Lots of love was sent from all over the mixed martial arts world toward the oft-injured, former top contender Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves following his debilitating second-round knockout of welterweight up-and-comer Jordan Mein at UFC 183.
Th…
Lots of love was sent from all over the mixed martial arts world toward the oft-injured, former top contender Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves following his debilitating second-round knockout of welterweight up-and-comer Jordan Mein at UFC 183.
The Pitbull notched his second win in a row and earned a Performance of the Night bonus when he landed a right body kick that shut down Mein. Alves didn’t obtain the victory, though, without paying a price. The muaythai wrecking ball was battered and bruised by Mein uppercut and hooks for the majority of the fight’s opening round.
Speaking with commentator Joe Rogan afterward, the longtime American Top Team star promptly announced his thunderous return to the welterweight division after his first victory over a ranked opponent in over four years:
Alves‘ win over the No. 13-ranked Mein was important for other reasons. The win marked the first time the Brazilian won back-to-back bouts since he defeated Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck in 2008. It also marked the first time Alves had fought more than once in a one-year span since 2011.
The 31-year-old has also won back-to-back performance bonuses for wins over Seth Baczynski and Mein.
Alves sustained a litany of injuries that have forced him out of multiple fights over the last two years.
Couple his injuries with a string of underwhelming, mistake-filled performances against Rick Story and Martin Kampmann, and the Brazilian’s best days seemed well behind him. But with his latest two victories in tow, Alves has every reason to be feeling good about his chances of making another run toward a title, even if it’s in the crowded 170-pound division.
However, if he wants to fight the elite, he’s going to need to come up with a better game plan that doesn’t involve falling behind on the judge’s scorecards. Alves‘ slow starts against Mein and Story would not slide against the likes of Hector Lombard or Rory MacDonald.
The ATT mainstay will also need to shore up his shaky wrestling, which has been a thorn in his side in the past. Without a doubt, Alves is indeed due for an upgrade in opponent and could potentially draw dangerous strikers like Dong Hyun Kim and TarecSaffiedine in his next outing.
Kelvin Gastelum, one-half of the pay-per-view’s co-main event, also comes to mind after his loss to TyronWoodley, though it looks like Gastelum will be moving up a weight class in the near future.
Regardless of his competition, Alves‘ fire has reignited; which is the most important thing.
All in all, UFC 183 was an entertaining show. Aside from Kelvin Gastelum vs. Tyron Woodley, the show delivered the requisite amount of violence and then some. Several performances were worthy of post-fight bonuses, as the event featured five impressive…
All in all, UFC 183 was an entertaining show. Aside from Kelvin Gastelum vs. TyronWoodley, the show delivered the requisite amount of violence and then some. Several performances were worthy of post-fight bonuses, as the event featured five impressive finishes and more than one fight worthy of “Fight of the Night” honors.
The “Fight of the Night” at UFC 183 was Thales Leites vs. Tim Boetsch. Leites has been on a tear since his original departure from the UFC, and Boetsch was looking to halt the Brazilian’s ascent back to title contention.
Leites ate some hard punches from Boetsch that nearly finished the fight in the first round, but he endured the punishment and made it out of the round. The Brazilian was able to get the fight to the ground in Round 2, and after Boetsch slipped the first attempt, Leites put him to sleep with an arm-triangle choke at 3:45 of the second round.
Leites also took home a separate “Performance of the Night” bonus for the finish, and it was well worth it after what he endured in the previous round only to come back and render his opponent unconscious.
The other performance bonus went to ThiagoAlves, who decimated Jordan Mein with a body kick and a swarm of strikes that earned him a second-round TKO in the UFC 183 main card opener. People had questioned whether Alves could still perform at a high level, but against a young and dangerous opponent like Mein, he showed the killer instinct that had brought him to welterweight title contention in the past.
The body kick that Alves landed instantly floored Mein and had him crumpled on the mat frozen and grimacing in pain. The Pitbull aggressively pursued the finish and came in with a flying knee to the body of a grounded Mein. After a few more hard shots from Alves, referee Herb Dean waved it off.
Mein had Alves busted up in the first round, and for Alves to come back and emphatically finish him proved he can still overcome adversity inside the cage. Whether he can still contend at the very top of the welterweight division remains to be seen, but that is certainly where he is headed.
The greatest MMA fighter of all time returns to the Octagon this Saturday at UFC 183, as Anderson “The Spider” Silva takes on the enigmatic Nick Diaz in the main event. The show’s headliner is enough to make the show a must-watch, but…
The greatest MMA fighter of all time returns to the Octagon this Saturday at UFC 183, as Anderson “The Spider” Silva takes on the enigmatic Nick Diaz in the main event. The show’s headliner is enough to make the show a must-watch, but the card as a whole is loaded with compelling fights.
UFC 183 is one of the best overall fight cards that the UFC has put on in quite a while. It is headlined by two legends returning to the cage, and features several surging contenders on the rise.
The co-main event is a showdown between two Top-10 welterweights in TyronWoodley and Kelvin Gastelum, and “Raging” Al Iaquinta takes on Joe Lauzon in what should be an entertaining lightweight fight.
Thales Leites is gaining a lot of momentum in his unlikely second run through the UFC middleweight division. He takes on hard-hitting and super tough Tim Boetsch, who has had mixed results in his recent Octagon appearances, winning only two of his last five fights.
This is a show stacked with relevant fights. Ian McCall and John Lineker will battle on the prelims in a fight where both men are looking to emphatically prove that they are ready for a championship fight against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. What could be one of the best UFC shows of the year goes down Saturday night, and there is a lot at stake for a number of fighters.
Two Legends At a Crossroads
Nick Diaz is coming out of a two-year retirement from MMA to take one of the true masters of the sport. Anderson Silva is perhaps the greatest mixed martial arts fighter ever to step foot in the Octagon, and after horrifically injuring his leg in his attempt to regain the middleweight title over a year ago, the future is up in the air for the 39-year-old.
Neither Silva nor Diaz seem to have a great deal of time left in the sport, as both have had long careers that have been hard on both their bodies and minds. Diaz is really only interested in big fights, but he needs to win in order to justify that position.
A win for Diaz might be the biggest of his career. Where do you go after beating Anderson Silva? Win or lose, it’s always a possibility that for one reason or another, we don’t see Nick Diaz compete again in mixed martial arts.
For Silva, this fight represents a turning point. A win sets him up for a chance to reclaim the middleweight title. A loss could signal the end of his storied career. UFC 183 is bound to be a pivotal moment in the career of Anderson Silva.
Showdown Between Lightweight Standouts
In a crowded lightweight division, both Al Iaquinta and Joe Lauzon have stayed fresh in the minds of fans by repeatedly putting on exciting performances in the Octagon. Lauzon holds the record for post-fight bonuses at 13, and Iaquinta is looking to continue gaining momentum after impressive finishes over Rodrigo Dammand Ross Pearson.
Lauzon has been igniting the crowd with his slick submission game and bounty hunter-like style of attaining victory inside the Octagon for almost a decade. He’ll have the experience edge over Iaquinta, but the crisp boxing of “Raging Al” may be critical in this fight.
This fight has bonus potential and the winner will edge ever closer to the top of the lightweight division.
Is Thiago “Pitbull” Alves Back?
Thiago “Pitbull” Alvesreturned to the UFC after a two-year injury layoff in April 2014 with a unanimous-decision win over Seth Baczynski. At UFC 183 he faces a fellow striker in Mein, who at age 25 has already amassed 38 professional fights.
Despite not being ranked within the Top 15, Alves could still be a force at 170 pounds. This fight will most likely be contested in the striking department and could provide some fireworks to kick off the main card.
Tate will be looking for her third straight victory against McMann, who rebounded from her devastating February 2014 loss to Rousey with a tough-fought split-decision win over Lauren Murphy in August.
McMann’s Olympic wrestling credentials will most likely be the difference-maker in this fight. Tate is a well-rounded fighter, and relative to the rest of the division has good wrestling. It likely won’t be enough against McMann, who will most likely be the stronger and more effective grappler.
Beyond her UFC 184 title defense against Cat Zingano, there isn’t a clear path of contenders waiting for Rousey. A win for either Tate or McMann will keep their name in the mix as Rousey knocks off more and more contenders.
If Rousey gets past Zingano, and perhaps Bethe Correia or Holly Holm, she might have to give another opportunity to the winner of Tate vs. McMann.
Flyweight Title Implications
The prospect of a shot at the UFC flyweight championship undoubtedly looms large on the minds of both Ian McCall and John Lineker as they prepare for their preliminary card fight at UFC 183.
It feels like we’ve been talking about this fight forever, partly because it was originally planned for UFC Fight Night back in November, but was cancelled after the weigh-ins when McCall fell ill with a blood infection. The fight is back on and UFC 183 will most likely produce the next flyweight title challenger.
Overall, the UFC has a pretty good event on-deck for the crowd at the MGM Grand on Saturday. UFC 183 will feature matchups with title implications across several divisions.
Add a few potentially epic scraps like Lauzon vs. Iaquinta and Mein vs. Alves, as well as the return of The Spider against Nick Diaz and UFC 183 looks like one of the best top-to-bottom fight cards of the last year.
Jordan “Young Gun” Mein will fight former welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves in the first bout on UFC 183’s main card this Saturday.
It’s a fight that will pit two fighters at drastically different points in their UFC careers against…
Jordan “Young Gun” Mein will fight former welterweight title challenger ThiagoAlves in the first bout on UFC 183‘s main card this Saturday.
It’s a fight that will pit two fighters at drastically different points in their UFC careers against each other. Mein has only one Octagon loss (a competitive second-round TKO loss to top-10 welterweight Matt Brown), while Alves has alternated wins and losses and battled numerous injuries over the last three years.
In four fights, Mein has achieved a 3-1 record, defeating fight veterans like Dan Miller and Mike Pyle. His gritty, clinch-heavy style was on display in his wins over Miller and Nova Uniao’s HernaniPerpetuo.
Despite his reputation as a grinder, Mein has logged 16 career knockouts and has the killer instinct, evidenced by his TKO wins over Miller and Pyle. But wins over two veterans on the downslide of their mixed martial arts careers aren’t enough to send the 170-pound division a message.
Alves, a kickboxing tactician, rose to prominence with dominant victories over UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck in 2008. His high-octane kicks and knees are debilitating and can end a fight without a moment’s notice.
If you’re not convinced of Alves‘ potent offensive attack, here’s an interesting statistic: The Brazilian is currently second in the UFC record book for most leg kicks landed in a three-round bout.
Alves has notched 30 or more leg strikes twice in his career, against Koscheck and John Howard. In his last fight, the American Top Team mainstay topped 50 leg strikes in a 15-minute war against Seth Baczynski.
Though he has alternated his approach against Howard, PapyAbedi and Martin Kampmann following his title loss to Georges St-Pierre, striking remains Alves‘ bread and butter.
But before we predict UFC 183’s action, let’s dissect what were arguably Mein’s two biggest Octagon appearances.
Following successful stints on the Canadian independent circuit and in Strikeforce, Mein defeated Miller in a back-and-forth affair and was then slotted against burgeoning contender Matt Brown.
“I feel great. It’s an honor [next big thing talk] for people to say that about me. Coming off a win against Dan, I was super happy. Matt Brown is just as tough if not tougher,” Mein told Karyn Bryant, with regard to his status as a welterweight in April 2013.
Brown, who had been on a tear, producing three knockout wins in 2012, closed the distance and backed up the Canadian in the opening minutes of their April bout. However, it was a picture perfect head-body combination that got the best of Brown, turning the tide for Mein.
His success, however, failed to carry over into the second frame, and Mein was finished by a barrage of knees and punches by Brown a minute into the round. Mein rebounded with a split-decision win over Perpetuo in April but recorded his most dominant victory to date over Pyle.
A left hook landed by Mein in the opening minute of the pair’s fight in August was all she wrote for Pyle. The victory gave Young Gun his most lopsided UFC win thus far.
As UFC 183 approaches, Mein will soon come face to face with a scarier striker than Pyle. Alves is content picking opponents apart from a distance or putting them away early. He sports seven wins via knockout in his nearly 10-year UFC tenure.
The Brazilian has matured since title contention but has made occasional mental lapses. In his fight against Kampmann, he succumbed to a third-round guillotine choke when he could have won.
Mein appears to have the more intelligent game plan, and he has been put in precarious positions before in his fights against Brown and Miller. Look for Young Gun to grind out a unanimous decision against the Brazilian on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas.
Kelvin Gastelum looked fantastic in his UFC 180 win over Jake Ellenberger on Saturday. After he weathered some big shots from The Juggernaut, a late first-round scramble allowed The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner to take his opponent’s back and end …
Kelvin Gastelum looked fantastic in his UFC 180 win over Jake Ellenberger on Saturday. After he weathered some big shots from The Juggernaut, a late first-round scramble allowed The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner to take his opponent’s back and end the bout with a rear-naked choke.
This result is significant for Gastelum, who should expect some opportunities to face bigger names in the near future. These four men would serve as interesting opponents for his next showing in the Octagon.
These opponents provide a mix of experience, fighting styles and abilities that could truly test how far Gastelum has come in his young mixed martial arts career.
Thiago Alves’ extensive injury log received a new entry Wednesday, as the UFC welterweight has been forced out of his UFC Fight Night 49 matchup with Jordan Mein.
UFC.com issued a statement saying that rising welterweight contender Brandon …
ThiagoAlves‘ extensive injury log received a new entry Wednesday, as the UFC welterweight has been forced out of his UFC Fight Night 49 matchup with Jordan Mein.
UFC.com issued a statement saying that rising welterweight contender Brandon Thatch would replace Alves in the bout.
MMA Junkie’s Steven Marrocco reported the nature of Alves‘ complication, saying that “The Pitbull” suffered a knee injury but will not require surgery.
That silver lining loses some luster with Alves though, as the former 170-pound title challenger underwent four surgeries in 2013 and only recently broke out of a two-year hiatus to face Seth Baczynski at UFC on Fox 11.
After so much recovery time and sustained periods of inactivity, it looked like Alves was finally back to action, but another injury has sidelined “The Pitbull” once again.
Thankfully, Alves‘ replacement, Brandon Thatch, is a proven knockout artist and one of the hottest prospects in the division.
In scheduling Thatch vs. Mein, another polished striker, the UFC capably salvaged this matchup and potentially even upgraded it by substituting Thatch for the injured Alves.
While Thatch does not boast the resume of Alves, his attack is every bit as exciting, and his knockout power is fearsome. “Rukus” destroyed Justin Edwards and Paulo Thiago via knockout so far in his UFC run, needing a combined three minutes and 33 seconds of action to do so. He’s on a 10-fight winning streak, and a win over Mein will elevate his stock and push him toward the top 10 of the division.
UFC Fight Night 49 takes place August 23 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is headlined by a lightweight showdown between Benson Henderson and Rafael dos Anjos. For a complete list of confirmed bouts, click here.
Lots of love was sent from all over the mixed martial arts world toward the oft-injured, former top contender Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves following his debilitating second-round knockout of welterweight up-and-comer Jordan Mein at UFC 183.