Tag: UFC Fight Night

UFC Fight Night Singnapore: Justin Scoggins vs Yuta Sasaki Will Be An Absolutely Wild Scrap

Been away for a bit and with the limited time I do have, I’ve decided to breakdown a fight that I’m really looking forward to. No disrespect to the other fighters on the card, but by now anyone who has been following my writing knows by now that I’m a full on karate nerd. Rather than try to hide this fact I’m being up front now that my most anticipated fights on the card are centered around a certain karate expert, Justin Scoggins. He draws the scrappy and unpredictable Yuta Sasaki in his return to flyweight.

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Been away for a bit and with the limited time I do have, I’ve decided to breakdown a fight that I’m really looking forward to. No disrespect to the other fighters on the card, but by now anyone who has been following my writing knows by now that I’m a full on karate nerd. Rather than try to hide this fact I’m being up front now that my most anticipated fights on the card are centered around a certain karate expert, Justin Scoggins. He draws the scrappy and unpredictable Yuta Sasaki in his return to flyweight.

Let’s face it, Yuta Sasaki like most other flyweights isn’t getting a fair shake. That has nothing to do with his performances inside the octagon however. He’s been exciting in his outings and looked impressive in his bout against Wilson Reis at UFC 208. He utilized distance to get off some solid shots on Reis, including a nice jab and stinging right hand that caught his fellow flyweight off guard.

What Sasaki is going to need to do in order to win this fight is turn the striking exchanges into a scrap. He’ll have to mix in keeping the faster Scoggins at bay with his length while at the same time throwing multiple strikes once in the pocket. But striking shouldn’t be his only means of victory in this bout. When Sasaki looks to take things to the ground he gets greedy and is unrelenting. He should use any clinching opportunities to latch onto Scoggins and take the fight to the ground.

Justin Scoggins has been referred to as the smaller vets of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson on many occasions, which is fair. After all, they were both trained by the same man. In Justin Scoggins we can see the kind of potential that could easily turn him into a top contender at flyweight. Like Thompson, Scoggins employs more of a striking based attack, utilizing constant movement and angles to get the job done. But he also utilizes a strong wrestling game that helps him get away with some flashier strikes.

Where Scoggins has gotten in trouble in the past is his decision making abilities. He often times shoots when he should strike and in his last bout against Pedro Munhoz he decided to throw potentially one kick too many against a man looking to grapple. But all of that is in the past and this fight is likely to highlight why Justin Scoggins was so highly touted in the beginning of his UFC career. If he wants to beat Sasaki then moving in and out of range and cutting to a forty-five degree angle will be paramount. Neutralizing Sasaki’s reach advantage is also going to be of the utmost importance. For that, he’ll want to use his long range side kick as well as his blitz which he can use to get off centerline and attack from a new angle. His wide range of kicks will also help him to keep Sasaki at bay and even have him run into something devastating.

The flyweights deserve love and this fight will showcase exactly why with speed, footwork, and awesome exchanges and transitions. Do yourself a favor and tune into this one.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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Fallout: Alexander Gustafsson Is Redefining Striking At Light Heavyweight

Well, that was both beautiful and hard to watch wasn’t it. Alexander Gustafsson solidified his position as the third best light heavyweight in the world with an absolutely dominant performance over the tough Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 109. It was bloody, it was brutal, and it was a true masterclass in striking. Watching the battle unfold before my eyes, I caught glimpses of pure brilliance from Alexander Gustafsson who lived up to his moniker as “The Mauler” as he showed off is fast hands en route to a knockout victory. There was boxing and kickboxing on full display with some shades of karate mixed in. But not everyone was a fan of Gustasfsson’s style.

The post Fallout: Alexander Gustafsson Is Redefining Striking At Light Heavyweight appeared first on Cagepotato.

Well, that was both beautiful and hard to watch wasn’t it. Alexander Gustafsson solidified his position as the third best light heavyweight in the world with an absolutely dominant performance over the tough Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 109. It was bloody, it was brutal, and it was a true masterclass in striking. Watching the battle unfold before my eyes, I caught glimpses of pure brilliance from Alexander Gustafsson who lived up to his moniker as “The Mauler” as he showed off is fast hands en route to a knockout victory. There was boxing and kickboxing on full display with some shades of karate mixed in. But not everyone was a fan of Gustasfsson’s style.

Several different times the Swedish warrior would dodge heavy leather, duck out to the side, then sprint around the octagon and back to the center of the cage. Many people, including middleweight champion Michael Bisping and lightweight legend Gilbert Melendez, were outraged with Gustasfsson’s willingness to turn tail and run.

It’s totally understandable how this could be frowned upon, particularly when you consider that Gustafsson could have turned his sprinting into legitimate counter opportunities.

But you know what, I didn’t mind the tactic one bit and here’s why.

Alexander Gustafsson has been in a few wars already in the cage. Taking punishment shouldn’t be par for the course of being a warrior. Yes, perhaps he could have weaved, pivoted out and landed the same beautiful fight ending combination he showed off in the fifth round. But maybe he could have pivoted out and come face to face with a Teixeira left hook and see his title hopes vanish in an instant. The art of fighting isn’t about how much damage you can take and throw back (though that is a great Rocky quote). Nope. It’s about dishing out the punishment and avoiding punishment at all costs.

To some of you, simply saying that may sound like a cop out, but let’s really consider this for a moment. I’ve been punched in the face enough times to realize that staying in the pocket and brawling isn’t my cup of tea. No one goes into a fight just for the hell of it. You go in to win it and that means not getting your head knocked loose from your body. Alexander Gustafsson took the path of least resistance and at the end of the day secured a big win.

As for the actual fight itself, Alexander Gustafsson showed much improvement in his striking game. Not only did he land his jab on numerous occasion, he also seems to have become proficient in setting up elbow strikes as well.

Gustafsson also showed off a few karate based attacks with a spinning back kick, a blitz, and even fighting from both orthodox and southpaw stances.

By the end of the fight, Glover Teixeira had no clue what his opponent would do next, yet he valiantly hung in there. But despite his heart, we saw no real versatility from Teixeira. Barely any kicks, not enough feints, and a willingness to throw all his punches to the head rather than varying the levels of his attacks.

When all was said and done, it was Gustafsson’s uppercuts that won the day as he finished with a flurry. The work he was doing with his lead hand throughout the bout made it easy for him to gauge the range for his uppercuts of death followed by the overhand right of doom that closed the show.

While the haters and uninitiated will talk crap about Gustafsson and even this very article, “The Mauler” will be collecting checks and readying himself for another crack at the UFC light heavyweight belt. Let’s just appreciate the fact that Alexander Gustafsson figured out a way to beat the opposition without taking punishment in return and adding to his highlight reel. But though he may have had success getting away with the sprinting in this fight, it may not work against a man like Jon Jones you isn’t shy about throwing kicks.

Is Alexander Gustafsson the best striker at light heavyweight?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

 

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UFC Fight Night 109 Analysis: Alexander Gustafsson Battles Glover Teixeira On Home Turf

I’ve been gone for a minute but I’m back now and I’m ready to dig deep into one of the more anticipated fights of the year. Alexander Gustafsson battles Glover Teixeira right in his backyard, Stockholm, Sweden. While both men have been on the cusp of winning UFC gold, both are still very dangerous fighters with interesting tools in their arsenal. Both are strikers with more than enough capability to switch things up and fight in all different phases of the game. But which one has what it takes to get the W this weekend?

The post UFC Fight Night 109 Analysis: Alexander Gustafsson Battles Glover Teixeira On Home Turf appeared first on Cagepotato.

I’ve been gone for a minute but I’m back now and I’m ready to dig deep into one of the more anticipated fights of the year. Alexander Gustafsson battles Glover Teixeira right in his backyard, Stockholm, Sweden. While both men have been on the cusp of winning UFC gold, both are still very dangerous fighters with interesting tools in their arsenal. Both are strikers with more than enough capability to switch things up and fight in all different phases of the game. But which one has what it takes to get the W this weekend?

Like his current foe, Alexander Gustafsson has only lost to the best of the best of the division. Two close battles and a poor performance against Anthony Johnson have been the only losses to sully his record in the last few years and while you would think it would deter Swedish mixed martial artist from taking a step back, he has instead ramped things up. Alexander Gustafsson looks like a man on a mission and seems poised to put on the performance of his career against Teixeira. While he may be a striker at heart, in recent years we’ve seen Gustafsson turn into an all around mixed martial artist complete with takedowns.

Gustafsson is tenacious with his wrestling. Once he decides he wants to put you down and he’s in on your hips, you can rest assured that his man is going for a ride. But nonetheless, it’s his striking that’s going to do a great deal of the work in this fight as always. He has slick movement, an educated jab, and a variety of kicking techniques in his arsenal. The front kick and knees will be his best friends in this fight and should be used, to maintain his distance as well as his jab. Once he senses Teixeira wants to rush into the pocket for a left hook or takedown, uppercuts will likely go flying towards his foe’s chin to put the lights out or at least deter a follow up.

Glover Teixeira like Gustafsson before him felt the wrath of Anthony Johnson’s power last August, suffering a devastating knockout in the process. That said, Teixeira has since come back with a victory over tough prospect Jared Cannonier at UFC 208 this past February. While he has been getting the job done with his fists as of late, Teixeira’s last bout once again showcased his underrated grappling attack. He is proficient at securing a single leg and transitioning to a double leg takedown if his first attempt is stuffed. Once on the ground, Teixeira will either land ground and pound or search for a submission, most often a guillotine choke.

But just like his opponent, Glover Teixeira is a striker at heart and as such he plays aggressive counter striker looking for his opportunity to catch an opponent with crushing punches. He gets in his opponent’s faces, forces them to commit, then slips their punches with bobbing and weaving head movement. Once he slips past their strikes Teixeira returns fire with a left or right hook to either the body or the head. If he can pressure Gustafsson against the cage then you can bet that some helacious hooks will be coming his way.

This could decide the next challenger for the UFC light heavyweight title. Will Alexander Gustafsson get another crack? Can Glover Teixeira prove he still has something left kin the tank?

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Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno Set To Headline UFC Mexico City

The UFC’s return to Mexico City is set to be headlined by a bout between two rising flyweight contenders. On August 5, 2017, a UFC Fight Night card will take place with a bout between No. 6-ranked Sergio Pettis and No. 7-ranked Brandon Moreno serving as its main event. The fight, which will be five […]

The post Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno Set To Headline UFC Mexico City appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The UFC’s return to Mexico City is set to be headlined by a bout between two rising flyweight contenders.

On August 5, 2017, a UFC Fight Night card will take place with a bout between No. 6-ranked Sergio Pettis and No. 7-ranked Brandon Moreno serving as its main event. The fight, which will be five rounds, was confirmed by the UFC earlier today (May 21, 2017).

Pettis, the younger brother of former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, is riding an impressive three fight win streak that includes victories over Chris Cariaso, Chris Kelades and John Morago. He was scheduled to take on former Olympian and former title challenger Henry Cejudo at UFC 211 last weekend (May 13, 2017), but Cejudo was forced to withdraw from the fight just a day prior after suffering a hand injury.

Moreno, on the other hand, is riding a wave of momentum as he’s won 11 straight fights including three straight UFC bouts. The 23-year-old holds Octagon wins over Louis Smolka, Ryan Benoit and Dustin Ortiz.

Who do you expect to come out on top in this exciting 125-pound clash?

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Fallout: Al Iaquinta Battling For More Pay Should Be A Wake Up Call For The UFC

So, another week, another UFC event where fighters put it all on the line for a chance at glory. Cub Swanson and Artem Lobov had a pretty entertaining scrap in which ‘The Russian Hammer’ showed that he’s perhaps more talented than we first gave him credit for. Lobov by no means is a world beater, but the fact that he was competitive with Cub Swanson shows that he does indeed have some talent. With so many different fights on the card it’s hard to pick one out of the bunch to highlight. But for me, one fighter comes to mind more than anyone else and that’s Al Iaquinta.

The post Fallout: Al Iaquinta Battling For More Pay Should Be A Wake Up Call For The UFC appeared first on Cagepotato.

So, another week, another UFC event where fighters put it all on the line for a chance at glory. Cub Swanson and Artem Lobov had a pretty entertaining scrap in which ‘The Russian Hammer’ showed that he’s perhaps more talented than we first gave him credit for. Lobov by no means is a world beater, but the fact that he was competitive with Cub Swanson shows that he does indeed have some talent. With so many different fights on the card it’s hard to pick one out of the bunch to highlight. But for me, one fighter comes to mind more than anyone else and that’s Al Iaquinta.

The Strong Island native (that’s right, I said it) proved once again why he should be considered a hot commodity in the UFC. The guy is young, talented, and sharp when it comes to his striking ability. With a two year lay off, people were thinking that Al Iaquinta may not have had that pop anymore, that the sport was leaving him in the rear view. He shut up those critics pretty emphatically with his knockout victory over veteran Diego Sanchez. The interesting part about the win for ‘Raging’ Al however was the fact that he didn’t truly have a chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

While I still believe that the UFC is the biggest, brightest, and most talent rich promotion in the world, it’s becoming obvious that fighters are getting more and more disgruntled. When you consider the fact that Iaquinta received $26,000 to show and another $26,000 to win, it’s easy to see why the talented lightweight would consider walking away from the sport. He could easily find himself up there with some of the best of the best in the lightweight division and the fact that he’s getting underpaid to knockout fighters that are getting paid more than him is a major issue that the promotion needs to solve.

Make no mistake, Al Iaquinta could easily become a star in the UFC. He could have New York on his back much in the same vain his stablemate Chris Weidman has been doing for years now. But if the UFC is content to let their high level talent seek other employment because they won’t show them the money, then you can bet your ass that Al Iaquinta will be taking his real estate career pretty damn seriously moving forward.

Do you think the UFC is making a mistake not paying Al Iaquinta the big bucks?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post Fallout: Al Iaquinta Battling For More Pay Should Be A Wake Up Call For The UFC appeared first on Cagepotato.

Fallout: Al Iaquinta Battling For More Pay Should Be A Wake Up Call For The UFC

So, another week, another UFC event where fighters put it all on the line for a chance at glory. Cub Swanson and Artem Lobov had a pretty entertaining scrap in which ‘The Russian Hammer’ showed that he’s perhaps more talented than we first gave him credit for. Lobov by no means is a world beater, but the fact that he was competitive with Cub Swanson shows that he does indeed have some talent. With so many different fights on the card it’s hard to pick one out of the bunch to highlight. But for me, one fighter comes to mind more than anyone else and that’s Al Iaquinta.

The post Fallout: Al Iaquinta Battling For More Pay Should Be A Wake Up Call For The UFC appeared first on Cagepotato.

So, another week, another UFC event where fighters put it all on the line for a chance at glory. Cub Swanson and Artem Lobov had a pretty entertaining scrap in which ‘The Russian Hammer’ showed that he’s perhaps more talented than we first gave him credit for. Lobov by no means is a world beater, but the fact that he was competitive with Cub Swanson shows that he does indeed have some talent. With so many different fights on the card it’s hard to pick one out of the bunch to highlight. But for me, one fighter comes to mind more than anyone else and that’s Al Iaquinta.

The Strong Island native (that’s right, I said it) proved once again why he should be considered a hot commodity in the UFC. The guy is young, talented, and sharp when it comes to his striking ability. With a two year lay off, people were thinking that Al Iaquinta may not have had that pop anymore, that the sport was leaving him in the rear view. He shut up those critics pretty emphatically with his knockout victory over veteran Diego Sanchez. The interesting part about the win for ‘Raging’ Al however was the fact that he didn’t truly have a chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

While I still believe that the UFC is the biggest, brightest, and most talent rich promotion in the world, it’s becoming obvious that fighters are getting more and more disgruntled. When you consider the fact that Iaquinta received $26,000 to show and another $26,000 to win, it’s easy to see why the talented lightweight would consider walking away from the sport. He could easily find himself up there with some of the best of the best in the lightweight division and the fact that he’s getting underpaid to knockout fighters that are getting paid more than him is a major issue that the promotion needs to solve.

Make no mistake, Al Iaquinta could easily become a star in the UFC. He could have New York on his back much in the same vain his stablemate Chris Weidman has been doing for years now. But if the UFC is content to let their high level talent seek other employment because they won’t show them the money, then you can bet your ass that Al Iaquinta will be taking his real estate career pretty damn seriously moving forward.

Do you think the UFC is making a mistake not paying Al Iaquinta the big bucks?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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