Nashville is one heck of a town. It is the official country music hotspot in the United States and, like many other American cities, it loves a good fight.I badly wanted to attend this event. However, due to work obligations, I am forced to watch on te…
Nashville is one heck of a town. It is the official country music hotspot in the United States and, like many other American cities, it loves a good fight.
I badly wanted to attend this event. However, due to work obligations, I am forced to watch on television like most other fans.
I am not complaining, of course, but it would have been amazing to have been there. Not only is a UFC event an awesome spectacle, but Nashville itself is a great city for such a sporting affair.
The fight takes place at Bridgestone Arena. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Nashville, Tennessee, this arena has one of the best locations of any venue in the United States.
The arena is located in the heart of the city, and it is literally in the middle of the music and bar scene on Broadway. And because it is in the great state of Tennessee, a person can grab a ticket at the last minute from those kind gentleman who like to help a person out when they need to make a purchase en route to the event.
Friday’s UFC on FX event will mark the first of its kind to appear on the Fox-owned channel. Fox and Fuel will also air fights throughout the year that are part of the seven-year contract between the UFC and the Fox family of networks.
The UFC is pulling no punches with its first FX card. The evening features UFC fan-favorite fighters such as Melvin Guillard, Pat Barry, Duane “Bang” Ludwig and Jorge Rivera.
Music City is always ready for a good time, and the when the UFC comes to town, the atmosphere will be electric and the fans will be rabid with anticipation.
It is safe to say to Friday, January 20, 2012 will be night to remember.
This Friday, January 20, 2012, the UFC will hold its first-ever UFC on FX event, featuring top lightweights Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller in the main event.Also, a pair of well-respected and well-traveled veterans battle it out in the co-main event as…
This Friday, January 20, 2012, the UFC will hold its first-ever UFC on FX event, featuring top lightweights Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller in the main event.
Also, a pair of well-respected and well-traveled veterans battle it out in the co-main event as Josh Neer takes on Duane Ludwig.
Still, some fans may be asking themselves, “What are the best reasons to check out this card?” Here’s my answer to that—five reasons to watch UFC on FX 1: Guillard vs. Miller.
5. The Free Preliminary Card Features Names Like Jorge Rivera, Kamal Shalorus and Charlie Brenneman
Once again, the UFC’s preliminary cards are set to deliver a stacked mini-event filled with good, free fights. I’ve been campaigning to get people to notice these prelims for quite some time now, and with how good they’ve been lately, I’m thinking that that’s one trend that will continue throughout the year.
No matter who you are, as long as you’ve got the time and the channel, you absolutely shouldn’t pass up six free fights featuring good fighters.
4. Mike Easton Has the Makings of a Real Bantamweight Prospect
In the here and now, I think you could make a case for Dominick Cruz being one of the most dominant champions in the UFC.
Cruz has already beaten the only man who’s ever defeated him, and he’s 19-1 overall. So who’s left for him to face?
Maybe it’ll be Mike Easton by the end of the year or the start of 2013. Easton is currently riding high with an overall record of 11-1 with six of those eleven wins by stoppage. His fight on this card should be a good indicator of just how big of a star Easton could possibly be.
3. Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer Is a Respectable Co-Main Event
I won’t lie, fans and friends. I have no strong feelings about either of these fighters.
Let me be clear, though—that doesn’t mean I don’t like them. I’m just not a fan in particular, although I certainly respect both men as well-traveled, grizzled veterans.
I don’t think this will end in spectacular fashion (and if it does I’ll be more than happy to eat some humble pie) but I do think that we’ll be in for a good three-round war in this co-main event.
2. Pat Barry Fights Christian Morecraft? Definitely a “Blink and You’ll Miss It” Fight
This is honestly the fight I’m looking forward to the most, aside from the main event.
Christian Morecraft isn’t an elite heavyweight, but he’s a good all-rounder, and he seems to be improving steadily.
And how can you not love Pat Barry? Barry comes to either finish or get finished, and I’m 90-percent certain that somebody is getting badly KTFO’d in this fight.
That always makes for an entertaining few minutes.
And the number-one reason to watch “UFC on FX 1” is…
1. The Main Event, Of Course
When Melvin Guillard lost to Joe Lauzon in under 50 seconds, my heart broke. I’ve always been a fan of Guillard, and now that he’s a veteran of more than 40 fights spread across almost nine years, I just don’t know how many more times he can enter into this kind of “rebuilding” phase.
I also felt pretty sad when Jim Miller lost to Ben Henderson, because Jim Miller is a big dark-horse favorite of mine.
This is one fight in which I’ll probably feel disheartened no matter who wins, but this is also one fight that I can’t wait to see happen, because I know how awesome these two can be when they’re at their best.
Depending on how it goes, this could be our first strong contender for “Sleeper Hit of the Year.”
Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video-game nerd. For more news, views, previews and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.
Going into this Friday’s major pay-per-event featuring the return of Brock Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion’s training partner, Pat Barry, reminds fans that this isn’t a K1 striking match in a recent interview with StudioMMA.com.”You’re goin…
Going into this Friday’s major pay-per-event featuring the return of Brock Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion’s training partner, Pat Barry, reminds fans that this isn’t a K1 striking match in a recent interview with StudioMMA.com.
“You’re going to see Alistair Overeem’s MMA striking,” said Barry, who has trained with Lesnar since 2010. “You’re not going to see K1-level striking. That’s something I can finally admit to being a former kickboxer now turned martial artist. You can’t get in the ring and kickbox the way you do in a fight with ropes and no wrestling.”
Fans anticipate the match to be the classic style matchup of wrestler vs. striker. As a former NCAA Division I wrestler, Lesnar will want to take this fight to the mat. Overeem will be looking for his openings standing, and it could be the beginning of the end for whoever imposes their skill set first.
“That’s totally different,” Barry continued. “People tell me all the time, ‘you’re supposed to be this bad*** striker and we haven’t seen it yet.’ I’m like, ‘we haven’t done a kickboxing match yet.’ We have a kickboxing match, I’ll show you something you’ve never seen, but until then, as long as it’s MMA, things are going to be different.”
Barry is currently riding a two-fight losing streak, but anticipates his return to the cage on January 20, which will come against Christian Morecraft at UFC Fight Night 26.
Lesnar will enter his bout with Overeem having come off a loss to Cain Velasquez in Oct. 2010. Overeem was last seen defeating Fabricio Werdum in a June rematch.
Legendary underground hero and UFC hype machine Sean McCorkle really said it best after losing a fight to Stefan Struve late last year: “I’d like to have the worst heavyweight in the UFC. Unless that’s me, then I’d like to have the second-worst h…
Legendary underground hero and UFC hype machine Sean McCorkle really said it best after losing a fight to Stefan Struve late last year:
“I’d like to have the worst heavyweight in the UFC. Unless that’s me, then I’d like to have the second-worst heavyweight in the UFC.”
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva’s response? He booked McCorkle a date with Christian Morecraft. It turned out that Morecraft was no less than second-worst though, as the burly Washington native choked McCorkle unconscious in March and sent him packing from the UFC.
Now, it’s not fair to say Morecraft is the worst heavyweight in the UFC. He’s won fights in the promotion, and shown toughness and some evolution in his young game to this point. Having 265-pound guys hurling strikes at your head isn’t easy, and it doesn’t take much for you to look bad if one of them connects.
However, when he faces Pat Barry at UFC on FX 1 in January, there will be a definitive McCorklian feel to the fight. If Barry can’t beat Christian Morecraft, he’ll be done in the UFC.
Barry’s journey has been fascinating to this point in his MMA career, which has seen him make the jump from K-1 kickboxing into the world’s top mixed martial arts promotion. He’s gone from not aggressive enough, to too aggressive, to not skilled enough on the ground, to overconfident there, and back again.
It’s been incredible to see him bounce all over the place, wrecking people in one fight and then looking totally lost in his next.
No one can say he hasn’t been entertaining though, as, win or lose, he’s only been to a decision once, against hard-headed Joey Beltran. One can hope that such a tendency to put on a show will keep him around, as the division isn’t deep and it’s heavy on guys with sloppy standup and a plodding style. Barry’s dynamic attack, while one-dimensional, is fun to watch.
Plus he’s been victimized by surprise losses in fights that were sure wins on two occasions, to Mirko Cro Cop and Cheick Kongo. He could easily be 5-2 in the UFC instead of a pedestrian 3-4, so maybe there’s some latitude there.
At the end of the day though, a loss to Morecraft would be tough to overcome. He’s not exactly setting the world on fire himself, and Barry would be on a three-fight skid—only 6-5 in MMA overall.
Despite his affable nature and popularity, there is no more justification to keep him than there is to let him go to the regional circuit and get a bit better. Dana White has said plenty of times that the UFC is no place to learn MMA, and unfortunately that’s what Pat is doing.
All Pat Barry can hope for is another good performance that ends up in a win for him. He’s got karma on his side after losing some close ones that were within his grasp, and with the right matchmaking he can be a guy that fans will always look forward to seeing on a card.
He’s got to get by Morecraft first though, or they’ll be looking forward to seeing him in Shark Fights or Titan FC by next summer.
While our wives and girlfriends are busy maxing out our credit cards in hopes of finding the perfect gift for everyone she knows, we should be reminded that money can’t buy everything — especially in the world of mixed martial arts. Follow us after the jump to discover the irony of the MMA Black Friday. I promise it will be better than the turkey sandwich and leftover pumpkin pie you’ll have for lunch.
1.) Resurrection
In June, Cheick Kongo did what no man has done since the Messiah some 2,000+ years ago — he defeated death. Alright, so maybe I’ve had a few too many turkey day cocktails and that’s not exactly how it went down, but you get the jist. Kongo was knocked unconscious not once but twice in his fight against fellow heavyweight Pat Barry and he still managed to win the fight! By KO nonetheless. No amount of Earthly money could ever buy a second (or third) chance to live again. If it were that easy, Steve Jobs would’ve made certain you increase your credit limit.
(A PSP, a Marmaduke book, and fistful of dollars… Man, this cat really knows how to get down!)
While our Carlos Condit’s Wife Seager Is Rather Attractive [PHOTOS]” href=”http://www.cagepotato.com/mma-w-a-g-alert-carlos-condits-wife-seager-is-rather-attractive-photos/”>wives and girlfriends are busy maxing out our credit cards in hopes of finding the perfect gift for everyone she knows, we should be reminded that money can’t buy everything — especially in the world of mixed martial arts. Follow us after the jump to discover the irony of the MMA Black Friday. I promise it will be better than the turkey sandwich and leftover pumpkin pie you’ll have for lunch.
1.) Resurrection
In June, Cheick Kongo did what no man has done since the Messiah some 2,000+ years ago — he defeated death. Alright, so maybe I’ve had a few too many turkey day cocktails and that’s not exactly how it went down, but you get the jist. Kongo was knocked unconscious not once but twice in his fight against fellow heavyweight Pat Barry and he still managed to win the fight! By KO nonetheless. No amount of Earthly money could ever buy a second (or third) chance to live again. If it were that easy, Steve Jobs would’ve made certain you increase your credit limit.
From revolutionizing the MMA landscape with a kick the way the Miami Dolphins did with a Wildcat Offense a few years ago to several strangelyfascinatingvideos, Anderson Silva has provided more entertainment than a Chael Sonnen Says F*ck Canada or at Least This Reporter Who Lives There” href=”http://www.cagepotato.com/video-chael-sonnen-says-fck-canada-or-at-least-this-reporter-who-lives-there/” target=”_blank”>Chael Sonnen interview. These are memories that will last a lifetime, or three if you’re Cheick Kongo.
3.) A Clue
Man what I wouldn’t give to slap that stupid look off his face. This guy is more confused than a homeless man on house arrest. If money could by a clue, we’d have to take up another donation. It’s probably best we don’t, though – your better half has been gone quite awhile now.
4.) The Fight You Most Want To See
Fans want Dana White to make two fights happen pronto: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva. Anyone who tells you differently is lying. It’s no wonder why there’s so much clamoring to see these fighters settle their differences in the Octagon. Take Sonnen for instance, he talked his way into our hearts, gave the pound-for-pound king the beating of his life in route to getting subbed in the final round, and has ceased his verbal attack on “The Spider” going as far as to challenge him to a ‘Loser Leaves Town’ match. There is honest hatred in the Oregonian’s heart that we must see unleashed again — if only to find out how big a role Silva’s injured ribs played.
Jon Fitch has not lost a fight since Georges St. Pierre defeated him for the UFC welterweight championship back in 2008. In that time, Kenny Florian and Lyoto Machida have been given several opportunities to fight for gold. So why not Fitch? Is he too boring? Is it because he doesn’t have a fancy TV show on ESPN or drink his own pee? Yeah, we’re not sure either. Since money is useless when attempting to get a title shot, we came up with a few ways Fitch might get another crack anyway.
6.) Forgiveness
You can’t think about Paul Daley sucker punching Josh Koscheck and subsequently being fired without hearing Don Henley’s ‘The Heart of the Matter‘ in your head. This is the classic ‘from the penthouse to the outhouse’ scenario; He went from fighting in the UFC in May 2010 to fighting in Impact FC two months later. Despite his apology to Kos, the crestfallen Daley remained focused on working his way back in Dana’s good graces fighting five times this year. Zuffa owned Strikeforce appears to have let “Semtex” wander off on his own after dropping two straight. Tack on his history of missing weight and you’ll see that this is one ‘F’ word you won’t here White say.
7.) The Keys to New York
If money could by Zuffa keys to the state of New York, they would have filled MSG twice already. Remember, they even tried to buy their way in as recent as this past summer. Remember folks, money — it isn’t everything.
The UFC will make its debut on FX this coming January, officials announced on Wednesday.This will be the first full card as part of their seven-year deal with FOX. An official date and location for the event has yet to be set.However, a pair of e…
The UFC will make its debut on FX this coming January, officials announced on Wednesday.
This will be the first full card as part of their seven-year deal with FOX. An official date and location for the event has yet to be set.
However, a pair of exciting bouts have already been announced for the January card.
Surging welterweights Josh Neer and Duane Ludwig will got head-to-head while heavyweights Pat Barry and Christian Morecraft look to stop their losing skids. Barry may be fighting for his job as he is riding a two-fight losing streak entering this bout.
“HD” is coming off two hard losses, recently having been submitted by Stefan Struve in October. Prior to that, he suffered a huge knockout loss to Cheick Kongo at UFC Live: Barry vs. Kongo.
As for Morecraft, he is coming off a harsh knockout loss to Matt Mitrione in June.
Both Neer and Ludwig will look to extend their winning streaks when they face off during the first event on FX. Neer recently defeated Keith Wisniewski in October while Ludwig is coming off a win over Ultimate Fighter alum Amir Sodallah in August.
This event will be the first of six planned cards to take place on FX during each year of the deal with formats similar to events held previously on Spike and Versus.
FX will also be the new home of the Ultimate Fighter, which will air each bout live as well as hosting the finales for each season.
Nashville is one heck of a town. It is the official country music hotspot in the United States and, like many other American cities, it loves a good fight.
