Tag: UFC Fight Night

Fallout: UFC Fight Night 107 AKA Traditional Arts and The Future of European MMA

UFC Fight Night 107 was just another example of how a non pay-per-view card can not only be watchable, but can also offer a glimpse of some of the best talent the UFC has to offer. In particular, this weekend showcased what’s going on in the European theater as the fighter’s at the top of the card showcased why they could be the future of the sport.

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UFC Fight Night 107 was just another example of how a non pay-per-view card can not only be watchable, but can also offer a glimpse of some of the best talent the UFC has to offer. In particular, this weekend showcased what’s going on in the European theater as the fighter’s at the top of the card showcased why they could be the future of the sport.

Jimi Manuwa

Jimi Manuwa made a strong case to be next in line for a title shot at he completely annihilated Corey Anderson in the very first round of their contest. A feeling out process ensued in the opening moments until a fight ending left hook from Manuwa put Anderson to sleep. Manuwa has that kind of one shot power that makes him a threat to any man at light heavyweight. When you consider his options moving forward, a fight with either Glover Teixiera or former champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua makes a ton of sense.

Joe Duffy

Constantly referred to as one of the men to hold the privilege of defeating Conor McGregor, Joe Duffy showcased once again why that moniker simply doesn’t do him enough justice. It’s evident that Duffy has improved his game as he outclassed Reza Madadi over three rounds. Not only did Duffy’s boxing looking sharp, it’s also becoming clear that he’s been working on sexing up his kicking game. A delicious sidekick, a sexy hook kick, and all of a sudden I got the feeling like I was watching McGregor do work in the cage. It’s funny that with the introduction of McGregor and Stephen Thompson to the masses that we’ve seen an increase in traditional martial arts techniques. Sidekicks and hook kicks are here to stay and it’s apparent that these tools will only make Duffy all the more dangerous to deal with on the feet.

Arnold Allen

Like Joe Duffy, Arnold Allen made the move to Tristar and you can already see the improvements. His bout with Makwan Amirkhani showcased not only his immense striking ability but his technical ground skills. Amirkhani threatened with multiple submissions yet Allen was able to escape and gain top position a number of times. The second round of the bout saw Allen show the confidence to threaten with a submission against a man who considers himself a ground specialist. That kind of courage could be a sign of arrogance on Allen’s part, but it could also show his confidence in his ability to fight anywhere the fight takes him. In the featherweight division you need every tool in your toolkit and Allen surely has plenty to work with. With his boxing game as good as it is, seeing his ability to shut down Amirkhani’s strong ground work shows the glimmers of a featherweight that could one day carry the flag for England as a potential title challenger.

Marc Diakiese

This one was just pure fun. Marc Diakiese is not only athletic, but has some great timing as well. His kicking game looked pretty damn impressive as he threw some crazy spinning kicks. But the timing on his over hand right that laid out Teemu Packalen was absolutely perfect. Diakiese’s early aggression forced Packalen to push forward with some of his own forward pressure. Diakiese then immediately shifted from aggressor to counter fighter as he timed Packalen’s pawing left hand with his devastating right. The future is bright for this kid no doubt.

Gunnar Nelson

Gunnar Nelson once again showcased why I love karate so much. He may not have a tremendous amount of volume, but when Nelson does decide to throw it’s with conviction and accuracy. His bout with Alan Jouban showcased just how dangerous karate can be on the feet when used effectively. His feints, in and out movement and ability blitz hard and fast makes him ultra dangerous on the feet. We all know his ground game is crushing, but his striking is truly one of the more underrated parts of his game. You’re never quite sure when he’s gonna come forward, when he’s going to hang back and when he does come forward is he just looking to strike or is he going to be seeking a takedown. With rumblings of a possible Stephen Thompson fight, could we get to see a clash of karate styles at welterweight?

Which of these fighters has the best chance at winning a UFC belt?

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 107: Will Gunnar Nelson Be Able To Strangle Alan Jouban?

UFC Fight Night 107 is a card that seems to be flying under the radar. I knew there were fights again this weekend but I have to admit even I had no clue who was fighting until I did a bit of investigation. To my surprise, it turns out that this card features some key nit events including the potential swan song of the always entertaining Brad Pickett as well as the main event which features Jimi Manuwa versus Corey Anderson. But if you’ve been following any of my articles closely then you know that I’m a bit of a traditional martial arts fanatic. That means a great deal of my focus has shifted to the co-main event featuring Muay Thai specialist Alan Jouban and karate and Brazilian jiujitsu master Gunnar Nelson.

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UFC Fight Night 107 is a card that seems to be flying under the radar. I knew there were fights again this weekend but I have to admit even I had no clue who was fighting until I did a bit of investigation. To my surprise, it turns out that this card features some key nit events including the potential swan song of the always entertaining Brad Pickett as well as the main event which features Jimi Manuwa versus Corey Anderson. But if you’ve been following any of my articles closely then you know that I’m a bit of a traditional martial arts fanatic. That means a great deal of my focus has shifted to the co-main event featuring Muay Thai specialist Alan Jouban and karate and Brazilian jiujitsu master Gunnar Nelson.

Alan Jouban opened a lot of eyes with his disciplined win over the slugging Mike Perry. He utilized some slick movement, hard left body kicks, sharp left straights, and an overall disciplined boxing game to shut down Perry even hurting the durable welterweight a number of times throughout the encounter. He faces a far more difficult challenge in this match as he faces off with the puzzle that is Nelson. What Jouban will need to do in order to be successful against Nelson is control the middle and short range. While at middle distance Jouban will need to keep busy, immediately firing with jabs as well as that left leg and body kick he’s fond of. Considering that Nelson likes to strike at long range and look for takedowns at short range, whoever establishes dominance at middle distance will likely win this match. If he is taken down, Jouban can’t be content to regain guard or patiently wait for opportunities. Nelson is calculated when he gets things to the ground. Scrambles will be important to getting back to his feet, but Jouban will have to be careful when doing so as Nelson is keen at getting back control and holding the position.

Gunnar Nelson on the other hand faces a similar problem in this matchup as he did when he faced Brandon Thatch. Controlling the middle distance is paramount for the karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert. He’ll have to bounce in and out of range and either force Jouban to throw and miss or move forward with too much aggression. It’s when Jouban decides to push forward that a blitzing counter should be awaiting him. Gunnar Nelson has a clear boxing deficiency and does struggle at times when facing opposition with superior hands at middle distance. That’s why it’s important that he turns this into a karate match on the feet. After a short combo burst he should get out of dodge ASAP. When he full commits and transition to his takedown game, he should look to mix things up, disengage to throw off Jouban then re-enter with another strike before pushing for a legit trip or double leg.

With two talented welterweights the sky’s the limit on how entertaining (or boring) this match can be. Who do you think gets the win?

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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Fallout: After Another Loss, Vitor Belfort Should Fight Anderson Silva For His Swan Song

So I’d be lying if I said “I didn’t see Kelvin Gastelum beating Vitor Belfort like that.” It would be an egregious lie. Yet still, it was pretty rough to watch Vitor go out like that. The days where TRT Vitor, the greatest fighter of all time, annihilate his opponents with vicious combo strings is over. In his place we have a Vitor Belfort who just isn’t quite what he used to be. He’s a shell of his former self and that’s no lie. At 39 years of age and with a ton of mileage on him, Vitor Belfort should be thinking on his exit strategy. With one more fight on his contract, I could think of only one opponent that would be appropriate.

Anderson Silva.

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So I’d be lying if I said “I didn’t see Kelvin Gastelum beating Vitor Belfort like that.” It would be an egregious lie. Yet still, it was pretty rough to watch Vitor go out like that. The days where TRT Vitor, the greatest fighter of all time, annihilate his opponents with vicious combo strings is over. In his place we have a Vitor Belfort who just isn’t quite what he used to be. He’s a shell of his former self and that’s no lie. At 39 years of age and with a ton of mileage on him, Vitor Belfort should be thinking on his exit strategy. With one more fight on his contract, I could think of only one opponent that would be appropriate.

Anderson Silva.

While Vitor Belfort may have seen brighter days, the same could be said for former middleweight God Anderson Silva. Gone are the days where Silva simply shrugged off opposition, knocking them out with general ease. Now we see a Silva who struggles against opposition that he would have surely overcome in his heyday. That’s no disrespect to his past several opponents, but Silva has clearly been off his game since being slept by Chris Weidman.

Now, Kelvin Gastelum called out Silva, and since the UFC likes to pair winners with winners, he’s most likely to get the fight over Belfort. But from a purely nostalgic sense, a battle between the two Brazilians could be a great send off for either fighter. Silva talks about fighting for an extended period but what better way to call it a career fighting one of the most popular Brazilian fighters of all time in Vitor Belfort? For ‘The Phenom’ having a chance to close the book on his career against the greatest to have ever done it is not only a chance at revenge, but a match up that has a tremendous amount of meaning for both fighters as well as their Brazilian fans. Making that fight happen in Rio would generate numbers and great deal of interest.

More than likely we’ll see Vitor battle it out with a lower tiered middleweight for his potential final showdown. Until then, let’s embrace the speculation and sate our appetite with a battle of legends, past their prime, but still thoroughly entertaining nonetheless.

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 106: How Can The Old Lion Vitor Belfort Take Out Kelvin Gastelum?

Vitor Belfort looks to get another high profile win as he faces off against new middleweight addition Kelvin Gastelum. It’s a tough fight for both men but for different reasons. But before I delve into the analysis, I do want to touch on the fact that Belfort is truly a monster. To be in this sport for over twenty years and still be considered a live dog is something truly special. But Kelvin Gastelum is no joke and if Belfort is going to beat him, he’ll need the perfect game plan going in.

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Vitor Belfort looks to get another high profile win as he faces off against new middleweight addition Kelvin Gastelum. It’s a tough fight for both men but for different reasons. But before I delve into the analysis, I do want to touch on the fact that Belfort is truly a monster. To be in this sport for over twenty years and still be considered a live dog is something truly special. But Kelvin Gastelum is no joke and if Belfort is going to beat him, he’ll need the perfect game plan going in.

Kelvin Gastelum has had his troubles making down to welterweight which forced the UFC’s hand in sending the prospect up to middleweight. Where it seemed like Gastelum would have trouble with larger opposition, he instead opened many eyes with his thrashing of middleweight veteran Tim Kennedy. After facing adversity in the opening round, Gastelum used his speed advantage to rattle off fast, slick combinations that eventually left Kennedy broken. Gastelum will want to strike in this match as well but also mix in his strong wrestling as well. Belfort is still blindingly fast and extended exchanges could prove to be Gastelum’s undoing. A nice blast double under a failed Belfort straight left could certainly be the tool Gastelum needs to outduel the veteran.

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On the other side of the equation, Vitor Belfort had definitely seen brighter days. Age, and a lack of TRT, is catching up with ‘The Phenom’ who lost his last two bouts against Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza. Neither of those fighters are cakewalks, but the ease in which they were able to dismantle Belfort gives one a feeling of foreboding heading into this match. But Vitor Belfort has never been one to back down from a challenge so he intends to show the young gun Gastelum he still has some juice left. What Belfort will have to do is put doubt in the young man early. A southpaw counter fighter, Belfort will have to make Gastelum pay for staying in the pocket. Gastelum himself is a southpaw which will make certain counters easier, a pull counter and a counter right hook comes to mind. When Gastelum comes into strike Belfort will have to counter sharply or at least give the young prospect something to worry about every time he rushes in. Keeping his back off the cage will be essential to avoiding wrestling clinches, takedowns and a barrage of strikes as Gastelum enjoys great success beating the breaks off fighters along the fence. A strong pivot out after every exchange will both get Belfort’s hips out of danger for a takedown as well as potential open up the left straight or uppercut should he feel compelled to use it. Countering off of Gastelum kicks should also be a priority for the former light heavyweight champion.

Will this be the swan song of the great Vitor Belfort? Will Kelvin Gastelum cement himself as a legit middleweight contender? Guess we’re all gonna have to tune in to see.

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 106: Francisco Trinaldo Looks To Continue His Cinderella Story Against Kevin Lee

UFC Fight Night 106 is fast approaching and one fight that catches my eye is the match up between Francisco Trinaldo and Kevin Lee. Both are prospects, both have shown tons of improvement since their UFC debuts, and both fight in a completely different style. That style clash makes for a pretty damn intriguing match up, but the fact that Francisco Trinaldo at 38 years of age is putting a beatdown on many of his younger opposition makes this a Cinderella story any fight fan can find intriguing. That being said, Kevin Lee is no slouch and could easily bring Trinaldo’s streak to an end.

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UFC Fight Night 106 is fast approaching and one fight that catches my eye is the match up between Francisco Trinaldo and Kevin Lee. Both are prospects, both have shown tons of improvement since their UFC debuts, and both fight in a completely different style. That style clash makes for a pretty damn intriguing match up, but the fact that Francisco Trinaldo at 38 years of age is putting a beatdown on many of his younger opposition makes this a Cinderella story any fight fan can find intriguing. That being said, Kevin Lee is no slouch and could easily bring Trinaldo’s streak to an end.

With a mostly striking oriented attack, Francisco Trinaldo has changed since he first debut in the UFC back in 2012. Once a brawler with an over aggressive fighting style, Trinaldo has tapered things quite a bit and has created for himself a striking based attack that is focused on movement and sudden rhythm changes to throw his opponents off their game. He can be bouncing light on his feet backwards then suddenly move forward with a straight or looping left hand or left body kick when fighting an orthodox opponent. His movement will serve him well in this match up as Kevin Lee loves nothing more than to come forward and use his wrestling game. If Trinaldo is able to keep up his lateral movement throughout the fight, Lee will have trouble getting in on his hips. He’ll need to remain diligent and avoid his brawling tendencies.

Kevin Lee’s road to victory is pretty straight forward. He’ll want to use his striking skills primarily to set up his takedown. He has a great reactive double leg takedown and knows exactly when he should abandon the wrestling game and shoot in for a double or a single. Even if the takedown is unsuccessful, Kevin Lee could use his game to smother Trinaldo into the fence. Where Lee is sure to find success with his wrestling game is drawing Trinaldo into an exchange. If he can bring some of that old brawling Trinaldo out, Lee will have little issue ducking under the strikes and entering in on the hips of ‘Massaranduba’ for a reactive double.

Both men have tools to bring the other into their game so strategy is absolutely key in this match up. The intangibles will be equally important like scrambles and the orthodox versus southpaw tactics, but ultimately it’s the fighter that draws the other into their rhythm that will ultimately prove to be the victor.

Who do you think wins: the veteran Francisco Trinaldo or the young prospect Kevin Lee?

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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Fallout: The Curious Case Of Travis Browne

UFC Fight Night featured a heavyweight main event against the surging Derrick Lewis and hit or miss Travis Browne. Now that description of Browne isn’t to insult the man. He’s still one of the best heavyweight fighters out there. But lately he hasn’t been able to hit the mark. At first everyone and their momma blamed Browne’s downfall on the training he’s been receiving. But with another loss under a different coach, one has to wonder if Browne is simply declining.

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UFC Fight Night featured a heavyweight main event against the surging Derrick Lewis and hit or miss Travis Browne. Now that description of Browne isn’t to insult the man. He’s still one of the best heavyweight fighters out there. But lately he hasn’t been able to hit the mark. At first everyone and their momma blamed Browne’s downfall on the training he’s been receiving. But with another loss under a different coach, one has to wonder if Browne is simply declining.

The fight itself was a pretty interesting affair. In fact, it was a tale of two rounds. The first round showcased exactly why so many people were high on Travis Browne to begin with. He was moving on the outside, controlling the distance with his longer limbs and straight shots. In all honesty, it looked as if the changes made to his coaching staff was beginning to pay off in a big way. Browne hurt Lewis a number of times from distance and his timing was spot on.

Then came round two.

Derrick Lewis proved that not only does he have keen finishing instincts, but that he has heart to go along with it. Lewis was on Browne at the beginning of the second frame and didn’t let up his attack. He swarmed with a barrage of punches that forced Browne along the cage and it seemed to be only a matter of time as Lewis pressed the attack. Eventually we saw Lewis drop Browne, follow him to the ground and eventually finish the fight with devastating ground and pound.

It was an impressive victory for Lewis to say the least, yet I couldn’t help feeling for Browne. After such an impressive first round, appearing to shake off the stigma of training under his former coach at Glendale Fighting Club, Browne looked like his former self. In fact he showed clear signs of improvement despite the knockout loss. It’s a tough and unforgiving sport and while another loss may tarnish Browne’s record, giving up at this point would definitely be the wrong move.

Travis Browne still has potential. The best move for him moving forward is to take some time off, consider his options, and simply look to improve. He’s only one fight removed from switching up his coaching staff. He needs to give himself the time to adjust as well as give his body time to heal.

For Derrick Lewis things have never looked brighter. That over training and over…sexing, could have harmed his performance in the first round. It’s safe to say that he’s not going anywhere but up in the heavyweight division and with a brutal style of fighting and unorthodox style on the mic, it’s safe to say ‘The Black Beast’ is creating a brand all his own.

What do you think should be next for Derrick Lewis and Travis Browne?

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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