The stark contrast between the two largest fight cards of the year is almost palpable. Just last weekend, fans witnessed the most marketed, expensive, and hyped billing that MMA has seen in its short history. Did it deliver? Most are saying no. Of course I’m referring to UFC 200, the mammoth-sized, stacked -to-the-brim event that
The stark contrast between the two largest fight cards of the year is almost palpable. Just last weekend, fans witnessed the most marketed, expensive, and hyped billing that MMA has seen in its short history. Did it deliver? Most are saying no.
Of course I’m referring to UFC 200, the mammoth-sized, stacked -to-the-brim event that had more lean mass than Brock Lesnar himself. Unfortunately, all that size didn’t transfer very effectively as the card fell flat on several fronts. Obviously the fights had star power and most turned out well, but for a card with expectations built through the roof, turning out ‘well’ just doesn’t cut it.
The second of the two aforementioned fight cards is UFC 202. The tip-top show is scheduled to touch down in Las Vegas this August, and recent promotional surges have been building the momentum on what looks to be one of the best fight cards ever made.
In this list, we dive into five critical reasons that UFC 202 will out-do it’s over-hyped sibling and steal the show with some of the most incredible and well-strategized matchmaking the fight game has ever seen.
A fight between top-10 ranked UFC welterweight contenders Neil Magny and Dong Hyun Kim is being targeted for UFC 202, according to reports from Combate and MMAFighting.com.
Magny, who sits at number seven in the UFC 170-pound division, has won his l…
A fight between top-10 ranked UFC welterweight contenders Neil Magny and Dong Hyun Kim is being targeted for UFC 202, according to reports from Combate and MMAFighting.com.
Magny, who sits at number seven in the UFC 170-pound division, has won his last three consecutive fights inside the Octagon. Meanwhile, Dong Hyun Kim, ranked number nine, hasn’t fought yet in 2016.
The Magny-Hyun Kim fight will be added to the growing fight card for UFC 202, which features Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 2 as the main event.
UFC 202 is scheduled to take place on August 20, 2016 from the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC president Dana White is often quoted as saying that “fighting is in our DNA,” but even within the sport of mixed martial arts, there’s no doubt that some competitors stand out more than others as having been put on this planet specifically to do just that. What sets these stars apart from their peers
UFC president Dana White is often quoted as saying that “fighting is in our DNA,” but even within the sport of mixed martial arts, there’s no doubt that some competitors stand out more than others as having been put on this planet specifically to do just that.
What sets these stars apart from their peers is their willingness to fight anyone at any time, regardless of their opponent’s size, skill level and reputation.
These are the fighters that are willing step up to take fights on short notice, that barely bat an eyelid at a late change in opponent, that will fight more frequently than their counterparts, and will continue to compete long after others have found their breaking point.
In this article we’ll celebrate 10 such stars, focusing in on fighters that are still actively putting it all on the line in the present day, not just because they want to, but because they need to. It’s who they are. It’s in their DNA.
Rising UFC welterweight contender Neil Magny has signed a contract extension with the world’s largest mixed-martial arts promotion.
MMAFighting.com confirmed the news this weekend that Magny has signed a four-fight contract extension with the UFC. H…
Rising UFC welterweight contender Neil Magny has signed a contract extension with the world’s largest mixed-martial arts promotion.
MMAFighting.com confirmed the news this weekend that Magny has signed a four-fight contract extension with the UFC. He had one fight remaining on his existing contract before signing the contract extension.
Neil Magny last competed inside the Octagon at the UFC Fight Night 85 event, where he defeated the highly regarded Hector Lombard via TKO in the brutal co-main event of the Australian-based event.
Magny, 28, stated that he wants to take a month off before taking another fight inside the Octagon.
It sounds like Hector Lombard will exit the UFC welterweight division without getting the title shot many predicted him to when he moved down to the division in 2013. The hulking 5’9″ former Bellator middleweight champion experienced a controversial loss to Neil Magny at last weekend’s UFC Fight Night 85 from Brisbane, Australia, a fight where
It sounds like Hector Lombard will exit the UFC welterweight division without getting the title shot many predicted him to when he moved down to the division in 2013.
The hulking 5’9″ former Bellator middleweight champion experienced a controversial loss to Neil Magny at last weekend’s UFC Fight Night 85 from Brisbane, Australia, a fight where Lombard had his rising opponent in bad shape in the first round only to gas and suffer an absolutely brutal ground and pound beating that was finally stopped (and much to late, according to many onlookers).
In response to his body failing him, Lombard announced on Instagram today (Sun. March 27, 2016) that he was excited to be moving back to his original weight class, because the recent USADA ban on IV rehydration has made the weight cut too taxing:
“I asked my body to perform, but I got no reply. When your body says no and stops functioning there is nothing you can do about it. I’m very happy to be back fighting at my original weight 185. Now with no IV allowed, I will be able to fight in a healthier weight for me.”
It’s a move that makes sense for Lombard, who undoubtedly will find it helpful to no longer drain himself to levels that only give him one good round (or possibly less) of full exertion. Many fighters have benefited from moves up in weight class and found success, most notably Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
And with IVs no longer allowed after the UFC began increased random testing run by USADA last July, avoiding the dangerous drop in weight is too rough for the 38-year-old “Showeather.”
Of course, he was also coming off of a suspension for performance-enhancing drug use during his UFC 183 win over Josh Burkman, which was changed to a no contest. He then suffered his first-ever stoppage loss to Magny, putting his record at 0-1(1) in his two last fights after he was thought to be a future title contender at 170 pounds.
With a decent body of accomplishment but an overall failure to capitalize on the big hype he brought to the UFC in 2012, time could be running out on the Cuban-Australian Lombard’s prime fighting years. His overall UFC record is a lackluster 3-3(1), hardly up to the expectations heaped upon him when he signed for big money after leaving the Bellator title behind.
The good news is he’ll regain a decent amount of his thunderous knockout power without the weight cut, and he should also be able to press the action for more than a round, too.
The bad news (and it’s not all that bad)?
He’ll be jumping right into the middleweight shark tank where bigger fighters await him in a host of potentially exciting match-ups. Who should he fight first back at 185?
Fresh off yet another victory, Neil Magny now finds himself moving right on up in the UFC official rankings.
Magny, who bested Hector Lombard this past weekend at UFC Fight Night 85, jumped from ninth to seventh following his win. The Ultimate Fight…
Fresh off yet another victory, Neil Magny now finds himself moving right on up in the UFC official rankings.
Magny, who bested Hector Lombard this past weekend at UFC Fight Night 85, jumped from ninth to seventh following his win. The Ultimate Fighter alum climbed ahead of both Matt Brown and Dong Hyun Kim.
Lombard fell to 14th in the division, as Albert Tumenov moved ahead of him.
Other changes happened in the bantamweight ranks, where former champion Renan Barao dropped to a tie for fourth with Aljamain Sterling. Barao is headed to featherweight for his next fight, where he will meet Jeremy Stephens. Urijah Faber and Raphael Assuncao each climbed ahead of Barao.
In the middleweight Top-10, Robert Whittaker and Gegard Mousasi are now ranked seventh and eighth, jumping ahead of Tim Kennedy.
Mark Hunt, who bested Frank Mir in the main event, slipped past Josh Barnett and into eighth. Mir did not fall from 10th despite the loss.
