Tag: UFC 212

Report: Lyoto Machida vs. Vitor Belfort Targeted For UFC 224

Two Brazilian MMA legends are set to do battle at UFC 224 in what could be a retirement fight for both men in front of their Brazilian fans, according to a report by MMA Fighting. Lyoto Machida will reportedly take on Vitor Belfort in a battle of aging former champions in at May’s UFC 224 […]

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Two Brazilian MMA legends are set to do battle at UFC 224 in what could be a retirement fight for both men in front of their Brazilian fans, according to a report by MMA Fighting.

Lyoto Machida will reportedly take on Vitor Belfort in a battle of aging former champions in at May’s UFC 224 Rio de Janeiro.

Both men have seen better days as fighters, with Machida recently snapping a brutal three-fight losing streak with a split decision victory over Eryk Anders this month. Meanwhile, Belfort was knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum (which was overturned due to a failed drug test by Gastelum), and was then TKO’d by Jacare Souza and Gegard Mousasi before snapping his losing streak with a decision victory over Nate Marquardt at UFC 212.

Belfort (26-13-1 NC) has indicated multiple times that his next fight will likely be his last and seeing how he specifically mentions Brazil as the location of his swan song, this appears to be the UFC placating a longtime veteran. “The Phenom” was supposed to take on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 winner Uriah Hall last month, but Hall was removed at the last minute following a bad weight cut.

Machida too has his back up against the proverbial wall, and could likely retire should he suffer another blistering knockout loss. The two have trained in the past, but apparently had no qualms about signing on to fight one another.

UFC 224 takes place on May 12, 2018.

Who do you think wins this fight between two Brazilian former UFC champions and MMA pioneers?

Does a win for either man keep him from retirement?

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Jose Aldo’s Team Fires Back At Critics Of UFC 218 Defeat

Jose Aldo stepped up to rematch Max Holloway for the featherweight belt at UFC 218 last Saturday night, and once again fell short in his efforts. Holloway finished the former longtime champ in the third round just like he did during their first fight at UFC 212. In spite of the loss, Aldo’s team of […]

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Jose Aldo stepped up to rematch Max Holloway for the featherweight belt at UFC 218 last Saturday night, and once again fell short in his efforts.

Holloway finished the former longtime champ in the third round just like he did during their first fight at UFC 212.

In spite of the loss, Aldo’s team of coaches and trainers fired back at critics of his performance, namely Aldo’s kickboxing clash Emerson “Falcao” Viera, who took to Instagram to defend his star pupil:

“Many talk, few know. This is the truth, Brazilians are used to idolizing crooks and crucifying heroes. It’s almost cultural. Who should be supporting us is pointing fingers, criticizing and judging without having any knowledge to talk about the topic. We’re used to fighting rivals and receive critics from the ones who were supposed be on our side.

“Yesterday, our champion Jose Aldo did his part, fought bravely against a really tough opponent, who was superior in the fight and won, like [Aldo] did for many years and still has what it takes to do. Sports are like this, nothing and no one will erase your story in life and in fighting. Your friends and teammates are proud of everything you’ve already done and will still do. Nothing changed. We lost a battle, but war continues.”

Many longtime Brazilian champions have been dethroned recently, with only “Cyborg” remaining as the only current Brazilian UFC champ. Aldo, Anderson Silva, Fabricio Werdum, and Rafael Dos Anjos have all faltered as of late, leaving the Brazilian fan-base bereft of champions.

Aldo’s coach emphasized the culture surrounding Brazilian idols, and how Aldo should remain one despite coming up short at UFC 218.

With the loss on Saturday, Aldo moved to 26-4 and is only 2-3 in his last five fights. It’s important to note that Aldo had a very difficult weight cut for the Holloway rematch, and could potentially make the move to lightweight after flirting with the idea for years.

Should Aldo move to 155 pounds for a fresh start in a new weight class? Or should he work on dieting and nutrition for another go at featherweight?

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Vitor Belfort Teases Potentially Exciting UFC Return Bout

Controversial MMA legend Vitor Belfort was supposedly set to retire following his decision win over fellow veteran Nate Marquardt at June’s UFC 212 from Brazil, but apparently, ‘The Phenom’ isn’t hanging up his gloves just yet. The former UFC champion took to Instagram this morning (Thurs., October 19, 2017) to reveal that he’s supposedly signed […]

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Controversial MMA legend Vitor Belfort was supposedly set to retire following his decision win over fellow veteran Nate Marquardt at June’s UFC 212 from Brazil, but apparently, ‘The Phenom’ isn’t hanging up his gloves just yet.

The former UFC champion took to Instagram this morning (Thurs., October 19, 2017) to reveal that he’s supposedly signed a bout agreement to face explosive striker Uriah Hall at a yet-to-be-named UFC card on January 14, 2018.

Check it out:

I just signed my bout agreement for January 14th at UFC. I always looked for big challenges and in my last UFC fight it couldn’t be different… @uriahhall it’s a honor to share the cage with a such young and talented fighter. Thanks for accepting the fight!

Undoubtedly one of the greatest knockout artists in UFC history, the 40-year-old Belfort has garnered a lackluster 1-2(1) record in his last four bouts after his TKO loss to Kelvin Gastelum last March was changed to a no contest when Gastelum tested positive for marijuana metabolites.

All told, he’s lost three of his last four and four of his last six, with his only wins coming against fading stars in Dan Henderson and Marquardt. He’ll face a clearly difficult challenge in the flashy Hall, who recently rebounded from a three-fight losing streak of his own by defeating Krzysztof Jotko in a rousing comeback at September 16’s UFC Fight Night 116.

Both fighters still have the knockout power to end a fight with any shot despite their recent struggles, so this fight could produce some of the fireworks we’ve grown accustomed to witnessing in bouts involving “The Phenom.” Yet while it’s never up to the media or fans to decide when a fighter should hang up his or her gloves, it’s also fair to wonder if Belfort is playing with fire against the dangerous Hall.

What do you think?

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10 Great UFC Cards That No One Watched In 2017

With Ronda Rousey now having all but retired from the sport and Conor McGregor essentially having taken a year out to focus on his boxing superfight with Floyd Mayweather, there’s been a general feeling that the UFC has been running at a low ebb in 2017. However, while it’s undoubtedly true that there’s nowhere near […]

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With Ronda Rousey now having all but retired from the sport and Conor McGregor essentially having taken a year out to focus on his boxing superfight with Floyd Mayweather, there’s been a general feeling that the UFC has been running at a low ebb in 2017.

However, while it’s undoubtedly true that there’s nowhere near the same buzz, excitement, and enthusiasm surrounding the sport as there was a year ago, the reality is that there’s still been a lot of UFC events this year that delivered big in the entertainment category with plenty of memorable knockouts, slick submissions, stand-out performances and all-out wars.

The problem is that without those superstar names topping the bill, these events have often slipped under the radar, resulting in those talented fighters who have been putting it all on the line each week not getting the audience and attention that they deserve.

With that in mind, in this article, we’ll endeavor to shine a spotlight on 10 of the best UFC fight cards in 2017 that no one bothered to watch.

UFC On FOX 23: Shevchenko vs. Pena

After an exciting end to the previous year, MMA’s New Year hangover seemed to last all month long in January, with there being a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the end of month UFC on FOX 23 card, which slipped under many people’s radars and barely scraped above 2 million viewers.

However, those paying attention would have noted that the four main card match-ups always looked like they could deliver a fun night of fights.

Valentina Shevchenko secured a bantamweight title shot in a strong main event showing, proving that she was more than just a striker with a well-executed armbar finish against former TUF winner Julianna Pena.

The co-main event featured what should have been a must-see welterweight encounter between in the in-form Donald Cerrone and Jorge Masvidal, and it was exciting stuff for as long as it lasted, with ‘Gamebred’ flooring ‘Cowboy’ late in the first round and then finishing him off early in the second.

Fans also got to witness major heavyweight prospect Francis Ngannou notch up the most significant win of his career to date with a TKO finish in 92 seconds against Andrei Arlovski, while the main card opener got the proceedings on ‘big’ FOX off to a good start with Jason Knight, aka ‘Hick Diaz,’ outgrappling Alex ‘Bruce Leeroy’ Caceres for a second-round submission finish.

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Cub Swanson Reportedly Returns In Headlining Spot

Following four straight victories, many MMA fans thought No. 4-ranked UFC featherweight Cub Swanson was deserving of a title shot. That reportedly won’t be the case, however, as Swanson posted on Instagram today that he was headlining a December 9 event from Fresno, California, versus unbeaten No. 6-ranked contender Brian Ortega: Main Event vs Brian Ortega […]

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Following four straight victories, many MMA fans thought No. 4-ranked UFC featherweight Cub Swanson was deserving of a title shot.

That reportedly won’t be the case, however, as Swanson posted on Instagram today that he was headlining a December 9 event from Fresno, California, versus unbeaten No. 6-ranked contender Brian Ortega:

Main Event vs Brian Ortega December 9th UFC Fight Night in Fresno, CA

A post shared by Cub Swanson (@cubswanson) on

Rebounding from a down stretch in late 2014-early 2015 where he was finished by current champion Max Holloway and perceived top contender Frankie Edgar, Swanson has won four straight fights by decision, the most recent an impressive beating of Artem Lobov at UFC Fight Night 108 in April.

He won ‘Fight of the Night’ for the bout, but it paled in comparison to his previous win, a UFC 206 decision over prospect Doo Ho Choi that was dubbed 2016’s “Fight of the Year.”

Swanson brings the action each and every time out to the cage, and his losses have only come to the absolute cream of the featherweight crop such as Holloway, Edgar, and longtime champion Jose Aldo.

He’ll meet a fighter who does the same, as the 12-0(1) Ortega was last seen submitting Renato Moicano in the “Fight of the Night”-winning bout at July 29’s UFC 214. The Torrance, Calif.-based fighter has won four straight bouts himself (five if you including his stoppage of Mike De La Torre that was overturned for a positive drug test), but all of his wins have come by some form of finish.

It’s not the title shot Swanson called out for after declaring Edgar had already had multiple chances to win the belt (which is true in a sense), but it is a top-ranked opponent that would make Swanson tough to deny if he does win.

Will the longtime veteran be able to stop the surge of “T-City?”

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Jose Aldo To Compete In Jiu-Jitsu Tournament In Brazil

Jose Aldo is set to engage in competition once again next week, but this time it won’t be inside the UFC Octagon. The former 145-pound kingpin is coming off his second loss in over a decade as he was finished in the fourth round of his featherweight title unifier against Max Holloway last month (Sat. […]

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Jose Aldo is set to engage in competition once again next week, but this time it won’t be inside the UFC Octagon.

The former 145-pound kingpin is coming off his second loss in over a decade as he was finished in the fourth round of his featherweight title unifier against Max Holloway last month (Sat. June 3, 2017). After seeming to control the opening rounds of the bout, the Hawaiian rocked “Scarface” with a nasty combo, and it was all downhill for the Brazilian from there.

Just over one month later, however, Aldo is set to feed his competitive drive once again as he is slated to take part in the  IBJJF’s Master International Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The tournament runs through July 28th to the 30th. The federation made the following announcement yesterday (Thurs. July 20, 2017):

“We are very honored to have the great Jose Aldo Junior registered for the Master South America,” IBJJF said. “We can’t wait to see this MMA legend representing the Nova União team in the light division.”

Aldo will be competing in the lightweight division of the tournament, along with three-time world champion Celsinho Venicius. Aldo has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under longtime head-coach and manager Andre Pederneiras. He hasn’t competed in a jiu-jitsu rules tournament for over a decade.

(Photo by Harry How/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

He defeated the now-highly-decorated Rubens Charles “Cobrinha” as a brown belt back in 2004 before winning the CBJO gold, and then transitioned into mixed martial arts (MMA).

Aldo has only ever lost two fights in his UFC career – a 13-second knockout loss to Conor McGregor for the featherweight title back in December of 2015, and to Holloway last month.

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