Tag: MMA

Jake Shields Returns to Welterweight; Targets Jake Ellenberger or Carlos Condit

Jake Shields’ UFC career has been anything but a smooth ride as the former Elite XC and Strikeforce champion has endured more than his fair share of personal and professional bumps in the road over the last two years. The Cesar Gracie black belt long r…

Jake Shields‘ UFC career has been anything but a smooth ride as the former Elite XC and Strikeforce champion has endured more than his fair share of personal and professional bumps in the road over the last two years.

The Cesar Gracie black belt long rallied for a chance to come to the UFC after dominating virtually every competitor he faced in all of the other promotions he fought for over the years.  Once he got to the UFC however, Shields fell on harder times, going just 2-2 (1 no-contest) over his last five fights. 

He had to suffer through the loss of his father, Jack Shields just days away from his scheduled bout against Jake Ellenberger in Sept 2011, and then after a brief return to the middleweight division, he tested positive for a banned substance that put him on suspension for the last six months.

After some much needed time off and reflection, Shields is truly ready to turn the page on the last couple of years of his life and get back to the business of being one of the top welterweights in the world.

Shields will officially return to the UFC later this year, and he will do so as a 170-pound fighter, the division he dominated until he ran into UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129, which resulted in his first loss in nearly six years.

“I’m hungry to fight right now,” Shields told Bleacher Report on Wednesday.  “I’ve been training really hard.  The problem is there’s not a lot of opponents for me right now, but I want to fight.  I’m kind of stuck waiting, but I’m hoping something pulls together quick.”

Shields says the decision to move back to welterweight happened when he tried to get his body readjusted to fighting at 185 pounds for his last fight.  While he was part of Strikeforce, Shields struggled to find opponents in the welterweight division, so eventually he moved to middleweight where he defeated Robbie Lawler, Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Dan Henderson in consecutive fights.

When he struggled to cut weight and get the same kind of performances once he signed with the UFC as a welterweight, Shields tested the middleweight division again, and he wasn’t happy with the results.

“I’m always kind of stuck in the middle, it’s either a big cut or I’m small at the weight,” Shields stated.   “I was constantly trying to keep my weight up, I was eating all the time and lifting all the time.  I never really got over 195 pounds and even then all the 170 pounders are bigger than that.  Basically I got a new diet, a cleaner diet, I’ve got my weight back down into the high 180’s.”

Shields is currently fasting on an all fruit and vegetable juice diet, and in his daily life, he’s a vegetarian, but already notices a big difference with the dietary changes he’s made. 

“I made some changes, my weight came down, my cardio feels better, I feel a lot cleaner with more energy,” said Shields.

With his weight in check, Shields is now focused on restarting his career in 2013 in the welterweight division.  It’s a harsh reminder how quickly the world forgets that it wasn’t long ago Shields was clearly defined as the No. 2 welterweight in the world behind St-Pierre, and now his name has vanished from the rankings.

Shields hopes to rectify that with his next few fights, and he’d love the chance to start with an old foe that he fought after the tragic loss of his father.

“I’d like to fight someone tough.  I’d like to fight Jake Ellenberger,” Shields said.   “That’s the one loss that I felt I’d really like the chance to repeat myself on, so I’d like that.  I just want to fight one of those top guys, to show that I can still beat those guys and get back into title contention.”

Ellenberger is currently matched up with top ranked welterweight contender Johny Hendricks at UFC 158 in Montreal, so Shields is happy to face any top competitors the UFC sees fit. He’ll even stand by the ready in case they need him for the UFC 158 card where the show is stacked with welterweights.

“Carlos Condit would make a lot of sense.  He’s really good or (Rory) MacDonald, he’s good.  Just any of these guys that are good.  I’m willing to fight whoever they put me against,” Shields commented.  “I’m staying ready in case someone gets hurt in March I might be able to jump in and fill in for somebody.  I certainly wouldn’t want to wish injury upon anyone, but it’s good to be ready just in case.”

Shields actually defeated Condit during the Rumble on the Rock welterweight tournament in 2006, and the New Mexico based fighter has talked about a rematch several times in the past.

No matter who he faces, what Shields doesn’t want to live with is the fact that he didn’t try to come back and show the world that he can still be one of the best fighters on the planet. 

“I don’t want to look back in five years and say I did okay in the UFC.  I had some wins, had some losses, fought for the title, but I never reached my potential. I’m willing to do whatever I takes,” said Shields. 

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this so I’m really looking to come out and get some big wins and hopefully in dominant fashion.  I want to go out there and finish some fighters.”

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

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Bigfoot Silva Happy to Shock the World Again by Beating Cain Velasquez

Just days after his thrilling knockout victory over Alistair Overeem at UFC 156, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva got the call that he’s waited for but didn’t necessarily expect so soon. The former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix participant was offered a sh…

Just days after his thrilling knockout victory over Alistair Overeem at UFC 156, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva got the call that he’s waited for but didn’t necessarily expect so soon.

The former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix participant was offered a shot at Cain Velasquez and the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 160 in May.  He was more than happy to accept the offer, but wasn’t sure even after his last win that it would come that quickly.

It all changed when he received word from the UFC that he would be the man to challenge Cain Velasquez in his first title defense since capturing the belt from Junior Dos Santos at UFC 155 late last year. 

It was certainly a dream come true to be offered the shot, but just fighting for the belt isn’t enough for Silva.

To truly realize his dream, he needs to win it.

“I was very happy, and that is being a part of the realization of my dream, and May 25th I will complete my dream and be champion,” Silva told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview just after receiving the news about the title shot.

The fight with Velasquez goes beyond just the UFC heavyweight title—it also falls into the category of redemption. In May 2012 in his UFC debut, Silva fell victim to Velasquez losing by TKO in the first round after suffering a nasty cut that left him bleeding and unable to stop the barrage of punches coming from the former Arizona State wrestler.

When looking back on the fight, Silva doesn’t regret the loss as much as he ponders why he wasn’t able to stick to the strategy determined by his coaches to get him ready for the bout.  As a matter of fact, Bigfoot plans on keeping his training almost identical as the last time he prepared for Velasquez.

The biggest difference is applying what he does in the gym to what he unleashes on fight night.

“I learned that I have to do what I trained with my coaches and follow the strategy,” Silva answered when asked what he will do differently the second time around.  “I will follow my strategy 100-percent and my training will be basically what I did in my first fight against Cain.”

Since his loss to Velasquez last year, Silva has managed to knock out previously undefeated heavyweight prospect Travis Browne as well as his thunderous finish of Alistair Overeem at UFC 156.

The two emphatic victories catapulted Silva back into the title picture, and with his win against Overeem, he became the last man standing in the heavyweight contender’s race.

Since the fight was announced, there have been some naysayers that didn’t necessarily care for Silva’s name being selected for a title shot.  It had less to do with him being the No. 1 contender and more the fact that he had just lost to Velasquez two fights ago.

Silva is used to being the underdog and counted out, so this is nothing new.  When he fought former Pride champion Fedor Emelianenko, most believed it was the Russian’s time to triumph.  That was until Silva blasted Emelianenko and dominated him en route to a TKO stoppage after two rounds.

The same odds were against Silva when he faced Overeem at UFC 156.

Overeem had all but been anointed as the next heavyweight title contender until Silva smashed his jaw with a series of right hands that left him crumpled against the cage and down on the mat.   The Brazilian just knows how to overcome the odds.

That’s one reason Silva welcomes the label of underdog, and he invites everyone to count him out.  It’s nothing he hasn’t heard before, and he’s happy to come out on top once again.

“I’m already used to it,” Silva said about not being favored to defeat Velasquez.  “It gives me more energy and will to win.”

Silva will test his resolve in May when he gets his rematch with Velasquez, and a shot at becoming the new UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 160.

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

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Retired UFC Fighter Nate Quarry Teaches Mixed Martial Arts to the Comic Book Men

The sport of mixed martial arts and the world of comic books rarely clash against one another, although they do carry some of the same characteristics. Both feature larger than life figures doing extraordinary things like rescuing damsels in distress a…

The sport of mixed martial arts and the world of comic books rarely clash against one another, although they do carry some of the same characteristics.

Both feature larger than life figures doing extraordinary things like rescuing damsels in distress and fighting in cages, as in the case of MMA. 

Retired UFC middleweight Nate Quarry brought the two worlds together recently with his independent comic book release Zombie Cage Fighter and is now combining the brands even more with an appearance on AMC‘s Comic Book Men, airing on Thursday night.

The reality show focuses on a store in Red Bank, New Jersey called Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, owned by famed Clerks director and pioneer of SModcast Kevin Smith. Typically, Comic Book Men stays centered around the world of superheroes, but in the next episode, Quarry introduces them to what mixed martial arts is all about.

Quarry says it’s actually quite natural that comic book fans could be MMA enthusiasts and vice versa. It’s just a matter of the two worlds colliding at just the right moment. 

“It’s the exact same demographic if you look at, for lack of a better term, comic book nerds and fight nerd—they’re the exact same guys,” Quarry told Bleacher Report. “The fight nerds are more about the three-dimensional guys fighting in cages. The comic book nerds they’re looking at the two-dimensional with the superheroes, but in both cases, people are looking for something greater than the average everyday life that most people go through.”

Quarry’s appearance on the show centers on him attempting to get the store to carry his comic book, but he also has the chance to show the guys a little mixed martial arts.

“They had never seen a real fight before. It was just a whole new world for them to come see,” Quarry said. 

“When I was a kid, I got prejudice from the cool kids in school for liking comic books and not playing sports.  Now as an adult who still loves comic books, I get prejudice from the comic book world because I’m this jock who obviously is just glomming onto the popularity of zombies.  So I’ve had to break down barriers with people in the comic book world to show that this is a story I’m passionate about.”

In the episode, Smith and his co-star and best friend Jason Mewes (who actually is a long time MMA supporter and has appeared on Inside MMA previously) coach two fighters who square off in the cage dressed as their signature counterparts, Jay and Silent Bob.

Quarry says the whole crew flocked to MMA once they understood it, and one member of the team, Ming Chen, actually started taking kickboxing classes after the show wrapped just to see what the rage was all about.

It was a hard sell at first, but Quarry was persistent, and by the end of his time in New Jersey, he had turned the Comic Book Men into MMA fans.

“I could see when I first showed up, they couldn’t see the connection,” Quarry said. “They didn’t know how I was going to fit into their world because I’m coming from some place completely different, but then after being able to spend a little bit of time with them, they could really see I’m exactly like them. I just chose to be a fighter instead of running a comic book store. Our passion about what we do is exactly the same.”

Quarry’s appearance on Comic Book Men airs on Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold Headlines UFC on FX 8 in Brazil, Set for May 18

The details surrounding the blockbuster middleweight matchup between Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort did not take long to come. One day after the fight booking was confirmed, Brazilian media outlet Tatame (translation via MMA Mania) has …

The details surrounding the blockbuster middleweight matchup between Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort did not take long to come. 

One day after the fight booking was confirmed, Brazilian media outlet Tatame (translation via MMA Mania) has confirmed when and where the bout will take place. 

The bout will be the headliner for UFC on FX 8, set for May 18, which takes place at Arena Jaragua in Santa Catarina, Brazil. 

“The Phenom” may not be thrilled with the booking, considering he recently asked for a rematch with either UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones or UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva. 

Apparently the higher ups of the UFC weren’t interested in seeing Belfort fight for a title again just yet, but a win against the last reigning Strikeforce middleweight title holder could be the boost he needs. 

Belfort is 5-1 since making his middleweight debut in July 2008, with his only loss at 185-pounds being a devastating highlight-reel knockout by Silva back at UFC 126 in Feb. 2011. 

He had another chance at UFC championship gold when he was a late replacement for Jones this past September, but he was thoroughly dominated by his younger, larger opponent before getting submitted in the fourth round. 

To his credit, Belfort looked like he may pull off a monster upset by submitting “Bones” with an armbar early in the first round. 

Meanwhile, this fight marks Rockhold’s UFC debut after going a perfect 6-0 under the Strikeforce banner. 

The American Kickboxing Academy Product has a professional mixed martial arts record of 10-1, winning nine straight since suffering his only loss in Nov. 2007. 

Who wins the pivotal middleweight match up that could easily equal a meeting with “The Spider” by the end of the year?

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Dana White: Wrestling’s Demise Could Bring MMA to the Olympics

The wrestling community has been on the ropes ever since Tuesday’s decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove the sport from the games starting in 2020. Just about every wrestler that’s ever competed or aspired to compete in the Ol…

The wrestling community has been on the ropes ever since Tuesday’s decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove the sport from the games starting in 2020.

Just about every wrestler that’s ever competed or aspired to compete in the Olympics has voiced their disapproval about their sport being shafted by the committee’s vote, removing one of the original Olympic competitions from the games.

Several high profile mixed martial artists have also stepped up to support wrestling in its hour of need after they either competed and won medals in the Olympics, or had a dream as a teenage kid to make it to the games one day.

One common theme that’s been running ever since the IOC put wrestling on the chopping block was that the sport needed a savior—a corporate sponsor, a lobbyist or somebody with extreme influence to step in on behalf of wrestling the way that the modern pentathlon did when the IOC was making their final decision to save that sport while cutting wrestling.

UFC president Dana White has been one of the major people mentioned since his promotion has helped transform some of wrestling’s best into some of the premier mixed martial artists in the world.  

Unfortunately, White and the UFC believe that wrestling has a bigger problem than needing him to fund a grappling coup d’etat with the International Olympic Committee. 

“I’ve been battling this problem for years now,” White said when speaking to reporters following the UFC on Fuel 7 press conference.  “Colleges are dropping it, high schools are dropping wrestling.  The problem with wrestling is it’s an awesome base for fighting, for mixed martial arts, and everything for what it does.  I’ve never wrestled, but what I hear it does to guys who wrestle, it changes people’s lives and it’s just grueling hard work and dedication.  All the things that go in with being a wrestler.

“The problem is nobody wants to watch it.  Any sport especially these days, it’s about selling tickets, and eyeballs, and viewers and all these other things.”

One of the key issues brought up by the IOC when determining whether or not to cut wrestling was the viewership they received in the last Olympic games in 2012.  The peak viewers for the show maxed out at 58.5 million while wrestling programming as a whole averaged 23 million viewers worldwide.

White says wrestling’s problems could actually be a benefit to mixed martial arts eventually finding a home in the Olympics.

“What this could be is the evolution of mixed martial arts becoming an Olympic sport,” White said.  “We bring spectators, eyeballs, whether it’s on TV or whatever it is this sport draws, wrestling doesn’t.”

Regardless of MMA‘s inclusion or exclusion from the Olympic games, White won’t be the white knight galloping in on a steed trying to stave off wrestling’s demise.  He says he’s funded wrestling programs for years, but if the Olympics want to deliver the death blow, he can’t be the one to stop it.

“I can’t be the guy to try and run out and save wrestling,” White stated.   “You know how many wrestling programs I’ve funded over the last five or six years? A lot.  I don’t want to see wrestling go away either, it’s such a big part of the sport, but something’s going to happen here.  It’s going to evolve into mixed martial arts and MMA or something I don’t know.

“I don’t think wrestling’s going to go anywhere, but competitive wrestling definitely is.”

Mixed martial arts definitely won’t be in the Olympics for at least the next couple of sessions with the sports already chosen for the 2016 games, and the vote coming up in May to determine the final count of competitions for 2020 doesn’t currently include MMA as an option.  That doesn’t mean wrestling couldn’t be revived by then or MMA couldn’t somehow find an Olympic home in 2024, but it’s unknown what the future holds as of now.

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report

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UFC on Fuel TV 7: Barao vs McDonald Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

UFC action is upon us again as the Fuel TV 7 card is set to kick off on Saturday night from historic Wembley Arena in London. The main event is a battle for the interim bantamweight title.Interim champion Renan Barao (31-1) will face Michael McDonald (…

UFC action is upon us again as the Fuel TV 7 card is set to kick off on Saturday night from historic Wembley Arena in London. The main event is a battle for the interim bantamweight title.

Interim champion Renan Barao (31-1) will face Michael McDonald (15-1) for the gold. The winner will likely get an opportunity to face champion Dominick Cruz to settle the dispute as to who is the best bantamweight in the world.

The rest of the card is modest in terms of star power, but there are still some very interesting fights.

Here is how you can catch the action, and my predictions for each bout.

 

When: Saturday, Feb.16, 3 p.m. ET 

Where: Wembley Arena in London

TV: Fuel TV

Live Stream: Facebook Preliminaries

 

Card and Predictions

 

Ulysses Gomez (9-3) vs. Phil Harris (21-10)

Harris is the far more experienced fighter in this matchup of 125-pounders. Both men are coming off losses, but Gomez was a victim of a nasty KO at the hands of John Moraga at UFC on Fox 4.

Harris’ experience and power will be too much for him.

Prediction: Harris by KO


Josh Grispi (14-4) vs. Andy Ogle (8-2)

Grispi‘s career in the UFC is hanging by a thread. He has lost his last three fights and he figures to be in for a tough match with Ogle.

Ogle will be fighting in front of his hometown fans, and to make matters worse for Grispi, Ogle’s quickness and grappling will give him another advantage.

The string Grispi is hanging from will likely be cut.

Prediction: Ogle by Submission


Vaughan Lee (12-8) vs. Motonobu Tezuka (19-5-4)

Tezuka has a chance to make some noise at 135 pounds. I thought he won his last fight, though he came up on the short end of a split decision against John Caceres at UFC Macao.

In this fight, he will out-strike and out-grapple Lee for the victory.

Prediction: Tezuka by unanimous decision


Terry Etim (15-4) vs. Renee Forte (7-2)

I still really like Etim at 155 pounds. He was stopped by the dynamic Edson Barboza in his last fight at UFC Rio, but he has a decent future.

He is too skilled as an all-around fighter for Forte.

Prediction: Etim by submission


Danny Castillo (14-5) vs. Paul Sass (15-1)

Style makes fight, but things are stacked against Castillo in this one. Sass is three inches taller, and he fared better against the two men’s common opponent.

He defeated Michael Johnson by submission, while Castillo was KO’d by Johnson at UFC on FX 5 in his last fight.

Sass’ submission skills are noteworthy, and they will lead him to victory in this one.

Prediction: Sass by submission

 

Stanislav Nedkov (12-0) vs. Tom Watson (15-5)

Nedkov got to keep his undefeated record when his submission loss to Thiago Silva was overturned when Silva failed another post-fight drug test, per UFC.com.

This time marijuana metabolites were found, and it marked the second time he has been dinged for drug use.

Generally, one wouldn’t attribute that drug as an aid for a fighter, but with Silva’s history, the outcomes of his fights will be forever doubted. Thus it leaves Nedkov‘s reputation a little cloudy. 

Against Watson, he’ll have a chance to prove the loss was a fluke. If he can get the fight to the ground he’ll have a huge advantage, but Watson is very strong.

I predict Nedkov picks up another loss, but this one will stick.

Prediction: Watson by KO


Che Mills (15-5) vs. Matthew Riddle (7-3)

This has the potential to be a spectacular fight. Both men are dynamic fighters, and Riddle’s passion makes all of his fights entertaining. 

Mills is far more experienced, but he needs to avoid be taken down by Riddle. He has a clear edge in the stand up game, and that is where he’ll win this fight.

Prediction: Mills by TKO


Jorge Santiago (23-10) vs. Gunnar Nelson (10-0)

Santiago is a former Strikeforce champion, but he has been steamrolled by two quality 170-pounders (Brian Stann and Demian Maia) since joining the UFC.

Unfortunately for him, he’s running into another quality fighter in Nelson.

The man from Iceland has heavy hands and a proficient ground game. He’ll hand Santiago yet another loss in the UFC.

Prediction: Nelson by TKO


Ryan Jimmo (17-1) vs. James Te Huna (17-5)

If you’re looking for a fight that has potential to produce the KO of the Night, this is a prime candidate. Both men are lethal strikers, but Jimmo scored one of the most memorable KOs in MMA last year when he flattened Anthony Perosh at UFC 149.

Te Huna has won three fights in a row, and two of them have come by first-round KO.

This should be good and short, but there is something explosive about Jimmo. He could be the sports next big star and his rise will continue on Saturday.

Prediction: Jimmo by KO


Cyrille Diabate (20-8-3) vs. Jimi Manuwa (12-0)

Diabate is 6’6″ and he uses his length very well. His challenge in this fight will be to keep Manuwa at a distance with jabs and leg kicks.

Manuwa has good power, but Diabate has proven he can punch effectively as well. The length will be too much for Manuwa to overcome.

Prediction: Diabate by KO

 

Dustin Poirier (13-2) vs. Cub Swanson (18-5)

Swanson has won three fights in row since losing to Ricardo Lamas at UFC on Fox 1 and he’s looking to earn a title shot, but Poirer is one of the best young fighters in the world.

He will again show Swanson to be a really good fighter, but not quite elite.

Prediction: Poirier by decision


Renan Barao (31-1) vs. Michael McDonald (15-1)

Barao is exceptionally talented as a grappler and submissions artist. He defeated Urijah Faber to earn the interim title, which is no small accomplishment.

But McDonald is a different animal.

He’s a solid wrestler and grappler, but he’s a truly special striker. Barao absolutely cannot win this fight if the men stand for a prolonged period, but I don’t think he’ll be able to have his way with McDonald on the ground.

McDonald will win this fight, setting up an exciting clash with Cruz.

Prediction: McDonald by TKO

 

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