Tag: UFC 184

Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck: A Must-Win for Both Welterweights

Once considered top of their class at welterweight, former UFC contenders Jake Ellenberger and Josh Koscheck have since faded into obscurity. 
Ellenberger and Koscheck will go to war at UFC 184 looking to regain some resemblance of respectability….

Once considered top of their class at welterweight, former UFC contenders Jake Ellenberger and Josh Koscheck have since faded into obscurity. 

Ellenberger and Koscheck will go to war at UFC 184 looking to regain some resemblance of respectability. Neither fighter rides into their meeting inside the Staples Center on February 28 with any kind of momentum.

Both carry the burden of shouldering three-fight losing streaks into their upcoming Octagon foray. “Kos” has been on an extended vacation away from the cage and hasn’t fought in over 15 months. He was last seen at UFC 167 being dismantled in the first round by Tyron Woodley. 

Meanwhile, “The Juggernaut” last competed at UFC 180, succumbing to a first-round rear-naked choke from Kelvin Gastelum. Ellenberger and Koscheck have both been finished in back-to-back contests. 

The pair have seen much better days and losing certainly takes both a physical and mental toll. Such losing can force a fighter who’s competing at the apex of his sport to reassess their long-term goals.

In Ellenberger‘s case, switching up the game plan was a no-brainer. Ellenberger told Bleacher Report’s Duane Finley:

I’m stoked about the matchup, and I’m excited for the fight. I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments in my camp, and that is what this sport is really all about. You have to evolve and make adjustments, and I’ve really had to dissect a lot of things about myself. I had to take a good look inside because it’s not specifically the battle with your opponent but the battle within yourself.

Motivation can be a beautiful thing. It can either help or hinder you and it’s something that Finley touched on.

“Whereas a fighter typically measured success in wins and losses, the process of progress is what ultimately provides fuel to his motivational fires,” Finley wrote. 

As The Juggernaut continues to climb out the hole he is currently in, he has used the last three months and change to reflect on his mixed martial arts career from a personal standpoint. 

“It’s all about evolving both mentally and physically. I’m focused, and I’m in the best psychological state I’ve been in quite some time,” Ellenberger said. 

Most recently as this past weekend, the MMA world bore witness to what a lengthy layoff can do for a fighter’s mental state. Similarly to Ellenberger, former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was battling back from a disastrous losing streak to take on Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in Brazil.

Mir hadn’t won a fight in over three years. The 35-year-old also failed to allow his body to fully recuperate and neglected to tend to the wear and tear each passing fight inflicted upon his 260-pound frame.

Mir since defeated Silva with strikes in the first round at UFC Fight Night 61 this past weekend. Mir told Finley prior to his fight with Silva:

The one thing we kind of ingrain as fighters is we become delusional. Surely mental toughness is a big part of our sport, and it’s a great thing to have in life, but that is not really what makes great men great. Intelligently navigating through obstacles and giving yourself the best opportunities to perform at a high level is what matters.

It wasn’t long ago that the former Top 10 welterweight Ellenberger was held in high regard. In March 2013, the Reign MMA stud put Nate Marquardt to sleep three minutes into their UFC 158 bout. 

The win gave Ellenberger his second straight victory. It also brought his UFC record to 8-2.

Then, he went on to face a pair of insurmountable welterweights, Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler, both of whom are currently the No. 1 contender and champion, respectively. 

When he’s at his best, Ellenberger is rocking foes senseless and taking them down at will. The former NCAA Division II wrestler from the University of Nebraska-Omaha averages close to three takedowns per contest, according to FightMetric, and has 18 career knockouts to his credit. 

Kos is also a proud member of the power-punching stable of wrestlers at 170 pounds.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 veteran was a former standout Division I wrestler from the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He has used his mat prowess to stifle strikers like Paul Daley in the past.

However, as of late, he’s preferred to stand and bang with his adversaries. Though he’s had a tough time getting a finish, Koscheck‘s patented overhand right has found the mark on several occasions, including tilts with Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg.

Back in his heyday, the 37-year-old was keen at finishing foes. Kos vaulted himself into title contention off the strength of his one-punch power. 

The Dethrone Base Camp fighter went 4-1 over an 18-month stretch between December 2008 and May 2010, finishing the likes of Anthony Johnson and Trigg. Koscheck, though, couldn’t help but resort to using questionable tactics to secure victory on multiple occasions. 

In regards to his UFC 106 win over “Rumble,” Koscheck may or may not have faked an apparent eye injury, which was caused by an illegal Johnson knee. He used the time in which he was checked out by a cageside doctor to recover and finish Johnson via a second-round rear-naked choke. 

And in his unanimous-decision win over Paul Daley at UFC 113, Kos was put in a similar situation and was given the benefit of the doubt by referee Dan Miragliotta.

Koscheck would later coach opposite longtime 170-pound champion Georges St-Pierre on TUF 12. He lost to the Canadian in a one-sided drubbing at UFC 124. 

Although UFC President Dana White said that a post-UFC 167 text he received from the California-based fighter “sounded like retirement,” Koscheck told ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto in March “I have two more fights on my contract, and I plan on fighting those out and seeing if I want to continue.”

“I’ve been training my whole life, I’ve never had a break. I feel like I need to get away and take some time off and enjoy life.”

He’ll come back and grace the Octagon once again for the 24th time in his career when he takes on a younger clone of himself in The Juggernaut this weekend.

As long as both men are in shape and healthy, we could be in store for a rock em’, sock em’ welterweight war. Each have had their bouts with injury but appear to be in tip-top shape mentally and physically.

Ellenberger will have youth on his side. Unlike Koscheck, Ellenberger isn’t battling father time. The Nebraskan turns 30 years old exactly one month from Saturday.

There’s plenty of time for him to make another title run. Koscheck‘s run as a member of the 170-pound elite is far gone. 

That’s not to say Kos won’t be as explosive as he has ever been come Saturday night, but the deck is stacked against him. “Koscheck admits he underestimated the speed of his last performance,” said Okamoto.

“Woodley was very, very fast, and he closed the distance on me well,” Koscheck said.

Ellenberger is no stranger to underwhelming performances either. He was one half of a UFC on Fox 8 snoozefest with MacDonald. 

The Ellenberger-Koscheck pairing is important to both fighters for drastically different reasons. One fighter is attempting to climb the 170-pound ladder again, while the other is simply trying to preserve his legacy. 

Koscheck‘s legacy is already cemented. He’s challenged for a title and was one of the first modern-day heel characters to call the UFC home.

One of the TUF originals, Koscheck will move into a four-way tie for third place on the All-Time list for most UFC bouts on Saturday with 24. 

It’s going to take a staunch effort from Kos to topple The Juggernaut on fight night.

Ellenberger will hold a speed advantage. He’s also made far more use of his hands than Koscheck in his 13-fight UFC career. 

Should Koscheck look to shoot for a takedown, Ellenberger will have an answer there too. He’s only surrendered two takedowns, per FightMetric, in his entire Octagon career. 

Leading up to their meeting in Los Angeles, The Juggernaut remains a slight favorite, per Fox Sports, over his welterweight counterpart. 

It’s kind of hard to see Koscheck winning but then again, people also doubted Mir’s chances against Silva. However, his chin appears to be dissipating right before our very eyes.

He’s lost two straight bouts via knockout.

Kos is in the same boat as “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell was towards the end of his Hall of Fame career. Will UFC 184 be his swan song?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 184: Holly Holm Ready for Life in the Fast Lane

There is a lot of buzz and expectation surrounding Holly Holm’s official UFC debut this Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The former boxing champion turned mixed martial artist will bring her undefeated record and polished stand-up skills into the Octagon…

There is a lot of buzz and expectation surrounding Holly Holm’s official UFC debut this Saturday night in Los Angeles.

The former boxing champion turned mixed martial artist will bring her undefeated record and polished stand-up skills into the Octagon for the first time when she squares off with Raquel Pennington at UFC 184.

While “The Preacher’s Daughter” is still relatively new to the sport, having fought seven times in four years of work as a professional—the 33-year-old Albuquerque, New Mexico, native has already been anointed by some as the one fighter who will finally derail women’s bantamweight phenom Ronda Rousey under the UFC banner.

For someone who has yet to log a single second inside the Octagon, those expectations are as lofty as they come, yet Holm has never been one to back down from a challenge in any regard. She is determined to be the best at whatever she does and is willing to travel whatever route necessary to make that happen. And that mindset has Holm ready to hit the cage at UFC 184 and put herself in position for the biggest opportunity of her career.

She will first need to defeat Pennington on Saturday night, but that is simply one test to open up the doorway to the next big moment in her MMA career. 

“It’s been crazy, but it is finally here,” Holm told Bleacher Report. “I feel like this has been the longest training camp of my life, but at the same time, it also feels like the shortest. There were days when it seemed so far away and others that just flew by. There have been a lot of emotions, but I’m ready to do this. I’m prepared, in shape, focused and healthy. The hard work is done

“Honestly—and this is no offense to the media—but if it were up to me I would just train and fight. But that would limit the opportunities we have. There have been a lot of media obligations for this fight, but that’s to be expected when you are fighting in the co-main event on a card. It’s a lot and it’s extra, but it’s something I’m really trying to dive into and experience.

“Sometimes I just want to get the fight over so bad, and that’s all I can think about,” she added. “In those moments I have to tell myself not to ignore what I’m experiencing right now. We are getting to experience something that most of us female fighters will never get to experience. I just try to take it all in. I just (try) to embrace all the media, interviews, support and hype around me; I’m experiencing something right now. This is a big event and moment in my life, and I really want to take it all in.”

What Holm is making sure to embrace is UFC 184 being a history-making event that will put a huge spotlight on women’s MMA.

For the first time in the 21-year history of the organization, an event will feature women’s bouts in both of the showcase positions on the card as Ronda Rousey will put her women’s 135-pound title on the line against Cat Zingano in the main event, and Holm and Pennington will handle their business in the co-main event slot.

Despite all of the changes and setbacks that have plagued the UFC’s return to Los Angeles, everything has still shaken out to provide some interesting action at the top of the card’s billing. Holm is well-aware that the spotlight will be fixated on the two biggest tilts on Saturday night, and she believes it’s up to those two fights to truly make the moment count for women’s MMA.

“This is a big event for women’s MMA, but it really kind of comes down to how the performances are,” Holm said. “That really carries some weight here. It’s the first time in UFC history that two women’s bouts are the main and co-main events on the card. I feel like there is going to be a ton of curiosity behind this, and people may tune in to watch this event just out of curiosity alone. I’m sure a lot of people wanted to watch it when the main guys were on the card, but I also feel like there are a lot of people who want to watch it even more now.

“This is a historic moment, and I really want to do well and make it successful because it is history. And it all comes down to how the fights are. That is on us. We have a lot of eyes and media attention on us right now, and we really have to go in there and make the most of the opportunity for women’s MMA.”

On Saturday night, Holm will enter the Octagon for the first time and mix it up with a fighter many in the MMA community have already written off in Pennington. In her past outings, “Rocky” has employed a hard-charging and aggressive attack, which is an approach Holm’s technical striking has shredded in the past. 

Nevertheless, the savvy combat sports veteran is not looking one step past her opponent at UFC 184. She knows Pennington will present some interesting challenges once the fight goes live but also believes her coaches and camp have prepared her for anything that may come her way.

“I always go out to capitalize on my opponent’s game plan no matter what it is,” Holm explained. “I feel like she knows we’ve seen her fights just as I know she’s watched mine. I know she is going to come in there and want to put the pressure on, but I don’t want to just assume that’s the only thing she is going to do because if I get in there and that’s not the way she chooses to go then I won’t be able to adjust. She come in aggressive or sit back and try to calculate her shots and counter. Whatever game plan she chooses to bring we are going to be ready for either one of them.”

Should the cards fall just right and both Holm and Rousey have dominant performances at UFC 184, there could definitely be a push in the aftermath for the former boxing champion to get her shot at the “Rowdy” one. While being lined up in a championship bout against a dominant titleholder would certainly be a huge task to take on, Holm is ready for whatever comes her way.

She feels things are already moving at express-lane speed, and a showdown with Rousey for the women’s bantamweight crown has been on her mind all along. Therefore, Holm is going to take every big opportunity she can get because she’s all about proving she’s the best women’s fighter in the world.

“I just take it one fight at a time, but I do look at it like it’s a fast track because that’s what it is,” Holm said. “I don’t even need to feel that way because that’s exactly what it is. In a factual way to look at this situation it is a fast track. I get that and good…let’s go. Let’s do it. If I didn’t want to take on the challenge, then I shouldn’t be involved with it altogether. I have to take advantage of every opportunity. It is a lot to take in, but if I can keep doing well and moving forward then I just want to keep riding that train.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 184: A Complete A-to-Z Preview

By Nasir Jabbar

The original lineup of UFC 184 had fans and media members alike spewing the usual hype terminology (“incredible”, “awesome”, “more stacked than your mom”, and so on) until a plethora of injuries left the card in tatters. Still, UFC 184 features a pretty solid main event and a handful of at least watchable fights, so what are you complaining about, you buncha nerds? IF THE UFC THROWS YOU A BONE, THEY DON’T WANT TO KNOW IF IT TASTES GOOD OR NOT.

Sorry about that; I guess those Dana White negotiating tapes are really starting to pay off. The point is, an event this…lukewarm doesn’t really require one to write huge blocks of tedious text recapping each fighter’s recent matches and predicting how they will win this weekend. So instead, I’ve decided to try out something new and compile an A-to-Z list previewing each and every aspect of UFC 184. Join me?

By Nasir Jabbar

The original lineup of UFC 184 had fans and media members alike spewing the usual hype terminology (“incredible”, “awesome”, “more stacked than your mom”, and so on) until a plethora of injuries left the card in tatters. Still, UFC 184 features a pretty solid main event and a handful of at least watchable fights, so what are you complaining about, you buncha nerds? IF THE UFC THROWS YOU A BONE, THEY DON’T WANT TO KNOW IF IT TASTES GOOD OR NOT.

Sorry about that; I guess those Dana White negotiating tapes are really starting to pay off. The point is, an event this…lukewarm doesn’t really require one to write huge blocks of tedious text recapping each fighter’s recent matches and predicting how they will win this weekend. So instead, I’ve decided to try out something new and compile an A-to-Z list previewing each and every aspect of UFC 184. Join me?

A is for Anti-Doping
It isn’t all doom and gloom. Both main-eventers passed their random out-of-competition drug tests, which is a cause for celebration in an of itself these days. Hallelujah.

B is for Business
The bulk of the business will be severely hampered due to the injury-hit card, from a PPV hit to refunded tickets. Most critics are expecting UFC 184 to do in the sub-250k buys range, which leads to the next point.

C is for “Card Subject To Change”
Yeah, you can say that again.

In addition to their legal woes, the UFC has had something of a weight cutting issue this year, with TJ Waldburger being the most recent fighter to pass out just a day prior to his scheduled bout. With UFC 184 as weak as it already is, the UFC better pray that it doesn’t lose another fight in such a fashion.

D is for Declined
After the withdrawal of middleweight champion Chris Weidman from the event, UFC offered both Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi to #1 contender, Vitor Belfort, but the Brazilian declined them. The Weidman-Belfort title fight has since been rescheduled for UFC 187, which looks magnificent.

E is for Ellenberger
Once a budding prospect in the welterweight division, Jake Ellenberger is now riding a three fight losing skid into his bout with the similarly struggling veteran Josh Koscheck. The Nebraska-native has shipped up to Los Angeles to team up with Edmond Tarverdyan, though with little luck thus far. Will he finally get back on the win column on Saturday night?

F is for Ferguson
Since suffering his first UFC loss back in 2012 to Michael Johnson, TUF 14 winner Tony Ferguson has won four on the bounce heading into his bout with Gleison Tibau, who has notched three straight wins since getting torched by, you guessed it, Michael Johnson in 2013.

G is for Good Thing Rousey Was Co-Main
The promotion could of had another UFC 176 on their hands if they hadn’t had Ronda as co-feature. Good thing she was on the card, otherwise we’d have another “postponement.”

H is for Holly Holm
The “greatest female boxer in history” (– Dana White or Joe Rogan, probably) makes her hotly-anticipated octagon debut this weekend against TUF 18 competitor Raquel Pennington. “H” might as well stand for “hype” in Holm’s case, as she is already being hailed as the next/final challenger to Rousey’s throne.

I is for Injuries
The god-damn injury bug of 2012 has reared its ugly head taking out a myriad of delightful matchmaking. A brief list of fighters once attached to this event: Neil Magny, Frank Mir, Ronaldo Souza, Yoel Romero, and Yancy Medeiros. (Ed note: YAAAANCYYYYY!!!)

J is for Jitters
On a scale of Rolles Gracie to Junior Dos Santos, how will the debuting Holly Holm react to the notorious octagon jitters?

K is for Kazakhstan
Some of the more hyperbolic MMA media members have compared Rousey to Mike Tyson, although, if we’re going to compare her to a male boxer (!!) lets at least keep the comparisons contemporary. Rousey is the Gennady Golovkin of MMA.

L is for Ladies
Not only will the PPV main-card feature two women’s bouts, but they are the featured attractions: The main event and co-main.

M is for Mother
Cat Zingano was the first mother to compete inside the octagon, and you best believe that she runs her local PTA meetings with an iron fist.

N is for Needle-Mover
Dana White has stated on numerous occasions that Rousey is “the biggest star [the UFC] has ever had.” This weekend should truly serve as a barometer for that audacious statement, as Rousey has been tasked with carrying this lackluster card on her own. UFC 184′s buy-rate will really show how much of a ‘needle-mover’ the women’s bantamweight champion is.

O is for Outrage
James Krause expressed his outrage on Twitter about his positioning on the card. Does he have a point? (Answer: Of course he does. Some of the fights above him are garbage.)

P is for Philippines
Filipino-American Mark Munoz fights this weekend, having dropped two in a row and three of his past four overall. With the “super-fight” main event in place for the promotion’s first venture into Philippines, will “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” get a slot on the card regardless of how he performs against the returning Roan Carneiro?

Q is for Quick Turnaround
Just a little over a month out from his last win, Gleison Tibau makes a quick turnaround when he takes surging lightweight Tony Ferguson.

R is for Retirement
If defeated, is retirement looming for Josh Koscheck?

S is for Staples Centre
UFC returns to the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, CA for the first time since August 2012, after their initial return was “postponed.”

T is for Turbulent
Zingano has had a turbulent spell in her MMA career and personal life; first the knee-injury which forced her off TUF and a fight against Rousey and then the passing of her husband. Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel with this title shot.

U is for Unconscious
I’m almost certain that Derrick Lewis will leave Ruan Potts unconscious inside of 5 minutes.

V is for Vitor Belfort
Let’s all take a moment to laugh at the serious proposition Vitor Belfort made about fighting Mark Munoz for an interim title. Moving on…

W is for Who Will Test Positive?
The last three PPV shows have featured high-profile positive drug tests. With the MMA ongoing drug epidemic and CSAC sussing fighters out, it begs the question: Who’s gonna flunk their test?

X is for X-rated
It may not be as X-rated as past Rousey photoshoots, yet her recent Sports Illustrated pictorial edition was quite flattering to say the very least. In Rousey’s own words, however, “If they can’t see your cash & prizes, then I’m fine with it.”

Y is for Yamamoto
Having gone 1-5 in his last six MMA appearances, the Japanese legend finds himself in a do or die situation.

Z is for Zingano
After brutalising Miesha Tate and doing the same to Amanda Nunes after a long layoff, the undefeated-challenger has the opportunity to do the unthinkable and beat UFC’s poster-girl.

UFC 184: Who’s on the Hot Seat in Los Angeles This Saturday?

At UFC 184, Ronda Rousey will look to keep her impressive women’s bantamweight title run going against one of her most dangerous challengers to date, Cat Zingano.
With four straight title defenses, Rousey has already matched the great UFC reigns of Chu…

At UFC 184, Ronda Rousey will look to keep her impressive women’s bantamweight title run going against one of her most dangerous challengers to date, Cat Zingano.

With four straight title defenses, Rousey has already matched the great UFC reigns of Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock and Pat Miletich. Should she remain undefeated against Zingano, Rousey would draw even with the likes of Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes and Demetrious Johnson.

Undefeated in nine pro bouts, Zingano needed only two wins inside the Octagon to get this shot at Rousey. Zingano is a fighter with knockout power and solid grappling, and many experts consider her to be the biggest threat to Rousey at 135 pounds.

While Rousey and Zingano should have long UFC careers ahead, many big names could be battling for their roster spots this weekend. Heading into UFC 184, here are the individuals on the hot seat.

 

Josh Koscheck and Jake Ellenberger

They have been two of the bigger names in the welterweight division for some time, but Josh Koscheck and Jake Ellenberger both enter their UFC 184 bout with three straight losses.

A former title challenger, Koscheck might go down as one of the better welterweights to never win UFC gold. Without a win since February 2012, Koscheck’s title chances are now almost non-existent, though. Instead, he’ll be battling to put off his retirement this weekend.

Ellenberger has also shifted his short-term focus away from a championship. Like Koscheck, he has been finished in his past two outings and now sits on the chopping block.

With a fourth straight loss, Koscheck would likely retire instead of sign with a different MMA promotion. He’s been competing inside the Octagon since his third official pro bout in April 2005.

While Ellenberger has been with the UFC for several years as well, he seems more likely to continue competing outside the world’s top MMA promotion in the event of a loss. Given his name value, he would be a tough guy for the UFC to cut loose, even after four straight losses, but there’s a good chance the organization would opt to do so depending on how bad he looks.

 

Mark Munoz

At 37 years old, Mark Munoz is running out of time to make one last run at a middleweight title shot.

Following opening-round stoppage losses in back-to-back appearances, Munoz likely needs a win at UFC 184 to keep his career going. A third straight loss at his age, especially in the event of a knockout, would probably lead to him calling it quits.

Matched up with UFC returnee Roan Carneiro, who went 2-3 in a previous stint with the promotion, Munoz has an excellent opportunity to rebound. Should he lose on Saturday, his title aspirations would disappear, and there wouldn’t be much reason for him to continue putting his body in harm’s way.

 

Norifumi Yamamoto and Roman Salazar

At one time, Norifumi Yamamoto was considered one of the better fighters in MMA. Now, he’s meeting Roman Salazar in an apparent loser-leaves-town matchup.

With five losses in his past six outings, Yamamoto has fallen off the map quickly. The Japanese star hasn’t won since a May 2010 bout under the Dream banner and is 0-3 inside the Octagon. It was exciting to see Yamamoto join the UFC roster in February 2011, but it doesn’t look like he’ll make much noise with the promotion even if he does pick up his first win inside the Octagon this weekend.

Now 37 years old, Yamamoto’s best years are clearly behind him. Should he lose to an unproven opponent like Salazar, who owns an 0-1 UFC record, Yamamoto might decide to call it a career.

Salazar, meanwhile, isn’t in a much better spot. After winning four in a row to earn a spot on the UFC roster, he lost to Mitch Gagnon via submission in his UFC debut. Yamamoto once might have been an impossible adversary for Salazar, but falling to 0-2 inside the Octagon against a fading fighter could cost Salazar his UFC roster spot in this situation.

 

Ruan Potts

Following knockout losses in his first two UFC outings, it is a bit surprising to see Ruan Potts getting another shot inside the Octagon. That shows how desperately the UFC brass wants to add depth to the heavyweight division, though.

That said, UFC matchmakers didn’t do him any favors by booking him against Derrick Lewis. The Black Beast has posted a respectable 2-1 UFC record and has serious knockout power, so a third straight knockout loss for Potts would not be at all surprising.

While this matchup doesn’t favor Potts, he still needs to win it. Not many fighters receive another UFC bout after starting out 0-3 with the promotion, and the company would be unlikely to make an exception for him should he lose to Lewis.

 

Valmir Lazaro

In August, Valmir Lazaro made his UFC debut with a loss to James Vick. With 11 consecutive wins coming into that bout, it was a disappointing start for the Brazilian.

Despite being 0-1, Lazaro meets James Krause, who is arguably a step up in competition from Vick. With wins over Jamie Varner and Sam Stout, Krause won’t be an easy opponent for Lazaro to bounce back against.

Still, Lazaro needs to show the UFC brass something this weekend. If he falls flat and drops to 0-2, there’s a good chance he’ll have to head back to smaller Brazilian shows.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 184’s co-main event takes place in the women’s bantamweight division with the debut of a highly touted former boxing champion. Holly Holm steps into the Octagon for the first time and will try to make her mark against Raquel “Rocky” Pennington.
Pen…

UFC 184‘s co-main event takes place in the women’s bantamweight division with the debut of a highly touted former boxing champion. Holly Holm steps into the Octagon for the first time and will try to make her mark against Raquel “Rocky” Pennington.

Pennington is currently ranked No. 12 in the official UFC divisional rankings, and without one UFC fight to her credit Holm checks in right behind at No. 13. It is an important fight in the division that could propel the winner into the top 10.

Holm‘s boxing career was highly successful, but MMA is a whole new game. She has a perfect professional record of 7-0. Pennington will be a step up in competition for her and show the world where she currently stands.

Will she justify the hype, or will Pennington derail all the talk of Holm being a potential contender?

This is your UFC 184 co-main event head-to-toe breakdown.

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Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 184 comes to the Staples Center in Los Angeles this weekend, and the women’s bantamweight championship will be on the line in the main event.
Ronda Rousey (10-0) defends her crown against undefeated No. 1-ranked contender Cat Zingano (9-0).
This wi…

UFC 184 comes to the Staples Center in Los Angeles this weekend, and the women’s bantamweight championship will be on the line in the main event.

Ronda Rousey (10-0) defends her crown against undefeated No. 1-ranked contender Cat Zingano (9-0).

This will be Rousey‘s toughest challenge to date. Zingano is a powerful, well-rounded athlete who has excellent finishing ability. Rousey‘s dominance casts doubt that anyone in the division can compete with her, but if there is one woman who has that chance, it is Zingano.

Where does Zingano have an advantage? Will this be another commanding performance from Rousey? Let’s find out.

This is your head-to-toe breakdown of UFC 184’s main event, Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano.

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