The UFC returns to Fortaleza, Brazil for the first time since 2013 with a fine card on Fox Sports 1 this Saturday, March 11.
In the main event, 20-year veteran Vitor Belfort tries to right the ship and retain his position at the top of the divisi…
The UFC returns to Fortaleza, Brazil for the first time since 2013 with a fine card on Fox Sports 1 this Saturday, March 11.
In the main event, 20-year veteran Vitor Belfort tries to right the ship and retain his position at the top of the division against the surging Kelvin Gastelum, the 25-year-old former welterweight and The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner who is testing the waters at 185 pounds following multiple incidents of missing the 170-pound limit.
It’s a barn burner of a matchup that promises fireworks. With the future of the middleweight division up in the air, the bout has real implications for the title picture as well.
The rest of the card is about as good as a Fight Night event on FS1 can get these days. The co-main event features former light heavyweight champion Shogun Rua in a slobber-knocker of a fight with Gian Villante, but the best fight on the card may well be the 155-pound matchup between rising lightweights Edson Barboza and Beneil Dariush.
If that weren’t enough, the flyweight bout between prospect Ray Borg and veteran Jussier Formiga has Fight of the Night potential, as does the main-card opener featuring the rematch between Alex Oliveira and Tim Means.
Even the preliminary card features fights worthy of attention: Keep an eye on the lightweight fight between Francisco Trinaldo and Kevin Lee, along with the debuts of prospects Davi Ramos and Paulo Borrachinha.
Longtime MMA star Dan Henderson officially retired after his close unanimous decision loss to Michael Bisping in the main event of last night’s (Sat., October 8, 2016) UFC 204 from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and he did so in the style that only the heavy-hitting “Hendo” could. A throwback to an earlier era of MMA
Longtime MMA star Dan Henderson officially retired after his close unanimous decision loss to Michael Bisping in the main event of last night’s (Sat., October 8, 2016) UFC 204 from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and he did so in the style that only the heavy-hitting “Hendo” could.
A throwback to an earlier era of MMA where fighters fought to compete rather than gather social media followers, “Hendo” went out with a bang by nearly finishing now-champ Bisping in the same fashion in which he so iconically did at 2009’s UFC 100. In the end, the 46-year-old Henderson was edged out by Bisping’s far superior aggression, striking volume, and accuracy, but the two “H-Bombs” that nearly put “The Count’s” lights out in the first and second round were more than enough for most Hendo fans to believe their man had done enough to win.
While that’s a tough proposition to do against the champion in his home (and in a fight where he rarely pushed the action), the once-named “Hollywood” made things as dramatic as ever, and that is why he will go down as one of the most revered fighters in UFC and MMA history.
His story is a unique one. After a Greco Roman wrestling career that twice saw him compete in the Summer Olympics, Henderson first fought in the UFC in only his third MMA fight, defeating Allan Goes by decision on May 15, 1998 before outlasting Carlos Newton on the same night to win the UFC 17 Middleweight Tournament Final. After a string of six decision wins in seven bouts saw him dubbed “Decision Dan,” Hendo refuted the notion by becoming “Hollywood” in Pride due to his highlight reel finishes.
There, he fought a who’s who of Japanese MMA at the time, winning the welterweight championship and defeating Wanderlei Silva for the middleweight belt to become the first simultaneous two-weight champion in Pride. He remains the only man to do so.
In the Octagon, Hendo never won the one title that eluded him, falling just short against elite fighters such as Anderson Silva, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and Bisping. Obviously he did etch his name into UFC history with possibly the most infamous knockout ever for his one-punch decimation of Bisping at UFC 100.
He even left for Strikeforce after a contract dispute following his historic knockout of Bisping, becoming their 205-pound champion by knocking out Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. Henderson then knocked out arguably the best heavyweight of all-time when he floored Fedor Emelianenko in 2011.
That was enough for the UFC to re-sign him, and his third UFC run began with a fight that many feel may be the greatest MMA bout of all-time, his classic UFC 139 war with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. It was the kind of bouts fans came to love and respect from Henderson.
That fight lead to a light heavyweight champion to dominant then-champ Jon Jones, but the bout never happened when Henderson injured his knee and ‘Bones’ refused to fight anyone on short notice, leading to the the promotion’s first ever cancellation of an event with UFC 151.
Hendo never seemed to quite bounce back from the over yearlong layoff that resulted, dropping narrow, uninspired split decisions to Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans in 2013 before he was knocked out by the almost superhuman force of TRT-era Vitor Belfort (yes, it also deserves to be noted that Henderson was a pioneer of sorts of TRT use in MMA, being one of the first to secure a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for the treatment).
His UFC run ended with seven losses in his last 10 bouts, but any MMA fan couldn’t help but forget all about those when Henderson rallied to knock out Hector Lombard with, of all things, a back-elbow, head kick, forearm smash combination at UFC 199. It was enough to get him a revenge-based title shot against Bisping despite the backlash due to the bout’s accused refusal to adhere to anything close to resembling a fair rankings system.
It happened, and Henderson and Bisping delivered a classic. True, Henderson came up just short, but even the Manchester fans gave him a rousing ovation after he nearly knocked out their famed hometown champion on more than one occasion.
Henderson was a throwback of MMA gone past who still brought the excitement needed to gain attention in today’s increasingly fast-paced, attention-starved world. There simply won’t be another fighter like him, and while he may not have had his hand raised every time, it was most certainly guaranteed you would be seeing a show.
“Hendo,” “Hollywood,” “Dangerous,” or even “Decision Dan,” Henderson was, is, and always will be an MMA legend. In his case, the UFC belt doesn’t prove or disprove that, yet he battled the only way he knew how to in one last war last with Bisping night.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight kingpin, Mauricio Rua (24-10) stepped inside the Octagon at UFC 198 against Corey Anderson (8-2). “Shogun” was focused on earning his second straight win, while “Beastin 25/8” tried to extend his winning streak to four. “Shogun” got the nod in his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil. Rua landed a couple
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight kingpin, Mauricio Rua (24-10) stepped inside the Octagon at UFC 198 against Corey Anderson (8-2). “Shogun” was focused on earning his second straight win, while “Beastin 25/8” tried to extend his winning streak to four.
“Shogun” got the nod in his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil.
Rua landed a couple of leg kicks in the first round. Anderson threw out the jab to keep Rua at bay. An overhand right found the mark for “Shogun.” “Beastin 25/8” kept getting his leg kicked. Anderson threw some punches, but they were blocked. Rua looked for a knee in the clinch, but Anderson went for a takedown. Rua lunged forward and connected with a left hook. Anderson landed a hook of his own. Rua rocked his opponent with a left hook and then dropped him with seconds left in the round. Anderson survived.
“Shogun” chopped the leg of Anderson right away in round two. Anderson threw a combination that was blocked. “Beastin 25/8” ducked under a punch and scored a takedown. Rua scrambled out, but had his back against the fence. The two separated, but Anderson went right back to the takedown attempts. He landed a second takedown, but once again couldn’t hold his opponent down. Anderson was dropped yet again with seconds left in the second round.
Anderson looked for a takedown early in the final frame and he achieved it. Rua held onto his opponent for a bit, but Anderson landed an elbow. Rua returned to his feet with over two minutes left in the fight. “Beastin 25/8” finished his fourth takedown, but his opponent quickly popped back up. The fight ended with Anderson going for another takedown.
Two of the three judges at Octagon side gave the nod to “Shogun.”
Final Result: Mauricio Rua def. Corey Anderson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 198 became more official Friday afternoon after the 24 athletes each stepped on the scale.
The main event features UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum defending his title against Stipe Miocic. The co-main event is a high-stakes middleweight af…
UFC 198 became more official Friday afternoon after the 24 athletes each stepped on the scale.
The main event features UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum defending his title against StipeMiocic. The co-main event is a high-stakes middleweight affair between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and VitorBelfort. And those are just the fights on the marquee.
Curitiba, Brazil, is in for a treat, and so are fans across the world.
UFC 198 Quick Weigh-In Results
UFC Heavyweight Championship: Fabricio Werdum (240) vs. StipeMiocic (241)
Ronaldo Souza (186) vs. VitorBelfort (185)
Cris Cyborg (139) vs. Leslie Smith (139)
Mauricio Rua (205) vs. Corey Anderson (204)
WarlleyAlves (170) vs. Bryan Barberena (170)
Demian Maia (171) vs. Matt Brown (171)
Thiago Santos (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (186)
Francisco Trinaldo (156) vs. Yancy Medeiros (156)
John Lineker (135) vs. Rob Font (135)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205) vs. Patrick Cummins (206)
On paper, Saturday’s UFC 198 card is a triumph. It’s the UFC’s first stadium show in Brazil, and it’s the promotion’s inaugural card in Curitiba, a city with deep roots in MMA.
Curitiba is the home of the Chute Boxe Academy, which spawned legends like …
On paper, Saturday’s UFC 198 card is a triumph. It’s the UFC’s first stadium show in Brazil, and it’s the promotion’s inaugural card in Curitiba, a city with deep roots in MMA.
Curitiba is the home of the Chute Boxe Academy, which spawned legends like Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Chute Boxe Academy is also where Rafael Cordeiro got his start before bringing his brand of violence to Southern California, where he now trains champions Fabricio Werdum and Rafael Dos Anjos.
In reality, however, UFC 198 isn’t a crowning moment for Brazilian MMA and the UFC’s efforts in the country. Instead, it’s a swan song for an entire generation of fighters, and stark evidence of the fact that a new wave hasn’t risen up to replace the greats of years past.
Rua, who opens the main card against Corey Anderson, is 34. It’s been more than five years since he lost his light heavyweight title to Jon Jones and more than 10 since he won the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. Vitor Belfort is 39, a veteran of nearly 20 years in the sport. His opponent Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is 36 and almost 13 years removed from his professional MMA debut.
The list goes on. Demian Maia, who headlines the Fox Sports 1 portion of the card against Matt Brown, is 38. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is the star of the Fight Pass main event, and he’s 39. His twin brother Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, a legend of Brazilian MMA, called it quits last August.
Anderson Silva was scheduled to meet Uriah Hall on the pay-per-view portion of the card, but a gallbladder issue forced him out the week of the fight. The former middleweight champion is 41 and despite doing his best to evolve as his body falls apart, has little left in the tank.
Even Werdum, the newly crowned heavyweight champion and UFC 198’s headliner, is 38 years old.
The geriatric character of UFC 198’s Brazilian stars speaks to a broader issue. A generation of legendary fighters came of age in the UFC and especially in Pride, and now they’re aging out of relevance. This is to be expected. Stars get old and new ones rise to take their place.
That process of replacement hasn’t happened in Brazil.
Jose Aldo was the longtime featherweight champion and as close as the following generation came to producing a true star. Twenty-three million people watched him knock out Chad Mendes at UFC 142 on Globo, the UFC’s Brazilian broadcaster, though per Dave Meltzer of MMA Fighting, that number fell to 7.5 million for UFC 179.
Even so, one star with good recognition in Brazil and little drawing power outside—prior to UFC 194 against Conor McGregor, he had never drawn more than 330,000 pay-per-view buys as a headliner, per Meltzer—is a far cry from the prior generation of multiple well-known stars.
The list of potential talents who never managed to break through is long. Renan Barao came close and won a bantamweight title, but T.J. Dillashaw put a stop to that with two thorough drubbings, and despite his success in the cage, he was never much of a draw outside it. Erick Silva had the looks and the swagger but has gone 6-6 since his debut in 2011. Hacran Dias, a touted prospect, has gone 3-3 in four years.
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil was supposed to do for Brazil what the inaugural season of TUF did for the U.S. with fighters like Diego Sanchez and Forrest Griffin. Its first season produced Cezar Ferreira and Rony Jason, who have combined to go an underwhelming 9-5 (1 N/C) despite favorable matchmaking.
The best fighter to come out of that much-watched show turned out to be the unheralded Francisco Trinaldo.
The second season gave us Leonardo Santos, an ace grappler and surprisingly good fighter, but he’s now 36 and not a threat to contend, much less win a title. Ironically, the Argentinean Santiago Ponzinibbio looks to be its most promising product.
This lack of emerging talent comes through clearly in the UFC’s rankings. Out of 150 ranked fighters, 28 are Brazilians. Only seven of those 28 are under 30, however, and that includes 29-year-old veterans Aldo and Barao.
Only three Brazilian fighters in the UFC can be considered legitimate potential stars. Thomas Almeida headlines the Fight Night card in Las Vegas on May 29, and Warlley Alves, one of the winners of TUF Brazil 3, fights on the main card at UFC 198. Claudia Gadelha is currently coaching The Ultimate Fighter against Joanna Jedrzejczyk and is blessed with both skills and real charisma.
Gadelha is the top contender at strawweight, and Almeida is already ranked at 135 pounds. Alves will surely vault into the rankings at welterweight with a fifth consecutive win.
Still, neither Almeida nor Alves is there yet, and a great deal can go wrong in the massive gulf that separates seemingly sure-thing prospects and top contenders or champions with a substantial media profile. Strawweights haven’t yet proved to draw in either the United States or Brazil, no matter how talented and charismatic Gadelha might be.
There are a few other names to bear in mind. Charles Oliveira is still only 26 despite nearing the six-year anniversary of his debut in the UFC. Amanda Nunes fights for the women’s bantamweight title this summer. The more recent seasons of TUF Brazil have brought forth some interesting talent that might yet develop, including Antonio Carlos Junior.
Brazil is still producing promising fighters, but they’re getting lost between the regional scene and UFC stardom. What exactly is going wrong?
Part of the issue could be a lack of world-class training available in Brazil. By my count, only 10 of the 28 ranked Brazilian fighters actually train in Brazil full-time. Werdum and Dos Anjos, the UFC’s two current Brazilian champions, both live in Los Angeles and train at Kings MMA under Rafael Cordeiro. Cordeiro himself got his start at Chute Boxe in Curitiba
Nunes, Thiago Alves and John Lineker train at American Top Team in South Florida. Edson Barboza is a student of Mark Henry and Ricardo Almeida in New Jersey.
Fighters like Aldo, Barao and Gadelha, who train under Andre Pederneiras at Nova Uniao, and Almeida, who trains at a Chute Boxe affiliate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, are the exceptions rather than the rule.
Essentially, there’s a talent drain out of Brazil that takes fighters to bigger, better-equipped gyms in the United States. That could be both a symptom of a problem with the training available in Brazil and simultaneously a cause of transplanted fighters’ inability to break through into stardom in their home country.
None of this means that Brazilian MMA is doomed and that new stars won’t rise. Of the UFC’s 507 fighters, 90 of them are Brazilians, and the promotion is dedicated to running shows in the country on a regular basis.
The fact of the matter, however, is that they haven’t. The generation that produced the Nogueiras, Rua, Wanderlei Silva, Belfort and Anderson Silva is in its twilight. Nobody has yet shown any sign of replacing them.
On Saturday night, May 14, at UFC 198, the promotion makes its first trip to Curitiba, Brazil, the eighth-largest city, with a stacked card featuring the cream of its Brazilian stars.
From top to bottom, UFC pay-per-view events don’t get any better tha…
On Saturday night, May 14, at UFC 198, the promotion makes its first trip to Curitiba, Brazil, the eighth-largest city, with a stacked card featuring the cream of its Brazilian stars.
From top to bottom, UFC pay-per-view events don’t get any better than this.
In the main event, heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum makes the first defense of the title he won against Cain Velasquez last June. He faces American wrestler Stipe Miocic in one of the best matchups in the division.
For Werdum, a win here would cement his legacy as an all-time great heavyweight and, with wins over Fedor Emelianenko, Velasquez and a defense of the UFC title, perhaps even the greatest of them all.
The co-main event features a middleweight clash between Brazilian veterans Vitor Belfort and Jacare Souza. Both are nearing the end of their long careers and desperately need wins to stick around the elite of the division. With a rematch between Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman set for UFC 199 next month, the winner will likely stake his claim as the next contender.
The card remains compelling even after the co-main. Cris Cyborg, the best female fighter on the planet, makes her UFC debut against Leslie Smith at a 140-pound catchweight. A light heavyweight scrap between the rising Corey Anderson and former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua opens the main card.
Anderson Silva’s gallbladder issue scrapped a scheduled fight between him and Uriah Hall at the last minute, which would have made this card even more outstanding. A barnburner of a prospect matchup takes its place as Warlley Alves meets Bryan Barberena.
The prelims are stacked as well. Demian Maia makes his case for a title shot against Matt Brown in the Fox Sports 1 headliner, while Antonio Rogerio Nogueira meets Patrick Cummins in the Fight Pass main event. John Lineker takes on Rob Font in a bantamweight barnburner that has to be the favorite for Fight of the Night.
Every fight on this card is worth the viewer’s time. Let’s take a look at each of them.
On paper, Saturday’s