Tag: UFC 170

UFC 170 Results: Did UFC Go Overboard with Patrick Cummins Hype?

Just as the clock struck midnight, Patrick Cummins’ Cinderella story ended on Saturday night at UFC 170.
As if touched by the sacred hands of Rodgers and Hammerstein, the UFC arrival of Cummins was one of the most fascinating stories in recent me…

Just as the clock struck midnight, Patrick Cummins’ Cinderella story ended on Saturday night at UFC 170.

As if touched by the sacred hands of Rodgers and Hammerstein, the UFC arrival of Cummins was one of the most fascinating stories in recent memory.

The undefeated MMA prospect was without a car and working at a local coffee shop in Orange County, California when he got a life-changing call from UFC President Dana White. Former light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans had to pull out of the co-main event at UFC 170 after suffering an injury, and top contender Daniel Cormier was desperately in need of an opponent.

Through the grapevine, White explained on Fox Sports Live that he heard Cummins, one of Cormier’s training partners for the 2004 Olympic Games, used to get the best of the UFC star during their time on the wrestling mat.  So, White called up Cummins to confirm the story and offer him the fight.

Having just been fired from the coffee shop for taking a private phone call on the clock, Cummins basically said the hell with it and jumped on an opportunity of a lifetime. In a matter of days, he went from being an everyday guy to having his pictures plastered all over the media and being featured in dozens of interviews.

UFC 170 was his ball, and White was his Fairy Godfather.

When it came to self-promotion, Cummins was head and shoulders better than anything the UFC ever expected. His claim to making Cormier cry during training on Fox Sports Live was played in the media more times than a ’90s Backstreet Boys song. The media spin on the bad blood angle got many people thinking.

Is this guy for real? Could Cummins really be a better wrestler than Cormier?

Unfortunately for Cummins, it only took 89 seconds for the world to realize the truth, as he was completely torched by Cormier on fight night. One has to wonder after witnessing the lopsided nature of the UFC 170 co-main event.

Did the UFC throw the wool over our eyes? How did an unranked fighter manage to sneak in through the backdoor and still be considered a legitimate threat against one of the best fighters in the world?

The initial assumption is that the UFC went overboard with the Patrick Cummins hype, but in reality, that statement is a complete contradiction to everything the UFC stands for. As a promoter, it is White’s job to sell fights.

It wasn’t like the facts weren’t laid out in front for fans to see before the fight. Cummins was a 4-0 fighter with minor professional experience. Meanwhile, Cormier is arguably one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Perhaps UFC commentator Joe Rogan’s tidbit during the pay-per-view of Cummins being the best unsigned talent in the UFC was a bit much. Still, fans need to remember that events are sold on hype, not likelihood.

As for Cummins, he did what every fledgling fighter should do when given an opportunity to bask in the spotlight. He made the most of his opportunities and never withheld his personality.

The complete story has yet to be written on Cummins, and while he may not be a top-tier light heavyweight, other doors will inevitably open after a swift decision to jump on an opportunity and never look back.

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Ronda Rousey Needs Elite Challenger Following KO Victory at UFC 170

Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey was able to secure a knockout victory over Olympic wrestling silver medalist Sara McMann after just 66 seconds of first-round action on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 170.
After yet another do…

Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey was able to secure a knockout victory over Olympic wrestling silver medalist Sara McMann after just 66 seconds of first-round action on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 170.

After yet another dominant performance, it’s clear that Rousey needs an elite challenger.

Rousey now has a 9-0 MMA record and has successfully defended her title in all three matchups in the UFC. While she was not able to use her patented armbar submission on Saturday—the move that helped her win the first eight fights of her career—the devastating body shots that landed near McMann’s liver dropped the challenger and forced the early stoppage.

McMann is one of the brightest stars in the sport, but Rousey made short work of her and proved that she needs some viable competition that will force her to perform in adverse conditions.

At this point, Rousey has fights mentally won before her opponents ever step into the Octagon due to the fear the champion instills. That’s what the champion’s reign of terror has done to the women’s bantamweight division.

While there is no easy answer for the lack of elite depth, a fight against Alexis Davis is exactly what Rousey and women’s MMA needs next.

Davis beat Jessica Eye in a controversial split decision, but her performance on Saturday proved she can go the distance with anyone and contend for the victory. She has dominated her competition since coming over to the UFC, winning each of her first three fights via decision, but it will be her durability and tenacity that make her a viable foe for Rousey.

There is a legitimate intimidation factor for many of the challengers that step into the Octagon with Rousey, but Davis’ ability and willingness to stand toe-to-toe with her opponents and throw heavy shots makes her a serious threat.

Davis is also a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. With Rousey using her judo and wrestling ability to dominate her challengers, the champion will struggle to take down Davis.

Even when Rousey takes the bout to the ground, though, Davis’ ability to defend from the bottom position and mount offense via submissions makes her incredibly dangerous.

With both women handling top contender Liz Carmouche in convincing fashion in 2013—Rousey won via submission and Davis was victorious via a unanimous decision—the two former Strikeforce stars are on a collision course for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.

After dominating everyone who has stepped inside the Octagon with her, Rousey needs a serious challenger to legitimize her reign as champion.

There is no better answer right now than Davis and her five-fight winning streak.

 

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UFC 170 Results: 3 Fights for Rory MacDonald to Take Next

Rory MacDonald got back in the win column at UFC 170 with a unanimous decision victory over Demian Maia. It reversed a loss in his previous outing to current title challenger Robbie Lawler.
It was a solid, retro performance from MacDonald. He survived …

Rory MacDonald got back in the win column at UFC 170 with a unanimous decision victory over Demian Maia. It reversed a loss in his previous outing to current title challenger Robbie Lawler.

It was a solid, retro performance from MacDonald. He survived an early onslaught from Maia on the ground to outstrike and sprawl his way to a clear-cut win.

MacDonald is surely one of the top welterweights the UFC has, and with Georges St. Pierre out of the way, he’s a threat to the championship. Here are three fights MacDonald could take in his next outing.

 

Jake Shields/Hector Lombard winner

UFC 171 is the sight of a pivotal bout between welterweight standouts Hector Lombard and Jake Shields. It represents a former Bellator champ and former Strikeforce champ, respectively, meeting in the cage to move closer to the title.

Shields also has a recent win over Maia, where he used his wrestling to beat the Brazilian. This was similar to MacDonald’s win, even though the Canadian used his wrestling defensively to beat Maia.

Lombard is a threat on the feet with his immense power. That’s what makes this matchup between Shields and Lombard intriguing.

Watching MacDonald against either man would be intriguing. It could also provide a top contender.

 

Dong Hyun Kim/John Hathaway winner

This weekend, two physical, large grinders will meet in China to be the outright dark horse at 170 pounds. Those two men are Dong Hyun Kim and John Hathaway.

Kim is a judo player with suffocating top control and a fancy resume to back it up. Hathaway is coming off a long layoff, but he’s been nearly flawless in his outings with the UFC.

Both men would be tough matchups for MacDonald. Kim and Hathaway would both threaten with takedowns in a bout against the Canadian while having their striking tested.

 

Matt Brown

This fight is a little less likely given the current rankings in the UFC, but Matt Brown’s recent performances could warrant him a fight like this.

Brown has been one of the best comeback stories in MMA history, going from a guy on the chopping block to a potential contender. His striking has been on point, as have his takedowns when he needs them.

MacDonald would be the guy who either feeds the feel-good story or stops it in its tracks. Either way, Brown-MacDonald could be a good fight in the near future.

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UFC 170 Results: Grading Every Debuting Fighter

UFC 170 was a historic night for many reasons. Ronda Rousey defended her title for the second time in the shortest duration between defenses, and Daniel Cormier marked his territory at 205 pounds Saturday night in Las Vegas.
That being said, the event …

UFC 170 was a historic night for many reasons. Ronda Rousey defended her title for the second time in the shortest duration between defenses, and Daniel Cormier marked his territory at 205 pounds Saturday night in Las Vegas.

That being said, the event was also important because it was full of debuting fighters. Some of these guys are top prospects in the sport with the potential to be company staples and future contenders.

Let’s take a look at each debuting fighter and grade their respective performance at UFC 170.

 

Yosdenis Cedeno

Yosdenis Cedeno came out on the losing end of the opening bout on the card against Ernest Chavez. For the most part, Cedeno looked like the bright lights were too much for him.

Early on, he showed great power and movement. In fact, he threw heat on every strike he threw but was exposed in one major aspect of the game.

He struggled to defend Chavez’s takedowns and ground game. He looked like a novice on the ground, and that was only against a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Imagine him against a black belt.

The only saving grace for Cedeno was he lost a split decision instead of a full-out unanimous verdict. Either way, his performance was subpar.

Grade: D

 

Ernest Chavez

While Cedeno took the loss, Chavez took the win. It really wasn’t the most impressive win, though.

Chavez was tentative and decent at best on the feet. The only place he really shined was on the ground, where he only looked great because Cedeno was such a novice.

In reality, he won’t be that dominant on the ground against most guys in the lightweight division. Although he earned the win, he has got lots to work on when he gets back in the gym.

Grade: C

 

Aljamain Sterling

Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg made comparisons between newcomer Aljamain Sterling and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. This was because they both have great wrestling, athleticism and unorthodox striking methods.

To be honest, that was a solid comparison if you look at Jones’ early work in the UFC and Sterling’s performance Saturday night.

Sterling took on a gamer in Cody Gibson, who gave Sterling all he could handle. However, Sterling’s strength, wrestling and quickness were too much.

Everything Sterling did looked competent. With Matt Serra and Ray Longo as his trainers and corner men, the future is bright for this undefeated bantamweight.

Grade: A-

 

Cody Gibson

In defeat, Gibson actually raised his stock as a fighter. He showed grit, determination and a will to win all the way until the final bell.

His wrestling looked to be sharp Saturday night, especially because he was grappling with a very good wrestler in Sterling. Some of the exchanges even saw Gibson get the upper hand.

Gibson is a bright prospect in a division dying for new stars. He and Sterling could be two new faces who bolster this shallow division.

Grade: B

 

Pedro Munhoz

To be fair, Pedro Munhoz was thrown in the deep end on short notice and wasn’t expected to win his fight with Raphael Assuncao. All that considered mixed with the fact he wasn’t finished by Assuncao, and Munhoz did a fine job.

Munhoz definitely needs to improve his striking, specifically with his hands. He showed some nice kicks, but if he can’t string combos with his hands, it will be tougher for him to secure the takedown so he can work his great grappling.

He will need a rebound fight to really give him a litmus test. He was one of the top bantamweight prospects coming into this fight and was really shown that he is not quite ready for top-flight competition.

Grade: C

 

Patrick Cummins

Patrick Cummins did one thing great for UFC 170: He sold the fight.

When it came time to actually walk the walk, he was quickly dispatched. However, despite all the criticism hurled his way, Cummins took on one of the best fighters in the world on 10 days’ notice in the co-main event of a pay-per-view. That must be admired.

In my opinion, Cummins is still one of the best prospects 205 has to offer. The problem was, like with Munhoz, you can’t take a newcomer and put him against one of the best fighters in the division.

Let’s give Cummins a mulligan. Next time out will really be the time we can judge Cummins on his skills as a mixed martial artist.

Grade: D-

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UFC 170 Results: Sorting out the Top Contenders for Ronda Rousey

In the aftermath of UFC 170, the biggest question coming out of the event was an obvious one: Who should be next opponent for champion Ronda Rousey? The answer is a lot more simple than people are leading on.
There are four names that have floated arou…

In the aftermath of UFC 170, the biggest question coming out of the event was an obvious one: Who should be next opponent for champion Ronda Rousey? The answer is a lot more simple than people are leading on.

There are four names that have floated around since Rousey finished Sara McMann with a first-round liver shot. Those four women are current Invicta featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino, boxing champion Holly Holm, Cat Zingano and Alexis Davis.

Of those four names, there is really only one option for Rousey going forward. Three of the women make no sense at this point, which we will dive into right now.

The most obvious option in a lot of people’s minds is Cyborg, who many think is the best female fighter in the world. Everyone thinks this will be the biggest money-making fight for the women, which is likely very true.

That being said, this is not the right fight to make at the moment.

The big problem with booking Cyborg and Rousey is that we don’t know if Cyborg can make weight. Dana White even said, per MMA Fighting, he’s in no rush to make that fight and that he and the UFC would “see what happens” if Cyborg can make 135 pounds a couple times.

This may outrage fans, but look at it from a business standpoint. Cyborg may just want to fight Rousey just to fight Rousey. Will she really stick around and hold the belt if she does beat Rousey, or will she scurry back to 145 pounds, thus making the UFC belt useless?

Not only that, but White has a point in her making weight a couple times. If Cyborg-Rousey was made and on the day of weigh-ins Cyborg came in overweight, that fight would be worthless. Or, in the process of cutting weight, Cyborg could be hospitalized and kill the main event of a card.

There is a big risk on Cyborg. So, forcing her make weight a couple times is indeed smart. She should not be next for Rousey.

People have thrown Holly Holm in the mix, despite the fact she hasn’t taken a bout with the UFC yet. Not only that, but she isn’t signed to the UFC.

Holm would definitely represent the best striker Rousey has ever faced, but jumping Holm in line over other women who have already established themselves in the UFC would be wrong. Let Holm build herself up so that when she does get her title shot, she actually has the MMA credentials to warrant a shot at Rousey.

That leaves us with two women: Zingano and Davis.

The reason you have to go with Davis over Zingano is because of the circumstances surrounding Zingano‘s life right now.

Zingano was the outright top contender until she hurt her knee and was shelved for an extended period of time. Not only that, but just when it looked like she was ready to get back into training, tragedy struck in the form of her husband, Mauricio Zingano, passing away.

There is no way she is ready to get back into the cage based on the injury and personal tragedy. We don’t know how long she’ll be out.

That’s where Davis comes in. She is undoubtedly the next person in line for Rousey.

Davis is 3-0 in the UFC and beat Jessica Eye on the same night that Rousey retained against McMann. Davis has the most wins of all the female contenders in the UFC, so her getting the title shot is simple logic.

Although the biggest money maker would definitely be Rousey-Cyborg, and the promised bout we had was Rousey-Zingano, Alexis Davis should be the next person to fight Ronda Rousey. It is a logical matchup that takes a grappler and puts her in the cage with another grappler.

We will see who the UFC actually goes with in the coming months.

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UFC 170: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card

Ronda Rousey remained the queen of women’s MMA at UFC 170, where she stopped Sara McMann with a knee to the body.
It was the first time the bantamweight champion picked up a win without an armbar. Rousey used the submission to win her first eight pro f…

Ronda Rousey remained the queen of women’s MMA at UFC 170, where she stopped Sara McMann with a knee to the body.

It was the first time the bantamweight champion picked up a win without an armbar. Rousey used the submission to win her first eight pro fights and stopped her first seven foes with armbars in the opening round.

Although she’s looked dominant in her first three UFC title defenses, Rousey still has a number of worthy contenders battling for a shot at her championship. Cat Zingano, UFC 170 winner Alexis Davis and Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino would all be intriguing challengers.

With another UFC event in the books, here are the matchups that should be next for Rousey and the rest of Saturday’s competitors.

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