Tag: UFC 153

UFC 152 to 153: 4 Weeks of UFC Action and What It Will Bring

Starting at UFC 152 on September 22, the UFC will bring you four straight weeks of MMA action that is certain to dazzle the audience.Many fans question if they will saturate the market, but I think this is a good thing. Of the four MMA events, only two…

Starting at UFC 152 on September 22, the UFC will bring you four straight weeks of MMA action that is certain to dazzle the audience.

Many fans question if they will saturate the market, but I think this is a good thing. Of the four MMA events, only two are pay-per-view, while there are two on free TV (FX and Fuel TV).

There are all sorts of great fights that will take place in the next four weeks. We will see three titles challenged, as the light heavyweight, flyweight and featherweight title will be contested.

As stated, the first-ever flyweight champion will be crowned, effectively making history. It will be an exciting clash between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson, pitting speed against speed.

Jon Jones will defend his title for the first time since his single-handed cancellation of UFC 151. He will face regular middleweight Vitor Belfort in an interesting 205-lb affair.

UFC 152, in general, will be great. American hero Brian Stann will face British villain Michael Bisping in what will be a great battle of rival-nation fighters.

Matt Hamill and Vinny Magalhaes make their awaited returns to Toronto. Cub Swanson will meet Charles Oliveira in a race to the top of the featherweight division.

Moving on to the next event on Fuel TV, the event I am most looking forward to, we have a night of exciting fights in England.

The headliner is a heavyweight clash between Stefan Struve and Stipe Miocic. That fight should be dynamite, as both men always bring their best.

A ton of new faces will make their UFC debuts, as Tom Watson, Jimi Manuwa and Gunnar Nelson, among others, will look to get their UFC careers off to a good start.

In general, the fans in England should see a great card. I cannot wait to wake up that morning and start watching the fights live.

Then, we will go to FX the next weekend. Though the card lacks “star power,” there are a number of fights that will be great for earning fans. 

Surging heavyweight Travis Browne meets stiff test Antonio Silva in the headliner. A win for Browne would put him into contention.

Jake Ellenberger meets Jay Hieron in a rematch of a fight from earlier in their careers. Hieron took the first fight, but Ellenberger is much improved.

Finally, UFC 153 in Brazil is one of the most attractive cards on paper for the near future. It is headlined by a superfight between Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo, with this fight being Edgar’s first featherweight affair.

Rampage Jackson, Erick Silva and Gabriel Gonzaga, among others, will also grace the card, making that card a must-see.

In conclusion, if you are a fight fan, the coming weeks will be exciting. There has been a long layoff since the last card, so many fans are anxious and ready.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 153: Frank Edgar Takes Biggest Possible Risk in Fighting Jose Aldo

Frank Edgar hasn’t spent more than a couple of weeks at featherweight, and without even fighting at the weight, has a title shot against Jose Aldo.The former lightweight champion lost his title and immediate rematch for the belt, which prompted him to …

Frank Edgar hasn’t spent more than a couple of weeks at featherweight, and without even fighting at the weight, has a title shot against Jose Aldo.

The former lightweight champion lost his title and immediate rematch for the belt, which prompted him to make the move to 145 pounds. The timing of the move coincided with an injury to original title contender Erik Koch, who was forced to vacate his spot in the UFC 153 main event.

Make no mistake, this is the biggest risk of Edgar’s career.

In taking his third straight title fight, Edgar risks not seeing a championship bout—should he lose—for a long time.

No matter how good Edgar is, if he loses to Aldo, there is no way he will get another title shot within the next year and probably more.

Think about it.

He lost his title in February to Ben Henderson. He lost his rematch in August, despite the fact he could and perhaps should have earned the nod.

Now, if he loses to Aldo in Brazil, he would be unsuccessful in three straight title main events.

Nobody could recover from three unsuccessful title bouts like that. Not even Urijah Faber, who seemingly earns title shots like felons earn jail time.

If Edgar wins, his risk will be paid off with future main event favors, the championship belt and the title of the newest multi-division champion in UFC history. He would join BJ Penn and Randy Couture in the history books.

The other risk in this fight is that Edgar is facing the most prolific striker in his career. Edgar ate some bombs against Gray Maynard and miraculously came back to keep his title.

In facing Aldo, he is facing a better striker with a killer instinct and the proven finishing ability to back it up. Maynard is a decision machine, but he should have finished Edgar right when he hurt him.

Come fight night, Edgar is playing Russian roulette. If he wins, his championship dream is alive and well. If he loses, his championship aspirations will be dead, even if it’s just for the moment.

Frankie better bring his A-game.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC: How Can the Promotion Recapture Straying Fans?

Many UFC fans haven’t been happy in 2012. Too many events, too many injuries, too much of an expectation from the company that their fans will follow them to the ends of the Earth. Sure, some are vehemently supporting the aggressive expansion of …

Many UFC fans haven’t been happy in 2012.

Too many events, too many injuries, too much of an expectation from the company that their fans will follow them to the ends of the Earth.

Sure, some are vehemently supporting the aggressive expansion of the promotion. They’ll say that real MMA fans just want more free fights, that fights every weekend – NO WAIT! EVERY NIGHT! – is the perfect world to live in.

And perhaps it is. When the UFC is able to do it properly.

But for a host of reasons they can’t do it properly just yet and they’re losing some fans as a result. They probably wouldn’t admit it, but they’re not stupid enough to be ignorant to it either.

So what can they do to recapture them?

The answer, surprisingly, is before us already. It just needs to go on a little bit longer and the ship will likely be righted be early 2013.

That answer? Less events, more fights that matter, and greater accessibility to them.

Jon Jones quickly became the most loathed man in MMA (a title he was in the running for anyway) when the cancellation of UFC 151 became official a couple of weeks back. He also inadvertently gave straying fans something to cheer about in the process: a UFC 152 worth the money being asked by Zuffa.

Sure his fight with Vitor Belfort is weird matchmaking and not exactly one that people were begging for, but is it not likely to be entertaining?

 

Jones doesn’t love getting hit, and Belfort loves to hit people.

Jones doesn’t get hit often, and Belfort hits people at his leisure.

Jones is the new breed, Belfort once was.

Add in the inaugural flyweight title bout and a middleweight title eliminator, and you have a card that harkens back to the promotion’s pay-per-view prime of 2008-2011.

A few weeks later Jose Aldo headlines another card in Brazil, UFC 153. Originally it was supposed to be Erik Koch donating his body for that one, but an injury saw Frankie Edgar replace him.

Wait. What? Frankie Edgar? Wasn’t that a fantasy superfight that people clamoured for like eight months ago?

Now you’ve got it. You’ve also got Rampage Jackson against hot prospect Glover Teixeira, Erick Silva and Jon Fitch, and names like Rick Story, Demian Maia, and Phil Davis rounding out the card.

Again, worth the money.

GSP returns to headline UFC 154 in a welterweight title unification bout against Carlos Condit, and only a couple of week after that UFC on FOX 5 will likely provide the greatest night of free MMA that television has ever seen.

Benson Henderson defends lightweight gold against Nate Diaz.

Rory MacDonald finally gets his fight with BJ Penn.

Shogun Rua welcomes Alexander Gustafsson to the top of the 205-pound division.

Brendan Schaub and Lavar Johnson will exchange shots for a few minutes until one (probably Schaub) is out cold.

They’re also using the UFC on FUEL TV  event series to expand globally with less relevant, free fights and are only holding one show on FX between now and the end of the year.

That’s a remarkable run for the company. A run that absolutely has to get the attention of fans who have suddenly been reminded how much they love baseball and video games in the time it’s taken the UFC to stumble from the annals of “must-watch” sports action.

What they’ve started to do – less events (though it was only one, and it was purely by circumstance) and a greater focus on smarter matchmaking, as well as more meaningful matchmaking, is how people will come back to them.

Putting big fights on free television – actual big fights, like title fights, instead of a regular free TV headliner with a lame, completely revocable “winner gets a title shot” caveat attached – is going to help as well.

The UFC is adapting to what fans want and what they want has developed from what they’ve come to expect from the promotion, which built its name on guaranteeing an entertaining night of action every time out.

For the first time in a long time, it looks like they’re able to make that claim again. Now that they can, look for them to also claim to be the fastest growing sport in the world again as well.

They’ll have the numbers to prove it.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

No Big Deal But Jose Aldo Was Hit by a Car While Riding a Motorcycle

We’re not in favor of overly restrictive contracts for fighters but we wouldn’t be surprised if the UFC started prohibiting their guys from riding motorcycles. In the latest scary “fighter on a motorcycle” episode, UOL Esporte reports that UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was riding a motorcycle in Rio de Janeiro when he was hit by a passing car.

Thankfully, Aldo said that he was uninjured and that his traffic accident would not affect his October 13th UFC 153 title defense against Frankie Edgar in Rio. According to MMA Junkie, Aldo told UOL Esporte, “Yes, I had a motorcycle accident, but it was no big deal.”

We’re not in favor of overly restrictive contracts for fighters but we wouldn’t be surprised if the UFC started prohibiting their guys from riding motorcycles. In the latest scary “fighter on a motorcycle” episode, UOL Esporte reports that UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was riding a motorcycle in Rio de Janeiro when he was hit by a passing car.

Thankfully, Aldo said that he was uninjured and that his traffic accident would not affect his October 13th UFC 153 title defense against Frankie Edgar in Rio. According to MMA Junkie, Aldo told UOL Esporte, “Yes, I had a motorcycle accident, but it was no big deal.”

“There’s no problem. I’m going to the gym right now.”

Jose, we like Sons of Anarchy as much as anyone, homie. But maybe take this as a sign and take the bus or something until the fight.

– Elias Cepeda

UFC 153: Jose Aldo Involved in Motoring Accident, Walks Away Unharmed

How would you have reacted if I had come bearing the news that Jose Aldo would not be able to compete at UFC 153 and his match with Frankie Edgar had been postponed? Fortunately, this is not the case and Jose Aldo will be able to compete at UFC 15…

How would you have reacted if I had come bearing the news that Jose Aldo would not be able to compete at UFC 153 and his match with Frankie Edgar had been postponed? 

Fortunately, this is not the case and Jose Aldo will be able to compete at UFC 153 and will defend his title against Frankie Edgar in “The Answer’s” featherweight debut. 

Over the weekend—in Jose Aldo’s native land of Brazil—Aldo was riding his motorcycle when he was hit by a car. Aldo was incredibly lucky to walk away unscathed, but his coaches are taking all the necessary precautions to ensure that Aldo remains healthy in the lead-up to his title defense. Aldo’s teammates, who reside near the scene of the crash (Luis Ramos and Alexandre Baixinho), took Aldo to see head coach Andre Pederneiras, who advised Aldo to stick to riding in taxis until October 13th. 

This event could have very easily been similar to that of Frank Mir‘s. Mir was involved in a motorcycle accident himself just a few years ago when he was the UFC heavyweight champion at the time. The accident led to a lengthy timeout for Mir. Thankfully, Mir managed to bounce back from his injuries to claim the title once again. 

Expect fireworks on October 13 when we see two of the best strikers go toe-to-toe at UFC 153 in a fight that surely won’t be disappointing. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 153: Frankie Edgar Is an Immediate Threat to Jose Aldo’s UFC Crown

On October 13, 2012, MMA fans will be treated to the biggest featherweight fight in history as Jose Aldo defends his championship against Frankie Edgar (via Joshua Gross of ESPN).Even while holding lightweight gold, UFC brass, as well as fans, wanted t…

On October 13, 2012, MMA fans will be treated to the biggest featherweight fight in history as Jose Aldo defends his championship against Frankie Edgar (via Joshua Gross of ESPN).

Even while holding lightweight gold, UFC brass, as well as fans, wanted to see Edgar drop down and compete against the likes of Jose Aldo. Betting lines opened with some having Aldo as much as a -600 favorite. But if his fights against BJ Penn and Ben Henderson taught us anything, it’s that you can never count out Frankie’s heart.

Top skills aside, Frankie’s heart is what makes him an immediate threat to Aldo’s stranglehold on the Featherweight division. you can never count out the heart of a Champion. Sometimes against guys who outweighed him by 20-plus pounds, Frankie always brought the fight to his opponent and came out ready to fight.

So on October 13, in Rio, Jose Aldo is going to have his hands full with one of the best lighter weight fighters ever. For anybody thinking that Aldo is going to run through Frankie, just pull up tape of the first rounds of Edgar vs. Maynard. He can take punishment then recover quickly and dish it right back out.

Aldo won’t be enjoying much of a size or power advantage come fight night, and he will be up against a man who’s stepped into the Octagon 13 times before.

Against a guy who’s not going to dwarf him in size come fight night, expect Edgar to give one of the best performances of his life inside of the Octagon on that warm Brazilian night.

He’ll have a wrestling, and maybe even a power, advantage over the incumbent, and where there’s a clear wrestling advantage, you can never count a fighter out.

Vegas would like you to think that the smart money is on Aldo.

But, I’m thinking that Edgar is going to have something to say about that when the cage door closes.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com