The subject of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) continues to be a hot-button subject in MMA, and Brandon Vera has been hit with the questions a lot lately, as he heads into his next fight at UFC 164.
It’s not because Vera has sought out the contr…
The subject of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) continues to be a hot-button subject in MMA, and Brandon Vera has been hit with the questions a lot lately, as he heads into his next fight at UFC 164.
It’s not because Vera has sought out the controversial treatment, but because his next opponent Ben Rothwell was approved to use TRT heading into their matchup.
Vera doesn’t sound like he’s much of a fan of TRT for his own personal use, but he understands why some fighters might want to use it.
The problem Vera has with TRT is that it’s giving an advantage to some fighters, while others may be suffering through a training camp with naturally low testosterone because that just happens when a fighter is working out and preparing for a bout.
“I think the whole thing with TRT, I understand it, but if it’s good for one, it should be good for all,” Vera said. “I don’t know how that scaling goes or what the testosterone level is and stuff. I know my testosterone level during one camp was at 250 (nanograms per deciliter), but I think you eat up all your testosterone during camp if you’re training two or three times a day.”
While the normal range for testosterone in men is supposed to stay above 300, Vera says his levels dropped below that during a camp, and he’s not suffering from any kind of medical ailment.
At the end of the day, however, Vera isn’t going to make any excuses for or against Rothwell using TRT. He just wants to fight, and leave the TRT discussions up to the state athletic commissions.
“I’m not making the rules,” Vera said. “That’s some political bulls—t.”
Check out the entire interview with Vera as he addresses the TRT discussion as well as his decision to return to the heavyweight division after spending five years as a light heavyweight.
Ryan Couture was on a roll. The lightweight had won four straight fights against progressively stiff competition in Strikeforce, earning a shot inside the UFC.
His first test inside the Octagon would be a tough one – Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson last April. Many speculated that the son of MMA legend Randy Couture would be in over his head but the younger Couture actually came out and fought effectively against Pearson.
For one round, that is. Couture managed to stay safe, close the distance and take away Pearson’s striking weapons with a conservative but winning clinch strategy in the opening stanza, but in the second round the Brit connected with a big shot and stopped Ryan.
“We started out well,” Couture tells CagePotato.
“We had a good game plan and it worked in the first round but then he caught me in the second. He did what he needed to do.”
Couture says that cornering his father in past UFC fights helped him get his bearing a little bit but that fighting in the world’s top MMA promotion himself definitely felt different. “Totally different,” he admits.
“I was lucky to have my dad bring me into his corners a couple times so that I got sort of used to the scenery and environment but it’s a different thing when you’re the one whose hands are getting wrapped, when you’re the one in the co-main event. It’s hard to explain. Plus, I had a different corner than usual. My grappling coach wasn’t able to be there and he’s a big part of my process and success.”
Ryan Couture was on a roll. The lightweight had won four straight fights against progressively stiff competition in Strikeforce, earning a shot inside the UFC.
His first test inside the Octagon would be a tough one – Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson last April. Many speculated that the son of MMA legend Randy Couture would be in over his head but the younger Couture actually came out and fought effectively against Pearson.
For one round, that is. Couture managed to stay safe, close the distance and take away Pearson’s striking weapons with a conservative but winning clinch strategy in the opening stanza, but in the second round the Brit connected with a big shot and stopped Ryan.
“We started out well,” Couture tells CagePotato.
“We had a good game plan and it worked in the first round but then he caught me in the second. He did what he needed to do.”
Couture says that cornering his father in past UFC fights helped him get his bearing a little bit but that fighting in the world’s top MMA promotion himself definitely felt different. “Totally different,” he admits.
“I was lucky to have my dad bring me into his corners a couple times so that I got sort of used to the scenery and environment but it’s a different thing when you’re the one whose hands are getting wrapped, when you’re the one in the co-main event. It’s hard to explain. Plus, I had a different corner than usual. My grappling coach wasn’t able to be there and he’s a big part of my process and success.”
The disappointment of losing aside, Couture says that his first UFC bout showed him that he does indeed belong in the organization. “I definitely proved to myself that I belong in the cage with someone like Ross Pearson,” he says.
“I look forward to this next fight and proving it to everyone else as well.”
Couture left his Las Vegas home and training camp earlier this week and headed to Milwuakee to prepare for his next bout, against TUF finalist Al Iaquinta this Saturday at UFC 164. “Al is another guy that is going to try and take my head off, even though he has good wrestling as well,” Couture believes.
“I’ve had a good camp and will have my grappling coach with me and we are confident.”
“His is the voice I’ve been listening for my whole life and he is a very big part of my career so it is hard. But I’m here to fight and prove myself in the UFC so we go on and do what we have to no matter what.”
Couture believes that he’ll pick up his first UFC win on Saturday and says it is no secret as to how he’ll do it. “I don’t think there’s mystery about what we’ll try to do,” he says.
“I’m most comfortable and effective in the clinch and on the ground so that’s where I’ve got to get the fight. Once I do, I think I can get it done.”
Chad Mendes has been watching Clay Guida fight for years, because beyond just being a fan of the former lightweight contender, he’s also become friends with him as well.
When the UFC called and asked Mendes to face Guida in his second fight at featherw…
Chad Mendes has been watching Clay Guida fight for years, because beyond just being a fan of the former lightweight contender, he’s also become friends with him as well.
When the UFC called and asked Mendes to face Guida in his second fight at featherweight he accepted because his job is to face whomever the promotion puts in front of him, and for those 15 minutes they will have to be bitter enemies in the cage.
Mendes has won his last three fights in a row with none of them making it out of the first round, which has put him back into the discussion for a featherweight title shot. He knows that it all goes away if he can’t get past Guida. There is a bit of an unknown factor for Mendes going into this one.
Prior to his last two fights, Guida was known as one of the craziest, most exciting fighters to watch in the sport. During his UFC career, he took home five different Fight of the Night awards.
Lately, however, Guida has started to strategize more, avoiding the crazy exchanges and wild scrambles that defined his UFC career. The change in game plans has had fans in a bit of a frenzy, wondering what happened to the Guida of old. Mendes admits while looking at his friend’s recent fights that Guida‘s style has changed dramatically from his previous performances in the Octagon.
“There are a lot of fans that have been upset at how he’s fought lately,” Mendes said. “He does have a lot of footwork and a lot of in-and-out movement, and he does not bang like he used to, just sit in the pocket and throw, and that’s always exciting for the fans.
“I think his last few fights, I think he’s fighting to just not lose instead of fighting to win, and that’s tough to watch sometimes.”
Mendes isn’t about to play into that idea. He plans on putting Guida away to notch another win on his resume and get that much closer to another shot at the gold.
Check out this entire interview with Mendes, as he addresses Guida‘s recent fights and the friendship that will be put on hold for at least one night at UFC 164.
With Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann II on deck for Wednesday night, fans might already feel more than excited for what this week has in store. But after Fight Night 27 comes to a close, the combat will only be getting started—on Saturday, Augu…
With Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann II on deck for Wednesday night, fans might already feel more than excited for what this week has in store. But after Fight Night 27 comes to a close, the combat will only be getting started—on Saturday, August 31 the UFC will finish off this frenzied week by granting Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis a second go at one of the most iconic matchups in MMA history when the two square off during UFC 164‘s championship main event.
Will Henderson erase any memory of the “Showtime kick,” or will Pettis dazzle us all with a new technique that manages to overshadow one of the most memorable strikes to ever grace a highlight reel?
It’s worth noting the nostalgia doesn’t end with the main event. Two of the sport’s grittiest veterans will square off as Frank Mir and Josh Barnett go toe-to-toe in the evening’s co-main event.
And just think: this will all be taking place when the result of Condit vs. Kampmann II will still be fresh in our minds. So many bouts in so little time.
Super fight week, indeed.
It’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed as to the specifics. Thankfully, Bleacher Report has you covered with an in-depth guide as to the what, when, where and how of UFC 164 on Saturday night.
Full Fight Card and Start Times
Main Card
PPV
10PM EST
Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson
vs.
challenger Anthony Pettis
Josh Barnett
vs.
Frank Mir
Clay Guida
vs.
Chad Mendes
Ben Rothwell
vs.
Brandon Vera
Erik Koch
vs.
Dustin Poirier
Preliminary Card
Fox Sports 1
8PM EST
GleisonTibau
vs.
Jamie Varner
Tim Elliott
vs.
Louis Gaudinot
Pascal Krauss
vs.
HyunGyuLim
Chico Camus
vs.
Kyung Ho Kang
Preliminary Card
Facebook
6:30PM EST
Nikita Krylov
vs.
SoaPalelei
Ryan Couture
vs.
Al Iaquinta
MagnusCedenblad
vs.
Jared Hamman
Countdown to UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis
Countdown to UFC 164: Mir vs. Barnett
Countdown to UFC 164: Mendes vs. Guida
UFC 164 Main Card Key Stats
Number of losses shared by both Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis: Two
Percent of Benson Henderson’s 18 victories that have gone to decision: 47 percent
Total number of career fights between Josh Barnett and Frank Mir: 61
Percent of victories by submission shared by both Josh Barnett and Frank Mir: 56 percent
Chad Mendes‘ takedown average: 4.72 per 15 minutes
Chad Mendes‘ takedown defense: 100 percent
Percent of Ben Rothwell‘s 32 victories that have gone to decision: nine percent
Dustin Poirier‘s significant strike average: 4.14 per minute
Anderson Silva’s record 10 title defences came to an end in July when he lost the crown to Chris Weidman. With the middleweight champion’s reign now over, the lightweight kingpin, Benson Henderson, believes the stage is set for him to break…
Anderson Silva’s record 10 title defences came to an end in July when he lost the crown to Chris Weidman. With the middleweight champion’s reign now over, the lightweight kingpin, Benson Henderson, believes the stage is set for him to break that record by 2016.
I should be able to break it by 2015, but because I’m getting married I’m going to take some time off for my honeymoon. That’s going to set me back by about three to four months. But I have it down exactly. I know when I’m going to break it. It’s going to be early 2016. I know what number I need to get. I know the amount of hard work it’s going to take for me to get there. I know how much I’ve got to get beat up, I know how much I’ve got to practice. I’m aware of it. I know it. Now my goal is to go out there and go do it.
Bendo has a long way to go. He’s only three defences into a title reign that started in 2012. It took Silva six years to amass 10 title defences, and the lightweight champion promises to do it in just four.
That means he’s going to have to fight seven times in the next three years, which is a comparable work-rate to the Brazilian. However, the challenge ahead of Henderson is daunting.
Silva had a string of first- and second-round finishes in his record-setting run. However, save for his fight against Nate Diaz, Bendo has had much more grueling title defences against Frankie Edgar and Gilbert Melendez. In fact, all of Henderson’s seven UFC fights have gone the distance, which is a testament to how stacked the 155-pound division is.
And another tough challenge is just around the corner. On Saturday, he’ll be defending his belt for the fourth time against the last man to beat him in a thrilling WEC encounter—Anthony Pettis.
Pettis is riding a three-fight win streak and finished both of his last opponents in the first round to find himself back in front of his old nemesis.
The last fight between the two was check-marked with a spectacular kick from Pettis off the cage that landed plumb on Bendo’s face. That kick has been replayed ad nauseam for the last three years. But the champion isn’t thinking about the past.
It’s not that I don’t care,” Henderson explains. “But the way I see it, some guys talk about how great they were in high school or in college. ‘Oh yeah, in high school I was the man. I did this and oh man, blah, blah, blah.’ Yeah, dude. You’re right, that was cool. Awesome. Good for you then. But guess what? We’re past that now. I’m over that. You’ve got to man up at a certain point and stop living in the past.
The two will face each other on Aug. 31 at UFC 164 in Milwaukee.
The last Q&A I wrote in my Talking Shop series was back in November, which should tell you how rarely I do this, but every now and then I am presented with the chance to ask a few questions of individuals whom I really admire.
This week I was able …
This week I was able to ask some questions of the current UFC Lightweight champion, Benson Henderson, and he was kind enough to offer some replies and insight into his training and mindset.
Jack Slack: When did you decide that you could make a full time career of fighting?
Benson Henderson: I first decided that I could make a career of MMA after I decided to take it seriously and not act like a teenager in some band, but fully commit myself like a professional. Roughly, when I decided to up and move in the middle of the night from Omaha, Neb. to Denver, Colo. for proper training.
JS: Which was your toughest fight? Who was your toughest opponent and have you ever made the mistake of underestimating an opponent?
BH: My toughest opponent, for sure was Donald Cerrone in our first dance. I like to think that I’m a pretty intelligent fighter and haven’t underestimated any of my opponents.
JS: You began training wrestling and Taekwondo when you were quite young—do you feel that you benefited from practicing distinct disciplines before training for MMA competition?
BH: I did start my training in Taekwondo pretty early on and then started wrestling my freshman year in high school. I do think that with my background it has allowed me to keep an open mind to other kinds of training and the variety of disciplines out there.
JS: Your kicking game is obviously very important to your overall performance in the Octagon, yet, at the same time, it is somewhat a-typical in MMA. For instance, you often kick straight out of your stance, or throw several high kicks to set up a low kick (rather than vice versa) and of course the jumping kick off of one leg against Frankie Edgar was like something out of Bloodsport. How much of this is a holdover from your Taekwondo and how much is just personal preference or creativity?
BH: A lot of my kicks are unique to MMA and the fight game in general. I wouldn’t say that it’s on purpose, but more because I’ve had success doing them and using them. I just use them more often. People a lot of times have expectations for combinations, if you can throw something that they don’t expect or throw something in a way that they don’t expect it, it can be pretty successful. I definitely try to blend the traditional with the off-the-wall, though. If your fundamentals are so bad your opponent doesn’t respect you, you won’t have the timing/space to throw your more unique techniques.
JS: We know that you have spent a good deal of time working on your jiu jitsu game. Obviously you competed very successfully in the Arizona State Championship in the GI and news has just recently come out that you intend to enter ADCC (AbuDhabi Combat Club) this year. Are these simply an aside to keep you sharp or do you hope to pursue competitive grappling more seriously in tandem with your MMA career?
BH: I do enjoy competing in BJJ (Brazilian Jui Jitsu), submission grappling and wrestling tournaments. But it’s more just for the love of the game. I love to compete. I love wrestling. Putting them together makes sense. I feel it definitely helps my MMA game as well.
JS: Your next opponent, Anthony Pettis has to be an exciting match for you as he is the only man to defeat you since way back before you began in the WEC. How does the previous bout affect your motivation and preparation for this bout?
BH: My next opponent being Anthony Pettis and the only man to beat me in the past seven years is motivating. Just not in the way and as much as the media is playing it up to be. I can’t wait to get my hands on him, but I don’t need to because I have the UFC belt around my waist. I was able to man up and move on from the past and that loss, which is the only way I was able to rise to the level that I’m at now.
JS: While the first fight with Pettistook place in a 25ft diameter cage, this one will be taking place in the much larger 30ft diameter Octagon. Do you feel the larger cage favours you or Pettis?
BH: I’m not sure who a larger cage favors more. The WEC cage was smaller and the UFC is quite a bit larger, but ultimately I don’t think either one of us is thinking that the deciding factor in this fight will be the size of the Octagon.
JS: Given that your last three bouts have been title fights, how much opponent specific preparation do you undertake nowadays? How much tape do you and your coaches watch on opponents?
BH: We do a lot of specific preparation while training. Because I’m in the gym year-round training two to three times a day, my training camps are shorter, only five weeks. During the entire five weeks we specifically get ready for one opponent. During the rest of the year is when I just concentrate on myself and improving overall.
With Carlos