30-26, 30-26)

 

UFC on FOX: What We Learned from Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas

Highly anticipated featherweight bout Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas has just come to an end, with Lamas winning the bout via second-round arm triangle choke.Swanson started off the fight strong, pushing the pace and putting Lamas in some bad positions,…

Highly anticipated featherweight bout Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas has just come to an end, with Lamas winning the bout via second-round arm triangle choke.

Swanson started off the fight strong, pushing the pace and putting Lamas in some bad positions, but the successful first round made him a bit too confident, perhaps, and Lamas was able to capitalize on that.

There are still several fights left on this evening’s card, but right now this fight could be the front-runner for Fight of the Night.

 

What we’ll remember about this fight

Cub Swanson is a wild man.

Lamas walked away with victory, but Swanson put on the more memorable performance.

Swanson set a furious pace in the fight and stayed active no matter what position he was in.

Throughout the fight he through some unorthodox strikes, went for a standing guillotine, almost locked up an omoplata, and even tried to finish the fight with a scissor choke.

The fans love to see a fighter who is looking to finish the fight from whatever position he is in and Swanson fit that description tonight.

 

What we learned about Swanson

He’s got crazy skill, but lacks focus.

Swanson was able to clearly win the early goings of the fight, but the success went to his head and he got too confident.

In the second round, Lamas managed to plant Swanson on his back, after Swanson charged forward looking to land a combination.

Once on the ground, Lamas took Swanson’s back, but Swanson did not seem phased by it.

Swanson did improve his position and went for a guillotine, but in doing so left himself vulnerable to the arm triangle choke that ended the fight.

Swanson needed to be more focused on being defensive and less focused on being offensive.

Not showing respect for his opponents skills cost him this fight.

 

What we learned about Lamas

He’s a gamer, he’s got skill, and he may be relevant at the top of the featherweight division.

Lamas could very easily have been discouraged after being handled by Swanson in the first round of this fight, but instead he came out in the second round ready to bounce back.

He also showed skill both offensively and defensively by fighting out of some tight submissions and then submitting his opponent.

Swanson has only lost to high-level fighters in the past, so this win could mean that Lamas is ready to face the best at 145 lbs.

 

What’s next for Swanson

Swanson is still a relevant force in the featherweight division and can expect a well known fighter in his next fight.

Leonard Garcia or the loser of Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung are potential next opponents.

 

What’s next for Lamas

Conveniently enough, this fight is right beside another featherweight fight on tonight’s card: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza.

After tonight’s performance, I think Lamas deserves to be matched up with the winner of that fight.

 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC on FOX. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the November 12 fight card, from pre-fight predictions, to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis, which you can find out at our event hub page.

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AndrewBarr8.

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UFC on Fox Predictions: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas

It has been one year since his last WEC contest, but Cub Swanson will finally be making his UFC debut at UFC on Fox 1. In his first fight with the world’s premier MMA organization, Swanson will meet a fellow WEC veteran in Ricardo Lamas.In June, Lamas …

It has been one year since his last WEC contest, but Cub Swanson will finally be making his UFC debut at UFC on Fox 1. In his first fight with the world’s premier MMA organization, Swanson will meet a fellow WEC veteran in Ricardo Lamas.

In June, Lamas picked up an impressive knockout victory in his UFC debut against Matt Grice. A winner of four of his last five fights, Lamas is riding a lot more momentum than the injury-plagued Swanson.

In terms of talent, these fighters are fairly evenly matched, so Swanson’s time away from the cage could prove an important factor in determining the winner of this fight. When a fighter is inactive for such a long period of time, they usually get off to a slow start in their return fight.

Look for Lamas to take advantage of an initially hesitant Swanson. While Swanson may have the better camp behind him at Greg Jackson’s gym, Lamas could come into this fight in much better shape, which will make the difference in a close decision.

 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC on FOX. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the November 12 fight card, from pre-fight predictions, to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis, which you can find out at our event hub page.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FOX Predictions

Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXWill Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos deliver a classic fight in the first-ever UFC broadcast on network television? Will they put on the kind of performance that has the first-time UFC viewers clamoring for more? Will t…

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Junior dos Santos, right, will face Cain Velasquez in the main event on the UFC on FOX card.Will Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos deliver a classic fight in the first-ever UFC broadcast on network television? Will they put on the kind of performance that has the first-time UFC viewers clamoring for more? Will the winner emerge as an American sports star? And ultimately, who will get his hand raised and the UFC heavyweight belt put around his waist on Saturday night?

I’ll attempt to answer those questions and more below.

What: UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos

When: Saturday, the Facebook undercard stream begins at 4:45 p.m. ET and the Fox broadcast begins at 9.

Where: Honda Center, Anaheim

Predictions on all the fights below.

Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos
 From a business perspective, the big question is whether this fight is going to turn new viewers who watch on Fox for the first time into UFC fans. That’s what the UFC is really hoping for with the decision to put the heavyweight title on the line for free on network television.

It’s probably too much to ask that we could get a classic battle along the lines of Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale — the gold standard for fights that brought the UFC new fans. But I do believe this is going to be a highly entertaining fight: Velasquez and Dos Santos are both compelling figures who rarely look dull in the cage, and unlike so many heavyweights, they both have the gas tank to keep this fight explosive even if it goes into the fifth round.

So who wins it? If I were certain that Velasquez is completely healthy, I’d probably give him a slight edge, thanks to his wrestling: We haven’t yet seen Dos Santos tested on the ground, and Velasquez might be the man to put him on his back and put him in trouble. However, I have nagging questions about whether Velasquez’s rotator cuff surgery could affect him in this fight. Will he have the same strength and movement that he had when he beat Brock Lesnar a year ago?

And because of those questions about Velasquez’s shoulder, I’m going to give a slight edge to Dos Santos, who I think will be able to keep the fight standing most of the way and get the better of the striking exchanges with Velasquez. Heavyweight fights that go the full five rounds don’t come along very often, but I think we’re going to see one here: Dos Santos wins by decision and becomes the new UFC heavyweight champion.
Pick: Dos Santos


Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
The most disappointing part of the UFC on Fox card is that this fight — which may determine the next contender for the UFC lightweight title — has been relegated to being shown on an online stream on Facebook and FoxSports.com, and won’t make it to TV. This is a great fight that shouldn’t be overlooked. Guida’s path to victory would be to take Henderson down, control him from the top and grind out a decision, but I think Henderson is going to be too strong for him and should take this one.
Pick: Henderson
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
 At age 22, Poirier is one of the most promising young fighters in the featherweight division, and a likely future title contender. I like him to win by submission over Garza in what looks to me like the Fight of the Night favorite.
Pick: Poirier
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
 In what should be another very exciting featherweight fight, Swanson will have too much for Lamas and win a technical knockout.
Pick: Swanson
DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
 In a battle of former Ultimate Fighter contestants, look for Harvison to take control early and finish Johnson off by TKO.
Pick: Harvison
Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
 There are a whole bunch of American fans these days who have no idea that Kid Yamamoto was once considered among the To 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Yamamoto has only won one fight since New Year’s Eve 2007, and the Japanese MMA scene has fallen apart, and so Yamamoto feels like an ancient relic to a lot of newer fans. But even if Yamamoto isn’t what he once was, he should still be good enough to beat Uyenoyama, a UFC newcomer. Look for Yamamoto to pick up his first win inside the Octagon.
Pick: Yamamoto
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
 Peralta is on an eight-fight winning streak which included a victory over Dream featherweight champion Hiroyuki Takaya, a victory for Peralta that opened a lot of eyes and got him his shot in the UFC. I think he’ll make it nine in a row against Semerzier.
Pick: Peralta
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
 Cacares, the former Ultimate Fighter bad boy, is moving down to bantamweight in what looks like a final attempt to stay on the UFC roster. I like Escovedo to put a beating on “Bruce Leroy” and knock him out of the UFC.
Pick: Escovedo
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
 Pierce, who’s 4-2 in the UFC, has already beaten Bradley once before and should do it again in Bradley’s second fight in the Octagon. Look for a one-sided unanimous decision in Pierce’s favor.
Pick: Pierce
Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Lucas is getting his first shot in the UFC after fighting for most of his career in Rage in the Cage. I like him to win his debut and likely get Rosa sent packing from the UFC.
Pick: Lucas

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Swanson vs. Lamas Booked for UFC Debut on Fox


“It’s cool, bro. The UFC offers accident insurance now.”

Sometimes, we like to pretend that our articles actually influence the UFC’s decision making. The other day, when we gave the UFC some friendly advice concerning their debut on Fox, we suggested that the UFC should probably schedule more than one fight. Having the support of a network like Fox and only displaying one fight, no matter how epic, is like buying a hooker just to hold hands with during Shark Night 3D. So when the UFC announced the addition of Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas to this card, our first thought was “The UFC was simply doing what they always do by announcing the main event before they announce supporting fights”. But we still feel pretty good about ourselves.

The fight potentially marks Cub Swanson’s UFC debut. As you may remember, Cub Swanson was set to make his UFC debut against Erik Koch twice, but was injured both times and forced to withdraw. Cub Swanson also holds the distinction of being the first fighter to utilize the UFC’s accident-insurance, after a knee to the face during a sparring session resulted in a broken jaw, as well as orbital, nasal and cheek fractures. Swanson’s last fight was a FOTN winning split decision over Mackens Semerzier at WEC 52. Meanwhile, Lamas is coming off of a TKO victory over Matt Grice at UFC Live on Versus: Kongo vs. Barry. His fight against Grice also marked his featherweight debut.


“It’s cool, bro. The UFC offers accident insurance now.”

Sometimes, we like to pretend that our articles actually influence the UFC’s decision making. The other day, when we gave the UFC some friendly advice concerning their debut on Fox, we suggested that the UFC should probably schedule more than one fight. Having the support of a network like Fox and only displaying one fight, no matter how epic, is like buying a hooker just to hold hands with during Shark Night 3D. So when the UFC announced the addition of Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas to this card, our first thought was “The UFC was simply doing what they always do by announcing the main event before they announce supporting fights”. But we still feel pretty good about ourselves.

The fight potentially marks Cub Swanson’s UFC debut. As you may remember, Cub Swanson was set to make his UFC debut against Erik Koch twice, but was injured both times and forced to withdraw. Cub Swanson also holds the distinction of being the first fighter to utilize the UFC’s accident-insurance, after a knee to the face during a sparring session resulted in a broken jaw, as well as orbital, nasal and cheek fractures. Swanson’s last fight was a FOTN winning split decision over Mackens Semerzier at WEC 52. Meanwhile, Lamas is coming off of a TKO victory over Matt Grice at UFC Live on Versus: Kongo vs. Barry. His fight against Grice also marked his featherweight debut.

Will the third time be a charm for Cub Swanson? If not, then who do you think should be a replacement? Does this fight make the televised portion of the card? Have at it in the comments section.

Cub Swanson Out of Rescheduled UFC 132 Bout With Erik Koch

Filed under: UFC, NewsIt’s deja vu all over again for Erik Koch.

In late February, just 10 days before his scheduled fight with Cub Swanson at UFC on Versus 3, Swanson pulled out with an injury. With the fight rebooked for UFC 132 next month, it has …

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It’s deja vu all over again for Erik Koch.

In late February, just 10 days before his scheduled fight with Cub Swanson at UFC on Versus 3, Swanson pulled out with an injury. With the fight rebooked for UFC 132 next month, it has happened again.

Swanson is now out of the rescheduled featherweight fight for July 2 in Las Vegas. He announced through his Twitter account that he had to pull out of the fight because of a training injury. “I broke the whole left side of my face,” Swanson said. Photos he uploaded via Twitter showed a deeply bruised left orbital area.

Swanson, who trains at the Greg Jackson camp in Albuquerque, N.M., went on to say that the injury happened in training, and that it required a seven-hour hospital visit.

Koch (12-1, 1-0 UFC), pictured, now awaits word on a new opponent for the pay-per-view, which is scheduled for the MGM Grand Garden Arena. After Swanson pulled out of their first scheduled meeting, Koch was moved to the UFC 128 card two weeks later to fill in for an injured Manny Gamburyan against Raphael Assuncao; he won with his second straight first-round KO and second straight Knockout of the Night bonus.

The Duke Roufus-trained fighter indicated on his Twitter account that he still expects to fight on the card.

Swanson (15-4, 0-0 UFC) went 5-3 in the WEC and was to be making his UFC debut. He won three Fight of the Night bonuses in his last five WEC bouts, but also suffered an 8-second flying knee knockout loss to Jose Aldo that propelled “Junior” to his featherweight title win against Mike Brown.

UFC 132 has had multiple issues with injuries and fight changes. The expected rematch between BJ Penn and Jon Fitch was scrapped when Fitch pulled out with a shoulder injury; Penn followed with an injury of his own. Evan Dunham pulled out of his lightweight bout against George Sotiropoulous and was replaced by Rafael dos Anjos. And Jason “Mayhem” Miller was scheduled to make his return to the UFC against Aaron Simpson. But he was pulled from the fight last week to instead coach Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Michael Bisping. He’ll face Bisping at the TUF 14 Finale in December.

 

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