In case you missed the full episode this week, we’ve got the entire UFC 140 countdown show for you right here.
Not sure if the production crew for the show has changed since the UFC has cut ties with SPIKE, but this episode has a much different feel than past editions, including new graphic and title sequences and a lot of slow motion shots .
Overall it’s a decent show.
One interesting factoid that came out of the episode is that Only Chuck Liddell in the past five years has successfully defended the UFC light heavyweight belt more than once. Jones has done it once and so has Machida.
Personally, I don’t feel that Lyoto deserves to be a 4 to 1 underdog, but I guess we’ll know come Saturday night.
Check out the entire show after the jump.
(Meanwhile, back at the GQ press conference.)
In case you missed the full episode this week, we’ve got the entire UFC 140 countdown show for you right here.
Not sure if the production crew for the show has changed since the UFC has cut ties with SPIKE, but this episode has a much different feel than past editions, including new graphic and title sequences and a lot of slow motion shots .
Overall it’s a decent show.
One interesting factoid that came out of the episode is that Only Chuck Liddell in the past five years has successfully defended the UFC light heavyweight belt more than once. Jones has done it once and so has Machida.
Personally, I don’t feel that Lyoto deserves to be a 4 to 1 underdog, but I guess we’ll know come Saturday night.
Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida: Current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has emerged as MMA’s wunderkind since breaking into the promotion in 2008. Some expect former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida to give Jones his first…
Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida: Current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has emerged as MMA’s wunderkind since breaking into the promotion in 2008. Some expect former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida to give Jones his first true test inside the Octagon. Machida’s karate based / counter-striking style is a bit different than what Jones has faced to date. The concern is that Machida’s ability to keep things at a distance will frustrate Jones, causing him to leave himself open as he becomes more aggressive. While this is a legitimate concern, if Jones does catch Machida he could be in big trouble and that’s the way I see this one going. Machida will keep things at a distance, but by the third round Jones will close that distance and end it. Jones by third round TKO.
Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: There will be no excuses when this rematch takes place. The first time these two met, back in 2008, Mir emerged with a second round TKO victory. There have been rumblings that Nogueira suffered from a Staph infection going into that fight, but now both fighters are (allegedly) healthy. Mir has not been overwhelming in his last two fights, but he seems to be coming into this one with a chip on his shoulder. On the other hand Nogueira’s confidence couldn’t be any higher as he is coming to this fight after a big knockout victory over Brendan Schaub at UFC 134. My take is that Mir comes in with a purpose and ends this one. Mir by second round TKO.
Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogério Nogueira: Ortiz is experiencing quite the career resurgence in 2011. Heading into UFC 132 many believed he was walking to toward the UFC gallows, but he delivered a dominating performance submitting Ryan Bader and earning Submission of the Night honors. Ortiz then followed that up by taking a fight with Rashad Evans on short notice. Ortiz did lose that fight, but no one questioned the effort he gave inside the Octagon that night in Philadelphia. For his part Nogueira is on a two fight losing streak, dropping decisions to Ryan Bader and Phil Davis, before undergoing shoulder surgery. This fight is probably more important career wise to Nogueira as Tito has said he plans on only fighting twice more before retirement. As important as the scrap is to him, I just don’t see Nogueira getting past Ortiz on Saturday night as a healthy and motivated “People’s Champion” looks to close out his career on a high note. Ortiz by decision.
Claude Patrick vs. Brian Ebersole: Claude Patrick has been on a nice run since making his MMA debut back in 2002. He fought twice that year, going 1-1. His next fight was in 2005 and since then he has gone 13-0, including 3-0 in the UFC. For Brian Ebersole, well, he’s been in the fight game since 2000, racking up a record of 48-14-1-1 with two of those wins being in the UFC. In the end, I think experience and guile will rule the day and Ebersole will extend his UFC winning streak while ending Patrick’s. Ebersole by decision.
Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung: If you had to pick a fight that was an odds on favorite to garner Fight of the Night honors, you could do worse than choosing this one. Look for this one to stay standing and hope that it goes the distance as both of these fighters have shown an affinity for delivering entertaining battles. Hominick is the better striker of the two, but “The Korean Zombie” has shown that he is not afraid to stand and deliver as well. In the end, the striking ability of Hominick will carry the day. Hominick by decision.
Just a friendly reminder that we’ll have the UFC 140 pre-fight press conference stream here starting at 1:00 pm ET. At the event, which will take place at the Toronto International Film Festival Lightbox, will be main card participants Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, Antonio Rodrigio Nogueira, Frank Mir, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Tito Ortiz.
Will Tito keep shoving his self-invented, “The People’s Champion” moniker down everyone’s throats?
Will Frank Mir tell everyone how much better he is than the Nogueiras?
Wil Jon Jones explain why he will always be the betting favorite in his future fights?
All of these questions and more will be answered after the jump at 1:00.
Just a friendly reminder that we’ll have the UFC 140 pre-fight press conference stream here starting at 1:00 pm ET. At the event, which will take place at the Toronto International Film Festival Lightbox, will be main card participants Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, Antonio Rodrigio Nogueira, Frank Mir, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Tito Ortiz.
Will Tito keep shoving his self-invented, “The People’s Champion” moniker down everyone’s throats?
Will Frank Mir tell everyone how much better he is than the Nogueiras?
Wil Jon Jones explain why he will always be the betting favorite in his future fights?
Denzel Washington said it best in Training Day: “This is chess…it ain’t checkers”.UFC 140 on Saturday highlights a championship fight, pitting Jonny “Bones” Jones against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, which, in my opinion, is exactly the type of mat…
Denzel Washington said it best in Training Day: “This is chess…it ain’t checkers”.
UFC 140 on Saturday highlights a championship fight, pitting Jonny “Bones” Jones against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, which, in my opinion, is exactly the type of match the UFC needs right now.
I was hoping for the best for Rampage, but this coming matchup will definitely be the toughest test of JBJ.
And for those of you who say, “Well, Jones already demolished Shogun (who defeated Machida at UFC 113) and Rampage (who defeated Machida via decision at UFC 123),” that’s another match entirely. Bones is squaring off with the man who trains with the man who is probably his only true opposition in mixed martial arts: Anderson Silva.
It’s hard to argue that there are many cerebral opponents in the already strategic sport of mixed martial arts that are of Machida’s caliber.
What excites me most about this matchup is a unique take on the proverbial wedge meets wall, the difference being that either opponent can interchangeably be the wedge or the wall at any time.
Jones has shown exemplary athleticism and a seemingly spacious gas tank, especially when feeling out opponents during grappling, and a fearsome ability of finding opportunities to end it there.
Machida has shown time and again that his ability to counterstrike is unparalleled; he will not waste a single move, in or out of the clinch, and he has solid instincts on some damaging offense.
So, what’s stopping Jones from cartwheeling his way to another victory?
Machida’s accuracy.
Despite the fact that he’s almost a ruler’s length away from JBJ’s wingspan, Lyoto’s an assassin firing from all eight limbs with a consistent striking percentage north of 89 percent. He’ll have to at least be 10.5″ closer to Jones, who’s farther than the two-to-four-inch reach difference Lyoto’s accustomed to.
What does this mean for us, the MMA fan/viewer/enthusiast?
Prepare to see a completely different, far more offensive Dragon (read: less “boring”), a challenger who knows he’s under-reaching a champ who is 12-for-14 in not letting fights go the distance.
The UFC 140 open workouts were held this afternoon at Extreme Couture in Etobicoke with headline fighters Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz, Frank Mir and The Nogueria brothers. The workouts were open to the media and the public and a couple hundred…
The UFC 140 open workouts were held this afternoon at Extreme Couture in Etobicoke with headline fighters Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz, Frank Mir and The Nogueria brothers. The workouts were open to the media and the public and a couple hundred fans and media packed the state of the art facility.
Lyoto Machida was the first to enter the gym and take the mat where he hit the pads, did a light shadow box and performed a short kata for the fans (Please see the video for up-close footage of Machida’s kata and comments).
This is Machida’s second consecutive fight in Toronto after he fought and knocked out legend Randy Couture at UFC 129 in April. Couture was clearly the fan favorite in that matchup and Machida is hoping things are different this time around.
“That victory and that fight was very important for me because I have a lot of respect for Randy Couture and to come up here to a place where Randy Couture has a lot of fans it was much different because I’m not used to having most of the fans on my opponent’s side,” Machida stated through his interpreter.
“But I want the fans to understand I am a professional, I respect Randy a lot and hopefully this time around I would be glad to accept the fans on my side,” he laughed.
It is tough to be the man to send a beloved legend so violently into retirement, but the perfectly executed crane kick brought on a karate revival in the minds and hearts of many, bringing up memories of the 80s classic flick The Karate Kid.
That revival must have had something to do with Machida getting a title shot in his next fight—something he was not really expecting.
“To be honest with you it was a big surprise because of the way that things were working out with the contenders and the fighters and also Jon Jones having the title and will be fighting now four times and that’s a lot for a guy to be fighting in a year so it’s definitely a big surprise.”It’s also pretty clear that Machida did feel a bit worried after he turned down the Rashad Evans fight.
“Also with me not taking that fight and all those different things that were going around so I’m very happy. I feel I am in a much more mature stage in my life, I am more experienced now.
I’ve experienced what it’s like to be a champion, I’ve experienced what it’s like to lose, I’ve experienced what it’s like to be knocked out, and I’ve experienced what it’s like to come back and have a big win. I just feel as a fighter and a man I’m more mature and more prepared than I was last year.”
I can’t wait to see if he is prepared enough to handle Jon Jones.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
Denzel Washington said it best in Training Day: “This is chess…it ain’t checkers”.