If anyone knows just how good Chris Weidman is, it’s Lyoto Machida.
The former light heavyweight champion went toe-to-toe with the current middleweight champion for 25 minutes and came up on the losing end. Weidman, whose pedigree is that of a wr…
If anyone knows just how good Chris Weidman is, it’s Lyoto Machida.
The former light heavyweight champion went toe-to-toe with the current middleweight champion for 25 minutes and came up on the losing end. Weidman, whose pedigree is that of a wrestler, got the better of Machida in all aspects of the striking game.
Machida was apparently so impressed with Weidman’s offensive, he thinks the champ can stand and trade with one of the scariest strikers on the planet in Vitor Belfort.
When asked if Weidman should focus on landing takedowns, he told Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting the following:
I don’t think so. Weidman is ready to fight anywhere. If he has to stand, he will. Vitor can obviously land a punch and end this, that’s what makes this sport so captivating, but I think he will be ready to fight him there.
It looks like Vitor Belfort caught wind of what Machida said, and he thinks the notion of Weidman standing with him is a foolish one. In an interview with the Brazilian language AGFight (translated by Bloody Elbow) Belfort had the following to say:
He will fight standing against me only if he’s crazy. I’m ready to have a third world title at a third different weight class. I see a lot of openings from him and I’m studying this game since last year. I’m not focusing in his strengths but in his weaknesses and we saw that he has a lot.
Weidman has turned into one of the most complete mixed martial artists in the sport.
It is not crazy to believe that Weidman could very well be better than Belfort in every aspect. Our very own Clinton Bullock posed the question in his latest article: Does Belfort Have More Than a Puncher’s Chance Against Weidman?
He got the better of the greatest counter striker of all time in Anderson Silva twice. He out-struck one of the most elusive strikers the sport has ever seen in Machida. Now he faces one of the most lethal strikers in Belfort, whose combination of rapid-fire hands and ruthless kicks have taken out some of the best in the division over the last year and a half.
Lyoto Machida went on to add, “I think Vitor has a better chance in the first round and the first half of the second round because of his characteristics, but after that, I think Weidman’s chances are better than Vitor’s.”
For Belfort this will be the first fight in years he has competed in without the use of testosterone replacement therapy. The State of Nevada recently banned the use of TRT. It is easy to speculate that Belfort won’t be the same for his Dec. 6 fight with Weidman.
The aforementioned Cruz posted a “before and after“ photo of Belfort recently on Twitter. Judge for yourself as to whether or not Belfort appears any different in size and stature.
So Should Weidman stand with Belfort?
While the risk-adverse strategy would be for him to fight conservatively on his feet, let Belfort tire, take him down and submit him, Weidman seems to have the swagger of a fighter—much like Jon Jones—who enjoys beating his opponents at their own game.
With an impressive win over Belfort at UFC 181, Weidman can not only help close out the TRT era (as argued by Jeremy Botter), he can also solidify himself as one of the best young champs the sport has seen.
And just like that, July is coming to an end.
We were greeted with a highly anticipated title bout between the new middleweight emperor Chris Weidman and a valiant challenger in Lyoto Machida at UFC 176, only to be sent off toward August with an …
And just like that, July is coming to an end.
We were greeted with a highly anticipated title bout between the new middleweight emperor Chris Weidman and a valiant challenger in Lyoto Machida at UFC 176, only to be sent off toward August with an equally anticipated bout between Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown to determine the first man who will contest Johny Hendricks’ reign as the welterweight champion.
But, before we get to another action-packed month of ultimate fighting, it’s important we look back on the great month that was and acknowledge the great performances that were. Scroll on to see who receives performance bonuses for July.
Considering the ever-increasing demands of being an MMA fan, it can sometimes be difficult to savor the moment.
It’s never been more expensive or more difficult to simply follow our sport. These days, we hurtle along at a breakneck pace—stuck in …
Considering the ever-increasing demands of being an MMA fan, it can sometimes be difficult to savor the moment.
It’s never been more expensive or more difficult to simply follow our sport. These days, we hurtle along at a breakneck pace—stuck in an eternal state of Fiiiiight Weeek!!!—seldom finding the opportunity to just stop and take a breath. We rarely appreciate the beauty of our surroundings because we’re already rocketing on toward the next big thing.
So before we forget, before the experience fades into the next, this needs to be said:
July 2014 has been an awesome month to be a UFC fan.
We’re still five days away from Robbie Lawler fighting Matt Brown on network television, and already, July has given us more highlights than we could reasonably expect from any single 31-day period. With so much crow (rightly) being made about the drawbacks of the UFC’s ever-increasing schedule, it’s only fair that we acknowledge this month, when the menu of events felt just right.
We began July with Chris Weidman silencing his critics at UFC 175, as the middleweight champion turned away Lyoto Machida‘s chance at a second title reign in a second weight class. On the same card, women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey reaffirmed her dominance, knocking out Alexis Davis in 16 seconds.
By mid-month, we had Donald Cerrone finally coming into his own as a lightweight contender, dispatching Jim Miller via second-round KO.
The UFC’s trip to Dublin on July 19 has to be considered the month’s biggest, brightest surprise. Fight Night 46 took place in front of nearly 10,000 lathered Irishmen at the city’s O2 arena, and while the actual fight matchups weren’t spectacular—three mismatches and a lopsided flyweight contender bout comprising the main card—it may have been the loudest, most enthusiastic crowd in UFC history.
McGregor and fellow hot prospect Gunnar Nelson both waltzed past badly overmatched foes, sending the Dublin faithful home happy and hoisting their own stars a bit higher. The event wasn’t nearly as good as some people tried to pretend it was, but it felt perfect in a supporting role to the month’s other attractions.
Like almost everything else we saw during July, it overachieved, especially for a regional fight card that aired only on the UFC’s digital subscription service.
Only B.J. Penn’s sleepwalking performance against Frankie Edgar during The Ultimate Fighter 19 finale brought us down. It was gut-wrenching to watch an all-time great like Penn go out like that, but it’s safe to say memories of his stellar career will quickly outweigh the melancholy of its end. In fact, there’s been so much great MMA this month, you already have to think twice to even remember that Penn-Edgar III was part of it.
It’s crazy to imagine the best might still be to come.
Lawler vs. Brown could determine a future No. 1 contender in the welterweight division but, above and beyond that, is expected to be in the running for fight of the year honors. That is, provided both guys come with the determination and never-say-die attitudes that have typified the rest of their careers. Frankly, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a scenario where that doesn’t happen.
When it’s all said and done, it’s not out of the question we might have two FOTY contenders during a single month. Stack those alongside the carefree fun of the Dublin card, and this month was just what fight fans needed at the midway point of a year that so far has been marked by the UFC’s crushing schedule, injuries and performance-enhancing drug scandals.
Nothing wrong with taking a moment to let that sink in.
One reason we need to cherish these good times is that it won’t always be like this.
August, for example, looks like kind of a ghost town. After the cancellation of UFC 176, the fight company will be left with four events that may not do much to move the needle with fans.
They include UFC 177, which features the head-scratcher of a bantamweight title rematch between T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao and the underwhelming flyweight pairing of Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso. Other August main events include Ryan Bader vs. Ovince St. Preux, Benson Henderson vs. Rafael dos Anjos (the class of the group, for what that’s worth) and Michael Bisping vs. Cung Le.
So, yeah, that month might be kind of a bear.
But there is hope on the horizon for the second half of the year. The UFC will get some of its champions off the DL—Cain Velasquez, Anthony Pettis—and has some surefire blockbusters scheduled, including Jon Jones’ rematch against Alexander Gustafsson in Sept. Also, the first legitimately intriguing season of The Ultimate Fighter in recent memory is on tap, featuring the introduction of strawweight women.
With those attractions set, perhaps the company can spend the latter months of 2014 on an extended high note.
If it does, we could all end up pointing to July as the month it all turned around.
Schadenfreude is the German word for taking pleasure from the misfortune of others, and aside from scheisseporn it’s pretty much the best word to come out of Germany untranslated. The German fußball team gave us some textbook definition schadenfreude action when they crushed Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup earlier this week, and everyone on the internet delighted in watching the host nation weep like little bitches during the meltdown.
Evil pleasure aside, there’s something fascinating about seeing another human wallowing in sadness. And outside of a choking team’s arena or third world country, I’d argue there’s no better place to stare sadness in the face than at a UFC post-fight press conference.
While most of the defeated fighters on a card get to skip the conference and ruminate on their losses in private, the loser of the main event is expected to show up and answer sharp questions from our crack MMA media like “How do you feel right now?” and “What is next now that you’ve failed?”
The look on their faces as they struggle to answer will hit you right in the feels. Or trigger dat schadenfreude if you’re a dick. Since I am definitely a dick, allow me to be your sadness sommelier on this tour through the saddest sadfaces at UFC post-fight press conferences…
(“I am not impress wit my performance” – Photo by Esther Lin for MMAFighting)
Schadenfreude is the German word for taking pleasure from the misfortune of others, and aside from scheisseporn it’s pretty much the best word to come out of Germany untranslated. The German fußball team gave us some textbook definition schadenfreude action when they crushed Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup earlier this week, and everyone on the internet delighted in watching the host nation weep like little bitches during the meltdown.
Evil pleasure aside, there’s something fascinating about seeing another human wallowing in sadness. And outside of a choking team’s arena or third world country, I’d argue there’s no better place to stare sadness in the face than at a UFC post-fight press conference.
While most of the defeated fighters on a card get to skip the conference and ruminate on their losses in private, the loser of the main event is expected to show up and answer sharp questions from our crack MMA media like “How do you feel right now?” and “What is next now that you’ve failed?”
The look on their faces as they struggle to answer will hit you right in the feels. Or trigger dat schadenfreude if you’re a dick. Since I am definitely a dick, allow me to be your sadness sommelier on this tour through the saddest sadfaces at UFC post-fight press conferences…
After three failed runs at the lightweight title, Kenny dropped down to 145 for one last attempt at a UFC belt. Unfortunately he ran into the buzzsaw that was prime Jose Aldo and lost the fight 49-46 on all three judges’ scorecards. I’m pretty sure he would have shed a few tears if his body had the moisture to spare after cutting down to featherweight.
It seemed pretty damn obvious to everyone except BJ Penn that he was gonna get tool time’d by Frankie Edgar in their third fight. It wasn’t until the post-fight conference that the reality of his situation hit BJ in the face harder than anything Frankie threw in the cage. “I shouldn’t have come back.” Welcome to everyone’s conclusion from nine months ago, BJ.
Georges is the only winner to make it onto this list for the epic sadface he pulled after his ‘victory’ over Johny Hendricks. First off, you know a guy as OCD as GSP was aware he didn’t exactly perform to his typical flawless standard. Secondly, he not only had those ‘personal problems’ to deal with, his awkward out of the blue retirement in the cage went over about as well as a fart in church. That all led to St Pierre giving us a little glimpse of what things are like in his dark place.
For all the hype and accolades Lyoto got out of this fight, he knows the score: he’s 36 years old, and only managed to secure this title shot by default because the rest of the middleweight division turned out to be on steroids. Unless he’s willing to push his career into Randy Couture territory, we probably just witnessed his last kick at the title shot can.
Here’s a twofer that proves the only thing worse than choking and losing a title fight with two minutes remaining is choking and losing a title fight in the second round. Not pictured: the sad face Chael has now as he sits on his couch with his withered testicles in one hand and a lifetime prescription for TRT in the other.
We’ve taken a look at the state of the UFC’s heavyweight, light heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Today, there is no better time than to move one step down from 205 pounds to the middleweight land of reigning king Chris Weidman and …
We’ve taken a look at the state of the UFC’s heavyweight, light heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Today, there is no better time than to move one step down from 205 pounds to the middleweight land of reigning king Chris Weidman and those who seek to usurp the throne.
Middleweight is perhaps the UFC’s most interesting division in 2014. It has a new-ish champion atop the division who just proved that his two wins over the greatest fighter of all time may have not been a fluke after all. We also have a bevy of challengers making their way to the top of the division, and most of them bring fresh and interesting stylistic matchups.
Without any further fuss, let’s take a look at the UFC middleweight landscape.
The Title Picture
Chris Weidman: I’m big enough to admit something: I didn’t believe Weidman‘s two victories over Anderson Silva were valid enough for me to accept him as the true king of the middleweights. Silva got caught in the first fight as a result of his own ego, and the second fight had the horrible leg break.
But watching those two fights back today, I can see Weidman was on his way to either beating Silva or, at the very least, pushing him to the limit. And now, after Weidman‘s UFC 175 win over LyotoMachida, I’m comfortable with putting him on the middleweight throne. He’s the champ, and he cemented that fact with his performance against Machida.
Yes, there were moments when it felt Weidman was hanging on for dear life, but that’s what champions do: they persevere under pressure. Weidman battled through tough moments against a surging Machida, and he came out the other side.
Weidman can’t rest on his laurels, though, as he has a host of challengers waiting to test him the same way Machida did.
VitorBelfort: At some point, Belfort is going to get his title shot. First, he has to clear up his issues with the Nevada Athletic Commission, and we don’t know how long that’s going to take. Belfort has to apply for a license in the state; what happens if he’s turned down due to the failed random drug test from February? He’ll have to sit on the sidelines, likely until next February, before he can apply again, and that means his title fight goes out the window.
Belfort should be Weidman‘s next challenger. We just don’t know when it’s going to happen.
On the Verge
LyotoMachida: As I wrote over the weekend, Machida‘s performance against Weidman—even in a losing battle—likely did more to bolster his reputation with fans than all of the wins that came before it. Knowing he was down on the cards, Machida threw caution to the wind in the third and fourth rounds. He staggered Weidman and nearly pulled off a comeback for the ages.
It wasn’t just the fans Machida endeared himself to with his gritty effort. UFC head honchos Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta love when their fighters swing for the fences, and they tend to reward the folks who do more with their opportunities than those who play it safe. Machida lost the fight, sure, but he’s still in the title picture.
Ronaldo Souza:Jacare is riding a six-fight winning streak and has won all three of his UFC bouts. He was scheduled to face GegardMousasi at UFC 176, but that event no longer exists. The bout has been moved back a month, and the two will tangle at UFC Fight Night 50 in Connecticut.
A win over Mousasi will mean a lot for Souza. It will likely earn him a chance to either face the winner of Weidman vs. Belfort or allow him to face Weidman directly if Belfort‘s commission issues prevent him from fighting. It will also give him some measure of revenge for the loss he suffered to Mousasi at DREAM 6 back in 2008.
Anderson Silva: First, Silva must return to the Octagon from the horrific broken leg he suffered in December. That’s easier said than done; it will take a lot of mental strength for Silva to go in the Octagon and not worry about his leg holding up. Memory is a powerful thing.
But if he’s able to return—and all indications are that he will—it won’t take much for Silva to earn another title shot. The nature of his two losses to Weidman left a lot of doubt for the fans, and a third fight between the two is an easy sell for the UFC. If Silva returns and beats Nick Diaz (or anyone else), don’t be surprised to see “The Spider” back in the cage, challenging for the title in 2015.
GegardMousasi: If Mousasi beats JacareSouza a second time, it will go a long way toward vaulting him up the rankings. Despite a February loss to Machida, Mousasi has looked good since making the jump from Strikeforce to the UFC, but he’ll need a signature win over a top contender before he’s seriously considered as a title challenger.
Luke Rockhold: The former Strikeforce middleweight champion has rebounded from his violent May 2013 loss to Belfort by rattling off wins over CostasPhilippou and Tim Boetsch. His skill level and good looks give him the potential to be a big star for the UFC, but he’ll need a win over a top contender before he gets a shot at the UFC belt. Rockhold wants Belfort or Michael Bisping; I’d rather see him face the winner of Souza vs. Mousasi.
A Long Way to Go
Tim Kennedy: Kennedy is in the news this week because of his demand for random drug testing for his bout against Yoel Romero, which takes place at UFC 178. He’s even willing to pick up the costs for his half of the testing. Kudos to him for being willing to put his wallet where his mouth is. He’s still a few fights away from a title shot, but making personal efforts to clean up the sport must count for something.
Michael Bisping: It’s stunning that a fighter of Bisping‘s popularity and renown has yet to receive a title shot despite fighting in the UFC since 2006. But I suppose that’s what happens when you haven’t shown an ability to win the big one. Every time Bisping faces an opponent that can vault him close to the title picture, he loses. He’s lost three of his last five bouts. At this point, Bisping may go down as the most well-known fighter to never receive a chance at UFC gold.
The Prospects
Uriah Hall: He went from can’t-miss prospect and future title holder on The Ultimate Fighter to TUF loser and someone Dana White said wasn’t a fighter. Hall stumbled out of the gate, but he has rebounded with wins over Chris Leben and Thiago Santos. At UFC 175, we saw the version of Hall we expected to see coming out of the TUF house: a devastating and arrogant striker with the skills to make inferior fighters pay. And he did it with a horribly broken toe.
It’s hard to say what the future holds for Hall because we don’t know which version is going to show up on any given night. But we do know this: If the Hall that put on a show at UFC 175 continues showing up on a regular basis, the rest of the middleweight division could be in a lot of trouble.
Yoel Romero: The Cuban Olympian is 37 years old, which means he’s going to need to work quickly if he wants to shed the prospect label and contend for the title before he gets too old to compete. He’ll have the chance to do just that when he takes on Tim Kennedy at UFC 178, and you can’t count Romero out, even in a fight against a tough opponent. His freakish build, athleticism and wrestling can keep him in the midst of any fight, which means he’s a danger to everyone in the division.
He sat in the corner on a hard stool, blood streaming down his face, drawing heaving breaths between sips of water. A cutman worked on a deep gash above his left eye. Lyoto Machida, former light heavyweight champion of the world, was likely down, 3-0, …
He sat in the corner on a hard stool, blood streaming down his face, drawing heaving breaths between sips of water. A cutman worked on a deep gash above his left eye. LyotoMachida, former light heavyweight champion of the world, was likely down, 3-0, in rounds to the reigning middleweight champion.
Chris Weidman, the man who dethroned Machida‘s friend Anderson Silva (and then beat him again for good measure), was in the midst of proving doubters wrong. The doubters said Weidman beat Silva the first time because Silva was clowning around, and it was true; Silva taunted Weidman, and he paid the price dearly. The doubters said Weidman beat Silva the second time because of a freak accident, a leg break that horrified those in attendance.
Weidman had the belt, but we weren’t entirely sure if he was championship material. But after three rounds of Weidman solving the Machida riddle, we were close to an answer. And the look on Machida‘s face between rounds revealed all.
Machida built his career on footwork and space, on lulling his opponents into making mistakes. He moves sideways and backward, waiting for his opponents to rush in or put too much weight on their lead foot; when they commit, he capitalizes. He is a supreme counterstriker. But if opponents don’t commit, well, his fights can end up testing your patience. For some, Machida has developed a reputation as a boring fighter who spends entirely too much time circling and not enough time engaging in the kind of wild brawls that bring fans to their feet.
It is impossible to know what went through Machida‘s head as he sat on his stool. He is a smart man. He likely knew he was down three rounds, and he knew he needed a finish. He’d been in championship rounds before, and he knew he needed something special if he wanted to recapture the glory he felt back when he crushed Rashad Evans to become the light heavyweight champion.
The first Machida Era was fleeting. In less than one year, he’d defeated Evans, eked out a decision against Mauricio Rua, then lost the belt to Rua in a rematch. Losses to Rampage Jackson, Jon Jones and Phil Davis followed. Machida, once considered an unsolvable puzzle, ended up moving to middleweight to resurrect his career. He wrecked Mark Munoz and beat GegardMousasi by decision, and he was ready when the call came for him to replace VitorBelfort against Weidman.
But after three rounds, it was clear Machida‘s usual game plan wasn’t going to work. Weidman was good, perhaps even better than advertised. The champion stalked Machida around the Octagon and refused to be baited into making a mistake. He took Machida down multiple times; this is no small feat, as Machida‘s sumo-trained takedown defense is among the very best in the sport. He beat Machida standing, and he beat him on the ground.
And then Machida rose from his stool. The fourth round began. Machida continued circling away from Weidman, and the round looked like a carbon copy of the first three.
But then we saw something we’ve never seen from The Dragon. He stuffed a Weidmantakedown attempt, and then he began to brawl. He landed a left hook. He pressed forward, constantly on the attack, head down and arms flailing. Instead of fighting like LyotoMachida, he fought like Chris Leben.
Machida hurt Weidman. The crowd, perhaps sensing that Machida was staging a monumental comeback, rose to its feet. A slow din filled the arena, the sound of thousands of voices anticipating one of those magical moments that mixed martial arts sometimes delivers.
The moment never came. Referee Herb Dean raised Weidman‘s hand at the end of the fight; the champion had erased all doubts as to the validity of his championship reign. Machida, defeated and battered, stood forlornly in the center of the Octagon. His dream of capturing a championship in a second UFC weight class would have to wait for another day.
But even in losing, Machida prospered. For years, he’d been one of the best fighters in the UFC, but he’d never resonated with the fans. His style was effective, but it wasn’t the most pleasing thing to watch. No matter how many times Machida won or how many times he made world-class fighters look like amateurs, he just could not win over the fans.
That all changed at UFC 175. He lost to Weidman, and he went home to Brazil without a UFC championship. But it is not crazy to say that Machida earned more respect from mixed martial arts fans in this losing effort than he did in all of his previous victories combined. He showed heart and determination and a willingness to go for broke when his back was against the wall.
He lost the fight, but won so much more.
“Chris Weidman is a tough opponent. He’s a true champion. He deserves the title,” Machida told Joe Rogan after the fight. “But I’ll be back. I’ll be back strong.”
If anyone knows just how good Chris Weidman is, it’s Lyoto Machida.
