If you haven’t been paying attention to the South Korean happenings of the sport then you’ve likely forgotten about Chan Sung Jung, better known by Western fans as “The Korean Zombie.”
If you haven’t been paying attention to the South Korean happenings of the sport then you’ve likely forgotten about Chan Sung Jung, better known by Western fans as “The Korean Zombie.” Three years back he challenged Jose Aldo for the Featherweight title and was able to put up a decent fight until dislocating his shoulder in the fourth round. Since then Jung has been sidelined, but not by injury. No, The Korean Zombie had to fulfill his duties as a South Korean citizen and join the armed forces for two years. Sure, it was a bummer for many fans of Jung, but when duty calls you have to answer.
Now that his service has come to an end, it’s time to get excited by the return of the Korean Zombie. He has a difficult test in the form of Dennis Bermudez this Saturday night, but nevertheless you can be sure that we’ll be in for some fireworks. Take a look at the highlight reel below to get a taste of what’s to come.
Are you excited for the return of The Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung?
The main event of UFC on Fox 23 features two of the most ferocious women in the bantamweight division as Valentina Shevchenko squares off against Julianna Pena. Both women have built up quite the resume with Shevchenko having defeated former bantam weight champion Holly Holm and Pena out dueling Cat Zingano. These two women are both extremely talented with their own specific roads to victory. Who gets the job done at UFC Denver?
The main event of UFC on Fox 23 features two of the most ferocious women in the bantamweight division as Valentina Shevchenko squares off against Julianna Pena. Both women have built up quite the resume with Shevchenko having defeated former bantam weight champion Holly Holm and Pena out dueling Cat Zingano. These two women are both extremely talented with their own specific roads to victory. Who gets the job done at UFC Denver?
Key Factors:
Striking
For many who tuned into her bout against Holly Holm, it became evident that Valentina Shevchenko operates on a level far beyond that of the average striker in the women’s bantamweight division. Her combinations were slick, her movement balanced, and the spinning attacks she threw gave a level of unpredictability that froze Holm at times. Shevchenko has been criticized by Pena for being more of a point fighter which is an unfair assessment. The reality of the situation is that Shevchenko is a controlled striker who looks for opportunities rather than wading into the fire, which just happens to be Pena’s preferred style.
Where Shevchenko is controlled and nuanced in her approach, playing the outside and countering effectively, Julianna Pena is a ball of fire who looks to explode forward with shots, get into the clinch, then do her best work by getting the fight to the ground. The biggest problem with her approach is that she usually enters the fray with little head movement leaving her susceptible to punishment when she makes her way in. While it may be an exciting style, it’s not very conduscive when facing off with a striker at the level of Shevchenko.
Shevchenko is a patient striker who will pivot on the outside, play matador, and chew up her opponents with a variety of attacks from all heights. The problem is that in the early rounds she can be a bit passive. Pena’s striking is alarming, but would be most effective if used at the initial bell in hopes of catching Shevchenko off balance. Something tells me that’s unlikely to happen.
Clinch/Grappling
Where Pena will likely have the advantage is in the grappling exchanges. She’s strong and pushes a ferocious pace once she gets the fight to the ground. She looks to punish her opponents with heavy leather and vicious elbows. The problem about all that is, she actually needs to get Shevchenko down to the ground for all that to happen. In order to do that, Pena will most likely choose to enter the clinch and try for a trip takedown which is her preferred method of getting her opponents grounded. There in lies another issue for the “Venezuelan Vixen.” Valentina Shevchenko is a judo black belt and is proficient with performing and avoiding trip takedowns.
Shevchenko was able to ground the champion Amanda Nunes in their match with a well timed counter Osoto Gari outside reap. The trip utilized in that match showcased Shevchenko’s ability to not only defend against trips, but counter effectively to end up on top. If Pena is hoping to get Shevchenko to ground then she’ll have to be aware of that fact and utilize a combination of takedowns in order to get the job done. Pure aggression alone will do her no good in this match up. Pulling guard could be an option, but Shevchenko has proven to have a strong top game of her own so the proposition is a bit of a gamble.
No matter how you slice it, this match is competitive as hell and the winner will likely be the one with the better game plan. When both fighters have heart for days, technical ability will always be the deciding factor.
Who do you think wins the main event at UFC Denver?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
Boxing. For western martial artists it’s been the go striking art for what feels like an eternity. In the realm of mixed martial arts it was once the preferred striking option for the dominant wrestler. Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg, Randy Couture, and Sean Sherk were just a few fighters from the old school era of the sport that utilized a hybrid boxing and wrestling game. When BJ Penn came onto the scene he utilized a similar approach albeit with more knees and a suffocating jiu jitsu top game. Penn was a man to fear based on his solid boxing skill and ability to dominate on the ground if in top position. But what we saw yesterday showcased the fact that having a terrifying boxing game isn’t going to cut it in the current landscape of mixed martial arts.
Boxing. For western martial artists it’s been the go striking art for what feels like an eternity. In the realm of mixed martial arts it was once the preferred striking option for the dominant wrestler. Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg, Randy Couture, and Sean Sherk were just a few fighters from the old school era of the sport that utilized a hybrid boxing and wrestling game. When BJ Penn came onto the scene he utilized a similar approach albeit with more knees and a suffocating jiu jitsu top game. Penn was a man to fear based on his solid boxing skill and ability to dominate on the ground if in top position. But what we saw yesterday showcased the fact that having a terrifying boxing game isn’t going to cut it in the current landscape of mixed martial arts.
Many will undoubtedly point to the fact that BJ Penn had seen better days. It’s true that Penn has looked sharper and more dangerous in the past. It’s also true that at this point the Hawaiian native is past his prime and likely had no business being in the cage with Yair Rodriguez. While those arguments may be valid, I’m finding it hard to see how an even in his prime BJ Penn gets the victory over Rodriguez. Why? Because of Penn’s limited boxing attack.
Yes, I’m a huge fan of traditional martial arts and I’m even of the idea that it may be the best striking art in the MMA today. A lot of you may think I’m biased because of that fact, but let’s just take a moment to look at the facts.
Boxing is a tool that is undoubtedly needed in every fighter’s arsenal. When you’re in the pocket you have little options to utilize. You’re either going to look for the clinch, throw elbows or knees, or look to throw punches. Most every fighter falls in the latter category and with good reason. Punching in the pocket allows for power, precision, and quicker reactions than say trying to throw a kick from the same position. But once out of the close range, once there’s some distance between you and your opponent, a punching game is going to be harder to employ.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 103, what we saw was a Penn who was looking to utilize a punching based attack where Rodriguez looked to work from the outside where his longer limbs and strikes would serve him best. Throwing jabs and feints is an effective method of closing the distance and it’s exactly what Penn was likely planning. Too bad for the Hall of Famer that Rodriguez had no intentions of letting remaining in boxing range. Rodriguez utilized some slick movement to ensure that Penn would always be at kicking distance. Rodriguez’s own boxing leaves much to be desired, but thus far he’s been able to use his taekwondo effectively enough that striking in the pocket hasn’t been an option.
So why does it seem like I’m trashing boxing? Well, first off I’m not. Boxing is fundamental in a good striking game. But the problem is when boxing is a fighters only means of attack. The distancing of boxing isn’t enough to contend against a style that utilizes kicks. Rodriguez could comfortably land strikes from a distance while Penn was left to figure out how to close distance and land his own meaningful offense. Barring some unique genetics, a fighter’s legs are usually going to be longer than their arms. Their legs will more than likely be longer than their opponents arms. Putting two and two together easily reveals that a fighter with a good kicking game holds an advantage over a striker who only utilizes punches.
Yes, there are ways to countering against kicks with punches. We’ve seen enough accounts of a counter punch landed before, during, or after a kick is launched end a bout with devastating results. The X-Factor in all this is the distancing game. Styles like taekwondo and karate are based on hitting from a distance and not being hit in return. When striking from a long distance, the chances for being countered with a punch drops drastically. It doesn’t mean a competent puncher couldn’t land his own blows, but it does mean that how they close the distance will be paramount to their success.
So while BJ Penn may not be quite his old self, the reality is that even if he was in his prime he likely would have had trouble closing distance on a striker with a versatile striking game like Rodriguez. Boxing may have it’s merit, but at this stage of the game distancing is key. Whoever can adapt the superior distancing game whether that be through footwork or a sharp kicking game, is likely going to be the victor in modern MMA.
What’s your thoughts on traditional boxing in MMA?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
UFC Fight Night 103 features a flyweight showdown that could decide the future for both men involved. Former title challenger John Moraga looks to get back on track against the young and talented Sergio Pettis. How do these two match up? Let’s take a deeper look into things.
UFC Fight Night 103 features a flyweight showdown that could decide the future for both men involved. Former title challenger John Moraga looks to get back on track against the young and talented Sergio Pettis. How do these two match up? Let’s take a deeper look into things.
Striking
You’d think it’d be obvious who has the striking advantage in this fight, but it’s not so simple. While Sergio Pettis may have the more striking heavy attack, John Moraga doesn’t mind mixing things up on the inside. Where Pettis tries to remain at kicking distance, darting in with jabs and getting out throwing a skip back cross similar to Conor McGregor, Moraga likes to pressure forward with his boxing. Moraga also enjoys implementing calf kicks that the MMA Lab fighters are known for. The major deficiency in Moraga’s striking is his inability to fight while going backwards. Besides a check hook, he doesn’t employ many tools while on the back foot. Moraga also throws one strike at a time which can eventually get more predictable. Pettis can strike both going forwards and back. Both men also don’t mind switching up their stances during fights, though Pettis is more comfortable with this tactic as he comes from a traditional martial arts background. Pettis has more tools at his disposal in the stand up realm, though he can be susceptible to leg kicks, the bane of every traditional martial artist’s existence. Still, Pettis has the advantage while the fight remains on the feet.
Wrestling
Sergio Pettis does have some wrestling pedigree. In fact, his wrestling is sharper than his older brother Anthony who still seems to struggles with his entries. Sergio has no such weaknesses as he times his double leg takedowns with speed, precision, and solid technique. That being said, it will likely be John Moraga who looks for the takedown early and often. Moraga has been wrestling for his whole like and will look to use those skills to his advantage. Despite that fact, Moraga tends to rely more on his boxing than his wrestling pedigree. If he’s smart, he’ll want to go back to his roots for this fight. To do so he’ll have to throw more than one strike to set things up however. If he sticks to his single striking methods then it’s likely that Pettis will be able to defend his takedowns.
Submissions
Moraga has more submissions under his belt than the young Pettis. While Sergio has certainly had his fair share of submissions during his career, it came against lesser competition, not at the highest levels of the sport. Moraga has managed to submit higher level opposition with either great time and instinct or by utilizing a smart top game until he’s able to transition into an advantageous position. If anyone is going to have a chance of securing a submission, it’s John Moraga.
The stakes are high in this match up and with Moraga flirting with retirement, you can expect both men to give it their all come Saturday night.
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
So for any of you paying attention this weekend, there’s been a major shake up in the featherweight division. The UFC has decided to strip Conor McGregor of the featherweight title and upgrade the interim champion Jose Aldo to full fledged undisputed champ. It wasn’t that the move by the UFC was the wrong one, but the way it was done certainly left people scratching their heads. But that’s not all that happened this weekend.
So for any of you paying attention this weekend, there’s been a major shake up in the featherweight division. The UFC has decided to strip Conor McGregor of the featherweight title and upgrade the interim champion Jose Aldo to full fledged undisputed champ. It wasn’t that the move by the UFC was the wrong one, but the way it was done certainly left people scratching their heads. But that’s not all that happened this weekend.
So before we get into the main topic of the article, there’s no way I can simply gloss over the UFC Fight Night 100 main event clash between Robert Whitaker and Derek Brunson. It was a battle between two highly touted prospects who have a bright future ahead of them at middleweight, but as of now only one man is moving forward while the other has to return to the drawing board. The latter in this equation is mister Brunson who had a peculiar performance to say the least.
Brunson has been on a high as of late, finishing many of his opponents by knock out in the first round. He tried to continue that trend against a more polished counter striker in Whitaker who remained patient, survived a barrage of punches, then clipped Brunson with a well timed left hook. There’s no way to excuse it. Brunson was sloppy. His head was far forward past his front knee, a big no no in high level striking, and eventually was reaching for Whitaker with every punch. Brunson’s display of sloppy striking makes you wonder how he was able to get this far in the rankings. Brunson certainly has the skills to go far in the UFC, but at this level of the game you have to be patient and controlled with a game plan in order to reap success.
Switching gears, the UFC stripping Conor McGregor unceremoniously on a Fight Night card was pretty peculiar. Sure, the event may have had a good number of eyes on it, but it just seems so strange to randomly say “hey, by the way, Conor McGregor is no longer the champion at featherweight, Jose Aldo is now” will only have the effect of throwing people off. Yes, UFC 206 needed a big fight to replace Daniel Cormier versus Anthony Johnson. Yes, upping the stakes with a championship level match does make things more enticing. But even a small press conference or press release would have been more professional.
Now, we can argue whether or not McGregor should have been stripped of the 145 lbs belt, but at this point it’s fair to say that the masses expect a certain level of professionalism from the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world. It’s shoddy work to say the least and we expect more.
Do you think the UFC handled the Conor McGregor situation well?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
UFC Fight Night 98 showcased just how incredibly competitive the lightweight division truly is. You’d be hard pressed to find a UFC lightweight capable of winning five in a row. You’re even less likely to find a lightweight fighter capable of having a nine fight win streak. Yet Tony Ferguson was able to accomplish exactly that, making him one of the greatest lightweights in the division. After his victory over Rafael dos Anjos this past Saturday night, Ferguson secured his name amongst the greatest fighters in lightweight history. So was it really smart of him not to call for a title shot after his victory?
UFC Fight Night 98 showcased just how incredibly competitive the lightweight division truly is. You’d be hard pressed to find a UFC lightweight capable of winning five in a row. You’re even less likely to find a lightweight fighter capable of having a nine fight win streak. Yet Tony Ferguson was able to accomplish exactly that, making him one of the greatest lightweights in the division. After his victory over Rafael dos Anjos this past Saturday night, Ferguson secured his name amongst the greatest fighters in lightweight history. So was it really smart of him not to call for a title shot after his victory?
UFC 205 is right around the corner and the lightweight belt is up for grabs. Come next Monday either Eddie Alvarez or Conor McGregor will be the champion at 155 and a bonafide star. If McGregor wins then whoever fights him at lightweight will be sure to be looking at a big money fight and in prize fighting, for some, that’s the whole point. It appears that Tony Ferguson isn’t apart of that camp.
“When I get to that title, it will be my title, and it will by my fight. Not because I talked my way to get there, or because I have a big-ass following. I don’t care. I’m here for a reason. I’m here to win.”
That was Tony Ferguson’s response when asked why he didn’t call anyone out after his victory. Most fighters want to become champion to prove they’re the best in the world. To Tony Ferguson that’s not the case whatsoever. He doesn’t seem like the kind of man who cares about the accolades and the glitz and glamor of being a star. Instead “El Cucuy” is a man that just wants to get into a fist fight and would likely do it for free.
So here’s the real question. Is there anything wrong with that?
Some people want the fame, others just the money. Tony Ferguson wants you to prove that you’re as tough as you claim to be. In a way, Ferguson is looking for honesty in a sport where larger than life characters and faux tough guys are abound. Everyone has their own journey and who’s to say what Tony Ferguson is doing with his own is the wrong or right way. Rather than criticize his actions, we should instead be looking at his decision from a different angle. Rather than showing us the right or the wrong way this past Saturday, Tony Ferguson shows us his way and that’s just what we should desire from these fighters that put everything on the line.
What do you think of Tony Ferguson’s decision?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
