Tag: Nate Diaz

MMA Top 10 Lightweights: Is Mike Chandler Now in Top 10?

Filed under: UFC, Bellator, Rankings, LightweightsMichael Chandler defeated Eddie Alvarez in what may have been the best MMA fight of the year, winning the Bellator lightweight title. Does that make Chandler a Top 10 lightweight?

Not on my list.

I lo…

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Michael Chandler defeated Eddie Alvarez in what may have been the best MMA fight of the year, winning the Bellator lightweight title. Does that make Chandler a Top 10 lightweight?

Not on my list.

I loved the Chandler-Alvarez fight, and I like the 9-0 Chandler a lot. I think he’s one of the most talented young lightweights in the sport, and I think it speaks well for Bellator’s ability to spot talent that they signed him for their lightweight division. (Chandler fought twice for Strikeforce before Bellator scooped him up, and it was obviously a big mistake for Strikeforce to let him get away.) But while Chandler would be in my Top 20, I just can’t put him in my Top 10 yet.

So what could Chandler do to move into the Top 10? I’d love to see Bellator match Chandler up with Shinya Aoki. The previous plan had been to book an Alvarez-Aoki fight, but now that Chandler is the champ in Bellator, Chandler-Aoki would be more appealing. I’d also like to see Chandler take on Kurt Pellegrino, a lightweight who had a winning record in the UFC and is now set to make his Bellator debut against Patricky Freire. Putting Chandler in the cage with a UFC veteran would give us all a good idea how he stacks up against UFC lightweights.

Chandler’s win against Alvarez was obviously the biggest of his career so far. I want to see him get another big win before I put him in the Top 10.

The fighters who are in the Top 10 at 155 pounds are below.

Top 10 lightweights in MMA

(Editor’s Note: The fighter’s rankings the last time we ranked the lightweights are in parentheses.)

1. Frankie Edgar (1): If there was any doubt after Edgar’s two decision victories over B.J. Penn and his draw with Gray Maynard, there’s no doubt anymore: Edgar’s TKO win over Gray Maynard makes him the top lightweight in the world. He’ll have his hands full, however, when he takes on Ben Henderson in February.

2. Gilbert Melendez (3): Melendez, the Strikeforce lightweight champion, should be fighting one of the top lightweights in the UFC. Instead, he’ll defend his belt against Jorge Masvidal, who’s not in my Top 10 or — as far as I know — anyone else’s.

3. Gray Maynard (2): No two fighters have ever met inside the Octagon four times, but if Maynard wins another couple of fights, he’ll have a good case that he deserves to get a fourth shot at Edgar. Maynard is 1-1-1 in his three career fights against Edgar so far.

4. Ben Henderson (6): The former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion, Henderson is now 3-0 in the UFC, with unanimous decision wins over Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and Clay Guida. He’ll get a chance to make his case for being the best in the world when he fights Edgar in Japan.

5. Clay Guida (4): Guida’s four-fight winning streak was snapped by Henderson, but he’ll be back. One thing we can always count on from Guida is that he’s going to stay active, win most of the time, and put on a good show when he loses. Guida has won the Fight of the Night award in four of his last five losses.

6. Anthony Pettis (5): Pettis already has a win over Henderson on his record, and that win was supposed to earn him a shot at the UFC belt. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way for Pettis, and when he lost to Guida he lost his chance to fight for the title. But Pettis looked good in beating Jeremy Stephens in October, and if he beats Joe Lauzon at UFC 144, he’ll have to be considered a strong contender for a lightweight title shot.

7. Jim Miller (9): Miller’s loss to Henderson in August may have cost him a title shot. The good news is that his next opponent, Melvin Guillard, is tailor-made for Miller to take down and submit.

8. Shinya Aoki (7): Aoki’s submission victories over Lyle Beerbohm, Rich Clementi and Rob McCullough have been impressive enough, but none of those three is even close to a Top 10 lightweight. Aoki’s level of competition leaves a lot to be desired.

9. Donald Cerrone (NR): Cerrone is 4-0 in the UFC this year and still has one more fight to go in 2011, against Nate Diaz at UFC 141. He could become the first fighter to go 5-0 in the UFC in one calendar year since Roger Huerta in 2007.

10. Nate Diaz (NR): It’s great to see Diaz back at lightweight and looking good in his win over Takanori Gomi. Diaz is too lanky for welterweight, but at lightweight he looks great, and his fight with Cerrone should be tremendous.

 

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MMA Monday Headlines with Snooki in a Cat Costume

Nick Diaz tops UFC 137 salaries with $200,000. Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz slated for UFC 141 in Las Vegas on December 30th. Carlos Condit didn’t step aside so much as Georges St. Pierre chose.

Nick Diaz tops UFC 137 salaries with $200,000.

Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz slated for UFC 141 in Las Vegas on December 30th.

Carlos Condit didn’t step aside so much as Georges St. Pierre chose to fight Nick Diaz.

BJ Penn sends message to fans. He is “taking some time off” and will keep fans posted on what is next.

Bellator 59 Heavyweights and Bantamweight tourney Finales set in Atlantic City on November 30th.

Cain Velasquez joined a whole bunch (like too many) men in suits on the set of NFL on Fox. Video here.

Kim Kardashian files for divorce from 72 day marriage with Kris Humphries.

More MMA girls in Halloween Costume below:

Mercedes Terrell and Jade Bryce make you wish you were being chased by them

Arianny Celeste as the slimmed down sexy version of the evil sea-witch, Ursula

Kenda Perez gets stabbed in the head by “American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar

Stephanie Ann Cook wins BEST COSTUME as a taco. Yes, we know you would eat her.

Back for More: Donald Cerrone-Nate Diaz Planned for UFC 141

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS – Someone must have told Donald Cerrone when Chris Lytle retired, the UFC had a job opening for its Bonus King position.

The “Cowboy” will go after his fourth bonus of 2011 and will tie the UFC’s record for most fights…

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LAS VEGAS – Someone must have told Donald Cerrone when Chris Lytle retired, the UFC had a job opening for its Bonus King position.

The “Cowboy” will go after his fourth bonus of 2011 and will tie the UFC’s record for most fights in one calendar year when he meets Nate Diaz at UFC 141. The UFC on Monday afternoon confirmed the lightweight scrap will serve as the co-main event.

UFC 141 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Dec. 30, a rare Friday pay-per-view for the UFC to avoid going head-to-head with the New Year’s Eve holiday the following day. Scheduled to headline the card is a heavyweight contenders fight between former UFC champ Brock Lesnar and recent signee Alistair Overeem, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion who was released from that promotion earlier this year only to sign with the UFC.

Cerrone on Saturday won his sixth straight fight and fourth in the UFC since merging over from the WEC when he submitted Dennis Siver in the first round at UFC 137. Of his four UFC fights so far in 2011, Cerrone has three post-fight bonus awards – one each for Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night, which came against Siver.

Diaz snapped a two-fight losing skid last month when he submitted Takanori Gomi in the first round at UFC 135, winning Submission of the Night. That came after back-to-back decision losses to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 125 and Rory MacDonald at UFC 129. Diaz has been nearly as active as Cerrone – he will fight for the fourth time this year.

Cerrone’s bonus money in 2011 totals $215,000. His show and win purse totals out to $174,000 this year. A win and another bonus against Diaz would put him over the half-million mark for the year – not bad for a fighter who last year at this time was winning $10,000 bonuses in the WEC. Diaz has won seven bonuses in his last 11 fights.

The UFC record for non-tournament fights in one calendar is five, currently shared by Roger Huerta in 2007, plus Chris Leben and Nate Diaz’s brother Nick, both in 2006. Assuming no delays in Cerrone’s fight with Nate Diaz in December, he’ll join that small group.

After UFC 137 on Saturday, Cerrone said he wanted to get back in the cage as soon as possible, and even mentioned he’d love to be on the UFC’s December card.

“I want to keep fighting,” Cerrone said at the post-fight press conference. “I don’t want to sit and wait.

Cerrone even mentioned earlier in Fight Week that he was considering a move down to featherweight to fight Nam Phan, whom he believes disrespected his friend and teammate Leonard Garcia following his rematch win over him earlier this month. But that will get put on hold to stay at lightweight to fight Diaz.

 

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Donald Cerrone to Make Quick Return Against Nate Diaz at UFC 141


(Unless you have your last name and a dog’s face tattooed on your back, you really can’t call yourself “alpha.” / Photo courtesy of Heavy.com/MMA)

Following his UFC 137 Submission of the Night victory over Dennis Siver, Donald Cerrone — one of the gamest sons-of-bitches in MMA — made it known that he’d like another fight before the year is out. As confirmed by MMA Junkie, the UFC has granted his wish, sticking Cowboy on the UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem card (December 30th, Las Vegas) against lightweight mainstay Nate Diaz. You dodged a bullet, Nam Phan.

Cerrone is currently on a six-fight win streak, including a 4-0 stretch in the Octagon since debuting for the promotion in February. Picking up a fifth UFC victory inside a calendar year would be nearly unprecedented. (I know Roger Huerta did it in 2007; if there any MMA stats masters in the house who can provide other examples, please do so in the comments section.)


(Unless you have your last name and a dog’s face tattooed on your back, you really can’t call yourself “alpha.” / Photo courtesy of Heavy.com/MMA)

Following his UFC 137 Submission of the Night victory over Dennis Siver, Donald Cerrone — one of the gamest sons-of-bitches in MMA — made it known that he’d like another fight before the year is out. As confirmed by MMA Junkie, the UFC has granted his wish, sticking Cowboy on the UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem card (December 30th, Las Vegas) against lightweight mainstay Nate Diaz. You dodged a bullet, Nam Phan.

Cerrone is currently on a six-fight win streak, including a 4-0 stretch in the Octagon since debuting for the promotion in February. Picking up a fifth UFC victory inside a calendar year would be nearly unprecedented. (I know Roger Huerta did it in 2007; if there any MMA stats masters in the house who can provide other examples, please do so in the comments section.)

As for Nate, the younger Diaz brother last appeared at UFC 135, returning to the lightweight division and submitting Takanori Gomi with an armbar — saving his job in the process. After Cerrone’s recent first-round stoppages over Dennis Siver and Charles Oliveira, a fight against Nate Diaz isn’t necessarily a step up the 155-pound ladder. But it’s clear that being active is more important to Cowboy right now than taking the fights that will set him up for a title shot. Plus, who needs a championship belt when you have lifetime passes to the Professional Bull Riding tour?

Any predictions for this one?

The Forward Roll: UFC 135 Edition

Filed under: UFCWhat lessons can we take away from UFC 135? First, Jon Jones is beginning to run away with the UFC’s light-heavyweight division. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson admitted several times before and after the fight that he had worked himself into…

Filed under:

Josh KoscheckWhat lessons can we take away from UFC 135? First, Jon Jones is beginning to run away with the UFC‘s light-heavyweight division. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson admitted several times before and after the fight that he had worked himself into his best shape in years. The man is a former undisputed world champion, and he could barely lay a finger on Jones.

As Jones continues to progress, he learns how to better utilize his numerous gifts and establish his built-in advantages. Jackson loves to throw his hands, so Jones never let him, lengthening his already ridiculous reach with a steady diet of kicks. How do you punch someone you can’t reach? Answer: you can’t.

MMA math is an inexact science, but you can project how Jones will perform against Rashad Evans. While Evans has a more varied game than Jackson and boasts more speed, he’ll have to navigate the same problem with distance (Evans’ reach is 75 inches, just two inches more than Jackson’s).

At least Evans has had plenty of time to prepare. He’s known he was facing the possibility of fighting Jones since August, and he probably thought about the fight long before that. He also has some feeling for things that make Jones uncomfortable, stemming from their brief history of training together.

Still, it’s hard to shake the image of Jones completely outworking two all-time legends back to back. MMA analysis website FightMetric.com independently scores fights based on offensive striking and grappling. Against Rua, Jones won with an effectiveness score of 345-57. Against Jackson, it was 244-28. Even if you don’t know exactly know what those numbers represent, the scores make it clear he’s routing world-class fighters. Can Evans do any better? Well, we’ve never seen Jones fight a real grudge match, and that element can change a fight dynamic for better or worse. Whatever the answer, it’s going to be fun to find out.

Jon Jones
The best kind of fight booking is when one fight leads seamlessly into the next. That’s what we have here. We know Jones will next face Evans, we simply don’t know when. He’ll probably take a least a month or two off, and then the UFC can begin selling one of MMA’s most genuine rivalries.
Prediction: Jones faces Evans in February.

Quinton Jackson
Regardless of the outcome, it was nice to see Jackson enter a fight in great shape and give himself the best chance of winning possible. Hopefully the trend continues. There are still several interesting matchups for him, but Jackson has his eye on one or two fights in particular.
Prediction: Jackson faces Forrest Griffin in the UFC’s Japan event, expected for February 2012.

Matt Hughes
The two-time welterweight champion turns 38 years old in just a few weeks, and coming off two straight knockout losses, his time is running short. Hughes said he would ask the UFC to put him “on the shelf” while he considers his future, but we already know that his wife doesn’t want him to fight any longer, and Saturday night’s result will only reinforce her opinion. As anyone who’s married knows, you might able to put your wife off for a while, but only for so long. This is probably the end for Mr. Hughes. Happy trails to the legend.
Prediction: Hughes calls it quits and stays involved with the UFC in an ambassador type role.

Josh Koscheck
It was a fantastic night for Koscheck after taking the fight on short notice. Now, he faces a bit of an issue. He’s already faced division champion Georges St-Pierre twice, so as long as GSP holds the belt, Koscheck has no chance to get another title match. So his options are either to stay at 170 and continue winning while hoping that someone upsets St-Pierre, or moving up to 185, where he’ll be at a serious size disadvantage.
Prediction: Koscheck loves making money, and the bigger, better matchups for him are still at 170. If Diego Sanchez heals in a timely fashion, he’s the pick for a rematch, but if not, how about we send him to the UK to fight Dan Hardy? That sounds fun.

Mark Hunt
With all the hoopla following the Jones-Rampage-Rashad triangle and Matt Hughes’ possible retirement, Mark Hunt’s story got sort of lost. But once upon a time, the UFC tried to pay Hunt to stay home and cut ties. It would have been the easiest payday of his career, but he chose to make his money the old fashioned way. Now a surprising 2-1 in the UFC after beating heavily favored Ben Rothwell, Hunt adds future paydays, all well earned.
Prediction: In a battle of kickboxing specialists, Hunt faces Pat Barry in January.

Ben Rothwell
After more than a year on the sidelines, Rothwell has to be terribly disappointed at losing his return bout, but at least he fought through incredible exhaustion and refused to be finished. He’ll certainly get another crack in the octagon, but he needs to make this one count.
Prediction: He faces the loser of next month’s Joey Beltran-Stipe Miocic fight early next year.

Travis Browne
Browne didn’t put on the showcase some expected against the durable Brit Rob Broughton, but in the fight game, you have to shrug off an ugly win every now and again. It should still be onward and upward for Browne, who has yet to face defeat in the cage. This time, let’s forget booking the heavyweights in elevation and put him on flat land.
Prediction: Browne faces Brendan Schaub.

Nate Diaz
Diaz looks alternately spectacular (striking and jiu-jitsu) and ordinary (wrestling) depending on the opponent in front of him. Until he proves he can stop a takedown though, it’s going to be difficult to project how far he can go. The talent is there, but that one hole needs to be shut, and in the lightweight division, wrestlers are around every corner.
Prediction: Diaz faces Jim Miller, a fight that would be off the charts on the intensity scale.

Takanori Gomi
Since coming over to the UFC, Gomi’s had only one flash of his old brilliance when he knocked out Tyson Griffin in April 2010. After losing three of four, the UFC has to be wondering what exactly they have on their hands. Gomi may be a historical great, but right now he’s not bringing the goods. I still think he’ll get one more chance at a winnable fight when the UFC brings the show to Japan.
Prediction: Gomi faces Thiago Tavares.

Tim Boetsch
In his second fight since moving down to middleweight, The “Barbarian” again looked strong, giving Nick Ring his first loss. The middleweight division is among the weakest in the UFC, so Boetsch has a chance to make himself a player in short order. Next up should be another fighter riding a win streak.
Prediction: Boetsch faces Rousimar Palhares.

 

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MMA Stock Market: UFC 135 Jones vs. Jackson Edition


(Mess with a bull and you’ll get the horns; mess with a Diaz and you’ll get a Stockton Slap.)

By Jason Moles

It’s time once again to examine your portfolio now that UFC 135 is in the books. Take this opportunity to maximize your ROI by heeding the advice below. Keep reading to find out if you’re sitting on a gold mine or if you need to take that dog to a nice farm where he can roam. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs so lets play another game of Buy, Sell, Hold.

Jon “Bones” Jones: Buy! Buy! Buy!

Last night Jonny “Bones” Jones did what no fighter has done since 2007 — successfully defend the UFC light heavyweight championship. (I don’t care what you say, Shogun won that fight!) I know I’m supposed to tell you to “Buy low, sell high”, and Jones is at an all-time high right now. Just know that the champ’s stock is as low as it will ever be for at least the next ten or so years. Crisp, unorthodox striking combined with superb, tactical grappling contained inside a combat vessel in its prime — need I say more?


(Mess with a bull and you’ll get the horns; mess with a Diaz and you’ll get a Stockton Slap.)

By Jason Moles

It’s time once again to examine your portfolio now that UFC 135 is in the books. Take this opportunity to maximize your ROI by heeding the advice below. Keep reading to find out if you’re sitting on a gold mine or if you need to take that dog to a nice farm where he can roam. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs so lets play another game of Buy, Sell, Hold.

Jon “Bones” Jones: Buy! Buy! Buy!

Last night Jonny “Bones” Jones did what no fighter has done since 2007 — successfully defend the UFC light heavyweight championship. (I don’t care what you say, Shogun won that fight!) I know I’m supposed to tell you to “Buy low, sell high”, and Jones is at an all-time high right now. Just know that the champ’s stock is as low as it will ever be for at least the next ten or so years. Crisp, unorthodox striking combined with superb, tactical grappling contained inside a combat vessel in its prime — need I say more?

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: Hold, while I sell.

Gordon Gekko said “Greed is good.” and I’m not about to argue. I want to make more money so I’m telling you to hold Jackson’s stock so I can sell all of mine before you do.  The stock market is a brutal mistress. Her cutthroat ways will entice you to slit her throat with the dagger she left in your back. “Rampage” was motivated to get his belt baaaaaaacccckkkk. This we know. Now that he got subbed by a ‘kid’, his ego has shriveled to the size of a testicle plagued by hypogonadism. He’ll fight again and he’ll probably win, but the risk is not worth the reward of being a shareholder.

John Koscheck: Buy

No one thinks Koscheck is Georges St. Pierre but there is still much money to be made by owning a few hundred shares. Hey, you! Yeah, you. Shut up about KO-ing an aging Matt Hughes already. There’s more to the MMA stock market than just buying based on who the fighter beat. Kos is one of the biggest ****heads in the UFC, nay, the entire MMA world. Fans love to hate this trash talkin’ kid and would give you their last dollar just to see the possibility of him him getting his face smashed in again. This is why you buy.

Matt Hughes: Bye, bye, bye.

Sun-Tzu once said, “If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight, and if not split and reevaluate.” Despite his desire to fight again, the counsel has spoken — dude needs to hang up his gloves. He may not be able to ride off into the sunset, but he should ride nonetheless. We’ll remember him for being one of the most dominant champions in UFC history and we’ll give him a call if we need any help choosing a new John Deere.

Travis Browne: Hold

Based on the level of competition Browne has faced in the heavyweight division; don’t make any moves just yet. Despite his winded performance down the stretch in Denver, he’s a sleeping giant who may be able to make some noise in the years to come. This is one gamble that won’t disappoint.

Nathan Diaz: Buy! Buy! Buy!

This $6.00 stock could be sold for $20.00 before 2012 is over. All the marks on the street are selling because the Stockton native lost two of his last three fights and some are convinced that he won’t ever be able to reach that next level. Diaz put on a fantastic fireworks display against “The Fireball Kid” Saturday night, which leads me to believe he’s determined to make the necessary changes to become an elite fighter. He’s got the right coach and the right game plan. There is bank to be made in the 209.

“The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi: Sell it like a dog with fleas.

You can’t right the sinking ship that is Takanori Gomi. The ill-fated JMMA star is one lucky punch away from going 0-4 inside the Octagon. The sport kept evolving and Gomi did not, which proves that this is the mangiest, ugliest dog on the market today. It’s so bad that the balance sheet can only be handled with a scooper and a plastic bag.

Heavyweights not named JDS, Velasquez, Overeem, Lesnar, Barnett or Mir (or Browne): Sell, Sell, Sell

Lack of cardio, or any real skills for that matter, left a bad taste in my mouth after watching yet another performance by the Spare Tires. I’ve had it! From here on out I command you to treat heavyweights like the ex-girlfriend who dumped you and upgraded to a guy who owns a Lexus and has a time share in Bora Bora. You should diversify your portfolio in order to maximize your net gains, but that doesn’t mean you have to put an egg in every basket.

Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson: Buy

It’s not often we see a TUF winner look impressive in victory. Ferguson has made significant progress in the standup department and appears to be on the right track. It will be interesting to see who the UFC pairs him up with next, following his jaw-breaking TKO win over Aaron Riley. Will Ferguson stay at lightweight or jump back up to 170? Either way, I’m more than happy to get in now while he’s still a Penny Stock. You’d be wise to do the same so we can all enjoy the fruits of his labor for years to come.