Tag: UFC 152

UFC 152 Start Time: When and Where to Catch Every Fight on the Card

Finally, the best UFC fighters in the world will be competing on the biggest stage in the sport.It seems like forever since fans have been able to see a marquee UFC event. After UFC 151 became the first canceled pay-per-view in league history, fans wer…

Finally, the best UFC fighters in the world will be competing on the biggest stage in the sport.

It seems like forever since fans have been able to see a marquee UFC event. After UFC 151 became the first canceled pay-per-view in league history, fans were left waiting another few weeks to see Jon Jones and others compete.

The good news is that the wait is finally over as UFC 152 makes its way into homes and bars around the country. Here is all the information you need to enjoy the highly anticipated event.

 

Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada

When: Saturday, Sept. 22

Start time: Facebook Prelims at 6:45 p.m. ET, FX Prelims at 8 p.m. ET, Main Event at 10 p.m. ET

Live Stream: UFC on Facebook, UFC 152 Main Event (for purchase)

 

Fight Card:

Main Card (PPV)
Light Heavyweight Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort
Flyweight Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson
Middleweight Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann
Light Heavyweight Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett
Featherweight Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira
Preliminary Card (FX)
Light Heavyweight Igor Pokrajac vs. Vinny Magalhaes
Lightweight TJ Grant vs. Evan Dunham
Welterweight Sean Pierson vs. Lance Benoist
Featherweight Jimy Hettes vs. Marcus Brimage
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Welterweight Seth Baczynski vs. Simeon Thoresen
Bantamweight Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson
Welterweight Kyle Noke vs. Charlie Brenneman

Matches to Watch

Brian Stann vs. Michael Bisping

While there is no title on the line, this might end up being one of the best fights of the night. Both competitors have been impressive since beginning their middleweight careers and are working their way up the rankings to get that title shot.

Bisping recently missed his chance when he lost by decision to Chael Sonnen. Similarly, Sonnen is the only person to defeat Stann in his last five fights.

Although Bisping might have better technique, Stann is more likely to go for the knockout. The former Marine has won nine of his 12 fights by knockout and would like to do it again in front of the international audience.

 

Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson

The battle for the first flyweight championship in UFC history ought to be a good one. Each competitor needed to win a semifinal match in order to have the right to compete for the title.

Johnson needed two matches and a favorable decision in order to get past Ian McCall, while Benavidez knocked out Yasuhiro Urushitani 11 seconds in the second round of their bout.

Neither fighter was able to get past Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight title, but they should both fare better in the lower weight class. Regardless of who wins, it will likely be an entertaining match that should go the distance. 

 

Jon Jones vs Vitor Belfort

It seems most UFC fans are on the “anti-Jon Jones bandwagon” after his decision not to fight Chael Sonnen forced Dana White to cancel UFC 151. Unfortunately, all of the fans in the world will not be able to stop the dominant run that Jones is on.

The New York native has gone through every contender in the light heavyweight division and defeated them easily. His only career loss was due to disqualification. 

Belfort is a veteran fighter that has had a solid career, but it will take a superhuman effort for him to come out on top against the champion.

At least fans will able to see one of the best pound-for-pound fighters do what he does best.

 

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UFC 152 Fight Card: Will Jon Jones End His Run at LHW as the Best of All Time?

Spoiler: Jon Jones already is the greatest light heavyweight of all time. In the pantheon of the 205-pound division there are four other names that rise to the top: Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Oritz and Wanderlei Silva. Jones has surpassed them …

Spoiler: Jon Jones already is the greatest light heavyweight of all time.

In the pantheon of the 205-pound division there are four other names that rise to the top: Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Oritz and Wanderlei Silva. Jones has surpassed them all at the tender age of 25.

Legacies are built in championship fights. No other light heavyweight enters the discussion in this regard.

Couture’s legacy is not built solely on the light heavyweight division. His legacy is about finding success between the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. While it is impressive, it eliminates him from the discussion based solely on the 205-pound division.

Liddell and Silva both suffer from the same questions about strength of competition. Undoubtedly both men were incredible fighters in their day, but both had questionable title defenses. Do wins over Kiyoshi Tamura, Hiromitsu Kanehara or Jeremy Horn hold a lot of weight? No.

That leaves Ortiz as Jones’ biggest competition, since Ortiz is the holder of the UFC record for light heavyweight title defenses. Much like Liddell and Silva the level of competition is questionable. However, it was a different time way back at the turn of the 21st century.

Now look at Jones and see what he has accomplished in his short UFC career.

He dominated Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94, submitted Jake O’Brien at UFC 100 and was on the wrong end of a unfortunate DQ when he destroyed Matt Hamill.

After the performance against Hamill he was given a few more tests before going for the gold. All were dominant performances.

At UFC 128, six weeks after choking out previously undefeated Ryan Bader, he stepped in against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Questions if he was ready for the spotlight arose, and were quickly wiped away with one of the most systematic dismantlings in title fight history.

The “Bones Era” had officially begun.

He has already defended the championship three times. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans have had little to nothing to offer the young champion. From Ryan Bader to Rashad Evans those five fights, five impressive and dominant wins, all took place over the course of one calendar year.

His dynamic skill set is ahead of the historic field. He is multi-dimensional, athletic and only becoming more dangerous as he matures. When Jones meets Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 he will defend his title for the fourth time, tying Liddell for second all-time. That puts Ortiz’s record in Jones’ crosshairs.

No one has faced the quality of competition in consecutive fights that Jones has fought inside the cage. Jones’ talent and astonishing performances skyrocketed him past every other light heavyweight in history.

Others may hold more importance to growth of the division and the sport in general, but based on talent and performance no one holds a candle to Jones.

The 25-year-old talent will only begin to put distance between himself and everyone else. When trying to describe him one begins to run out of superlatives. Jones is that good.

He is the greatest light heavyweight ever.

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UFC 152 Start Time: When and Where to Watch UFC 152

Two title fights, a battle for middleweight contendership, the return of a popular Ultimate Fighter star and a featherweight scrap between two exciting fighters who have tremendous finishing abilities. That is what you will see on Saturday night’s…

Two title fights, a battle for middleweight contendership, the return of a popular Ultimate Fighter star and a featherweight scrap between two exciting fighters who have tremendous finishing abilities. That is what you will see on Saturday night’s UFC 152 pay-per-view. That is, if you know how to watch.

 

Facebook Prelims

Partly thanks to the cancellation of UFC 151, the Facebook bouts Saturday night are stronger than usual. Kicking off the show will be a welterweight bout between Charlie Brenneman and Kyle Noke.

Following is a bantamweight scrap between Walel Watson and Mitch Gagnon. The social-networking portion concludes with a welterweight battle between Seth Baczynski and Simeon Thoresen.

You can view the stream online at www.facebook.com/UFC, or customers who order the PPV through Xbox Live will also be able to view the Facebook bouts through their gaming console at no additional charge.

Tune in at 7:00 pm ET for these three action-packed affairs.

 

FX Prelims

If you thought that the only title contenders fighting Saturday are on the PPV portion of UFC 152, you are certainly mistaken. Top featherweight prospect Jimy Hettes returns Saturday to take on Marcus Brimage. Hettes is 10-0 in his professional career with two dominant UFC appearances. 

Also fighting is lightweight dark horse Evan Dunham. Dunham takes on TJ Grant in a bout between grappling wizards that is sure to be thrilling for fans of high-level jiu-jitsu. 

The FX portion also includes Sean Pierson vs. Lance Benoist and light heavyweights Igor Pokrajac and Vinny Magalhaes.

The action begins at 8:00 p.m. ET. Check with your cable or satellite provider for listings for FX and FXHD.

 

Pay-Per-View

The PPV kicks off at 10:00 p.m. ET with five main-card fights that each have their own reasons to get fans excited.

Fights include:

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort 
Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson
Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann
Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett
Charles Oliveira vs. Cub Swanson

There are many options for viewing the fights. The PPV is available from major cable and satellite providers, as well as on UFC.com.

Some less conventional viewing methods include watching on the UFC’s Facebook page through Facebook Credits, or ordering through the UFC app on XBox Live. 

Looking for a less costly option? Many sports bars like Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters or Applebee’s host the fights for their customers. For the price of a quesadilla appetizer and a beer, you get to watch a $54.99 PPV.

For all viewing options, visit www.ufc.com.

 

Attending the event live?

Doors at the Air Canada Centre open at 6:45 p.m. local time and the PPV kicks off at 10:00 p.m.

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Jones vs. Belfort: Why You Really Can’t Miss UFC 152’s Main Event

This Saturday night’s main event at UFC 152 is not quite the Jon Jones fight we were pining for. Still, it is not without its charms. Vitor “I’ve still got some stuff in the basement” Belfort is the sentimental favourite going u…

This Saturday night’s main event at UFC 152 is not quite the Jon Jones fight we were pining for. Still, it is not without its charms.

Vitor “I’ve still got some stuff in the basement” Belfort is the sentimental favourite going up against Jon Jones, who is almost a caricature of a villain at this point. He could scarcely be more hated if he had killed Apollo Creed in an exhibition fight.

Some will say that it’s a mismatch—a middleweight going up against a natural heavyweight who defies the natural laws to make the 205-pound limit. Frankly, those people would not necessarily be wrong. There is a certain freak show vibe to the main event at the Air Canada Centre.

Look, I’m not saying that this is Fedor vs. Hong-man Choi, but it’s about as close to a freak show as the UFC has come since James Toney writhed around on his back like a capsized turtle against Randy Couture.

Dana White has struggled to justify putting this match together, opting to defend it with the kind of boisterous conviction that even a seasoned satirist would deem absurd. Then again, does he really need to defend it?

The UFC’s injury/withdrawal issues are almost legendary at this point. Who can blame it for scraping the bottom of the barrel to fill out one fight card? People look back on the Pride FC days with a kind of wistful longing, so we can forgive Dana and Co. for getting a little nutty this time.

As was alluded to earlier, this fight is far from irredeemable. MMA fans love an underdog.

They will get behind Stephan Bonnar against Anderson Silva, and you can bet that they will get behind Vitor Belfort later tonight.

Although the odds are stacked against him, it’s not as though the “Phenom” is taking a knife to a gun fight. The former heavyweight tournament champion hits like a truck.

Should he land one of those ferocious paws on Jones’ whiskers, expect the champ’s spindly legs to turn to boiled spaghetti. If they don’t, we may well wonder if “Bones” actually has a weakness.

Love him or hate him, we all love to watch Jon Jones fight. The UFC could put him in the cage with Verne Troyer and we’d still probably tune in.

As is the case with GSP and Silva, when Jon Jones headlines a fight card, it is increasingly becoming an event that transcends the sport as we perceive it day to day. We get the privilege of seeing this rare athlete compete maybe three times per year—or four if we’re talking about 2011.

Do you really need me to tell you why this fight is worthy of your time? If not for its competitive edge, then for the chance to witness a truly gifted athlete do what he does best.

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Jones vs. Belfort: What Vitor Belfort Must Do to Upset World Champ

How can “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort upset the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Jon “Bones” Jones, at UFC 152? Most will tell you that he can’t. That it’s already been decided in favor of the embattled champ. J…

How can “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort upset the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Jon “Bones” Jones, at UFC 152?

Most will tell you that he can’t. That it’s already been decided in favor of the embattled champ.

Jones, 25, is a heavy favorite in his match against Belfort in Toronto, Canada, on September 22. In fact, the betting odds (Jones at -750 according to Bovada and BettingOdds) are insanely stacked against the 35-year-old mixed martial arts veteran.

After Jones refused to fight Chael Sonnen, the UFC was forced to cancel its UFC 151 pay-per-view event. That sets up this fight, which many believe to be a cop-out for Jones and an easy title defense.

Here are some factors that may lead to a possible upset of the champion.

 

Jones’ Issues Outside of the Octagon

The lofty expectations of a dominant Jones win coupled with distractions in his personal and professional life may leave the champ open for a letdown at the hands of Belfort.

Recently, Jones was arrested for DWI, and he was also involved in a controversy in which he turned down the Chael Sonnen fight a mere eight days before the event. His decision prompted a flurry of criticism throughout the media.

These issues may not be enough to distract Jones from the task at hand, but they may be exploitable for Belfort. I’m not saying he will mention these things during or before the fight, but it couldn’t hurt to try to distract the champ.

 

Experience and Speed

Belfort chose former UFC Light Heavyweight champion “Suga” Rashad Evans to be his trainer in preparation for his fight with Jones. Evans is one of the most knowledgeable fighters when it comes to Jones considering the two used to be good friends and just fought in April.

While Evans failed to personally best his former friend, he may have learned enough to help produce a Belfort upset.

If Belfort can tap into the vast knowledge running through Evans’ head and translate it into an effective game plan, then he may be able to find holes in the champ’s defense. Holes that are big enough to exploit with his quick striking and power combinations.

 

Nothing to Lose

As mentioned earlier, Vitor Belfort has absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain against Jon Jones at UFC 152. He may not get another title shot, especially if he’s manhandled as many are predicting.

That means there is no holding back or saving himself to fight another day. He has to leave his heart out there in the octagon.

A surprise victory to steal the title is going to take everything Belfort has left in the tank, and then some.

 

Mike Hoag is a Breaking News Team writer with Bleacher Report and also covers the Cleveland Browns and the NFL for the site.

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UFC 152 Fight Card: Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson Had to Happen

One year ago, there were two fighters in the bantamweight division who were considered to be smaller than the rest of the division. Fans would frequently talk about a fight between the two and wonder how it would turn out.Those two fighters were Joseph…

One year ago, there were two fighters in the bantamweight division who were considered to be smaller than the rest of the division. Fans would frequently talk about a fight between the two and wonder how it would turn out.

Those two fighters were Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson. These two will finally match up on Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 152

This fight had to happen, and Dana White and company knew that for quite a long time.

While in the bantamweight division, these two were never matched up, never rumored for a fight and never came close to fighting at all.

White knew that the flyweight division would eventually enter the UFC as the eighth weight class, and when it did, he wanted these two to fight for the title.

He ended up turning it into a tournament format. Benavidez and Johnson were not matched up with each other in the first round. Benavidez fought Yasuhiro Urushitani and Johnson fought Ian McCall.

It was no coincidence that these two weren’t matched up against each other. White wanted Benavidez and Johnson to fight for the first-ever UFC Flyweight Championship.

This fight had to happen eventually, and White had a plan for exactly how he wanted it to happen.

On Saturday night, the UFC will crown its first-ever flyweight champion, and Dana White has got to be happy with the way it turned out; except of course for the whole scoring fiasco with the first fight between Johnson and McCall.

 

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on Twitter @TimMcTiernan.

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