Tag: The Ultimate Fighter

TUF Nations Finale: Who’s on the Hot Seat?

On Wednesday, Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy will look to take one step closer to the top of the middleweight division. The 185-pound bout will serve as the main attraction at The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia finale, but several…

On Wednesday, Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy will look to take one step closer to the top of the middleweight division. The 185-pound bout will serve as the main attraction at The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia finale, but several more important fights will be held on the fight card.

This TUF season’s coaches, Patrick Cote and Kyle Noke, will also meet on Wednesday. Cote coached four Canadians to the competition’s finals, so Noke will be looking to exact some revenge for his Australian team.

In the middleweight final, Sheldon Westcott and Elias Theodorou will battle for a guaranteed spot on the UFC roster. Also, welterweights Chad Laprise and Olivier Aubin-Mercier will be looking to earn a TUF crown.

On the other end of the spectrum, multiple fighters could be battling for their UFC jobs. Here are the fighters whose UFC roster spots could be in jeopardy heading into Wednesday. 

 

Ryan Jimmo

Just one fight removed from a decision win over Igor Pokrajac, Ryan Jimmo isn’t on a long losing streak. However, he still can’t afford to lose his matchup with UFC newcomer Sean O’Connell.

A loss to O’Connell, who replaced Steve Bosse on the card, would leave Jimmo with losses in three of his past four fights. Coming off of a fight with a veteran, that wouldn’t be so bad, but it could be costly following a bout with a UFC debutante who wasn’t originally expected to compete on the fight card.

It also wouldn’t help that Jimmo doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being ultraexciting. Aside from his quick knockout win over Anthony Perosh, Jimmo‘s only other finish in his past eight wins came via a doctor’s stoppage in the third round.

He’s a heavy favorite in this matchup, so Jimmo needs to take care of business to avoid putting himself in a bad situation.

 

Mark Bocek

Like Jimmo, Bocek isn’t in danger of losing a third straight fight. In fact, Bocek has actually won two of his past three fights.

That said, Bocek is also in a situation where he’s meeting a UFC newcomer who stepped up on short notice following an injury to Evan Dunham. Mike de la Torre could be a solid lightweight prospect, but he’s a fighter Bocek is expected to roll through.

If he doesn’t, Bocek could be in danger of losing his job. 

While he hasn’t lost consecutive fights, Bocek has been out of action for 17 months, meaning his last win came nearly two years ago. Should he extend that drought and look bad in doing so against a UFC neophyte, Bocek wouldn’t be safe by any means.

 

Nordine Taleb and Vik Grujic

This one is the standard contract eliminator between TUF contestants.

Nordine Taleb and Vik Grujic fell short of the competition’s middleweight final, but they impressed enough to get one more shot inside the Octagon.

Taleb was beaten in the quarterfinals by Tyler Manawaroa, who was not given an opportunity on Wednesday’s fight card due to some dirty laundry discovered on his Instagram account after the season wrapped up filming.

Grujic, meanwhile, reached the semifinals, where he was beaten by Westcott via submission. If Grujic doesn’t find a way to win against Taleb, TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia will have failed to add an Australian middleweight to the UFC roster. 

 

Richard Walsh and Chris Indich

While it is possible no 185-pound Australian’s will join the UFC as a result of TUF Nations, at least one Australian welterweight should start a lengthy career inside the Octagon.

In another battle between TUF contestants, Team Australia members Richard Walsh and Chris Indich will battle for their UFC careers. It’s possible both men could remain on the roster, but the pair would likely need to score Fight of the Night honors to make that happen.

During the competition, Walsh was submitted by Aubin-Mercier in the semifinals, while Indich fell in a decision to eventual finalist Chad Laprise during the quarterfinals. The other semifinal loser, Kajan Johnson, will likely get his last shot inside the Octagon at UFC 174, where he’ll meet Tae Hyun Bang.  

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

TUF Nations Finale: Preliminary-Card Predictions

The UFC is hitting a good, meaty part of its schedule now, as it hosts two events this week alone. The first is The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia finale, which features a main event between middleweight nemeses Michael Bisping and Tim …

The UFC is hitting a good, meaty part of its schedule now, as it hosts two events this week alone. The first is The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia finale, which features a main event between middleweight nemeses Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy.

This event will also crown two new TUF winners, both of which will be represented by Canada. These fighters were coached by Patrick Cote, who will also square off in the co-main event of the night against Australia coach Kyle Noke.

Before all that, we explore the preliminary card. We had a nice bounceback courtesy of Abu Dhabi, but my record is still too close to .500 for comfort.

With that, let’s explore the preliminary card and make some predictions on the fights.

 

Riley’s 2014 Record: 36-28

Last Event: UFC Fight Night 39 (3-0) (1 NC)

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Paige VanZant: What You Need to Know About the UFC’s Youngest Female Fighter

Paige VanZant looked to be poised as a breakout star for the upcoming 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter, but that will not happen.
The 20-year-old fighter will not be allowed on the show due to her young age. She turned 20 in March, and one must…

Paige VanZant looked to be poised as a breakout star for the upcoming 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter, but that will not happen.

The 20-year-old fighter will not be allowed on the show due to her young age. She turned 20 in March, and one must be 21 before they can enter the TUF house to compete on the show. It was unfortunate news for VanZant and fans alike.

While she would not have been a favorite on the show, VanZant had a title opportunity ripped away from her. The TUF finalists will battle for the inaugural UFC Strawweight Championship on the finale.

Instead, the UFC signed her straight to the roster. She will have the luxury of training at home until the strawweights make their official debut later in 2014.

Looking forward to her debut, this is what you need to know about VanZant.

 

Camp

VanZant would have benefited a lot from being on the show. The Ultimate Fighter’s pressure cooker environment has routinely advanced the careers of its fighters throughout the years. VanZant would have been trained by one of two extraordinary coaches—Gilbert Melendez or Anthony Pettis and their assistants.

Instead, she stays at home. Which, thankfully, is not a step backward.

VanZant is a member of Team Alpha Male.

Team Alpha Male is still searching for a head coach after losing Duane Ludwig, but the crop of fighters training in that gym are among the best in the world. Especially at the lighter weights.

Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes and Joseph Benavidez are just three of the names that come to mind. All three are former title challengers, and all three are still in position to challenge once more. Team Alpha Male bantamweight T.J. Dillashaw will get a crack at championship gold soon himself.

The TUF house and training schedule would have been very beneficial for VanZant, but the good news is she still trains at one of the top camps in the world.

She will not be able to scout her opponents like the cast members of TUF. They will see their fellow fighters grow and develop firsthand. VanZant will miss that opportunity. On the flip side, the TUF cast will not be able to gauge how fast she has developed while they have been away.

 

Professional Record

The newly minted 20-year-old has had four professional bouts. She has only dropped one of those, and that was to the now No. 6-ranked Tecia Torres.

She made her professional debut in June of 2012 with a split decision win over Jordan Nicole Gaza. VanZant would follow that up with a unanimous decision win three months later against Amber Stautzenberger.

Then she got the call to compete in the premier women’s organization—Invicta FC.

VanZant would be taking on the 1-0 Torres. The two strawweight prospects battled for 15 minutes, but Torres showed she was simply too far technically advanced at this stage in her career.

If nothing else, it was a good learning experience for VanZant. She got to compete against someone who would soon shoot up the rankings into the top 10. She has experience against a top-tier fighter, and she knows what she needs to work on before making her UFC debut.

Three months following her first loss, she took to the cage again against Courtney Himes. In just 2:21 she secured a rear-naked choke for the win.

Since that day in early April, VanZant has not been in the cage again. She was tapped as one of the initial strawweights for the UFC. There is little doubt she will be a much more technically skilled fighter come late 2014.

 

Expectations

VanZant‘s TUF expectations were low. It was not a knock on her personally, but it was telling of how talented the house will be for the upcoming season.

Five of the top 10, and several other talented veterans will be in the house. The expectations for VanZant would have been to drop a bout to one of those women and spend the rest of her time developing her skills in the house.

Now, the expectations shift a tiny bit.

We do not know when she will debut or against whom. Will the UFC throw the youngster in against one of the top strawweights that did not make the finale, or will she take on someone outside of the top 10 in an effort to slowly bring her along?

As a Team Alpha Male fighter, VanZant‘s expectations for her Octagon debut is to look polished—plain and simple.

She has a solid core of skills that have been sharpened for over at year, at this point, and will be for more than six more months by the time she makes her debut.

The Team Alpha Male fighter should be a much more skilled fighter the next time we see her step through the cage door. Regardless, we need to remember she is only 20 years of age and still has a lot more time to develop into a potential star in the new strawweight division.

Everyone should expect to see significant growth as a fighter at the highest levels.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Previewing the Favorites, Dark Horses of TUF 19

The Ultimate Fighter 19 cast has been announced, and the show is ready to commence on TV in mid-April. The show will feature middleweights and light heavyweights, all of whom will be vying for a contract with the UFC.
The show is coached by competitive…

The Ultimate Fighter 19 cast has been announced, and the show is ready to commence on TV in mid-April. The show will feature middleweights and light heavyweights, all of whom will be vying for a contract with the UFC.

The show is coached by competitive rivals Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn. Both men have been UFC champions in the past and have crossed paths on two occasions, with Edgar being the victor in both.

Let’s take a look at the current field of fighters and pick out the favorites and dark horses of the tournament.

 

Middleweights

Fighter Gym Record
Matt Gabel Raise the Bar Fitness 8-3
Lyman Good Team Tiger Schulmann 15-3
Eddie Gordon Serra-Longo Fight Team 6-1
Mike King Buckeye MMA 5-0
Dhiego Lima American Top Team 9-1
Adrian Miles Alan Belcher MMA Club 14-5
Tyler Minton Team Oxendine 3-1
Cathal Pendred SBG Ireland 13-2
Ian Stephens Blalock’s IMB 2-0
Adam Stroup Factory X Muay Thai 5-1
Nordine Taleb Tristar Gym 8-2
Hector Urbina American Top Team 16-8-1
Bojan Velickovic n/a 8-2
Daniel Vizcaya Power Martial Arts 7-2
Tim Williams Team Balance 8-1
Roger Zapata Bruno Tostes BJJ 4-1

 

Favorites

There is a very strong field of fighters occupying the middleweight bracket, which could make for a great season. In looking at the field, the three favorites have to be considered Cathal Pendred, Dhiego Lima and Eddie Gordon.

Pendred is probably the outright favorite to win the season, as the Irishman is a top prospect in any weight division. He is a combination of gritty grappling and refined striking, making him a well-rounded threat to run away with this season. He is also a guy that the UFC can market when moving into Ireland.

Lima, the brother of potential Bellator champ Douglas Lima, is another top prospect. Like Pendred, Lima is a prospect at welterweight, but the lack of cutting a ton of weight in the house will likely benefit the two. Lima is a fantastic striker with good jiu-jitsu skills, though he must beware of the wrestlers in the house.

Gordon is a disciple of Matt Serra and Ray Longo who combines developing striking with a solid ground game. He has faced some high-level guys in the East Coast circuit and should be ready to compete in a big way in this tournament.

 

Dark Horses

When looking at the dark horses, two men come to mind right away: Ian Stephens and Mike King.

Stephens is likely considered a top dark horse because he has just a 2-0 record. However, Stephens and his little-known status will make him unfamiliar as opposed to more famous guys on the cast like Lima and Pendred. He has solid wrestling and developing all-around skills that could pose a threat to guys with weak takedown defense.

King is an undefeated fighter with a nasty top game that has led to stoppages in all five of his fights. He is a ferocious ground-and-pound artist who has even added a nice submission touch to his game. He could truly be THE dark horse of the tournament.

 

Light Heavyweights

Fighter Gym Record
Corey Anderson n/a 2-0
Kelly Anundson American Top Team 6-2
Anton Berzin n/a 3-1
Josh Clark AFS MMA Academy 5-2
Chris Fields SBG Ireland 10-5
Jake Heun American Top Team 5-3
Tyler King Connors MMA 6-2
Todd Monaghan n/a 5-3
Cody Mumma Grudge Training Center 5-1
John Poppie n/a 3-1
Doug Sparks Team Hoedown 7-2
Dan Spohn Cambridge Martial Arts 8-3
Josh Stansbury Team Impact 5-2
Matt van Buren Alliance MMA 6-2
Patrick Walsh Wai Kru MMA 4-1

 

Favorites

The light heavyweight division definitely doesn’t have as recognizable of a cast as the middleweight bracket. That being said, the three men who are likely favorites in this field are Corey Anderson, Dan Spohn and Chris Fields.

Anderson is a former collegiate wrestler with explosive takedowns and good size. One might place him under the dark-horse category, but I think because of his wrestling and the exploitation of some of the participants’ takedown defense.

Spohn is a Bellator veteran who has greatly improved fight to fight. His experience and well-roundedness is a great asset, something that will make him an enigma when guys are game-planning him for their fights.

Fields is another representative from Ireland that usually fights at middleweight and has good experience fighting with Cage Warriors. He is a good striker who has developed his ground game and could follow Pendred as one of the best fighters in the house.

 

Dark Horses

The dark horses of the bracket at this point are definitely Anton Berzin and Patrick Walsh.

Berzin is a ground fighter with a strong submission style that has seen him tap out all three of his victims. He does great work from the top position but has been known to have a solid defensive ground game as well. Anybody who goes to the ground with him must proceed with caution.

Walsh is a Wai Kru representative who has a good striking base that should make him feared by anybody who stands and bangs with him. He is a big 205-pounder who may struggle to stay on weight, but if he plans that out well, he can use his size to give other guys fits.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The Ultimate Fighter 19 Cast Revealed

Fans have been waiting anxiously for the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 19, which was announced in full Tuesday.
The season, which will be coached by BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, premieres April 16 after the TUF Nations Finale on F…

Fans have been waiting anxiously for the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 19, which was announced in full Tuesday.

The season, which will be coached by BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, premieres April 16 after the TUF Nations Finale on Fox Sports 1. The season will host a field of middleweight and light heavyweight participants who will fight for a UFC contract.

The season has a nice mix of past competitors, unknowns, up-and-comers and even a former Bellator champion.

There are three men on the series who have already competed on a season of TUF. Two of them (Tim Williams and Jake Heun) were on the 17th season, while one man (Nordine Taleb of Team Canada) competed on TUF Nations. Williams and Heun lost their elimination-round fights to Dylan Andrews and Adam Cella, respectively. Taleb lost his quarterfinals bout in a potential fight of the season to Tyler Manawaroa.

Former Bellator welterweight champion Lyman Good is also slated to appear on the show, moving up from welterweight to middleweight. His contract with Bellator expired and he jumped on a chance to try to make the UFC soon after.

Other notables on the cast include Irish phenom Cathal Pendred, who is a teammate of Conor McGregor; Dhiego Lima, the brother of Bellator title challenger Douglas Lima; and Eddie Gordon, a disciple of Matt Serra and Ray Longo’s gym.

According to the list of men the UFC released, only 31 participants have been announced, meaning the list is one man short. That means we will probably find out who the 32nd man is upon the season premiere April 16.

Below is a list of all the participants on the show:

  • Corey Anderson (3-0)
  • Kelly Anundson (6-1)
  • Anton Berzin (3-1)
  • Josh Clark (7-2)
  • Chris Fields (8-4)
  • Matt Gabel (8-3)
  • Lyman Good (15-3)
  • Eddie Gordon (6-1)
  • Jake Heun (6-3)
  • Mike King (5-0)
  • Tyler King (7-1)
  • Dhiego Lima (9-2)
  • Adrian Miles (14-5)
  • Tyler Minton (5-1)
  • Todd Monaghan (8-2)
  • Cody Mumma (5-1)
  • Cathal Pendred (13-2)
  • John Poppie (3-1)
  • Doug Sparks (7-2)
  • Dan Spohn (8-3)
  • Josh Stansbury (4-2)
  • Ian Stephens (4-0)
  • Adam Stroup (5-1)
  • Nordine Taleb (8-2)
  • Hector Urbina (16-8-1)
  • Matt Van Buren (6-2)
  • Bojan Velickovic (8-2)
  • Daniel Vizcaya (7-2)
  • Patrick Walsh (4-1)
  • Tim Williams (8-1)
  • Roger Zapata (5-1)

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

[VIDEO] The Jaw-Shattering KO From ‘TUF Nations’ That Has Everybody Some People Talking

You know, it’d be easy to make fun of TUF Nations for being possibly the least watched show in the history of ever, so much so that the “Episodes” section of its Wikipedia page hasn’t been updated in over a month*, but ripping on an international season of The Ultimate Fighter nowadays is too easy, even for us. And hey, if not for TUF Nations, we would have never witnessed the absolutely hellacious KO that happened during this week’s welterweight semifinal match between Chad Laprise and Kajan Johnson.

The entire fight has been made available through The Ultimate Fighter’s Youtube channel, but skip to 9:50 mark to see what may be the most brutal knockout in (international) TUF History. After engaging in a fairly standard kickboxing affair for the majority of two rounds, Johnson and Laprise throw simultaneous haymakers with bad intentions written all over them (think the ending of Rocky III). It is Laprise who lands, however, with a punch so perfectly placed that it not only sends Johnson crashing headfirst to the mat, but shatters his jaw into what I can only assume is a million pieces.

Matt Riddle vs. Dan Simmler may have had the more horrific aftermath, but as far as pure brutality goes, I’d give it Laprise vs. Johnson every time. You don’t even have to see the punch to know how hard it landed, for Christ’s sake. The Grujic Era Laprise Era is coming, folks.

*First you snub Ilir Latifi and now this? CURSE YOU WIKIPEDIA!!!

–J. Jones

You know, it’d be easy to make fun of TUF Nations for being possibly the least watched show in the history of ever, so much so that the “Episodes” section of its Wikipedia page hasn’t been updated in over a month*, but ripping on an international season of The Ultimate Fighter nowadays is too easy, even for us. And hey, if not for TUF Nations, we would have never witnessed the absolutely hellacious KO that happened during this week’s welterweight semifinal match between Chad Laprise and Kajan Johnson.

The entire fight has been made available through The Ultimate Fighter’s Youtube channel, but skip to 9:50 mark to see what may be the most brutal knockout in (international) TUF History. After engaging in a fairly standard kickboxing affair for the majority of two rounds, Johnson and Laprise throw simultaneous haymakers with bad intentions written all over them (think the ending of Rocky III). It is Laprise who lands, however, with a punch so perfectly placed that it not only sends Johnson crashing headfirst to the mat, but shatters his jaw into what I can only assume is a million pieces.

Matt Riddle vs. Dan Simmler may have had the more horrific aftermath, but as far as pure brutality goes, I’d give it Laprise vs. Johnson every time. You don’t even have to see the punch to know how hard it landed, for Christ’s sake. The Grujic Era Laprise Era is coming, folks.

*First you snub Ilir Latifi and now this? CURSE YOU WIKIPEDIA!!!

–J. Jones