The UFC returns this weekend with UFC 173. Live from Las Vegas, the bout is headlined by a bantamweight title fight between juggernaut Renan Barao and underdog contender TJ Dillashaw.
Before the pay-per-view main card is a stacked preliminary card. The…
The UFC returns this weekend with UFC 173. Live from Las Vegas, the bout is headlined by a bantamweight title fight between juggernaut Renan Barao and underdog contender TJ Dillashaw.
Before the pay-per-view main card is a stacked preliminary card. The card contains several TUF winners, some great up-and-coming prospects and new faces to the company.
I did the Bellator prelims last week with the intention of not including them, but that would not be fair. That being said, most of those pics were educated guesses, still scoring just above .500.
With that said, let’s take a look at the prelims and make some predictions.
It’s no secret that Nick and Nate Diaz are among the most discussed people in MMA. They’re either loved or hated, sometimes misunderstood and always good for a headline.
Few people in the sport are as capable as the boys from Stockton, California,…
It’s no secret that Nick and Nate Diaz are among the most discussed people in MMA. They’re either loved or hated, sometimes misunderstood and always good for a headline.
Few people in the sport are as capable as the boys from Stockton, California, are at getting their name out there and gaining some attention for a fight (or for not fighting, for that matter) or for wild stories about things that happen away from the cage.
With both brothers presently in states of semi-retirement, now is as good a time as any to look back over the past decade of Diaz and ponder some of the brothers’ greatest hits in the sport.
Renan Barao is truly one of the best fighters on the planet. That’s not just Joe Rogan-esque hyperbole to sell an upcoming pay-per-view event. UFC 173 will be Barao’s next showcase, and it takes place on Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las …
RenanBarao is truly one of the best fighters on the planet. That’s not just Joe Rogan-esque hyperbole to sell an upcoming pay-per-view event. UFC 173 will be Barao‘s next showcase, and it takes place on Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Barao will be defending his UFC bantamweight title against T.J. Dillashaw. It’s part of an impressive main card set up for fans. Here’s a look at the card, viewing information and predictions for each bout.
Just below the table is a closer look at the top three bouts on the main card.
Lawler vs. Ellenberger
Bounce-back Bout for Lawler
This fight should be fun.
Robbie Lawler just missed becoming the welterweight champion in his last bout with Johny Hendricks. After a close and hard-fought fight, Lawler lost a unanimous decision. The loss snapped his three-fight win streak.
On Saturday, he’ll face Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger for a chance to get another shot at the title.
Ellenberger has seemingly been on the cusp of a title shot a few times himself, but he’s yet to get his crack at the crown. The Juggernaut has been quite vocal about others in the weight class who might be in front of him in line for a shot at Hendricks.
TyronWoodley defeated Carlos Condit at UFC 171 after the latter tore his ACL and partially tore his meniscus while being taken down by the former.
I could care less about [Tyron] Woodley and the fight with Rory. They’re both great guys, but I mean it’s crazy how fast you know, things change, people’s perspective change. It’s like, you’ve got a guy like Woodley. I mean, Condit getting hurt that’s disappointing, that stuff happens, but it’s like, you can’t give a title shot to a guy who’s, you know. If I’m fighting a guy and he gets hurt in the fight, I mean I didn’t beat him. I wouldn’t feel good. Sure he got hurt, but I didn’t submit him, I didn’t knock him out.
Like it or not, Ellenberger might still be behind Woodley if he beats Lawler on Saturday. And that’s a big if.
Why Lawler Will Win
Both fighters are hard-hitting pugilists who prefer to stand, though each is an accomplished wrestler as well. Lawler has looked like a man on a mission over the last two years. The chin he demonstrated against Hendricks was amazing.
In a striking battle, you’d have to give Lawler the edge. Lawler will win by KO to again push Ellenberger to the back of the line of those waiting for a title shot.
Cormier vs. Henderson
The Easy Way or the Hard Way?
Truth be told, Daniel Cormier could make this a very boring fight. He could use his size, strength and technique to dominate Dan Henderson on the ground.
That would almost certainly get him the win, but it probably wouldn’t excite the fans. Because Cormier is in the midst of trying to sell himself as a headliner, he’ll likely take the more risky route.
Henderson is still a huge puncher at 43 years old. He proved that with his decimation of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in March. The big question for Henderson is: how well will he perform without the aid of TRT (testosterone replacement therapy)?
The procedure was banned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in February, and Henderson has been one of its most publicized users.
Per Matt Erickson of MMA Junkie, the Pride and UFC legend doesn’t think not having TRT will affect him. He said this in a recent interview:
I’m feeling pretty good. I maybe lay on the couch a little more than I used to. But I laid on the couch quite a bit before, too. It’s all about just making sure you train hard and train smart. I did that before I was on TRT, I did that during, and now, as well. I’ve won fights and lost fights with it and without it. I really don’t notice too big of a difference, competition-wise. But hopefully I make a statement that it doesn’t matter in this fight.
Why Cormier Will Win
TRT or not, Cormier‘s hands are too quick for Henderson. As boxing skills go, Cormier is one of the most talented when it comes to throwing fists.
While he does have to beware of Hendo’s power, Cormier should be able to slip and counter his way to a victory. Will he stop Henderson? It’s possible, but not likely.
Cormier has yet to show the power to stop a man with a legendary chin like Henderson. Cormier will have to hope that a unanimous-decision win is enough to get him the next shot at Jones’ light heavyweight title.
Barao vs. Dillashaw
Getting to Know the 135-Pound Kingpin
As a stand-up fighter, submissions artist and grappler, Renan Barao rates near the top of the list. Need numbers to back that up? Eight of his 32 wins have come by KO, and that includes the last two against tough-as-nails fighters like Eddie Wineland and Urijah Faber.
Another 14 wins have come by way of submission. Barao has lost only one fight in his career, and that was his first professional bout.
Still, he doesn’t yet have the star power that Jon Jones, Anderson Silva or even ChaelSonnen have, but he and the UFC are working on it.
Check out this promo video stacked with nationally respected MMA writers from around the globe. All of them are just gushing about Barao‘s versatile and deadly skill set.
Why Barao Will Win
T.J. Dillashaw is also a fighter with various talents. His nine wins have been equally spread between KO/TKOs, submissions and decisions.
That said, he seems to struggle with fighters who are explosive in their stand-up game. The swift and dynamic John Dodson stopped Dillashaw back in Dec. 2011 at The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale.
Barao has the same type of power and speed combination as Dodson proportionately. In speaking with Bleacher Report through the assistance of a translator, Barao said:
I believe T.J. [Dillashaw] thinks he is a striker now, and he isn’t. I think he will mess up and make mistakes in this fight, and this will present the chance for me to finish him. I’m very calm and ready for this fight, and I believe I will win this fight because I’m the better fighter.
The champion will get no arguments here. Dillashaw is likely to get caught with one of Barao‘s various effectively brutal striking attacks. Barao will win and record his third straight stoppage via TKO/KO.
Flying under the radar is not always a bad thing.
Sure it has its drawbacks when title discussions start whirling, but it helps to step into the Octagon as a man trying to prove his worth.
Time and time again, we’ve seen these underdogs rise to the occ…
Flying under the radar is not always a bad thing.
Sure it has its drawbacks when title discussions start whirling, but it helps to step into the Octagon as a man trying to prove his worth.
Time and time again, we’ve seen these underdogs rise to the occasion to capture victory that would otherwise seem impossible.
With that said, here is the most underrated fighter in each UFC weight class today and why they’ll eventually escape divisional limbo.
The 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter continued, as the most controversial episode of the season took place. A three-round fight between Roger Zapata and Ian Stephens was the main focus of the entire episode, as was the craziness that surrounded it.
…
The 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter continued, as the most controversial episode of the season took place. A three-round fight between Roger Zapata and Ian Stephens was the main focus of the entire episode, as was the craziness that surrounded it.
Before the fight, we heard that Stephens lost his father at age six when he was electrocuted on the job. That seems to be the main driving force behind the young fighter, who is known for his dominant wrestling.
Another big part of the episode was BJ Penn bringing in Matt Hughes as a guest coach. Hughes, a former three-time opponent of Penn and current friend of the coach, seemed to do great things in the short time he was there.
When fight time came, it was marred by lack of activity and controversial calls. Stephens easily won Round 1, but there was a major focus on referee Steve Mazzagatti warning Zapata on several occasions to stop grabbing the fence and throwing illegal elbows.
The same thing happened in Round 2, but a sudden victory Round 3 was required. In the third, Mazzagatti finally took a point from Zapata after another illegal elbow or two. It upset Dana White, though in reality Mazzagatti did give Zapata plenty of warnings.
In an even crazier turn of events, Zapata was announced the winner of the decision despite the fact that there was no way he could win Round 3 due to the loss of point. A bunch of craziness ensued from the questionable judge’s call, but the decision stood, and Zapata now moves on to the semifinals.
The next fight was announced for next week. Ohio State wrestler Patrick Walsh of Team Edgar was chosen by Penn to take on Penn’s top pick Anton Berzin, a jiu-jitsu specialist.
Team
Team Edgar 185
Team Penn 185
Team Edgar 205
Team Penn 205
Ian Stephens
Mike King
Corey Anderson
Anton Berzin
Dhiego Lima
Tim Williams
Patrick Walsh
Josh Clark
Eddie Gordon
CathalPendred
Matt van Buren
Dan Spohn
Hector Urbina
Roger Zapata
Todd Monaghan
Chris Fields
Notes and Observations
I really like the coaches that Penn has brought in. It seems that Mark Coleman, an everyday coach, and Matt Hughes, a one-off guest, are awesome teachers and coaches. At some point, I think it would be awesome if they had a season of TUFwhere the coaches are all retired fighters. Imagine having Coleman, Hughes, Chuck Liddell and other legends assembled as a team of coaches teaching fighters the tricks of the trade. Besides, other than heated rivalries, the coaches fights aren’t that big a deal anymore.
I want to know how often the last pick of the entire season has made it out of the first round. I know on TUF 18 last season, Jessica Rakoczy was not only the last pick of the women, but actually made it to the finals.
I understand where Dana White is coming from and why he was upset, but let’s look at this logically. Mazzagatti warned Zapata probably three or four times about grabbing the fence, never taking away a point. He also warned him about the elbows half a dozen times or so before taking the point. Not only that, but a lot of Zapata’s strikes were to the back of Stephens’ head. I think the point deduction was a long time coming.
I scored the fight 29-27 for Stephens. I thought he won the first and third round via control, plus took the third 10-8 due to the point deduction. Assuming the judges had it 19-19 going into the third, it does seem impossible Zapata could win, especially with the point deduction. A win in the third round for Stephens would make it 29-27. A 10-9 win (9-9 with the deduction) for Zapata in that round would make the score 28-28, meaning that they would have to go to a fourth round. There is no way Zapata could have had a 10-8 (or 9-8 with the deduction) to earn that. Controversial to say the least.
So far, most of the fights on the season have been underwhelming. This is surprising considering the level of talent on the season. I really think that Anton Berzin, Corey Anderson and Dan Spohn are great talents in the light heavyweight division, while Mike King, Dhiego Lima, CathalPendred, Tim Williams and Eddie Gordon are all gems at middleweight. I really expected more from these guys in terms of excitement so far.
Urijah Faber offered an honest depiction of his working relationship with soon-to-be former Team Alpha Male head coach Duane Ludwig, although he curiously did so at a questionable time.
Just five days before teammate T.J. Dillashaw’s scheduled title f…
Urijah Faber offered an honest depiction of his working relationship with soon-to-be former Team Alpha Male head coach Duane Ludwig, although he curiously did so at a questionable time.
Just five days before teammate T.J. Dillashaw‘s scheduled title fight with RenanBarao at UFC 173, Faber spoke frankly on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour about some of his differences with “Bang”:
Duane did a great job running his practice, and he’s passionate about his stuff. We implemented a lot of his drills during our set practices and it turned out great. But he was a little difficult to deal with here and there. And so actually it’s kind of a breath of fresh air to have parted ways. And actually, since we made this announcement of him leaving, it’s been the smoothest between he and I, in the business side of things, since he’s been here.
Ludwig began guiding Faber’s Team Alpha Male in December 2012 and used his expertise to help fighters in the Sacramento-based gym win their first 13 fights. Dillashaw became the first Team Alpha Male fighter to fall under Ludwig’s watch when he dropped a controversial split decision to Raphael Assuncao at UFC Fight Night 29 last October.
Since Dillashaw‘s loss, Team Alpha Male has gone 0-2 in UFC title bouts under Ludwig’s guidance. Joseph Benavidez first got KO’d by Demetrious Johnson in a flyweight title bout at UFC on Fox 9 last December. Faber then got TKO’d by Barao in a bantamweight title fight at UFC 169 in February.
Faber didn’t disclose whether or not the two losses in title fights contributed to the situation. “The California Kid” did, however, elaborate on the up-and-down relationship he shared with Ludwig:
You know what, Duane’s a real emotional guy. So sometimes he’s really, really happy, like excited, screaming around. Sometimes he’s real serious. Sometimes he’s emotional. He’s been to tears in practice talking about things he’s passionate about and talking to guys. So there was some friction here and there, but it was just very short-lived and kind of confusing, to be honest. Kind of friction, but then, like, not friction, so kind of up and down.
Regardless of how well Faber got along with Bang, or how Dillashaw fares against Barao, Ludwig will return to his hometown of Denver after UFC 173 to attempt to build his gym’s brand, BANG Muay Thai.
As for Team Alpha Male, Faber said he plans to take his time in seeking a replacement for Ludwig. In the meantime, UFC welterweight Martin Kampmann will take over temporarily to aid Faber and No. 1-ranked UFC featherweight Chad Mendes in the preparation for fights this summer.
