Tag: Opinion

Demian Maia and His Quest for Another Title Shot with Anderson Silva

Demian Maia is headed into UFC 131 with his sights solely focused on the hard hitting wrestler, Mark Munoz. A victory that could put Maia back into a position atop the middleweight contenders for Silva’s title.
Maia is regarded as one of if not the bes…

Demian Maia is headed into UFC 131 with his sights solely focused on the hard hitting wrestler, Mark Munoz. A victory that could put Maia back into a position atop the middleweight contenders for Silva’s title.

Maia is regarded as one of if not the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner on the UFC roster. That has also been Maia’s largest problem as that is all that he was known for until he was forced to refocus upon his skills after his one-sided loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 112.

During his fight with Silva, it became evident that Maia was completely reliant on getting the fight to the ground where he could implement his BJJ techniques. The problem was though, that Maia was never close to getting Silva to the mat as the middleweight champion dominated Maia during the first three rounds. 

The fight then turned into one of the oddest fights ever witnessed when Silva basically stopped fighting and started running for unknown reasons to this day, as Maia attempted to push forward. 

Since that loss, fans have started to see a whole different Demian Maia. Maia has refocused his training as he tries to evolve as a complete mixed martial artist. He has worked very hard on his stand-up game, training diligently while working boxing coach Luis Dorea. Dorea, a well-respected boxing instructor has trained the art of boxing to many MMA fighters that include Junior Dos Santos, Rodrigo Nogueira and Rogerio Nogueira.

In case anyone didn’t see Maia’s last fight where Maia displayed his stand-up skills against the seven inch reach advantage of the Muay thai fighter, Kendall Grove. Maia dominated all three rounds on his way to earning the unanimous decision victory which displayed the overall game Maia was working on developing.

Maia has also been working on improving his wrestling ability at Chicago based Overtime Academy where he learns from two-time NCAA champion Jake Herbert and also learning from Josuel Distak in both wrestling and striking. Even as Mark Munoz has studied film on Maia, he has commented on how Maia looks more like a wrestler on top of his opponent than a BJJ fighter that lacks top control.

The fight between Munoz and Maia will indeed be an important bout for both fighters. Maia will be looking to find out how much his ability as a striker and wrestler have come as he tries to take-down and strike with the former NCAA champion. Munoz will be getting his opportunity to defeat a top-five middleweight while possibly getting to prove how good his ground game is, as he looks to become a real contender at middleweight.

As for the middleweight division, Demian Maia is looking to make his claim for the No. 2 position behind Anderson Silva. Maia may be the most quiet contender as he is often overlooked with the other contenders inside the division such as Chael Sonnen, Jason Mayhem Miller and Michael Bisping. All of which may not have the skills that Maia possess.

A win over Munoz will increase Maia’s win/loss record to 15-2, with a 9-2 UFC record and a three-fight win streak. Maia has defeated the currently suspended Chael Sonnen by first round submission while his two losses came to middleweight champion Anderson Silva and the recently downsized welterweight Nate Marquardt.

At 33 years of age for both Maia and Munoz, this matchup is a must-win for both combatants. For Maia though, a dominant win can place him in a position for a chance to redeem himself against Anderson SIlva.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 131 Fight Card: What If Diego Nunes Beats Kenny Florian?

Mixed Martial Arts is unpredictable to where sometimes the most unfathomable of events can become a reality, but some people forget that anything and everything can and will happen in this sport.Maybe we’re convinced that fights are going to go a certa…

Mixed Martial Arts is unpredictable to where sometimes the most unfathomable of events can become a reality, but some people forget that anything and everything can and will happen in this sport.

Maybe we’re convinced that fights are going to go a certain way, maybe we just like one guy more than the other, and maybe we’re just going by the name recognition when we pick, but for some reason, we sometimes find ourselves judging certain fights before they happen.

Case in point: Kenny “KenFlo” Florian’s UFC 131 Featherweight bout against Diego “The Gun” Nunes.

Florian is not the Jaime Jara of the lighter weights–he’s not the first (and so far, only) man in MMA history to have won titles in four divisions, nor does he have any sick tattoos or the Stone Cold Steve Austin-like stare in his eyes or a reputation in Gladiator Challenge.

Florian is merely the first person in the UFC to have fought in four divisions, and all to get his hands on one UFC title.

Perhaps that’s the reason why he’s such a heavy favorite to not only defeat, but make convincingly short work of Nunes–because many feel his Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and Muay Thai will look its best at the Featherweight level.

However, what if Diego Nunes not only wins against Florian, but beats him decisively?

Does a win put him in the upper echelon, or anywhere close to the top of the heap at 145 pounds?

Well, perhaps, but Florian is untested at 145 and a win may not affect his position, but it could alter Nunes’ rank simply because it’s Florian.

What it does mean is that while Nunes might be perceived as untested, it also means that Nunes has been tested against a qualified fighter–qualified in the sense of his ability to put Nunes in legitimate danger.

Florian is untested at 145, but as an overall fighter, Florian is no joke.

He’s a TUF 1 veteran who has fought at 185, 170, 155, and now 145–and he has proven himself to be a legitimate threat at the Welterweight and Lightweight level despite never winning the belt in either of the two divisions.

He will look to achieve the same success against Nunes, but what if he can’t even get by his divisional debut?

It’s possible that, whether we admit it or not, Florian may suffer an upset loss come UFC 131 this Saturday.

This fight is supposed to welcome Florian into the 145-pound division and eventually set up a showdown with Jose Aldo, but when it comes to this fight, we could be looking at something that is a full 10,000 miles from a title fight with Aldo.

If Diego Nunes beats Kenny Florian this Saturday, it’s possible that Nunes will have completely derailed the Kenny Florian hype train and made it clear that he is the future of not only the UFC’s Featherweight class, but the future of MMA’s Featherweight scene as a whole.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Could Alistair Overeem Fighting in the UFC Signal the Death of Strikeforce?

Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K-1 Grand Prix champion, Alistair Overeem expressed interest in fighting the UFC heavyweight champion, assuming he rises above all his fellow competitors in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix this year, duri…

Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K-1 Grand Prix champion, Alistair Overeem expressed interest in fighting the UFC heavyweight champion, assuming he rises above all his fellow competitors in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix this year, during Tuesday’s press conference.

“That definitely is my plan, but let’s take it one step at a time,” Overeem told reporters. “I’m taking this fight very serious, if you look at both of our papers, this is a very exciting fight. Fabricio has been incredible the last couple years, and me myself I’ve not been sitting still. It’s going to be an incredible fight.”

After Zuffa purchased Strikeforce, the floodgates of opportunity presented itself to the hungry fighters and fans, only to dry up after UFC president Dana White declared his infamous statement: “Business as usual.”

But now, the dam suffered serious cracks to its wall in the last week after White made an equally intriguing declaration about who would be next in line for welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre’s gold strap.

The quick search went beyond the UFC’s organic 170-pound line up, recruiting from their parent company’s newly acquired roster. A deal was struck with Strikeforce’s welterweight title holder Nick Diaz to challenge GSP in a champ vs. champ showdown this October.

You can bet Alistair Overeem is not the only high profiled, non-UFC competitor aiming to break into the big leagues to prove their worth. In fact, this hybrid mixture between the premiere MMA companies seems to be in full stride.

Another intriguing development was brought to headlines after the UFC announced Jason “Mayhem” Miller as an opposing coach to Michael Bisping in the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter.

Big things are happening across boundaries that were once deeply ingrained in the isolated MMA world of yesteryear. The future is wide open for fighters and fans, alike, who should embrace the crossover battles we wouldn’t have normally seen.

As long as the UFC is dedicated to orchestrating the fights people want to see, them posing as a monopoly-driving entity should not scare people.

Then again, only when man has tasted absolute power, does his true intentions surface. But, as the empirical evidence suggests—despite the haters’ protest—Dana White has done incredible things for the sport and will continue to do so.

Everybody can’t be a winner as a result of these crossover headlines, though. Now that the GSP vs. Diaz contract is official, keep your eyes peeled for the “Great Migration” into the UFC by all the top guys from Strikeforce (or from anywhere really), the only ones with selling power left.

Eventually, the San Jose-based organization will be on its deathbed once all its talent has been extracted by the glamorous lure of the big stage, the only viable opportunity to make serious money and get proper exposure.

Maybe in hindsight, this will serve as a blueprint the UFC will use to slowly fold Strikeforce to fill the slots surely created by the vast expansion they are now experiencing.

Is there any real reason to keep Strikeforce afloat if it starts becoming an obstacle in the UFC’s plans to put on big fights?

Putting them down like the old beloved family golden retriever riddled with arthritis and tumors, when the time is right, seems like a no-brainer.

If the buyout signaled the beginning of the end, GSP vs. Diaz was the first nail in the coffin, signing Mayhem Miller to coach TUF was the varnish and having either Overeem and/or Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez vacate their respective titles to flock to the octagon would be the last breath before flat lining.

Basically, losing one more star—whether that is a remaining champion or Fedor Emelianenko—would be it for Strikeforce, for all practical terms.

The domino effect may very well be in full swing as you’re reading this article, but as fans of the sport and great fights are watching, the UFC taking over the driver’s seat in the MMA market is not necessarily a bad thing.

Unless you have qualms about watching champions fight at the highest stage, dream fights unfold in a timely manner, having consecutive stacked cards monthly, the death of Strikeforce should be an event to celebrate rather than mourn.

Here’s to the future and the hope it brings fighters like Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Big Foot Silva, Junior Dos Santos, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar, Jacare Souza, Demian Maia, Jason Miller, Chael Sonnen, Jon Jones, Dan Henderson, King Mo Lawal and Rampage Jackson together under the same banner and cage, to blow the minds of fans memorable bouts for years to come.  

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Could Alistair Overeem Fighting in the UFC Signal the Death of Strikeforce?

Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K-1 Grand Prix champion, Alistair Overeem expressed interest in fighting the UFC heavyweight champion, assuming he rises above all his fellow competitors in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix this year, duri…

Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K-1 Grand Prix champion, Alistair Overeem expressed interest in fighting the UFC heavyweight champion, assuming he rises above all his fellow competitors in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix this year, during Tuesday’s press conference.

“That definitely is my plan, but let’s take it one step at a time,” Overeem told reporters. “I’m taking this fight very serious, if you look at both of our papers, this is a very exciting fight. Fabricio has been incredible the last couple years, and me myself I’ve not been sitting still. It’s going to be an incredible fight.”

After Zuffa purchased Strikeforce, the floodgates of opportunity presented itself to the hungry fighters and fans, only to dry up after UFC president Dana White declared his infamous statement: “Business as usual.”

But now, the dam suffered serious cracks to its wall in the last week after White made an equally intriguing declaration about who would be next in line for welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre’s gold strap.

The quick search went beyond the UFC’s organic 170-pound line up, recruiting from their parent company’s newly acquired roster. A deal was struck with Strikeforce’s welterweight title holder Nick Diaz to challenge GSP in a champ vs. champ showdown this October.

You can bet Alistair Overeem is not the only high profiled, non-UFC competitor aiming to break into the big leagues to prove their worth. In fact, this hybrid mixture between the premiere MMA companies seems to be in full stride.

Another intriguing development was brought to headlines after the UFC announced Jason “Mayhem” Miller as an opposing coach to Michael Bisping in the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter.

Big things are happening across boundaries that were once deeply ingrained in the isolated MMA world of yesteryear. The future is wide open for fighters and fans, alike, who should embrace the crossover battles we wouldn’t have normally seen.

As long as the UFC is dedicated to orchestrating the fights people want to see, them posing as a monopoly-driving entity should not scare people.

Then again, only when man has tasted absolute power, does his true intentions surface. But, as the empirical evidence suggests—despite the haters’ protest—Dana White has done incredible things for the sport and will continue to do so.

Everybody can’t be a winner as a result of these crossover headlines, though. Now that the GSP vs. Diaz contract is official, keep your eyes peeled for the “Great Migration” into the UFC by all the top guys from Strikeforce (or from anywhere really), the only ones with selling power left.

Eventually, the San Jose-based organization will be on its deathbed once all its talent has been extracted by the glamorous lure of the big stage, the only viable opportunity to make serious money and get proper exposure.

Maybe in hindsight, this will serve as a blueprint the UFC will use to slowly fold Strikeforce to fill the slots surely created by the vast expansion they are now experiencing.

Is there any real reason to keep Strikeforce afloat if it starts becoming an obstacle in the UFC’s plans to put on big fights?

Putting them down like the old beloved family golden retriever riddled with arthritis and tumors, when the time is right, seems like a no-brainer.

If the buyout signaled the beginning of the end, GSP vs. Diaz was the first nail in the coffin, signing Mayhem Miller to coach TUF was the varnish and having either Overeem and/or Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez vacate their respective titles to flock to the octagon would be the last breath before flat lining.

Basically, losing one more star—whether that is a remaining champion or Fedor Emelianenko—would be it for Strikeforce, for all practical terms.

The domino effect may very well be in full swing as you’re reading this article, but as fans of the sport and great fights are watching, the UFC taking over the driver’s seat in the MMA market is not necessarily a bad thing.

Unless you have qualms about watching champions fight at the highest stage, dream fights unfold in a timely manner, having consecutive stacked cards monthly, the death of Strikeforce should be an event to celebrate rather than mourn.

Here’s to the future and the hope it brings fighters like Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Big Foot Silva, Junior Dos Santos, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar, Jacare Souza, Demian Maia, Jason Miller, Chael Sonnen, Jon Jones, Dan Henderson, King Mo Lawal and Rampage Jackson together under the same banner and cage, to blow the minds of fans memorable bouts for years to come.  

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 131: Donald Cerrone Partners with Revgear, Talks Importance of Sponsors

Lightweight mixed martial artist Donald Cerrone is looking to make a home for himself under the UFC banner much like he had under the former WEC brand. Fighting in the WEC, the Greg Jackson trained athlete had made quite a reputation for himself as a s…

Lightweight mixed martial artist Donald Cerrone is looking to make a home for himself under the UFC banner much like he had under the former WEC brand. Fighting in the WEC, the Greg Jackson trained athlete had made quite a reputation for himself as a scrappy competitor always willing and ready for war.

More often than not he came out on top.

When the UFC absorbed its counter part the WEC, many of the world’s greatest fighters were welcomed into their respective UFC divisions. Cerrone is one who has not wasted that opportunity.

A five-time winner of WEC Fight Of The Night honors, and winner of Sherdog’s Fight Of The Year honors in ’09, “The Cowboy” as he is known, is no stranger to stunning fight fans with displays of all out war inside the cage.

Win, lose or draw Cerrone is always involved in exciting bouts, his fighting style is extremely fan friendly. Such is obvious when MMA enthusiasts gaze at his 70 percent finish ratio over eighteen fights. The MMA community appreciates such a fighter, just ask MMA legend Wanderlei Silva.

With a such a stunning track record in the WEC it comes as no surprise that Cerrone’s UFC debut once again saw him win Fight Of The Night honors in his war with Paul Kelly. The bottom line is this man stands out from the pack.

There are many extremely talented athletes competing in the sport of MMA. No one finds success in this game on accident. But among the talent, certain fighters prove to be a rare breed, not just athletes, but true warriors.

Cerrone is clearly of that cut of cloth.

With that in mind it is no surprise what so ever to see sponsorship opportunities flooding to “The Cowboy”. With so many options, choosing the right sponsors can be a daunting task for a fighter and their management.

Obviously Cerrone is well known for his affiliations with one of the most recognizable brands in the sport, TapouT. But leading into his UFC 131 bout with Vagner Rocha he has welcomed a new sponsor to the Cerrone family, Revgear.

Revgear makes professional gear for professional fighters. They are an industry leader in combat sports equipment and a welcome addition for Cerrone.

He took some time out to talk about the importance of sponsorships for athletes competing in the fight game. For an aspiring or full time mixed martial artist, sponsors are paramount to success.

“Sponsorships in MMA are how we as fighters are able to make a living. Sponsors like Revgear allow us to train full-time, which in this sport is the only way to be a champion!”

For a fighter, when your sponsor happens to make some of the best training gear in the business, it is a win win situation. Cerrone mentioned the appeal of Revgear products.

“Revgear makes my job as a fighter much easier. Their products are top-notch, and to be able to train with a product that holds up under our training regimen is huge! I would recommend Revgear for anyone serious about their training.”

Speaking of training Cerrone had been slated to face off with Mac Danzig but unfortunately Danzig was injured and forced to pull out with less than a month before fight night. This forced Cerrone to accept a new opponent on short notice. He is now focused on the dangerous submission expert Rocha.

With some turbulence brewing between “The Cowboy” and Danzig, Cerrone was asked if he would pursue that match up in the future to settle any differences the two may have. He has moved on and is looking forward for the time being though.

“Right now, I’m just taking it fight by fight. There are so many top fights out there right now that I’m content with fighting the next guy the UFC wants me to fight.”

That sounds about par for the course for Cerrone. Dana White and Joe Silva, just tell me when and where to be and I will mix it up with any lightweight you can find to cage me up with. And that is exactly what the UFC is looking for.

Not only will he fight anyone, but he will more than likely also do very well against them. Never one to back down, always lethal in any situation, a great gamesmen and showmen, just a complete mixed martial artist in every single facet is Donald Cerrone.

Much like his time spent fighting for the WEC, his UFC future is incredibly bright indeed.

No wonder Revgear was is so proud to stand behind him and sponsor this athlete as he furthers his warrior’s reputation and his impressive MMA career under the brightest lights on the biggest stage this sport has ever known.

 

This article originally featured at Hurtsbad MMA. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Royce Gracie Needs to Fight at UFC 134 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

On Monday afternoon, legendary mixed martial artist Renzo Gracie was a guest on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, and the two discussed a variety of interesting topics. Perhaps the most noteworthy, though, was Gracie’s desire for one of his nam…

On Monday afternoon, legendary mixed martial artist Renzo Gracie was a guest on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, and the two discussed a variety of interesting topics. Perhaps the most noteworthy, though, was Gracie’s desire for one of his namesakes to fight during Zuffa’s return to Brazil at UFC 134.

“I hope Royce fights,” Renzo Gracie said. “To have a Gracie fight there would be great—great for the fans to have someone from my family fighting. I hoped to do it, but I don’t have the time to concentrate to it.”

Renzo Gracie is right. UFC 134 just wouldn’t seem right without a member of the infamous Gracie clan fighting on the card. After all, it was the Gracie’s who helped refine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into the beautiful art it is today, and it was Royce Gracie who won UFC 1, in the process, showing the fight world that size doesn’t matter.

It is unarguable that the Gracie family has played a key role in developing the sport of mixed martial arts into what it is today. Not only did Helio and Carlos Gracie create Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, but Rorion Gracie is a co-founder of the UFC and it was at his insistence that Royce represent the Gracie family at UFC 1.

To say the Gracies helped MMA evolve doesn’t do the family justice; the Gracies are mixed martial arts, especially Royce Gracie.

That’s why Royce Gracie needs to fight at UFC 134. He actually wanted to fight Matt Hughes in a re-match to avenge his loss to the power-bombing wrestler, but Gracie’s idea was nixed when Hughes was given a date with Diego Sanchez at UFC 135. Still, there are plenty of other intriguing matchups to make.

While indications are that he has yet to meet with Dana White since making his intentions to comeback known—the pair never met up at the UFC Fan Expo in Toronto when they were supposed to—now is the time for the two sides to get together, what with UFC 134 only a few short months away.

The card, as it stands, is stacked with Brazilian talent, including middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva defining the 185-pound title, the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in his return from a year-and-a-half long hiatus and former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in his first fight since dropping the belt.

In all, UFC 134 has 10 bouts that have been confirmed to some degree, so with the company’s recent trend of holding 12 fights on a card, there is still room for Royce Gracie to fight. With the addition of Royce Gracie to the card, UFC 134 has the potential to be something truly special for not only does Royce Gracie mean a lot to MMA, but he means even more to the people of Brazil.

Royce Gracie needs to fight at UFC 134 in Brazil. He holds an impressive legacy in the history of the sport and it’s safe to say the UFC wouldn’t exist today if he didn’t help put it on the map that one winter’s night in Denver, Colorado.

Put the man on the card, because not only does he want it, but it’s safe to say the fans want it too.

And with everything Royce Gracie has done for mixed martial arts, it’s truly the right thing to do.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com