Tag: UFC 158

Nick Diaz: How Will He Be Remembered If He Retires After UFC 158?

If he could unceremoniously call it quits after UFC 154 and then return to fall to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158, who’s to say that Nick Diaz won’t retire and then eventually return to MMA at his own leisure, a la Brett Favre?Truth be tol…

If he could unceremoniously call it quits after UFC 154 and then return to fall to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158, who’s to say that Nick Diaz won’t retire and then eventually return to MMA at his own leisure, a la Brett Favre?

Truth be told, however, Diaz fought valiantly against St-Pierre and will most likely get a shot against another top-flight welterweight in his next scrap. Studs the ilk of Martin Kampmann, Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger would serve as fine suitors for “The Stockton Bad Boy”—if he chooses to continue competing.

But what if Diaz, who’s continually pegged as the villain, truly has taken one too many beatings, both psychologically and physiologically. And what if, among many other issues, he’s genuinely fed up with the judges and their emphasis on wrestling in MMA?

If Diaz‘s relationship with the sport really has soured and he decides to hang up his gloves, in what light will pundits and fans remember the former Strikeforce champ?

Extraordinarily ambiguous, as usual, Diaz attempted to explain his future plans in the sport at the post-fight press conference for UFC 158 by saying the following:

I could sit here and make a million excuses about why I wasn’t ready for this fight, but the only reason why I’m here right now is I want a rematch. I think I can beat [St-Pierre]. That’s what I think. I think I may be a better matchup for Anderson Silva, as well, but we’ll see what happens. I didn’t have a good first round or a good performance tonight. But I carried out a lot of my plan and what I wanted to do. I just think that I could have been a little better prepared for this fight. I think maybe next time if I did get an extra shot, I think that people would try to help me out a little bit.

If Diaz never competed again, he’d be remembered more for his controversial antics than his tremendous work ethic or his amazing aptitude for delivering and absorbing punishment.

Even though Diaz has scored impressive wins over the likes of Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley and B.J. Penn, among many others, his name may always ring synonymous with controversy in the realm of MMA.

The Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu pupil had tarnished his image long before suffering back-to-back losses to Condit and St-Pierre, failing a pair of drug tests, and missing a press conference before his first scheduled tilt with GSP.

So rather than remembering Diaz for his 11-fight winning streak, which spanned between May 2008 and October 2011, or for his memorable battles in Strikeforce, his critics now have the leverage to first bring up his downfalls.

But nothing’s set in stone yet for the 29-year-old Californian, who could still overshadow his bad-boy persona by fulfilling his contract with the UFC and attempting to win a title with dignity.

If Diaz can’t stay in the sport without attempting to perpetually belittle and bait upper-echelon opponents, he’ll surely go down in history as one of the most controversial and misunderstood figures who’s ever graced the Octagon.

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UFC 158 Results: Braulio Estima Says Nick Diaz Shoved Him Backstage

UFC 158 had a very strange conclusion despite the fact UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre won a definitive decision over Nick Diaz in front of his home crowd in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. “Rush” praised the former Strikeforce welterweight …

UFC 158 had a very strange conclusion despite the fact UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre won a definitive decision over Nick Diaz in front of his home crowd in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 

“Rush” praised the former Strikeforce welterweight title holder for his boxing, cardio and unorthodox jiu-jitsu, while Diaz thanked his adversary for the kind words.

This type of scenario would be standard procedure if it wasn’t for all the trash talk the Stockton, Calif., native spewed leading up to the fight. 

Apparently, all the good sportsmanship didn’t last very long, as Braulio Estima, a friend and training partner of St-Pierre, says Diaz shoved him backstage when he tried to shake his hand. 

Here’s what the world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt said about the incident on his Facebook page: 

Today it was amazing Heorge did a great job full control the whole fight. Unfortunately I got a very disappointing experience. After the fight went to shake hands with all the members from nick Diaz, I wasn’t very welcomed by Diaz which I expected just wanted to give my respect for that fight as a martial artist. Even Dana came to straight after and said thanks for not pushing back. I replied I would never ruin my friends gsp night for that guy.

Estima, who has won 13 gold medals in elite jiu-jitsu competition since 2004, was supposed to fight Diaz in a jiu-jitsu superfight at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo this past May, but Diaz no-showed the event. 

While the two sides told two very different stories about why the match didn’t end up happening, there seemed to be a discrepancy about when Estima and Diaz were supposed to make the 180-pound weight limit.

Although Diaz initially said he was likely going to retire immediately after the fight, he has since said he would step back in the Octagon to rematch GSP (via Mike Whitman of Sherdog.com).  

However, that seems nearly impossible, as after his win over former WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit, Johny Hendricks was announced as the next opponent for Rush (per John Morgan and Matt Erickson of MMAjunkie.com).

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UFC 158 Results: What’s Next for Carlos Condit?

Carlos Condit had the chance to reach the mountain top once more and secure another crack at the UFC welterweight title. All that stood in his way was a showdown with former Division I wrestling champion Johny Hendricks.Although Condit stormed back in …

Carlos Condit had the chance to reach the mountain top once more and secure another crack at the UFC welterweight title. All that stood in his way was a showdown with former Division I wrestling champion Johny Hendricks.

Although Condit stormed back in the final round, Hendricks’ wrestling proved to be too much, and Condit left the Octagon with a loss added to his record. The bout was entertaining and could be a Fight of the Year candidate.

It also likely means Condit won’t be taken out of “the mix” for title shots despite dropping two straight in the Octagon. His bout with Georges St-Pierre was entertaining, and he nearly capped off a huge comeback against Hendricks.

Now Condit will once again try to rise up the UFC rankings, but what fighter presents the best opportunity for him to do that?

The obvious match-making person would seem to pair up Condit and Nick Diaz. The two engaged in what became a strategic battle that saw Condit walk away with the decision victory.

This fight makes a lot of sense given both guys are coming off back-to-back losses, but who knows if Diaz will even be competing in MMA by Monday, let alone a few months down the road.

Another name that makes sense in terms of match-making is Martin Kampmann. Both fighters are coming off losses and are ranked inside the top 10. Kampmann also holds a split-decision victory over Condit from 2009 that I’m sure “The Natural Born Killer” would love to avenge.

Some other names I expect to pop up as future opponents for Condit are Nate Marquardt, Josh Koscheck and possibly Rory MacDonald. A potential match up with Marquardt would depend on how much the two have trained with each other, but I don’t foresee it being an issue given that Condit faced St-Pierre.

Kosheck is a big-name fight for Condit and would give “The Natural Born Killer” a high-profile bout to rebuild his reputation, as well as his place in the rankings.

I don’t expect the Condit-MacDonald rematch to be brought up as frequently, but if MacDonald is serious about avenging that loss in 2010, he may sign on despite Condit’s recent struggles. It doesn’t make much sense for MacDonald given the fact he’s only a fight or two away from a title shot, but so long as GSP is champion, we know MacDonald won’t be challenging for the title anyways.

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UFC 158: What’s Next for Patrick Cote?

Patrick Cote’s decision win over promotional newcomer Bobby Voelker marked a successful transition to the welterweight division, though not an uncontroversial one.Cote, a former middleweight competitor, was given the nod by all three ringside judges, b…

Patrick Cote’s decision win over promotional newcomer Bobby Voelker marked a successful transition to the welterweight division, though not an uncontroversial one.

Cote, a former middleweight competitor, was given the nod by all three ringside judges, but many fans felt differently. The phrases “hometown discount” and “home-field advantage” were tossed around after the result, though that’s hardly uncommon anytime a fighter wins a close one in his native land.

Regardless, the result is in the book and the book says Cote won in his welterweight debut at 170. The question is, where does he go from here?

There are several viable options for Cote at 170. There are both handfuls of opponents that would direct him toward a title shot and handfuls that would be less meaningful but would still be sure to excite. Some options straddle the line, representing steppingstones as well as stylistically intriguing foes. 

For now, style may trump importance in Cote’s imminent future, given his friendship with current champion Georges St-Pierre and that his win at UFC 158 was hardly enough to fast-track him to a contender bout.

With an iron jaw and powerful hands, Cote embodies an interesting opponent for any fellow slugger out there. One that comes to mind is Robbie Lawler.

Lawler would kick-start a title run for Cote but wouldn’t put him all that close. He is a former middleweight himself and is coming off of a big win over Josh Koscheck, but he’s just 3-4 over his past seven fights. He is also a banger, one that would mesh nicely with Cote to produce a slugfest.

Lawler‘s attributes make him a reasonable selection for Cote’s next opponent, though some may argue his win over Koscheck ranks him too high for Cote at this point. If the UFC shares that opinion, then Siyar Bahadurzada would work for Cote just as well.

Whoever the UFC decides on, expect Cote’s next opponent to be a striking-oriented fighter. The promotion’s choice will reflect precisely where it believes Cote fits into his new weight class and how optimistic it is about his potential to make a serious run at the division’s crown.

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UFC 158: What’s Next for T.J. Dillashaw

When T.J. Dillashaw knocked out Issei Tamura in the second round of their UFC 158 bantamweight clash, it marked the third straight time the Team Alpha Male product was victorious inside the Octagon.The knockout of Tamura also signified Dillashaw’s most…

When T.J. Dillashaw knocked out Issei Tamura in the second round of their UFC 158 bantamweight clash, it marked the third straight time the Team Alpha Male product was victorious inside the Octagon.

The knockout of Tamura also signified Dillashaw’s most impressive finish as a UFC competitor, and capped off yet another solid performance.

Since faltering in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter against John Dodson, Dillashaw has looked outstanding. He hasn’t just been winning, he’s been winning big.

After the Dodson loss, Dillashaw rebounded to utterly obliterate Walel Watson. He controlled the action for almost 15 straight minutes, nearly finishing the bout on a handful of occasions. The showcase exhibited his sensational wrestling, and officially announced him as a bantamweight prospect.

Next time out, Dillashaw stopped Vaughan Lee in just over two-and-a-half minutes with a neck-crank, demonstrating that he’s not just capable of getting opponents down and keeping them there, but that he can finish them there as well.

At UFC 158, Dillashaw completed the trifecta, using his developing standup game to score a highlight reel head-kick and punches to knockout his Japanese counterpart.

All-in-all, Dillashaw looks to be turning into a very complete and very dangerous fighter, and rapidly. So what’s on the horizon for the budding star?

I’d like to see Dillashaw get a real test at 135. The division is very deep, so the options are nearly limitless. Some viable opponents already have matches booked, but an abundance of reasonable pairings remain.

Someone like Ivan Menjivar or Takeya Mizugaki would provide a reasonable test to see whether Dillashaw is ready to break the top-10 barrier. A somewhat more ambitious venture would be the likes of Raphael Assuncao or Brian Bowles.

Whoever Dillashaw’s next opponent is, look for him to be somewhere in that six to 12 range—not someone Dillashaw will get a title shot for beating, but someone that will offer a better bench mark as to precisely where he stands in the UFC’s bantamweight class.

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Georges St-Pierre, Johny Hendricks and the Oversimplification of MMA

So, UFC 158 is now in the books. Many long-lingering questions were answered, but perhaps even more were raised. Specifically, one of the post-event themes on Twitter was whether or not Georges St-Pierre had betrayed a certain creeping frailty, despite…

So, UFC 158 is now in the books. Many long-lingering questions were answered, but perhaps even more were raised. Specifically, one of the post-event themes on Twitter was whether or not Georges St-Pierre had betrayed a certain creeping frailty, despite the dominance of his win over Nick Diaz.

And in light of Johny Hendricks’ impressive victory over Carlos Condit, some are beginning to seriously consider the possibility that the two-time national champion wrestler from Oklahoma State is the man to dethrone the long-reigning welterweight king.

It’s not necessarily easy to find fault with the reasoning of those who think that Hendricks has the style to overcome GSP. On paper, he appears to possess all the requisite tools to get the job done.

Storied amateur wresting career? Check. One-punch knockout power? Check. Aggressive in-your-face style? Check.

Given that GSP’s whiskers have proved to be less than robust in the past, it’s no wonder that fans and media are giving “Big Rigg” a real shot at snatching the crown.

But, while I can understand the reasoning, I’m a little more sceptical of Hendricks’ chances.

Often when people break down matchups, it tends to be a superficial assessment of each fighter’s strengths and weaknesses. In reality, many fights are so much more complex than what can be addressed on paper.

Granted, GSP is so repetitively brilliant and boasts such a dominant skill set that we can usually predict his fights within a margin of error that makes quantum mechanics seem deficient. Then again, he is an exception to many rules.

It is overly simplistic to look at Hendricks’ collegiate wrestling career and assume that he will be able to stop GSP’s takedowns. Haven’t we been here before at least twice?

Josh Koscheck possesses amateur wrestling credentials comparable to those of Hendricks. Was he able to keep the fight standing against GSP? Not really. When St-Pierre wanted to take the fight to the ground, more often than not he did—in both encounters.

The first thing this should tell you is that a background in amateur wrestling is no guarantee that one will become a great MMA wrestler. Indeed, many wrestlers never truly learn how to successfully apply their wrestling experience to mixed martial arts.

Luke Thomas recently had an interesting discussion with Chael Sonnen on wrestling in MMA, in which Sonnen claimed that there are very few techniques in amateur wrestling that can be applied to the cage.

This partially explains why someone like Jake Rosholt—a three-time national champion—has had limited success in mixed martial arts. It also explains why Georges St-Pierre has become the most prohibitively dominant grappler in the sport by relying on a mere fraction of the amateur wrestling techniques that are available.

In a straight amateur wrestling bout, Johny Hendricks would almost certainly school Rick Story. But when they fought inside the Octagon in 2010, “Big Rigg” found himself being dumped to the mat on more than one occasion.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting that St-Pierre will double-leg Hendricks whenever he feels like it. The Oklahoman may very well be able to keep the fight on the feet. He might even take the champion down a couple of times.

But even if Hendricks is able to turn the fight into a kickboxing contest, people tend to forget that GSP is a fantastic striker. He is far from the one-dimensional grappler some paint him to be. More than that, he is an expert at minimising damage when exchanging on the feet—though he does mark-up easier than most.

It would be bold to assume that Hendricks will be able to consistently close the distance and land his, admittedly, almost comically powerful left hand. As we have witnessed time and time again, St-Pierre is able to use his athleticism to spring in and out of range, using his jab to control the tempo of the fight.

While Hendricks is a powerful puncher, he is not a well-rounded striker. One could argue that Carlos Condit exposed a number of holes in Johny’s stand-up game at UFC 158.

Specifically, last night’s co-main event demonstrated that the 29-year-old is vulnerable when forced onto the back foot. That is something the champion could certainly exploit, given that one of his major strengths is his ability to control the centre of the cage and remain on the front foot, with the threat of his wrestling persistently looming.  

I am not attempting to minimise Hendricks as a contender. If anyone can dethrone GSP, no one is better equipped to get the job done. The point being made is that we have a tendency to oversimplify mixed martial arts.

MMA is a complex sport that is much more than the sum of its constituent parts. It is easy to lose sight of that fact in our efforts to make the sport accessible to the casual fan.

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