Tag: MMA

UFC on Fuel 2: What Does the Future Hold for Alexander Gustafsson?

UFC has just completed it’s second edition of UFC on Fuel and its first ever fight card in Sweden. Once again, the UFC knocked it out of the park. What a night of fights!So, now that the dust has settled, the burning question in everyone’s minds: How c…

UFC has just completed it’s second edition of UFC on Fuel and its first ever fight card in Sweden. Once again, the UFC knocked it out of the park. What a night of fights!

So, now that the dust has settled, the burning question in everyone’s minds: How close does his win over Thiago Silva put Alexander Gustafsson to a title shot?

Without question, Alexander Gustafsson is an up and coming talent at 205 lbs. Gustafsson, Ryan Bader, Phil Davis and probably Thiago Silva: These are the up-and-coming talents that are the cream of the crop of the rising Jon Jones generation of Light Heavyweight fighters. 

As we see Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Shogun Rua, Forrest Griffin, Antônio Rogério Nogueira (Lil Nog) and Dan Henderson age and start retiring, those are the fighters who will replace them as the elites of the UFC Light Heavyweight Division.

The trouble is, none of this new generation of fighters has the tools it will take to beat the current champion, Jon Jones.

Mark my words, the man that beats Mr. Bones Jones will be some young phenom who we haven’t heard of yet. 

And contrary to popular speculation, Jonny “Bones” Jones has absolutely no reason to leave the 205 lbs division anytime soon. Why leave when you’re the reigning champion? More importantly, if you are not yet the most dominant champion your division has ever seen, the job just ain’t done yet. Until Jones has at least six title defenses, don’t expect Jonny to fight anywhere outside of 205 lbs. 

The hard truth is that Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida are the only real threats to Jon Jones right now. Any one of them will have to get lucky to beat Jones and all three are getting closer and closer to retirement.

So having said all that, does Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson get a shot at Jon Jones’ title? 

Yes he does. Right now, Gustafsson is just one big win away from a title shot and here is your short list of names that would be big enough to make it happen: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and ironically enough, a rematch with “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis. 

Shogun and Machida are available, but I think Alexander would lose to either man. Avenging his only loss against Phil Davis would be the best option in my opinion, and that’s no easy fight either. If Gustafsson faces and beats any one of these three fighters, he gets to fight for the title. 

That would put him next in line after Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson. 

Barring an unexpected upset, Jon Jones will still be the reigning champion if and when it is Gustafsson’s turn to fight for the belt. That will be a very short night for “The Mauler.” Jones will likely finish him by brutal ground and pound or submission in the first round. 

So why schedule the fight at all?

Just because we don’t think a fighter can beat the champion does not mean you don’t make the fight happen anyways. You never know when “the challenger who can’t possibly win” turns out to be the next Frankie Edgar or the next Cain Velasquez. If a fighter has earned a shot at the title, just schedule the fight and let the chips fall where they may. 

After challenging Jon Jones for the title and getting beaten in devastating fashion, Mr. Gustafsson will fall back into the ranks of elite Light Heavyweights. Expect “The Mauler” play the same role as Shogun Rua did in Pride FC: The elite non-champion high octane fighter who puts on some of the most exciting fights the UFC has ever seen. Alexander is just 25 years old, so we can expect him to be a big name in the UFC for years to come.

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Dana White: Mark Hunt Will Not Get Title Shot, Will Have to Fight a Contender

Those rallying for Mark Hunt to take on UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 can stop, as UFC president Dana White announced Hunt will not get the title shot during the UFC on Fuel TV post-fight press conference.
“Mark Hunt w…

Those rallying for Mark Hunt to take on UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 can stop, as UFC president Dana White announced Hunt will not get the title shot during the UFC on Fuel TV post-fight press conference.

“Mark Hunt will not get title shot, will have to fight a contender,” White said. “They can keep rallying. It ain’t going to happen.”

When Dos Santos’ opponent Alistair Overeem failed a random drug test earlier this month, fans immediately looked to possible replacement opponents if the former Strikeforce champ was unable to get licensed to fight. A NSAC hearing has been set for April 24, where Overeem will go ahead and try to get a license.

If unsuccessful, changes will have to be made quickly to get a May 26 opponent for dos Santos.

Everyone from Dan Henderson to Jon Jones and Frank Mir were mentioned as possible replacements, but a lot of fans were behind the former kickboxer Hunt, who is currently riding a three-fight win-streak. 

Hunt is currently scheduled to face Stefan Struve on the same card, which features five main card bouts, all between heavyweights. When the rally started following the Overeem news, many were against Hunt getting the shot, saying he didn’t deserve it just yet.

After a five-fight losing streak in Pride and Dream, the UFC offered to fulfill Hunt’s Pride contract not with a fight but with cash. Instead of taking it, he decided to fight and lost to Sean McCorkle in the first round at UFC 119.

Surprisingly, the UFC gave Hunt another fight against Chris Tuchscherer, who he knocked out in February 2011. That would be the first of three consecutive wins, including victories over Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo.

With those wins under his belt, he may not be in title contention just yet but still makes a case for being an emerging contender.

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UFC on Fuel TV 2 Results: Is Brian Stann Worthy of a Top 5 Opponent?

Middleweight Brian Stann wasted little time rebounding from the first loss of his 185-pound career, dismantling Alessio Sakara in less than a round. The performance showed that the former United States Marine is still one of the most devastating strike…

Middleweight Brian Stann wasted little time rebounding from the first loss of his 185-pound career, dismantling Alessio Sakara in less than a round.

The performance showed that the former United States Marine is still one of the most devastating strikers in the division. And although he came up short against current No. 1 contender Chael Sonnen, Stann is worthy of another upper-echelon opponent.

Unlike the Sonnen fight, where Stann’s takedown defense was exploited, Stann attacked early and often against the former professional boxer Sakara. Stann utilized knees from the Muay Thai clinch to send the Italian to the canvas, and finished him off with a series of devastating left hands from inside his guard.

The win took Stann’s record in the division to 4-1 since dropping down from light heavyweight. Now the question remains, where does Stann stack up against the rest of the middleweight division?

The easiest way to answer that question is to put him in the cage with the likes of the Vitor Belfort, Michael Bisping or Mark Munoz—all of whom could be on the verge of a title shot in 2012.

Both Belfort and Bisping have fights lined up this summer, against Wanderlei Silva and Tim Boestch, respectively. Should either come out victorious, they represent the best matchup for Stann.

Belfort’s lightning-fast hands or Bisping’s precision striking are sure to yield fireworks for fans against the heavy-handed Stann.

However, the UFC could choose to go in a different direction and pit the former WEC champ against another high-level wrestler such as Munoz or even fast-rising prospect Chris Weidman. Either of those matchups could represent a litmus test for Stann’s evolving skill set.

Either way, Stann’s next opponent should be a top-tier fighter. The 31-year-old may not be ready to challenge champion Anderson Silva just yet, but there may be a title shot in the not-so-distant future.

 

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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UFC on Fuel TV 2 Results: Does Alexander Gustafsson Deserve a Title Fight?

Swedish light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson put on a dominant display in his headlining fight with Thiago Silva at UFC on Fuel TV 2. Afterwards, the first question asked in his post-fight interview was about a title shot.Gustafsson deflected the que…

Swedish light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson put on a dominant display in his headlining fight with Thiago Silva at UFC on Fuel TV 2. Afterwards, the first question asked in his post-fight interview was about a title shot.

Gustafsson deflected the question, citing that he was still growing as a fighter and would face whoever the UFC put in front of him. Despite a five-fight winning streak, the Swede is wise to downplay the title talk.

Even with his 6-1 record inside the Octagon, he’s yet to take out a consensus top-10 opponent. In fact, his only loss came at the hands of top-tier wrestler Phil Davis.

It’s only natural that Gustafsson’s name would be mentioned in contention when you compare his physique to current champion Jon Jones. At an imposing 6’5″, the Scandinavian has the height and reach that may give the equally lanky Jones a problem in the cage.

Compound that with the fact that Jones has dispatched every opponent put in front of him and there’s no doubt Gustafsson has to be in the mix.

However, there are a number of fighters ahead of him on the ladder. Most notably, Rashad Evans—who challenges Jones at UFC 145 next weekend—and the ageless Dan Henderson.

Gustafsson’s path to a title shot should include at least one—if not more—of the division’s former champions. If Gustafsson could get around the likes of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua or Lyoto Machida, a much stronger case could be made for a title shot.

Perhaps the most logical opponent for the Swede would be former Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader, who is also working his way up the 205-pound ladder. Bader poses many of the same problems for Gustafsson as Davis did, with his strong wrestling credentials.

There’s no doubt that Gustafsson is one of the most promising fighters in the division, but force-feeding him to Jones anytime soon would be a mistake. Another victory or two over any of the aforementioned names and this topic won’t even be open for debate.

 

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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UFC on Fuel TV 2 Results: Recapping the Fight Night Bonuses

The UFC’s first event in Sweden has just come to a close, and what a night of fight it was!The Swedish fans were treated to a finish-heavy card, with just four of 12 fights going the distance.Fighters have learned well by now that if they put on an exc…

The UFC’s first event in Sweden has just come to a close, and what a night of fight it was!

The Swedish fans were treated to a finish-heavy card, with just four of 12 fights going the distance.

Fighters have learned well by now that if they put on an exciting fight for the fans, they could leave with more money at the end of the night—and tonight is no exception.

Let’s get down to it. Here are the bonuses for UFC on Fuel TV 2: 

 

Submission of the night: John Macguire

Macguire takes home submission of the night, and rightfully so. He hit a beautiful far-side armbar to tap Damarques Johnson.

It was similar to the fashion in which Matt Hughes once defeated Georges St-Pierre, as Johnson over-comitted to a kimura and Macguire was able to exploit this mistake and win the fight.

 

Knockout of the night: Siyar Bahadurzada

Bahadurzada made a big statement in the welterweight division this evening, becoming the first man to ever finish Paulo Thiago.

Thiago was charging forward and Bahadurzada used that momentum to his advantage, landing a beautiful counter punch and putting his opponent to sleep. 

 

Fight of the Night: Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page

Pickett and Page will both leave Sweden with an extra $50k as a reward for the two-round war they put on for the fans.

It was a fast-paced fight, with both fighters scoring takedowns and landing some big shots.

In the end, Pickett proved to be the better fighter, rocking Page on the feet and eventually sinking in a rear-naked choke and walking away with a submission victory.

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

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Breaking Down the UFC 146 Main Event Debacle

There has been much speculation as to who would replace Alistair Overeem in the main event at UFC 146 if he is denied a license to fight after testing positive for a severely elevated testosterone level.   Some of it has been logical. Some of it f…

There has been much speculation as to who would replace Alistair Overeem in the main event at UFC 146 if he is denied a license to fight after testing positive for a severely elevated testosterone level.  

Some of it has been logical. Some of it fantastical. Some of it downright wacky.

The first and most logical choice was Frank Mir. Mir has won three straight and broke Nogueira’s arm his last time out. That in itself puts him at the front of the line. However, Dana White quickly put the kibosh on that idea. Although file Mir away in your “Maybe” folder. Short on options, Dana has been known to change his mind.  

Cain Velasquez is simply not a viable option. He was knocked out in just over a minute at the UFC’s inaugural Fox show. An immediate rematch is a very tough sell.  

The UFC doesn’t want to break up the Mir/Velasquez fight because that will decide the next title challenger. The UFC plays chess, not checkers. But still, if any fight gets broken up to compensate for Overeem’s treachery this will be the one.

Some wild theories even arose that they might try to sign Fedor to fight Dos Santos. Assuming Dana White would even entertain that possibility, which he has no interest in, Fedor doesn’t deserve an immediate title shot. He dropped three straight in Strikeforce before departing to Mother Russia to beat up on overmatched opponents.

Mark Hunt’s name was even mentioned. I’ll just say that I’m thrilled Mark has had a career resurrection. He’s an exciting, very good fighter, and an affable fellow. But let’s keep our eye on the ball, people. This is a title fight; if at all possible it needs to mean something.  

Fabricio Werdum was brought up as well. And he did look great in his win over Roy Nelson. But let’s be honest, a Top 5 heavyweight beating up on Roy Nelson is nothing new. Werdum can be filed in the “Umm Possibly as a Last Resort” folder. 

Dan Henderson’s name even popped up. Hendo tweeted that he would take the fight, and we all know he would. The guy is a straight-up rogue, one of the toughest fighters the sport has ever seen. But he’s not fighting for the heavyweight title. Dan is a middleweight who fights at 205 because he dislikes cutting weight and he’s bad enough to thrive against the light-heavies.

I even read one comment that suggested Tim Sylvia. The amount of “fail” in that proposition cannot even be conceived by rational human beings.

Those are the names being dropped right now. But who else is there? The answer is simple: No one.  

The UFC, by opting to not announce a new opponent, is likely playing a waiting game to see if Overeem’s desperation plea to the Nevada State Athletic Commission seeking a testosterone replacement therapy exemption actually works. If it does, which would be a miracle, then the fight is on. If it doesn’t they’ll either make a move, or scrap the fight altogether.

My bet is that if Overeem is denied a license to fight by the NSAC, which seems pretty likely at this point, then Frank Mir will be promoted to the title shot. Cain Velasquez will be sent home with a very heartfelt “I’m Sorry,” and his show purse.

Evan Dunham vs Edson Barbosa will be promoted to kick off the main card, which is where that fight should have been from the start.  

Sure, it would ruin the UFC’s “All Heavyweight” main card format, but such are the breaks in this cumbersome life. 

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