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Alistair Overeem Doesn’t See Any Problem Getting Past Antonio Silva at UFC 156

Throw the name Alistair Overeem out there, and you’ll receive quite an array of differing opinions regarding the former Strikeforce, Dream and K-1 Grand Prix champion. Overeem may have only one fight in the UFC—a first-round TKO win over fo…

Throw the name Alistair Overeem out there, and you’ll receive quite an array of differing opinions regarding the former Strikeforce, Dream and K-1 Grand Prix champion.

Overeem may have only one fight in the UFC—a first-round TKO win over former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar—but he has quickly turned into one of the most talked-about and divisive figures in the UFC. He’s also quickly turned into a fighter that is on the verge of receiving a heavyweight title bout against current UFC champion Cain Velasquez. That is, if he can get past the man he will face at UFC 156, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Overeem recently served out a nine-month suspension after a random drug test revealed a testosterone to epitestosterone level of 14-to-1, well above the acceptable level of 6-to-1.

The eyes of the mixed martial arts world will be on him to see how he performs after a long layoff, not to mention what results will come back following his post-fight drug screen. But to hear Overeem tell it, he enjoys the focus that is on him: “There’s always pressure, there’s always tension. I like that, that is my fuel, but every fight is the same, you just need to get the job done. Winning the next fight is the most important thing.”

When talking about that next fight, his first since sending Lesnar into retirement, Overeem seemed unconcerned, plainly stating, “There’s one more mountain to climb and that’s ‘Bigfoot,’ but to be honest I do not see any problem. It’s going to be an exciting day, 12 nights from now.”

If Overeem does climb that mountain and earns the victory over Silva—and if his post-fight test comes back clean—he will most likely be booked to face Velasquez.

Clean drug test or not, Overeem is now a man who will always be under suspicion due to his past drug test failure. When he stood before the Nevada Athletic Commission to be licensed for UFC 156, it was revealed that he had undergone random testing from the commission and also submitted five voluntary tests of his own. The fact that he passed all the tests does help his cause and will remove some suspicion, but not all.

When asked if he were going to undergo more voluntary testing in the future, Overeem said, “I did the drug testing, which was negotiated with my management. If it’s necessary for me to do more testing I’ll do that, if not I probably won’t. It’s something I’ll have to take up with my management.”

Hopefully the UFC and Overeem’s management will strongly suggest Overeem continue those voluntary tests, as it will go a long way to help fans’ perceptions, and that will be especially important if he goes on to become the UFC heavyweight champion sometime in the future.

All quotes obtained firsthand by BR MMA.

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Rashad Evans Not Looking Past UFC 156, but Feels He Could Beat Anderson Silva

As soon as Vitor Belfort had his hand raised in victory on Saturday night, crushing the middleweight title hopes of Michael Bisping, speculation began as to who would be the next opponent for UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. One name that…

One name that seemed to pop up quite often was that of former UFC light heavyweight kingpin, Rashad Evans.

There’s only one problem with that theory: Evans is currently booked to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on February 2 in the co-main event of UFC 156 and that fight will be contested at the light heavyweight limit of 205 pounds—a far cry from the 185 that Evans would need to make to compete against Silva.

Evans made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t looking beyond the fight with Nogueira, saying, “First things first and the only thing on my mind is getting past Nogueira. He’s a tough competitor and that’s been taking my focus more than anything.”

Depending on the outcome of the February 2 bout, Evans may entertain the drop to 185.

If he wins, he may find himself on the short list for another shot at the 205-pound crown. If he loses, he could think about dropping to 185 due to the fact that his standing at light heavyweight would fall in defeat.

The fact that he is already a top contender at 205 is one of the reasons he decided against a drop to 185 in the past. “One reason I decided not to drop to 185 was because why would I fight at 185 just to be in the same spot I’m in at 205? It didn’t make any sense to me,” he said.

“If it was for a title shot or against a top contender or against someone that people would really want to see, then it would be something I would think about, but then again at the same time, I’m already at the top of the division.”

If the stars do align, Evans does drop to 185 and is booked for a fight against Silva, he would consider it an honor. “It would be a tremendous honor to hold the belt in two different divisions, but also a chance to compete against Anderson Silva. He’s one of my favorite fighters to watch. I get excited every time I get a chance to watch him fight.”

Honor or not, Evans feels he would walk away as only the third UFC fighter to hold a title in two different weight divisions, joining Randy Couture and B.J. Penn.

“When my career’s all said and done, I want to be able to go back and say that I competed against some of the best guys in history,” he said. “For me to get a chance to compete against Anderson Silva, it would be an amazing experience and something I could take with me forever and to be able to say I went against the best guy and beat the best guy.

“I believe I could beat Anderson Silva. I believe that the skills I have are something he would have a hard team dealing with, but to compete against him would be an honor in itself.”

Evans spent a good amount of time talking about a potential drop to 185 during Monday’s UFC 156 media call and he can surely expect more questions to come—win or lose—following his bout on February 2 against Nogueira.

All quotes obtained firsthand by B/R MMA

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‘Minotouro’ Nogueira: UFC 156 Fight with Rashad Evans Is All About Respect

In the world of mixed martial arts, the action in the cage can occasionally be bland when compared to the copious amount of trash talk that precedes it. When talking about UFC 156’s co-main event between Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, that …

In the world of mixed martial arts, the action in the cage can occasionally be bland when compared to the copious amount of trash talk that precedes it. When talking about UFC 156‘s co-main event between Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, that certainly will not be the case.

Nogueira is a proud Brazilian who became a world-ranked fighter with wins over the likes of Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem and Tito Ortiz. Not only is he beloved by fans, but he’s respected by his peers.

After the announcement that he would meet Nogueira, Evans was quick to praise his opponent. In an interview with MMACanadaTV (via SB Nation), Evans offered commendation:

He has good stand up. His boxing is pretty good, one of the best in the weight class. Also his ground, he has a really good ground game so I gotta be aware of the ground.

During Monday’s media call to promote UFC 156, Nogueira was thrilled to hear about the surprising praise coming from the usually sharp-tongued Evans. Through translator Ed Soares, Nogueira expressed his joy.

“It makes [me] very happy to hear Rashad say those things.” said Nogueira. “He is a former champion and [I have] a lot of respect for him too.”

Although Nogueira hit a two-fight skid, he rebounded in his most recent fight with a first-round TKO over Tito Ortiz. If he can continue that momentum by upsetting another former champion like Evans, the former Pride star will prove that he still has what it takes to compete with the best in the world.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for previews, live coverage and post-fight analysis for the event.

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Odds of Frankie Edgar Becoming the 3rd Multi-Division UFC Champion

At UFC 156, Frankie Edgar will take on Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight championship. Although the chance to hold UFC gold is enough to motivate any professional fighter, “The Answer” has the opportunity to become the third fighter in history to win…

Currently, online bookie Bovada has Edgar as a 2-to-1 underdog against Aldo, which translates into a 33.3 percent chance of obtaining this lofty goal. Despite what the odds suggest, Edgar has a much better shot at achieving greatness.

It is understandable that Aldo would be the betting favorite; however, it doesn’t appear that oddsmakers haven’t taken into account the effects of a 13-month layoff on the champion.

Anyone who saw UFC 129 knows that Aldo is susceptible to ring rust. After a training injury kept him out of action for seven months, “Scarface” faded immensely in the later rounds of his return bout against Mark Hominick.

When you consider that Edgar is able to keep his foot on the gas for 25 minutes while applying constant pressure to his opponent, the proverbial cards have been dealt in a way that suggests an upset.

In 2003, Randy Couture became the first man to hold gold in unique weight classes. After losing the UFC heavyweight championship, “The Natural” decided to cut down to 205 pounds and test his luck. He defeated Chuck Liddell for the interim light heavyweight championship and a place in the history books.

It wasn’t until five years later when B.J. Penn also joined the elite club. Penn surprisingly defeated Matt Hughes for the UFC welterweight championship in 2004, and then pummeled Joe Stevenson to capture the lightweight championship in 2008.

Since shocking the world with upset victories over Penn and former champion Sean Sherk, it is foolish to count Edgar out regardless of which opponent stands across the cage.

Even though Aldo has a reputation of being one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters, I would estimate that the odds on this fight are very close to even.

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Jose Aldo: ‘This Fight Is a Chance to Prove What I Can Do’

The term “superfight” has been thrown around the MMA scene a lot over the past several months.Potential bouts between the sport’s pound-for-pound best have certainly created a buzz, but with the majority of the matchups never material…

The term “superfight” has been thrown around the MMA scene a lot over the past several months.

Potential bouts between the sport’s pound-for-pound best have certainly created a buzz, but with the majority of the matchups never materializing past the rumor stage, it appears fans will have to put those hopes on hold.

While the collection of Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre have yet to work out a timeline for their eventual showdowns, two UFC champions, one current/one former, are set to handle business in a matter of weeks when featherweight title holder Jose Aldo squares off with Frankie Edgar at UFC 156 on Feb. 2 in Las Vegas.

During his title reign in the lightweight division, the Toms River, N.J., native showed an unbreakable resolve as he collected victories over two of the sport’s best 155-pound fighters in BJ Penn and Gray Maynard.

But after his win over “The Bully” at UFC 136, Edgar dropped back-to-back close decision losses to Benson Henderson. The final setback came at UFC 150 in Denver, and shortly after, “The Answer” decided to test the waters in the featherweight division.

Edgar was rumored to make his 145-pound debut against Ricardo Lamas, but after No. 1 contender Erik Koch dropped out of his bout with Aldo at UFC 153, the UFC tapped the former lightweight champion to step in against the Brazilian phenom.

Unfortunately, the fight would ultimately be scrapped due to Aldo suffering a foot injury. But with the buzz over the long-awaited superfight between Aldo and Edgar still high, the UFC decided to reschedule the bout for UFC 156 on Super Bowl weekend.

“Frankie Edgar is a great athlete,” Aldo told Bleacher Report through a translator. “It will be an honor to have the chance to fight against him. He is a great fighter, and if the victory comes, it will be a big achievement. As always, I’m going to keep the fight moving and trying to do my best. This fight is a chance to prove what I can do.”

In past matchups, Edgar had a definitive speed advantage. The 31-year-old has made a career out of using elusive footwork to set up both his striking and wrestling attacks.

Facing Aldo will present a unique set of challenges. The Nova Uniao product is undoubtedly one of the sport’s quickest fighters, and his diverse striking game is as dangerous as they come.

Aldo has worked to prepare for every threat Edgar brings to the table, including having friend and Edgar rival Maynard come to Brazil to train with his team at Nova Uniao on multiple occasions. While “Junior” isn’t overlooking the skills his opponent possesses, he is hoping to showcase a few new tools in this fight.

“Maynard is a great guy,” Aldo said. “It was an honor to train by his side. I also train with the Brazilian wrestling team doing a specific job for a long time. I will do my best to surprise everybody. I am training very hard. Anything can happen in a fight, and I can’t underestimate my opponent.”

Aldo is commonly referred to as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best, and it is a status that comes with merit. The 26-year-old is in the midst of a 14-fight win streak which includes victories over top competition such as Urijah Faber, Kenny Florian, Cub Swanson and Chad Mendes.

During his title reign, the division has started to take shape. With former lightweight champions and contenders like Edgar and Clay Guida dropping down to 145 pounds, the weight class is only going to become more competitive.

It is a challenge Aldo is looking forward to, and he welcomes the lightweight fighter coming down to the featherweight division.

“Yes, for sure,” Aldo replied when asked if he was excited to see big names come down to featherweight. “I love fighting, and with the division growing, more challenges are going to appear.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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UFC 156: Tyron Woodley Will Make Strong Debut Versus Jay Hieron

Tyron Woodley, former Strikeforce Welterweight Championship contender, steps in for the injured Erick Silva to square off against Jay Hieron at UFC 156.Woodley will not only get his arm raised at the end of the fight, but he will put himself on the map…

Tyron Woodley, former Strikeforce Welterweight Championship contender, steps in for the injured Erick Silva to square off against Jay Hieron at UFC 156.

Woodley will not only get his arm raised at the end of the fight, but he will put himself on the map in the UFC’s 170-pound division.

Hieron is a tough opponent and his pedigree makes him a great debut opponent for Woodley. He has excellent strikes, knockout power, and solid tools in the other areas of his game. However, Hieron simply will have no answer for Woodley‘s ground game.

Woodley enters the cage for the first time since the title fight against Nate Marquardt in Strikeforce—a fight that Woodley ended up being knocked out in. The 30-year-old finally got a taste of what it was like at the top of the division, which will help him grow as a fighter after such a great learning experience.

As UFC 156 rolls around Woodley will definitely be prepared for Hieron‘s striking game, and he will know that stylistically he is a bad matchup for his opponent.

Hieron has always struggled against wrestlers, and the change in opponent will affect him more than Woodley coming on a month’s notice.

Silva is a dynamic athlete who loves to strike and has knockout power. The fight against Hieron was shaping up to be an interesting striking matchup, but now the 36-year-old has to switch gears and prepare for a top-level wrestler. Even though Hieron knows the style well it is still difficult to switch gears and prepare for a new opponent.

Woodley will be in good condition. The fight is scheduled for February 2, and by fight time “T-Wood” will have had one month of camp. If it were another fighter that may be a bigger issue, but the former University of Missouri stand-out always keeps himself in the gym and in shape.

And Woodley will always have his wrestling to fall back on in case he does get in trouble against Hieron, but he has been inside the cage with powerful strikers such as Paul Daley before.

Woodley is still growing as a fighter. He can show flashes of dominance, but still look very green. When he steps inside the Octagon for the first time we will see what he has been working on since the loss to Marquardt.

The former Tiger can walk in the cage knowing he can take down Hieron at will and grind for 15 minutes. That can sometimes be tiresome for the fans, but Woodley mixes up strikes on the ground well and has big power in his ground and pound.

Hieron cannot allow Woodley to have space to reign down blows. Woodley generates a lot of power in short distances and it only takes one punch slipping through to put the fight away.

He also has an underrated submission game.

Regardless of how the fight finishes, by stoppage or a decision, Woodley will get his hand raised at UFC 156, he will do so in dominant fashion, and he will make a statement in his debut for the company.

Welterweight is still the division of wrestlers, and one of the best wrestlers in the division has arrived in the Octagon.

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