(Y’know, drinking a gallon of buttermilk every morning doesn’t make much sense either, but that never stopped him from doing it. / Photo via Joshua Wood @ MMAValor)
Roy Nelson‘s knockout of Cheick Kongolast weekend marked his third first-round KO victory in a row, and earned Big Country the first three-fight win streak of his UFC career — which means that the UFC has to start treating him like a legitimate heavyweight contender again, rather than a gray-bearded novelty act. So who’s next on Big Country’s menu? Following UFC 159, Dana White suggested that either Mark Hunt or Daniel Cormier could be the next opponent for Nelson, which makes perfect sense if we’re putting together matchups solely based on body type.
Nelson’s camp, however, doesn’t agree with one of those names. According to a report from Ariel Helwani earlier this week, Nelson’s manager Mike Kogan said he’s not interested in a fight against Cormier. “He doesn’t think it makes any sense for Nelson,” Helwani explained on UFC Tonight. Instead, Kogan would prefer Nelson to fight Hunt, Antonio Silva (if he loses to Cain Velasquez at UFC 160), or Junior dos Santos…despite the fact that Dos Santos already slaughtered Nelson back in 2010.
It’s obvious why the Nelson camp would want to avoid a guy like Cormier — he’s incredibly dangerous, but he still doesn’t carry the same name value as the other UFC vets that Kogan mentioned. And let’s face it, Nelson’s odds of beating Hunt or Bigfoot are a lot better than his odds of beating DC. (Let’s just forget Kogan said anything about Dos Santos. That’s a damn suicide mission, and we all know it.) From a managerial perspective, it’s solid advice. Devil’s advocate, though: Cormier is rightly ranked as the #2 contender according to the UFC’s official rankings, and beating him would place Nelson closer to a heavyweight title shot than a win over Hunt or Antonio Silva would.
Personally I think Nelson vs. Cormier makes dollars and sense. See what I did there? DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE, YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH??? Anyway, let us know how you see it in the comments section.
(Y’know, drinking a gallon of buttermilk every morning doesn’t make much sense either, but that never stopped him from doing it. / Photo via Joshua Wood @ MMAValor)
Roy Nelson‘s knockout of Cheick Kongolast weekend marked his third first-round KO victory in a row, and earned Big Country the first three-fight win streak of his UFC career — which means that the UFC has to start treating him like a legitimate heavyweight contender again, rather than a gray-bearded novelty act. So who’s next on Big Country’s menu? Following UFC 159, Dana White suggested that either Mark Hunt or Daniel Cormier could be the next opponent for Nelson, which makes perfect sense if we’re putting together matchups solely based on body type.
Nelson’s camp, however, doesn’t agree with one of those names. According to a report from Ariel Helwani earlier this week, Nelson’s manager Mike Kogan said he’s not interested in a fight against Cormier. “He doesn’t think it makes any sense for Nelson,” Helwani explained on UFC Tonight. Instead, Kogan would prefer Nelson to fight Hunt, Antonio Silva (if he loses to Cain Velasquez at UFC 160), or Junior dos Santos…despite the fact that Dos Santos already slaughtered Nelson back in 2010.
It’s obvious why the Nelson camp would want to avoid a guy like Cormier — he’s incredibly dangerous, but he still doesn’t carry the same name value as the other UFC vets that Kogan mentioned. And let’s face it, Nelson’s odds of beating Hunt or Bigfoot are a lot better than his odds of beating DC. (Let’s just forget Kogan said anything about Dos Santos. That’s a damn suicide mission, and we all know it.) From a managerial perspective, it’s solid advice. Devil’s advocate, though: Cormier is rightly ranked as the #2 contender according to the UFC’s official rankings, and beating him would place Nelson closer to a heavyweight title shot than a win over Hunt or Antonio Silva would.
Personally I think Nelson vs. Cormier makes dollars and sense. See what I did there? DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE, YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH??? Anyway, let us know how you see it in the comments section.
(Cheick Kongo had never seen Deliverance before, yet in that moment, he somehow knew what was coming. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.)
We know, we know, it’s probably not a good idea to solely base someone’s employment status with the UFC on the existence of their UFC.com profile, but speculation is the hamster that keeps the wheels of intellectual transcendance and creative spontaneity spinning here at CagePotato. That, and a shitload of coke. For the hamster.
Aaaaanyway, word was passed along this morning that longtime heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo no longer has a fighter profile on UFC.com, which can only mean one thing in today’s UFC economy: BANISHMENT.
In all honesty, anyone who noticed how much money Kongo was making even in defeat probably could’ve seen this coming. His legendary come-from-behind KO over Pat Barry aside, Kongo has looked like a shell of himself ever since Frank Mir made good on his promise to change him as a fighter at UFC 107. Once a feared striker, the Frenchman seemed like a fish who had intentionally leaped out of water in his pair of grappling-heavy snoozer decisions over Matt Mitrione and Shawn Jordan, the latter of which we dubbed the worst fight of 2012. Kongo would find no relief in his once-adored striking game, either, suffering two first round knockout losses (to Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson at UFC 144 and 159, respectively) in his past three contests.
While it would be easy to take pot shots at a guy who has subtly threatened us with physical violence before, we are going to take the high road here. So join us after the jump for look back at some of Kongo’s greatest hits.
(Cheick Kongo had never seen Deliverance before, yet in that moment, he somehow knew what was coming. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.)
We know, we know, it’s probably not a good idea to solely base someone’s employment status with the UFC on the existence of their UFC.com profile, but speculation is the hamster that keeps the wheels of intellectual transcendance and creative spontaneity spinning here at CagePotato. That, and a shitload of coke. For the hamster.
Aaaaanyway, word was passed along this morning that longtime heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo no longer has a fighter profile on UFC.com, which can only mean one thing in today’s UFC economy: BANISHMENT.
In all honesty, anyone who noticed how much money Kongo was making even in defeat probably could’ve seen this coming. His legendary come-from-behind KO over Pat Barry aside, Kongo has looked like a shell of himself ever since Frank Mir made good on his promise to change him as a fighter at UFC 107. Once a feared striker, the Frenchman seemed like a fish who had intentionally leaped out of water in his pair of grappling-heavy snoozer decisions over Matt Mitrione and Shawn Jordan, the latter of which we dubbed the worst fight of 2012. Kongo would find no relief in his once-adored striking game, either, suffering two first round knockout losses (to Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson at UFC 144 and 159, respectively) in his past three contests.
While it would be easy to take pot shots at a guy who has subtly threatened us with physical violence before, we are going to take the high road here. So join us after the jump for look back at some of Kongo’s greatest hits.
After a seven-year run that included 18 fights in the organization, veteran heavyweight Cheick Kongo is a UFC fighter no more.His management team today made the announcement.
Roy Nelson is hammering his way to the top of the heavyweight division. The former TUF winner has crumpled his past three opponents, leaving each lying dazed on the canvas as the result of his devastating anvil of a right hand. The momentum he’s …
Roy Nelson is hammering his way to the top of the heavyweight division.
The former TUF winner has crumpled his past three opponents, leaving each lying dazed on the canvas as the result of his devastating anvil of a right hand. The momentum he’s gathered in the divisional picture has “Big Country” knocking on the door of a shot at the heavyweight title, and the Las Vegas native is determined to make the opportunity to compete for UFC gold a reality.
Following his first-round destruction of veteran Cheick Kongo this past weekend at UFC 159, the former IFL heavyweight champion used his post-fight mic time with Joe Rogan to declare he wanted to face the winner of the upcoming tilt between title holder Cain Velasquez and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 160.
The moment was Nelson’s for the taking, but at the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White expressed other interests for the heavyweight knockout artist. White told the media in attendance that he and matchmaker Joe Silva had discussed the next step for Nelson, and the 36-year-old’s next opponent would either be Strikeforce Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier or former K-1 champion Mark Hunt, should the “Super Samoan” get past Junior dos Santos at UFC 160.
While both potential challenges present interesting angles for Nelson, the only thing that matters to the heavy-handed slugger is championship gold. It is the opportunity he’s been chasing since coming under the UFC banner in 2009, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.
“I want a shot at the UFC title,” Nelson told Bleacher Report. “In this division, all it takes is one shot to become a champion, and I want that opportunity. I know I can knock out anyone in this weight class, and I want the chance to prove it. If I hit you clean, you are going out. I’ve proven that time and time again inside the Octagon, and I want to fight for the heavyweight title.
“I put on exciting fights every time out. The fans are who I fight for, and it feels great to know I have their respect out there because the fans decide what happens. Granted, it ultimately comes down to what Dana [White], Joe [Silva] and Lorenzo [Fertitta] want, but the fans have a tremendous amount of influence on who gets the big fights. I truly believe my fans and fight fans in general want to see me get that shot. But if I end up having to fight Cormier or Hunt next, then I have no problem with doing either.
“Fans have been talking about the Hunt fight for awhile now, and I’d be interested in fighting Mark if he beats Junior [dos Santos]. It would be a fight between two guys who go out there to lay it all on the line and aren’t afraid of standing in the pocket and trading.
“As for Cormier, that’s a different kind of fight,” Nelson added. “He is a former Olympian and I don’t think he would have too much interest in really mixing it up with me. Daniel can wrestle, but my jiu-jitsu is strong, and if the fight with Frank Mir is any indication of how he feels about trading punches and playing jiu-jitsu, then I’d say there wouldn’t be a lot of action in that fight. But if the UFC decides Cormier is next, then so be it. I just want whatever is going to get me closer to that title.”
Nelson’s recent win streak has put him in the title conversation in the heavyweight division, but becoming a father last year has changed his perspective entirely. While he once thrived on his “anytime, anywhere” mentality, the focus has now shifted to seizing the moment and getting the biggest opportunities available.
When asked about whether or not a victory over Cormier or Hunt would cement a title shot in stone, Nelson took the conversation in a different direction.
“If I can’t get the title shot I’m looking for, then I have a different plan in mind,” Nelson said. “I’m really interested in the biggest fights imaginable, and I think I could really get into some of this ‘super fight’ talk. I’d like to set the table in 2014 with fights against Jon Jones and Anderson Silva. I’d even take a piece of Georges St-Pierre while I’m at it. People always are talking about this pound-for-pound business, and I’m down to see what that is about.
“Some sites have Benson Henderson ranked on that pound-for-pound list above Cain Velasquez. That’s crazy. Henderson couldn’t beat Cain. Maybe I’m the guy who can sort out all this pound-for-pound talk and settle a few of those arguments. I’ll chase Dominick Cruz around. Or throw me in there with two flyweights. Let’s see what happens.
“Otherwise, give me the title shot I want and I guarantee I’m going to make the most of it.”
The UFC’s latest rankings have Daniel Cormier as the No. 2 heavyweight, while Roy Nelson, following his UFC 159 knockout victory over Cheick Kongo, comes in at No. 5. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this fight, at least on paper,…
The UFC’s latest rankings have Daniel Cormier as the No. 2 heavyweight, while Roy Nelson, following his UFC 159 knockout victory over Cheick Kongo, comes in at No. 5. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this fight, at least on paper, makes sense for both fighters. However, it appears that Nelson’s manager, Mike Kogan, has no interest in his client looking at that paper.
Cormier, following UFC 159, brought up the prospect of facing Nelson when he tweeted:
Speaking on Tuesday’s episode of UFC Tonight, Fuel TV’s Ariel Helwani said that Kogan was going to advise his client not to take the fight against Cormier if it was offered because Kogan feels it makes no sense for Nelson.
Helwani reported that Kogan was going to request a fight with Antonio Silva if Silva loses to UFC champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 160. If that fight is not in the cards for Nelson, Helwani said Kogan would look to book Nelson to face either the winner or loser of UFC 160’s co-main event between Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt.
The logic here is kind of puzzling. A manager wanting to book a fight for his client against a fighter coming off a loss and with a lower standing in the rankings than Cormier seems counterintuitive. Silva may be fighting Velasquez for the title, but he was knocked out by Cormier and is ranked lower than Cormier.
As for getting a shot at the winner of Dos Santos and Hunt, that’s at best a 50-50 proposition for Nelson. The odds of the winner of that fight moving on to fight for the UFC title are pretty high.
In a bit of an interesting turn, Nelson doesn’t seem to agree with his manager, as the fighter tweeted the following after the UFC Tonight report aired:
So, it looks like the door isn’t closed on a Nelson versus Cormier fight. This is a good thing, as the fight does make sense for both Nelson and Cormier.
Now all we need is for Nelson and his manager to get on the same page.
UFC 159 was a peculiar card in many ways. Between the bizarre circumstances which halted the bout between Michael Bisping and Alan Belcher, and Jon Jones managing to significantly injure himself against an opponent who had no hope of being a serious th…
UFC 159 was a peculiar card in many ways. Between the bizarre circumstances which halted the bout between Michael Bisping and Alan Belcher, and Jon Jones managing to significantly injure himself against an opponent who had no hope of being a serious threat to his title reign, I don’t think anyone could have predicted how this card turned out.
There was, however, at least one fight which went exactly as most would expect, as Cheick Kongo was starched early by Roy Nelson. All of the flaws in Kongo’s game which I demonstrated earlier in the week were present and culminated in an easy night’s work for Nelson.
“Big Country” showed early that Kongo’s usual stalling tactics against the fence wouldn’t work as well as they did against Matt Mitrione and Shawn Jordan—Nelson pinned Kongo to the fence with double underhooks for much of the opening minutes.
As soon as the fighters broke apart, Nelson was pressuring Kongo, who was forced to fight with his back to the fence. Unable to run, Kongo had the choice—punch, kick or clinch. Clinching Nelson, who was so much shorter and clearly happy to wrestle against the fence seemed like a bad idea, so Kongo tried to throw strikes with his back to the wall.
This was tactical suicide. If one hopes to strike off of the fence (which is probably the last option for a great striker, as it is far better to fake, draw a strike and either tie up or exit) one must commit to attacks which will make the opponent defend himself and give space to escape from the fence.
Kongo instead pumped a couple of backhanded, obviously faked jabs, then lunged in with a lead low leg kick. Kicking with one’s back to the fence is a pretty bad idea because there is almost nothing one can do when an opponent steps in and either grabs the leg (as Gilbert Melendez did to Benson Henderson in the first round of their title bout) or simply step in with a hard punch as Nelson did.
Kongo’s hands were low—as they almost always are when he kicks—and he was easily floored by Nelson, who immediately followed up with a hard punch on the ground to prompt the stoppage.
Against men who refuse to prioritize movement and defence, Nelson will continue to pick up devastating and easy victories. He’s not a great boxer and he can’t set his punches up or throw combinations for toffee—but Nelson knows where he and his opponent need to be. If fighters such as Stefan Struve, Kongo and Mitrione keep coming in thinking they will win because they have more tools, Nelson’s list of big-name finishes will continue to grow.
Michael Bisping‘s lack of hooks
On the other end of the spectrum there is Michael Bisping, who could learn a good deal from Roy Nelson despite “Big Country” being the less respected striking technician.
Nelson is a one-trick pony but he is excellent at moving himself and his opponent into positions where his one trick will prove the most effective.
I talk about this a good deal in my analysis but it is an important concept and often dictates who we think of as a power puncher and who we think of as pillow-fisted. Using an inappropriate strike will lead to glancing connections or ones which the opponent can simply shake off.
Striking is about creating collisions. If one wants to connect a hard right hook, throwing it at the opponent as he moves to your left is hopeless. Even if the strike doesn’t die out before it gets to him, the opponent will easily take the blow because he is moving in the same direction as the force. What one should do when attempting to land a right hook is what Nelson does—trap opponents along the fence and give them space to move into the right hand.
What Bisping does is use his jab, which is a good punch—sharp, accurate and enough to make men like Chris Leben and Wanderlei Silva stop in their tracks. However, Bisping uses it in all situations. If his opponent is running straight toward him, Bisping‘s jab will do good damage, as will his straight right hand. The problem is that opponents rarely run in on Bisping because they know he has a good jab.
If an opponent is moving side to side, as Alan Belcher did effectively in the first round of their bout—and to an extent the third—Bisping struggles to make meaningful connections at all because he is so limited to straight punches. He will use the roundhouse kicks from time to time to stop an opponent circling, but these are mainly a tool to stand them still for his straight punches again.
Bisping is not so much a technical striker as a striker who has gotten to a high level in using the most well rounded weapon—the jab. There are plenty of times when the jab as a single strike is flat out useless, such as against a very laterally mobile opponent. On these occasions it should be used only to hide the intentions and a roundhouse strike should be connected as the opponent circles into its path.
For much of the bout with Belcher, Bisping was the much better fighter, but his counter blows often missed or glanced off Belcher as the 29-year-old moved away. Every attempt at a counter right straight ended up hitting air.
It was only later in the fight that Bisping started attempting left and right hooks to catch Belcher circling, but these were arm punches and lacked the commitment of weight and hip motion that Nelson’s punches do.
Ultimately Belcher‘s gameplan was actually pretty sound, as Bisping is rarely in the position of the offensive pressure fighter. Instead it is normally Bisping who is between his opponent and the fence. Bisping himself has on several occasions been the man eating hooks as he circles into their power.
Notice how Bisping‘s right straights often missed Belcher altogether, and when Bisping actually began using the right hook to meet Belcher as he circled, Bisping was clearly so unpractised in cutting off the ring and herding an opponent into left hooks and wide rights that he struggled to hurt an opponent who was offering almost no offence of his own.
While Nelson seems to be the less technically skilled fighter and certainly struggles when fighters take away his right hand, his power is not just from a natural aptitude to punching, but rather due to the occasions he creates where his right hand will work best.
A Michael Bisping who could actually cause damage with arcing punches would be so much more effective against high-level competition that is unwilling to chase him and run on to jabs all night. In truth, both men are pretty limited in their variety of tactics on the feet, the difference is that Bisping‘s are more in line with what most people recognize as good boxing.
Jack Slack breaks down over 70 striking tactics employed by 20 elite strikers in his first ebook, Advanced Striking, and discusses the fundamentals of strategy in his new ebook, Elementary Striking.
If there’s anything positive for Alan Belcher to take away from his loss to Michael Bisping in the co-main event of last night’s UFC 159, it’s that he was right about Bisping being unable to knock him out. Bisping had plenty of opportunities to do so throughout the fight, yet Belcher was too resilient of an opponent. Unfortunately, that’s right about where the positive notes end. Bisping not only outstruck Belcher by a considerable margin throughout their fight, but also avoided all of Belcher’s takedowns. Simply put, Belcher didn’t have any answers for Bisping’s jab-n-jog offense.
Perhaps the strangest thing about the eye poke is that this fight wasn’t the only bout on the card to end in technical decision due to an eye poke. Earlier in the evening, the light heavyweight bout between Ovince St. Preux and Gian Villante also ended when St. Preux inadvertently poked Villante in the eye. St. Preaux walked away with a technical majority decision victory. Kind of makes a case for changing the design of MMA gloves.
Elsewhere on the card…
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
If there’s anything positive for Alan Belcher to take away from his loss to Michael Bisping in the co-main event of last night’s UFC 159, it’s that he was right about Bisping being unable to knock him out. Bisping had plenty of opportunities to do so throughout the fight, yet Belcher was too resilient of an opponent. Unfortunately, that’s right about where the positive notes end. Bisping not only outstruck Belcher by a considerable margin throughout their fight, but also avoided all of Belcher’s takedowns. Simply put, Belcher didn’t have any answers for Bisping’s jab-n-jog offense.
Perhaps the strangest thing about the eye poke is that this fight wasn’t the only bout on the card to end in technical decision due to an eye poke. Earlier in the evening, the light heavyweight bout between Ovince St. Preux and Gian Villante also ended when St. Preux inadvertently poked Villante in the eye. St. Preaux walked away with a technical majority decision victory. Kind of makes a case for changing the design of MMA gloves.
Elsewhere on the card…
– Roy Nelson picked up his third straight first round knockout last night – as well as the $65,000 Knockout of the Night honors – by dropping Cheick Kongo with a huge overhand right just two minutes into the fight. While the end result isn’t particularly surprising, it is a bit odd to hear Dana White say that Nelson earned a fight against either Mark Hunt or Daniel Cormier for his next outing. Not only are both fighters gigantic steps up in competition from Kongo, but also Roy Nelson is a step backwards for each of them. Strange times.
– For all that we heard about the improved striking of Vinny Magalhaes, he certainly didn’t let it show last night. He looked lost on his feet against Phil Davis – who isn’t exactly a world-class striker himself – even though Davis threw the same combination for pretty much the entire fight. “Mr Wonderful” was able to avoid Vinny’s leg kicks for most of the fight and utilize his superior reach on his way to a unanimous decision victory. While his striking appears to have improved, the lack of aggression that Davis displayed after hurting Magalhaes with an attempted head kick early in the first round seems to suggest that he isn’t quite ready for the deep end of the division just yet.
– Don’t let his unimposing MMA record fool you: Pat Healy is tough draw for anyone right now, and he proved it last night by taking out the always game Jim Miller. Healy survived an early onslaught from Miller that saw his right eye swell up. He went on to control the second and third rounds before locking up the fight ending rear-naked choke. If anyone is still questioning the legitimacy of the Strikeforce lightweights, you can kindly stop doing so now.
– Not only did both Jim Miller and Pat Healy take home $65,000 for Fight of the Night, but Pat Healy also took home the $65,000 Submission of the Night honors. Taking home $130,000 in bonus money alone for a victory is about as successful of a return to the big leagues as one can possibly hope to make.
– Leonard Garcia lost to Cody McKenzie, making it five straight losses in a row in the UFC. He now joins Steve Cantwell as the only two fighters to lose five consecutive fights that have all been in the UFC (in other words, five straight fights, five straight losses, no time in the minor leagues between any of them). His future is officially “not looking good.”
– One last note, Sheila Gaff immediately answered our questions as to whether or not she can stop Sara McMann’s takedowns by running directly into one. I can’t remember the last time I saw a fight end up on the ground that quickly, but at least McMann wasn’t content to just coast to an easy victory. McMann earned a first round TKO in the third WMMA fight in UFC history.
Full Results:
Main Card:
Jon Jones def. Chael Sonnen via TKO, 4:33 of Round One
Michael Bisping def. Alan Belcher via Technical Decision (unanimous), 4:29 of Round Three
Roy Nelson def. Cheick Kongo via KO, 2:03 of Round One
Phil Davis def. Vinny Magalhaes via Unanimous Decision
Pat Healy def. Jim Miller via Submission (rear naked choke), 4:03 of Round Three
Preliminary Card:
Rustam Khabilov def. Yancy Medeiros via TKO (injury), 2:32 of Round One
Ovince St. Preux def. Gian Villante via Technical Decision (majority) 0:33 of Round Three
Sara McMann def. Sheila Gaff via TKO (punches), 4:06 of Round One
Bryan Caraway def. Johnny Bedford via Submission (guillotine choke), 4:44 of Round Three
Cody McKenzie def. Leonard Garcia via Unanimous Decision
Steven Siler def. Kurt Holobaugh via Unanimous Decision
