UFC 170 features one of the most highly anticipated squash matches in UFC history, as accomplished former heavyweight Daniel Cormier faces off with former coffee shop worker and (according to Wikipedia) Australian cricketer Patrick Cummins.
While…
UFC 170 features one of the most highly anticipated squash matches in UFC history, as accomplished former heavyweight Daniel Cormier faces off with former coffee shop worker and (according to Wikipedia) Australian cricketer Patrick Cummins.
While the “highly anticipated” part may sound sarcastic, Cummins has done wonderful work in terms of generating hype for this fight.
In reality, what we have here is a hastily made grudge match that, despite the comical betting line of minus-1300 versus plus-1050, is fairly interesting.
So how will things pan out between Cormier and Cummins? Will Cummins pull off one of the most shocking upsets in UFC history? Will Cormier finally look like a world-beater again?
MMA history will be made on Saturday night as, for the first time ever, two undefeated Olympians will clash inside the Octagon for a UFC championship.
UFC Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will put her title on the line against silver-me…
MMA history will be made on Saturday night as, for the first time ever, two undefeated Olympians will clash inside the Octagon for a UFC championship.
UFC Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will put her title on the line against silver-medal wrestler Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170.
In 2008, Rousey became the first American woman to medal in the Olympics, winning a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Since transitioning into MMA, Rousey has thoroughly dominated every competitor thrown her way with eight consecutive armbar victories.
But she’s never fought anyone like McMann. In 2004, McMann became the first American woman to win a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Like Rousey, she has gone undefeated since making the move to MMA, and she’s hungry to pull off the upset.
RedHotVegas.com’sRoni Taylor is back to help me break down this card. This time, Ms. Taylor and I are going head-to-head with our predictions. Let’s see who comes out on top!
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann
Ciccarelli: UFC President Dana White has been very vocal in his claims that Ronda Rousey is the “biggest PPV draw in the history of the UFC.” As popular as Ronda is, that is an absurd statement to make without the numbers to back it up.
The UFC is also claiming in pre-fight video packages that Rousey is the “first woman to medal in the Olympics for Judo.” That is not true either. She was the first American to medal but far from being the first woman overall.
Do you feel like the UFC is going way over the top in its promotion of the UFC women’s bantamweight champion?
Taylor: Let’s not forget what Dana White’s primary job is for the UFC: fight promotion. He is the P.T. Barnum of the 21st century, and while we may not agree with all that he says, he certainly is good at what he does. I, for one, happen to enjoy the hype that Dana whips into his media scrums and interviews.
I tend to only believe about 70 percent of what flies out of Dana’s mouth, so that way my head doesn’t explode when he spouts off something ridiculous. As far as the UFC promoting this upcoming fight, I am super happy that the women are getting the attention they deserve.
As a martial arts practitioner (a lowly white belt in BJJ), it brings me great pride to see female MMA fighters not only performing on the biggest stage in the world, but also getting top billing.
Ciccarelli: I wrote in the beginning of the year that McMann is Rousey‘s worst nightmare, and I’m sticking to that. As talented as Rousey is, I think she’s going to be walking right into her kryptonite here with McMann. Maybe you feel differently, though: What’s your take on the main event?
Taylor: While it is a true battle of the Olympians, I honestly don’t think this is going to be a fair fight. Wrestling and judo may both be grappling arts, but their differences outweigh their similarities. I don’t know if you noticed what happened when Miesha Tate tried to use her wrestling to take down Rousey in her last fight. It wasn’t pretty.
For the advanced MMA fan it was quite a display of judo beauty with a whole slew of throws like the harai goshi and uchimata. I even think I saw a “Judo Chop!” (said in my best Austin Powers voice) in there somewhere. I see this fight going down very much like the Tate fight, with Ronda getting the better of the takedown battle, time and time again.
Rousey’s striking has continued to improve, and that added weapon really allows her to pick and choose her openings. I think McMann is going to get frustrated and try to rush in on Ronda. The end result will be an inside leg throw with Ronda landing on top in side control and of course….drum roll please…finishing with her trademarked armbar.
Taylor’s pick: Rousey by second-round submission (armbar)
Ciccarelli’s pick: McMann by unanimous decision
Daniel Cormier vs. Pat Cummins
Ciccarelli: In the co-main event, we have a bit of a Rocky story brewing here between another former Olympian in Daniel Cormier and UFC newcomer Pat Cummins. Cormier was originally slated to take on Rashad Evans in his debut at 205 pounds, but when Evans pulled out with an injury, the UFC called Cummins up from a coffee shop in Orange County. Literally.
Apparently, Cummins used to train with Cormier back in the day when “D.C.” was training for the Olympics. He’s been going around telling people that he used to make Cormier “cry” on the mats, and that isn’t sitting well with Cormier at all.
Cummins is 4-0 in his MMA career, all finishes thus far but do you really think he’s as good as he claims to be or will Cormier cut through him like a knife through butter?
Taylor: I only recently watched a couple of Pat Cummins’ fights, and honestly, I was underwhelmed with his wrestling. I know he has a NCAA Division I pedigree to die for, but I truly think he will be outwrestled by Daniel Cormier and most certainly outstruck by him as well.
Cormier has already battled a who’s who of top names in the MMA world, and I think Cummins will crumble under DC’s fast, aggressive pressure. This fight will be a first-round TKO domination by the former Strikeforce Grand-Prix champ.
Ciccarelli: Up next, in the welterweight division, we have Tristar phenom Rory MacDonald going up against jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia. MacDonald dropped a decision to Robbie Lawler back at UFC 167, but he’s still considered a future champion by many of the sport’s top analysts.
Maia’s run toward a welterweight title shot was temporarily halted in his last fight with Jake Shields, but a win over MacDonald could bump the Brazilian right back where he was. How do you see this one playing out?
Taylor: This is a tough one for me. I really like the poise and well-rounded game that Rory brings to the Octagon, but Demian Maia has been on a tear at welterweight. Both men are coming off of split-decision losses and will be hungry to get back in the win column.
While his striking has improved markedly over the past few years, I don’t think Demian will be able to use it well enough to stifle Rory’s outside striking capabilities. I think Rory will use his crisp kick boxing to pick apart the jiu-jitsu specialist long enough to earn a decision victory.
Sadly, this one will probably end up being a boring battle of two guys trying to not lose two in a row.
Taylor’s pick: MacDonald by unanimous decision
Ciccarelli’s pick: MacDonald by unanimous decision
Mike Pyle vs. TJ Waldburger
Ciccarelli: Speaking of welterweights, we have two more 170-pounders squaring off here who are coming off losses. Mike Pyle was riding an impressive four-fight win streak before Matt Brown made quick work of him at UFC Fight Night 26.
Pyle will be looking to get back in the win column against TJ Waldburger on the live pay-per-view portion of the card. Do you see “Quicksand” getting back on track or will Waldburger surprise us?
Taylor: I’m excited to watch my fellow Las Vegas resident, Mike Pyle, smash out another W on his record. Mike has only lost two of his last nine fights. I know he has been diligently working on his stand-up game to go along with his amazing grappling.
While TJ is no slouch in the grappling department, I give the edge to Pyle if it hits the ground. I don’t think it will make it that far, though. I see Mike Pyle pushing himself into the UFC’s top 10 welterweights with a first-round TKO.
Taylor’s pick: Pyle by first-round TKO
Ciccarelli’s pick: Pyle by first-round submission (guillotine choke)
Stephen Thompson vs. Robert Whittaker
Ciccarelli: South Carolina native Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson will be making his PPV debut against TUF:The Smashes winner, Robert Whittaker. “Wonderboy” is riding a two-fight win streak and has a lot of hype surrounding him. What’s your prediction here?
Taylor: Ever since I first heard about “Wonderboy,” I have been excited to see him live up to the accolades he was paid by a lot of the top guys in the MMA world. There is no doubt he is an elite striker, but when it comes to grappling, Matt Brown found him out real quickly back at UFC 145.
Whittaker doesn’t bring anything special as far as striking is concerned into this fight, so as long as Wonderboy has continued to hone his takedown defense, it’s going to be a rough night for Whittaker.
I’d love to see Thompson open up with some of his flashy kicking and give us all something to cheer about with a huge KO in the first round.
Taylor’s pick: Thompson by first-round TKO
Ciccarelli’s pick: Thompson by unanimous decision
Alexis Davis vs. Jessica Eye
Ciccarelli: While not technically on the PPV main card, I still wanted to talk about the other women’s matchup on the card. Alexis Davis has been on fire, long before she made her debut in the UFC. The Cesar Gracie product is riding a four-fight win streak, including submission wins over HitomiAkano and Shayna Baszler.
Eye has been under a lot of criticism lately, but I’m not here to harp on that. She is an extremely talented fighter despite being one of the smaller women in her division. Her decision victory over former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166 was changed to a no-contest, but a win over Davis will catapult her way up the rankings.
How do you see this fight playing out?
Taylor: This is another great women’s fight that will be a classic matchup. Eye likes to throw the jab out there and asserts herself with her striking skills, while Davis likes to bully people around in the clinch game.
Unless the fighter is a world-class striker, I tend to go with the better grappler, and in this matchup, I’m picking Davis to win by TKO in the third. I think she is going to close the distance, push Eye up against the cage and wear her down, finally getting the ref to stop the fight with some nasty ground-and-pound.
Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli.
There’s more on the line in UFC 170 than just titles.
One of the most pervasive narratives in the UFC is “athleticism.” Fans and promotion both value Ronda Rousey, Rory MacDonald and Daniel Cormier for their pure athleticism; and…
There’s more on the line in UFC 170 than just titles.
One of the most pervasive narratives in the UFC is “athleticism.” Fans and promotion both value Ronda Rousey, Rory MacDonald and Daniel Cormier for their pure athleticism; and all three could damage the basis of those reputations if they lose at UFC 170.
Ronda is the “it” thing for 2014 without GSP and Anderson Silva—who are still on the edges of the action but not in it. Her fame rests on total control of the class and the license she gets to act out as a result. As the UFC refuses to let us forget, she has Olympic pedigree.
She’s the new shining star; a volatile, immensely talented brand of her own. The UFC invests so much time and energy inflating and praising her status that her first loss could be tougher than necessary. If she loses to fellow Olympian Sara McMann, she’ll be exposed as less of a champ and more of a supreme athlete controlling a thin division.
We all remember Rousey’s barb against Meisha Tate’s high school wrestling. That both confirmed Rousey’s own supremacy and undermined it. Ronda glorifies her own advanced success while admitting its relationship to her advanced training.
Rousey is the queen of a division that hasn’t established itself at the same rate as its male counterpart. While thousands of UFC fighting men came up through the professional ranks over the last 20 years, the women’s division is only now getting the attention it deserves; and the resulting training necessities.
If Rousey loses, she destroys the narrative the UFC has built around her. She loses her right to continue her persona with impunity and she loses her status as a lone elite among lesser athletes.
Similar to Rousey is Rory MacDonald. MacDonald has lots to prove after being hailed the next big thing in mixed martial arts—the inheritor to mentor Georges St-Pierre’s athleticism and ambassadorship.
After MacDonald’s uncharacteristically lackluster loss to Robbie Lawler, the hype died as Lawler got the shot for the vacant welterweight title against Johny Hendricks. If the Canadian loses now, he could deal a deathblow to the credibility he partially damaged losing to Lawler. He needs a win now to reestablish himself as the potential great we thought he was, which is no easy task against Demian Maia’s jiu-jitsu.
Daniel Cormier faces a challenge of not only credibility, but character. Patrick Cummins’ bean-spilling about Cormier’s in-gym tears created an ugly hatred between the two. Cormier’s inaugural light heavyweight match, originally set against now-injured Rashad Evans, took a nosedive.
Plenty of press built up Daniel Cormier as an especially athletic figure in a non-athletic weight class. As the only other heavyweight with the same kind of sportsmanship, he denied a chance to test his mettle. He protected champion Cain Velasquez, refusing to fight his friend and leaving doubts about his ability. If Cormier loses, we can begin to believe the murmurs of him being a fight dodger or, at the very least, a lesser fighter than we’d hoped he was going to be.
Imagine this unlikely scenario—a week before the Super Bowl the entire roster of the Seattle Seahawks comes down with Legionnaires’ disease. The NFC champions, without a doubt, will be medically unable to perform. In short, it’s a …
Imagine this unlikely scenario—a week before the Super Bowl the entire roster of the Seattle Seahawks comes down with Legionnaires’ disease. The NFC champions, without a doubt, will be medically unable to perform. In short, it’s a national emergency.
What would NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell do? Would he ask the San Francisco 49ers to step into the breach, replacing their archrivals in the most important game of the season?
Would he delay the game several months, waiting for the Seahawks to regain their bearings?
Or, in a brilliant fit of inspiration, would he ask the Seahawks franchise to bring in a random collection of Arena League players, misfits and Vince Young to take it to the AFC champion Denver Broncos?
What if, in a series of movie montage brilliance, the guys off the street gave the professionals, led by Peyton Manning, a run for their money? What if they won?
It would be the biggest sports story ever. Rocky, Rudy and Buster Douglas would all immediately take a backseat to this game, the biggest upset in the history of modern athletics. But would it be good for business?
Maybe at first, caught up in the feel-good moment. But what then? Eventually an insidious and nagging doubt would set in. Why bother watching the regular season, some fans might ask? After all, if literally anyone can win, what makes even the best teams and players exceptional?
Professional athletics works because we buy into the notion that the athletes are special, a different breed than you or I. An upset of the kind I just described would throw all of that into doubt. In time, the feel-good moment of the year would have an immeasurable effect on the entire sport—most of it negative.
It’s a scenario that can almost immediately be dismissed. It’s unthinkable. A guy off the street, even a very good college player who didn’t make it in the league, couldn’t possibly come in and beat the best in the world. Everything we know about sports tells us that loudly and very clearly.
Only, no one remembered to tell UFC President Dana White. When “Suga” Rashad Evans went down with a knee injury just six days before his fight, White wasn’t able to postpone the fight or find a suitable last-minute replacement to take on the very tough Daniel Cormier, ranked fourth at heavyweight.
After all, no competent and sane UFC heavyweight or light heavyweight would want to take on Cormier with less than a month’s notice. He’s one of the most skilled fighters in the world, combining disciplined and multi-faceted striking with the kind of wrestling that twice put him on the U.S. Olympic team.
That’s not a package you want to open on Christmas morning without a lot of time to think about it and get ready. So there were no reasonable UFC takers.
That’s when the calls went out. Eventually one found its way to a coffee shop in Dana Point, California. It was there that Dana White found Pat Cummins, Cormier’s next opponent. Cummins, mind you, wasn’t sitting down to enjoy a hot beverage. He was serving them.
A fighter on the cusp of the pound-for-pound rankings, a fighter who is not competing for the heavyweight title simply because his teammate owns it, a fighter who has beaten Josh Barnett, Frank Mir and Roy Nelson in recent memory is fighting a coffee shop barista.
Yes, Cummins was a good amateur. Yes, he has impressed training partners as he’s tried to make his way in the sport. Yes, he has a bit of fighting experience. He’s 4-0, his wins stockpiled on the backs of opponents with a combined career record of 10-20-1.
No, he doesn’t have a chance. Or shouldn’t.
BestFightOdds.com shows Cormier as an overwhelming favorite. At -1300, it’s thought he is an almost certain lock.
It’s a word that nags.
Almost.
That’s not the same as certainty. That’s not a lock. Anything can happen. And what if it does?
What if Pat Cummins, walking from the coffee shop to the cage, a twisted analogue to “Tank” Abbott, the old-school legend who made a similar walk from the bar, manages to upset Daniel Cormier, a man seemingly destined to fight Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title?
It’s hard to take the idea of an Arena League team competing with an NFL franchise seriously. No one would pay to watch Serena Williams play someone off the street. The very idea of either outsider competing with the best in the world is preposterous.
What does it say about mixed martial arts as a sport that White and the UFC are selling the MMA equivalent? For years we’ve justified the existence of what was once called “human cockfighting” by emphasizing its sporting nature. The UFC is just another professional sports league, the argument goes, the athletes as impressive and skilled as their counterparts in traditional stick-and-ball sports.
If it’s true, if Cummins can beat Cormier, what then? Cormier’s one of the UFC’s 20 best fighters. A man off the street as good as one of MMA’s best? The years of hard work and sacrifice all gone, victim to the vagaries of chance and MMA’s “anything can happen” creed?
And then there are the unintended consequences. The UFC has spent two decades establishing itself as MMA’s premium brand. It’s a given that their fighters are superior to the competition’s. But, if Cummins can upend Cormier, doesn’t that position become a bit muddled? The moment an obscure fighter with no UFC pedigree beats a top star is the exact moment Bellator has a legitimate opening to claim one of their fighters is the best in the world. The slope here, it is slippery.
It’s an upset that would strike right at the heart of this enterprise. If Pat Cummins beats Daniel Cormier, is this a sport or at all? Or were the critics right all along—and MMA is nothing but a spectacle, an unpredictable buffet of violence, an orgy of the unspeakable, a street fight hiding in plain view?
Let us all gather round, hold hands, and pray. Pray that this weekend’s UFC 170 manages to rise above the level of the decision-filled snoozefests that were UFC 169 and Fight Night 36. Of course, with a main event featuring Ronda Rousey, whose “kill ratio” is 100% (as Don Frye would put it if he gave two shits about this fight), and a co-main event featuring the biggest squash match of the year (so far), it looks like UFC 170 will rise to the level of those 10 decision events at the very minimum. I’m guessing that sound I just heard was all of you reaching into your wallets for $50.
Regardless of whether or not UFC 170 is able to deliver from an action standpoint, it has plenty of opportunities to deliver from a gambler’s standpoint, so join us after the jump for some sexy gambling lines (courtesy of BestFightOdds) and even sexier advice. You know, because women.
Makovsky is a perfect 3-0 since dropping down to flyweight and looked outstanding in his upset victory of Scott Jorgensen in his UFC debut at UFC on Fox 9. Sampo is looking to extend his 5 fight winning streak after an equally impressive debut RNC submission win over Ryan Benoit at the TUF 18 finale. The +105 prop that he wins via decision is a nice plus money option, as “Fun Size” should be able to use his NCAA division 1 wrestling to nullify Sampo’s submission threat on the ground while getting the better of the exchanges in the stand up department. Makovsky makes the parlay at a bargain -165 to win outright.
Let us all gather round, hold hands, and pray. Pray that this weekend’s UFC 170 manages to rise above the level of the decision-filled snoozefests that were UFC 169 and Fight Night 36. Of course, with a main event featuring Ronda Rousey, whose “kill ratio” is 100% (as Don Frye would put it if he gave two shits about this fight), and a co-main event featuring the biggest squash match of the year (so far), it looks like UFC 170 will rise to the level of those 10 decision events at the very minimum. I’m guessing that sound I just heard was all of you reaching into your wallets for $50.
Regardless of whether or not UFC 170 is able to deliver from an action standpoint, it has plenty of opportunities to deliver from a gambler’s standpoint, so join us after the jump for some sexy gambling lines (courtesy of BestFightOdds) and even sexier advice. You know, because women.
Makovsky is a perfect 3-0 since dropping down to flyweight and looked outstanding in his upset victory of Scott Jorgensen in his UFC debut at UFC on Fox 9. Sampo is looking to extend his 5 fight winning streak after an equally impressive debut RNC submission win over Ryan Benoit at the TUF 18 finale. The +105 prop that he wins via decision is a nice plus money option, as “Fun Size” should be able to use his NCAA division 1 wrestling to nullify Sampo’s submission threat on the ground while getting the better of the exchanges in the stand up department. Makovsky makes the parlay at a bargain -165 to win outright.
The only thing more controversial than Eye’s decision win over Kaufman was the consequential fall out and NC ruling from the TDLR a few weeks ago. Hopefully, Jessica will not be overly affected by the recent controversy that has surrounded her, but it may be a small difference maker in a razor sharp fight that will be close and most likely decided by the judge’s cards. +170 for Alexis Davis to win by decision is a solid risk if you believe that Eye will be good enough not to be submitted, but not good enough to control where this fight takes place.
Aljamain Sterling (-240) vs. Cody Gibson (+200)
With a perfect 8-0 record, Serra Longo Fight Team submission specialist Aljamain Sterling is a +215 prop to beat Cody Gibson inside the distance. Sterling has won his last three fights via RNC while 2 of Gibson’s 3 career losses have come via submission. If he cannot keep this fight standing, that’s easy money.
“Quicksand” is a 2 to 1 favorite to avoid the submission game of T.J. Walburger, who comes in as the +160 underdog. All signs point towards Pyle being the right favorite; prior to his 30 second sparring session gone wrong with Matt Brown at UFN 26, he was riding a four fight win streak and the last time he lost by submission was close to five years ago. With 3 of his 4 UFC wins coming via submission, T.J. Waldburger has found success when he hits the mat with his opponent, something Pyle will most likely participate in here. With the likelihood this fight goes to the ground, Waldburger is fighting where he is strongest while Pyle plays with fire and hopes not to get burned. Pyle if you must, but probably a better idea to skip and simply enjoy this one.
Stephen is the better striker on paper and Whittaker prefers to stand with his opponents in the cage. Thompson should be able to land first from and begin to find his range as the fight progresses. Whittaker may eventually have to work at taking “Wonderboy” down if the first round does not go well on the feet, which may lead to Thompson creating distance and fighting off his back foot on the way to the scorecards. Thompson to win.
Not sure that anyone is running to the window to lay -280 on Rory MacDonald to beat Demian Maia given the 2013 that he had. Rory has the tools to best Maia on the feet, but Demian will surely be looking to take this fight down to the ground right away. This leads to the question of whether or not Rory can get back to his feet or whether or not he will look like Jon Fitch did against Maia. Rory may opt to use the jab he found success with against strong grapplers to keep Maia at bay and outpoint the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace until a window opens for him to end the fight (if the window presents itself…cough.. Jake Ellenberger) or simply ride out another decision victory. Rory to win.
-1300 means there is no point trying to make much profit off picking Cormier to win against the 4-0 short notice replacement Patrick Cummins here. Did Cummins really school Cormier in wrestling practice so bad that it led Daniel to break down in tears? Or is Cummins attempting to get inside Cormier’s head in hopes of pulling off the upset of the year this Saturday night? Well we know for sure that Pat…sorry… Patrick has upset Cormier, but from the looks of it, this may work against him once the cage door closes. Cormier to win via hulk smash is not available but highly likely nonetheless. Cormier to win.
The line suggests otherwise, but this fight has to be the closest fight on the cards based on the pedigree of both fighters alone. McMann is a silver medalist in wrestling, Rousey a bronze medalist in Judo, and both are undefeated thus far in their respective careers. Ronda has given up her back to far lesser a grappler than McMann, but always ends up in the same position by the end of the fight, forcing the tap from by applying her signature armbar submission. McMann, on the other hand, has either finished her opponent on the ground or given the audience a 15 minute wrestling clinic by controlling her opponent en route to a decision victory.
While many expect to see Ronda Rousey’s striking game to be put on display, it can be argued that under the bright lights and with the gold on the line, these ladies will want to go with what brought them to the dance. The fight boils down to what happens when McMann initiates the first takedown and whether or not Ronda counters effectively with one of those beautifully timed/executed Judo throws which finds her on top of McMann in control on the ground. The possibilities when these two hit the mat are endless and this contest will offer the highest caliber grappling the UFC audience has ever seen. Rousey to win.
Parlay 1
Makovsky-Koch
Parlay 2
Sterling-Assuncao
Props
Makovsky +105 to win by decision
Davis +170 to win by decision
Sterling +215 to win inside the distance
LAS VEGAS — When Daniel Cormier received a call from the UFC letting him know Rashad Evans had injured his knee and was out of its UFC 170 bout, he was overcome with sadness. So much so that he cried; he’d been through a lot in this training camp…
LAS VEGAS — When Daniel Cormier received a call from the UFC letting him know Rashad Evans had injured his knee and was out of its UFC 170 bout, he was overcome with sadness. So much so that he cried; he’d been through a lot in this training camp, and the idea of it all being for nothing was too much to handle.
He immediately masked his sadness by heading to Popeye’s Chicken.
We from the South are quite familiar with Popeye’s Chicken, and so I nod knowingly as Cormier tells his story during a media session on Wednesday afternoon at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. It is the best readily available fried chicken in the world, after all, and Cormier is a longtime fan.
Cormier arrived at Popeye’s and walked through the doors. An employee who doubles as a mixed martial arts fan had already heard the news about Cormier‘s fight falling through and asked him about it.
“Gimme my chicken and leave me alone,” Cormier said. He ordered four pieces of chicken and red beans and rice. He ate everything.
The next morning, Cormier predictably felt terrible. Stomach hurting, he got the call letting him know Pat Cummins had agreed to replace Evans, and so he called his nutritionist to let him know he’d slipped and gone to Popeye’s. The nutritionist was angry, but he told Cormier he’d get him back on track. Three gallons of water later, the chicken was flushed from his system and he was ready to go.
Cormier was grateful that Cummins decided to take the fight. He remembered him from their wrestling days, and he was excited to see Cummins was finally getting the opportunity he’d long been seeking with the UFC.
“And then he started talking, and you guys continued to put microphones in front of him. And he hasn’t stopped talking since,” Cormier said. “So not it’s not ‘Well, good for little Patrick.’ Now, it’s ‘I’m going to beat Patrick’s ass.'”
Cormier told Bleacher Report he is glad Cummins is willing to sell the fight, but he wasn’t happy about the way he elected to do so.
“Back then, there were a lot of things going on in my life, and he knew that. So that’s why I think that, more than anything, those things should have stayed in the wrestling room, even though they always do,” Cormier said. “But you know what? He’s doing what he has to do to…I really don’t know what he’s doing. I’m ready to fight Rashad Evans. He’s a boxer-wrestler. Pat is a boxer-wrestler. Rashad has been the standard for that style of fighting in the UFC for a long time. Nothing had to change for me. He’s going into a fight on 10 days’ notice against a guy who is prepared. A guy who has peaked. And he’s still talking.”
Cummins made no apologies for the way he’s chosen to promote the fight.
“That’s the business,” Cummins said. “We are getting in a fight. That’s about as raw as it gets. Whatever it is leading up to that, I feel it’s pretty fair game.”
Cormier reiterated that he is prepared for whatever Cummins brings to the table because he is prepared for Evans, but he also concedes that Cummins is a lot more dangerous than many give him credit for. Cummins didn’t place in his high school state wrestling tournament, and yet he made his way to All-American status at Penn State. This, combined with Cummins‘ natural athletic gifts, means that Cormier is taking him seriously.
“He’s got some real ability, and he’s a very dangerous guy because he’s hungry,” Cormier said. “But I was very thorough in my preparation, and I think that’s going to carry me in this fight. I admire him for taking the fight. I appreciate that. But it’s an uphill battle.”
This is Cummins‘ first time in the spotlight, and it was evident on his face when he made his way to the mat for his open workout session. Loose and wearing a t-shirt with his leering face, Cummins talked to the fans while hitting mits. He’s taking it all in: the media, the obligations and the constant requests for autographs from the fans.
Cummins wasn’t sure what to expect from the fight-week hoopla, which can be a little overwhelming for fighters making their first appearance in the UFC, much less in a high-profile fight. But after his first appearance with Cormier on Fox Sports 1, Cummins said his concerns were allayed.
“This is easy,” Cummins said. “You just have to be yourself. I’ve had fun with it. I’m enjoying the ride.”
Many view Cummins as a patsy of sorts, and the odds agree. Cormier is a 13-1 favorite at many sports books, making him one of the biggest favorites in UFC history. With seemingly everything against him, does Cummins feel like he has nothing to lose?
“That’s not my mindset at all. There’s definitely a losing situation,” he said. “I come in here expecting to get the win. No matter how it comes, that is my ultimate goal. Coming in here and getting the win. I never would have called out Daniel and said, ‘Hey, let’s have a fight’ if I truly didn’t believe I could win.”
Given the odds, will Cummins bet on himself to win on Saturday night?
“I would love to. I just don’t have any money,” he said. “I’m an underdog kind of guy. I’m always the underdog, and I’m always surprising people.”
