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Six Huge Messes The UFC Should Have Avoided

Sometimes, the UFC shoots itself in the foot with problems that were easily avoidable. Whether it’s just bad matchmaking or more nefarious issues, the UFC has gone into crisis mode more often than they’d like to admit, and it seems like its been happening with concerning regularity lately. With mainstream media attention and publicity at […]

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Sometimes, the UFC shoots itself in the foot with problems that were easily avoidable.

Whether it’s just bad matchmaking or more nefarious issues, the UFC has gone into crisis mode more often than they’d like to admit, and it seems like its been happening with concerning regularity lately.

With mainstream media attention and publicity at an all-time high, the UFC needs to learn from their mistakes of the past to ensure a better product, but even as the world’s best MMA promotion by a wide margin, they could sometimes do much better in dealing with the curveballs the notoriously volatile fight game throws their way.

We broke down the six biggest messes the UFC could have easily avoided, and the results may surprise you:

6. Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen

This match-up never made sense in the first place, yet the UFC insisted on putting it together.

They tried it at UFC 151 on short notice after Dan Henderson was forced out with a knee inury, which Jones declined. The UFC then canceled the entire card altogether.

Ignoring fate, they put on the fight at UFC 159 instead, and Jones predictably smashed Sonnen in the first round. However, Jones did break his toe in a freak accident while defending a takedown, and one wonders whether Sonnen could have won the belt had the bout gone past the first round. Jones’ big toe was completely broken in the most grotesque way; he had snagged it in a tear in the Octagon canvas.

But the writing was on the wall the entire time the UFC insisted on putting together a Jones vs. Sonnen title fight.

They tried to punish Jones for not accepting the bout on a week’s notice, yet in reality, it was the fans and other fighters on UFC 151 who were punished.

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Five Reasons Max Holloway Should Be A Much Bigger Star

In today’s UFC landscape, it’s become increasingly difficult for fighters to break through as actual stars. In fact, only a select few fighters in recent years have transcended audiences and transformed into legit pay-per-view (PPV) draws, but that shouldn’t necessarily be the case. With Ronda Rousey seemingly retired and Jon Jones dealing with yet another […]

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In today’s UFC landscape, it’s become increasingly difficult for fighters to break through as actual stars.

In fact, only a select few fighters in recent years have transcended audiences and transformed into legit pay-per-view (PPV) draws, but that shouldn’t necessarily be the case.

With Ronda Rousey seemingly retired and Jon Jones dealing with yet another drug test failure, it could be argued that Georges St. Pierre and Conor McGregor are the only active fighters who could be labeled as superstars, but both fighters have uncertain futures.

With that being said, the UFC is in need of fresh stars, and in my opinion, featherweight champion Max Holloway could fill that void, but he’s yet to break through, which is a bit odd when one takes into account the Hawaiian’s accomplishments and style.

Let’s take a look at five reasons why Holloway should be a bigger star:

Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Winning Streak

In a sport as dangerous and unpredictable as MMA, it’s difficult for a fighter to continuously put together victories over a long duration of time, but that’s exactly what Holloway has done.

Since a 2013 loss to reigning lightweight champion Conor McGregor, “Blessed” has remained unbeaten, winning 12 straight bouts over top-ranked featherweights including Cub Swanson, Jeremy Stephens, Ricardo Lamas, Anthony Pettis and Jose Aldo. Only four men – Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, and Jon Jones – have put together longer winning streaks throughout UFC history than Holloway’s current run.

Now of course winning streaks doesn’t always translate to star power, which is best seen with Johnson, but it can certainly help in some cases. Fighters like Silva, St. Pierre and Ronda Rousey gained attention due to the fact that it simply seemed as if they were unbeatable. Legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather also made a career off of boasting about his perfect record.

Holloway has been nothing short of dominant, and it’s time we start giving him the attention he deserves because of that

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Five Amazing Fighters UFC Should Be Grooming As The Next Big Thing

It’s no secret that the UFC has had a lackluster 2017 thus far. The promotion is set to end the year off strong, but the writing is on the wall that as a whole, 2017 will not even come close to living up to the UFC’s banner year that was 2016. The subpar numbers can […]

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It’s no secret that the UFC has had a lackluster 2017 thus far.

The promotion is set to end the year off strong, but the writing is on the wall that as a whole, 2017 will not even come close to living up to the UFC’s banner year that was 2016.

The subpar numbers can be attributed to many reasons, but a lack of bankable pay-per-view (PPV) stars is certainly a big one of them.

After suffering back-to-back losses, it’s unlikely that former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey ever fights again. Conor McGregor has assured fans that he’ll be returning to MMA after losing to Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match this past August, but it’s unclear when exactly he’ll return, and how much longer he’ll stick around MMA after he does.

Former PPV star Georges St-Pierre is scheduled to make his return in just a few weeks after a four-year hiatus, but it remains to be seen if GSP can resonate with the PPV audiences of today, and even after his return, his future is unclear as well as he’s said he would retire for good with a loss.

Clearly, the UFC is in need of more big names and more attractions. Let’s take a look at five fighters the promotion should be grooming as their next big star:

Cody Garbrandt

Recently speaking on this exact topic of discussion, Dana White had the following to say:

“Our most bankable (future) star?” White said on an episode of the Dan Le Batard Show on ESPN. “November 4 at Madison Square Garden, this kid who’s the world champion, he’s gonna fight. His name is Cody No Love. Very marketable guy. I think Cody No Love could be the next big star.”

The UFC boss could certainly be on to something here.

Garbrandt, a staple of Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male, is one of the most exciting young fighters in the sport. At just 26 years of age, “No Love” has amassed a perfect 11-0 record. He most recently scored a career-defining victory at last December’s UFC 207, dominating the legendary Dominick Cruz to become the undisputed bantamweight champion.

Garbrandt’s power is unparalleled at 135 pounds, as nine of his 11 career victories have come by way of knockout. His fighting style is entertaining, and he speaks well when given a microphone.

If he can get by bitter rival TJ Dillashaw at UFC 217 and keep racking up victories, the UFC could have a star on its hands. It’ll be up to the promotion to promote him correctly, something they’ve been accused of not being able to do as they’ve focused mainly on McGregor as of late.

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Five Huge Fights To Make After UFC 214

Heading into last night (July 29, 2017), UFC 214 was being billed as the biggest mixed martial arts card of the year, and it certainly lived up to the expectations that had been set for it. In the main event of the evening, Jon Jones made a triumphant return to action to reclaim the light […]

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Heading into last night (July 29, 2017), UFC 214 was being billed as the biggest mixed martial arts card of the year, and it certainly lived up to the expectations that had been set for it.

In the main event of the evening, Jon Jones made a triumphant return to action to reclaim the light heavyweight title he had never technically lost with a brutal third-round stoppage victory over bitter rival Daniel Cormier.

The co-main event of the evening featured a welterweight title fight between champion Tyron Woodley and jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia, and while the fans weren’t all too pleased with the bout, Woodley retained his title via unanimous decision. Also on the main card, Cris Cyborg stopped Tonya Evinger in the third round of their featherweight title fight.

With the event now in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look ahead at five fights to make after UFC 214:

Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson II

Prior to his rematch with Cormier, Jones had only competed once over the last two-and-a-half years due to a plethora of legal and personal issues. It now appears as if those issues are behind him, however, and with the victory over Cormier, Jones can once again trek forward as the UFC light heavyweight champion.

While “Bones” has come dangerously close to cleaning out the 205-pound division, he does indeed still have some unfinished business with No. 2-ranked Alexander Gustafsson, and there’s no better time than now to book the rematch between the two.

Jones and Gustafsson first met at UFC 165 in Sept. 2013 and the bout turned out to be the very best light heavyweight title fight in UFC history. “The Mauler” pushed Jones to his limits, and some still feel as if Gustafsson should’ve been named the victor.

Gustafsson has scored back-to-back victories over Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira, and in the shallow light heavyweight division, he is undoubtedly the rightful No. 1-contender.

It’s time to settle the score.

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UFC 214 Preview & Predictions: Will Jon Jones Return To Glory?

We are now just one day away from the biggest UFC fight card of the year thus far, as UFC 214 is set to take place this Saturday night (July 29, 2017) live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The card will feature a staggering three title fights, with the main […]

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The card will feature a staggering three title fights, with the main event playing host to the long-awaited and highly anticipated rematch between light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and longtime former divisional ruler Jon Jones. In the co-main event, welterweight king Tyron Woodley will defend his title against grappling guru Demian Maia. Finally, Cris Cyborg and Tonya Evinger will also do battle for the vacant women’s featherweight title in an unprecedented third title fight on the card.

That’s not all for the main card, however, as fan favorites Robbie Lawler and Donald Cerrone will face off at welterweight, while light heavyweight contenders Jimi Manuwa and Volkan Oezdemir will also do battle. Both fights hold major title implications in their respective divisions.

Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look into the card we’ve all been waiting for:

Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones

Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones possess one of the deepest rivalries in the history of the sport, but when they first met at UFC 182 in Jan. 2015, Jones scored a one-sided decision victory.

Since then, due to Jones’ legal and personal issues, Cormier has claimed the undisputed title, won four straight bouts, and successfully defended that title twice. Sure, Jones has only competed once since his initial meeting with “DC”, but it’s also true that Cormier has only gotten older in that time, while Jones still sits in the prime of his career at age 30.

At the end of the day, this bout will feature the two best light heavyweights on the planet facing off, but in my opinion, Jones is simply the best 205-pounder in the world, and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world period.

At UFC 182, Jones was superior to Cormier in every aspect of fighting. He out-struck Cormier on the feet, while doing great damage to his body. He was more successful in the clinch, and he even out-wrestled the former Olympian.

I expect a similar fight this time around.

Prediction: Jon Jones def. Daniel Cormier via unanimous decision

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Jon Jones’ Five Most Dominant UFC Performances

Jon Jones is the former UFC light heavyweight champion. He’s also the former pound-for-pound king, and at just 30 years of age, many consider him to be the very best fighter of all-time. But due to legal and personal issues he’s encountered outside of the cage, Jones has not only competed just once over the […]

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Jon Jones is the former UFC light heavyweight champion. He’s also the former pound-for-pound king, and at just 30 years of age, many consider him to be the very best fighter of all-time.

But due to legal and personal issues he’s encountered outside of the cage, Jones has not only competed just once over the last two years, but he’s also had his light heavyweight title, as well as an interim light heavyweight title stripped from him by the UFC.

Now, however, Jones has seemed to sort out his problems (at least for the time being), and he’ll finally return to the Octagon in the main event of this weekend’s (July 29, 2017) UFC 214 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, as he’s slated to take on bitter rival Daniel Cormier in a highly anticipated and long awaited rematch of their UFC 182 bout, which Jones won via unanimous decision.

With that being said, there’s no better time to take a look back at one of the most impressive runs in UFC history, and highlight Jones’ five most dominant Octagon performances:

Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera – UFC on Versus 1

In just his fifth UFC bout, Jones was slated in the main event spot to meet veteran Brandon Vera on March 21, 2010. Despite the fact that Vera, a Muay Thai specialist, had won two of his previous three bouts, he proved to be no match for the up and coming Jones.

Just seconds into the fight, “Bones” used his wrestling background to land a perfectly executed takedown. He would then take Vera down once more later in the opening round, and after eating an illegal up kick, Jones unleashed on a brutal barrage of ground and pound that began with his now patented elbows. “The Truth” simply had nothing to offer Jones, and the finish, which is certainly one of Jones’ most impressive, capped off one of the most dominant performances of the now ex-champion’s career.

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