Jason “Mayhem” Miller was set to make his return to the UFC this summer against Aaron Simpson. Well, the tides have changed and now Mayhem will face Michael Bisping, not only inside the Octagon, but also as coach on The Ultimate Fighter 14.Now that May…
Jason “Mayhem” Miller was set to make his return to the UFC this summer against Aaron Simpson. Well, the tides have changed and now Mayhem will face Michael Bisping, not only inside the Octagon, but also as coach on The Ultimate Fighter 14.
Now that Mayhem has stepped up to be the guy everyone will be cheering for come the coaches bout, the UFC made the right decision here.
After an average year of The Ultimate Fighter and a season that has seen ratings drop, the UFC has picked arguably the one of the best pairings in recent years.
Everyone wants Bisping to be shut up, and here is the opportunity of a lifetime for Mayhem. A win here catapults him inside the top 10 middleweights and can reintroduce him to those fans who only follow the UFC.
Mayhem is an exciting personality and his wit will surely get under the skin of Bisping, who doesn’t take kindly to those who insult him. Hey, if Jorge Rivera can get to Bisping, how in the world will Bisping handle someone like Mayhem? If you’ve watched Mayhem’s show, Bully Beatdown, you know how Mayhem can get.
After all, that’s what makes the show successful. It is a reality show when you boil it down. A conflict between coaches and fighters is something that boosts ratings.
On top of the boost in ratings, it does give one good fight for whichever card they hold the coaches bout on. Mayhem isn’t a fighter to be played around with, and Bisping will very well know that. Mayhem is a man who—with a little more time—nearly had beaten Jake Shields by submission.
Not only that, but Mayhem also has some pretty good Brazilian jiu-jitsu that could give Bisping fits on the ground.
By the time the two fight, Mayhem could be just over a year removed from his last fight—a first-round submission victory over Kazushi Sakuraba.
All in all, this is the best move for the UFC, and I for one can’t wait for the Mayhem that will be caused this season.
There’s always that one fighter who doesn’t make the main card, but is clearly good enough to be on it. Miguel Torres is the former WEC bantamweight champion, and has been a dominant fighter in his career.Torres has was not himself in his last fight wi…
There’s always that one fighter who doesn’t make the main card, but is clearly good enough to be on it. Miguel Torres is the former WEC bantamweight champion, and has been a dominant fighter in his career.
Torres has was not himself in his last fight with Antonio Banuelos, but who can blame him?
It was his UFC debut and now Torres is set to face Demetrious Johnson at UFC 130 this Saturday.
Torres is an exciting fighter and has amassed a career record of 39-3—pretty impressive for a guy who is only 30 years old. In comparison, Georges St-Pierre is 22-2 and is the same age. Two of his three losses have come against top fighters too.
No one’s going to say Joseph Benavidez and Brian Bowles are easy competition.
Torres has gone through some more obvious wear and tear. But out of those 39 victories come 32 victories by some sort of finish. Torres has 23 victories by way of submission and nine by way of knockout.
Thats not to mention also that he successfully defended his bantamweight belt three times after beating Chase Beebe for the belt at WEC 32.
Torres is an exciting fighter, and to prove that point he has won “Fight of the Night” honors twice in his career—both in a title fight.
After the calls of how he wasn’t himself and how he wasn’t aggresive enough against Banuelos, Torres has something to prove to the UFC brass. Torres wants that bantamweight belt back and most likely will lay everything on the line come Saturday night.
Its a tough road ahead for Torres, but hes an exciting enough fighter. Torres was deserving of the final slot on the main card instead of Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne.
When Torres comes out and wins in exciting fashion, those who doubt him will see that the old Miguel Torres is still very much alive.
A key talking point for most fans leading up to major events is which fighters are skating on thin ice, looking to sling leather and literally give it their complete all to avoid getting demoted off the big stage. Pride used to punish inactivity and st…
A key talking point for most fans leading up to major events is which fighters are skating on thin ice, looking to sling leather and literally give it their complete all to avoid getting demoted off the big stage. Pride used to punish inactivity and stalling with yellow to red cards, UFC trims the fat by bestowing pink slips to guys lugging around losing streaks and poor performances.
This added pressure of job security has the tendency to transform a mid-range competitor—usually the reason he or she finds themselves in that situation to begin with—into a savage beast (anything but a 52-year-old Dan Severn) looking to not only win, but to sear a lasting impression of brilliance in the minds of the UFC brass.
In many cases, it’s this heightened sense of insecurity that creates the barn-burners of the card.
As a diehard fan and wordsmith of the sport, keeping a keen eye out for these overlooked battles is very intriguing. This is why I’m resurrecting my Chopping Block series from the cold grave it has occupied since the last time my keystrokes breathed life into it over a year ago.
Leading up to major events—typically UFC’s, since it remains the only top promotion with an abundance of talent in each division they’re willing to part ways with—The Chopping Block will grace Bleacher Report MMA’s front page, presenting the possibility of which fighter(s) already walking the plank will face the French guillotine with a loss.
Furthermore, I’ll do my damndest to analyze all the varying factors contributing to the impending doom of our fallen gladiators and rate whether or not their respective fight should get the Blazing Barn-burner stamp of approval—my elbow nudge, wink wink, and nod to the fans to make sure they don’t miss that particular fight.
For our comeback edition, let’s turn our attention to UFC 130, a card mangled from its inception with injuries and last minute replacements. The highly anticipated third meeting in a storied trilogy between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and perennial contender Gray Maynard was completely scrapped from the date once it was announced Edgar suffered a serious back injury. Shortly afterward, Maynard also surfaced with his own knee injury, preventing him from competing against a stand-in.
In addition, Rampage Jackson was originally slated to slug it out with Thiago Silva, but was later tossed out of the equation after the Brazilian tested positive for PEDs. This is just the tip of the injury iceberg; many more fights were altered by way of replacement opponent.
Per the usual, come Saturday night in Las Vegas, all the top-shelf talent on the main card is safe from the chopping block. Rarely do you see a straggler fending for his life in a primo spot since the UFC reserves many of those slots for their bigger fishies—for good reason, they have many snapping piranha with selling power in their ranks to spare these days.
Simply put, we won’t be witnessing a shocking Donald Trump moment from the main card come this Sunday…unless Matt Hamill puts a clinic on “Quinton” and forces him into a reclusive life of junk food binges and the occasional b-rated action movie role as the street mean henchman, who he was apparently born to play.
We have to dig deeper into the prelims to find our man. In the case of UFC 130, he is paired up on the chopping block with his opponent, to make this fight a double whammy—a pink, pink situation. I’m referring to the opening Spike bout between Tim Boetsch and Kendall Grove.
Tim Boetsch experienced a rocky inaugural run in the UFC back in 2008, garnering a .500 record that sent him packing, after his fourth fight in the octagon, to the underworld promotions where he strung together a three fight winning streak. After returning to the UFC after three straight wins, he decisioned Todd Brown and lost due to a “wonderful” kimura submission by Phil Davis.
Neither fight seemed promising enough to ensure a real second chance to instill new life into his newly found, but waning, UFC career.
Kendall Grove on the other hand, has only won four of his last nine matches, spanning the last four years. Despite the soft spot in Dana White’s heart for this Hawaiian-American fighter, and to his credit, Grove has fought stiff competition consistently enough to get the benefit of the doubt.
Competition and likeability aside, dropping his prelim bout to Boetsch would make it difficult for matchmaker Joe Silva to continue pulling Grove’s name out of his wizardly hat.
To say the least, neither of these fighters’ John Handcocks are etched onto roster lineup in ink.
Blazing Barn-Burner Stamp of Approval: Not only will each man’s dire spot on the peaking order fuel wonders in this fight, but they also match up well stylistically and they are close enough talent-wise to make this one a close call.
Neither man possesses a granite chin, but neither really excels in one discipline to put the other in constant danger. With that said, this will be a battle of wills and emerging skills. Who can be the smarter, more in shape and mentally prepared fighter? I have a feeling Boetsch vs. Grove will offer up plenty of variety, a chance to showcase both their closely matched striking and ground games.
Rick “The Horror” Story believes that this is his time and that he is ready for a breakthrough in his career. He is riding a five-fight win streak that includes Dustin Hazelett and Matt Hendricks as victims and not only is he lucky enough to be facing …
Rick “The Horror” Story believes that this is his time and that he is ready for a breakthrough in his career.
He is riding a five-fight win streak that includes Dustin Hazelett and Matt Hendricks as victims and not only is he lucky enough to be facing Thiago Alves next, he specifically asked for him in his quest to make the next step up in the minds of MMA fans everywhere.
Story comes from very humble beginnings, and a win for him could catapult him to places in his life that he never dreamed he could get. Alves is top of the food chain at welterweight, he has had a slight blip in his career recently but he has bounced back nicely and should be considered a step up for Story.
In my opinion, Story could have taken one or two more fights against gap guys, but it may be an indication that the UFC feels Alves has fallen into that gap. Either way, this is a big step up for Story and a victory means a very bright future for “The Horror”, albeit a future with very tough fights.
Story doesn’t mix words when he thinks of what’s going to happen in the fight.
“I’m gonna beat Alves’ ass. I’m here to destroy him” he told ufc.com in a recent interview.
“I push forward. I always push forward. He’s gonna have to handle that, he’s gonna have to deal with that. If he’s not mentally strong enough, he’s gonna crumble again.”
Heavy words from a 25-year-old fighter with Johnny Hendricks as his biggest win. Alves may have wilted in a fight before but it was against the champion Georges St-Pierre, and Story has a bit to go until he can claim to be a will breaker.
He almost got knocked out by Brian Foster and we will see how he pushes forward after taking a couple of Alves’ punches and brutal leg kicks.
I believe it is a bit of a case of a youngster being a bit naive, but if he proves me wrong it will mean a happy ending for Rick Story.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Correspondent for Bleacher Report. (Also a Correspondent for MMACanada.net)
When you think of the most badass UFC fighters what names come to mind? If you said Anderson Silva, Randy Couture, Chuck Lidell or Ken Shamrock, this video is for you.With the UFC 130 Rampage vs. Hamill fight quickly approaching on Saturday, it’s time …
When you think of the most badass UFC fighters what names come to mind? If you said Anderson Silva, Randy Couture, Chuck Lidell or Ken Shamrock, this video is for you.
With the UFC 130 Rampage vs. Hamill fight quickly approaching on Saturday, it’s time to take a step back and analyze the most badass UFC fighters ever. But where does badassness come from? When do you first know you are a badass?
Take for example Ken Shamrock, who as a troubled youth, ran away from home at the age of 10, only to get stabbed days later by another group of runaways. After that event Shamrock ended up in an alternative youth hostile that taught him to solve problems by getting in the ring, not talking it out.
It was there Ken Shamrock was born, and he would go on to be one of the most badass ultimate fighters ever.
Jon Jones is a current hot topic who along with being the youngest UFC title holder also has the longest reach in UFC history. Is it too soon to put him on the list?
Frank Mir’s arrival onto the UFC stage in 2001 was full of promise and hope.At the time, the UFC heavyweight division was flooded with big bodies who threw heavy lumber, yet lacked a ground game to balance out the demands of being a mixed martial artis…
Frank Mir‘s arrival onto the UFC stage in 2001 was full of promise and hope.
At the time, the UFC heavyweight division was flooded with big bodies who threw heavy lumber, yet lacked a ground game to balance out the demands of being a mixed martial artist.
Mir exploited these weaknesses with his brilliant jiu-jitsu game. Submitting four of his first seven opponents, including a timeless highlight reel snapping of Tim Sylvia’s forearm from an arm bar submission in 2004 to win the UFC heavyweight championship, Mir’s future was at its brightest.
In a fleeting moment, however, the one-time king of the UFC heavyweight division was removed from his regal status by a motorcycle accident in 2004.
Severely damaging ligaments in his knee and breaking his femur, Mir was stripped of his title and forced to climb back up the UFC heavyweight division ladder to once again compete for a championship.
The road back from his injury has been challenging for the one-time heavyweight champion.
Plagued with questionable losses, experts have doubted Mir’s focus and determination to once again sit atop the heavyweight throne.
Conversely, Mir has pulled off stunning upsets, including a submission victory over Brock Lesnar and a knockout win over the iron-jawed Brazilian, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
With a 5-3 record over his past eight matchups, experts once again are questioning as to whether the unfocused Frank Mir will enter the Octagon this Saturday against Roy Nelson.
Roy “Big Country” Nelson is a paradigm within the Octagon.
With the physique of the “before” pictures for Jennie Craig, pundits wonder how a man whose mid-section is the size of a beach ball can have the skills needed too compete on the world’s biggest MMA stage.
Physique aside, there is no doubt that Nelson is a dangerous fighter.
Possessing a tremendous cardiovascular conditioning reserve, excellent boxing skills and a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Nelson’s skill-set is undeniable.
The Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter winner has fought well within the famed UFC Octagon.
With a UFC record of 2-1, Nelson has knocked out both Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve.
His only loss within the UFC has been to Junior dos Santos. Nelson is the only heavyweight fighter to survive the heavy hands and lethal punching power of JDS, taking the Brazilian star the distance in a unanimous decision defeat.
Both Mir and Nelson possess excellent ground games and the boxing talent to earn a victory by knockout.
As the better athletic fighter, Frank Mir will need to couple his athleticism with his resurrected stand-up abilities to damage Roy Nelson on their feet.
Landing heavy punches to Nelson may not knock out “Big Country;” however, softening up his opponent with solid strikes will open up the opportunity for Mir to take this fight to the ground and utilize his advantage in the jiu-jitsu department to lock up a submission victory.
Simple game plan, I know. However, one variable does exist. And that questionable component is Frank Mir’s mindset coming into this fight.
If Mir is focused and has performed the necessary training to earn a victory, he should resemble the fighter who once dominated during his early years within the UFC.
However, if Mir is off track in his preparation and that weakness follows him into the Octagon this Saturday, Roy Nelson’s hand will be raised in victory and “Big Country” will climb one step closer to earning a title shot.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller was set to make his return to the UFC this summer against Aaron Simpson. Well, the tides have changed and now Mayhem will face Michael Bisping, not only inside the Octagon, but also as coach on The Ultimate Fighter 14.