Tag: UFC 146

UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir and the Top 5 Greatest Tales of Vengeance in MMA

UFC 146 on May 26, 2012, will be headlining Junior dos Santos vs. Frank Mir for the UFC Heavyweight Title. This matchup between the iron-swinging Brazilian and the bone-shattering American has an underlying story which has been brooding in all epic mar…

UFC 146 on May 26, 2012, will be headlining Junior dos Santos vs. Frank Mir for the UFC Heavyweight Title. This matchup between the iron-swinging Brazilian and the bone-shattering American has an underlying story which has been brooding in all epic martial arts tales since the beginning of time.

This will be a story of the protege looking to defend the honor of his mentor, another tale of the apprentice fighting to avenge the loss of his master.

At one point in time, perhaps even still today, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was considered the greatest heavyweight jiu-jitsu practitioner in mixed martial arts. Nogueira would allow himself to be slammed on his head, take lethal kicks to the ribs and punch after punch to the grill, while patiently waiting to compress his opponents’ carotid arteries with his anaconda like forearms.

This fighting style has made him a hero to his country and has given him the respect to act as leader to such champions as Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, and of course Junior dos Santos.

However, lurking from the shadows and across the globe, a new submission specialist was rising up from the ashes. Frank Mir, who can boast submission victories over champions like Brock Lesnar and Tim Sylvia, has been looking to take the crown as the greatest heavyweight submission fighter of all time. Frank Mir took that crown by force when he broke Nogueira’s arm with a Kimura at UFC 140.

So before we watch to see if Junior dos Santos can avenge the loss of the man who has mentored him since the beginning of his career, I want to take you back down memory lane to look at my top mixed martial arts tales of vengeance, where gladiators fought to avenge their mentor and friend.

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UFC 146 Heavyweight Shuffle: The Winners and Losers

The dust has finally settled a bit on the fate of the much anticipated UFC 146 fight card that goes down on May 26th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.MMAJunkie.com confirmed last week that Alistair Overeem is out of his title fight aga…

The dust has finally settled a bit on the fate of the much anticipated UFC 146 fight card that goes down on May 26th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

MMAJunkie.com confirmed last week that Alistair Overeem is out of his title fight against Junior dos Santos and will be replaced by Frank Mir.

The UFC has acted swiftly, and very intelligently, to keep that card tight, intriguing and very exciting for the landscape of the heavyweight division. Here is a look at the main card as it stands now, a month before the event.

– Junior dos Santos vs Frank Mir (Mir replaces Overeem, who is no longer on the card)

– Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Silva (Silva moves up on the card to replace Mir)

– Roy Nelson vs Gabriel Gonzaga (Gonzaga is moved up the card to replace Silva)

– Shane del Rosario vs Stipe Miocic (Miocic added to replace Gonzaga)

– Mark Hunt vs Stefan Struve (no changes to this fight)

Now that things have been shifted around, and things are set, who comes out as the biggest winners and losers from the Overeem fallout?

Let’s take a look

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UFC 146: Has Alistair Overeem Permanently Destroyed His Legacy?

After learning that Alistair Overeem would be denied an application and be forced to serve a nine-month suspension, fans speculated how long the Dutchman would remain in the UFC.However, he does not appear to be going anywhere momentarily, but that doe…

After learning that Alistair Overeem would be denied an application and be forced to serve a nine-month suspension, fans speculated how long the Dutchman would remain in the UFC.

However, he does not appear to be going anywhere momentarily, but that does not mean he is under the good graces of UFC President Dana White.

It’s hard to believe that after failing his UFC 146 drug test that he would be welcomed with open arms from White or anyone else in UFC management.

As a result, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir will replace Overeem and challenge UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

Overeem’s image will take some considerable damage, especially after earning a convincing victory over Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. The former Strikeforce heavyweight champion has always been credited for being one of the most physically imposing competitors since transitioning to the heavyweight division in 2007, but with his recent suspension it will be hard to market him as a credible contender to casual fans.

His reputation as a dominant heavyweight might still be intact, and perhaps with another possible victory he could re-enter himself into the title picture, but most fans are not naive and Overeem will likely have to continue to face criticism regarding his physical stature for the remainder of his career.

Even if Overeem should capture for the UFC heavyweight title, there are some fans who will always remain skeptical regarding his accolades.

The UFC had signed Overeem in hopes of attracting him to a mainstream audience in the United States, as he is more recognizable and popular in Europe, but their hopes of making him into a potential star have now faded.

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UFC 146: Junior Dos Santos vs. Frank Mir Head-to-Toe Breakdown

At UFC 146, the heavyweight title will be on the line in the main event of the evening, as the current champion, Junior “Cigano” dos Santos, will face off against the former champion, Frank Mir.Dos Santos is known as one of the most dangerous strikers …

At UFC 146, the heavyweight title will be on the line in the main event of the evening, as the current champion, Junior “Cigano” dos Santos, will face off against the former champion, Frank Mir.

Dos Santos is known as one of the most dangerous strikers in the heavyweight division, and Mir is known as one of the best submission artists in the division.

This will be one of the more interesting fights for dos Santos, as he has never fought someone with the submission capabilities of Frank Mir.

Let’s take a look at who has the edge in this head-to-toe breakdown of the heavyweight title fight.

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UFC 146: Stipe Miocic vs. Shane Del Rosario Head-to-Toe Breakdown

At UFC 146, we have one of the best fights of upcoming heavyweight prospects, as former Strikeforce fighter Shane del Rosario faces off against Stipe Miocic.Del Rosario has a record of 11-0, eight (T)KO’s, three submissions and has only left the first …

At UFC 146, we have one of the best fights of upcoming heavyweight prospects, as former Strikeforce fighter Shane del Rosario faces off against Stipe Miocic.

Del Rosario has a record of 11-0, eight (T)KO’s, three submissions and has only left the first round once.

Miocic is 8-0, has six (T)KO’s, one submission—to leg kicks—and a decision.

After this fight is over, expect the crowd to be on its feet and expect the heavyweight division to have a bright young contender who could someday hold the belt.

Let’s see who may come out on top.

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UFC 146: Is Marketing the Heavyweights the Right Call?

As recent as a year ago, it would have seemed inconceivable for the UFC to put on an all-heavyweight fight card. But, here we are today, readying ourselves for just that very thing.The promotion’s heavyweight division has enjoyed an influx of talent of…

As recent as a year ago, it would have seemed inconceivable for the UFC to put on an all-heavyweight fight card. But, here we are today, readying ourselves for just that very thing.

The promotion’s heavyweight division has enjoyed an influx of talent of late, beginning with a version of The Ultimate Fighter that featured the big boys, and continuing as Strikeforce roster members have begun trickling into the UFC.

Thanks to the star-building reality show that brought in Roy Nelson, Jon Madsen and Brendan Schaub, as well as the Strikeforce acquisitions of Antonio Silva, Shane del Rosario and Fabricio Werdum, the division is as strong as it has ever been. 

Add in some talented youngsters like Stipe Miocic and Stefan Struve, and you’ve got a nice looking collection of heavyweights standing in the same stable.

So what is the UFC to do with this newly flourishing division? Well, conventional wisdom tells us that if you’ve got it, flaunt it.

But in spite of the depth and talent characterizing the over-205-pound weight class, there have been naysayers out there who are not too high on the idea of allotting an entire event to showcase it.

The balance of a fight card is usually dependent on the variation of fighter sizes that comprise it. Smaller divisions, like bantamweight and flyweight, often provide an event with fast-paced action, while the heavier groups often supply the powerful knockouts.

While this view tends to oversimplify things a bit, it is not entirely without validity.

In addition to this concern, the all-heavyweight card comes off somewhat gimmicky. There is an aura about the heavyweight class that can be tapped into, but is stacking fight consecutive bouts in a row force-feeding it to fans?

I understand why some people are skeptical about how successful this event will be, but if we look at every fight individually, this card is actually loaded.

Junior Dos Santos versus Frank Mir may not get the juices flowing like Dos Santos-Overeem would have, but it is certainly a main event-worthy contest.

Cain Velasquez is one of the division’s brightest stars and has headlined PPVs before. He will be taking on Antonio Silva who has headlined Strikeforce events in the past.

Stipe Miocic versus Shane del Rosario features two of the sport’s most promising up-and-comers.

Gabriel Gonzaga versus Roy Nelson promises to have some good exchanges and be a competitive fight, while Mark Hunt versus Stefan Struve will depict an intriguing contest of styles between two fan favorites.

And lest we forget, the undercard to this event is utterly stacked with good matchups.

UFC 146 will be the promotion’s announcement that the division is stronger than ever before and will act as a precursor to some exciting things to come.

If this style of card becomes a regular thing, it runs the risk of suffering from overexposure, but if left as a one-shot deal, the all-heavyweight fight card at UFC 146 will be a cleverly symbolic way of letting everyone know that the promotion’s former weak link is primed for big things.

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