Tag: UFC 146

Jason Miller: Dana White Makes the Right Call by Firing Mayhem

Jason “Mayhem” Miller was fired from the UFC after a second straight dreadful performance in the octagon on Saturday. The 31-year-old veteran’s release from the company was long overdue, and his actions before and after the fight may have as much …

Jason “Mayhem” Miller was fired from the UFC after a second straight dreadful performance in the octagon on Saturday. The 31-year-old veteran’s release from the company was long overdue, and his actions before and after the fight may have as much to do with it as his awful in-ring performance. UFC boss, Dana White, made the right call to oust him.

Miller became a star during a stint in Japan, because of his crazy ring entrances and wacky antics. But back then he was also winning fights. During lopsided losses to Michael Bisping in December and to C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146, Mayhem looked completely outclassed. 

Miller’s career record now stands at 23-9, and at just 31 years old, he looks completely done. He has lost all three of his UFC fights and hasn’t looked good in any of his fights with the organization. 

Mayhem is an interesting personality and certainly has gotten attention for the sport with his MTV reality show “Bully Beatdown.” Winning, or at least looking competitive in the ring, is the most important thing, but Miller didn’t look like he had a clue while in the UFC ring.

By firing Mayhem, White is sending a message that substance is far more important than style. Fighters, who try and stand out by showing on at press conferences, weigh-ins or during their entrances, must also do something once they get in the ring. A guy with Miller’s track record for actually winning fights should have been concentrating on actually getting better in the ring than plotting his out-of-ring antics. 

I’m sure he’ll catch on with another organization, where his antics and the fact that he has a recognizable name will make him popular. But as for his time in the UFC, it’s safe to say Miller will never get another chance in the octagon. 

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UFC 146 Results: Will Roy Nelson Ever Be a UFC Title Threat?

Roy Nelson—beloved MMA gatekeeper or potential UFC champion?The clichéd answer for a question involving Nelson and UFC title in the same sentence is “anything can happen.”For a fighter like Nelson, this is certainly true. Despite his couch…

Roy Nelson—beloved MMA gatekeeper or potential UFC champion?

The clichéd answer for a question involving Nelson and UFC title in the same sentence is “anything can happen.”

For a fighter like Nelson, this is certainly true. Despite his couch potato appearance, “Big Country” is a world-class heavyweight with well-rounded skills. He has a chance to win every bout regardless of the opponent.

The question people should be asking is, what’s realistic?

The days are long gone when the heavyweight division mostly consisted of gargantuan gorillas lumbering around with one-dimensional fighting styles.

Just about every heavyweight on the UFC roster is well-rounded to some degree.

Nelson falls in line with some of the upper-echelon heavyweights on the bubble of the top-10 rankings, but it would be a shocker to ever see him climb over the hump into the elite category.

At 35 years of age, Nelson really hasn’t shown anything new.

Some are quick to point to his impressive first-round knockout win over Dave Herman at UFC 146 as some emphatic statement to the rest of the heavyweight division.

This could be true. What could also be true is that Nelson just caught Herman with the exact same punch he’s caught so many others with over the years.

People tend to lament the idea of any fighter being deemed a gatekeeper.

Why?

There can only be one champion in every division. UFC champions have never been as dominant as they are today. What does that make everyone else below them?

Just about every fighter plays the role of gatekeeper in some way or another.

Nelson may never win UFC gold or even contend for it, but he will always be an upper-echelon talent with an ability to knock off anyone he steps into the cage against.

Keep rubbing your belly, “Big Country.”

It’ll never go hungry with all of those huge UFC paydays and fight bonuses.

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Brock Lesnar’s Meeting with Dana White ‘Didn’t Go Too Well’

Fresh off an all-heavyweight affair at UFC 146, it was Brock Lesnar who was making the headlines.The former UFC heavyweight champion was seated at the event, and it looked as if Lesnar was only attending to watch the fights. However, that was far from …

Fresh off an all-heavyweight affair at UFC 146, it was Brock Lesnar who was making the headlines.

The former UFC heavyweight champion was seated at the event, and it looked as if Lesnar was only attending to watch the fights. However, that was far from the case, according to UFC president Dana White, who revealed at the post-fight press conference that Lesnar was there to conduct business.

But MMA journalist Dave Meltzer reports that neither side came to an agreement.

“Brock Lesnar and Dana White met last night. We don’t have any details other than the meeting did not go well,” Meltzer said.

Following his loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 last year, the 265-pound Lesnar ventured back into the world of professional wrestling and has already competed in his first match with WWE star John Cena at Extreme Rules last month. 

Lesnar‘s history with the UFC is well-documented, and his presence this past weekend has generated speculation that he may be returning to the Octagon in the very near future. Lesnar is currently under contract with the WWE, but his recent storyline saw him “quit” the company after an altercation with Triple H.

In theory, Lesnar could pursue a comeback in the UFC, but his contract obviously prevents that, indicating that his appearance could just be a part of his storyline. However, if the WWE fails to acknowledge that Lesnar attended a UFC event, then perhaps he actually could be fed up with his new job and return to MMA.

Meltzer‘s report suggests otherwise, but Lesnar could bring a huge boost to the UFC once again. His impact on the company was unprecedented, and it’s evident that Lesnar is still a hot commodity for the organization, despite losing his last two fights.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 146 Results: Junior Dos Santos vs Alistair Overeem Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Originally slated to headline this past weekend’s UFC 146 opposite the champ Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem was forced off the card after a failed drug test and will likely be out for the remainder of the year.But with the heavyweight king retaini…

Originally slated to headline this past weekend’s UFC 146 opposite the champ Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem was forced off the card after a failed drug test and will likely be out for the remainder of the year.

But with the heavyweight king retaining his title after a two-round destruction of Frank Mir, there is still a chance that the Reem might get a shot at UFC gold.

If Dos Santos can keep his belt before Overeem comes back, this possible battle may be one of the biggest heavyweight fights in MMA history.

Here’s the head-to-toe breakdown of this fantasy matchup.

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UFC 146 Results: Why Dos Santos vs Velasquez II Would Be Perfect for FOX

UFC Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos and former champ Cain Velasquez proved last Saturday that they are the baddest men in the heavyweight division.Velasquez dominated Antonio Silva to earn himself a bloody first-round stoppage as well as a possi…

UFC Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos and former champ Cain Velasquez proved last Saturday that they are the baddest men in the heavyweight division.

Velasquez dominated Antonio Silva to earn himself a bloody first-round stoppage as well as a possible future date with Dos Santos, who steamrolled former champ Frank Mir.

This future bout has all the tools necessary for an epic rematch, a perfect fit for a return to FOX.

Here’s why Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II needs to be aired on prime-time once again.

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UFC 146 Results: 5 Questions We Still Have About Edson Barboza

UFC 146 delivered a myriad of explosive finishes and surprises, but in this writer’s eyes, the most stunning fight on the card was the lightweight matchup between Edson Barboza and Jamie Varner. Many analysts, myself included, counted Varner out o…

UFC 146 delivered a myriad of explosive finishes and surprises, but in this writer’s eyes, the most stunning fight on the card was the lightweight matchup between Edson Barboza and Jamie Varner. 

Many analysts, myself included, counted Varner out of this matchup and assumed the ex-WEC star was nothing more than a stepping stone for the seemingly invincible Brazilian.  

Nope…

With some crushing boxing that dropped Barboza and follow up hammerfists, Varner ended Barboza’s night early and stopped the prospect’s hype train in its tracks. 

So where does Barboza stand in the division after this loss?  

Here are five questions we still need answered about Barboza before we start considering him the future of the division as we did before this devastating first round loss.  

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