Tag: UFC 168

UFC 168: What We Learned From William Macario vs. Bobby Voelker

In UFC 168’s second preliminary bout, slight underdog and up-and-coming Brazilian William “Patolino” Macario roughed up grizzled veteran Bobby Voelker for a unanimous-decision win.
Macario broke Voelker’s nose and nearly finished him in the first …

In UFC 168‘s second preliminary bout, slight underdog and up-and-coming Brazilian William “Patolino” Macario roughed up grizzled veteran Bobby Voelker for a unanimous-decision win.

Macario broke Voelker‘s nose and nearly finished him in the first round before putting a steady thumping on the bloody former Strikeforce slugger for the rest of the way.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

Macario hurt Voelker midway through the first round with a stiff combination, putting the Kansas City native on the defense for the remainder of the stanza.

Patolino used an edge in speed, athleticism and striking prowess to pick Voelker apart for three rounds. Macario helped cement the win with takedowns at the end of each round.

 

What We Learned About Macario

The 22-year-old Macario looked drastically improved from his first UFC bout, a second-round submission loss to Leonardo Santos at UFC on Fuel TV 10.

Although he failed to control Voelker on the ground, Patolino showed explosive takedown chops, smooth and powerful striking techniques and impressive cardio.

The once-beaten Team Black House product also displayed nifty footwork and head movement and a sturdy chin.

 

What We Learned About Voelker

Although equally tough, the 34-year-old Voelker looked slightly slower and less ambitious than he did in his last bout against Robbie Lawler.

Voelker has lost three in a row and may receive his walking papers following this disappointing setback to a younger and less experienced fighter.

 

What’s Next for Macario

He scored a slight upset in his first UFC win, but Macario still has a long way to go before he can consider taking on top-10 UFC welterweights.

If the UFC wants to challenge Macario without putting him in a tremendous mismatch, it should pit him against Zak Cummings or Jordan Mein.

 

What’s Next for Voelker

Before falling to Lawler, Voelker dropped a hard-fought unanimous decision to Patrick Cote at UFC 158.

Because UFC president Dana White loves hard-working scrappers like Voelker, Vicious may get one more crack at sticking around.

A matchup against a less competitive foe like Nate Loughran or Yan Cabral would make sense for the struggling Voelker. 

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UFC 168: What We Learned from Estevan Payan vs. Robbie Peralta

Getting the uber-hyped UFC 168 started in the deep, dark hole that is the opening slot of the Facebook prelims was a featherweight bout between Robbie Peralta and Estevan Payan, two scrappy customers looking to make a name for themselves and move up th…

Getting the uber-hyped UFC 168 started in the deep, dark hole that is the opening slot of the Facebook prelims was a featherweight bout between Robbie Peralta and Estevan Payan, two scrappy customers looking to make a name for themselves and move up the card.

Peralta came out on top in a fight that showed two experienced but obviously still developing fighters.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

Peralta’s KO finish. He looked to be firmly on his way to a decision loss after 10 minutes, but it took him only 12 seconds to turn that around and wipe Payan‘s early success from the collective memory of those watching.

 

What We Learned About Estevan Payan

That he’s not UFC-level. At 31 years old and 0-2 in the promotion, it’s clear that Payan simply can’t cut it at the highest level. A decision loss against Jeremy Stephens is nothing to be ashamed of, but losing so violently to someone that much further down the ladder simply isn’t acceptable.

It’s not that he’ll never be UFC-ready, but here at the end of 2013 with roster spots so hard to come by, he isn’t.

 

What We Learned About Robbie Peralta

That he’s a game competitor with a lot of distance to go technically. He labored at times to make adjustments in the ground game, and his stand-up was flailing and sloppy for much of the fight.

That said, particularly on the feet, when things worked for him, they worked in a big way. His third-round explosion was great to behold, the picture of how to hit an opponent and make him disappear.

It’s a solid win and it’s back to the gym for more improvement for Robbie Peralta, but there are certainly worse deals than that in the UFC.

 

What’s Next for Payan

Likely a pink slip. Even with a solid record overall, 0-2 in the UFC with nothing notable in either fight isn’t the way to endear himself to promotional officials. He’ll have to head back to the regional circuit, get some wins, and hope to jump in as a late replacement sometime in 2014 or 2015.

 

What’s Next for Peralta

A date with Rani Yahya might make sense. Yahya‘s been up and down in his UFC run but is a good test for a kid like Peralta. Worst-case scenario, it forces Peralta to get technically better or suffer substantial consequences.

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UFC 168 Fight Card: Previewing Saturday Night’s Marquee Bouts

UFC 168 looks poised to end 2013 with a mighty thump. Tensions are running high with two mega rematches headlining the night.
During July, Chris Weidman snatched the middleweight title from an overly complacent Anderson Silva. While “The Spider” was bu…

UFC 168 looks poised to end 2013 with a mighty thump. Tensions are running high with two mega rematches headlining the night.

During July, Chris Weidman snatched the middleweight title from an overly complacent Anderson Silva. While “The Spider” was busy mocking his opponent, Weidman sent him to the ground with a knockout blow in the second round.  

There’s also animosity brewing between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, who faced off in March. Rousey made quick work of “Cupcake,” earning a first-round submission that has become the norm for “Rowdy.” While the disdain for one another is evident, Tate still must prove she can hang with the lock-down master.

Las Vegas’ pay-per-view features a full card with plenty of notable bouts to watch. Here’s a look at what’s on tap for Saturday night.

 

Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva

It seemed like something snatched from a scripted WWE conclusion.

The storied, yet pompous champion lost hold of his title because he was too busy taunting his opponent. Weidman capitalized, knocking Silva to the mat as he let his guard down.  

As USA Today’s Ben Fowlkes noted, Weidman realized that Silva’s attempts to belittle him wasn’t totally the best tactical fighting approach.

“At that point,” Weidman said, “it was like, ‘Yo, you’re doing all this playing around, but you’re not hitting me.'”

Yep, hitting the opponent is typically important in mixed martial arts. 

One would think Silva will take his competitor more seriously this time, hungry to prove their last meeting as a fluke. But not clowning around the ring is just a start for Spider.

His striking style clashes with Weidman‘s thirst for takedowns and submissions. For all the talk of Silva throwing this match away, Weidman still boasts a perfect 10-0 mark in UFC.

 

Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate

Tate’s dislike of Rousey is a horribly kept secret.

Most people wouldn’t like someone who made them beg for mercy while trapped in an arm lock, but Tate’s resentment stems further than that. As FOX Sports’ Marc Raimondi reported, Tate said the former Judo Olympian and current UFC Bantamweight champion “did not pay her dues.”

Every single woman that fights MMA has done just as much work as Ronda has, we just haven’t gotten as much turnaround. Those women who came before her haven’t been on magazine covers, they weren’t plastered everywhere by the UFC. They didn’t get the same reward back. She got 10 times back what she was putting in and maybe everyone else was getting 1 to 1.

Perhaps the promotion capitalized on her outside fame to rapidly market her as its new star, but Rousey has certainly earned it. In five fights, she has forced her opponents to tap out in the first round in bouts that lasted an average time of two minutes and 15 seconds (per FightMetric). 

If Tate doesn’t think Rousey deserves her fame and success, the former champion will have to prove it at UFC 168.

 

Josh Barnett vs. Travis Browne

While the two title fights take the center stage, Josh Barnett and Travis Browne will look to steal the show in Nevada.

Browne has risen up the ranks with two early knockouts, mostly recently a first-round victory over Alistair Overeem in August. He’ll have his toughest task to date in Josh Barnett, an experienced veteran in the octagon.

Barnett’s nickname of “The Warmaster” is a tad misleading. That creates the picture of a super villain trying to knock everyone’s head off, but Barnett’s game is much more nuanced. According to FightMetric, he absorbs just 1.66 strikes per minute by successfully defending 60 percent of opposing strikes.

That could frustrate Browne, a more aggressive brawler who is more prone to take a punch to land one of his own. “Hapa” might need one big blow to conquer the master of war, er, UFC.

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Chris Weidman vs Anderson Silva Rematch: How It Will Differ from the First Fight

Chris Weidman capitalized on an Anderson Silva lapse in their first meeting at UFC 162 in July, flattening the longtime former middleweight linchpin to snatch the belt he wore for nearly seven years.
Less than six months removed from his shocking loss …

Chris Weidman capitalized on an Anderson Silva lapse in their first meeting at UFC 162 in July, flattening the longtime former middleweight linchpin to snatch the belt he wore for nearly seven years.

Less than six months removed from his shocking loss to Weidman—his first in 17 UFC bouts—”The Spider” will once again get a crack at the New Yorker and middleweight gold at UFC 168 tonight.

But when Silva locks horns with “The All-American” in the same arena he lost his belt—The MGM Grand Garden Arena—how will the rematch differ from the first fight?

 

A more cerebral and more calculated Silva

Like he had done to so many other worthy contenders, Silva attempted to antagonize, taunt and ultimately rattle Weidman with an array of distracting antics in their first meeting.

Weidman obviously made the 38-year-old Silva pay for his theatrics in the end, but at times in the first round, Silva coaxed Weidman into engaging in a kickboxing match.

Instead of Silva talking trash, placing his hands on his waist for seconds at a time and faking injury, expect the Brazilian to use his footwork, his feints and his takedown defense to keep Weidman in his brand of scrap.

In other words, anticipate seeing a more humble, surgical and self-aware Silva, one who more resembles The Spider that made his UFC debut against Chris Leben in 2006.

 

Weidman will employ a more wrestle-heavy scheme

Although the first fight lasted just 6:18, Weidman, a third-place finisher in the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, only mustered three shots and one takedown on Silva.

Weidman had success in controlling and damaging Silva while on top, but eventually lost his only instance of top position when he dropped for a set of leg locks that The Spider masterfully defended.

Because he now must respect Weidman‘s punching power, Silva may be forced to hold his hands higher than he usually does, an adjustment that could make him more vulnerable to takedowns.

Programmed to take what Silva gives him, Weidman will recognize openings for shots, put Silva on his back and go to work with ground-and-pound.

 

A more refined and more confident Weidman

Those in the media and those close to the 29-year-old Weidman knew he possessed the physical and mental ingredients needed to knock off a seemingly unbeatable Silva in July.

But the adversities Weidman had to endure in the lead-up to UFC 162—like a shoulder surgery in 2012 and the destruction of his home from Hurricane Sandy later that year—are hurdles he didn’t have to overcome heading into UFC 168.

Weidman enjoyed a clean bill of health, a new house and general financial stability during his second training camp for The Spider. So, akin to Silva, expect a better, more psychologically strong and more polished version of The All-American in the rematch.

 

A war of attrition will unfold

Unlike the first fight, which ended prematurely following an obvious blunder, Silva and Weidman will need five rounds to settle the rematch.

Precise striking from Silva will bring out the wrestler and grappler in Weidman, which will result in a brutal, grind-it-out scrap that will closely resemble Silva-Sonnen I at UFC 117.

Weidman will land enough takedowns and dish out enough punishment from the top position to take a unanimous decision from The Spider.

 

 

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Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva 2: One Thing Each Fighter Must Do to Win

Before Anderson Silva attempts to regain his UFC middleweight title from Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 168, eight other combatants will vie for glory in the cage.With another title fight on the card, a heavyweight bout with major championship …

Before Anderson Silva attempts to regain his UFC middleweight title from Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 168, eight other combatants will vie for glory in the cage.

With another title fight on the card, a heavyweight bout with major championship implications, a bout between rising featherweight contenders, and a pair of grappling aces squaring off, there’s plenty to like about the UFC’s year-end offering.

Here’s a single thing that each one of tonight’s competitors must do to take home the win.

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Anderson Silva Will Emerge Victorious at UFC 168 by Staying on His Feet

The last time Anderson Silva faced off against Chris Weidman, it was Silva’s theatrics that led to his downfall. After egging Weidman on, he allowed himself to become exposed, and Weidman was able to knock Silva down, finishing him on the ground in the…

The last time Anderson Silva faced off against Chris Weidman, it was Silva’s theatrics that led to his downfall. After egging Weidman on, he allowed himself to become exposed, and Weidman was able to knock Silva down, finishing him on the ground in the second round.

This time around, things may be a little different.

There is no doubt that Silva is one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. Why is that? Because he continues to grow and learn from his mistakes—even at his advanced age of 38.

After their last match, Silva stated afterward , per the Los Angeles Times, that “It was a combination of things that led to that mistake.” Referring to his defeat.

Silva continued: “When I go inside the ropes to fight, I’m not joking, because there’s danger. Some days, you have a good day for working, some days you have a bad day for working. The last fight was my bad day.”

Expect a better day from Silva during UFC 168.

Silva is well aware of Weidman’s wrestling style and knows the importance of staying upright against such a forceful opponent on the mat.

Now 38 fights into his career, Silva still remains the most accurate striker in UFC history, landing 67 percent of his total attempted strikes—all the more reason to remain standing.

So, how can Silva accomplish this against a talented wrestler like Weidman?

Well, he’s done it before.

Back in 2012, Silva was able to get the best of Chael Sonnen, an excellent wrestler, during their match at UFC 148.

During that matchup, Silva played it smart in the second round. He remained on the defensive and took his shots when given the opportunity. This tactic allowed Silva to react quickly and avoid attempted takedowns from Sonnen.

From there, Sonnen seemed to get a little desperate and began to take some chances against the champion. This gave Silva the opportunity to connect with repeated strikes, ultimately finishing the challenger off in impressive fashion.

Expect Silva to utilize this same tactic when facing Weidman on Saturday.

Silva’s patient approach to this ensuing matchup will allow him to remain upright and continue striking. Silva will highlight his own strengths along with Weidman’s weaknesses to emerge victorious this time around.

Silva has been around for a long time. He continues to learn and grow. Rest assured, he will be well prepared when he enters the Octagon on Saturday.

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