For the UFC’s champions, the last nine months have been like a game of Russian Roulette, but perhaps with more than one loaded chamber. Since Holly Holm brutally dethroned Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 on November 15, 2015, six other heavy underdogs have become UFC champions. Call it the Rousey Curse. Not every titleholder who went […]
For the UFC’s champions, the last nine months have been like a game of Russian Roulette, but perhaps with more than one loaded chamber.
Since Holly Holm brutally dethroned Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 on November 15, 2015, six other heavy underdogs have become UFC champions. Call it the Rousey Curse. Not every titleholder who went down has disappeared as completely as the “Rowdy” one has since her loss, but many have been finished in just as grisly a fashion. The next champion who goes into his or her title defense as more than a slight favorite has to be sweating bullets.
Only two champions have defended their straps as more than 2-1 favorites since that November night in Australia. The first was Rafael dos Anjos. The Brazilian whipped a kick into Donald Cerrone’s liver, and followed up by pummeling “Cowboy’s” face until he could do nothing but cover up.
The second was Demetrious Johnson continuing his run at Anderson Silva’s consecutive title defenses record. “Mighty Mouse” styled on his latest challenger, Henry Cejudo, tenderizing his body with clinch knees until the former Olympian cried “Uncle”.
Other than those two instances, however, every other champion who was expected to walk through his or her challenger has been bounced from the mountaintop in shocking fashion. This piece ranks the championship upsets that have occurred since Rousey tumbled from her throne.
It’s Sunday morning, and the MMA world is collectively left to sit and chew on yet another shocking upset in a UFC title fight. Today, it comes in the form of Tyron Woodley’s first-round knockout of Robbie Lawler in the main event of last night’s (Sat., July 30, 2016) UFC 201 from Philips Arena in […]
It’s Sunday morning, and the MMA world is collectively left to sit and chew on yet another shocking upset in a UFC title fight.
Today, it comes in the form of Tyron Woodley’s first-round knockout of Robbie Lawler in the main event of last night’s (Sat., July 30, 2016) UFC 201 from Philips Arena in Atlanta, and while we probably shouldn’t be all that surprised due to “T-Wood’s” power and Lawler’s propensity for getting hit, it’s simply the latest in a long line of touted champions who just can’t hold onto their belts for all that long in today’s evolving MMA landscape.
All in all, seven champions have been dethroned already in 2016 after Dominick Cruz, Miesha Tate, Stipe Miocic, Michael Bisping, Eddie Alvarez, Amanda Nunes, and now Woodley unseated relatively new champions in their own right. Gone are the days of dominant champions like Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre. Jon Jones is still here, technically, but his own actions have put a serious halt to his otherwise dominant career that is now on hold for an undetermined amount of time.
To put it in a stark kind of perspective, since Woodley last fought and beat Kelvin Gastelum by split decision at UFC 182, the only champ from that time to still have the belt is Demetrious Johnson after Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Rafael dos Anjos, Daniel Cormier, Fabricio Werdum, Holly Holm, Luke Rockhold, and Conor McGregor all won their respective titles in 2015. That’s 14 new champs in a year-and-a-half, folks, and that’s the kind of shakeup that can only be seen in mixed martial arts.
Just what that means for a sport where the UFC was recently purchased for a record-setting $4 billion remains to be seen. On the surface, business has never been better, but it’s hard to say if that’s sustainable for any long-term timeframe.
Also on the surface, it would appear that, with Ronda Rousey absent from the sport and obviously not a champion, the UFC has one true and proven top pay-per-view (PPV) draw in McGregor, and he hasn’t even defended the belt he won from Jose Aldo last year.
There is going to be the argument that the frequent changing of titles prevents marketable stars from being built, and of course there will be the side that supports and applauds the inherent unpredictability of fighting and the excitement that comes along with it. Which side are you on?
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold vs. former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Rockhold, who lost the belt to Michael Bisping earlier this year, brought up a three-year-old story about “The Spider” and his camp seeking a bout between the two on social media Thursday.
Silva, meanwhile, stepped in on short notice and faced Daniel Cormier at UFC 200 earlier this month, losing via decision.
UFC 199 spelled the end of Luke Rockhold’s short reign as middleweight champion. After many years toiling on the fringe of the division’s truly elite, British star Michael Bisping finally reaped what he’d sewn. Knocking out ‘Rocky’ in the first round of their April encounter, ‘The Count’ put an interesting twist on the division’s top
UFC 199 spelled the end of Luke Rockhold’s short reign as middleweight champion. After many years toiling on the fringe of the division’s truly elite, British star Michael Bisping finally reaped what he’d sewn. Knocking out ‘Rocky’ in the first round of their April encounter, ‘The Count’ put an interesting twist on the division’s top end. Much like Chuck Liddell had ‘unfinished business’ on his mind when he first won the 205-pound belt, Bisping wants revenge on his most brutal career loss. We are talking, of course, about Dan Henderson.
The legendary former Pride FC two-weight champion ‘Hendo’ owns perhaps the most recognizable knockout in MMA history, and it came against Bisping at the historic UFC 100 in 2009. After clobbering the Brit with his touted right hand, Henderson put in a flying forearm smash to the already ground ‘Count.’ For obvious reasons Bisping wants the chance at redemption, but circumstances make this fight very unpopular with the rest of the division.
Who wouldn’t want another crack after getting smacked like this?
Although in the fans eyes this is quite the enticing fight, as Henderson is looking at retirement afterwards, top contenders in the 185-pound category aren’t too amused. Currently ranked number 13 and having gone 2-2 since his middleweight return, there’s obvious cause for dismay among the rest of the division. Jacare Souza took to Facebook to voice his displeasure, taking a jab at Bisping with the following meme:
Are the UFC looking past the rankings a little too often at the moment? Quite possibly yes, but the fact remains that entertainment and marketability is a huge factor in booking these fights. Perhaps they see in the Dan Henderson fight one that’s more fan pleasing than any other options at present, it could also be influenced by Bisping’s insistence and the fact both men have such a storied history.
Will the tables be turned when Bisping vs. Henderson 2 happens around October time, reportedly at UFC 204, or will ‘Hendo’ defy the odds once again?
This probably won’t earn Michael Bisping any new fans. The polarizing UFC middleweight champion, who has the MMA world at his proverbial fingertips following his shocking knockout win over Luke Rockhold in the main event of June 4’s UFC 199, has been linked to a rematch with longtime rival Dan Henderson in the main event of
This probably won’t earn Michael Bisping any new fans.
The polarizing UFC middleweight champion, who has the MMA world at his proverbial fingertips following his shocking knockout win over Luke Rockhold in the main event of June 4’s UFC 199, has been linked to a rematch with longtime rival Dan Henderson in the main event of October’s rumored UFC 204 from Manchester, England.
It’s a rematch he’s understandably wanted since ‘Hendo’ infamously starched him with arguably the most iconic knockout in UFC history at 2009’s UFC 100, but apparently he turned down an absolute massive fight to get it.
All-time great former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is reportedly closer than ever to returning to the octagon, ‘GSP’s’ famed boxing coach Freddie Roach recently met up with Fight Hub TV to reveal that ‘The Count’ actually turned down the high-profile bout:
St. Pierre recently unveiled his desire to face Bisping on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, citing only a need to hammer out his contract situation with the UFC, as he’s sponsored by athletic apparel giant Under Armor while the UFC obviously has a long-term deal with Reebok.
But Roach said the fight most likely won’t happen because Bisping said no (quotes transcribed by Bloody Elbow):
“Yeah, I do like that fight, but Bisping said no. I know that that fight’s not going to happen.”
Roach added that even though that fight may be off, St. Pierre will continue to negotiate with the UFC, although it may be with the new owners after talent group WME-IMG bought the UFC earlier this week for a record $4 billion:
“He’s negotiating with the — well, he was negotiating with the Fertitta brothers. But I heard a rumor the company just got sold and bought by Ari Emanuel or someone. Maybe more than one person is involved is what I heard, but I don’t know exactly who owns UFC right now. He’ll negotiate with somebody, I’m sure.”
As for St. Pierre’s readiness to truly come back to fighting, Roach said he’s looked fantastic in training. All he needs is an opponent, and no names have surfaced as of late:
“He looked really good in training. He did really well. But the thing is, there are no names out there yet. We haven’t picked anyone or we don’t have a favorite at this point.”
With Bisping seemingly angering his divisional rivals Chris Weidman, Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, and Rockhold with his decision to face No. 13-ranked Henderson in order to settle a grudge, the decision to reportedly also turn down a blockbuster bout with St. Pierre is guaranteed to ruffle more feathers.
Did ‘The Count’ miss the boat on what could have been his biggest-ever payday, or will it still come to fruition?
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world was thrown for a wild loop when longtime UFC veteran Michael Bisping knocked out Luke Rockhold in their UFC 199 main event clash, to secure his first ever UFC title on just two weeks notice. Since the loss Rockhold’s once surging confidence has taken a dynamic blow, and if
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world was thrown for a wild loop when longtime UFC veteran Michael Bisping knocked out Luke Rockhold in their UFC 199 main event clash, to secure his first ever UFC title on just two weeks notice.
Since the loss Rockhold’s once surging confidence has taken a dynamic blow, and if losing the title on his first defense wasn’t worst enough, the fact that he lost it in such dramatic fashion to the brash Bisping adds insult to injury.
Though Rockhold never did successfully retain his title in his short run as champion, he does have a history with Bisping as the two men share a win over one another. In a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, courtesy of MMA Fighting, Rockhold stated that he is confident that a trilogy bout with the trash-talking Englishman is on the horizon:
“I think the odds are high,” Rockhold said. “I think the opportunity is there. … I f*cked up the whole division.
I put Bisping in a place where he feels empowered and he’s trying to pick and choose his fights. I think it’s put a strain on everything, on all the matchups that need to happen.
My bad. I f*cked up. I’m sorry to the fighters and I’m sorry to the fans that they have to deal with this piece of sh*t.”
Rockhold credits Bisping for his toughness, owning up to the fact that he lost to the new 185-pound king ‘fair and square, however, the AKA product highly doubts that Bisping would be able to repeat what he did in June once more:
“He’s a tough guy,” Rockhold said. “I lost fair and square. But the odds of that happening are fairly low. He caught me on the tip of my chin on the way out in a perfect moment and then followed it up.
Congrats to him. He won. I think the guy is a true piece of sh*t and I think he’s classless. Like I said, I’d love the opportunity to get that back.
I think the odds are the odds and I’d love to write that wrong and fix it for everybody. I don’t think he deserves it. I don’t think he knew he was gonna do it.
Obviously his reaction tells that. It’s not gonna last long. I want that back. I want to settle the score. It’s 1-1.”
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Luke Rockhold of the United States kicks Michael Bisping of England in their middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside Allphones Arena on November 8, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Prior to the bout many anticipated a more thunderous finish from Rockhold than the first time he defeated Bisping, something the Californian eagerly wanted to accommodate to the crowd and went into the contest extremely confident in his capability of doing so.
Rockhold, however, took Bisping much too lightly, which ultimately led to his jaw-dropping downfall:
“I think you need those nerves,” Rockhold said. “They keep you honest, they keep you precise. They heighten your senses.
I went in there with no nerves and thinking I had to put on a performance nobody had, go out there and show something different.”
Bisping has had no shortage of suitors for who his next opponent might be. Viable candidates stem from former middleweight champion Chris Weidman, all the way down to No. 13-ranked Dan Henderson who shares a bit of history with the new champion:
“I think I screwed up the whole middleweight division,” Rockhold said. “I think I put them in a tough spot. I think Bisping is obviously doing more of that, him being the ballsy guy and claiming how tough he is and he’ll do this and he’ll do that.
He’s being very picky about who he’s fighting next. It seems like he’s running from quite a few people. We see the true colors come out in Bisping. It’s all coming out now.”
In regards to an immediate rematch between Rockhold and Bisping, Rockhold believes it’s the only option that makes sense at the moment:
“I think it makes the most sense of anything out there,” Rockhold said. “I’ve already beat Weidman. He can’t jump me for that. I’ve already beat Jacare.
I’m the No. 1 contender. I’ve already beat Bisping. I think the rubber match is there and I think that’s the fight to make. I want this. Will he get it? It’s ultimately up to the UFC, though Bisping will have plenty of say.
In the end Rockhold firmly believes Bisping’s reign as champion will be short lived, and if Bisping wants to prove himself as a true champion, the only way to do it is through a rematch with him:
“It’s not gonna last,” Rockhold said. “Face the music. Try to be a real champion. If you want to be a real champion, go out there and let’s fight.
Fight me. Fight one of the top guys. You know I’m your route to being that true champion that you always wished you could be.”
![060416-UFC-Michael-Bisping-1.vadapt.664.high.51[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/060416-UFC-Michael-Bisping-1.vadapt.664.high_.511.jpg)
Though Rockhold never did successfully retain his title in his short run as champion, he does have a history with Bisping as the two men share a win over one another. In a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, courtesy of 
![Michael-Bisping-vs-Luke-Rockhold-weigh2-750x370[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Michael-Bisping-vs-Luke-Rockhold-weigh2-750x3701.jpg)
In regards to an immediate rematch between Rockhold and Bisping, Rockhold believes it’s the only option that makes sense at the moment: