Tag: UFC 141

While Alistair Was Retiring Brock a New Episode of ‘The Reem’ Quietly Made Its Way Onto the Interwebs


(If Arianny liked us 1/10 as much as she does “The Reem” we’d be out of the doghouse right now)

While the rest of us were watching Alistair Overeem make Brock Lesnar wish he had never taken up real fighting, the creative powers behind “The Reem” were releasing another episode of our favorite online documentary.


(Poor Tiki)

Judging by our favorite two gifs from the episode, you can guess that “The Demolition Man” was a big hit in Vegas.

Check it out after the jump.


(If Arianny liked us 1/10 as much as she does “The Reem” we’d be out of the doghouse right now)

While the rest of us were watching Alistair Overeem make Brock Lesnar wish he had never taken up real fighting, the creative powers behind “The Reem” were releasing another episode of our favorite online documentary.


(Poor Tiki)

Judging by our favorite two gifs from the episode, you can guess that “The Demolition Man” was a big hit in Vegas.

Check it out below.


(Video courtesy of Vimeo/TheReem)

Season 2, episode 9 begins with Alistair arriving in Las Vegas where he promptly heads to a clinic to submit a urine sample as per NSAC requirement. After that “The Demolition Man” heads to the MGM Grand to attend to some last-minute promotional odds and ends. He’s joined by possibly the coolest guy under Zuffa contract (sorry Bruce), Burt Watson who gives the former Strikeforce champ a rundown of what’s going to go down on fight night.

Alistair shows his sense of humor when he gives Ariel Helwani a hug, just so he can get him sweaty, which may be why the MMAFighting.com reporter says he gives “the slight edge on paper” to Lesnar in the fight.

Does anybody else find it fascinating that Brock knows he had surgery in May but can’t calculate how many months it’s been since then? I don’t know if he can’t add or if he just doesn’t give a shit as long as he gets paid… or was that his opinion on fighting?

It’s also curious to note that Brock’s confidence in his striking was high heading into the fight, which may explain why he forgot he was once a Division I wrestler. Saying that he and Pat Barry were “banging” and it was “look out time” when they sparred may have foreshadowed his true gameplan for the bout. Having a paid training partner and coach who stands in the pocket and trades with you to boost your confidence in the gym isn’t the same as squaring off against someone like Overeem who could snap your neck with a kick or a punch. Lesson learned.

Quote of the Day: Jacob Volkmann on Barack Obama’s Arm – “I Would Rip It”

Jacob Volkmann is a man of many faces; he is an excellent, if somewhat frustrating grappler, a small business owner, and someone who knows how to pick a nickname. But among those faces, you will not likely see Volkmann donning “the fight finisher” or “the comedian” anytime soon. If you, like Joe Rogan and the few audience members present for his decision victory over Efrain Escudero at UFC 141, didn’t find Jacob Volkmann’s “glassectomy” bit to be all that amusing, then you weren’t alone. Lucky for us, our buddies over at MiddleEasy were able to catch up with “Christmas” recently, and allowed him to clarify his statement:

 I heard that joke when I was six years old. ‘Glassectomy’ is when they cut your belly button out, put a piece of glass in there, and when you have your head up your butt so you can see where your going.

We guess that it’s just one of those “you had to be there” kind of jokes. Then again, we’re glad we weren’t there the day that one of the Volkmann clan opted to have this procedure carried out. But apparently one visit from the Secret Service was not enough to convince Volkmann that he might want to tone down the threats aimed at the leader of the free world, because when questioned on the specifics of his beef with Obama (and what he would do to him in a fight), Volkmann had the following to say:

Jacob Volkmann is a man of many faces; he is an excellent, if somewhat frustrating grappler, a small business owner, and someone who knows how to pick a nickname. But among those faces, you will not likely see Volkmann donning “the fight finisher” or “the comedian” anytime soon. If you, like Joe Rogan and the few audience members present for his decision victory over Efrain Escudero at UFC 141, didn’t find Jacob Volkmann’s “glassectomy” bit to be all that amusing, then you weren’t alone. Lucky for us, our buddies over at MiddleEasy were able to catch up with “Christmas” recently, and allowed him to clarify his statement:

 I heard that joke when I was six years old. ‘Glassectomy’ is when they cut your belly button out, put a piece of glass in there, and when you have your head up your butt so you can see where your going.

We guess that it’s just one of those “you had to be there” kind of jokes. Then again, we’re glad we weren’t there the day that one of the Volkmann clan opted to have this procedure carried out. But apparently one visit from the Secret Service was not enough to convince Volkmann that he might want to tone down the threats aimed at the leader of the free world, because when questioned on the specifics of his beef with Obama (and what he would do to him in a fight), Volkmann had the following to say:

My beef with Obama? It seems like all his decisions, he’s not really thinking them through, he’s basing his decisions, it seems like, on who is paying him the most money. They’re not really logical, they’re not good policies. Like making a home affordable plan, the health care plan he’s got, it’s like, ‘Where’d you come up with that? Were you even thinking when you wrote it?’ I would for sure take him down and submit him. I would try to make it a very painful submission though. Try and do like a Kimura or an armbar, try and rip it.

Now, far be it from us here at CP to throw our political views around, but this is getting kind of…weird. We get it Jacob, you are simply trying to expand your name brand, one which is mainly based upon a silly incident in your past. But have you heard of a mixed martial artist by the name of David “Hello Japan” Gardner, or perhaps, Yoshihiro “Kiss” Nakao? These are the ranks you are joining, Mr. Volkmann, and honestly, you seem like too nice a guy to lump in with those types, so maybe it’s time to end this charade and focus more on, you know, finishing fights.

I’ll level with you, Potato Nation; I am not an Obama fan. There, I said it. I’m not going to go into detail about my gripes with the man, mainly out of fear that the Secret Service would accidentally discover my illegal grow operation whilst paying me a visit, but suffice it to say, I agree with Volkmann to a degree. But when a public figure of any sort begins to market themselves on their political views rather than their profession, it just comes across as kind of…bleh. It’s the reason Alec Baldwin seems like he’d be a cool guy based on his TV persona, but is kind of a doucher in real life.

In either case, we’ll have a little more faith in Volkmann’s claims when he actually starts submitting fighters in the UFC.

-Danga

UFC 141 Results: Why All Welterweights Should Worry About Johny Hendricks

The balance of power in the welterweight division endured a major shake-up at UFC 141 on Saturday night.Whether you want to call it luck or untapped potential, Johny Hendricks left the jaws of every MMA fan agape after smashing perennial No. 2 welterwe…

The balance of power in the welterweight division endured a major shake-up at UFC 141 on Saturday night.

Whether you want to call it luck or untapped potential, Johny Hendricks left the jaws of every MMA fan agape after smashing perennial No. 2 welterweight contender Jon Fitch in 12 seconds.

Hendricks had been a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Oklahoma State University. He landed a crushing overhand left in the first round that sent Fitch crashing to the canvas.

Fitch is called a zombie for his ability to withstand significant damage and bounce back. There was no coming back for the former UFC title contender this time.

Hendricks followed up with one final ground shot. That put the nail in the coffin of one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

“The media said that I had no chance. They had said I had no chance, but ever since it first started, I told them that I at least had a puncher’s chance,” said Hendricks at the post-fight press conference.

He continued:

The good Lord blessed me with a left hand, and I put it on him. He’s a tough fighter. I knew it was gonna be a three-round (fight). That’s what I trained for, that’s what I prepared for, and the good Lord blessed me with a knockout.

With the win, Hendricks enters his name on the contender’s list for a possible crack at UFC gold.

Fans are currently infatuated with world-class welterweight strikers Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, but people shouldn’t sleep on Hendricks as a future contender.

Along with heavy hands, he has one of the most decorated wrestling pedigrees in the entire division. Hendricks has the potential to grind out bouts, but he also has the ability to end fights at any moment on the feet.

His style is reminiscent of that of former contender Josh Koscheck.

At only 28years old, Hendricks has the skill set to make some serious noise in the welterweight division, and his performance against Fitch just put the rest of the 170-pounders on notice.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Armchair Matchmaker: UFC 141 Edition


(Come on, Fitch wasn’t out. He was just resting his arms.)

On Friday night, Alistair Overeem successfully gut-shotted his way to a title shot against reigning UFC heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos — and his larger-than-life opponent Brock Lesnar will likely never set foot inside of an Octagon again. But the fates of the other winners and losers from UFC 141 are still up in the air. So let’s put on our Joe Silva skin-suit and see if we can make some thoughtful matchmaking suggestions for these guys, shall we?

Nate Diaz: As ferocious as he looked against Donald Cerrone, part of me thinks that Nate is going to get rudely decisioned as soon as he goes back to facing wrestlers; guys like Clay Guida, Joe Stevenson, and Gray Maynard have already proved that putting Diaz on his back is his kryptonite. But I don’t want to see that happen, at least not right away. Next month’s UFC 144 event provides two compelling options for Nate’s next opponent — either the winner of the Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon scrap, or Ben Henderson if he loses his title challenge to Frankie Edgar. Either matchup would give Diaz an ideal dance partner for another guaranteed Fight of the Night.

Donald Cerrone: Not to steal the thunder from Diaz’s masterful performance, but Cerrone looked like shit on Friday. Sorry, it needed to be said. The highly technical fight-finisher that we’ve come to know and love was M.I.A., replaced by an outgunned cowpoke who was as sloppy as he was tentative. Cerrone needs a rebound fight to find his mojo again. Setting him up against fast-rising Ultimate Fighter 13 winner Tony Ferguson would be a great test for both fighters. Either Cowboy gets back on track against a solid opponent, or Ferguson continues to prove that he’s more than just a TUF-guy.


(Come on, Fitch wasn’t out. He was just resting his arms.)

On Friday night, Alistair Overeem successfully gut-shotted his way to a title shot against reigning UFC heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos — and his larger-than-life opponent Brock Lesnar will likely never set foot inside of an Octagon again. But the fates of the other winners and losers from UFC 141 are still up in the air. So let’s put on our Joe Silva skin-suit and see if we can make some thoughtful matchmaking suggestions for these guys, shall we?

Nate Diaz: As ferocious as he looked against Donald Cerrone, part of me thinks that Nate is going to get rudely decisioned as soon as he goes back to facing wrestlers; guys like Clay Guida, Joe Stevenson, and Gray Maynard have already proved that putting Diaz on his back is his kryptonite. But I don’t want to see that happen, at least not right away. Next month’s UFC 144 event provides two compelling options for Nate’s next opponent — either the winner of the Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon scrap, or Ben Henderson if he loses his title challenge to Frankie Edgar. Either matchup would give Diaz an ideal dance partner for another guaranteed Fight of the Night.

Donald Cerrone: Not to steal the thunder from Diaz’s masterful performance, but Cerrone looked like shit on Friday. Sorry, it needed to be said. The highly technical fight-finisher that we’ve come to know and love was M.I.A., replaced by an outgunned cowpoke who was as sloppy as he was tentative. Cerrone needs a rebound fight to find his mojo again. Setting him up against fast-rising Ultimate Fighter 13 winner Tony Ferguson would be a great test for both fighters. Either Cowboy gets back on track against a solid opponent, or Ferguson continues to prove that he’s more than just a TUF-guy.

Johny Hendricks: Beating someone as high on the welterweight totem pole as Jon Fitch should put Hendricks “in the mix” and then some. But like Nate Diaz, he should have to win one more before it’s title-shot time. Give him the loser of Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143 and make him earn it the hard way.

Jon Fitch: All of a sudden, Fitch’s delayed rematch with BJ Penn makes sense again. It’s probably the most relevant matchup you could make for both guys, and maybe the only one that could draw Penn out of his post-loss hiatus/possible retirement. We’ve already counted their first fight a decision win for Fitch based on Stockton Rules; let’s see if the ten-point-must system is kinder to him this time.

Alexander Gustafsson: “The Gold Watch,” “The White Jon Jones”…”The Next Big Thing”? Gustafsson put himself on the map in 2011, slicing through James Te-Huna, Matt Hamill, and now Vladimir Matyushenko. My first thought would be booking him against Rampage Jackson, but ‘Page already has a date with Ryan Bader at UFC 144. So how about Gustafsson vs. Lyoto Machida, to give the lanky Swede a shot at taking out a former champion?

Jimy Hettes: In one performance, Hettes went from regional phenom to early front-runner for Breakout Fighter of 2012. Now carrying the scalps of two TUF 12 cast-members (Alex Caceres and Nam Phan), it’s time to give the 24-year-old a step up against a veteran. If the UFC decides to keep around the struggling Tyson Griffin, he could be a perfect gauge of Jimy’s development — though I have a feeling that Hettes would stroll through him, too.

Dong Hyun Kim: Maybe getting steamrolled by Carlos Condit was the best thing that could have happened to him. The Stun Gun we saw on Friday — who broke the record for number of crane-kicks landed in a three-round fight — looked like a brand-new man, just as comfortable on his feet as he has been on the mat. More than ever, he’s still a force in the 170-pound division. Since Rory MacDonald is busy through the spring, I’d set Kim up against Brian Ebersole, who’s 3-0 in his current UFC campaign.

Jacob Volkmann: Volkmann should take his ideas and political passion and run for local office in Minnesota. That way, we wouldn’t have to see him fight or hear him speak ever again. “Glassectomy“? Ugh. Leave the comedy to the professionals, buddy.

(BG)

UFC 141: Alistair Overeem Talks Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos

Fresh off his dominant win over Brock Lesnar at UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 141, Alistair Overeem has had time to mull over the main events outcome as well as to give his thoughts on the projected matchup with UFC heavyweight champion Junior D…

Fresh off his dominant win over Brock Lesnar at UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 141, Alistair Overeem has had time to mull over the main events outcome as well as to give his thoughts on the projected matchup with UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos.

The Dutchman’s prediction of a first-round stoppage came to fruition as he scored a TKO over his fellow behemoth in 2:26 of said round.

“I predicted it the evening before to my fiancee,” Overeem said at the post-fight press conference at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “I said, ‘First I’m going to do this, then I’m going to do that, and I’m going to finish it with a liver kick.’ I don’t know if it’s luck or it’s strategy. But it turned out that way, and I’m just happy that it did,” Overeem told Heavy.Com.

Overeem (36-11-1NC MMA, UFC 1) has had his fair share of cynics heading into the bout—some believed that he would be out of his depth against someone with the wrestling pedigree of Lesnar.

There was also doubt with regards to his abilities as an elite mixed martial artist.

Add to the fact that UFC President Dana White had also voiced his opinion on the outcome of the fight (in favor of Lesnar), the win makes it all the more satisfactory for the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion.

“Let me say in front of everybody here that I was wrong,” White said after the fight. “I said it before Alistair came into the UFC, and I said it leading up to this fight to myself because I never give predictions (publicly). But I thought Brock Lesnar was going to beat Alistair Overeem tonight. I did. I was wrong, and he looked damned good tonight. He made quick work of Brock Lesnar,” White said.

Following his loss to Overeem, Lesnar (5-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) subsequently announced his retirement from the sport.

The former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and UFC heavyweight titlist had suffered a recurrence of diverticulitis coming into the bout.

It was also the first time he’d set foot into the Octagon since he lost the title to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121.

All in all, the time on the sidelines culminated in 14 months of inactivity for Lesnar.

“I think he shouldn’t walk away,” Overeem said. “Love him or hate him, it’s always something when Brock’s fighting. He’s a guy who goes for it. I think he achieved a lot in a short span. It would be a shame if he stops now. I think there’s still more to gain for him.”

Now that Overeem has the moniker of No. 1 contender in the heavyweight division, all that’s left is the fight itself.

Barring any injuries to Overeem and “Cigano” or any unforeseen circumstances for that matter, the matchup should go ahead sometime in 2012 or as “The Demolition Man” would have it, before the end of the summer.

“I can only say I was very motivated,” Overeem said. “I just wanted to get in there and show everybody, show the world, that I’m ready. And that I’m coming. Junior dos Santos is a very different fighter, so the game plan will be very different. … I’d like to have a nice long holiday, and arrange some stuff or get some stuff in order. So maybe (fight dos Santos) before the end of summer. I think everybody’s excited for this fight, and so am I.”

 

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Brock Told JDS That the Power of Overeem’s Kicks and Knees Threw Him Off His Game


(“Oof…right in the diverticulitis!”)

Most fans and pundits who watched Friday night’s UFC 141 main event between former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar and Octagon newcomer Alistair Overeem were amazed that Brock didn’t utilize his superior wrestling to stifle the offensive attack of “The Demolition Man.”

Junior dos Santos had a brief exchange in the cage with Lesnar following his crushing defeat at the hands (and legs) of Overeem, and according to the UFC heavyweight kingpin, his newly-retired peer was rattled by the sheer power of the former DREAM, K-1 and Strikeforce champion’s kicks and knees and couldn’t get back on track after absorbing such an immense amount of damage.


(“Oof…right in the diverticulitis!”)

Most fans and pundits who watched Friday night’s UFC 141 main event between former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar and Octagon newcomer Alistair Overeem were amazed that Brock didn’t utilize his superior wrestling to stifle the offensive attack of “The Demolition Man.”

Junior dos Santos had a brief exchange in the cage with Lesnar following his crushing defeat at the hands (and legs) of Overeem, and according to the UFC heavyweight kingpin, his newly-retired peer was rattled by the sheer power of the former DREAM, K-1 and Strikeforce champion’s kicks and knees and simply couldn’t get back on track after absorbing such an immense amount damage.

“I thought Brock would move forwards. I hoped more of him. But he told me in the Octagon he felt the knees and kicks of Overeem and that he thought he broke his rib. I saw it and it was really red,” JDS told Tatame following the event. “He told me the last couple [kicks] destabilized him. And then he wished me good luck on this title defense and that was it.”

As for his eventual meeting with “The Reem,” dos Santos doesn’t see it going the same way as Overeem’s Octagon debut and says he isn’t afraid of Alistair’s K-1-level striking.

“Each fight is different and you gotta be prepared for your next opponent the best way you can. I got to the title with much effort and I’ll do my best to remain as the champion,” he says. “Overeem is a very strong fighter, but there’s no easy fight when you’re fighting a title fight. He’s big, but he ain’t two”, concluded.