Filed under: UFCUFC President Dana White will be joined at the UFC 135 press conference by main event fighters Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson, and co-main event fighters Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck, in meeting the press in Denver on Wednesday. We’ll h…
UFC President Dana White will be joined at the UFC 135 press conference by main event fighters Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson, and co-main event fighters Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck, in meeting the press in Denver on Wednesday. We’ll have the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.
Jones and Jackson have engaged in a war of words leading up to their fight, including Jackson accusing Jones of sending a spy into his training camp. So this press conference should have some interesting comments from both main event fighters.
The UFC 135 pre-fight press conference begins at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday and the video is below.
Jon Jones has proven already in his young MMA career that he is one of the most dynamic fighters we have in the sport today. His combination of versatile striking and aggressive grappling have led to more highlight reel moments than most fighters …
Jon Jones has proven already in his young MMA career that he is one of the most dynamic fighters we have in the sport today.
His combination of versatile striking and aggressive grappling have led to more highlight reel moments than most fighters get over their whole careers. Jones has dominated every fight put in his path, all the way to former light heavyweight champion Shogun Rua.
Jon Jones has given us no reason to doubt his ability as a fighter, and every reason to believe that he could continue to develop in to a top fighter for years to come.
At UFC 135 he takes on Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jackson is coming off back-to-back wins against Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill.
Rampage is known for his heavy hands and powerful slams. However, it is a whole different game when it comes to fighting Jon Jones.
He is unlike any challenger Rampage Jackson has faced before.
Here are four reasons why Jon Jones is going to run through Rampage Jackson at UFC 135.
Filed under: UFCThe main eventers have worked out their issues with Dr. Phil and the guys lower down the card have had a chance to discuss what their fights ultimately mean, so I suppose it’s time to turn to the betting experts to find out how they see…
Based on all the pre-fight hype, you wouldn’t know this main event is, at least according to oddsmakers, a bit of a squash match. And yet, these are the people who get paid to handicap fights, and this is actually one of the more reasonable lines out there. Some have Jones as high as 7-1. Can so many professional gamblers be wrong?
Well, sure they could. Especially with a fighter who’s as young and untested as Jones. He’s dominated every opponent so thoroughly that it’s hard to imagine a plodding, predictable striker like Jackson surprising him with anything new. If I had to guess, I’d say Jones is thinking the same thing right now. If he goes into this fight thinking that Jackson has nothing for him, he could end up learning a painful lesson about respecting his elders. Punching power is the last desperate hope of many an aging fighter, and it’s been Jackson’s saving grace a time or two in the past. His best chance is to catch Jones slipping and rock him with one hard shot. Then again, no one’s been able to do it yet. My pick: Jones. The betting line is clearly insane, but money ventured on Jackson is money you need to be prepared to never see again. He needs to get in close and hook in order to have a chance. I fear the closest he’ll get to Jones is during the pre-fight staredown.
I love an underdog pick as much as anyone (see also: my regrettable decision to pick Jason MacDonald last week), but I don’t see how Hughes has much of a chance here. What, does he outwrestle the bigger, stronger Koscheck? Nope. Does he floor him with his polished striking? Probably not. Does he submit him off his back? C’mon son. Hughes holds no obvious advantages over a guy like Koscheck, with the possible exception that he’s been in pre-fight training mode a little longer. But even though Koscheck took this fight on short notice, both men have had comparable layoffs, and both had to deal with a new opponent three weeks out. Maybe Hughes can come right out and put some leather on Koscheck’s surgically-repaired eye, but Country Breakfast wasn’t known for his stellar hand speed even in his prime, and he’s a long way from that now. My pick: Koscheck. Again, atrocious odds, but fitting ones. We’d probably have more fun betting on whether this will be Hughes’ retirement fight. I got a sawbuck that says it is.
Browne is now in his fourth UFC fight, and so far the most vulnerable we’ve seen him look was when Cheick Kongo pressed him up against the fence and clung to his shorts en route to a yawn-worthy draw. Maybe that was the smart way to play it, since as Stefan Struve found out back in May, this big man can swat. That could be why oddsmakers aren’t so hot on Broughton’s chances. He’ll be giving up about four inches in height to the 6’7″ Browne, and the Brit has yet to beat any really impressive heavyweights (no offense to James Thompson and Butterbean, both of whom have losses against Broughton). His best chance might be to get Browne to the mat, where his size and reach won’t be such a problem. That’s easier said than done against this behemoth. My pick: Browne. With all these huge favorites in my parlay, I’m going to have to find a crazier-than-usual underdog pick soon…
After being overpowered at welterweight, Diaz is back in the division where he’s had the most success and is taking on one of his brother’s former foes. It seems like a match-up that’s made for Diaz. Here he has a submittable opponent who probably won’t try to out-wrestle him. All he has to do is not get knocked out. That shouldn’t be so hard, since both Diaz boys seem to have been born with iron chins. It’s a good thing, too, what with their willingness to stand there and let people test their fists on them. My pick: Diaz. I know, another favorite. Sorry, but I just don’t see Gomi winning too many fights these days that he can’t end with a single punch.
If you’re looking for a big underdog who’s worth a risk, it’s now or never. Hunt has almost zero ground game. We know this — and when I say ‘we,’ I’m including Rothwell. The smart thing to do would be for Rothwell to get it to the mat as early as possible and hope that Hunt still hasn’t learned even the basics when it comes to submission defense. And honestly, I think that’s probably what will happen. But there’s always that chance, however remote, that Hunt lands one good punch and changes everything. Every round does start on the feet, after all. And — who knows — maybe after 15 months away from the scene Rothwell thinks he has to prove something by coming in there and knocking Hunt out. It would be a bad idea, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of the question. My pick: Hunt. Man, I do not feel good about that. If Rothwell plays it smart, I think he submits him in the first round. But all that time off, plus Hunt’s heavy hands, multiplied by my need to find a crazy underdog, equals small action on Hunt.
Quick Picks:
– Nick Ring (+120) over Tim Boetsch (-150). Call me crazy, but I don’t think Boetsch will be able to run his usual wrestling schtick here. And when that doesn’t work, he’s all out of ideas.
– James Te Huna (-155) over Ricardo Romero (+125). Te Huna’s just a little bigger and more aggressive, plus he needs this more.
The ‘For Entertainment Purposes Only’ Parlay: Jones + Koscheck + Browne + Diaz. It’s not sexy, but at least it’s secure.
Filed under: UFCWill Jon Jones successfully defend his light heavyweight title for the first time, or will Rampage Jackson get the belt back? Can Matt Hughes show he still has something left, or will Josh Koscheck send Hughes another step closer to ret…
Will Jon Jones successfully defend his light heavyweight title for the first time, or will Rampage Jackson get the belt back? Can Matt Hughes show he still has something left, or will Josh Koscheck send Hughes another step closer to retirement? Will the unbeaten Travis Browne take another step forward in the UFC heavyweight division?
We’ll answer those questions and more as we predict the winners at UFC 135.
What: UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage
When: Saturday, the preliminary card starts at 6 p.m. ET, the Spike TV fights start at 8 and the pay-per-view starts at 9.
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver
Predictions on the five pay-per-view fights below.
Jon Jones vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson The UFC light heavyweight title has been a hot potato since Rampage took it from Chuck Liddell in 2007. Rampage defended it successfully only once before losing it to Forrest Griffin. Griffin lost his first title defense to Rashad Evans. Evans lost his first title defense to Lyoto Machida. Machida barely beat Shogun Rua in his first title defense before losing the belt to Shogun in a rematch. And Shogun lost his first title defense to Jones.
But many UFC fans think Jones will be the one who finally goes on a long run as light heavyweight champion, the way Liddell did before Rampage beat him. Jones has the whole package as a mixed martial artist, and he’s just 24 years old and still getting better. He could easily be the champion for years.
So does Rampage have a chance? I don’t think he has a very good one. At age 33, I don’t think Rampage is the same fighter he was in his 20s. He looks slower than the guy we saw beat Liddell twice, and he hasn’t shown much sign of his trademark punching power since knocking out Wanderlei Silva almost three years ago. I think Jones-Rampage looks a lot like Jones-Shogun, with Jones winning in dominant fashion. Pick: Jones
Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck Both of these guys are coming off long layoffs, with Hughes returning for the first time since losing to B.J. Penn in November, and Koscheck returning for the first time since losing to Georges St. Pierre in December. The biggest question about this fight is how Hughes and Koscheck will recover from their long layoffs, and from their decisive losses the last time they stepped into the Octagon.
But what we do know is that Koscheck is four years younger than Hughes and closer to his fighting prime than Hughes, and I think that makes Koscheck more likely than Hughes to be ready to bounce back from his loss and be ready to go — even though Koscheck is the one who took this fight on short notice. Hughes is one of the all-time great UFC fighters, with an all-time record 18 wins inside the Octagon. But at this point in their careers, I think Koscheck is both a better wrestler and a better striker than Hughes, and I don’t see Hughes getting No. 19. Pick: Koscheck
Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton Browne is coming off a great knockout of Stefan Struve in May, which improved his record to 11-0-1. He’s a big, powerful heavyweight who hasn’t yet shown that he can be a complete mixed martial artist but has shown that he can hit really, really hard.
Broughton hits hard, too, and he has a better ground game than Browne. But I don’t see Broughton being able to take this fight to the ground, and if they stand and trade punches, that’s exactly what Browne wants. Look for Browne to knock Broughton out. Pick: Browne
Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi When Nate’s big brother Nick Diaz submitted Gomi in 2007, it was a major upset: Gomi was widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world at the time. But that was a long time ago, and no one should be surprised when Nate Diaz submits Gomi. A loss here will drop Gomi to 1-3 in the UFC and serve as another reminder that the Gomi of the Pride years is gone for good. Pick: Diaz
Ben Rothwell vs. Mark Hunt
Speaking of guys from the Pride days who don’t have it anymore, it’s kind of amazing that Hunt — who has a career record below .500 and has lost six of his last seven — is actually in the UFC at all. Hunt still has punching power, as Chris Tuchscherer found out the hard way at UFC 127, but if Rothwell is completely recovered from the torn ACL that has kept him out since June of 2010, he should beat Hunt easily. Pick: Rothwell
On November 12, 1993, the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event was held in Denver, Colorado. The sport (if you could even call it that at the time) was billed as a no holds barred spectacle that would determine the ultimate martial artist on …
On November 12, 1993, the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event was held in Denver, Colorado. The sport (if you could even call it that at the time) was billed as a no holds barred spectacle that would determine the ultimate martial artist on planet Earth.
The event featured an eight man single-night tournament, with no weight classes and essentially no rules. Royce Gracie won the tournament, submitting three much larger opponents, and introduced North America to the phenomenon that is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Now, nearly 20 years later, the UFC has evolved into one of the most successful businesses in the entire world and is set to return home to the city where it all began.
UFC 135 brings the organization back to its Denver, Colorado roots. The fight card, which features a light heavyweight championship headliner between champion Jon Jones and challenger Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, will be the first time the UFC has been to its birthing grounds since 1995.
The action takes place this Saturday night, September 24, live on pay-per-view. With that said, let’s take a look at every fight on the card from top to bottom.
Dana White is back with another instalment of his acclaimed retrospective video series and we’re starting to notice a pattern here. The UFC president seems to be phoning it it these days, appearing sparingly in the videos and filling the remainder up with footage from previous events, which is false advertising considering this was supposed to be the UFC 135 Video Blog 1.
The Cliff’s Notes of what we learned this episode is after the jump.
(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFC)
Dana White is back with another instalment of his acclaimed retrospective video series and we’re starting to notice a pattern here. The UFC president seems to be phoning it it these days, appearing sparingly in the videos and filling the remainder up with footage from previous events, which is false advertising considering this was supposed to be the UFC 135 Video Blog 1.
Here’s what we learn in this episode:
• The Baldfather is still rich
• He hates bad refereeing
• Jake Shields thinks he should have been able to continue in spite of the fact that he was trying to single-leg the ref
• Besides being a hippy vegan, Jake is afraid of radiation from Cat Scans
• “Rampage” is an alpha male and a fan of ejaculation jokes
• Jon Jones is not a fan of “Rampage” or his shenanigans
UFC President Dana White will be joined at the UFC 135 press conference by main event fighters Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson, and co-main event fighters Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck, in meeting the press in Denver on Wednesday. We’ll have the live video right here at MMAFighting.com. 
The main eventers have 
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