UFC Middleweight Head-to-Toe Breakdown: Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen

I legitimately got goosebumps when I saw this picture pop up on Rashad Evans’s Twitter feed yesterday. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has been wavering on a move to the middleweight division for months now, but the right fight hadn’t really …

I legitimately got goosebumps when I saw this picture pop up on Rashad Evans‘s Twitter feed yesterday. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has been wavering on a move to the middleweight division for months now, but the right fight hadn’t really presented itself.

It’s a tricky piece of matchmaking. Evans, according to UFC President Dana White at least, can’t just drop down and expect an immediate title shot. He has to earn his spot like everyone else. But as an established star, he can’t fight just anybody, either. His opponent needs to be a “name” fighter, and those are few and far between at 185 pounds.



 

Enter Chael Sonnen.

Despite a loss to Silva at 148, Sonnen remains one of the biggest stars in the sport. Booking his fight is just as tough as booking a bout for Evans. Ideally, you’d match him with a fighter who can test him athletically, while also providing the box-office punch to merit a PPV main event.

That’s what makes this a match made in heaven. It’s a perfect test to see where Evans stands at 185 pounds and a high profile-fight for Chael.

What would it look like if this dream came true? Let’s see how these two match up with a head-to-toe breakdown.

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Tito Ortiz Says He Could’ve Beaten Jon Jones

Even in retirement, MMA legend and UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz is still outspoken. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” believes he could’ve beaten 205-pound champ Jon “Bones” Jones if not for the catalogue of injuries he susta…

Even in retirement, MMA legend and UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz is still outspoken. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” believes he could’ve beaten 205-pound champ Jon “Bones” Jones if not for the catalogue of injuries he sustained during his storied career. Via MMAMania.com, Ortiz “MMA Uncensored Live”:

“One hundred percent. For sure, I would have. I’d be beating Jon Jones, right now. I’d be beating everybody else that I’ve fought, up to this point. I still might have been 19-2.”

Ortiz was also asked as to whether he would’ve defeated the phenom Jones during the height of his powers.

In unwavering fashion he candidly reiterated his earlier boast.

“100 percent. What do you think I’m gonna say, no? I was the champion. I was dominant. Jon Jones tried to beat my record. I would have beaten Jon Jones.”

At present, Ortiz holds the record for most consecutive title defenses in the UFC’s 205-pound class—five.

However, Jones is hot on his heels with three successful defenses already in the bag and a possible fourth on the way if he can get past Dan Henderson at UFC 151.

Ortiz made his curtain call at UFC 148, though it wasn’t the best of leaving parties, as he lost a rubber match to Forrest Griffin.

Ortiz’s career has been blighted with numerous injuries and as well as extensive surgeries, and as a consequence, the ground-and-pound specialist is adamant that no amount of cajoling will force him out of retirement.

Prior to the Forrest fight, I had 50-percent of my meniscus taken out. During the fight, I guess I re-tore the ACL in my right knee. So, I’m looking to get ACL replacement on my right knee. I had a neck problem, no one knew about it. But, I’m possibly getting neck surgery, again. This is why I’m retired. I’m sick of getting surgeries, man.

I’m done. I’ve done what I wanted to do in mixed martial arts. I’ve got to this point in my career. Fifteen years, I thought, was good enough for me. I defended my light heavyweight title five consecutive times. I’ve done what I wanted to do. It was about money. I made my business, I needed it for what I wanted to do. I’m done. I’m content where I am and to work on the business side of it. I don’t have the hunger for it, anymore. I’m sick of getting surgeries.

That being said, it seems the 37-year-old Santa Ana-native is wholly content with retirement as he can now focus more on his family and growing businesses.

It’s everything that I expected it to be — fishing, enjoying life, it’s been a great time with my family, me and Jenna, all of my kids, doing my clothing, Punishment Athletics, my nutrition and my gyms. I’m just working hard on the business aspect of it. Instead of my brawn, now it’s time to use my brain. Thank God I went to college!

Over the course of his career, Ortiz (16-11-1MMA, 15-11-1 UFC) was involved in some epic battles, which included a treble victory against Ken Shamrock and two defeats to Chuck Liddell.

Nevertheless, he leaves the MMA stage having amassed just one win in his last nine outings.

 

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

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UFC on Fox 4: Mauricio Rua Will Take Down Brandon Vera

Brandon Vera’s nickname might be “The Truth,” but after UFC on Fox 4 concludes, he’ll need to deal with the harsh truth that Mauricio Rua defeated him on national television.This isn’t the first time Vera was scheduled to main event a UFC cable program…

Brandon Vera‘s nickname might be “The Truth,” but after UFC on Fox 4 concludes, he’ll need to deal with the harsh truth that Mauricio Rua defeated him on national television.

This isn’t the first time Vera was scheduled to main event a UFC cable program; he was initially scheduled to fight Thiago Silva at the UFC on FX 3 event, but he was unable to due to injury.

Even though Rua has been up and down in his past five UFC bouts, Vera having an injury just six months ago leads one to question how healthy he is feeling.

Rua is four years younger than his veteran opponent, and while both have been in the sport since 2002, Rua has more matches over his career as well as more knockouts.

In fact, Rua’s 17 career knockouts are 10 more than Vera’s total and are just one shy from equaling Vera’s career wins.

The man known as “Shogun” realizes that you should never underestimate your opponent, however, telling John Morgan from MMA Junkie:

I have a lot of respect for Brandon Vera…The guy has a great background in the business of MMA. I think he deserves [to be in the main event], just like many other guys who have been on the road for a long time.

Rua owns victories over MMA legend Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida and Forest Griffin over his past six matches. He realizes that a dominant performance against Vera on Fox would vastly help his chances of obtaining a title shot.

Vera is a formidable opponent who will be looking to erase people’s memory of his inability to fight at UFC on FX 3 with a win over Rua, but Shogun simply has too much talent to lose this bout.

The fight has the potential to be a close one, but all it could take is some deadly combinations or one tight-locked submission for Shogun to take Vera down early in this one.

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15 MMA Careers That Will Wind Down in the Next 12 Months

All good things come to an end.For some of the world’s best mixed martial arts fighters, that motto hits home.Former champions, former international superstars and current divisional contenders make up a list of well-known athletes on their last leg.He…

All good things come to an end.

For some of the world’s best mixed martial arts fighters, that motto hits home.

Former champions, former international superstars and current divisional contenders make up a list of well-known athletes on their last leg.

Here are 15 names destined to dwindle inside the cage within the next 12 months.

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UFC on FOX 4: Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner Head-to-Toe Breakdown

The main event of UFC on Fox this weekend may be Mauricio Rua against Brandon Vera, but another bout on the main card may steal the show.That is, Jamie Varner vs. Joe LauzonVarner and Lauzon are both long-time veterans of the sport with big fight exper…

The main event of UFC on Fox this weekend may be Mauricio Rua against Brandon Vera, but another bout on the main card may steal the show.

That is, Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon

Varner and Lauzon are both long-time veterans of the sport with big fight experience. Similarly, they are both in the hunt for the lightweight title held by Ben Henderson.

Here is a head-to-toe breakdown of this important lightweight affair.

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Ulysses Gomez: UFC Flyweight to Raffle off Fight Trunks for Good Cause

When Ulysses Gomez looks back to 2011, the man who is known to many as “Useless” freely admits that his fight-trunks weren’t worth all that much. “A pair of my trunks and five bucks would get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks,&rd…

When Ulysses Gomez looks back to 2011, the man who is known to many as “Useless” freely admits that his fight-trunks weren’t worth all that much.

“A pair of my trunks and five bucks would get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks,” the 29-year-old Los Angeles product offered with a laugh.

But Gomez, who is to make his UFC debut against John Moraga at the UFC on Fox card on Saturday, is hoping that his trunks from this weekend prove to fetch more than a few dollars for a good cause.

Earlier this week, Gomez learned that the significant other of a co-worker at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino was diagnosed with three types of cancer. Gomez’s friend is a seasonal worker at another Las Vegas hotel and is thus ineligible to take advantage of certain benefits offered to some employees.

After Gomez’s match on Saturday, the 125-pound contender intends on raffling off a pair of his shorts—either his fight-worn trunks or his alternate pair, signed by the card’s other fighters—to help raise a bit of money for his friend.

At this point, the details are unclear as to how Gomez will sell his trunks—this is a new idea and the fight of the long-time mixed martial artist’s life is to happen this weekend, after all. But those interested in potentially participating in the raffle are encouraged to visit Gomez’s website (www.uselessgomez.com) or to keep up to date on his initiative via his personal Facebook page (www.facebook.com/uselessgomez).

Although Gomez noted that he has gotten quite a bit of positive feedback already, he isn’t certain how much his shorts will raise when they hit the market. Nevertheless, Gomez is hopeful that he can make an impact on the life of his friend—regardless of how many tickets are ultimately sold.

“If he needs $30,000, I want to get $50,000,” Gomez said. “Now, I’m not saying my trunks are worth $50,000, but I just want to go above and beyond what they need … All I can do is try. If it’s $100, it’s $100. If it’s more, it’s more.”

Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained firsthand.

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