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Three Fights That Should Be At UFC 200

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There is still no lineup announced yet for UFC 200, which is less than four months away. The UFC is in full force with its “Unstoppable” campaign right now and while there may not be any fights listed for UFC 200, it is still fun to speculate who might be fighting on July 9th. Here is what three fights Joe Silva and Sean Shelby should make for UFC 200.

Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo 2 (Featherweight Championship): A good amount of people may get upset that Frankie Edgar does not get the title shot against the Irishman, but Aldo has recently been pushing hard for a rematch and may get his wish from Dana White. Stylistically, a McGregor vs. Aldo rematch could turn into a great fight. While McGregor did beat Aldo in just 13 seconds, it will be extremely difficult for “Mystic Mac” to have a repeat performance. Both are exceptional strikers. McGregor likes to throw different combinations as he cuts angles, while Aldo uses devastating leg kicks to wear down his opponents.

Jose Aldo was the first and only UFC featherweight champion before his loss to McGregor. Many considered Aldo as the pound-for-pound champion during Jon Jones’s absence. It would only be fair for Aldo, that White grants him his wish considering how dominant his run was before UFC 194. It also helps that Aldo and McGregor have some bad blood, which could generate a tremendous amount of hype.

Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Nate Diaz 2 (Lightweight Championship): Nate Diaz is on top of the world. The Stockton product has had the entire world talking about him after his submission victory over Conor McGregor. Diaz seems a much more motivated and improved fighter since his loss to Rafael Dos Anjos in December 2014. The 30 year-old has been able to utilize his reach and height advantage in his last two wins over Michael Johnson and Conor McGregor. That alone could prove troublesome for RDA who would have a five-inch reach disadvantage.

It also looks like Dos Anjos will not be fighting Conor McGregor any time soon. McGregor has indicated he wants to defend his 145-pound belt. Also, with the other top contenders in the 155-pound division already booked with fights, this matchup with Diaz makes the most sense.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva (Catchweight Bout): GSP was recently spotted at UFC 196. There has been much speculation that he is planning for a comeback and if that is the case, the perfect fight would be against Anderson Silva. Throughout the years, GSP vs. Silva has been a dream fight every MMA fan wanted to see. There were numerous speculations that the bout would happen but never came to fruition. Although this fight would definitely not be as exciting four or five years ago, it’s still a fight many people would want to see.

“The Spider” is at the twilight of his MMA career. What better way to conclude his historic career than a fight with Georges St. Pierre? Both were considered no. 1 and 2 for the pound-for-pound great list for a long time.

Justin Gaethje Is Not To Be Missed Saturday At WSOF 29 (Editorial)

Let’s be honest. Saturday night’s World Series of Fighting 29 leaves much to be desired outside of one match.

Sure, live MMA on cable television is worth tuning in to see, but if you are expecting fight of the year quality matches, you may be disapp…

Let’s be honest. Saturday night’s World Series of Fighting 29 leaves much to be desired outside of one match.

Sure, live MMA on cable television is worth tuning in to see, but if you are expecting fight of the year quality matches, you may be disappointed.

There is one exception to that, though, and it is the main event.

Justin Gaethje defends his lightweight title against Brian Foster from the Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley, Colorado on NBC Sports Network.

And folks, if you have yet to see the appropriately named “Highlight” in action, you are in for a treat.

Gaethje, just 27 years old, is the brightest star in the WSOF. Heck, he just might be the brightest star competing outside of Zuffa and the UFC.

Following a 7-0 run as an amateur, Gaethje turned pro in 2011 and has yet to be stopped. He opened his career with a first round knockout via slam and has continued to bring down the house since.

His first three bouts ended early, as did 11 of his first 11. Of those, 10 were either TKO or KOs, including stoppage wins over Gesias Cavalcante, Brian Cobb, Dan Lauzon, Richard Patishnock and Nick Newell to begin his WSOF career.

Gaethje’s 2014 finish of Newell was a highlight for his career, as it came on the biggest stage for the fighter.

In 2014, WSOF officials signed veteran Melvin Guillard with the hopes of presenting Gaethje with a stiff challenge. “The Young Assassin” pushed him to the scorecards, but the bout was a non-title, three-round affair because Guillard missed weight.

Last year, Gaethje picked up a pair of victories over Luis Palomino, showing the heart of a champion in the opener. He took the best that Palomino had to offer before earning the third round stoppage. In the rematch, he finished Palomino a round earlier.

Now, Gaethje must fend off Foster, who won a one-night tournament over Palomino and Joao Zeferino to secure his shot. He’s 25-8 in his career and went 3-2 with the UFC from 2009-2010, including a submission win over top contender Matt Brown.

So if you have nothing better to do Saturday night, tune in and check out Gaethje. Also, here’s a complete fight replay of his bout with Palomino that shows off everything “The Highlight” has to offer:

[ARCHIVES] Miesha Tate Is No Longer WMMA’s Bridesmaid

[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

The following is an editorial published soon after UFC Vegas 43 headliner Miesha Tate’s upset victory over Holly Holm in 2016 to become the undisputed UFC bantamweight champion.

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 8, 2016, 11:36 AM]…

[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

The following is an editorial published soon after UFC Vegas 43 headliner Miesha Tate’s upset victory over Holly Holm in 2016 to become the undisputed UFC bantamweight champion.

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 8, 2016, 11:36 AM]

If you have followed Miesha Tate’s career throughout, you will understand and appreciate the journey she has gone through to win the UFC women’s bantamweight championship this past weekend at the MGM in Las Vegas. There is no champion in the UFC that has bounced back as many times as she has. Tate has had her fair share of “humble pie.”

Tate’s arm was broken by Ronda Rousey after refusing to tap at a Strikeforce event for the title in 2012. She also had her nose broken in a fight with Cat Zingano in 2013 at a UFC event in a fight she was winning and could be argued was stopped too early. Let’s not forget the second loss via arm bar again in the rematch against Rousey with Ronda refusing to shake her hand afterward. The struggle was real for her but she refused to quit or be broken.

Meisha Tate has played second fiddle to Rousey watching Ronda make millions of dollars, appear on magazine covers as well as make movies. Miesha was at the top of the women’s division before it became mainstream and appreciated by Dana White. She was primed to become the ambassador for women’s MMA. She was by far the most all around skilled women’s MMA fighter back then — despite losing to Rousey twice — and proved she still is presently on Saturday against Holly Holm at UFC 196.

To compare her grit and gain perspective on her “never give up” mentality, just compare it to Ronda’s reaction to losing only once. She disappeared and hid her face staying out of the spotlight for the last several months. Not to slight Rousey and the pressure she had being the face of the company but it’s fair to say that Ronda’s approach to the fight she lost, her antics before at weigh-in, then her reaction after were definitely not gracious to say the least. Whereas Tate seemed to just get back up and dust herself off. Miesha dealt with the disappointment and sat at press conferences with a broken nose offering no excuses.

Meisha Tate was able to defeat Holly Holm despite being a huge underdog. She came back in classic Tate style stealing the fight in the fifth round with two minutes remaining and behind on all score cards. What was most impressive to me was the patience and game plan she executed throughout. I did not think Tate was mentally capable of that and picked against her on Saturday night.

Tate had a habit of being over aggresive and not picking her battles. She tended to block punches with her face and never kept good distance. An example of this was during the last Rousey fight as well as the Zingano fight. She would actually be winning the stand up exchanges then would shoot in forcing positions that did not always favor her when she was better off backing off. She did that against Holm on Saturday night waiting until late in the fifth when the opening was there to take advantage instead of forcing a terrible shot too early. Tate was her own worst enemy. She practically beat herself many times.

Finally she will get a taste of the championship lifestyle and the respect she deserves. “Cupcake” Tate should also get a much deserved pay raise instead of the 46k/46k official purse she recieved against Holm. It was almost as if Tate was being left behind …but not anymore.

This sets up a trilogy fight between her and Rousey for the title. Many would say based on the past two encounters between the two, it’s Rousey’s title to take back.

I see it differently.

I feel with Tate’s new approach and her momentum combined with Ronda’s lack of activity, Meisha will come out on top this time. She as everyone looks at Ronda differently after her loss realizing her shortcomings. I also believe Rousey is not totally into it anymore and will only be playing the role of a fighter this time. Her heart truly is not in it and she does not really need MMA anymore. This opens up the opportunity for Meisha to redeem herself and the past failures she has experienced.

Meisha’s combination of beauty and strength is the perfect example for women everywhere but her determination is what stands out the most.

Hail to the new champion!!

Continue Reading [ARCHIVES] Miesha Tate Is No Longer WMMA’s Bridesmaid at MMA News.

Three Fights To Make For Nate Diaz After UFC 196 Win

Nate Diaz (20-10) stunned the MMA oddsmakers on Saturday night by defeating Conor McGregor (19-3) by submission in the 2nd round. Diaz has gotten all the eyes of the MMA world watching him now after defeating the biggest draw in the UFC. McGregor says he will be moving down back to 145 pounds to defend his belt.

But what is next for the Stockton product? Diaz has a lot of options now and here are three fights that make sense for him after winning the biggest fight of his career.

Rafael Dos Anjos (24-7): Conor McGregor has indicated that he will be defending his featherweight belt next instead of having the chance to fight Rafael Dos Anjos. This leaves RDA without a potential fighter to face in the foreseeable future. Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov are scheduled to fight each other in mid-April so you have two top contenders already booked for a fight.

Some might say a fight with #1 ranked Eddie Alvarez makes the most sense for RDA’s title defense, an RDA vs. Diaz rematch makes the most sense from a business perspective. Although Dos Anjos definitively beat Diaz in 2013, the younger Diaz has an incredibly impressive two-fight win streak over Michael Johnson and Conor McGregor. He has improved tremendously since his bout with RDA, utilizing his reach and embracing his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu more. Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Nate Diaz 2 could be a good candidate for UFC 200.

Carlos Condit (30-8): Carlos Condit is coming off of a title loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 195 in which many considered as a “fight of the year” candidate. Some thought that he won the fight as Condit threw 176 significant strikes compared to Lawler’s 92 significant strikes. The 31 year-old has indicated that he may retire after his title bout loss. There are numerous qualified candidates to fight Lawler for the belt (Woodley, Thompson, MacDonald), a fight that could make sense for Condit would be a fight with Nate Diaz.

“The Natural Born Killer” has already fought his older brother Nick Diaz, so it would be a perfect billing on his resume to be able to say he shared the Octagon with both of the Diaz brothers. Like Condit, Diaz has exceptional standup skills and both competitors are extremely dangerous off of their backs.

Robbie Lawler (26-10): Nate Diaz collected a win in the Welterweight division on Saturday. This should not be ignored. Robbie Lawler is in a division with multiple contenders vying for a shot at the title. Why not give Nate Diaz a shot at the belt? Dana White has already flirted with the idea of giving Diaz a crack at the 170-pound belt.

Also, Lawler has lost to Nick Diaz in the past and would like to avenge that loss. However, with the elder Diaz serving a suspension, a bout with his younger brother could be an alternative. Stylistically too, this could be a back-and-forth slugfest. “Ruthless” loves to engage in the pocket as much as Nate Diaz does. Both have incredible chins and have similar a size and reach.

So fans, what fight do you think makes the most sense for Nate Diaz moving forward?

But what is next for the Stockton product? Diaz has a lot of options now and here are three fights that make sense for him after winning the biggest fight of his career.

So fans, what fight do you think makes the most sense for Nate Diaz moving forward?

Can The UFC Stay Top Dog? (Editorial)

We were all privy to last weeks ABC episode of the Wide World of Sports featuring Kimbo Slice, Dada 5000, Royce Gracie, and Ken Shamrock. Some say it was a debacle, however 2 million people around the world tuned in to watch that debacle. I must say at the very least, we were very entertained. Nevertheless, that does not stop the critics from complaining about Bellator putting these types of fights together and accusing Bellator’s matchmakers of making a mockery of the sport.

With the top 3 MMA promotions holding steady at 1. UFC, 2. Bellator, 3. WSOF, can UFC hold steady at number one with its current format? Bellator MMA President, Scott Coker has an out of the box, creative ability for lining up interesting fights. On the other side of the spectrum, WSOF President, Ray Sefo, has a slew of top ranked fighters. Is it possible for the UFC to lose their position as the top dog in the yard, losing their grip on the entertainment value of the sport.

The UFC has put great emphasis on titles and title holders. Conor McGregor, the UFC’s “go to man”, devalued the UFC’s 145, 155, and 170 lb titles at their PPV event presser late last week, when he said “I don’t give a F*ck about the titles, I’m going to make the McGregor Title”. In addition, McGregor was asked about fighting UFC 155 lb champion Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 200. His response was even more neglectful of the crown, saying “it’s hard to commit to Dos Anjos…we will see how it plays out”. McGregor systematically made himself more important than the title holder. Even Floyd “Money” Mayweather, puts emphasis on titles. This may have been a big mistake by McGregor and the UFC.

Next we come to the UFC’s assumption that McGregor will be the first to hold and defend two different titles in two weight classes. BREAKING NEWS…IT’S BEEN DONE. World Series of Fighting’s 185 and 205 lb. belt has been held by Renzo Gracie Black Belt, David Branch. After taking time off after winning the 205 lb title, Branch will most likely push to stay busy the next few months to prove his worth at the top of the MMA food chain. The Middleweight and Lightweight Champion has not lost since May of 2012, when he dropped a unanimous decision to current UFC light heavyweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Branch is now on a 7 fight win streak, finishing 4 of his last 7 opponents. Hence, Branch will be making history when he defends both titles later this year. Raising the value of himself, the titles, and the WSOF.

Lastly, with a ton of MMA fighters coming to the end of their contracts, it will be a free for all for whichever promoter wants to spend. Both Bellator and WSOF have open sponsorship and allow their fighters to fight on other cards in other competitions. The UFC may have backed themselves into a corner–with their current Reebok deal, Dana White’s failure to work with other promotions, and the overwhelming attention the UFC is giving Conor McGregor. The promotion is ignoring loyal company men who have represented their promotion well for many years. How long will this stay status quo?