Tag: UFC 160

UFC 160 Shaping Up to Be One of the Year’s Best Cards

Every fan loves a stacked card. Who wouldn’t love an event with great fights booked top to bottom? I know that I wouldn’t object. The UFC seems to have granted my wish and has begun putting together UFC 160, which is looking better and better with each…

Every fan loves a stacked card. Who wouldn’t love an event with great fights booked top to bottom? I know that I wouldn’t object.

The UFC seems to have granted my wish and has begun putting together UFC 160, which is looking better and better with each fight being announced.

Grappling wizard-turned-knockout artist Mike Pyle will aim for a fourth straight KO win when he takes on undefeated prospect Gunnar Nelson.

Jeremy Stephens will look to get back into the win column when he faces off against “El Terrible” Estevan Payan. Payan will be making his UFC debut after coming over from Strikeforce.

Russian lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov will put his 19-0 record on the line against the lethal Abel Trujillo. Both fighters have impressed so far in their UFC careers and look to take the next step up the ladder with a win.

Canadian TJ Grant will face a huge step up in competition, as he is matched up against intimidating wrestler Gray Maynard. Grant is a perfect 4-0 since dropping to lightweight and will look to solidify himself as a top contender against the always-tough Maynard.

Stephen Thompson is making his return to the Octagon for the first time since his loss to Matt Brown back at UFC 145. Thompson will look to use his karate style to pick up a win against former TUF winner Amir Sadollah.

Back to the lightweights. Muay Thai striker Donald Cerrone will welcome the always-entertaining K.J. Noons to the UFC. Both fighters are dynamic and always look to put on an excellent show.

Brazilian bomber Glover Teixeira will look to keep his winning streak going when he faces Ryan Bader. Both fighters are heavy-handed and looking to get that signature win to establish them in the light heavyweight division.

The card doesn’t end there, as the co-main and main event of the night are both epic heavyweight bouts. Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos will look to get back to the top of the heavyweight ladder as they lock horns.

The main event features a rematch between heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Velasquez won their first fight pretty convincingly, but bet on a closer fight this time around.

UFC 160 is looking like the card of the year. It features everything a fan could possibly ask for. The only thing wrong with it is that we all have to wait till May to see it.

Tweet me @FuscoNation16.

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Barnburner Alert: Mike Pyle Booked Against Gunnar Nelson at Stacked UFC 160 Card


(“Gunnar, talk us through the end of the fight…………………………………………Gunnar Nelson everybody!” Photo via MMAViking.) 

Cross your fingers and pray for an injury free couple of months, Potato Nation, because UFC 160 is currently stacked with more firepower than Burt Gummer’s basement. Velasquez vs. Silva, Dos Santos vs. Overeem, Teixiera vs. Bader, the list goes on and on. And if a main card that also features the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Stephen Thompson, and Abel Trujillo somehow doesn’t do it for you, rounding out the preliminary card —which is whatever the antithesis of garbage-ass is — will now be a matchup of streaking welterweight contenders when Mike Pyle faces Gunnar Nelson.

In the past year, Mike Pyle has put together a three fight (T)KO streak over the likes of Josh Neer and most recently James Head. A veteran of the UFC since 2009, Pyle will be looking to improve to 7-1 in his past 8 with a win over the undefeated Nelson, who showcased a rather versatile stand up game in his recent victory over Jorge Santiago at UFC on FUEL 7.

As it stands, UFC 160 is a card that we will gladly chase around 3 channels, Facebook, and a couple illegal stream sites to watch. Disagree? Then check out the full lineup after the jump and become a believer.


(“Gunnar, talk us through the end of the fight…………………………………………Gunnar Nelson everybody!” Photo via MMAViking.) 

Cross your fingers and pray for an injury free couple of months, Potato Nation, because UFC 160 is currently stacked with more firepower than Burt Gummer’s basement. Velasquez vs. Silva, Dos Santos vs. Overeem, Teixiera vs. Bader, the list goes on and on. And if a main card that also features the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Stephen Thompson, and Abel Trujillo somehow doesn’t do it for you, rounding out the preliminary card —which is whatever the antithesis of garbage-ass is — will now be a matchup of streaking welterweight contenders when Mike Pyle faces Gunnar Nelson.

In the past year, Mike Pyle has put together a three fight (T)KO streak over the likes of Josh Neer and most recently James Head. A veteran of the UFC since 2009, Pyle will be looking to improve to 7-1 in his past 8 with a win over the undefeated Nelson, who showcased a rather versatile stand up game in his recent victory over Jorge Santiago at UFC on FUEL 7.

As it stands, UFC 160 is a card that we will gladly chase around 3 channels, Facebook, and a couple illegal stream sites to watch. Disagree? Then check out the full lineup after the jump and become a believer.

-Cain Velasquez (11-1) vs. Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva (18-4)
-Junior Dos Santos (15-2) vs. Alistair Overeem (36-12)
-Ryan Bader (15-3) vs. Glover Teixeira (20-2)
-TJ Grant (20-5) vs. Gray Maynard (11-1-1)
-Pat Barry (8-5) vs. Shawn Jordan (14-4)
-Donald Cerrone (19-5) vs. KJ Noons (11-6)
-Gunnar Nelson (11-0-1) vs. Mike Pyle (24-8-1)
-Khabib Nurmagomedov (19-0) vs. Abel Trujillo (10-4)
-Amir Sadollah (6-4) vs. Stephen Thompson (6-1)
-Estevan Payan (14-3) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-9)

–J. Jones

Gunnar Nelson to Meet Mike Pyle at UFC 160

Rising star Gunnar Nelson and late bloomer Mike Pyle will pair off as the latest addition to UFC 160, scheduled for May 25. The contest will be a welterweight affair and was first reported by MMA Junkie. On the surface, the matchup seems…

Rising star Gunnar Nelson and late bloomer Mike Pyle will pair off as the latest addition to UFC 160, scheduled for May 25. The contest will be a welterweight affair and was first reported by MMA Junkie. 

On the surface, the matchup seems to pit two fighters at opposite ends of their careers against one another. Nelson is a 24-year-old superstar in the making, Pyle a 37-year-old journeyman. 

Under the surface, however, the fight will see two guys rocketing into contention, battle it out to see which of them makes a foray into the upper echelon at 170 pounds.

Nelson, the most notable fighter to ever have come out of Iceland, has been heralded as a top prospect since making his MMA debut as a teenager back in 2007. Since joining the UFC, he has posted a 2-0 record, most recently grasping a decision away from Jorge Santiago at UFC on Fuel TV 7.

From 1999 to Jan, 2010, Pyle was able to fight to moderate MMA success on the strength of his advanced submission game. But since the conclusion of that period, there has been nothing moderate about what he has done.

Over his last seven outings, Pyle has posted a 6-1 record, the sole loss coming by the hand of the uber-talented Rory MacDonald. Pyle’s three most recent bouts have all been wins, ending via knockout inside the first frame.

At 37, Pyle really seems to have hit his stride. The question is, will he have what it takes to halt the momentum of a fighter many consider a future title player?

It’s a classic old lion vs. young lion contest, nuanced by the similarities between the combatants’ recent trajectories.

It’s also a pretty solid addition to a pretty solid UFC 160 fight card.

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Gray Maynard Returns at UFC 160, Faces Ever-Rising Prospect T.J. Grant


(I tell you what, if Maynard is able to catch Grant in his patented Indian rug burn, this shit is gonna be all over.) 

Figuratively speaking, Gray Maynard has not been involved in a UFC fight since he came up short against Frankie Edgar at UFC 136 in October of 2011. Sure, he did his best to nullify the “offense” of Clay Guida at UFC on FX 4 last June, but that exercise in tedium was less a fight and more like watching your cataract-stricken friend try to wrangle up all the cuccos in Kakariko Village on The Legend of Zelda. Although “The Bully” was expected to face Joe Lauzon at UFC 155 last December, he was forced out of the bout with a knee injury that has sidelined him ever since.

But if the above gif is any indication, Maynard has been staying quite active on the sidelines and will be more than ready for his return to the octagon on May 25th at UFC 160, where he will face the streaking veteran T.J. Grant in a battle of top contenders. Grant has been on something resembling a killing spree lately, collecting four straight wins including a first round annihilation of Matt Wiman at UFC on Fox 6 last month. The far-and-away most impressive aspect of Grant’s recent wins has been the drastic improvement to his stand up game, an attribute he credits to the time he spent training in Thailand.

In a way, this fight is kind of a lose-lose for Maynard, at least by Ed Soares’ concept of the term.


(I tell you what, if Maynard is able to catch Grant in his patented Indian rug burn, this shit is gonna be all over.) 

Figuratively speaking, Gray Maynard has not been involved in a UFC fight since he came up short against Frankie Edgar at UFC 136 in October of 2011. Sure, he did his best to nullify the “offense” of Clay Guida at UFC on FX 4 last June, but that exercise in tedium was less a fight and more like watching your cataract-stricken friend try to wrangle up all the cuccos in Kakariko Village on The Legend of Zelda. Although ”The Bully” was expected to face Joe Lauzon at UFC 155 last December, he was forced out of the bout with a knee injury that has sidelined him ever since.

But if the above gif is any indication, Maynard has been staying quite active on the sidelines and will be more than ready for his return to the octagon on May 25th at UFC 160, where he will face the streaking veteran T.J. Grant in a battle of top contenders. Grant has been on something resembling a killing spree lately, collecting four straight wins including a first round annihilation of Matt Wiman at UFC on Fox 6 last month. The far-and-away most impressive aspect of Grant’s recent wins has been the drastic improvement to his stand up game, an attribute he credits to the time he spent training in Thailand.

In a way, this fight is kind of a lose-lose for Maynard, at least by Ed Soares’ concept of the term. On one hand, Grant would make for another solid win in Maynard’s column, but on the other, he is still a relatively unknown commodity as far as casual audeinces go. While a win for Maynard would pretty much solidify the theory that he is a perennial top contender without likely earning him another title shot, a win for Grant would skyrocket him to the top of the division while sending Maynard careening down the ranks.

Also on tap for UFC 160 is an intriguing battle at lightweight that pits the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov against Abel Trujillo, who displayed some of the nastiest knees to the body this side of St. Pierre/Serra 2 in his promotional debut victory over Marcus LeVesseur at UFC on Fox 5. Currently 3-0 in the UFC, Nurmagomedov is on the heels of a first round TKO via hellstorm of elbows over a roided-up Thiago Tavares at UFC on FX 7. 

Will Trujillo be able to stop the freight train that is Nurmagomedov, or will the Russian roll through yet another opponent? Let’s just hope both fights are entertaining, or we’re pretty sure all of these dudes will be out of a job come May 26th.

–J. Jones

Gray Maynard Draws TJ Grant in Lightweight Showdown at UFC 160

The UFC may find their next No. 1 contender at lightweight in May when Gray Maynard squares off with TJ Grant as part of the UFC 160 card headed to Las Vegas. The bout marks Grant’s fifth fight at lightweight. Maynard returns to action almost a year af…

The UFC may find their next No. 1 contender at lightweight in May when Gray Maynard squares off with TJ Grant as part of the UFC 160 card headed to Las Vegas.

The bout marks Grant’s fifth fight at lightweight. Maynard returns to action almost a year after his last fight in the Octagon, after dealing with injuries that sidelined him for the better part of the last 12 months.

UFC officials made the announcement about the lightweight fight late Thursday night.

Gray Maynard will look to get back into the title picture when he returns to action in May after knee surgery kept him out of his last scheduled bout in December. The former Michigan State wrestler had to go under the doctor’s knife to repair damage to both his medial and lateral meniscus, putting him out of training for more than a month.

Now healthy and back in the gym, Maynard will look to make a strong statement with his next fight and hopefully take one more step towards securing another title shot in the UFC’s 155 pound division.

Facing Maynard at UFC 160 will be Canadian grappler and recent lightweight import TJ Grant.

Debuting in the UFC as a welterweight, Grant went 3-3 overall, but never looked outclassed even against bigger fighters at the time. Grant lost a very close majority decision to current top-ranked UFC welterweight Johny Hendricks in 2010, but eventually made the move down to lightweight where he’s shown true dominance.

Grant has gone 4-0 since dropping to 155 pounds, and after besting Evan Dunham at UFC 152, he returned and obliterated Matt Wiman by knockout in the first round at UFC on FOX 6 in January.

Now, Grant has his best and biggest shot to make a real impact in the lightweight division as he faces a former title contender in Gray Maynard. 

With champion Benson Henderson battling Gilbert Melendez in April, and current top lightweight contender Anthony Pettis dropping down to 145 pounds for a showdown with featherweight champion Jose Aldo in August, the fight between Maynard and Grant could be pivotal in the UFC lightweight championship picture.

 

Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.

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UFC 160 Fight Card: Ryan Bader vs. Glover Teixeira Early Prediction

Glover Teixeira will continue his climb toward the top of the light heavyweight division at UFC 160, where he will meet Ryan Bader, another talented 205-pound fighter hoping to break through after a long period of time on the fringe of title contention…

Glover Teixeira will continue his climb toward the top of the light heavyweight division at UFC 160, where he will meet Ryan Bader, another talented 205-pound fighter hoping to break through after a long period of time on the fringe of title contention.

Teixeira has won his first three UFC bouts, stopping Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado before spoiling Quinton Jackson‘s likely UFC farewell.

Meanwhile, Bader has won three of his past four fights, which also included a decision win over Jackson. The former TUF winner’s only loss during that span was a knockout at the hands of former champion Lyoto Machida.

Although most opponents fear the knockout power of these two light heavyweights, Teixeira and Bader are arguably even more skilled on the ground. Teixeira is a jiu-jitsu black belt, and Bader was twice an NCAA wrestling All-American.

Despite his amateur wrestling background, Bader has not fully grasped MMA wrestling and setups required to take high-level opponents to the ground, as he’s only been successful on 43 percent of his takedown attempts (via UFC.com). 

Conversely, Teixeira has not yet been taken down by any of his UFC adversaries (via UFC.com). 

Even if Bader‘s wrestling had transitioned seamlessly into the MMA realm, he’s still a fighter who likes to stand and throw bombs until the need for a takedown arises.

If Teixeira and Bader trade on their feet, the fight could simply be determined by the first punch to find its mark, as both men carry heavy hands an questionable chins.

While Bader has been knocked down by Machida and Tito Ortiz, Teixeira has also suffered a knockout loss and was recently rocked by a desperation punch from Fabio Maldonado.

Should this matchup come down to the fighter to test their opponent’s chin first, Teixeira would probably have to be given the edge. His striking arsenal is a little more diverse than Bader‘s, who relies on Dan Henderson-like haymakers frequently.

A first-round stoppage of Bader would give Teixeira a boost toward the top of the 205-pound rankings and could set him up for a title shot eliminator, considering all the hype surrounding his meteoric rise in the light heavyweight division.

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