Fighters train relentlessly in all aspects of mixed martial arts in order to perform heroics inside the cage, but sometimes those same skills can prove to be invaluable out in the real world too. In this article, we’ll look back at 10 incidents where a MMA fighter has came as close as you are likely […]
Fighters train relentlessly in all aspects of mixed martial arts in order to perform heroics inside the cage, but sometimes those same skills can prove to be invaluable out in the real world too.
In this article, we’ll look back at 10 incidents where a MMA fighter has came as close as you are likely to get to a real-life crime-fighting superhero by putting their hard-earned abilities to good use in the spur of the moment in order to catch a criminal.
Jon Jones
These days UFC light heavyweight superstar Jon Jones may be better known for his own run-ins with the law, but back in March of 2011 he was still cultivating a squeaky-clean persona in the public eye as he prepared for his first ever title shot against the light-heavyweight champion at the time, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.
On the day of the event in Newark, New Jersey, Jones and his long-time coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn traveled to a nearby park in order to relax and get his mind right ahead of the biggest fight of his career.
They had been forewarned that this was a rough neighborhood, and sure enough, before they had even stepped out of the car a thief smashed an elderly couple’s car window nearby, stole their belongings and then took off running down the street.
Jackson and Winkeljohn immediately began chasing after the criminal, but Jones soon accelerated ahead of them and was able to footsweep the criminal to stop him in his tracks.
Worried that the fighter might get injured before his big fight, Jackson yelled at him to stay away and then took over himself, diving on top of the thief and applying an armlock, while Jones then figure-foured his legs to keep him in place until the police arrived.
Just hours later, Jones would go on to TKO ‘Shogun’ in the third round at UFC 128, marking the start of a long title reign at 205 pounds.
Bellator crowned a new welterweight champion at Bellator 117, and also determined who’d fight in the finals of the season 10 lightweight tournament. In case you missed the fisticuffs, here’s our recap:
This lightweight tournament semifinal started with some feeling out. A flying knee from Pitbull missed its mark, as did a spinning back kick from Campos. Midway through the round, Pitbull landed a sick hook to the liver followed up by a hook to the head–easily the best combo of the round at that point. Shortly after this, a brawl ensued against the cage. Campos landed some jabs, Freire landed a knee and a right hand. They reset, but then Campos pressured Freire again, landing quite a few shots. Campos’ success continued until the end of the first round; he started to get the better of every exchange while Pitbull looked slow and uninterested.
Campos’ luck ran out in the second round. Pitbull tagged him with a nasty right hand that floored him. Campos managed to rise to his feet only to be floored yet again. Pitbull mounted him and finished him with ground and pound when Campos rolled over onto his stomach and covered up. What a comeback.
Freire will be fighting the winner of Marcin Held vs. Derek Anderson in the lightweight tournament finals.
Bellator crowned a new welterweight champion at Bellator 117, and also determined who’d fight in the finals of the season 10 lightweight tournament. In case you missed the fisticuffs, here’s our recap:
This lightweight tournament semifinal started with some feeling out. A flying knee from Pitbull missed its mark, as did a spinning back kick from Campos. Midway through the round, Pitbull landed a sick hook to the liver followed up by a hook to the head–easily the best combo of the round at that point. Shortly after this, a brawl ensued against the cage. Campos landed some jabs, Freire landed a knee and a right hand. They reset, but then Campos pressured Freire again, landing quite a few shots. Campos’ success continued until the end of the first round; he started to get the better of every exchange while Pitbull looked slow and uninterested.
Campos’ luck ran out in the second round. Pitbull tagged him with a nasty right hand that floored him. Campos managed to rise to his feet only to be floored yet again. Pitbull mounted him and finished him with ground and pound when Campos rolled over onto his stomach and covered up. What a comeback.
Freire will be fighting the winner of Marcin Held vs. Derek Anderson in the lightweight tournament finals.
This was a non-tournament match with no implications–a “feature fight” as Bellator called it on their website. Most of the first round was simply a feeling out process. Gomez landed a right hand that stumbled Amoussou, and Amoussou landed a couple of knees, an uppercut, and some leg kicks. But Gomez’s cross was really the only meaningful strike in the round. Then there was some clinching, and the round ended.
Amoussou took control in the second round, throwing Gomez as soon as it started. Amoussou sat up in Gomez’s guard and dropped for a heel hook. The bold move failed, and Gomez escaped to his feet. An out of breath Amoussou pressed Gomez up against the cage. Gomez separated and landed a huge right hand. Amoussou managed to walk through it though. Some really, really sloppy brawling ensued (I mean Bellator heavyweight level) that neither guy really got the better of. Both fighters wound up clinched again. They separated with about a minute left in the second round.
To start off the third round, Amoussou clinched and went for a trip, which he missed. Gomez landed a few fast but weak uppercuts and hooks. Amoussou looked exhausted by this point; his hands hovered around his waist. Nevertheless, he still managed to intermittently keep Gomez stymied against the fence. The third round was a predictable pattern of clinch-separate-messy striking-clinch and so on until the end of the fight. Karl Amoussou was awarded with a decision win. If you are going to watch a DVR recording of the event, skip this fight.
Held dragged Anderson to the mat early and with little difficulty. He passed into side control but then Anderson managed to regain half guard. This didn’t matter though, since Held dropped down for a leg. The two played footsies for a few minutes. Anderson avoided Held’s onslaught and wound up on top in side control, landing short elbows and punches. Anderson attempted to stand up but Held snared his leg. He used the leg lock to sweep Anderson; he sat up in Anderson’s guard. Held attempted yet another leg lock with about 20 seconds to go but it came up short.
Held nailed Anderson with a stiff left hand that dropped him. He got a little wild after that and got tagged with a right hand. Anderson hit a nice body kick. Anderson started to find his range with the jab. Held, on the other hand, resorted to butt-scotting since he had zero takedowns. Held successfully pulled guard and moments later locked up a triangle and secured the tap.
Marcin Held will meet Patricky Freire in the Bellator season 10 lightweight finals.
Both fighters started tentative. Lima plodded forwards as Hawn shuffled around the edges of the cage. Lima landed a leg kick, Hawn countered with a right hand. Hawn half-assed a shot and ate a left hand. Lima continuously stalked Hawn, and eventually landed a MASSIVE leg kick that sent Hawn to the mat instantly. Hawn got back up and threw a 1-2 that Lima blocked. Lima hit another leg kick that crumpled Hawn. He turtled up as Lima landed loads of elbows and punches. Lima backed off as the round ended. Hawn was certainly in trouble.
Lima threw a leg kick to start round 2, but Hawn checked it as well as a follow-up leg kick. The third one, however, connected and floored Hawn, who was slow to get up. Hawn was sent to the canvas yet again with a leg kick. A TKO via leg kicks was imminent at this point. Hawn got knocked down from a leg kick again. The fight started to resemble a lion playing with its food. Another leg kick found its mark but Hawn somehow remained standing. Lima went high with a kick but Hawn saw it coming. Lima landed a millionth leg kick and Hawn fell yet again. Hawn’s corner got up on the apron and called for an end to the fight, and the referee obliged. This was the right call (see all the leg kicks for yourself–GIFs courtesy of Zombie Prophet). Douglas Lima is now the new Bellator welterweight champ!
Here are the card’s complete results (we’ll update the Houston Alexander and Ryan Jensen fights when the results are available):
Main Card
Douglas Lima def. Rick Hawn via TKO (corner stoppage) 3:19 of round 2
Marcin Held def. Derek Anderson via submission (triangle), 3:07 of round 2
Karl Amoussou def. David Gomez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Patricky Freire def. Derek Campos via TKO (punches), 0:52 of round 2
Preliminary Card
Martin Brown def. Jared Downing via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Larue Burley def. Cliff Wright Jr. via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Joe Vedepo def. Ben Crowder via TKO (leg injury), 0:48 of round 1
Anthony Smith def. Victor Moreno via submission (triangle choke) via 0:59 of round 2
Julio Cesar Neves def. Josh Arocho via TKO (elbows), 2:37 of round 2
Jordan Parsons def. Tim Bazer via KO (punches), 0:04 of round 2
Unaired
Ryan Jensen vs. Mark Stoddard
Matt Uhde vs. Houston Alexander
The next hungry finalist in our Proving Ground competition is Andrew Carrillo, who sent us a two-part video package containing the closest thing to a celebrity endorsement we’ve seen so far. In part 1 (above), Andrew’s coaches and teammates talk about their experience training with him, and why the featherweight prospect would be a great fit in Shark Fights. Among the well-wishers is UFC veteran and Premier Combat Center co-owner Ryan Jensen, who had this to say:
“Andrew’s one of the hardest-working guys in the gym, he puts in 110% effort every single time, he’s always pushing the guys, and he’s always trying to help the guys that are less-talented than him learn as much as they can. He’s a huge asset to the gym, and I’m just glad he’s part of the team…He is a guy that came in to us with a lot of wrestling, he had a little bit of standup, and now he’s starting to really turn into a true mixed martial artist…Andrew deserves to win this contract because he’s put in the hard work, he’s in every single day, he gives 110, 120% every time he’s in, and he’s not gonna disappoint. He’s gonna bring it in the cage, and he’s gonna throw a good show for you guys and you’ll be impressed.”
After the jump: Part 2 of Carrillo’s finalist video, in which Andrew finally shows his face, and takes us through a rather intense-looking workout. Visit Andrew’s Proving Ground page to watch him kick ass in past fights, and click his Facebook “Like” button if you’d like to see him represent CagePotato.com at Shark Fights 19!
The next hungry finalist in our Proving Ground competition is Andrew Carrillo, who sent us a two-part video package containing the closest thing to a celebrity endorsement we’ve seen so far. In part 1 (above), Andrew’s coaches and teammates talk about their experience training with him, and why the featherweight prospect would be a great fit in Shark Fights. Among the well-wishers is UFC veteran and Premier Combat Center co-owner Ryan Jensen, who had this to say:
“Andrew’s one of the hardest-working guys in the gym, he puts in 110% effort every single time, he’s always pushing the guys, and he’s always trying to help the guys that are less-talented than him learn as much as they can. He’s a huge asset to the gym, and I’m just glad he’s part of the team…He is a guy that came in to us with a lot of wrestling, he had a little bit of standup, and now he’s starting to really turn into a true mixed martial artist…Andrew deserves to win this contract because he’s put in the hard work, he’s in every single day, he gives 110, 120% every time he’s in, and he’s not gonna disappoint. He’s gonna bring it in the cage, and he’s gonna throw a good show for you guys and you’ll be impressed.”
After the jump: Part 2 of Carrillo’s finalist video, in which Andrew finally shows his face, and takes us through a rather intense-looking workout. Visit Andrew’s Proving Ground page to watch him kick ass in past fights, and click his Facebook “Like” button if you’d like to see him represent CagePotato.com at Shark Fights 19!
The UFC announced today that UFC middleweight contender Alan Belcher’s first fight back from a career-threatening eye injury will be against New Glasgow, Nova Scotia native Jason MacDonald in the Biloxi, Mississippi native’s backyard of New Orleans, Louisiana on September 17. The event is aptly named UFC Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou.
4-1 in his last 5 outings including wins over Wilson Gouveia, Patrick Cote, Denis Kang and Ed Herman and a questionable split decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama, Belcher (16-6) was mentioned as a potential championship contender before a detached retina sidelined him for almost a year. Although MacDonald (25-15) is by no means a cake walk fight for Belcher, it’s likely that the bout with the recently re-signed Canadian is thought of by the UFC brass as more of a tune-up fight for “The Talent.”
(“I’m fighting Jason who??”)
The UFC announced today that UFC middleweight contender Alan Belcher’s first fight back from a career-threatening eye injury will be against New Glasgow, Nova Scotia native Jason MacDonald in the Biloxi, Mississippi native’s backyard of New Orleans, Louisiana on September 17. The event is aptly named UFC Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou.
4-1 in his last 5 outings including wins over Wilson Gouveia, Patrick Cote, Denis Kang and Ed Herman and a questionable split decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama, Belcher (16-6) was mentioned as a potential championship contender before a detached retina sidelined him for almost a year. Although MacDonald (25-15) is by no means a cake walk fight for Belcher, it’s likely that the bout with the recently re-signed Canadian is thought of by the UFC brass as more of a tune-up fight for “The Talent.”
Following a disappointing 0-2 finish to his last UFC stint in as many fights his last time around in the promotion, MacDonald, like Belcher is now also 4-1 in his last outings. The difference between both fighter’s similar recent records is the level of competition they faced. MacDonald’s wins came against UFC cast-offs Matt Horwich, Solomon Hutcherson and Vernon White. After a horrific leg break cost him his last fight early in the first round of his UFC return bout at UFC 113 last May, MacDonald rebounded in his next fight to finish Ryan Jensen by triangle choke at UFC 129 in Toronto in April. Jensen, who was 2-4 in the Octagon was let go as a result of the loss.
The promotion also announced today that TUF 11 winner Court McGee will also take on Dong Yi Yang on the card.
McGee (13-1) hasn’t fought since defeating Jensen (again by triangle choke) at UFC 121 in October because of an MCL tear that forced him out of a planned UFC 131 bout with Jesse Bongfeldt. He’ll have a tough customer to deal with in Yang (10-1), who is 1-1 in the Octagon after rebounding from a loss against Chris Camozzi at UFC 121 with an impressive TKO win over Rob Kimmons at UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann this past March.
The UFC did not mention whether or not the Belcher-MacDonald fight would act as the night’s main event or whether or not NOLA native Pat Barry will be on the card, but there’s a good possibility of both being announced in the coming weeks.
TORONTO — Watch below as Jason MacDonald talks about coming back from a devastating ankle injury last year, fighting on the biggest show in UFC history, why he believes he is fighting for his job at UFC 129 against Ryan Jensen and his thoughts on his opponent.
TORONTO — Watch below as Jason MacDonald talks about coming back from a devastating ankle injury last year, fighting on the biggest show in UFC history, why he believes he is fighting for his job at UFC 129 against Ryan Jensen and his thoughts on his opponent.
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosANAHEIM, Calif. — MMA Fighting spoke to Court McGee following his UFC 121 win over Ryan Jensen Saturday night about his slow start, breaking his hand in the fight and how he turned things around …
ANAHEIM, Calif. — MMA Fighting spoke to Court McGee following his UFC 121 win over Ryan Jensen Saturday night about his slow start, breaking his hand in the fight and how he turned things around to finish Jensen.
