Redemption can be a powerful motivator. When the chance to correct a misstep is within reach, the mind sharpens and the focus intensifies to ensure the previous mistake will not be repeated. Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will have this…
Redemption can be a powerful motivator. When the chance to correct a misstep is within reach, the mind sharpens and the focus intensifies to ensure the previous mistake will not be repeated. Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will have this exact opportunity when he faces Junior dos Santos at UFC 155, and the only thing on his mind is recapturing the title.
The 30-year-old AKA-trained fighter suffered the first loss of his professional career to the Brazilian slugger when the two men squared-off at UFC on Fox 1 in November of 2011. After more than a year away from the Octagon, Velasquez stepped in against a surging contender, looking to make his first title defense. Ultimately the effort was ill-fated, as a powerful right hand put him on the canvas and ended the fight early in the first round.
With a champion mindset, Velasquez bounced back strong as he took apart Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in his next outing at UFC 146. The fight was a brutal display of ground and pound as Velasquez earned victory by way of stoppage in the first round.
The impressive performance not only reminded the MMA world just how much of a wrecking machine a healthy Velasquez can be, but earned the California-native another shot at the title in the process.
“I felt good mentally and physically,” Velasquez explained about the Silva fight. “I think it showed that night. When you know you are 100% and you know are ready to go, you just have that feeling. You know you are going to perform well.
“I knew I could get back to form. I know what I have and I know what was wrong in the first fight with dos Santos. I know where I messed up in that fight with Junior and that was it. I don’t feel I lost anything as far as my fighting skills go. I’m the same fighter I just didn’t do what I was supposed to do that night.”
On the same night Velasquez battered Silva, dos Santos successfully defended his title against former two-time champion Frank Mir, setting up the rematch between the sport’s two top heavyweights.
Much like their first meeting, many in the MMA world believe Velasquez’s chances for success weigh heavily on his ability to put dos Santos on the canvas. While the former ASU wrestling standout will certainly have the advantage in the wrestling department, getting JDS to the ground has proven to be no easy task.
That being said, Velasquez knows he will have to take the fight into close-range. Once he is able to close the distance and eliminate the space where the champion is most effective, Velasquez believes he can find victory.
“The best place for me to be is inside,” Velasquez said. “I have a lot of tools there with boxing, knees and kicks. The wrestling is always there too when you are in that position. On the inside is where I’m best and he works better at a distance. I think he can be beaten that way.
“[dos Santos] has worked a lot on defensive wrestling and the fundamentals of defending the takedown. When he gets down he doesn’t let people sit there on top of him. Junior doesn’t wait. As soon as he hits the ground he’s popping right back up. That shows how hard he works on defending.”
In less than two weeks Velasquez will have the opportunity to prove to the MMA world he is still the number one heavyweight fighter on the planet. In order to do so, the former All-American will have to succeed where he previously failed and find an answer to a puzzle no one under the UFC banner has been able to figure out.
While the path ahead is difficult—when the prize at the end of the road matters more than anything else—the greatest challenges make the journey worthwhile.
“Everything that I’m doing now is about being the champion,” Velasquez said. “I’m in this sport to be the number one guy and to be the best. It means everything to me. I’m not in this sport to be a contender. I’m in this sport to be a champion. I’m going in there with one purpose and that is to get that belt. That’s why I’m here—to be the champion.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained first hand.
The lives of professional fighters are filled with uncertainty. Their successes and failures play out in the public eye for all to see. When the cage door closes and the battle of wills begin, it becomes a matter of opportunity. One walks away victorio…
The lives of professional fighters are filled with uncertainty. Their successes and failures play out in the public eye for all to see.
When the cage door closes and the battle of wills begin, it becomes a matter of opportunity. One walks away victorious, the other defeated, the outcome sometimes determined by only the slightest of margins.
What happens under the bright lights is what the fans are left to debate, but rarely are they given a glimpse into what it takes to make the walk to the cage in the first place.
This is what the climb looks like. This is The Fighting Life.
****
In the world of sports, greatness is a term used sparingly. Extraordinary performances and highlight-reel moments roll across television screens and burrow themselves into our collective memories, but when an athlete develops a consistency for achieving the unthinkable, something special begins to happen, and before our very eyes, a star is born.
In mixed martial arts, that fighter is Jon Jones. Over the past two years, the New York native has launched into the stratosphere on a meteoric rise that has not only taken him from prospect to champion, but thrust his name into the conversation of being one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
Where most young fighters earn their stripes grinding their way through divisional pictures and building the slow buzz of expectation, Jones blazed his way to the very top of the sport, shattering the concept of potential every step of the way. The 25-year-old accomplished these feats in such rapid fashion, it was difficult for those watching to pinpoint exactly where his trajectory changed gears. But after Jones defeated seasoned veteran Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94, he knew something extraordinary had begun.
“I realized things were going great right away when I beat Stephan Bonnar,” Jones said. “Stephan is a guy who had a big name in the sport and was highly respected. I was a nobody going into that fight. For me to beat him showed me there was something different going on, and upsetting a fighter who was beyond me in that moment was special. “
Immediately following his dominant performance over the TUF alum, the buzz surrounding Jones began to build. Over the next year and a half, that noise became amplified with every outing, as “Bones” destroyed every opponent put in his path, manhandling and crushing a collection of proven veterans in the sport.
Jones emerging victorious would have been impressive enough in itself, but the fashion in which he was making typically gritty fighters fold and appear as if they had no business being in the same cage with him quickened his ascension into the divisional elite.
Once his position was solidified in the upper tier of the light heavyweight division, it was assumed the challenges facing the young star would have become more difficult, but no one could have predicted what Jones was about to accomplish in 2011.
In what many in the MMA world refer to as the best single year of any mixed martial artist in the history of the sport, Jones established himself as the most dominant champion the weight class had seen since Chuck Liddell, and so began the talk of legacy for the Greg Jackson-trained fighter.
“It was a phenomenal year,” Jones explained about his run in 2011. “It took a lot of hard work, but it was a lot of fun. But because I was having so much fun I guess I didn’t realize how much work I had put in. I wouldn’t take it back for the world, and hopefully I can duplicate that year in the future.
“Legacy is definitely something that is always on my mind, and it is a big reason why I fight. I’m already the champion, so I don’t fight to be the champion. I fight to be remembered. I fight to conquer records. I’m here to fight and to challenge myself.”
With a dominant championship run well under way, the glare of the spotlight focused directly on Jones’ shoulders. In a culture where the successes and failures of high-profile athletes are consistently under the microscope, being in a position such as the one Jones finds himself occupying comes with an immense amount of pressure.
For as much praise as the young champion has received for his work inside the Octagon, the negative backlash for missteps in the realm of his personal life has presented challenges perhaps more daunting than those he’s faced inside the cage.
While Jones continues to navigate the ups and downs of notoriety and stardom, he’s embraced the journey and lessons learned by staying grounded despite circumstance.
“The position I’m in comes with pressure, but it is pressure I enjoy,” Jones said. “I realize in order to do anything magnificent or to accomplish great things it is going to be tough. There is going to be a lot of pressure. You can’t expect it to be easy, and I’m very aware of that. I embrace the heartache, all the hard work it takes to carry those things, and the pressures that come along with it.
“The biggest thing is to remember to be myself. I need to remind myself to have fun with it and to remember people are going to watch for different reasons. Some people are going to watch, really admire, appreciate and have fun with the sport. Other people are looking for downfalls and ways to criticize. You just have to respect both views. You have to continue to be you and let people be the judge.”
While the year Jones experienced in 2011 was one for the record books, his performances in 2012 have been nothing to scoff at. In April, he put a long-simmering feud with former teammate Rashad Evans to rest by defeating the former champion at UFC 145. Jones was then slated to face former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson at UFC 151, but after “Hendo” withdrew due to injury and the entire card was ultimately canceled, Jones once again found himself the target of criticism.
In the chaos of the UFC 151 situation, former middleweight contender Chael Sonnen attempted to fill the vacancy left by Henderson’s injury. While Jones initially rejected the bout and would go on to defeat Vitor Belfort weeks later at UFC 152, a rivalry was born between Jones and Sonnen.
The biggest point of contention from Jones’ perspective was that Sonnen was lobbying for a title fight that Jones believed had not been earned. The 205-pound weight class is one of the organization’s most talent-rich divisions, and Jones saw giving Sonnen a title opportunity as something that could devalue the title he proudly holds.
Jones ultimately agreed to a bout with Sonnen, but his position on earning the opportunity to compete for championship gold hasn’t changed.
“I feel the appropriate thing to do is to always have the champion fight the next-best guy in line,” Jones said. “But at the same time, I also recognize it is appropriate to keep the fans happy. In a situation like the one I’m in where I’ve already fought and defeated the top competition, I think it is OK to start pulling random guys in there because I’ve already beaten the top fighters in my division.
“Chael Sonnen just so happens to be an opponent that makes the fans happy right now. I’m going to give the fans what they want whether it makes sense rankings-wise or not.”
To add to the growing buzz surrounding the fight, the UFC tapped Jones and Sonnen to be the coaches of the 17th installment of The Ultimate Fighter. While the thought of Jones having to deal with Sonnen’s trash talk for six weeks set the MMA world abuzz, the champion once again chose to embrace a different angle of the situation.
“Coaching TUF has been a great experience,” Jones said. “To meet seven new athletes and to care about someone else’s career in the prime of my own has been unique. To genuinely set myself aside, focus on others, and making someone else that next best guy has been different for me because I’m a very focused and driven guy and not one to put that focus on other athletes. I focus on what I need to do, and to put that focus on others and assisting them has been a blessing.”
There is no doubting the star power Jones possesses, but at the same time, it is easily lost that he is a 25-year-old man making his way through the world. Jones’ talent will ultimately decide whether he obtains the greatness he seeks, but his maturation through the trials and tribulations of life will dictate his ability to fulfill the expectations set upon him.
By all accounts, he is the future of the sport. He is the chosen one who has the ability to take MMA and the UFC to the mainstream masses. Whether this is a vision Jones can make a reality remains to be seen, but if there is one thing MMA fans have come to understand about Jon Jones, it’s that once you think you’ve seen the best of his capabilities, his next performance will make you realize you haven’t seen the best of him yet.
Duane Finley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.
Known for being one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today, Joey Beltran is no stranger to punishment in the Octagon. Since the “Mexicutioner” has dropped three of his last five fights in an organization known for cutting fighters after …
Known for being one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today, Joey Beltran is no stranger to punishment in the Octagon. Since the “Mexicutioner” has dropped three of his last five fights in an organization known for cutting fighters after consecutive losses, Beltran now finds himself with no other option but to win.
The Ultimate Show got the chance to sit down with the ever so entertaining fighter known as the “Mexicutioner” to hear his own thoughts on everything from his latest loss against James Te Huna to his outlook on how his fighting style has changed over the years. Hear Joey’s thoughts on fighting in the UFC and the level of competition his weigh class holds.
For years, there has been a quiet storm brewing outside of the UFC, and his name is Gilbert Melendez. The Strikeforce lightweight champion has scrapped his way to the top of the heap on the strength of an impressive seven-fight win streak which has ear…
For years, there has been a quiet storm brewing outside of the UFC, and his name is Gilbert Melendez. The Strikeforce lightweight champion has scrapped his way to the top of the heap on the strength of an impressive seven-fight win streak which has earned him the recognition of being one of the world’s best 155-pound fighters.
Aside from the challenges he’s battled inside the cage, the current dilemma facing “El Nino” is his situation with the organization he’s championed for the past three years. Over this time, Melendez has dealt with the frustration of not facing the caliber of opponent that would keep him in the conversation of who is truly the world’s best lightweight.
It is a situation he has handled with class, but with Strikeforce’s demise all but a certainty at this point, the 30-year-old California native has begun to address the obstacles waiting for him on the road ahead. If Melendez has his way, the next fight will be the biggest of his career, and his focus is locked on one man in particular.
“I want to fight Benson Henderson,” Melendez told Bleacher Report. “I think a champion versus champion fight makes absolute sense right now. I think we already know how things are going to work out between Benson Henderson and a lot of other lightweight fighters in the UFC, but I’m that mystery fighter. No one really knows how I’m going to matchup with anyone. I have been around for a long time and have been the top lightweight in the world before Benson or any of these other guys.
“I think I have a lot of answers for his style. Sometimes he fights a wrestler like Guida who doesn’t have great hands, and sometimes he fights strikers who can’t really wrestle. Look at his fights against “Cowboy” Cerrone back in the day, or even Pettis. I have that wrestling pedigree where he ain’t taking me down, and I’ll be stuffing some shots. I’m not backing away, and I’ll be dropping some bombs. I’m not an easy guy to stand with. I have a lot of power, and I’m not running away from kicks. I don’t run away from anything. I hold my ground. I’ll be coming for him, and anything he dishes out I’ll be answering back twice as hard.
“I think everyone would be really excited for this matchup, and I guarantee it would be a great fight. We can do it in the Octagon or the Strikeforce cage—it doesn’t matter to me. Henderson is the fight I want, and let’s make it happen.”
The idea of Melendez facing a UFC champion has lingered for quite some time, but the intensity ramped up this past weekend in Seattle. Following Henderson’s dominant victory over Melendez’s friend and training partner Nate Diaz, the topic of a potential champion vs. champion bout began to swirl around the press conference.
Despite falling short on his own title shot, it was Diaz who let Henderson know that sooner or later Melendez would be coming for his belt.
“It was awesome to hear what Nate said, and he wasn’t bullsh**** about it either,” Melendez said. “He was genuine For those who didn’t believe it, he gave a funny little smirk, and that made me laugh. It’s the truth, and it means a lot coming from a cool guy like Nate.
“It feels good to be in the conversation. It feels good to hear the media and respectable journalists who really take a genuine interest in the sport mentioning my name in that situation. It means a lot to me. Benson made his reply that he would fight whomever the UFC wanted him to fight, but I think this fight is what the people want. I think I’m the opponent people want to see face him next.”
While the situation between Strikeforce, Showtime and the UFC remains unclear, Melendez has felt the fires of motivation return. With the recent announcement of Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey crossing over into the UFC, Melendez is hoping he will receive similar treatment. This was also a topic the younger Diaz addressed in the post-fight press conference in Seattle for UFC on Fox 5.
“I agree, and Nate said it about as classy as it could possibly be said,” Melendez said. “They gave Ronda the title, all kinds of respect, and I feel I deserve just as much respect as she’s getting. I think I’ve done a lot in this sport. I hold the Strikeforce title, and I feel it’s a respectable one. They have always said it is the equivalent to the UFC belt, and hopefully I get the same respect.
“The fire has been lit, and it was lit a few weeks back. When you start feeling the vibes and hearing the word get out about the things happening with Ronda Rousey, you start getting excited. I’m not saying anything is done in that regard, but it doesn’t stop me from getting fired up about the possibility. You get excited you are going to face big names and the possibility of big matchups. It will give me the chance to really prove something to people in this sport. That fire has definitely been lit, and it would be a real bummer if things didn’t work out like I hope they do.
“These things play a lot on your motivation, and if everything works out, then it will be great. The fire has been lit because it’s becoming a possibility, and I’m seeing the difference in everything I do. I’m running harder because I know it’s there. It’s true I wasn’t super motivated for my past few fights, and it showed out there in the cage. I wasn’t happy with my performance, but I was happy I got the “W.” When things are handled a certain way, you get a certain performance. When the opportunity is right—you’ll get the best I have to give.”
For years, Melendez has struggled with the stark reality of having title defenses of the high risk/low reward variety. Should a crossover into the UFC come to pass, Melendez is excited by the thought of entering the ultra-competitive UFC lightweight ranks. The 155-pound weight class is one of the organization’s premiere divisions, and in addition to Henderson, Melendez has his eye on a few other fights he respects and would love to mix it up with.
“If everything works out, it is going to be a really exciting,” Melendez said. “I see all the toughest guys and a lot of tough tests. I actually think Cowboy Cerrone is going to beat Pettis. I’ve been watching him for a while, and I think he’s a guy who is really tough. Gray Maynard is another amazing guy I would love to fight. I’m also impressed with Benson Henderson, and those are some of the guys on my radar in the UFC. I think they would all be great matchups and give me the chance to prove that I’m the best. It’s exciting to think about it, and I’m getting jazzed just talking about it now.”
For the moment, all Melendez can do is wait. The biggest difference this time around is that he has a sense that something greater is looming around the corner. The only thing he’s ever wanted is the chance to prove he is the best lightweight in the world, and if everything works the way he hopes, Melendez will get the opportunity to prove to the world what he’s been saying all along.
“This is seeming more possible every day and feeling like it could really happen,” Melendez said about his potential transition into the UFC. “With that on my mind, the fire is light, and I’m ready. I should be medically cleared in the middle of next week. After I see the doctor, that should give me that five- to six-week marker. I have been doing a lot of drilling, technique and running. You can’t help but get out there and do things. I’ve been staying busy, working on a lot of my strategy and tactics. I’ll pick it up a lot more once I get cleared. But you could definitely say I’m prepped.
“The timing is right for this fight,” he added in regard to a potential bout with Henderson. “I’ll be healthy by the time he would be ready to go, and it just makes sense. That is the fight I want. I really want to test myself, and I really want to find out if I’m the best. If Henderson really wants to find out, this is the fight for him to really prove he is the No. 1 lightweight fighter in the world. I say let’s do it.”
Rick Hawn made his professional mixed martial arts debut less than four years ago—a late start by all accounts—but age is only a number for the 36-year-old lightweight. “I was kind of a late-bloomer in judo and it was kind of the same…
Rick Hawn made his professional mixed martial arts debut less than four years ago—a late start by all accounts—but age is only a number for the 36-year-old lightweight.
“I was kind of a late-bloomer in judo and it was kind of the same thing with MMA,” the Eugene product said. “I still feel young even now, but back then as well. It was a new sport, so it was scary, but I looked at guys like Randy Couture who started at the same age and he was super-successful and doing great things way into his forties, so that really inspired me. If he could do it, I could give it my best shot, too.”
Within a week of officially retiring from judo, Hawn, a member of the United States’ 2004 Olympic squad, was working to make his mark in the then-unfamiliar world of mixed martial arts. It may have been a quick turnaround, but it was a move that Hawn planned on making well before he first set foot in an MMA gym.
“I enjoyed watching it when I was training judo—I was a big fan of MMA,” Hawn said in retrospect. “And it was something that I really wanted to do when I was done doing judo.”
In just a few short years, Hawn has gone from a highly touted rookie to a bona fide emerging star in mixed martial arts.
Hawn, a two-time Pan American medalist in judo, won his first eight professional matches—including six by way of stoppage—before signing with Bellator FC in 2010. Hawn made it to the welterweight tournament final in 2011, but lost a split decision to Jay Hieron. After Hawn’s loss to Hieron—the lone blemish on his professional resume—he dropped to lightweight and registered three consecutive victories en route to claiming the organization’s 155-pound tournament crown in May.
Hawn’s time spent on the mat gave him a leg up over fellow newcomers in MMA, but it is his work ethic, he feels, that is responsible for the bulk of what he has so far accomplished in the cage.
“I’m never satisfied with my results or my training; there’s always room for improvement,” he said. “That’s what is great about martial arts—you can never be perfect. You have to keep training for what it is that you strive for. You know you’ll never get there, but the journey and the trip there is pretty amazing.”
The next stop on Hawn’s journey is to be Bellator 85 in Irvine, Calif., on Jan. 17th, where he is to return to action against Michael Chandler for the Bellator FC’s lightweight championship. Hawn’s next match is arguably the biggest fight of his life—although he is treating it as another day at the office—but he feels that the best may be yet to come.
“I’ll go until my body says I can’t do it anymore,” said Hawn, who feels he can reach the pinnacle of his sport. “I don’t listen to the critics or when people say, ‘He’s this age,’ or ‘He’s that age.’ That means nothing—it’s about how I’m performing on a world-class level and being successful. I could be 50 years old and if I’m still competing at a top, world-class level, then why stop, right?”
Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained first-hand.
For Tamikka Brents’ two most recent mixed martial arts matches—an amateur and a professional tilt—she made her way to the ring with a rainbow flag. Brents, perhaps unsurprisingly, has a fairly straightforward explanation for her choic…
For TamikkaBrents’ two most recent mixed martial arts matches—an amateur and a professional tilt—she made her way to the ring with a rainbow flag.
Brents, perhaps unsurprisingly, has a fairly straightforward explanation for her choice.
“I just wanted to show people that I’m out, I’m proud about it, I don’t care,” the outgoing 24-year-old Springfield, Ill., native said with a laugh. “Basically, just, ‘Yeah, I’m gay. You got a problem with it?’ I’ll punch you in the face, too (laughs).”
It wasn’t until after Brents finished her bouts—both decisive first-round victories—that her best friend gave her another reason to wave her flag with pride.
“She saw me come out with my rainbow pride flag and she said that she bets that for the younger generation who were trying to come out, it would boost their confidence to see someone in a mentor-type role or someone they look up to come out with that flag,” Brents said. “It helps them—it gives them that comfort that it’s okay.”
Fortunately for Brents, who told her family and friends that she was a lesbian about five years ago, she didn’t have a problem being open about her sexuality as many others do.
As such, Brentsdidn’t necessarily need a role model to help ease her transition.
“Coming out to my friends, they didn’t care,” she recounted. “I think the big hurdle was coming out to my parents, because I was thinking, ‘Oh, man, what are they going to do? Are they going to be cool? Are they going to cry and be sad? Are they going to be happy that I’m happy?’ Luckily, I finally came out to them and it was good. My dad was like, ‘Okay, so what do you want for dinner tonight?’”
For Brents, clearing the air and being open about her sexuality—truly being open about herself—was like taking a weight off her shoulders.
“When you’re not being your true self, when you’re not comfortable being your whole self around people when you’re not out, it’s just harder,” Brents explained. “You might not think of it as stress or something weighing on you, but it does. When you finally come out, you feel totally different…It’s like you can breath, you can be yourself.”
Brents understands, of course, that many people—including some in her social circle—aren’t as fortunate as her to have a healthy support system intact.
“I know some of my friends had to deal with their parents disowning them and, when they heard that my dad was super accepting of it, they were like, ‘Wow,’” she said. “I guess I just got lucky.”
Brents has some words of wisdom for both those who are on the verge of coming out and those who oppose homosexuality.
“In my opinion, just do it,” Brents said. “Get together and just do it. If it’s bad, it’s bad. But it’s like ripping off a Band-Aid; you don’t want to do it slow, you’ve just got to take it off. Just do it. If it comes out where it’s bad and they don’t like it, well, at least it’s off your chest. You can’t control other peoples’ emotions and actions, so go on and get it over with so you can be happy with yourself.”
“I always say don’t knock it until you try it,” she added with a laugh when asked if she had anything to say to those who oppose homosexuality. “But I know not everyone is going to try it. I would just say go with what you’re feeling, but don’t hate or dislike somebody just because they’re different.”
Beyond that sound advice, Brents—who said her colourful flag will be at her side for the remainder of her fighting career—would be more than happy to serve as a role model in the future.
“I feel like I could give a lot of input and advice on situations…” said Brents, who is to return to action against Amanda Bell at Invicta IV in Kansas City on January 5. “I would love to be an advocate for the LGBT.
“That would be cool.”
Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained first-hand.
Redemption can be a powerful motivator. When the chance to correct a misstep is within reach, the mind sharpens and the focus intensifies to ensure the previous mistake will not be repeated. Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will have this exact opportunity when he faces Junior dos Santos at UFC 155, and the only thing on his mind is recapturing the title.