Tag: UFC Fight Night 30

Michael Bisping out of UFC Fight Night 30, Lyoto Machida to Replace Him

The UFC is confirming that top British star, Michael “The Count” Bisping is unfortunately out of the upcoming UFC Fight Night 30 card in Manchester and will be replaced by former light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. The news is a seri…

The UFC is confirming that top British star, Michael “The Count” Bisping is unfortunately out of the upcoming UFC Fight Night 30 card in Manchester and will be replaced by former light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. The news is a serious hit to the card that was specifically tailored for British MMA fans. 

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto relayed that Bisping was forced out due to an eye injury. He underwent surgery earlier this year due to a detached retina and will have to go back under the knife (figuratively, hopefully) on the same eye: 

Bisping was originally scheduled to face resurgent middleweight Mark Munoz. Munoz spent almost a year away from the sport following a devastating knockout loss to Chris Weidman. He returned in July at UFC 162, and he took an easy decision win over Tim Boetsch. 

Munoz, as stated, will now face off with Lyoto Machida. Machida is making his middleweight debut after spending almost his entire career fighting at light heavyweight. Machida was in the thick of title contention, but a controversial unanimous decision loss to Phil Davis knocked him far away from another chance at the belt, prompting his willingness to change divisions.

Machida was previously scheduled to fight Strikeforce import Tim Kennedy in the main event of UFC Fight for the Troops 3 in November. The UFC does not yet have a replacement for Kennedy but are looking to keep him on the card.

The bout between Machida and Munoz will remain a five-round fight and will go down on October 26. Stick with Bleacher Report for more details relating to Bisping‘s condition and a replacement opponent for Kennedy as they become available.

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Michael Bisping: Mark Munoz Is a ‘Nice Guy’ with a ‘Suspect Chin’

Perennial UFC middleweight contender Michael Bisping is one of the best trash talkers in the business, so it’s no shock that he has been spewing a ton of verbal venom at UFC Fight Night 30 opponent Mark Munoz. 
Sitting down to speak with Fighters …

Perennial UFC middleweight contender Michael Bisping is one of the best trash talkers in the business, so it’s no shock that he has been spewing a ton of verbal venom at UFC Fight Night 30 opponent Mark Munoz. 

Sitting down to speak with Fighters Only’s John Joe O’Regan, The Count ripped Munoz on his “suspect chin” and how he doesn’t think The Filipino Wrecking Machine has the right mindset to excel at the highest level of this sport: 

He’s got a suspect chin; Matt Hamill knocked him out cold, Kendall Grove nearly knocked him out, Demian Maia wobbled him. It seems in most of his fights he gets wobbled but like visibly wobbled, I don’t just mean he takes a shot, I mean he kind of wobbles and looks like he’s on his way out, you know? He was saved by the bell against Kendall Grove.

He’s a nice guy, he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. But this isn’t a sport for nice guys and I’m not gonna go in there trying to be his friend. It’s a disciplined sport, it takes a lot of skill and so on. There are many qualities that you need but being a nice guy isn’t one of them. So for now we can forget about him being a nice guy.

Despite the harsh criticism about being able to take a punch, Munoz has only been knocked out twice in 16 professional fights: once in a light heavyweight bout with Matt Hamill in 2009 and then by current UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman in July 2012. 

After essentially a year off from the cage to recover from various nagging injuries, the Reign Training Center standout beat down Tim Boetsch for the better part of three rounds at their UFC 162 encounter in July. 

With the victory, Munoz has now won five of his past six fights. 

Meanwhile, Bisping is 4-2 in his past six matchups, defeating then-fringe contenders Brian Stann and Alan Belcher and losing title eliminator bouts to Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort during that 26-month time span. 

UFC Fight Night 30 takes place at the Phones 4u Arena in Bisping‘s backyard, Manchester, United Kingdom, on Oct. 26 with Bisping vs. Munoz serving as the event’s headlining bout.

Will Bisping be able to back up his harsh words, or will Munoz get the fight to the mat and unleash his signature violent ground-and-pound on his English counterpart? 

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.

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Michael Bisping Teams Up with Josh Barnett’s Head Coach to Get Ready for Munoz

Michael Bisping has one of the biggest fights of his career coming up in October when he faces former NCAA champion wrestler Mark Munoz at UFC Fight Night 30.
Now only does Bisping face Munoz with a chance to solidify his standing in the rankings&mdash…

Michael Bisping has one of the biggest fights of his career coming up in October when he faces former NCAA champion wrestler Mark Munoz at UFC Fight Night 30.

Now only does Bisping face Munoz with a chance to solidify his standing in the rankings—moving him closer to a much desired title shot—but he fights in his home country of England for the first time in three years.

While he’s always been proficient in his wrestling, Bisping wanted to up the ante for his fight against Munoz, who is regarded as one of the top grapplers in the sport. Munoz is a former Oklahoma State wrestling standout and 2001 NCAA champion.

To help get ready for a wrestler of Munoz’s caliber, Bisping decided to incorporate a new head coach for this camp to make sure he’s as ready as ever when he travels to England for the fight.

“I’m here at CSW in Fullerton. Erik Paulson, he’s coaching me for this fight,” Bisping said. “Obviously, Mark’s a wrestling (guy) so I’m hoping Erik can help out in that department. Erik is a world-class coach and a lot of great guys here to help as well.”

Paulson is a mainstay of the MMA coaching community and has worked with numerous top-level fighters over the years including Brock Lesnar, Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Cub Swanson.

Most notably, Paulson is the longtime head coach of current UFC heavyweight contender Josh Barnett.

Now he will take over Bisping‘s camp for the next seven weeks as he gets ready to face Munoz with a chance to jump back into the conversation as a top contender for the UFC middleweight title.

Check out the video above to see Bisping‘s new training regimen and his thoughts on Munoz and the fight.

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Jacare Souza Wants Winner of Upcoming Bout Between Munoz and Bisping

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is wrecking shop under the UFC banner.
The former Strikeforce middleweight champion has steamrolled the first two opponents he’s faced inside the Octagon and is quickly working his way toward a championship opportunity.
The 33-ye…

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is wrecking shop under the UFC banner.

The former Strikeforce middleweight champion has steamrolled the first two opponents he’s faced inside the Octagon and is quickly working his way toward a championship opportunity.

The 33-year-old Brazilian has found victory in his last five showings and brought his running total to nine out of 10 since 2009.

While the jiu-jitsu ace has been turning heads in the middleweight division, his most impressive outing by far came last week in Belo Horizonte where he drubbed former title challenger Yushin Okami in the co-main event of Fight Night 28.

Despite being known for his grappling prowess, Souza used his striking to crumble the hard-nosed veteran in route to a first-round knockout.

The victory over Okami put the rest of the 185-pound collective on notice, and on Wednesday night’s showing of UFC Tonight on Fox Sports 1 it was announced that the surging contender wants the winner of the upcoming tilt between Michael Bisping and Mark Munoz to be his next opponent.

The Brash Brit and the Team Reign leader will square off in the main event of Fight Night 30 on Oct. 26, and Souza wants a piece of whichever fighter emerges victorious.

With the majority of top middleweights currently locked up with scheduled bouts, the decision to focus on the winner of that particular matchup is an interesting choice for the grappling monster turned power striker.

“The Count” is only one victory removed from his knockout loss to Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 7 in January, where Munoz recently stopped his backslide against Tim Boetsch at UFC 160 in May.

Despite Souza having more momentum in the win column than Bisping or Munoz, he lags behind both in the name recognition category. While making vocal bids for title shots has become the norm over the past several years, it appears Souza is willing to take the workman’s route.

By setting his sights on the winner of Bisping versus Munoz, Souza has made it clear he’s willing to battle his way up to title contention.

And with his lights out ground game and much improved striking skill set, the X-Gym fighter is turning into a force to be reckoned with.

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Mark Munoz: Michael Bisping Will Bring Pillows, Munoz Will Bring Hammers

The upcoming fight between Michael Bisping and Mark Munoz almost seems unfair. Before you get your hackles up and accuse me of favoring one fighter over the other in the October 26 bout, please realize I am not doing so. However, I am saying, that in t…

The upcoming fight between Michael Bisping and Mark Munoz almost seems unfair. Before you get your hackles up and accuse me of favoring one fighter over the other in the October 26 bout, please realize I am not doing so. However, I am saying, that in the trash-talking department Bisping does have an unfair advantage over Munoz.

The reason for that is simple: Munoz (13-3) rarely engages in trash talk. He’s long been recognized as one of the nice guys of the sport, preferring to let his actions in the Octagon speak for him.

Bisping (24-5), no slouch in the cage as his No. 4 ranking in the middleweight division indicates, has no problem taking verbal shots at his opponents. So, it was no surprise that shortly after his bout with Munoz was made official, Bisping came out firing. Bisping, speaking on UFC Tonight, said, among other things, “On October 26, I’m going to kick his ass, and no one’s even going to think about him anymore.”

A smiling Munoz, ranked sixth at 185 pounds, speaking to Rick J. Lee acknowledged that he knew of Bisping’s comments, claiming that Bisping’s words do not bother him in the least. That fact didn’t stop Munoz from throwing a few verbal jabs at Bisping.

Munoz took shots at Bisping’s perceived lack of punching power, claiming, “It’s going to be like a pillow fight when I fight him. He’s going to have pillows, and I’m going to have hammers.”

Munoz and Bisping will headline a UFC Fight Night bout in Manchester, England. The October 26 bout will be broadcast on Fox Sports 2.

 

 

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Fights That Should Be Added to UFC Fight Night in Manchester

The UFC will be returning to Manchester before the year is over, providing the UK with its at-least-once-a-year trip. The card is headlined by middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Mark Munoz in a bout that could push one man into title talks.
Th…

The UFC will be returning to Manchester before the year is over, providing the UK with its at-least-once-a-year trip. The card is headlined by middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Mark Munoz in a bout that could push one man into title talks.

The UK has long been an important fanbase for the UFC. The British are among the most passionate fans in the world and some of the better, more exciting cards have been on their soil.

Here is the announced card so far.

  • Middleweight: Michael Bisping (UK) vs. Mark Munoz (USA)
  • Lightweight: Ross Pearson (UK) vs. Melvin Guillard (USA)
  • Flyweight: Phil Harris (UK) vs. John Lineker (BRA)
  • Lightweight: Paul Taylor (UK) vs. Anthony Njokuani (NIG)
  • Light Heavyweight: Jimi Manuwa (UK) vs. Ryan Jimmo (CAN)
  • Featherweight: Mike Wilkinson (UK) vs. Jimy Hettes (USA)

So far, five bout have been planned for the card. Here are eight fights that could complete the card and provide home-country fighters with complimentary opponents.

 

Welterweight: John Hathaway (UK) vs. Mike Pierce (USA)

John Hathaway is by far the most underrated talent in the UK. His time in the UFC has seen him win most of his fights using sharp technical skills and a great ground game (especially his wrestling, which is rare for British fighters).

He is arguably in the top 20 in the UFC welterweight division. He should be treated that way if given a fight on this card in Manchester.

Mike Pierce has suffered on the Facebook prelims and has been way underpromoted. The man is a wrecking machine with good wrestling and deceptive power. Matching him up with Hathaway would provide an interesting chess match that could push a new contender into the limelight. 

 

Welterweight: Gunnar Nelson (ICE) vs. Sean Pierson (CAN)

Gunnar Nelson is a top-flight prospect in the sport and should be built up carefully. He has good striking and top-notch jiu-jitsu, as seen in his two UFC bouts. He shouldn’t be pushed into huge fights too quickly, though, as it could derail his rise to the top too early.

Sean Pierson has quietly put together a three-fight win streak against some mid-level UFC talents. He has sharp boxing skills with good takedown defense. That is the type of skill set that would really challenge a guy like Nelson.

Should Nelson get by a tough veteran of the sport like Pierson, maybe he can grab himself a top-20 opponent. Again, you don’t want to see him end up becoming a victim of too much, too soon.

 

Women’s Bantamweight: Rosi Sexton (UK) vs. Julie Kedzie (USA)

Rosi Sexton is the only woman in the UFC to hail from the United Kingdom. That being said, she should have the honor of being the first woman to fight for the UFC in the UK. 

She is definitely a pioneer of the sport. The same can be said about Julie Kedzie, who, like Sexton, is 0-1 in the UFC.

A fight between the two would be a great bout for long-time fans who’ve watched both women’s careers unfold. Plus, it would allow one of the two to get their first win of their UFC tenure (unless, of course, they fight to a draw).

 

Lightweight: Norman Parke (UK) vs. Jon Tuck (GUAM)

Winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, Norman Parke automatically has some great hype behind him. An ace ground worker, Parke is already 2-0 in his UFC journey, having defeated Colin Fletcher and Kazuki Tokudome along the way.

He’s not ready for top-level competition yet, though, so he should take on another hot up-and-comer in Jon Tuck. The two were supposed to meet earlier this year, but an injury nixed that bout.

Tuck is well-rounded and tough as nails. He has a very refined ground game and solid takedown defense, which is a solid skill set when fighting Parke. This bout could be a very interesting affair.

 

Featherweight: Andy Ogle (UK) vs. Rodrigo Damm (BRA)

Andy Ogle’s most recent win came at the expense of the once-revered Josh Grispi, a win that earned Ogle his spot on the UFC roster. Not only did he win the fight, but he made a statement in the process. Simply put, the man is getting better.

Rodrigo Damm, like Ogle, is a TUF veteran who is coming off a win in his most recent outing. Now 2-0, Damm would probably have the better ground game of the two. That would force Ogle to keep the fight standing or risk being dominated by a high-level jiu-jitsu player.

The winner wouldn’t be in contention any time soon, but it would be a nice kick-start up the ladder.

 

Middleweight: Luke Barnatt (UK) vs. Thiago Perpetuo (BRA)

Since earning his spot on the UFC roster following TUF 17, Luke Barnatt is yet to have a fight scheduled. Right now, there are a ton of guys higher up the ladder than Barnatt, so he shouldn’t rush into any fights ahead of his progression.

Thiago Perpetuo is an intriguing prospect that sharpened his ax on the first Brazilian season of TUF. He has solid striking and a good ground game, proving that he has a very well-rounded game. 

Perpetuo would have to deal with the long, lanky frame of Barnatt throughout the fight. It would be quite the puzzle for the exciting Brazilian to solve.

 

Bantamweight: Vaughan Lee (UK) vs. Edwin Figueroa (USA)

Everyone loves bantamweights. OK, maybe not everyone loves bantamweights, but most people love the 135ers.

Vaughan Lee has been nothing but excitement since entering the UFC. The wild grappler with good stand-up has had a couple of tough tests and shown some cojones in the process.

Edwin Figueroa is similar to Lee, except he’s a better striker and an inferior grappler. This striker vs. grappler matchup has Fight of the Night written all over it and could warm the crowd early.

 

That would complete a 13-fight card. Here is a final recap.

 

Main Card (Fox Sports 1)

  • Middleweight: Michael Bisping (UK) vs. Mark Munoz (USA)
  • Lightweight: Ross Pearson (UK) vs. Melvin Guillard (USA)
  • Light Heavyweight: Jimi Manuwa (UK) vs. Ryan Jimmo (CAN)
  • Welterweight: John Hathaway (UK) vs. Mike Pierce (USA)
  • Welterweight: Gunnar Nelson (ICE) vs. Sean Pierson (CAN)
  • Flyweight: Phil Harris (UK) vs. John Lineker (BRA)

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1) 

  • Lightweight: Norman Parke (UK) vs. Jon Tuck (GUAM)
  • Lightweight: Paul Taylor (UK) vs. Anthony Njokuani (NIG)
  • Women’s Bantamweight: Rosi Sexton (UK) vs. Julie Kedzie (USA)
  • Featherweight: Andy Ogle (UK) vs. Rodrigo Damm (BRA)

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

  • Middleweight: Luke Barnatt (UK) vs. Thiago Perpetuo (BRA)
  • Bantamweight: Vaughan Lee (UK) vs. Edwin Figueroa (USA)
  • Featherweight: Mike Wilkinson (UK) vs. Jimy Hettes (USA)

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