Tag: MMA

15 Stars That Faded in 2012

Twelve months is a very, very long time. Think about how different the world was on December 31, 2011. We had NHL hockey to look forward to. A Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather fight was a distinct possibility. We had no idea what the Colts would do …

Twelve months is a very, very long time. Think about how different the world was on December 31, 2011.

We had NHL hockey to look forward to. A Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather fight was a distinct possibility. We had no idea what the Colts would do with Peyton Manning. On and on.

In the twelve months since UFC 141, headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem, the world of MMA has seen plenty of fighters and personalities lose stock and fade off from where they were in 2011. So who are these stars that are finding 2012 to be a year to forget about? What folks who were doing well in 2011 have you just plain forgotten about?

Find out right here!

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Paul Daley Bar Brawl ‘100 Percent False,’ Visa Issue Nixes Bellator Tourney Bout

Bellator fighter and former UFC welterweight Paul Daley has responded to reports that he has been arrested due to a bar brawl, stating that the claims are false.Initially reported by ESPN, it seemed that Daley was facing up to two years in prison if co…

Bellator fighter and former UFC welterweight Paul Daley has responded to reports that he has been arrested due to a bar brawl, stating that the claims are false.

Initially reported by ESPN, it seemed that Daley was facing up to two years in prison if convicted of the charges.

Moreover, the charges were said to be the main thing barring Daley from leaving England.

However, “Semtex” has gone to his official Facebook profile to clear the air, stating he’s merely having Visa issues that won’t be cleared up in time for the start of Bellator’s next welterweight tournament:

“It seems as though a mass press release has gone out to the MMA media, stating I was involved in a bar brawl, arrested, and cannot obtain a P-1 visa to compete in the USA

…I am currently awaiting a decision on my visa, which is not expected until late April. Which means i am unable to compete in the season 8 Bellator tournament, as it starts in January.

I will be fighting in Europe in the coming months, so I am able to stay active while awaiting a decision on my visa status.

I was not involved in a bar brawl. This is 100% a false statement.”

Still, Daley notably doesn’t address whether or not he was arrested on an assault charge. According to ESPN, a spokesperson from Bellator MMA made the initial announcement about Daley being dropped from the “Season Eight” welterweight tournament.

Either way, it’s bad timing for Daley, as he will miss Bellator’s SPIKE debut on January 17, 2013. This will be Bellator’s first season after their run on the promotion’s official website and MTV2, as SPIKE was contractually unable to show non-UFC content on their channel during the past year.

Before signing with Bellator, Daley had previously fought in the UFC and Strikeforce, being involuntarily cut from the former.

During a UFC 113 title eliminator bout with Josh Koscheck, a frustrated Daley struck Koscheck after the final bell of the third round, frustrated at being controlled by the superior wrestler. UFC president Dana White promptly dropped Daley from the promotion, famously citing that Daley would never fight in the UFC again.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Countdown to UFC 155 Video

The UFC’s annual year-end pay-per-view extravaganza is set for Saturday, December 29.This time around, the event will feature a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior Dos Santos and challenger Cain Velasquez. Also featured are middleweigh…

The UFC’s annual year-end pay-per-view extravaganza is set for Saturday, December 29.

This time around, the event will feature a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior Dos Santos and challenger Cain Velasquez. Also featured are middleweight bouts between Alan Belcher and Yushin Okami and Tim Boetsch and Constantinos Philippou, as well as an exciting lightweight scrap between Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon.

Collectively, these four matchups form the subject of Zuffa’s latest UFC 155 promotional video, which checks up on each combatant in training and previews the show’s upcoming action.

Dos Santos vs. Velasquez is a rematch of last November’s title fight, in which Dos Santos shocked the world by blasting his foe in 1:04.

Both fighters have gone 1-0 since then and have looked equally impressive, setting up a showdown few will want to miss.

Okami vs. Belcher features a pair of highly regarded 185-pounders seeking to push ahead of the middleweight pack. A win for either man would put them right in the thick of the title picture, while a loss moves them farther back in an already lengthy line.

Similar stakes are in play for Boetsch vs. Philippou. Although, Philippou is looking to use Boetsch to leapfrog the fray, while Boetsch wants to legitimize his position as a top divisional contender.

Meanwhile, Miller vs. Lauzon pits two of the lightweight division’s most exciting fighters against one another in a bout that may very well pull in Fight of the Night honors. It will also vault the winner ever closer to Ben Henderson and his 155-pound title.

There is plenty of action to look forward to, but until Saturday night, you’ll have to whet your appetite with the attached UFC 155 countdown video.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 155 Fight Card: Info and Predictions for Dos Santos vs. Velasquez

At UFC 155, the world’s top MMA organization will close out 2012 with a bang in the form of a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior dos Santos and his predecessor, Cain Velasquez.In November 2011, Dos Santos dethroned Velasquez with a first-r…

At UFC 155, the world’s top MMA organization will close out 2012 with a bang in the form of a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior dos Santos and his predecessor, Cain Velasquez.

In November 2011, Dos Santos dethroned Velasquez with a first-round knockout. However, both fighters were injured heading into that bout, so fans have been awaiting an inevitable rematch between the two elite heavyweights.

Saturday’s event will also feature a number of other important bouts in other divisions. So, let’s take a look at which fighters should walk away from the UFC’s final event of the year with a victory.

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WEC Never Die: Fantasy Booking One Last Event Two Years Later

Two years ago I found myself in Glendale, Arizona, on the floor at the Jobing.com Arena for WEC 53.I had just left a job at Apple and decided on a whim to fly out for the final WEC event ever. It was so last minute that I flew in the day of the fights …

Two years ago I found myself in Glendale, Arizona, on the floor at the Jobing.com Arena for WEC 53.

I had just left a job at Apple and decided on a whim to fly out for the final WEC event ever. It was so last minute that I flew in the day of the fights and left immediately afterwards. I may have spent a total of 18 hours total in Glendale. At the time, I was unsure what I’d do next with my life after years working in a corporate atmosphere.

Sitting cage-side, I had goosebumps throughout most of the night. I got to see some of the most exciting fights first hand, including the epic “Pettis Kick”. 

It was a trip that ultimately led me to MMA journalism and one that I’ll never forget. Now, two years later, I’d like to revisit the WEC and book one final card. 

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BJ Penn and 8 Fighters Competing in the Wrong Weight Division

Weight cutting and making weight has been an essential element of MMA ever since the sport introduced weight divisions.Fighters will try and maximise their advantage in a contest by being as heavy as possible while dunking just under the bar on the nig…

Weight cutting and making weight has been an essential element of MMA ever since the sport introduced weight divisions.

Fighters will try and maximise their advantage in a contest by being as heavy as possible while dunking just under the bar on the night of the weigh-in.

The whole process is an exact science which requires skill and dedication to accomplish. But it takes its toll on a fighters body and there are some fighters that are just kidding themselves when it comes to what weight division they belong in.

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