There may be 24 fighters hitting the scales at today’s UFC 169: Faber vs. Barao II weigh-ins, but the eyes of the MMA world are going to be focused on one man. No, not Jose Aldo, nor Renan Barao or Urijah Faber or that Lamas guy; I’m talking about supposed flyweight John Lineker, who battles Ali Bagautinov in a potential #1 contender bout tomorrow night.
I say “supposed” because Lineker has shown up heavy for three of his past five fights at flyweight, attaching an unfortunate asterisk to his current four-fight winning streak. Thankfully, Lineker says he has finally made the correct changes to his weight-cutting regimen, so join us after the jump to see how he and the rest of the fighters competing at tomorrow’s event fare in today’s weigh-ins.
(Photo via Getty.)
There may be 24 fighters hitting the scales at today’s UFC 169: Faber vs. Barao II weigh-ins, but the eyes of the MMA world are going to be focused on one man. No, not Jose Aldo, nor Renan Barao or Urijah Faber or that Lamas guy; I’m talking about supposed flyweight John Lineker, who battles Ali Bagautinov in a potential #1 contender bout tomorrow night.
I say “supposed” because Lineker has shown up heavy for three of his past five fights at flyweight, attaching an unfortunate asterisk to his current four-fight winning streak. Thankfully, Lineker says he has finally made the correct changes to his weight-cutting regimen, so join us after the jump to see how he and the rest of the fighters competing at tomorrow’s event fare in today’s weigh-ins.
Main Card:
Renan Barao (135) vs. Urijah Faber (134.5)
Jose Aldo (145) vs. Ricardo Lamas (144.5)
Alistair Overeem (257) vs. Frank Mir (256.5)
Ali Bagautinov (126) vs. John Lineker (127*)
Abel Trujillo (155.5) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
Preliminary Card:
John Makdessi (155) vs. Alan Patrick (155.5)
Chris Cariaso (125) vs. Danny Martinez (125.5)
Nick Catone (185.5) vs. Tom Watson (18.5)
Al Iaquinta (155) vs. Kevin Lee (155.5)
Andy Enz (184.5) vs. Clint Hester (185.5)
Rashid Magomedov (155) vs. Tony Martin (155.5)
Neil Magny (170.25) vs. Gasan Umalatov (170)
Two champions, two title bouts—there’ll be plenty at stake during the main showdowns on Saturday night at UFC 169.
Since losing to UFC bantamweight champ Renan Barao at UFC 149, perennial fan favorite Urijah Faber put together an impressive four-…
Two champions, two title bouts—there’ll be plenty at stake during the main showdowns on Saturday night at UFC 169.
Since losing to UFC bantamweight champ RenanBarao at UFC 149, perennial fan favorite Urijah Faber put together an impressive four-fight win streak—and he did it decisively enough to earn himself another shot against the Brazilian terror ruling over the 135-pound division.
Will all the pieces fall into place for him on Saturday night, or does Barao really have his number for the long haul?
In the evening’s co-main event, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will look to secure his sixth-straight UFC victory against the dangerous Ricardo Lamas.
Will Aldo’s sheer ferocity be too much for the American to handle at UFC 169?
Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that Alistair Overeem vs. Frank Mir will act as a precursor to both of those title fights. Though neither the winner nor the loser will walk away from the fight with a title, there’s still much to lose for either man.
Both know how to finish fights, so there’s no reason to doubt that we’ll be left with one fighter loudly snapping a losing streak and the other left worse for the wear.
Here’s a look at the entire fight card scheduled to go down in Newark, NJ.
Will both Brazilian champs continue their respective title reigns, or will we see the dawn of a new era? Does Mir have what it takes to whether the Overeem storm, or will he tap the K-1 champ before he even knows what hit him?
UFC 169 will hit the Prudential Center this weekend in Newark, New Jersey with two title fights.
Renan Barao defends the UFC Bantamweight Championship against No. 1-ranked Urijah Faber, and UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defends against No. 2-ran…
UFC 169 will hit the Prudential Center this weekend in Newark, New Jersey with two title fights.
Renan Barao defends the UFC Bantamweight Championship against No. 1-ranked Urijah Faber, and UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defends against No. 2-ranked Ricardo Lamas in the evening’s two big bouts.
10 other bouts fill out the UFC 169 fight card on Super Bowl weekend.
Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the event all weekend long.
Weigh-In Results
UFC Bantamweight Championship: Renan Barão (135) vs. Urijah Faber (134.5)
UFC Featherweight Championship: José Aldo (145) vs. Ricardo Lamas (144.5)
And with each UFC pay-per-view comes the p4p best gambling advice on the internet: The Gambling Addiction Enabler. So join us below as we dissect UFC 169 and determine where the best opportunities to make some serious bank lie, because let’s be honest, we’ve all got child support payments to make. What? You don’t have any illegitimate children? I feel like I don’t even know you guys anymore.
At -165, Makdessi earns the right to be the favorite against undefeated Alan Patrick, who will be looking to make it 2-0 in the UFC. Both fighters are coming off first round knockout wins and while Makdessi has earned his stripes against better competition, it is hard to ignore “Nuguette’s” (?) winning formula thus far in his career. There is no denying that Makdessi is the more talented striker, but Patrick mixes up his striking with takedowns very well which may present problems for Makdessi if he is unable to stop the larger man from taking him down early and often. Against Hallman, “The Bull” showed that his Achilles heel is the ground game and this is where Patrick at +145 is worth some consideration based on what we have seen from him throughout his career.
(“It’s OK Eddie, you’re still the king of the invisible motorcycle dance.” Photo via Getty)
And with each UFC pay-per-view comes the p4p best gambling advice on the internet: The Gambling Addiction Enabler. So join us below as we dissect UFC 169 and determine where the best opportunities to make some serious bank lie, because let’s be honest, we’ve all got child support payments to make. What? You don’t have any illegitimate children? I feel like I don’t even know you guys anymore.
At -165, Makdessi earns the right to be the favorite against undefeated Alan Patrick, who will be looking to make it 2-0 in the UFC. Both fighters are coming off first round knockout wins and while Makdessi has earned his stripes against better competition, it is hard to ignore “Nuguette’s” (?) winning formula thus far in his career. There is no denying that Makdessi is the more talented striker, but Patrick mixes up his striking with takedowns very well which may present problems for Makdessi if he is unable to stop the larger man from taking him down early and often. Against Hallman, “The Bull” showed that his Achilles heel is the ground game and this is where Patrick at +145 is worth some consideration based on what we have seen from him throughout his career.
Hester is a very solid stand up fighter coming in as the -200ish favorite against a relatively unknown Andy Enz, who will bring a perfect 7-0 record (5 via submission) into his Octagon debut. Training out of Gracie Barra Alaska, the 22 year old Enz has earned his nickname “Tank Mode” with a knack for his heavy grappling prowess, something Hester (9-3) may have trouble with if he cannot keep the fight standing. If Andy can take Hester down, the scales tip heavily towards Enz finding a way to finish the fight, but if Hester can keep the fight standing, all signs towards Clint picking up his third straight stoppage victory in the UFC. The undefeated prospect gets the finish over Hester, who has dropped 2 out of his 3 professional losses by submission.
Chris Cariaso (-145) vs. Danny Martinez (+125)
-145 favorite Chris Cariaso will look to bring his UFC flyweight record above .500 against WEC veteran Danny Martinez. Despite being his first bout in the UFC, Martinez has gone to the score cards with some of the highest caliber fighters in his weight class since he turned pro in 2006, but recently suffered a suprising loss to David Grant at the TUF eliminations for Team Rousey vs Team Tate. The prop that Cariaso wins by decision should pay out roughly 2 to 1 and is a respectable choice when noting Cariaso has 4 of his 5 UFC wins by decision.
Abel Trujillo is a small underdog at +120, but in the first tough test of his career, he came up short against The Eagle in which could be described as a veritable sambo clinic. Recognizing that Varner has fought higher level competition as of late and has the experience advantage suggests taking him as a favorite in the fight. The +230 prop that Varner wins this fight by decision may be a fruitful option in the plus money category as Trujillo has not been stopped since 2011.
Frank Mir at +280 is approaching the same price he was valued at against JDS and Daniel Cormier. Alistair Overeem has changed camps three times in as many fights and is now fighting for his job against arguably his toughest test in the UFC. OK, not arguably…but still a very live dog. The one major caveat that pops up can be found in Alistair’s ultra dangerous clinch game, which has spelled the death of Mir in his losses to Shane Carwin and Josh Barnett. Here’s to Frank keeping his back off the cage and hands by his head until Overeem gases.
Watson came out of the gate early this week at -200 territory which has quickly shifted towards -185 in the past 48hrs. Nick Catone will be returning to his familiar stomping grounds (as well as the middleweight division) as the +160 underdog. “The Jersey Devil” has only lost once in eight contests inside New Jersey state lines and has the tools in the grappling department to give Watson trouble here. If Catone can close the distance on Watson, the only question that remains is whether or not Nick can get the takedown. If Nick cannot take Watson down, the likelihood of Watson ending this fight inside the distance is strong (3 of Catone’s 4 losses have come inside the distance). Really hard to imagine Catone is as good a grappler as Thales Leites, but he may not have to be to still find his way to a decision victory. Simply too hard to predict this one.
Certainly a FOTN selection here as both men are known to produce fireworks inside the Octagon. The most interesting bet would be if Lineker makes weight at this point, since the fight itself is way too volatile to try a predict a winner when looking at how readily these two plant feet and launch bombs. The +105 prop that this fight goes the distance is not as interesting as just sitting back and enjoying the shootout between these two prospects.
Until Aldo looks to be in trouble in the Octagon, it will be business as usual for the champion, who will look to use his superior Muay Thai in combination with his legendary takedown defense to defeat his Lamas. “The Bully” poses the threat to take Aldo down and control the fight on the ground, but it is merely a threat that Aldo has faced and effectively overcome in the past. The prop of -121 that this fight starts round 3 may be a chance to shorten the price of wagering on this fight when acknowledging Aldo has gone past 3 rounds in his past two outings.
Faber has been 0-5 in fights where Zuffa gold is on the line, always rebounding and seemingly coming back better than ever. Urijah is sure to bring his most exciting brand of fighting into his rematch with Barao, who effectively out struck Faber and limited his takedown ability by punishing the California Kid’s lead leg at UFC 149.
Win or lose, it is hard to argue that Urijah Faber has had a very special 2013 and has proven that no matter what weight class he is in, he can still find a way to title contention. Barao most likely picks up right where he left off in the first fight with Faber and continues his run of dominance at the UFC Bantamweight champion.
This weekend originally presented an opportunity that Renan Barao had been waiting over a year to see come to light.
After winning and then defending the interim bantamweight title on two occasions, the Brazilian phenom was finally going to get the cha…
This weekend originally presented an opportunity that Renan Barao had been waiting over a year to see come to light.
After winning and then defending the interim bantamweight title on two occasions, the Brazilian phenom was finally going to get the chance to square off with longtime titleholder Dominick Cruz to determine who would be the true champion of the 135-pound division.
Their fight was figured to be a wild affair filled with high-paced action until one of them broke, but how things actually turned out was the furthest thing from a chaotic five-round battle. In the weeks leading up to the fight, Cruz suffered yet another injury and was officially stripped of his title, which made Barao the official undisputed champion of the division.
“On one hand I was very happy because I became the official bantamweight champion,” Barao told Bleacher Report. “But on the other hand it was sad because I never want to see someone’s career halted because of an injury. As for this fight I have coming up with Faber, it doesn’t bother me. I always stay in shape, and I’m prepared to fight anyone that comes my way. Now it is going to be Faber, and I’m ready for that fight.”
Barao had no time for celebration because the UFC tapped a replacement in Urijah Faber to fill Cruz’s slot in the main event of UFC 169 on Feb. 1. The two fighters are no stranger to each other as Barao used his speed and distance to outpoint “The California Kid” in their initial meeting at UFC 149 in July 2012.
In the aftermath of his victory over Faber, the Nova Uniao product picked up two more victories to put his current unbeaten streak at a lofty 31 consecutive victories. Meanwhile, the Team Alpha Male leader has experienced a resurgence of his own as he ripped off four impressive victories in 2013, including a blistering defeat of former title challenger Michael McDonald in his last outing at UFC on Fox 9 in Sacramento.
Demolishing “Mayday” had Faber sitting on the perch of another title opportunity, and when Cruz once again fell by the wayside, he stepped up without hesitation to face Barao. While the 26-year-old Brazilian champion is familiar with what Faber brings to the table, he believes the former WEC champion presents more of a threat than his previously scheduled opponent.
“Faber is a much better fighter than he was before,” he said. “He’s improved a lot in his stand-up game. He’s made some changes in his rhythm, but I’m on to it and I will be one step ahead of him in this fight just like I was the last time.
“In the first fight I wanted to get a good grasp on the distance between us, and then once I found it, I could impose my will. This time around it is going to be the same thing. Faber is going to try to do some things to throw me off, but ultimately a fighter always goes back to what is the most comfortable for them. Once things settle down, it will be just like the first fight, and I will be able to do the things I plan to do.”
While preparing for the biggest fight of his career, Barao wasn’t alone at Nova Uniao. The storied camp lead by Andre “Dede” Pederneiras also consisted of Barao’s friend and teammate Jose Aldo, who is preparing for a title fight of his own in Newark, N.J. To keep things lively around camp, Coach Pederneiras also brought in one of his original students—former two divisional champion and future Hall of Famer BJ Penn—to assist his fighters.
This made for an exciting camp and one that Barao believes has him ready for a great performance this Saturday night in Newark.
“This was the best camp of my life and Aldo’s life as well,” he said. “We knew our fights were big and important. A lot of important people came to help like BJ Penn and the Brazilian boxing champion. It was easily the best training camp I’ve ever had in my entire life.”
On Saturday night against a high-profile opponent like Faber, he will have a chance to not only showcase his personal skills but bring the eyes of MMA fans to his division. The UFC fanbase has historically resisted giving its full attention to bouts below the 155-pound limit, but Barao and Aldo have the potential to flip that stigma.
Barao knows what is on the line against Faber, and if he does the job he knows he can do, he will hear the words he’s been waiting to hear for the better part of the last two years when Bruce Buffer announces him as the undisputed champion of the bantamweight division.
“I haven’t thought much about that moment because I’ve been so focused on the fight,” he said. “But when I do get my hand raised and that belt is put around my waist as the undisputed champion, it will be one of the greatest moments of my life. There is no pressure because I’ve worked very hard for this, and it is going to be an amazing feeling.
“I want to be the start this division needs to get more recognition. I train very hard to put on a great show for the fans, and I love getting out there and fighting for them. I want people to be excited to watch me fight. The more people enjoy watching me fight, the more attention it will bring this division.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Urijah Faber deserves the respect of everyone south of 155lbs.
There was a long time when the featherweight division was just him and Kid Yamamoto putting together highlight reels on opposite sides of the globe. While the UFC’s first featherweight cham…
Urijah Faber deserves the respect of everyone south of 155lbs.
There was a long time when the featherweight division was just him and Kid Yamamoto putting together highlight reels on opposite sides of the globe. While the UFC’s first featherweight champion was Jose Aldo, no one is more responsible for the success of the featherweight division, and its reputation for excitement, than Urijah Faber.
Since being dethroned in the WEC by Mike Brown, Faber has been on campaign after campaign to gain another world title, but has fallen at the last hurdle each and every time. With his old nemesis, Dominick Cruz, dropping out of a bantamweight unification bout with RenanBarao, Faber has stepped up at short notice to rematch Barao for what could be the last time.
In traditional Faber fashion, he has decimated every contender put in front of him up to this title fight. Yet it seems highly unlikely that Faber will get another shot at bantamweight gold should he lose this fight and Barao remain the champion for some time.
So without further delay, let’s take a look at their first bout and what Faber could do to perhaps get the better of the Brazilian champion.
Distance and Movement
Faber’s first bout with Barao showed many of the same tendencies which his matches with Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz did. Urijah Faber has real trouble using appropriate distance against decent strikers.
What Faber does so well is to run in on his opponents with his right hand, or to get them chasing him, then stop and throw his right hand over the top. It has always been that way. His finish of Michael McDonald is being praised as a rebirth for Faber, but really the counter right hand which won him the bout wasn’t far removed from the one he hurt Eddie Wineland with. If you chase Urijah Faber, he’s going to stop and chuck a right hand over the top, and it’s probably going to knock you down.
What Faber doesn’t deal well with is an opponent whom he can’t simply run in on, but who won’t chase him and give him these opportunities to fire over the top. Men like Jose Aldo and RenanBarao.
The thing about strong kickers is that you have to always be too far away for them to kick you, or too close for them to kick you without risking being bundled over or hit. It seems strange to point to Wanderlei Silva for an example of strategic excellence, but his bout with Cung Le demonstrated this amply.
Instead, Faber moves around a little bit, then stands straight in front of his opponent, in a range where he cannot reach them with his right hook, but they can reach him with their kicks and jab. It was almost identical in the Barao and Aldo fights.
No Left Hand
This is a real problem for Faber. It is one thing to be a puncher trying to fight strong kickers, but if you only have one hand with which you can land with any dexterity, you are going to have a really hard time getting there.
Nowhere is this more noticeable than against strong kickers like Aldo and Barao. He will park himself in front of them and extend his right hand to check their left. This is an awesome little trick if you have a killer jab like George Foreman, or a slick-leaping left hook and left uppercut like Roy Jones Jr. If all of your power punches come off of your right side, however, and your right hand is extended to check, you have put yourself in a purely defensive position.
Really the only thing which Faber can do from this right hand extended, checking position is to pick up his left leg for a teep (push kick). This is actually a pretty good idea against strong kickers, most folks know that when someone is on one leg, or initiating a kick, you need only give them a slight nudge and it will knock them right out of the kick and perhaps to the floor. Indeed, Faber was able to knock Barao to the floor with a well-timed teep.
Deep Stance
This brings us to something else which works against Faber in his fights against strong kickers. It’s certainly not a mistake but rather preference. Faber fights in a very wide crouch, ready to throw his right hand or shoot in at his opponent’s hips. As a result, he struggles to get his leg up to check kicks in time and those teeps we talked about a minute ago are much slower, more telegraphed and more laboured than any you would see a fighter in a higher stance throw.
Notice in this instance how Faber sees a kick coming, raises his leg to check, but is in such a deep, side on stance that his check is simply kicked across his body rather than acting as a barrier.
Conclusions
Time constraints have prevented me from researching and writing a full “Killing the King: RenanBarao” but I hope to have pointed to some of the factors which gave Faber such a hard time in their last meeting.
RenanBarao is far from without weaknesses though. Eddie Wineland boxed him up nicely in the first round of their fight before getting knocked out by a breathtaking back kick.
One of the best thing which Faber could do for this bout, and for his career as a whole, is to develop a solid counter left hook. Everyone he fights is just looking out for the one hand at present, and he has so much opportunity to work with the other side.
RenanBarao has one of the finest jabs that I have seen in MMA, and slick kicks, but every time he throws his right hand he descends into wide swings with his chin up and his hands away from his face. Faber, or any other strong puncher, stands a decent chance in simply performing catch-and-pitch style defence. Covering up and returning fire as Barao opens up. For a textbook example of this, check out Quinton Jackson versus Wanderlei Silva III.
Whoever wins at UFC 169, it promises to be a fantastic event and is probably the strongest card of the year so far. Don’t miss it, and watch out for these tells in Faber’s game.
Pick up Jack’s eBooks Advanced Striking and Elementary Striking from his blog, Fights Gone By. Jack can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Two champions, two title bouts—there’ll be plenty at stake during the main showdowns on Saturday night at UFC 169.