Between UFC 176’s Aldo vs. Mendes, UFC 175’s Weidman vs. Machida, UFC 171’s Hendricks vs. Lawler and UFC Fight Night 40’s Brown vs. Silva, 2014 was a pretty good year to watch fights.
Still in its early goings, the succeeding year has struggl…
Between UFC 176’s Aldo vs. Mendes, UFC 175’s Weidman vs. Machida, UFC 171’s Hendricks vs. Lawler and UFC Fight Night 40’s Brown vs. Silva, 2014 was a pretty good year to watch fights.
Still in its early goings, the succeeding year has struggled to provide the same quality.
Bitter rivals took center stage to welcome 2015, as UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former Olympian Daniel Cormier finally had it out in the Octagon. Outside of that monumental light heavyweight tilt, the UFC has found itself working hard to provide viewers with star power at both ends of the cage while providing a back-and-forth bout.
Gustafsson vs. Johnson couldn’t do it, Silva vs. Diaz couldn’t do it and—shocking as it was—Pettis vs. dos Anjos couldn’t do it.
Stay with us as we power rank the five best UFC fights currently on the books for 2015. Fights are ranked based on the amount of hype behind the matchup and how competitive it could turn out to be.
Donald Cerrone prefers to do his talking inside the cage.
While the hard-charging lightweight is a champion where colorful soundbites are concerned, the surging contender typically steers away from beef in the pre-fight build-up. This is due in large p…
Donald Cerrone prefers to do his talking inside the cage.
While the hard-charging lightweight is a champion where colorful soundbites are concerned, the surging contender typically steers away from beef in the pre-fight build-up. This is due in large part to “Cowboy’s” willingness to fight anyone, anywhere at anytime—a notion he’s backed up on more than a few occasions. When a fighter like Cerrone is down to throw leather and open to mix it up with all-comers at any turn, that makes social media trash-talking and lobbing verbal grenades carry a different type of weight.
Then again, his current seven-fight winning streak and elevated profile in the lightweight ranks does make him an appealing target to some, and undefeated Dagestan-born phenom KhabibNurmagomedov is at the front of that particular line.
Immediately following the Jackson/Winkeljohn-trained fighter’s victory over Benson Henderson at Fight Night 59 back in January, “The Eagle” took to his Twitter account to jockey for a fight with Cerrone. It didn’t take long for the Albuquerque transplant to accept the bout, and the two top-ranked lightweights are slated to handle their business at UFC 187 on May 23 in Las Vegas. Yet, while the date for the fight is set for the UFC’s annual Memorial Day event, the American Kickboxing Academy representative hasn’t slowed down on taunting Cerrone over social media platforms.
Nurmagomedov has continued his online assault in the build-up to their showdown at UFC 187, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed by Cerrone. The former WEC veteran recently spoke to MMA Junkie and talked about turning his annoyance into added motivation that he will use to derail the 26-year-old Nurmagomedov at UFC 187.
“I will give Khabib everything I’ve got, I promise that. I will leave nothing in the f****** cage. The (Benson) Henderson fight, I left a lot out there. He’s really getting under my skin. He’s doing a good job of talking sh** on Twitter and trying to get under me, and it’s working. So, I’m stalking that up and I’m going to come f****** unglued.
“There’s nothing secret I’m going to do. I fight the same (every time). I’m going to come out slow and I’m going to f****** kick ass.”
Although every fight is important when competing at the highest level of the sport, Cerrone‘s upcoming bout with Nurmagomedov will come with high stakes intact. The 31-year-old Colorado native is currently in the midst of the most impressive run of his career as he’s notched seven consecutive victories inside the Octagon. While Cerrone is certainly no stranger to lengthy winning streaks, his current push up the divisional ladder is easily the most noteworthy stretch of his career due to the caliber of competition he’s knocked off in consecutive fashion.
Cerrone‘s climb up the 155-pound ranks has been motivated by the versatile striker earning his long-awaited shot at UFC gold. A shot at the lightweight title has hovered in the balance on two previous occasions for Cerrone, but he was ultimately turned back in bouts with Nate Diaz and Anthony Pettis respectively.
Nevertheless, Cerrone certainly appears to have found his stride in big fights, and a victory over Nurmagomedov would make his bid for a title shot difficult to deny. While making his opponent pay for his trash-talking has provided some additional inspiration for Cerrone, getting to compete for the lightweight strap is his ultimate motivator. He wants to sit on top of the divisional mountain, and a win over the highly touted Russian finally give him the chance to do so.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
UFC 187 kicks off what promises to be a scorching hot summer of mixed martial arts action.
On May 23, the UFC will treat fight fans to its own version of a box-office blockbuster, as the MGM Grand Garden Arena hosts two title fights and a plethor…
UFC 187 kicks off what promises to be a scorching hot summer of mixed martial arts action.
On May 23, the UFC will treat fight fans to its own version of a box-office blockbuster, as the MGM Grand Garden Arena hosts two title fights and a plethora of other high-profile bouts.
Atop the pay-per-view card sits a light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and challenger Anthony Johnson. In the co-main event of the evening, middleweight titleholder Chris Weidman makes his long-awaited title defense against No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort.
The fun doesn’t stop there. From top to bottom, UFC 187 is stacked with thrilling contests, featuring contenders in a multitude of weight classes. Donald Cerrone is in action against the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov, while former flyweight title challengers Joseph Benavidez and John Moraga go head-to-head.
Memorial Day Weekend cannot come soon enough.
Rumble looks to break Bones
Bones and Rumble are fresh off January victories over Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson, respectively. Both fighters are on long win streaks (Jones has won 12 in a row, while Johnson has won nine) and are two of the strongest light heavyweights in the UFC.
Johnson has been unstoppable since his UFC return in April, dispatching both Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Gustafsson by TKO. His win over The Mauler at UFC on Fox 14 was particularly telling, as he became the first fighter to finish the Swede with strikes.
Jones will attempt to make the ninth title defense of his career against his most volatile opponent yet in the wake of a failed UFC 182 pre-fight drug test. The champion has a more methodical approach to his striking than that of his counterpart Johnson.
Jones’ chin has been tested in the past, and it will be interesting to see how it holds up against Johnson’s one-punch power.
Weidman defends middleweight title against The Phenom
After multiple injuries and a failed drug test deprived us from witnessing a great middleweight matchup, Weidman and The Phenom are finally set to square off in the cage.
The undefeated Weidman is a well-rounded mixed martial artist who most recently defended his title against Lyoto Machida at UFC 175. Injuries have taken a toll on him since then, forcing him out of two previously scheduled meetings with Belfort.
Belfort hasn’t competed in the cage since a November 2013 knockout of Dan Henderson. The stoppage of Henderson marked the third-straight win via head kick for the 37-year-old.
After Weidman pulled out of their UFC 184 main event, the Brazilian added fuel to the fire by asserting that Weidman should be stripped of his championship. With bad blood brewing, I’d expect these two to get after it right from the opening bell.
The Eagle flies the coop to feast on Cowboy
The Eagle makes his Octagon return following a July knee surgery against the No. 3-ranked lightweight Cerrone in a bout that will likely determine the division’s next No. 1 contender.
The Dagestani grappler is a winner of 22 straight fights. Nurmagomedov last defeated current No. 1 contender Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision in April.
The 26-year-old holds top ranks in several grappling disciplines and registered the most takedowns in a UFC fight with 21 against Abel Trujillo.
Cowboy is on an equally impressive winning streak and picked up the biggest victory of his career when he bested Benson Henderson via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 59. The Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA fighter is a prolific kickboxer and an underrated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner.
Will Cerrone’s takedown defense stand up to the Russian’s pressure, or will The Eagle become flustered by Cowboy’s lethal kicks? We will find out May 23.
Travis Browne vs. Andrei Arlovski
Two hard-hitting heavyweights go to war when Hapa looks to take out The Pit Bull.
Browne tallied his sixth first-round finish when he floored Brendan Schaub at UFC 181. The 32-year-old has one of the best stand-up games in the division and has previously knocked out Josh Barnett and Alistair Overeem.
The former UFC heavyweight champion Arlovski is 2-0 in his latest Octagon stint and shut down Antonio Silva with strikes in September. He also has a knack for the knockout, boasting 16 career wins by the method.
Arlovski has fought some of MMA’s biggest names over the course of his 15-year career. Unfortunately, that has also led to seven knockout losses. Comparatively, the Hawaiian has only been on the fight scene for six years.
It’s new school versus old school when these two meet in Sin City.
The Magician and Fun Size aim to put on a show for the Las Vegas crowd
The Magician will enter the Octagon for the first time after going under the knife to repair a torn ACL in July. Dodson, a former flyweight title challenger, looks to reclaim his No. 1 contender spot with a win over the surging Zach Makovsky.
The 30-year-old Dodson is a dynamic striker with knockout power. He holds bone-crunching stoppages over flyweight contenders John Moraga and Jussier Formiga.
Makovsky is an up-and-coming flyweight who most recently defeated Tim Elliott via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 60. The former NCAA Division I wrestler is a takedown machine. He averages close to five per fight, according to FightMetric.
Dodson is a serious step up in competition for a fighter who previously lost a decision to Formiga in August. However, The Magician will be coming off a major surgery, which could impact his speed and offense.
Catch him if you can, Makovsky.
In addition to these tantalizing tussles, you can find frenetic flyweights Joseph Benavidez and Moraga facing off for position in the wide-open 125-pound rankings.
Benavidez is on a two-fight winning streak and has only lost to champ Demetrious Johnson thus far in his UFC career. Moraga is also a winner of two straight fights and has only lost to “Mighty Mouse” and Dodson.
In the lone women’s bout, The Ultimate Fighter Season 20 runner-up Rose Namajunas squares off with Nina Ansaroff. Thug is an intense stand-up fighter who is also a submission threat. The Strina is seeking her first Octagon win after dropping a unanimous decision in her debut to one-time Invicta FC competitor Juliana Lima.
The UFC also announcedDong Hyun Kim vs. Josh Burkmanand Uriah “Primetime” Hall vs. Rafael Natal this week.
UFC 187 is the must-see event of the year. Rarely are fans treated to two title fights, and a phenomenal overall lineup, this early.
The last PPV to feature two title fights was UFC 181 in December. That card fielded an attendance of 9,617.
For this Memorial Day, the UFC is truly setting a precedent. Matchmaker Joe Silva and President Dana White have never loaded multiple title bouts onto one Memorial day card.
In fact, within the last five years, two PPVs were headlined by non-title bouts. The most successful Memorial Day card came in 2010, when a light heavyweight grudge match between Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans headlined UFC 114.
Last year, UFC 173 featured a bantamweight championship fight for its main event. Former champ Renan Barao fell to T.J. Dillashaw in dramatic fashion in the final frame.
None of the last five Memorial Day cards can compare to 2014’s installment. From 2010 to 2014, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez and Barao were all universally expected to emerge victorious against their opposition.
To be fair, each main event ended in a finish and gave fans exactly what they came to see.
When Rampage took on Suga at UFC 114, most were expecting a blistering brawl between the two powerful light heavyweights. Instead, fans witnessed an uneventful win by Evans.
UFC 187 has a little bit of everything and showcases talent from nearly every division. Anything can happen, including injuries. Until May 23, I recommend the UFC place all fighters in hyperbaric chambers.
The UFC held a press event hours before Saturday’s UFC 184 entitled “Welcome to the Show.” It was similar to its “The Time Is Now” event held earlier this year, but this one focused on the next wave of slated fights.
And the eve…
The UFC held a press event hours before Saturday’s UFC 184 entitled “Welcome to the Show.” It was similar to its “The Time Is Now” event held earlier this year, but this one focused on the next wave of slated fights.
And the event had a little comedy at the end. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones have jokes.
The press event saw headliners from most of the upcoming cards field questions from the media and fans alike. It was mostly upbeat and jovial in nature.
For a brief moment, all that looked to change when Jones and Johnson met eye to eye.
Last year, all the buzz was fueled by the hatred between Jones and contender Daniel Cormier. The two had a wild brawl during a press event to hype their title fight, and the video went viral.
At the tail end of Saturday’s press event, each pair of fighters got up for staredowns. Jones and Johnson were the final pairing, and out of nowhere there seemed to be a bit of a skirmish. UFC President Dana White jumped in to separate the two elite fighters, but it was quickly apparent that they were merely playing around with their boss.
Although it was all fun and games at Saturday’s event, Jones and Johnson will fight for real on May 23 in Las Vegas.
Johnson earned the title shot with a stunning January 24 knockout over top-ranked contender Alexander Gustafsson on Fox, putting him ahead of all other contenders. Jones is coming off a big win over Cormier and will return following an out-of-cage issue involving cocaine.
The laughing stops when the cage door shuts in late May. Another top-tier light heavyweight battle is upon us.
Former flyweight title challenger John “The Magician” Dodson will return from a nearly one-year layoff to take on up-and-comer Zach Makovsky at UFC 187.
Sherdog.com first reported the news on Dodson, who has been sidelined following a July s…
Former flyweight title challenger John “The Magician” Dodson will return from a nearly one-year layoff to take on up-and-comer Zach Makovsky at UFC 187.
Sherdog.com first reported the news on Dodson, who has been sidelined following a July surgery to repair a torn MCL and ACL. The 30-year-old last competed at UFC Fight Night 42 in June, notching a second-round TKO over fellow flyweight contender John Moraga. “Fun Size” most recently dominated Tim Elliott en route to a unanimous decision victory at UFC Fight Night 60.
The Magician was a winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 and is 5-1 in his Octagon career. His only loss came at the hands of longtime flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
Dodson pushed “Mighty Mouse” for 25 minutes and proved to be one of his toughest foes to date. Since his title hopes came up short, the Jackson’s MMA fighter reeled off two straight knockout victories against Darrell Montague and Moraga.
The former Bellator bantamweight titleholder, Makovsky, made a successful Octagon debut in December 2013 against veteran Scott Jorgensen. The 31-year-old boasts a 3-1 record in the UFC and is one of the most dominant wrestlers in the flyweight division.
The former NCAA Division I wrestler from DrexelUniverity averages nearly five takedowns each time he steps into the cage, per FightMetric.
When Makovsky stands opposite Dodson on May 23, it will be the second time he faces a member of the flyweight elite. If history is any indicator, he will have a tough time figuring out The Magician’s tricks.
Fun Size failed in his first foray into the upper echelon of the 125-pound weight class. The Georgia native was stifled by Nova Uniao’s JussierFormiga at UFC Fight Night 47 in August.
Makovsky‘s opponent on Memorial Day weekend, Dodson, stopped the Brazilian ground specialist Formiga with strikes in the second round of their UFC on FX 5 tilt in October 2012.
The pair’s UFC 187 main card spot will have title implications. Following his win over Moraga, Dodson was on the cusp of earning a rematch with Mighty Mouse, UFC President Dana White alluded.
Dodson currently sits at No. 1 in UFC.com’s flyweight rankings while Makovsky checks in at No. 9. Will Makovsky prove that he’s a worthy title challenger, or does Dodson send the prospect back into flyweight purgatory?
A disastrous knee injury like the one Dodson suffered has the power to strip the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based fighter of his greatest asset: his speed. The TUF14 alum is one of the division’s most entertaining and successful fighters because he is able to stick-and-move.
If his knee is at full strength, expect The Magician to dodge Makovsky‘s takedowns attempts and put on a magic show at UFC 187.
Look at it. It’s glorious, isn’t it? In a UFC landscape currently being dominated by complaints of oversaturation, dwindling fan interest and rampant PED use, along comes a card to finally set us straight, or at least distract us from said oversaturation and rampant PED use for a little while.
Having already announced a complete overhaul to its drug testing program last night, the UFC dropped another bombshell later in the evening by announcing the epic lineup of its Memorial Day weekend card, UFC 187.
Details after the jump.
Look at it. It’s glorious, isn’t it? In a UFC landscape currently being dominated by complaints of oversaturation, dwindling fan interest and rampant PED use, along comes a card to finally set us straight, or at least distract us from said oversaturation and rampant PED use for a little while.
Having already announced a complete overhaul to its drug testing program last night, the UFC dropped another bombshell later in the evening by announcing the epic lineup of its Memorial Day weekend card, UFC 187.
Details after the jump.
As confirmed by Ariel Helwani on UFC Tonight, UFC 187 will not only feature a main event light heavyweight title tilt between Jon Jones and Anthony Johnson, but a co-main event that will finally see Chris Weidman defend his middleweight title against Vitor Belfort.
Despite lacking any semblance of an undercard, UFC 187 is already being hailed as the most stacked event since UFC 100, and rightfully so. Hell, it’s arguably the best lineup the UFC has ever had. Go ahead, challenge me on this. I’ll be here, grinding my teeth in anticipation for what is the most stacked UFC event ever ever.
Jon Jones, as you know, is fresh off a five-round shellacking of Daniel Cormier at UFC 182, while “Rumble” just finished disposing of the man many expected would be facing Jones next, Alexander Gustafsson.
As for Cerrone and Nurmagomedov, the former is currently riding career record-tying 7-fight win streak, having most recently eeked out a decision over rival/buddy Ben Henderson in January. The Russian Sambo specialist, on the other hand, was briefly linked to a fight with Cerrone at UFC 178 before a knee injury sidelined him indefinitely.
And finally, to the only guys whose careers you might not be completely up to date on. Since being knocked out by Demetrious Johnson in their UFC on FOX 9 rematch, Team Alpha Male’s Joe Benavidez has scored back-to-back wins over Tim Elliott and Dustin Ortiz. His opponent Moraga has similarly bounced back after tasting defeat against Johnson, having gone 3-1 in his past 4 fights and riding a two fight win streak into his fight with Benavidez.
Got. Damn. This card is incredible. Pray with me, Nation. Pray that this thing actually makes it to fruition.
Donald 
