Last Saturday was the second time in six months that the UFC held a show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the show was exciting to say the least. Yet from the outset, when the card was being filled out, it didn’t really live up to previous cards, especia…
Last Saturday was the second time in six months that the UFC held a show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the show was exciting to say the least. Yet from the outset, when the card was being filled out, it didn’t really live up to previous cards, especially since it was the first card of the year. If you compare it to the previous Brazil card, UFC 134, it gets completely blown out of the water.
While UFC 134 had a main card headlined by the middleweight title match between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami, you also had a rematch between Shogun Rua and Forrest Griffin, a heavyweight bout between Brendan Schaub and Minotauro Noguiera, and a lightweight fight between Ross Pearson and Edson Barboza.
Yet when promoting UFC 142, the only matches that were really being promoted were the featherweight title match between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, the supposed middleweight debut of Anthony Johnson against Vitor Belfort, and a middleweight bout between Rousimar Palhares and Mike Massenzio.
The cards themselves were almost identical as well with both having many of the same fighters, although UFC 142 did have two fewer matches.
With that in mind, UFC 142 should have been aired for free on TV everywhere, not just in certain markets. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it, too, in considering what the UFC is trying to succeed in as a brand. While Jose Aldo may be one of the pound-for-pound kings, not many casual MMA fans have watched his fights.
When he was in WEC, most of his fights were on Versus a channel that many don’t have access to, and he’s only had a small handful of PPV fights.
Since he is not as big of a draw as other more established fighters, it would make sense to have him fight on free TV in order to expose him to a wider audience similar to what the UFC did with Dominic Cruz’s most recent title defense, although that, too, was on Versus.
What the UFC should have done was air the preliminary fights on Fuel TV, which would give some airtime to the fighters lower down the card, then with the main card, air it on FX since Fox was showing the San Francisco 49ers-New Orleans Saints playoff game.
Then, consider that the marquee playoff game of the Denver Broncos-New England Patriots was playing the same time as the PPV, the buys were destined to take a hit. So why not treat this event like those that have happened in the UK and air it on free TV?
That way, with it being free, you get more viewers watching than if they were to buy it on PPV (best estimates are putting it at around 200,000 buys) and the UFC would have the income from advertisers running commercials between fights and rounds.
Filed under: UFCIf I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the UFC 142 card, it would be Edson Barboza. While I’m not ready to call him a surefire lightweight contender just yet, he certainly has flashed a skill set that…
If I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the UFC 142 card, it would be Edson Barboza. While I’m not ready to call him a surefire lightweight contender just yet, he certainly has flashed a skill set that’s worthy of cracking the division’s top 5. Now he has to continue delivering.
So far throughout his UFC career, Barboza has used his skills the same way Chuck Liddell used to; his defensive wrestling keeping him upright where he has the advantage against nearly anyone he faces.
But there are still questions about Barboza. For one, will his wrestling hold up against the division’s best? Remember, this is a weight class heavy on former collegiate wrestling studs. From champ Frankie Edgar to No. 1 contender Ben Henderson to Gray Maynard and beyond, Barboza will have to prove himself able to handle a top level guy before we can anoint him the next great lightweight. That said, it’s been exciting to watch his educated limbs deliver violence in new ways.
The comparison has been made between Barboza and featherweight champ Jose Aldo, and in terms of style, it’s not all that far off. But lightweight is a much deeper division than featherweight, so Barboza has a long climb ahead.
On to the matchups…
Jose Aldo
It was nice to see Aldo flash the finishing instinct that made him a star in his early days under the Zuffa banner. While he’s been accused of playing it safe his last few fights, his perfectly timed knee to the face that led to the finish is a strictly offensive move. If he missed it, he would have been off-balance to defend the takedown that was coming as Mendes went low. Instead, Aldo landed it flush and closed out the show. While many would like to see him move up a weight class, he’s still just 25 years old and I’d like to see him cement a legacy at one division before moving up to another. Anderson Silva‘s become a huge star because he runs his weight class with an iron fist. Fans love dominance, and Aldo’s slowly but surely building himself that kind of aura. Prediction: Aldo fights the winner of February’s Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski bout.
Chad Mendes
The bad news for Mendes is that he lost, but the good news is that he’s not going to fall very far in the featherweight pecking order. While he struggled to take Aldo down — he was 0-for-7 by FightMetric’s count — at least we know Mendes still has room to grow his offensive arsenal. That’s because he’s only been in the sport for about four years. While he’ll still be in the upper tier of the division, he needs to work on his striking to be better equipped to deal with Aldo next time around. If there is a “next time.” Prediction: He fights Diego Nunes Vitor Belfort
We already know Belfort’s next assignment. He’ll be the head coach of the first Brazilian edition of The Ultimate Fighter, alongside Wanderlei Silva, and after the conclusion of the show, the two will face off in a rematch of their 1998 match, a bout which Belfort won by knockout in just 44 seconds.
Anthony Johnson
What a nightmare of a middleweight debut for Johnson, who pulled off a triple dose of fail by missing weight, losing by submission and getting cut. Despite the disastrous evening, Johnson is just 27 years old and has reached a level of popularity that will make him a sought-after commodity in other organizations. But Johnson also has to take a good hard look at himself, realize that he’s blown a couple of opportunities, and find a way to fix it, or otherwise risk never reaching the heights many expected him to. Prediction: Johnson signs with Bellator
Rousimar Palhares
It’s getting harder and harder to ignore Palhares as a contender after a third straight win. Amazingly, it was his fourth heel hook submission win in his last six UFC bouts. Most of the UFC’s 10 best has their date book filled, so Palhares might have to play the waiting game for a bit until something opens up. Two available fighters right now though are Chris Weidman and Alan Belcher. Prediction: Belcher gets the call to face Palhares
Erick Silva
It seems like every time we turn around, there’s another Silva advancing into the upper echelons of the MMA world. The latest is the 27-year-old welterweight who lost by disqualification due to punches that were ruled to be illegal. He’ll appeal the ruling, and regardless of the outcome, Silva will be treated as the winner when it comes to booking his next fight. Since he is still early in his UFC career, don’t expect Silva to be rushed into fights with major names just yet. Prediction: He faces Seth Baczynski
Edson Barboza
After four straight wins, the undefeated Barboza (10-0) looks just about ready to step into the shark tank against the lightweight division’s big guns. He looks to have the complement of skills that make him a scary proposition for anyone, particularly with killer standup and great defensive wrestling. The only potential issue I see from Barboza is that he sometimes tends to step off the gas pedal. I’d match him up against a fighter known for forward aggression and wrestling and see how he does. Prediction: He faces Danny Castillo
Gabriel Gonzaga
Kudos to Gonzaga, who returned to the UFC with a first-round submission win. Just as impressive was the fact that prior to the fight, he said he wanted to stop engaging in striking wars and return to his jiu-jitsu roots. He did just that. According to FightMetric, he wasn’t hit a single time by opponent Ednaldo Oliveira in the 3-minute, 22-second fight. That’s about as clean a win as you can hope for. It was a performance that was not only great for career longevity but also came with a finish, something that always makes fans and management happy. Prediction: He faces the winner of UFC on Fox 2’s Mike Russow vs. Jon Olav Einemo
Jose Aldo’s appearance at UFC 142 was well-received by fans who sold out the HSBC arena in Rio de Janeiro, but it was his post-fight celebration that will be remembered for many years to come.Following the UFC featherweight champion’s decisive victory …
Jose Aldo‘s appearance at UFC 142 was well-received by fans who sold out the HSBC arena in Rio de Janeiro, but it was his post-fight celebration that will be remembered for many years to come.
Following the UFC featherweight champion’s decisive victory over Chad Mendes this past weekend, Aldo proceeded to rejoice with the fans in attendance as he was hoisted up on people’s shoulders and celebrated.
The Brazilian embraced the moment as the crowd began to chant in honour of his successful title defense.
“My fans give me so much love and so much energy so there’s nothing better than celebrating with them,” Aldo said in an exclusive post-fight interview on UFC.com.
Mendes served as one of the division’s best wrestlers, however his speed and wrestling credentials were no match for Aldo’s superior Muay Thai as Mendes desperately tried for multiple takedown attempts. As Aldo broke free of his opponent’s clinch, he countered and landed a knee on Mendes and followed up with some ground-and-pound to signal the end of the bout.
Aldo praised Mendes for his effort and his relentless approach.
“Mendes is a tough guy,” he said. “But thankfully I was able to do everything I trained to do and come out with a victory.”
Joe Rogan issues explanation for calling out referee, Mario Yamasaki for highly questionable call in Erick Silva‘s DQ loss to Carlo Prater at UFC 142. It is all an unfortunate situation, we hope is at.
Joe Rogan issues explanation for calling out referee, Mario Yamasaki for highly questionable call in Erick Silva‘s DQ loss to Carlo Prater at UFC 142. It is all an unfortunate situation, we hope is at least overturned to a No Contest.
Anthony Johnson‘s legs got tired in his fight with Vitor Belfort at UFC 142. Johnson has since been cut from the UFC.
Um…maybe referee Dan Miragliotta stood up Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson a bit quickly…say some critics.
Jon Jones is too sexy and walked a fashion catwalk runway in Brazil.
Georges St. PierrewantsNick Diaz to win…but probably not ’cause he likes him.
Dana Whitehas some words in response to ESPN‘s “Outside the Lines” segment. You can watch Lorenzo Fertitta‘s entire uncut interview: here.
Because it’s so great, you can watch Jose Aldo‘s celebration in the stands after his victory against Chad Mendes in UFC Rio again and again: here.
Wow! This is the hottest shoot ever with Arianny Celeste and Chandella Powell. Thank you, Paparazzo! Enjoy the gallery below and find MORE pictures: here.
UFC 142 saw some exciting middleweight action.Vitor Belfort secured his first submission win since 1997 with a rear-naked choke over Anthony Johnson.Rousimar Palhares also secured a first-round submission against his opponent, Mike Massenzio, via leg l…
Jose Aldo bust onto the scene in mid-2009 with his impressive, quick KO over Cub Swanson. In a little over two years, he went from breakout star to being a champion.He shouldn’t have done enough in that time to be considered one of the best of all time…
Jose Aldo bust onto the scene in mid-2009 with his impressive, quick KO over Cub Swanson. In a little over two years, he went from breakout star to being a champion.
He shouldn’t have done enough in that time to be considered one of the best of all time, but he already has. Aldo is one of the most impressive small men to step in the cage. Some of this opinion is due to the fact that he is the first UFC featherweight champion.
With time, there will be others, and after a few more men claim the belt as their own, fans will get to see how Aldo stacks up. For now, it appears that he is going to have a lengthy run with the belt, as none of the best at 145 pounds has been able to stop him.
Aldo is so dominant that he was even able to take out Kenny Florian, who moved down in weight to fight for the title. Florian is no joke, and the UFC’s best perennial contender was beaten handedly for five rounds by the champ.
Aldo could stick around at featherweight, but his options are starting to get limited. He already beat Urijah Faber easily in the WEC, which is the biggest opponent he could get and the biggest money fight he could have at that weight.
Pat Curran and Joe Warren are with Bellator and couldn’t fight Aldo if they tried.
Dustin Poirier is on a win streak, but hasn’t stepped up against top competition.
Hatsu Hioki might have a few victories in a row, but he struggled against George Roop in his UFC debut.
Yuri Alcantara is off to a good start, but still needs some top fights much like Poirier.
And so Aldo is stuck in no man’s land. He has a case for being considered an all-time great at featherweight.
He hasn’t quite made it to being a pound-for-pound all time great.
He can do it one of two ways, though.
He can move up in weight and destroy a few top lightweights.
Or he can go the path of Anderson Silva and reign supreme at featherweight for years to come.
What he does and how history unfolds will be dictate what happens.
Last Saturday was the second time in six months that the UFC held a show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the show was exciting to say the least. Yet from the outset, when the card was being filled out, it didn’t really live up to previous cards, especially since it was the first card of the year. If you compare it to the previous Brazil card, UFC 134, it gets completely blown out of the water.
If I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the 
