Since the UFC’s first outing in Brazil under the Zuffa banner in August of last year, the promoters have fallen in love with the place. This Saturday, UFC 153 will mark Zuffa’s third pay-per-view event in the country in 2012 alone, and the second…
Since the UFC’s first outing in Brazil under the Zuffa banner in August of last year, the promoters have fallen in love with the place.
This Saturday, UFC 153 will mark Zuffa‘s third pay-per-view event in the country in 2012 alone, and the second time visiting the HSBC arena in Rio De Janeiro, when Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva inspired a wave of MMA fanaticism in this otherwise soccer-mad country.
And, despite all the injuries that are now derigueur for any UFC event, it’s an electrifying card throughout.
That might be hard to swallow considering the main event. The fight between Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar, seems like little more than an exhibition match—a three-rounder with nothing at stake.
But the card is replete with Brazilian talent, some old, some new, and intriguing matchups from the bottom to the top.
UFC 153 comes live from Brazil this weekend with a number of exciting fights set to take place. The card will be headlined by middleweight king Anderson Silva and light heavyweight brawler Stephan Bonnar meeting in a “superfight.”With any fight card, t…
UFC 153 comes live from Brazil this weekend with a number of exciting fights set to take place. The card will be headlined by middleweight king Anderson Silva and light heavyweight brawler Stephan Bonnar meeting in a “superfight.”
With any fight card, there will be a few fighters on the hot seat that need to perform or find a new job. A win by these men would preserve their spot on the UFC roster.
When Stephan Bonnar steps in the cage in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night, he’ll do so as one of the most historic underdogs in the history of mixed martial arts. That’s the draw of this fight, in its own unique way. Few people in the world give Bonna…
When Stephan Bonnar steps in the cage in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night, he’ll do so as one of the most historic underdogs in the history of mixed martial arts.
That’s the draw of this fight, in its own unique way. Few people in the world give Bonnar much of a chance, not because he’s a terrible fighter, but because the man he’s facing is the greatest fighter in the history of the sport who has already proven that a size disadvantage against light heavyweights doesn’t faze him a bit.
But what happens if Bonnar does the impossible? Can you imagine? All of those comparisons about this being the UFC’s version of Rocky would come to fruition.
But enough about the main event. From top to bottom, the UFC 153 pay per view card is one of the more stacked events of the year. Not in terms of superstar power, but in terms of intriguing fights featuring athletes with the potential to go a long way in the sport.
The Caged In staff is here to break down the fights. Let’s get started.
Is Jon Fitch still in the mix?That’s been one of the most frequently asked questions in the buildup to UFC 153, as the American Kickboxing Academy ace prepares to face off against tough Team Nogueira wunderkind Erick Silva.For long-time UFC fans, it’s …
That’s been one of the most frequently asked questions in the buildup to UFC 153, as the American Kickboxing Academy ace prepares to face off against tough Team Nogueira wunderkind Erick Silva.
For long-time UFC fans, it’s hard to think that Fitch is so far away from the second title shot that he’s been chasing since a brutal loss to Georges St-Pierre in 2008.
However, as the old adage goes, you’re only as good as your last fight.
In a nutshell, that’s the current problem for Fitch, as his last outing ended in a shocking knockout loss to NCAA wrestling star Johny Hendricks. Not only did that lower Fitch’s stock in the welterweight division, but it was even more damning since the UFC previously did everything possible to deny him a title shot.
So even if Fitch manages to derail Erick Silva, does that place him back into title contention, or will he have to rack up another five wins against “top 10” fighters to earn it?
It’s hard to tell.
But the truth is, Jon Fitch should still be in title contention either way.
Even though he has a warped attitude about his place in the division, the fact remains that, win or lose, he still has a path to the UFC welterweight title. Losing to the red-hot Silva won’t change that.
While I’ve pointed out that Fitch is now back to being an also-ran title contender, that’s still not a huge step down from being the No. 2 guy in the division.
Considering where Dan Hardy, ThiagoAlves and Jake Shields ended up in their respective UFC careers, Fitch is arguably still sitting in the best position out of all the men St-Pierre’s beaten.
Moreover, if the likes of Nick Diaz, Jake Ellenberger, Demian Maia and even Josh Koscheck are just a few wins away from a title shot, Fitch could be back at the front of the argument with a string of solid victories over any of them.
As long as he keeps knocking off elite competition, Fitch isn’t done being a title contender, no matter how much longer the UFC stonewalls him for his lackluster fighting style. But if he starts losing more than once every three years, there’s no telling how far back he’ll fall.
[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]
Demian Maia made his welterweight debut at UFC 148 with a first-round TKO victory over Dong Hyun Kim. The stoppage marked his first non-decision win since a triangle choke against Chael Sonnen in 2009. He will get his second in a row over Rick Story at…
Demian Maia made his welterweight debut at UFC 148 with a first-round TKO victory over Dong Hyun Kim. The stoppage marked his first non-decision win since a triangle choke against ChaelSonnen in 2009.
He will get his second in a row over Rick Story at UFC 153.
His victory over Kim was a result of an injury, but an injury stemming from Maia’s takedown. Do not expect a clouded stoppage against Story.
Story burst on to the welterweight scene with back-to-back victories over Johny Hendricks and ThiagoAlves. He then jumped in on short notice to fight Nate Marquardt at UFC Live in June 2011.
Marquardt failed to receive medical clearance and then Charlie Brenneman stepped in. His win streak stopped that night. Story then tried to rebound against another top contender in Martin Kampmann, but was defeated at UFC 139.
The “Horror” Story got back on track with a decision victory over Brock Jardine in June, but Maia will show that he is simply a solid gatekeeper for the UFC’s 170-pound division.
Story has heavy hands and good wrestling, but that is nothing new for Maia. At middleweight he has fought against the likes of Ed Herman, Nate Quarry, ChaelSonnen, Nate Marquardt, Dan Miller, Mark Munoz, and Chris Weidman. In one facet or the other, and in some cases both, Story does not equal those men.
Maia will be even more acclimated to the new division. This will help him be prepared for a three-round battle against Story.
Story will want to keep the fight on the feet, but if there has been one area where Maia has improved his technique it is his striking. He continues to become a more technical striker in each of his bouts, and does not rely on power like Story.
While Story is very much a live underdog in this matchup, he does not have many ways to finish the fight. At some point in this fight, the two men will end up on the mat. That is where Maia will return to his finishing ways and stop Story.
Maia began his UFC career with five consecutive submissions, with four of those being named submission of the night. Nine fights have now passed with zero submission wins—that changes on Saturday night.
The Brazilian will be able to withstand the striking exchanges and clinch with Story. From that position, Maia is able to take down most in the world. His wrestling may not be the best, but his takedowns from the clinch are excellent.
Once he is on top, you can start your stopwatch for the finish.
Maia will grab his second win at welterweight and assert himself as a true factor in the division. Story is an excellent gatekeeper for the division, and Maia will walk through to the other side.
Does it make sense to cheer for Stephan Bonnar?He’s an almost comical underdog against Anderson Silva, to the point that even official UFC 153 commercials lampshade how outgunned he is in comparison to the dominant Brazilian.Moreover, Bonnar can barely…
Does it make sense to cheer for Stephan Bonnar?
He’s an almost comical underdog against Anderson Silva, to the point that even official UFC 153 commercials lampshade how outgunned he is in comparison to the dominant Brazilian.
Moreover, Bonnar can barely be considered an elite light heavyweight fighter, as he’s never beaten a top-tier opponent once in his entire MMA career.
He didn’t earn this match. He just volunteered himself as a willing target to save a destroyed main event. By all rights, we shouldn’t even be talking about Bonnar this weekend. Still, there are those who will root for him.
Why should you? Why should anyone cheer for someone in Bonnar’s position?
As it turns out, there’s actually five good reasons—legitimate, non-crazy reasons—to root for “The American Psycho” when he enters enemy territory in Brazil this Saturday.
Is