Tag: Fighters

UFC Fight Night 106: Francisco Trinaldo Looks To Continue His Cinderella Story Against Kevin Lee

UFC Fight Night 106 is fast approaching and one fight that catches my eye is the match up between Francisco Trinaldo and Kevin Lee. Both are prospects, both have shown tons of improvement since their UFC debuts, and both fight in a completely different style. That style clash makes for a pretty damn intriguing match up, but the fact that Francisco Trinaldo at 38 years of age is putting a beatdown on many of his younger opposition makes this a Cinderella story any fight fan can find intriguing. That being said, Kevin Lee is no slouch and could easily bring Trinaldo’s streak to an end.

The post UFC Fight Night 106: Francisco Trinaldo Looks To Continue His Cinderella Story Against Kevin Lee appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC Fight Night 106 is fast approaching and one fight that catches my eye is the match up between Francisco Trinaldo and Kevin Lee. Both are prospects, both have shown tons of improvement since their UFC debuts, and both fight in a completely different style. That style clash makes for a pretty damn intriguing match up, but the fact that Francisco Trinaldo at 38 years of age is putting a beatdown on many of his younger opposition makes this a Cinderella story any fight fan can find intriguing. That being said, Kevin Lee is no slouch and could easily bring Trinaldo’s streak to an end.

With a mostly striking oriented attack, Francisco Trinaldo has changed since he first debut in the UFC back in 2012. Once a brawler with an over aggressive fighting style, Trinaldo has tapered things quite a bit and has created for himself a striking based attack that is focused on movement and sudden rhythm changes to throw his opponents off their game. He can be bouncing light on his feet backwards then suddenly move forward with a straight or looping left hand or left body kick when fighting an orthodox opponent. His movement will serve him well in this match up as Kevin Lee loves nothing more than to come forward and use his wrestling game. If Trinaldo is able to keep up his lateral movement throughout the fight, Lee will have trouble getting in on his hips. He’ll need to remain diligent and avoid his brawling tendencies.

Kevin Lee’s road to victory is pretty straight forward. He’ll want to use his striking skills primarily to set up his takedown. He has a great reactive double leg takedown and knows exactly when he should abandon the wrestling game and shoot in for a double or a single. Even if the takedown is unsuccessful, Kevin Lee could use his game to smother Trinaldo into the fence. Where Lee is sure to find success with his wrestling game is drawing Trinaldo into an exchange. If he can bring some of that old brawling Trinaldo out, Lee will have little issue ducking under the strikes and entering in on the hips of ‘Massaranduba’ for a reactive double.

Both men have tools to bring the other into their game so strategy is absolutely key in this match up. The intangibles will be equally important like scrambles and the orthodox versus southpaw tactics, but ultimately it’s the fighter that draws the other into their rhythm that will ultimately prove to be the victor.

Who do you think wins: the veteran Francisco Trinaldo or the young prospect Kevin Lee?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC Fight Night 106: Francisco Trinaldo Looks To Continue His Cinderella Story Against Kevin Lee appeared first on Cagepotato.

Fallout: Woodley vs Thompson Explained And A Middleweight Fight No One Wanted

The main event of UFC 209 was certainly a tough one to watch as we saw two of the best welterweights engage in a staring contest for nearly the entirety of their championship fight. I kid of course, but seriously, Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson were so gun shy during the main event that it felt like neither man was doing their best to prove they were deserving welterweight champion of the world. It’s easy to say that of course, but the reality is that by the time either man decided to pick up the pace the fight was over, which left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.

The post Fallout: Woodley vs Thompson Explained And A Middleweight Fight No One Wanted appeared first on Cagepotato.

The main event of UFC 209 was certainly a tough one to watch as we saw two of the best welterweights engage in a staring contest for nearly the entirety of their championship fight. I kid of course, but seriously, Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson were so gun shy during the main event that it felt like neither man was doing their best to prove they were deserving welterweight champion of the world. It’s easy to say that of course, but the reality is that by the time either man decided to pick up the pace the fight was over, which left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.

While I may have had the fight scored for Stephen Thompson, Tyron Woodley did do the most damage once again. After long periods of inactivity which saw Thompson pot shot and score points in the first and second frame, Woodley finally decided to do something in the third round with a takedown. He scored points on the ground but nothing significant and Thompson was soon back on his feet. Round four saw Thompson once again resort to his death by a thousand cuts game plan before being roughed up in the fifth round by a well time Woodley counter.

Thompson should have done a bit more as he found himself frozen in the southpaw stance for extended periods of time. Some jabs from the orthodox stance followed by a stance switch and sidekicks to the body and thigh would have made for more shots landed and more opportunities for Woodley to open himself up for counters. And therein lies the problem with this match up in the first place. With both men being counter fighters, both Woodley and Thompson have the tendency to wait for opportunities. This waiting game only led to long periods of feinting and set up (mostly on the part of Thompson) with no real meaningful strikes being thrown or landed. Love it or hate it, Woodley remained the undisputed champion Saturday night.

Perhaps even more interesting than the UFC 209 main event this past weekend was the announcement of Michael Bisping versus Georges St-Pierre for the middleweight title.

But why?

Yes, it’s an interesting fight that could make for some fireworks, but what are we sacrificing to see such this match up? While it may be a fight that gets casual fans excited, you have to consider the fact that Michael Bisping isn’t fighting the best of the best in his weight class which is the point of being champion. Yes, it’s prize fighting and athletes deserve to be paid for putting their lives on the line in the cage, and make no mistake this is a big money fight. But all this match does is hold up the rest of the middleweight division. Yoel Romero will either be on the shelf or have to fight to keep his spot in line. Jacare Souza will fight Robert Whittaker, which is admittedly a great match up. But what does the division gain with this match? An even more important question, what happens if Georges St-Pierre wins?

He’s not a massive middleweight. Hell, he wasn’t even a massive welterweight when he was competing. If he somehow gets past Michael Bisping you have to imagine that he’ll have some trouble doing battle with massive middleweights like Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero, Jacare Souza and other big men of their ilk. The reality is, GSP is likely one and done at middleweight with a win or a loss. A loss is easy to figure out. A win means that he’ll likely vacate and move on while the division will essentially be forced into some kind of tournament situation of sorts to decide the next champion. It’s a fight no one asked for and one that will likely only cause more chaos moving forward. Still doesn’t mean it won’t be enjoyable.

What were your thoughts on the Woodley/Thompson main event and the announcement of Bisping vs St-Pierre?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post Fallout: Woodley vs Thompson Explained And A Middleweight Fight No One Wanted appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 209: Can Tyron Woodley Shut Down The Haters With A Crushing Win Over Stephen Thompson

They’ve already done the dance before, now as they set up to lock horns again, Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson both appear to have a chip on their shoulder. UFC 209 will be the stage for one of these men to prove that they are the best in the world. While the first battle may not have been an exciting “Dragon Ball Z” brawl, Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson had five rounds to figure each other out and will need five more to cement who will be the king of welterweights.

The post UFC 209: Can Tyron Woodley Shut Down The Haters With A Crushing Win Over Stephen Thompson appeared first on Cagepotato.

They’ve already done the dance before, now as they set up to lock horns again, Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson both appear to have a chip on their shoulder. UFC 209 will be the stage for one of these men to prove that they are the best in the world. While the first battle may not have been an exciting “Dragon Ball Z” brawl, Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson had five rounds to figure each other out and will need five more to cement who will be the king of welterweights.

Let’s face it, whether you’re a fan of Tyron Woodley or not, you have to admit that he did the most damage during his championship fight at UFC 205. The big moments were owned by Woodley as he dominated top position in the opening round then had severely damaged Thompson in the fourth frame. But in between those two occasions, Woodley was on the losing end of a competitive kickboxing match with his foe. What Woodley will have to do different in this match is throw a bit more volume in spurts and avoid relying on his big right hand as he’s want to do. Leg kicks will serve him well in this match and going for double legs, successful or not, will be paramount to put doubt in Thompson’s head.

The absence of a wrestling game in the first match up allowed for ‘Wonderboy’ to land some steady offense in the second, third, and fifth round. Even the fourth round looked to be owned by Thompson until Woodley unleashed his devastating right hand. If Woodley wants to play off the cage as he did the last time, he should shoot for a double when Thompson gets too far forward, turn him towards the fence, then unleash offense when his foe is cornered.

On the other side of the equation, Stephen Thompson is going to want to change up a few things. First off, where he was unsuccessful in the last bout was his lack of volume. While Woodley is known for having a lower striking volume, Thompson usually throws punches and kicks in bunches. He failed to do so in his bout with Woodley at UFC 205, which led to moments of Woodley feeling comfortable with his back to the fence. If Thompson wants to take the belt he’ll have to play the aggressive counter striker role, preferably from the southpaw stance where he’ll likely see more success. He’ll need to pot shot Woodley constantly to get the champ to move forward into a counter.

If he lays back and throws one shot at a time he may be able to get things done, but he’ll want to use his side kick to keep Woodley honest. Having his leg caught in the first round of their first fight had Thompson gun shy as far as his kicking game was concerned. He needs to channel that inner Hwoarang (Tekken reference and if you don’t get it then look that up ASAP) and unleash his kicks masking them with punches before hand. This is basic knowledge, but these are the kind of attacks he’ll need to keep in mind in order to get Woodley frustrated enough to dart forward. Once that happens, a side step into a counter left straight could seal the deal. But he’ll need those kicks to really give Woodley a different look.

via GIPHY

Ultimately this fight will be about who has the more effective aggression as both men laid back far too often in their first battle. Look for Stephen Thompson to bait Tyron Woodley into another kickboxing match while the champion looks to throw more strikes and add his wrestling even more into the equation.

Who do you think leaves the cage champion, Tyron Woodley or Stephen Thompson?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 209: Can Tyron Woodley Shut Down The Haters With A Crushing Win Over Stephen Thompson appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 209: Can Tony Ferguson Figure Out The Puzzle That Is Khabib Nurmagomedov?

A ton of people have been speaking their mind on the fact that the co-main event of UFC 209, Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson, should be the main attraction of the show. Whether or not you agree with that point, the truth of the matter is that this fight is certainly one for the ages as both men have looked nigh invincible during their UFC tenure. What’s more, one of these men will have to experience the bitter taste of defeat as they head for a collision course that could be one of the greatest lightweight scraps in the sport’s history.

The post UFC 209: Can Tony Ferguson Figure Out The Puzzle That Is Khabib Nurmagomedov? appeared first on Cagepotato.

A ton of people have been speaking their mind on the fact that the co-main event of UFC 209, Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson, should be the main attraction of the show. Whether or not you agree with that point, the truth of the matter is that this fight is certainly one for the ages as both men have looked nigh invincible during their UFC tenure. What’s more, one of these men will have to experience the bitter taste of defeat as they head for a collision course that could be one of the greatest lightweight scraps in the sport’s history.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is an absolute savage. To neglect to mention the fact would be remiss on my part. Since entering the UFC he’s looked pretty damn impressive. He capped off his twenty-fourth straight win with a domination of Michael Johnson. What makes Khabib so dangerous? His indomitable will that sees the Dagestan native push the pace, push towards his opponents with strikes, then wrap his arms around his prey where the thrashing begins. While his striking may not be polished, Khabib has found a way to make it effective. He’ll throw a standard one-two, then instantly explode forward with a hook in order to enter into the clinch and secure a takedown by any means.

Whether it’s a judo throw, double or single leg, once Khabib is in that clinch position you either need to spin off and push away the head or find yourself with your back to the mat.

On the other side of the equation we have Tony Ferguson who brings a much more balanced skill set to the table. He has striking, he has wrestling, and great submission abilities. His gas tank seems to be endless and he pushes the pace with consistent striking combinations from lead uppercuts to sharp low leg kicks. Ferguson also enjoys switching stances in the middle of combo strings to find the inside and outside angles in hopes exploiting openings. He’ll throw a cross from orthodox stance, switch to south paw where he’ll through a rear uppercut, back to orthodox for a rear leg kick to a spinning back fist. His striking is at once technical and chaotic and always packs a punch. But his he’s more controlled than his foe in that he uses fundamentals.

His jab is sharp and long and he uses it as a legit weapon as well as a range finder which adds variety to his striking arsenal. Ferguson will do well to keep Khabib on the end of his punches and if the Sambo specialist does try to shoot for the takedown, a traditional needs to be at the ready and if he can’t manage that, his nifty forward roll needs to be on hand to create a scramble.

via GIPHY

I’ve always said that Ferguson would be a tougher match up for Conor McGregor if the legit lightweight champ ever decides to come back and defend his title. That’s not to say that Khabib wouldn’t give McGregor trouble, but the pace that Ferguson can put on people, coupled with his size, striking, chin, and submission game, makes him a terrible match up for the lightweight champ. That’s not to say Khabib can’t grind McGregor into the cage, land a takedown and smash him on the ground. Either way, we still have to see Ferguson and Khabib do the damn thing at UFC 209. I’ll be sure to watching with a whiskey in hand and a smile plastered across my face.

Who do you think wins the interim lightweight title: Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tony Ferguson?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 209: Can Tony Ferguson Figure Out The Puzzle That Is Khabib Nurmagomedov? appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 209: The ‘Groovy’ Lando Vannata Will Have A Chance To Prove He’s The Real Deal Against David Teymur

The fight breakdowns just keep on coming as Lando Vannata faces off against fellow young prospect David Teymur which should be a display of some fine striking skills. Where David Teymur comes largely from a more traditional muay thai striking background, Lando Vannata has cultivated a skillset that mixes boxing, karate, and muay thai into one unique package. A win from either prospect will get fans and pundits alike to open their eyes to the possibilities of these fighters one day reaching the top of the division.

The post UFC 209: The ‘Groovy’ Lando Vannata Will Have A Chance To Prove He’s The Real Deal Against David Teymur appeared first on Cagepotato.

The fight breakdowns just keep on coming as Lando Vannata faces off against fellow young prospect David Teymur which should be a display of some fine striking skills. Where David Teymur comes largely from a more traditional muay thai striking background, Lando Vannata has cultivated a skillset that mixes boxing, karate, and muay thai into one unique package. A win from either prospect will get fans and pundits alike to open their eyes to the possibilities of these fighters one day reaching the top of the division.

The Swedish native David Teymur showcased his all around skills in his first two Octagon appearances. As far as his offensive game, Teymur operates out of the southpaw stance and usually prefers to open up his attacks with leg kicks. He throws jabs and left hands with near perfect technique and is adept at countering on the back foot. He also has a good sense of when to land reactive takedowns when his opponents push too far forward. In his bout against the unpredictable Lando, Teymur will want to utilize the one common factor we’ve seen from the ‘Groovy’ one in his first two octagon appearances. Lando has a tendency to use weaving head movement to dodge attacks. If Teymur is patient enough, he can time Lando as he dips his head and land one of those powerful uppercuts to floor his opponent.

via GIPHY

As far as Lando Vannata attributes go, there’s no way you can’t love the slick footwork and head movement he’s brought with him to the cage. I hold Brandon Gibson in pretty high regard as a striking coach, somewhat of a blue print for some of my own coaching work. What I’ve seen ‘Six Gun’ infused into Lando’s style is the ability to move in and out of the danger zone while always having the ability to land a strike whether moving forward or backing up. As the orthodox fighter against a southpaw opponent, Lando will want to continue to utilize that low line sidekick to keep Teymur where he wants him. It’s a nice trick to either stop your opponents forward motion or to force them to move into the direction of a follow up strike. Lando also has some strong wrestling skills he can rely on as well as some well timed spinning techniques. He’ll want to stay on the move a bit more in this fight as he has a tendency to get flat footed and get caught with jabs. His weaving head movement should also be mixed in with slips and some good old fashioned footwork in order to get out of harms way. Rather than rely solely on head movement, foot movement is a great first line of defense.

via GIPHY

Will David Teymur announce himself to the world with a win over Lando Vannata or will ‘Groovy’ prove that he’s all that and then some with another spectacular showing?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

 

The post UFC 209: The ‘Groovy’ Lando Vannata Will Have A Chance To Prove He’s The Real Deal Against David Teymur appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 209: Is Alistair Overeem Going Out On His Shield Versus Mark Hunt?

If I were to say that UFC 209 was just another fight card then I would give you the permission to feel free to punch me directly in the nose for lying. If anything, UFC 209 is proving to be one of the stronger cards of 2017 so far and that’s in big part due to the main and co-main event. But though the main attractions are very much the selling point for this fight card, there a ton of other great matches to enjoy this weekend. Namely the heavyweight showdown between Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt.

The post UFC 209: Is Alistair Overeem Going Out On His Shield Versus Mark Hunt? appeared first on Cagepotato.

If I were to say that UFC 209 was just another fight card then I would give you the permission to feel free to punch me directly in the nose for lying. If anything, UFC 209 is proving to be one of the stronger cards of 2017 so far and that’s in big part due to the main and co-main event. But though the main attractions are very much the selling point for this fight card, there a ton of other great matches to enjoy this weekend. Namely the heavyweight showdown between Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt.

Both men have lost their last bouts. Alistair Overeem was brutally knocked out by champ Stipe Miocic while Mark Hunt lost a controversial decision to former champion Brock Lesnar. Where Mark Hunt was competitive and essentially fighting a suped up version of Lesnar, Overeem faced off against a game and talented champion in form of Miocic. Overeem proved himself to be a match for the champ, but once again allowed his technical holes to shine through.

Overeem had his moments in the fight, mainly from the southpaw stance where he threw his back leg round kick and left cross with power and accuracy. But as the fight carried on and Overeem got clipped, we saw him take bigger chances with wilder shots that hit air. Not only that, he found himself with his back against the fence far too many times which opened him up to strikes. Ultimately a poorly executed low line sidekick would be his undoing as Miocic secured a takedown and proceeded to bounce punches off of Overeem’s chin.

Mark Hunt’s last battle was against a juiced up Brock Lesnar who looked to take the fight to the ground early and often. Hunt won’t have to worry about that when he enters the cage against Overeem. Hunt will be at a height disadvantage, but that shouldn’t be much of a concern for him considering that he’s always on the wrong end of the reach/height equation. The leaping left hook and counter right hand will be his best friends in this fight as Overeem has a tendency to drop his hands as he gets comfortable in the fight.

Overeem will want to keep Hunt at bay with front kicks and the left cross. Another great idea would be for him to execute the low line sidekick against Hunt. While he didn’t have too much success with it against Miocic, it’s a safe bet that Hunt won’t be looking to take the fight to the ground. The sidekick will destabilize Hunt’s movements and prevent him from just leaping forward as he tends to do.

Usually I’d make my prediction and just carry on, but instead I wanted to take the opportunity to discuss something that’s been on my mind in regards to Alistair Overeem.

When will he decide to hang it up?

I know, I know, after a veteran fighter loses a match by knock out there’s a tendency for everyone to kick a person while they’re down, call for their retirement. But in the case of Alsitair Overeem we’re looking at an individual who has lost by knock out ten times in his career, and that’s just in regards to his MMA match ups. He’s been knocked out in kickboxing bouts as well and you also have to consider all the training camps he’s been through in his career. If he suffers another devastating this Saturday night it’s certainly grounds for him to consider hanging it up. Either Overeem sees this as a chance to once again prove he’s the cream of the crop or this may be the modern example of going out on your shield in battle. Either way, when the bill comes due one can only hope that Overeem makes it through the other side no worse for ware.

Who do you think wins at UFC 209?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 209: Is Alistair Overeem Going Out On His Shield Versus Mark Hunt? appeared first on Cagepotato.