(Dammit! This was so much easier to escape in the video game!)
On the heels of two straight submission via rear-naked choke losses courtesy of Joe Lauzon and Jim Miller, former “top contender” Melvin Guillard’s stock is probably at an all time low. The UFC, likely recognizing Melvin’s need to step up his ground game or GTFO, are not cutting him any slack, as they have paired him against 3rd degree (uh-oh) BJJ black belt (not good) under Royler Gracie (dear God) Fabricio Camoes. The worst part: Camoes is coming off a submission by rear-naked choke victory at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller.
Matter of fact, it looks to us like the UFC is trying to punish each and every member of The Blackzilians for Anthony Johnson’s colossal mistake. Have the Zuffa attorneys not informed DW and Joe Silva that judging a certain group of people based on one isolated incident is considered profiling, and could lead to a huge backlash from said group? If we could think of any examples from American history, say from around the 1960’s, that could possibly help prove this point, we would. Unfortunately, no such example exists. Perhaps we’re just lucky.
Join us after the jump for a ton of fight booking news…
(Dammit! This was so much easier to escape in the video game!)
On the heels of two straight submission via rear-naked choke losses courtesy of Joe Lauzon and Jim Miller, former “top contender” Melvin Guillard’s stock is probably at an all time low. The UFC, likely recognizing Melvin’s need to step up his ground game or GTFO, are not cutting him any slack, as they have paired him against 3rd degree (uh-oh) BJJ black belt (not good) under Royler Gracie (dear God) Fabricio Camoes. The worst part: Camoes is coming off a submission by rear-naked choke victory at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller.
Matter of fact, it looks to us like the UFC is trying to punish each and every member of The Blackzilians for Anthony Johnson’s colossal mistake. Have the Zuffa attorneys not informed DW and Joe Silva that judging a certain group of people based on one isolated incident is considered profiling, and could lead to a huge backlash from said group? If we could think of any examples from American history, say from around the 1960′s, that could possibly help prove this point, we would. Unfortunately, no such example exists. Perhaps we’re just lucky.
Speaking of fighters who will find themselves in the unemployment line with another loss, it looks like a “loser leaves town” match has been booked between Leonard Garcia and Matt Grice, this one at UFC on FX 3. Currently 1-4 in under the Zuffa banner, Matt “The Real One” Grice has suffered submission defeats to Shannon Gugerty and Terry Etim and TKO losses to Matt Veach and Ricardo Lamas. Garcia, on the other hand, is coming off back to back karmic defeats in rematch bouts against Chan Sung Jung and Nam Phan. If Garcia were to somehow lose this one, we imagine he’d stand a better chance of sticking around than Grice, but let’s just say that a loss by either = the soup kitchen and watch the leather fly.
Coming off a successful UFC debut in which he beat down Kamal Shalorus en route to a third round rear-naked choke victory, undefeated prospect Khabib Nurmagomedov will take a huge step up in competition when he faces Gleison Tibau at UFC 148. We don’t know exactly where we’d place Tibau on our “Good, Bad, and Ugly” scale of dropping weight; ever since cutting down from welterweight following UFC 65, he has managed to make 155 lbs on most of his attempts, yet shows up looking like MuscleBob BuffPants come fight night. I guess we’d categorize him as “Freakish.” In either case, Tibau’s put together a hell of a run at lightweight, going 4-1 in his last 5 and most recently snagging a close decision victory over Rafael Dos Anjos.
In UFC on FX 4 news, TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson and WEC veteran Cub Swanson are set to lock horns in a featherweight contest. After going 5-2 as a lightweight, Pearson recently made the trip down to 145 at UFC 141 and proceeded to chase Junior Assuncao around the octagon like he was Kalib Starnes en route to a unanimous decision victory. In the aftermath of Pearson’s “Quarrian” effort, Assuncao was released by Zuffa, and still isn’t sure why. Shame.
Meanwhile, the bearer of perhaps the worst tattoos in all of MMA rebounded from a UFC debut loss to Ricardo Lamas at the inaugural UFC on Fox event with a brutal, mouthpiece ejecting TKO of George Roop at UFC on FOX 2. Swanson has gone win-loss in his last seven contests, and holds notable victories over Mackens Semerzier and that’s it. Put your money on the Brit, ladies and gentlemen.
UFC on FX 4 goes down from the the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey (*shudder*) on June 22nd.
Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver rumored for UFC on Fuel 2 in Sweden. Ronda Rousey weighs in on Cris “Cyborg” Santos steroid scandal, says everyone knew she was cheating. ESPN:60 explores the question of UFC.
Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siverrumored for UFC on Fuel 2 in Sweden.
Ronda Rouseyweighs in on Cris “Cyborg” Santos steroid scandal, says everyone knew she was cheating.
ESPN:60 explores the question of UFC being a monopoly. Interviews with Ken Shamrock and Lorenzo Fertitta.
(Apparently Corassani treats tapping the same way he deals with flipping to the wrong page of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Novel.)
This should come as no surprise, but none other than TUF 14 alum and all around jackwagonAkira Corassani has been booked to take on British striker Jason Young at the UFC’s inaugural trip to Sweden for its second UFC on FUEL event. Corassani, a Swedish born (the streets, specifically) Muay Thai striker, has trained with the likes of Siyar Bahadurzada, Frankie Edgar, and Eddie Alvarez, and made a name for himself on this past season of The Ultimate Fighter, bringing a combination of power punches and Jersey Shore-like swagger to the house before being choked into wonderland by eventual runner-up Dennis Bermudez in the semifinals.
Young, who has dropped a couple of close decisions to Dustin Poirier and Michihiro Omigawa in his octagon run, will likely be fighting for his job when he takes on Corassani. A word to the wise Jason: steer clear of the leg-locks on this one.
(Apparently Corassani treats tapping the same way he deals with flipping to the wrong page of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Novel.)
This should come as no surprise, but none other than TUF 14 alum and all around jackwagonAkira Corassani has been booked to take on British striker Jason Young at the UFC’s inaugural trip to Sweden for its second UFC on FUEL event. Corassani, a Swedish born (the streets, specifically) Muay Thai striker, has trained with the likes of Siyar Bahadurzada, Frankie Edgar, and Eddie Alvarez, and made a name for himself on this past season of The Ultimate Fighter, bringing a combination of power punches and Jersey Shore-like swagger to the house before being choked into wonderland by eventual runner-up Dennis Bermudez in the semifinals.
Young, who has dropped a couple of close decisions to Dustin Poirier and Michihiro Omigawa in his octagon run, will likely be fighting for his job when he takes on Corassani. A word to the wise Jason: steer clear of the leg-locks on this one.
Also set for UFC on FUEL 2 will be a rematch between German kickboxer Dennis Siver and TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson. Their first pairing, which was contested at lightweight, saw Pearson walk away with a well earned unanimous decision; Pearson simply out struck the arguably more decorated striker, cutting Siver in several places and rocking him on more than one occasion. Siver would go on a four fight win streak thereafter, scoring wins over TUF 9 runner-up Andre Winner and Aussie grappling whiz George Sotiropoulus, among others. After suffering a first round submission loss at the hands of Donald Cerrone this past October, however, Siver recently announced that he would be dropping to featherweight.
Pearson, on the other hand, would see his hype train (and a 4 fight win streak) derailed in his next fight compliments of Cole Miller, who would score a come from behind submission victory on the Brit after being thrashed for the majority of two rounds. After splitting a pair of contests against Spencer Fisher and Edson Barboza, “The Real Deal” dropped to featherweight and scored a unanimous decision victory in his debut over Junior Assuncao at UFC 141.
To check out Pearson and Siver’s first battle, go here.
Filed under: UFCUFC 141 promises a big bang to close out an eventful year for the UFC and its parent company Zuffa. Everywhere you look on the main card there are major draws and serious contenders. Take a look a little lower down the lineup, however, …
UFC 141 promises a big bang to close out an eventful year for the UFC and its parent company Zuffa. Everywhere you look on the main card there are major draws and serious contenders. Take a look a little lower down the lineup, however, and you’ll see no shortage of fighters who are facing the possibility of a very bleak 2012 if they can’t notch a victory before the calendar turns its final page.
Who are they, and what are their prospects on Friday night in Vegas? For answers, we turn to the Cut List.
Ross Pearson (12-5, 4-2 UFC) Who he’s facing: Junior Assuncao Why he’s in danger: Okay, so maybe danger isn’t the word. Pearson is an Ultimate Fighter winner and a nice guy to have on the roster for future U.K. events, so he’s probably not going anywhere no matter what happens on Friday night. At the same time, he’s lost two of his last three. Maybe his back isn’t all the way against the wall yet, but it’s getting there. The good news is, he has a couple things going for him here. His last loss came via a very close decision, and it was a Fight of the Night recipient, so obviously the UFC likes what it sees from him. He’s also facing a much easier test this time around, at least according to the oddsmakers who have pegged him a 3-1 favorite over Assuncao. Of course, the downside to fighting a guy who you’re supposed to beat is that you’re supposed to beat him. A loss to Assuncao looks worse on the resume than a split decision against Edson Barboza. If Pearson wants to turn his career trajectory around, he might not get a better opportunity than this. Outlook: Good. Barring any huge screw-ups, Pearson should get back in the win column here. Even if he doesn’t, he’d have to look pretty awful to risk the axe right away.
Matt Riddle (5-3, 5-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Luis Ramos Why he’s in danger: It’s the same old story. Two losses in a row leaves him one bad night away from the dreaded three-fight skid. But how did it get to this point? Things were going so well for a time. He won his first three fights in the UFC — which also happened to be his first three fights as a professional — and after six he was a very respectable (and somewhat surprising) 5-1. And then the current tumble began. Riddle lost a decision to Sean Pierson at UFC 124, then another to Lance Benoist nine months later, and here we are. Is this a must-win scenario for Riddle? Probably, but the same might be true of Ramos. He’s only lost one fight in the UFC, but then, he’s only had one fight in the UFC. When two guys scrap with that sort of desperation hanging over them, things often get ugly. Or else one guy decides it’s worth playing it safe and dull, if it nets him a job-saving win in the end. Outlook: Cautiously optimistic. Riddle may be giving up a lot of experience against Ramos, but you don’t stick around in the UFC this long if you don’t have some skills.
Manny Gamburyan (11-6, 2-4 UFC) Who he’s facing: Diego Nunes Why he’s in danger: If you go back to his recent WEC stint (and it’s all in the Zuffa family, so why not?), he’s on a two-fight losing streak. You know what that means. Then again, his last loss in the WEC was to Jose Aldo, so he deserves a little slack. And his most recent UFC loss was a majority decision to Tyson Griffin, which, okay, doesn’t look great in light of Griffin’s recent stretch. The worst part is, against Nunes it would seem as though Gamburyan is really going to have his hands full. The Brazilian can be outwrestled, as we’ve seen, but is Gamburyan the guy to do it? Better yet, if he isn’t, what will the UFC have to gain by keeping him around? Outlook: Neutral. Gamburyan has the chops to make a fight out of it against just about any featherweight in the game, but opponents seem to be figuring him out more and more lately. If he can’t beat Nunes — who’s a tough draw, no matter who you are — he’s in real trouble.
Efrain Escudero (18-3, 3-2 UFC) Who he’s facing: Jacob Volkmann Why he’s in danger: The former TUF winner is back in the big show, and he’s got his work cut out for him. After being cut following a disastrous Fight Night appearance in which he failed to make weight and then got submitted by Charles Oliveira, he knocked around in the small shows and did well enough to merit a phone call when the UFC found itself in need of a quality lightweight. And Escudero is a quality lightweight. His record tells us that much. But is he an elite lightweight, and can he prove it before the UFC again loses its patience with him? Volkmann is exactly the kind of guy you don’t want to face on short notice in your return to the UFC. He’s methodical, patient (sometimes to the point of being boring), and can absolutely suffocate you if you don’t shut him down early. In other words, he can make you look very, very bad in defeat, which is the last thing Escudero can afford right now. Outlook: Mildly pessimistic. It’ll be a significant upset if he can find a way to beat Volkmann, and I don’t see it happening. He’ll probably get one more chance to prove himself with due notice and a full camp, but then it’ll be make-or-break time for sure.
Filed under: UFC, NewsThe UFC’s year-end show in Las Vegas continues to take shape.
Not long after announcing a lightweight battle between still-surging contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Nate Diaz – who combined have 15 fight night bonuses in the…
Former WEC featherweight title challenger Manny Gamburyan will face Diego Nunes, a bout rescheduled from UFC 135 in September. And Junior Assuncao will take on “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Ross Pearson. The UFC made the announcement of the fights on its Twitter feed and official website.
Gamburyan (11-6, 2-4 UFC) looks to break out of a two-fight skid that started with his featherweight title knockout loss to champ Jose Aldo at WEC 51 in September 2010. In June, returning to the UFC for the first time since January 2009, Gamburyan lost a majority decision to Tyson Griffin, who was making his featherweight debut. Gamburyan was a Season 5 contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter,” and reached the finals before losing to Diaz.
Nunes (16-2, 1-1 UFC) will return for the first time since a close decision loss to Kenny Florian at UFC 131 in June. The former WEC standout has gone to a decision in his last seven bouts.
Assuncao (13-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) won his return to the UFC in September with a unanimous decision over the debuting Eddie Yagin. It was Assuncao’s first fight at featherweight after competing at lightweight throughout his career. Assuncao went 1-2 in his first stint in the UFC from 2006-07.
Pearson (12-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) suffered a split decision loss to Edson Barboza at UFC 134 in June in Rio de Janeiro. Pearson won Season 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” taking a unanimous decision against Team Bisping teammate Andre Winner. He won two more after that, including a decision win over Dennis Siver. But with two losses in his last three fights, a win may be crucial for him.
UFC 141 will take place Dec. 30 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The pay-per-view will be headlined by a heavyweight contenders fight between former champion Brock Lesnar and former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem, who will make his UFC debut. The co-main event will be the lightweight bout between Cerrone and Diaz.
The 