After scoring a brutal KO over Stefan Struve at UFC on Fuel 8, Mark Hunt isn’t going to have to wait very long to find out who his next opponent should be, and if the gods are fair and just, said opponent will be Roy Nelson. When Mark Hunt came i…
After scoring a brutal KO over Stefan Struve at UFC on Fuel 8, Mark Hunt isn’t going to have to wait very long to find out who his next opponent should be, and if the gods are fair and just, said opponent will be Roy Nelson.
When Mark Hunt came into the UFC, he didn’t make such a good first impression. That happens when you lose to Sean McCorkle, a man who seems equal parts fighter and court jester.
But since then, Hunt has racked up four straight wins (three by KO/TKO), and given the current state of the division, it’s time to see if he’s got what it takes to really be a legitimate contender.
And the perfect test for him would be Roy “Big Country” Nelson.
Nelson is slated to face Cheick Kongo at UFC 159 and if wins and is in relative good health, a bout against Hunt would not only be entertaining as hell, but good for all the real reasons why fights should “make sense.”
Mark Hunt is no stranger to entertaining Japanese audiences, and tonight he did it again. “The Super Samoan” scored a brutal, walk-off TKO victory over Stefan Struve, finally toppling the surging contender in a back-and-forth affair at UFC on Fuel TV 8…
Mark Hunt is no stranger to entertaining Japanese audiences, and tonight he did it again. “The Super Samoan” scored a brutal, walk-off TKO victory over Stefan Struve, finally toppling the surging contender in a back-and-forth affair at UFC on Fuel TV 8.
Both fighters had their moments in the first two rounds, but Hunt’s power made all the difference in the final frame as the 38-year-old dug in to get the victory. The win over the “Skyscraper” makes it four in a row for the the former K-1 champion and should vault him up into the top 10 of a heavyweight division that has become more competitive than ever before.
Exactly what the next step will be for Hunt remains to be seen. But his derailing of Struve in Japan, and having several important divisional tilts slated for the coming months, has the potential to bring a few new faces into the conversation of title contention in the heavyweight division.
A Strange Time for Veterans in the Heavyweight Division
With Hunt’s lackluster Octagon debut at UFC 119, the idea of the New Zealand-native moving into a contender’s position seemed far fetched. Nevertheless, Hunt has put on an impressive run where he’s collected a string of quality wins over solid competition.
The victory over Struve will guarantee his next showing comes against one of the division’s best. How the chips fall over the next few months will determine just how far up the ladder Hunt will step for his next bout.
Two years ago it would be easy to forecast how things were going to play out in a thin division, but with a handful of the best fighters in the weight class experiencing setbacks, the picture becomes a bit blurry.
Recent losses by former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem have left room for other fighters to make their way up the heavyweight ladder. When their upcoming showdown at UFC 160 is factored into the equation, it is inevitable that one fighter will keep his place in the title picture while the other is ultimately shuffled back into the deck.
The hovering circumstances will undoubtedly add a unique element of pressure, but “Cigano” and “The Reem” aren’t the only veterans facing harsh realities in the divisional picture.
The same can be said for two-time champion Frank Mir. While the Las Vegas-native has hovered around the contender’s tier of the heavyweight division for years, there is a bit of heat bearing down on Mir these days, which may seem a bit strange seeing that he’s won three of his last four outings. On the other hand, over the past three years Mir has competed for the UFC title on three occasions (one interim) and come out on the business end of each effort.
Rebounding from his most recent loss to dos Santos at UFC 146 will be no easy task as he’s drawn former Olympian Daniel Cormier at UFC on Fox 7 in April. A loss to the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Winner would push Mir to the boundaries of the top 10 in the heavyweight division, making another title run all but non-existent in the near future. Yet, should he find a way to hand Cormier his first professional loss, staying in the hunt would be a certainty.
With the current situations of Mir, dos Santos and Overeem in perspective, this makes two heavyweight scraps all the more important. At UFC 159 in April, former IFL champion Roy Nelson squares off with Cheick Kongo. Both fighters are two of the UFC’s most seasoned veterans. With the divisional race heating up, the winner will take a solid step up, while the loser could see any hopes of competing for a UFC title dashed for good.
Nelson and Kongo have each won three of their last four showings. “Big Country” has collected back-to-back first-round knockout victories. Kongo recently rebounded from a drubbing at the hands of Mark Hunt at UFC 144 to defeat prospect Shawn Jordan last June in Calgary.
Their bout at UFC 159 will come with the added pressure of the circumstances at hand, but neither are strangers to competing when the heat is on.
Another fight with title implications will come later this summer. Fabricio Werdum will lock up with fellow Brazilian Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in June at the finale of the second season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.
It is a rematch seven years in the making as the two submission specialists originally squared-off under the now defunct Pride banner back in 2006. “Big Nog” earned the unanimous decision in their first go-around. Both men are at different stages of their respective careers coming into this matchup.
Werdum has won five his last six outings, and this run includes victories over Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Roy Nelson. If “Cavalo” is able to even the score with “Minotauro” in Fortaleza this summer, he could very well be tapped for the next title shot in the heavyweight division.
While things haven’t been as smooth for Nogueira, the 36-year-old is still hanging onto his status in the upper tier of the weight class. The MMA legend has been in a “win one, lose one” pattern since 2008, but a recent victory over Dave Herman at UFC 153 extended his career for the time being. The matchup with Werdum will be a great gauge to determine how much fight Nogueira still has in him. A victory in their rematch would certainly solidify a resurgence in his career.
Prospects Go Down, But Who Comes Back Up?
Once Struve shakes off the lingering pain of a broken jaw from the left hand of Hunt, he will have to deal with the heartbreak of once again having his run to the top of the division turned back. The Dutchman was riding a four-fight win streak before getting blasted in Japan. He’ll once again find himself standing on the outside of the division’s top 10.
At 25 years old there is still plenty of time for Struve to fight his way back up the ladder. That being said, he’s been on the verge of trading his “prospect” label in for “contender” on multiple occasions. Each time Struve appears to be getting closer to fulfilling the potential and expectation that’s been attached to his career since coming to the UFC, he falls and goes back to the drawing board.
With his loss to Hunt at UFC on Fuel TV 8, Struve now joins a batch of prospects who are all looking to rebound back into the win column, most of which he is very familiar with.
There are few heavyweights considered to have a brighter future than Hawaiian-born Travis Browne. “Hapa” was in the process of making huge strides up the divisional ladder until a stunning, first-round knockout at the hands of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva stopped his momentum cold. The bout came in Browne’s first main event showing under the UFC banner, and the setback was the first of his professional career.
While the loss to Silva certainly knocked him down a few notches on the ladder, Browne will have a tremendous opportunity to make up ground when he faces veteran Gabriel Gonzaga next month at the TUF 17 Finale in Las Vegas.
“Napao” has won back-to-back fights since returning to the UFC and has faced the very best in the heavyweight division for years. That being said, Gonzaga has a unique stigma attached to him. He defeats those who truly aren’t ready to stand in the upper tier of the weight class, and comes up short against those who are proven talents.
The term “gatekeeper” is thrown around a lot in mixed martial arts, but there are few better examples of this label than Gonzaga. It makes it a fairly simple equation for Browne heading into their April bout. A win over the former No. 1 contender means the 30-year-old Greg Jackson-trained fighter is ready to carve out his place among the best heavyweight fighters on the planet. A loss will show there is still much work for Browne to do.
Another fighter looking to bounce back from the first loss of his professional career will be Stipe Miocic. After collecting nine consecutive victories, including three under the UFC banner, the former Cleveland State wrestling standout was bested by Struve in their scrap this past September in London.
Leading up to his main event tilt with Struve at UFC on Fuel TV 5, the Ohio native appeared to be poised for big things in the heavyweight division. But a second-round stoppage defeat at the end of Stuve’s power slowed his momentum for the time being. While his next bout is yet to be announced, Miocic will need to bounce back in a big way to keep the expectation level high on his future.
With the weight class becoming increasingly competitive, one loss doesn’t seal a fighter’s fate nowadays. But back-to-back setbacks in the current race for the top spots in the division could certainly make the climb more difficult in the stages before the road truly gets tough. Miocic is competing with the best heavyweights in the world.
Then again, the rally for Mark Hunt could reach a new level and a title shot could appear. While it seems far-fetched, stranger things have happened in the realm of UFC title shots.
Roy Nelson and Cheick Kongo will meet at UFC 159 on April 27.The card in New Jersey will feature two of the UFC’s best heavyweights in action.Nelson is riding a two-fight win streak in to the Octagon. Back-to-back knockouts over Dave Herman and Matt Mi…
The card in New Jersey will feature two of the UFC’s best heavyweights in action.
Nelson is riding a two-fight win streak in to the Octagon. Back-to-back knockouts over Dave Herman and Matt Mitrione have given to life to Nelson in the division.
Kongo is 4-1-1 in his last six bouts, and is coming off a decision win over Shawn Jordan. A victory over Nelson would thrust Kongo back in to the thick of the heavyweight division.
This is how the fight breaks down from head to toe.
Thomson hasn’t competed in the UFC since his 2-1 stint for the promotion in 2003-2004, which ended in an unfortunate/incredible highlight-reel knockout against Yves Edwards. Since then, “The Punk” has spent most of his career fighting for Strikeforce, where he built an entertaining rivalry against Diaz’s training partner (and UFC on FOX 7 title challenger) Gilbert Melendez. Thomson briefly held Strikeforce’s lightweight title after winning a decision against Melendez in June 2008, and has picked up wins over Pat Healy, Gesias Cavalcante, and KJ Noons since then. His most recent appearance resulted in a split-decision loss to Melendez during their rubber-match last May.
Of course, the other thing Thomson is known for is his frequent injuries, and there’s a lot that can go wrong between now and 4/20. Let’s hope this one sticks together. In related news, the UFC has added three big matchups to their UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen card, which takes place the following weekend (April 27th) in Newark, NJ…
Thomson hasn’t competed in the UFC since his 2-1 stint for the promotion in 2003-2004, which ended in an unfortunate/incredible highlight-reel knockout against Yves Edwards. Since then, “The Punk” has spent most of his career fighting for Strikeforce, where he built an entertaining rivalry against Diaz’s training partner (and UFC on FOX 7 title challenger) Gilbert Melendez. Thomson briefly held Strikeforce’s lightweight title after winning a decision against Melendez in June 2008, and has picked up wins over Pat Healy, Gesias Cavalcante, and KJ Noons since then. His most recent appearance resulted in a split-decision loss to Melendez during their rubber-match last May.
Of course, the other thing Thomson is known for is his frequent injuries, and there’s a lot that can go wrong between now and 4/20. Let’s hope this one sticks together. In related news, the UFC has added three big matchups to their UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen card, which takes place the following weekend (April 27th) in Newark, NJ…
– Riding back-to-back knockout wins over Dave Herman and Matt Mitrione, Roy Nelson will be bringing his powerful fists and ratty-ass gray beard to UFC 159 against Cheick Kongo, who’s coming off his award-winning decision win over Shawn Jordan at UFC 149. [source]
– Speaking of bearded white guys: Fresh off his epic battle with Joe Lauzon at UFC 155, Jim Miller will look to make it two in a row against former Strikeforce lightweight contender (and long-lost twin) Pat Healy, who has won his last six fights. Winner gets TJ Grant, I guess? [source]
– And finally, top light-heavyweight contender Phil Davis and BJJ ace Vinny Magalhaes will also face off at UFC 159, settling their ongoing twitter beef. (More on that here.) Davis last competed in October when he submitted Wagner Prado at UFC 153, while Magalhaes made a successful return to the UFC in September, tapping Igor Pokrajac at UFC 152. [source]
So which fight are you most looking forward to, and how do you think they’ll turn out?
After baffling “Big” Ben Rothwell on the feet and submitting him with an arm-in guillotine choke, Gabriel Gonzaga announced to the MMA world that he will not take his second chance with the UFC for granted.The win marks the second submission victory fo…
After baffling “Big” Ben Rothwell on the feet and submitting him with an arm-in guillotine choke, Gabriel Gonzaga announced to the MMA world that he will not take his second chance with the UFC for granted.
The win marks the second submission victory for Gonzaga since returning to the organization that made him famous. Last January, “Napao” needed little more than three minutes to dispatch of then-undefeated EdnaldoOliveira.
Now that the former title contender is making waves in the heavyweight division, we’ve got to think about what comes next.
Gabriel has a world-renowned grappling game which has led to nine submission wins. However, with dynamite in his hands and feet, he is a well-rounded threat who can finish opponents anywhere that the fight goes.
Based on these skills, there aren’t many challengers who are particularly daunting, short of the division’s elite. With 14 trips into the Octagon under his belt, I think that it’s important to pit Gonzaga against another longtime UFC veteran.
Luckily for the big Brazilian, there are a couple of options who lay at his feet, in need of an opponent this Spring: Cheick Kongo and Roy Nelson.
Cheick Kongo is the French kickboxer who has terrorized the heavyweight division throughout 17 UFC appearances. Like Gonzaga, the biggest win on Kongo’s resume came in a 2007 victory over Mirko Cro Cop.
Unlike his Brazilian foe, Kongo has never been able to parlay his momentum into a UFC title shot. Currently, Kongo has only one loss in his past six fights.
When you consider how long that these heavyweights were on the roster, it is fairly surprising that they have yet to square off at any point in their careers. A bout with Gonzaga could be exactly what Kongo needs to finally earn an elusive crack at the belt.
Roy Nelson has eight UFC appearances of his own, and like Gonzaga, has an unannounced allergy to winning by decision. Between the two fighters, they have 14 victories while fighting for Zuffa and not one of them went to the judges scorecards.
“Big Country” is also a well-rounded mixed martial artists who possesses incredible punching power to supplement his killer grappling skills. A fight with Gonzaga is the step up he deserves after wins over Dave Herman and Matt Mitrione.
The fight with Nelson was scheduled for UFC 146 after the Overeem/Mir/Bigfoot switcharoo shifted the entire card. However, the fight didn’t take place after Gonzaga was forced out due to an injury.
Personally, I feel that Roy Nelson is a more dangerous matchup for Gonzaga, however both fights would make for a solid addition to any card.
For a very long time now, I have been surprised at just how quickly fans of the combative sports attach certain labels to shocking upsets, and perhaps no label is as grossly misused as the term “Fluke.” Sure, this is nothing new; it’s…
For a very long time now, I have been surprised at just how quickly fans of the combative sports attach certain labels to shocking upsets, and perhaps no label is as grossly misused as the term “Fluke.”
Sure, this is nothing new; it’s been going on since people began to follow the sport of boxing, so many years ago, and in truth it isn’t going to go away, either.
But that doesn’t give it any real credibility, nor does it make it correct, because it is simply wrong.
Recently, fans have attached the term to fights such as GSP vs. Serra I, Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson, and so on and so forth.
Those fights were upsets, yes, but they were still fights, not flukes.
Neither GSP nor Roy Nelson had any illusions as to what they were walking into; they knew that their opponents were going to try to win any way they could, and that said opponents only had so many avenues to win: by decision, submission, TKO or KO.
Sure, it has been noted by many that GSP had distractions in his life leading into his first bout with Matt Serra, but that doesn’t change the fact that GSP knew that he could lose by any of the means fights are decided in the sport.
When he suffered that TKO loss, it was because Serra, based on his height and reach, was a bit more problematic that GSP anticipated; when Serra caught GSP with that shot, it was then that Serra really stepped up his game and finished the champ with poise and accurate power punching, and that is something that we don’t usually see when one man has the other hurt badly and is going in for the kill.
The same goes for Roy Nelson, who has made a living getting slugged in the face, often. His easy smile, beard and mullet may distract some, but his style of fighting is based on four pillars, and one of them is his chin.
When he got knocked out by Arlovski, it was because he was willing to test his chin against the fists of his opponent, and he lost in a big way.
That is not a fluke, that is just part of the game; anyone can get knocked out, and if you put your chin in the line of fire often enough, against heavy punchers, it is going to happen.
Then, there is the simple fact that both GSP and Nelson are students of the game—and truth be told I don’t know of any fighter who isn’t—and the notion of being defeated by KO is something that both men have faced not only in training but every previous time they had stepped into the cage.
Of course, I have been on board the “fluke” bandwagon before. I used to scream the term into the faces of anyone who saw validation in claiming that one fighter was no good simply because he was upset by another fighter.
But then I was called on it, and called hard.
It happened around the time Mike Tyson was upset and knocked out by Buster Douglas.
It was a fluke, I said. Couldn’t happen again in a million years, I said. Will never happen again, I said.
“Do you think Tyson studies tape?”
I think so, I replied. But maybe he didn’t this time.
“If he did, then he should have trained harder, and being lazy isn’t a fluke, it’s being lazy,” my tormentor said. “If he didn’t study tape, then he damn well should have. That isn’t a fluke, it’s being overconfident.”
You’re oversimplifying things, I tried to counter. No one thought Tyson was going to lose this fight. Douglas was hardly ranked.
“So, because the masses thought one way and were proved to be wrong, that makes it a fluke?”
I didn’t know what to say about that, because it sounded like I was walking into a trap.
“The masses like to be amazed, and if they are amazed enough and in a continuous fashion, it’s what they come to expect, and that lulls them into nothing more than making assumptions beforehand, and then proceeding from those assumptions before learning if they are correct or false. Pavlov’s dog was the same way, you know, but Pavlov not giving the mutt the scraps wasn’t a fluke, it was by design, just like it was by design when Douglas climbed up off the canvas and kept on fighting, and just like he kept on throwing punches. Fights happen by design and are based on a known design. The winner just happens to be the better designer.”
Each and every single fight is really its own story, and that is where the folly of the fluke comes into focus. What GSP or Nelson did before their fights with Serra and Arlovski are of no importance; it’s what they decided to do—how they fought these men—at the time that matters, and that is where they were defeated.
Everyone can fall into error and proceed from false assumptions, especially fighters who are as gifted as GSP or as tough as Nelson, but when those notions and assumptions are confounded, it is not a fluke but a simple byproduct of hubris if the loss comes because of a reliance on the past.
Flukes happen in other aspects of life, to be sure. I am not saying I don’t understand why people rush to use the word to explain why the upset happened (because we all crave explanations) or to label it (because we all love to label things); I understand this all too well.
I am saying that in a contest with weight classes, unified rules, referees in good standing and of high personal and professional accountability, known methods to achieve victory, training camps and trainers chosen by the fighter via free will, desire and dedication and the lessons of the past…well, someone is either going to win by decision, KO, TKO or submission, and there is no mystery to be found in that.
Mark Hunt is no stranger to entertaining Japanese audiences, and tonight he did it again. “The Super Samoan” scored a brutal, walk-off TKO victory over Stefan Struve, finally toppling the surging contender in a back-and-forth affair at 
