The UFC is trimming their roster, and that means every fighter has to be on edge. The fighters on UFC 158 are no exemption.The top fighters are in no danger. They are at the top of the card for a reason. They are quality fighters who can draw and add v…
The UFC is trimming their roster, and that means every fighter has to be on edge. The fighters on UFC 158 are no exemption.
The top fighters are in no danger. They are at the top of the card for a reason. They are quality fighters who can draw and add value to the UFC’s bottom line. The fighters on the undercard are not as fortunate, though.
Winning is the most important thing for them, but they must also try to be exciting. The UFC tends to be more forgiving for fighters who excite the crowd. Just look at noted brawler Leonard Garcia. With the pending cuts in the back of their minds it will be interesting to see how they fight at UFC 158.
Here are five fighters who could be on their way out with a loss.
(Contrary to what R. Kelly always told him, Voelker was never able to spread his wings and fly away just because he believed he could.)
We swear this will be our last Patrick Cote-related article for at least a few days, you guys. But being that “The Predator” recently announced his drop to the welterweight division following the cancellation of his rematch with Alessio Sakara and declared that he was still hoping to still fight at UFC 158, we figured we would at least write a follow up now that an opponent has in fact been named. Yes, Cote will be fighting on the Montreal card in his welterweight debut against Bobby “Vicious” Voelker, a five-fight Strikeforce Challengers veteran who boasts an impressive 24-8 record to his credit.
Known for his trio of highly entertaining bouts with Roger Bowling under the Strikeforce: Challengers banner, the 33 year-old Kansas City native has developed a reputation as a comeback specialist, so check out some of his handiwork after the jump.
(Contrary to what R. Kelly always told him, Voelker was never able to spread his wings and fly away just because he believed he could.)
We swear this will be our last Patrick Cote-related article for at least a few days, you guys. But being that “The Predator” recently announced his drop to the welterweight division following the cancellation of his rematch with Alessio Sakara and declared that he was still hoping to still fight at UFC 158, we figured we would at least write a follow up now that an opponent has in fact been named. Yes, Cote will be fighting on the Montreal card in his welterweight debut against Bobby “Vicious” Voelker, a five-fight Strikeforce Challengers veteran who boasts an impressive 24-8 record to his credit.
Known for his trio of highly entertaining bouts with Roger Bowling under the Strikeforce: Challengers banner, the 33 year-old Kansas City native has developed a reputation as a comeback specialist, so check out some of his handiwork after the jump.
Voelker vs. Roger Bowling I
From the opening moments in what would become the very first — and presumably last (sad face) — trilogy in Challengers history, Bobby Voelker and Roger Bowling showed up and threw down. Following a successful debut victory over Erik Apple via second round TKO at Challengers 5, Voelker was shut down by the powerful hands and aggressive wrestling output of Bowling, who managed to rock Voelker on multiple occasions and keep him off balance for the majority of their fight at Challengers 8. Unfortunately, the fight would come to an anticlimactic end in the third when, following an accidental poke to the eye by Voelker, Bowling was unable to continue and handed the technical decision victory.
At the very next Challengers event, Voelker and Devela engaged in a grinder of a match that again saw Voelker overwehlmed by his opponent’s grappling in the early going. However, Voelker was able to turn the tide midway through the fight, and with a little help from his superior gas tank, was able to snag a controversial split decision victory when all was said and done.
Voelker vs. Bowling: Part Deux
Voelker was again paired up against Bowling at Challengers 11 — this time in the main event of the evening – and where Bowling’s wrestling and power shots dictated the first fight, it was Voelker’s improved takedown defense and crisp counter-striking that dictated the second. After wading through damn near everything his faster foe had to offer in the first round, Voelker capitalized on a sloppy takedown attempt by Bowling midway through the second and pounded away from the guard until referee Dan Stell called a stop to the fight with just over a minute remaining.
Voelker vs. Bowling III
July 22nd, 2011 would set the stage for the final and most decisive meeting between Voelker and Bowling yet. The event was Challengers 11, with the duo once again finding themselves in the main event slot. The fight started out in relatively the same fashion as the first two, with Bowling utilizing his speed and diverse striking attack to keep Voelker on the defensive.
As noted by lyrical wordsmith Mauro Ranallo, deja vu would rear its ugly head when an errant finger by Voelker would find the very same eye of Bowling that led to the stoppage of the first fight. Thankfully, Bowling was able to continue and even managed to rock Voelker towards the end of the first. But once again, Voelker would come alive midway through the second, delivering a knee to the jaw of Bowling that put him on queer street. The opening would be all that Voelker would need, as he finished off the trilogy with a series of follow up punches shortly thereafter.
So, Potato Nation, now that you’ve seen what Voelker has to offer, do you think Cote’s poor run of luck in the UFC will continue at UFC 158? Or will Cote’s size advantage and high level experience lead him to victory?
(Welterweight, middleweight, we don’t care. Just don’t ever lose that twinkle in your eyes, you handsome son of a bitch.)
Although Patrick Cote managed to secure his first UFC win since 2010 at UFC 154 last month (by way of DQ), we’re still not quite sure if his decision to cut down to welterweight falls into “last ditch effort to save career” territory or not. Regardless, Cote recently told MMAWeekly that he is planning on cutting down to 170 for his next bout now that his UFC 158 rematch with Alessio Sakara has been cancelled due to Sakara’s kidney issues. His reasoning: They build middleweights a lot bigger than they used to.
We’ve been thinking about it since about a year now. I think now it’s the time. I was a pretty decent middleweight a couple years ago, but now those guys are really, really big. They’re cutting from like 230, 225, and I’m walking around at 205 so I spoke with my coach and my nutritionist and it’s doable so we’re going to do it.
Although it seems like Cote might be exaggerating those numbers a little bit, one must first consider that Anthony Johnson walks around at upwards of 230 pounds and used to fight in the same division Cote is shrinking down to. Hell, Thiago Alves still fights at 170 and that dude regularly eats Adam Richman under the table in between training camps.
(Welterweight, middleweight, we don’t care. Just don’t ever lose that twinkle in your eyes, you handsome son of a bitch.)
Although Patrick Cote managed to secure his first UFC win since 2010 at UFC 154 last month (by way of DQ), we’re still not quite sure if his decision to cut down to welterweight falls into “last ditch effort to save career” territory or not. Regardless, Cote recently told MMAWeekly that he is planning on cutting down to 170 for his next bout now that his UFC 158 rematch with Alessio Sakara has been cancelled due to Sakara’s kidney issues. His reasoning: They build middleweights a lot bigger than they used to.
We’ve been thinking about it since about a year now. I think now it’s the time. I was a pretty decent middleweight a couple years ago, but now those guys are really, really big. They’re cutting from like 230, 225, and I’m walking around at 205 so I spoke with my coach and my nutritionist and it’s doable so we’re going to do it.
Although it seems like Cote might be exaggerating those numbers a little bit, one must first consider that Anthony Johnson walks around at upwards of 230 pounds and used to fight in the same division Cote is shrinking down to. Hell, Thiago Alves still fights at 170 and that dude regularly eats Adam Richman under the table in between training camps.
Still, Cote could quickly find himself up shit creek without a paddle at welterweight. Maybe it’s just us, but we kind of look at Cote as the rich man’s (or perhaps just upper middle class man’s) Scott Smith, ie. a powerful, albeit limited striker with subpar grappling. Cote has fought as high as 205 before and has shown in his losses to Cung Le and Alan Belcher that he doesn’t exactly have the fastest footwork at middleweight, let alone in the deep waters of the welterweight division.
We’re not counting him out, we’re just saying that sometimes cutting weight isn’t necessarily the best move to jump start one’s career in as high-level a promotion as the UFC. For a perfect example of this, look no further than Scott Smith, who attempted the same weight cut under the Strikeforce banner in 2010-2011, only to get faceplant KO’d by Paul Daley and picked apart by Tarec Saffiedine before moving back up to 185. And don’t even get us started on James Irvin…*shudders*
However, Cote also claimed that he was only holding out at 185 for his rematch with Sakara. But now that that fight has been cancelled, “The Predator” would still like to fight at UFC 158 in his native Canada if the option is still available.
I was staying at 185 because of this rematch, but it’s not going to happen. We’re not sure when he’s going to be ready to fight, so for me it was just the right time to do it.
In my mind the target is March 16. If it’s not happening there I’ll be ready to fight around that, but I’m hoping to fight in Montreal.
So what do you think, Potato Nation? Is this a good move for Cote and if so, who would you like to see him square off against at 170?
It has been a crazy week of events for Canadian UFC middleweight Patrick Cote. He had a rematch with Alessio Sakara booked and canceled within the last few days of each other, and now, according to MMAJunkie.com, he has announced that he will drop…
It has been a crazy week of events for Canadian UFC middleweight Patrick Cote. He had a rematch with AlessioSakara booked and canceled within the last few days of each other, and now, according to MMAJunkie.com, he has announced that he will drop down to the welterweight division for his next fight.
He started the week booked in a rematch with Sakara at UFC 158 in March back in his home town of Montreal. The two middleweight journeyman just battled in November at UFC 154 in a very controversial fight that saw Cote win by disqualification. The rematch was set to settle the score but was then quickly canceled on Monday as Sakara had to pull out for health reasons.
Cote’s move down to welterweight seemingly puts an end to any rematch with the Italian, and it seems now the UFC will have to find him an opponent at 170 pounds.
Cote returned to the UFC this past July, after being released from the promotion in 2010. He lost a unanimous decision to Cung Le at UFC 148.
Cote had a runner-up finish at middleweight on Season 4 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” But after that loss to Travis Lutter, he rattled off five straight wins—four in the UFC—to get a middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva at UFC 190.
Cote blew his knee out in the third round, giving him a TKO loss. He returned 18 months later and lost to Alan Belcher in Montreal at UFC 113. A loss to Tom Lawlor at UFC 121 sent him back outside the organization.
Four wins in a year’s time got him back, but the loss to Le gave him another four-fight skid in the promotion. The DQ win over Sakara likely saved his job in the octagon—though he also does work for the UFC on its French-language broadcasts and was doing so even while fighting outside the organization.
The UFC is expected to announce Cote’s new opponent soon, and he is expected to remain on the card at UFC 158. There are some intriguing possibilities out there such as Paulo Thiago, ThiagoAlves or even Dan Hardy.
The card takes place March 16 at Montreal’s Bell Centre and is headlined by welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre’s title defense against former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz.
It is turning out to be a real welterweight showcase as it also features welterweight bouts between Johny Hendricks and Jake Ellenberger and a rematch between Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report UFC and regular contributor to Sportsnet.ca’s UFC section. Follow him on Twitter @wakafightermma.
If the title of this post sounds familiar, it might be because Alessio Sakara has kind of become a master of the do-over during his time in the UFC. Back in 2010, Sakara was scheduled to face the now-retired Jorge Rivera at UFC 118, but the bout was eventually cancelled when both men pulled out due to injury. The fight was rescheduled for UFC 122, but was cancelled again at the last second when Sakara came down with some Jamie Varner-esque flu symptoms that may or may not have been caused by tuna fish. The fight was then tentatively rescheduled for an August event but was eventually scrapped altogether.
So perhaps you should take the news that Sakara has been rebooked against Patrick Cote at UFC 158 on March 16th in Montreal with a grain of salt, because if history is any indication, Sakara ain’t making it to this fight in one piece.
If the title of this post sounds familiar, it might be because Alessio Sakara has kind of become a master of the do-over during his time in the UFC. Back in 2010, Sakara was scheduled to face the now-retired Jorge Rivera at UFC 118, but the bout was eventually cancelled when both men pulled out due to injury. The fight was rescheduled for UFC 122, but was cancelled again at the last second when Sakara came down with some Jamie Varner-esque flu symptoms that may or may not have been caused by tuna fish. The fight was then tentatively rescheduled for an August event but was eventually scrapped altogether.
So perhaps you should take the news that Sakara has been rebooked against Patrick Cote at UFC 158 on March 16th in Montreal with a grain of salt, because if history is any indication, Sakara ain’t making it to this fight in one piece.
As we all know, Sakara and Cote first met at UFC 154, where Sakara followed an incredibly impressive feat (dropping the iron-jawed Cote with a few well-placed elbows) with an incredibly stupid one (turning the soft part of Cote’s skull into a makeshift ash tray with a series of illegal hammerfists), resulting in a victory via DQ for Cote. Despite the vicious onslaught and the fact that the loss dropped Sakara to 0-3 in his last…three octagon performances (and 6-7 with 1 NC overall), Sakara recently signed a four fight contract extension with the promotion, so we can look forward to seeing him either disqualified or knocked unconscious at least two more times before all is said and done.
Honestly, the Sakara/Cote pairing might be one of the most appropriate pairings in UFC history. Foreign-based fighters known for their striking prowess? Check. Losing records in the octagon? Check. Consistently entertaining despite this? Check. The closest Sakara ever came to a title shot (or ever will) was when he defeated one of the most undeserving title challengers ever in Thales Leites in a snoozer at UFC 101, whereas Cote became the number one contender following a snoozer over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86 and subsequently blew out his knee in what many fans consider to be one of the least deserving title fights in the promotion’s history at UFC 90. Like Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos before them, these two were destined to engage in a series of decreasingly important fights that all end in some form of disqualification or no contest.
So let’s place our chips on the table, Potato Nation: What will be responsible for the inevitable freak ending of Cote/Sakara II? An axe-kick to the taint? Sudden-onset narcolepsy? Trench mouth? A FRACTURED DICK?!
If it’s that last one, someone is gonna have some splainin’ to do.
Alessio Sakara has been sidelined for three months because of a kidney ailment.
The Italian welterweight has been having pains and other issues for some time and recently underwent testing to try and diagnose the issues. He ended up seeing a kidney specialist and tests confirmed that he has problems with them.
Three days ago I got some test results and the doctor (Nephrologist; kidney specialist) has ordered that I stop everything for three months because of the renal (kidney) stress. Right now my manager is getting the date moved [for the rematch]. I’ll be more motivated with the nutritionist to never again risk my health any more.
Canadian middleweight Patrick Cote will retain his victory from UFC 154, despite protests from Alessio Sakara and his camp.During their match, Sakara was on the verge of victory after landing hard elbows to the side of Cote’s head, but the blows quickl…
Canadian middleweight Patrick Cote will retain his victory from UFC 154, despite protests from AlessioSakara and his camp.
During their match, Sakara was on the verge of victory after landing hard elbows to the side of Cote’s head, but the blows quickly turned illegal as Cote sank to the Octagon mat with Sakara hitting him in the back of the skull with “12-to-6” hammerfists.
According to French-Canadian newsgroup La Presse, Quebec’s governing board for combat sports refused to hear an appeal from American Top Team, cementing Cote’s disqualification win from November 17th:
However, [the board] refused to consider the application on the [grounds] that the decision of an arbitrator can not be reversed. “The decision of the arbitrator is final and without appeal,” a spokesman of the Board, Joyce Tremblay, confirmed on Friday.
With the Board’s decision, Cote now stands at 5-8 after various runs in the UFC, dating all the way back to an October 2004 bout against Tito Ortiz at UFC 50.
However, “The Predator” is currently 5-1 in his last six career fights, with the lone loss coming at the hands of former Strikeforce middleweight champion and widely-known action star, Cung Le.
For Sakara, the situation is more dire.
A disqualification for “Legionarius” puts him at the dreaded 0-3 slide in the UFC, which typically results in a pink slip from the promotion.
Sakara has claimed in post-fight interviews and follow-up quotes that he wasn’t warned of the illegal blows by referee Dan Miragliotta, who let the bout play out until Cote was no longer able to defend himself.
It has been a crazy week of events for Canadian UFC middleweight Patrick Cote. He had a rematch with 