Tag: UFC 123

The Cut List: Who Desperately Needs a Win at UFC 123?

Filed under: UFCThe main event at UFC 123 may feature two former champs battling it out for another shot at glory, but the undercard includes several fighters who are just struggling to stay employed.

Let’s face it, with the WEC fighters being brought…

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The main event at UFC 123 may feature two former champs battling it out for another shot at glory, but the undercard includes several fighters who are just struggling to stay employed.

Let’s face it, with the WEC fighters being brought into the fold, the UFC is bound to trim a little of the fat off the roster soon, jettisoning some of the guys who have underperformed of late. The good news is, the fighters on the chopping block probably know who they are and what they have to do to keep the paychecks coming.

At least most of the time, that adds up to exciting fights. And after the yawn-inducing display at UFC 122, the UFC needs an adrenaline boost like “Rampage” Jackson needs new bad breath jokes. Below, a detailed look at who might spend Thanksgiving looking over the want ads if they can’t pull out a victory on Saturday.

Rampage Jackson Worries Lyoto Machida Will Give Him a Boring Fight

Filed under: UFCWhen a UFC fighter goes on SportsCenter two days before his fight, he’s usually expected to try to sell the viewers on a fight that he guarantees is going to be a “brawl” or a “barn burner” or a “slugfest” or whatever other word you wan…

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Rampage JacksonWhen a UFC fighter goes on SportsCenter two days before his fight, he’s usually expected to try to sell the viewers on a fight that he guarantees is going to be a “brawl” or a “barn burner” or a “slugfest” or whatever other word you want to use to describe the kinds of fights that will make the casual MMA fan watching ESPN buy the pay-per-view.

That’s not what Rampage Jackson did on Thursday morning.

Instead, Jackson went on SportsCenter and described his fight with Lyoto Machida Saturday night at UFC 123 as one that could easily be boring.

Phil Davis: I Don’t Want Fans to Think I’m Another Lay-and-Pray Fighter

Filed under: UFCBecoming an NCAA wrestling champ and four-time All-American at Penn State prepared Phil Davis (7-0) well for a career in mixed martial arts, but there is one thing that surprised him when he went from the wrestling mats to the cage.

“W…

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Becoming an NCAA wrestling champ and four-time All-American at Penn State prepared Phil Davis (7-0) well for a career in mixed martial arts, but there is one thing that surprised him when he went from the wrestling mats to the cage.

“When you’re at home watching the UFC and you see a guy get elbowed in the face, you think, Oooh, that poor guy, he just got elbowed in the face,” Davis told MMA Fighting. “But I’m here to tell you, that hurts your elbow. You don’t think it would, but it hurts your elbow. When you calm down, stop sweating, get your shower and change, you will think, Man, my elbow really hurts. I’m telling you. It’s surprising.”

In his two years as a pro, the undefeated Davis has had plenty of experience with being the one who delivers those elbows.

Being on the receiving end is still something he’s mostly unfamiliar with during his time in the cage, which might help explain his answer when you ask if he ever stops to consider what his opponents’ faces must feel like when he’s busy icing his elbow.

Gerald Harris Expecting Fireworks From Brazilian Newcomer at UFC 123

Filed under: UFCWhen Gerald Harris (17-2) looks at Maiquel Falcao (25-3) — the Brazilian Chute Boxe product who he’ll welcome to the Octagon at UFC 123 this Saturday — what he sees is a fighter who is, in his words, “kind of the opposite of me.”

“He…

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When Gerald Harris (17-2) looks at Maiquel Falcao (25-3) — the Brazilian Chute Boxe product who he’ll welcome to the Octagon at UFC 123 this Saturday — what he sees is a fighter who is, in his words, “kind of the opposite of me.”

“He’s coming in there to take your head off, not a lot of technique involved,” Harris told MMA Fighting. “His main strength is trying to stand up and beat you down.”

It just so happens that Harris’ strength is taking guys like that down, often with destructive results. The best example of that came in his last fight at UFC 116, where Harris knocked fellow middleweight Dave Branch out cold with a third-round slam. The finish earned him Knockout of the Night honors, and even landed him on Sportscenter — a distinction that still defines him to many fans.

UFC 123 Press Conference Video

Filed under: UFCUFC President Dana White and four former UFC champions will meet the press on Wednesday at the UFC 123 pre-fight press conference, and we’ll stream it live right here at MMAFighting.com.

Former light heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida…

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Dana White is one of the many people who will answer questions at the UFC 123 press conference.UFC President Dana White and four former UFC champions will meet the press on Wednesday at the UFC 123 pre-fight press conference, and we’ll stream it live right here at MMAFighting.com.

Former light heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida and Rampage Jackson meet in the main event, while former two-division champion BJ Penn moves back up to welterweight and tries to bounce back from back-to-back losses and win his rubber match with Matt Hughes. They’ll all have plenty to say.

The press conference begins at 1PM ET and the video is below.

B.J. Penn: I Know I’ll Be UFC Lightweight Champion Again

Filed under: UFCB.J. Penn is generally recognized as the best lightweight in MMA history, but after losing two straight fights to lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, he’s now moving up to welterweight to face Matt Hughes at UFC 123. Penn apparently doe…

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BJ PennB.J. Penn is generally recognized as the best lightweight in MMA history, but after losing two straight fights to lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, he’s now moving up to welterweight to face Matt Hughes at UFC 123. Penn apparently doesn’t see it as a permanent move.

In an interview on SportsCenter Wednesday morning, Penn said that he doesn’t view his two losses to Edgar this year as a sign that he’s no longer competitive in the lightweight division. Instead, he thinks he’s going to win his welterweight rubber match with Hughes and then move back down to be the best lightweight again.