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While we all love mixed martial arts, we can hardly deny that its premier organisation has had its fair share of mind-numbingly boring fights. Whether we’re talking pre-Zuffa or post-Zuffa UFC, both incarnations have offered up some of the most t…
While we all love mixed martial arts, we can hardly deny that its premier organisation has had its fair share of mind-numbingly boring fights.
Whether we’re talking pre-Zuffa or post-Zuffa UFC, both incarnations have offered up some of the most tediously dull bouts in combat sports history.
So without any further rambling, I present to you the five most boring fights in UFC history.
(Careful Clay, all those fruity, sugary, woman drinks ironically go right to the hips.)
On the heels of a razor thin split decision loss to Gray Maynard at UFC on FX 4, his second loss to top tier competition in as many fights, it appears that everybody’s favorite energizer bunny/alcoholic, Clay Guida, will be dropping to featherweight for his next fight. Although no debut date or opponent have been decided as of this write up, Guida told MMAJunkie that he expects to make his featherweight debut sometime in early 2013.
Prior to his current two fight skid, Guida racked up four straight wins over such names as former PRIDE lightweight kingpin Takanori Gomi and former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis among others, pulling in two Submission of the Night awards in the process and bringing his total award count to 7.
(Careful Clay, all those fruity, sugary, woman drinks ironically go right to the hips.)
On the heels of a razor thin split decision loss to Gray Maynard at UFC on FX 4, his second loss to top tier competition in as many fights, it appears that everybody’s favorite energizer bunny/alcoholic, Clay Guida, will be dropping to featherweight for his next fight. Although no debut date or opponent have been decided as of this write up, Guida told MMAJunkie that he expects to make his featherweight debut sometime in early 2013.
Prior to his current two fight skid, Guida racked up four straight wins over such names as former PRIDE lightweight kingpin Takanori Gomi and former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis among others, pulling in two Submission of the Night awards in the process and bringing his total award count to 7.
His most recent fight with Maynard was, at the risk of overusing the term, “Starnesian” to say the least — consisting of long periods of inactivity and avoidance (one which earned him a timidity warning from referee Dan Miragliotta) punctuated by the occasional combination — and was criticized by both the fans and Dana White, who declared the contest to be “a blowout for Maynard” and “not a fight” at all. Personally, I think Guida was simply protesting the decision that forced him to braid his hair, which was a goddamned travesty in every sense of the word. That being said, a good percentage of the viewing audience still scored the fight in favor of Guida, because denial is a powerful, powerful thing (insert vitriol filled “hack journalist”, “fool”, and “disgrace to MMA writers around the world” comments here). In either case, you have to imagine Guida will be looking to impress both the audience and his supreme overlord in his next bout.
Given that the featherweight division, not unlike most divisions, is still residing beneath an absent champion, Guida’s presence at 145 could cause a lot of waves in the title landscape. Now that Frankie Edgar has been left without a dance partner for his big debut, who would like to see him face Guida while Jose recovers from his joyriding accident?
Few things set the MMA world abuzz quicker than talk of a super-fight. Just the thought of two dominant champions battling for supremacy pushes the sport’s fanbase into a frenzy. Debates are launched on forum boards and podcasts volley the topic during…
Few things set the MMA world abuzz quicker than talk of a super-fight. Just the thought of two dominant champions battling for supremacy pushes the sport’s fanbase into a frenzy. Debates are launched on forum boards and podcasts volley the topic during round table discussions. From all corners of the MMA universe, fans and pundits alike weigh in with their opinions.
While these fights are the stuff in which promotional dreams are made, it is also the rare occurrence where fans will invest themselves emotionally into a situation which could very well end up being nothing more than fantasy. This situation is certainly nothing new in the sport, and while the reality of these bouts happening have been few and far between, this doesn’t stop the passionate faithful from voicing their requests.
For years fans clamored to see heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko throw down with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture or former champion Brock Lesnar, but despite serious effort, the powers that be were never able to make it happen. Despite how badly we want to see Anderson Silva square-off with Georges St. Pierre or Jon Jones, there is a good chance those matchups will never materialize. But the proposed idea of these “dream fights” are enough to rattle the foundation.
I’m just as guilty for getting jacked up for super-fights as the next person, but there is another movement happening in MMA which is guaranteed to provide a consistent flow of high-profile bouts and action-packed fights for the foreseeable future. I’m talking about the pack of elite level lightweights, and there is nothing more competitive happening in the sport than what is happening at 155 pounds. Potential super-fights are fun to think about, but there are a number of bouts already scheduled or on the horizon in the lightweight division that deserve their share of the spotlight.
The upcoming matchups aren’t just your typical divisional pictures fights. They are battles to determine who is the best lightweight fighter in the world. Where other divisions are scraping up possible contenders, the 155-pound weight class is piled up with fighters who are eager for a shot. Whether it is in the UFC or in outside organizations, over the next five months, every top lightweight in the world will step in to do their thing.
Over this time fans are going to see Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz scrap it out for the lightweight strap in December in one of the year’s most anticipated fights. They will see Strikeforce’s scrappy lightweight king Gilbert Melendez continue to strengthen his case as the best in the world as he battles No. 1 contender Pat Healy on September 29th.
Former No. 1 contender Gray Maynard will look to regain his footing atop the division when he faces Joe Lauzon at 155. Outside the Zuffa banner, Bellator’s two top lightweights Micheal Chandler and Eddie Alvarez are also both slated to return to the cage.
In addition to the matches which are already signed, fans can also look forward to several other top fighters getting back to work. While it is still yet unofficial, the red-hot Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has seemingly been successful at picking a fight with former WEC champion Anthony Pettis. Both fighters have verbally stated it is a fight they want, but nothing has been signed as of yet.
On the flip side, there are several other perennial contenders who are looking to climb their way back to the top. Following his loss to Nate Diaz in May and time off to recover from injury, Jim Miller is eager to get back to his winning ways. Miller has been a staple in the division’s upper-tier over the past two years and despite a recent rough patch, is looking to bounce back strong.
The same can be said for Clay Guida. “The Carpenter’s” heart and hectic pace earned him a place amongst the divisional best, but losses to Henderson and Maynard pushed him to the back of the line. More than the loss itself, the manner in which the Maynard fight went down in Atlantic City put a rare damper on the fan favorite.
Of course you can’t mention top lightweight fighters without bringing up Frankie Edgar. While the former champion dropped back to back title fights to Benson Henderson and has since made the drop to featherweight, a possible return to the division he once ruled isn’t out of the question. Should he lose to champion Jose Aldo in their fight later this year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Edgar go back up.
The division presents a versatile mixture of striking, grappling and fast-paced action where fights can be finished at any moment. All of these factors combined have driven the lightweights to the top of the sport’s “must-watch” list.
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UFC 155 currently plays host to the last show of 2012—a heavyweight championship fight and an important lightweight bout between contenders Joe Lauzon and Gray Maynard.Currently, Lauzon and Maynard are among the several top contenders in the 155-…
UFC 155 currently plays host to the last show of 2012—a heavyweight championship fight and an important lightweight bout between contenders Joe Lauzon and Gray Maynard.
Currently, Lauzon and Maynard are among the several top contenders in the 155-pound division, including such other names as Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz. Styles make fights, and this one should be interesting.
Here is a head-to-toe breakdown of this key lightweight affair.
By Elias Cepeda
Being proactive paid off for Joe Lauzon last week. The UFC lightweight contender signed on to fight Gray Maynard and says he was the one pushing for the tough match up.
“I saw Gray say in an interview that he wanted to coach the next season of TUF against Nate Diaz,” Joe explains.
“He’s banking on Diaz beating [Ben] Henderson [when the two face off for Henderson’s title] and wants that title shot and, I guess, a third fight between him and Nate. So I contacted [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva and said that I thought Gray and I could be a cool angle as coaches of TUF. They didn’t do that but later I got a call asking if I wanted to fight Gray on December 29th. Its on the main card of a huge card.”
Lauzon is coming off of a record-setting submission of the night and fight of the night performance in beating Jamie Varner earlier this month. Maynard is coming off of a controversially-close split decision win over Clay Guida. Before that, Maynard fought then-champion Frankie Edgar twice in a row, first drawing with him and then losing via TKO.
Lauzon doesn’t know if a win over Maynard would put him in the #1 contender’s spot for the lightweight title for certain, but he says it would be a “step in the right direction.” “Gray is a monster. He’s only lost to Frankie. He’s super tough. Me beating Gray would make a big statement because he’s smashed everyone except for the champ at the time. Even in those fights he had the champ hurt badly at times,” Lauzon says.
By Elias Cepeda
Being proactive paid off for Joe Lauzon last week. The UFC lightweight contender signed on to fight Gray Maynard and says he was the one pushing for the tough match up.
“I saw Gray say in an interview that he wanted to coach the next season of TUF against Nate Diaz,” Joe explains.
“He’s banking on Diaz beating [Ben] Henderson [when the two face off for Henderson’s title] and wants that title shot and, I guess, a third fight between him and Nate. So I contacted [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva and said that I thought Gray and I could be a cool angle as coaches of TUF. They didn’t do that but later I got a call asking if I wanted to fight Gray on December 29th. Its on the main card of a huge card.”
Lauzon is coming off of a record-setting submission of the night and fight of the night performance in beating Jamie Varner earlier this month. Maynard is coming off of a controversially-close split decision win over Clay Guida. Before that, Maynard fought then-champion Frankie Edgar twice in a row, first drawing with him and then losing via TKO.
Lauzon doesn’t know if a win over Maynard would put him in the #1 contender’s spot for the lightweight title for certain, but he says it would be a “step in the right direction.” “Gray is a monster. He’s only lost to Frankie. He’s super tough. Me beating Gray would make a big statement because he’s smashed everyone except for the champ at the time. Even in those fights he had the champ hurt badly at times,” Lauzon says.
The last time Lauzon was in a fight that appeared to have immediate title shot implications was back in 2008 when he fought, and lost to, Kenny Florian. Lauzon says that he’s a different fighter than the kid that lost to the future hall of famer Florian over four years ago.
“I’ve grown so much since then,” he says.
“I’m a hundred times stronger now than I was then. At that time I hadn’t touched weights at all. The last couple of years I’ve been much more serious about strength and conditioning. My boxing has gotten much better…I was really just a grappler then. Now I’m much more comfortable on my feet. My defense is better. I’m quicker. And I love Jiu Jitsu and so am constantly improving that.”
Perhaps most important, according to Lauzon, is his improved mental state. Though he’s been fighting since he was a teenager, Joe says that he’s only now really begun to enjoy himself during fights.
“My last fight was the first fight where I really had fun,” he says. “I was enjoying every second of that fight. That was a big change for me, mentally.”
Lauzon says that he’s given a sore elbow time to heal over the past three to four weeks and but that soon he will begin training for the Maynard fight, which is still a while off. The outspoken fighter won’t offer an opinion on whether or not he feels Maynard deserved the decision win in his last fight against Guida – saying he hasn’t watched it closely enough – but simply says that if fighters let fights go to the judges, they never really have anyone to blame if things don’t go their way.
Because of his nearly flawless record and championship-level experience, many observers will no doubt have Maynard picked as a solid favorite over Lauzon. The Massachussets native readily admits he faces a big challenge against Maynard.
“Back in the [TUF 5] house we used to even joke with Gray because he was the number one pick, had the pedigree and all that. We’d say that Gray Maynard pisses excellence,” Lauzon says with a laugh.
“I also know that I probably can’t get hit as often by Gray as I did by Varner. Jamie is probably a better boxer than Gray but Gray probably has more power.”
That said, Lauzon is confident that he will have the skills to best Maynard on the feet or on the ground. “I’m very lucky that I’m comfortable no matter where I go in this fight,” Lauzon says.
“I really don’t think Gray wants to take me down and sit in my guard. I think I’m a little bit too crafty off of my back, too quick with submissions and sweeps. Like most of his other fights, he will probably want to stand and box. It is probably going to be a kickboxing match and, though I’ve got to be careful, I can do well there. I’ve gotta bring it to him.”
(Jesus Christ, Joe, are you playing for the other team?! You don’t snipe in Carentan, saboteur!)
Of all the seasons of The Ultimate Fighter to have produced upper-echelon fighters and title challengers at 155 lbs., who would’ve guessed that the season that coined the phrase “Wang and Bang” would one day rule them all? Not only is Nate Diaz next in line for a shot at Ben Henderson, but former title challenger Gray Maynard has just been booked to take on perennial contender Joe Lauzon in a battle that will easily launch the victor onto the short list of contenders at lightweight.
Then again, Sir Isaac Newton did state that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, which might explain why Gabe Ruediger is getting his ass kicked by skateboarders these days.
After spending the entirety of 2011 feuding with former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, which ended in his first career defeat, Maynard recently bounced back into the win column with a controversial split decision win over Clay Guida in the main event of UFC on FX 4. Although Maynard was thoroughly out-hustled for the majority of the fight, the significance of his offense in the latter rounds combined with Guida’s lack thereof was enough to earn him the nod.
Maynard will be facing the always entertaining Lauzon, who is currently 3-2 in his past five and most recently scored a third round triangle submission victory against former WEC champion Jamie Varner in their classic scrap at UFC on FOX 4. Lauzon has struggled in the past when facing top contenders, having dropped fights to Kenny Florian and Anthony Pettis in the past, but has also finished his opponents in all 22 of his victories. And although his cardio looked the best against Varner that it arguably ever has, there is no doubt that Maynard’s experience in the championship rounds will pay huge dividends if Lauzon isn’t able to put him away earlier.
After the jump: An update on Matt Hamill’s return to the octagon. Spoiler: His opponent just got a lot tougher.
(Jesus Christ, Joe, are you playing for the other team?! You don’t snipe in Carentan, saboteur!)
Of all the seasons of The Ultimate Fighter to have produced upper-echelon fighters and title challengers at 155 lbs., who would’ve guessed that the season that coined the phrase “Wang and Bang” would one day rule them all? Not only is Nate Diaz next in line for a shot at Ben Henderson, but former title challenger Gray Maynard has just been booked to take on perennial contender Joe Lauzon in a battle that will easily launch the victor onto the short list of contenders at lightweight.
Then again, Sir Isaac Newton did state that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, which might explain why Gabe Ruediger is getting his ass kicked by skateboarders these days.
After spending the entirety of 2011 feuding with former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, which ended in his first career defeat, Maynard recently bounced back into the win column with a controversial split decision win over Clay Guida in the main event of UFC on FX 4. Although Maynard was thoroughly out-hustled for the majority of the fight, the significance of his offense in the latter rounds combined with Guida’s lack thereof was enough to earn him the nod.
Maynard will be facing the always entertaining Lauzon, who is currently 3-2 in his past five and most recently scored a third round triangle submission victory against former WEC champion Jamie Varner in their classic scrap at UFC on FOX 4. Lauzon has struggled in the past when facing top contenders, having dropped fights to Kenny Florian and Anthony Pettis in the past, but has also finished his opponents in all 22 of his victories. And although his cardio looked the best against Varner that it arguably ever has, there is no doubt that Maynard’s experience in the championship rounds will pay huge dividends if Lauzon isn’t able to put him away earlier.
Speaking of Varner, Matt Hamill recently pulled a similar maneuver as the former WEC champ by un-retiring and agreeing to face Bellator veteran Roger Hollett at UFC 152. However, word broke earlier today that Hollett had suffered an undisclosed injury forcing him out of the contest, and stepping in for Hollett would be none other than former IFL champion Vladimir Matyushenko.
The two share a lot of similarities beyond their extensive wrestling background, the first of which being that neither Hamill or “The Janitor” have fought since running into the one way pain train that is Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 133 and 141, respectively. Hamill’s beatdown was so bad that it led him to retire in the first place, whereas Matyushenko simply suffered from a bad case of attempting to block Gustafsson’s punches with his face.
Luckily, I’ve managed to find some decent quality highlights from both men’s fights with Gustafsson below, and added them below. Enjoy, and let us know who you think takes this one.
Hamill vs. Gustafsson
Matyushenko vs. Gustafsson (highlights start at the 1:10 mark)