Tag: Dustin Poirier

‘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)

 

Dustin Poirier Suggests Erik Koch as Next Opponent Up UFC Featherweight Ladder

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — MMA Fighting spoke with rising featherweight Dustin Poirier following his submission win over Pablo Garza Saturday at UFC on FOX 1. Poirier talks about the D’arce choke finish, his involvement in the Fightville documentary and his immense passion for MMA.

 

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — MMA Fighting spoke with rising featherweight Dustin Poirier following his submission win over Pablo Garza Saturday at UFC on FOX 1. Poirier talks about the D’arce choke finish, his involvement in the Fightville documentary and his immense passion for MMA.

 

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Nine Ways of Looking at the UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos

Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXThe UFC’s debut on FOX is almost here and the talking is (thankfully) almost done. Before we all grab our popcorn and settle in for the big night, some thoughts, questions, predictions, and meandering musings for a Saturday …

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Cain Velasquez and Junior dos SantosThe UFC’s debut on FOX is almost here and the talking is (thankfully) almost done. Before we all grab our popcorn and settle in for the big night, some thoughts, questions, predictions, and meandering musings for a Saturday afternoon.

I. Best-case scenario for the UFC on Saturday night? Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos go back and forth in a seesaw bout that lasts at least three rounds, giving viewers the chance to freak out over Twitter and in emails/text messages/barely coherent phone calls to friends, thus driving up the ratings with each round. Worst-case scenario? The fight ends via questionable stoppage/injury/accidental foul 30 seconds in, and everybody goes to bed angry. Hey, this is MMA. Anything can happen.

II. But imagine the worst-case scenario does happen. What then? FOX executives probably won’t tear up their contract with the UFC and leave it in tiny pieces in the parking lot of the Honda Center. Fight fans will recognize that sometimes this stuff just happens, and they won’t stay mad for long. Maybe these “millions of new viewers” we keep hearing about will smirk to one another as they change the channel. Maybe it will take a while to convince those people to give this another go, but it won’t be impossible. My point is, while the stakes are certainly high here, this isn’t make-or-break for the UFC. It’s more like make-or-bummer. Even if the fight goes as badly as it can possibly go, the sport and the UFC will survive. It’s not that first impressions don’t matter — they do. But then again, we’ve all heard stories where couples had disastrous first dates before eventually finding themselves in long, happy marriages.

III. There’s a lot of talk about what kind of ratings this show needs to do in order to be considered a true success. Odds are we’ll still be arguing over the numbers and what they mean for weeks to come, but the way I see it there’s really only one true benchmark this show: you’ve got to beat Kimbo. EliteXC: Primetime averaged a little over 4 million viewers and peaked with about 6.5 million. Just for the sake of self-respect, not to mention bragging rights, the UFC has to beat the internet brawler and his off-brand employers.

IV. Just getting to fight day with both combatants healthy has to feel like a victory in itself. After all the plugs for the “heavyweight championship of the world” during every quarter of every NFL game on FOX, can you imagine if one of these guys had pulled out with an injury last week? That would have been disastrous, and we can probably assume that the UFC took the time to impress that point upon both fighters. Now there are rumors that Velasquez suffered some injuries in training camp and you have to wonder if he might be soldiering through them even when it isn’t a good idea, all just to please his boss. If that results in a diminished performance against dos Santos, neither Velasquez’s nor the UFC’s interests will be served by it.

V. The response from the weigh-in crowd yesterday suggests that plenty of fans are aware of and interested in the Clay Guida–Ben Henderson bout on this card, but what about the rest of the fights? If you’re Dustin Poirier or DaMarques Johnson, is anyone but your friends and family thinking about you on Saturday night? Honestly, probably not. While the undercard is decent, there sure isn’t much star power there. That, combined with the 1:45 p.m. local start time could mean a lot of empty seats for guys who are still fighting their hearts out, regardless of whether anyone is watching.

VI. While we’re on the subject of collateral damage from this unique fight night situation, how about the poor souls on UFC 139 next weekend? Sure, the hardcores are looking forward to Dan Henderson and “Shogun” Rua going at it, but for the most part it’s been drowned out by the big media push for the FOX debut. UFC officials just haven’t had the time or energy to do much promotional work on it lately, and who can blame them? This event has understandably gotten the full-court press from the UFC’s PR staff, but that leaves next weekend’s pay-per-view standing in the shadows.

VII. On Thursday the UFC sent out a list of red carpet attendees who will lend their air of celebrity to this event by smiling and waving on their way into the arena. The list contained the names of a bunch of actors, most of whom I’d never heard of, and in parenthesis next to their names were the FOX TV shows that they’re on. Again, most of which I’d never heard of. One familiar name did make the list, however: Gina Carano. And in parenthesis next to the former “face of women’s MMA”? Haywire. As in, the upcoming Steven Soderbergh flick that has kept her away from the sport ever since her loss to “Cyborg” Santos. Sure, that’s what we all know Carano from. That movie none of us have seen yet.

VIII. Henderson and Guida are dealing with their network TV snub in the exact right way. Every time it’s come up in interviews this week — and it’s come up a lot — they’ve both insisted that they aren’t disappointed by the lack of major TV exposure for their fight. That’s the kind of team player the UFC likes to see. But lest they be too easy-going and end up as doormats, they’ve both indicated that they want to hold the UFC president to his promise to get their fight on TV as soon as possible. Guida praised his boss as a “a magician” who will find a way to make it happen. Henderson put the responsibility on himself, saying that, “Some way, some how, this fight’s going to make it to air. …Dana White’s going to want to put this one on primetime television.” In other words, we won’t scream and cry about being slightly overlooked, but we won’t be ignored either.

IX. If you’re expecting to wake up to a brave new world of MMA awareness and appreciation on Sunday morning, don’t. Even if this event is as huge as White has repeatedly promised, the impact probably won’t be immediately apparent beyond the insulated walls of the MMA community. Why? Frankly, there’s kind of a lot going on across the sports news landscape right now. The Penn State child abuse scandal has dominated headlines this week, the NFL gets back to work on Sunday, and the Pacquiao-Marquez fight could potentially upstage the UFC by going last and closing out this fight night with a bang. That’s not to say that a great fight won’t bring MMA a few new converts, but the benefit with this FOX deal is long-term mainstream exposure. As White said, it’s about “investing in the future” and indoctrinating new fans. It’s bigger than one night or one fight. Let’s not forget that.

 

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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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¡Que Suerte! Guida-Henderson, Poirier-Garza Bouts to Air on FOX Deportes

Too late to suck up now, Brock. You’ll have to settle for PPV. (Pic Props: Sherdog forums)

Perhaps the only draw back to the UFC’s debut on FOX will be the lack of fights actually making it to the air. Zuffa’s new broadcast partners have opted to place all of their eggs into one oversized basket in the form of the heavyweight title bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. But good news is here for those who speak Spanish or simply don’t care what’s coming through their television speakers: two undercard bouts will be airing live on FOX Deportes.

The featherweight scrap between Dustin Poirier and Pablo Garza as well as the Clay Guida–Ben Henderson lightweight bout—which could potentially crown the number one contender at 155 lbs.—will serve as the lead-in to the main event on the Spanish sports channel.

Too late to suck up now, Brock. You’ll have to settle for PPV. (Pic Props: Sherdog forums)

Perhaps the only draw back to the UFC’s debut on FOX will be the lack of fights actually making it to the air. Zuffa’s new broadcast partners have opted to place all of their eggs into one oversized basket in the form of the heavyweight title bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. But good news is here for those who speak Spanish or simply don’t care what’s coming through their television speakers: two undercard bouts will be airing live on FOX Deportes.

The featherweight scrap between Dustin Poirier and Pablo Garza as well as the Clay Guida–Ben Henderson lightweight bout—which could potentially crown the number one contender at 155 lbs.—will serve as the lead-in to the main event on the Spanish sports channel.

Unfortunately you won’t be treated to gems like “Su precision era tan precisa” and “De una pagina del libro de Guida es Henderson”. Native English speaker Joe Rogan and quasi-English speaker Mike Goldberg will be replaced by the three man team of Rodrigo Arana, Mario Delgado and Troy Santiago for the broadcast en Español.

For our online readers, you can catch all of the prelim action on Facebook or Fox.com. For subscribers to our daily printed paper, The Cage Potato Gazette (annual subscription $99.99), FOX Deportes is your best option though certainly not a guarantee. The station is only available in 18 million homes, roughly 85% fewer homes than reached by FOX.

MMA Top 10 Featherweights: Is Mendes the Man to Challenge Aldo?

Filed under: DREAM, UFC, Bellator, Rankings, FeatherweightsJose Aldo is continuing to run roughshod over the rest of the featherweight division, improving his professional MMA record to 20-1 with a unanimous decision victory over Kenny Florian at UFC 1…

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Jose Aldo is continuing to run roughshod over the rest of the featherweight division, improving his professional MMA record to 20-1 with a unanimous decision victory over Kenny Florian at UFC 136. So does anyone at 145 have a chance against Aldo?

So far it hasn’t looked like it. It’s not just that Aldo has won every single one of his fights since coming to North America at WEC 34 in 2008. It’s that none of his fights have been close. He’s shifted from being a knockout artist to usually winning one-sided decisions, but he really hasn’t been tested by anyone.

Is Chad Mendes the man to change that? He’s certainly the most worthy challenger to Aldo’s title. We’ll run down the top of the featherweight division below.

Top 10 featherweights in MMA
(Number in parentheses is the fighter’s previous ranking.)

1. Jose Aldo (1): After struggling to cut down to 145 pounds, Aldo has talked about moving up to lightweight, but I think that would be a mistake. I don’t think he has the frame for 155, and I think he’d really struggle against big lightweight wrestlers. In fact, I think he might struggle against a good featherweight wrestler like …

2. Chad Mendes (2): The undefeated Mendes was a good college wrestler and may be the opponent to put Aldo on his back and keep him there. If there’s anyone in the featherweight division who represents a threat to Aldo, it’s Mendes.

3. Hatsu Hioki (3): Hioki is the big question mark in the UFC‘s featherweight division. He’s about to make his UFC debut after going on a great run in Japan, and if he can make the adjustment to the cage and the North American unified rules, he could be a title contender: Hioki’s reach, high-volume striking and active guard make him a tough puzzle to solve. Unfortunately, the recent track record of Japanese fighters coming to the U.S. has not been good. Hioki makes his debut against George Roop at UFC 137.

4. Pat Curran (NR): Curran has looked sensational since dropping from lightweight to featherweight, and after seeing him knock out Marlon Sandro, I think he’s the best featherweight outside the UFC. Bellator has a strong featherweight division, and fights with Joe Warren or Patricio “Pitbull” Freire would be great matchups for Curran.

5. Erik Koch (8): Koch looked good in his September victory over Jonathan Brookins, which improved his record to 13-1, with the only loss coming against Mendes. At age 23, Koch has a very bright future ahead of him.

6. Mark Hominick (7): After taking several months off following his loss to Aldo, Hominick will return at UFC 140 against Chan Sung Jung in what should be an outstanding battle.

7. Kenny Florian (4): It’s tough to see where Florian goes from here. He’s good enough that he’s earned three title shots in his career, but not good enough to win any of them, or even be competitive in any of them. And at age 35, with 20 pro fights under his belt, it’s not like he’s suddenly going to get a lot better. Still, I hope we haven’t seen the last of Florian. He can have a gatekeeper role at either featherweight or lightweight, even if he’s done fighting for belts.

8. Tyson Griffin (NR): Featherweight — not lightweight — has always been the right weight class for Griffin. It was the right weight class for him when he beat Urijah Faber in 2005, and it’s the right weight class for him now, after he’s moved back down from lightweight and beaten Manny Gamburyan. Up next for Griffin is a featherweight fight with another former lightweight, Bart Palaszewski, at UFC 137.

9. Tatsuya Kawajiri (NR): Another former lightweight dropping down, Kawajiri put on a good show in submitting Joachim Hansen at Dream.17. I’d like to see the UFC add Kawajiri to its featherweight roster.

10. Dustin Poirier (9): The 22-year-old Poirier is a rising star at featherweight. He gets Pablo Garza on the undercard of the November 12 UFC on Fox event.

 

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