Nashville is one heck of a town. It is the official country music hotspot in the United States and, like many other American cities, it loves a good fight.I badly wanted to attend this event. However, due to work obligations, I am forced to watch on te…
Nashville is one heck of a town. It is the official country music hotspot in the United States and, like many other American cities, it loves a good fight.
I badly wanted to attend this event. However, due to work obligations, I am forced to watch on television like most other fans.
I am not complaining, of course, but it would have been amazing to have been there. Not only is a UFC event an awesome spectacle, but Nashville itself is a great city for such a sporting affair.
The fight takes place at Bridgestone Arena. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Nashville, Tennessee, this arena has one of the best locations of any venue in the United States.
The arena is located in the heart of the city, and it is literally in the middle of the music and bar scene on Broadway. And because it is in the great state of Tennessee, a person can grab a ticket at the last minute from those kind gentleman who like to help a person out when they need to make a purchase en route to the event.
Friday’s UFC on FX event will mark the first of its kind to appear on the Fox-owned channel. Fox and Fuel will also air fights throughout the year that are part of the seven-year contract between the UFC and the Fox family of networks.
The UFC is pulling no punches with its first FX card. The evening features UFC fan-favorite fighters such as Melvin Guillard, Pat Barry, Duane “Bang” Ludwig and Jorge Rivera.
Music City is always ready for a good time, and the when the UFC comes to town, the atmosphere will be electric and the fans will be rabid with anticipation.
It is safe to say to Friday, January 20, 2012 will be night to remember.
This Friday, January 20, 2012, the UFC will hold its first-ever UFC on FX event, featuring top lightweights Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller in the main event.Also, a pair of well-respected and well-traveled veterans battle it out in the co-main event as…
This Friday, January 20, 2012, the UFC will hold its first-ever UFC on FX event, featuring top lightweights Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller in the main event.
Also, a pair of well-respected and well-traveled veterans battle it out in the co-main event as Josh Neer takes on Duane Ludwig.
Still, some fans may be asking themselves, “What are the best reasons to check out this card?” Here’s my answer to that—five reasons to watch UFC on FX 1: Guillard vs. Miller.
5. The Free Preliminary Card Features Names Like Jorge Rivera, Kamal Shalorus and Charlie Brenneman
Once again, the UFC’s preliminary cards are set to deliver a stacked mini-event filled with good, free fights. I’ve been campaigning to get people to notice these prelims for quite some time now, and with how good they’ve been lately, I’m thinking that that’s one trend that will continue throughout the year.
No matter who you are, as long as you’ve got the time and the channel, you absolutely shouldn’t pass up six free fights featuring good fighters.
4. Mike Easton Has the Makings of a Real Bantamweight Prospect
In the here and now, I think you could make a case for Dominick Cruz being one of the most dominant champions in the UFC.
Cruz has already beaten the only man who’s ever defeated him, and he’s 19-1 overall. So who’s left for him to face?
Maybe it’ll be Mike Easton by the end of the year or the start of 2013. Easton is currently riding high with an overall record of 11-1 with six of those eleven wins by stoppage. His fight on this card should be a good indicator of just how big of a star Easton could possibly be.
3. Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer Is a Respectable Co-Main Event
I won’t lie, fans and friends. I have no strong feelings about either of these fighters.
Let me be clear, though—that doesn’t mean I don’t like them. I’m just not a fan in particular, although I certainly respect both men as well-traveled, grizzled veterans.
I don’t think this will end in spectacular fashion (and if it does I’ll be more than happy to eat some humble pie) but I do think that we’ll be in for a good three-round war in this co-main event.
2. Pat Barry Fights Christian Morecraft? Definitely a “Blink and You’ll Miss It” Fight
This is honestly the fight I’m looking forward to the most, aside from the main event.
Christian Morecraft isn’t an elite heavyweight, but he’s a good all-rounder, and he seems to be improving steadily.
And how can you not love Pat Barry? Barry comes to either finish or get finished, and I’m 90-percent certain that somebody is getting badly KTFO’d in this fight.
That always makes for an entertaining few minutes.
And the number-one reason to watch “UFC on FX 1” is…
1. The Main Event, Of Course
When Melvin Guillard lost to Joe Lauzon in under 50 seconds, my heart broke. I’ve always been a fan of Guillard, and now that he’s a veteran of more than 40 fights spread across almost nine years, I just don’t know how many more times he can enter into this kind of “rebuilding” phase.
I also felt pretty sad when Jim Miller lost to Ben Henderson, because Jim Miller is a big dark-horse favorite of mine.
This is one fight in which I’ll probably feel disheartened no matter who wins, but this is also one fight that I can’t wait to see happen, because I know how awesome these two can be when they’re at their best.
Depending on how it goes, this could be our first strong contender for “Sleeper Hit of the Year.”
Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video-game nerd. For more news, views, previews and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.
As always, Melvin had a lot to say, but it’s obvious that he has become a much more mature and humble fighter the past few years thanks to the support of his former coaches and teammates at Jackson’s MMA. The newest member of Imperial Athletics’ “Blackzilian” team is confident that he’ll one day be the UFC lightweight champ and he foresees himself being a coach on one of the upcoming seasons of The Ultimate Fighter.
Check out the video interview after the jump.
(Guillard is relishing the opportunity to bounce back from his disappointing loss to Joe Lauzon by beating Jim Miller Saturday night.)
As always, Melvin had a lot to say, but it’s obvious that he has become a much more mature and humble fighter the past few years thanks to the support of his former coaches and teammates at Jackson’s MMA. The newest member of Imperial Athletics’ “Blackzilian” team is confident that he’ll one day be the UFC lightweight champ and he foresees himself being a coach on one of the upcoming seasons of The Ultimate Fighter.
In preparation of his headlining UFC on FX fight with Jim Miller, Melvin Guillard decided to part ways with Greg Jackson and his famed MMA team to join the south Florida-based Blackzilians team full time. “The Young Assassin” spent a few weeks wit…
In preparation of his headlining UFC on FX fight with Jim Miller, Melvin Guillard decided to part ways with Greg Jackson and his famed MMA team to join the south Florida-based Blackzilians team full time.
“The Young Assassin” spent a few weeks with the Blackzilians prior to his UFC 136 submission loss to Joe Lauzon, and since then, Guillard decided that the Blackzilians were just a better fit for him at this point in his career.
“Both camps are great, both sets of coaches are awesome. It’s just a decision I had to make for myself professionally. Did I want to split the time? Yeah, I did, but it’s kind of like trying to work for Exxon and work for Shell,” Guillard told MMA Weekly Radio, noting a conflict of interest.
“You won’t be able to split your time between both. Cause both of those companies wouldn’t allow it,” Guillard said.
“So it came to one of those points in my life where I had to make a grown-up decision. Kind of an executive decision, and this is the decision I made,” the hard-hitting lightweight added.
Despite the team switch, Guillard wanted to make it clear that he had no ill will towards Greg Jackson.
“I didn’t leave Jackson’s in a bad way. I love those coaches to death, love that team, and if anything ever occurs and I have to go back to Jackson’s, I hope I’m still welcome, because I didn’t leave in the wrong way,” Guillard clarified.
Guillard, who says that he feels a fighter’s worth ethic is more important than which coaches are being utilized, called his permanent move to the Blackzilians “one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time for myself.”
Interestingly, Rashad “Suga” Evans co-founded the Blackzilians team after leaving Jackson’s MMA shortly after Jon Jones won the light heavyweight title at UFC 128.
Evans co-founded the team with several Brazilian fighters who left American Top Team due to a managerial dispute.
A two-time UFC Knockout of the Night winner, Guillard looked like he was one win away from a title shot before getting upset by Lauzon in October, while Jim Miller was riding a rarely seen seven-fight win streak prior to getting decimated by Benson Henderson in August.
The winner of this fight could re-establish their reputation as a top five lightweight in the world, while the loser could fall outside of the division’s top 10 for the first time in years.
These “Quick Breaks” are short breakdowns of upcoming fights. In a summed-up focus of strengths, weaknesses and variables; this will analyze what could happen in the fight and end with this writer’s prediction. This Friday, UFC …
These “Quick Breaks” are short breakdowns of upcoming fights. In a summed-up focus of strengths, weaknesses and variables; this will analyze what could happen in the fight and end with this writer’s prediction.
This Friday, UFC will be broadcasting their first event on FX. The event is being held in Nashville, Tenn., and will be headlined by two of the most talented lightweight fighters in the world.
In the blue corner, you have the challenger, Jim Miller. Miller is an excellent submission artist and a very hard man to put away. He is currently 20-3, with more than half of those wins coming by way of submission, and most noteworthy, has never been finished.
After a disappointing loss to No. 1 contender Benson Henderson, he will be looking to get back on track for a title shot. Jim Miller was on his way, and before his recent loss, was on a seven-fight winning streak.
In the red corner is the explosive Melvin Guillard. Guillard himself is looking to put himself back into the title picture, which he was prior to his most recent fight. Joe Lauzon stopped an over-excited and emotional Guillard early in the first round via a rear-naked choke, ending his five-fight winning streak. Now humbled by this experience, he is looking to become more focused and better than ever.
Melvin Guillard has the ability to explode on his opponents with strikes. He is currently 29-9-2(1), with 20 of them coming by KO/TKO. With a newfound knowledge of the dangers of carelessness, Guillard will be looking to prove to the fans that his last loss was just a mistake and will not be repeated.
It is very worthy to note that Guillard has nine losses, and only one of them came by decision. The others were all submissions. This, of course, is why Jim Miller is such a dangerous threat. Both fighters are the same weight, age and have the same reach, which does make it harder for “The Young Assassin” to have a distance striking advantage, but Miller is not know for his striking regardless.
In essence, and to put it simply, if it goes to the ground, Miller has the advantage. If it stays standing, Guillard is at home. In a division where there is a deep talent-pool and everyone is clamoring for the title shot, neither of these men can afford a second loss in a row. By the makings of this fight, one of them will be finished and knocked way down on the top contender list by the end of the night.
Prediction: Guillard wins via TKO about 3.30-5.00 minutes into the first round.
Filed under: UFC, NewsIf you plan on DVRing the Jan. 20 UFC on FX event, it might be a good idea to take an extra moment to make sure you’re programming the intended show.
Spike TV has announced a UFC Unleashed: Melvin Guillard marathon the same eveni…
If you plan on DVRing the Jan. 20 UFC on FX event, it might be a good idea to take an extra moment to make sure you’re programming the intended show.
Spike TV has announced a UFC Unleashed: Melvin Guillard marathon the same evening of UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller, capitalizing on the UFC’s first live card on FX headlined by Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller.
Spike will televise its UFC Unleashed marathon from 7 p.m. to midnight ET. UFC on FX 1 is scheduled to air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
In addition to Guillard vs. Miller, the live fights on the FX card are Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer, Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian and Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft.
Nashville is one heck of a town. It is the official country music hotspot in the United States and, like many other American cities, it loves a good fight.
If you plan on DVRing the Jan. 20