As the UFC starts to introduce more and more women’s bouts the organization, one of the top-rated fighters in the promotion will finally make her debut at UFC 161 in June. A winner of two fights in a row and a 5-1 record in her last six fights, Alexis …
As the UFC starts to introduce more and more women’s bouts the organization, one of the top-rated fighters in the promotion will finally make her debut at UFC 161 in June.
A winner of two fights in a row and a 5-1 record in her last six fights, Alexis Davis is finally set to make her Octagon debut when she faces British fighter Rosi Sexton at UFC 161 in Winnipeg on June 15.
UFC officials announced the fight via Twitter on Thursday.
Coming into the UFC, Davis is already one of the most highly-touted prospects gunning for a shot at the bantamweight women’s title and champion Ronda Rousey.
Davis holds wins over several notable names including Shayna Baszler and Julie Kedzie, and also ended up in an absolute war with former Strikeforce women’s champion Sarah Kaufman in their bout in March 2012.
Now, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt will look to make a good first impression as she fights in her home country of Canada while storming towards the top of the women’s bantamweight rankings.
Looking to derail that mission will be 13-2 fighter Rosi Sexton, who like Davis, will of course be making her UFC debut in June.
Sexton is a seasoned competitor having started her career all the way back in 2002, and has taken on some very tough challenges over her career. With a background in both TaeKwon Do and Jiu-Jitsu, Sexton boasts wins over Debi Purcell, Roxanne Modafferi and most recently, a victory over Aisling Daly.
Davis and Sexton will both look to make a big impact on day one in the UFC while working towards title contention. The UFC women’s bantamweight title will be tied up for some time while the current champion Rousey awaits the winner of the upcoming fight at the Ultimate Fighter 17 finale between Miesha Tate and Cat Zingano.
Before they fight however, Rousey will coach against either Tate or Zingano in the next season of the Ultimate Fighter that’s expected to film this summer and debut later this year.
It’s likely whoever wins between Davis and Sexton will still have to fight again before a title shot could happen, but only the victor will continue on that road towards championship glory.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report
It’s an odd world when a former champion loses two fights in a row—one of which was another shot at the title—and somehow talk of his retirement starts being bantered about in MMA. Rashad Evans was caught off guard recently when he heard hi…
It’s an odd world when a former champion loses two fights in a row—one of which was another shot at the title—and somehow talk of his retirement starts being bantered about in MMA.
Rashad Evans was caught off guard recently when he heard his name being mentioned alongside retirement. Certainly, Evans was aware that his last performance against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was nothing to be proud of, but still it marked only his third loss in professional MMA.
He’s not sure why people are asking about retirement, but Evans is happy to shut down those rumors because he’s not going anywhere.
“That is kind of crazy to me too because it’s like I’ve only lost three fights,” Evans told Bleacher Report on Wednesday. “Some people have like 10 losses, 12 losses, and I’ve only lost three fights and people want me to retire? It also says people set a high standard on the level which I’m supposed to compete at. So I really can’t get mad at that, but I just know that I have to let my level rise and not to be in the position where I lost one fight then in two or three fights I need to retire.
“It’s funny to me also because it seems like I just started fighting the other day. Just seems like I just got into the sport the other day and it goes to show how much time has passed by.”
Evans won’t deny that his last performance was something he wants to forget. It was billed as his chance to get back in the race for a potential title shot down the road, but instead he came out flat and couldn’t muster the skills to get past Nogueira in a fairly lackluster fight.
For Evans, it wasn’t an easy loss to recover from, despite having no physical ailments that needed mending. Evans’ problem was from the mental side of things, as he had to go back and watch a fight he had no desire to relive.
“I really let myself down bad in the last fight and it’s something that took me a while personally to shake off,” said Evans. “As any competitor knows, you’ve almost got to have a short memory when competing. The more you hang onto it, the more you drag onto it, in a negative sense you don’t move past it. I just need to get back to what I do best. There comes a time when you learn so many different things and you try to develop a style and you try to stay ahead of the curve, but sometimes you can just get yourself out of what is best for you. That’s what I feel like I’ve done. I’ve gotten out of what’s absolutely best for me in the pursuit of trying to gain that edge.”
What Evans did best for many years was integrate a slick boxing style with his background in wrestling. That game will get a boost under new coach Kenny Monday, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, who will join the Blackzilians as the new wrestling coach next week.
Evans wants to find that fire that saw him climb from The Ultimate Fighter winner to UFC light heavyweight champion, and that begins with his fight at UFC 161 against Dan Henderson.
Following the fight with Henderson—win, lose or draw—Evans might be put in a whole new situation as he considers moving down to middleweight. Evans has toyed with the idea for the past year, but now it seems like it’s getting closer to reality.
“It’s definitely something that interests me because after you run the round robin with all the fighters and I fought him, and he fought him, it just kind of becomes stagnant. A chance to fight new competition at a different weight class, that is appealing to me,” Evans stated. “I can’t lie and say that’s not appealing to me.
“It’s a chance for me to see if I can do it again. See if I can rise to the top in another weight class. That challenge is definitely appealing to me outside of all the potential matchups that the fans get to see me have now. It’s definitely something that I will look into after this fight whether I win or lose, just for the fact that I’m midway through my career and I’m thinking maybe I could just try another weight class and maybe I could mix it up. Because when you’re doing something for so long, no matter how much you love it, it does become kind of stagnant.”
Evans is excited about the fight with Henderson because it’s a chance to face a legend of MMA history, but he is quick to point out that the options beyond this fight at 205 pounds are limited. He is interested in potential rematches with LyotoMachida and Jon Jones, who account for two of his three losses in MMA, and maybe finally getting the chance to face someone like Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, but outside of that, Evans doesn’t see much left for him in the light heavyweight division.
“That would be the only three matchups that would really be interesting for me at 205,” Evans commented about those trio of fights. “The idea of 185 does sound appealing because of those new matchups. 205 has been my home for so long it does feel kind of weird not to compete at that weight class. That’s one thing that if I was to make that choice, I would really have to think about that.”
Evans’ mind will only contemplate one thing right now, and that’s beating Dan Henderson at UFC 161. After that fight and hopefully a win, Evans will look to what’s next and potential new life at 185 pounds.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
For the first time in his UFC career, Rashad Evans finds himself on the chopping block.The former UFC light heavyweight champ is coming off back-to-back losses to Jon Jones and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.With the UFC laying down the hammer on so many job…
For the first time in his UFC career, Rashad Evans finds himself on the chopping block.
The former UFC light heavyweight champ is coming off back-to-back losses to Jon Jones and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
With the UFC laying down the hammer on so many jobs, Evans could find himself looking for work elsewhere if he loses a third consecutive fight. He is slated to take on MMA legend Dan Henderson at UFC 161 in a bout that could determine his UFC future.
It’s good to get in there with somebody like Dan and answer a lot of critics and to show everybody that I am still one of the best guys in the weight class.
This is the type of fight that keeps you up at night, because you want to do well. My back is against the wall. And this is when I perform at my best. My manager Bill Robinson always says, ‘You’re either one fight away from getting a title shot and becoming champion or you’re two losses away from being cut from UFC.’
It all started with the loss to Jones.
Evans’ messy falling out with Jones and former trainer Greg Jackson led to one of the most emotional grudge matches in MMA history. Every fight is important, but there was something about Evans’ beef with Jones that carried even more weight than the UFC title.
It was the must-win fight that Evans still managed to lose.
Jones walked away with the unanimous decision and the UFC title. Evans admitted to MMAJunkie.com that he considered retiring after the loss.
In the end, he decided to keep competing, and at UFC 156, he was stunned once again in a surprising upset loss to Nogueira. While Nogueira deserves credit for an incredible performance, it’s tough to dismiss the fact that Evans looked unenthused and sluggish throughout the bout.
At only 33 years of age, Evans believes his problems stem from a serious case of burnout.
I must admit I did get to a point where I wasn’t having fun and went through the motions. And that’s where I am right now. When I started fighting I enjoyed everything part of it: I enjoyed training so much, I enjoyed learning. But lately it had gotten to the point where it was something that I had to do, it’d become somewhat monotonous.
A win over Henderson would go a long way in helping Evans get his career back on track.
Before losing a controversial split decision to LyotoMachida at UFC 157, Henderson was riding a four-fight win streak and was listed as the No. 1 contender for the UFC title.
Has the ship finally sailed on Evans’ career, or will he defeat Henderson and reemerge as a UFC light heavyweight title contender?
MMA Junkie is reporting that heavyweight sluggers Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan are booked against one another for June 15th’s UFC 161. Both men got back in the win column in their last fights with nasty stoppages over Shane Del Rosario and Mike Russow, respectively.
The two share an opponent in Lavar Johnson, the last man to beat Barry (by first round TKO at UFC on FOX 3) and the same that Jordan was able to submit with a second round keylock back at Strikeforce Challengers 18. Undaunted by this fact, Barry and his girlfriend, fighter Rose “The Riveter” Namajunas, took to the streets of Milwaukee to celebrate the booking with their own Harlem Shake video while Dave Begel quietly masturbated off camera. Yeah, yeah, we know – Harlem Shake videos are so, over.
Well, the stocky Barry acting a fool in his underwear never goes out of style, especially now that he’s bringing his girl in on the action. After the jump, more videos of the couple acting goofy.
MMA Junkie is reporting that heavyweight sluggers Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan are booked against one another for June 15th’s UFC 161. Both men got back in the win column in their last fights with nasty stoppages over Shane Del Rosario and Mike Russow, respectively.
The two share an opponent in Lavar Johnson, the last man to beat Barry (by first round TKO at UFC on FOX 3) and the same that Jordan was able to submit with a second round keylock back at Strikeforce Challengers 18. Undaunted by this fact, Barry and his girlfriend, fighter Rose “The Riveter” Namajunas, took to the streets of Milwaukee to celebrate the booking with their own Harlem Shake video while Dave Begel quietly masturbated off camera. Yeah, yeah, we know – Harlem Shake videos are so, over.
Well, the stocky Barry acting a fool in his underwear never goes out of style, especially now that he’s bringing his girl in on the action. After the jump, more videos of the couple acting goofy.
Barry being a dick and rudely waking up Rose:
Rose getting her revenge and rudely waking up Barry/sucker punching him in the fucking mouth while he’s sleeping:
Ever since Strikeforce closed their doors in January, the stars who were absorbed onto the UFC roster have been making major waves. Antonio Silva, Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz are preparing for title bouts, while lower-tier fighters Bobby Green and D…
Ever since Strikeforce closed their doors in January, the stars who were absorbed onto the UFC roster have been making major waves. Antonio Silva, Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz are preparing for title bouts, while lower-tier fighters Bobby Green and Derek Brunson have already recorded signature wins in their new company.
At UFC 161, one-time Strikeforce contender Tyron Woodley looks to follow up his explosive debut with a win over Jake Shields, a man who once held gold in the San Diego-based promotion.
With competition within the welterweight division being the stiffest in all of MMA, this is an important divisional matchup between fighters with completely different approaches to fighting.
Here is a head-to-toe breakdown of the UFC 161 contest between Tyron Woodley and Jake Shields
Several fight announcements continue to roll out for the UFC 161 card in Canada, as a heavyweight and welterweight match have been confirmed for June 15.According to the Winnipeg Free Press, heavyweights Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan will join the card, a…
Several fight announcements continue to roll out for the UFC 161 card in Canada, as a heavyweight and welterweight match have been confirmed for June 15.
According to the Winnipeg Free Press, heavyweights Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan will join the card, along with Jake Shields vs. Tyron Woodley.
UFC Canada’s official Twitter account further solidified the news, posting it on their feed:
This will mark “HD” Barry’s second fight in Canada during his MMA career, with his last bout there ending in a submission defeat to Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.
Since then, Barry has posted a split 3-3 record in the UFC and will enter UFC 161 off a knockout win over Shane del Rosario.
Bellator MMA and Strikeforce veteran Jordan has also stayed afloat in the heavyweight ranks, posting a 2-1 record in his three UFC fights with a recent TKO win against Mike Russow—Jordan’s 14th victory out of 18 career bouts.
“The Savage” is far from the only former Strikeforce veteran on the card, though.
Woodley enters his fight with Jake Shields riding the momentum of a fantastic 36-second knockout finish over Jay Hieron, which boosts an 11-1 record against strong competition including Nate Marquardt, Paul Daley and Tarec Saffiedine.
Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Shields will mark this as his first fight back off a positive test for banned substances. Originally, he had pulled out a decision win against Ed Herman at UFC 150, but the result has since been changed to a no-contest.
