Tag: MMA

UFC 155: Tim Boetsch vs Costa Philippou Head to Toe Breakdown

UFC 155 was supposed to feature Tim Boetsch against Chris Weidman in a key middleweight bout. Weidman, though, ended up suffering an injury in training last month and had to bow out of the fight. The UFC didn’t have to look to far in a replac…

UFC 155 was supposed to feature Tim Boetsch against Chris Weidman in a key middleweight bout. Weidman, though, ended up suffering an injury in training last month and had to bow out of the fight.

The UFC didn’t have to look to far in a replacement, as Weidman‘s, training partner, Costa Philippou stepped up to face Boetsch this coming Saturday.

Both guys are on four-fight winning streaks, but Boetsch is closer to a title shot considering the opponents he has faced during that time.

Let’s break down the fight and see who has the advantages and who will win.

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UFC 158: Johny Hendricks vs. Jake Ellenberger Breakdown

After getting passed over for a title shot by Nick Diaz, Johny Hendricks has a sizable chip on his shoulder heading into his next bout at UFC 158. The former Oklahoma St. All-American has made a convincing case for a shot at George St-Pierre’s we…

After getting passed over for a title shot by Nick Diaz, Johny Hendricks has a sizable chip on his shoulder heading into his next bout at UFC 158.

The former Oklahoma St. All-American has made a convincing case for a shot at George St-Pierre’s welterweight crown over his last few fights, taking out welterweight mainstays in Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, and Martin Kampmann.

However, after the champion reportedly asked for a fight against a far less deserving opponent in Diaz, Hendricks must earn yet another high profile win before he gets his first crack at UFC gold.

To do that, Hendricks is going to have to take out another fighter looking for respect at 170 pounds, Jake Ellenberger.

Ellenberger was approaching a title shot of his own earlier this year, having dispatched high-profile opponents in Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez during an impressive six-fight UFC winning streak.

Unfortunately for “The Juggernaut”, he ended up on the wrong side of a Martin Kampmann knockout before he was able to earn a shot at GSP and the welterweight title, and he needs a big win in order to get him back in the mix.

This is an incredible fight between two of the top welterweights on the planet in the midst of their respective primes, and whomever comes out on top at UFC 158 in Montreal is going to have a good chance to get the next title shot at 170.

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UFC Champ Jon Jones Makes Top 20 List in ESPN 2012 ‘Cross-Sport’ Power Rankings

Following a dominant year of title defenses and star-making headline news, Jon Jones has been rated as one of the year’s Top 20 athletes across all sports.That list, compiled by ESPN, places the UFC light heavyweight king at No. 18 overall, ahead of mo…

Following a dominant year of title defenses and star-making headline news, Jon Jones has been rated as one of the year’s Top 20 athletes across all sports.

That list, compiled by ESPN, places the UFC light heavyweight king at No. 18 overall, ahead of more famous stars like Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.

However, Jones is a long way from the peak of the list, which is topped by LeBron James of the Miami Heat, one of the highest-paid and most prolific athletes in the world.

Here’s how the list broke down, with several budding young stars and older veterans:

1: LeBron James (NBA, Heat)
2: Lionel Messi (Soccer, FC Barcelona)
3: Kevin Durant (NBA, Thunder)
4: Eli Manning (NFL, Giants)
5: Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer, Real Madrid)
6: Michael Phelps (Swimming)
7: Serena Williams (Women’s Tennis)
8: Miguel Cabrera (MLB, Tigers)
9: Anthony Davis (NCAA CBB, University of Kentucky)
10: Brittney Griner (NCAA Women’s CBB, Baylor University)
11: Usain Bolt (Track and Field)
12: Johnny Manziel (CFB, Texas A&M)
13: Gabby Douglas (Gymnastics)
14: Buster Posey (MLB, Giants)
15: Brad Keselowski (NASCAR)
16: Jonathan Quick (Hockey, Kings)
17: Rory McIlroy (Golf)
18: Jon Jones (UFC)
19: Adrian Peterson (NFL, Vikings)
20: Kobe Bryant (NBA, Lakers)

Even though Jones is towards the bottom of this year’s list, he’s the first combat sports athlete to be included in the Top 20 since ESPN first began compiling these rankings.

Previous year-end picks in 2010 and 2011 didn’t include any champions or notable rookies from MMA or boxing, making Jones a rare pick.

Like most athletes on this list, Jones had a career-making year in 2012, defeating former UFC champions Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort in two successful title fights and becoming only the fourth of 12 men to defend the UFC light heavyweight title four times.

Jones also made headlines in some notable controversies this year after crashing his Bentley Continental GT in a Binghamton, New York suburb and pleading guilty to a DWI charge.

“Bones” didn’t stop there, additionally playing a part in the cancellation of UFC 151 after refusing to face former middleweight contender Chael Sonnen on eight days’ notice.

Intended challenger Dan Henderson pulled out of the match due to a knee injury, setting off a chain of events that ended with Jones electing to drop the fight altogether when Sonnen appeared as a last-minute replacement.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC: 5 Big Christmas Wishes for 2013

Whether MMA fans are naughty or nice, UFC President Dana White isn’t in the spirit of handing out lumps of coal.The expectations are through the ceiling for 2013, and while White has the final say in every UFC decision, there are still things beyond hi…

Whether MMA fans are naughty or nice, UFC President Dana White isn’t in the spirit of handing out lumps of coal.

The expectations are through the ceiling for 2013, and while White has the final say in every UFC decision, there are still things beyond his control.

The injury bug hit the UFC hard in 2012. It led to the cancellation of a multitude of highly anticipated fights. There was also the fiasco surrounding UFC 151, which became the first event cancelled in UFC history.

It definitely had its share of ups and downs, but the year 2012 was still a great year for the UFC.

The promotion introduced the flyweight and women’s bantamweight divisions. While Demetrious Johnson won the flyweight title in September, the ladies are expected to make their debut in February 2013.

Perhaps the best moment of 2012 was UFC 148, which has been dubbed as the biggest event in UFC history. Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen met for a second time to end one of the greatest rivalries in the history of combat sports.

There was also the announcement of Strikeforce closing its doors, which opened the way for a plethora of world class fighters to jump ship and compete under the bright lights of the UFC.

The year 2013 is full of promise and the UFC is poised to live up to each and every challenge. Christmas has already come and gone, but the holiday spirit still remains in the air. It’s that magical feeling you get in the pit of your stomach, and no, I’m not talking about gas.

Here are five big UFC Christmas wishes for 2013.

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Georges St-Pierre vs Nick Diaz: 4 Things That Could Derail Their UFC 158 Bout

UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and outspoken challenger Nick Diaz will finally face off at UFC 158 early next year—well, hopefully.It’s been a tumultuous process scheduling this bout, which was originally slated for UFC 137 and then UFC…

UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and outspoken challenger Nick Diaz will finally face off at UFC 158 early next year—well, hopefully.

It’s been a tumultuous process scheduling this bout, which was originally slated for UFC 137 and then UFC 143, as injuries to St-Pierre and Diaz’s myriad of troubles have caused some serious setbacks.  While both men are healthy and ready to finally square off, there are a few issues that could potentially derail this fight.

Here are four things that might hinder this title bout.

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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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