Following a close decision loss to the No. 2 middleweight in the world, Chael Sonnen, on UFC on FOX 2, English star Michael Bisping has shown that he can compete with the best. Many fans, including myself and even UFC president Dana White, felt that th…
Following a close decision loss to the No. 2 middleweight in the world, Chael Sonnen, on UFC on FOX 2, English star Michael Bisping has shown that he can compete with the best. Many fans, including myself and even UFC president Dana White, felt that the Brit actually won the fight thanks to his superb takedown defense and solid gameplan.
However, all three judges cageside saw it for the All-American wrestler, leaving Bisping one fight short of his long-desired title shot for the second time in his career. Much like his crushing KO loss to Dan Henderson, “The Count” will need to group and continue to work at making himself a better fighter.
After proving that he can defend some of the best takedowns in MMA and even get up quickly, here are just five key things that Michael Bisping needs to work on to put himself in position for a title shot once again.
Phil Davis is an amazing wrestler; but he’s mainly just a wrestler.His NCAA accolades and his time at Penn State have served him well so far in the Octagon. However, against the top-tier fighters, he needs something more.What does he need?There are thr…
Phil Davis is an amazing wrestler; but he’s mainly just a wrestler.
His NCAA accolades and his time at Penn State have served him well so far in the Octagon. However, against the top-tier fighters, he needs something more.
What does he need?
There are three main areas where he needs to improve his game if he’s to ever become a true top light heavyweight.
Swanson vs. Roop provided an early candidate for Side-Punchface of the Year. Props: UFC.com
Remember how last night, you invited your non-MMA fan friends over to introduce them to our sport? You spent the past week talking about how Chael Sonnen is one of the best trash talkers in professional sports, and how technical and talented these fighters were. You figured that after three fights that were guaranteed to be exceptional, your friends would be won over to MMA fandom. Then you’d continue to drink and be merry all night, and we’d all meet up here today for our traditional post-UFC event GIF party where we all high five over how awesome the fights were.
Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, you found yourself doing damage control as you watched three fights worth of sloppy brawling, wall and stall and Chael Sonnen’s blatant swaggerjacking of homage to “Superstar” Billy Graham. You tried to convince them that the fights are usually nothing like this, and that these guys gassing out and the end of the first round are world class athletes. Eventually, one of your friends said “I bet Pacquiao would destroy ANY of these guys” as the rest of your friends grabbed their coats and said they’d call you next time they wanted to watch the fights.
Okay, so last night sucked. But we’ve been planning this party all week, and we’ll be damned if we cancel it at this point. So grab an alcoholic beverage, put on your gaudiest Affliction shirt and join us for our traditional post-UFC event GIF Party.
Swanson vs. Roop provided an early candidate for Side-Punchface of the Year. Props: UFC.com
Remember how last night, you invited your non-MMA fan friends over to introduce them to our sport? You spent the past week talking about how Chael Sonnen is one of the best trash talkers in professional sports, and how technical and talented these fighters were. You figured that after three fights that were guaranteed to be exceptional, your friends would be won over to MMA fandom. Then you’d continue to drink and be merry all night, and we’d all meet up here today for our traditional post-UFC event GIF party where we all high five over how awesome the fights were.
Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, you found yourself doing damage control as you watched three fights worth of sloppy brawling, wall and stall and Chael Sonnen’s blatant swaggerjacking of homage to “Superstar” Billy Graham. You tried to convince them that the fights are usually nothing like this, and that these fighters gassing out and the end of the first round are world class athletes. Eventually, one of your friends said “I bet Pacquiao would destroy ANY of these guys” as the rest of your friends grabbed their coats and promised they’d call you next time they wanted to watch the fights.
Okay, so last night sucked. But we’ve been planning this party all week, and we’ll be damned if we cancel it at this point. So grab an alcoholic beverage, put on your gaudiest Affliction shirt and join us for our traditional post-UFC event GIF Party.
Against an opponent who came into a bout on just 11 days notice and whom had 32 pounds to cut, Demian Maia still failed to showThe former middleweight title challenger was originally preparing for Michael Bisping at UFC on FOX 2, however, the Brit was …
Against an opponent who came into a bout on just 11 days notice and whom had 32 pounds to cut, Demian Maia still failed to show
The former middleweight title challenger was originally preparing for Michael Bisping at UFC on FOX 2, however, the Brit was received a higher calling, taking on the enigmatic Chael Sonnen in the co-healiner.
In place of Bisping, promising prospect Chris Weidman stepped up to the plate. The touted NCAA Division I All-American wrestler was the aggressor in this middleweight affair, stalking Maia with lunging punches early, though neither man really landed anything telling.
Staving off all takedown attempts from the Brazilian, Weidman planted Maia on his back on several occasions, doing just enough to earn the decision after three hard-fought rounds of action.
Maia had ample time to prepare for the January 28 event, though he, too, tired as the fight wore on. It’s been a disappointing road for the jiu-jitsu ace, who first entered the UFC undefeated, rattling off a five-fight win streak in his first five tries with the organization—all coming by way of submission.
Now, Maia has gone 3-3 in his last six outings and has removed himself further and further away from the rest of the contenders of the 185-pound class.
His dangerous submission prowess seems more myth than reality now, as the Sao Paulo native has failed to finish in nearly three years.
A lack of motivation is perhaps Maia’s biggest deterrent, as he seems just to go through the motions come fight time. In the past, the former ADCC Submission Wrestling World champion has stated that a premeditated move to the welterweight division is within reason.
Should Maia move down to 170 pounds, he would be an immediate fixture in the division given his prowess as one of the best in the middleweight class and having contended for the title once before.
Maia can still remain a legitimate force, but only if he starts taking things seriously, before he becomes another lost cause, UFC cast out.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Evan Dunham was thought to be on the short list of contenders for the UFC lightweight strap.However, the Xtreme Couture product succumbed to back-to-back losses which sent him to the tail end of the of the division. Sin…
It wasn’t all that long ago that Evan Dunham was thought to be on the short list of contenders for the UFC lightweight strap.
However, the Xtreme Couture product succumbed to back-to-back losses which sent him to the tail end of the of the division. Since then, Dunham has rattled off a two-fight win streak, recently toppling Nik Lentz in a “Fight of the Night” performance on the UFC’s second venture on the FOX network.
Now that Dunham has become a relevant and viable fighter in the division once again, where does he go from here?
People were calling him the next big thing. People were saying that he would be the one to take down Jon Jones. People were saying now was his time, and his chance, to step up.But for five rounds, for 25 whole minutes, Phil Davis had no answer for Rash…
People were calling him the next big thing. People were saying that he would be the one to take down Jon Jones. People were saying now was his time, and his chance, to step up.
But for five rounds, for 25 whole minutes, Phil Davis had no answer for Rashad Evans, and he lost a 50-45 unanimous decision in the biggest fight of his career.
Phil Davis was not ready for a big fight, and nobody seemed to realize it.
Davis was 9-0, which is an impressive record, but you have to look at the competition that he was facing.
He beat two fighters who are now middleweights, Tim Boetsch and Brian Stann. He beat one fighter who was cut after the loss. He beat Rogerio Nogueira in an underwhelming performance against a sub-par opponent. His only win that could be considered “quality” was the win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 112.
Even with all that, the UFC seemed intent on having Davis fight the No. 2 light heavyweight in the world, even though it was clear that it was too far a jump.
First, Davis was supposed to fight Rashad Evans at UFC 133, but he was forced out of that matchup with a knee injury.
Then, he was linked to a fight with Lyoto Machida at UFC 140, but the lingering knee injury kept him from taking that fight.
Then finally, he was matched up with Rashad Evans once again for UFC on Fox 2.
Machida and Evans were both clear top five opponents, and were undoubtedly too much to handle for Davis.
He needed a fight with a veteran who is still a solid test for young fighters. He needed someone like Vladimir Matyushenko, Forrest Griffin or Stephan Bonnar.
Not only was his opponent too much, but he was headlining the UFC’s second card on Fox. It was perhaps the biggest stage that any fighter could be featured on, being the main event on national television in prime time.
It was a big opponent, a big stage—all together, that made it a big fight.
Phil Davis wasn’t ready for a big fight.
Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow me on twitter @TimMcTiernan.
Against an opponent who came into a bout on just 11 days notice and whom had 32 pounds to cut,