Thanks to an ill-timed “leg injury” (that is being reported as everything from a torn meniscus to a sprained ankle, or possibly both), Jon Jones has been forced out of his UFC 178 main event title fight with Daniel Cormier. As a result, the fight has been moved to UFC 182 at the MGM Grand on January 3rd.
Taking the place of Jones vs. Cormier in the main event of UFC 178 will be Demetrious Johnson‘s flyweight title fight against Chris Cariaso, which if you recall, was originally booked as the *co* main event of UFC 177. In one fell swoop, UFC 178’s estimated pay-per-view buys have gone from 1 million+ guaranteed to 250k if it’s lucky. But I can’t wait to see how the UFC tries to sell me this one as worthy of $60 (Hint: It rhymes with Conor McGregor. It’s Conor McGregor.)
Thanks to an ill-timed “leg injury” (that is being reported as everything from a torn meniscus to a sprained ankle, or possibly both), Jon Jones has been forced out of his UFC 178 main event title fight with Daniel Cormier. As a result, the fight has been moved to UFC 182 at the MGM Grand on January 3rd.
Taking the place of Jones vs. Cormier in the main event of UFC 178 will be Demetrious Johnson‘s flyweight title fight against Chris Cariaso, which if you recall, was originally booked as the *co* main event of UFC 177. In one fell swoop, UFC 178′s estimated pay-per-view buys have gone from 1 million+ guaranteed to 250k if it’s lucky. But I can’t wait to see how the UFC tries to sell me this one as worthy of $60 (Hint: It rhymes with Conor McGregor. It’s Conor McGregor.)
Changing weight classes has become a mainstay in today’s MMA culture. Much like the Hollywood reboot, changing divisions remains one of the most valuable cards any fighter holds in his or her back pocket when things get rough.
Far too often are fighter…
Changing weight classes has become a mainstay in today’s MMA culture. Much like the Hollywood reboot, changing divisions remains one of the most valuable cards any fighter holds in his or her back pocket when things get rough.
Far too often are fighters plagued by simple things beyond their control.
Frankie Edgar saw that he no longer had a place amongst the UFC’s elite lightweights after dropping two-straight losses to former lightweight champion Benson Henderson. A change in division afforded him an immediate title shot, and a sea of fighters who would no longer dwarf him inside the cage.
Even fighters who’ve had sustained success in their natural weight classes have their own personal reasons to drop down. Take Daniel Cormier, for example, who dropped 30 pounds to challenge for the light heavyweight crown while his training partner Cain Velasquez holds onto his heavyweight crown.
Whether it’s because of competitive reasons or friendships, some fighters just need to create some ripples. Read on to see the top five fighters who should change divisions today.
UFC 177 will provide the lighter weight classes with another chance to showcase their skills, as title fights in the bantamweight and flyweight divisions headline the evening’s main card. But the Aug. 30 event, to be held in Sacramento, California, is …
UFC 177 will provide the lighter weight classes with another chance to showcase their skills, as title fights in the bantamweight and flyweight divisions headline the evening’s main card. But the Aug. 30 event, to be held in Sacramento, California, is not exactly creating a buzz within the MMA world.
There’s at least some intrigue about UFC 177’s main event, a rematch between T.J. Dillashaw and RenanBarao, with fans wanting to see if Barao can respond to the shellacking he took at UFC 173.
The same cannot be said of the co-main event, where Demetrious Johnson defends his title against Chris Cariaso. It’s an odd selection that UFC President Dana White explained in the “Dana Download” on UFC.com. White said:
The problem is that there is no doubt the fight everybody wanted to see would be John Dodson, but he’s hurt. Ian McCall just fought, Johnson knocked out [Joseph] Benavidez, and he beat John Moraga. People are going to bitch about Demetrious Johnson no matter who we put him in there against. Eventually, he’ll just have to keep knocking people out left and right and then he’ll earn his respect.
It’s true that a rematch with Dodson is the fight to make for Mighty Mouse, but Dodson is on the shelf after suffering a knee injury. As White pointed out, there aren’t a lot of viable options for Johnson to face in his next title defense.
But there are a couple of options the UFC missed out on.
Zach Makovsky is set to square off against JussierFormiga on Aug. 16 in a pivotal battle of top flyweight contenders. Either one of these fighters would’ve made for a better selection than Cariaso.
Makovsky, at No. 9, is ranked one slot below Cariaso, but Makovsky is also a former Bellator bantamweight champion and has a win over a well-known fighter in Scott Jorgensen. Formiga is sitting at No. 6 and actually owns a win over Cariaso.
While it’s true that Makovsky and Formiga are scheduled for a fight, so too was Cariaso before being bumped into a title fight. There are a number of issues that could’ve prevented Makovsky and Formiga from rescheduling to UFC 177 (maybe a wedding?) but just looking at the information that’s available now, it’s odd the UFC would choose Cariaso out of that trio to face Johnson.
Fans will point to Dillashaw‘s upset win at UFC 173 over Barao as evidence of guys who shouldn’t have been in title fights pulling off miracle upsets. But that’s a big thing to expect from Cariaso when the opponents he’s faced in the UFC’s flyweight division are just 1-8 in the promotion.
(Bagautinov’s doping wasn’t enough to earn him a victory — but that’s no reason to let him off the hook. / Photo via MMAJunkie)
Now that random drug testing is nailing MMA fighters on a regularbasis, the truth is inescapable: PEDs have become the sport’s most urgent and embarrassing problem. But not every fighter is an anti-drug crusader like Tim Kennedy and Georges St. Pierre. Before his star-making beatdown of Diego Brandao at UFC Fight Night 46 on Saturday, Conor McGregortold MMAJunkie how he really feels about performance-enhancing drugs:
“I don’t really care about that stupid s–t,” McGregor said. “I’m just doing my thing. I’m just performing and getting better. I don’t care what anyone else does….Take whatever you want, I’m still going to whoop your ass.”
“I don’t care if my opponents are cheating or not,” Johnson said. “I train my butt off to fight the man who is put in front of me whether he’s on steroids or not. I want to play on a level playing field, but if they knew about it beforehand and didn’t stop it, at the same time, I took care of business. No big deal.”
Except it is a big deal, and saying otherwise makes MMA look like a joke.
Look, I get it. Claiming that you don’t care if your opponents are doping scores you badass points, and it can endear you to the segment of the MMA fanbase that really doesn’t care about the ongoing scourge of PEDs. (“I like Conor because he doesn’t bitch about drug-testing like these other pussies. Let ’em take what they want!” — Darryl T. Justbleedguy)
(Bagautinov’s doping wasn’t enough to earn him a victory — but that’s no reason to let him off the hook. / Photo via MMAJunkie)
Now that random drug testing is nailing MMA fighters on a regularbasis, the truth is inescapable: PEDs have become the sport’s most urgent and embarrassing problem. But not every fighter is an anti-drug crusader like Tim Kennedy and Georges St. Pierre. Before his star-making beatdown of Diego Brandao at UFC Fight Night 46 on Saturday, Conor McGregortold MMAJunkie how he really feels about performance-enhancing drugs:
“I don’t really care about that stupid s–t,” McGregor said. “I’m just doing my thing. I’m just performing and getting better. I don’t care what anyone else does….Take whatever you want, I’m still going to whoop your ass.”
“I don’t care if my opponents are cheating or not,” Johnson said. “I train my butt off to fight the man who is put in front of me whether he’s on steroids or not. I want to play on a level playing field, but if they knew about it beforehand and didn’t stop it, at the same time, I took care of business. No big deal.”
Except it is a big deal, and saying otherwise makes MMA look like a joke.
Look, I get it. Claiming that you don’t care if your opponents are doping scores you badass points, and it can endear you to the segment of the MMA fanbase that really doesn’t care about the ongoing scourge of PEDs. (“I like Conor because he doesn’t bitch about drug-testing like these other pussies. Let ‘em take what they want!” — Darryl T. Justbleedguy)
But that “Do what thou wilt” stance towards cheating — especially when it’s expressed by champions and top contenders — is exactly the kind of thing that will keep mixed martial arts ghettoized as a small-time sideshow. At a time when MMA’s drug problem is reaching the ears of mainstream sports fans, we don’t need the UFC’s most public faces to play devil’s advocate and argue that doping is acceptable behavior.
To paraphrase the 24th Thesis: Do you half-wits realize that athletes of other sports do not behave this way? Is Yasiel Puig doing interviews claiming that A-Rod should be able to take as many steroids as he wants? Have you ever heard Peyton Manning say, “yeah, the Chargers can grab our face masks all game, we’re still gonna whoop ‘em on Sunday.” Of course not, because why in God’s name would a professional athlete support cheating? Why wouldn’t you care that your opponents are competing with an unfair advantage, if you’re trying to win?
By the estimates of every MMA fighter who has dared to speak out about it, at least half of MMA fighters use performance enhancing drugs. Some fighters, like Matt Serra and Krzysztof Soszynski, have stated that only a small percentage of professional fighters don’t do some form of illegal doping. (“I don’t give a [expletive] if it’s happening in baseball,” Serra said. “But when a guy can kick your head off, someone can get hurt. There’s a chance for serious bodily harm.”) But if you make a stink about it, you’re a troublemaker, and if you pretend that PEDs aren’t really a big deal, you’re a superhero. I mean, after all, it’s a fist fight, y’know? Chemicals don’t give you technique or heart, and those steroids aren’t gonna help you when I touch your chin. Ugh.
Random question: If Demetrious Johnson lost to Ali Bagautinov, would he feel the same way about PEDs — that doping is “no big deal”? And if he tried to defend Bagautinov’s EPO-usage after that loss, how ridiculous would he sound?
MMA fighters are a different breed — for better or worse — and the tough-guy culture of the sport leads generally-rational fighters to say some boneheaded shit. While I’m sure that many MMA fans would be fine with the sport returning to its barely regulated Golden Age (PRIDE NEVA DIE…OR TEST FOR STEROIDS!), anybody who wants to see this sport become universally respected as a legitimate enterprise should be publicly against cheating in all of its forms. Especially the athletes themselves, who this issue actually affects directly.
So we hereby drop the CagePotato Ban on MMA fighters saying they don’t care if their opponents are doping. Steroids and other performance enhancing drugs have become a potential sport-killer, and honestly, you’re not helping.
Title shots in the UFC can be tricky business, and Chris Cariaso is determined to make the most of his opportunity to get his hands on championship gold.
On Tuesday, the UFC announced the long-time bantamweight veteran turned surging flyweight would be…
Title shots in the UFC can be tricky business, and Chris Cariaso is determined to make the most of his opportunity to get his hands on championship gold.
On Tuesday, the UFC announced the long-time bantamweight veteran turned surging flyweight would be the next opponent to face Demetrious Johnson at UFC 177 on Aug. 30. The call to compete for the flyweight strap came as a surprise to the 33-year-old Californian—and news of the bout sent a shockwave through the MMA community—but the door to the championship realm is one Cariaso had been working his entire career to open.
John Dodson was largely figured to be the next fighter in line, but a knee injury and corrective surgery put “The Magician” on the shelf for an extensive stretch. This turn opened up traffic in the 125-pound ranks, and the organization determined Cariaso to be ready to face the pound-for-pound ranked champion.
While he’s certainly aware of the twists and turns it took for the lane to the title shot to open up, Cariaso is a veteran of the sport and has a strong understanding of how the right opportunity can change the tide of a career. Cariaso acknowledges that fight fans are going to have their opinions, but the biggest opportunity of his career is the only thing he’s focused on.
“I couldn’t sit down when the UFC told me the news,” Cariaso told Bleacher Report. “I was ecstatic. I was kind of freaked out because I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not. I’ve been trying to get any big fight I could and would fight anyone the UFC wanted to put in front of me. I’ve been fighting whoever I could to get a shot at that title, and when the call came through to fight Demetrious Johnson it was unbelievable because here is my opportunity.
“None of the other stuff bothers me. I feel like I’ve paid my dues to get to this point. I’ve never backed down from a fight and I’ve always wanted to fight the best opponents possible. I put myself in position to get this opportunity and it came my way. The UFC knows what they are doing when it comes to putting fights together. I don’t let what other people say bother me. I don’t let what keyboard warriors say bother me. I just go out there and keep working hard. I’m not worried about anything else.”
The San Jose native has been grinding in the professional realm for the better part of a decade, with the majority of his bouts coming at 135 pounds. Yet, “Kamikaze” believed flyweight waters would better suit his fighting style, and Cariaso made his divisional debut in July of 2012. Over this stretch, the 33-year-old has found victory in four of his six showings at 125 pounds, including his current run of three-consecutive wins inside the Octagon.
That string of victories served to build solid momentum for the former WEC fighter and ultimately landed the scrappy flyweight in a position to capitalize on a dream opportunity. Fighting for a UFC title is a moment Cariaso has envisioned throughout his entire career, and he’s determined to make the most of it when he steps in against “Mighty Mouse” in Sacramento.
“This fight is going to be the pinnacle of my career,” Cariaso said. “Every day when I’m training and running I always tell myself that I’m training to be the best. The chance to finally make that happen is a dream come true. Part of me still thinks this is a dream and questions if it is really happening. I have to pinch myself to convince myself this is all real. This is the best thing that has ever happened in my career and it’s awesome.”
Much like Cariaso, the flyweight champion traded in his bantamweight card for a successful run in the 125-pound ranks. Since winning the inaugural divisional title back in 2012, Johnson has successfully defended the strap on four consecutive occasions. In addition to a dominant run atop the flyweight division, the Matt Hume-trained fighter has also registered on the pound-for-pound rankings, as he’s continued to show marked improvements with every performance.
With both fighters coming to the UFC from the WEC roster, Cariaso is familiar with the skills Johnson possesses. That said, he knows what will be coming his way at UFC 177 and believes it will be an interesting clash of styles to determine the 125-pound title.
“One thing you have to be prepared for with Johnson is his pace,” Cariaso said. “He comes out fast and keeps it up for 25 minutes. I’ve seen a lot of his fights over the years because we were on a lot of the same cards fighting at 135 in the WEC. We’ve seen each other around the scene a lot over the years. My biggest thing in this fight is being able to keep up with his pace, and I think that is why a lot of people have such a hard time hanging with him.
“Just getting the call was an honor, and being able to go out there and fight for that belt is the biggest statement you can ever make. I’ll be able to showcase a lot of different aspects of my game with Demetrious. I have a lot of weapons, and Demetrious is a well-rounded guy who is going to bring it. I think it’s going to be an awesome fight stylistically. I believe this is going to be a great situation for me to go out there and showcase my skills.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
It’ll be a brisk 11-week turnaround for Johnson, who successfully made his fourth title-defense against Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174 last month, in spite of Bagautinov loading up on EPO during his training camp. [Ed. note: Mighty Mouse deserves some extra cash for that. Can the UFC institute a “Sorry We Made You Fight a Juicer” bonus?] Fun fact, via Iole: “Given that UFC 176 was canceled, Johnson will appear in two of the last three pay-per-view shows when he steps into the cage on Aug. 30.” And of course, Dillashaw and Barao will appear in two of the last four, since they previously got it on at UFC 173.
Chris Cariaso is just 4-2 as a flyweight, but has won his last three bouts against Iliarde Santos (0-3 UFC record), Danny Martinez (0-2 UFC record), and Louis Smolka (1-1 UFC record) — not exactly a murderer’s row of top competition. Fun fact, via me: The split-decision that Cariaso notched against Smolka represented the first time that Cariaso has ever appeared on a UFC main card, back in May at UFC Fight Night 40. And this guy is getting a title shot, because the UFC is struggling to fill out this pay-per-view card. Times are getting hard, boys.
And so, UFC 177’s buyrate has shot up from an estimated 95,000 buys to a solid 110,000 with the addition of Johnson/Cariaso. I kid the flyweights. Sort of. I mean, they’re awesome and everything, but good luck convincing paying customers of that.
(Hell yeah bro, if you’re not psyched for this one you’re just not a real f-ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.)
It’ll be a brisk 11-week turnaround for Johnson, who successfully made his fourth title-defense against Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174 last month, in spite of Bagautinov loading up on EPO during his training camp. [Ed. note: Mighty Mouse deserves some extra cash for that. Can the UFC institute a “Sorry We Made You Fight a Juicer” bonus?] Fun fact, via Iole: “Given that UFC 176 was canceled, Johnson will appear in two of the last three pay-per-view shows when he steps into the cage on Aug. 30.” And of course, Dillashaw and Barao will appear in two of the last four, since they previously got it on at UFC 173.
Chris Cariaso is just 4-2 as a flyweight, but has won his last three bouts against Iliarde Santos (0-3 UFC record), Danny Martinez (0-2 UFC record), and Louis Smolka (1-1 UFC record) — not exactly a murderer’s row of top competition. Fun fact, via me: The split-decision that Cariaso notched against Smolka represented the first time that Cariaso has ever appeared on a UFC main card, back in May at UFC Fight Night 40. And this guy is getting a title shot, because the UFC is struggling to fill out this pay-per-view card. Times are getting hard, boys.
And so, UFC 177′s buyrate has shot up from an estimated 95,000 buys to a solid 110,000 with the addition of Johnson/Cariaso. I kid the flyweights. Sort of. I mean, they’re awesome and everything, but good luck convincing paying customers of that.
Title shots in the UFC can be tricky business, and Chris