Tag: UFC 185

UFC 185 Preview: Why Is It so Hard to Imagine Rafael Dos Anjos as UFC Champ?

There’s nothing wrong with Rafael dos Anjos.
On the contrary, dos Anjos has been outstanding through more than six years in the UFC. He’s gone 8-1 dating back to May 2012 and no matter what happens during his lightweight title shot at UFC 1…

There’s nothing wrong with Rafael dos Anjos.

On the contrary, dos Anjos has been outstanding through more than six years in the UFC. He’s gone 8-1 dating back to May 2012 and no matter what happens during his lightweight title shot at UFC 185, he can boast a resume few 155-pound fighters can match.

So, why does it seem so hard to picture UFC President Dana White strapping the title around dos Anjos’ waist at the end of Saturday night? 

Maybe it’s a confluence of things.

For starters, it feels as though the UFC’s most competitive and interesting weight class finally has a champion we can all agree on. That guy—the guy who fits the role like he’s straight out of central casting—is Anthony Pettis.

You know, he of the Wheaties box and the cage-hopping Showtime kick? The guy who became the first ever to stop Gilbert Melendez three months back at UFC 181? The kid with the custom suits, 100-watt smile and casual cool?

Pettis—he’s our man. Or perhaps more accurately, he’s The Man.

Secondly, we know dos Anjos wasn’t anyone’s first choice as No. 1 contender.

Khabib Nurmagomedov likely would’ve been here, had the undefeated Russian been healthy when—in the wake of Pettis’ win over Melendez—the UFC was shopping around for new challengers. Nurmagomedov defeated dos Anjos last April but was still rehabbing his injured knee when the championship carousel finally had an opening, so dos Anjos got the nod instead.

None of this is a knock on dos Anjos himself, mind you. He’s obviously a heck of a fighter and probably a very nice guy too. It’s just that, despite his success, he hasn’t been able to do much to separate himself from lightweight’s crowded crop of contenders.

For fans, it’s hard to get excited about a guy who so far seems completely unknowable.

Case-in-point: Even Sunday’s episode of UFC: Countdown does little to shed any new light on dos Anjos.

In fairness, the UFC-produced mini-documentary is a fairly bare-bones affair, and even the scenes about Pettis don’t stray far from the training room. But at least with the champ—who we’re already well acquainted with, anyway—we get some back story on how he used money from the Melendez win to buy his mom a house. At least there are few precious seconds of Pettis and coach Duke Roufus talking about their kids.

With dos Anjos? We see almost nothing that might differentiate him from the guys waiting in line behind him. We learn he recently changed his strength-and-conditioning regimen. We witness him sparring at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif., and hear sparring partner Beneil Dariush tell us it’s not very much fun to strap gloves on with “Rafa” right now.

But that’s about it.

If you read between the lines, you come away with the feeling dos Anjos is a good, hardworking and probably pretty private guy. He doesn’t exactly light up the interview segments, but he’s doing them in his second language, which is better than most of the people reading this right now could muster—and that goes double for the guy writing it.

But if the point of Countdown is to get us to care about dos Anjos, the show doesn’t seem to try that hard. The 30-year-old Brazilian feels like a stand-in, like a placeholder. Frankly, it could be anybody shambling into the cage opposite Pettis this weekend.

Dos Anjos’ primary aim, of course, is to change that. For his part, he’s very confident he’ll be taking the belt home to Rio de Janeiro after Saturday’s little pit stop in Dallas.

“Anthony Pettis is a talented fighter, really tough, a champion … but I see holes in his game,” dos Anjos told MMA Fighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz this week. “I won’t say what and give away my strategy, but I do. Don’t get me wrong, Anthony Pettis is really good, and he proved that, but he’s not unbeatable.”

And yeah, he’s right about that.

Perhaps the strangest part of this matchup is that dos Anjos really could win. The guy is a consummate grinder—48 percent of his wins are by decision, UFC official statistics remind us—and it’s impossible to completely count him out of any fight.

Melendez had some early success clinching Pettis against the fence—a strategy Roufus refers to as “wall and stall” in the above video. It’s a good bet dos Anjos will opt for a similar ploy and if Pettis can’t fight his way out or craft an out-of-the-blue stoppage like he did against Melendez, things could get interesting.

UFC fight weeks are always full of hyperbole and half the trick is sorting out the actual storylines from the sales pitch. In this case, however, it’s not so difficult to believe the Countdown pundits when they say dos Anjos could end up giving Pettis the fight of his life.

So far, however, oddsmakers aren’t buying it.

Dos Anjos is going off as more than a 3-1 underdog, according to Odds Shark. As much press as his recent win streak is getting, it’s actually been fairly anonymous. Back-to-back victories over Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz during 2014 were eye opening, but the only other real highlight of his long UFC career was probably a unanimous-decision win over Donald Cerrone in August 2013.

All that adds up to the impression this fight will simply be a steppingstone for Pettis.

Much of the intrigue (and indeed, excitement) surrounding the lightweight division right now involves the young, charismatic champion finally getting on a roll. The early part of Pettis’ UFC career was stymied by injury. When he finally did get healthy and take the title off Henderson via first-round armbar at UFC 164, it felt like the entire weight class had been granted a new lease on life.

Now, we all want to see how high he can fly.

“I think Pettis is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, if the kid can stay healthy,” White told CBS Sports Radio host Jim Rome back in December. “This kid is able to do things to people that other people can’t do.”

We want to see Pettis take on the winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Cerrone, at UFC 187 in May. We want to see if he can withstand a round of challenges from up-and-coming contenders like Michael Johnson and Tony Ferguson. There has even been some lip service—on Countdown, among other places—about the possibility of a fight with the winner of the upcoming featherweight title scrap between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo.

A win by dos Anjos would dash all those hopes. Or at least, it would reset the clock on them. It would probably require a rematch, maybe even third fight with Pettis, and in the meantime the lightweight’s group of arguably more interesting contenders would have nothing to do but carry on picking each other off.

Again, there isn’t anything to dislike about dos Anjos, but there isn’t really that much to sink your teeth into, either. So far, he seems like a bit of a nonentity. A lightweight division where he is the champion would be fine, but it’s not exactly the reality anybody is looking forward to seeing.

All that makes Saturday’s dos Anjos vs. Pettis meeting the most dangerous kind of title fight—the kind where we really only want one guy to win.

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UFC 185: Early Predictions for Pettis vs. dos Anjos Main Event

At UFC 185, Anthony Pettis looks to take another step closer to being one of the best lightweight champions of all time.
That may seem like hyperbole, but there’s truth to it. The championship belt has proven tricky to hold onto for titleholders in the…

At UFC 185, Anthony Pettis looks to take another step closer to being one of the best lightweight champions of all time.

That may seem like hyperbole, but there’s truth to it. The championship belt has proven tricky to hold onto for titleholders in the 155-pound division. Before Showtime, Benson Henderson, Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn were only able to defend the strap three times before giving way to their successor.

With an impressive submission victory over Gilbert Melendez already in tow, Rafael dos Anjos will be the second opponent to try and pry the title from the champion’s hands.

So what kind of challenges does the 30-year-old Brazilian challenger present to the champion? Here’s a look at the matchup along with the latest odds and a prediction for the main event.

 

When: Saturday, March 14

Start Time: Fight Pass prelims at 7 p.m. ET (subscription required); Fox Sports 1 prelims at 8 p.m. ET; main card pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

Live Stream: UFC.tv

 

Fight Preview

As far as title contenders go, Dos Anjos isn’t the flashiest of challengers. There isn’t a whole lot of hype surrounding this title defense, and one has to wonder if that’s partly because Dos Anjos isn’t all that marketable.

The 30-year-old is a recognizable name. He’s fought 17 times in the UFC since 2009, yet he’s been a headliner exactly one time. He will now fight for a championship.

But just because Dos Anjos lacks the sizzle doesn’t mean he doesn’t bring the substance. He is 8-1 in his last nine fights and compares with Pettis statistically, per FightMetric.

Looking at those statistics, two things jump out. First, neither fighters sets a high work rate with their strikes landed per minute. When Johny Hendricks and Matt Brown square off earlier in the night, they’ll bring 7.72 significant strikes per minute between the two of them. That’s almost double the production of Showtime and RDA.

However, that hasn’t kept Pettis from ending fights with his striking. Seven of his 20 career wins have come by way of knockout or TKO, which includes recent victories over Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon.

Dos Anjos recently broke into the knockout game too, though. He earned this shot largely thanks to knockouts of Jason High and Benson Henderson before beating Nate Diaz via decision.

Taking the fight to the mat tends to be a part of the RDA game plan. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner might have a high success rate when it comes to takedowns, but he took High, Diaz and Cerrone down multiple times as he looked to wear them down.

Given the explosiveness of Pettis, whether RDA can employ that strategy against the champion will be key.

 

Prediction

When looking at the buildup to a bout, it’s tough to glean much from what fighters say before a bout. But every now and then, what fighters say before a fight can be rather telling.

For instance, in talking with Joe Rogan at UFC 184, Dos Anjos alluded to avoiding a game plan that is wrestling or jiu-jitsu heavy. “I think Melendez, in my opinion, tried to do the wrong thing,” said Dos Anjos. “I’m not looking to try and grab him, to try a wrestling game at all. I’m not a wrestler, I’m not a jiu-jitsu fighter. Jiu-jitsu is my background, but I’m an MMA fighter. I’m going to finish, I’m going to put the pressure on.”

If this is truly going to be his game plan, it’s going to be a long night for the challenger. Dos Anjos has recently showcased power that we haven’t previously seen from him on the feet, but standing and striking with the champion is not a recipe for success.

The bottom line is that Pettis is a much more diverse striker. His ability to mix in kicks and unorthodox angles into his combinations gives him the edge in a kickboxing match. Should RDA wisen up and look to take Pettis down, he’ll have to make sure he doesn’t fall into the same snare that Henderson and Melendez did when they were submitted.

There are simply too many ways for Pettis to win this one to pick against him.

Pettis via third-round (T)KO.

 

All bout and card information via UFC.com. All statistics via FightMetric unless otherwise noted.

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5 Reasons to Watch UFC 185

The best lightweight fighter on the planet only fought once in 2014. It lasted six minutes, 53 seconds.
Rightfully so, the world wants more of Anthony Pettis as he takes another step in his journey toward becoming the best lightweight in the history of…

The best lightweight fighter on the planet only fought once in 2014. It lasted six minutes, 53 seconds.

Rightfully so, the world wants more of Anthony Pettis as he takes another step in his journey toward becoming the best lightweight in the history of the sport.

Saturday night’s fight may not last as long, but Pettis and No. 1 contender Rafael dos Anjos look to occupy the Octagon for as long as their bodies and minds will allow in the main event of UFC 185 in Dallas.

The former pines to retain his crown. The latter looks to usurp the king.

Luckily for fans and their pocketbooks, Saturday’s UFC 185 isn’t just about the main event—this one’s worth every pretty penny. Read on and click through the slides as we list the five reasons to watch UFC 185.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 185’s Matt Brown: Giving Everything Is the Only Option

There is an ingrained resilience to Matt Brown.
Whether it’s the blue-collar work ethic born from his salt-of-the-earth upbringing in the Midwest, or the inner-toughness that has emerged throughout his career in the fight game; the 34-year-old Columbus…

There is an ingrained resilience to Matt Brown.

Whether it’s the blue-collar work ethic born from his salt-of-the-earth upbringing in the Midwest, or the inner-toughness that has emerged throughout his career in the fight game; the 34-year-old Columbus, Ohio, native has a natural tendency to plant his feet and lean into the adversity he faces. It is a trait foreign to some, but for Brown, it is the key to his success inside and outside of the Octagon.

His natural grit and determination made him a tough customer competing on the sport’s biggest stage, but consistency issues made gaining his traction a difficult task. That said, “The Immortal” bounced back from the roughest spell of his professional career—a skid where he found victory only once in a five-fight run—to put together a winning streak that would take him from the edge of obscurity in the welterweight fold to the elite tier of the 170-pound division.

His seven-fight run of success would come to a halt against future champion Robbie Lawler at UFC on Fox 12 last July, but it was the type of spirited performance that didn’t cost Brown any ground in the grand scheme of things. Suddenly it seemed that fight fans and the UFC brass alike had come to recognize the showstopping brutality his hard-charging style was capable of producing.

That is good news for Brown because bringing the ruckus is what he does best.

“It’s awesome to know people appreciate the way I fight, but I just try to go in there and do the best I can,” Brown told Bleacher Report. “It’s cool anytime you hear positive things back from the fans. That’s always great when they are excited to watch you fight. It’s a great feeling to have.”

With Brown maintaining solid momentum in the welterweight ranks, the UFC made his next fight a main event slot against Tarec Saffiedine at Fight Night 60 in Broomfield, Colorado. As things would play out, “Sponge” was forced to withdraw due to injury, and Brown was left without an opponent several weeks out from the fight.

The strange tides would keep rolling through the divisional hierarchy as former champion Johny Hendricks was pulled from his projected trilogy bout with his American Top Team Rival, and was slated to face Brown at UFC 185 in Dallas, Texas, on March 14.

While the new matchup pushed Brown’s dance ticket back several weeks, it also produced a much higher profiled opponent for him to face. “Bigg Rigg” is coming fresh off a split-decision loss to Lawler at UFC 181 back in December, which could make a victory over the former two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler a moment that changes his career.

Yet, Brown has never been one to stack added pressure on himself, and he is simply eager to get out there and mix it up with the heavy-handed slugger on Saturday night.

“I just take it one day at a time, man,” Brown said. “I don’t put too much pressure on myself. Maybe I get a title shot with a win and maybe I don’t. I have to worry about Johny [Hendricks] first. He’s a super tough guy and one of the best in the world. The only thing I’m thinking about is being completely ready so that I can perform the best I can come fight night and maybe I beat him.

“You have to maintain the same motivation throughout,” he added in regard to the opponent change and the increased amount of risk and reward at UFC 185. “You can’t let the opponent change the way you are motivated. You can’t take anything for granted in this sport. Some guy who is not ranked you’ve never heard of could come in and knock you out. You have to be ready for anything at anytime from every opponent you may face. I try to stay on point all the time and always be ready.

“I really don’t know what is going to happen in this fight. I never try to expect anything from any fight I’m going into because who knows what will happen? I’m going to go in there and push the fight as hard as I can, push myself as hard as I can and hopefully come out with the W.”

In addition to his upcoming bout against Hendricks being a big opportunity for the welterweight wrecking machine to once again spark his climb toward a title shot, the trip to Dallas will also serve to bring Brown from the depths of what has been an unforgiving winter in his native Ohio. “The Big D” has proven to be a home for enthusiastic fight fans who turn out in droves every time the Octagon rolls through the Texas metropolis.

Those elements, and the expectations for a barn-burner shootout between two of the top fighters at 170 pounds, have helped to make UFC 185 one of the biggest events of 2015. And Brown will be looking to put everything he has on the line against the former champion. 

“This winter has been crazy,” Brown said. “It’s been odd for me because even when it’s cold outside I still do my workouts outside because I love to be outdoors, but this winter has been insane. I haven’t really been able to get out as much, but I don’t let those things affect me. I don’t let it affect the way I’m going to live my life. I don’t let it affect the way I’m going to train. I’m gonna go out there and bust my ass either way. I’m always going to give it all I got.”

 

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

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Rafael dos Anjos: Steady Progress Leads to Championship Opportunity at UFC 185

Fighter finding their groove fall into a special category where all intangible attributes are locked away. 
Alongside other immeasurable qualities like momentum and determination, fighters coming into their own under the bright lights is something…

Fighter finding their groove fall into a special category where all intangible attributes are locked away. 

Alongside other immeasurable qualities like momentum and determination, fighters coming into their own under the bright lights is something that happens, but it becomes difficult to gauge in the statistical realm. Yet, the aforementioned elements are directly tied to confidence, and when competitors’ confidence in their talents falls in line with the actual skills, they posses something special happens.

This chain of events produces victories in mixed martial arts, and those wins push a fighter closer to a championship opportunity. This is the arc that can be statistically measured, and there is no denying the climb Rafael dos Anjos has made to become the No. 1 contender to the UFC lightweight crown. That said, there has been no express lane where “RDA’s” journey through the 155-pound division is concerned.

For more than seven years, the scrappy Brazilian has been competing inside the Octagon, and during that time he’s notched 17 showings in the lightweight fold. Of those bouts, Dos Anjos has found success in 12, but it’s his five most recent fights that have made the difference.

The Rafael Cordeiro-trained lightweight has squared off with a collection of the best talent in what is arguably the organization’s deepest division over that stretch and has knocked off a collection of contenders and a former champion in the process.

Wins over talented fighters the likes of Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone certainly don’t come easily, but dos Anjos made it look that way inside the cage. Save for a unanimous-decision loss at the hands of undefeated Dagestan-born phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC on Fox 11 last April, it’s been nearly three years since the seasoned veteran has suffered a setback.

He’s been victorious in eight of his last nine bouts and has pulled off dramatic upsets in the biggest fights over his current run. Nevertheless, those elements were necessary for the King’s MMA representative to find the best of what he has to offer, and dos Anjos will be looking to put everything he has into his bid to derail Anthony Pettis and become the new lightweight champion at UFC 185 in Dallas on March 14.

“This is going to be the perfect moment for me,” dos Anjos told Bleacher Report. “God makes everything in perfect time, and he doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle. This is my time for the title now. I’ve had 17 fights over almost six years, and now it’s my chance. He’s given me this chance, and I’m going to have my hand raised at the end of the fight.

“It’s extra motivation for me to be the underdog. I like it. I’m very happy about that, and there is no pressure coming into this fight. I’m always the underdog, and I go in there and win the fights. This fight is not going to be any different.”

With “Showtime” and the lightweight strap now locked into his cross hairs, dos Anjos will hit the Octagon in Dallas with years of experience and progression at his back. Where he once struggled to adjust to the level of competition upon hitting the sport’s biggest stage back in 2008, over time he’s become a versatile and dangerous fighter with the caliber of gas tank that serves to complement a well-rounded skill set.

There is no doubt the talented young champion will bring his notorious brand of flare and out-of-nowhere brand of danger he always seems to produce, but dos Anjos believes he will be ready.

In his mind, every step taken—both good and bad—has prepared him for what he sees as the crowning moment in his career. The 30-year-old Rio de Janeiro native plans to bring his best to Dallas and is confident he will exit the Octagon with UFC gold strapped around his waist.

“This is going to be a great fight for the fans,” dos Anjos said. “I’m in the best shape of my life, and I’ve been improving more and more with every fight. I was in good shape when I fought Ben Henderson, then I showed up in even better shape against [Nate] Diaz. I will be in even better shape for this fight. My goal is to always be improving my skills. This is going to be crazy and a good fight for the fans.

“I can’t wait to get in there and prove people wrong. I’m going to go in there and show everyone they picked against the wrong guy.”

 

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

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UFC 185: The Nomadic Education of Elias Theodorou

There are few comforts to be found competing in mixed martial arts. 
The entire nature of the sport is about pushing one’s body and mind to new limits while breaking down those very attributes of your opponent inside a chain-link cage, and a fight…

There are few comforts to be found competing in mixed martial arts. 

The entire nature of the sport is about pushing one’s body and mind to new limits while breaking down those very attributes of your opponent inside a chain-link cage, and a fighter can use any variation of punches, knees, kicks and grappling to do that. This process is repeated in succession during the weeks leading up to the next fight in the hope that all systems will be firing at peak performance when it’s time to put everything on the line under the bright lights.

During times of preparation, the gym, and all of its coaches and training partners, becomes the crucial element that makes success possible. Elias Theodorou certainly understands this to be the case, but his personal approach to the process is unconventional on the modern landscape of MMA.

Where the majority of fighters burrow into familiar settings to develop their skills and prepare for the next challenge on their respective paths, the now-27-year-old Canadian middleweight has chosen to take a road much less traveled.

And it appears to suit him well.

Rather keeping his training bound to one location, the Ontario-based winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Nations has continuously traveled from camp to camp in order to keep his education as a mixed martial artist thriving. His most recent efforts took him to Rio de Janeiro, where he trained with Team Nogueira in preparation for his upcoming bout with Roger Narvaez at UFC 185. 

It was a decision “The Spartan” believes will not only allow him to shine inside the Octagon in Dallas, but prove to be another validating step in his life as a nomadic student of the sport he loves.

“We have an unofficial name for our team and that’s Team Nomad,” Theodorou told Bleacher Report. “The best way to describe that is I have gyms in the general Toronto area that I use in Grants MMA and Tapout Burlington as my home gyms, but I love traveling. I love soaking up all the information I can from other mixed martial artists. One of my coaches, Lachlan Cheng, him and I both have mentality and lifestyle we are trying to achieve. We want to see the world, and mixed martial arts is our vehicle for that.

“I have the freedom in my life right now to do these things and push myself in ways some other guys can’t. I’m young and I don’t have any attachments in regards to being married or having kids, so I can make those moves. Some fighters aren’t in that life cycle, and I imagine it would be hard for those who are to leave everything behind. That being said, I don’t understand why those who do have the freedom to pick up and go wouldn’t do it.

“I’m working so hard, and it was great working with champions in the Nogueira Brothers,” he added. “For them to open their gym and welcome me to train with them was amazing. I reminded myself of that every day because on the wall, there are trophies from these guys who have such an incredible amount of experience.”

While Theodorou works with a core group of coaches, he hasn’t limited himself, chasing the knowledge that can be found in other gyms as well. His journey through MMA is one bolstered and fueled by absorbing as much information and experience as he can along the way in an effort to make sure he’s never in a comfort zone for too long.

He’s in pursuit of a unique education and one the talented Canadian is sure will pay dividends when it’s time to show and prove. 

“The way I see it no gym, coach or fighter has the monopoly on talent, training or knowledge,” Theodorou said. “Everyone grows and it is as simple as that. No one wants to be the best in the gym, and that is part of why I travel around so much. I don’t ever want to be content and go in the gym every day and win. I want to lose in the gym because I never want to lose on game day. That’s a big motivation that gave me the traveling bug for mixed martial arts. 

“I’ve been to gyms where people don’t like losing and they don’t want to learn. After a couple of sessions with me and if I end up getting the better of them they hate it. That narrow-minded mentality is what keeps a person as the best fighter at one gym instead of expanding their mindset. 

“My whole mentality is that each fight is a test and if you study for it you will pass with flying colors,” he added. “My ability to lose every single day in the gym is reflective on game day in the sense that I’ve lost so many times when no one was around, but I’ve picked myself up and demanded that I win on the day that it really matters.”

The expansion of his fighting skills may have been the primary motivator for his journey down to Brazil, but the trip also provided an opportunity for the undefeated middleweight prospect to soak up some culture in the Southern Hemisphere. Throughout his time in Rio, Theodorou was able to see a Brazil beyond the fight experience, and it was one he found inspiring in a number of ways.

One element that highlighted his journey was getting to witness Brazil’s legendary Carnival festival firsthand, and it was an experience he won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

“Let’s just say my hips don’t lie, and I was very fortunate to catch the beginning of the festival at the tail end of my time there. It was a glorious thing,” Theodorou laughed. “All jokes aside, it’s really an amazing thing because a lot of it is the poorest parts of Brazil and they all work feverishly for the entire year toward this. It’s not their job…it’s more like a side job or hobby, or their equivalent of a choir or something to that effect.

“They basically practice and spend whatever little disposable income they have to give. And it’s such an incredible thing. The floats are amazing. The ladies there are great. Let’s just say they shake and show off their assets.”

While Theodorou had to abandon the Brazilian summer for the harsh winter of his home in the province of Ontario, those elements will be only minor details as his fight with Narvaez is just around the corner. The two up-and-coming middleweights will square off when the UFC returns to Dallas on March 15, with their tilt being featured on the pay-per-view portion of the card. 

Both men are coming into their showdown at UFC 185 with recent wins under their belts, but Theodorou believes the devil is in the details of their respective wins. In regard to his opponent’s previous Octagon appearance against Luke Barnatt at Fight Night 57 back in November, Theodorou saw “Big Slow” giving the bout away more than Narvaez taking the victory.

In fact, he believes Narvaez’s entire track record reflects an unwillingness to go after success full throttle, which is a chase Theodorou invests in each and every day.

“If we are going to be really honest about the [Luke Barnatt] fight he really didn’t win that fight,” Theodorou said. “It was Luke who lost it. If you look at the fight I think it’s clear Luke screwed the pooch and gave Narvaez the opportunity to win. If you look at all of Roger’s fights you’ll also see that prior to coming to the UFC he fought a bunch of bloated welterweights. He never really tested himself, whereas I, on the other hand, have always incrementally tested myself. 

“It was evident because when he got to the UFC it was the equivalent to being fed to the dogs in the sense that he was fighting an actual UFC-level fighter. And he lost to Patrick Cummins. Mind you and giving credit where credit is due, he did take that fight on short notice and it was his first time under those bright lights, but I had those same bright lights on The Ultimate Fighter and I rose to the occasion. That’s an even bigger stage with more pressure.

“If you look the fight he had before Patrick Cummins and the one he had after, Narvaez won by split-decision,” he added. “I can assure anyone reading this article I have the gas tank that doesn’t allow a split decision. I will keep going until there is nothing left in me, and there is a lot in me to give. I will not rest until I punch, kick, lift, slam and break my opponent as I always do.”

Where Narvaez is still on the lower end of the fan-recognition scale in the fight game, a win over the scrappy Texan will keep Theodorou moving in the direction he desires. Armed with an exciting fighting style and a natural charisma that makes marketing him an easy push, the surging prospect could be just another step or two from being slotted into bouts against high-profile competition.

In turn, those fights would provide an even larger showcase for his talents, and those are current goals for the Toronto-based middleweight. Every step forward is further validation that the hard work he’s invested in his fighting career is paying off.

“Every fight is a progression,” Theodorou said. “I just need to do what I always do and that is win. The more I have myself in the cage and get my hand raised, the more it develops me as a fighter and as an option for higher rankings. I’m 26 years old, and there is going to be a lot of changing of the guard up ahead. Just as there was with the vacuum of Anderson Silva losing and not being champion anymore, it made a real flux in what is actually happening in my division.

“Roger is the next step in front of me, and I have to go in there and win like I always do. My focus is completely on Roger, and I need to go in there and put on a good show and show the world I’m ready for the next thing.”

 

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

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com