Tag: Game Recap

Cain Velasquez vs Dos Santos: What Did JDS Do Right Against Cain?

Last night the UFC held its first free card on FOX Television following the multi-year deal Dana White and company just signed. They showcased two of the best heavyweights on their roster, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. The fight didn’t disappoi…

Last night the UFC held its first free card on FOX Television following the multi-year deal Dana White and company just signed. They showcased two of the best heavyweights on their roster, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. The fight didn’t disappoint.

On paper, this fight looked like it could be going the way of the champion. His tremendous cardio and wrestling skills looked like they would be too much to handle for Dos Santos.

Dos Santos’ best skill is his boxing ability, but many questioned how much he would get to use it.

Dos Santos further cemented his ability as a top striker, and proved that his takedown defense is atop the division. JDS hit Velasquez with a big right hand in the first round, and finished off the champion methodically.

Dos Santos appears to just be a really good striker who lands knockout punches, but his gameplanning can’t be overlooked.

Velasquez is a top-level wrestler, and is a nightmare when he gets the fight to the ground. Dos Santos knew this, and used good footwork to keep at a distance. By staying a comfortable distance and going in and out with strikes, Dos Santos kept Velasquez at a place where he would have to telegraph a takedown attempt.

Dos Santos also threw a lot of straight right hands when the two fighters got close. This quicker punch made it difficult for Velasquez to counter or go for the shot. JDS also mixed punches to the head and the body, which kept Velasquez on his toes.

By being able to keep the fight standing, Dos Santos had it right where he wanted it. Less than a minute into the first round, he threw a big overhand right that knocked Velasquez down.

Once Velasquez hit the mat, Dos Santos made sure to maintain control and throw accurate shots from the top. This was very smart, because if Velasquez had managed to recover it would have been a different fight on the ground.

Dos Santos still has questions surrounding his takedown defense and ground game, but so far, it looks impenetrable. If the new champion can keep his fights standing, the UFC heavyweight division could be in for a lot more knockouts.


Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC on FOX. B/R is your home for post-fight analysis of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight card. Also, be sure to check out our fight card hub page for news and opinion on the entire UFC on FOX fight card.

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UFC 138: Retrospective Analysis and English Witticisms from Cageside

Unfortunately, one of the principal lessons I’ve learnt from my first live UFC experience as a reporter is that the internet connection in England is shocking.Anyway, ladies and gentleman, without further ado here is the belated full 138…

Unfortunately, one of the principal lessons I’ve learnt from my first live UFC experience as a reporter is that the internet connection in England is shocking.

Anyway, ladies and gentleman, without further ado here is the belated full 138 report.

What is it they say? “Better late than never.” And for good measure, I’ve infused the text with a smattering of my customary idiosyncratic humour.

Introduction: If UFC 138 hasn’t inspired much excitement amongst hardcore MMA fans, it will at least be remembered for showcasing the first ever 5-round non-title fight between Chris Leben and Mark Munoz. Though both Leben and Munoz have ensured that the number of rounds is merely a formality, because they’ll require less than three to end proceedings.

The general consensus amongst most Brits is that the UK has gradually become an afterthought for the UFC, an idea reinforced by the lack of high-profile fighters on this particular card. However, a distinction must be made between a great card and a great night of fights. As Dana often reminds us, let’s witness the calibre of the fights before we jump to criticise;

MAIN EVENT
Mark Munoz (186) VS Chris Leben (186)

MAIN CARD
Renan Barao (136) VS Brad Pickett (134)
Papy Abedi (170) VS Thiago Alves (171*)
Edward Faaloloto (155) VS Terry Etim (156)
Anthony Perosh (205) VS Cyrille Diabate (206)

ONLINE FIGHTS
Justin Edwards (170) VS John Maguire (170)
Jason Young (145) VS Michihiro Omigawa (145)
Phil De Fries (243) VS Rob Broughton (258)
Che Mills (169) VS Chris Cope (170)
Vaughan Lee (135) VS Chris Cariaso (135)

*Alves made weight on his second attempt after initially weighing in at 172 pounds

Begin Slideshow

UFC 138 Results: Chris Leben Still Has Much To Offer to MMA

Washed up, bum, overrated, gatekeeper…When asked to describe the present day Chris Leben, these are the terms that are generally being thrown around, but are they fair assumptions of where the “Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 alumnus is at in his career?S…

Washed up, bum, overrated, gatekeeper…

When asked to describe the present day Chris Leben, these are the terms that are generally being thrown around, but are they fair assumptions of where the “Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 alumnus is at in his career?

Since entering the UFC in April 2005, Leben has been quite a character. His trademark has always been his hair, which he usually dyes blood-red before every fight.

Along with the red hair, fans have grown accustomed to seeing “The Crippler” adorning black toenail polish and a plethora of interesting tattoos. Still, you can never judge a book by its cover.

Just when you think you have him figured out, Leben is the type of individual who enters a sold out arena to RHCP’s “Roller Coaster of Love” or Gary Jules’ “Mad World.”

He is a unique individual, and his time in MMA has been invaluable.

Regardless of his troubled past, people have always respected Leben as a fighter. Sure, his brawling style has hampered his progression, but it isn’t just about world titles and rankings when dissecting the career of Chris Leben.

He fights solely for the fans. When Leben steps into the octagon, he always comes with the mindset of either knocking someone out or getting knocked out. This same berserker-like mentality has been tied to MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, who Leben knocked out at UFC 132.

Leben may never be a world champion or even a highly ranked middleweight, but what’s wrong with that?

He’s still an exciting fighter and one of the tougher guys in the entire middleweight division. In all sports, there can only be one world champion. This doesn’t mean those who have fallen should tuck their tails and run for cover.

As long as people are still willing to watch him compete, Leben will always have a place in MMA.

His UFC 138 loss to Mark Munoz speaks volumes to that sentiment. People trashed Leben and Munoz for weeks as an unsuitable headliner for a major fight card, and both middleweights went out and put on a better showing than most “blockbuster” main event bouts on pay-per-view.

Unfortunately, the bout had to be stopped at the end of the second round due to a badly placed cut, which prevented Leben from seeing.

Leben may not have been born with the athletic gifts of Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre or Jon Jones, but he was born a fighter.

As long as he’s entertaining and picking up an occasional win, fans of the sport should expect nothing more or less from the red-headed brawler.

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UFC 138 Results: Chris Leben Needs to Adapt to Survive in the UFC

Although he might have put on a good performance, Chris Leben suffered another setback in his quest to challenge for the UFC middleweight title. After enduring two hard fought rounds in the main event against Mark Munoz at UFC 138, a doctor’s stop…

Although he might have put on a good performance, Chris Leben suffered another setback in his quest to challenge for the UFC middleweight title. 

After enduring two hard fought rounds in the main event against Mark Munoz at UFC 138, a doctor’s stoppage forced “The Crippler” out of the bout after he was complaining about a cut he received above his eye. The decision was met with a resounding number of jeers from fans in attendance, and it was a lackluster conclusion to what was an eventful main card overall. 

While Leben was effective throughout the beginning of the opening round, it became apparent that he was clearly overmatched by the skillful, stronger wrestler in Munoz. The NCAA Division I wrestler continued to have his way with Leben as he took him down repeatedly and controlled him from top position. 

While Leben did put on a strong performance, there are still holes in his game that he does need to improve on. His cardio was one of his biggest weaknesses as the fight wore on. Leben continuously looked for a submission, but he wasted a lot of energy in doing so, causing his strikes to hold less power.

He did show good scrambling technique, however, he demonstrated an inability to properly defend off of his back. Leben also displayed poor wrestling defense throughout the bout as well. 

He might still remain as one of the top competitors at 185 pounds, but Leben’s bout against Munoz indicated that he has not progressed overall as a mixed martial artist, often abandoning it for his brawl-like style.

If he intends on still making a legitimate run to the middleweight crown, Leben will certainly have to fix the present holes in his game that are preventing him from competing against some of the division’s elite fighters. 

Once he is able to properly reassess his overall game and fix the glaring weaknesses, Leben can then begin to establish himself as a contender.

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Nick Diaz Press Conference Highlights

Nick Diaz entered the Octagon at UFC 137 for what would end up being the biggest victory of his mixed martial arts career.Despite being beaten in Round 1, Diaz bounced back with two historical rounds to defeat the UFC legend in BJ Penn via Unanimous De…

Nick Diaz entered the Octagon at UFC 137 for what would end up being the biggest victory of his mixed martial arts career.

Despite being beaten in Round 1, Diaz bounced back with two historical rounds to defeat the UFC legend in BJ Penn via Unanimous Decision.

Following his hand being raised, Diaz went to his short interview with Joe Rogan and called out current Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

Diaz stated,

“I don’t think Georges is hurt; I think he’s scared.”

Diaz went on to add,

“I think he’s scared to fight everybody right now.”

And, while Diaz is viewed as the “bad guy” by many fans across the globe, he addressed this issue in his post fight press conference. 

Diaz said,

“I got to come off like that just to get a fight.”

“I got to be the bad guy, got to point the finger– make me the bad guy, now I’m the bad guy, and now I got a fight.”

While Diaz addressed being the bad guy, his main focus seemed to be on the money.

“I run by run hundreds of these nice, huge houses with these big yards and fountains everywhere. These people have their little picnic patio, little side yard, little pool.”

“I go back into my neighborhood where my car gets robbed, got some dude out in front of my house lookin’ for cigarette buds. It’s ridiculous”

UFC President Dana White responded to Diaz’s comments by stating,

“I don’t know how much houses cost up there, but bro, you got enough money to move.”

The press conference highlights runs 15:48 and is filled with all the up-to-date information regarding the life of Nick Diaz.

 


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UFC 137 Results: What We Learned from Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo

In the co-main event of the evening, heavy-hitting Cheick Kongo entered the Octagon to take on the up-and-coming heavyweight Matt Mitrione.Mitrione, who appeared to be off the wall in his entrance to the Octagon, didn’t show the same energy when the fi…

In the co-main event of the evening, heavy-hitting Cheick Kongo entered the Octagon to take on the up-and-coming heavyweight Matt Mitrione.

Mitrione, who appeared to be off the wall in his entrance to the Octagon, didn’t show the same energy when the fight began.

Both Kongo and Mitrione circled around for the first three minutes without either fighter engaging in on the other.

Fans in the Mandalay Bay Event Center let out a loud cry of “boo’s” until Mitrione finally threw a strike.

But, the meritocracy continued as neither fighter made it a point to attack the other.

The energy picked up in the second frame when “Meathead” Mitrione thew a combo that appeared to hurt Kongo.

But, the strike proved to be ineffective as Kongo pushed forward.

When the second round was coming to an end, Mitrione landed a huge strike but it was a tad too late.

Kongo bounced back in the third round proving he was in much better condition than his opponent.

When Mitrione was covered up, Kongo connected on a massive body shot followed by a right hook and eventually had Mitrione on his back.

While many felt Mitrione captured the first two rounds, Kongo continued to push through and landed fatal blows to every part of Mitrione’s body.

When arguably the worst fight of the night came to an end, Kongo’s hand was raised via unanimous decision.

In the loss, we learned Mitrione had no sense of urgency in finishing the fight as he saw Kongo steal the fight away in the third and final round.

For Kongo, despite a slow start, proved to be the better striker and connected on the only takedown of the evening.

With the win, Kongo continues to establish himself as a legitimate heavyweight contender.

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