MMA fans have become accustomed to the above image: UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva raising his hands in victory while his vanquished opponent is tended to by the referee, cutman or cageside physician. After all, we’ve seen nothing but Silva w…
MMA fans have become accustomed to the above image: UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva raising his hands in victory while his vanquished opponent is tended to by the referee, cutman or cageside physician. After all, we’ve seen nothing but Silva wins since he joined the UFC in 2006.
If you’re counting, that’s 16 straight victories for Silva, a UFC record, but Silva is not without blemishes on his career record. Since making his professional debut in 1997, Silva has been defeated four times.
What follows are the complete fight videos of each of those defeats.
In a few days the UFC will be back from its three-week break. The fight card the promotion will offer fans of mixed martial arts will be headlined by one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of the year, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva versus…
In a few days the UFC will be back from its three-week break. The fight card the promotion will offer fans of mixed martial arts will be headlined by one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of the year, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva versus top-ranked challenger Chris Weidman.
The four other fights on the main card will be divided between two featherweight contests and two middleweight scraps. While these four fights may not be for a UFC title, that doesn’t mean the fights will be for small stakes. Each of the eight fighters competing in these bouts will be looking to improve their standing in their division.
What follows are some interesting stats and facts about the five main card fights at UFC 162. Feel free to use them to help make your picks for who the eventual winners will be, or to win some bar bets.
The road to title contention has been an uphill battle for Tim Boetsch.In a division filled with high profile names like Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, and Michael Bisping, it would be easy for the 32-year-old Maine native to get lost in the shuffle. F…
The road to title contention has been an uphill battle for Tim Boetsch.
In a division filled with high profile names like Anderson Silva, VitorBelfort, and Michael Bisping, it would be easy for the 32-year-old Maine native to get lost in the shuffle. Fortunately for “The Barbarian,” his work inside of the cage has kept him above the fray and positioned in the crowded upper tier of the middleweight division.
Since making his debut at UFC 130 in May of 2011, the 185-pound Boetsch has won four out of his five showings in the middleweight division, which has included victories over the likes of YushinOkami and Hector Lombard. The only setback during this run came in his most recent showing at UFC where he was defeated by fellow surging contender Costa Philippou via second round stoppage.
Despite an impressive four-fight winning streak coming into the tilt with Philippou in Las Vegas, the loss threatened to push Boetsch out of the title picture for the foreseeable future. In addition to the title race in the 185-pound division becoming highly competitive, the veteran’s lack of name recognition in comparison to his peers in the weight class certainly played a factor in that materializing situation.
That being said, the current scenario in the 185-pound weight class has Boetsch fully aware of where he stands in the divisional picture. He knows his future as a contender is on the line this weekend in Las Vegas and will be looking to make a definitive return to the title picture when he faces Mark Munoz at UFC 162.
“We are both very game fighters,” Boetsch told Bleacher Report. “I think everybody recognizes that we are both elite level guys and the winner of this fight will be very close to the top of the ladder in the division. It establishes the winner as one of the guys to beat. Munoz is coming off a loss but it was against the guy who is now challenging for a title shot. I’m not sure why Munoz’s rankings or his stock has gone down as much as it has but I feel we are both right there still in the mix.
“You really can’t afford to take a step back no matter who you are. If your goal is to ultimately become champion, then you need to keep moving in the right direction. For me, that is up and that is what I intend on doing.
“That is really what I thought when I got this fight,” Boetsch added in regard to staying in the title hunt. “I was coming off a loss. I was bummed out and wasn’t sure who I would get next. When I got the call saying it was Mark, I was really excited because this fight will send a statement if I do what I’m planning on doing. It will really send a message that I’m for real and I’m here to stay. I’ve got one thing in mind and that is becoming champion.”
Stylistically speaking, the matchup between Boetsch and Munoz will feature two fighters with similar approaches to the fight game. Both bring heavy-handed power into the cage and have built their respective skill sets from strong wrestling pedigrees.
Munoz and Boetsch each have decorated wrestling backgrounds, and despite the 35-year-old Californian having the more accomplished resume, Boetsch believes the wrestling exchanges inside the Octagon could play out in his favor on Saturday night.
“Obviously, his wrestling pedigree is higher than mine,” Boetsch said. “He was a national champion and a very decorated wrestler, but it doesn’t always translate well to mixed martial arts. You have to figure out how to mix the striking in with the takedowns, and for some wrestlers it is not an easy transition. I feel confident in my ability to take him down if I need to and my stand up ability against him. I feel very comfortable wherever this fight goes.
“For me it’s a very exciting fight. I know Munoz moves forward and looks to finish fights. He throws big, heavy hands and he’s put them to good use in the past. At the same time, I see a lot of openings I can take advantage of and certainly plan on doing that come fight night. It’s going to be an exciting fight and one the fans are definitely going to enjoy.”
In addition to the race to stay in title contention, one of the larger story lines surrounding the bout is the journey Munoz has endured on his return to the cage. “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” has been on the sidelines for a year since his last bout with Chris Weidman, which was his only bout in a 19-month stretch.
While the opinion on “ring rust” differs from fighter to fighter, Boetsch certainly believes it is real and knows it is something Munoz will have to deal with at UFC 162.
“For me, ring rust is a very real thing and anyone who tells you differently is crazy,” Boetsch said. “It doesn’t matter what training you are doing or training as hard as you can, nothing simulates walking out to the Octagon and fighting in front of 20,000 people. You just can’t copy that. If you only do that once a year, then yes there is going to be some extra added pressure on you and some added things you have to deal with. So ring rust to me is very real. That being said, I know Munoz has been around competition his entire life and I expect him to deal with it very well. But it will be there. I know it will be there.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Tim Kennedy just wants to talk about his fight with Roger Gracie this Saturday at UFC 162. But he’s not getting off that easily just yet. Kennedy attracted attention last week by calling UFC fighter pay “pathetic” and then issuing a le…
Tim Kennedy just wants to talk about his fight with Roger Gracie this Saturday at UFC 162. But he’s not getting off that easily just yet.
Kennedy attracted attention last week by calling UFC fighter pay “pathetic” and then issuing a lengthy apology statement a few days later. When questioned about the chain of events Monday on The MMA Hour broadcast, Kennedy walked a fine line by attempting to stand by both his original comments and his apology, in which he stated those comments were, among other things, “taken out of context.”
“If I say something that makes my bosses mad, and they say ‘you need to say something about it,’ then I will,” Kennedy said. “I’ll stand by what I said the first time and the reasons why I apologized afterward.”
Kennedy also repeated, albeit more reluctantly and far more diplomatically than he originally did, his wishes that UFC fighters would be paid more.
“It was just an honest assessment of, ‘here are the deductions that usually occur in a fight,’ and it’s a lot less money than most people think,” Kennedy said. “It’s hard to fight two, three times a year and have all your income come from that. It’s not enough.”
Kennedy (15-4) also said he believed pro fighters should be paid on the same level as professional golfers or hockey players, especially given that golfers “don’t have as short of a career as we do.”
The 33-year-old middleweight and former Strikeforce title challenger, who is making his UFC debut Saturday, seemed relieved and excited to shift gears and discuss his UFC 162 tilt with fellow former Strikeforce standout and UFC debutante Roger Gracie.
A jiu-jitsu world champion, Gracie (6-1) has been accused of being one-dimensional in the context of high-level MMA. On Monday, Kennedy made no such accusation.
“He is so dominant on the ground that his one trick is really, really, really, really good. But no, I don’t think he’s a one-trick pony,” Kennedy said. “I think his standup is underestimated. I think he’s really good at using range.”
Tim Kennedy just wants to talk about his fight with Roger Gracie this Saturday at UFC 162. But he’s not getting off that easily just yet. Kennedy attracted attention last week by calling UFC fighter pay “pathetic” and then issuing a le…
Tim Kennedy just wants to talk about his fight with Roger Gracie this Saturday at UFC 162. But he’s not getting off that easily just yet.
Kennedy attracted attention last week by calling UFC fighter pay “pathetic” and then issuing a lengthy apology statement a few days later. When questioned about the chain of events Monday on The MMA Hour broadcast, Kennedy walked a fine line by attempting to stand by both his original comments and his apology, in which he stated those comments were, among other things, “taken out of context.”
“If I say something that makes my bosses mad, and they say ‘you need to say something about it,’ then I will,” Kennedy said. “I’ll stand by what I said the first time and the reasons why I apologized afterward.”
Kennedy also repeated, albeit more reluctantly and far more diplomatically than he originally did, his wishes that UFC fighters would be paid more.
“It was just an honest assessment of, ‘here are the deductions that usually occur in a fight,’ and it’s a lot less money than most people think,” Kennedy said. “It’s hard to fight two, three times a year and have all your income come from that. It’s not enough.”
Kennedy (15-4) also said he believed pro fighters should be paid on the same level as professional golfers or hockey players, especially given that golfers “don’t have as short of a career as we do.”
The 33-year-old middleweight and former Strikeforce title challenger, who is making his UFC debut Saturday, seemed relieved and excited to shift gears and discuss his UFC 162 tilt with fellow former Strikeforce standout and UFC debutante Roger Gracie.
A jiu-jitsu world champion, Gracie (6-1) has been accused of being one-dimensional in the context of high-level MMA. On Monday, Kennedy made no such accusation.
“He is so dominant on the ground that his one trick is really, really, really, really good. But no, I don’t think he’s a one-trick pony,” Kennedy said. “I think his standup is underestimated. I think he’s really good at using range.”
Chris Leben faces Andrew Craig this Saturday at UFC 162. A loser in three of his past four fights, the popular and sometimes-troubled middleweight said he is better than ever heading into a pivotal bout in Las Vegas. “I truly am in the best shape …
Chris Leben faces Andrew Craig this Saturday at UFC 162. A loser in three of his past four fights, the popular and sometimes-troubled middleweight said he is better than ever heading into a pivotal bout in Las Vegas.
“I truly am in the best shape of my life,” Leben said Monday on The MMA Hour broadcast. “Finally, for once, I’m doing everything right in and out of the cage. And I’ve got a great support group.”
It’s not exactly a groundbreaking soundbite, but there is reason to believe Leben‘s sentiment is more than pure platitude. The 32-year-old Leben (22-9) credited his current condition to a recent change in training camp. Not long ago, Leben and his wife moved to San Diego, and Leben now belongs to the Alliance MMA team. For several years before, Leben trained and coached in Hawaii.
Leben said Monday that the Alliance team has put him through his paces—something he didn’t face too often as a top dog in his Oahu gym.
“It had been a long time since I had been a part of a hardcore training team like this,” Leben said. “I was a little bit of a lone wolf out [in Hawaii]. I had some great guys to train with, but when it came camp time, it was really just me…There’s no yes-men here.”
Leben has lost two consecutive fights: one to Mark Munoz in November 2011 and the second to Derek Brunson in December 2012. Following his loss to Munoz, Leben tested positive for oxycodone and oxymorphone and was suspended for a year. It was the second failed drug test and suspension of Leben‘s career.
As a result of his checkered background, Leben said the Alliance team—which includes standouts like UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and Bellator lightweight beltholder Michael Chandler—was initially leery about Leben‘s membership. But Leben said he is back on the straight and narrow and has earned the team’s trust.
“They started pushing me hard, and they continue to push me hard,” Leben said. “It really forced me to clean my act up even more.”
The road to title contention has been an uphill battle for Tim