Jim Miller is steadily slipping from contender to perennial lightweight gatekeeper.The New Jersey native was finished for the first time of his professional career by Nate Diaz in front of his hometown fans in East Rutherford at UFC on Fox 3 on Saturda…
Jim Miller is steadily slipping from contender to perennial lightweight gatekeeper.
The New Jersey native was finished for the first time of his professional career by Nate Diaz in front of his hometown fans in East Rutherford at UFC on Fox 3 on Saturday night.
Diaz used his reach and pinpoint accuracy to outland Miller on the feet. Takedowns were expected to be the key for Miller, but he was stuffed on every shot in the open and negated in all attempts from the clinch.
By the end of the second round, Miller was bloodied and battered, and in typical Diaz fashion, Nate began to open up with trash talk and a volley of punches.
Miller made a last-ditch effort on a telegraphed takedown attempt which proved to be his undoing, as Diaz countered with a modified guillotine choke to net the tap at 4:09 of the second round.
What’s next for Miller?
In such a stacked division, Miller has a long road ahead of him back to the top of the contender’s column.
Going into Saturday’s UFC on FOX 3 event there were some that questioned the depth of the card, offering the opinion that the main card was weak. The eight fighters that competed on FOX surely silenced those doubters before the evening was through.All …
Going into Saturday’s UFC on FOX 3 event there were some that questioned the depth of the card, offering the opinion that the main card was weak. The eight fighters that competed on FOX surely silenced those doubters before the evening was through.
All but one of the fights resulted in a stoppage finish, and the one that went the distance was close enough that no one was 100 percent sure who was going to get their hand raised.
The preliminary card had its shares of ups and downs, sure, but to say that the overall card was disappointing would be a lie, forcing a contrary opinion just to be different, just to be that “cool guy” that remembers card X being so much better than Saturday night’s event.
What follows are memorable images from the UFC’s third card on FOX, as well as quotes from the winners of those fights.
The UFC is coming off another successful show on network television, proving that the sport of MMA is beginning to cross in to the mainstream. Over the course of modern mixed martial arts history, we have seen the sport grow from style-vs.-style fights…
The UFC is coming off another successful show on network television, proving that the sport of MMA is beginning to cross in to the mainstream. Over the course of modern mixed martial arts history, we have seen the sport grow from style-vs.-style fights featuring rather unassuming and nonathletic men to full-fledged MMA with world-class athletes.
As the sport continues to expand across the world, more athletes will choose to forgo their other athletic endeavors for the hopes of reaching the eight-sided cage known simply as The Octagon.
Athletes gravitate toward the platforms that will offer them a chance to make a living out of their passion to compete. With the UFC showing growing paydays, now athletes are beginning to see that a career fighting in mixed martial arts can be lucrative.
The world-class athletes that have multiple directions to take their careers favor the ones with the next step in achievement. The athletes in the major sports are able to look forward to transferring from high school to college and hopefully beyond. Kids that grow up in boxing gyms can at least look to attain Golden Gloves and Olympic-level status.
That sort of end game had not been associated with mixed martial arts until recently.
Sure, Judo, wrestling and other forms of martial arts are Olympic sports. But there was no professional outlet that could help them make a living. Dana White and the Fertittas have changed this.
They have elevated the sport to where it is now a goal that these athletes can see in the distance.
Type-A personalities have an innate desire to excel on a personal level. Combat sports is the ultimate outlet. It always has been and always will be. Now that MMA has fascinated and captured the imaginations of the next generation of athletes, more will grow up with the option to compete in the back of their minds.
On the most basic level, it is in our blood to be dominant as a species. It appeals to our basic needs.
And as the public becomes more knowledgeable and the dangers of concussions in the beloved sports such as football, many parents may become wary of putting their children in the collision sport.
Yes, combat sports are inherently dangerous but MMA has shown that the dangers are not as severe as other sports. Thanks to wrestling and the submission arts, fights do not have to be contested in a brain beating stand-up fight.
The long-term damage sustained in that of MMA has thus far proven far less than its combat sports counterpart. And the question is now being asked if it is safer than our most beloved sport of football.
Growing up, children identify with the popular sports that are accessible to them through television and scholastic athletic programs. Over the past decade, there has not been a sport that has connected to the younger audience more than the UFC. Moving forward, this will pay dividends.
Training centers are opening across the country, making training more readily available. And many that still cannot get to those gyms have high school wrestling teams to be a part of. This is building a new corp of future mixed martial artists who see it as a goal to reach.
Overall, the new crop of athletes that are just being born into this world are beginning to see a sport that has evolved into a profitable and, relatively, safe outlet for athletes.
Athletes will see MMA as the viable endgame for the ultimate test. They can use the various styles of mixed martial arts to compete at high school, collegiate and Olympic levels with the possibility of turning pro in MMA and making a living with their passion.
While fans have enjoyed the less athletic fighters and characters of the past, we are already seeing the shift to true athletes who are picking up the varying techniques quickly. MMA will soon feature a plethora of elite-level talent filling rosters of various organizations making the sport even more enjoyable to watch.
UFC on Fox 3 is in the books, and the four bouts broadcast to fight fans for free did not disappoint. Though the majority of the preliminary contests ended in decisions, only one of the main card’s fights went to the judges. Josh Koscheck vs…
UFC on Fox 3 is in the books, and the four bouts broadcast to fight fans for free did not disappoint. Though the majority of the preliminary contests ended in decisions, only one of the main card’s fights went to the judges.
Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Josh Koscheck (19-6) lost a very controversial split decision to Johny Hendricks (13-1) in a co-main event fight he started very well. Hendricks spent the early part of the first round backing up, taking leg kicks and dealing with the distraction of an eye poke.
Koscheck displayed great boxing in the round, slugging and landing some nice bombs. Hendricks did manage to punch back in spots, but he didn’t seem to be getting to Koscheck or stopping his advance. He did land a nice left haymaker hook near the end of the round before both men went toe to toe and traded up to the bell.
Koscheck scrambled to get an early takedown in the second round, but Hendricks worked his way back to his feet. He began parrying most of Koscheck’s punches, waiting for the perfect opportunity to counter. Much of the round went back and forth with each fighter taking his turn on offense.
With around a minute and a half left, Koscheck landed a couple really nice elbows to the head of Hendricks. The round could have gone either way, but it obviously didn’t go to Koscheck on the two score cards that decided the outcome.
Koscheck went into the third round trying to brawl with Hendricks. Koscheck seemed to be landing the cleaner connecting shots, but Hendricks just kept his hands down and bulled forward with wild hooks. He also landed a nice knee in the round before Koscheck took him down and held him there until the round ended.
UFC president Dana White later told a reporter he had the fight tied going into the third and felt that Koscheck would have won if he had done more to damage Hendricks while he was on top for the final seconds.
“It was a good fight. I felt like I ended the fight on top,” said Koscheck in the post-fight press conference. He also saw himself winning the first and third rounds but added that he “should have finished the fight.” He cited luck as the main factor in Hendricks edging out the win.
Koscheck seemed determine to move on and “fight another day,” but it’s not likely he’ll make it back to title contention any time soon. Hendricks will probably have to put together another impressive win before he earns a chance to scrap for the 171-pound belt.
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Before that fight, the evening’s first two bouts ended early.
Pat Barry (7-5) began his heavyweight battle with Lavar Johnson (17-5) by taking the fight to his opponent and landing some awesome strikes. Johnson weathered the storm and came back with his own heavy blows, leading to a post-fight medical suspension for a swollen hand.
Despite injuring himself, Johnson did much worse to Pat Barry, busting up his face as he fell against the cage fence and slumped to the mat in a heap. The end came with just 22 seconds left in the first round. The performance earned Johnson the knockout of the night bonus, making him $65,000 richer and a little more well-known in the MMA landscape now.
Barry’s loss means he’s 1-3 in his last four bouts, only beating a young and untested Christian Morecraft in that stretch. Though he could still be a great draw because of his name and his history with the UFC, the league might give him his walking papers now that the Strikeforce heavyweights will be moving over to the UFC soon.
Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
Alan Belcher (18-6) made even quicker work of Rousimar Palhares (14-4) at 185-pounds. Palhares secured an early single-leg takedown, but he couldn’t do much with it. Belcher came in fully prepared for the infamous leg locks and heel hooks of Palhares. The two scrambled and grappled themselves into a few awkward pretzels before Belcher was able to swarm Palhares with relentless ground and pound for the TKO. The end came at the 4:18 mark of the first round.
Belcher will get himself a crack at the title if he continues to fight like he did Saturday. He just needs a match with a more formidable contender to solidify his position in the division and gauge his readiness to face Anderson Silva (31-4), who is slated to battle Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) in their long-awaited rematch at UFC 148 in July.
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
The main event showed just how tough and durable the Diaz brothers can be. Nate (16-7), the youngest of the two fighting phenoms, really made a statement by choking out Jim Miller (21-4) for the first time ever. As someone who only has one submission loss himself, Diaz can appreciate what it means to be the first person to tap such a talented fighter out.
Miller had an impressive first round and took advantage of Diaz coming at him with a one-dimensional striking attack. Diaz landed a few 1-2 combos and some key knees to the head and body, but Miller managed to take him down and hammer him with leg kicks in the first frame.
Diaz spent the second round finding his range. He used a constant flow of punches and knees to begin wearing Miller down. Miller rewarded him by getting sloppy and coming in with his hands down to try to go toe-to-toe with Diaz. Miller went for a head kick that missed, and Diaz smacked himself in the face to show his opponent he wasn’t hurt. He then bulled Miller against the fence and punished him with strikes as Miller kept to a knee to avoid taking a Diaz knee to the head.
Getting up proved to be futile for Miller as Diaz unleashed some nasty elbows and punches, transitioning into a side-locked Guillotine choke he didn’t quite secure until both men went to the mat and rolled over. Miller’s mouthpiece fell out in the process of locking the choke in, so tightening the choke made Miller bite down on his tongue harder.
“He had my number,” admitted Miller multiple times after the fight was over. Diaz said he is ready for whatever comes next, though White reported at the post-fight press conference that he’ll get a title shot if he wants to wait for it. Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar will have to complete their rematch before Diaz finds out who he’ll be facing for his chance at strapping on the UFC lightweight belt.
The victory over Miller is Diaz’s third in a row after dropping consecutive fights to Rory MacDonald and Dong Hyun Kim in early 2011. He looked lean and chiseled for Saturday’s fight, and his game is definitely improving. He is turning into a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division.
Nate Diaz will be doing all the family’s professional MMA fighting until his older brother gets cleared from his suspension for testing positive for marijuana metabolites. If he can avoid the same level of controversy Nick seems to find himself in all the time, Nate could become a very formidable champ.
Preliminary Bout Results
185: Karlos Vemola (9-2) beats Mike Massenzio (13-7) via Rear Naked Choke at 1:07 of Round 2
135: Roland Delorme (8-1) wins by Rear Naked Choke over Nick Denis (11-3) at 4:59 of Round 1
145: Dennis Bermudez (8-3) destroys Pablo Garza (11-3) in a unanimous decision victory
155: Danny Castillo (13-4) wins unanimous decision over John Cholish (8-1)
155: Michael Johnson (11-6) defeats Tony Ferguson (13-3) by unanimous decision
125: John Dodson (13-5) edges out a unanimous decision win over Tim Elliott (8-3)
171: John Hathaway (16-1) dominates Pascal Krauss (10-1), winning by unanimous decision
125: Louis Gaudinot (6-2) takes out John Lineker (19-6) with a Guillotine submission
Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts on a show. Simply put, Mayweather is an artist. Life is his canvas. In his case it’s one giant reality show, filled with more drama than a thousand Real Worlds, more custom made clothing than any season of Project Runway, all …
Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts on a show. Simply put, Mayweather is an artist. Life is his canvas. In his case it’s one giant reality show, filled with more drama than a thousand Real Worlds, more custom made clothing than any season of Project Runway, all punctuated with occasional bursts of sporting brilliance.
More than a great fighter, he’s a superlative entertainer, in a class that few have ever approached in sports history. Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, Mike Tyson and the immortal Hulk Hogan—Mayweather absolutely belongs in that elite class.
Before he ever stepped into the ring, smiles were on millions of faces around the world. An entourage of pro wrestler Triple H, pop star Justin Bieber and rap impresario 50 Cent? Are you kidding me? Mayweather needed all of those hands to carry his huge collection of title belts, a product of his 43 professional wins.
For the first time in recent memory, Mayweather was pushed. Miguel Cotto, himself a future Hall of Famer, was able to bully Mayweather into the ropes and do some solid work. But to the surprise of many, Mayweather never tried to dance away. Instead, he stood his ground, carefully tracking Cotto’s every punch with the military grade radar system he calls eyeballs, and beat Cotto at his own game.
Cotto never yielded to Floyd’s brilliance. That’s something we’ve seen happen all to often in Mayweather fights. There is typically a moment when you can see an opponent deflate, pinpointing to the second they realize in their heart of hearts they can’t win. Cotto never came to that realization. He fought until the end, and when the decision didn’t go his way, he stormed from the ring rather than submit to Larry Merchant’s presumably tortuous post-fight interview.
Sensing the vacuum, Mayweather conducted two interviews, one where he made amends with the legendarily cantankerous Merchant, and another where he charmed Jim Lampley and Emanuel Steward ringside.
All ears perked up when he mentioned a potential bout with Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather seems open to the fight, one boxing fans have been pining for. First there’s the small matter of 90 days in county jail after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge after an altercation with his girlfriend in September 2010.
What will the experience do to Mayweather? Will it ground him? Open his eyes to life’s absurdity? Make him appreciate what he has? Will it make Floyd more likely to pursue Pacquiao and his place among the immortals? Or less? Nothing is ever boring in Floyd Mayweather’s world. I’m just glad to share it for an hour or two.
UFC on Fox 3 was the UFC on Fox event fans were hoping for, but it might’ve been at the cost of the MMA’s soul!Pat Barry versus Lavar Johnson was likely the most exciting fight that’s been on a Fox card. However, when you examine that fight more closel…
UFC on Fox 3 was the UFC on Fox event fans were hoping for, but it might’ve been at the cost of the MMA‘s soul!
Pat Barry versus Lavar Johnson was likely the most exciting fight that’s been on a Fox card. However, when you examine that fight more closely, it wasn’t the best example of MMA—it was largely a brawl.
Don’t get me wrong, a good brawl every now and then is great but not at the expense of the MMA product as a whole.
It’s no secret that a lot of casual fans aren’t fond of grappling or of technical striking matches (derided as “point-fighting” by some). If people who are somewhat familiar with the sport don’t like such fights, what about people who are watching the sport for the very first time on Fox?
Obviously, a fight the likes of Barry versus Johnson was chosen intentionally to appeal to such fans and that’s fine for this instance. It was after two Fox events that some considered it to be lackluster. The first because it ended in a minute with Junior dos Santos knocking out Cain Velasquez, the second because the fights themselves weren’t anything to write home about.
Thus, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva had no choice but to throw together a card where the fights had a high chance of producing fireworks.
That’s all well and good but what happens when the new fans of the Fox era see fights like Barry versus Johnson and end up expecting a fight like that for every fight they see?
It could develop into a worrying epidemic for the sport of mixed martial arts!
Think about it.
If there were fans who were viewing MMA for the very first time tonight, the fight that will burn most brightly in their memory is no doubt Barry versus Johnson.
Yes, it did have some limited groundwork, but the marquis moments of the fight were the back-and-forth exchanges between the two fighters as well as the barrage of lethal punches from Johnson that floored Barry, ending the fight in dramatic fashion.
If the UFC gets an influx of new, casual, Fox era fans off the back of fights like this, they’ll either lose those fans since not all fights can be that exciting or fighters, in an attempt to become popular, will mimic the Pier six brawl that was Barry versus Johnson!
Even before this fight, the trend of fighters opting to “stand and bang” rather than showcase the full depth of the fight game was growing. Fighters like Leonard Garcia, Joey Beltran, Chris Leben and Dan Hardy were idolized for forsaking the “mixed” in mixed martial arts.
Hardy is an extreme example, since he was even kept in the UFC despite losing four fights in a row! He was kept because he was a “stand and bang” fighter who rejected grappling. Or in the words of part owner of the UFC Lorenzo Fertitta, “I like guys that WAR!!!”
MMA is not brawling. MMA is not kickboxing with smaller gloves.
For an enjoyable, technical mixed martial arts fight, fans need to look no further than Louis Gaudinot versus John Lineker—the fight that earned fight of the night honors.
Unfortunately, Gaudinot versus Lineker was on the Fuel TV preliminaries. New and casual fans (as well as hardcore fans who are without Fuel) most likely didn’t see it.
Nevertheless, they got to see the art of MMA showcased to its true potential.
Nate Diaz versus Jim Miller was an amazing technical battle and an entertaining fight—Diaz gave an incredible performance.
RousimarPalhares versus Alan Belcher was another incredible MMA bout. Both men demonstrated wizardry on the mat and Belcher lived up to his “The Talent” moniker by proving that he was far more talented than many in the MMA world gave him credit for.
Josh Koscheck versus Johny Hendricks, too, was a good fight that was multifaceted, having striking and wrestling.
Ultimately, “stand and bang” is fine in moderation. It’s nice to see every once in a while but the fans and the UFC cannot let the sport become a glorified tough-man contest! Skill and technique must always trump haymakers and looping punches, even if it means a few letdowns and a few “boring” fights every now and then.
The UFC is coming off another successful show on network television, proving that the sport of