Chris Leben will face Andrew Craig at UFC 162, and if we are to believe “The Crippler,” he’s feeling recharged and ready to get back in the Octagon. That’s all well and good, but we’ve heard this kind of talk from Leben be…
Chris Leben will face Andrew Craig at UFC 162, and if we are to believe “The Crippler,” he’s feeling recharged and ready to get back in the Octagon.
That’s all well and good, but we’ve heard this kind of talk from Leben before. With a record of 1-3 in his last four fights, the UFC is going to want more than words from Leben when he steps into the Octagon in July.
Words are nice. They get the fans pumped up and put butts in the seats, but Leben gets paid for actions inside the Octagon, not talk outside the cage.
Leben recently appeared on MMAJunkie radio and told the hosts:
With the new gym (Alliance in San Diego) and sticking to my diet and actually walking the line, I feel 10 years younger now than when I was competing earlier. I’m performing better in the gym and we hopefully get to have that transfer over come (fight) night. I don’t see myself hanging my hat up anytime soon.
Hold that thought and rewind to September 2012. Leben was coming off of a long layoff following a drug-related suspension and a stint in rehab when he told the same radio show, “I’m a little bummed out for KarlosVemola because I know he’s lost his last couple, and now he’s getting a fresh reborn Chris Leben, which is going to be a bit tough for him.”
Leben never got the chance to show Vemola the fresh and reborn version of himself, as Vemola was injured and forced from the card. Instead Leben faced Derek Brunson at UFC 155. The fight was largely uneventful. Brunson and Leben both looked tired and sloppy throughout the 15-minute bout.
Neither fighter did much of anything in the fight, but Brunson did enough to earn the unanimous decision (29-28 x 3). After the fight, Leben proved less than gracious in defeat:
Leben is a popular fighter with fans and the UFC brass, and it’s easy to understand why he falls into that group of fighters that always looks to entertain. Leben always looks to bring the fight, sometimes at the expense of his personal well being—well, at least he did until UFC 155.
Leben most likely used up his free pass from the UFC in the Brunson fight. I would venture to guess that he also used up a considerable amount of good will from the fans too, delivering a lackluster performance and following that up with excuses.
You can bet the UFC will be watching Leben’s performance at UFC 162 very closely due to his performance against Brunson, his recent record and his salary.
Anything less than a classic Leben performance and he could be facing some questions regarding his future employment. That is a fact that Leben is obviously aware of, telling MMAJunkie, “I have to go out and make a statement, and that’s what I plan to do.”
That statement will need to be made not with words, but with actions and at the expense of Andrew Craig on July 6 in Las Vegas.
The UFC has officially released their first promotional poster for UFC 162, and needless to say, they are highlighting the main-event bout between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. Here’s a look from the UFC’s official Twitter page:
First look at …
The UFC has officially released their first promotional poster for UFC 162, and needless to say, they are highlighting the main-event bout between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman.
Silva enters the bout with a unblemished 16-0 record inside the Octagon, with 10 of those wins being successful UFC middleweight title defenses. That’s a record for the 185-pound division.
“The Spider” last defended his belt at UFC 148 against rival ChaelSonnen, whom he defeated via second-round TKO.
He also competed in the main event of UFC 153, scoring a first-round TKO of “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar, but that bout was contested at the light heavyweight limit of 205 pounds.
The challenger for the July 6 event, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Nevada, boasts a perfect professional record as well.
Weidman has been on the shelf for almost 10 months due to shoulder surgery, so he hasn’t fought since UFC on FUEL 4 in July.
The event marked “The All-American’s” most impressive victory to date, scoring a brutal and bloody knockout over Mark Munoz in the second round.
Weidman, a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler as Hofstra University, has stated that he knows his takedowns and top control will be too much for the Brazilian pound-for-pound great to handle (via MMA Mania).
While wrestling is surely Silva’s weak point, his knockout power and underrated submission skills have not failed since he tapped out to a flying heel hook against RyoChonan all the way back in December 2004.
Will Weidman be just another victim for the dominant champion, or will his grappling chops be enough to finally crown a new king of the UFC’s middleweight division?
In a sport as rigorous as mixed martial arts, where a fighter’s physical and mental mettle is tested in constant fashion, the ability to bounce back from adversity can either define or break an athlete’s career.It just so happens resilience is a someth…
In a sport as rigorous as mixed martial arts, where a fighter’s physical and mental mettle is tested in constant fashion, the ability to bounce back from adversity can either define or break an athlete’s career.
It just so happens resilience is a something Frankie Edgar carries in large supply.
The former UFC lightweight champion’s battles are well-noted, and his countless displays of heart and grit are stamped into the history of the sport itself, but despite the accomplishments of his impressive resume, these days “The Answer” finds himself in a situation far different than he’s ever known in his professional career.
After an impressive run atop the highly competitive 155-pound division, the 31-year-old has experienced a tough run of setbacks inside the Octagon, coming out on the losing end of his past three showings on the sport’s biggest stage—each time with championship gold on the line.
His two losses to Benson Henderson were close—one downright controversial—but nevertheless, Edgar carried on. Back-to-back losses could have prompted him to look for an easier path to travel, but when the opportunity to compete for pound-for-pound great Jose Aldo’s featherweight title arose, the “fighting pride of Toms River” once again put himself in a position to show and prove.
Unfortunately for Edgar, five rounds weren’t enough for him to tip the scales on the fight, as Aldo walked out of their main-event tilt at UFC 156 with his title intact.
In the aftermath of the fight, Edgar was undoubtedly gutted by the loss. The former title holder was now staring down the barrel of a reality where in one year’s time, he had gone from champion to the owner of a three-fight losing streak, with his place in the sport lingering in doubt and uncertainty.
But if Edgar has proven anything throughout his nearly decade-long career, it is that his resolve is unbreakable—a quality that has come from being a perpetual underdog. Where some fighters have lingered on merit and accomplishment, Edgar has had to consistently prove he belongs at the highest level of the sport. And while he has come out on the losing end of those battles in this most recent run, Edgar is determined to get back to where he believes he belongs.
He’s defined by heart, but not just the heart he shows in the tense moments of a closely fought battle. The real measure of his heart is Edgar’s ability to step forward and weather the criticism that comes in the midst of a three-fight losing streak where many are writing off the former champion.
There is no doubt the pressure is on, but it is nothing new to Edgar. He’s spent a lifetime in the fires of competition and truly believes this adversity will only serve to make him stronger.
“You put my back against the wall, and that is when I’m going to come out with something great,” Edgar told Bleacher Report. “When everything is stacked against you, I think that is when greatness truly comes out. When things are going your way and in your corner, it is a different situation. But I’m the type of guy—when the pressure is on and my back is against the wall—it is going to bring the very best out of me.”
The opportunity for Edgar to break his recent skid and begin his climb back to the top of the division will come against Charles Oliveira at UFC 162 in July. It will be his first non-title bout in three years, and while the circumstances surrounding the fight will have a different feel, Edgar sees the matchup with “Do Bronx” as the ideal situation to get back to the win column.
That being said, the former lightweight champion turned featherweight contender is taking nothing away from the talented young Brazilian. The 23-year-old presents some interesting stylistic challenges, and Edgar is looking forward to mixing it up in Las Vegas.
“I think [Oliveira] is very dangerous,” Edgar said. “He’s a really long fighter. He’s almost six foot tall, and for a short guy like myself, that presents some challenges. He’s willing to throw diverse strikes with kicks, knees and punches, then he has a “go for broke” style of jiu-jitsu. He’s going to throw submission, and it doesn’t matter where he is—he’s going for them. I don’t know how high his level of jiu-jitsu is going to be, but those guys who go for broke and are willing to go all-in for a submission attempt are dangerous.”
“I just need to get back to my winning ways. I need to get back into a rhythm I guess you could say. It’s tough because I have three losses. Yeah, they were three pretty tight losses, and some people say I won some of those fights, but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day I lost. At the same, time those losses came against some of the best fighters in the world.
“It sucks having three losses in a row, but I have to play it for what it is,” Edgar added. “I don’t think I had any bad performances in that run. There are some things I need to work on technically and strategically, but I feel like I’m still on my way up. This is just a bump in the road, and I’m going to get back on track. This fight is my opportunity to get that done and get back into the win column.”
Edgar’s championship run in the lightweight division made him one of the most recognizable names in the sport, and dropping down into a weight class that has become increasingly competitive over the past year, the high-profile name he carries is an appealing bounty to the rising stars in the featherweight division.
Nevertheless, having a target on his back is nothing new to Edgar. He knows he will face some tough challenges in order to get back to where he wants to be. In order to accomplish this task, the scenery may look a bit different with no main-event billing or an opponent who doesn’t carry the same amount of name recognition, but those are minor details at this point.
Winning is what matters, and Edgar will do whatever it takes to get his career back on track.
“For sure there are fighters in this division who see me as someone they can try to make their name on, but if I want to be a top fighter in this weight class, I have to be able to beat anyone I get in there with,” Edgar said. “It doesn’t matter who I fight. If I want to be number one—and that is always my goal—I should be able to beat whoever I face. That is how I approach it, and that is how I’m looking at my next fight.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained first hand unless noted otherwise.
In one of the greater upsets of 2013 thus far, Robbie Lawler returned to the UFC last February and successfully smashed former top contender Josh Koscheck in the opening round of their UFC 157 main card scrap. Although the fight was not without its share of controversy (because it is physically impossible to fully knockout a Fraggle), the UFC quickly took notice nonetheless and has now booked “Ruthless” against the final Strikeforce welterweight champion, Tarec Saffiedine, at UFC on FOX 8.
In one of the greater upsets of 2013 thus far, Robbie Lawler returned to the UFC last February and successfully smashed former top contender Josh Koscheck in the opening round of their UFC 157 main card scrap. Although the fight was not without its share of controversy (because it is physically impossible to fully knockout a Fraggle), the UFC quickly took notice nonetheless and has now booked “Ruthless” against the final Strikeforce welterweight champion, Tarec Saffiedine, at UFC on FOX 8.
Also set for UFC on FOX 8 is a battle of exciting lightweights when Team Alpha Male’s Danny Castillo takes on Strikeforce import Bobby Green. Currently 5-2 in the UFC (4-1 in his last 5), “Last Call” recently rebounded from a second round KO loss to Michael Johnson at UFC on FX 5 with a unanimous decision victory over Paul Sass at UFC on FUEL 7. God dammit, we are less than 10 FXs and FUELs in and I am already getting confused by this bullshit. When UFC on Fox Sports 1 1 rolls around, I am out of this bitch. Anyways, Bobby Green will be looking to improve upon a successful SOTN victory over Jacob Volkmann in his UFC debut that earned the seal-of-approval from DW himself. Expect some fireworks in this one.
Chris Weidman has been eyeing Anderson Silva for a long time.The undefeated middleweight contender has been brimming with an unusual confidence that hasn’t struck the right chord with most MMA fans.Silva is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world …
Chris Weidman has been eyeing Anderson Silva for a long time.
The undefeated middleweight contender has been brimming with an unusual confidence that hasn’t struck the right chord with most MMA fans.
Silva is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world and arguably the greatest of all time. He has completely eviscerated every UFC contender to stand in his way. How does Weidman expect to be any different than all of the other fighters who fell before Silva? Where is his confidence coming from?
During an appearance on The Fight Network’s “5 Rounds” segment, Weidman talked about his dream of defeating Silva and proving all of the naysayers wrong:
One of the biggest things for me is to prove to all of those people that think I’m going to get killed or just see him as unbeatable, I can’t wait to prove them wrong. I really want to make it look easy out there. I just want to shock the world.
As fans, it’s easy to become infatuated with past bouts against opponents, but in reality, the key behind breaking down a fight lies in the style matchup.
On paper, Weidman is an incredibly difficult matchup for Silva. If there is any vulnerability in Silva’s airtight game, it would have to be his wrestling. ChaelSonnen has already proven this on a pair of occasions by effortlessly putting Silva on his back multiple times.
Of course, Silva always found a way to win. He may not be the best wrestler in MMA, but his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills more than make up for whatever he lacks in the takedown department.
On the other hand, Weidman is also a high-level Jiu-Jitsu guy. With only one year of training, he made it all the way to the finals of the 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, where he was defeated in double overtime by world-renowned BJJ star André Galvão.
The mere thought of someone with only a year of experience competing at the highest level and nearly defeating a world class BJJ artist is unfathomable.
Weidman made his professional MMA debut in February 2009, and even then, he felt like he could defeat Silva:
I’m a huge fan of [Anderson Silva]. Since I got into the sport, 3 and a half or four years ago, he was the champion, and I decided to go to 185, and right away I’d tell people I was fighting at 185, and people would be like ‘Is that Anderson Silva’s weight class?’ I’d be like, ‘Yeah,’ and they’re like, ‘Better choose a new weight class buddy.’
That just fueled me, since then till now. Even then I knew I could beat him. I just knew that I was a bad matchup for him. I just knew I had the potential to beat him, and I had that mindset four years ago, and it’s even stronger now.
Chris Weidman has been eyeing Anderson Silva for a long time.The undefeated middleweight contender has been brimming with an unusual confidence that hasn’t struck the right chord with most MMA fans.Silva is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world …
Chris Weidman has been eyeing Anderson Silva for a long time.
The undefeated middleweight contender has been brimming with an unusual confidence that hasn’t struck the right chord with most MMA fans.
Silva is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world and arguably the greatest of all time. He has completely eviscerated every UFC contender to stand in his way. How does Weidman expect to be any different than all of the other fighters who fell before Silva? Where is his confidence coming from?
During an appearance on The Fight Network’s “5 Rounds” segment, Weidman talked about his dream of defeating Silva and proving all of the naysayers wrong:
One of the biggest things for me is to prove to all of those people that think I’m going to get killed or just see him as unbeatable, I can’t wait to prove them wrong. I really want to make it look easy out there. I just want to shock the world.
As fans, it’s easy to become infatuated with past bouts against opponents, but in reality, the key behind breaking down a fight lies in the style matchup.
On paper, Weidman is an incredibly difficult matchup for Silva. If there is any vulnerability in Silva’s airtight game, it would have to be his wrestling. ChaelSonnen has already proven this on a pair of occasions by effortlessly putting Silva on his back multiple times.
Of course, Silva always found a way to win. He may not be the best wrestler in MMA, but his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills more than make up for whatever he lacks in the takedown department.
On the other hand, Weidman is also a high-level Jiu-Jitsu guy. With only one year of training, he made it all the way to the finals of the 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, where he was defeated in double overtime by world-renowned BJJ star André Galvão.
The mere thought of someone with only a year of experience competing at the highest level and nearly defeating a world class BJJ artist is unfathomable.
Weidman made his professional MMA debut in February 2009, and even then, he felt like he could defeat Silva:
I’m a huge fan of [Anderson Silva]. Since I got into the sport, 3 and a half or four years ago, he was the champion, and I decided to go to 185, and right away I’d tell people I was fighting at 185, and people would be like ‘Is that Anderson Silva’s weight class?’ I’d be like, ‘Yeah,’ and they’re like, ‘Better choose a new weight class buddy.’
That just fueled me, since then till now. Even then I knew I could beat him. I just knew that I was a bad matchup for him. I just knew I had the potential to beat him, and I had that mindset four years ago, and it’s even stronger now.
Chris Leben will face Andrew Craig at UFC 162, and if we are to believe “The Crippler,” he’s feeling recharged and ready to get back in the Octagon.
