It’s been 14 months since UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar made the first successful defense of his belt against B.J. Penn. Since then, we’ve had a whopping one title fight in arguably the UFC’s most competitive division.Fight o…
It’s been 14 months since UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar made the first successful defense of his belt against B.J. Penn.
Since then, we’ve had a whopping one title fight in arguably the UFC’s most competitive division.
Fight of the Year candidacy aside, January’s draw between Edgar and top contender Gray Maynard put the 155-pound ranks in a bit of a logjam.
Ten months later, Maynard and Edgar will settle the score in a bout that should be captivating the minds of fight fans far more than it likely is.
It’s a fitting description for the UFC 136 card as a whole, an offering that rivals any lineup the UFC has rolled out in recent memory.
Full of great fights with notable ramifications on their respective divisions, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my weekend than to drive four hours south to the Toyota Center.
And that’s what I’ll be doing. As such, I’ve figured out why I should give a damn about this weekend’s card.
Filed under: UFCUFC 136 may be the rare event to include two title fights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some men fighting for their livelihoods in Houston this Saturday night.
We all know that professional pugilism isn’t the line of work …
UFC 136 may be the rare event to include two title fights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some men fighting for their livelihoods in Houston this Saturday night.
We all know that professional pugilism isn’t the line of work you go into if you really crave job security, but some of this weekend’s competitors are on much shakier ground than others, and it might take only one more loss to send them plummeting into the void of unemployment.
Who are they, and what are their chances to revive their careers with a win at UFC 136? For answers, we turn to The Cut List.
Leonard Garcia (15-7-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Nam Phan Why he’s in danger: Garcia’s 2-3 record in the Octagon is a little misleading for a couple of reasons. He went 1-2 in his first UFC run, which precipitated a drop to featherweight and a full-time move to the WEC. He came back after the merger and won a highly suspect decision over Nam Phan last December, then got twister’d by Chan Sung Jung in March. In a more just world, Garcia would be 0-2 in his latest stay with the UFC, and there’s a good chance that this is how he’s viewed by the people who matter. The good news is, Garcia is unquestionably one of those fighters who, in Dana White’s words, brings it. And boy does he bring it. No defense. No fancy technical stuff. Just straight-up bringing it. As a matter of fact, so much space in his brain is devoted to bringing it that there simply isn’t any space for thoughts of self-preservation. That makes Garcia the exact kind of fighter who can keep his job with a losing record in the UFC, but it also makes him predictable. Opponents who can keep their wits about them and resist the urge to brawl with him should be able to take great advantage of his incessant need to bring it, which might result in Garcia bringing it right on out of the UFC if he’s not careful. Chances of getting cut: Decent. Phan should win this, but Garcia could still get another shot afterward with the right kind of showing. His brawlability quotient is simply too high, and the UFC has too few name brand featherweights to go and get rid of one people know and like.
Nam Phan (16-9, 0-2 UFC) Who he’s facing: Leonard Garcia Why he’s in danger: Just like Garcia, Phan’s record is also skewed by some questionable judging. If he’d have gotten that decision in his UFC debut, he’d be sitting at 1-1 after his not-at-all questionable decision loss to Mike Brown in August. But as it is, he’s winless in the UFC, at least on paper, and you know what typically happens after you lose three in a row. Again, the edge in this fight likely goes to Phan, but in a way it might be more interesting to see what would happen if he were to lose. Would the UFC give him a mulligan on that first loss to Garcia, with the understanding that it was complete nonsense from the judges? Or would a second, more legitimate loss to Garcia make all that irrelevant anyway? Hard to say, but I’m sure he’d rather not find out. Chances of getting cut: Unlikely. I think he beats Garcia more clearly and obviously the second time around, thus securing his status for at least a few more months. That is, if he can resist the siren’s song of a bonus-worthy street fight. We know Garcia’s game.
Eric Schafer (12-5-2, 3-4 UFC) Who he’s facing:Aaron Simpson Why he’s in danger: If Schafer’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s been around — in a manner of speaking — for a good little while. This will be his third stint with the UFC in five years, and let’s just say that the UFC isn’t known for handing out fourth chances, so he’d better make this one count. Schafer went 1-2 in his first Octagon installment and 2-2 in the second, but all his losses came against tough opponents like Michael Bisping, Stephan Bonnar, Ryan Bader, and Jason Brilz. If you’re going to get beat, those aren’t bad guys to get beat by, but then you turn around and look at his three UFC wins. Rob MacDonald, Houston Alexander, Antonio Mendes — none of them remained in the UFC for long after losing to Schafer, and that’s not a good sign. Now Schafer has dropped to middleweight and, like virtually every fighter who moves weight classes, seems convinced that it has changed everything for him. We’ll see if he’s right, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Chances of getting cut: Very good. I sure wouldn’t want to fight a grinder like Simpson if my career was on the line. Schafer lacks the wrestling prowess of a Mark Munoz and the punching power of a Chris Leben, so I don’t see how he stops the “A-Train” here. I think he gets outwrestled and roughed up, and then I think the UFC gives him his participant ribbon and sends him home.
Steve Cantwell (7-4, 1-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Mike Massenzio Why he’s in danger: Honestly, I’m a little surprised he hasn’t already been cut. He entered the UFC with a full head of steam as WEC light heavyweight champ, and then he enthusiastically bent Razak Al-Hassan’s arm out of shape in his Octagon debut. After that, however, he lost three in a row. Now he’s dropping to middleweight, which he should have done a long time ago, but it’s mildly amazing that the UFC let him hit a three-fight losing streak before either suggesting that he drop down or go win a few in the minors. As it stands, Cantwell’s claim to fame is that he won one of three fights against Brian Stann (and, sure, also the Al-Hassan arm snap thing), so if he wants to stick around at all after Saturday, he absolutely, positively needs to win. Chances of getting cut: Good. Massenzio is a beatable opponent for Cantwell, but by no means an easy one. If he wins, he stays. If he loses, he’s gone for sure. Dan Hardy might get to lose four straight, but Cantwell is no Dan Hardy.
Mike Massenzio (12-5, 1-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Steve Cantwell Why he’s in danger: Massenzio got cut after going 1-2 his first time around, but earned himself some points with the UFC when he took a fight out of his weight class on extremely short notice at UFC 131. Even though that resulted in an ugly decision loss to Krzysztof Soszynski, it represented him stepping up and doing the UFC a solid just to get back in there. Now, as is customary, he gets a fight back in his own weight class and with adequate time to prepare. That’s the UFC’s version of repaying a favor, and if Massenzio can’t capitalize on it he’ll find himself all out of brownie points. Chances of getting cut: Good/Very good. I give Cantwell the slight edge, but it’s very slight. Whoever loses this one is probably also going to lose his job, and let’s just say Massenzio is not the favorite.
Filed under: UFCUFC 136 may be the rare event to include two title fights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some men fighting for their livelihoods in Houston this Saturday night.
We all know that professional pugilism isn’t the line of work …
UFC 136 may be the rare event to include two title fights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some men fighting for their livelihoods in Houston this Saturday night.
We all know that professional pugilism isn’t the line of work you go into if you really crave job security, but some of this weekend’s competitors are on much shakier ground than others, and it might take only one more loss to send them plummeting into the void of unemployment.
Who are they, and what are their chances to revive their careers with a win at UFC 136? For answers, we turn to The Cut List.
Leonard Garcia (15-7-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Nam Phan Why he’s in danger: Garcia’s 2-3 record in the Octagon is a little misleading for a couple of reasons. He went 1-2 in his first UFC run, which precipitated a drop to featherweight and a full-time move to the WEC. He came back after the merger and won a highly suspect decision over Nam Phan last December, then got twister’d by Chan Sung Jung in March. In a more just world, Garcia would be 0-2 in his latest stay with the UFC, and there’s a good chance that this is how he’s viewed by the people who matter. The good news is, Garcia is unquestionably one of those fighters who, in Dana White’s words, brings it. And boy does he bring it. No defense. No fancy technical stuff. Just straight-up bringing it. As a matter of fact, so much space in his brain is devoted to bringing it that there simply isn’t any space for thoughts of self-preservation. That makes Garcia the exact kind of fighter who can keep his job with a losing record in the UFC, but it also makes him predictable. Opponents who can keep their wits about them and resist the urge to brawl with him should be able to take great advantage of his incessant need to bring it, which might result in Garcia bringing it right on out of the UFC if he’s not careful. Chances of getting cut: Decent. Phan should win this, but Garcia could still get another shot afterward with the right kind of showing. His brawlability quotient is simply too high, and the UFC has too few name brand featherweights to go and get rid of one people know and like.
Nam Phan (16-9, 0-2 UFC) Who he’s facing: Leonard Garcia Why he’s in danger: Just like Garcia, Phan’s record is also skewed by some questionable judging. If he’d have gotten that decision in his UFC debut, he’d be sitting at 1-1 after his not-at-all questionable decision loss to Mike Brown in August. But as it is, he’s winless in the UFC, at least on paper, and you know what typically happens after you lose three in a row. Again, the edge in this fight likely goes to Phan, but in a way it might be more interesting to see what would happen if he were to lose. Would the UFC give him a mulligan on that first loss to Garcia, with the understanding that it was complete nonsense from the judges? Or would a second, more legitimate loss to Garcia make all that irrelevant anyway? Hard to say, but I’m sure he’d rather not find out. Chances of getting cut: Unlikely. I think he beats Garcia more clearly and obviously the second time around, thus securing his status for at least a few more months. That is, if he can resist the siren’s song of a bonus-worthy street fight. We know Garcia’s game.
Eric Schafer (12-5-2, 3-4 UFC) Who he’s facing:Aaron Simpson Why he’s in danger: If Schafer’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s been around — in a manner of speaking — for a good little while. This will be his third stint with the UFC in five years, and let’s just say that the UFC isn’t known for handing out fourth chances, so he’d better make this one count. Schafer went 1-2 in his first Octagon installment and 2-2 in the second, but all his losses came against tough opponents like Michael Bisping, Stephan Bonnar, Ryan Bader, and Jason Brilz. If you’re going to get beat, those aren’t bad guys to get beat by, but then you turn around and look at his three UFC wins. Rob MacDonald, Houston Alexander, Antonio Mendes — none of them remained in the UFC for long after losing to Schafer, and that’s not a good sign. Now Schafer has dropped to middleweight and, like virtually every fighter who moves weight classes, seems convinced that it has changed everything for him. We’ll see if he’s right, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Chances of getting cut: Very good. I sure wouldn’t want to fight a grinder like Simpson if my career was on the line. Schafer lacks the wrestling prowess of a Mark Munoz and the punching power of a Chris Leben, so I don’t see how he stops the “A-Train” here. I think he gets outwrestled and roughed up, and then I think the UFC gives him his participant ribbon and sends him home.
Steve Cantwell (7-4, 1-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Mike Massenzio Why he’s in danger: Honestly, I’m a little surprised he hasn’t already been cut. He entered the UFC with a full head of steam as WEC light heavyweight champ, and then he enthusiastically bent Razak Al-Hassan’s arm out of shape in his Octagon debut. After that, however, he lost three in a row. Now he’s dropping to middleweight, which he should have done a long time ago, but it’s mildly amazing that the UFC let him hit a three-fight losing streak before either suggesting that he drop down or go win a few in the minors. As it stands, Cantwell’s claim to fame is that he won one of three fights against Brian Stann (and, sure, also the Al-Hassan arm snap thing), so if he wants to stick around at all after Saturday, he absolutely, positively needs to win. Chances of getting cut: Good. Massenzio is a beatable opponent for Cantwell, but by no means an easy one. If he wins, he stays. If he loses, he’s gone for sure. Dan Hardy might get to lose four straight, but Cantwell is no Dan Hardy.
Mike Massenzio (12-5, 1-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Steve Cantwell Why he’s in danger: Massenzio got cut after going 1-2 his first time around, but earned himself some points with the UFC when he took a fight out of his weight class on extremely short notice at UFC 131. Even though that resulted in an ugly decision loss to Krzysztof Soszynski, it represented him stepping up and doing the UFC a solid just to get back in there. Now, as is customary, he gets a fight back in his own weight class and with adequate time to prepare. That’s the UFC’s version of repaying a favor, and if Massenzio can’t capitalize on it he’ll find himself all out of brownie points. Chances of getting cut: Good/Very good. I give Cantwell the slight edge, but it’s very slight. Whoever loses this one is probably also going to lose his job, and let’s just say Massenzio is not the favorite.
Filed under: UFCUFC 136 may be the rare event to include two title fights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some men fighting for their livelihoods in Houston this Saturday night.
We all know that professional pugilism isn’t the line of work …
UFC 136 may be the rare event to include two title fights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some men fighting for their livelihoods in Houston this Saturday night.
We all know that professional pugilism isn’t the line of work you go into if you really crave job security, but some of this weekend’s competitors are on much shakier ground than others, and it might take only one more loss to send them plummeting into the void of unemployment.
Who are they, and what are their chances to revive their careers with a win at UFC 136? For answers, we turn to The Cut List.
Leonard Garcia (15-7-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Nam Phan Why he’s in danger: Garcia’s 2-3 record in the Octagon is a little misleading for a couple of reasons. He went 1-2 in his first UFC run, which precipitated a drop to featherweight and a full-time move to the WEC. He came back after the merger and won a highly suspect decision over Nam Phan last December, then got twister’d by Chan Sung Jung in March. In a more just world, Garcia would be 0-2 in his latest stay with the UFC, and there’s a good chance that this is how he’s viewed by the people who matter. The good news is, Garcia is unquestionably one of those fighters who, in Dana White’s words, brings it. And boy does he bring it. No defense. No fancy technical stuff. Just straight-up bringing it. As a matter of fact, so much space in his brain is devoted to bringing it that there simply isn’t any space for thoughts of self-preservation. That makes Garcia the exact kind of fighter who can keep his job with a losing record in the UFC, but it also makes him predictable. Opponents who can keep their wits about them and resist the urge to brawl with him should be able to take great advantage of his incessant need to bring it, which might result in Garcia bringing it right on out of the UFC if he’s not careful. Chances of getting cut: Decent. Phan should win this, but Garcia could still get another shot afterward with the right kind of showing. His brawlability quotient is simply too high, and the UFC has too few name brand featherweights to go and get rid of one people know and like.
Nam Phan (16-9, 0-2 UFC) Who he’s facing: Leonard Garcia Why he’s in danger: Just like Garcia, Phan’s record is also skewed by some questionable judging. If he’d have gotten that decision in his UFC debut, he’d be sitting at 1-1 after his not-at-all questionable decision loss to Mike Brown in August. But as it is, he’s winless in the UFC, at least on paper, and you know what typically happens after you lose three in a row. Again, the edge in this fight likely goes to Phan, but in a way it might be more interesting to see what would happen if he were to lose. Would the UFC give him a mulligan on that first loss to Garcia, with the understanding that it was complete nonsense from the judges? Or would a second, more legitimate loss to Garcia make all that irrelevant anyway? Hard to say, but I’m sure he’d rather not find out. Chances of getting cut: Unlikely. I think he beats Garcia more clearly and obviously the second time around, thus securing his status for at least a few more months. That is, if he can resist the siren’s song of a bonus-worthy street fight. We know Garcia’s game.
Eric Schafer (12-5-2, 3-4 UFC) Who he’s facing:Aaron Simpson Why he’s in danger: If Schafer’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s been around — in a manner of speaking — for a good little while. This will be his third stint with the UFC in five years, and let’s just say that the UFC isn’t known for handing out fourth chances, so he’d better make this one count. Schafer went 1-2 in his first Octagon installment and 2-2 in the second, but all his losses came against tough opponents like Michael Bisping, Stephan Bonnar, Ryan Bader, and Jason Brilz. If you’re going to get beat, those aren’t bad guys to get beat by, but then you turn around and look at his three UFC wins. Rob MacDonald, Houston Alexander, Antonio Mendes — none of them remained in the UFC for long after losing to Schafer, and that’s not a good sign. Now Schafer has dropped to middleweight and, like virtually every fighter who moves weight classes, seems convinced that it has changed everything for him. We’ll see if he’s right, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Chances of getting cut: Very good. I sure wouldn’t want to fight a grinder like Simpson if my career was on the line. Schafer lacks the wrestling prowess of a Mark Munoz and the punching power of a Chris Leben, so I don’t see how he stops the “A-Train” here. I think he gets outwrestled and roughed up, and then I think the UFC gives him his participant ribbon and sends him home.
Steve Cantwell (7-4, 1-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Mike Massenzio Why he’s in danger: Honestly, I’m a little surprised he hasn’t already been cut. He entered the UFC with a full head of steam as WEC light heavyweight champ, and then he enthusiastically bent Razak Al-Hassan’s arm out of shape in his Octagon debut. After that, however, he lost three in a row. Now he’s dropping to middleweight, which he should have done a long time ago, but it’s mildly amazing that the UFC let him hit a three-fight losing streak before either suggesting that he drop down or go win a few in the minors. As it stands, Cantwell’s claim to fame is that he won one of three fights against Brian Stann (and, sure, also the Al-Hassan arm snap thing), so if he wants to stick around at all after Saturday, he absolutely, positively needs to win. Chances of getting cut: Good. Massenzio is a beatable opponent for Cantwell, but by no means an easy one. If he wins, he stays. If he loses, he’s gone for sure. Dan Hardy might get to lose four straight, but Cantwell is no Dan Hardy.
Mike Massenzio (12-5, 1-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Steve Cantwell Why he’s in danger: Massenzio got cut after going 1-2 his first time around, but earned himself some points with the UFC when he took a fight out of his weight class on extremely short notice at UFC 131. Even though that resulted in an ugly decision loss to Krzysztof Soszynski, it represented him stepping up and doing the UFC a solid just to get back in there. Now, as is customary, he gets a fight back in his own weight class and with adequate time to prepare. That’s the UFC’s version of repaying a favor, and if Massenzio can’t capitalize on it he’ll find himself all out of brownie points. Chances of getting cut: Good/Very good. I give Cantwell the slight edge, but it’s very slight. Whoever loses this one is probably also going to lose his job, and let’s just say Massenzio is not the favorite.
Source: Fightline Brian Stann is coming off two victories via his excellent punching power, having TKO’d Chris Leben in the first round of his UFC 125 bout and KO’d Jorge Santiago at UFC 130. Yet,.
Brian Stann is coming off two victories via his excellent punching power, having TKO’d Chris Leben in the first round of his UFC 125 bout and KO’d Jorge Santiago at UFC 130. Yet, Stann is a prominent (+225) underdog to Chael Sonnen for this weekend’s UFC 136. Sonnen is best known for his wrestling prowess, specifically as a Greco-Roman wrestling champion while Stann’s pointed MMA flaw is decisively his wrestling, which he professes to have targeted in his training regime over the past two years. But Stann doesn’t seem to think his two years of wrestling will be his key to victory this Saturday night and instead reminded us that he can punch. Stann said:
“I think sometimes when oddsmakers and people keep telling me about this fight and how big a longshot I am, I think people forget – I even went back to my bout agreement and checked – but I can punch in this fight. So, I feel good.”
It’s good for Stann to have that kind of confidence…and humor; however, getting knocked out isn’t exactly one of Sonnen’s weaknesses. In fact in his entire pro-career, Sonnen has only lost a fight via TKO twice and the last time that happened was in 2004 (to Terry Martin at XFO 4). So, yeah, keep your hands ready to fire Stann, but maybe look to armbar Sonnen, as well. In Chael Sonnen’s (25-11-1) career he has lost via armbar 4 times (the most recent being his Triangle Armbar loss to Anderson Silva in the 5th round of that spectacular (though possibly steroid induced UFC 117) Middleweight title-fight. He’s also been choked out 3 times… This goes to show you that although Sonnen is a member of a top known grappling team like Team Quest, you can still use his very strengths to overpower him, which is actually a great essence to Martial Arts… the ability to use an opponent’s energy to leverage against him.
So keep that in mind Brian Stann and if anything, both you guys, please just give us one hell of a clean [meaning steroid free ] fight. I cannot wait for this one.
UFC 136 will soon be upon us, but what matters most isn’t the lightweight title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard. Instead, what matters most is the legacy Jose Aldo and the fate of the featherweight division.World Extrem…
UFC 136 will soon be upon us, but what matters most isn’t the lightweight title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard. Instead, what matters most is the legacy Jose Aldo and the fate of the featherweight division.
World Extreme Cagefighting was formed in 2001 and lived a mediocre existence until it was purchased by Zuffa—the company that owns the UFC—in 2006.
Soon after that point, the WEC underwent a renaissance. Zuffa shifted the promotion’s focus to the lighter weight classes, specifically the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, which were absent in the UFC.
These weight classes and the fighters in them put on amazing fights for fans and their popularity soared. The peak of this was Anthony Pettis’ “showtime kick” against Ben Henderson for the WEC lightweight title.
Zuffa eventually determined that the time was right to merge the WEC lightweight roster with that of the UFC and bring on the two new weight classes: the bantamweights and featherweights were UFC-bound and the champions of the corresponding divisions were essentially rebranded to UFC champions.
Fans were thrilled to see the first title defense of one former WEC champion in particular—the Brazilian terror that was Jose Aldo.
Aldo made quite a name for himself in the WEC by going undefeated in his run with the organization, as well as capturing their featherweight title and outclassing all of his opponents, even the highly-touted Urijah Faber.
Surely, Aldo would be able to make short work of unheralded challenger Mark Hominick, or so the community’s “wisdom” dictated.
Aldo performed well against Hominick, but he was not the phenom he was made out to be: he was even almost finished in the last round!
Perhaps the champ had one bad night, but when the history (albeit brief) of the featherweight division is examined, a disturbing trend emerges: The champion, who everyone thinks is unbeatable, is only unbeatable as long as the weight class doesn’t undergo significant growth.
For example, Urijah Faber was a god among men at featherweight for quite some time. However, once the weight class became popular and more fighters entered it, his stranglehold over the division evaporated.
Simply put, a journeyman and UFC washout in Mike Brown was able to convincingly beat Faber. How could this be? Because Brown was fighting in a division (lightweight) that had a much deeper talent pool and was therefore fighting better fighters.
Faber, on the other hand, was fighting in a much smaller talent pool; he was a big fish in a small pond while Brown was a big fish in an ocean.
What does this have to do with Jose Aldo?
Aldo is set to defend his title against perennial contender Kenny Florian, a man who tried and failed at weight classes from middleweight to lightweight (where he most notably lost to B.J. Penn, Gray Maynard and Sean Sherk in high-stakes fights) at UFC 136.
If Aldo suffers a loss to a fighter who is known to be only above average (and perhaps cynics would call him a glorified gatekeeper), then it proves that Aldo was not one of the pound for pound best at all; he was just an overrated fighter who was beating up on other overrated fighters in an overrated division.
His reputation will suffer and the Aldo hype-train will produce a wreck almost more spectacular than that of the former “greatest of all time,” Fedor Emelianenko.
If Florian wins, lightweight fighters will no doubt take note of his success and will begin flooding the division. Eventually, featherweight will be a home for second-rate lightweight fighters who couldn’t cut it against the elite lightweights.
Thus, not only is Aldo’s reputation and legacy at stake in his fight against Florian—so to is the very fate of the featherweight division.
] fight. I cannot wait for this one.