Tag: Melvin Guillard

Weekend Round-up: Aldo Accuses Mendes of Steroid Use, A Fighter is Out of UFC on FOX 12, and More


(Angry Jose Aldo looks identical to Happy Jose Aldo)

It’s been a rare, event-less weekend. Despite the lack of fisticuffs, Saturday and Sunday have been packed with quite a bit of mid-level news and fight booking house-keeping matters.

The biggest recent news has been a spat between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. As you’ve likely heard, an Aldo injury forced “postponement” [Ed’s note: LOL] of UFC 176.

Mendes took Aldo to task over this on the MMA Hour, saying:

If Aldo can’t stay healthy and is too fragile to go through a training camp, then I think it is time to step aside and let guys who are able to do that and able to push through all that stuff, to be a champ.

To put it bluntly, Aldo was fucking pissed. He told Combate (translation via MMA Fighting):

Maybe I have so many injuries because I’m not taking the same ‘supplements’ you take. I have injuries because I train a lot to beat you like I did last time, and I think you remember that and still have nightmares about it. I did all the medical exams I had to do, but if you’re a doctor now, I can send them so you can take a look. Maybe you can prescript one of your supplements so I can heal faster.

The one who gets beat up usually runs away from another beating, but you can’t run forever because I’m going after you. Before the cage is closed you can say whatever you want, because once they close it you won’t be able to open your mouth, so keep talking while you have a mouth. And who are you to say where we are going to fight? I don’t think Dana White would be happy to see someone making his decisions.
…
You’re the one who seems to only fight at your home, who desperately doesn’t want to fight in Brazil. I got injured before and my fight with Frankie Edgar was moved from Brazil to Las Vegas. I fought your coach in your home, fought at Mark Hominick’s home in front of 55,000 fans, I fought in Japan and Europe. And now you tell me you want to be the champion? A champion doesn’t choose opponents or where the fight is going to be. And now I ask you, who’s the real pussy?

Harsh words from a harsh man.

In other UFC news…


(Angry Jose Aldo looks identical to Happy Jose Aldo)

It’s been a rare, event-less weekend. Despite the lack of fisticuffs, Saturday and Sunday have been packed with quite a bit of mid-level news and fight booking house-keeping matters.

The biggest recent news has been a spat between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. As you’ve likely heard, an Aldo injury forced “postponement” [Ed’s note: LOL] of UFC 176.

Mendes took Aldo to task over this on the MMA Hour, saying:

If Aldo can’t stay healthy and is too fragile to go through a training camp, then I think it is time to step aside and let guys who are able to do that and able to push through all that stuff, to be a champ.

To put it bluntly, Aldo was fucking pissed. He told Combate (translation via MMA Fighting):

Maybe I have so many injuries because I’m not taking the same ‘supplements’ you take. I have injuries because I train a lot to beat you like I did last time, and I think you remember that and still have nightmares about it. I did all the medical exams I had to do, but if you’re a doctor now, I can send them so you can take a look. Maybe you can prescript one of your supplements so I can heal faster.

The one who gets beat up usually runs away from another beating, but you can’t run forever because I’m going after you. Before the cage is closed you can say whatever you want, because once they close it you won’t be able to open your mouth, so keep talking while you have a mouth. And who are you to say where we are going to fight? I don’t think Dana White would be happy to see someone making his decisions.
…
You’re the one who seems to only fight at your home, who desperately doesn’t want to fight in Brazil. I got injured before and my fight with Frankie Edgar was moved from Brazil to Las Vegas. I fought your coach in your home, fought at Mark Hominick’s home in front of 55,000 fans, I fought in Japan and Europe. And now you tell me you want to be the champion? A champion doesn’t choose opponents or where the fight is going to be. And now I ask you, who’s the real pussy?

Harsh words from a harsh man.

In other UFC news:

Michael Johnson is out of his UFC on FOX 12 bout with Josh Thompson due to injury. This is a shame as the two were expected to curtain-jerk the main card and it would’ve been quite an exciting affair. Let’s hope the main event of Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Brown stays intact.

Now, some news on the B-level circuit:

Bellator 123 has a new fight. Pat Curran will defend his featherweight title against Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. This is a fine enough main event for a normal Bellator card. The problem is  this isn’t a normal Bellator card. This is the one that’s going head-to-head with a UFC Fight Night Card headlined by Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. If Pitbull-Curran is the best Bellator’s got, they’re going to be slaughtered.

World Series of Fighting, too, has some title news. Lightweight champion Justin Gaethje–who recently defeated Nick Newell at WSOF 11–will defend his title against Melvin Guillard. No date has been announced.  We’re amped up for this one. Gaethje is quite talented, and Guillard looked fantastic in his last fight against Gesias Cavalcante.

That’s all for now, Potato Nation. We suggest you make the best of what’s left of your Sunday.

WSOF 11 Results: Gaethje Knocks Out Newell, Fitch Blankets Hallman

WSOF 11 completed the first leg of this weekend’s MMA triple crown–WSOF 11, UFC 175, and then the TUF 19 Finale. By all accounts (including our own), WSOF 11 was a solid MMA event. The pacing was perfect, and (almost) the fights all delivered.

We were lucky enough to watch the card at a postponed 4th of July BBQ (it rained at Castle CagePotato yesterday). Here’s a brief recap of the night’s events:

In the first fight of the night, Cody Bollinger steamrolled over Pablo Alfonso. He submitted him with a rear-naked choke in under three minutes. Not much else to tell.

In the next bout, Melvin Guillard made his triumphant return to MMA. This was Guillard’s first fight since the UFC cut him after his loss to Michael Johnson. He squared off against Gesias Cavalcante and picked him apart. Guillard looked crisp, fast, and accurate. He seemingly had his shit together, which allowed him to put Cavalcante away in the second round via TKO.

The recap for Jon Fitch vs. Dennis Hallman and Nick Newell vs. Justin Gaethje are after the jump.

WSOF 11 completed the first leg of this weekend’s MMA triple crown–WSOF 11, UFC 175, and then the TUF 19 Finale. By all accounts (including our own), WSOF 11 was a solid MMA event. The pacing was perfect, and (almost) the fights all delivered.

We were lucky enough to watch the card at a postponed 4th of July BBQ (it rained at Castle CagePotato yesterday). Here’s a brief recap of the night’s events:

In the first fight of the night, Cody Bollinger steamrolled over Pablo Alfonso. He submitted him with a rear-naked choke in under three minutes. Not much else to tell.

In the next bout, Melvin Guillard made his triumphant return to MMA. This was Guillard’s first fight since the UFC cut him after his loss to Michael Johnson. He squared off against Gesias Cavalcante and picked him apart. Guillard looked crisp, fast, and accurate. He seemingly had his shit together, which allowed him to put Cavalcante away in the second round via TKO.

The co-main event featured Jon Fitch vs. Dennis Hallman. Originally, Rousimar Palhares Jake Shields, Josh Burkman was supposed to take on Fitch but they all pulled out for varying reasons. This fight was a vintage Jon Fitch performance, which meant it put the crowd to sleep. If “Broke Jon Fitch” was super-exciting and aggressive, then this was a return to “Real Estate Boom” Jon Fitch–the kind of fighter who grinds without ever coming close to even attempting to finish the fight. Fitch won a unanimous decision win without much surprise or fanfare.

Nick Newell and Justin Gaethje met in the WSOF 11 main event. We hate to break out the “it was a WAR, BRO” cliche, but the first round was a war. Newell did a tremendous job of taking it to Gaethje, and Gaethje reciprocated. In the second frame, Gaethje started to pull away. Newell was unable to block Gaethje’s right hands properly, and got tagged numerous times as a result. Gaethje eventually nailed him one time too many, and Newell crashed to the mat. The referee called it at 3:09 of the second round. Here’s a GIF.

Overall, the event was a breeze to watch. The four-fight main card was incredibly refreshing in the age of 6-hour UFC shows full of jobbers and the incessant broadcasting of the same four commercials. We also gave WSOF a huge thumbs up for their pristine white canvas. The white canvas helps make things a bit brighter and less drab. It also highlights any blood that spills from the fighters better than the UFC’s grey canvas, upping the violence factor.

If you DVR’d this, watch it when you get time. It’s worth it.

Here are the complete results:

Main Card

Justin Gaethje def. Nick Newell via TKO (strikes) at 3:09 of R2
Jon Fitch def. Dennis Hallman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Melvin Guillard def. Gesias Cavalcante via TKO (strikes) at 2:36 of R2
Cody Bollinger def. Pablo Alfonso via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:37 of R1

Preliminary Card

Jake Heun def. Kendrick Miree via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Neiman Gracie def. Dustin Holyko via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:21 of R2
Jose Caceres def. Walber Brito de Barros via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Muhamed Dereese def. Rashaun Spencer via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

WSOF 11: Results and Recap from Daytona, Florida

World Series of Fighting produced its 11th event on Saturday afternoon, and it aired live and free on network television.
The four-fight main card was on NBC for the first time, and the action was headlined by a lightweight title bout between Just…

World Series of Fighting produced its 11th event on Saturday afternoon, and it aired live and free on network television.

The four-fight main card was on NBC for the first time, and the action was headlined by a lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Nick Newell.

It was a successful card for the promotion and a quality primer for the upcoming night of MMA action for fans. It was a fun appetizer before UFC 175 kicked off. Let’s have a quick recap of the event from Daytona.

 

Melvin Guillard vs. Gesias Cavalcante

Guillard and Cavalcante used to be training partners, and both dynamic lightweights love to scrap. It was almost assured to be a fun bout, and it delivered.

Guillard was active early, and Cavalcante tried to respond. Both men landed several big strikes in the first round, but it was Guillard who had the edge. He continued that in the second frame before staggering JZ on the feet.

Guillard was measuring Cavalcante with punches and elbows when the referee stepped in. Cavalcante was still on his feet when the stoppage occurred. While Guillard was in control, it would have been nice to see the referee give Cavalcante more of a chance.

Regardless, Guillard picks up the victory and could be placed in a WSOF title tilt sooner rather than later.

 

Cody Bollinger vs. Pablo Alfonso

Bollinger missed weight, but he looked fantastic in the catchweight bout.

Bollinger out-grappled Alfonso. There were several nice transitions on the mat, but Bollinger was the one who got into better position time and again. He went for a guillotine, but he didn’t have it. Shortly after that submission attempt, he got Alfonso’s back to choke him out with the rear-naked choke.

He will be moving up to 145 pounds for his next bout, and if he continues to perform like this, he should be able to compete against the featherweights under the WSOF banner.

 

Jon Fitch vs. Dennis Hallman

Fitch and Hallman had the fight you would expect.

Fitch took Hallman down and controlled him. The former UFC title contender would stay active on the mat with strikes but not do too much damage. Hallman tried his same old techniques, and they were never close to catching Fitch.

It was a runaway. Fitch continues to grind out fights wherever he is fighting. There was nothing surprising about the bout.

 

Justin Gaethje vs. Nick Newell

The main event was for the WSOF lightweight championship. The champion, Gaethje, was a strong favorite heading into the bout against one of the feel-good stories in MMA, Newell.

The feel-good story would stop at WSOF 11.

Gaethje had no problems handling Newell and finished by TKO in the second round.

Newell was game early on, but it was quickly evident that he was out of his depth against Gaethje. The champion was able to do what he wanted on the feet. He had the space to work. When Newell was on his back, Gaethje was on top delivering big ground-and-pound.

Newell was a bloody mess by the end of the fight, and it proved he is not a top-tier fighter. He is a good story and a tough guy, but he cannot compete against the lethal lightweights of the world. He will get brutalized each and every time.

Gaethje‘s performance showed that he may be one of the best lightweights who is not in the UFC. It will be interesting to see where he goes next.

That was what happened at WSOF 11, but the bigger story may be yet to come. How did the general public catching this on NBC view the main event with Newell? It may not have been the best look for WSOF or the sport at large.

WSOF will return to Las Vegas for their next fight card on Aug. 2.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Melvin Guillard Signs With World Series of Fighting, Hopes to Make “Some Real Money”


(Hopefully Guillard can earn enough with the WSOF to actually get some lenses put in those frames, but a man can only dream…Photo via Getty)

Whether you were a fan of his brash personality or excitement-first fight philosophy, there’s no denying the impact Melvin Guillard had on the UFC’s lightweight division during his near-unprecedented 9-year run in the organization. His recent release from the UFC may not have been completely unexpected, given his 1-3 1 NC record in his past 5 fights, but it signified the end of an era in its own way. Of course, given Guillard’s fan-friendly style, we figured it wouldn’t be long before he found a new promotion to call home.

And as is usually the case, we were right. After a mere fortnight of unemployment, Guillard has signed a multi-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting, as confirmed by WSOF executive Shawn Lampman and Guillard’s own Twitter account:

We hope that’s truly the case for Guillard, because UFC vets like Josh Burkman might argue otherwise.

After the jump: Guillard speaks with The MMA Hour about life after the UFC and the factors that led to his uninspiring performance against Michael Johnson at Fight Night 37.


(Hopefully Guillard can earn enough with the WSOF to actually get some lenses put in those frames, but a man can only dream…Photo via Getty)

Whether you were a fan of his brash personality or excitement-first fight philosophy, there’s no denying the impact Melvin Guillard had on the UFC’s lightweight division during his near-unprecedented 9-year run in the organization. His recent release from the UFC may not have been completely unexpected, given his 1-3 1 NC record in his past 5 fights, but it signified the end of an era in its own way. Of course, given Guillard’s fan-friendly style, we figured it wouldn’t be long before he found a new promotion to call home.

And as is usually the case, we were right. After a mere fortnight of unemployment, Guillard has signed a multi-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting, as confirmed by WSOF executive Shawn Lampman and Guillard’s own Twitter account:

We hope that’s truly the case for Guillard, because UFC vets like Josh Burkman might argue otherwise.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, “The Young Assassin” discussed what it felt like to be a free agent for the first time in nearly a decade, as well as the factors that led to his uninspiring performance against Michael Johnson at Fight Night 37.

I was happy. I gave the UFC nine years. I gave them a good nine years. Honestly I gave them one bad performance, which was the London fight (against Johnson). I had two busted ribs, a busted hand in the first round, but I didn’t make any excuses in the fight. I stayed in there, I fought. I could’ve been like most fighters and just threw in the towel when I got up off the seat, but I was fighting injured.

I didn’t expect to get released. I just expected (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) to do the normal thing he does and sit me down for like six months, and make me ask him for a fight. But I ended up getting released, and for me, honestly, I thought it was the best thing that could happen to me right now at this point in my career.

The list of Fight Night 37 medical suspensions seems to corroborate Guillard’s story, so a credit is due to him for not making any excuses following what was an uncharacteristically boring fight on his resume. In any case, who would you like to see Guillard matched up against for his WSOF debut, Nation?

–J. Jones

Melvin Guillard Signs Multi-Fight Deal with World Series of Fighting

Former UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard has signed a multi-fight contract with Las Vegas-based promotion World Series of Fighting. 
WSOF executive Shawn Lampman confirmed the news to Bleacher Report on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.&…

Former UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard has signed a multi-fight contract with Las Vegas-based promotion World Series of Fighting. 

WSOF executive Shawn Lampman confirmed the news to Bleacher Report on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

“We are pleased and excited to announce to the MMA world that Melvin Guillard has a new home at the World Series of Fighting,” WSOF president Ray Sefo said. 

“I’m excited to start a new chapter in my career,” Guillard said. “I feel like a new fighter and want to prove I’m one of, if not the best, in the world.”

Guillard was released by the UFC last month after a loss to Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa. The loss was Guillard’s third in his previous five fights. 

The veteran lightweight was a member of the second season of The Ultimate Fighter. He made his official UFC debut with a win over Marcus Davis at The Ultimate Fighter 2 finale. Over the course of his UFC career, Guillard would amass a 12-9 record, with one no-contest. That stint included notable wins over Dennis Siver, Gleison Tibau, Jeremy Stephens and Shane Roller.

Guillard experienced the best stretch of his career in 2010 and 2011, when he racked up five consecutive victories and neared title contention. But a loss to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136 derailed Guillard’s plans, and he would go 2-5 with one no-contest through the rest of his UFC career. 

Guillard’s debut date for World Series of Fighting has not been determined. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Melvin Guillard on UFC Release: ‘Best Thing That Could Happen to Me’

One would think that being handed a pink slip and booted from the world’s top MMA promotion would equate to a bad day. However, that’s not the case with Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard.
Speaking to The MMA Hour (h/t MMA Mania), Guillard expressed …

One would think that being handed a pink slip and booted from the world’s top MMA promotion would equate to a bad day. However, that’s not the case with Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard.

Speaking to The MMA Hour (h/t MMA Mania), Guillard expressed that, while he was shocked at getting the axe, he’s perfectly happy with the move.

“For me, honestly, I thought it was the best thing that could happen to me at this point in my career,” Melvin said. “I was actually happy because I felt like, I could sign with another company, and that company is gonna pay me way more than I make with UFC.”

Guillard was released from the UFC following an unanimous-decision loss to Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night 37. The loss dropped Guillard‘s UFC record to 2-5 and one no-contest since 2012.

He also stated that he came into the Johnson fight with some busted ribs and is also dealing with an injured hand.

Look for Guillard to land with World Series of Fighting or Bellator after he rests up. If he’s truly interested in making more money, that’s where he will find it. If he can’t get a big contract from those two promotions, he could sign with Resurrection Fighting Alliance, a promotion that has a good relationship with the UFC.

Guillard has had controversy follow him throughout his MMA career and sports a 13-9 overall record in the UFC.

Although he’s only 30 years old, he has a ton of mileage on his body from competing in 48 total fights throughout his MMA career.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com