Tag: General

Dominick Cruz Says He Has What It Takes To Beat Conor McGregor

“Everyone’s got a plan, until they get hit.”

UFC 204 had a lot to talk about. Jimi Manuwa beat Ovince St. Preux in a second round K.O., Gegard Mousasi claimed he would “jab” Michael Bisping “to death”, and Bisping almost suffered the same fate as the first fight. But something no one saw coming was the fan question for bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz during the post fight show.

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“Everyone’s got a plan, until they get hit.”

UFC 204 had a lot to talk about. Jimi Manuwa beat Ovince St. Preux in a second round K.O., Gegard Mousasi claimed he would  ”jab” Michael Bisping “to death”, and Bisping almost suffered the same fate as the first fight. But something no one saw coming was the fan question for bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz during the post fight show.

During the fan Q&A portion of the show a fan asked if Conor McGregor would be his first fight if the UFC on Fox commentator decided to move up in weight. Cruz quickly responded as if he was giving one of his play by play breakdowns.

“Look, everybody’s calling out McGregor, so I don’t want to be another guy because everybody wants that fight,” said Cruz. “But the thing is, McGregor is picking his own fights. So that’s not up to me [and] that’s not up to the UFC, that’s up to McGregor.”

“Now, I know as much as McGregor, and more about this sport than anybody, and it seems the only way to beat McGregor is with your mind. I know I can do that. I know I also can technically beat him.”

Mentally I think Cruz is ready, but McGregor brings a new type of pressure, so it’s hard to know for sure. There will be interview on top of interview and McGreogor will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get under Cruz’s skin. Unlike Dillashaw or Faber, he’s not a nice guy. He’s coming for blood. Cruz reminds me of Aldo in that he’s a serious guy who demands respect so I can see Conor riling him up by doing something unexpected. Cruz is in the beginning of his shit talking phase while Conor embodies it. It will be an interesting war of the minds to say the least but I’ve got to give the nod to Conor on this one.

While I’m a big fan of Cruz, and his reasoning is sound, “everybody’s got a plan until they get hit”. Don’t get me wrong, he can do all that he says he can, but Conor is big at even 155 as you can tell by his staredown with Eddie Alvarez. Not only that but Conor is rangey at 5’9 and many of those shots Cruz barely slips will land, and land hard. at 5’8 in a 135lb weight class Cruz is used to fighting shorter, stockier fighters in which he has the reach advantage.

What people also tend to underestimate is conor’s movement and ability to set traps. If you think that Jose Aldo’s first round K.O. was a fluke then you’re dreaming more than Aldo was 15 seconds into the first round. This coming from a guy who doesn’t particularly like McGregor.  Cruz is good at making counter punchers miss with his head movement, but again I think Conor’s movement will cut Cruz off making him pay in body shots to his small frame.

“I know at 145 pounds I’m extremely fast and hard to deal with,” said Cruz. “I can beat McGregor, absolutely, and I would love to fight him at 145 pounds or 155 pounds if he wins the title. I don’t care, I’m the champion and my style is built for moving up in weight, because I don’t take damage.

Could Cruz prove all of us wrong by taking down the most popular champ in UFC history? I sure hope so, but right now it’s a pipe dream as Mcgregor has a lot on his plate as well as taking a break after UFC 205. Who knows, maybe he’ll be holding two belts hostage.

Let us know what you think about Dominick’s Cruz comments as well as his chances in winning the fight.

 

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Did Dan Henderson Deserve The Win At UFC 204?


So, yeah, wasn’t expecting that fight to go that way. Dan Henderson once again proved the adage that power is the last thing to leave an older fighter. Henderson nearly flat lined Michael Bisping a number of times during their UFC 204 main event showdown. While most media outlets and MMA pundits didn’t give Henderson a snowball’s chance, me included, the veteran proved that the power in his right hand has the ability to make the impossible possible. Though Bisping showed heart and performed well in the last few rounds of the bout, is there a case to say that Dan Henderson actually won the fight?

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So, yeah, wasn’t expecting that fight to go that way. Dan Henderson once again proved the adage that power is the last thing to leave an older fighter. Henderson nearly flat lined Michael Bisping a number of times during their UFC 204 main event showdown. While most media outlets and MMA pundits didn’t give Henderson a snowball’s chance, me included, the veteran proved that the power in his right hand has the ability to make the impossible possible. Though Bisping showed heart and performed well in the last few rounds of the bout, is there a case to say that Dan Henderson actually won the fight?

Before we delve deep into notion that scoring the fight as a whole, Pride never dies and all that good stuff, it should be noted that I don’t think the scoring system we have in MMA is all that horrible. Judges on the other hand can be complete incompetent. Now, let’s consider the fact that of the two fighters in the main event, Michael Bisping surely took more damage. While Dan Henderson may not have won every round during their match up, he did manage to land a few of those one hitter quitters on Bisping’s chin. Credit to Bisping surviving, but that doesn’t change the fact that Henderson was able to rearrange the champion’s face in the process.

Now here’s the thing. Other than the few moments of Dan Henderson hurting the champ, most of the fight so Michael Bisping styling on the long time veteran. Henderson didn’t throw in combination which meant that through some well placed feints and speedy combinations, Bisping was able to deal with Hendo with general ease. But we have to wonder if well placed shots with little power necessarily outweighs hard, brutalizing blows. The strikes that Henderson landed were more telling and brought the fight closer to a definitive conclusion than the work Bisping had done through five rounds.

The fifth and final round was interesting as well as we saw Dan Henderson rely on his wrestling to score some points against the champion. The round ended up being the deciding factor in the fight and had Henderson landed just a few more meaningful strikes, the fifth would have likely gone to the veteran. All that said it’s hard not to admire Bisping’s work throughout the match as well as his ability to take a beating and come back for more.

While we have to consider damage as the biggest criteria in a match up, the truth of the matter is that until the scoring system is changed, there’s no way a fighter can simply rely on landing damaging blows to win a fight. One hard shot can’t outweigh the dozens of strikes Bisping was able to land. Would have been nice to see Henderson make history and walk away with the belt, but he’ll just have to settle on having an amazing career with Hall of Fame status written all over it.

Who do you think won the main event of UFC 204?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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WHY MICKEY GALL HAS ALREADY WON

Mickey Gall. Remember it now because you’ll be screaming it later. Well not really…well maybe yes really. Though Mickey Gall’s future in the UFC is far from solid, being only a couple losses from going back to his humble N.J. beginnings, the point remains that this small town boy has fandangled his way into the UFC for better or for worse.

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Everything’s Coming Up Roses

Mickey Gall. Remember it now because you’ll be screaming it later. Well not really…well maybe yes really. Though Mickey Gall’s future in the UFC is far from solid, being only a couple losses from going back to his humble N.J. beginnings,  the point remains that this small town boy has fandangled his way into the UFC for better or for worse.

After calling out CM Punk in Dana White’s “Looking For a Fight”, Mickey Gall drew the Golden ticket  and welcomed the former Wrestler and media draw into the UFC. But his first round stoppage of the novice fighter, the real magic came outside the fight. The legitimate joy in his walkout, the octagon interview. Despite a few F bombs, this kid knew what he was doing, he had crowd control, he showed personality, and was obviously a student to the game.

In his post fight interview, he put out a serious call out to the much hyped media darling, Sage Northcutt. The clean cut 8-1 fighter still has a lot of question marks around him, is he as good as everyone thinks he is, or is he just unrealized potential? Mickey Gall intends on finding out.

For Gall, it’s a win win. He could’ve slipped in obscurity after the CM fight and wasted his earnings on  a 6 month binge of strip clubs and booze. Instead, he’s fighting one of the newest stars of the UFC and potential face of the next generation. If he wins, he starts to be seen as the real deal, and will almost undoubtedly call out a ranked fighter. Can he compete with the big dogs? I don’t think so, but he will get PAID! and that’s half the battle in the UFC.

If he losses, people will expect that anyway, and he’ll just give some victory in defeat speech anyway. People will say he lost “like a man”, and still tune in for his next fight. If Northcutt losses, this could be a big tumble in his career, and with all the naysayers watching, he’s got to be feeling the pressure.

Gall – 1

Northcutt – 0

What do you guys think of this upcoming bout, is there a method to Sage’s madness?

 

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UFC 204 Breakdown: Michael Bisping vs Dan Henderson

If you told me this time last year that Michael Bisping would be the UFC middleweight champion in 2016 I would have laughed in your face. Not that I thought Bisping was unskilled or not capable, simply that the odds weren’t in his favor. If you had said Dan Henderson would be contending for that same middleweight title in the same stretch of time I would have calmly taken a step back and, once at a safe enough distance, asked if you were off your meds. But that’s the beauty of MMA. There’s no script, nothing that is set in stone.

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If you told me this time last year that Michael Bisping would be the UFC middleweight champion in 2016 I would have laughed in your face. Not that I thought Bisping was unskilled or not capable, simply that the odds weren’t in his favor. If you had said Dan Henderson would be contending for that same middleweight title in the same stretch of time I would have calmly taken a step back and, once at a safe enough distance, asked if you were off your meds. But that’s the beauty of MMA. There’s no script, nothing that is set in stone. Which is exactly why the match between Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson at UFC 204 is intriguing despite the fact that both men are past their prime, or at least they’re supposed to be.

Michael Bisping has tasted the power in the right hand of Dan Henderson once before and the end result wasn’t a pretty sight. If the first British UFC champion once to remain king of the hill he’ll have to make some fundamental changes to his approach that wasn’t present in his first bout with Henderson. Firstly, Bisping is going to want to circle to his right away from the H-Bomb especially in those first five minutes. Bisping has a good jab that he can use both as a range finder and as a legitimate weapon. Once he finds the perfect distance, Bisping doesn’t hesitate to throw in combination and does so with damn good accuracy. Expect Bisping to dance on the outside and pick Henderson apart at distance.

Old man Dan Henderson is still in the thick of it despite being 46 years of age. But with age comes experience, something that Henderson has a ton of. But that won’t be enough to rely on in this battle against Bisping. Ideally Henderson is going to want to stay in Bisping’s face through the twenty-five minute bout in hopes of landing a big shot. The problem is that Henderson doesn’t have the chin that he used to and he’s going to have to wade through some fire to get to Bisping. In his most recent bouts there seems to be a lack of patience in Henderson’s game. He’s going to have to set up his strikes with a jab and should focus on throwing his heavy artillery to Bisping’s body rather than just head hunting the entire time. If Henderson can beat up Bisping to the body and put some doubt in the champ’s mind then he could likely uncork a devastating right hand up top to close the show.

Dan Henderson certainly has a chance to win in this fight, but it’s a puncher’s chance at best. Look For Michael Bisping to piece up Henderson on the feet before securing a second round TKO.

Do you think Dan Henderson has a shot at making history?

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 UFC 204 Breakdown: Michael Bisping vs Dan Henderson appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 204 Breakdown: Michael Bisping vs Dan Henderson

If you told me this time last year that Michael Bisping would be the UFC middleweight champion in 2016 I would have laughed in your face. Not that I thought Bisping was unskilled or not capable, simply that the odds weren’t in his favor. If you had said Dan Henderson would be contending for that same middleweight title in the same stretch of time I would have calmly taken a step back and, once at a safe enough distance, asked if you were off your meds. But that’s the beauty of MMA. There’s no script, nothing that is set in stone.

The post UFC 204 Breakdown: Michael Bisping vs Dan Henderson appeared first on Cagepotato.

If you told me this time last year that Michael Bisping would be the UFC middleweight champion in 2016 I would have laughed in your face. Not that I thought Bisping was unskilled or not capable, simply that the odds weren’t in his favor. If you had said Dan Henderson would be contending for that same middleweight title in the same stretch of time I would have calmly taken a step back and, once at a safe enough distance, asked if you were off your meds. But that’s the beauty of MMA. There’s no script, nothing that is set in stone. Which is exactly why the match between Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson at UFC 204 is intriguing despite the fact that both men are past their prime, or at least they’re supposed to be.

Michael Bisping has tasted the power in the right hand of Dan Henderson once before and the end result wasn’t a pretty sight. If the first British UFC champion once to remain king of the hill he’ll have to make some fundamental changes to his approach that wasn’t present in his first bout with Henderson. Firstly, Bisping is going to want to circle to his right away from the H-Bomb especially in those first five minutes. Bisping has a good jab that he can use both as a range finder and as a legitimate weapon. Once he finds the perfect distance, Bisping doesn’t hesitate to throw in combination and does so with damn good accuracy. Expect Bisping to dance on the outside and pick Henderson apart at distance.

Old man Dan Henderson is still in the thick of it despite being 46 years of age. But with age comes experience, something that Henderson has a ton of. But that won’t be enough to rely on in this battle against Bisping. Ideally Henderson is going to want to stay in Bisping’s face through the twenty-five minute bout in hopes of landing a big shot. The problem is that Henderson doesn’t have the chin that he used to and he’s going to have to wade through some fire to get to Bisping. In his most recent bouts there seems to be a lack of patience in Henderson’s game. He’s going to have to set up his strikes with a jab and should focus on throwing his heavy artillery to Bisping’s body rather than just head hunting the entire time. If Henderson can beat up Bisping to the body and put some doubt in the champ’s mind then he could likely uncork a devastating right hand up top to close the show.

Dan Henderson certainly has a chance to win in this fight, but it’s a puncher’s chance at best. Look For Michael Bisping to piece up Henderson on the feet before securing a second round TKO.

Do you think Dan Henderson has a shot at making history?

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 UFC 204 Breakdown: Michael Bisping vs Dan Henderson appeared first on Cagepotato.

Josh Samman Passes Away After Slipping Into Coma

It’s a said day as The Ultimate Fighter season 17 veteran Josh Samman has passed away after slipping into a coma. It certainly a shocking and startling end to a life filled with tremendous ups and catastrophic downs.

The post Josh Samman Passes Away After Slipping Into Coma appeared first on Cagepotato.

It’s a said day as The Ultimate Fighter season 17 veteran Josh Samman has passed away after slipping into a coma. It certainly a shocking and startling end to a life filled with tremendous ups and catastrophic downs. Samman had released an autobiography detailing his battle with addiction, the horrible injuries he sustained during his MMA career, and the unfortunate death of his girlfriend. For it to all end like this is tragic and emphasizes just how fleeting life truly is.

We at CagePotato want to express our deep regret at hearing this unfortunate news and send our condolences to the family and friends of Josh Samman as well as Troy Kirkingburg, a close friend of Samman who also tragically passed.

Let us know you thoughts and opinions on Josh Samman and this unfortunate turn of events in the comments below.

Source: http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2016/10/05/ultimate-fighter-josh-samman-dies-after-hospitilization/91506148/

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