On Saturday night, Jon Jones etched his name in UFC light heavyweight history, as he became the first person to defend his title more than once since Chuck Liddell in 2005.Jones has proven himself to all the doubters—well, most of the doubters&md…
On Saturday night, Jon Jones etched his name in UFC light heavyweight history, as he became the first person to defend his title more than once since Chuck Liddell in 2005.
Jones has proven himself to all the doubters—well, most of the doubters—and has shown that he is, in fact, a force to be reckoned with.
Additionally, Lyoto Machida became the first person to—arguably—win a round from Jones since he “learned to fight,” but his ranking will still be impacted.
So let’s take a look at the top 25 pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC.
It is the aftermath of UFC 140 in Toronto and living in the city, the buzz is surely on the brutal finishes of the fights from the card on Saturday night.All the coverage and talk of Frank Mir breaking Nogueira’s arm, along with local reports of …
It is the aftermath of UFC 140 in Toronto and living in the city, the buzz is surely on the brutal finishes of the fights from the card on Saturday night.
All the coverage and talk of Frank Mir breaking Nogueira’s arm, along with local reports of how all the Maple Leafs and hockey players in attendance thought it was quite a brutal sport, has left me throwing caution to the wind.
The finishes, and some of the fights we saw this weekend fall directly into the five-90-five percent rule, and it must be explained before any judgement is passed by the uneducated MMA fan.
Five percent of all fights will end in some sort of shocking, brutal or even gruesome fashion, 90 percent will end in exciting, even thrilling but normal finishes and the other five percent will end in boring and uneventful fashion.
Usually, the shocking and brutal finishes are spread and sort out among the many different fight cards in a year or period of time. In my opinion, a case could be made that we saw three fights that had finishes in the first five percent.
Frank Mir’s brutal kimura on “Big Nog” is definitely one, Jones’s somewhat brutal-looking choke and how he landed plastered face-down was another.
It could be argued that Chan Sung Jung’s knockout seven seconds in qualifies in there, too.
Mir’s destruction of Nogueira’s arm is comparable to the worst injury in any other sport suffered under the rules, like a broken neck on a clean hit in football, a broken leg on a knee-on-knee hit in hockey or a broken arm from a collision at home plate.
You can’t judge the sport on the most brutal of its incidents. They happen but they are rare. Just like Machida getting choked out on his feet and dropped or Hominick getting knocked out in seven seconds.
The only difference in these incidents is what makes MMA even safer than some of the other sports mentioned.
Both Nogueira and Machida could have stopped these incidents on the spot by swallowing their pride and tapping out to the opponent—a choice not available in mid-action in most sports.
But both men chose not to tap, and both men suffered very cold and real consequences.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
Despite disposing another former UFC champion in Lyoto Machida, it isn’t likely Jon Jones will face Anderson Silva in a dream fight that fans have been wanting for some time.The UFC light heavyweight champion recorded his fifth straight victory after h…
Despite disposing another former UFC champion in Lyoto Machida, it isn’t likely Jon Jones will face Anderson Silva in a dream fight that fans have been wanting for some time.
The UFC light heavyweight champion recorded his fifth straight victory after he successfully defended the title at UFC 140 this past weekend. Jones, who was making his second title defense, overcame a difficult opening round against his opponent to submit Machida in the second round.
However, UFC President Dana White said Jones’ recent success hasn’t earned him any super-fight with the 185-pound titleholder anytime soon.
“I don’t see that fight happening anytime soon,” White told reporters during the post-fight press conference.
Jones’ current dominance over the light heavyweight division has drawn comparisons to Silva, who has ruled over the middleweight division for the past five years. Also, Jones’ lanky frame and creative striking techniques are parallel to that of the Brazilian, and thus, has created a substantial amount of hype surrounding the potential bout.
With fellow pound-for-pound kingpin, Georges St-Pierre, currently sidelined with a torn ACL, some fans’ have favored the 24-year-old over the French-Canadian to compete against Silva.
But White shot down the idea, citing Jones’ inexperience as a possible factor.
“He’s 24 years old. He’s just getting out there and fighting all the best in the light heavyweight division,” he said. “What people have to realize, too, is Anderson Silva is 37 years old. They’re in two different weight classes.”
Jones’ recent victory has granted him some much-needed rest, as he won’t likely make his next title defense until mid-2012 against either Rashad Evans or Dan Henderson.
Meanwhile, Silva has been out of action since August when he made his last title defense against Yushin Okami at UFC 134. The Brazilian is expected to return by early summer next year.
UFC 140 has come and gone, and it was an incredible week for mixed martial arts in Toronto.The excitement that the event brought to the city was not on 129 levels, but it was indeed tangible and the show delivered plenty of value in typi…
UFC 140 has come and gone, and it was an incredible week for mixed martial arts in Toronto.
The excitement that the event brought to the city was not on 129 levels, but it was indeed tangible and the show delivered plenty of value in typical UFC fashion.
The event was set up to be a showcase of Canadian talent in the UFC, and for this proud Canuck it turned out to be a devastatingly disappointing evening in that regard.
Canadians went 2-5 in the seven fights they were involved in, with two of our favorite fighters getting knocked out before you could say back bacon and beer.
Here is my UFC 140 Canadian fighter report card and where each fighter may go from here.
Claude Patrick Lost Via Split Decision
Claude Patrick was thrust into a very difficult fight as a late replacement opponent for the very unorthodox Brian Ebersole. Patrick lost a very close decision that quite frankly could have gone either way, and his grade reflects that.
“The Prince” is a very fluid and smooth stand up artist, but that was not the fight we saw out of him on the weekend. He looked more interested in getting in to a Muay Thai clinch and knee game and appeared cautious of getting taken down and ending up on his back.
Nevertheless, he dulled down a normally flamboyant game from Ebersole and should be credited for a strong performance. It wasn’t his best, and I would like to see more of the true Prince the next time he fights.
Grade: B
What’s Next for Patrick?
Ebersole was a step up for Patrick and although he lost, I think it is clear he can handle a big fight with strong, top-tier welterweights such as Ebersole, Martin Kampmann, Rick Story and fighters of that caliber.
“The Prince” needs a lot of work on his strength and overall game, and I do wonder if he has considered a switch to 155.
Mark Hominick Lost Via Knockout at 0:07 of First Round
Just like Soszynski before him, Mark Hominick got caught early in his fight and was unable to recover in time to defend against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
And like Soszynski, Hominick made a rookie error that led to his downfall, and it is for the same reason he gets a failing grade.
Hominick is a technical striking machine, but his lead left hook looked like mine in a heavy bag session on Tuesday nights. It was sloppy and it was slow and it extended him wide open for “The Zombie” to strike.
Grade: F
What’s Next for Hominick?
Hominick gets a mulligan based on the incredible year he has had in both good and bad times in his life. He addressed it like a man and said himself in post-fight interviews that he let his emotions get the better of him by fighting out of character.
It was obvious as such, and respect goes out to him for the year he has had.
Hominick has handled everything like a true professional this year and has emerged a star in the province of Ontario and in Canada.
He understands best out of anyone that with the glory comes the scrutiny, and he has to accept that he left many of his fans disappointed on Saturday night. Hominick should take a break for as long as he wants to and enjoy his family and newborn child.
I would hate to be the guy facing him in his first fight back and I have one name for you—Chan Sung Jung.
Krzysztof Soszynski Lost Via Knockout at 0:35 of First Round
Canadian MMA was still 2-2 on the night when this one started, and Soszynski is one of our toughest and best submission fighters. I was looking for him to really get the ball rolling on the night.
I was feeling like we might have a bad omen on our hands immediately after the Krzysztof Soszynski fight ended, as our best big man was knocked out cold only 35 seconds into the fight.
It was a shocking turn of events and set the tone for things to come and really, what is there to say about the performance of “The Polish Experiment?” He got caught early and defended by moving straight back and getting caught again and again.
It is something not expected form e veteran like him.
Grade: F
What’s Next for Soszynski?
K-SOS isn’t getting any younger and while you may be able to brush this one off as a bit of a fluke, 2011-12 was supposed to be his time for a push up the talent ladder of the UFC.
Instead, it has been a year of pure adversity and disappointment.
He needs to step back and assess his future, but I’m sure we will see one more from him before he goes out. How about one more war against Stephan Bonnar in Canada before it’s all she wrote?
John Makdessi Lost Via Rear Naked Choke at 2:58 of First Round
Lightweight John Makdessi got a sobering lesson in submission fighting from a bigger and more experienced fighter in Dennis Hallman on Saturday night.
The fight was a bit tainted, as Hallman came in a few pounds overweight and is a large lightweight as it is. But Makdessi is going to have to get used to this scenario in the future.
He is a very dangerous striker and as the stakes get higher, opponents will not be willing to stand with him.
Grade: D
What’s Next for Makdessi?
After his spinning back fist win in April, it became clear that Makdessi is world class on his feet and can put on a show.
After his humbling loss on Saturday, it became clear that he is not world class on the ground.
How about giving him another similar fighter like Anthony Njokuani? Makdessi should also consider a move down in weight.
Yves Jabouin Won Via Split Decision
Bantamweight Yves Jabouin faced tough odds in his fight against Walel Watson on Saturday night. Jabouin gave up a couple inches in reach against Watson and looked in tough to get to the lanky Anderson Silva clone.
Jabouin used his quickness, movement and aggression to get in a land to eventually overcome and get the razor thin, some say controversial, decision win.
Grade: B+
What’s Next for Jabouin?
Jabouin is now 2-1 in the UFC in only three fights, but at 32 years old, he is not a spring chicken.
The fighter out of Tristar is only going to get better and why not Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres or a rematch with Rafael Assuncao to see if he can’t take a slight step up?
Mark Bocek Won Via Unanimous Decision
Lightweight Mark Bocek was 5-4 in the UFC going into his fight on Saturday night and needed a win in a big way to keep his job in the promotion.
Bocek got a decision win over Lentz by executing his game plan perfectly, and he gets a decent grade because of it.
Although he did what he had to do, Bocek is a better fighter than his safe performance displayed, and it was not the most exciting fight on his resume.
Grade: C+
What’s Next for Bocek?
Bocek is a definite “tweener” in the division, capable of fighting with the elite but not capable of beating them, and too good to fight the “Nik Lentz'” of the division.
He needs an opponent similar to that whose style will make it exciting. How about a Matt Wiman, Mac Danzig or Jeremy Stephens to see if Bocek can beat the second tier of the best fighters in the division?
Mitch Clarke Lost Via TKO at 4:36 of Second Round
Mitch Clarke is a lightweight from Edmonton with a reputation for being a buzzsaw, who comes at opponents with pace and aggression. He looked like he was in tough all week as his opponent, John Cholish, looked imposing with his bigger GSP-like physique.
The fight played out in similar fashion, as Cholish was a step ahead in strength, speed and skill compared to Clarke.
Grade: D
What’s Next for Clarke?
In an era where the UFC is keeping fighters on the roster for availability, Clarke should get another chance to show his stuff on a Canadian card in 2012. It is hard to pick an opponent for him when he failed to show anything against a newbie like Cholish.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
At UFC 140 Jon “Bones” Jones submitted Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida via standing guillotine choke, Jones then proceeded to walk away leaving his stricken opponent in an unconscious heap, supposedly unaware of what condition Machid…
At UFC 140 Jon “Bones” Jones submitted Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida via standing guillotine choke, Jones then proceeded to walk away leaving his stricken opponent in an unconscious heap, supposedly unaware of what condition Machida might’ve been in at the time.
Following his victory Greg Jackson had yelled to his charge to “go check on Lyoto Machida and get yourself some fans,” unbeknown to him that his comments had been picked up by microphones and aired to the fans on UFC.tv.
Those comments to Jones unwittingly sent the wrong message to the fans, who now think that Jackson was only orchestrating a PR stunt in order to enhance Jones’ profile and reputation as one of the good guys, and that Machida’s well-being was the last thing on his mind.
Still, regardless of his comments, no one, not even the fans, have any concrete evidence of Jackson’s real intentions when relaying that message to Jones.
And let’s say for argument’s sake that the comments were in actuality intended for that specific purpose, is it a crime?
Not in the least, at present Jones is a superstar in the making, but what he lacks is that hero-worshipping fan base—the kind the likes of Wanderlei Silva or a Chuck Liddell are accustomed to.
That’s partly due to the way Jones carries and conducts himself (not in a bad way, he’s just being who he is—Jon Jones) and some of fans have come to perceive that behavior as arrogant and/or disrespectful.
Be that as it may, what would’ve transpired if Jackson had remained schtum and went about his business—savoring Jones’ glorious moment?
Nothing, it would’ve been just another night in the Octagon where one fighter lost and the other was victorious, and no one would be any the wiser.
The whole brouhaha over Jackson’s comments were overblown and is just a storm in a tea cup.
Still, rest assured this uproar will blow over sooner rather than later.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis.
A leopard can’t change his spots. That’s likely the first thing I’ll tell anyone in 15 years who asks me about Tito Ortiz. Sure, he’s calling himself “The People’s Champion” these days, but he’s “The Huntington Beach…
A leopard can’t change his spots.
That’s likely the first thing I’ll tell anyone in 15 years who asks me about Tito Ortiz. Sure, he’s calling himself “The People’s Champion” these days, but he’s “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” to anyone who’s watched him for more than two fights, and that’s what he’ll be best known for.
In an era when his sport was essentially in the dark and needed a guy to sell tickets, it was Ortiz who did.
When the sport was evolving and no one knew whether striking or grappling was best, it was Ortiz who melded the two together to build on Mark Coleman’s invention of ground-and-pound.
At a time MMA needed a heel, a guy people loved to hate, Ortiz was there to flip them off and them beat them up afterwards
That’s how Ortiz will be remembered.
Ortiz has become an interesting figure in modern MMA. Gone are the days of a young fighter fuelled by his own brash machismo, now replaced by an aging veteran who remains competitive if often unsuccessful. He gets the business side of things, has repaired a ruined relationship with his employers and seems to genuinely love his fans.
Those are all aspects of his personality that will be remembered too.
It’s probably fair to say that Ortiz has been shaky in the last few years. He’s never had a “gimme” fight in his career though, and he always comes to fight.
If you’re like me, you probably get tired of him reminding you of that fact every time he’s in the cage, but he’s not wrong. Even still, 1-6-1 is nothing to write home about.
Truly, that won’t be what people remember about Ortiz. It’s remarkable to think that a fighter could finish his career on such a slide—at best he’ll win two of his final nine fights should he get a retirement bout and actually win it—and be recalled for the greatness that came before it.
But that’s what Ortiz has earned. At a time when MMA was a niche sport at best, he transcended it and was a face that people knew in sports, not just in his sport. That’s pretty remarkable, and hopefully he can appreciate it when his time comes.
It is the aftermath of