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LAS VEGAS — Watch below as Ben Fowlkes and I break down all the storylines heading into to Friday night’s UFC 141 pay-per-view event.
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, Videos
LAS VEGAS — Watch below as Ben Fowlkes and I break down all the storylines heading into to Friday night’s UFC 141 pay-per-view event.
(Will Lesnar vs. Overeem bash out a place on the list, or will it inevitably fall short of the hype?)
Between Junior Dos Santos’s knee injury, Strikeforce phasing out their heavyweight division in 2012, and the general lack of UFC heavyweight fights lately (just three in their last five events, to be exact), it seems like MMA’s big-man scene is in hibernation mode.
But starting with Friday night’s UFC 141 main event of Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem — promoted as the “biggest” fight of the year — and continuing on to Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier in March, the action among 265’ers is about to start heating up. With that mind, we decided to pay tribute to the greatest and most important heavyweight MMA fights from this past year. Enjoy, and let us know if we left out any of your favorites…
#6. DANIEL CORMIER vs. ANTONIO SILVA
Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov, 9/10/11
What happened: The smaller man fought like a giant. Cormier landed his punches at will and easily shrugged off Silva’s attempts to take the fight to the ground. Entering the tournament as an alternate, Cormier punched his ticket to the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finals with a hook/uppercut combo that stiffened the Brazilian Frankenstein.
What we learned: Undersized doesn’t always mean outgunned — and a big chin doesn’t always mean a strong chin.
(Will Lesnar vs. Overeem bash out a place on the list, or will it inevitably fall short of the hype?)
Between Junior Dos Santos’s knee injury, Strikeforce phasing out their heavyweight division in 2012, and the general lack of UFC heavyweight fights lately (just three in their last five events, to be exact), it seems like MMA’s big-man scene is in hibernation mode.
But starting with Friday night’s UFC 141 main event of Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem — promoted as the “biggest” fight of the year — and continuing on to Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier in March, the action among 265′ers is about to start heating up. With that mind, we decided to pay tribute to the greatest and most important heavyweight MMA fights from this past year. Enjoy, and let us know if we left out any of your favorites…
#6. DANIEL CORMIER vs. ANTONIO SILVA
Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov, 9/10/11
What happened: The smaller man fought like a giant. Cormier landed his punches at will and easily shrugged off Silva’s attempts to take the fight to the ground. Entering the tournament as an alternate, Cormier punched his ticket to the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finals with a hook/uppercut combo that stiffened the Brazilian Frankenstein.
What we learned: Undersized doesn’t always mean outgunned — and a big chin doesn’t always mean a strong chin.
#5. ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA vs. BRENDAN SCHAUB
UFC 134, 8/27/11
What happened: After smashing Mirko Cro Cop in his previous outing, Brendan Schaub was looking to put another aging veteran out to pasture. But with Brazil’s adoring fans at his back, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira stayed calm and confident until his found his opening, blitzing Schaub’s jaw with power-punches. And the crowd goes wild…
What we learned: Never count out an MMA legend against a TUF finalist.
#4. JUNIOR DOS SANTOS vs. CAIN VELASQUEZ
UFC on FOX 1, 11/12/11
What happened: A historic five-round fight on network television that only lasted 64 seconds. Once JDS connected on an overhand right to Cain’s ear, Velasquez’s title reign quickly entered “one and done” status.
What we learned: Nobody, except for maybe Alistair Overeem, should try standing and trading with Junior Dos Santos. The UFC heavyweight belt is one seriously hot potato.
#3. DAN HENDERSON vs. FEDOR EMELIANENKO
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson, 7/30/11
What happened: Riding a late-career surge, Dan Henderson decided to challenge a heavyweight icon. The frantic one-round thriller ended with Henderson slipping in a knockout uppercut from behind. Hendo picked up one of the greatest wins of his career, and the once-invincible Russian increased his losing skid to three.
What we learned: When legends decline, they decline fast. But as long as Dan Henderson has his H-Bomb, he’s a danger to anybody in the sport, from middleweight to heavyweight.
#2. FRANK MIR vs. ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA
UFC 140, 12/10/11
What happened: Looking to redeem himself from his previous TKO loss to Mir in December 2008, Nogueira came out strong and managed to rock Mir standing. But instead of going for the kill with follow-up strikes, Big Nog tried to finish on the ground with a submission. Mir reversed him and snapped his arm with a kimura at 3:38 of the first round.
What we learned: Hubris can sink even the most experienced fighters, and Frank Mir still enjoys a good bone-breaking.
#1. CHEICK KONGO vs. PAT BARRY
UFC on Versus 4, 6/26/11
What happened: Pat Barry knocked Kongo out twice — then Kongo knocked Barry out for good. One of the greatest “back from the dead” fights in MMA history
What we learned: Referee Dan Miragliotta knows what he’s doing sometimes. Growing a Kimbo-beard can give you brief periods of invincibility.
(BG)
You hear fighters say they want to always fight and stay active, but it doesn’t happen often. There are exceptions like Donald Cerrone and Nam Phan, who are fighting this Friday at UFC 141.But another 141 participant is also willing to fight anywh…
You hear fighters say they want to always fight and stay active, but it doesn’t happen often. There are exceptions like Donald Cerrone and Nam Phan, who are fighting this Friday at UFC 141.
But another 141 participant is also willing to fight anywhere, anytime.
Junior Assuncao (13-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) returns after fighting at UFC 135, and will be facing Ross Pearson (12-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) tomorrow night at UFC 141 in a key featherweight bout. UFC 141 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and this fight will be a part of the Spike TV broadcast starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Pearson is making his debut at featherweight, and you would think Assuncao would have the advantage due to Pearson never fighting at 145, but Assuncao isn’t so sure about that.
“That’s hard to tell you know,” Assuncao told me.
“I’m sure he’s doing his homework right. I’m sure everything right in his diet just as much as I have. I’m pretty close to the weight right now. I fought in September, took about 10 days off and I was already begging the UFC for another fight. My manager was like, “take some time off.”
“A lot of the guys these days, they just want to keep the UFC appearance,” Assuncao said.
“It doesn’t do me any good to be in the UFC if I’m not fighting. So as soon as I was done with my fight, I couldn’t wait to get back in there and expose myself again. You only lose if you fight. That’s the kind of mindset I have.”
After just fighting in September, you would think Assuncao would have wanted to fight at the beginning of 2012, but Assuncao had every intention of getting in one more fight in 2011.
“I really wanted to fight year,” Assuncao said.
“My mindset was, “I’m gonna win this next one, so I’ll be 2-0 this year (in the UFC). That will put me on a eight-fight win streak, and then next year, I’ll win two more, and then the end of next year, I should be in title contention.”
Pearson wasn’t even the first opponent the UFC offered to Assuncao. The UFC originally offered Felipe Sertanejo to Assuncao, but he wanted to take a fight that was going to advance his career, and that’s when Pearson was offered. Nothing personal, but Assuncao wants to get to the top of the featherweight division, and the quickest way to the top is through Pearson in his mind.
“They (the UFC) had that Felipe (Sertanejo) guy as a matter of fact,” Assuncao said.
“Freddy (Assuncao’s brother) faced him in his first MMA fight. The guy was already a veteran. Don’t take anything away from the guy obviously. You know, I want to be champion, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I want the toughest fights. I could’ve fought that guy. Maybe in the business aspect, it could have been the smarter thing to do. But I was gonna go back to fighting on the undercard, Facebook fights, which I don’t have a problem with that.
But I had to put it on the scale. Fight a no-name guy, I was going to beat him anyways and then fight a name guy? Now, the Ross Pearson deal is a high risk. The reward I’m totally aware of. So I like that. I like to take challenges. Me going through Ross Pearson, that will catapult me to the front of the line instead of taking no name guys and the risk to lose is the same. Anybody can punch you in your jaw and lights out, and that’s the end of the night. I was like, you know what, I’m gonna take a high-risk fight. I understand the reward; that’s why I chose Ross Pearson.”
You can listen to the two-part interview with Junior Assuncao here.
You can follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi.
Steven Muehlhausen is a contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
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Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz have already produced some fireworks in their pre-fight lead-up to UFC 141 in Las Vegas.Diaz has already knocked off Cerrone’s cowboy hat, and words have been exchanged through interviews. If you haven’t seen the cowboy hat…
Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz have already produced some fireworks in their pre-fight lead-up to UFC 141 in Las Vegas.
Diaz has already knocked off Cerrone’s cowboy hat, and words have been exchanged through interviews. If you haven’t seen the cowboy hat moment, watch it, because it will make you want this fight to come sooner.
These two fighters are very skilled in the striking department, but what separates these two fighters is the diversity of their arsenal.
Cerrone will utilize knees and elbows if necessary, and not only that, his leg kicks will chop down Diaz if used.
I think that diversity gives Cerrone the edge in the most important area of this fight, as both fighters will bang it out on their feet. This doesn’t deny Diaz’s boxing skills, which are very good and in his most recent fight very accurate.
The fact remains, though, that compared to Cerrone, Diaz isn’t as diversified in his standup.
On the ground, I think both fighters are very even. Diaz has a great Brazilian jiu-jitsu background from Cesar Gracie and is deadly on the ground, as Takanori Gomi can attest to.
Cerrone, though, is also very good on the ground and has great offensive grappling. Thirteen of Cerrone’s 17 wins have come by submission, just to prove that point.
All in all, I think this is a great fight, and in the spirit of the cowboy and John McClane, “Yippie-kai-yay.”
To those who haven’t seen Die Hard, please leave your man-card at the door.
Cerrone by unanimous decision or third-round TKO
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UFC 141 has an massive main event with former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar facing former Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.Lesnar returns to the Octagon tomorrow night after 14 months out of action due to a second battle …
UFC 141 has an massive main event with former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar facing former Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.
Lesnar returns to the Octagon tomorrow night after 14 months out of action due to a second battle with diverticulitis, and he welcomes Overeem to the organization.
“I went through the surgery, had 12 inches of my colon removed, three-month layoff (and) back in the gym,” Lesnar said. “(I) got a phone call from Dana White saying, ‘Hey, let’s get you back in the Octagon, are you ready?’ I said, ‘Let’s do it,’ and here I am. I feel blessed to be here and I’m just excited to get back into the Octagon Friday night.”
Overeem has fought world-class competition all over the world and his elite striking makes him arguably the toughest test of Lesnar’s career.
Friday night’s massive heavyweight tilt marks Overeem’s inaugural trip to the Octagon, but he’s not your ordinary newcomer as he earned his fifth career victory 10 years prior to Lesnar defeating Shane Carwin to score the fifth win of his career.
“With Brock, it’s pretty straightforward with what he’s going to do,” Overeem said. “He’s going to try and take me down, that makes it easy for a fighter who’s going to be predictable and for me it’s all about stuffing that takedown and keeping the fight in the stand up.
“Keeping it on my terms and my terms is striking. I can say I’m a very good striker, I won the K-1 championship last year. That’s what I’m good at and that’s exactly what I’m going to do with Brock. Keep it standing and out-strike him.”
Both gentlemen sat down with ESPN to talk about the matchup prior to stepping inside the Octagon inside MGM Grand Garden live on pay-per-view tomorrow night.
For additional information on UFC 141, follow Joshua Carey on Twitter.
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Vladimir Matyushenko is a former IFL champion and a former UFC light heavyweight title contender.”The Janitor” quickly disposed of Jason Brilz at UFC 129 in just 20 seconds—not bad for a man who is 40 years old.In his most recent stint in the UFC…
Vladimir Matyushenko is a former IFL champion and a former UFC light heavyweight title contender.
“The Janitor” quickly disposed of Jason Brilz at UFC 129 in just 20 seconds—not bad for a man who is 40 years old.
In his most recent stint in the UFC, Matyushenko is 4-1—only current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has stopped him.
In fact, his only losses have come against some of the top names in MMA.
Jones, Tito Ortiz, Andrei Arlovski and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira have given him four of his five losses.
At 26-5, Matyushenko is still a legit threat in the division and anybody looking to use him as a stepping stone to the top of the division has to be aware of the danger Matyushenko poses.
Matyushenko packs a punch and his striking can and will overpower you if given the opportunity.
Not only can he beat you with his striking, but Matyushenko also has a nice wrestling base built in the Soviet Union. Moreover, he was a two-time Junior College National champion here in the United States.
Matyushenko may not find himself in title contention this late in his career, but when he comes to play and his body isn’t falling apart, he can beat you in an upset.
You can count him out, but he is still a legitimate threat to take out any up-and-comer who thinks that Matyushenko will play dead and get used as a name on your resume.
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