Tag: Fighting

Ultimate Fighter 15: New Live Format Will Bring Nothing New to Show

Ultimate Fighter 15 attempts to spice things up by airing fights live, but it all just adds up to more of the same. All of the surrounding drama that provides the reality TV aspect of this event is still taped, edited and condensed into a 45-minut…

Ultimate Fighter 15 attempts to spice things up by airing fights live, but it all just adds up to more of the same. 

All of the surrounding drama that provides the reality TV aspect of this event is still taped, edited and condensed into a 45-minute package leading up to each fight. 

This is the majority of the show, and for the most part, it’s all the same from season to season. There are just different faces fueling the drama. 

And make no mistake about it the drama is still going to be there. That much became clear when it came down to the selection of Chris Tickle. 

Tickle wanted to be on Urijah Faber’s team, but—in retrospect—that sentiment is probably the exact thing that guaranteed he would never make it to Faber.

Dominick Cruz selected Tickle, and with that, the opening salvo was cast. There will be no shortage of drama in this season. Cruz and Faber already couldn’t stand each other, and they’re determined to drive that wedge further between them every chance they get. 

And this is the vehicle, like all the seasons of The Ultimate Fighter that came before them, that will really drive and define this addition of the series and not the live fights. 

The live fights are a nice touch, and it makes sense, but in the end, it adds very little. 

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Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson: Perhaps the UFC Does Owe Him a ‘Thank You’

Perhaps Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is correct. Maybe, as the former light heavyweight champion has opined, the UFC does owe him a big thank you. First, he gave an interview with Fighters Only magazine that handed that anti-testosterone repla…

Perhaps Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is correct. Maybe, as the former light heavyweight champion has opined, the UFC does owe him a big thank you.

First, he gave an interview with Fighters Only magazine that handed that anti-testosterone replacement therapy crowd plenty of ammunition to run with. Then he fired off a series of tweets that were highly critical of the UFC of how they had handled his career. The highlight of those tweets was when he went and requested his release from the organization that he had fought for since 2007.

The UFC then announced that that Jackson’s (likely) last fight with the promotion would be a long talked-about rematch with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

You would think that announcement would have been celebrated by Jackson, as the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel was shining bright. All he had to do was fulfill the last fight on his UFC contract and he could then pursue whatever interests he desired. Instead, it was announced that Jackson would need to undergo double knee surgery.

Although the UFC didn’t set a date for the Jackson versus Rua bout, it would seem unlikely that Rua would sit around and wait for Jackson to have surgery on both knees, rehab and then train for a fight.

As a point of reference, when Rua had knee surgery he was out for nine months. If Jackson were to have his surgery in early April, that would keep Rua out of the cage for more than a year, as his last fight took place in November.

Jackson recently sat down for an extended interview with MMAHeat, where he covered many topics, including his TRT, his spending habits, missing weight in Japan, why the UFC should be thanking him, how he felt slighted by the UFC, the things that went wrong in his first fight with Rua, and the progression of MMA.

The more than 40-minute interview gave the MMA world more to discuss and, as the old saying goes, any press is good press.

So, yes, maybe the UFC does owe Jackson a thank you, as he has given fans of the organization plenty to talk about during the current lull between fight cards. 

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UFC 145: In-Depth Preview of Jones vs. Evans

The notion that teammates don’t fight each other will be broken when UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones meets former champion Rashad Evans at UFC 145 in April. The long-awaited grudge match will give Evans a second chance at winning a tit…

The notion that teammates don’t fight each other will be broken when UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones meets former champion Rashad Evans at UFC 145 in April.

The long-awaited grudge match will give Evans a second chance at winning a title, something that he has been waiting over two years for. When he defeated Quinton Jackson at UFC 114, the title shot was on the line, but he decided to sit out and wait for then-champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to heal from injuries.

When Evans and Rua were scheduled to face each other at UFC 128, Evans got injured and was replaced by Jones. Jones would dominate Rua to become the youngest champion in UFC history and set up the match between him and Evans.

After Jones suffered an injury that delayed the bout, Evans decided to fight anyway while waiting for Jones to heal up.

Evans has fought twice since the Jackson fight, defeating both Phil Davis and Tito Ortiz. His latest bout in January saw him win a dominant five-round decision against Davis.

Jones sealed off one of the most impressive years for any fighter when he took out former champions Jackson and Lyoto Machida after defeating Rua and Ryan Bader. He finished every one of them.

The pay-per-view event will go down April 21 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Other PPV bouts include Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills, Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell, Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin and Mark Bocek vs. Matt Wiman.

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Alistair Overeem and the 10 Greatest Comebacks in MMA History

Beginning his career as a light heavyweight, Alistair showed just how effective his 6-foot-5 frame could be against generally smaller opponents.A powerful striker and underrated grappler, Overeem turned in some eye-opening performances that would indic…

Beginning his career as a light heavyweight, Alistair showed just how effective his 6-foot-5 frame could be against generally smaller opponents.

A powerful striker and underrated grappler, Overeem turned in some eye-opening performances that would indicate that the Dutchman was ready for the big leagues.

However, disappointing losses began to pile up and Overeem’s days as an elite fighter in the world of MMA looked to be winding down.

After committing himself to the heavyweight division, Overeem has now been able to bulk up and become one of the most powerful and imposing figures in the weight class.

Undefeated in his last 12 fights, Overeem has came from the pits of obscurity and back into the limelight, much like these next few fighters who altered their paths, whether it be with a punch or a new level of dedication. 

 

Alistair Overeem/ Jeff Cain for MMAWeekly.com

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UFC: 15 Fighters with the Best Taste in Walkout Music

Walkout entrances are an underrated component of the entertainment aspect when it comes to MMA fights. The UFC is pretty reserved when it comes to walkouts. There are no light shows or fireworks here. But there is the music, and that plays a key role i…

Walkout entrances are an underrated component of the entertainment aspect when it comes to MMA fights. The UFC is pretty reserved when it comes to walkouts. There are no light shows or fireworks here. But there is the music, and that plays a key role in building the excitement leading up to a fight.

Some fighters like to play cheesy, ironic songs, while others play heavy, intimidating songs. Then there are fighters who have made certain songs signatures of their entrances. The beauty is when everything comes together, and you get a song that not only represents the fighter well, but also sets the right mood.

Here are my picks for the top 15 fighters with the best taste in walkout music.

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UFC News: Rashad Evans Tweets Alleged Photo of Jon Jones in Drag

The feud between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former Greg Jackson MMA teammate Rashad Evans has seemingly reached epic proportions on Friday night. “Suga” took to Twitter to toss a very interesting insult Jones’ way: 
 

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The feud between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former Greg Jackson MMA teammate Rashad Evans has seemingly reached epic proportions on Friday night. 

“Suga” took to Twitter to toss a very interesting insult Jones’ way: 

However, before anyone gets the wrong idea, Bloody Elbow has since reported that the photo is actually of a fan from a Chris Brown concert who just happens to have an awfully strong resemblance to the youngest champion in UFC history. 

In a UFC 145 pre-fight interview, Jones said that “jealousy fuels Rashad” and he “can’t wait to put him out of his misery.” 

The two former friends haven’t gotten along since Jones won the light heavyweight title from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128 and there is plenty of time for the bad blood to brew before they fight for 12 pounds of gold at UFC 145 on April 21st. 

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