“I can be 100% ready to fight Benson Henderson in Milwaukee,” said Pettis to Fuel TV. “With all due respect to T.J. Grant, Milwaukee is my town, and the fight with Ben is the fight everyone has wanted for years.”
For the record, UFC president Dana White claims that Pettis’s knee won’t be ready in time for UFC 164 on August 31st, but obviously he’s just trying to keep the public from catching on to his dastardly plot, and TJ Grant will be faking his own injury sometime within the next couple weeks. Allegedly.
But seriously, here’s what Grant had to say about the situation…
“I can be 100% ready to fight Benson Henderson in Milwaukee,” said Pettis to Fuel TV. “With all due respect to T.J. Grant, Milwaukee is my town, and the fight with Ben is the fight everyone has wanted for years.”
For the record, UFC president Dana White claims that Pettis’s knee won’t be ready in time for UFC 164 on August 31st, but obviously he’s just trying to keep the public from catching on to his dastardly plot, and TJ Grant will be faking his own injury sometime within the next couple weeks. Allegedly.
But seriously, here’s what Grant had to say about the situation…
“As of right now I haven’t been told anything, I’m preparing for Benson Henderson. I try not to focus on all that other stuff. I know that there are possibilities, but I haven’t heard anything…right now, my sights are set on Benson Henderson, I feel like I earned my shot and it’s my time…I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll, man, I’m not gonna worry about it right now…I’m fighting Benson Henderson, that’s as far as I know right now.”
Most casual fans couldn’t pick Benson Henderson — a world title holder — or TJ Grant — a man challenging for a world title — out of a lineup.
That’s not either guy’s fault. Benson Henderson managed to get the nod from the judges in his last three title defenses, scoring victories over the likes of Gilbert Melendez and Nate Diaz. And TJ Grant has put together a five-fight winning streak, most recently sending Gray Maynard down faster than Zynga’s stock price.
But that’s the problem: A fight between two guys who have done nothing but kick ass isn’t moving the needle. It’s not that the populace has run out of fucks to give about Henderson and Grant, they just never gave any in the first place.
Want proof?
Look at the estimated buyrates for Henderson’s PPVs. Henderson hasn’t been on a PPV since UFC 150 in August 2012, a card that earned a pathetic 190,000 buys. People don’t want to part with their cash to see Benson Henderson, so the UFC started giving him away for free on FOX. Bendo main evented two FOX cards which performed okay ratings-wise.
The UFC is putting Henderson back on PPV at UFC 164 for his title defense against TJ Grant. This PPV is a Battle of the Blackwater moment for the UFC. If UFC 164 can boast a decent buyrate, then the theory that the UFC can use FOX to create the next generation of stars will be proven true, and the UFC’s future will be a little more secure. But if UFC 164 fails as hard as UFC 150 did — if promoting a fighter TWO TIMES on one of the biggest networks on television failed to make that fighter a draw — then the UFC is in trouble. That would mean one champion who would be dead weight on a card, in addition to the champions from the lighter men’s weight classes who have all yet to establish themselves as major PPV draws.
(TJ Grant, doing his impression of a UFC fan who’s just been told that TJ Grant will be headlining a pay-per-view. Photo via MMAJunkie)
Most casual fans couldn’t pick Benson Henderson — a world title holder — or TJ Grant — a man challenging for a world title — out of a lineup.
That’s not either guy’s fault. Benson Henderson managed to get the nod from the judges in his last three title defenses, scoring victories over the likes of Gilbert Melendez and Nate Diaz. And TJ Grant has put together a five-fight winning streak, most recently sending Gray Maynard down faster than Zynga’s stock price.
But that’s the problem: A fight between two guys who have done nothing but kick ass isn’t moving the needle. It’s not that the populace has run out of fucks to give about Henderson and Grant, they just never gave any in the first place.
Want proof?
Look at the estimated buyrates for Henderson’s PPVs. Henderson hasn’t been on a PPV since UFC 150 in August 2012, a card that earned a pathetic 190,000 buys. People don’t want to part with their cash to see Benson Henderson, so the UFC started giving him away for free on FOX. Bendo main evented two FOX cards which performed okay ratings-wise.
The UFC is putting Henderson back on PPV at UFC 164 for his title defense against TJ Grant. This PPV is a Battle of the Blackwater moment for the UFC. If UFC 164 can boast a decent buyrate, then the theory that the UFC can use FOX to create the next generation of stars will be proven true, and the UFC’s future will be a little more secure. But if UFC 164 fails as hard as UFC 150 did — if promoting a fighter TWO TIMES on one of the biggest networks on television failed to make that fighter a draw — then the UFC is in trouble. That would mean one champion who would be dead weight on a card, in addition to the champions from the lighter men’s weight classes who have all yet to establish themselves as major PPV draws.
That’s one half of the tidal wave approaching Zuffa HQ. Here’s the other: The UFC’s older stars have retired or are going to retire in the near future. Chuck Liddell is gone. Tito Ortiz is gone. Brock Lesnar (say what you will about his skill-level, the man could still part people with their cash) is gone. BJ Penn is gone. GSP is 32 and retirement may be looming for him. Anderson Silva is on the anchor leg of his career at the age of 38, and is about to face a very real threat in Chris Weidman.
What happens when all the UFC has left is Chris Weidmans, TJ Grants, and Ben Hendersons — fighters who casual fans don’t care about and who the average Joe doesn’t have a clue about?
Again, that’s not to slight any of these guys — they’ve turned physically destroying another human being into an art form. No, the blame lies with Zuffa; they’ve failed to turn the next generation of talent into superstars.
As of right now, the only two young fighters who have potential to be big draws are Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey. With only one PPV (earning 450,000 buys), it’s tough to definitively say if Rousey will be a massive draw going forward. She certainly garners mainstream media interest, but whether that’s solely due to the novelty of a female in the UFC can’t be determined yet.
Jones has performed well enough but hasn’t come close to the mythical “one million buys” mark that Lesnar, Liddell, and Ortiz have hit, and that GSP, Silva and Penn have come close to.
The UFC can’t remain “the fastest growing sport in the world” when a fighter who can only draw a max of 700,000 buys (for a match that was being hyped as a can’t-miss blood feud) is the foundation of their company.
Winter is coming for the UFC. Their old, dependable draws will one day be no more, and if the current course of events continues, there won’t be enough star power to replace them.
It’s official, Nation: Chael Sonnen vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua WILL headline UFC on FOX Sports 1:1, a.k.a “the best television card the UFC has ever done.” While at first glance, a fight between two guys coming off losses doesn’t seem like a great main event for a card this stacked (and makes you wonder if the UFC had a planned main event to begin with), it’s surely a matchup that fans can get excited about nonetheless. And if they aren’t, Sonnen will fondle every available Sportscenter anchor within a 500 mile radius to ensure that you are at least aware that the fight is going down.
The matchup was all but a done deal for next weekend’s UFC 161 card until visa issues forced Sonnen to bow out of the fight he had — like a true American Gangster — offered to take on short notice just days ago. Rua was thusly pulled from the card altogether, but hinted that a potential showdown with Sonnen could take place over the summer.
It’s official, Nation: Chael Sonnen vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua WILL headline UFC on FOX Sports 1:1, a.k.a “the best television card the UFC has ever done.” While at first glance, a fight between two guys coming off losses doesn’t seem like a great main event for a card this stacked (and makes you wonder if the UFC had a planned main event to begin with), it’s surely a matchup that fans can get excited about nonetheless. And if they aren’t, Sonnen will fondle every available Sportscenter anchor within a 500 mile radius to ensure that you are at least aware that the fight is going down.
The matchup was all but a done deal for next weekend’s UFC 161 card until visa issues forced Sonnen to bow out of the fight he had — like a true American Gangster – offered to take on short notice just days ago. Rua was thusly pulled from the card altogether, but hinted that a potential showdown with Sonnen could take place over the summer.
Speaking of the FS 1:1 card, the lightweight title fight between T.J Grant and Ben Henderson — which was also rumored for the Boston card — has been announced as the headliner for UFC 164. Featuring a heavyweight showdown between Josh Barnett and Frank Mir, as well as a pair of interesting featherweight bouts in Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida and Dustin Poirier vs. Eric Koch, UFC 164 goes down in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 31st, making it the fourth UFC event to transpire in the month of August. This is normally where we’d accuse the UFC of spreading itself too thin, but with cards like these, we’ll just keep our trap shut for the time being.
And finally, it has recently been announced that TUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum — like Jonathan Brookins, John Dodson, Mac Danzig, and a slew of TUF winners before him — will be dropping down a weight class for his first post-TUF fight. Gastelum will meet Paulo Thiago in a welterweight contest at UFC on FOX Sports 1: Kampmann vs. Conditon, you guessed it, August 28th in Indianapolis. Sheesh, looks like I’ll be working weekends in the near future.
The UFC paid out $1,733,000 in disclosed salaries and performance bonuses to the 24 fighters who competed at UFC 160, with heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez‘s $400,000 flat fee eating up 23% of the total. (Coming soon: The “Occupy Velasquez” movement, led by Jacob Volkmann and John Cholish.) Heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Mark Hunt made over $200k for their co-main event bout — including their $50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses — while the night’s other big winner, TJ Grant, just made it to the six-figure mark.
Check out the full list of UFC 160 salaries below — courtesy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission via MMAMania — followed by our traditional rundown of who’s underpaid/overpaid. Keep in mind that the numbers don’t include additional income from undisclosed “locker-room bonuses,” sponsorships, or cuts of the pay-per-view that some of the UFC’s stars are entitled to, or deductions for taxes, insurance, and licensing fees.
Cain Velasquez: $400,000 (no win bonus) Antonio Silva: $75,000
Junior dos Santos: $290,000 (includes $120,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus) Mark Hunt: $210,000 (includes $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Glover Teixeira: $98,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus, $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus) James Te Huna: $30,000
T.J. Grant: $100,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus, $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus) Gray Maynard: $45,000
The UFC paid out $1,733,000 in disclosed salaries and performance bonuses to the 24 fighters who competed at UFC 160, with heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez‘s $400,000 flat fee eating up 23% of the total. (Coming soon: The “Occupy Velasquez” movement, led by Jacob Volkmann and John Cholish.) Heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Mark Hunt made over $200k for their co-main event bout — including their $50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses — while the night’s other big winner, TJ Grant, just made it to the six-figure mark.
Check out the full list of UFC 160 salaries below — courtesy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission via MMAMania — followed by our traditional rundown of who’s underpaid/overpaid. Keep in mind that the numbers don’t include additional income from undisclosed “locker-room bonuses,” sponsorships, or cuts of the pay-per-view that some of the UFC’s stars are entitled to, or deductions for taxes, insurance, and licensing fees.
Cain Velasquez: $400,000 (no win bonus) Antonio Silva: $75,000
Junior dos Santos: $290,000 (includes $120,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus) Mark Hunt: $210,000 (includes $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Glover Teixeira: $98,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus, $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus) James Te Huna: $30,000
T.J. Grant: $100,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus, $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus) Gray Maynard: $45,000
Donald Cerrone: $82,000 (includes $41,000 win bonus) K.J. Noons: $41,000
Mike Pyle: $84,000 (includes $42,000 win bonus) Rick Story: $27,000
Dennis Bermudez: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) Max Holloway: $14,000
Robert Whittaker: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) Colton Smith: $15,000
Khabib Nurmagomedov: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) Abel Trujillo: $8,000
Stephen Thompson: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) Nah-Shon Burrell: $9,000
George Roop: $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus) Brian Bowles: $19,000
Jeremy Stephens: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus) Estevan Payan: $10,000
Underpaid: None of the heavyweights, that’s for sure. This is one of those UFC payout lists that kind of suggests a correlation between size and paycheck. A lightweight phenom like Khabib Nurmagomedov gets just $14,000 to show, while a light-heavyweight phenom like Glover Teixeira gets $24,000. And then you have Bigfoot Silva earning $75,000 just for lumbering into a heavyweight title fight, I guess. Rick Story‘s $27k seems rather low, considering how long he’s been paying his dues in the Octagon. And yet, it’s way more than any bantamweight on the card could hope to get.
Overpaid:KJ Noons is a non-entity in the UFC, and it’s unlikely that he’ll have a long, successful career in the promotion. But somehow, his $41,000 show-money was identical to that of opponent Donald Cerrone, a high-profile veteran who’s about as dependably exciting as anyone in this sport. Noons made almost as much cash as top-shelf lightweight Gray Maynard, and makes far more to-show than guys like Teixeira and Nurmagomedov, who actually will have futures in the promotion.
(Yep. A whole lot of regrettable tats in this room. / Photo via MMAFighting.com)
Sit back, warm up your jaws, and get ready for CagePotato’s main card liveblog of UFC 160. The pay-per-view broadcast will be popping off at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, and your friend George Shunick will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump.
Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let your voices be heard in the comments section. Thanks for being here, guys.
(Yep. A whole lot of regrettable tats in this room. / Photo via MMAFighting.com)
Sit back, warm up your jaws, and get ready for CagePotato’s main card liveblog of UFC 160. The pay-per-view broadcast will be popping off at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, and your friend George Shunick will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump.
Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let your voices be heard in the comments section. Thanks for being here, guys.
Welcome, vagabonds. I hope you’re all enjoying your Memorial Day weekend festivities, but not so much that you don’t have the chance to indulge in some legal blood-letting tonight. You have the top two heavyweights trying to set up their third meeting in the near future, a fan-favorite, heavy-handed underdog who will do everything in his power to stop that, an ascendant light heavyweight in Glover Teixeira who could conceivably receive a title shot following an impressive victory, and a pair of exceptional lightweight tilts, including a certain title eliminator. Satisfied? Now sit down, fill your morbidly obese face with the last scraps of Taco Bell and the cold pisswater you call beer and prepare to bear witness to another glorious night of carnage.
Alright, the main card’s about to start. Predictions anyone? I’ve got Cerrone, Maynard, Teixeira, Dos Santos, and Velasquez. Not exciting, I know. I wouldn’t be surprised if Grant and Hunt pulled off upsets, though, and I can totally see Cerrone getting drawn into a boxing match he can’t win. Still, favorites are favorites for a reason. What about yourselves, Potato Nation? Call them upsets now, before they happen.
Alright, time for the fights…
KJ Noons vs. Donald Cerrone
Cerrone should take this; his ground game is vastly superior to Noons’, and if he uses his kicks to dictate the range the fight is fought at, he should win handily. However, Cerrone has a penchant for losing his cool and engaging in boxing matchups against guys with much better hands than him. Noons is one of those guys. Let’s see which Cerrone shows up. Either way, this won’t be dull.
Round 1
Noons starts out with low kicks. Cerrone attempts a takedown and throws a knee. Lands a nice right. Nice jab from Cerrone. Low kick from Noons. Cerrone misses a headkick. He lands a counter jab. Noons is cut next to his right eye. Cerrone goes for another headkick but its blocked. Noons still landing low kicks. Nice kick to the liver from Cerrone. Now a kick to Noons’ left side. Nice knee from Cerrone as Noons attempts to rush him. Noons blocks a high kick. Cerrone lands a takedown, but Noons scrambles up quickly. They exchange kicks. Noons lands another low kick. Cerrone answers with a much harder one. Cerrone accidentally lands a low blow, acknowledges it, but Noons is fine. Strong knee to the body from Cerrone. KJ lands a jab. 1-1-2 from Noons. BIG combo from Cerrone. Landed 4 punches before a big head kick that partially connected. Another headkick partially lands, but Noons circled away from it. The round ends, 10-9 Cerrone.
Round 2
Cerrone lands a takedown to open the round, and in the scramble lands a knee as Noons stands. Noons lands a jab. he’s looking for a rear uppercut, but he’s telegraphing it. Nice counter hook from Cerrone. As Noons rushes in, Cerrone circles out and lands a cross. Noons answers with his own. Cerrone grabs a Muay Thai clinch and lands a knee to the face. Noons lands a combination, but Cerrone is unfazed. Cerrone lands a hard leg kick, but both men have slowed, especially Noons.Hard kick to the liver from Cerrone. Noons answers with a hard left hook. Nice knee to the body from Cerrone. Noons answers with a left hook. He lands a jab as Cerrone circles away. He hits a spinning backfist, rushes in, and gets taken down for his effort. Cerrone works in Noons’ guard, landing short hammerfists. Noons tries to puch him off with his legs, but Cerrone uses this to pass to half-guard. He works Noons’ head and body. Noons isn’t taking much damage, but he doesn’t have an answer for Cerrone. Cerrone moves to side control as the round ends. 10-9 Cerrone.
Round 3
The doctors had a look at Noons’ right eye before the round, but the fight continues. Low switch kick from Cerrone. Cerrone landing his jab, then follows with a hook. Front kick Cerrone. Noons goads him on, but looks exhausted. Both men miss combinations. Noons lands a cross and hook as he moves forward. However, this costs him again, as Cerrone changes levels and takes him down. Cerrone landing shots from Noons’ guard, working elbows and punches. Noons is cut. Noons tries to escape, but in the scramble they end up right back where they began. Cerrone landing hard elbows. Noons is really beginning to bleed. He tries to return fire from the bottom, but it’s a futile gesture. Elbows to the body and the head from Cerrone. Noons has nothing to threaten him with. Cerrone passes to half-guard, and then to side control. Cerrone lands solid punches. Blood is in Noons’ eyes, and Cerrone works short punches from the top as the round expires. Round 10-9, fight 30-27 for Donald Cerrone.
The judges agree with me, except for one who saw it 30-26 for Cerrone. It was a one-sided, bloody beatdown, continuing the bloodshed from the prelims. As many have already observed, this might be the bloodiest UFC card ever. And the heavyweights haven’t even hit the octagon yet.
TJ Grant vs. Gray Maynard
TJ Grant is my boy, mostly because of his beard and standing elbows, but much as I want him to win, I don’t think he has an answer for Gray Maynard’s wrestling. It’s a shame, really. Title fights could do with more standing elbows.
Round 1
A tentative start for both fighters. That doesn’t last long. Maynard lands a left hook. Big uppercut from Maynard. Then a right hand and left hook. Maynard’s shots are explosive. Grant counters with a right. Maynard is just bulling forward. TJ lands a cross counter. Big right from Grant that hurts Maynard, but Gray fights his way out. GRANT DROPS MAYNARD WITH A RIGHT!!! Maynard stands and he’s dropped by Grant’s flurry! He manages to stand again, but the same result befalls him! The referee steps in, and TJ Grant just earned himself a title shot.
Mike Goldberg is interviewing some dude who won a lot of money in poker and asks him how poker compares to the UFC. It’s a stupid, stupid question, and the entire thing is a plug for a company the Fertittas invest in, but since I wholeheartedly approve of legal (and illegal) degenerate gambling, I suppose I can’t bring myself to mock the segment too much.
Glover Teixeira vs. James Te Huna
Yeah, Glover’s winning this.
Round 1
They touch gloves and exchange in the center of the octagon. Teixeira works for a takedown, doesn’t get it, but lands a hard right as they separate. Fists are flying, but most aren’t landing. Teixeira lands a takedown, and immediately passes to half-guard. The audience chants loudly, and it’s apparent there are plenty of Brazilians in attendance. Te Huna regains guard as he eats shots from the top. Glover proceeds to pass to half-guard again. Te Huna stands, however, but Glover goes for an arm-in guillotine and it’s over! Te Huna taps quickly, and that’s that. 19 in a row for Teixeira.
Mike Tyson congratulates Teixeira in the octagon afterwards, as does Chuck Liddell. That went about as expected. Bring on the heavies.
Before we get treated to a re-run of Brian Bowles getting his ass kicked by George Roop, we get a quick celebrity cut to Lil Jon in the audience. Lil Jon is apparently a celebrity by UFC standards. In other news, the bar for “celebrity” has been set so low by the UFC, James Cameron had to go to the bottom of the Mariana Trench to get it.
Mark Hunt vs. Junior Dos Santos
There isn’t really anything left to say about Mark Hunt that hasn’t already been said. He was born down. That’s all you need to know. On any other night, Junior Dos Santos would probably be the most likeable fighter on the card. Not tonight. But for all that, Hunt’s ground game is still a glaring Achilles heel. If he manages to best Dos Santos in the standup – far from a given – he had better make short work of it lest the fight hit the ground. Godspeed, you crazy bastard, you. Meanwhile, “Cigano” looks determined. I wouldn’t envy anyone in his way.
Round 1
AWESOME staredown. They touch gloves. Low kick from Hunt. Overhand from Dos Santos. Hunt rolls with it. Counter left hook from Hunt lands. He’s looking for that hook. He lands it again. And again. Hunt rushes in and lands some more. BIG RIGHT FROM JUNIOR DROPS HUNT. Hunts recovers and stands, but he’s wobbly. Hunt with two big swings and misses. Hunt misses a cross counter. Dos Santos goes for the overhand, but it misses. He evades Hunt’s shots and lands a right. Then a jab to the body. Junior is cut, however, above the right eye. Both men land rights. Spinning backfist from Hunt and left from Dos Santos. Kick from Dos Santos. Hunt misses a big overhand, but Junior doesn’t miss his! The round ends, 10-9 Dos Santos.
Round 2
Big right hand from Hunt, followed by and overhand from Junior. Dos Santos misses a wicked left hook. Hunt lands a kick and hook of his own. Kick from Hunt answered with a right from Dos Santos. Hunt lands a counter left hook. And another. Cigano misses the overhand. But lands a nice jab. Right to the body from Hunt. They exchange jabs. Another big overhand right followed by a jab from Dos Santos. More jabs. Hunt parries two and chases after him to no avail. Spinning back kick to the body from Dos Santos. Hunt lands two short rights. jab from Dos Santos. Hunt misses an overhand, but lands a big combination against the fence. Dos Santos decides to go for the takedown, however, and lands it to the chagrin of the crowd. He’s in half-guard and looks briefly for a kimura, but instead works on short punches. Dos Santos passes to side control, and works elbows from a crucifix. Hunt escapes and stands at the bell. 10-9 Dos Santos.
Round 3
Counter left from Dos Santos as Hunt looks for the killshot. Counter left from Hunt now. jab from Hunt. Hunt lands a right, but he’s not really hurting Dos Santos, who lands a jab. Dos Santos lands a counter hook. Hunt is tired. Jab from Hunior, but he misses the big overhand. Hunt misses a left hook. Dos Santos lands some close punches, and they exchange jabs. Dos Santos pumping his jab and lands a counter cross. Dos Santos is busting out the combos. Hunt lands a kick to the midsection. Hunt misses an overhand. Dos Santos lands an uppercut. A left from Dos Santos staggers Hunt. Hunt swings bombs to get Junior off his back. Hunt staggers forward INTO A SPINNING BACK KICK FROM DOS SANTOS THAT DROPS HIM!! WOW. WOW. Dos Santos leaps out of the octagon to shake Mike Tyson’s hand. Amazing finish.
Didn’t see that one coming. Kudos to Dos Santos for going all out despite leading through almost three full rounds. Looks like he’ll get that title shot he wanted. It’s impossible not to be happy for the man as he gleefully shouts “I WONNNN!”
WTF WHY AM I WATCHING AN ONLINE POKER AD?? AND A HARLEY DAVIDSON AD??? THIS IS PAY PER VIEW, I DEMAND A LACK OF INANE COMMERCIALS! IN ALL CAPS!! Seriously, low brow stuff from the UFC here. Just bring on the title fight, already.
Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva
Let’s be real. Unless Silva catches Cain fooling around the feet, or somehow gets on top of him, he’s not winning this fight. Cain has the edge in cardio, speed and technique. So long as he can keep his distance and land takedowns, the fight is his to lose. If he wins, as expected, it will set up a rubber match with Dos Santos. Can’t think of any reason not to root for that. Unless you’re Bigfoot Silva.
Round 1
Can we get a .gif of Silva shoulder-shimmying as Buffer announces his name, please? That would make my night. Cain pushes forward and looks for a single. Bigfoot escapes. Cain lands a right. Silva looks for an uppercut. Cain attempts another takedown, but eats a kick when they separate. Low kick from Cain. Right hand drops Bigfoot!!! Bigfoot turtles, and Cain continues to unload until Mario Yamasaki pulls him away. Well, that was quick. It may have been slightly premature, but definitely justifiable. Things weren’t going to get any better for Silva.
That’s that, Potato Nation. Enjoy your weekends responsibly. (Kidding, recklessness suits you better.)
(Cain doesn’t see an enormous head. He sees a big, beautiful, blood-piñata, just waiting to burst open and spill its bounty. / Photo via MMAFighting.com)
BG and Danga are back mahfuckas, baaaaaaaaaaaaam! [*cough*] Excuse me. What I meant to say was, UFC 160 goes down tomorrow night in Las Vegas, so CagePotato founding editor Ben Goldstein and staff writer Jared Jones have teamed up once again to discuss all the important themes surrounding the event. Which heavyweight fight on the main card is more likely to end in an upset? Should we write off KJ Noons as nothing more than UFC shark-bait? What’s a Nurmagomedov gotta do to get some respect around here? Read on, and throw down your own opinions in the comments section.
It seems pretty obviousthat the UFC is trying to set up Dos Santos vs. Velasquez III, but who stands the better chance of throwing a wrench in their plans, Hunt or Silva?
Ben: I hate to agree with this jackass — and how dare you try to persuade me by linking to a track from Primus’s underrated Rhinoplasty EP, Jared — so for the sake of argument, I’ll go ahead and say ARE *YOU* KIDDING *ME* WITH THIS?? Mark Hunt has built up a dubious win streak slinging haymakers against guys who allowed him to do so. Junior Dos Santos is far too disciplined to become another victim of the same old rock-’em-sock-’em Super Samoan routine. In a brawl, Hunt has a chance against anybody. But this won’t be a brawl — it’ll be boxing match, and JDS is about as good as they come in that department.
And sure, Hunt has scored a string of upsets against guys like Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve. Meanwhile, Antonio Silva has scored far more unexpected and dramatic upsets against guys like Fedor Emelianenko and the aforementioned ‘Reem. Bigfoot has heart for days, and fists big enough to dummy up anybody in the heavyweight division on any given night, including the current champion. How many times are you gonna sleep on this guy? #BigfootEra
Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant: Who will earn the right to suffer a narrow split decision loss to Ben Henderson next?
(Cain doesn’t see an enormous head. He sees a big, beautiful, blood-piñata, just waiting to burst open and spill its bounty. / Photo via MMAFighting.com)
BG and Danga are back mahfuckas, baaaaaaaaaaaaam! [*cough*] Excuse me. What I meant to say was, UFC 160 goes down tomorrow night in Las Vegas, so CagePotato founding editor Ben Goldstein and staff writer Jared Jones have teamed up once again to discuss all the important themes surrounding the event. Which heavyweight fight on the main card is more likely to end in an upset? Should we write off KJ Noons as nothing more than UFC shark-bait? What’s a Nurmagomedov gotta do to get some respect around here? Read on, and throw down your own opinions in the comments section.
It seems pretty obviousthat the UFC is trying to set up Dos Santos vs. Velasquez III, but who stands the better chance of throwing a wrench in their plans, Hunt or Silva?
Ben: I hate to agree with this jackass — and how dare you try to persuade me by linking to a track from Primus’s underrated Rhinoplasty EP, Jared — so for the sake of argument, I’ll go ahead and say ARE *YOU* KIDDING *ME* WITH THIS?? Mark Hunt has built up a dubious win streak slinging haymakers against guys who allowed him to do so. Junior Dos Santos is far too disciplined to become another victim of the same old rock-’em-sock-’em Super Samoan routine. In a brawl, Hunt has a chance against anybody. But this won’t be a brawl — it’ll be boxing match, and JDS is about as good as they come in that department.
And sure, Hunt has scored a string of upsets against guys like Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve. Meanwhile, Antonio Silva has scored far more unexpected and dramatic upsets against guys like Fedor Emelianenko and the aforementioned ‘Reem. Bigfoot has heart for days, and fists big enough to dummy up anybody in the heavyweight division on any given night, including the current champion. How many times are you gonna sleep on this guy? #BigfootEra
Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant: Who will earn the right to suffer a narrow split decision loss to Ben Henderson next?
Ben: I feel like Gray Maynard is one those fighters who can beat everybody in his weight division except for the very elite talents (see also: Bisping at middleweight, Condit at welterweight), and this seems like the kind of matchup that the Bully wins nine times out of ten. I’m not trying to shovel shit on T.J. Grant’s skills or his recent wins, it’s just that he hasn’t proven himself to be a Top 5 caliber fighter yet and I can’t identify any one specific thing that he does better than Maynard, other than maybe throwing those elbows of his. My prediction: This fight will not be decided by elbow strikes, Maynard will grind out a unanimous decision, and the UFC will change its mind and find somebody other than Gray Maynard to suffer the next narrow split-decision loss to Ben Henderson — maybe Anthony Pettis, after he’s done pretending to be a featherweight.
Jared: Yeah, you’re probably right about Gray, but T.J. Grant 2.0 has been on an absolute killing spree in the lightweight division, my friend. His performance against Evan Dunham really showcased how far he has come as a striker, and coupled with Maynard’s potential ring rust, Grant makes for an underdog pick that I’m more than comfortable placing a few dollars on. The fact that Maynard’s striking doesn’t hold a candle to his ground game leads me to believe that Gray could find himself in a heck of a heap of trouble wherever this fight takes place. While “The Bully” maintains the ability to hold Grant down for long enough to earn another title shot (that he will likely lose), I’m going to play devil’s advocate here and pick Grant to win. Big whoop wannafightaboutit?
Does anyone want KJ Noons to ever win a fight again?
Jared: It sure doesn’t seem like it. I realize that he and Donald Cerrone are both coming off losses (which, in Cerrone’s case, almost meant the loss of his life), but that’s like saying that the Toronto Maple Leaves and the Florida Panthers are both coming off “rough seasons.” Noons has dropped four out of his last five fights, including a (bullshit) loss to Ryan Couture — who was just steamrolled by Ross Pearson in his own debut — in his last contest, and you’re going to stick him in there with “Cowboy” Cerrone, the man who only loses to title holders and future contenders?
Don’t get me wrong, Noons is one tough sonofabitchbastard and this should make for a great fight, but also one that Noons stands next to no chance of winning. Cerrone hasn’t made the same mistake of flapping his gums off like he did before the Pettis fight, but what he will do is use a game plan similar to that of Jorge Masvidal to dominate Noons en route to a UD victory that bears at least one 30-26. My question is: With 5 losses in his past 6 fights, will Noons go one-and-out in the UFC, or is he being primed to take Leonard Garcia’s throne as the affable yet down-on-his-luck slugger?
Ben: I actually think the UFC does want KJ Noons to win another fight and stick around in the company for a while — what with his fan-friendly slugging style and gorgeous head of hair. It’s just that they don’t want him to win this fight in particular. This match is a rebound for Cowboy, plain and simple, and Noons will play his role accordingly. (As for your prediction that one judge will score it 30-26? That would be Cecil Peoples. Meanwhile, Nelson Hamilton and Glenn Trowbridge will dispose of their scorecards after Cerrone wins by second-round TKO. Ah, yeah. Cecil Peoples jokes. I’ve been doing this for over five years now, and that’s not depressing at all.)
The UFC tends to give second chances to guys who are immediately thrown to the wolves in their UFC debuts or step in as short-notice injury replacements and get smashed, and Noons certainly fits that first category. Look for him to return later this year in a fight he can actually win. (Say, what’s that Yancy dude up to?)
Ben: Well, Jeremy Stephens is the only prelim fighter who’s guaranteed to be cut if he loses on Saturday, considering that he’s already on a three-fight losing skid, and he’s fighting an Octagon newbie who’s best known for getting spinning-backfisted into a living death. The only problem is, I think Stephens will win that fight.
So I’m going to make a riskier pick and say Brian Bowles will never fight in the UFC again. The former WEC bantamweight champion has drifted out of relevance following his loss to Urijah Faber at UFC 139 and his subsequent year-and-a-half long injury layoff. George Roop will outstrike Bowles to a decision victory, and the UFC will realize that there’s really no point in keeping Bowles around anymore.
As for Khabib Nurmagomedov (aka “The Eagle”), it’s only his unpronounceably ethnic name that’s keeping him stuck underneath the Colton Smiths and Rick Storys of the world. But once he tears through Abel Trujillo, he’ll be the owner of a 20-0 record and four straight wins in the UFC. At that point, it won’t matter if his name is Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-BopSteinberg, the UFC won’t be able to keep this guy a secret any longer.
On Bowles’ WORST DAY, he would still beat the stuffing out of the puffed up crow’s cock that is George Roop, and I say that with all due respect. Luckily for us, this theory is going to be put to the test on Saturday, as Bowles will be coming off the longest layoff of his career as you mentioned. While I usually don’t base fight predictions on a fighter’s record, the fact that Roop hasn’t put together 2 wins in a row since 2008 (well technically, 07-08) is a more telling statistic than the reach advantage that Roop will fail to utilize as he has most of his career. Come Monday morning, Roop is going to venting his frustrations with fighter pay, the UFC’s preference of stand-and-bangers, and President Obama’s “crappy policies” to any two-bit journalist that will listen. Don’t worry; I’ve already got his number on speed dial.
It’s anyone’s guess why a guy as talented, not to mention exciting as Kebab NumaNumaYeah is still buried on the prelims, but in this case, I think it might actually make sense. UFC 160’s main card is stacked, quite honestly, yet I haven’t seen one advertisement for the event despite watching Bar Rescue on Spike TV for six hours yesterday. My masochistic TV tendencies aside, DW & Co. are probably thinking that the best way to score some last-minute PPV buys is with an exciting televised card for the meek, non-Smashers to enjoy. Starting said card with a fight that is sure to both bring the pain and piss off the Culinary Union? Sound like a win-win to me.
