With UFC 136 fast approaching it’s hard not to consider this one of the most exciting fight cards of the entire year. The main card is headlined by current lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who will defend his title against Gray Maynard.The two li…
With UFC 136 fast approaching it’s hard not to consider this one of the most exciting fight cards of the entire year. The main card is headlined by current lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who will defend his title against Gray Maynard.
The two lightweight superstars will square off in a highly anticipated rematch, after their bout at UFC 125 ended in a draw.
Also featured on the card is featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who will defend his title against Kenny Florian, who recently dropped to the 145 weight class.
This stacked fight card takes place in Houston, in front of a sold out Toyota Center.
The following slides display the early betting odds and predictions for each fight at UFC 136.
Top UFC lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard are set to throw down for a third time at UFC 136.The two met for the first time back in 2008 and Maynard was able to use his wrestling to control Edgar, earning a unanimous decision victory.Fast forw…
Top UFC lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard are set to throw down for a third time at UFC 136.
The two met for the first time back in 2008 and Maynard was able to use his wrestling to control Edgar, earning a unanimous decision victory.
Fast forward three years.
Edgar is the UFC lightweight champion, coming off his first successful title defense, and Maynard has just earned himself a title shot by defeating Kenny Florian.
Their second fight took place on January 1st, 2011 and they started off the year in fashion, putting on one of the most exciting fights in UFC history.
However, while it was an incredibly entertaining fight, the result was inconclusive; after five rounds of back and forth action, the fight was declared a draw.
In a little more than a month, Edgar and Maynard will finally settle the score.
Will Edgar retain his lightweight belt, or will Maynard become the new UFC lightweight champion?
Filed under: UFC, Rankings, OverallSaying that Anderson Silva the best fighter in MMA is an accurate statement, but it’s also an understatement. Just calling Silva the best doesn’t really capture just how big a gap there is between Silva and the rest o…
Saying that Anderson Silva the best fighter in MMA is an accurate statement, but it’s also an understatement. Just calling Silva the best doesn’t really capture just how big a gap there is between Silva and the rest of the sport right now.
Since signing with the UFC in 2006, Silva is 14-0, which is the best record anyone has ever had in the UFC. But it’s not just the fact that he keeps winning, it’s the way he wins. Twelve of Silva’s 14 victories are by stoppage, and he has a wide variety of ways he can stop his opponents: He knocked out Chris Leben and Rich Franklin with knees, James Irvin and Forrest Griffin with punches, and Vitor Belfort with a front kick. He TKO’d Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt with punches, and Franklin with knees in a rematch. (He also TKO’d Patrick Cote, although you can’t give Silva a whole lot of credit for the way Cote’s knee buckled underneath him.) Silva made Chael Sonnen tap out to a triangle armbar, made Dan Henderson tap out to a rear-naked choke and made Travis Lutter tap out by holding him in a triangle and elbowing him in the head.
Winning percentage and stoppages aren’t the only way to measure a fighter, but a fighter’s record gives you a pretty good idea how good he is, and how often he finishes his opponent gives you a pretty good idea how dominant he is. And there’s really no one on Silva’s level when it comes to fighting at a high level, consistently winning and stopping his opponents with great frequency.
We’ll compare Silva to the rest of the best fighters in MMA below.
Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Fighters in MMA (Number in parentheses is the fighter’s rank in the last pound-for-pound list.)
1. Anderson Silva (1): Silva is the all-time UFC record holder for consecutive wins and wins in title fights, and he’s twice moved up in weight class and destroyed the two opponents he met at 205 pounds. The only real question is whether the UFC can keep finding good opponents for him; other than a Sonnen rematch there’s not a lot for Silva to do at middleweight.
2. Georges St. Pierre (2): In the same time that Silva has gone 14-0, St. Pierre has gone 10-1, with three wins by TKO, one by submission and six by decision. The methodical way St. Pierre controls fights by insisting on doing what he does best and never allowing his opponents to do what they do best is impressive, but it’s not as impressive as the way Silva crushes people. And, of course, GSP lacks Silva’s undefeated record inside the Octagon.
3. Jon Jones (3): Jones’ record looks a lot like Silva’s: He’s 13-1, with eight wins by knockout or TKO, three by submission and two by decision. And Jones could easily be 14-0 with one more stoppage; his disqualification loss to Matt Hamill is really more like a TKO win for the purposes of considering how good Jones is. The difference between Jones and Silva is that Jones has only been fighting professionally for three and a half years, has only been in the UFC for eight fights and only started fighting the best of the best this year. Jones is the active fighter whose accomplishments may look the most like Silva’s one day, but Jones isn’t there yet.
4. Jose Aldo (4): In the same time that Silva has gone 14-0, Aldo is 11-0, with seven wins by knockout or TKO and four wins by decision. Aldo is somewhat similar to Silva as a striker in the diverse way he can finish fights with his hands, feet, knees and elbows. But he’s not quite as consistent as Silva, and unlike Silva he hasn’t yet proven that he can finish fights with his submission game.
5. Dominick Cruz (5): In the same time that Silva has gone 14-0, Cruz is 12-1, with one win by knockout, one win by TKO on a doctor stoppage, one win by submission and nine wins by decision. Cruz’s stand-up style is very effective in its own way but a lot different from — and nowhere near as destructive as — Silva’s style. Cruz is the master of point-fighting, and that’s respectable, but if he ever wants to be considered one of the truly great fighters he’s going to need to finish more fights.
6. Frank Edgar (6): In the same time that Silva has gone 14-0, Edgar is 10-1-1, with one win by TKO, one by submission and eight by decision. The loss and the draw came against the man Edgar will face at UFC 136…
7. Gray Maynard (7): In the same time that Silva has gone 14-0, Maynard is 8-0-1, with one win by knockout and seven by decision. Maynard also had two wins, a loss and a no contest in his Ultimate Fighter days. Maynard was something of an anti-Silva during his eight-fight winning streak prior to fighting Edgar, as he’d consistently win but rarely dominate and often bore. His fight with Edgar, however, was sensational, and if he can win the rematch, he’ll eliminate any doubt about what a great fighter he is.
8. Cain Velasquez (8): Velasquez is 9-0, including eight wins by knockout or TKO and one by decision. Velasquez has only seven UFC fights, so he has a long way to go before he has achieved as much as Silva, but his run of dominance to begin his career has been impressive. The big question is whether he can keep it up as he recovers from a serious shoulder injury, starting with Junior dos Santos in November.
9. Shogun Rua (10): Shogun’s pounding of Forrest Griffin moves him up a spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Rua of the Pride days was a lot like Silva: In the three and a half years he fought in Pride, Shogun went 12-1, with nine wins by knockout or TKO, one win by submission and one win by decision. But he’s not quite that fighter anymore; in the same time that Silva has gone 14-0, Rua is 8-3. Rua is still a great fighter who I’d pick to beat anyone at 205 pounds not named Jon Jones, but knee injuries have robbed him of some of his explosiveness.
10. Junior dos Santos (9): Dos Santos is 13-1, with eight wins by knockout or TKO, three by submission and two by decision. Unlike Silva, dos Santos’s decision victories have been thoroughly impressive, and he has shown knockout power like few fighters in MMA have. If he passes his toughest test yet when he faces Velasquez, dos Santos will have a good case that he belongs near the top of the pound-for-pound list.
As reported by MMAJunkie.com, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and Ben “Smooth” Henderson have expressed an interest in facing one another on Nov. 12’s UFC on FOX 1.Though John Fosco and Malki Kawa, Guida’s and Henderson’s managers, respectively, believe the…
As reported by MMAJunkie.com, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and Ben “Smooth” Henderson have expressed an interest in facing one another on Nov. 12’s UFC on FOX 1.
Though John Fosco and Malki Kawa, Guida’s and Henderson’s managers, respectively, believe their clients have each done enough to warrant the next Lightweight title shot, they welcome the opportunity to have the fighters make their case on network television.
The question is, does this fight make sense, not only for fans, but for the UFC?
Let’s take this one point at a time:
Guida vs. Henderson is a meaningful fight
The UFC Lightweight division is currently a jumbled mess. Anthony Pettis defeated Ben Henderson to become the final WEC Lightweight champ, with a guarantee to fight the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard at UFC 125.
Edgar and Maynard fought to a thrilling draw, causing Dana White to immediately announce a rematch.
Rather than stay on the sidelines, Pettis decided to stay active and accepted a fight against Guida, losing in a one-sided decision and becoming Guida’s fourth straight victim.
Meanwhile, Jim Miller quietly put together a seven-fight win streak against solid competition and positioned himself as a legitimate Lightweight contender. Henderson won his UFC debut against a game Mark Bocek, and was then given a significant challenge in Miller, who he completely dismantled.
Get all that?
A fight between Guida and Henderson would pit “the guy who beat the guy” against “the guy who beat the other guy,” thus clearing up the current Lightweight imbroglio. The winner would clearly deserve a title shot against the eventual winner of Edgar vs. Maynard 3.
Guida and Henderson are both marketable fighters
There are few fighters in the UFC as likable as Clay Guida and Ben Henderson.
Guida is the ultimate workhorse, a non-stop whirlwind with a never-say-die attitude and a tenacious in-your-face style. He literally lives in a van by the river while he trains, and pays homage to his blue-collar background with his nickname, “The Carpenter.”
Ben Henderson is equal parts tenacity, energy and humility. He embarks into arenas bouncing to gospel music, is an absolute pitbull in the cage, and after winning the biggest fight of his career, drops to his knees and begs Dana White, not to give him a title shot, but to give his lesser-known teammates a shot at the big time.
And, oh yeah…did I forget to mention that they both have manes of hair that a Pantene model would kill for?
If the UFC and FOX can’t market these guys during episodes of House, then we should all probably just pack our bags and go home. Though they don’t have the name recognition of a Brock Lesnar or Georges St. Pierre, they are certainly compelling characters that can draw in a viewer.
Guida vs. Henderson is something a true fight fan can look forward to
Last, but certainly not least, this would not only be an important and marketable fight, it would be a good fight.
This would be a great stylistic match up—both fighters have relentless wrestling, each averaging over 4 takedowns per 15 minutes, and both are active strikers, on their feet, and on the ground. Say what you want about wrestling in MMA, neither Guida nor Henderson can be accused of “laying and praying.”
Though Henderson is the better striker, Guida is incredibly durable and has never been knocked out. Likewise, Guida has won by submission 15 times out of 29 wins, but Henderson has only been submitted once thanks to his Gumby-like limbs and seemingly nonexistent veins.
Pitting two active, pressure fighters against one another will make for a sure-fire thriller. Wherever this fight may go, on the ground, to the clinch, or at a distance on their feet, Guida and Henderson are guaranteed to go for each other’s throats at 100 mph for 15 straight minutes.
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson is a must-make fight for UFC on FOX 1.
Dana White and Joe Silva can’t pass up the opportunity to make this meaningful, compelling fight between marketable and well-matched fighters.
It is a perfect way to drum up future PPV interest for a championship fight against the winner of Edgar vs. Maynard 3, and is sure to please casual and hardcore fans alike.
I’ll leave my fight prediction for a later date, but no matter the outcome, both fans and the UFC are guaranteed to win.
LOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar following Thursday’s UFC on FOX press conference about the TV deal, his upcoming fight against Gray Maynard at UFC 136, his nagging injuries, his and why he is tired of thinking about Maynard.
LOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar following Thursday’s UFC on FOX press conference about the TV deal, his upcoming fight against Gray Maynard at UFC 136, his nagging injuries, his and why he is tired of thinking about Maynard.
But he is, apparently, the type to call everyone out. Not yet 48 hours removed from what he called the biggest win of his career – and that includes winning and defending the WEC lightweight title – Henderson kept his options for what’s next wide ranging.
“I want to fight everybody,” Henderson told host Ariel Helwani on “The MMA Hour” on Tuesday. “Literally. I want to beat everybody on the 155-pound roster in the UFC. I want to smash everybody. I want everybody put on notice. I’m not coming for a belt. I’m coming to beat you.”
Henderson was a slight underdog Sunday against Jim Miller, who had built up the UFC’s longest winning streak outside champions Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre with seven straight victories. But after surviving some first-round submission attempts from Miller, Henderson turned on the heat and dominated the fight, even winning 30-26 on one judge’s scorecard.
UFC president Dana White had intimated that Miller was in line for the next title shot if he took out Henderson. With that scenario off the table after Sunday night, White and matchmaker Joe Silva have a decision on their hands, and Henderson could be at the heart of it.
The former WEC champ, who lost his title in December to Anthony Pettis after Pettis delivered his now-famous kick-off-the-cage to Henderson’s face, sees no reason why he shouldn’t’ get the next title shot after Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard rematch on Oct. 8.
“My job is to fight,” Henderson said. “I will say if Dana, Lorenzo (Fertitta), Sean (Shelby) and Joe give me a title shot, I will take it and I will have a great performance. But if it’s not a title shot, that’s fine too. Going against the No. 1 contender, after you have that sort of performance against the No. 1 contender, what else is there? Not a close decision, not squeak by … what’s the next logical step? There’s the winner of the title fight.”
Some of the other names in the lightweight division that have gotten traction are Clay Guida, Melvin Guillard and Donald Cerrone. Guillard has won five straight, but already has a fight booked against Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, the same night Edgar and Maynard rematch for Edgar’s belt. Cerrone just beat Charles Oliveira to see his streak reach five – three in the UFC after winning his last two WEC bouts. Guida is coming off a unanimous decision win over Pettis, who was the top contender until the Edgar-Maynard draw put him in a holding pattern that Guida spoiled.
Guillard, Guida and Cerrone are all members of the Greg Jackson camp and aren’t likely to fight each other any time soon. So the fight that has been mentioned the most is between Guida and Henderson, with the winner getting next crack at the belt.
“If you think about it, Guida beat the No. 1 contender in Pettis, and I beat Jim Miller who was No. 1 contender,” Henderson said. “So I guess it does make sense for him and I to match up. I have no problem with that. Guida, we know, will fight anyone. But why fight someone if you can get the next title shot? Why take an extra fight if you can get the title shot?”
Guida may be thinking the same thing – why fight Henderson, risk a loss and get sent to the back of the pack the way Henderson did to Miller and Guida did to Pettis? Which means that they’re both likely just waiting for the UFC to make a decision.
Tuesday, also on “The MMA Hour,” Henderson’s agent, Malki Kawa, said he sees no reason his client shouldn’t just be next in line. Though Henderson has only won two straight fights, both in the UFC, his only loss since 2007 came to Pettis in December, and it was a fight that likely was decided by Pettis’ kick in the final minute of the fight. Had Henderson won the fifth round, he would have walked away with a split decision win instead of a unanimous decision loss.
“I think he deserves a title shot,” Kawa said “My philosophy is, Jim MIller was the No. 1 contender. To me, (Henderson) beat up the outright No. 1 contender. He didn’t just beat the guy in a close fight – he dominated this guy. He separated himself from a lot of guys.”
Henderson said he prefers more time than most in between fights so he can actually find the areas he needs to improve and work on them. And thanks to some elbows to Miller’s head, he’ll be waiting on the results of an X-ray, too. If he is to get the next lightweight title shot, he’ll likely have plenty of time to wait. Assuming the winner of Edgar-Maynard comes out of that fight reasonably healthy, his first defense is not likely until early 2012 at the soonest.
But he is, apparently, the type to call everyone out. Not yet 48 hours removed from what he called the biggest win of his career – and that includes winning and defending the WEC lightweight title – Henderson kept his options for what’s next wide ranging.
“I want to fight everybody,” Henderson told host Ariel Helwani on “The MMA Hour” on Tuesday. “Literally. I want to beat everybody on the 155-pound roster in the UFC. I want to smash everybody. I want everybody put on notice. I’m not coming for a belt. I’m coming to beat you.”
Henderson was a slight underdog Sunday against Jim Miller, who had built up the UFC’s longest winning streak outside champions Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre with seven straight victories. But after surviving some first-round submission attempts from Miller, Henderson turned on the heat and dominated the fight, even winning 30-26 on one judge’s scorecard.
UFC president Dana White had intimated that Miller was in line for the next title shot if he took out Henderson. With that scenario off the table after Sunday night, White and matchmaker Joe Silva have a decision on their hands, and Henderson could be at the heart of it.
The former WEC champ, who lost his title in December to Anthony Pettis after Pettis delivered his now-famous kick-off-the-cage to Henderson’s face, sees no reason why he shouldn’t’ get the next title shot after Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard rematch on Oct. 8.
“My job is to fight,” Henderson said. “I will say if Dana, Lorenzo (Fertitta), Sean (Shelby) and Joe give me a title shot, I will take it and I will have a great performance. But if it’s not a title shot, that’s fine too. Going against the No. 1 contender, after you have that sort of performance against the No. 1 contender, what else is there? Not a close decision, not squeak by … what’s the next logical step? There’s the winner of the title fight.”
Some of the other names in the lightweight division that have gotten traction are Clay Guida, Melvin Guillard and Donald Cerrone. Guillard has won five straight, but already has a fight booked against Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, the same night Edgar and Maynard rematch for Edgar’s belt. Cerrone just beat Charles Oliveira to see his streak reach five – three in the UFC after winning his last two WEC bouts. Guida is coming off a unanimous decision win over Pettis, who was the top contender until the Edgar-Maynard draw put him in a holding pattern that Guida spoiled.
Guillard, Guida and Cerrone are all members of the Greg Jackson camp and aren’t likely to fight each other any time soon. So the fight that has been mentioned the most is between Guida and Henderson, with the winner getting next crack at the belt.
“If you think about it, Guida beat the No. 1 contender in Pettis, and I beat Jim Miller who was No. 1 contender,” Henderson said. “So I guess it does make sense for him and I to match up. I have no problem with that. Guida, we know, will fight anyone. But why fight someone if you can get the next title shot? Why take an extra fight if you can get the title shot?”
Guida may be thinking the same thing – why fight Henderson, risk a loss and get sent to the back of the pack the way Henderson did to Miller and Guida did to Pettis? Which means that they’re both likely just waiting for the UFC to make a decision.
Tuesday, also on “The MMA Hour,” Henderson’s agent, Malki Kawa, said he sees no reason his client shouldn’t just be next in line. Though Henderson has only won two straight fights, both in the UFC, his only loss since 2007 came to Pettis in December, and it was a fight that likely was decided by Pettis’ kick in the final minute of the fight. Had Henderson won the fifth round, he would have walked away with a split decision win instead of a unanimous decision loss.
“I think he deserves a title shot,” Kawa said “My philosophy is, Jim MIller was the No. 1 contender. To me, (Henderson) beat up the outright No. 1 contender. He didn’t just beat the guy in a close fight – he dominated this guy. He separated himself from a lot of guys.”
Henderson said he prefers more time than most in between fights so he can actually find the areas he needs to improve and work on them. And thanks to some elbows to Miller’s head, he’ll be waiting on the results of an X-ray, too. If he is to get the next lightweight title shot, he’ll likely have plenty of time to wait. Assuming the winner of Edgar-Maynard comes out of that fight reasonably healthy, his first defense is not likely until early 2012 at the soonest.
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