Tag: UFC 156

‘UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar’: The New Guys

(Bobby Green vs. Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennet at KOTC – Fight 4 Hope.)

For obvious reasons, the main focus of Saturday night’s UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar card is on both the headlining title fight and the title implications of an Alistair Overeem win, but that is not to say that there aren’t plenty of intriguing matchups to be had on the undercard as well. Featuring the UFC debuts of a couple Strikeforce veterans and an undefeated Hawaiian prospect, UFC 156 promises to deliver from top to bottom, so join us after the jump to get the inside scoop on all of the unfamiliar faces that will be stepping into the octagon Saturday night.

(Green vs. Dan Lauzon at Affliction: Day of Reckoning.) 

Bobby “King” Green (LW)


(Bobby Green vs. Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennet at KOTC – Fight 4 Hope.)

For obvious reasons, the main focus of Saturday night’s UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar card is on both the headlining title fight and the title implications of an Alistair Overeem win, but that is not to say that there aren’t plenty of intriguing matchups to be had on the undercard as well. Featuring the UFC debuts of a couple Strikeforce veterans and an undefeated Hawaiian prospect, UFC 156 promises to deliver from top to bottom, so join us after the jump to get the inside scoop on all of the unfamiliar faces that will be stepping into the octagon Saturday night.


(Green vs. Dan Lauzon at Affliction: Day of Reckoning.) 

Bobby “King” Green (LW)
Experience: 19-5 (7 KO, 8 Sub), including notable victories over TUF 15 alum Daron Cruickshank, Charles Bennett, and Matt Ricehouse. Multiple appearances under the Strikeforce and KOTC banners, the latter of which he was the junior welterweight champion and undisputed lightweight champion.
Will be facing: Jacob Volkmann (15-3, 6-3 UFC, 0-1 Secret Service)
Lowdown: Although he is perhaps best known for having two points deducted for low blows in the first round of his fight with Dan Lauzon (see above), Green is a legitimately well-rounded fighter who poses all sorts of problems for Volkmann. A solid submission artist who attacks from any position he is in, look to see Green’s bottom game tested against the smothering top game of Volkmann. Although personally, I think Green’s best chance of victory here will be on the feet, where he could easily stun and possibly finish Volkmann if he can avoid the inevitable takedown.


(Vallie-Flagg, seen here dropping a first round TKO to a waxed linoleum floor.) 

Isaac Vallie-Flagg (LW)
Experience: 13-3-1 record (5 KO, 3 Sub), including a notable split decision win over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier and a notable loss to Rudy Bears. Compiled a 4-1 record under the King of the Cage banner.
Will be facing: Yves Edwards (42-18-1, 10-6 UFC)
Lowdown: A measured, technical striker with a solid submission game, this Jackson’s MMA product will likely be looking to stick and move his way to a decision victory over the heavy-handed Edwards, who will enjoy both a tremendous experience and grappling advantage heading into this one. Check out a full video of Vallie-Flagg’s Strikeforce debut victory over Cavalcante here.


(Highlights from Kimura’s most recent KO victory over Guy Delumeau at PXC 34.)

Dustin Kimura (FW)
Experience: 9-0 (2 KO, 6 Sub), including one appearance under King of the Cage that resulted in a first round submission via rear-naked choke victory over Toby Misech.
Will be facing: Chico Camus (12-3, 1-0 UFC)
Lowdown: There’s not honestly much out there about this kid, but Kimura has gained notoriety for his solid submission and grappling game, and based on his most recent fight, has made some strong improvements to his standup as well. He’ll be facing a talented grappler and Duke Roufus product in Camus, who demonstrated some fierce ground-n-pound (but some subpar striking) in his UFC debut victory over Dustin Pague at UFC 150. This fight could very well be determined on the feet, with Kimura using his grappling in reverse to showcase his newfound striking prowess.


(See! I told you guys Woodley was in an entertaining fight once!) 

Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley (WW)
Experience: 10-1 (1 KO, 5 Sub), including an 8-1 run under the Strikeforce banner. Notable victories include Jordan Mein, Paul Daley, and final Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffeidine.
Will be facing: Filling in on short notice for Erick Silva against Jay Hieron (23-6, 0-3 UFC)
Lowdown: Honestly, if you don’t know what Tyron Woodley’s gameplan is by now, then you’ve clearly never seen a Tyron Woodley fight. This fight will be determined by one sole factor: whether or not Hieron can stuff Woodley’s endless takedown attempts. Based on his luck in the UFC, I’m betting “The Thoroughbred” wont be able to. Woodley by UD.

–J. Jones

Aldo vs. Edgar: Why Frankie Edgar Is Poised for Upset at UFC 156

When Frankie Edgar (15-3-1) and Jose Aldo (21-1-0) step into the ring on Saturday night, Edgar will be looking to become the third fighter in UFC history to win a championship in two different divisions.Edgar will drop down to the 145-pound division fo…

When Frankie Edgar (15-3-1) and Jose Aldo (21-1-0) step into the ring on Saturday night, Edgar will be looking to become the third fighter in UFC history to win a championship in two different divisions.

Edgar will drop down to the 145-pound division for the UFC 156 card, where a lot of experts are pegging Aldo as the favorite to win.

I, on the other hand, disagree.

While Aldo has won his last 14 fights—highlighted by a first-round knockout of Chad Mendes in his most recent bout—Edgar enters this match in better shape.

Aldo missed basically all of last year, partly because of a foot injury that occurred in a motorcycle accident. He hasn’t fought since Jan. 14, 2012.

In a sport where consistent training and competition are a must, this gives Edgar an edge heading into Saturday’s fight.

Also going for Edgar is his extensive background as a successful wrestler at Toms River High School East and Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Often dubbed as the underdog entering most of his fights, Edgar again enters this fight as an underdog following a split-decision loss to Benson Henderson on Aug. 11.

Despite being the underdog, Edgar is both strong and fast enough to give Aldo one of the best fights of his career. ESPN Stats & Info gives us some inside numbers on Edgar.

Edgar averages 8.9 takedown attempts per fight while opponents are landing just 28 percent of their strikes against the Jersey native.

The 31-year-old fighter is used to fighting with the pressure on, since his last six fights have come with a title on the line.

There’s no doubting Aldo’s ability as a fighter—he’s defended 95 percent of takedowns during his career—but Edgar isn’t phased by the underdog tag and enters this fight more battle-tested and conditioned than Aldo.

As one of the most underrated and unappreciated fighters in the UFC, look for the Answer to make history at UFC 156.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

3 Reasons to Root for Frankie Edgar at UFC 156

Frankie Edgar is a fighter who is hard to root against. He has that warrior spirit and can never be counted out of a fight. People thought he couldn’t beat BJ Penn. Edgar did it two times. People thought Edgar wouldn’t beat Gray Maynard in the trilogy …

Frankie Edgar is a fighter who is hard to root against. He has that warrior spirit and can never be counted out of a fight. People thought he couldn’t beat BJ Penn. Edgar did it two times. People thought Edgar wouldn’t beat Gray Maynard in the trilogy fight. Edgar stopped Maynard in the fourth round at UFC 136.

After two close defeats to lightweight champion Benson Henderson, in fights people thought Edgar won, the former champion returns to action tomorrow night.

This time, Edgar is returning in a different weight class.

Edgar is moving down to featherweight and will face off against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main event of UFC 156. Can Edgar become the champion tomorrow night or will Aldo be too much?

Let’s take a look and see why you should be rooting for the former lightweight champion.

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UFC 156: Who Has More to Lose, Jon Fitch or Demian Maia?

UFC 156 is headlined by a featherweight title clash between longtime 145-pound champion Jose Aldo and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, but a welterweight bout earlier in the evening is primed to steal the show. Perennial welterweight con…

UFC 156 is headlined by a featherweight title clash between longtime 145-pound champion Jose Aldo and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, but a welterweight bout earlier in the evening is primed to steal the show. 

Perennial welterweight contender Jon Fitch will take on Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Demian Maia in a bout that will undoubtedly affect the 170-pound title picture moving forward. 

Fitch, who was throughout his career known as a boring, “lay-and-pray” fighter, is coming off his most exciting and rousing UFC performance to date at UFC 153. The 34-year-old took on rising welterweight stud Erick Silva and emerged with a unanimous decision victory after three action-packed rounds that saw him brutalize the young Brazilian. 

Maia, on the other hand, saunters into this bout with intrigue for a different reason. A former middleweight title challenger, Maia has since dropped to welterweight, and he has looked absolutely phenomenal in his new weight class. 

Most recently, he submitted Rick Story with a neck crank that caused blood to gush from Story’s nose like a ruptured faucet.

It was nasty. 

At 170, Maia seems reinvented. He was always a force on the ground at middleweight, but his blend of size, power and technicality seems unstoppable in his new environment. 

Against Fitch—a wrestle-first, put-you-on-your-back fighter—Maia will probably find himself on the ground at some point, and that is a dangerous situation for his opponent. 

This all makes for one hell of a matchup, and one fighter will make significant strides toward a welterweight title shot. 

Who, then, has more to lose with a loss on Saturday night at UFC 156? 

The answer is clearly Demian Maia. 

First off, Jon Fitch already fought for the welterweight crown at UFC 87, and that did not work out too well for him.

Champion Georges St-Pierre is the perfect fighter to nullify Fitch’s strengths, and GSP has Fitch’s number. 

Granted, Fitch has improved since, but so has GSP—and a rematch is of little interest. 

Maia, though, is a scary prospect. It is no secret that GSP likes to take his opponents down and fight from top position, but that could prove fatal against Maia. 

Maia possesses the most refined ground skills of any 170-pound fighter, and GSP would severely endanger himself should he choose to engage Maia on the canvas. 

Furthermore, if GSP chooses to keep the fight standing and work his quick jab and rangy kicks, Maia could be the first man equipped to take the champion down and force him to fight from his back for once. 

Maia’s size and grappling skills have proven lethal at welterweight thus far, and his offensive wrestling may in fact be the difference against GSP. If he can secure a takedown and work from top position, we could be in for a changing of the guard in the 170-pound division. 

As a result, Maia could very well earn a title shot with a win, while I do not think the same can be said for Fitch. 

With the momentum he accumulated going into this bout, one more big win could vault Maia straight into title contention, and that is every fighter’s ultimate goal. 

If Maia loses, he will tumble to the back of the line and have a rocky road back to title contention. He is not the most interesting personality, and he is not hugely marketable, so he has to earn his keep even more than some other fighters. 

The same can be said for Fitch. However, even with a win, the UFC will probably not rush to put Fitch in a title matchup. A win over Maia will certainly set him up with a high-profile fight, but I do not see it being a championship fight. 

That is the difference here, and Maia has everything to lose because of that fact. 

A loss would devastate Maia’s title aspirations. At 35 years of age, he cannot afford another setback if he wishes to hoist UFC gold. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

3 Reasons to Root for Antonio Silva at UFC 156

When your opponent has been guaranteed something and you haven’t, that provides extra motivation for you whether you want to admit it or not. That is what Antonio Silva is feeling heading into tomorrow night, when he will square off against Alistair Ov…

When your opponent has been guaranteed something and you haven’t, that provides extra motivation for you whether you want to admit it or not. That is what Antonio Silva is feeling heading into tomorrow night, when he will square off against Alistair Overeem at UFC 156.

Dana White stated yesterday that if Overeem gets by Silva, he will get the next title shot against heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. For Silva, nothing has been guaranteed.

Silva already lost to Velasquez last year at UFC 146, but rebounded and defeated Travis Browne at UFC on FX 5 last October. People aren’t really giving Silva a chance tomorrow night, so let’s take a look and see why you should cheer for the Brazilian against Overeem.

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UFC 156 Preview: Keys to Victory for Jon Fitch

This Saturday, UFC 156 goes down from a sleepy desert town called Las Vegas, which is in the state of Nevada. The main card will only be available, as Mean Gene used to say, ON A PAY-PER-VIEW BASIS.During that pay-per-viewing, fans will watch two of th…

This Saturday, UFC 156 goes down from a sleepy desert town called Las Vegas, which is in the state of Nevada. The main card will only be available, as Mean Gene used to say, ON A PAY-PER-VIEW BASIS.

During that pay-per-viewing, fans will watch two of the UFC’s best welterweights do battle. Both men are accomplished, but also may be at their absolute peaks. 

This is going to be a great fight. What can Jon Fitch do to win? Here are three keys to victory.

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