CHICAGO — The wait is almost over for the arrival of a 125-pound weight class in the UFC.
UFC President Dana White said Wednesday that he expects to make a formal announcement about a flyweight class within a matter of days, likely when he’s in Toronto for UFC 140.
“This weekend. We should have something by this weekend. But it’s happening,” White said.
Several current UFC bantamweights, including Joseph Benavidez, Demetrious Johnson, Charlie Valencia and recent Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson, would appear likely to move down to 125 pounds. But that will be their decision alone. For his part, White said he won’t tell any bantamweights to move down.
“I’m not moving anybody. Those guys can make that decision themselves,” White said.
At the moment, the flyweight class is known only to the hardest of hard-core MMA fans, but White said he sees that changing in a hurry, and he thinks adding flyweights will help the UFC attract more fans in Asia and Latin America.
“I have a feeling that 125-pound division is going to be as talented as 155 and 170,” White said. “I’ve been working on it for months. At 125 pounds you’re going to see a lot of Hispanic, a lot of Asian fighters now coming to compete at that weight. Traditionally when you look at boxing, Asians or Hispanics have dominated those weights.”
The most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, which featured featherweights and bantamweights, is part of what has White bullish about smaller fighters — especially Dodson.
“If anything proved how awesome the small guys are it was this season of The Ultimate Fighter,” White said. “How about that Finale? The Finale was incredible The Diego [Brandao] fight was probably the best one round I’ve ever seen. And John Dodson is just phenomenal. The guy is an amazing, explosive athlete.”
CHICAGO — The wait is almost over for the arrival of a 125-pound weight class in the UFC.
UFC President Dana White said Wednesday that he expects to make a formal announcement about a flyweight class within a matter of days, likely when he’s in Toronto for UFC 140.
“This weekend. We should have something by this weekend. But it’s happening,” White said.
Several current UFC bantamweights, including Joseph Benavidez, Demetrious Johnson, Charlie Valencia and recent Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson, would appear likely to move down to 125 pounds. But that will be their decision alone. For his part, White said he won’t tell any bantamweights to move down.
“I’m not moving anybody. Those guys can make that decision themselves,” White said.
At the moment, the flyweight class is known only to the hardest of hard-core MMA fans, but White said he sees that changing in a hurry, and he thinks adding flyweights will help the UFC attract more fans in Asia and Latin America.
“I have a feeling that 125-pound division is going to be as talented as 155 and 170,” White said. “I’ve been working on it for months. At 125 pounds you’re going to see a lot of Hispanic, a lot of Asian fighters now coming to compete at that weight. Traditionally when you look at boxing, Asians or Hispanics have dominated those weights.”
The most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, which featured featherweights and bantamweights, is part of what has White bullish about smaller fighters — especially Dodson.
“If anything proved how awesome the small guys are it was this season of The Ultimate Fighter,” White said. “How about that Finale? The Finale was incredible The Diego [Brandao] fight was probably the best one round I’ve ever seen. And John Dodson is just phenomenal. The guy is an amazing, explosive athlete.”
Filed under: UFCNot long after Michael Bisping was pulled off of Jason “Mayhem” Miller, signifying a TKO victory in the TUF 14 Finale main event, UFC president Dana White voiced his displeasure, calling it “the most one-sided fight I might have ever se…
Not long after Michael Bisping was pulled off of Jason “Mayhem” Miller, signifying a TKO victory in the TUF 14 Finale main event, UFC president Dana White voiced his displeasure, calling it “the most one-sided fight I might have ever seen in the UFC.”
Given that Miller won the first round on the scorecards of many observers, that seems a bit harsh. This year alone, there have been plenty of other main events, let alone less significant matches, that were far more one-sided than Miller-Bisping. Less than one month ago, Junior dos Santos beat Cain Velasquez in just 64 seconds. In the fall, Jake Ellenberger KO’d Jake Shields in just 53 seconds. In March, Jon Jones beat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua from the opening horn until the third-round finish. Yet Bisping-Miller is the fight he singled out.
That can’t be seen as a good sign for Miller, who gave the UFC an entertaining season of TUF, but now awaits word of his future.
To date, no TUF coach has been cut from the UFC after losing in his first match after the show ended, although there are two asterisks worth noting. After TUF 9, Dan Henderson beat opposing coach Bisping, then left the promotion when the sides couldn’t reach a deal to extend his expiring contract. And in his first fight after TUF 11, Chuck Liddell was knocked out by Rich Franklin and later retired.
In my opinion, Miller deserves another opportunity. While his offense can be unorthodox, he is still a competitive fighter and brings entertainment value with his presence. The UFC insists they want game fighters who come to put on a show. Even though he lost, Miller did that. He didn’t go quietly or surrender. He took a beating and fought on until the referee put common sense ahead of courage. Cutting Miller would send a conflicting message from what fighters have always been told.
On to the future matchups…
Michael Bisping
Another strong performance from the Brit, who remains perpetually underrated and underappreciated despite few holes in his game. After his win, White alluded to the possibility of Bisping being added on to the UFC on FOX event. That would be a fast turnaround, but Bisping always seems to answer the UFC’s call. The question is who would be worth his while.
Right about now, a Bisping vs. Vitor Belfort fight would make good sense, but Belfort is locked into an evening with Anthony Johnson, and the UFC generally doesn’t like to shuffle fighters around after they’re already in the midst of preparing for something specific. So what’s left? Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen have a date, Anderson Silva is on the shelf, and Brian Stann is coming off a loss. Barring anything unexpected, that leaves one choice. Prediction: He faces Demian Maia
Jason Miller
It would be a mistake to cut Miller. He’s one of the few non-champions able to generate interest from mainstream media due to his TV stint as a host on “Bully Beatdown,” and this recent loss aside, he’s a credible fighter.
For his return, I’d give him a name the fans know, and one who is also teetering on the brink of unemployment. Prediction: He fights CB Dollaway
Diego Brandao
Brandao received an extraordinary amount of praise for his promise and success throughout season 14, and he also showed poise under pressure in the finale, overcoming a rough start in the early moments of the first round of his featherweight final with Dennis Bermudez before rebounding with a highlight-reel armbar submission.
For all the raves that have come his way, Brandao has much to work on. His striking can be too wild, he can be lured into wars, and he doesn’t have great takedown defense. At just 24 years old, he has time to work on those shortcomings, and shouldn’t be brought along too quickly. Prediction: Brandao faces a promotional newcomer in the spring
Dennis Bermudez
Bermudez looked excellent for nearly the entire first round until making a mistake on the ground and leaving himself open to the arm bar. Unfortunately, that seems to be a running theme for Bermudez, who has lost each of his last three pro bouts by first-round submission.
He’ll likely get another shot in the octagon but it’s going to be sink or swim for him next time around. Prediction: Bermudez faces either Marcus Brimage or Steve Siler
Tony Ferguson
The standout fighter on season 13 of TUF, Ferguson moved his record to 3-0 in the octagon with a solid decision win over veteran Yves Edwards. Such a victory shouldn’t be discounted. To defeat someone with a reservoir of experience on which to draw on is a feat worthy of our attention, particularly given the way Ferguson accomplished it in a workmanlike fashion.
His combination of striking and wrestling ability will make Ferguson a tough out as his confidence grows and he continues on up the ladder. Prediction:Danny Castillo is coming off a strong win of his own. He sounds about right for Ferguson.
John Dodson
The littlest guy in the house might have been its baddest dude, as he KO’d three of his four opponents in the bantamweight bracket on the way to taking the TUF crown among 135ers.
Dodson has flashed big power as well as the ability to dump opponents on their backs when necessary. Combine those attributes with his athleticism and speed, and you’ve got yourself a pretty intriguing fighter. Sure, he should probably be fighting at flyweight, but that long-rumored division doesn’t seem much closer to happening now than it did 12 months ago, so he’s going to have to roll with the bigger guys until then. Prediction: He faces Ken Stone
TJ Dillashaw
Dillashaw reminded me of Dollaway a bit, a hyped wrestler who fell short in the TUF finals to a smaller man, but regardless of the disappointing performance, he has some undeniable talent which leads me to believe he’ll rebound and make himself a force in the division somewhere down the line.
Though his roots are in wrestling, he does show a good striking game with the exception of keeping his hands so low. At his experience level, a loss isn’t the worst thing in the world, as it will allow Dillashaw a chance to progress at a more deliberate pace. Prediction: He faces Alex Soto
Filed under: UFCThe TUF 14 Finale once again made use of the claustrophobically ‘intimate’ setting in the Pearl at the Palms on Saturday night. It’s the kind of arena that lets you hear everything from the smack of the gloves to the belligerent shouts …
The TUF 14 Finale once again made use of the claustrophobically ‘intimate’ setting in the Pearl at the Palms on Saturday night. It’s the kind of arena that lets you hear everything from the smack of the gloves to the belligerent shouts of individual audience members, which is both good and bad, sometimes all at once.
For me personally, one benefit of the limited space at cageside was that I ended up sitting directly behind the Octagon girls. What did I learn from the experience? Mainly that Chandella and Arianny have zero problem eating candy and junk food all night. Seriously, we’re talking Skittles, Reese’s peanut butter cups, even Oreos.
And honestly? I was impressed. A lot of people might assume that women who wear a bikini to work must be starving themselves, but they definitely aren’t. Maybe it’s not a dietary strategy that all of us could pursue and still look good on TV, but it’s obviously working for them. Score one for Skittles.
On to Saturday night’s biggest winners, losers, and everything in between…
Biggest Winner: Diego Brandao
We could argue all day about whether a TUF title really means anything (though let’s not do that; I have errands to run), but a great fight is a great fight no matter what’s at stake. From his entrance music to his recklessly aggressive style, Brandao really is like a 145-pound Wanderlei Silva, only without the weird post-facelift look. He and Bermudez combined for one of the best finale fights in recent memory, packing three rounds of action into just a little under one round of actual fighting. Brandao’s style obviously opens him up to danger, as we saw, but it’s also incredibly exciting to watch. That man gets in the cage with the goal of writing his name in blood — yours or his, he doesn’t seem to care. For fans who love to complain that the smaller fighters lack finishing power, he’s the perfect addition to the UFC roster. He’s a brutal little wrecking ball who can end fights on his feet or on his back. Better yet, he will force even the most strategically-minded opponents into a car wreck inside the cage. The featherweight class could use that infusion of violence right now, and Brandao may be just the man to deliver it.
Biggest Loser: Jason “Mayhem” Miller
As much as I love his antics inside the cage and out, that was bad. Not even just a little bad, either. It was very, very bad, and at the exact worst time for him, career-wise. Who knows why he gassed out quickly. Bisping would like to think it was his doing, but that sounds a little bit like when Chael Sonnen tried to take credit for Paulo Filho’s bizarre behavior in their WEC rematch. Whatever was wrong with “Mayhem” was most likely internal, not external. Maybe the pressure got to him more than he expected it to. Maybe it was all that time outside the cage. Maybe it was some combination. Regardless of the reason, by the second round he had nothing left to threaten Bisping with, and all he could do then was take his beating like a man. Which he did, by the way. He ran on fumes for as long as he could, and then he got out and pushed. The end result was a beating that stretched on like the excruciating last act of a Terrence Malick movie. Hopefully the UFC and the fans won’t judge him too harshly on the basis of that one fight, since he can definitely do better. He just has to do it soon.
Mr. Split Personality: Michael Bisping
Just when you think he’s going full heel, he has a great performance and even acts like a gentleman afterward, shaking Miller’s hand and bowing to the same fans he cursed a day before. Then you go back and watch the fight again and wonder, hey, didn’t he just try to totally illegally headkick a downed “Mayhem” Miller? What’s up with that? Then he blames a miscalculated weight cut for his weigh-in outburst (somewhat understandable), but also says it was kind of Joe Rogan’s fault (not at all understandable). Bisping is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma and baked inside a Yorkshire pudding. What gets lost in all the public image concerns, however, is that he’s obviously a hell of a fighter, whether his haters want to admit it or not. Even if you don’t think much of his wins, look at his losses. A questionable decision against former light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans, a knockout at the hands of Dan Henderson (that one doesn’t look so bad in light of recent events, does it?), and an at least arguable decision against Wanderlei Silva. You could say he lacks knockout power, and the Miller fight lends credence to that, but you can’t say that he doesn’t have skills.
Most Fun Per Pound: John Dodson
This pint-sized warrior has an infectious enthusiasm for everything, plus he can obviously fight a little bit. The stoppage might have been a tad early, but the fact remains that Dodson is essentially a flyweight who just won the bantamweight TUF tournament, so give the man his respect. His post-fight floor/cage routine makes me wonder if he didn’t miss his calling as a gymnast (or a ninja), but I’m excited to see how far he can go in the UFC. Once the organization finally gets the 125-pound division up and running, that is.
Worst Judging That Probably Didn’t Matter: Yves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson
I scored it 29-28 for Edwards, but the third round was so close that I wouldn’t even bother to argue if you told me you had it 29-28 for Ferguson. What I cannot accept, however, is a 30-27 score for Ferguson, which is how two of the three judges saw it. That’s the sort of thing that should make every fighter scared of going to a decision — even Ferguson. If the judges can look at a round that saw Ferguson get headkicked from one end of the cage to the other and score it in his favor, they simply can’t be trusted. It didn’t result in an outright robbery this time, but it’s still a disturbing sign that MMA judging has serious problems that no one seems to be even trying to fix.
Nasty As He Wanna Be: Marcus Brimage
After winning a clear-cut decision over Stephen Bass he took to the microphone and said he’d like to thank his sponsors, “when I get some.” Then he did a post-fight sitdown with our own Ariel Helwani that was hilariously inappropriate, necessitating the use of the old-timey test pattern to protect him from himself. Seriously, for those of you wondering what he said, don’t. You’re better off this way. If I could somehow un-know it, I would. Let’s just say that the next time a fighter asks if he can “get graphic” in a conversation about his sexual preferences, Helwani will almost certainly tell him no. The mental images that Brimage painted are the kind that disturb the sleep. That said, he’s just so damn likable. He’s still a little raw in the cage, but he’s got real potential. If he can sharpen his skills and get some experience (without getting himself banned from giving post-fight interviews) he could be a legitimate future prospect.
Most in Need of a New Way to Spend His Saturday Nights: Steve Mazzagatti
I initially thought Dana White went a little too far in calling him the worst ref in the history of fighting (whoever was working those Christians vs. lions bouts in the Coliseum was pretty bad), but now I’m starting to come around to that assessment. It’s not even the magnitude of the mistakes so much as the amazing consistency of them. He let the Johnny Bedford-Louis Gaudinot bout go on long after Gaudinot had quit fighting back, and he had absolutely nothing to say about the various illegal and/or attempted illegal blows in the Bisping-Miller fight. It’s to the point now that, when he’s announced as the ref for a given fight and the crowd boos, that’s how you know you’re dealing with an educated crowd. Mazzagatti needs to up his game or else find something else to do, because one of these days he’s going to get somebody seriously hurt.
Least Charitable Assessment of a Main Event: Dana White
Calling the Bisping-Miller fight “the most one-sided fight” he’s seen in the UFC is just ridiculous. Even if White isn’t much of a Miller fan (and he isn’t), we’ve seen far less competitive matches over the years. Anderson Silva-Chris Leben comes to mind. Sean Gannon-Brandon Lee Hinkle is one the UFC might rather forget entirely, but it’s up there as well. Hell, even the Bedford-Gaudinot fight earlier in the night was more lopsided, only in part because of the tremendous size difference. Yes, Miller got tired early and was never really in the fight after that, but we’ve seen way worse. Trying to bury a guy who could turn out to be a legitimate draw for your company is a move that I can’t quite fathom. Lighten up, Dana. And give “Mayhem” a second chance.
Another season of The Ultimate Fighter has come and gone, and we’re not certain what the future holds for it. The entire format of the show we knew and loved, then decided to ignore for a while, then were all like “Dude there’s no way Kimbo gets past Roy Nelson”, then went back to ignoring it when we were proven right, then decided “Well maybe Mayhem will be fun to watch” is about to change yet again. Raise your hand if you got lost during that last sentence.
If there’s one thing we understand at Cage Potato, it’s consistency. No matter how much the show changes, we’ll be around to give you our opinions on what to do with the finale’s biggest names. So let’s get to it, shall we?
Michael Bisping: Since losing to Wanderlei Silva back at UFC 110, Michael Bisping has gone 4-0 and established himself as a Top Ten Middleweight. Or at least that’s what I keep hearing, even though the guys he’s defeated in that time period have been on the lower to middle end of the middleweight division. In his post fight-interview with Ariel Helwani, Bisping hinted that his next fight has already been booked, and it’s against someone he hasn’t fought before. A fight against Alan Belcher makes sense, and should establish the winner as a legitimate contender in the middleweight division. Don’t act too surprised if the UFC uses Bisping as a litmus test for 7-0 (3-0 UFC) prospect Chris Weidman, either.
Another season of The Ultimate Fighter has come and gone, and we’re not certain what the future holds for it. The entire format of the show we knew and loved, then decided to ignore for a while, then were all like “Dude there’s no way Kimbo gets past Roy Nelson”, then went back to ignoring it when we were proven right, then decided “Well maybe Mayhem will be fun to watch” is about to change yet again. Raise your hand if you got lost during that last sentence.
If there’s one thing we understand at Cage Potato, it’s consistency. No matter how much the show changes, we’ll be around to give you our opinions on what to do with the finale’s biggest names. So let’s get to it, shall we?
Michael Bisping: Since losing to Wanderlei Silva back at UFC 110, Michael Bisping has gone 4-0 and established himself as a Top Ten Middleweight. Or at least that’s what I keep hearing, even though the guys he’s defeated in that time period have been on the lower to middle end of the middleweight division. In his post fight-interview with Ariel Helwani, Bisping hinted that his next fight has already been booked, and it’s against someone he hasn’t fought before. A fight against Alan Belcher makes sense, and should establish the winner as a legitimate contender in the middleweight division. Don’t act too surprised if the UFC uses Bisping as a litmus test for 7-0 (3-0 UFC) prospect Chris Weidman, either.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller: Um, wow. That happened. Admittedly, we’ve seen much worse, but Miller’s wild striking and poor cardio won’t exactly silence his critics. Nor will they guarantee him a second fight in the UFC, as Dana White seems hesitant to give Mayhem another shot after last night’s performance. But for now, let’s assume that Miller will be given another chance. If that’s the case, Miller deserves a gatekeeper like Alessio Sakara in order to properly gage whether or not he belongs in the organization. Because we’re dealing with a marketable Strikeforce middleweight who fell flat in his UFC debut, my inner sadist won’t stop bringing up Cung Le as well. Regardless of the opponent, it’ll be crystal clear that it’s “go big or go back to Strikeforce” for Jason Miller.
Diego Brandao: The TUF 14 Featherweight champion showed off a surprising ground game with his armbar victory over Dennis Bermudez. Or maybe it wasn’t surprising at all whatsoever, considering that the guy is a BJJ blackbelt. Regardless, we weren’t expecting him to win via submission. Because four of Brandao’s seven career losses have come via TKO, don’t expect the UFC to book him against a dangerous striker in his post-TUF debut. Rani Yahya, with zero victories by knockout, makes perfect sense.
John Dodson: The TUF 14 bantamweight champion is in a pretty interesting situation. A natural flyweight, Dodson could- and probably will- stay on the sidelines until the UFC unveils its flyweight division in 2012. But let’s assume that he sticks around at bantamweight until given a specific date for when the UFC will start booking fights at flyweight. An experienced veteran like Jeff Curran or Cole Escovedo would be an interesting, winnable fight for Dodson. Especially Cole Escovedo, if we’re leaning towards “winnable”- as the UFC tends to with its TUF champions in their post-TUF debuts.
Tony Ferguson: Ferguson looked good in his victory against “Thug-jitsu” black belt Yves Edwards last night. Unfortunately for Ferguson, it’s going to take more than a good performance against a gatekeeper like Edwards to earn a contender at lightweight. Ferguson did well stuffing takedown attempts from Edwards, but matching him up against a wrestler like Shane Roller would be a good test for him. Likewise, the winner of the upcoming tilt between Jacob Volkmann and TJ Grant makes sense.
That’s all we have for now. You can decide the fates of the other winners and/or the losers not named “Jason Miller” from last night on your own. Choose wisely.
(Aw man, he’s a Mormon? We just assumed he was a *normal* insane Christian, like Diego Sanchez. / Props: MMAJunkie)
From what we hear, Brazilian real estate is a buyer’s market right now. That’s good news for Diego Brandao, who earned enough bonus money last night to get his beloved mother a decent ranch house near all the good favelas. The UFC handed out $40,000 performance bonuses to the following TUF 14 Finale competitors:
Fight of the Night: Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez for their dramatic one-rounder, in which odds-on favorite Brandao started strong, then nearly got TKO’d, then pulled an armbar directly out of his ass with nine seconds left in the round.
Knockout of the Night: John Dodson, for generating an incredible amount of torque from that tiny body and smashing TJ Dillashaw in under two minutes.
Submission of the Night: Diego Brandao again, for armbarring victory out of the jaws of defeat.
And as we mentioned in yesterday’s liveblog, $25,000 “Best of the Season” bonuses were also awarded to these TUF 14 Finale competitors…
(Aw man, he’s a Mormon? We just assumed he was a *normal* insane Christian, like Diego Sanchez. / Props: MMAJunkie)
From what we hear, Brazilian real estate is a buyer’s market right now. That’s good news for Diego Brandao, who earned enough bonus money last night to get his beloved mother a decent ranch house near all the good favelas. The UFC handed out $40,000 performance bonuses to the following TUF 14 Finale competitors:
Fight of the Night: Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez for their dramatic one-rounder, in which odds-on favorite Brandao started strong, then nearly got TKO’d, then pulled an armbar directly out of his ass with nine seconds left in the round.
Knockout of the Night: John Dodson, for generating an incredible amount of torque from that tiny body and smashing TJ Dillashaw in under two minutes.
Submission of the Night: Diego Brandao again, for armbarring victory out of the jaws of defeat.
And as we mentioned in yesterday’s liveblog, $25,000 “Best of the Season” bonuses were also awarded to these TUF 14 Finale competitors…
…meaning that Dodson’s total bonus-take from last night was actually $65,000, which will buy the talented dynamo a whole lot of energy drinks and action figures.
CHICAGO — The wait is almost over for the arrival of a 125-pound weight class in the UFC. 
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