The UFC is set for a historic run of top-notch fight cards. Ten events will take us through the end of 2014 and to the beginning of 2015.
What are the best fights you’ll have to watch? That’s what we are here to tell you.
The UFC has been criticized as…
The UFC is set for a historic run of top-notch fight cards. Ten events will take us through the end of 2014 and to the beginning of 2015.
What are the best fights you’ll have to watch? That’s what we are here to tell you.
The UFC has been criticized as of late for poor events, but that won’t be the case over the next three months. They have loaded the next 90 days with a fantastic slate of fights for us all.
Exciting stylistic matchups, title tilts and much more help round out the action. This isn’t a scientific list, and you may have your own favorite upcoming fights. Title bouts and interesting storylines helped to elevate some matchups up the list.
This ranking features fights in seven different weight classes.
These are the top 15 fights you’ll see starting Saturday through February’s UFC 184 pay-per-view.
It only took five rounds for the first part of this story to brand itself into an instant classic.
After five close rounds, Johny Hendricks walked away with the title he felt he—along with a good portion of the MMA community—had alrea…
It only took five rounds for the first part of this story to brand itself into an instant classic.
After five close rounds, Johny Hendricks walked away with the title he felt he—along with a good portion of the MMA community—had already won in his previous bout with then-champion Georges St-Pierre. Robbie Lawler walked away the loser.
Even in a losing effort, Lawler managed to take another big step on his resurgent path toward the top of the welterweight heap of contenders.
With only about a week separating their reunion inside of the Octagon, these two heavy hitters are sure to put on a quality outing to challenge their first title fight for Fight of the Year honors as 2014 comes to a close.
Scroll on to see how we break down the UFC 181 main event.
Robbie Lawler’s journey through mixed martial arts has been nothing short of compelling and is a tale told in two parts. The opening chapters were filled with both success and failure—great expectations and letdowns—while the second ha…
Robbie Lawler‘s journey through mixed martial arts has been nothing short of compelling and is a tale told in two parts. The opening chapters were filled with both success and failure—great expectations and letdowns—while the second half that is currently being written has a story of redemption fit for a Hollywood portrayal of a prize fighter.
As the saying goes, “Everyone loves a comeback story,” and Ruthless has battled back from the brink of obscurity to become one of the most dominant forces in what is arguably the most talent-stacked division under the UFC banner. Simply put: Lawler isn’t the type to squander second chances, and his work inside the Octagon over the past two years is proof to solidify that notion.
Since making his return to the UFC in early 2013, the American Top Team standout has won five of his six showings inside the cage as he’s notched one impressive performance after another. Over this stretch, the storied knockout artist has not only returned to form but surpassed previous expectations as he’s battered a collection of top-ranked opponents en route to becoming a title contender.
Yet the one setback he’s suffered during what has been an extraordinary resurgence came when the stakes were at their highest when he squared off with Johny Hendricks for the vacant welterweight title at UFC 171 back in March. The 32-year-old powerhouse and BiggRigg put on one of the year’s best scraps as they took turns teeing off on one another throughout the duration of the 25-minute affair with Hendricks earning the split-decision nod on the judges’ scorecards.
And while Lawler is admittedly not one to linger in the past, that doesn’t take anything away from his determination not to repeat it. He has his sights set on Hendricks and championship gold once again as the dynamic striker heads into their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 181 on Dec. 6. Since coming short that night in Dallas, Lawler has worked furiously to get another shot at the welterweight crown, and he accomplished that task on the strength of back-to-back victories over fellow members of the divisional upper tier of the 170-pound fold.
Hendricks has been on the sidelines recovering from a torn bicep he suffered in their first meeting and hasn’t stepped inside the Octagon in eight months, but none of this makes any difference to the current No. 1 contender. He sole focus is locked on what he has to do to get his hands on the welterweight title, and that’s exactly what Lawler plans to do at UFC 181 on Saturday night.
“I’m not too worried [about Hendricks’] time off,” Lawler told Bleacher Report. “I’m thinking about how I’ve improved as a fighter now. I’m not necessarily thinking about how Johny’s training is going. I’m focused on making myself the best fighter I’ve ever been before, and that’s the only issue that matters to me. I’m going to be the best fighter I’ve ever been on fight night, and that’s what the problem is going to be for Johny Hendricks.”
While the lion’s share of attention will fall on the fate of the welterweight title Saturday, Lawler‘s renewed run at the highest level of the sport stands a great chance of being unaffected regardless of the outcome. Granted, winning his first UFC title would be a tremendous feather to add to his cap, but failing to do so won’t change the fact that fight fans have fallen back in love with watching Lawler work when the cage door closes.
Over the course of his current run of success, he’s reminded MMA‘s passionate fanbase what made him a must-see attraction in the first place, and that’s an incredible accomplishment in its own right. Every second of any fight Lawler is just one clean shot away from bringing his opponent’s night to a brutally abrupt end, and the lingering threat of such things will always be one of the biggest attractions in combat sports.
It’s the very thing that made him want to be a fighter growing up, and the fact he’s now someone people tune into see for that exact reason is a part he’s honored to play.
“I just go out there and do what I do best, and that’s fight,” Lawler said. “I let my hands and feet go and try to finish fights. I guess fans appreciate that, and that’s what I always looked up to when I watched martial arts and boxing growing up. I always appreciated guys who went out there looking to finish and gave it their all. That’s what I’m looking to do every time I go out there.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
When Johny Hendricks heard his name announced as the new UFC welterweight champion following his battle with Robbie Lawler at UFC 171 back in March, he fell to his knees under the weight of the moment.
The former two-time NCAA Division I national champ…
When Johny Hendricks heard his name announced as the new UFC welterweight champion following his battle with Robbie Lawler at UFC 171 back in March, he fell to his knees under the weight of the moment.
The former two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler turned MMA powerhouse had just come through a five-round war with a resurgent slugger turned contender—four of which he did without the use of his left arm due to a torn bicep—and now had 12 pounds of championship gold around his waist to make it all worthwhile.
It was a surreal moment for Hendricks and one that capped the 31-year-old’s three-year rise through what is arguably the most talent-stacked division under the UFC banner. The welterweight division is a shark tank of a weight class and one where any one of the divisional elite can defeat another on a given night. That said, Hendricks took every major challenge put in front of him and proved his worth every step of the way.
During his rise to the top, BiggRigg dusted a pair of perennial contenders in Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann, went toe-to-toe with former interim champion Carlos Condit in a raucous 15-minute affair then pushed long reigning welterweight king Georges St-Pierre further than any man had ever done in the past in his first title opportunity at UFC 167 last November.
The title challenger had the longstanding champion in a position where he was consistently forced to fight himself out of danger, and with that being the case, a large percentage of the MMA community believed Hendricks bested the pound-for-pound great when the final bell sounded on their five-round affair.
Nevertheless, two of the three cage side judges believed GSP had done enough to win the bout, and the Team TakeDown representative was forced to exit the Octagon empty-handed. Yet, the sting of that night in Nevada wouldn’t last long, as four months later the heavy-handed Oklahoma native was officially crowned as the new champion of the 170-pound fold—winning the title St-Pierre vacated shortly after their clash the previous year.
It was the moment Hendricks had dreamed of and was one he made sure to allow himself to slow down and appreciate.
“The time off was good,” Hendricks told Bleacher Report. “It’s been nice to spend time with the family. It’s been good to spend time with the wife and kids. It’s also been nice to heal the body and mind and get hungry again. Get hungry to get back into the Octagon and get hungry to train again. That desire and drive to keep going are crucial things to have and time off gave that to me. I kept watching people fight, and I couldn’t because I was healing up. But now that I’m able to jump back in there, I’m super excited.
“You get time to let everything soak in, but you also get time to let it all go away. You know what I mean? You get time to feel proud that you are the welterweight champion, but you also get time to realize it doesn’t matter anymore because now I have to retain it. With every fight, as soon as I sign that bout agreement I’m no longer the champ.
“I’m trying to defend it and I plan on defending it a bunch of times,” he added. “But as soon as I sign that bout agreement, you forget about what you have done in the past and start thinking about what you are going to do next. Right now, I’m thinking about defending that title.”
The bearded slugger fought his heart out to become champion, and if a lifetime accomplishing great feats on wrestling mats across the country has taught him anything, it’s that there cannot be too much time spent admiring past achievements. While obtaining goals are a crucial part of his personal progression as a fighter, setting new goals are a necessary catalyst to reigniting the fires of motivation when the moment arrives to do so.
And for Hendricks, that time has come front and center.
After spending the past several months rehabilitating his injured arm and adjusting to life as the welterweight champion, the Texas transplant will soon step back into the Octagon to defend the belt he fought so valiantly to obtain. The former Oklahoma State University wrestling standout and “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler will once again lock their proverbial horns in one of the year’s most highly anticipated rematches at UFC 181 on Dec. 6.
The first tilt with the American Top Team representative was an instant classic where both fighters gave their all in pursuit of the vacant welterweight strap. And despite having to push through an early injury—a caliber toughness Arlington-based fighter gives full credit to his wrestling background for—Hendricks had the savvy to dig deep in the final frame to win the round and ultimately the bout. The fight was a 25-minute gut check for the welterweight powerhouse and one he relied on his inner grit and heart to earn him the victory.
Yet, while their initial go around was a closely contested affair, Hendricks is coming into the rematch looking to put on a much more definitive performance. He knows full well what Lawler brings to the table but doesn’t believe Lawler knows what a 100-percent healthy Johny Hendricks looks like.
In his opinion, that alone will make a tremendous difference, and Hendricks is determined to put a definitive stamp on his reign as the new welterweight king by defeating Lawler in spectacular fashion at UFC 181.
“I always want to win, and if I can go out there and beat Robbie Lawler a second time—especially considering the things he’s done while I was out—that’s going to send a big shock through the welterweight division,” Hendricks said. “Lawler is a very tough fighter and so are a lot of the other guys who are all trying to get a shot at the title. If I can go out there and get my hand raised the way I think I can, then it will look way better on me. That’s really what I’m focusing on.
“I’m going to go out there and get it done the way I need to so that there aren’t any questions at the end of the fight. I am focused on making sure this fight isn’t as close as the last one was.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
With two title fights in Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez and Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler, there is plenty to talk about just looking at the headliners. Past those two fights, however, are interesting bouts involving returning heavyweights Travis Browne and Todd Duffee and intriguing up-and-comers in Sergio Pettis, Ashlee Evans-Smith, Tony Ferguson and Abel Trujillo.
So what topics merit discussion over the next two weeks? Find out right here!
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, one of the most notable members of Milwaukee’s Roufusport fight camp, is defending team founder Jeffrey “Duke” Roufus in the aftermath of the death of one his fellow gym goers.
Ever since the Milwaukee Journal S…
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, one of the most notable members of Milwaukee’s Roufusport fight camp, is defending team founder Jeffrey “Duke” Roufus in the aftermath of the death of one his fellow gym goers.
Ever since the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an article about the death of Dennis Munson, Jr., a Roufusport amateur kickboxer, in March, former Roufusport team members have lashed out against the coaching methods of the gym, per Bloody Elbow.
On Wednesday, “Showtime” did an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel saying that he considers Roufus a father figure and that Munson’s death should not be blamed on him (transcription per MMA Fighting).
It just upsets me that people are taking to the blogs and their websites to directly attack the coaching as being the factor in what happened. There’s a lot of things that made that outcome. It wasn’t one person’s fault. It wasn’t his[?] fault, it wasn’t the referee’s fault. It was a combination of a lot of things that led for this to happen … The thing that gets to me is that they’re attacking guys that I look at as fatherly figures. My family, to me. This is a family here … For every bad story there’s 100 people training in the gym that love the culture and love what’s going on here.
Pettis, 27, has trained at Roufusport since he was 18 years old and is arguably their most successful fighter with a 17-2 overall record and a UFC title to his credit.
The innovative striker, with an underrated submission game off his back, is 4-1 since coming over to the UFC from the WEC, getting upset in his company debut against Clay Guida in June 2011.
Since then, he has scored four straight victories over lightweight notables Joe Lauzon, Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson – who he captured the UFC title from at UFC 164 last August.
Pettis has been absent from the Octagon since then, as injuries and a head coaching gig on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter have left him unable to compete.
He will make his long-awaited return to fighting at UFC 181 on December 6, where he squares off with former Strikeforce 155-pound champ Gilbert Melendez – who is coming back from a 15-month layoff of his own.
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
