The month of June has come and gone and with it a pair of UFC events—UFC on Fuel 10 and UFC 161—have come and gone as well. And we have the key statistics from last month right here. The first event was nothing short of stellar, featuring 1…
The month of June has come and gone and with it a pair of UFC events—UFC on Fuel 10 and UFC 161—have come and gone as well. And we have the key statistics from last month right here.
The first event was nothing short of stellar, featuring 10 stoppages in 12 fights. The headliner, a heavyweight bout between Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, saw the former walk away with a submission win.
However, the follow-up event, a pay-per-view card, featured just two stoppages and a handful of lackluster contests. That card, UFC 161, was headlined by Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson. Evans took home a split-decision after three rounds of action.
Check out where last month stands in comparison to the first five of 2013 in the UFC in our list of key stats from the past 30 days.
For the second consecutive month, the UFC delivered just two events, but plenty happened in the last 30 days, and we have the full MMA stock report for the month of June.The first event, UFC on Fuel 10, featured 10 stoppages out of 12 fights, including…
For the second consecutive month, the UFC delivered just two events, but plenty happened in the last 30 days, and we have the full MMA stock report for the month of June.
The first event, UFC on Fuel 10, featured 10 stoppages out of 12 fights, including Thiago Silva’s knockout over Rafael Cavalcante and Fabricio Werdum‘s submission win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Then, the second event of the month, UFC 161, featured a stoppage drought as just two fights did not require the judges’ scorecards. Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson headlined the pay-per-view card, with the former taking home a split-decision win.
While the second event of the month was lackluster, there were still plenty of fighters to rise and fall during the last 30 days, while others simply watched their statuses remain unchanged.
There is an art to matchmaking in combat sports.While some fights come together with a natural ease, the majority of bouts are formed through a hectic process of evaluation where several aspects need to be evaluated on each side of the table before com…
There is an art to matchmaking in combat sports.
While some fights come together with a natural ease, the majority of bouts are formed through a hectic process of evaluation where several aspects need to be evaluated on each side of the table before committing to the matchup.
Whether or not a fight makes sense in the greater scheme of the divisional picture, timing and making sure both fighters stand to gain similar rewards from the bout are the most pressing issues that come to mind. Then, of course, there is the most important aspect of a potential fight—will both competitors be willing to mix it up and put on a show?
The unfortunate part of the process comes when all of the previously mentioned criteria are met and the fight fails to deliver. That being said, there are far more exciting tilts than flat fights these days under the UFC banner, which goes to show just how good Joe Silva and Sean Shelby are at their jobs.
As the most successful promotion in the sport is preparing to kick off a hectic stretch of summer events, there are a few high-profile, action-packed scraps that could be put together and added to any of the cards coming up in July or August.
Therefore, I’m once again donning my Silva/Shelby hat to throw out a handful of fights I would like to see lined up over the next few months. The official start to summer may still be several weeks away, but there is nothing wrong with cranking up the heat a bit early.
Here are a handful of fights that could bring the noise.
Anthony Pettis vs. Josh Thomson
Over the next several months, business is about to pick up in the UFC lightweight division. Champion Benson Henderson will put his title on the line against T.J. Grant at UFC 164 in late August. Donald Cerrone will look to regain his position as a title contender when he squares off with surging Brazilian Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox Sports 1: Condit vs. Kampmann 2 in Indianapolis.
Rounding out the action in the upper tier, former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez will begin his quest to gain another title opportunity when he throws down with former contender Diego Sanchez in October.
With the action jumping in the 155-pound division, the biggest question mark comes in the form of former WEC champion Anthony Pettis. “Showtime” was set to get his long-awaited title shot in the lightweight division before deciding to drop down a weight class to face featherweight king Jose Aldo at UFC 163.
Unfortunately for the Duke Roufus-trained fighter, an injury would force him out of the bout with the Brazilian phenom and drop him into a strange limbo where the talented young fighter is caught between two weight classes.
That being said, Pettis told media at UFC promotional gathering in New York his only interest competing at 145-pounds would be to fight Aldo. With that particular bout off the table for the time being, a return to the lightweight ranks seems probable. But that is a move that comes with a bit of friction as well.
After being forced out of the tilt with Aldo, Pettis attempted to leapfrog Grant and face Henderson for the lightweight crown in Milwaukee, but it was a notion UFC President Dana White quickly shot down.
With two title shots lost by the wayside in 2013, and a previously promised opportunity lost in Frankie Edgar versus Gray Maynard trilogy shuffle, the 26-year-old Wisconsin-based fighter is intimately familiar with how quickly championship opportunities can come and go.
With that in mind, the best bet for Pettis would be to get back into the mix as soon as possible, and the opponent that makes the most sense is Josh Thomson.
“The Punk” is coming off a huge victory in his return to the UFC when he scored a knockout victory over former title challenger Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox 7 back in April. The win over the TUF 5 winner immediately put the AKA staple in the title hunt in the 155-division and put Thomson within striking distance of a title shot.
Yet, the lightweight picture is currently crowded with all major players locked into scheduled bouts, and the current scenario leaves Pettis and Thomson as the last two fighters standing without anything inked in the coming months.
Stylistically speaking, a potential bout between Pettis and Thomson would be an action-packed affair and would serve well to determine the next contender in the lightweight division.
Dan Henderson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
There are a handful of title pictures heating up under the UFC banner and the light heavyweight division is certainly on that list.
While Jon Jones has been a dominant champion, the battle to earn a title opportunity has been more action-packed than it has in years. There is a collection of ready-made contenders in waiting and a few notable fighters hanging on for dear life in the upper tier at 205-pounds with MMA legend Dan Henderson being in the latter position.
The former Pride two-divisional champion was once sitting in position to get a crack at Jones’ title, but an injury and a two fight losing skid has threatened to push “Hendo” off that radar entirely. At 42-years-old, the former Strikeforce champion can ill afford another setback, and in order for Henderson to stay in the realm of contention, he will need to face a solid challenge in his next outing to to do so.
With the majority of top 205-pound fighters locked up in upcoming bouts, the one name floating around that makes sense is Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Although “Little Nog” was forced to withdraw from his bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 161, the 37-year-old Brazilian is coming off back-to-back victories, with his most recent coming against Rashad Evans at UFC 156.
Nogueira’s win over the former light heavyweight champion was the biggest of his career and certainly put him in the middle of the pack at 205-pounds. The biggest issue surrounding the Pride veteran is his inability to stay healthy and it will be impossible for Nogueira to keep his footing if he can’t stay in active competition.
With similar stakes on the line, a potential bout between Henderson and Nogueira would make a tremendous amount of sense in the light heavyweight picture.
Roy Nelson vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva/Rampage Jackson
The next step may be uncertain for heavyweight Roy Nelson, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few solid challenges waiting down the road.
Despite having a three-fight winning streak snapped last month by StipeMiocic at UFC 161, “Big Country” is heading into free agency with viable options. The former TUF winner has proven to be a solid draw under the UFC banner and would remain a solid fixture in the heavyweight ranks should he resign with the sport’s biggest promotion.
If Nelson and the UFC do come to terms, a matchup with former title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva would be in order. The two powerful heavyweights were originally slated to clash at UFC 146 in May of 2012, but Alistair Overeem’s failed drug test created a shift which affected the entire card. The American Top Team fighter moved up to face Cain Velasquez and the former IFL champion was shuffled through several matchups, ultimately ending up with Dave Herman.
With Silva and Nelson both coming off losses in their most recent showings and the other top heavyweights in the promotion all booked for fights in the coming months, a “Big Country” vs. “Bigfoot” throw down would be guaranteed to deliver.
On the other hand, should Nelson take his talents to Bellator, he would immediately become one of the organization’s biggest stars. And with Bellator‘s heavyweight division being non-existent at the current time, the Las Vegas native would be a fixture the company could build around.
At the current time, the only other heavyweight star under the Bellator banner is Quinton Jackson. “Rampge” recently told MMA Mania’s Brian Hemminger he would love to fight Nelson and threw out a few expletives in the process.
With the name recognition both fighters carry, the potential bout between Nelson and Jackson would easily be the biggest fight in the promotion’s brief history.
Where the next chapter of the 37-year-old Nelson’s career will play out remains to be seen and will be interesting to keep an eye on.
A few weeks back, I posited that there was zero chance the UFC would allow Roy Nelson to leave the fold and sign with rival Bellator.Let me say for the record that when I call Bellator a “rival” of the UFC, I’m doing so out of the kindness of my own he…
A few weeks back, I posited that there was zero chance the UFC would allow Roy Nelson to leave the fold and sign with rival Bellator.
Let me say for the record that when I call Bellator a “rival” of the UFC, I’m doing so out of the kindness of my own heart. The two promotions are no more rivals than the NFL and the Canadian Football League are rivals.
One of them pulls in big pay-per-view buyrates and massive television ratings on Fox; the other barely outdrew Fuel TV in its last show, despite Spike TV being available in 60 million more homes than Fuel. Both of them are involved in the same general sport, but that’s where the similarities begin and end.
Here’s what I said back then, before Nelson went into UFC 161 and put on one of the most underwhelming performances of his career against the suddenly revelatory Stipe Miocic:
Some have pointed to White’s comments, and the fact that Nelson is going into the final fight of his contract at UFC 161, as a reason the UFC president might cut “Big Country” loose even if he wins.
And I’m here to tell you right now: Despite the things that White says about Nelson in public, and despite his distaste for Nelson’s body type, there’s simply no chance that Nelson will be cut or released or not signed to a new contract after his fight with StipeMiocic, even if he loses.
Nelson is now a free agent, though he doesn’t have quite the negotiating power he thought he’d have after Miocic pounded him from pillar to post. He’s not free to sign with any organizations outside the UFC just yet because he’s under a standard negotiating period that gives Zuffa the exclusive right to negotiate with Nelson.
Bellator’s Bjorn Rebney knows a thing or two about negotiation periods and matching offers. He’s currently engaged in a nasty court battle with Eddie Alvarez over just such a thing.
But is Rebney interested in the “Big Country” business? It sure seems that way, according to what Rebney told The MMA Corner:
Most people that are MMA fans are Roy Nelson fans. ‘Big Country’ is a great personality. He’s also a hugely talented heavyweight. So, you know, we’ll see. I think he’s contractually got time left on his negotiation period with the UFC, so I can’t really dive into the Roy Nelson pool at this point. He’s a talented fighter, one of the top five or six heavyweights in the UFC, great personality, people love watching him, the ratings go through the roof when he’s on cable TV. He’s a talented fighter. I like watching him and I’ve paid to see him fight before, so yeah, sure.
This is one of those times when it would be silly for Rebney to play coy. I know it’s a typical negotiation tactic to drive down the price of the asset you’re trying to sign, but Rebney should do everything in his power to build Nelson up in every single interview. He should talk about his crushing knockout wins and not the losses against Miocic or Junior dos Santos.
Because here’s the truth, and I know Rebney believes this: Roy Nelson is a big star on the UFC roster, which means he’d be the biggest star on the Bellator roster.
Nelson and Rampage Jackson are far and away the biggest available names for Bellator, and it’s not even close. Kudos to Bellator for building up some exciting talent over the years, but none of them have the Q Scores of Nelson or Jackson.
That’s why it’s a no-brainer for Rebney to sign Nelson, if he’s given the opportunity. He told media in the past that he wouldn’t sign UFC castoffs, which sounded like a good idea at the time. But then he signed UFC castoff Rampage Jackson, so that’s out the window.
He’s free to pick up whomever he wants from the top of the UFC scrap heap, and nobody’s going to say boo about it.
Nelson might be just what Bellator needs. Because God only knows that after the horrendous ratings pulled by Bellator 96—and the debut of Viacom’s new The Ultimate Fighter meets The Voice reality show, Fight Master—Viacom won’t be happy with Bellator trotting out the same nameless, faceless athletes week in and week out.
Bellator needs stars, and Nelson is one. And while I still think Nelson will stay with the UFC for the long term, Rebney needs to make a full-court press to sign him while he still can.
The UFC’s latest trip to Canada is in the books, and the Winnipeg crowd bore witness to a less-than-stellar card, which suffered heavily from a ruthless injury bug, on June 15. Instead of a main event between bantamweight champion Renan Barao and …
The UFC’s latest trip to Canada is in the books, and the Winnipeg crowd bore witness to a less-than-stellar card, which suffered heavily from a ruthless injury bug, on June 15.
Instead of a main event between bantamweight champion RenanBarao and top contender Eddie Wineland, a light heavyweight bout between Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson served as a three-round headliner. And a co-main event between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was downgraded to a heavyweight matchup between Roy Nelson and StipeMiocic.
Although the replacement fights still garnered moderate interest, the card as a whole failed to deliver, especially in comparison to the last event, UFC on Fuel 10, which featured 10 stoppages out of 12 fights and did not come with a price tag.
Regardless of how entertaining (or not entertaining) the card was, there were some key statistics coming out of Winnipeg.
The stats included focus on individual performances, such as most significant strikes and takedowns, while also focusing on the event and its place in comparison to past cards in 2013.
Roy “Big Country” Nelson didn’t perform well at UFC 161. In his heavyweight matchup with Stipe Miocic, Nelson was slow, out of shape and thoroughly outclassed. It may well have marked both the low point and the end of his UFC tenure.The one positive di…
Roy “Big Country” Nelson didn’t perform well at UFC 161. In his heavyweight matchup with StipeMiocic, Nelson was slow, out of shape and thoroughly outclassed. It may well have marked both the low point and the end of his UFC tenure.
The one positive display in Nelson’s showing was his capacity to absorb damage. While he mounted essentially no offense and really didn’t put much of an effort into defending himself, the beating he held out against only served to grow the legend of his granite chin.
According to Fightmetric, Big Country absorbed 106 significant strikes from Miocic, a noted power puncher, and rarely looked to be on the cusp of unconsciousness. Taking such punishment is a half-genuine, half-dubious achievement, but it’s hard not to be impressed—or at least amazed—with Nelson’s fortitude.
Yes, Nelson’s special talent was very much on display at UFC 161, and his willingness to eat strikes from Miocic culminated in a record-breaking accomplishment.
During the event’s post-fight presser, UFC president Dana White pointed out (via MMA Weekly) that “Roy Nelson broke a UFC record tonight: 437 significant strikes absorbed without being knocked out.”
The feat, which spans 10 UFC bouts, is quite remarkable in itself, but even more so when you consider the laundry list of heavy hitters Nelson has faced.
Brendan Schaub, Junior dos Santos, Mirko Filipovic, Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo and Miocic all touched Nelson’s chin, but none of them put him out. Add in that Fabricio Werdum landed 91 significant strikes on him, including a bevy of powerful knees, and the record is just plain staggering.
The record turns Nelson’s chin from highly regarded to officially immortal. The question is, now that he is at the end of his UFC contract, will Nelson bring that chin back to the Octagon and build on his record, or will he journey elsewhere to frustrate knockout-hungry opponents?
There is an art to matchmaking in combat sports.