Tag: UFC 156

UFC 156 Predictions: Fighters Who Will Emerge from Underrated Matchups

Lost in the hype of a huge featherweight title fight and the return of Alistair Overeem is a UFC 156 card that is stellar from top to bottom. Fight fans will want to tune in from the time the prelims start to the very end of the night as Saturday …

Lost in the hype of a huge featherweight title fight and the return of Alistair Overeem is a UFC 156 card that is stellar from top to bottom. 

Fight fans will want to tune in from the time the prelims start to the very end of the night as Saturday promises to deliver a great night of fights. 

With the huge Jose Aldo-Frankie Edgar bout highlighting the evening, fighters in the less hyped matchups have the opportunity to steal the spotlight for themselves. These are the best fights that aren’t receiving much attention, but will deliver in a big way.

 

Tyron Woodley vs. Jay Hieron

Considering Woodley was a star in Strikeforce and Hieron was nearly the Bellator welterweight champion, it will be odd seeing these two meet in the Octagon of the UFC.

However, fight fans will be glad that these two found their way to the organization. 

Hieron was on the receiving end of a rude welcoming to the promotion when he lost a unanimous decision to Jake Ellenberger in his UFC debut. He’ll look to do the same to Woodley in his promotional debut. 

Woodley comes into the fight looking to bounce back from his first career loss at the hands of former UFC contender, Nate Marquardt. 

Both fighters have similar resumes outside of the organization and will look to prove that they can make some noise in the welterweight division. 

Prediction

Woodley suffered a setback against Marquardt, but has major wrestling chops and an unblemished record otherwise. Look for him to wear out Hieron and win by decision. 

 

Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall

If the short history of the UFC flyweight division is any indication, this will be a bona fide Fight of the Night candidate. 

Benavidez and McCall were both strong participants in the inaugural flyweight tournament that ultimately saw Demetrious Johnson become champion, so either fighter would put themselves in position for a rematch with a win. 

Both fighters love to set a frenetic pace and have the cardio to give fans three rounds of action. Edgar-Aldo may snag all the headlines, but this could very well outdo that fight in terms of entertainment. 

Prediction

Benavidez brings the same kind of tenacity and relentlessness that Demetrious Johnson utilized in the wrestling department to outpoint McCall in their title fight rematch. McCall has the quickness and stand-up to make things interesting, but Benavidez will use his wrestling to earn the hard-fought decision.

 

Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia

If you’re wearing a “Just Bleed” shirt and are the type that starts booing when a fight hits the mat, feel free to change the channel during this fight. Nothing to see here. 

If you love a good old-fashioned grappling battle, then this is the fight for you. 

Fitch is one of the best pure wrestlers in the sport. He receives his fair share of criticism for his “boring” style, but the fact of the matter is he can grapple with anyone at 170 pounds. 

Maia has long been one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the sport and looks even more dangerous since making the move from 185 to 170. 

Prediction

This is a classic wrestling vs. jiu-jitsu matchup, and in this case the wrestler is extremely difficult to submit. Fitch only has one submission loss in his career and that was in 2002. Judges usually favor the guy on top and that should be Fitch. 

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UFC 156: 5 Things the Casual Fan Needs to Know About the Event

The word superfight is a fun word that promoters love to toss around.For inconsistent observers of the UFC and the sport of MMA in general, know this—UFC 156 presents a true superfight in Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar. Simply put—that’s…

The word superfight is a fun word that promoters love to toss around.

For inconsistent observers of the UFC and the sport of MMA in general, know this—UFC 156 presents a true superfight in Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar.

Simply put—that’s the cream of the crop right there. Both fighters are deserving of a top 10 pound–for-pound ranking, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the UFC’s pay-per-view this Saturday.

Here is a more in-depth look at every main card fight at UFC 156. Furthermore, here are five things casual fans should be aware of.

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UFC 156: Which Fighter Has the Most to Gain?

UFC 156 is an outstanding card that promises to be an action-packed and paradigm-shifting event. From the moment that the main card begins, the title pictures of the flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight a…

UFC 156 is an outstanding card that promises to be an action-packed and paradigm-shifting event. From the moment that the main card begins, the title pictures of the flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions will be altered.

With so much happening in such a short period of time, there is a lot on the line for a lot of different fighters. But of everyone competing on Saturday night, who has the most to gain?

You might be wondering why the middleweight and lightweight divisions were included in that list considering that there are no fights in either division occurring on the pay-per-view. Let’s address those first.

 

Jose Aldo

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is currently the No. 4-ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. When he faces Frankie Edgar in the evening’s main event, it will have an immediate impact on both the 145-pound and 155-pound divisions. 

Aldo has been discussing a future move to lightweight for some time but stated in an interview with ESPN that he thinks that the time will be right if he defeats the former lightweight champion.

For that reason, an argument could be made that Jose Aldo has the most to gain on Saturday night, as a victory could see him skip over Anthony Pettis and fight for the UFC lightweight title by the end of 2013. The opportunity for one man to hold two belts simultaneously in the UFC has only be afforded to one man previously (B.J. Penn), and he came up short.

 

Rashad Evans

The other division that could be surprisingly impacted at UFC 156 is the middleweight division. Why? Because fans can’t stop talking about Rashad Evans as a potential contender for Anderson Silva‘s middleweight championship.

Michael Bisping losing to Vitor Belfort in January leaves a question mark next to Anderson Silva in his next fight. If Evans defeats Lil Nog on Saturday night, you had better believe that he is going to put the trash-talk pedal to the metal and sneak into a title fight at 185 pounds. 

There is very little chance that Evans will see a title shot at 205 in the foreseeable future unless Jon Jones loses his belt. For that reason, this fight could save Evan’s career and afford him the opportunity to defeat the most invincible champion in UFC history.

 

Alistair Overeem

Some feel that Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has the most to gain on Saturday due to his promised title shot that will be collected upon victory.

Not only does Overeem have a shot at gold hanging in the balance, but he also gets to squash the beef against rival and former Blackzilian fighter Bigfoot Silva in one shot.

The opportunity to pass a drug test is a win in itself for the Dutchman. 

 

Jon Fitch/Demian Maia

Welterweights collide in the second fight of the main card as Jon Fitch and Demian Maia look to make a case for a title shot against Georges St-Pierre. 

Both men are coming off of impressive victories and each man is ranked within the division’s top 10. The opportunity to stand out in a crowded division such as 170 pounds is absolutely incredible, and a decisive win could drastically alter GSP’s summer schedule.

 

Joseph Benavidez

Some feel that Joseph Benavidez is the best contender for UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. The two had a solid battle at UFC 152 that was fairly close and nearly saw Benavidez pull off a guillotine choke for the win.

However, Jo-Jo came up short in the decision and gets the chance to defeat fellow contender Ian McCall on Saturday night. If he emerges victorious in impressive fashion, there is a good chance that he rematches the champion later this year.

McCall doesn’t stand to earn a title shot in this fight. He has already faced Johnson twice and was unable to earn a win in either contest.

 

Frankie Edgar

The question at hand is, who has the most to gain at UFC 156? The Answer is “The Answer” Frankie Edgar. While there are many fighters on the card who are fighting for a chance at greatness, it is Edgar who stands alone with the most to gain.

Not only can Frankie wrap the UFC featherweight championship around his waist, but as a former UFC lightweight kingpin in his own right, he can become the third fighter in history to be a multi-divisional UFC champion.

Joining the likes of B.J. Penn and Randy Couture, there is no doubt that Edgar has an opportunity to join the best of the best and guarantee himself a future berth in the UFC Hall of Fame.

 

Good luck to all of the fighters who have an opportunity to strike it big on Saturday night. 

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for all things UFC 156, including previews, live coverage and post-fight analysis.

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UFC 156 Live Reactions for Every Fight

UFC 156 featured the much-anticipated UFC Featherweight Championship showdown between Frankie Edgar and champion Jose Aldo.Edgar, former UFC lightweight champion, drops down to 145 pounds for the first time for this fight.The rest of the card is stacke…

UFC 156 featured the much-anticipated UFC Featherweight Championship showdown between Frankie Edgar and champion Jose Aldo.

Edgar, former UFC lightweight champion, drops down to 145 pounds for the first time for this fight.

The rest of the card is stacked.

In the co-main event of the evening, Rashad Evans returns to the Octagon to battle Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Also in action, Alistair Overeem and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva look to make statements in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Stick with Bleacher Report for all the live reactions to every fight on the card.

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Alistair Overeem: Keys to the Reem Showing He’s Ready for UFC Gold vs. Silva

Despite only one fight in the UFC Octagon, Alistair Overeem is just a victory against Antonio Silva at UFC 156 away from a heavyweight title shot against Cain Velasquez. Anyone who follows MMA outside of the UFC knows that Overeem is more than qua…

Despite only one fight in the UFC Octagon, Alistair Overeem is just a victory against Antonio Silva at UFC 156 away from a heavyweight title shot against Cain Velasquez. 

Anyone who follows MMA outside of the UFC knows that Overeem is more than qualified to take on the champion. He’s been an international star in the sport and hasn’t suffered a loss since 2007. He has devastating power on the feet and is well-rounded enough to win wherever the fight goes. 

However, those that insist a fighter have some success in the UFC before earning a shot at the title will watch Saturday’s bout with some sense of intrigue and skepticism.

Here’s how Overeem can silence any remaining doubters and set up a showdown with the reigning champ.

 

Finish Him

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is great at setting up interesting matchups, but it would appear that the deck is stacked heavily against Bigfoot in this case. 

Overeem is an overwhelming favorite (1/4 according to Bovada). Silva has lost two of his last three fights and was quickly dispatched by Velasquez by way of TKO in the first round. He rebounded with an impressive first-round knockout of Travis Browne, but he’s not exactly a huge name in the division. 

Considering the favorable matchup and how easy it was for Velasquez to batter Silva in the first round, Overeem needs to win in impressive fashion. 

Overeem sent a big message to the division when he finished Brock Lesnar in just over two minutes, but he looked far less impressive in his lackluster decision victory over Fabricio Werdum. He needs to repeat the kind of performance he had against Lesnar if he wants to show that he’s championship material.

 

Defend Takedowns

The most legitimate criticism of Overeem would be the level of competition on his resume. 

Because he spent a lot of time outside of the UFC, Overeem has fought plenty of opponents who were well below his level. Most noticeably, he lacks experience against the kind of high-level wrestling he will see against Velasquez if he is able to beat Silva. 

Overeem did a great job of keeping things upright against Lesnar, but the fight didn’t go on long enough to really test his takedown defense. 

Silva is by no means a wrestling savant, but he is a big fighter who has the ability to bring opponents down. Overeem must once again prove that he can keep the fight standing against Silva. 

If Bigfoot is able to get the fight to the ground, Overeem has little chance of defending the takedown attempts of a wrestler like Velasquez. 

 

Avoid Getting Clipped

Despite no losses in six years, critics of Overeem will still cling to the notion that he has a weak chin. 

Overeem has 11 losses in his career and six of them have come by way of knockout. His latest loss, in 2007, was a first-round knockout loss to Sergei Kharitinov which capped a five-fight stretch in which Overeem went 1-4 in five fights. 

Considering some of those fights were against light heavyweights such as Mauricio Rua, Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Noguiera, it’s easy to see why some would question his ability to absorb punishment. 

Silva is a big underdog, but he has a puncher’s chance. Twelve of his 17 wins have come by way of knockout, and he certainly has the one-punch power to make the fight interesting. Overeem needs to show that he can avoid those bombs and bounce back if he does get clipped. 

If Overeem can dispatch of SIlva in dominating fashion, he’ll make it very difficult for Velasquez to defend his UFC title. 

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UFC 156 Video: Overeem to Silva at Staredown, ‘I’m Going to F—ing Destroy You’

International heavyweight superstar Alistair Overeem has been making a particular threat for months, but he finally said it straight to Antonio Silva’s face.Brrr.During photography and media scrums for Saturday’s upcoming UFC 156 card, “The Reem” went …

International heavyweight superstar Alistair Overeem has been making a particular threat for months, but he finally said it straight to Antonio Silva‘s face.

Brrr.

During photography and media scrums for Saturday’s upcoming UFC 156 card, “The Reem” went nose-to-nose while in the midst of a  heated trash-talking session with his rival, forcing Dana White to step in and separate the two.

According to Bloody Elbow, both men exchanged the following words:

Silva: “You better start respecting me.”

Overeem: “I’m going to f***ing destroy you.”

There’s clearly no love lost between either fighter, despite the fact that both of them were once (temporarily) part of the same fight camp.

As Overeem previously told the Las Vegas Sun, according to Case Keefer, he thought that Silva was being “stupid” for leaving the Blackzilians’ training camp in Florida, which is co-founded and headed by Rashad Evans.

Although “Bigfoot” had been with the group well before Overeem joined the team’s ranks last February, the presence of “The Demolition Man” was apparently disturbing enough for Silva to leave Florida altogether.

(Silva has been previously linked to American Top Team and Black House MMA.)

Now, both men will get a rare chance to settle their rivalry once and for all, although they’ll face off once more time at the UFC 156 weigh-ins on Friday.

Even though the match is billed as the No. 3 fight on the heavily stacked card, Overeem is expected to receive a title shot if he walks away with a victory. That same can’t be said for Silva, who is just a single fight removed from a gruesomely one-sided TKO loss to Cain Velasquez, the current (two-time) UFC Heavyweight Champion.

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