Two light heavyweights who picked up wins at UFC 174 will be headlining the UFC’s trip to Maine later this summer.
The Bangor Daily News is reporting that Ryan Bader and Ovince Saint Preux will be the main event for UFC Fight Night 47.
Bader has w…
Two light heavyweights who picked up wins at UFC 174 will be headlining the UFC’s trip to Maine later this summer.
The Bangor Daily News is reporting that Ryan Bader and Ovince Saint Preux will be the main event for UFC Fight Night 47.
Bader has won three out of his last four, including dominant performances against Rafael Cavalcante at UFC 174 and against Anthony Perosh back in December. Even in the loss to Glover Teixeira, Bader nearly pulled off the upset as he rocked the Brazilian.
Saint Preux is also on a roll. Winner of five in a row, OSP has gone from an intriguing prospect in Strikeforce to a top-10 light heavyweight. Four out of his five wins during that streak have come before the final bell.
Both men will be looking to make an impact in the light heavyweight division with the spotlight on them.
Bader is a former Ultimate Fighter winner but has struggled to remain in the light heavyweight title picture. He seems to have turned a corner, however, as he has learned to combine his powerful wrestling game with his knockout power rather than depending on just one of the two.
OSP will look to validate his claims as a top prospect from his Strikeforce days. He is a former collegiate athlete, having played Division I football for the Tennessee Volunteers. The fight with Bader will be OSP‘s first against the upper half of the division, as he has mainly feasted on mid-tier or lower-level fighters.
UFC Fight Night 47 takes place Aug. 16 at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. The main card is expected to air on Fox Sports 1.
UFC 174 hit Vancouver on Saturday, and it did not provide a lot of excitement. It was a lackluster showing from the UFC, but it ultimately did provide a few talking points.
Demetrious Johnson retained his UFC flyweight title by defeating Ali Bagautinov…
UFC 174 hit Vancouver on Saturday, and it did not provide a lot of excitement. It was a lackluster showing from the UFC, but it ultimately did provide a few talking points.
Demetrious Johnson retained his UFC flyweight title by defeating Ali Bagautinov by unanimous decision. In the co-main event, Rory MacDonald bested TyronWoodley for 15 minutes to put his name right at the top of the list for a welterweight title shot.
There were nine other bouts on the card, but they did not deliver more than the two featured bouts.
Here are four key takeaways following the UFC’s latest offering.
Mike Easton Is Not a Top Bantamweight
When Easton entered the UFC in 2011 he was considered one of the top 135-pound fighters in the world, and he quickly got off to a three-fight win streak. Things were looking promising. Then the UFC started to book him against consistent top-10 level talent.
The wheels came flying off.
He has dropped four fights straight. Raphael Assuncao, Brad Pickett, TJ Dillashaw and Yves Jabouin have all gotten the best of him.
Easton‘s performance at UFC 174 may have been his worst showing to date. He is not a top bantamweight, and he may not even belong in the UFC following his four defeats. If nothing else, he’s a gatekeeper for the top 15.
Underdogs Are Still Doing Work
Underdogs have done very well for themselves in 2014, and it continued at UFC 174. Through the first eight bouts of the night, five underdogs were victorious.
MMA is a very hard sport to bet on as anything can happen. One slip up can see a big underdog take advantage and win. However, if you roll the dice you may be able to hit quite often on these dogs.
Expect more underdogs to take down fights later this month when the UFC returns with another dual-card weekend.
Ryan Bader May Be Ready For Big Things
I am not quite sure Bader will ever be a title contender, but he is certainly ready for another step up the UFC ladder.
He is a winner of three of his last four fights, and his one loss came against title contender Glover Teixeira—a fight in which he was close to ending, but got caught being over-aggressive.
Why is Bader ready for bigger things?
His UFC 174 performance showed quality fight IQ. He didn’t try to appease fans by throwing his heavy-handed strikes. He had a game plan and stuck to it. He stepped in the cage, dominated the action and took the victory like a quality fighter should.
Bader did a good job of mixing up his attacks. If he continues to fight like that, he very well could inch his way up the UFC rankings.
Demetrious Johnson Is Excellent
This is something we already knew, but coming out of UFC 174, you have to notice just how good Johnson is.
He is an incredible talent. Many talk about his speed, and while that is exceptional as well, it is his technique that is truly marvelous. He is virtually pristine inside the cage. His blend of striking and grappling creates a laundry list of issues for his opposition.
Johnson is simply phenomenal.
It is unfortunate that the UFC cannot generate high-level interest in his fights because he is truly one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
On Saturday night at UFC 174, No. 9-ranked Ryan Bader faced off against No. 11-ranked Rafael Cavalcante, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, to see who would continue to climb up the light heavyweight ladder. It was a completely con…
On Saturday night at UFC 174, No. 9-ranked Ryan Bader faced off against No. 11-ranked Rafael Cavalcante, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, to see who would continue to climb up the light heavyweight ladder. It was a completely controlling performance for Bader, who took the unanimous-decision victory 30-27 on all scorecards.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
In the first round, Bader had a huge driving takedown. Then toward the end of the round, he landed a powerful knee to Cavalcante‘s body. Aside from that, there was nothing too memorable. Bader controlled the fight in the clinch and on the ground, except for about a minute in the third round when “Feijao” looked like he may have rocked Bader.
What We Learned About Bader
He is continuing to improve, as his clinch game, takedowns and ground-and-pound all looked better than before. Feijao was a tough opponent and may very well be the best name on Bader‘s resume now. It did look like Feijao hurt Bader early in the third round, so he still has to work on protecting his chin.
What We Learned About Cavalcante
There were questions about Cavalcante‘s cardio coming into this fight, and everybody who questioned it was right to do so. Feijao looked gassed after the first round—granted, he did take some hard body shots—and he was never able to muster any kind of solid, consistent offense. He could have had a shot in the third round if he’d had something left in the tank.
What’s Next for Bader?
Occasionally, Joe Silva likes to match up fighters coming off wins from the same cards, so Ovince Saint Preux is a possibility. Saint Preux was ranked No. 12 before his win over Ryan Jimmo and will probably jump into the Top 10 on Monday.
If not Saint Preux, then Bader could meet Anthony Johnson, if he comes out victorious against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in July.
Or maybe he could face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Bader has a lot of options moving forward.
What’s Next for Cavalcante?
Cavalcante could face Jimmo next, but if Jimmo suffered a broken arm as he said on the broadcast, then he’ll probably be out for a while.
If Johnson loses to Nogueira, Cavalcante could face “Rumble” next.
Phil Davis, who recently lost to Johnson, is a third option.
Handling the liveblog for the UFC 174 main card is our own returning champion, Barry “Bear” Siragusa, who will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, follow us on twitter for additional commentary, and remember to send us your immediate Snapchat reactions for a chance to win some Topps UFC Knockout trading cards. Thanks for coming.
(“Dear God, please guide my hands in this fight, and protect me from this American baldness disease.” / Photo via MMAJunkie)
Handling the liveblog for the UFC 174 main card is our own returning champion, Barry “Bear” Siragusa, who will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, follow us on twitter for additional commentary, and remember to send us your immediate Snapchat reactions for a chance to win some Topps UFC Knockout trading cards. Thanks for coming.
UFC 174 Preliminary Card Results
– Kiichi Kunimoto def. Daniel Sarafian via. Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:52 of round 1.
– Valerie Letourneau def. Elizabeth Phillips via. split decision (29-28 Letourneau x 2, 29-28 Phillips)
– Yves Jabouin def. Mike Easton via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Tae Hyun Bang def. Kajan Johnson via. KO (punch) at 2:01 of round 3
– Michinori Tanaka def. Roland Delorme via unanimous decision. (30-27 x 3)
– Jason Saggo def. Josh Shockley via. TKO (punches) at 4:57 of Round 1.
Please stand by…
Hey there Folks. Glad to be back in the saddle.
For those of you who are following UFC 174 and not watching the World Cup, I welcome you. For those of you who are here following UFC 174 WHILE watching the the World Cup, it’s time to turn it off and get your UFC on. Jamie Varner broke his ankle at UFC 173 and then the doctor stepped on it (!) and you didn’t see him screaming and rolling around… Just sayin’.
We have some big fights happening this evening. The Flyweight Belt is up for grabs. The winner of MacDonald vs. Woodley gets a title shot (Probably. Maybe. No, probably not), and “The PitBull” Andrei Arlovski is back in his cage. Stay tuned, this should be a good one.
First up:
Ryan Jimmo vs. Ovince St. Preux
Ryan Jimmo (19-3 MMA) Fought on Season 8 of TUF.
Ovince St. Preux (15-5 MMA) Former Strikeforce competitor.
Round 1:
St. Preux with the 7 inch reach advantage. They touch gloves. Leg kick by Jimmo. Body kick by St. Preux. Big left by St. Preux. Jimmo is moving forward. St. Preux connects with a left. They clinch against the fence. Jimmo looking for the take down from the clinch against the fence. St. Preux gets the reversal against the fence. They break. Jimmo is bleeding from his nose. Head kick attempt by St. Preux. Jimmo answers with a high body kick. Leg kick from St. Preux. Inside leg kick from Jimmo. Body kick by Jimmo. St. Preux is really reaching with the jab. Nice left hand by St. Preux. St. Preux goes for the takedown and gets it against the fence just in time for the bell
Round 2:
Opens with a big right from Jimmo. Jimmo’s corner thinks St. Preux is getting tired. Jimmo attempts a body kick, caught by St. Preux who gets the takedown and gets full mount. St. Preux transitions to Jimmo’s back, St. Preux attempting a rear naked choke. Jimmo defending. St. Preux only has one hook. Jimmo taking some hammer fists to the head. St. Preux goes for a kimura. WOW! Jimmo says his arm is broken and the ref calls it.
Ovince St. Preux def. Ryan Jimmo via. verbal submission (Kimura) at 2:10 of round 2.
Up next…
Andrei Arlovski vs. Brendan Schaub
Andrei Arlovski (21-10-1 MMA) Arlovski is making his return to the octagon after a six year absence. Arlovski is the former UFC Heavyweight Champ and former UFC interim Light Heavyweight Champ. At 35 years of age, Arlovski is hoping to make one more run at the UFC belt before retiring. He is the only man to knock out Roy Nelson.
Brendan Schaub (10-3 MMA) Made the finals of TUF season 10 where he lost to Roy Nelson. Schaub won his last fight against Matt Mitrione via d’arce choke. The only fighter in UFC history to finish with that choke.
Round 1:
Slight reach advantage for Schaub. Big John and Andrei in the cage together again…Heeeere we go. They touch gloves. They feel each other out. Andrei with the flurry and the clinch. Pins Schaub up against the fence and throws a few knees. Schaub spins out, throws a right and a left. Arlovski answers with an outside leg kick. They clinch and Arlovski pins Schaub against the fence and starts throwing knees. Big John tells them to get to work. Schaub pushes Arlovski off and they move to the middle of the octagon. Big overhand right from Schaub that just misses. Big swing and a miss from Arlovski. They clinch briefly. Schaub spins away. A big overhand from Schaub, Arlovski ducks underneath and clinches against the fence. Big spinning back kick from Arlovski to end the round.
Round 2:
They meet in the middle. Arlovski kicks Schaub in the groin. Schaub takes a minute but is back in business quickly. Arlovski clips Schaub with a left hook. Nothing huge, but opens Schaub up with a cut near his left eye. They clinch against the cage and Arlovski takes a break. They break and meet in the middle of the cage. They trade a few quick jabs. A headkick attempt by Schaub. Headkick attempt by Arlovski. Schaub fakes low and throws a overhand right that misses. Arlovski is watching for it. They clinch and now Schaub has Arlovski pinned against the cage. Schaub gets the take down but Arlovski get right back up. They break and meet in the middle. Schaub swinging for the fences but missing. Schaub connects with a left jab. Andrei shrugs it off. BIG uppercut from Schaub that rings Arlovski’s bell. A big swing and a miss from Schaub, answered by a big overhand from Arlovski to end the round.
Round 3:
Schaub opens the round with a swing and a miss overhand right. Another big overhand right from Schaub. Arlovski catches Schaub with a jab as he comes in. Big John warns them about headbutting. They clinch and Schaub gets the take down. Schaub works in Arlovski’s guard with punches and endows to the body. Arlovski answers with some elbows from the bottom. Hammer fists from Schaub. Schaub is making no attempt to transition to half guard. Arlovski keeps Schaub busy defending punches from the bottom. Schaub with some nasty hammerfists. Arlovski bucks Schaub off and regains his feet. They clinch and Arlovski pushes Schaub against the fence. Schaub escapes and they meet in the middle. They trade shots and there is the buzzer. Schaubs mouth and face has suddenly swelled up.
Arlovski says in his interview with Rogan that he was nervous and asks the crowd not to boo him.
Ryan Bader (16-4 MMA) Currently the #10 Light Heavyweight. Winner of Season 8 of TUF (Team Nog). His first loss was to fellow (at the time) up and comer Jon Jones. 3 of his four losses have been to former or future Light Heavyweight Champs (Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida and Tito Ortiz). His fourth loss was to Glover Teixeira.
Rafael Cavalcante (12-4-1) Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champ. Studied veterinary medicine before being recruited by Big Nog. Lost his Strikeforce Belt to Dan Henderson. This will be his third fight in the UFC.
Round 1:
No reach advantage for either fighter. They touch gloves. Cavalcante with an inside leg kick to start things off. Bader with a head kick attempt. A quick jab by Bader, followed by a running takedown of Cavalcante. Bader has his back standing, lifts Cavalcante up and gets the takedown but Cavalcante is up quickly with Bader still glued to his back punishing his thighs with knees. Really brutal knees to Cavalcante’s legs. Bader is destroying that leg. Cavalcante is up. They break and meet in the middle. HUGE haymaker attempt by Cavalcante which misses. Bader responds with a looping right hand. Cavalcante connects with a small right. They both catch each other with a jab. Bader gets a big takedown. They grappls at the fence as Bader slowly gets Cavalcante’s back. Cavalcante is absorbing a lot of punishment from the Bader. Some nasty body shots from Bader. HUGE knee too the body of Cavalcante at the buzzer.
Round 2:
Spinning back kick from cavalcante to start things off. Answered by a head kick attempt from Bader. They clinch and Bader pushes Cavalcante up against the fence. They break and Cavalcante moves forward while Bader waits for his opportunity, and there he gets the takedown. Nasty Elbow in Cavalcante’s face and Bader gets his back. Bader starts landing some nasty knee’s to Cavalcante’s butt and thighs. Cavalcante gains his feet, attempts another haymaker. There is a lot of movement from Bader. Another Haymaker attempt by Cavalcante. Bader darts in and peppers Cavalcante with punches. Cavalcante connects with a right. Connects with another right. Bader shakes it off and answers with a body shot and a takedown. Bader is on top and starts abusing the side of Cavalcante’s body. There goes the buzzer.
Round 3:
A big right from Cavalcante and a left that rung Bader’s bell. He connects with several looping hooks that hurt Bader, and gets the takedown. Cavalcante is on top, Bader goes for a leg and tries to reverse. Cavalcante hits Bader with some big elbows to the head. They break and Bader slips, Cavalcante follows him but can’t finish. They clinch against the fence. Nothing happens. The ref. breaks them apart and restarts them. Bader gets a takedown. He is on top abusing Cavalcante’s ribs with punches and dropping some big elbows on the ribcage. Cavalcante is not responding. Bader is inside Cavalcante’s guard, raining down elbows and punches to the body. Cavalcante has no answer for Bader. Cavalcante throws a few elbows, but Bader is connecting with everything. That’s it. It’s over.
Dominant performance by Ryan Bader. “If he loses this decision, They should burn this place down”- Joe Rogan
Ryan Bader def. Rafael Cavalcante via. unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Next up…
Tyrone Woodley vs. Rory MacDonald
Rory MacDonald (16-2 MMA) The Canadian born fighter is the former King of the Cage Lightweight Champ. MacDonald trains together with Georges St-Pierre at Tristar Gym. His only two losses were to Carlos Condit and Robbie Lawler. MacDonald is currently the #2 ranked Welterweight.
Tyron Woodley (13-2 MMA) Former Strikeforce fighter. Woodley’s only two losses came from Nate Marquart and Jake Shields. Of his thirteen wins, four have come via knockout, five via submission and four via decision. Woodley is often criticized for being too muscular, which some critics (looking at you Dana White) saying that he will gas out if brought into championship rounds.
Round 1:
Slight reach advantage for Rory.
Rory with a front kick early. A quick jab, Woodley with and overhand right. They clinch. Woodley with some knee’s to the body. Woodley pushes Rory up against the fence and starts punishing his legs with knees and foot stomps. Some big knee’s from Woodley. I don’t know how many of those Rory can take. Rory gets out and Rory connects with a question mark kick. Woodley responods with a attempted headkick. They trade head kick attempts. A big kick to the body of Woodley. Rory connecting with some big kicks. Woodley goes for the take down and absorbs a knee on the way in. They are clinched at the fence. Woodley connects with some punches to the face from the clinch. They seperate and Rory connects with a kick to the body. Woodley gets a takedown. Rory gets up and connects with a kick to the body and a short jab. Backs Woodley up against the fence and connects with some jabs and front kicks. Woodley seems unfazed. They square off and the buzzer sounds.
Round 2:
Rory with a few jabs. Woodley responds with an overhead right. Superman punch and an Ax kick from Rory. Rory goes for the takedown but is unsuccessful. Woodley connects with a solid leg kick. Rory has Woodley backed up against the fence. Peppering him with kicks. Woodley connects with a HARD leg kick. Rory connects with a body shot. Woodley attempts two right hand’s. Misses with bith. Rory with a quick flurry. Rory with a body kick. Woodley answers with some big punches. All misses. Rory pushes Woodley against the fence. Just constant pressure from Rory. Woodley connects with a brutal leg kick. Rory is just absorbing them. Rory connects with an body/head combo. Headkick from Rory. Woodley connects with a small jab. Rory with a right hand. Left jab and right overhand from Rory. Woodley is looking really uncomfortable. Rory catches two jabs in the face right before the buzzer.
Round 3:
Woodley tee’s off and flurries. Rory backs up and almost trips. Rory takes control of the center of the ring. Rory connects with a left jab. Woodley looks to be slowing down. Rory connects with a body kick. Woodley answers with a kick, but Rory brushes it aside and hits Woodley with a spinning back kick. Woodley acts like it hit his groin but Big John waves him off. Rory goes for and gets the takedown. Woodley has stuffed 32 of the last 34 takedown attempts. Woodley has control of Rory’s wrists. Woodley still hanging on. Big John will stand them up if nothing happens soon. Rory stands up and Woodley attacks with the up-kick from his back. Rory is looking for the opening, and connects with an elbow. Rory gets full mount but Woodley shrugs him off to side mount. Woodley starts absorbing big shots to his head. Rory is just teeing off from side guard, pounding Woodley’s face. There is the buzzer. Huge statement by Rory MacDonald. I never thought I would see Tyron Woodley absolutely dominated like that. Wow.
Demetrious Johnson (19-2-1 MMA) The current (and until now only) Flyweight Champ. This will be his fourth title defense. Johnson moved down to Flyweight and won the four man Flyweight tournament after losing a unanimous decision to Dominick Cruz in a fight for the Bantamweight Belt. His only other loss was a UD loss to Brad Pickett
Ali Bagautinov (13-2 MMA) is a Dagestani born Russian fighter and former Fight Nights Flyweight Champ. He is currently ranked as the #4 Flyweight. He has a background in Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, as well as Russian Sambo. Bagautinov is a 2x Combat Sambo World Champion. He is currently on an 11 fight win streak.
Round 1:
They touch gloves. Johnson with an inside leg kick to get us started. Ali with very low hands and very flat feet. A few quick kicks from Johnson and Ali. Outside leg kick from Johnson, answered by Ali with a left right combo and a big kick to the body. A few big left right combos that miss from Ali. Outside leg kick from Johnson. Inside leg kick from Johnson. A lot of feinting happening here. Ali reaches and clips Johnson. They clinch, some knees from Ali, he has Johnson pushed up against the cage. Johnson has Ali’s neck in a Muay Thai clinch and throws a knee. Ali catches the knee and holds it. Ali lets it go and catches another leg and holds it. Ali trying for the takedown. Some big knees and punches from Ali, answered by a knee from Johnson. Johnson lands some hard knees to the body. Ali gets a takedown but Johnson bounces right back up for the buzzer.
Round 2:
Johnson switches to orthodox. Johnson connects with an inside leg kick followed quickly by an outside leg kick. Johnson goes for the takedown and they clinch. Johnson connects with some knees. Ali reverses and throws some punches which miss. Ali checks a leg kick from Johnson. Johnson backs him up and connect with an outside leg kick and a high head kick. Ali responds with some big punches thrown at nothing but the air where Johnson was a second ago. Johnson connects with another leg kick combo. Another inside leg kick from Johnson. Johnson connects with a big punch. Ali connects with a head kick, but Johnson shrugs it off. They clinch and Ali pushes Johnson against the fence and starts connecting with knees to the body. Johnson answers with some knees of his own. Some big knees from Ali, but Johnson is dodging most of them. Ali with a takedown attempt. Johnson stuffs the attempt and punishes Ali with elbows to the head. They are still clinched and exchanging knees. They grapple and whip eachother around. There’s the buzzer.
Round 3:
Johnson with leg kicks to open the round. A swing and a miss for Ali answered by another leg kick. Leg kick. Straight kick from Johnson. They clinch and Ali pushes Johnson against the fence. They start trading knees. Big knee to Ali’s ribs. Ali connects with a knee to the midsection. Johnson gets double underhooks but lets it go. Big body kick from Johnson. Ali kicks back. Ali tries for a head kick. Johnson darts in with some punches and some high/low head movement. Ali looks confused. Johnson looks fresh, Ali is breathing hard. Tries for a head kick. Ali gets Johnsons back and suplex! Johnson is right back up on his feet. Amazing… They clinch but quickly break apart. Leg kick from Johnson. Ali goes for a takedown and gets a knee. Takedown attempt quickly reversed by Johnson. Some knees and elbows from Johnson to end the round.
Round 4: Championship rounds.
Starts again with leg kicks from the champ. He is landing more and more of those kicks. Outside leg kick from Johnson. Johnson goes for a takedown but Ali stuffs the attempt. Inside leg kick from Johnson. Ali’s hands are really low. Johnson connects with a right hand jab followed by a left hand jab. Huge right hand from Ali but it find nothing but air. NASTY leg kicks from Johnson. A nice body kick from Ali. A lot of movement but nithing happening. Johnson slips and Ali moves in but Johnson is up and out of range quickly. They clinch and Ali pushes Johnson against the cage Some big knees to the midsection of Johnson. Johnson defends well. A over and around knee to Ali’s head. Johnson gets the reversal but Ali reverses again. Johnson gets Ali’s back and starts working for a RNC but the buzzer sounds. Ali is saved by the bell
Round 5: Final Round.
Ali motions to the crowd. Johnson and Ali embrace in the middle. Ali throws a big haymaker but misses. Johnson with a jab, finding his range. Connects with a short right jab. Johnson with the clinch and some hard knee’s to the head and midsection of Ali. Ali has Johnson’s leg, but loses it. They clinch against the cage and Ali starts throwing knees. Johnson pushes him back and answers with his own knees. Johnson reverses and starts throwing punches. Ali reverses again. Johnson yells out in pain as Ali pushes hard down on him. Johnson throws knees but is now only throwing with his left leg. Johnson tags Ali with a kick and attempts a spinning back kick to the head. Ali ducks under and goes for the takedown. Johnson tuffs the attempt. Johnson attacks with a head kick. They grapple at the cage, they clinch and Ali goes to work on Johnson’s midsection. Johnson answers with some knees. Ali’s sides and ribs are bruised and red. He has absorbed a lot of punishment. There is the buzzer it’s over.
Demetrious Johnson def. Ali Bagautinov via. unanimous decision (50-45)
That does it for me folks. It has been a a pleasure.
Injuries are common in mixed martial arts, and the fighters who succumb to these setbacks can easily be pulled out of the competitive mindset during their layoff, but Ryan Bader hasn’t allowed his six-month layoff to break his fighting spirit.
Wh…
Injuries are common in mixed martial arts, and the fighters who succumb to these setbacks can easily be pulled out of the competitive mindset during their layoff, but Ryan Bader hasn’t allowed his six-month layoff to break his fighting spirit.
While drubbing Anthony Perosh at Fight Night 33 last December, The Ultimate Fighter season eight winner suffered a broken hand en route to earning the lopsided unanimous decision victory. Yet, despite being forced to the sidelines while he recovered from surgery, Bader was determined to remain on the proverbial grind in whatever fashion he could muster.
The Power MMA leader kept a diligent presence inside his Phoenix-based training facility and effectively worked around his injured hand. Where he could have slipped out of the fighting realm until he was fully recovered, Bader‘s motivation to push forward was based on keeping his mental focus locked in a competitive mindset.
The 31-year-old believes the elements in his MMA game are rising to the levels they need to be, and he wasn’t going to let a physical setback detour his progress.
“This was the first time I have ever broken my hand,” Bader told Bleacher Report.
“I injured my knee before, and when you first come back, you are a little gun-shy because grappling and being on the mat requires you to work it pretty hard. But with my hand it was completely different. As soon as I got the pins pulled out and was given clearance to work with it, I jumped right back in and didn’t feel a thing. In fact, it has never felt better. I went from not using it at all for a few months, to going 100 percent in just a few days, and it’s been out of my mind for awhile now. It is a total non-issue.
“I really don’t feel like I took a lot of time off because I’ve been in the gym the entire time. Even when I couldn’t do anything with my hand, I was still in there doing what I could. Whether it was lifting or cardio; I was working every day. Once the pins came out, I turned everything up. I’ve been training the entire time since my last fight and I feel great. I feel like I haven’t missed a step.
“It’s just my personality, but I couldn’t sit around and cry about my hand,” he added. “I was in there lifting one-handed, doing squats and working whatever I could. I kept myself in the fighting mentality. My last fight was ways back, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. I feel more confident than ever, and I’m going to keep it rolling.”
Where the former Arizona State University wrestling standout came to the UFC relatively “green” back in 2008, the five years he’s spent competing inside the Octagon have been a “trial by fire.” Five of his 11 showings have come against opposition that have either held, challenged or went on to win the light heavyweight championship.
While there have certainly been setbacks during his run up the 205-pound ranks, Bader has chalked every step up to education through experience.
He will take the next step on his journey this Saturday night when he faces Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante at UFC 174 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Much like Bader, the heavy-handed former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion is well regarded for his knockout power, and the Arizona representative is expecting the leather to fly with bad intentions when the cage door closes on Saturday.
“Cavalcante is a tough fighter, and he has a very powerful right hand. He has good hips on the ground, is a black belt and all that good stuff, but I’m looking to go in there and make it my fight. I have power in my hands as well. I plan to use my wrestling in this fight, and I believe those things will be the keys to victory against Cavalcante.
“There are a couple knocks on him. He’s been taken down in a few fights. He’s been knocked out a few times and has gassed out a couple times as well. I’m looking to push the pace in this fight and test his gas tank. I also have solid power in my hands, so if I connect on him, he’s going out. At the same time, I have to respect that about him. He’s a powerful puncher, and he’s put a lot of people away. He’s always dangerous; it doesn’t matter if it is the first or the third round. I need to go in there and implement my game plan. I respect him as a fighter, and it’s going to be a good one.”
“You are never going to get an easy fight per se in the UFC, and Cavalcante is a tough guy,” he added. “He’s a former Strikeforce champion, and I believe he’s a bit underrated. But I’m definitely bringing the power in this fight, and I’m confident I will get the job done. Beating him is going to get me that much closer to where I want to be. After I defeat him, I could get a guy in the top five and keep going up. I want to be the champion, and I’m going to keep working hard until I get there.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand, unless noted otherwise.
On Saturday night at UFC 174, a key fight takes place in the light heavyweight division between The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner Ryan Bader and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.
Both fight…
On Saturday night at UFC 174, a key fight takes place in the light heavyweight division between The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner Ryan Bader and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.
Both fighters will be looking to win two straight and rise in the official rankings. Bader is currently No. 9, while Cavalcante is No. 11. A win could be big for both men.
Both are solid wherever the fight may go, but let’s find out who will have the edge on Saturday night.
