Tag: UFC 146

UFC 146 Results: Roy Nelson Fighting Uphill Battle for Promotional Support

Ever since joining the UFC following his victorious stint on TUF 10, Roy “Big Country” Nelson has been getting publicly criticized by UFC boss Dana White. But there is no arguing with Nelson’s knockout of Dave Herman at UFC 146 in just 51 s…

Ever since joining the UFC following his victorious stint on TUF 10, Roy “Big Country” Nelson has been getting publicly criticized by UFC boss Dana White. But there is no arguing with Nelson’s knockout of Dave Herman at UFC 146 in just 51 seconds.

Nelson’s own adopted persona makes him an easy target. With his atrocious mullet, mountain man beard, and trademark big belly, he leaves White no shortage of avenues from which to attack him.

Those attacks, however, have nothing to do with a personal dislike or a lack of respect. White is on record stating how he respects Nelson’s fighting spirit, and how he only wishes “Big Country” would have dedicated himself to MMA.

Still, White constantly making public criticisms about one of his fighter’s physical appearance makes the feud seem personal.

With a 4-3 UFC record, Nelson isn’t exactly knocking on the door to a title shot, but he is a consistent presence in the heavyweight division, and most importantly he’s become a fan favorite by putting on exciting performances oozing with heart and guts.

And of his seven Octagon appearances, four have resulted in ‘Fight Night’ bonuses (TUF 10 Finale, Ultimate Fight Night 21, UFC 143 and UFC 146).

At the end of the day that’s what matters.

Fans like “Big Country” not only for his heart, but because he’s a walking, talking underdog they can relate to. The average person is more likely to have a body type that resembles Nelson than, say, Alistair Overeem. Someone who looks like Nelson isn’t supposed to be a great fighter. He’s supposed to be a plumber.

Dana White wants marketable fighters, and traditionally that means in-shape, muscled guys who shine in photo shoots. Nelson just isn’t that guy, and he never will be. But that hasn’t stopped him from endearing himself to MMA fans.

He’s just gone about it in a different way. “Big Country” is not the athlete you look up to. He’s the athlete you relate to. He’s the guy you want to have beer and wings with, and in a way that’s a more special connection. 

Dana White needs to realize this and let Nelson be who he is. Because whether White likes it or not, Nelson’s style just works. It’s effective with the fans and, as demonstrated at UFC 146, it’s effective in the Octagon.

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Jason Miller Announces Retirement ‘For Right Now,’ Explains Mysterious UFC 146 Backstage Incident

Following his decision loss to CB Dollaway at UFC 146 and immediate firing, a somewhat depressed-sounding Jason Miller went on MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour to discuss his uncertain future, and the retirement that he promised if he lost to Dollaway. On the one hand, Miller seemed like he’d come to terms with his failure in the UFC and departure from MMA:

“I feel a little bit free, in a weird way…I know that sounds strange when I’ve devoted my entire life to fighting. I feel like life is unlocked for a whole new set of adventures…I don’t have the need to super-impress one person in particular and make them happy. I can focus on making myself happy. I don’t have the pressures of a commissioner chasing me around with a piss cup. I don’t have the pressures of everybody verbally abusing me for every one one of my missteps via social media. I feel like a weight is lifted…Every fighter gives the same answer when they say they’re retired. Pretty much every fighter says ‘I’m retired until I need money.’ But I’m a pretty smart dude, and I have a lot of avenues available to me.”

But at other times in interview, Miller’s down-in-the-dumps vibe came off as alarmingly self-destructive:

Following his decision loss to CB Dollaway at UFC 146 and immediate firing, a somewhat depressed-sounding Jason Miller went on MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour to discuss his uncertain future, and the retirement that he promised if he lost to Dollaway. On the one hand, Miller seemed like he’d come to terms with his failure in the UFC and departure from MMA:

“I feel a little bit free, in a weird way…I know that sounds strange when I’ve devoted my entire life to fighting. I feel like life is unlocked for a whole new set of adventures…I don’t have the need to super-impress one person in particular and make them happy. I can focus on making myself happy. I don’t have the pressures of a commissioner chasing me around with a piss cup. I don’t have the pressures of everybody verbally abusing me for every one one of my missteps via social media. I feel like a weight is lifted…Every fighter gives the same answer when they say they’re retired. Pretty much every fighter says ‘I’m retired until I need money.’ But I’m a pretty smart dude, and I have a lot of avenues available to me.”

But at other times in interview, Miller’s down-in-the-dumps vibe came off as alarmingly self-destructive:

Yeah, I said I would [retire] and so I am. I didn’t get the job done and that’s what I’m saying. I’m done for right now. Who knows what the future holds but at the same time, what’s the point?…I’m looking for the next thrill. I’m thinking of just getting a life-insurance policy to be donated to charity and then just taking on some ultra-hazardous activities. Like, I’m gonna go jump off a bridge. [Helwani: “But jump off a bridge the safe way, right?”] With a condom on? Yeah, I was joking…I’m gonna BASE jump.

As for the “crazy shit backstage” that allegedly clinched his firing from the UFC, Miller explains that it was the result of a poorly-timed run-in with “Babysitter to the Stars” Burt Watson:

“It was my mask. Burt suddenly started yelling about my mask. I had a gas mask for the troops underneath my paper bag, and Burt started telling me right as I’m walking out for the fight. I’m trying to get focused instead of arguing about a paper bag. Maybe it was my fault for, I don’t know, I thought we had an understanding once I start walking out to the cage that now I’m working, but obviously we’re not on a playing field of mutual respect. I wish I would have heard about it before so it would be easier to deal with. But here I am walking to the cage, and suddenly I started getting yelled at. I’m like ‘what, I’m trying to focus here’.”

And so, Mayhem Miller rides off into the sunset, hopeful for what lies in front of him, even if it’s a tragically botched jump off a bridge. He didn’t quite go out on top, but at least he went out on his own terms, opting to skip the humiliating end-stage of many fighters’ careers where they’re fighting unknowns on regional cards and still getting KTFO’d. Personality goes a long way, but it’s not much of an advantage in a cage-fight; we support Miller’s retirement decision and look forward to his next cable-TV hosting gig.

WWE News: Update on Meeting Between Brock Lesnar and Dana White After UFC 146

Even though being away from the UFC since December following his loss to Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar is still a topic of conversation as the former UFC heavyweight champion was mentioned in the post-UFC 146 press conference Saturday. Following the p…

Even though being away from the UFC since December following his loss to Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar is still a topic of conversation as the former UFC heavyweight champion was mentioned in the post-UFC 146 press conference Saturday.

Following the press conference, UFC president Dana White and Lesnar had a meeting to discuss things which had fans speculating whether Lesnar would be once again leaving the WWE for a return to the Octagon.

Here are the details from PWInsider (via WrestlingInc.com) on what came from the meeting between Lesnar and White this past weekend in Las Vegas.

Lesnar actually told WWE officials that he met with White but nothing happened out of it. Lesnar reportedly brought up the idea of doing something with UFC but White wasn’t interested. White does not want a pro wrestling connection with UFC and isn’t interested in working with Lesnar while he’s with WWE, despite teasing it at the post-fight press conference.

Following the pitch for a connection between the WWE and UFC in Lesnar’s current storyline, White made the right decision in declining the option as the two companies should definitely remain separate in their two worlds.

With his current deal running through WrestleMania 29 in 2013, it seems as though Lesnar is already looking to position himself in the best situation either in the WWE or UFC well before his deal expires next year.

With Lesnar trying to leverage himself into a possible better situation between the WWE and UFC, do you see the former UFC and WWE Champion staying in professional wrestling or making another run in MMA?

Chris Humphrey is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can ask him any question regarding the WWE or any other topic that crosses your mind on either his Facebook or Twitter page.

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UFC 146 Fallout: Should Elbows Be Banned in Mixed Martial Arts?

The sport of mixed martial arts has come a long way since the early “bare-knuckle” days of UFC 1. Through the hard work and patience of many countless pioneers, the vast majority of the population now considers MMA a legitimate sport.Unf…

The sport of mixed martial arts has come a long way since the early “bare-knuckle” days of UFC 1. Through the hard work and patience of many countless pioneers, the vast majority of the population now considers MMA a legitimate sport.

Unfortunately, “haters” still exist.

One of the most widely repeated reasons for that hatred is that, despite regulation in almost every U.S. state, some believe that the sport is just too gruesome. 

At UFC 146, the gruesome outcome of the heavyweight bout between Cain Velasquez and Antonio “Big Foot” Silva only served to help make the case for those who would prefer that MMA stay a niche sport. 

Early in that contest, Velasquez used his elbow to strike and open up a gash on Silva’s forehead. The wound immediately began pouring blood in what looked more like a horror movie scene than a sporting contest.

The fight was momentarily stopped while the cageside doctor inspected the laceration. After a close examination, the bout was allowed to continue.

Unfortunately for Silva, with blood puddling up in his eye sockets, he was a sitting duck as Velasquez teed off on him with fists of fury. The referee eventually stepped in and called a stop to the violence.

Imagine the controversy that would be circulating the sports universe right now if that fight had taken place on FOX rather than pay-per-view. 

Silva’s face and the stained mat surrounding his body were evidence of the cold, hard fact that this is still a fight.

It was also a reminder of why so many international mixed martial arts organizations, such as Pride, had banned elbows in the past.

While Velasquez’s dominance at UFC 146 was undeniable, there have been many instances in the past where a cut from an elbow has caused a frustrating, early stop to a fight. 

UFC 146 isn’t likely to change anything, but the outcome certainly begs the question—should elbows be banned in mixed martial arts?

Arguments can and will be made for both sides of this argument, so I’d like to hear from you, the reader and the avid fan of the sport.

What do you think? Do elbows take away from the legitimacy of the sport? Do they end fights too quickly when fans want the fights to continue?

Or are those who are complaining about it simply being too “PG?” 

Let me know what you think in the comments section below. 

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Jason Mayhem Miller Retires: Decision Hardly Surprising After UFC Release

Jason Miller’s career as a mixed martial artist is apparently over. And really, is anyone surprised?Better yet, does anyone actually care?According to MMA reporter Jason Floyd, “Mayhem” announced his retirement on Monday from the sport during an interv…

Jason Miller’s career as a mixed martial artist is apparently over. And really, is anyone surprised?

Better yet, does anyone actually care?

According to MMA reporter Jason Floyd, “Mayhem” announced his retirement on Monday from the sport during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour:

 

The news comes as anything but a shock in light of Miller’s release from the UFC on Sunday. He and UFC president Dana White shared something of a contentious relationship, the severity of which was only exacerbated by Miller’s mediocre showing against C.B. Dolloway at UFC 146 on Saturday and an incident backstage that apparently ruffled White’s feathers.

What’s more, Mayhem Miller came into Saturday’s action with what appeared to be an injured knee—which only seemed to worsen during the fight. His reckless (and feckless) charges into Dolloway certainly didn’t help in any regard, and may have actually compounded the effects of the injury to drive Miller into retirement.  

It was the only logical conclusion to what’s been a string of strange (and rather irrational) events between Miller and the UFC. Miller’s first stint on the circuit lasted all of one bout, with a loss to Georges St-Pierre leaving the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist to scrounge his way back to the top. That journey included inciting a brawl involving Jake Shields and the Diaz brothers at a Strikeforce event in Nashville in April of 2010. 

He eventually returned to the Zuffa umbrella in 2011 as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, but suffered a TKO in the finale against Michael Bisping.

The loss to Dolloway dropped Miller to 0-3 all-time in UFC fights at the age of 31, with a bum knee and no contract to boot. Clearly, Miller’s MMA career wasn’t going anywhere.

As such, it was high time for Miller to call it quits in the Octagon, to which Dana White and the rest of the UFC might offer a “goodbye.”

So long as its accompanied by a “good riddance.”

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Junior Dos Santos: A Head-to-Toe Breakdown vs. Cain Velasquez

If there were ever any doubts that Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez are the two best heavyweights in the world, they were all silenced last weekend at UFC 146. In the co-main event of the evening, Velasquez looked like the terminator that won the U…

If there were ever any doubts that Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez are the two best heavyweights in the world, they were all silenced last weekend at UFC 146.

In the co-main event of the evening, Velasquez looked like the terminator that won the UFC heavyweight title against Brock Lesnar way back at UFC 121, completely outclassing an overwhelmed Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva with his wrestling and ground-and-pound skills en route to a first-round stoppage victory.

Not to be outdone, “Cigano” also showed up in a big way in his heavyweight title defense against Frank Mir in the main event. After stuffing a takedown attempt in the opening minute, Dos Santos put on a boxing clinic against the former two-time UFC champ and eventually put him away with punches in the second round.

With other top contenders Alistair Overeem and Daniel Cormier unable to compete for the UFC title in the next few months, the rematch between Dos Santos and Velasquez is practically set in stone, and fans who felt a bit shorted by their first fight at UFC on FOX last November will get a chance to see the two best heavyweights in the world square off for a second time.

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