Tag: Stephan Bonnar

For Stephan Bonnar, Fight of the Night Is Only a Part of the Strategy

Filed under: ,

Stephan Bonnar wanted a name opponent for his return to the cage this year, but what he was offered instead was rising star Kyle Kingsbury. And although Kingsbury might be a tad lacking in star power, there was an appeal.

“I was content with [Kingsbury as an opponent] just cause of the fact he’s got a couple Fight of the Night bonuses,” Bonnar said with a laugh on Monday’s The MMA Hour. “And that evens it out. I think our chances of getting a bonus are pretty good.”


Bonnar, who meets Kingsbury this Saturday at UFC 139, says his Fight of the Night chase isn’t all about the paper. Bonnar feels he has the advantage on the ground and an early brawl is part of the strategy.

“I know I say it in a way that I’m going to be stupid and reckless,” he said. “But if I went out there like, ‘I think I have a better submission, I’m just going to take him down and submit him,’ I think it would be harder than if we slug it out first. Both of us landing some shots. I think that will help open up the submission a little better.”

In his last fight, Bonnar said he should have tried to soften up Igor Pokrajac before taking the fight to the mat. Sticking to a ground-centric effort, Bonnar wasn’t able to submit Pokrajac, but did enough for a unanimous decision.

It’s been almost a year since that fight due to injuries and poor timing. While “time flies” as he commented, he’s also been busy during the stretch with his broadcasting duties and his “Punch Buddies” tees, formerly “Trash Talkin’ Kids” (name changed for legal reasons). Bonnar saw the T-shirt line as a creative outlet.

“it wasn’t so much as setting myself up for later,” Bonnar said. “It’s about, man, I wanted to use my brain a little more than something other than a punching bag.”

Last Saturday, Bonnar joined Kenny Florian and Jay Glazer in the handling of the UFC on FOX pre and post-fight show on FUEL. Bonnar has done commentary for Versus shows and has been a guest analyst on MMA Live on ESPN. As an on-air talent, the TUF 1 icon will have no trouble finding a way to stay involved in the sport once his in-ring career is over and he understands fighting isn’t something he can do forever.

“I’ve been doing this for 10 years,” the 34-year-old said. “I haven’t really put an exact date. It takes toll on you. I’m not getting any younger, guys are getting better. I’d say no more than five years if that.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: ,

Stephan Bonnar wanted a name opponent for his return to the cage this year, but what he was offered instead was rising star Kyle Kingsbury. And although Kingsbury might be a tad lacking in star power, there was an appeal.

“I was content with [Kingsbury as an opponent] just cause of the fact he’s got a couple Fight of the Night bonuses,” Bonnar said with a laugh on Monday’s The MMA Hour. “And that evens it out. I think our chances of getting a bonus are pretty good.”


Bonnar, who meets Kingsbury this Saturday at UFC 139, says his Fight of the Night chase isn’t all about the paper. Bonnar feels he has the advantage on the ground and an early brawl is part of the strategy.

“I know I say it in a way that I’m going to be stupid and reckless,” he said. “But if I went out there like, ‘I think I have a better submission, I’m just going to take him down and submit him,’ I think it would be harder than if we slug it out first. Both of us landing some shots. I think that will help open up the submission a little better.”

In his last fight, Bonnar said he should have tried to soften up Igor Pokrajac before taking the fight to the mat. Sticking to a ground-centric effort, Bonnar wasn’t able to submit Pokrajac, but did enough for a unanimous decision.

It’s been almost a year since that fight due to injuries and poor timing. While “time flies” as he commented, he’s also been busy during the stretch with his broadcasting duties and his “Punch Buddies” tees, formerly “Trash Talkin’ Kids” (name changed for legal reasons). Bonnar saw the T-shirt line as a creative outlet.

“it wasn’t so much as setting myself up for later,” Bonnar said. “It’s about, man, I wanted to use my brain a little more than something other than a punching bag.”

Last Saturday, Bonnar joined Kenny Florian and Jay Glazer in the handling of the UFC on FOX pre and post-fight show on FUEL. Bonnar has done commentary for Versus shows and has been a guest analyst on MMA Live on ESPN. As an on-air talent, the TUF 1 icon will have no trouble finding a way to stay involved in the sport once his in-ring career is over and he understands fighting isn’t something he can do forever.

“I’ve been doing this for 10 years,” the 34-year-old said. “I haven’t really put an exact date. It takes toll on you. I’m not getting any younger, guys are getting better. I’d say no more than five years if that.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC 139 Predictions

Filed under: UFCWill Dan Henderson make a statement in his return to the UFC that he deserves to contend for the light heavyweight belt? Or will Shogun Rua beat Henderson and make a case that he should get another crack at Jon Jones? Can Cung Le thrill…

Filed under:

Shogun RuaWill Dan Henderson make a statement in his return to the UFC that he deserves to contend for the light heavyweight belt? Or will Shogun Rua beat Henderson and make a case that he should get another crack at Jon Jones? Can Cung Le thrill the fans in his UFC debut, or will Wanderlei Silva pick up a much-needed win? Will Urijah Faber or Brian Bowles take a big step toward a rematch with bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz?

We’ll examine those questions and more as we predict the winners of Saturday night’s UFC 139 pay-per-view.

What: UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson

When: Saturday, the Facebook preliminary fights start at 6 p.m. ET, the Spike card starts at 8 and the pay-per-view starts at 9.

Where: HP Pavilion, San Jose

Predictions on the five pay-per-view fights below.


Maurício “Shogun” Rua vs. Dan Henderson
 Henderson left Strikeforce and its light heavyweight belt behind after beating Fedor Emelianenko, and now he’ll try to prove that he deserves a shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship. If he beats Rua, he’d have an excellent case that he deserves to challenge the winner of the upcoming Jones-Lyoto Machida light heavyweight title fight, although Rashad Evans has been waiting for a light heavyweight title shot for a long time, so Henderson may have to get in line.

However, I think it’s going to be a moot point, because I think Rua has the right striking style to frustrate Henderson standing up, and I think he’ll be just good enough on the ground to avoid getting controlled on the canvas by Henderson, who’s a vastly superior wrestler. I like Shogun to win an action-packed fight by decision.
Pick: Rua
Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le
 I’ve always enjoyed the aesthetic beauty of Le’s san shou style of striking, but I’ve never believed it would be effective against a top-notch opponent. And so I think the result of this fight hangs mostly on whether Silva is, at this point in his career, even close to “top-notch” anymore.

So is he? Based on the way the Axe Murderer looked against Chris Leben, I’d have to say no: Silva buckled the first time he was hit hard and was knocked out in just 27 seconds. Silva is 2-6 in his last eight fights, and four of those six losses have been ugly knockouts, and so I’m going to lean toward Le to win this one, just because I think Silva has taken so much damage through his spectacular career that he just doesn’t have a lot left.
Pick: Le
Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles
 Faber is another fighter who has had a long and spectacular career but has begun to decline lately: He was 21-1 in his first 22 fights, but has gone just 4-4 in his last eight. However, Faber’s only losses have been to featherweight and bantamweight champions, and he has looked awfully good while winning, too. Bowles is a terrific fighter who has bounced back from serious hand and foot injuries to win two in a row, but Faber has such good wrestling and such a diverse style of striking that he should be able to dictate where the fight goes and win a decision.
Pick: Faber
Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story
 This is a very interesting fight between two guys who are right on the cusp of the welterweight Top 10 but who are coming off disappointing losses. Story’s wrestling might just be enough for him to control Kampmann for 15 minutes and win a decision, but Kampmann has more ways to win, with a good striking game and varied submissions.
Pick: Kampmann
Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury
This isn’t a great matchup — neither of these guys is even close to the top of the light heavyweight division — but it does have the potential to be an entertaining brawl. Bonnar is a fan favorite riding a two-fight winning streak, but Kingsbury is a better technical striker and should beat Bonnar.
Pick: Kingsbury

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC 139 Fight Card: Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury Breakdown

UFC 139 is bringing a litany of memorable battles to the HP Pavilion this Saturday.In the main event of the evening, Pride legends and former champions Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson will be squaring off in a pivotal light heavyweight affair w…

UFC 139 is bringing a litany of memorable battles to the HP Pavilion this Saturday.

In the main event of the evening, Pride legends and former champions Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson will be squaring off in a pivotal light heavyweight affair which will likely determine the next immediate title challenger.

However, waiting on the wings could be the winner between another 205-pound contest as season one veteran of The Ultimate Fighter  Stephan Bonnar takes on budding prospect Kyle Kingsbury. 

The duo will meet on the main card of the pay-per-view event in what promises to be an early candidate for “Fight of the Night” honors, as both men have a penchant for exciting battle.

There can only be one winner, though, who will be just a win or two away from possibly contending for the world championship. 

Begin Slideshow

The MMA Hour With Stephan Bonnar, Miguel Torres, Mike Goldberg, Tom Lawlor

Filed under: , ,

The MMA Hour returns on Monday afternoon with another jam-packed two-hour show. Here’s who will be stopping by:

* Light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar will preview his UFC 139 fight against Kyle Kingsbury and look back at UFC on FOX 1.

* UFC play-by-play man Mike Goldberg will also recap the historic night that was in Anaheim, Calif.

* Bantamweight Miguel Torres will talk about his UFC 139 fight against Nick Pace.

* Middleweight Tom Lawlor will preview his Saturday night fight against Chris Weidman.

* And we’ll debut a new segment called “5 Rounds,” where two MMA journalists debate five topics with yours truly serving as judge after each “round” using the ever effective 10-point must system to determine a winner. The fifth round winner will be decided by the fans via our chat and Twitter. This week, MMAFighting.com’s Mike Chiappetta and Michael David Smith will go toe-to-toe.

Of course, we’ll also be taking your calls as we recap UFC on FOX and look ahead to UFC 139, so give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.

*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.

Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: , ,

The MMA Hour returns on Monday afternoon with another jam-packed two-hour show. Here’s who will be stopping by:

* Light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar will preview his UFC 139 fight against Kyle Kingsbury and look back at UFC on FOX 1.

* UFC play-by-play man Mike Goldberg will also recap the historic night that was in Anaheim, Calif.

* Bantamweight Miguel Torres will talk about his UFC 139 fight against Nick Pace.

* Middleweight Tom Lawlor will preview his Saturday night fight against Chris Weidman.

* And we’ll debut a new segment called “5 Rounds,” where two MMA journalists debate five topics with yours truly serving as judge after each “round” using the ever effective 10-point must system to determine a winner. The fifth round winner will be decided by the fans via our chat and Twitter. This week, MMAFighting.com’s Mike Chiappetta and Michael David Smith will go toe-to-toe.

Of course, we’ll also be taking your calls as we recap UFC on FOX and look ahead to UFC 139, so give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.

*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.

Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC 139 Fight Card: What If Stephan Bonnar Had Won the Ultimate Fighter 1?

In 2005, the UFC took its first real shot at getting on television and earning some mainstream exposure since ZUFFA had purchased the company. The organization came to SPIKE TV with an offer to add a new reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, to their win…

In 2005, the UFC took its first real shot at getting on television and earning some mainstream exposure since ZUFFA had purchased the company.

The organization came to SPIKE TV with an offer to add a new reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, to their winter lineup.

SPIKE accepted on the condition that the UFC handle all production costs and suddenly there was MMA on television.

While the show itself was a hit, it wasn’t until the show’s finale that it became clear that SPIKE had struck gold with the UFC.

In what was actually the co-main event of the night (Ken Shamrock fought Rich Franklin in the main event), Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar put on an incredibly exciting fight that drew in viewers by the second.

In the end the judges gave Griffin the close decision win, and Forrest was instantly one of the most popular and well-liked fighters in MMA.

After the fight Forrest was highlighted as a future champion and one of the future legends of the sport, while Bonnar was left to fend for himself, having to fight much tougher competition in his initial bouts.

Since then, Bonnar has been regarded as little more than a gatekeeper in the light heavyweight division, while Griffin has gone on to win the 205-lb title and is consistently ranked in the Top 10 in the division.

But what if Bonnar had won?

 

Odds are they would have built him up a little more cautiously and given him a few fights that they thought he could win.

Could Bonnar have defeated Tito Ortiz whereas Griffin failed on his first attempt? It’s definitely possible.

Forrest is undeniably the superior fighter, but if Bonnar had even half of the patience that the UFC showed with Griffin, we could be looking at a former title contender instead of the gatekeeper we’ve grown accustomed to.

Sure, it’s unlikely that Bonnar would have ever beaten Shogun Rua and Rampage Jackson in consecutive fights, but he may have gotten a shot to coach The Ultimate Fighter, and may be considered the fan favorite that Forrest is now.

Meanwhile, Griffin would have had a much tougher road to the top, fighting guys like Rashad Evans much sooner than he did. He may even be nearing the end of his career at the moment.

It’s purely speculation, but if just two of the judges had sided with Bonnar on that fateful night in 2005, the entire landscape of the UFC might be dramatically different from the way it is now.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Your Daily Dose of Awesome: FoGriff and Friends Get Mauled at the K-9 Trials

(Free shirt goes to whoever can pick out Dan Hardy.) 

This past weekend, the 21st annual K-9 Trials went down. What are the K-9 Trials you ask? Well, they are like the Westminster Dog Show, only points are awarded on each dog’s ability to tear you limb from limb. This year, UFC fighters Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, Dan Hardy, and Frank Mir got in on the action, because when presented the opportunity to be mauled by a dog, who wouldn’t jump?


(Free shirt goes to whoever can pick out Dan Hardy.) 

This past weekend, the 21st annual K-9 Trials went down. What are the K-9 Trials you ask? Well, they are like the Westminster Dog Show, only points are awarded on each dog’s ability to tear you limb from limb. This year, UFC fighters Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, Dan Hardy, and Frank Mir got in on the action, because when presented the opportunity to be mauled by a dog, who wouldn’t jump?

The highlight of the show without a doubt was Stephan Bonnar, who decided to goad the mongrel with the old “You’ll never take me alive!” routine. Leave it to this man to find it necessary to upstage a dog. Will someone get “The American Psycho” a role on CSI or whatever they’re casting UFC fighters for these days? I have a feeling that Frank Mir, on the other hand, secretly wants to end the dog’s life for attempting to make him look foolish. Or, at the least, make him eat some vomit.

-Danga