The rift between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans has been ugly. The former friends and training partners had a falling out that began when Jones stepped into to replace an injured Evans at UFC 128. Jones replaced Evans in a title fight against light heavywe…
The rift between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans has been ugly. The former friends and training partners had a falling out that began when Jones stepped into to replace an injured Evans at UFC 128. Jones replaced Evans in a title fight against light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Jones positively destroyed Rua in that bout, earning the TKO victory at the 2:37 mark of round three on his way to becoming the youngest (non tournament) champion in UFC history.
Before Jones captured the title, both Jones and Evans stated that they would not fight each other. The tunes of the fighters had begun to change as UFC 128 approached. Evans was then brought into the Octagon moments after the UFC belt was clasped around Jones’ waist and he was announced as the first fighter that Jones would defend his title against.
“Well, I guess you should never say never, right?” Evans told Joe Rogan inside the Octagon. “We train together, but he’s got that strap, and I have to go after it.”
Since then Evans has split with Greg Jackson’s training camp where he had worked with Jones. He has also had some harsh words for his former friend, most recently claiming, in an interview with Pro MMA Radio, “There’s no doubt in my mind Jon ducked me in this fight. Jon knows it and I know it.”
The ducking claims revolve around a hand injury that forced Jones out of the fight with Evans. Phil Davis was then moved in to replace Evans and the two are scheduled to meet at UFC 133 in Philadelphia, PA on August 4.
Jones’ manager Malki Kawa disputes Evans’ claim, telling MMAJunkie.com that there is a fight on the table if Evans is willing to accept it, “The champ will be ready in September or October. That’s only a month or two after Rashad’s fight with Phil Davis. But don’t tell me that the champ doesn’t want to fight you. The champ wants to fight you. Jon hasn’t done anything to duck this fight. The only reason people think that is because Rashad said so. Jon’s not ducking anybody.”
If Evans emerges from the Davis fight relatively unscathed, an October fight with Jones is not out of the question. For reference Jones defeated Ryan Bader on February 5 of this year and then went on to defeat Rua on March 19.
Jones’ camp have taken their shot, a return volley from Evans will most likely be coming.
UFC 132 is one of the biggest cards of the summer, and it will all go down July 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The stacked card features a lot of great fights with intriguing style matchups that should make fo…
UFC 132 is one of the biggest cards of the summer, and it will all go down July 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The stacked card features a lot of great fights with intriguing style matchups that should make for many memorable moments and should also build ongoing storylines for some of the legends and rising stars of the sport.
The main event will feature UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz defending his title against former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber. This will be the second fight between the two. Faber won the first match in 2007, giving Cruz the only loss on his record.
The co-main event will feature action-fighters Wanderlei Silva and Chris Leben in a middleweight contest of power, durability, heart and chins. Who will be the first to drop?
Other fights include:
Light Heavyweight bout: Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader
Welterweight bout: Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim
UFC 132 is set to take place on July 2, and this is shaping up to be one of the better cards in recent memory.It is so good, that four of the cards on the preliminary card could very easily be main card fights.The main event of the evening pits bantamw…
UFC 132 is set to take place on July 2, and this is shaping up to be one of the better cards in recent memory.
It is so good, that four of the cards on the preliminary card could very easily be main card fights.
The main event of the evening pits bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz in the first defense of his UFC title against the only man who holds a victory over him, former WEC Featherweight Champion, Urijah Faber.
The co-main event of the evening is a fight that has been in the making for nearly a year, as a legend of the sport, Wanderlei Silva, takes on hard hitting and iron-chinned Chris Leben.
In addition, Tito Ortiz fights for his job against an Ultimate Fighter winner, Ryan Bader, Carlos Condit takes on Dong Hyun Kim in what could very well become a No. 1 contender match, and Dennis Siver, fresh off an upset over George Sotiropoulos, takes on “Handsome” Matt Wiman.
So here is the breakdown and predictions for the main card.
UFC Heavyweight Frank Mir has seen the ups and downs of his career, the UFC and mixed martial arts as a whole.After everything that’s been said and done, Mir is getting ready to enter his 10th season with the UFC, thus making him the heavyweight with t…
UFC Heavyweight Frank Mir has seen the ups and downs of his career, the UFC and mixed martial arts as a whole.
After everything that’s been said and done, Mir is getting ready to enter his 10th season with the UFC, thus making him the heavyweight with the most seniority.
Beginning at UFC 34 in November of 2001 where he defeated Roberto Traven with an armbar submission just 1:05 in to their fight, Mir has accrued a record of 12-5 with wins over Mirko “Cro-Cop,” Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Tim Sylvia and Tank Abbott to name a few.
During that time he has been the UFC Heavyweight Champion and an Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Mir is set to turn just 32-years-old four days before his bout with former training partner and fellow Las Vegas resident Roy Nelson. So, as he embarks on the journey back to the UFC mountaintop, Mir knows he needs to be impressive over Nelson if he expects to make any progress and movement up the heavyweight ladder.
As usual, Mir is taking his opponent extremely seriously and putting in a hard day’s work each and every day he trains. Maybe that’s why he was unaware that the UFC had implemented a new policy and will be offering fighters insurance in-between fights.
He also wasn’t sure if he was getting bumped up to the co-main event now that the Edgar-Maynard bout is off due to injuries.
“I am feeling really good right now, ready to go. I’m still not sure if we are being moved to the co-main event spot, I believe we are, but I am not 100% sure,” said Mir.
“Thanks for telling me about the insurance, I had no idea, that’s pretty cool. I am one of the very few fighters who doesn’t read any type of media. I would be the last person to know something.”
“I feel confident in every area with Nelson, as far as the stand-up goes the big difference is I am faster than he is and I have a bit more length than he does,” Mir told Bleacher Report.
“I am also a bit more versatile than Roy is. He is pretty much a boxer where as I like to use my knees and kicks. I know he is going to throw those big, looping over hand rights while I may come at him with different angles.”
With a win over Nelson, Mir would be riding a two fight win streak including a third round knockout over Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipovic at UFC 119. The winner of the Junior Dos Santos-Shane Carwin bout at UFC 131 will face Velasquez when he heals from his shoulder injury; does Mir see himself falling somewhere in line after those guys in terms of a title shot?
“I think I need to have a really good showing against Roy, I need to go out there and do really well,” offered Mir.
“It may put me right under them, but doesn’t move me up very far in fact if I don’t do well it could move me back despite a victory. Nelson is coming off the loss to JDS and still struggles for recognition in our sport.”
“Listen, I know Roy is a tough dude, he hits pretty hard and doesn’t seem to ever go away. He’s very resilient, very talented and knows how to preserve his energy, but the average fan is all that familiar with him. So a win over a guy like Nelson wouldn’t earn me the attention that a win over a bigger name fighter would. It doesn’t help that he isn’t flashy and tends to not take too many chances, but the fact of the matter is, he is a dangerous fighter.”
The UFC’s heavyweight division packs a bunch of hard-hitting, versatile fighters who can beat one another on any given night. Mir was very vocal about the direction of the division and its current champion, Cain Velasquez.
“Right now in the UFC I believe I would give him the best fight right now and that’s not taking anything away from him as I feel he is the best fighter in the world right now,” said Mir.
“I would really be hard-pressed to defeat him, the only reason I pose a bigger threat than some of the other guys is because we really don’t know how well he defends submissions.”
“I think it would take someone who could keep him down for awhile and test how he fights off of his back. Obviously his wrestling is extraordinary as evidenced in his fight against Brock, but who knows how well he would do if he were put in a dangerous spot with a good submission artist. His striking is good, but he does throw short punches which got him in trouble with Cheick Kongo, but unfortunately for Kongo he could not stay on his feet.”
“I think Carwin would be a good match-up for him as well. He punches hard enough to keep his opponents honest and is difficult to put down. Carwin would probably have a good chance at stuffing Cain’s shot, but we really don’t know how well Carwin fights off his back either.”
Mir has certainly grown during his time in the UFC, not just mentally, but physically as well. For his bout with Shane Carwin that took place at UFC 111 last March, Mir weighed in at the 265lb limit.
The added size just wasn’t enough as Carwin was able to land some devastating punches and win the belt. Since that time, Mir has stayed around the same size, but has mentioned a possible drop to the light heavyweight division.
“I should be about 260-265 for this fight against Roy,” explained Mir.
“I’ve been able to stay at this weight because of the heavy lifting program I have been using. I noticed during the Mirko fight that I was kind of pushing the limits of my endurance, my doctor checked my blood and wanted me to eat a more balanced, sensible diet.”
“I thought about 205 for awhile, particular when I was doing the Vegan diet and walking around at about 250lbs.,” Mir told Bleacher Report. “I was counting calories and was serious about whether it was a possibility, but it’s just not for me. It’s a little too late to try and do that.”
“Also, my first fight is going to be against a top-level guy, there aren’t going to be any warm-up bouts and for me to fight a top light heavyweight after handling the weight cut for the first time would be rough. This isn’t a B-Level show and there isn’t going to be an opportunity for me to get used to the cut.”
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Mir finds it’s best for him to stay home and train. When he needs to work on something in particular, he can always bring someone in to lend him a hand, but for Mir, it’s more important that he has his family close when he’s preparing for a fight—that’s why Mir opened up his own gym and does his own thing.
“Having my own gym is easier because I have my family here, my kids enjoy watching my practices and I like having them around,” proudly said Mir.
“It’s hard to go to other people’s gyms because not everyone if as kid-friendly as I am.”
A few months back, I interviewed BJJ world Champion Robert Drysdale and the conversation turned to Forrest Griffin and Frank Mir. Drysdale told me that those were two of the strongest grapplers he faces and was very complimentary of Mir.
“Forrest is definitely hard to roll with and I am very flattered by Drysdale’s comments, but truth be told, he smashes us real hard,” said Mir matter-of-factly.
“He has become obsessed with improving his stand-up and I think in the next year or so he is going to be someone that everyone is familiar with in the MMA world.”
Look For Part II of My Interview With Frank Mir Next Week.
With his main event fight against Matt Hamill at UFC 130 drawing near, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson answered several questions regarding his preparations for his upcoming bout and other topics.Prior to signing on to fight at UFC 130, Jackson had been offe…
With his main event fight against Matt Hamill at UFC 130 drawing near, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson answered several questions regarding his preparations for his upcoming bout and other topics.
Prior to signing on to fight at UFC 130, Jackson had been offered a title shot against former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. However, Jackson turned down the opportunity and faced a lot of criticism from judgmental MMA fans.
“I’m a fighter and I’ve been fighting for a long time. I have common sense,” Jackson said. “I knew Shogun was going to have ring rust after taking a long time off after injury. There’s no way I could’ve took the fight on like four or five weeks notice. It’s no secret that I put on weight in between fights. I wouldn’t have even been able to make weight, so it would’ve been stupid for me to even try to do that.”
In his most recent fight, Jackson won in a controversial split decision against Lyoto Machida. Initially, Jackson seemed surprised by the decision, but “Rampage” expressed a different opinion on the UFC 130 conference call.
“I’m always surprised when judges give me a decision,” he said. “That’s one reason for the reaction with me being really silly, but I watched the fight. I think I did just enough to win.”
During his training camp for Hamill, Jackson has been without nutritionist Mike Dolce, who has provided a lot of help with Jackson’s weight management in the past. Despite the absence of Dolce, Jackson appears comfortable with his weight and condition.
“I’m actually doing great. I’m lighter at this point for my fight than I’ve been in a long time. I’ve been lifting a lot of weight with Lance Gibson and Julia Budd and I’m actually stronger than I’ve been for awhile. I’m a fighter. I train for the fights. The training part is the toughest part. It doesn’t matter who’s in my camp or not; I still got a job to do.”
Although Jackson claims to be in his best shape in quite some time, his motivation has been questioned constantly. Jackson has taken some heat for saying that he is not at all interested in the matchup with Hamill.
“Some MMA fans, they don’t hear something they want to hear and they jump all over you,” Jackson said. “If they really get to know me, I’m not really excited about anybody I fight. It’s my job; it’s my career. I don’t get excited anymore. I got almost 40 fights. I don’t get excited about anybody I fight.”
Another reason Jackson’s desire has been questioned is his constantly looming acting career. Despite briefly saying he was retiring to pursue acting in 2009, Jackson says that he is now primarily focused on fighting.
“I keep putting movies off to fight because fighting is my primary career. The movies are something I want to get into after I fight, but at the same time you got to stay out there if you want to stay in movies.”
Finally, Jackson pointed toward comments Hamill had made that have motivated him to train harder.
“My main motivation is to win, but I think Matt [Hamill] made a mistake when he said he was going to break my will and that I’m going to overlook him. That actually lit a fire under my ass and actually made me train a little bit harder just so I could break his will.”
Sean Smith is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @seansmithMMA.
With his main event fight against Matt Hamill at UFC 130 drawing near, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson answered several questions regarding his preparations for his upcoming bout and other topics.
Prior to signing on to fight at UFC 130, Jackson had been off…
With his main event fight against Matt Hamill at UFC 130 drawing near, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson answered several questions regarding his preparations for his upcoming bout and other topics.
Prior to signing on to fight at UFC 130, Jackson had been offered a title shot against former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. However, Jackson turned down the opportunity and faced a lot of criticism from judgmental MMA fans.
“I’m a fighter and I’ve been fighting for a long time. I have common sense,” Jackson said. “I knew Shogun was going to have ring rust after taking a long time off after injury. There’s no way I could’ve took the fight on like four or five weeks notice. It’s no secret that I put on weight in between fights. I wouldn’t have even been able to make weight, so it would’ve been stupid for me to even try to do that.”
In his most recent fight, Jackson won in a controversial split decision against Lyoto Machida. Initially, Jackson seemed surprised by the decision, but “Rampage” expressed a different opinion on the UFC 130 conference call.
“I’m always surprised when judges give me a decision,” he said. “That’s one reason for the reaction with me being really silly, but I watched the fight. I think I did just enough to win.”
During his training camp for Hamill, Jackson has been without nutritionist Mike Dolce, who has provided a lot of help with Jackson’s weight management in the past. Despite the absence of Dolce, Jackson appears comfortable with his weight and condition.
“I’m actually doing great. I’m lighter at this point for my fight than I’ve been in a long time. I’ve been lifting a lot of weight with Lance Gibson and Julia Budd and I’m actually stronger than I’ve been for awhile. I’m a fighter. I train for the fights. The training part is the toughest part. It doesn’t matter who’s in my camp or not; I still got a job to do.”
Although Jackson claims to be in his best shape in quite some time, his motivation has been questioned constantly. Jackson has taken some heat for saying that he is not at all interested in the matchup with Hamill.
“Some MMA fans, they don’t hear something they want to hear and they jump all over you,” Jackson said. “If they really get to know me, I’m not really excited about anybody I fight. It’s my job; it’s my career. I don’t get excited anymore. I got almost 40 fights. I don’t get excited about anybody I fight.”
Another reason Jackson’s desire has been questioned is his constantly looming acting career. Despite briefly saying he was retiring to pursue acting in 2009, Jackson says that he is now primarily focused on fighting.
“I keep putting movies off to fight because fighting is my primary career. The movies are something I want to get into after I fight, but at the same time you got to stay out there if you want to stay in movies.”
Finally, Jackson pointed toward comments Hamill had made that have motivated him to train harder.
“My main motivation is to win, but I think Matt [Hamill] made a mistake when he said he was going to break my will and that I’m going to overlook him. That actually lit a fire under my ass and actually made me train a little bit harder just so I could break his will.”
Sean Smith is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @seansmithMMA.
The rift between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans has been ugly. The former friends and training partners had a falling out that began when Jones stepped into to replace an injured Evans at UFC 128. Jones replaced Evans in a title fight against light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.