Tag: UFC 152

UFC 152: Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More for Jones vs. Belfort

After the cancellation of UFC 151 just weeks ago, mixed martial arts returns to the spotlight on Saturday night with a big event from Toronto, Canada, as Jon Jones defends his light heavyweight title against Vitor Belfort. Jones became a pariah in…

After the cancellation of UFC 151 just weeks ago, mixed martial arts returns to the spotlight on Saturday night with a big event from Toronto, Canada, as Jon Jones defends his light heavyweight title against Vitor Belfort. 

Jones became a pariah in the sport after he refused the offer to fight Chael Sonnen when his original opponent, Dan Henderson, went down with an injury. Since UFC still needed him to market the show, the outrage has calmed down and everyone can focus on watching him do what he does best. 

Belfort is a surprise challenger for the title. We know he was at least fourth on the totem pole—Henderson pulled out, Sonnen‘s offer was rejected, and Lyoto Machida didn’t take the fight—so it will be interesting to see how he reacts. His track record in big fights isn’t great, so he has a lot of work to do. 

 

Where: Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada

When: Saturday, September 22 at 10:00 p.m. ET

Watch: Main Card starts at 10:00 p.m. ET on pay-per-view; FX Preliminary Card starts at 8:00 p.m. ET; Facebook Preliminary Card starts at 6:30 p.m. ET

 

Fight Card

Pay-Per-View Card

Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones (c) vs. Vitor Belfort

Flyweight Championship: Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson

Middleweight Bout: Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann

Light Heavyweight Bout: Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett

Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira

 

FX Preliminary Card

Light Heavyweight Bout: Igor Pokrajac vs. Vinny Magalhaes

Lightweight Bout: TJ Grant vs. Evan Dunham

Welterweight Bout: Sean Pierson vs. Lance Benoist

Featherweight Bout: Jimy Hettes vs. Marcus Brimage

 

Facebook Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Seth Baczynski vs. Simeon Thoresen

Bantamweight Bout: Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson

Welterweight Bout: Kyle Noke vs. Charlie Brenneman

 

What Jones Must Do to Win

Attack Belfort early; establish unique offense

Jones’ biggest strength happens to play right into Belfort‘s greatest weakness. Jones is going to attack an opponent with a unique style of offense from the opening bell, and because he is so long and lanky. he can get away with things few fighters can. 

Since Jones has no problem experimenting when he gets in the octagon, he needs to stay on top of his offensive game in order to frustrate Belfort and get him to curl up into that shell he so often lives in. 

 

What Belfort Must Do to Win

Stay focused: don’t try to match Jones punch-for-punch

Belfort has a habit of folding when the pressure is at its peak. He sets up a game plan, but when someone comes along who can disrupt Belfort‘s thought process, Belfort goes into hiding before it is too late to do anything. 

Since we know that Jones is going to try something strange early, Belfort must find a way to take advantage by finding an opening to pounce on. 

 

What They Are Saying

Though I have talked about Jones’ offensive attack being too difficult for Belfort to overcome, the champ is giving credit where it is due to the challenger, though he did tell reporters that he is ready for the battle. 

Via Yahoo Sports and MMA Weekly:

“He’s a very powerful striker, but in this situation, I feel I am the more versatile striker in the fight,” said the champ. “I won’t shy away from a striking battle just because he has a punch. He’s got a unique style and I enjoy matching up against guys like that.”

Belfort will always have a puncher’s chance in a fight, but Jones is so different from anyone else in the sport right now that you can’t plan for him. He is the kind of fighter who can experiment with something in a round, have it fail, and still not miss a beat because he does so many things well. 

 

Under-the-Radar Fight

Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira

For reasons not entirely clear to me, other than the fact the division is still relatively new to UFC, the featherweight division does not inspire a lot of buzz among fans. Sure, the hardcore people understand it, but for the most part, the smaller fighters don’t get the recognition they deserve. 

Swanson vs. Oliveira is probably going to open the pay-per-view portion of the card, but could easily be the best fight on the show. 

Swanson is one of the most complete featherweight fighters in UFC right now, mixing in a strong stand-up game with a good ground style that allows him to work an opponent into a submission. 

Oliveira is still a baby by MMA standards at just 22 years old, yet he is building an impressive resume for himself. He has 16 career wins, including two straight submission victories. 

Neither fighter is in the title picture right now, but this could be the kind of fight that elevates one or both to the next level. 

 

Main-Event Prediction

The question isn’t, Will Jones win? No, instead the question is going to be about all about how it ended so quickly. We will all have our theories, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. 

Belfort is past his prime and unable to stay energized in the most high-profile of match of his career, at least in 2012. 

Jones wins via first-round TKO



Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 152: Interesting Facts About the Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort Fight Card

Tumultuous would be a good way to describe the last few weeks for the UFC. There have been injuries on top of injuries and the scrapping of an entire fight card.Come Saturday night, we can hopefully put those bumps in the road behind us, even if it’s o…

Tumultuous would be a good way to describe the last few weeks for the UFC. There have been injuries on top of injuries and the scrapping of an entire fight card.

Come Saturday night, we can hopefully put those bumps in the road behind us, even if it’s only for a few hours and enjoy the fights that will be presented on the UFC 152 fight card.

To get you ready for Saturday night, what follows are a few interesting facts and figures leading up to UFC 152, an event that will feature Jon Jones defending his light heavyweight crown against Vitor Belfort in the main event.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 152: Michael Bisping Picks Vitor Belfort over Jon Jones

At least one individual fighting on the UFC 152 card believes that Vitor Belfort will pull off the upset of a lifetime by taking out UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. When UFC middleweight Michael Bisping was asked by MMA Fighting’s Ariel …

At least one individual fighting on the UFC 152 card believes that Vitor Belfort will pull off the upset of a lifetime by taking out UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. 

When UFC middleweight Michael Bisping was asked by MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani (video courtesy of MMA Fighting) if he was picking “The Phenom” over Jones (at the 6:36 mark), he had an interesting response: 

“Listen…I’ve just got a feeling he’s [Belfort] going to pull off the upset,” Bisping began. “Not in a disrespectful way to Jon Jones, I think Jon Jones is an incredible champion, and on paper Jon wins. But, when you’re the underdog and you have nothing to lose like that, and he truly has nothing to lose, he’s expected to lose and if he loses, so what? He stepped up a weight class to fight the champion. I think that makes him dangerous: he has the tools, he has the knockout power, he has the speed. Who knows, you know?”

“The Count” also recommended that “Bones” should rely on his takedowns and ground and pound to defeat Belfort, since a left hand from the Brazilian could be a “good night for anybody.”

Belfort enters the UFC 152 headlining bout, hosted at the Air Canada Centre, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as a 6-to-1 underdog and is generally not expected to make it out of the first round. 

Nevertheless, the former UFC light heavyweight champion is feeling good heading into the title fight. 

“I’m ready,” Belfort told MMA Junkie. “It’s all in my mind. I’m taking advantage of what is positive. Focus on the positive, not what is negative.” 

Bisping takes on Brian Stann in the event’s third main card fight. For his thoughts on that fight, as well as his recent feud with flyweight Joseph Benavidez, watch the interview in its entirety. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 152 Preview: A Fan’s Guide to the Full Fight Card

What we’ve got here is a failure to titillate. You can argue the merits of the main event at UFC 152 going down this Saturday in Toronto, but you can’t debate its status as a foregone conclusion of a fight. There will be no intrigue. Jon Jones is …

What we’ve got here is a failure to titillate.

You can argue the merits of the main event at UFC 152 going down this Saturday in Toronto, but you can’t debate its status as a foregone conclusion of a fight. There will be no intrigue. Jon Jones is going to beat Vitor Belfort. The rest of the event narrative unspools from that central fact.

In fact, I can’t think of two consecutive UFC pay-per-views that were topped with such blatant fait accomplis. Remember that Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar now headline UFC 153; taken together, these two events represent a climax of anticlimax.

So how do we get excited for UFC 152? Well, it’s actually a pretty good card, if you’re into that sort of thing. In fact, this is one of the densest fight cards in a while, thanks to all the refugees fleeing the rubble field of UFC 151.

Anyway, to help you preemptively separate the wheat from the chaff, here is the entire UFC 152 fight card ranked from least exciting fight to most exciting fight. Viewing information and various predictions sprinkled liberally throughout.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 152 Fight Card: Keys to Victory for Michael Bisping

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping will look to get back into the win column on Saturday when he takes on Brian Stann at UFC 152 in what may very well be a bout that determines the next top contender.The loudmouth Brit may not have the affections of most…

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping will look to get back into the win column on Saturday when he takes on Brian Stann at UFC 152 in what may very well be a bout that determines the next top contender.

The loudmouth Brit may not have the affections of most fans, but Bisping‘s years of experience and exceptional set of skills will be the deciding factors in the this fight.

Bisping‘s keys to victory are simple—pick Stann apart standing and wear him down in the later rounds.

The former Ultimate Fighter winner is an exceptional kickboxer who will have a technical edge in the striking department.  Stann‘s a good striker with heavy hands, but his overall technique and natural stand-up abilities just don’t match up to Bisping‘s.

While the British middleweight may have an edge striking, Bisping will have to be wary of letting Stann on the inside.  If the former Marine works his way into the pocket, a single punch or knee could mean goodnight for “The Count.”

That means Bisping will have to utilize his jab and kicks to keep Stann on the outside as well as circle away from his power side or else risk another UFC 100 highlight reel knockout.  Stann is also great in the clinch so it’s better for Bisping to just stay away from “the All-American’s” reach.

Also, Bisping should look to take Stann into the later rounds because that’s where the Brit shines.

Many of Bisping‘s finishes have come after wearing his opponents down in the first or second round, a la Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Denis Kang.  Stann has only fought to a decision three times in his career and has not fought past the second round since August of 2010.  

It will be interesting to see if Bisping can test Stann‘s cardio and try to out work him in this fight.

Above all else, however, “The Count’s” years of MMA experience will be a huge help against a powerful fighter like Stann.  Bisping has seen it all in the Octagon and should be prepared for Stann‘s relatively standard skill set.

As long as Bisping doesn’t let “The All-American” over power him, he should be able to take this fight.

Be sure to like me on Facebook or 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 152: Detailed Breakdown of Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann

UFC 152 Jones vs. Belfort comes to you live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this Saturday, September 22nd.Headlining the night’s action will be a light heavyweight contest between current champion Jon “Bones” Jones and “The Pheno…

UFC 152 Jones vs. Belfort comes to you live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this Saturday, September 22nd.

Headlining the night’s action will be a light heavyweight contest between current champion Jon “Bones” Jones and “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort.

Additional pay-per-view action includes the always talkative—and at times, disrespectfully honest—Brit, Michael “The Count” Bisping versus “The All-American” and former Marine, Brian Stann.

Truly a dynamic matchup of two rising stars within the UFC middleweight division, this battle will be extremely exciting, as both competitors are eager for a title shot against Anderson “The Spider” Silva.

Please follow along as I break down the skill sets and determine who will have their hand raised in victory in front of the thousands of screaming Canadian fans and millions of UFC followers glued to their televisions at home.

Begin Slideshow