Tag: UFC 152

UFC 152: 6 Fights to Make After Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort

UFC 152 is in the books. It was filled with plenty of drama and chock full of action, from the opening of the preliminary card all the way to the main event.What’s next for the fighters of UFC 152? It’s time to wipe the dust off the old crystal ball an…

UFC 152 is in the books. It was filled with plenty of drama and chock full of action, from the opening of the preliminary card all the way to the main event.

What’s next for the fighters of UFC 152? It’s time to wipe the dust off the old crystal ball and take a look.

 

Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson

Well, we’ve finally seen Jon Jones look something other than completely immortal, if only for a brief few seconds in the first round when Vitor Belfort nearly pulled off the most incredible upset in UFC history.

But the armbar-that-nearly-was didn’t actually happen. Jones prevailed and is free to continue his path of destruction in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. So what’s next?

I touched on this briefly in my post-fight video that was filmed in Toronto, but I think it all depends on when Dan Henderson recovers from his knee injury. If Henderson is ready to go within a few months—and assuming the arm injury suffered by Jones doesn’t keep him on the shelf for an extended period of time—I think a bout between the pair makes the most sense.

After all, we were supposed to see the fight happen once already, and you know how that turned out. It’s still a fight fans are interested in, even if it may seem like Henderson has very little chance of actually winning. But, as Belfort briefly proved, Jones is human. Could the aging legend be the first guy to legitimately beat the champion?

I don’t think so, but I’m still interested in watching it, and I think you are, too.

 

Michael Bisping vs. Anderson Silva

I had a brief, less-than-civil conversation with Bisping last Tuesday night in our Toronto hotel, essentially about negative stories that have been written about him in the past. But you won’t ever hear those negative stories coming from me, because I firmly believe that Bisping is the most deserving title contender in the middleweight division.

Bisping is 9-3 since moving to the middleweight division in 2008. That’s not the most perfect record in the world, but compare it to other recent title challengers. Chael Sonnen was 6-3 in the same time frame when he challenged Silva a second time this summer. Vitor Belfort was 3-1 when he got his title shot. Yushin Okami was 4-1.

And none of this even touches on the absolute fact that Bisping has been in the UFC for a very long time without receiving a title shot, and he’s also one of the most marketable stars on the roster.

No matter what you may think about Bisping as a person—and your notions are probably incorrect, anyway—there’s no doubt that his dominant win over Stann should earn him a title shot. Unfortunately, he may get lost in the shuffle due to a potential Silva superfight with Georges St-Pierre. If that mega-fight doesn’t happen, then Bisping deserves his opportunity. 

 

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson/Jussier da Silva

This one is pretty much set in stone. The first-ever UFC flyweight champion will most likely face the winner of the Dodson/Da Silva bout that takes place at the UFC on FX card on October 5. Either one of those guys would be a deserving contender, and Dodson also brings some marketability into that potential fight because of his days on The Ultimate Fighter.

 

Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva

I’m assuming that Belfort will lose the instant muscle he put on for the Jones fight and make the move back down to middleweight. He was supposed to face Wanderlei Silva earlier this year, and it’s still a fight that makes a lot of sense, even if it makes me terrified for Silva’s health.

Both guys are coming off losses, and it’s a marketable fight, especially if the UFC is planning an early 2013 return to Brazil. 

 

Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall

The UFC’s flyweight division is pretty thin on stars at the top. Benavidez and McCall have been heavily featured on television and pay-per-view this year, and they’re both coming off losses. The winner would be ready for a rematch with Johnson, because let’s face it: Who else is there?

Benavidez came up short against Johnson (and I swear, that wasn’t supposed to be a pun), but he’s proven time and again that he’s one of the best lighter-weight fighters in the world. And McCall has gone through a rough patch lately, but he remains one of the most entertaining and marketable guys in the new division. 

 

Cub Swanson vs. Chan Sung Jung

Remember back when Cub Swanson lost to Jose Aldo? This is a completely different fighter.

Swanson has really come into his own in the UFC, putting together three consecutive wins, over George Roop, Ross Pearson and Charles Oliveira. Those are all very tough opponents, and Swanson finished them in dramatic style.

Swanson told me after his fight on Saturday night that he wants to prove the quick loss to Aldo was a fluke. While I don’t think it was a fluke, I don’t think a second fight would go the same way, or end nearly as quickly, at least.

But Aldo will most likely be tied up in a bout with Frankie Edgar when he’s ready to return, and that leaves Swanson needing another opponent. Chan Sung Jung, “The Korean Zombie,” makes perfect sense. Jung is also on a roll of his own and is considered a legitimate contender, so why not pair him up with Swanson and give the winner a title shot?

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Dana White on Flyweight Haters: "You’re a Moron, Don’t Buy Another UFC Event"

Dana White is fed up with people bad-mouthing the flyweights.The UFC President was noticeably upset at the post-fight press conference for UFC 152, after sifting through tons of negative tweets regarding the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Joh…

Dana White is fed up with people bad-mouthing the flyweights.

The UFC President was noticeably upset at the post-fight press conference for UFC 152, after sifting through tons of negative tweets regarding the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez.

In one of the most competitive and entertaining title bouts of the year, Johnson defeated Benavidez by split decision to become the first ever UFC flyweight champion.

Unfortunately, most casual fans have yet to accept the 125-pound weight class. They consider the division almost freakish in a way due to the small stature of the competitors. Along with size, some are turned away due to fewer finishes than in the heavier divisions.

After reading Twitter, White had plenty to say to fans who felt like Johnson vs. Benavidez wasn’t a good fight.

“I was reading Twitter tonight, and these people were ripping on the flyweights. Let me tell you what, if you didn’t like that flyweight fight, please, I’m begging you, don’t ever buy another UFC pay-per-view again,” White said at the post-fight presser.

While the heavier fighters tend to rack up more finishes, the lighter fighters typically deliver faster and more sustained action throughout an entire fight.

As with all things, people tend to dislike what they don’t understand.

A few years ago, fans used to boo every time a grappler took the fight to the ground. Now that people have gained a better understanding of the sport, it’s common to hear fans cheer takedowns and ground transitions.

Johnson and Benavidez are both world class fighters, but like the rest of the flyweight division, they are still relatively unknown to casual fans. Even though the title bout held historical significance, there wasn’t much invested interest from the fans.

As time passes and the division grows, people will likely warm up to the flyweight division, but true fans of fighting will always love the sport, regardless of the size of the athletes.

White continues:

“Don’t ever buy another one. I don’t want your money. You’re a moron. You don’t like fighting, and you don’t appreciate great talent or heart, if you didn’t like that flyweight fight.

[Joseph Benavidez] fought his ass off tonight. Look at his face, going after a guy who is incredibly talented and picking him apart and moving and everything else. The kid never gave up. He went five strong rounds, and when I get on Twitter and I see that stuff, I get crazy man. It’s just like, please, those of you who said that, I don’t want your money.”

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UFC 152 Injury Report: Jon Jones Says He May Have Nerve Damage From Belfort Armbar


(A slung-up Jon Jones shares a friendly rape-choke with a companion following UFC 152. Photo via GracieMag)

It sure looked as if Vitor Belfort managed to injure Jon Jones during their light-heavyweight title bout on Saturday night at UFC 152, when he latched onto Bones’ right arm with an armbar early in the first round. Despite having his limb dangerously hyper extended, Jones gritted through it, fought on, and eventually won with his own armlock in the fourth round.

After the fight Jones was in obvious discomfort, holding his right elbow as Joe Rogan interviewed him. Sure enough, the champ showed up late to the post-event press conference with his arm in a sling, saying that doctors had told him he might have nerve damage as a result of Belfort’s arm bar.

Jones was planning to head to a hospital after the presser to receive X-rays on his arm. No official word has been released from the UFC or Jones’s camp since Saturday night, but nerve damage in his arm would certainly be serious enough to sideline the champ for some time, to say nothing of any possible bone breaks or tendon or ligament injuries he may have sustained.

As he told reporters at the UFC 152 press conference, Jones thought that Belfort was going to break the arm and get the win in the first round, before Jones miraculously escaped. “It was popping, and I felt after 25 years that I’ve never felt that feeling before. I just came to terms with what was going to happen, just thinking, ‘Man, I can’t believe I’m getting ready to lose this way,'” he said.


(A slung-up Jon Jones shares a friendly rape-choke with a companion following UFC 152. Photo via GracieMag)

It sure looked as if Vitor Belfort managed to injure Jon Jones during their light-heavyweight title bout on Saturday night at UFC 152, when he latched onto Bones’ right arm with an armbar early in the first round. Despite having his limb dangerously hyper extended, Jones gritted through it, fought on, and eventually won with his own armlock in the fourth round.

After the fight Jones was in obvious discomfort, holding his right elbow as Joe Rogan interviewed him. Sure enough, the champ showed up late to the post-event press conference with his arm in a sling, saying that doctors had told him he might have nerve damage as a result of Belfort’s arm bar.

Jones was planning to head to a hospital after the presser to receive X-rays on his arm. No official word has been released from the UFC or Jones’s camp since Saturday night, but nerve damage in his arm would certainly be serious enough to sideline the champ for some time, to say nothing of any possible bone breaks or tendon or ligament injuries he may have sustained.

As he told reporters at the UFC 152 press conference, Jones thought that Belfort was going to break the arm and get the win in the first round, before Jones miraculously escaped. “It was popping, and I felt after 25 years that I’ve never felt that feeling before. I just came to terms with what was going to happen, just thinking, ‘Man, I can’t believe I’m getting ready to lose this way,’” he said.

Still, Jones maintains that tapping out never occurred to him. Apparently, taking his Jiu Jitsu training seriously prior to the fight didn’t, either.

“I have to admit I don’t practice my Jiu-Jitsu every day,” Jones said. ”I work so hard on my wrestling and so hard on my standup. I definitely need to embrace jiu-jitsu more and practice what I preach, being a true mixed martial artist and embracing all martial arts,” he said.

It’s hard to imagine how Jones and his vaunted coaches could ignore the style of fighting that the entire sport of MMA is based on, but it sounds like they won’t be making that mistake again.

Ultimately Jones said he was glad for the test and lesson. He learned what he needs to improved and also a little bit about what he’s made of. “I just remember getting to that second round, thanking God that I had gotten out of that armbar, and thanking God for that adversity,” he said.

“I honestly thank God just for having a hurt arm, just to prove to myself and prove to my coaches that all the speeches and all the stories I heard about warriors, just to be able to prove that I can be a warrior as well, I was grateful to be able to come back from something.”

– Elias Cepeda

UFC 152 Aftermath: Igor Pokrajac Doesn’t Understand What MMA Is

UFC 152 spelled the end of a winning streak for Croatian striker Igor Pokrajac and a triumphant return to the Octagon for opponent Vinny Magalhaes.In that fight, Pokrajac looked great until he was caught in an armbar by the savvy grappling game that Vi…

UFC 152 spelled the end of a winning streak for Croatian striker Igor Pokrajac and a triumphant return to the Octagon for opponent Vinny Magalhaes.

In that fight, Pokrajac looked great until he was caught in an armbar by the savvy grappling game that Vinny Magalhaes. Frustrated, as he was on the rise at 205 pounds, Pokrajac took to Twitter in the aftermath of it all.

I understand losing a fight can be frustrating. Hell, losing anything in any sport is frustrating. 

However, does Pokrajac, no matter how entertaining he wants his fights to be, realize this is mixed martial arts? Being an MMA fighter means you need to be educated in all areas of the sport.

Using this as an excuse for the loss is unacceptable. That’s like a football team saying they lost the game because they wanted a shootout, so they didn’t play defense.

Fighters making excuses for losses are always made, and usually they are just that. Fans tend to ignore excuses because they are abundant and outrageous.

This one may be the most outrageous of them all. Maybe Igor should go back to the drawing board and relearn the tools necessary to be a mixed martial artist.

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UFC 152: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly


(I kept telling the bouncers that I was over 21; I even showed them my ID and told them that it was *my* afterparty that they were bouncing, yet this happens once again…) 

After enduring the longest card free drought in nearly two years, the UFC returned to action last Saturday, delivering an event that was thoroughly satisfying from top-to-bottom, unless you happened to be in the small minority of people who wished ill upon either Michael Bisping or Jon Jones, that is. But as is the case with most UFC events, the evening was not without its share of ups and downs, so join us as we take take off our fanboy pants, pull our analrapist stockings over our heads, and take a look back at the event that was…

The Good:

Seth Baczynski’s Second Tour of Duty: One of the more improbable, if not unknown, comeback stories currently circulating the MMA world, the story of “The Polish Pistola’s” second octagon run has seen him score submission victories over TUF 13 alum Clay Harvison, TUF 7 alum Matt Brown, and earn a split decision victory over Lance Benoist. His beautiful knockout of Simeon Thoreson this past weekend should have easily earned him the KOTN award, but we imagine that Baczynski will be happy enough knowing that he has more than earned a shot at some stiffer competition — and considering his finishing rate, a main card spot — in the near future.

Vinny Magalhaes‘ Second Tour of Duty: While we’re on the subject of TUF alums kicking major ass their second time around, we can’t overlook TUF 8 finalist Vinny Magalhaes, who clearly packed some of his M-1 swagger for his return to the big show (figuratively speaking, of course). Granted, it makes your job a hell of a lot easier when your opponent decides to play directly into your strengths, but for now, we’ll just congratulate Vinny on a sweet finish and a successful return.


(I kept telling the bouncers that I was over 21; I even showed them my ID and told them that it was *my* afterparty that they were bouncing, yet this happens once again…) 

After enduring the longest card free drought in nearly two years, the UFC returned to action last Saturday, delivering an event that was thoroughly satisfying from top-to-bottom, unless you happened to be in the small minority of people who wished ill upon either Michael Bisping or Jon Jones, that is. But as is the case with most UFC events, the evening was not without its share of ups and downs, so join us as we take take off our fanboy pants, pull our analrapist stockings over our heads, and take a look back at the event that was…

The Good:

Seth Baczynski’s Second Tour of Duty: One of the more improbable, if not unknown, comeback stories currently circulating the MMA world, the story of “The Polish Pistola’s” second octagon run has seen him score submission victories over TUF 13 alum Clay Harvison, TUF 7 alum Matt Brown, and earn a split decision victory over Lance Benoist. His beautiful knockout of Simeon Thoreson this past weekend should have easily earned him the KOTN award, but we imagine that Baczynski will be happy enough knowing that he has more than earned a shot at some stiffer competition — and considering his finishing rate, a main card spot — in the near future.

Vinny Magalhaes‘ Second Tour of Duty: While we’re on the subject of TUF alums kicking major ass their second time around, we can’t overlook TUF 8 finalist Vinny Magalhaes, who clearly packed some of his M-1 swagger for his return to the big show (figuratively speaking, of course). Granted, it makes your job a hell of a lot easier when your opponent decides to play directly into your strengths, but for now, we’ll just congratulate Vinny on a sweet finish and a successful return.

Marcus Brimage – Hype Spoiler: With back-to-back victories over highly-touted prospects Maximo Blanco and Jimy Hettes, it’s safe to say that the TUF 14 alum has not only launched up the featherweight ranks, but is easily the most successful member to come out of the season despite only making it to the quarterfinals of the show (sorry, Diego). If Brimage can learn to control his pace a little better over the course of three rounds, we could be looking at a future contender.

The Bloodbath That was T.J Grant vs. Evan Dunham: Perhaps the only thing more surprising in this fight, other than the incredible improvement in Grant’s striking game, were the chins these two displayed while beating the ever-loving dog shit out of each other for three straight rounds. Dunham, who is no stranger to nasty cuts, had his forehead split so wide open in the second round that Grant could see his thoughts for the rest of the fight and prepare accordingly. Although Dunham has fallen on hard times as of late when it comes to getting the victory, the $65,000 bonus he walked away with should ease some of the pain, especially if he decides to stuff it directly into his open wound, which ironically resembles an empty wallet as viewed from above.

The First Flyweight Title Fight: Here’s how Dana White summed up Benavidez/Johnson:

If you didn’t like that flyweight fight, please, I’m begging you, don’t ever buy another UFC pay-per-view again…You’re a moron, you don’t like fighting and you don’t appreciate great talent or heart if you didn’t like that flyweight fight.

Now, although we wouldn’t put it as bluntly as DW (go figure), we’d have to agree with him on a fundamental level here. No, there weren’t as many grueling exchanges, insane submission attempts, or high-flying maneuvers as we’d hoped for in the first ever flyweight title fight, but it was an enjoyable five round affair nonetheless. The speed of “Mighty Mouse,” which has been described as “like pixie sticks on crack” by at least one person, led him to a decisive decision victory over a man who was considered “the uncrowned king of the flyweight division.” But judging by the comments section of CP and various other MMA sites, the questions that most people have about the flyweight division appear the same as before:

1. Can such tiny fists actually finish fights?

2. Will the lack of depth in the division lead to the recycling of contenders down the line?

At least the first question is a little easier to answer than the latter.

Bipsing and Jones Silence Opponents/Haters: Aside from a rocky moment in the first round for both gentlemen, Michael Bisping and Jon Jones looked pretty flawless last weekend, impressively out grappling Brian Stann and Vitor Belfort, respectively. Bisping’s case for the next middleweight title shot is as good as anyone’s at this point, we guess, so if he thinks he can jab-and-jog Anderson Silva into a living death, we say why not let him try? As for Jones, well, there isn’t much to say really. He dominated another former champ and made it look relatively easy. Any questions in regards to his chin or ability to fight out of a bad situation have likely been squashed and hey, at least we got to see him at least tested this time.

Click the “next” tab to see things get real ugly in a hurry. 

Jon Jones vs Vitor Belfort Fight Card: Power Ranking the Upsets

Vitor Belfort nearly sent Las Vegas bookies into a panic attack when he secured an armbar on champion Jon Jones on Saturday night. With Jones coming into the fight as an 8:1 favorite, anyone who dropped a courtesy bet on Belfort almost cleaned up.Unfor…

Vitor Belfort nearly sent Las Vegas bookies into a panic attack when he secured an armbar on champion Jon Jones on Saturday night. With Jones coming into the fight as an 8:1 favorite, anyone who dropped a courtesy bet on Belfort almost cleaned up.

Unfortunately for fans of The Phenom, Jones was able to escape the deep submission and pull out the victory only three rounds later. Some betting favorites weren’t so lucky.

Here is a look at the biggest upsets from UFC 152, power ranked based on betting odds at fight time.

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