Tag: gegard mousasi

Michael Bisping: I Want The Biggest Fight Possible

Current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping had an incredible 2016, where he was a strong contender for “Fighter of the Year.” Bisping beat Anderson Silva by decision in February, won the middleweight title in a rematch against Luke Rockhold in June, and then got his revenge against Dan Henderson in October. In a near 13-year professional fighting

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Current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping had an incredible 2016, where he was a strong contender for “Fighter of the Year.”

Bisping beat Anderson Silva by decision in February, won the middleweight title in a rematch against Luke Rockhold in June, and then got his revenge against Dan Henderson in October. In a near 13-year professional fighting career, last year was undoubtedly his best so far.

Unfortunately 2017 hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts for “The Count,” as it was recently reported that Bisping had suffered a knee injury and would be sidelined until May as a result. Speaking to Champions.co, Bisping revealed the extent of his injury and when he is likely to return:

“First and foremost, I am still UFC middleweight champion of the world, I have to defend that belt, simple as that. Dana actually- Dana White, UFC president- actually contacted me and spoke about a fight recently but I’ve been having a lot of issues with my knee so I’ve got to have a knee surgery. Maybe around end of April, May something like that, I’ll take a fight.”

One person who will be especially unhappy with this news is Yoel Romero, who cemented his number one contender spot when he brutally KO’d Chris Weidman at UFC 205 in November. There were rumors Bisping would defend his belt against Romero at UFC 208, but now that is clearly off the table. More unsettling news for Romero is that Bisping also said that he wants the “biggest money fight possible,” and whether it’s Romero or not, he doesn’t care.:

“I want the biggest fight I can get. I don’t mind facing No. 1 contenders but at this stage of my career I’ve fought the best guys forever. I want the biggest fight it can possibly be. By biggest, I mean the biggest money generating fight I can possibly have. I feel I deserve that. I’ve earned that. So whether that’s Yoel Romero, then great. But if it ain’t Yoel Romero, if it’s Anderson Silva, great. I know he’s piped up again lately. If it’s GSP [Georges St-Pierre]- I don’t care who the opponent is. I’m not bothered by any opponent. I am the champion of the world and I will take on all comers, but I want the biggest fight possible.”

With middleweight contenders Jacare Souza, Weidman, and now Gegard Mousasi all due to fight inside the next three months, Romero may have to step inside the Octagon again to prove that he deserved the next shot at the middleweight crown.

Bisping will have a list of killers awaiting him when he returns from injury, and whether he fights Romero, Silva Souza, Weidman, Mousasi, GSP, or Tyron Woodley it’s guaranteed to be a tough fight.

At this point in his career, however, it seems “The Count” simply wants the biggest payday. Who would that be against?

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Gegard Mousasi Once Again Proves That The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Oil In Modern MMA

These days if you’re looking to make the big bucks in MMA you better be a damn good talker. While fighting ability should be the end all be all, the reality is that if you’re looking to get truckloads of money then you’re going to have to market yourself the right way. There’s nothing like a good story line to hang your hat on and it’s exactly what the fans want to see. Ticket sales and pay-per-view purchases can’t simply be sold on the prospect of a good performance. Personalities are what sell these days and if you’re looking to get things done and move the needle in your favor then you better have a good marketing plan set up.

The post Gegard Mousasi Once Again Proves That The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Oil In Modern MMA appeared first on Cagepotato.

These days if you’re looking to make the big bucks in MMA you better be a damn good talker. While fighting ability should be the end all be all, the reality is that if you’re looking to get truckloads of money then you’re going to have to market yourself the right way. There’s nothing like a good story line to hang your hat on and it’s exactly what the fans want to see. Ticket sales and pay-per-view purchases can’t simply be sold on the prospect of a good performance. Personalities are what sell these days and if you’re looking to get things done and move the needle in your favor then you better have a good marketing plan set up.

There’s a reason why everyone has been taking the “Conor McGregor” approach these days. What McGregor and Ronda Rousey have done for the sport is revealed the truth behind success in prize fighting. Being a standout, polarizing figure is what’s going to generate interest and in turn produce dough.

Yes, it’s sad that fighters have to resort to being brand these days. Somewhere in the back of our minds we still want to believe in the purity of the sport. But that kind of mindset isn’t going to pay the bills. A fighter can’t feed themselves by simply being honorable and believing in the fighting spirit (unless it’s a character that can be sold that is).

The truth is money talks, literally. If you want something in this game then you’re going to have to take it and the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Just ask Gegard Mousasi.

With the recent announcement of his bout against Chris Weidman at UFC 210, Gegard Mousasi has proven that voicing your opinions and being heard is important to get things done. He had no fights on his plate and nothing to look forward to in his immediate future. That is, until he started calling out all the fighters in the top fifteen in the middleweight division. It seemed that with enough trash talk that things were able to come together and Mousasi got the top five opponent he’s been looking for.

Do I wish prize fighting could be all about the purity of the endeavor? I certainly do. But I also realize that it’s a hard lifestyle to live and in order to make it and build a nest egg for yourself and your family then you have to do what’s necessary to generate income. These days that means creating a persona for yourself and letting everyone know it too.

What’s your thoughts on this new era of MMA?

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 Gegard Mousasi Once Again Proves That The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Oil In Modern MMA appeared first on Cagepotato.

Breaking: Chris Weidman vs. Gegard Mousasi Set For UFC 210

A pivotal contest in the UFC’s 185-pound title picture is now set to go down from Buffalo, New York at UFC 210. The UFC has announced that former UFC middleweight champ and current No. 4-ranked Chris Weidman will take on No. 5-ranked Gegard Mousasi in Buffalo’s KeyBank Center: It’s on!! ???????? @mousasi_mma meets @ChrisWeidmanUFC at

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A pivotal contest in the UFC’s 185-pound title picture is now set to go down from Buffalo, New York at UFC 210.

The UFC has announced that former UFC middleweight champ and current No. 4-ranked Chris Weidman will take on No. 5-ranked Gegard Mousasi in Buffalo’s KeyBank Center:

Weidman comes into the bout on a two-fight losing skid after having his undefeated career winning streak snapped by Luke Rockhold at UFC 194 in December of 2015, followed by a flying knee knockout loss to Yoel Romero at UFC 205 from the Madison Square Garden Arena. With a win over Mousasi, ‘The All American’ hopes to once again step into the Octagon for the opportunity to reign as the middleweight champion of the world.

Mousasi is currently on a four-fight win streak over names such as Thales Leites, Thiago Santos, Vitor Belfort, and most recently Uriah Hall. The Dutchman’s last three victories have all come via knockout, as the former Strikeforce champ continues to impress on his quest to UFC championship glory.

UFC 210 will go down live on PPV from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York on Saturday April 8, 2017.

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Gegard Mousasi Blasts UFC For Silva vs. Brunson

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is set to make his Octagon return, when he takes on No. 8-ranked Derek Brunson at UFC 209. One man who has been campaigning for a shot at ‘The Spider’ for quite some time, however, is former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi, who tells FOX Sports (via MMA Mania) that

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Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is set to make his Octagon return, when he takes on No. 8-ranked Derek Brunson at UFC 209.

One man who has been campaigning for a shot at ‘The Spider’ for quite some time, however, is former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi, who tells FOX Sports (via MMA Mania) that the UFC didn’t give him the match-up with the former Brazilian champ because his name isn’t big enough:

“I wanted to fight Anderson (Silva) and the UFC said ‘well you don’t have a big enough name’ but now he’s fighting Derek Brunson,” Mousasi said. “Luke Rockhold is injured but I see him training all the time. Chris Weidman doesn’t pick up his phone. The UFC offered him that fight a couple of times. (Robert) Whittaker wants to go on holiday for seven months. I don’t know what he’s up to. I’m looking for a fight.”

Mousasi is currently on a four-fight win streak over names such as Thales Leites, Thiago Santos, Vitor Belfort, and most recently Uriah Hall. The Dutchman has has finished three of those four wins with a knockout finish and is making a case for a title opportunity down the road.

Is Mousasi vs. Silva a match-up that interests you? And who do you think ‘The Dreamcatcher’ should step into the Octagon with next?

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Gegard Mousasi: ‘Whoever is Next I’m Going to Beat Him’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuyBzpcvzt8

There’s no denying that Gegard Mousasi’s confidence has grown. The former Strikeforce and Dream light heavyweight champion dropped down to middleweight for his second Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout.

At first, “The Dreamcatcher” had mixed success. He went 3-3 in six bouts. After suffering a TKO loss to Uriah Hall, something changed.

Mousasi went on a four-fight tear. Three of his wins in this stretch have been finishes. He avenged his loss to Hall with a TKO victory in the first round two months ago.

Now, Mousasi is itching to get back inside the Octagon. He told MMAJunkie.com that the problem is no one seems to be willing to fight:

“They offered Chris Weidman a couple times, but he says he’s on holiday. Hopefully he’s back this week and he says, ‘Yes,’ because he got the fight offered a couple times. I don’t know. I’m waiting. Whittaker, that’s a fight I want, but he says he wants to go on holiday for six months. I don’t know. These guys don’t want to fight, or I don’t know what they’re doing.”

At one point, Mousasi had eyed a showdown with Anderson Silva, but “The Spider” will instead meet Derek Brunson at UFC 208. “The Dreamcatcher” is convinced that Silva took the fight because it favors him stylistically.

“I know that no one is afraid, but Anderson, I think he was looking for the better match-up. I think Derek Brunson is a better match-up for him because his stand-up is sloppy. No disrespect to Derek Brunson. He’s a good fighter, but his stand-up is just terrible.”

No matter who steps up to share the Octagon with Mousasi, the middleweight is ready to roll.

“I’m going to beat everybody up. I’m going to win the belt, and I’m confident that whoever is next, I’m going to beat him.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuyBzpcvzt8

There’s no denying that Gegard Mousasi’s confidence has grown. The former Strikeforce and Dream light heavyweight champion dropped down to middleweight for his second Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout.

At first, “The Dreamcatcher” had mixed success. He went 3-3 in six bouts. After suffering a TKO loss to Uriah Hall, something changed.

Mousasi went on a four-fight tear. Three of his wins in this stretch have been finishes. He avenged his loss to Hall with a TKO victory in the first round two months ago.

Now, Mousasi is itching to get back inside the Octagon. He told MMAJunkie.com that the problem is no one seems to be willing to fight:

“They offered Chris Weidman a couple times, but he says he’s on holiday. Hopefully he’s back this week and he says, ‘Yes,’ because he got the fight offered a couple times. I don’t know. I’m waiting. Whittaker, that’s a fight I want, but he says he wants to go on holiday for six months. I don’t know. These guys don’t want to fight, or I don’t know what they’re doing.”

At one point, Mousasi had eyed a showdown with Anderson Silva, but “The Spider” will instead meet Derek Brunson at UFC 208. “The Dreamcatcher” is convinced that Silva took the fight because it favors him stylistically.

“I know that no one is afraid, but Anderson, I think he was looking for the better match-up. I think Derek Brunson is a better match-up for him because his stand-up is sloppy. No disrespect to Derek Brunson. He’s a good fighter, but his stand-up is just terrible.”

No matter who steps up to share the Octagon with Mousasi, the middleweight is ready to roll.

“I’m going to beat everybody up. I’m going to win the belt, and I’m confident that whoever is next, I’m going to beat him.”

Chris Weidman Reacts To Gegard Mousasi’s Callout

Earlier today (Tues., December 20, 2016) surging UFC middleweight Gegard Mousasi called out former champion Chris Weidman in forceful fashion, implying that the New York native had already been sent a bout agreement to face “The Dreamcatcher” but was dragging his feet on signing. However, Weidman, who just got knocked out by a brutal flying knee

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Earlier today (Tues., December 20, 2016) surging UFC middleweight Gegard Mousasi called out former champion Chris Weidman in forceful fashion, implying that the New York native had already been sent a bout agreement to face “The Dreamcatcher” but was dragging his feet on signing.

However, Weidman, who just got knocked out by a brutal flying knee from Yoel Romero at UFC 205 on November 12, was quick to reply with confirmation that Mousasi’s name was only one of several he was presented with, and still needed time to heal up from his defeat anyhow:

It sense that the former champ needs more time to heal up from “Soldier of God’s” devastating knee, as Weidman was left bleeding profusely in the first-ever card from his home state of New York. Since he changed MMA history by knocking out Anderson and defending his belt three times against Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Vitor Belfort, Weidman has fallen on incredibly tough times, losing by way of brutal stoppage to Luke Rockhold for the title at UFC 194 and Romero.

Mousasi, meanwhile, has been on a tear after he lost to a highlight reel spin kick from Uriah Hall in September 2015, defeating Thales Leites, Thiago Santos, Vitor Belfort, and finally, Hall in their rematch last month to rack up a four-fight win streak with three finishes. He’s dangerously close to a title shot, but getting matched with Weidman would buck the UFC’s usual trend of booking fighters coming off of wins against one another. Still, Weidman could be the big name Mousasi needs to get over the top.

But if he wants to fight now, “The Dreamcatcher” will apparently have to look elsewhere.

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