Tag: Fighting

UFC on FX 2 Results: Martin Kampmann Pulls Off Amazing Comeback

Martin Kampmann made the most of the opportunity in a last-ditch effort to defeat Thiago Alves this past weekend at UFC on FX 2.Alves would out-strike and dominate Kampmann for a majority of the fight but the Danish welterweight would capitalize on the…

Martin Kampmann made the most of the opportunity in a last-ditch effort to defeat Thiago Alves this past weekend at UFC on FX 2.

Alves would out-strike and dominate Kampmann for a majority of the fight but the Danish welterweight would capitalize on the Brazilian’s strategic mistake of attempting a takedown as he submit Alves in the final minute of the bout.

The win results in a big opportunity for Kampmann, who has now recorded two straight victories, and will remain in title contention in the UFC welterweight division.

However, while the win might have vaulted him near the top of the division, Kampmann’s overall performance didn’t enlighten his spirits.

“It was in my mind that I had to step it up, because I was behind,” Kampmann told Sherdog.com. “I was disappointed in my performance, but I was happy to get the submission.”

Alves, who has dropped the last three of his past five bouts, looked every bit as dominant throughout the bout, even having many chances to end the fight. 

The 29-year-old Kampmann will now see his stock rise as he likely finds himself in a title eliminator bout, while Alves will hope to regain some momentum and attempt to climb back up the divisional rankings.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Benson Henderson: I’m More Than Willing to Give Frankie Edgar a Rematch

Benson Henderson has become the topic of discussion since capturing the UFC lightweight title from Frankie Edgar at UFC 144.Henderson, who outlasted Edgar in a five-round bout, appeared on “The MMA Hour” to reflect on his latest victory and his future …

Benson Henderson has become the topic of discussion since capturing the UFC lightweight title from Frankie Edgar at UFC 144.

Henderson, who outlasted Edgar in a five-round bout, appeared on “The MMA Hour” to reflect on his latest victory and his future at 155 pounds.

Since UFC 144, Edgar has voiced his interest on a rematch with the current 155-pound champion, while UFC president Dana White sees a future for the former champion at 145 pounds to prevent the UFC lightweight division from being stagnant.

But Henderson sees things differently and he said he would accept a rematch with “The Answer.”

“I’m more than willing to give Frankie (Edgar) a rematch. Let’s do it. Set it up for tomorrow,” Henderson said.

“He had a rough road with two rematches right away after his title defenses. So the fan in me feels that he deserves (the rematch).” 

But while Edgar waits in line for his rematch with Henderson, so too do other challengers like Anthony Pettis. 

Pettis was the last man to defeat Henderson when the two competitors met in the main event at WEC 53. His latest victory over Joe Lauzon has prompted “Showtime” to request his own matchup with the champion, but Henderson says Pettis’ recent performances haven’t been impressive to warrant one just yet.

“Does someone who has a split decision over someone who is not ranked, and then has a pretty good win against the No. 10 guy, is he deserving of a title shot because of those two wins?” he said. “Do I want to face Pettis again? Absolutely. We will see each other again.”

With being a champion, there comes certain responsibilities to retain the title. Henderson said he understands his role at as UFC champion and he wants to prove it in every fight he has.

“Hopefully people will start to realize and understand, I will fight anybody. I don’t care. I’m going to smash them,” he said.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

B/R Official MMA Rankings for March: The Top 10 Fighters at Light Heavyweight

Though there was only one fight between top-tier light heavyweights during the month of February, Ryan Bader’s upset of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in Japan significantly shook up the rankings for the 205-pound division.Coming into the bout several pound…

Though there was only one fight between top-tier light heavyweights during the month of February, Ryan Bader’s upset of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in Japan significantly shook up the rankings for the 205-pound division.

Coming into the bout several pounds overweight, though he explained it was due to an injury, Jackson’s loss reignited speculation that he had no motivation for the competition aspect of fighting anymore. However, Jackson quickly shut down that conversation by saying he would return to fight again.

Meanwhile, Bader’s victory catapulted him back into the mix for a shot at the light heavyweight title, as he has now won two straight fights since his back-to-back defeats against champion Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz.

Let’s take a look at where Bader, Jackson and the rest of MMA‘s top light heavyweights stand after the month of February.

 

 

These rankings are the combined efforts of some of Bleacher Report MMA’s best writers, as we continue to try and provide you with the best content on the web.

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The 8 Best Armbars in MMA History

Thousands of fights have ended this way in UFC history, but there’s still something special about an armbar.It’s an amazing hold that proves one person’s limb, no matter how strong, will always lose to his opponent’s entire body and the power of scienc…

Thousands of fights have ended this way in UFC history, but there’s still something special about an armbar.

It’s an amazing hold that proves one person’s limb, no matter how strong, will always lose to his opponent’s entire body and the power of science.

Ronda Rousey, the undisputed queen of the armbar, has brought the hold back to the forefront. But Rousey isn’t the only submission fighter who has won significant fights with her go-to hold.

Joining Rousey on my list are seven other superlative fighters who helped remind us over the years just how vulnerable the elbow really is.

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Strikeforce: Paul Daley Thinks He Beat Kazuo Misaki

One of the more intriguing moments of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey came during the undercard welterweight bout between Paul “Semtex” Daley and PRIDE legend Kazuo Misaki.Misaki has gone through legendary wars during his fighting career in Japan. He was …

One of the more intriguing moments of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey came during the undercard welterweight bout between Paul “Semtex” Daley and PRIDE legend Kazuo Misaki.

Misaki has gone through legendary wars during his fighting career in Japan. He was always a crowd favorite for his heart and ability to put on exciting fights. But few in the media, myself included, gave him much of a chance against Daley on Saturday night.

He’s old. He’s been through too many battles. His striking just wouldn’t be effective enough against Daley, and his takedown ability wouldn’t be enough to keep the fight on the ground, where he would be more effective.

We were wrong. Misaki used highly effective striking to keep Daley at bay throughout the fight. By the end of the final round, commentator Pat Miletich rightly pointed out that Misaki was “in Daley’s head,” and the Japanese star was awarded a decision win.

Daley took umbrage with the decision in the cage, and he did so again today in a post on the Underground:

I can’t be Semtex all the time people, different fights call for a different approach. Sorry for those that felt cheated out of not seeing Semtex, but I feel being Semtex had an effect on the judges scores, because i didn’t come out swinging. He got the 1st round, I got the 2nd, and the 3rd, I feel through takedowns, ground control, effect defense, and scored the most damage while taking very little. The reason I back pedalled and kept it on the jab/counters in the 3rd is because I honestly thought I had won the fight. it was close, but I feel I won.

Losing a fairly close fight must be a terrible feeling, and this absolutely was a close fight. But Daley saying that he backpedaled in the third round because he thought he had the fight won? That’s not a smart decision because—as we’ve seen countless times throughout the last three years—you never know exactly what the judges are thinking.

It’s better to put an emphatic stamp on a performance than to ride it out under the impression that you’ve already won the thing.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

B/R Official Rankings for March: The Top 10 Middleweights in MMA

The official Bleacher Report MMA middleweight rankings for March 2012 are in and there are some interesting changes from what we saw last month.The peak of the rankings remained the same, but the spots below saw some shifting as we saw a consensus top-…

The official Bleacher Report MMA middleweight rankings for March 2012 are in and there are some interesting changes from what we saw last month.

The peak of the rankings remained the same, but the spots below saw some shifting as we saw a consensus top-three middleweight knocked off by someone who wasn’t even in the top-10 previously.

The top two fighters in the division are tentatively set to meet sometime later this year, but nothing has been officially announced, and at least one of the competitors is still under the impression that the fight won’t happen.

They aren’t the only top fighters in the division, though, and in this list we’ll be counting down the top-10 fighters currently competing at 185 pounds.

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