Bleacher Report’s MMA news recap for Monday May 16:Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson says his fight with Miguel Torres is like David vs Goliath.Phil Davis does not plan on losing to Rashad Evans.Quinton “Rampage” Jackson says he will not fight past 35….
Bleacher Report’s MMA news recap for Monday May 16:
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson says his fight with Miguel Torres is like David vs Goliath.
Phil Davis does not plan on losing to Rashad Evans.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson says he will not fight past 35.
Anothony Pettis talks Gray Maynard and Clay Guida.
Fedor emerges as favorite over Dan Henderson.
Daniel Cormier and Jeff Monson added to Strikeforce card.
Georges St-Pierre returns to training after eye injury.
According to MMA Weekly, the pending super-fight between “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko versus “Hollywood” Dan Henderson is almost a done deal.Sources close to Emelianenko’s management at M-1 Global have stated that this epic matchup will take pl…
According to MMA Weekly, the pending super-fight between “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko versus “Hollywood” Dan Henderson is almost a done deal.
Sources close to Emelianenko’s management at M-1 Global have stated that this epic matchup will take place on July 30th at the Hoffman Estates in Illinois.
With final negotiations still on the table, a catch-weight of 220 pounds for the two mixed martial arts veterans seems to be in place.
Bringing his prolific 31-3 overall MMA record to the cage, Emelianenko will be looking to bounce back from his only two defeats inside the Octagon.
Across the cage, Dan Henderson sports an amazing 27-8 MMA record and currently wears the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship crown.
Due to the catch-weight of 220 pounds, Henderson’s title will not be awarded to the victor.
Additionally, this fight will be co-promoted by M-1 Global and Strikeforce and therefore will air on Showtime, possibly on pay-per-view, however.
With details still needing to be ironed out, the fight itself seems to be imminent.
An additional note, this fight between two of ultimate fighting’s best ever will be the last contracted fight for Dan Henderson within Strikeforce.
He will technically be a free agent at the conclusion of his battle with Emelianenko.
With a tumultuous relationship with Dana White ever-present, it is not a guarantee that Henderson will be signed to the UFC roster at the conclusion of this fight.
One final mention, Vegas odds-makers have awarded Fedor Emelianenko a slight favorite (-280) over Dan Henderson (+210).
Regardless of the promotion or the future of either fighter, this clash of hall-of-fame fighters should be memorable for years to come.
On June 18, 2011 in Dallas, Texas two monster heavyweight clashes will take place. The first pits hard-hitting Brett Rogers against former UFC champion Josh Barnett. That matchup is intriguing but the main event is the fight that everyone wants to see….
On June 18, 2011 in Dallas, Texas two monster heavyweight clashes will take place. The first pits hard-hitting Brett Rogers against former UFC champion Josh Barnett. That matchup is intriguing but the main event is the fight that everyone wants to see.
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem and Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum have met once before, in 2006 under the Pride organization. Werdum won the first bout by submission via kimura. Since that time, they have each come a long way in their respective careers.
After a disappointing stint in UFC that saw him suffer a devastating knockout to Junior Dos Santos in the younger man’s debut, Fabricio has had huge success in Strikeforce. In 2009, Werdum had his first Strikeforce bout, and since then he has won all three of his bouts. He has defeated Mike Kyle, Antonio Silva and Fedor Emelianenko for an impressive three-fight win streak. His win over Fedor was the Russian’s first defeat in 10 years.
Werdum is at an all-time high in his career. Can he beat Overeem and advance to the semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix? That is the question and the challenge he now faces.
After his loss to Werdum in 2006, Alistair Overeem has completely reestablished himself as a fighter. Since that loss, his MMA record has been stellar. Overeem has gone 11-4 with one controversial no contest against Mirko Cro Cop in a fight he was dominating.
Overeem has now not lost an MMA fight in almost four years. In 2010 he had an amazing year. In that calender year he defended his Strikeforce heavyweight title, won an interim belt in a fight for the Dream organization and became the first MMA fighter to win the K1 World Grand Prix.
Things have drastically changed for each man since their fight in Pride five long years ago. The true question here is what has changed from their first meeting until now?
Werdum has added several key wins, much bigger wins than Overeem; however, his game has changed little if at all. Overeem has changed greatly. Since 2006, Overeem has turned himself into a complete fighter and a man that many heavyweights like to criticize, but if they were locked in a cage with him they would be feeling much different.
Overeem changed from a 220-pound man that cut weight to be a light heavyweight. In the time after he left Pride and the present day, he has added over 30 pounds of lean muscle to his frame. On top of this he has improved his striking by leaps and bounds. He is now a faster and stronger man than Werdum defeated in 2006.
It is Werdum who has faced the tougher competition and won those battles more often than not.
Overeem has typically lost his biggest fights. Since his loss to Werdum, Overeem has rarely fought top notch competition. This is something that would be a detriment to most fighters but Alistair is not a typical fighter. He has not fought a top MMA fighter for some time, but he has greatly improved as an athlete. His striking has improved by leaps and bounds. After a great year in 2010, he is poised to avenge a loss that has been on his mind for a long time.
Werdum is looking to prove he is the best heavyweight in the world and he is finally past his brutal knockout loss at UFC 90. Werdum has the submission game and jiu jitsu prowess to submit Overeem again, I just don’t think he will have a chance to do so. Overeem has better defense and speed than he did in 2006. Overeem is also a much better striker with the strength to knock people out with both hands, knees or kicks.
Overeem will overwhelm Werdum and move on to the semifinals of the Strikeforce tournament.
Nostalgia can be a funny thing.It plays with the senses, confounds reason, and clouds memory. Like a drug, it impairs proper judgement and good sense in favour of a high that’s progressively harder and harder to achieve.In combat sports, nostalgia is a…
Nostalgia can be a funny thing.
It plays with the senses, confounds reason, and clouds memory. Like a drug, it impairs proper judgement and good sense in favour of a high that’s progressively harder and harder to achieve.
In combat sports, nostalgia is a fun, almost vital part of the fan experience. No sport fosters an emotional fan connection like one-on-one fighting, and that’s a connection that can stay strong in the face of time’s cruel onward march. Time and again, we forget the obvious realities of the fight game while we rally once again around a beloved fight or fighter.
Most of the time, when it comes to fighting, nostalgia is like pissing your pants: sure, it feels all warm and fuzzy while it’s happening, but once it’s over you’re left with a big mess, and an even bigger embarrassment.
Recently, there’s been a lot of talk surrounding a possible rematch between Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira at UFC 134 in Brazil. That isn’t really a surprise to me as both men are some of the most legendary figures in all the sport. Their names in a headline will, for good or ill, get fans talking.
No, what surprises me is that the reaction has been largely positive. As in, people actually want to see this fight happen.
So I’m going to go ahead and throw a cold glass of water on those (potential) plans before the sport of MMA finds itself once again with a spreading stain on its pants and an embarrassed look on its face.
I can already hear the howls of the MMA faithful as they pour out of the woodwork to burn me in effigy. How dare I desecrate the names of two of PRIDE’s greatest legends! In fact, if MMA hardcores had a “holy trinity” it would be these two men along with Wanderlei Silva (Fedor having been excommunicated to the M-1 underworld).
But beyond rabid fandom, there is a legitimate argument being put forward for making this fight.
“Both guys are old and past their moment,” the argument goes, “so why not have them square off now in a fun, just for the hell of it fight? What’s the harm?”
It’s ironic, because just last weekend MMA fans were railing against the perceived pointlessness of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley fight. And now, within the space of a few days, here they are calling for a fight that has “pointless” written all over it.
I realize the analogy isn’t a perfect one. Manny Pacquiao is by no means over the hill, and any PPV with his name on it—be it Pacquiao vs. Jose Canseco, Pacquiao vs. Zulu, even Pacquiao vs. His inner doubt—is a cultural event.
But Shane Mosley certainly is. And the perception of this fight from fans top to bottom was that it was a “keep busy” fight, a filler fight for Pac-Man in lieu of a serious, actual, Floyd Mayweather-inclusive fight.
In other words, barring a fluke Mosley win, it was utterly pointless. Boxing fans accepted it, but MMA fans were livid. To paraphrase Gus Johnson, such things don’t happen in MMA.
Yet here we are, talking about dragging a bell-rung and injury plagued Nogueira out for another dance with Mirko Cro Cop’s ghost. I think a large part of this has to do with how unbelievably awesome their first fight was, back in the halcyon days of PRIDE. If you’ve never seen it, then for God’s sake stop reading this article and go watch it! Few fights in all of combat sports have ever been so emotional and dramatic.
In fact, if you had to judge based on this fight alone, you’d be forced to to conclude that Antonio Nogueira is one of the baddest men who ever lived.
And he is. So is Mirko, for that matter. But their moment has passed, and the magic of their first clash will never be duplicated.
Look at what made their first fight so exciting: Mirko’s incredible striking and Antonio’s cast iron chin.
Today, Mirko’s striking consists of high-fiving Pat Barry and absolutely refusing to pull the trigger, while Nog’s iron chin is a thing of the past. In two of his last three, “Minotauro” has been knocked cold by guys who had a reputation for “pillow-fists” BEFORE their fight with him.
Call me crazy, but that doesn’t exactly seem like a recipe for a fun rematch. Instead, it looks like the makings of a classic fistic disaster.
My grandfather served in the air force in the Second World War. My friend’s grandfather served in a similar position in the German Luftwaffe. If they ever actually fought, I guarantee their battle was dramatic, emotional, scary, and pulse-pounding every single second.
If they fought again today, it would be two old men circling each other, tentatively poking each other with their canes.
That’s not a fight I want to see. And neither is Mirko Cro Cop vs. Minotauro Nogueira II.
It has been a few months now since Zuffa, the parent company that owns the UFC, purchased the Strikeforce promotion. Dana White, president of the UFC, has stated numerous times that the two organizations would remain separate, with only minor cha…
It has been a few months now since Zuffa, the parent company that owns the UFC, purchased the Strikeforce promotion. Dana White, president of the UFC, has stated numerous times that the two organizations would remain separate, with only minor changes behind the scenes affecting Strikeforce.
But how long will this separation last?
As fighters and fans alike clamor for superfights between champions like Dan Henderson and Jon Jones or Gilbert Melendez and Frankie Edgar, it seems that cross promotion is already on the horizon.
But if history has taught us anything, a merger may come sooner than most people will expect.
It has been a long time coming for heavyweight contender Shane Carwin’s return to the octagon. I’m sure the massive, burly contender has some pent up frustration in those frozen ham mitts of his. His return will happen on June 11th at UFC 131…
It has been a long time coming for heavyweight contender Shane Carwin’s return to the octagon. I’m sure the massive, burly contender has some pent up frustration in those frozen ham mitts of his. His return will happen on June 11th at UFC 131 Lesnar vs. Dos Santos in Vancouver, against 2003 ADCC champion Jon Olav Einemo. After a near twelve month layoff due to injury and rehab the question is, will his back surgery play a role in his return?
The Engineer is no spring chicken and at 36 years old, any major surgery is going to effect how you perform in different ways going forward. Carwin will surely have to monitor fatigue and test run certain twists and movements in his training, but come fight night I believe the injury will play little to no role in his return.
For one, I think he has had enough time off since his surgery to really test and work those things out in his training. We all know training cannot mirror all the intensity of a real fight but in many ways for a back that is recovering from surgery training can be worse. Carwin recently provided MMAJunkie with some insight into his recovery,
He has stated before that the surgery was needed to clean up injuries that he has had since joining the UFC, and that he was in the practice of getting pain relief injections to be able to train and fight. Any solution away from that practice must be a great lift not only physically, but also mentally.
The other main reason why I don’t feel that the surgery will be a factor in his return is his opponent Jon Olav Einemo. The Norwegian is no slouch as he is best known for his defeat of Roger Gracie to win the 2003 ADCC. I come from the “what have you done for me lately” school of thought, and Einemo’s last fight was a submission win over James Thompson in late 2006.
Carwin had this to say about his opponent, “It’s an exciting fight. He’s very dangerous. He was picked as the man to beat Fedor back in the day.”
An interesting comment considering the fact that in early 2006, Einemo lost a unanimous decision to the man who ended up beating Fedor, Fabricio Verdum.
Make no mistake, this is a tough style match-up for Carwin. Being submitted by Brock Lesnar showed weaknesses in his conditioning and his ground skills. Einemo has been hand picked to exploit those weaknesses and see if Shane has evolved his game. His repaired back will be most vulnerable as he tries to defend the take downs that Jon will be shooting for all night and if the fight goes to the ground, it could be a major problem for Carwin. He has to keep this one standing.
The Engineer has had ample time to recover from his surgery. No doubt he has been testing it from every angle defending take downs and submissions in his preparation for what Einemo will bring at UFC 131. There is a real, legit chance Carwin may lose via submission on June 11th in Vancouver, but the back surgery will play little to no role in that happening.
Bleacher Report’s MMA news recap for Monday May 16: