It’s time for the third and final part of ‘The Gym Wars’ series, unearthing a final, fascinating selection of behind-the-scenes videos that shed light on what really goes on in the training room as tempers flare, kicks and punches land too hard and bodies start to hit the floor. Be sure to check out the
It’s time for the third and final part of ‘The Gym Wars’ series, unearthing a final, fascinating selection of behind-the-scenes videos that shed light on what really goes on in the training room as tempers flare, kicks and punches land too hard and bodies start to hit the floor.
Be sure to check out the first and second parts of the series if you haven’t already, and without any further ado, let’s begin.
With two losses to now former champion TJ Dillashaw and previous issues cutting weight, it appeared as if the future for former bantamweight title holder Renan Barao lied at featherweight. It was rumored that “The Baron’s” next bout would take place at 145-pounds, but the bantamweight division has changed quite drastically in the last week.
With two losses to now former champion TJ Dillashaw and previous issues cutting weight, it appeared as if the future for former bantamweight title holder Renan Barao lied at featherweight.
It was rumored that “The Baron’s” next bout would take place at 145-pounds, but the bantamweight division has changed quite drastically in the last week.
Dillashaw put his title on the line in the main event of last weekend’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81 against returning former divisional kingpin Dominick Cruz. After a back and forth battle it was “The Dominator” who walked away with the strap, adding life to a weight class he once ruled.
Not only did Cruz winning the title open up a ton of possibilities for the whole division, but it opened up an opportunity for Barao to secure yet another title shot.
Barao currently sits at No. 2 in the 135-pound rankings, and is only 1-2 in his last three appearances, scoring a submission victory over Mitch Gagnon, and dropping two stoppage losses to “Killashaw”.
Barao and Cruz were actually supposed to square off in 2014 when the Brazilian held the interim title, and “The Dominator” was stationed as the undisputed champion. However, another injury setback to Cruz forced the UFC to strip him of his title and promote Barao to the unified boss.
Now with “The Dominator” back at the helm, Barao’s longtime head coach Andre Pederneiras is hoping for another title shot, adding that Cruz coming out victorious was “great”:
“I can’t say the result wasn’t good for us. It was. The belt changing hands is great for us. If T.J. (Dillashaw) continued as champion, we wouldn’t have a third fight between T.J. and (Renan) Barao, so the result was really good for us. If you ask me if [another title shot is] what I want, of course it is. That’s what I want. But we have to wait and see how everything goes. It’s too soon to talk about it.” Pederneiras told MMAFighting.
Cruz likely has some business to handle with longtime rival Urijah Faber and possibly even a rematch with Dillashaw, but if Barao can get back to his winning ways, he could find himself challenging for UFC gold again soon.
Throughout the comparatively short history of mixed martial arts (MMA), there’ve expectedly been a host of fights that stand out as one-sided beatdowns from one man or woman to another. The bout’s referee stopped some of these fights mercifully, a participant’s corner stopped some, and some went to a decision, but ultimately they all featured
Throughout the comparatively short history of mixed martial arts (MMA), there’ve expectedly been a host of fights that stand out as one-sided beatdowns from one man or woman to another.
The bout’s referee stopped some of these fights mercifully, a participant’s corner stopped some, and some went to a decision, but ultimately they all featured one-sided results
To be clear, we aren’t talking about one-punch or kick knockouts; those are a defined subset of a different sort. These bouts are just the most devastatingly one-sided contests in MMA history regardless of if they ended with a single knockout blow or not, and the magnitude of the fight was taken into account for judging.
They also not surprisingly feature some of the greatest fighters who’ve truly helped shape thee polished MMA picture we enjoy today.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 worst beatdowns in MMA history.
All hail King TJ! This past weekend’s UFC on Fox show proved without a shadow of a doubt that TJ Dillashaw is the real deal. His obliteration of former pound-for-pound staple Renan Barão was masterful and effectively silenced all the ‘lucky punch’ rabble-rousers.
In addition to the main event, we got a Fight of the Year candidate, a new(old) women’s bantamweight challenger and an odd, yet refreshing display of MMA sportsmanship, on national TV no less.
So what’s next for our main card competitors? Let’s play ‘Being Joe Silva.’
All hail King TJ! This past weekend’s UFC on Fox show proved without a shadow of a doubt that TJ Dillashaw is the real deal. His obliteration of former pound-for-pound staple Renan Barão was masterful and effectively silenced all the ‘lucky punch’ rabble-rousers.
In addition to the main event, we got a Fight of the Year candidate, a new(old) women’s bantamweight challenger and an odd, yet refreshing display of MMA sportsmanship, on national TV no less.
So what’s next for our main card competitors? Let’s play ‘Being Joe Silva.’
It’s not just the fact that Dillashaw beat Barão again that is so impressive; it’s the way he did it. Oozing confidence, hands hanging by his ankles, he feinted, switch stances and uncorked beautiful combinations time and time again that made the once ‘unbeatable’ Barão look downright terrible. It was akin to the Silva-Franklin fights or even Jones-Rua, where a once great fighter is pummeled into a pile of goo by his more evolved opponent. Many fans are clamoring for a showdown of champions between Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz, but Cruz has said he doesn’t expect to be back until the end of 2015. Instead, a rematch with Raphael Assunção (provided his ankle has healed) would make sense for a fall matchup.
Everybody wants Barão to move up to featherweight. He has a tough time shedding the pounds to make 135 and he is unlikely to challenge for the title again. Makes sense, right? But when it comes to weight, how often do fighters take the path that makes sense? Barão will likely stay at bantamweight and if he does, a tune-up fight against the lower-ranked Mizugaki or Perez should allow Renan to regain his confidence or will prove his time at the top is over.
Yes, Dana White has stated that Tate locked herself into a third title fight against Ronda Rousey with her dominant win over Jessica Eye. Sure, Tate-Rousey III will sell well, but from a more sporting perspective a rematch between Cat Zingano and Tate is much more intriguing. Their first encounter ended with some controversy as Zingano pulled off a late stoppage after losing most of the fight. Then you have the fact that Zingano didn’t really get to fight Rousey in her title shot. That can be countered with the oft-recited point that Tate has provided the only real challenge to Rousey’s reign. Let these women duke it out to prove who truly deserves a rematch.
Aside from half of the first round, Jessica Eye did not look good in her bid for a title shot. Any hopes that she could supplant Rousey as the queen of women’s bantamweight dropped faster than she did from Meisha’s right hand. Eye is now 1-2-1 in her UFC tenure and barely holding onto her top 10 ranking. Sarah Kaufman is another fighter that the UFC doesn’t seem to know what to do with anymore. A rematch will negate the weed-related no contest from their first bout and keep them both busy.
That was Edson Barboza’s best performance in the Octagon and hopefully a turning point in his somewhat inconsistent UFC career. Barboza shines when allowed to engage in ‘a Muay Thai fight with 4 oz. gloves’ as Joe Rogan put it, and Joe Silva would be wise to keep booking him against strikers. Eddie Alvarez just won his first fight against a top 10 opponent and sits at #4 in the division. Barboza needs to prove he can break into the elite. Sounds like a perfect matchup.
This is the only non-action shot we’re going to use, because it is faaaaaaaabulous!!
Poor Paul Felder. ‘The Irish Dragon’ arguably won one of the most exciting and technically amazing striking battles in UFC history against the #7 ranked lightweight in the world, and he isn’t even rewarded with a place in the top 15 come Monday morning. After that star-making performance, Felder should get a chance against another top-shelf opponent. Josh Thomson, if he doesn’t retire, would test Felder’s grappling and would give both men a chance to right their ships. If Josh calls it quits, I hear Nate Diaz needs a fight.
It was only a couple years ago that pundits were wondering if Joe Lauzon might be done. Too many crimson masks and brutal beatings had taken their toll they said when he came out flat-flooted and slow against Michael Johnson in Boston, losing his second straight. Well here we are in 2015, he’s 3-1 since and he’s now calling his own stoppages. Joe’s probably not title shot-bound, but there are plenty of fun fights in the top 15-20 range for him. Dunham, who won last weekend, has a similar scrappy, grappling- based style and is also tough as hell. That’s a great main card opener for any PPV.
‘The Fireball Kid’ did not have a fun Saturday night in Chicago. He was blown out of the water in the first round for the second time in a row. At 36, retirement looms, but likely not without at least one more kick at the can. If the UFC wants to send him off in style, they should feed him Daron Cruickshank in Japan. That’s a winnable fight and a guaranteed stand-up battle. If they’d rather use his name to reinvigorate a former contender, Ross Pearson would likely make short work of the legend
It’s hard to a remember a more meteoric rise to absolute dominance than that of TJ Dillashaw, the TUF 14 runner up who will almost certainly find himself in those ever-coveted “pound-for-pound” talks following his brilliant performance against Renan Barao at UFC on FOX 16 last Saturday.
To think that, a little over a year ago, Dillashaw was being given no chance against the former “pound-for-pound” king when they first clashed in the cage is almost absurd given his pair of performances against Barao. And in the rematch, Dillashaw was arguably even more impressive, eating almost everything his Brazilian rival could throw at him while returning fire with a fury. Dillashaw’s footwork was incredible, his combinations video game-esque, and his accuracy reminiscent of early Anderson Silva. How Barao was able to withstand the final flurry that came in the 4th round was a credit to his chin, his heart, and the abnormally slow hand of Herb Dean.
Elsewhere on the FOX 16 card, Miesha Tate overcame an early onslaught, Edson Barboza and Paul Felder threw spinning sh*t, and Joe Lauzon auditioned for his post-fight career as a referee, so check out all the highlights after the jump.
It’s hard to a remember a more meteoric rise to absolute dominance than that of TJ Dillashaw, the TUF 14 runner up who will almost certainly find himself in those ever-coveted “pound-for-pound” talks following his brilliant performance against Renan Barao at UFC on FOX 16 last Saturday.
To think that, a little over a year ago, Dillashaw was being given no chance against the former “pound-for-pound” king when they first clashed in the cage is almost absurd given his pair of performances against Barao. And in the rematch, Dillashaw was arguably even more impressive, eating almost everything his Brazilian rival could throw at him while returning fire with a fury. Dillashaw’s footwork was incredible, his combinations video game-esque, and his accuracy reminiscent of early Anderson Silva. How Barao was able to withstand the final flurry that came in the 4th round was a credit to his chin, his heart, and the abnormally slow hand of Herb Dean.
Elsewhere on the FOX 16 card, Miesha Tate overcame an early onslaught, Edson Barboza and Paul Felder threw spinning sh*t, and Joe Lauzon auditioned for his post-fight career as a referee, so check out all the highlights after the jump.
Miesha Tate may be a notoriously slow starter, but God damn if she doesn’t have resilience in spades. Against Jessica Eye, “Cupcake” appeared to be fighting on a time delay early, eating a hellacious series of right hands and offering next to nothing in return. But then, late in the round, Miesha seemed to decide on a dime that she was capable of doing something other than taking her opponents down. Tate landed a MONSTER right hand that floored Eye and set the tone for the rest of the fight, which Tate dominated both in the standup and grappling departments.
With the victory, Tate has once again earned the opportunity to be thrashed by Ronda Rousey at some point in the future, so, uh, yeah for that.
In the co-co main event of the evening, Edson Barboza and Paul Felder engaged in one of the most technical displays of spinning sh*t ever documented. Though Barboza’s speed advantage and hellacious shot to Felder’s testicles in the first round would ultimately lead him to victory, the fight undoubtedly earned both guys a heap of new fans.
In one of the more interesting moments of UFC on FOX 16, Joe Lauzon kicked off the main card by taking Takanori Gomi down, pounding him out, then doing Herb Dean’s job for him and calling off the fight mid-ass kicking. The resulting memes have been kind to J-Lau.
Oh right, and in judging news, no one still knows what the f*ck they’re doing.
Main card
T.J. Dillashaw def. Renan Barao via fourth-round TKO
Miesha Tate def. Jessica Eye via unanimous decision
Edson Barboza def. Paul Felder via unanimous decision
Joe Lauzon def. Takanori Gomi via first-round TKO
Undercard
Tom Lawlor def. Gian Villante via second-round KO
Jim Miller def. Danny Castillo via split decision
Ben Saunders def. Kenny Robertson via split decision
Bryan Caraway def. Eddie Wineland via unanimous decision
James Krause def. Daron Cruickshank via submission (rear-naked choke)
Andrew Holbrook def. Ramsey Nijem via split decision
Elizabeth Phillips def. Jessamyn Duke via unanimous decision
Zak Cummings def. Dominique Steele via first-round TKO (0:43)
After 14 months as champion, TJ Dillashaw conclusively proved his case as the best men’s bantamweight fighter in the world on Saturday at UFC on Fox 16.
His fourth-round TKO of former champ Renan Barao made his argument airtight, reaffirming the …
After 14 months as champion, TJ Dillashaw conclusively proved his case as the best men’s bantamweight fighter in the world on Saturday at UFC on Fox 16.
His fourth-round TKO of former champ RenanBarao made his argument airtight, reaffirming the dominant performance he used to take the title last May. It took more than a year and two previous false starts to put together this rematch, but Dillashaw used the opportunity to emphatically close the door on Barao for good.
This was one of those fights we simply needed to see again. Barao had just been too dominant and Dillashaw too unproven prior to their initial meeting at UFC 173. Despite the fact that he took the gold from Barao last spring with an equally dominant performance, this weekend’s victory was essential for Dillashaw to truly cement the changing of the guard.
Now the really hard part begins.
The bantamweight landscape Dillashaw inherits isn’t exactly brimming with exciting, big-money opportunities. One of the likely reasons matchmakers were so adamant about rematching him with Barao was that there simply weren’t many other immediate options.
Despite the fact that Dillashaw brings unprecedented star power to the top of the UFC’s 135-pound class, establishing him as a dependable PPV draw is a long shot. If he has any chance to take the division to the next level, it’s going to mean finding him salable fights and compelling feuds.
There aren’t a lot of those hanging around bantamweight right now—and those options that do exist seem either underwhelming or will take considerable finagling to make reality.
Though it’s a favorite of hardcore fans, the lion’s share of paying UFC customers are slow to embrace the men’s bantamweight division. As evidenced by Dillashaw and Barao fighting over the title on free network television, previous attempts to put the little guys in pay-per-view main events resulted in fairly disastrous buyrates.
Dillashaw may have the best opportunity since Urijah Faber to bring dependability and marketability to the bantamweight class. Five years and 14 fights into his MMA career, he’s experienced a remarkable and unexpected evolution from college wrestler and unsuccessful contestant on Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter to one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
It’s a joy to watch the guy fight—but he’s not a knockout artist like new featherweight golden boy ConorMcGregor or a blistering trash talker like, uh, ConorMcGregor. During his own time as champion, Barao notched three straight stoppage victories and amassed an outlandish 32-fight career win streak, yet the UFC still struggled to prop him up as an attraction fans would pay to watch.
Even though the brand of fighting Dillashaw offers is thrilling to fight aficionados, he’s still going to need a lot of help to make an impression on the masses. That makes the next—and, really, the first—step of his title reign a critical one.
Rafael Assuncao is the presumptive No. 1 contender. He’s won seven fights in a row since dropping to bantamweight in August 2011. One of those victories—in September 2013—came via split decision over a still-developing Dillashaw. But the problems with Assuncao are self-evident. He’s the No. 3 135-pound fighter on the UFC roster, but he got there while remaining almost entirely anonymous to anyone but the most strident fans.
On top of that, he’s injured and hasn’t fought since October 2014. Assuncao reportedly broke his ankle in training last December and was slow enough to heal that it scuttled plans to put him in a bout with Faber in March. Considering his relatively low profile, it might actually behoove the UFC to skip over the 33-year-old Brazilian for now, even though Assuncao tweeted his eagerness on Saturday:
Faber remains perhaps the best-known men’s bantamweight on the planet, though he’s now 36 years old, is coming off a loss in a featherweight bout against Frankie Edgar and is 0-6 in his last half dozen UFC/WEC title fights. He’s also currently booked opposite McGregor to coach the next season of TUF, though management says those two won’t fight each other at the end of the show’s run.
Perhaps the biggest sticking point of all is Faber and Dillashaw are longtime cohorts at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif. Faber has said he’d take the fight if Dillashawwanted him to do it, but it seems like a fairly awkward pairing all the way around.
Perhaps Dillashaw’s best chance for both a promotable fight and a stiff challenge from inside the bantamweight division would be against former champion Dominick Cruz. Cruz never lost his title, but he was stripped by the UFC in January 2014 after more than two years of injury-related inactivity.
A fight between Dillashaw and Cruz would be an MMA fan’s dream and would come with the added marketing benefit of functioning as a title-unification bout. It’s also the one that most strikes the champion’s fancy.
“That’s the biggest fight,” Dillashaw said on Saturday, via MMA Junkie. “That’s what’s going to make my name the biggest at this weight class, fighting Cruz as soon as he’s able to come back.”
Unfortunately, it still remains unclear if that pairing will ever be possible. Last December, Cruz announced he’d suffered a torn ACL and is expected to miss most of 2015.
If and when he does return, it seems like an awfully big task to toss Cruz directly into a championship fight against a version of Dillashaw that is firing on all cylinders and seems to get better each time we see him. Surely for all his troubles, Cruz will have earned a tuneup fight. That makes a contest between the two sort of a long-term plan, if not an out-and-out pipe dream.
Oddly enough, in the wake of Dillashaw’s victory over Barao, several UFC employees thrust forth Edgar as a potential next challenger. The former lightweight champion would certainly make an interesting stylistic matchup and bring arguably more name recognition than either Faber or Cruz.
It was an idea that appeared to strike UFC President Dana White’s fancy when amateur matchmaker KhabibNurmagomedov brought it to him on social media:
Even a potential bout with Edgar, however, would be fraught with complications.
Edgar has always seemed amenable to fighting at 135 pounds, but he hasn’t done it yet. At the moment, he’s in the thick of the featherweight title hunt alongside McGregor and champion Jose Aldo. Last we saw him, he was jumping up onto the lip of the Octagon to challenge McGregor immediately following the Irishman’s victory over Chad Mendes at UFC 189.
Perhaps the idea of cutting the championship line at 135 pounds—and maybe a few extra dollars—would be enough to entice Edgar to drop another weight class, but there is no guarantee of that. Again, the idea of matching him with Dillashaw seems entirely theoretical as of this writing.
Other potential challenges for Dillashaw could come from outside his division. John Dodson and Demetrious Johnson are scheduled to fight for the UFC flyweight title at UFC 191 in September. Either one of them could make a compelling foe for the bantamweight champion.
It was Dodson who handed Dillashaw his other professional loss, in the final of the TUF 14 tournament. Both guys have improved immeasurably, and a rematch against the likable and promotable Dodson would be a fairly attractive option for everybody.
As champion at 125 pounds, Johnson is on the verge of cleaning out his division. If he emerges from his second bout against Dodson with the title, he’ll need new challenges. Himself a former bantamweight, it seems likely the idea of a superfight could turn his head.
Still a lot of hurdles need to be cleared before either Dodson or Johnson could step up to fight Dillashaw.
And therein lies the rub.
The bantamweight division has its champion, and on Saturday night he proved his point in impressive fashion.
But no matter which way the UFC turns, finding Dillashaw his next big fight could take some considerable shuffling of the deck.
After 14 months as champion, TJ 
