Tag: Social Reaction

Carlos Condit vs. Demian Maia Results: Winner and Reaction from UFC on Fox 21

The UFC on Fox 21 main event between Carlos Condit and Demian Maia was doomed to end in disappointment, one way or the other.
Unfortunately for Condit, he has to carry that disappointment after Maia defeated him Saturday night in Vancouver, British Col…

The UFC on Fox 21 main event between Carlos Condit and Demian Maia was doomed to end in disappointment, one way or the other.

Unfortunately for Condit, he has to carry that disappointment after Maia defeated him Saturday night in Vancouver, British Columbia, via a first-round submission.

Condit is one of the biggest fan favorites in MMA. Dating all the way back to his days as the WEC welterweight champion, he has been a staple of the division’s Top 10 and delivered exciting performances in every outing.

Unfortunately, his tough split-decision loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 195 seemed to suck the enthusiasm out of him and left him hinting at retirement. A loss to Maia would likely end his days as a title contender and lead to the end of his career.

Maia, on the other hand, is one of those fighters who has always quietly competed at an elite level but has never gotten respect for it. His grappling is chess in a sport where most fighters are playing checkers and most fans are still trying to figure out tic-tac-toe.

Because of that, he has received no real help from the promotion and has largely been relegated to Brazilian Fight Night events. Entering UFC on Fox 21, however, he owned one of the longest active winning streaks in the division (five fights) and seemed poised to make his way back into contention for the first time since 2010.

Entering the event, it was clear that one man would see his days as a contender end. That was Condit, and they ended in the most emphatic way.

Early in the first round, Maia shot for a single-leg takedown, turned the corner and landed in a spread half-guard. He threw some punches and elbows and, as Condit tried to slither away, exploded into a back mount. After some brief hand fighting, Maia secured the rear-naked choke.

And that was the entire bout. Just under two minutes of action.

MMA journalist Chamatkar Sandhu showed Maia’s reaction to the win:

In a vacuum, it was an astounding performance by Maia. Condit is one of the most talented, most experienced fighters at 170 pounds and is coached by Greg Jackson, one of the greatest minds in the sport. Maia, however, is just so good that he managed to effortlessly defeat his opponent in the most predictable way.

This wasn’t in a vacuum, though. It was a fight that came at a time when Condit was on the brink of hanging them up. And he may have gotten that last nudge into doing so.

The future isn’t written in stone for either man, of course. Condit wouldn’t be the first fighter to ponder retirement, take some time off and return to the sport because of his sheer love of competition (and/or out of pure financial necessity). Maia, meanwhile, said he is willing to wait for a title shot that may or may not ever come, per MMA writer Josh Gross:

Still, this is a bittersweet moment. Maia, finally, seems poised to get the praise and recognition he deserves. It’s just a shame it had to come at Condit’s expense.

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Diaz vs. McGregor 2 Results: Twitter Reacts to Notorious’ Victory Via Decision

Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz engaged in a bloody, tense five-round clash Saturday night at UFC 202 in Las Vegas, and the Notorious exacted revenge with a majority-decision victory that could set up the final chapter of an epic trilogy.

Judges scored t…

Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz engaged in a bloody, tense five-round clash Saturday night at UFC 202 in Las Vegas, and the Notorious exacted revenge with a majority-decision victory that could set up the final chapter of an epic trilogy.

Judges scored the fight 48-47, 48-47, 47-47 in favor of McGregor, per Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole, and the tightly contested bout generated buzz across social media. 

HBO’s Bill Simmons was among those who marveled at the resilience that both fighters flashed throughout the grueling affair:

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish was also floored by the efforts McGregor and Diaz put forth in the instant classic: 

Elsewhere, ESPN.com’s Pablo Torre characterized the raw physicality that enveloped the fight with a fitting point:

Here’s a look at the best of the rest:

Given the way things unfolded Saturday night, a rubber match between the two warriors makes loads of sense.

Not only would it generate plenty of revenue and interest after the second bout went the distance following Diaz’s shocking upset in the first meeting, but it would also give both men a chance to leave their marks on the sport and cement themselves as legends.

And in his post-fight comments, Diaz was already campaigning for another spin with McGregor in the Octagon.

“He should have finished me off,” Diaz said, per MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani. “I want No. 3.”

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Diaz vs. McGregor 2 Results: Winner and Reaction from UFC 202

After months of buildup, Conor McGregor has his redemption. 
The Notorious eked out a majority decision over Nate Diaz in the main event at UFC 202 on Saturday.
MMAjunkie tweeted out the scorecards:

McGregor started the bout with a more deliberat…

After months of buildup, Conor McGregor has his redemption. 

The Notorious eked out a majority decision over Nate Diaz in the main event at UFC 202 on Saturday.

MMAjunkie tweeted out the scorecards:

McGregor started the bout with a more deliberate pace than he did the first time around, working kicks to Diaz’s lead leg and patiently countering with a precise overhand left to the head. 

ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto summed up the first round, scoring it for McGregor because of his control of the fight:

It was rinse, lather and repeat early in the second frame, as McGregor continued to tenderize Diaz’s lead leg with kicks and land clean shots to the head. He again floored Diaz early in the round with an overhand left but refused to engage his opponent on the ground.

The UFC showcased McGregor’s cross that continuously landed early in the bout:

However, a Diaz brother won’t go down without a fight, and shades of the first bout began to emerge in the latter half of the second round as Diaz upped his volume and started catching McGregor more and more. 

The UFC passed along a combination from Diaz as he began pushing the pace:

The third round descended into an all-out brawl as McGregor’s energy dwindled, and Diaz used unrelenting pressure to take the round. Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times considered scoring the frame 10-8 for the man from Stockton, California:

The fight took another turn in the championship rounds, as McGregor appeared to catch something of a second wind. His defense still suffered, but he was able to return fire with regularity, including elbows in the clinch.

Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com gave the fourth round to McGregor:

The fifth and final round was an encapsulation of the entire fight, as both bloodied fighters took turns landing big shots between deep breaths. Diaz punctuated the final round with a big takedown just before the final bell rang, bringing the epic fight to its conclusion. 

   

Post-Fight Reaction

With all the buildup leading to this fight, plenty of people weighed in with their thoughts about the outcome. 

Damon Martin of Fox Sports provided a statistical breakdown that really put the madness into perspective:

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took to Twitter to shout out to both combatants for putting on an excellent fight:

Anytime there’s a fight as close as this one, there’s bound to be controversy about the score. However, Chamatkar Sandhu of MMAjunkie passed along a list of media scores, the majority of which were for the eventual winner, McGregor:

Martin of Fox Sports went ahead and suggested a time and place for the threematch to happen. After that fight, there probably aren’t many people who would argue with that. 

Coming up with an actual timeline for a possible trilogy fight might take some time. Sandhu also passed along the news that McGregor fought at least part of the time with a broken foot, which makes his performance all the more impressive:

Pablo S. Torre of the New York Daily News wasn’t surprised by that news:

Finally, Helwani took the time to congratulate McGregor’s coach on obviously having his fighter well-prepared in the rematch:

 

Impact of the Fight

The win added to the lore of Mystic Mac. 

McGregor had already proved he’s the next great featherweight. His meteoric rise and dispatching of Jose Aldo established that, and Saturday’s win cemented his position as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best.

There aren’t many fighters who can lose in the fashion McGregor did in his first encounter with Diaz only to come back with the proper adjustments to overcome a size, reach and grappling disadvantage. 

This will serve to boost McGregor’s stock, which, by the way, was already at an all-time high despite the loss in the first matchup. According to Sandhu, McGregor set a new record for a disclosed purse for a UFC fight:

With his first UFC loss now avenged, the MMA world is McGregor’s oyster. 

UFC President Dana White already laid out some groundwork to attempt to steer McGregor in a certain direction, pre-emptively declaring an ultimatum regarding the featherweight title, per Fox Sports: UFC:

McGregor has talked about becoming a multiple-division champion in the past, but it doesn’t sound as though he’s committed to going back down to defend his featherweight belt after Aldo beat Frankie Edgar for the interim belt, per MMAjunkie:

I’ve beaten everybody in the division. If Frankie had won that last fight, after all that he and his team were talking, it would have been set it stone: I’m going back down to shut that man up. But he got slapped around that fight – couldn’t do nothing against a guy I KOd in one shot. So I’ve just got to see it out, see what happens after this fight.

The bottom line is that McGregor is a man who’s all about the bottom line. If he believes going back down to featherweight will be the best business decision, he will. If not, he’ll chase whatever the next big-money fight is. 

After his win over Diaz, it’s clear McGregor’s talent transcends weight classes. His ability to adjust after losing his first fight at welterweight is the kind of thing that makes a fighter great. 

Regardless of how fans feel about McGregor, they’ll tune in to see his next pursuit of greatness. And he’ll continue to be paid handsomely for it.

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Anthony Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira Results: Winner and Reaction from UFC 202

In a light heavyweight landscape without Jon Jones, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is the clear-cut No. 1 contender to Daniel Cormier’s throne.
That’s the statement Johnson went about proving in the co-main event at UFC 202 with a first-round knockout over G…

In a light heavyweight landscape without Jon Jones, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is the clear-cut No. 1 contender to Daniel Cormier’s throne.

That’s the statement Johnson went about proving in the co-main event at UFC 202 with a first-round knockout over Glover Teixeira on Saturday.

Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com had the official time of the knockout:

After Teixeira called for a fight against Johnson, it looked as though Rumble was trying to erase him from the planet with one shot.

Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie said what everyone was thinking:

For years, Johnson has been one of the greatest “what ifs” in MMA. His tantalizing combination of athleticism and otherworldly power made him a unique challenge early in his career as a welterweight and again in his second UFC run as a light heavyweight. 

Since rejoining the UFC in April 2014, Rumble is 6-1, with five of those victories coming by stoppage. 

In short, he’s finally putting it all together consistently.

It appears as though Johnson is setting himself up to avenge the one loss on his record. According to Fox Sports, UFC President Dana White was noncommittal in the lead-up to this fight as to whether the winner of the bout had a guaranteed shot at Cormier, but it makes the most sense:

The obvious roadblock to a rematch between Johnson and Cormier is the specter of Jones. The former champion hangs over the division like a storm cloud.

The UFC suspended him for a failed USADA drug test, but White recently revealed that he doesn’t believe the situation is as serious as it once looked, per Luke Thomas of MMAFighting.com:

Johnson isn’t holding his breath, though. According to him, he’s done thinking about Jones, per Brett Okamoto ESPN.com:

It’s just not gonna happen — at this point, I know it’s not gonna happen. It is what it is. I’m moving forward. Everybody is moving forward. I’m still shooting high and trying to do what I can in this sport. I’m not focused on Jon anymore. And I can tell you Daniel Cormier, Glover — they’re not focused on Jon, either. Nobody in this division is focused on Jon anymore. That’s a fact.

Johnson, who has been a marvel in his most recent UFC run, stymied Cormier early in their first fight before Cormier put on one of the most courageous championship performances fans will ever see to rally back. 

With three wins for Johnson since that loss, including two Performance of the Night bonuses, the rematch between the two is the fight to make at 205 pounds.

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Donald Cerrone vs. Rick Story Results: Winner and Reaction from UFC 202

Donald Cerrone is starting to gain steam as a welterweight. 
The longtime lightweight contender picked up his third consecutive victory in the 170-pound division with a second-round technical knockout over Rick “The Horror” Story at UFC 202 on Sat…

Donald Cerrone is starting to gain steam as a welterweight. 

The longtime lightweight contender picked up his third consecutive victory in the 170-pound division with a second-round technical knockout over Rick “The Horror” Story at UFC 202 on Saturday:

Story’s wrestling against Cerrone’s jiu-jitsu was the storyline as Cerrone went for a quick takedown, and the grappling continued throughout the early phases of Round 1. In all, the grappling came out as a wash, but Cerrone got the better part of exchanges in the stand-up at the end of the round.

That was the difference on MMAFighting.com’s scorecard:

With Cerrone establishing an advantage on the feet, he went to work on utilizing it in the second round.

MMA writer Adam Martin enjoyed the action:

Story attempted a few takedowns, but Cowboy was able to shuck those and work combinations on the feet. Eventually, he landed a beautiful three-strike combination that was highlighted by a head kick. That was the beginning of the end, as Cerrone picked up the stoppage. 

The win extended Cerrone’s winning streak to three since his loss to Rafael dos Anjos, putting him in an interesting position. 

Cowboy is the No. 6 lightweight in the UFC rankings, yet all three of his wins since his loss in the lightweight title fight have come at welterweight. However, Cerrone has the lightweight champion in his sights. 

“Eddie Alvarez is a fight I’m definitely (interested in),” Cerrone said, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports. “After I beat Rick Story, I’m going to call him out and try to get that Eddie vs. Cowboy 2 in New York.”

Cerrone has generally not been one to chase a title, instead focusing on finding money fights, but a rematch against Alvarez might be the best of both worlds. Cowboy picked up a decision over Alvarez at UFC 178 in September 2014, so there is history between the two.

But Alvarez appears to be hitting his stride as the champion of the lightweight division. 

For Story, the loss ended a winning streak that showed signs he could resurrect his status as a welterweight contender. He came in with three straight wins, including decisions over Tarec Saffiedine and Gunnar Nelson, after a 3-5 stretch. 

The story of this fight was the emergence of Cerrone as a legitimate two-division fighter. For an action fighter who actively seeks out fights, that’s good news for both him and fans.

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Holly Holm vs. Valentina Shevchenko Results: Winner, Reaction from UFC on Fox 20

Valentina Shevchenko ensured that the run of upsets in the UFC women’s bantamweight division didn’t stop at UFC on Fox 20 on Saturday.
The 28-year-old defied the odds against former champion Holly Holm, prevailing via unanimous decision in the mai…

Valentina Shevchenko ensured that the run of upsets in the UFC women’s bantamweight division didn’t stop at UFC on Fox 20 on Saturday.

The 28-year-old defied the odds against former champion Holly Holm, prevailing via unanimous decision in the main event at the United Center in Chicago.

Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting tweeted out the final scorecards:

Both strikers got off to a reserved start. The two established a slow pace that was punctuated only by a Holm knockdown on a right jab. Fox Sports tweeted the highlight:

A brief Shevchenko takedown gave the underdog some hope, but Holm reversed and worked to a clinched position against the cage. Patrick Wyman of Bleacher Report gave the first round to Holm based on her volume:

The clinch would continue to be an interesting aspect of the fight. Shevchenko is dangerous with her muay thai background, but Holm held the advantage there in the second frame. 

Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report noted the advantage for Holm:

Still, Shevchenko began to get the better of the exchanges with her compact, efficient counters. Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com saw the round for the 28-year-old:

Bullet took that momentum into the third frame. She bloodied Holm’s eye with an accidental head-butt and went to work with crisp combinations on the feet. Then she was able to take down the former champion and do some damage from the half-guard.

While Holm’s strength and size was the difference early, Shevchenko’s speed continued to present issues as the fight wore on.

The fourth round was more of the same as Holm lumbered forward and Shevchenko continued to pepper Holm with hard shots in return.

Okamoto summed up Shevchenko’s performance while giving his final scorecard:

The win for Shevchenko highlighted the unpredictable nature the women’s bantamweight division has displayed since Holm defeated Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November. 

Since then, the 135-pound title has changed hands twice in as many title fights, with Holm and Miesha Tate both losing the title on their first defense.

Now, Shevchenko has emerged as a name to watch in the division with a win over the former champion. 

At 13-2, Shevchenko secured the biggest win of her career. The last time she was in the Octagon, she showed a lot of heart against new champion Amanda Nunes in a decision loss but came up short of breaking into the upper echelon of women’s bantamweights.

This time Shevchenko, who is a decorated kickboxer, has made her presence known in the division. 

And she hasn’t forgotten about her decision loss to Nunes. 

“Amanda and I have some unfinished business from our last fight,” she said, per Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com. “There is no way she comes out victorious in a five-round championship fight with me. I gave her the last opportunity and I will never give that opportunity again to anyone.”

There is some weight to Shevchenko’s argument. Nunes blew her out in the first two rounds, but it was clear that her conditioning would give her a chance in a five-round fight. She outlanded Nunes 41-3 in the third and final round, per FightMetric.

While the win for Shevchenko earned her relevance in the division, it’s another example of how quickly a star can fall for Holm. 

In November, Holm was one of the UFC’s biggest names. She was the woman who beat Rousey. With this loss, she slipped close to always being known only as “the woman who beat Ronda Rousey.”

Holm is a fighter, so this won’t be the last we hear of her. But she’ll need to rebound in a big way if she wants to avoid only being the answer to a trivia question moving forward.

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