Bleacher Report’s Michael Evans:Frank Mir and Roy Nelson enter the Octagon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on much different career paths. Mir has had his ups and downs in his career and now looks to get back into title contention with a win o…
Bleacher Report’s Michael Evans:
Frank Mir and Roy Nelson enter the Octagon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on much different career paths. Mir has had his ups and downs in his career and now looks to get back into title contention with a win over the Ultimate Fighter season 10 winner. Nelson is on his way up and looks to rebound from his loss to Junior Dos Santos—his first loss in the UFC.
Mir wants to reclaim the heavyweight title very badly and Nelson is hungry for a win after coming off a loss. At the present, each man is completing their final weeks of training before they clash at UFC 130 on May 28, 2011. I will present five reasons that Mir will emerge victorious.
UFC 130 is set to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 28.The main event on the card will see former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson face off against Matt “The Hammer” Hamill.The card was originally sche…
UFC 130 is set to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 28.
The main event on the card will see former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson face off against Matt “The Hammer” Hamill.
The card was originally scheduled to be headlined by a lightweight title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard. Training camp injuries to both fighters forced the cancellation of their bout.
Jackson was originally scheduled to face Thiago Silva on this fight card, but when questions emerged in regard to Silva’s UFC 125 drug test Hamill was moved into Silva’s spot.
The idea of facing Hamill did not sit well with Jackson who tweeted, “I’m not interested in Fighting Matt,I rather fight Rashad,I have un finished business with him.”
Jackson later changed his mind when he found out that Hamill and his camp had specifically asked for the fight with Jackson, “He wants me? Well, he can have me,” Jackson told Yahoo! Sports. “I’m gonna knock him into tomorrow.”
On June 18, 2011 in Dallas, Texas two monster heavyweight clashes will take place. The first pits hard-hitting Brett Rogers against former UFC champion Josh Barnett. That matchup is intriguing but the main event is the fight that everyone wants to see….
On June 18, 2011 in Dallas, Texas two monster heavyweight clashes will take place. The first pits hard-hitting Brett Rogers against former UFC champion Josh Barnett. That matchup is intriguing but the main event is the fight that everyone wants to see.
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem and Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum have met once before, in 2006 under the Pride organization. Werdum won the first bout by submission via kimura. Since that time, they have each come a long way in their respective careers.
After a disappointing stint in UFC that saw him suffer a devastating knockout to Junior Dos Santos in the younger man’s debut, Fabricio has had huge success in Strikeforce. In 2009, Werdum had his first Strikeforce bout, and since then he has won all three of his bouts. He has defeated Mike Kyle, Antonio Silva and Fedor Emelianenko for an impressive three-fight win streak. His win over Fedor was the Russian’s first defeat in 10 years.
Werdum is at an all-time high in his career. Can he beat Overeem and advance to the semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix? That is the question and the challenge he now faces.
After his loss to Werdum in 2006, Alistair Overeem has completely reestablished himself as a fighter. Since that loss, his MMA record has been stellar. Overeem has gone 11-4 with one controversial no contest against Mirko Cro Cop in a fight he was dominating.
Overeem has now not lost an MMA fight in almost four years. In 2010 he had an amazing year. In that calender year he defended his Strikeforce heavyweight title, won an interim belt in a fight for the Dream organization and became the first MMA fighter to win the K1 World Grand Prix.
Things have drastically changed for each man since their fight in Pride five long years ago. The true question here is what has changed from their first meeting until now?
Werdum has added several key wins, much bigger wins than Overeem; however, his game has changed little if at all. Overeem has changed greatly. Since 2006, Overeem has turned himself into a complete fighter and a man that many heavyweights like to criticize, but if they were locked in a cage with him they would be feeling much different.
Overeem changed from a 220-pound man that cut weight to be a light heavyweight. In the time after he left Pride and the present day, he has added over 30 pounds of lean muscle to his frame. On top of this he has improved his striking by leaps and bounds. He is now a faster and stronger man than Werdum defeated in 2006.
It is Werdum who has faced the tougher competition and won those battles more often than not.
Overeem has typically lost his biggest fights. Since his loss to Werdum, Overeem has rarely fought top notch competition. This is something that would be a detriment to most fighters but Alistair is not a typical fighter. He has not fought a top MMA fighter for some time, but he has greatly improved as an athlete. His striking has improved by leaps and bounds. After a great year in 2010, he is poised to avenge a loss that has been on his mind for a long time.
Werdum is looking to prove he is the best heavyweight in the world and he is finally past his brutal knockout loss at UFC 90. Werdum has the submission game and jiu jitsu prowess to submit Overeem again, I just don’t think he will have a chance to do so. Overeem has better defense and speed than he did in 2006. Overeem is also a much better striker with the strength to knock people out with both hands, knees or kicks.
Overeem will overwhelm Werdum and move on to the semifinals of the Strikeforce tournament.
While all the attention has been on Brock Lesnar recently, his former opponent, Junior Dos Santos has been left lurking in the shadows. Lesnar’s withdrawal from his bout with Dos Santos at UFC 131 has left the Brazilian a bit surprised, to say the…
While all the attention has been on Brock Lesnar recently, his former opponent, Junior Dos Santos has been left lurking in the shadows.
Lesnar’s withdrawal from his bout with Dos Santos at UFC 131 has left the Brazilian a bit surprised, to say the least.
“I got a little upset about this change, but I’m happy that the UFC got another opponent for me,” Dos Santos told Sherdog.com.
The opponent that Dos Santos is referring to is heavy-handed, Shane Carwin. Carwin has been out since last year after a back injury put him out of action. Carwin was originally scheduled to compete on the same card against Jon Olav Einemo, but was slotted in the main event to replace the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Although it is not the opponent he had been hoping to face, the fact that Dos Santos is still receiving the opportunity to fight is fine with him.
“His boxing skills are great,” Dos Santos said of his opponent.
“It’s gonna be a great fight with tough blows from both sides. I would say that it will end by knockout.”
Although Carwin is taking a risk of fighting Dos Santos on a thirty day notice, the winner of the heavyweight bout will be next in line to challenge UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez.
While there is hardly any time to change his strategy, Dos Santos will not let this opportunity go to waste, realizing his dream of becoming UFC heavyweight champion.
“I’m in the best moment of my career and I want to make my dream of being a UFC champion come true,” Dos Santos said.
It’s been a tough week for the UFC. First, the main event for UFC 130, Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard III, was scrapped when both fighters sustained injuries.This left fight fans groaning as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs Matt “The Hammer” Hamill was prom…
It’s been a tough week for the UFC. First, the main event for UFC 130, Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard III, was scrapped when both fighters sustained injuries.
This left fight fans groaning as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs Matt “The Hammer” Hamill was promoted to the main event.
Then yesterday it was revealed that Brock Lesnar will be unable to headline UFC 131 because he has been stricken with diverticulitis.
Luckily for MMA fans, UFC 131’s main event has not been completely ruined. some would even say that it’s better.
Top contender Shane Carwin has stepped in to fight Junior Dos Santos for the No. 1 contender spot in the heavyweight division.
To be at home or on the road? For British fighter Tom Watson, the answer is easy—even if the road takes him 5,000 miles away and to another country. The Bamma middleweight champion is currently in the United States at Jackson’s MMA in New M…
To be at home or on the road?
For British fighter Tom Watson, the answer is easy—even if the road takes him 5,000 miles away and to another country.
The Bamma middleweight champion is currently in the United States at Jackson’s MMA in New Mexico preparing for the biggest test of his career. He will be defending his title against former Pride veteran Murilo “Ninja” Rua. The bout will headline the Bamma 6 show on Saturday, May 21.
“Right now, England is not at the standard it needs to be at for me to train with top guys every single day,” Watson said. “There are some good guys over here, but in America, I get everything I need.”
“I spend more time in America now then in UK. All my training is done in the US. I’ve been to Jackson’s MMA now for four years.”
With a 13-4 record that includes seven knockouts and two submissions, Watson would seem to be a prime candidate for the UFC as well. Among the 13 victims are former UFC fighters Matt Horwich and Tulio Palhares.
Watson, however, is very pleased to be plying his trade with the upstart British organization.
“I don’t see a reason to go to the UFC right now if I can have big fights in the UK and build myself up,” Watson said. “As it stands right now, Bamma is bringing me in big fights.”
Watson is always looking to fight top guys, and he has never backed off from an opponent. In fact, he defeated Palhares very early in his career.
“I fought a UFC veteran in my second fight,” Watson said. “I don’t want easy fights. I understand why people would go out there and pad their record, but that’s not me.”
His desire to fight the best is what led to the upcoming matchup with Rua. Rua comes into the bout having won four of his last five fights, and two of his opponents did not make it out of the first minute.
The matchup against Rua is the first of his contract.
“I’ve signed a three-fight deal with Bamma,” Watson said. “I’ll take those three fights and see where I go from there.”
Should Watson eventually decide that he wants to make the move to the UFC, he already has one major fan in the promotion – former WEC light heavyweight champion, Brian Stann.
“I train with him everyday,” Stann said about Watson. “He is one of the most underrated middleweight fighters in the world. The fact that he is not in the top 10 or at least honorable mention will change soon.”
The former U.S. Marine believes the important career decision is Watson’s choice.
“He’ll be in the UFC whenever he wants to be in the UFC,” Stann said. “As exciting as his fights always are, the UFC would love to have him.”
Should Watson be victorious in the fight, he has sights set on some big things in his career.
“My long-term goal is to become No. 1 in my weight in the sport,” Watson said. “It’s not to be the No. 1 in England. It’s not to be the No. 1 in the UK. I want to be the No. 1 in the world.”
In order for Watson to get to that point, he’ll have to continue to improve. Working out at Jackson’s MMA has proven to be a great springboard for his career. Watson is 9-1 in his last 10 fights.
By continuing to work out in New Mexico, Watson has learned that Jackson’s MMA is reluctant to allow one teammate to fight another, but Watson is not sure he believes in that theory.
“It’s not a team sport,” Watson said. “If I’ve got a fight I need to take to get where I want to be, then yes, sure, I would take it.”
As for the budding rivalry between current teammate Jon Jones and former teammate Rashad Evans, Watson believes the fight has to happen.
“Jones is a titleholder. When it comes to a fight like that, sometimes you have to put the team aside and put yourself first.”
Watson will definitely be putting himself first when he takes on Rua. He believes they will have a very exciting matchup.
“It’s going to be a great fight for the fans,” Watson said about his championship defense. “It’s going to be explosive. It’s going to be a war, but I’m going to be taking my belt home that night.”
Fortunately, US fans will get the opportunity to see how exciting Watson is. The card will be available live on iPPV at Bamma.tv. The fights can also be seen in the United Kingdom on Sky/HD 114, Virgin TV 135 and TalkTalk 22.
Gary Herman is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand from Tom Watson.
