Tag: Forrest Griffin

Edson Barboza, one of the brightest Brazilian prospects in the UFC, will meet Ross Pearson in a clash of rising lightweights at UFC 134. Both competitors are coming off of big wins and looking to earn a fight with one of the UFC’s many lightweight contenders.

At UFC 128, Barboza was involved in a back-and-forth striking matchup with Anthony Njokuani. While he came away with the victory on the scorecards, it was the first time in Barboza’s career that he was unable to finish his opponent.  

Against Pearson, Barboza will still have a worthy opponent on his feet, but he will also have to deal with an adversary who brings a dangerous ground game into UFC 134.

At 26-years-old, Ross Pearson is one of the most exciting young fighters to ever come out of Great Britain. Born in England, Pearson obviously has a strong striking background, but his ground game is surprisingly advanced in comparison with his other countrymen.

Pearson already holds a win over Dennis Siver on his record, but a submission loss to Cole Miller in his following fight knocked the Englishman back down the lightweight ladder. A win over Barboza would put Pearson right back in a position to break into the top 10, though.

This fight between Barboza and Pearson will serve as the opening bout of the UFC 134 main card, which will begin on pay-per-view at approximately 9:00 p.m. ET.

The pay-per-view event will also feature a UFC middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami, a battle involving light heavyweight contenders Mauricio Rua and Forrest Griffin and a heavyweight clash that will see Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira return to the Octagon to face Brendan Schaub.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.

After stringing two wins together, Forrest Griffin finds himself in familiar territory once again.

Griffin will meet Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 134; with the winner likely edging themselves closer into title contention. Griffin previously defeated Rua at UFC 76 and went on to challenge for the UFC light heavyweight title, which he ultimately won later that year.

This time around, however, things are different.

Griffin’s lack of desire to compete remains questioned following an embarrassing loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 109. Since then, he has beaten mid-tier level competitors Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin. Rua’s recurring knee problems continue to haunt him, as he was recently defeated by Jon Jones at UFC 128, losing the light heavyweight title in the process.

It’s safe to assume that both competitors need this win to stay relevant in the 205 lb division. Anything less would eliminate them from a title shot and likely hinder their chances from ever receiving one again, and at 32-years-old, it might be Griffin’s last chance.

He is undoubtedly one of the most popular fighters in UFC history but unfortunately mixed martial arts does not base its rankings by popularity. Griffin has always been the one to embellish the underdog role, but his recent performances have not done him any favours to persuade fans to consider him a favourite to beat Rua a second time. Call a case of déjà-vu, but Griffin’s luck could very well run out.

Even if he is to lose, Griffin will still remain in competitive bouts and a respectable draw within the company.  It’s possible that Griffin finds himself in a third matchup with Tito Ortiz, which Ortiz has been requesting. Also, a bout against Phil Davis would serve as a good test to determine where Griffin is at in the division.

Bleacher Report’s Mike Hodges

At UFC 134, we see an old-school vs new-school match up in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Brendan Schaub.

If Nogueira was to lose, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion will now have lost two straight fights and would be 3-3 in the UFC. However, his losses will have come at the hands of former champions and top contenders in Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir and possibly, Brendan Schaub.

Furthermore, his fight with Schaub marks the first time Nogueira has competed since UFC 110 in February of last year, and therefore it is very likely that ring-rust and inactivity will play a factor in the fight.

People must bear these factors in mind before they call for Nogueira to retire. At the age of 35, Nogueira has accomplished a lot in this sport and it is possible that he could get back into title contention. Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson are living proof that it can be done.

If Nogueira loses, he may take up the role of gatekeeper that Randy Couture vacated when he had retired. Wins over young up and coming fighters in the division is the best way to get back into the title picture.

With a loss, Nogueira would be in exactly the same position as another legend, Mirko Cro-Cop, who has also lost to Brendan Schaub. Cro-Cop is now playing the role of gate-keeper to Roy Nelson who hopes to rebound from two straight losses with a win over Cro-Cop.

For now, the future for Nogueira after the Schaub fight is yet to be determined, but between now and then, Nogueira can focus on coaching the students at his school. In particular, he can focus his attention on, Junior dos Santos, who is set to face Cain Velasquez for the Heavyweight Championship later this year.

Bleacher Report’s Midhun Nair

After losing to Erik Koch in his UFC debut, Raphael Assuncao has lost three of his last four fights. Now, Assuncao will look to bounce back with a drop to the bantamweight division and a fight against UFC newcomer Johnny Eduardo.

Heading in a much different direction than fellow Brazilian Assuncao, the 33-year-old Eduardo has won his last 11 bouts. Although he will be making his UFC debut, Eduardo brings a lot of experience into UFC 134, as he has competed against the likes of Takanori Gomi.

For Assuncao, a loss would mean a fourth defeat in five appearances, which could lead to his release from the UFC. The former WEC featherweight has beaten fighters such as Jorge Masvidal, Joe Lauzon and Yves Jabouin over the course of his seven-year career.

In what will be the final Brazilian-on-Brazilian fight of the evening, Assuncao and Eduardo are both well-versed in jiu-jitsu. However, Eduardo has been submitted more than a handful of times throughout his career, which could end up being the determining factor in this bout.

Between them, Assuncao and Eduardo have combined for 22 submission victories, so there is a very good chance that this fight ends with someone tapping or going to sleep. Despite falling on hard times as of late, the numbers are on Assuncao’s side heading into this fight.

This fight between Assuncao and Eduardo will serve as the fourth bout on the UFC 134 Facebook stream, which will start at approximately 6 p.m. ET on the UFC’s official Facebook page. The live Facebook stream will air five preliminary card bouts before leading into the final two preliminary card fights on Spike TV.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.

Originally booked for a fight with UFC veteran Mike Swick, highly-touted Brailian prospect and former Jungle Fight champion Erick Silva will now meet fellow Brazilian Luis Ramos. Ramos stepped in as a replacement after a knee injury forced Swick out of the original bout.

Mike Swick has already been out of action for well over one year, so this additional setback could easily stretch the veteran’s hiatus to more than two years. At 32 years old, injury problems could lead to the demise of a once-promising welterweight.

 Silva has only lost once in his 13 official fights, which have all taken place in Silva’s home country. The 27-year-old Silva trains under Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and will be looking for his ninth straight win at UFC 134.

Nova Uniao-trained Ramos has won six of his last seven fights, with his only loss during that time coming against former UFC fighter Roan Carneiro. At 30 years old, this fight will be an excellent opportunity for Ramos to make a name for himself in Brazil.

These two Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners have never been submitted, so it wouldn’t be surprising for this welterweight bout to turn into a stand-up battle. Whether the fight takes place standing or on the ground, the Brazilian crowd will demand an exciting scrap between their two compatriots.  

This fight between Silva and Ramos will serve as the third bout on the UFC 134 Facebook stream, which will start at approximately 6 p.m. ET on the UFC’s official Facebook page. The live Facebook stream will air five preliminary card bouts before leading into the final two preliminary card fights on Spike TV.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.