(Diego Sanchez is like the movie Inception: A dream inside of a nightmare inside two more dreams which are actually nightmares. Photos courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)
All fighters made weight at yesterday’s UFC on FUELTV weigh-ins, which seemed to sail by at a faster pace than normal. Maybe it was the lack of name power, or perhaps it was the absence of the usual drama and near brawls that we have become accustomed to over the past few weeks. In either case, it was a reserved, quiet evening for all participants involved. Except Diego Sanchez. He doesn’t do “reserved.”
Instead, we were treated to what appeared to be a night of MMA fighters mimicking the looks of pseudo-celebrities. Sean Loeffler came out posing as the singer from Crazy Town, making it rain on the audience like they were the 2 a.m. shift at Scores, and Jonathan Brookins stuck with the Geico Caveman look that has gotten him some fine honeys up to this point. But the most bizarre shift in appearance undoubtedly went to Ed Herman, who pulled off Neil Fallon TO PERFECTION.*
Join us after the jump for the full weigh in video and results.
(Diego Sanchez is like the movie Inception: A dream inside of a nightmare inside two more dreams which are actually nightmares. Photos courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)
All fighters made weight at yesterday’s UFC on FUELTV weigh-ins, which seemed to sail by at a faster pace than normal. Maybe it was the lack of name power, or perhaps it was the absence of the usual drama and near brawls that we have become accustomed to over the past few weeks. In either case, it was a reserved, quiet evening for all participants involved. Except Diego Sanchez. He doesn’t do “reserved.”
Instead, we were treated to what appeared to be a night of MMA fighters mimicking the looks of pseudo-celebrities. Sean Loeffler came out posing as the singer from Crazy Town, making it rain on the audience like they were the 2 a.m. shift at Scores, and Jonathan Brookins stuck with the Geico Caveman look that has gotten him some fine honeys up to this point. But the most bizarre shift in appearance undoubtedly went to Ed Herman, who pulled off Neil Fallon TO PERFECTION.*
(skip to 17:12 for the start, unless you REALLY want to hear Jay Glazer’s breakdown of the card, which starts at 10:00.)
Main Card (on Fuel TV): -Diego Sanchez (170) vs. Jake Ellenberger (170)
–Stefan Struve (256) vs. Dave Herman (234)
–Aaron Simpson (186) vs. Ronny Markes (185)
-Stipe Miocic (240) vs. Phil De Fries (241)
–T.J. Dillashaw (136) vs. Walel Watson (135)
-Ivan Menjivar (135) vs. John Albert (135)
Preliminary Bouts (on Facebook):
–Jonathan Brookins (145) vs. Vagner Rocha (145)
-Buddy Roberts (184) vs. Sean Loeffler (185)
-Anton Kuivanen (156) vs. Justin Salas (155)
-Tim Means (155) vs. Bernardo Magalhaes (155)
The prelims for the event are set to kick off tonight around 6:20 p.m. EST on Facebook, with the FUEL broadcast beginning at 8:00 p.m.
*To any, let’s call them “new” viewers of CP, I do not actually believe the fighters were trying to mimic these celebrities. That would be just silly. Glad I could clear that up.
(DON’T MOVE ROB! There is the biggest hornet on your nose right now!)
A battle between undefeated heavyweights Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries has recently been booked for the UFC’s upcoming debut on FUELTV, which transpires February 15th at the CenturyLink and Cornmeal Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
After starting off his professional career with five straight (T)KO victories, all coming within the first two rounds, Croatian-born Stipe Miocic scored a second round leglock submission over Bobby Brents to earn himself a call from the UFC. In his debut, Miocic would handle tough veteran Joey Beltran with a deft combination of leg kicks and takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory. Though his choice to sport the same checkerboard trunks as the legendary Mirko Cro Cop would earn him the ire of many keyboard warriors across the nation, a win over De Fries, specifically a head kick KO, would certainly give him some breathing room. De Fries, on the other hand, had finished all of his opponents (excluding a No Contest against Dave Wilson) via submission before making his UFC debut, where he scored his own unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 138.
(DON’T MOVE ROB! There is the biggest hornet on your nose right now!)
A battle between undefeated heavyweights Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries has recently been booked for the UFC’s upcoming debut on FUELTV, which transpires February 15th at the CenturyLink and Cornmeal Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
After starting off his professional career with five straight (T)KO victories, all coming within the first two rounds, Croatian-born Stipe Miocic scored a second round leglock submission over Bobby Brents to earn himself a call from the UFC. In his debut, Miocic would handle tough veteran Joey Beltran with a deft combination of leg kicks and takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory. Though his choice to sport the same checkerboard trunks as the legendary Mirko Cro Cop would earn him the ire of many keyboard warriors across the nation, a win over De Fries, specifically a head kick KO, would certainly give him some breathing room. De Fries, on the other hand, had finished all of his opponents (excluding a No Contest against Dave Wilson) via submission before making his UFC debut, where he scored his own unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 138.
After original opponent Eric Koch was forced to withdraw from their bout citing an unknown injury, featherweight wrecking machine Dustin Poirier was in need of an opponent to continue the four fight win streak he had built up starting back at WEC 52, which had included brilliant wins over Pablo Garza and Josh Grispi. It has been reported that fellow UFC on FOX victor Ricardo Lamas has stepped up to the challenge and will meet Poirier at UFC 143, which goes down February 4th from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and features an interim welterweight championship bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.
Lamas has built up a two fight streak of his own in his time under the Zuffa banner, following up a head kick TKO over Matt Grice with the aforementioned UFC on FOX win over Cub Swanson via second round arm triangle.
Filed under: UFCJust in case UFC president Dana White had any doubts about what he would do next with the middleweight division — and before UFC 136, he seemed a bit torn — Chael Sonnen made his case with his actions and his mouth. Afterward, it seem…
Just in case UFC president Dana White had any doubts about what he would do next with the middleweight division — and before UFC 136, he seemed a bit torn — Chael Sonnen made his case with his actions and his mouth. Afterward, it seemed clear that White would grant Sonnen his wish for a rematch with division champion Anderson Silva.
According to White, it’s a matchup that Silva wants, too, because, as he told MMA Fighting, Silva “hates him with a passion.” The funny thing is, Silva should love Sonnen. He should send him thank you cards. And 20 years from now, he’ll probably feel that way. Because regardless of his words, Sonnen has helped to raise Silva’s profile and to define his career.
Years from now, when Silva is old and we have a stronger grasp of MMA history, the win over Sonnen will be seen as the defining one of his career. It was a victory that only a champion could have pulled out. Silva was fighting with a severe rib injury, and was trailing badly on the judges’ scorecards — 40-34 on one judge’s card. The fifth round started much the same as the first four, with a Sonnen takedown. But Silva somehow willed one last gasp triangle that caught Sonnen and forced a tapout.
Of course, master fight promoter Sonnen barely waited to begin talk of a rematch. It was at the post-fight press conference that same night when he said, in Silva’s presence, “Here’s the truth: if the commission would sanction it and Dana would move, I would fight him again right now.”
If we’ve learned anything about White over time, it’s that he loves a fighter who proactively campaigns for opportunities. Passion moves him. Whether you love or hate Sonnen, you can’t deny his passion. And after his first performance against Silva, you can’t deny he has a chance to win. That should mean big interest in the fight, and big business for the event, and even Anderson Silva should be able to appreciate that.
Frank Edgar
Edgar has spent the last two years of his life focused on two fighters: BJ Penn and Gray Maynard. He has to be thrilled about moving on. And he also has to be thrilled about finishing his toughest opponent after nearly 12 rounds of war, earning a decisive conclusion.
Edgar will take off the next two weeks or so, and he won’t be back in the cage until early next year. Gilbert Melendez has been mentioned, but for now it seems like Melendez’s status is up in the air. That makes it a toss-up as to whether Edgar will face him next, or a UFC lightweight.
Prediction: Edgar faces the winner of UFC on FOX 1’s Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida fight
Gray Maynard
Maynard seemed heartbroken after UFC 136, and you can’t blame him. He came within a punch or two of winning the lightweight title in two different fights and couldn’t close it out.
There is a silver lining though, as his competitive performances have shown that he is clearly capable of giving the world’s best a run for their money. And after having been tied up with Edgar so long, there are plenty of fresh matchups out there for him.
Prediction: He faces the loser of UFC on FOX 1’s Henderson vs. Guida fight
Jose Aldo
Aldo received some criticism for his win over Kenny Florian from those who believed he was too conservative with his offense. But with the way Florian was attacking him, Aldo did the right thing. Florian was looking to take away Aldo’s explosiveness by either taking him down or grinding him against the cage. By FightMetric’s count, Florian tried 19 takedowns (and only completed one).
Even if you didn’t watch the fight, from those number you can surmise that Florian didn’t give Aldo much room to operate. Aldo had to worry about defense for good reason, and he did a great job with it. It may not be any easier in his next fight.
Prediction: He faces unbeaten Chad Mendes in early 2012.
Kenny Florian
At least in the immediate aftermath of UFC 136, Florian looked like a man who was done with fighting. Verbally, he wouldn’t commit to either continuing or retirement, and rightfully, Florian should take time to consider all his options. At 35 years old, Florian is still a very good fighter, and he could certainly continue on and seek out intriguing matchups if he so chose. But Florian has always said his goal was a UFC championship belt, and now it appears that will never happen. That leads me to wonder if he will have the proper motivation to go through the grind of training camps. Hopefully he makes a decision he can embrace wholeheartedly.
Prediction: Florian retires and continues his strong work in broadcasting
Chael Sonnen
Sonnen’s performance Saturday night was nothing short of systematic destruction. Sonnen finished off Stann with the arm triangle choke and got up off the canvas with a stoic, focused look on his face. It seemed like there was something on his mind other than Stann, and we quickly found out what it was. Bring on the rematch.
Prediction: Silva-Sonnen II
Brian Stann
Stann is a strong, powerful dude, but he had no prayer of stopping Sonnen’s takedowns. He’ll always be a tough matchup for strikers, but wrestlers are always going to try to follow the blueprint laid by Sonnen and Phil Davis. Fortunately for Stann, there aren’t an overwhelming number of wrestlers. Anyway, it’s time to retool and reload for Stann.
Prediction: Stann might have a bit of a wait until his next fight. I’m thinking he could face Mark Munoz if Munoz should lose to Chris Leben next month, or if not, Stann gets someone like a returning Alessio Sakara.
Joe Lauzon
Lauzon has some of the best finishing instincts in the UFC, fearless in his attempts to close out a fight. His win over Melvin Guillard was a shocker, entering the fight as a massive underdog. Despite the big win, Lauzon’s only 3-2 in his last five, so it’s hard to figure exactly where he fits in the lightweight hierarchy.
Prediction: TJ Grant looked very good in his lightweight debut. Sounds like a good matchup.
Anthony Pettis
When the UFC announced Pettis vs. Jeremy Stephens, no one was expecting a slow grind of a fight. And while it wasn’t Pettis’ best performance, he proved he could go in there against a rugged, powerful striker and win. Ultimately, Pettis isn’t going to win a title with his wrestling, so I don’t expect him to employ the same kind of game plan against anyone. Let’s get him back in there against another striker.
Prediction: Pettis faces Sam Stout
Stipe Miocic
You may or may not have seen the debut of Miocic, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound heavyweight who outlasted the always tough Joey Beltran during the prelims. Miocic looked good but not great against a guy who is among the UFC’s most durable heavyweights. But even though he has plenty of work to do, it was a positive first step.
Prediction: He faces Mark Hunt
Filed under: UFCUFC 136 brought us two title fights, at least one colossal upset, and a post-fight interview that would have made Ric Flair stand up and say ‘Woooooo!’
Now that it’s all over, time to sort through the wreckage in search of the biggest …
UFC 136 brought us two title fights, at least one colossal upset, and a post-fight interview that would have made Ric Flair stand up and say ‘Woooooo!’
Now that it’s all over, time to sort through the wreckage in search of the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Frankie Edgar
Dana White compared his fourth-round knockout victory to a Rocky movie, but that’s not terribly accurate, since you can actually understand Edgar when he speaks. Also unlike Rocky, Edgar’s series of battles with his nemesis only got more and more exciting with each installment, and without any help from Mr. T.
Thanks be to Crom that this trilogy is finally over, though. Edgar’s win put the final stamp on it, and hopefully also convinced the last few holdouts that he is indeed the one true lightweight champ, so they can stop waiting for the messiah that they seem to think is still out there somewhere. Between his defensive wrestling skills, his mongoose-like quickness on the feet, and now his thoroughly proven ability to get knocked around like a ping-pong ball early and still come back with a ferocity, he’s not only a tough opponent but also a rarity among UFC champions. Jon Jones, Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva — they’re all dominant almost to the point of being predictable. That’s one problem Edgar hasn’t had lately, and it’s refreshing for the fans even if it’s not the best thing for his face. Most importantly, with the Gray Maynard chapter in his life now closed, both Edgar and the UFC lightweight division can officially move on. It’s about time. Even Rocky needed fresh faces to fill the same old storylines.
Biggest Loser: Melvin Guillard
I’ll admit that I didn’t see how he might possibly lose to Joe Lauzon. From the look of it, neither did Melvin. He seemed to think this was little more than a showcase fight for him, which would explain why he attacked with reckless self-confidence right off the bat. After he jumped straight into a left hand from Lauzon all the air went out of his balloon in a hurry. It was as if you could actually see him suddenly coming around to the shocking realization that this fight wasn’t won the minute he signed the bout agreement. Arguably no one at UFC 136 had as little to gain or as much to lose as Guillard did with this fight, but I still say that it was the right move to take it. If you can’t beat Lauzon, you probably don’t deserve to be UFC champion, and this fight showed exactly why. Despite all his physical tools — and he has a bunch — Guillard still doesn’t have the mind of a champion. Not yet, anyway. If he can learn the appropriate lessons from this experience, there’s still hope. But if he doesn’t get the message this time, I fear he never will.
Best Pro Wrestling Promo: Chael Sonnen
Telling Anderson Silva that he “absolutely suck[s]”? That’s just Sonnen doing what’s expected of him at this point. Challenging him to the MMA equivalent of a loser-leaves-town match? That’s him cranking up the volume to 11. You know how you can really tell that Sonnen isn’t just borrowing a page or two out the pro wrestling playbook, but rather photocopying the whole thing and sleeping with it under his pillow? Go watch his post-fight interview with our own Ariel Helwani, where Sonnen not only claims to have the largest arm in West Linn, Ore. (a town known for the enormous arms of its citizenry, no doubt), but also finds reasons to say the name of the city he is currently in over and over again. For example, when talking about his challenge to Silva, Sonnen said, “If you accept, I will wait until Super Bowl weekend. But if you reject I will walk over there and whip your ass right here and right now in Houston, Texas.” See what I mean? All he’s missing there is a crowd to go crazy at the mere mention of their city. You have to think he’ll get that rematch with Silva, whether it’s on Super Bowl weekend or not, and then he’ll have to deal with the real-life consequences of this fantasy-land schtick. His performances in the cage thus far have bolstered his case well. It should be interesting to see whether he can stick to that script against the champ.
Most Depressing: Kenny Florian
You know how when you’re a kid they tell you that you can be anything you want to be, as long as you want it badly enough? Yeah, well that’s all crap, and the continuing saga of KenFlo proves it. Nobody wants to be a champion more or has worked harder to make it happen than Florian, yet again he comes up short. He didn’t choke. He didn’t make any obvious mistakes. He was just not quite good enough to beat Jose Aldo, just like he was not quite good enough to beat B.J. Penn. There’s no shame in it. Florian is still better than 95% of the guys in two weight classes. He’s had a great career even without the belt, and he has a future as a commentator and analyst whenever he wants it. It’s just that he’ll probably never be a UFC champion, which must be hard for a guy like him to swallow. It’s sad to think that, at least with some things and for some people, wanting it and working for it aren’t enough, and never will be. But if your consolation prize is a lucrative career and the respect of your peers — both of which Florian currently enjoys — then you’re doing pretty well. Even if it may not feel like it right this minute.
Still Predictable, But in a Fun Way: Leonard Garcia
You know what you’re getting with this guy, but it just doesn’t get old. In the rematch with Nam Phan he actually maintained his composure and discipline in the early going and resisted the urge to brawl. When that didn’t seem to be working too well, however, he had no problem flipping the switch and going into full-scale freakout mode. If only he hadn’t freaked out too much too soon, he might have managed to put Phan away. Even with the decision loss he at least reminded the UFC why he’s worth keeping around, record be damned.
Most Disappointing Trend: Demian Maia‘s Submission-less Streak
Remember when Maia was the last great hope of pure jiu-jitsu in MMA? His striking was perfunctory at best, his takedowns consisted of pulling people into his half-guard, and his finishes were all GIF-worthy displays of technical superiority. What ever happened to that guy? Now that he’s a proficient striker and a competent wrestler it’s as if all that submissions whiz stuff was in another life. He’s now gone seven straight fights without hearing the glorious sound of a dejected opponent tap, tap, tapping his way to defeat. He’s gone 4-3 during that same stretch, and against some very tough opponents. I realize his jiu-jitsu isn’t exactly sneaking up on anyone at this point, but it did seem like a greater threat back when it was the only one he had.
Biggest Matchmaking Headache: Gray Maynard
“The Bully” has had two consecutive shots at the title, yet come away empty. Now what do you do with the guy? He’s still likely to beat most of the top contenders in the lightweight division, but not likely to make much of a show out of it. Whoever you put him in against had either be a good enough wrestler to force him to do something other than suffocate them from the top, and if they’re that good you probably don’t want to waste them in a non-title or non-contender bout. Maybe the best option is to put him up against Nate Diaz next. Those two have a history, and neither is within sniffing distance of a title shot right now. Maybe they can sort things out for themselves while the rest of the division moves toward resolving the bottleneck at the very top. Just don’t expect much in the way of pre-fight interviews from those two.
Jury’s Still Out On…: Stipe Miocic
Expectations are high for this heavyweight, and he’s not doing much to lower them by showing up in a pair of Cro Cop shorts. As expected, he looked like he could do just about anything he wanted to do to Joey Beltran except put him away. That’s not necessarily a knock on Miocic. Neither Pat Barry nor Matt Mitrione could find that guy’s off switch, so there’s no shame in letting him go the distance. Still, Miocic seemed to fade in the later rounds, and didn’t have near the sense of urgency about protecting his own face that you’d like to see from fighters at this level. He could very well turn out to be the prospect of the future, but he’s clearly still got some work to do.
If you have a computer and a Facebook account — and the mere fact that you are reading this suggests that you have at least one of those things — you might want to be sure and tune in to Saturday’s UFC 136 prelims. If several train…
If you have a computer and a Facebook account — and the mere fact that you are reading this suggests that you have at least one of those things — you might want to be sure and tune in to Saturday’s UFC 136 prelims. If several trainers and MMA insiders are to be believed, that’s where you could catch a glimpse of a very bright prospect in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
Stipe Miocic (pronounced: steep-eh) is only 6-0 as a professional, but the former Golden Gloves boxer and college wrestling standout already has much of the fight world buzzing.
“I believe that guy could take it all the way. I really do,” said trainer Trevor Wittman, who worked with Miocic during the fighter’s visit to the Grudge Training Center in Denver recently. “He’s the next great heavyweight coming into the UFC. His composure, his attitude, his willingness to learn and be open to things, his toughness — it’s just all there.”
Marcus Marinelli, who is Miocic’s coach at the Strong Style Fight Team in Independence, Ohio, said that even the videos of his MMA fights that have made the rounds on the internet recently don’t necessarily do him justice.
“I think at times he’s fought down to the level of his opponent, so you don’t always see what I see in the gym,” Marinelli said. “But that’s going to change on Saturday night.”
Miocic first walked through the doors of the Strong Style gym after he’d been recruited to help former Pride and UFC fighter Dan Bobish prepare for a bout. He’d been a two-sport athlete at Cleveland State University, wrestling in the 197-pound class and drawing the attention of Major League scouts as a third baseman, but it was mainly his ability to help Bobish improve his wrestling and takedown defense that caught Marinelli’s eye at first, he said.
“He really helped Dan out a lot, but right away I saw his potential with his wrestling and athleticism. So little by little, he started training with us.”
As Miocic remembered with a laugh, he walked in as a training partner, “and then I never left the gym.”
Marinelli began slowly adding weapons to Miocic’s arsenal, he said, but soon the 6’3″, 240-pound fighter fell in love with boxing. The next thing Marinelli knew, Miocic was headed for the national Golden Gloves tournament in Salt Lake City.
“He made it as far as the quarterfinals, and I think he could have won the whole thing, but he just didn’t have as much boxing experience as some of those guys,” said Marinelli. Miocic had only been boxing for a little over a year at that point, but “still people were looking at him going, where did this kid come from?”
Now the 29-year-old is on the verge of his UFC debut against Joey Beltran at UFC 136 after less than two years as a professional. It was a bit of a surprise to him to get the call from the big show so soon in his career he said, but his coach wasn’t.
“Most people, you’d want them to have more fights, but he’s the exception to the rule,” Marinelli said. “He’s still got to come in and perform, but he’s got all the tools.”
Of course, it’s one thing to look good when you’re fighting bar bouncers and training room heroes in front of a couple thousand people in Cleveland. Taking on an experienced heavyweight on a UFC pay-per-view event isn’t even in the same zip code as far as nerves go, and the dreaded “Octagon jitters” have, more than once, turned prospects into flops before our very eyes.
It’s something Miocic has considered, he said, but has tried not to dwell on.
“I talked to Forrest Petz, who fought in the UFC, and he told me, ‘Man, it’s still just you and another guy,'” Miocic said. “That part doesn’t change.”
As Marinelli put it, “Nobody can say [jitters are] never a concern. Sure it’s a concern. But that’s what I’m here for and that’s what the other coaches are here for, to ensure that he walks in there he shows the true Stipe Miocic that we know.”
The Stipe they know just happens to be an undefeated wrecking machine who’s put away all six of his opponents, with none lasting beyond the second round. If they can get that same guy to show up in the UFC — and against UFC-caliber opponents — there’s no telling how far he could go.
Out of the 22 fighters competing on this Saturday’s UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III card, only one will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time. That man is Stipe Miocic, an undefeated 29-year-old Croatian-American from Ohio who will be facing Joey Beltran during the prelims. So how does a guy with just six fights, who’s beaten nobody you’ve ever heard of, get an invitation to the big show? By being one of the most decorated blue-chip prospects the UFC heavyweight division has seen since Cain Velasquez. Seriously. Just check out his credentials…
(Stipe Miocic vs. William Penn, 4/16/11)
Out of the 22 fighters competing on this Saturday’s UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III card, only one will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time. That man is Stipe Miocic, an undefeated 29-year-old Croatian-American from Ohio who will be facing Joey Beltran during the prelims. So how does a guy with just six fights, who’s beaten nobody you’ve ever heard of, get an invitation to the big show? By being one of the most decorated blue-chip prospects the UFC heavyweight division has seen since Cain Velasquez. Seriously. Just check out his credentials…
While attending Cleveland State University, Miocic was an athletic phenom, earning a national rank as a Division I wrestler at 197 pounds and attracting the MLB’s attention due to his talents as a third baseman. Following college he pursued boxing, picked up a Golden Gloves title, and also went 5-0 as an amateur MMA fighter.
Miocic made his professional MMA debut in February 2010, and went on to win his first five pro fights by KO/TKO within two rounds. He won the NAAFS heavyweight title in June by leg-kicking Bobby Brents into submission, and landed a UFC contract less than two weeks later.
Miocic currently trains with Ohio’s Strong Style Fight Team, which includes Chris Lozano, Forrest Petz, and Jessica Eye. He spits a lot. Check out his knockout reel below, and let us know how you think he’ll do against the more-seasoned Mexicutioner this weekend.
Just in case 
