Tag: UFC 149

[VIDEO] Full UFC 149 Press Conference From Calgary


(We’re sorry, Tom, but it’s just not the same. Photo courtesy of MMAMania.)

Just a couple of hours ago, the UFC held a press conference in Shaw Court, Alberta, Canada, to promote UFC 149: Jose Aldo vs. Some Guy (it’s a joke, take it easy), which is expected to transpire on July 21st from Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Surprisingly absent from the conference was that of UFC President Dana White, who was in turn replaced by Director of Operations for UFC Canada, Tom Wright. Also absent was a hearty supply of French fries and gravy for the fighters involved, which was a real shame in our opinion.

In the co-main event of the evening, the most hated wanted man in the middleweight division, Michael Bisping, will square off against hard nosed slugger Tim Boetsch. Also expected for UFC 149 will be Antonio Rodrigo’s Nogueria’s return to the octagon for the first time since Frank Mir went all Paul Harris on his arm, the difference between their UFC 140 scrap and the average Paul Harris fight being that Nog waited until after Mir broke his arm to tap, not the other way around. Anyway, Big Nog will be squaring off against the inconsistent but always dangerous Cheick Kongo, who is coming off a knockout loss at the hands of Mark Hunt at UFC 144.

Check out the full video and lineup after the jump. 


(We’re sorry, Tom, but it’s just not the same. Photo courtesy of MMAMania.)

Just a couple of hours ago, the UFC held a press conference in Shaw Court, Alberta, Canada, to promote UFC 149: Jose Aldo vs. Some Guy (it’s a joke, take it easy), which is expected to transpire on July 21st from Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Surprisingly absent from the conference was that of UFC President Dana White, who was in turn replaced by Director of Operations for UFC Canada, Tom Wright. Also absent was a hearty supply of French fries and gravy for the fighters involved, which was a real shame in our opinion.

In the co-main event of the evening, the most hated wanted man in the middleweight division, Michael Bisping, will square off against hard nosed slugger Tim Boetsch. Also expected for UFC 149 will be Antonio Rodrigo’s Nogueria’s return to the octagon for the first time since Frank Mir went all Paul Harris on his arm, the difference between their UFC 140 scrap and the average Paul Harris fight being that Nog waited until after Mir broke his arm to tap, not the other way around. Anyway, Big Nog will be squaring off against the inconsistent but always dangerous Cheick Kongo, who is coming off a knockout loss at the hands of Mark Hunt at UFC 144.

Check out the full video and lineup below.

UFC 149 Lineup

  • Champ Jose Aldo vs. Erik Koch (for featherweight title)
  • Michael Bisping vs. Tim Boetsch
  • Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Thiago Silva
  • Cheick Kongo vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
  • Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Thiago Alves
  • Jon Fitch vs. Aaron Simpson
  • Antonio Carvalho vs. George Roop
  • Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon
  • Mitch Clarke vs. Anton Kuivanen
  • Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh
  • Court McGee vs. Nick Ring

–J. Jones

UFC 149: Siyar Bahadurzada Replaces Yoshihiro Akiyama to Meet Thiago Alves

Siyar Bahadurzada (21-4-1) has officially stepped in to replace injured Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-5) at UFC 149 to face Thiago Alves (19-9) on July 21st in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There is no word as yet of the nature of Akiyama’s injury.Thiago Alve…

Siyar Bahadurzada (21-4-1) has officially stepped in to replace injured Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-5) at UFC 149 to face Thiago Alves (19-9) on July 21st in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 
There is no word as yet of the nature of Akiyama’s injury.

Thiago Alves was controlling a fight against Martin Kampmann and was surely on his way to a decision victory before shooting in for a late takedown and being caught in a guillotine choke at UFC on FX 2 in March. Alves was forced to tap at 4:12 of the third and final round.

Alves is just 2-4 since earning a title shot at welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100 but hasn’t lost two in a row since the first two fights of his professional career.

Bahadurzada, meanwhile, comes into this fight on the back of a seriously impressive knockout win over Paulo Thiago in just 42 seconds. The fight took place at UFC on FUEL TV 2 and marked Bahadurzada’s UFC debut and earned him “Knockout of the Night.” Siyar is now on a seven-fight win streak and brings in a 21-4-1 overall record.

This one has the potential to be a “Fight of the Night” standup war, and I, for one, can’t wait to see it happen.

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UFC: Why Hatsu Hioki Should Have Taken a Title Fight with Jose Aldo

UFC gold. That’s the dream of every fighter, right? Well, maybe not Japanese featherweight Hatsu Hioki. At least, not yet, that is. The former Sengoku champion and consensus No. 2-ranked 145-pound fighter has reeled off two straight UFC wins and …

UFC gold. That’s the dream of every fighter, right?

Well, maybe not Japanese featherweight Hatsu Hioki.

At least, not yet, that is.

The former Sengoku champion and consensus No. 2-ranked 145-pound fighter has reeled off two straight UFC wins and is 14-1-1 in his last 16 fights.  That was enough for the UFC brass to offer the 28-year-old a crack at featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

The problem?

Hioki said no.

Rather than face the dangerous Brazilian for a chance to become champion, Hioki instead took a fight against Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4 on June 22. Not to underestimate Lamas, but Hioki’s decision is perplexing to the say the least.

Now, it’s easy to say that without facing the daunting task of trying to dethrone Aldo. After all, the Brazilian does possess a 14-fight winning streak, a 21-1 record and has never tasted defeat while under contract with the Zuffa promotions—WEC and the UFC.

However, what makes the situation puzzling is that Hioki has quite the resume of his own. At 26-4-2, three of his defeats have come by split decision and he’s never been finished. Of the men to defeat him, two are in the UFC—Michihiro Omigawa and Antonio Carvalho—and another is the current Dream champion, Hiroyuki Takaya. Couple that with the fact the he has defeated current UFC fighters Mark Hominick (twice) and Jeff Curran outside of the promotion, Hioki’s decision doesn’t add up.

Certainly facing Aldo is no small order, but Hioki has faced a similar fighter in the past—Aldo’s teammate, Marlon Sandro. Hioki neutralized Sandro’s heavy hands by taking the fight to the ground and out-grappling the Nova Uniao black belt. Does that mean Hioki could do the same to Aldo? Of course not, but why not try?

There’s likely a multitude of reasons for Hioki to pass on the title shot—beyond having to fight Aldo. Maybe he’s not comfortable with the cage, having spent the vast majority of his career fighting in a ring. Or it could be the travel. Of his 32 career fights, only two have been outside of his native Japan—including his UFC debut against George Roop where he looked lethargic.

Again, not to take anything away from his scheduled opponent Lamas, but for Hioki to pass on headlining a pay-per-view card in a title fight is one of the most bizarre events in recent memory. Whatever the reason behind Hioki’s decision, the bottom line is that it is his choice.

On paper, his decision appears to be the wrong one, but hopefully for the Japanese fighter, it won’t be.

 

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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Shogun Rua on Thiago Silva: ‘It’s Going to Be an Ass Kicking’

Since losing to Dan Henderson last year at UFC 139, fans have yet to see Mauricio “Shogun” Rua return and compete inside the Octagon.With possible opponents lined up for the Brazilian, ranging from Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Rua is sc…

Since losing to Dan Henderson last year at UFC 139, fans have yet to see Mauricio “Shogun” Rua return and compete inside the Octagon.

With possible opponents lined up for the Brazilian, ranging from Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Rua is scheduled to face Thiago Silva at UFC 149 on July 21 in Calgary.

Now, with an opponent and a date set, Rua is ready to make another run at the UFC light heavyweight title.

“I guess it’s going to be an interesting fight because Thiago likes striking and so do I. It’s gonna be ass kicking,” Rua told TATAME.com. “I respect Thiago as an athlete and as a person. I know he’s very good and complete, but I’ll get there prepared.”

It wasn’t too long ago that Rua was atop the 205-pound division, only to be dethroned by current champion Jon Jones. Since then, Rua has been 1-1.

A possible win over Silva could launch Rua back into the upper echelon of the division, and with a few more wins, he could challenge for the title once again. 

Although he has struggled to be consistent throughout his UFC career, Rua said he only has control over his performance during the bout. If he hopes to regain a title opportunity, he believes the outcome of his bouts will determine his future.

“Fighting for the title is just a consequence of good results on my next bouts,” he said. “I have to get those wins first so I can get a chance at the title.”

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Ryan Jimmo’s Long-Awaited UFC Debut Pegged for UFC 149 Against Anthony Perosh


(No, I did not buy this belt at Wal-Mart as a joke. Who the hell would do that?) 

After being forced out of his originally anticipated debut match against Karlos Vemola back in January due to a last minute injury, Maximum Fighting Championship Light-Heavyweight king and CP guest blogger Ryan Jimmo finally has a date set for his UFC debut. July 21st, at UFC 149 in Calgary. Since dropping his first professional contest to Adam Braidwood in February of 2007, Jimmo has gone 16 fights in a row without a blemish, most recently outpointing (emphasis on the “point” aspect) UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in October of 2011. Jimmo also holds notable victories over Wilson Gouveia, Marvin Eastman, and Jesse Forbes. He also does one hell of a robot.


(No, I did not buy this belt at Wal-Mart as a joke. Who the hell would do that?) 

After being forced out of his originally anticipated debut match against Karlos Vemola back in January due to a last minute injury, Maximum Fighting Championship Light-Heavyweight king and CP guest blogger Ryan Jimmo finally has a date set for his UFC debut. July 21st, at UFC 149 in Calgary. Since dropping his first professional contest to Adam Braidwood in February of 2007, Jimmo has gone 16 fights in a row without a blemish, most recently outpointing (emphasis on the “point” aspect) UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in October of 2011. Jimmo also holds notable victories over Wilson Gouveia, Marvin Eastman, and Jesse Forbes. He also does one hell of a robot.

Next to Mark Hunt, Australian submission specialist Anthony Perosh has probably had the most unexpected 2011-2012 season of any fighter in the UFC. His original tour of duty with the promotion, which dates back to 2006, featured a pair of losses to Jeff Monson and Christian Wellisch at UFC 61 and 66, respectively. After compiling a 5-2 record in various promotions, “The Hippo” was brought back to the UFC to fill in for Ben Rothwell against Mirko Cro Cop on just two days notice. The results were as one would expect, but Perosh would follow up that brutal loss with a drop to light heavyweight, resulting in a three fight win streak over the likes of Cyrille Diabate, Tom Blackledge, and most recently a minor upset win over Nick Penner at UFC on FX 2.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Jimmo in action, but a guy like Perosh is a pretty good litmus test for the Canuck. His last win over Sokoudjou was a snoozer, and he’s only finished one opponent in his last six fights, so let’s hope he brings the fury come May 12th, because Perosh does not go down easy.

Who do you got, Potato Nation?

-J. Jones

Shogun Rua Gets New UFC 149 Opponent In…Thiago Silva?

Color me puzzled. In case you have not heard, the perpetually whiny Quinton “Rampage” Jackson had to withdraw from his scheduled bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua due to knee troubles. He is being replaced by, you guessed it, Thia…

Color me puzzled.

In case you have not heard, the perpetually whiny Quinton “Rampage” Jackson had to withdraw from his scheduled bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua due to knee troubles. He is being replaced by, you guessed it, Thiago Silva.

Fresh off a suspension for trying to cover up steroid use and a highly publicized loss, Silva will be fighting a top-five fighter in the division. This ends up being a huge break for Silva, who still has serious knockout power but has not won a fight since 2009, when he beat Keith Jardine at UFC 102.

Since what turned out to be a top contender fight with Lyoto Machida at UFC 94 all the way back in January 2009, Silva is 1-3 (1). That said, a victory over Rua would rocket him into the top 10 of the division and could very well put him in the title picture.

Even though his new opponent remains one of the most technically skilled fighters in the division, Thiago Silva still has more than a puncher’s chance of winning.

While Silva has to be excited about this, this must be a huge letdown for Rua, who is coming off a knockout victory over Forrest Griffin and the 2011 fight of the year that he shared with Dan Henderson. Rua has remained near the top of the division since beating Chuck Liddell at UFC 97 and has been a top ten light heavyweight for years now.

The oft-injured light heavyweight bested Lyoto Machida (twice, many would argue) to become the champion. Unfortunately, another tweak had him sidelined for nearly a year before he returned to a lopsided beat down from Jon Jones.

Despite that, Rua was actually possibly looking at a title rematch with Jones (assuming he beats the aforementioned Dan Henderson) later this year. Jones, meanwhile, has spent his time since UFC 129 defeating almost literally every light heavyweight of note since Chuck Liddell was champion.

While finishing Quinton Jackson (and the lack of another opponent) would have made a title shot for Rua almost a certainty, beating Silva does not help him towards this goal nearly as much.

Why Rua accepted this fight with so much risk attached remains a mystery. As does why the UFC would avoid replacing Quinton Jackson with a prospect like Phil Davis or Alexander Gustaffson (who beat Silva just a few weeks ago), a name-brand veteran like Antonio Rogerio Nogueira or even a Strikeforce import like Rafael Cavalcante or Gegard Mousasi

UFC 149 is not entirely fleshed out yet, so what spot this fight will take on the card is still up in the air. Regardless, look for this fight in July. At the very least, it will probably end in a knockout.

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