April 2, 2008, UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Lauzon, we saw Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard fight. In that fight Gray dominated Frankie with his wrestling and took a unanimous decision victory.After that bout Frankie won three in a row including two of tho…
April 2, 2008, UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Lauzon, we saw Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard fight. In that fight Gray dominated Frankie with his wrestling and took a unanimous decision victory.
After that bout Frankie won three in a row including two of those being fight of the night performances and earned a shot to face BJ Penn at UFC 112. Frankie won a very debatable decision and became the new UFC Lightweight Champion and four months later defended it in a rematch with BJ and won a 50-45 unanimous decision.
That win lined up the rematch with Gray Maynard and it took place at UFC 125.
Gray on the other hand after the Edgar fight had to win five fights in a row and earned the number one contender ship by defeating Kenny Florian at UFC 118. Gray is a grinder and all of his bouts after the first Edgar fight went to decision.
He was inconsistent throughout this period, he never lost but had a couple of close decisions. During the streak he kept saying he deserved his title shot and finally after his dominating performance against Florian he was granted his wish, and on New Years Day 2011 it all took place.
The lead up to the second fight was interesting, not much smack talk only respect and confidence on both ends. You could truly see the hunger in the two fighters eyes in interviews and pre-fight press conferences. Many, and I mean about 90 percent of people expected this to be a wrestling match and not be very interesting. Oh, how many were surprised.
Round 1 was interesting. Maynard caught Frankie with a solid shot and that led to one of the most lopsided rounds in UFC history that was not stopped and it is good that it wasn’t stopped because what happened after that 10-8 arguably 10-7 round was just amazing.
Round 2 Frankie came out like an animal and looked like nothing had happened in the previous five minutes and showed his heart and dedication. Frankie landed a big take down and land three times the amount of strikes that Maynard did in that round.
Round 3 was a very close round with Edgar landing just a few more strikes than Maynard, but the two take downs that Maynard landed stole the round for him. At this point Frankie seemed fine and ready to go, but you could clearly tell that Maynard was getting very tired and had punched himself out in the first round.
Round 4 was all Edgar while Round 5 was very close. In the fifth Edgar only landed a couple more shots than Maynard, but Maynard failed on seven take down attempts. The final round was very close but Frankie clearly won that round.
After all was said and done many were curious on how the fight would be scored, but besides that everyone had witnessed one of the greatest title fights in UFC history. The fighters paced around, both thought that they had won this fight and both had a legit claim.
Judge Marcos Rosales scored the bout 48-46 for Edgar. Judge Glenn Trowbridge scored the bout 48-46 for Maynard. Then finally judge Patricia Morse-Jarman scored the bout 47-47, and the bout was declared a draw. You could see the disappointment on both fighters faces as Bruce Buffer made the call.
Post fight, Dana White showed praise for both fighters. The WEC merger had recently taken affect and WEC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis was supposed to face the winner, but with the amazing fight and the draw Dana went against the call and announced that we would see a third fight between Edgar and Maynard.
What to expect in this fight? Many things. Both men really want to be the sole owner of this belt. They will do whatever it takes to get the belt as well. Who will go for the early take downs, who will have the superior striking?
We all know what to expect, but how much will each truly change things up in this fight? Edgar must utilize his speed and counter punching. Maynard is more of a power puncher, but one solid shot can take you out of your element.
The wrestling in the fight will be very interesting. Edgar looked tons better that Maynard in the take down department in the last fight, due to his speed and if he fights to his strength he could and should beat Maynard.
These two warriors were made for each other in the octagon, and this fight will not be a test of skill. This fight will be a test of heart and desire. Odds are this fight will go to decision, but should be very entertaining as well.
What happens to the loser of the bout? Would Frankie drop to 145-lbs and try and challenge Jose Aldo? Would Gray add weight and test Welterweight waters? Gray has been known to walk at over 180-lbs when not fighting, so there are weird scenarios like that.
Odds are if the fight isn’t close or controversial the loser will fight a top 4-5 guy and with one or two wins will be back in the title picture, but this is MMA anything is possible.
Be sure to check out UFC 130 on May 28, 2011 live on pay per view.
The recent bad blood between rivals Urijah Faber and UFC bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz has certainly been well-documented.Both competitors will headline UFC 132, when they meet in a rematch from WEC 26, to determine the newly crowned bantamweigh…
The recent bad blood between rivals Urijah Faber and UFC bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz has certainly been well-documented.
Both competitors will headline UFC 132, when they meet in a rematch from WEC 26, to determine the newly crowned bantamweight champion.
While appearing as a guest on MMA Fight Corner Radio, Faber did not hold anything back when discussing his opponent. In fact, the former WEC featherweight champion used as little dialogue as possible
“Immature,” Faber said when asked on describing his opponent.
The last time both men competed, Faber picked up the victory, submitting Cruz via guillotine choke.
Since failing to recapture his featherweight title against Mike Thomas Brown and current title holder Jose Aldo, Faber recently moved down to bantamweight and made his debut at UFC 128.
Faber defeated Eddie Wineland via unanimous decision and following the bout he proceeded to call out his rival, Cruz.
The win ultimately earned Faber a title shot against Cruz, scheduled for this summer.
Faber continued to speak of his disdain for Cruz, and while he isn’t one to trash-talk or belittle his opponents, “The California Kid” said he respects the bantamweight champion, but he wouldn’t consider him a friend.
“I was forced to spend some time with him this last week with the Marines in Camp Pendleton in San Diego and it was fun,” Faber said.
“He can actually take a joke, and we were at each other’s throat a little bit at the beginning there. He’s a decent guy, but he has a lot of growing up to do, and me beating him up is going to be part of that process.”
UFC 132 is scheduled for July 2nd, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Delivering a Knockout of the Night crane kick to the jaw of the immortal Randy Couture during their matchup at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida has rebounded from his defeat to both Quinton Jackson and…
Delivering a Knockout of the Night crane kick to the jaw of the immortal Randy Couture during their matchup at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida has rebounded from his defeat to both Quinton Jackson and Mauricio Rua and elevated his stature within the UFC light heavyweight division.
Holding notable victories over Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua and the aforementioned Randy Couture, Machida has competed against some of the sports best fighters.
This Brazilian born mixed martial artist is a former UFC light heavyweight champion and is currently ranked the No. 5 light heavyweight fighter on the planet.
With an overall MMA record of 17-2 with six knockouts, “The Dragon” has re-positioned himself amongst the list of contenders viable to face the current UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon “Bones” Jones.
Defeating Mauricio Rua in March of this year to claim the championship title, Jones’ reign at the top will be tested.
Known for his athleticism and unpredictability within his striking, Jones has demolished each opponent he has faced, including notable victories over Brandon Vera, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ryan Bader and most recently, Rua.
With an amazing 84.5″ reach, explosiveness, tremendous athleticism and a solid wrestling background, Jones may be the quintessential ultimate fighter created by engineers in a laboratory.
Receiving rightful accolades, I do believe that Machida may be the one light heavyweight contender who could challenge Jones for his championship.
“The Dragon’s” fighting style is grounded in karate. He is known for his elusiveness, dynamic strikes from various angles and planes, as well as his cautious, yet precise, counter striking.
Machida, like Jones, is extremely unpredictable inside the Octagon. Unlike Jones, who is more of an explosive, aggressive, mauling style of fighter, Machida is tactically precise and delivers punches and kicks with perfect execution.
That difference in the ability to deliver a perfect strike may off-set Jones’ advantages inside the Octagon.
Due to the elusiveness of both fighters, and the fact that both Machida and Jones create abnormal striking angles, the winner of this matchup will be determined by a random variable.
I believe the advantage in the variable department lies with Machida, because he is not only athletic, elusive, dynamic and a solid all-around fighter with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he is also extremely precise with his strikes and delivers knockout power with perfect execution.
If you doubt Machida’s stand-up brilliance; just ask Randy Couture.
Fully aware of the level of difficulty that faces Machida if he is honored with a title shot against Jon Jones, I still feel that of the talent pool that resides within the UFC, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida’s fighting style would prepare the former champion with the ability to once again reign supreme within the UFC light heavyweight division.
In a little more than two years since making his UFC debut, Stefan Struve has steadily risen through the ranks of the organization’s heaviest division. Although Struve insists that he isn’t feeling the pressure, the fact of the matter is &l…
In a little more than two years since making his UFC debut, Stefan Struve has steadily risen through the ranks of the organization’s heaviest division. Although Struve insists that he isn’t feeling the pressure, the fact of the matter is “The Skyscraper” is on the brink of becoming a bonafide contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
An established star on the European mixed martial arts circuit, before making his UFC debut in February of 2009, Struve has since claimed five wins in seven Octagon appearances—including victories over Paul Buentello, Christian Morecraft and, most recently, Sean McCorkle.
Right now, Struve is preparing for his next bout—a heavyweight tilt on May 28th against Travis Browne at UFC 130.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Stefan Struve about, among other topics, the joys of home-ownership, what he’s been able to accomplish in the UFC so far and his upcoming bout against Browne later this month.
How are you doing today?
Good. I just finished training; I had grappling this morning with my training partners and had strength and conditioning in the evening and I just came home from my new house—I bought a new house. So, I’m doing really good.
You’ve got a new house?
Yeah, I just bought a new house a couple days ago—I just got the key yesterday.
How does that feel?
It’s awesome; it’s really nice. I bought my house with the money I’ve made in the UFC so far, so it’s been excellent.
That’s got to feel good.
Yeah, it feels really, really good. That’s another reason why I love my job.
The money?
Well, it’s not only the money that makes you happy, but the things that you can do with it; I bought a home for myself and that’s really nice. I’m really thankful for the way my career has gone so far.
Did you think, in the beginning, that you would be able to buy your own home with your talents as a mixed martial artist?
At first, I didn’t think about that. When I first signed my deal with the UFC, I didn’t think things would go this fast. That’s the truth.
Were you surprised to get that call from the UFC so early in your career?
Well, I was young—I was 20 years old—but to be honest, I was doing really, really good in Europe; I won 14 fights in a row and then I lost one and then I won five straight. For someone that’s 20 years old and fighting in the heavyweight division at 220 pounds, I think that’s pretty good, you know? We heard that Dream was following my fights and we heard that the UFC was following my fights and Affliction was following my fights, but when the offer finally came, of course we were very proud and a little surprised. The UFC is the biggest stage there is.
Was there any hesitation on your behalf to sign the contract?
To be honest, there was. At first we thought, if we signed with the UFC, then we would only be fighting three or four times a year. When I wasn’t fighting in the UFC, I was fighting seven-to-nine times a year. I really liked that rhythm, but to be honest, three or four times a year is good enough for me. With the way that I’m getting paid, it’s better because I can let my injuries heal and I can take more time to work on technical training instead of going back to strength and conditioning right after the fight, you know?
At this point, you prefer the three or four fights a year?
I think I will fight three times this year because this will be my first fight in May. I was supposed to fight in March against [Brendan] Schaub, but it got canceled because I had a small injury that I had to let heal and I needed some more time.
Do you think, looking back, it was a positive thing for your career that you got the opportunity to come to the UFC so early?
Yeah, of course I think it was. I was pretty much done fighting lower-level competition in Europe; there were no more big tests for me, to be honest. I’m getting tested in the UFC and I think Travis is another big test for me.
Did you have a “welcome to the UFC” moment, where it all kind of hit you that you were in the major league?
When it hit me? Yeah; fight-week, with all of the media attention and the attention from the crowd and the fans at the weigh-ins at the stage with all of the people in the audience. When I finally stepped into the Octagon I realized that I had to fight in the UFC for the first time and I thought, “Okay, now we’re here and now it needs to happen.” And it didn’t happen [laughs].
Was that at all overwhelming?
Yeah, everything was a little overwhelming; the media, the audience—everything. And then a guy like Junior Dos Santos is standing in front of you—who didn’t really have a big-name back then, but was coming off a big win over Fabricio Werdum—so he felt really good in there. I think I jammed; I couldn’t move, I didn’t do my thing, but losses happen and it made me stronger.
After a loss, do you ever question why you compete?
No, not really; I love my sport and I couldn’t be more thankful for the way my career has gone so far. Of course, after a loss you’re disappointed, but I never think, “Why am I doing this?” That never happens, no.
How do you feel about what you’ve been able to accomplish so far in the UFC?
I’m pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished so far; I’ve already got five wins—I’ve won five out of my last six—and my only two losses are against guys that are doing really well right now in the UFC. In the fight with Roy [Nelson], there were some things that were happening fight-week that—and you wish that those things didn’t happen—but they happen. For the future, it will be nice to get a rematch with both guys, but there’s no rush; I’m only 23 and, like I said, I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished so far and I plan on winning my sixth fight in the UFC in a couple of weeks.
How much better do you feel you are now than when you first came into the UFC two years ago?
A lot, a lot, a lot better. I’ve worked on everything; my ground-game has improved a lot and especially my stand-up—if you look at my fights, I’ve improved so much. I think I weighed in at 239 pounds, and I’m at 260, 262 right now, so I’ve improved a lot.
You’re at 262, you said?
260, 262 or something like that; around 260.
Do you usually walk around that heavy?
No; I got a little heavier. I had some more time off after the fight, so I did more strength and conditioning to get bigger, you know? That was good. I did a lot of technical training after the fight with [Sean] McCorkle; a lot of BJJ and technical kick-boxing. I’ve improved a lot since my last fight.
Do you feel a lot stronger with that added weight?
Yeah. I’m feeling it a lot—especially when I’m hitting somebody with a punch. In the gym, I’m afraid to hit people with full-force, because I know that if I hit someone it’s good-night—that’s a good feeling. On the ground, as well; I’ve got a lot more strength. It’s really good.
What do you think you will weigh come fight night?
Somewhere around 260—I don’t know. When I started my camp, after my fight with McCorkle, I went to L.A. for two weeks and when I came back I was at 280. It’s pretty big, but I didn’t train a lot and I ate a lot of pizza and shit like that in L. A. Like I said, I think around 260.
What motivated you to put on the extra weight?
Look at who’s running the heavyweight division; Brock [Lesnar], [Shane] Carwin, [Cain] Velasquez and Dos Santos—those are big guys for their frames. I need to put more muscle on my frame. On my frame, I can easily go up to 280 or 290, in my opinion, and cut down, weigh in at 265 and weigh 280, 285 in the cage.
Is that something that you would be interested in doing in the future?
Yeah—in the future. I’m getting bigger every single fight and for my next fight, I may even have to cut a little bit before the fight. That’s for the next fight; I’m under the 265-limit right now.
Did you think, when you started your career, that you would ever be that heavy?
Of course I knew that I would get bigger eventually. Especially with the people in the gym, when I was young, they would say that if I did the right things—if I ate correct and kept on training—it will all come by itself. If I continued to do the right things, they said I’d become a monster. I said that sounded cool, but I was 16 years old when they said that, but they had it right [laughs].
I remember, I think it was in one of your first bouts in the UFC, Joe Rogan said that when you grow into your body and physically mature, then you would be a real force to be reckoned with. Now that that is becoming a reality, how confident are you?
I’m really confident for my next fight. Like I said, I’ve improved a lot. My kick-boxing and my ground-game was already really technical, but because I’m getting bigger and stronger right now, I feel that my technique is really starting to work; when I give someone a push-kick or a jab or something, it has impact and I can feel it. Like I said, when I spar, I’m afraid to hit somebody with all of my power, because I know, if I hit someone on the chin then it will be good-night [laughs]. That’s a really good feeling.
What does that mean to you?
[Laughs] To me, it means that Travis Browne is going to have a bad night at UFC 130, that’s for sure.
What problems does Travis pose to you?
He’s a big test; he’s got solid power in his fists and he’s got some powerful kicks. He’s a tall guy, he’s a good striker, but I feel that my ground-game is far ahead of his. He’s got some good wrestling, but I’m not really afraid of wrestlers because my ground-game is good and my guard is good—they don’t really want to be in my guard, in my opinion. You saw that in my last fight, when McCorkle took me down because he didn’t want to stand up with me, so he decided to take me down and after a couple minutes I reversed him and he didn’t have a chance on the ground against me.
Do you feel Travis has anything to offer that you haven’t already seen?
I’m not underestimating him; he’s a good fighter. He’s four inches smaller than me—that’s a lot—but, he’s still 6’7” and he’s got a lot of power in his hands. In my opinion, it’s going to be an awesome fight. He always comes to fight and I always come to fight; we both love to throw leather. It’s going to be an awesome fight for the fans, for sure. He puts it all on the line and I put it all on the line…I like to be in a brawl and I just like to fight. It’s been too long; I wish I could just close my eyes and be in there [laughs].
What do you think Travis’ game plan will be going into this fight?
I think he’ll want to put pressure on me and, maybe, take me down to try to ground-and-pound me, but I don’t think he will succeed with that [laughs].
Do you have a prediction for how it’s going to end?
I don’t really do predictions for fights, but I always come to finish my fight—it’s the same thing with this fight at UFC 130; I’ll be coming in to finish the fight and he’ll be coming in to finish the fight. Of course I’m confident and I feel that I’m going to win this fight. Either by submission or knock-out—I don’t care—wherever the fight goes, it’s fine with me. I’m going to be in there to finish.
What would a win at UFC 130 mean to you?
A win at UFC 130 would be my sixth win and my third straight, so that’s a good feeling. I want to put another streak together and maybe go up against the bigger boys—we’ll see. There’s no rush; I’m only 23 years old, so I’m going in there without any sort of pressure—I’m just going to fight my ass off and I’m going to do it with a good feeling, that’s for sure.
Assuming you win, where do you see yourself in the UFC’s heavyweight division?
If I win, I’ll be top 10. I think I’m around top 10 now—maybe in it, but maybe not yet. I think being in the top 10 in the UFC for someone who is only 23 years old and fighting in the heavyweight division isn’t that bad. With the future ahead—like I said, no rush and no pressure—I’m just going to keep on giving awesome fights to the fans. When I get bigger and learn more, I’m going to make a run for the belt, but there’s no rush for that. This fight is the first fight that I’ve had coaches for every single thing, you know? At first, we did almost everything in our own gym, but now I’ve got a BJJ coach, I’ve got a strength and conditioning coach, I’ve got a coach for the stand-up, I’ve got new guys to train with. It’s been an awesome camp and I can’t wait to go show how much I’ve improved.
What inspired you to make that move?
All the guys do it that way, you know? I figured that I should give it a try and see how it works. You need people who are the best in their discipline; for the stand-up, ground-game, wrestling, strength and conditioning, nutrition. You need people who know everything about all of those things and it has been really good. I’ve learned a lot about every aspect. Especially for the mental aspect of the game; I’ve learned so much and I know for myself that that’s good. Like I said, I can’t wait to show all of the technique that I’ve learned.
Do you feel that everything is really coming together at this point?
This is just the start, in my opinion. If I can keep going like this for five or six years, then I see myself being one of the best in the UFC. Also, with the strength and the weight that I added, my wrestling has been going very good, I’ve been throwing people around easier than before. Like you said, it’s coming together a little bit, but for me it’s only the start.
What are your goals in the sport at this point?
At this point? Right now, the only goal is to win my fight at UFC 130. For the future, I still have at least 12 or 13 years of competition in me—and maybe even more. Of course I want to have the belt around my waist at some time. I’m only 23 and doing really good in the UFC, so I see myself with a belt in a couple years.
Is that what motivates you to train every day?
Every single fight motivates me to work hard. It’s my job—I need money—and I get paid for delivering exciting fights. Another motivation is the appreciation that I get from my fans. I’m not a big contender yet; it’s not like people are talking about me fighting for the belt after my next fight or anything, but I get fan mail. I read things on the Internet and people talk to me on Twitter and Facebook—it’s very motivating. People love my fights and there are a lot of people that really appreciate the way I fight—that motivates me, too.
What do the fans mean to you?
A lot. Of course, without the fans this sport wouldn’t be this big. I always want to deliver a good fight and give the fans what they came to see and what they paid for.
Have you thought about what you might like to do in 12 or 13 years when you’re doing fighting?
Well, I can’t see myself involved in anything but sports, so I think owning a gym or anything related to sports; making people better, making people stronger. Maybe something related to nutrition. I want to learn about everything that has to do with my sport. I want to start studying again so I will learn even more about my body. I want to be the best with everything, you know?
Are you excited to see what the future holds for you as a mixed martial artist?
Like I said, I can’t wait for the future, but right now I love my job, I love my life, I love Holland—things are going very well. The future can wait, and I’ll just do my thing. You never know what will happen—you might get injured—so, I enjoy every second of this and I try my best to improve every day.
Fight fans love us some good black eyes, but not like this. Every sport suffers their low moments that they wish might not ever have happened, and MMA is no different.Sure, we can try and pretend like they never happened, or we could do the noble…
Fight fans love us some good black eyes, but not like this.
Every sport suffers their low moments that they wish might not ever have happened, and MMA is no different.
Sure, we can try and pretend like they never happened, or we could do the noble thing and try and learn from them.
A black eye on the sport never looks good, but it can only add character over time.
Some moments are simply more embarrassing than anything else, while others are just downright nasty.
Cage Potato has posted a very interesting video of Tank Abbott calling out former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.Watch the video here.The two-time UFC tournament runner-up mocked Lesnar’s lack of a stand up game, saying he could “knock Broc…
The two-time UFC tournament runner-up mocked Lesnar’s lack of a stand up game, saying he could “knock Brock Lesnar out in 10 seconds.”
Recalling his days as a professional wrestler with the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, Abott stated an affinity for other wrestlers but called Lesnar “a little bitch” and “steroided-out.”
Abbott continued, criticizing Lesnar’s status as a fighter: “You get punched in the face and you run the other way like a girl, that’s not what you’re in there for,” he said. “You’re supposed to sit there and exchange, not run.”
With a 10-14 record, Abbott claimed that he could not only render the former champion unconscious, but he would like to “jump up and down on his head afterward.”
A fight between Brock Lesnar and the 46-year-old Abbott is highly unlikely, but it will be interesting to see how Lesnar responds to criticism of his chin against the dangerous striker Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131.
April 2, 2008, UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Lauzon, we saw Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard fight. In that fight Gray dominated Frankie with his wrestling and took a unanimous decision victory.