Tag: UFC 154

Greg Jackson Says He Won’t Ever Watch GSP and Carlos Condit Fight

Greg Jackson will never watch the UFC welterweight title bout between his beloved students Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit.The MMA guru has been torn ever since the St-Pierre and Condit bout was announced.When two of his students fight one another,…

Greg Jackson will never watch the UFC welterweight title bout between his beloved students Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit.

The MMA guru has been torn ever since the St-Pierre and Condit bout was announced.

When two of his students fight one another, Jackson typically steps out of the picture and refuses to provide coaching for either side, but there was something different about St-Pierre and Condit.

Jackson couldn’t even bring himself to watch the fight.

“It was too personal for me, and I love both of those guys. It is just business, and they did what they had to do, but for me, it was kind of a personal thing, and it’s not something I enjoy. I hung out with the family and didn’t participate,” Jackson said during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.

It has been nine months since Jackson last cornered Condit and nearly two years for St-Pierre.

With St-Pierre recovering from a torn ACL, the training camp for UFC 154 was incredibly long. As the interim welterweight champ, Condit was willing to sit on the sidelines and give St-Pierre time to rehab and fully recover from the injury.

This made things tougher on Jackson, who was faced with an elongated period of not being able to coach two of his top fighters.

Luckily for Jackson, none of his other fighters were on the card, which allowed him to skip the event entirely.

On fight night, St-Pierre and Condit delivered in putting on one of the best title fights in 2012. St-Pierre retained his UFC title, but both fighters left the Octagon bloodied and bruised.

Jackson admitted to not following play-by-play or anything related to UFC 154. His primary concern after the fight was making sure that neither fighter suffered any significant injuries.

Jackson continued in the interview:

A few people asked if I was watching it, and I said no. It wasn’t like I was dying for play-by-play or anything like that. I got updates after it was done. Everybody let me know that it was good, and everyone was okay. That was my main concern, that everybody was fine. Time to move on I guess.

I [don’t think I’ll ever watch it].

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Sam Stout Has an Interesting Interpretation of His UFC 154 Loss to John Makdessi


(Can’t tell if trolling…)

A lot of fighters say that once the cage door closes, they enter a state of temporary hypnosis, not unlike sleepwalking, that more or less shuts their brain down until the fight is over. Hence why they often need to be reminded what round it is, whether or not they won the last round, etc. It’s a familiar feeling — the combination of nerves, adrenaline, and the tiniest bit of fear — to anyone who has ever spoke in public or performed on a stage, and an example of how our own psyche subconsciously protects us from harm whether we want it to or not.

Clearly, this is the case for Sam Stout, who was jibber-jabbed into oblivion by John Makdessi at UFC 154. Stout’s runaway locomotive-esque strategy of “forward, forward, FORWARD” was picked apart by Makdessi with sharp combinations and simple head movement, resulting in easily some of the greatest punch faces of the night. But if you were to ask Stout how things went down, you’d probably think he fought the reincarnation of Kalib Starnes that night (Author’s note: Kalib Starnes is dead, right? I vaguely recall hearing something about a jogger accidentally running right off a cliff and just assumed the worst).

Stout shared his feelings with MMAMania:

He wasn’t fighting. He was running the whole time. I wanted to fight, I came to fight and I didn’t get the fight I wanted. 

I usually like to come out and put on an exciting fight and it takes two guys to do that, to do those kinds of fights. And you know John, he ran, he kept on moving the whole time and I was expecting him to fight me a little more.

Sour grapes much, Sam?


(Can’t tell if trolling…)

A lot of fighters say that once the cage door closes, they enter a state of temporary hypnosis, not unlike sleepwalking, that more or less shuts their brain down until the fight is over. Hence why they often need to be reminded what round it is, whether or not they won the last round, etc. It’s a familiar feeling — the combination of nerves, adrenaline, and the tiniest bit of fear — to anyone who has ever spoke in public or performed on a stage, and an example of how our own psyche subconsciously protects us from harm whether we want it to or not.

Clearly, this is the case for Sam Stout, who was jibber-jabbed into oblivion by John Makdessi at UFC 154. Stout’s runaway locomotive-esque strategy of “forward, forward, FORWARD” was picked apart by Makdessi with sharp combinations and simple head movement, resulting in easily some of the greatest punch faces of the night. But if you were to ask Stout how things went down, you’d probably think he fought the reincarnation of Kalib Starnes that night (Author’s note: Kalib Starnes is dead, right? I vaguely recall hearing something about a jogger accidentally running right off a cliff and just assumed the worst).

Stout shared his feelings with MMAMania:

He wasn’t fighting. He was running the whole time. I wanted to fight, I came to fight and I didn’t get the fight I wanted. 

I usually like to come out and put on an exciting fight and it takes two guys to do that, to do those kinds of fights. And you know John, he ran, he kept on moving the whole time and I was expecting him to fight me a little more.

Sour grapes much, Sam?

Now we’re not going to sit here and belittle a seasoned veteran like Stout, but suffice it to say, he’s sounding a little bitter. The loss to Makdessi, who was dangerously close to getting the boot from the UFC, dropped Stout to 7-7 in the UFC career and just 2-2 in his last four. Considering his current 1-2 run came after the most impressive finish in his UFC career, one can imagine that he is growing quite frustrated trying to replicate that success. He continued:

He, you know, ran and ran and ran and then timed when he wanted to land a jab and wasn’t — he didn’t really do anything that I thought was very, nothing devastating. A couple jabs in the face, nothing that really hurt me. You know, obviously I got a little lumped up, but yeah. 

It takes two to fight and make an exciting fight. I’m disappointed that it wasn’t and you know, I wanted better for the fans

Although we’re sure Sam’s feeling disappointed in the fight, we have a feeling it’s for completely different reasons. We hate to even bring this up, but ever since Shawn Tompkins’ death, the three most well known and sucessful members of his team (Stout, Hominick, Horodecki) have gone 1-6-1 with 1 NC. It really shows what kind of influence Shawn had as both a trainer and a friend, and all the more heartbreaking to see how it has affected those close to him. The numbers don’t lie.

That being said, did anyone see this fight the way Sam saw it?

–J. Jones

UFC 154 Results: Azamat Gashimov and 7 Other Damaging Submission Losses

Arm locks and leg locks are the most dangerous submissions in MMA. If one taps too late or refuses to at all, they may face a broken bone, a dislocation or some other bad injury.Throughout MMA, we have seen numerous examples of fighters getting injured…

Arm locks and leg locks are the most dangerous submissions in MMA. If one taps too late or refuses to at all, they may face a broken bone, a dislocation or some other bad injury.

Throughout MMA, we have seen numerous examples of fighters getting injured from these painful submissions. Even this past weekend, we saw a man seemingly tap too late while locked in an armbar.

Here are nine submissions that caused serious damage due to the victim tapping too late or refusing to tap at all.

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UFC Featherweight Pablo Garza Wants to Be the Bantamweight "Jon Jones"

Pablo Garza is already one of the tallest and rangiest fighters in the 145-pound division, but the standout featherweight is looking to further increase his advantage.Coming off a dominant upset victory over former title contender Mark Hominick at UFC …

Pablo Garza is already one of the tallest and rangiest fighters in the 145-pound division, but the standout featherweight is looking to further increase his advantage.

Coming off a dominant upset victory over former title contender Mark Hominick at UFC 154, Garza is now looking to test the waters at bantamweight. However, at 6’1″, that all depends on whether “The Scarecrow” can make the weight cut with his health intact.

Garza spoke with MMA Mania shortly after his win in Montreal, Canada, stating that his natural attributes could make him the “Jon Jones” of the 135-pound division:

I’m going to think about it. It’s probably going to be a couple of trial runs first, you know, see how I feel working with the diet, getting a good dietitian and stuff like that and if I can make ’35 and dominate, I’m going to do it.

If I make 135, I know I’ll win the title. I think I will be like the Jon Jones of 135.

Garza did show a knack for using his reach in the fight with Hominick. Over three rounds, he punished his Canadian foe from top position with hard elbows, forearms pressed to the throat, long punches while sitting in guard and the slightly unsportsmanlike “hands over the mouth” tactic—all techniques commonly associated with Jones.

Garza is currently 3-2 in the UFC since the merger with the WEC, with two losses in his last three fights and a 12-3 career MMA record. After two wins that netted “Knockout of the Night” and “Submission of the Night” awards, Garza hit a two-fight skid against Dustin Poirier and Dennis Bermudez.

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Georges St-Pierre: The Blueprint to Defeat GSP

Carlos Condit may have been Georges St-Pierre’s toughest test in the UFC, but he didn’t show us anything we didn’t already know about the UFC welterweight champ.Outside of a slight scare in the third round, St-Pierre controlled and dominated Condit lik…

Carlos Condit may have been Georges St-Pierre’s toughest test in the UFC, but he didn’t show us anything we didn’t already know about the UFC welterweight champ.

Outside of a slight scare in the third round, St-Pierre controlled and dominated Condit like he has every other opponent in his MMA career.

At the end of the fight, two of the three judges scored every round for St-Pierre, while a lone judge gave Condit the third round.

St-Pierre has dominated the welterweight division for years, and despite coming off a serious knee injury, he appears to be just as good—if not better—than he’s ever been.

What is the blueprint to defeating St-Pierre? Who has the skill set to get the job done?

St-Pierre’s fighting style is all about finesse and timing. Currently, there isn’t a single fighter at 170-pounds that can match his speed and athleticism.

As with every great fighter, St-Pierre’s opponents are left guessing and remain stagnant instead of pressing forward over the course of a fight.

Matt Serra defeated St-Pierre in April 2007 by pressing forward and forcing wild exchanges. Condit dropped St-Pierre in the third round when he opened up his offense and put together combinations.

St-Pierre is as tough and durable as they come, but he isn’t built for exchanges in the pocket. A fighter with one-punch knockout power and world class wrestling would have the greatest chance of ousting the French Canadian.

Johny Hendricks is the first name that comes to mind. As a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champ, he has developed some of the best one-punch knockout power in all of MMA. His world class wrestling would help him fend off takedowns and force St-Pierre to engage in the pocket.

Nick Diaz is also an interesting challenge for St-Pierre.

While he lacks one-punch knockout power, Diaz is easily the best boxer in the entire welterweight division. His aggressive style would be a stark contrast to St-Pierre’s previous opponents.

If taken down, Diaz‘s world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would keep things interesting on the ground.

A blueprint is generally composed of what looks good on paper. St-Pierre is the UFC champion and one of MMA’s all-time greats for a reason. Hendricks and Diaz present interesting challenges, but St-Pierre would still enter both bouts as the overwhelming favorite.

Still, no one remains champion forever. Someone will eventually cash in on the St-Pierre sweepstakes.

It’s the when and who that remain a mystery.

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Georges St-Pierre vs Carlos Condit: Takeaways from St-Pierre’s Performance

After nearly a two-year hiatus, Georges St-Pierre proved that he hadn’t lost a step at UFC 154 in his welterweight title bout with Carlos Condit.There were doubts coming into the fight about St-Pierre’s ability to return to form. He was coming off of a…

After nearly a two-year hiatus, Georges St-Pierre proved that he hadn’t lost a step at UFC 154 in his welterweight title bout with Carlos Condit.

There were doubts coming into the fight about St-Pierre’s ability to return to form. He was coming off of a torn ACL that required surgery and months of rehabilitation.

It was a tall task to ask anyone to come back from a major injury and defeat Condit, who was riding a tidal wave of momentum after defeating Nick Diaz for the interim UFC title.

Still, St-Pierre managed to do what he has always done. He dictated the pace of the fight and utilized a masterful blend of strikes and takedowns to keep Condit guessing.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from St-Pierre’s performance was his ability to persevere.

He got caught blindly with a left high kick from Condit in the third round that had him scrambling for his senses. Oddly enough, the knockdown was reminiscent of St-Pierre’s April 2007 loss to Matt Serra.

Instead of a kick, Serra dropped St-Pierre with a punch and followed up with a volley of ground strikes to finish the fight. Condit showcased the same desperation. He was obviously down two rounds, and the window was closing on his title hopes.

St-Pierre dug deep and showed the heart of champion in weathering the storm and taking the fight back to Condit.

People have always criticized St-Pierre for being mentally weak, but at UFC 154, he silenced his critics once again by enduring a tough battle and earning the unanimous decision.

If he chooses to remain at 170 pounds, there are plenty of challenges ahead for St-Pierre.

ACL injuries have ruined the careers of many professional athletes, but as MMA fans already know, St-Pierre isn’t like every professional athlete.

His “riddum” is undeniable.

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