Following a Chael Sonnen victory over Michael Bisping in the co-main event of the evening at the UFC’s second appearance on FOX, the world prepared themselves for the main event clash between Rashad Evans (17-1-1) and up-and-coming star, Phil Davis (9-…
Following a Chael Sonnen victory over Michael Bisping in the co-main event of the evening at the UFC’s second appearance on FOX, the world prepared themselves for the main event clash between Rashad Evans (17-1-1) and up-and-coming star, Phil Davis (9-1).
Davis entered the United Center’s Octagon having never lost a fight in his mixed martial arts career.
Not only did Davis never fall to the hands of defeat but he was never even taken down in any of his previous nine bouts.
However, both streaks would come to an end as Davis endured his first loss by unanimous decision at the end of five grueling rounds.
“Mr. Wonderful” was also taken to the ground on three occasions as he was squaring off with a fellow and former Big 10 wrestler in Evans.
However, a Davis loss may be the best thing that’s happened up until this point in his young career.
At just 27 years of age, Davis has plenty of time to develop into a future Rashad Evans.
In fact, when Evans first joined the UFC years ago, it was his wrestling he relied on.
While Davis certainly must improve on his feet, he has the build, height and reach to have a long and success career inside the Octagon.
If Davis can improve his stand-up striking and hold his own from his feet, he’ll be a multidimensional threat which could ultimately shakeup the 205-pound weight class.
Not only can the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania product take away some positives from his loss but he’ll get back to the gym having his first five-round fight and main event appearance under his belt.
If Davis can continue to evolve as a force in the light heavyweight division, the sky will be the limit for what he can accomplish.
For additional information, follow Garrett Derr onTwitter.
Since 2008, Rashad Evans has been a staple of the light heavyweight division and he finally gets the long-awaited title shot he has missed out on for two years. After beating down on then undefeated title threat Phil Davis in the main event of UFC on F…
Since 2008, Rashad Evans has been a staple of the light heavyweight division and he finally gets the long-awaited title shot he has missed out on for two years.
After beating down on then undefeated title threat Phil Davis in the main event of UFC on Fox 2 at a sold-out United Center in Chicago, Evans has earned another well-publicized title shot. Let’s just hope this fight actually happens now.
As good as Evans looked, he was not able to put Davis away, something that many analysts showed would prove he couldn’t stop current champion Jon Jones.
Evans told the Vancouver Sun about his disappointment about not ending the fight against Phil Davis with a knockout:
I fought at a pace that was a pretty high pace. I felt I wanted to put him away and I just didn’t get a chance to land some big punches. I’m kind of disappointed about it but when you’re fighting a guy as tough as Phil Davis, that can happen.
While it’s true that Davis is one of the best young fighters the UFC has to offer, he is not in the same category as Jones. Many believe that Evans’ struggle to put Davis away proves that he cannot beat the current champ when they eventually meet on April 21.
Jones and Evans have been dancing around each other since 2010 when Jones was selected to replace the injured Evans in his title shot against then champion Mauricio Rua. Since Jones won the title, each fighter has suffered a horribly-timed injury that has forced the two to miss meetings ever since. April 21, 2012 all of the questions will be answered.
I’m so excited about fighting Rashad. I can’t wait to get past this chapter of my career. I’ve been calling him the antagonist of my career because of all the hype and all the drama. I’m a happy man. I’m a very happy man right now. I’m excited to retain my title on April 21. I try to look at it as no fight is a big fight, and try not to fight people’s names but to fight people’s bodies. But I think I’m a little more emotionally attached to this fight and it’s going to drive me to train harder than I’ve ever imagined.
This is the fight that the UFC fans have been clamoring for since the first time it was voided. With Jones clearly the best in the division and Evans clearly the next guy in line, this war in the cage will be a battle of wills. The fighter that is hungrier will win this fight.
As much as I love Jones and how he fights, Evans has been on the hunt for a few years now and there isn’t much that could stop the MMA star. While Jones wouldn’t go gently into that good night, it will be a war that Evans ultimately wins.
Check back for more on Mixed Martial Arts as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s UFC Page to get your fill of all things UFC/MMA. For more on MMA/UFC, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics.
Charles Oliveira won submission of the night in his debut as a featherweight on the UFC on FOX undercard. His opponent was less experienced than those he had faced in the Octagon in his last three fights.Oliveira is only 22 years old and wasn’t ready f…
Charles Oliveira won submission of the night in his debut as a featherweight on the UFC on FOX undercard. His opponent was less experienced than those he had faced in the Octagon in his last three fights.
Oliveira is only 22 years old and wasn’t ready for opponents such as Jim Miller, Nik Lentz and Donald Cerrone and it shows in his record. He went 0-2 with one no-contest thanks to an illegal knee he delivered to Lentz, and he showed none of the spark he had when he had submitted his first two victims in the UFC.
Once his level of opposition was taken down from elite veterans to a newcomer like Eric Wisely, he reverted back to getting bonuses for his grappling skills and pulling off a moves like the calf slicer.
The UFC has a tendency to rush prospects that show promise and Oliveira was put in the same position. Just like many of the other fighters, he also failed to match the level he was placed at.
It isn’t anything against Oliveira that he didn’t succeed. He is only 22 and was facing veterans who had spent years getting better in the Octagon. Some had been competing in the UFC as Oliveira’s MMA career was beginning.
Now in his debut as a featherweight, the UFC has decided to allow him to grow at a natural pace, facing fighters who are growing just as he is. It gives him, if the pun can be forgiven, a fighting chance to learn his craft and continue to get better.
Even fighters like Jon Jones had to start slow fighting people like Stephan Bonner, Andre Gusmao and Brandon Vera before fighting top-fight competition.
Oliveira is no different and its great to see him finally getting a real run in the company instead of being rushed into fights he isn’t ready for.
Patience is a virtue, and the UFC brass may be starting to learn that pushing young fighters will only lead to them being broken down and being cut from the promotion.
Oliviera has talent. He showed that when he first came to the company and started making waves.
Unfortunately, he did too much too fast and was given an opportunity that he hadn’t warranted and wasn’t ready for.
It wasn’t Oliviera’s place as a fighter to say no. He has to believe he is the best and as a mixed martial artist should take every chance he gets.
But UFC matchmaker Joe Silva should have known better, and it is surprising that he didn’t.
Still, the UFC seems to be slowing down Oliveira’s progress and letting him earn his way to the top.
It is the best thing for the sport, and in the long run, it is the best thing for Oliveira.
Matthew Hemphill writes for the MMA and professional wrestling portion of Bleacher Report. He also hosts a blog elbaexiled.blogspot.comwhich focuses on books, music, comic books, video games, film, and generally anything that could be related to the realms of nerdom.
The first UFC on FOX was a huge disappointment, even though it was the most-watched MMA event in the United States.Although it was a big fight, it was nothing more than a publicity stunt. A FOX telecast that included one fight is not much of an ev…
The first UFC on FOX was a huge disappointment, even though it was the most-watched MMA event in the United States.
Although it was a big fight, it was nothing more than a publicity stunt.
A FOX telecast that included one fight is not much of an event.
To MMA fans, it was apparent that the direction of the first FOX telecast was to gain new viewers. A 64-second knockout was certainly exciting, but all of the hype for one merely one fight was a bit much.
The UFC on FOX 2 offered three fights to the mainstream audiences that had the potential to make the first FOX event a distant memory. The second mainstream event set up future fights but fell a bit short overall.
Just ask the crowd at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday night.
The final three fights of the night, the ones that were televised on FOX, all were serenaded by boo’s from the 17,425 fans in attendance. At one point or another in each fight, the crowd let the fighters know what they thought of their performances.
Although the fights could have been better, I do think the crowd could have waited in some instances to voice their opinions. In some of the fights, though, they had reason to be short-tempered.
The first fight, Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman, saw two exhausted fighters woefully flail for three rounds. Weidman, who accepted the fight only 11 days prior, came out victorious by unanimous decision. A decision that I completely agreed with.
He might have fought the hardest of any of the main card fighters in the event. Even though he was not well-prepared and struggled with cutting weight, he fought through it and did enough to beat the heavily-favored Maia.
The second fight was a three-round, No. 1 contender bout in the middleweight division. This was easily the best fight of the night on FOX.
Chael Sonnen faced Michael Bisping in a fight to decide who would face Anderson Silva for the middleweight title.
The two fighters started the first round slowly. It was a very even first five minutes that could have gone either way.
Bisping looked to win the second round but came up short in the third round. Sonnen looked to be in complete control in the final round. Some speculated that Sonnen might have even won the round 10-8.
When the judges revealed their decisions, a draw was a real possibility because of the final round. Listening to Joe Rogan, the television audience would have assumed Bisping won.
Although it was close, I do not think it was as clear-cut as Rogan called it. The judges disagreed with Rogan, giving Sonnen the title shot with a unanimous win. Bisping went down with a valiant effort and almost pulled off the win as the underdog.
Sonnen provided the most entertaining part of the night when he spoke in the Octagon after the fight.
Joe Rogan, tonight is not for questions for me. This night is your night, brother. I want to know how you feel being only inches away from greatness. I want you to tell everybody how it feels. Are you not mesmerized? Do you not have chills going up your spine? For the first time on FOX, for you to be here in Chael’s octagon on Chael’s channel holding Chael’s microphone interviewing Chael.
Rogan, who probably should have predicted a non-conventional interview, replied, “I’m pretty excited.” Sonnen responded,
While you’re thinking about that, remember this: When you’re the greatest fighter in the world today, they got a name for you. They don’t call you a great fighter. They call you Chael Sonnen. Beat me if you can.
That is what we have come to expect from Sonnen. Either way, perhaps it gained the attention of first-time viewers to come back and watch the heavily-anticipated rematch of Sonnen vs. Silva.
Sonnen dominated the first match for 23 minutes before he was caught by Silva and submitted. He was less than two minutes from defeating Silva and claiming the championship.
The final fight on the card, Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, was a one-sided fight for 25 minutes. Evans dominated from the very beginning and won unanimously, scoring 50-45 from all three judges.
Evans did not look to exert himself in the match but turned it up in the fifth round. He admitted he was disappointed that he did not finish Davis. It was clear to see he wanted to finish the fight himself in the final round.
Evans will now face his former friend and current foe, Jonny “Bones” Jones, in an attempt to regain the UFC light heavyweight title. The greatly-anticipated title match will be held at UFC 145 in Atlanta on April 21.
Although the fights at the second UFC on FOX did not live up to their potential, they did put a couple fighters in a position to win titles in the next few months.
Even after the shortcomings of UFC on FOX 2, fans will focus their attention on the rematch of Sonnen and Silva, which will be one of the most highly-anticipated rematches in UFC history.
The history between Evans and Jones will provide many storylines as well as they prepare for their April championship bout.
Following a highly controversial decision loss to Chael Sonnen in the semi-main event of UFC on FOX 2, a very humble Michael Bisping spoke candidly about the judges’ decision to award the fight to his opponent.”First of all, I want say ‘congratulations…
Following a highly controversial decision loss to Chael Sonnen in the semi-main event of UFC on FOX 2, a very humble Michael Bisping spoke candidly about the judges’ decision to award the fight to his opponent.
“First of all, I want say ‘congratulations’ to Chael Sonnen. He obviously did enough in the judges’ eyes to win the fight,” he told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. “Personally, I think I won the first two rounds. I think there’s no question he got the third round, although if I had another round, I probably would’ve stopped him.”
There were certainly some questions going into this bout as many believed this would be a one-sided beatdown with Sonnen dominating from bell to bell. It certainly did not turn out that way and Bisping believes he may have finally earned some respect from some of his detractors.
“You’ve always got supporters, you’ve always got haters,” Bisping said. “But that’s not what concerns me. What concerns me is going out there and putting on great fights and providing for my wife and children.”
“I wanted to win tonight, but I obviously didn’t do enough. I feel I won the fight, but obviously Chael’s walking away the victor.”
Though he is disappointed in not having his hand raised, Bisping is not making any excuses. He did have a change in opponent on short notice as he was originally set to fight Demian Maia, but an opportunity arose for him to get a chance to fight in the main event against Sonnen when Mark Munoz got hurt and he jumped all over it.
Some believe that this change in opponent, particularly the change in style from a primarily jiu-jitsu opponent to a primarily wrestling opponent, but the Englishman didn’t believe that was it.
“I don’t think that’s the issue. I pretty much had a full training camp. I was training for a different fight, but my cardio was there,” he said. “I’ve only got myself to blame.”
As for what he could have done differently, Bisping believes that it all had to do with how much time he spent on his back in the third round. Had that round turned out differently, perhaps the entire fight would’ve been different.
“At the end of the third round, I got to my feet, I took him down and I started landing some nice elbows,” he explained. “If I had maybe pushed for that earlier…as opposed to—I don’t know what I was doing—I was being [too] careful.”
For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron
Despite some disappointment by fans on the Internet, UFC President Dana White was happy with how the promotion’s first full fight card on FOX went as Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen and Chris Weidman were all winners on the biggest stage of their careers.”I…
Despite some disappointment by fans on the Internet, UFC President Dana White was happy with how the promotion’s first full fight card on FOX went as Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen and Chris Weidman were all winners on the biggest stage of their careers.
“It was a great night,” White told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani immediately following the event. “The fights that were on Fuel were fantastic and yes, I’m happy.”
The main event saw Rashad Evans earn a decision victory over the previously undefeated top light heavyweight contender Phil Davis. Though White was impressed with what Rashad did in defeating Davis, he is not sure that the Evans was completely healthy coming out of the fight.
“I don’t know if there was something wrong with Rashad’s right hand. Usually he puts together combinations,” White said of the former light heavyweight champion.
Instead Evans used impressive takedown defense to control the fight and even put Davis in a very dangerous mounted crucifix on two separate occasions during the contest.
“There was some debate at the press conference about the wrestling,” White continued. “But it’s pretty obvious who got the better of the wrestling tonight.”
Some said that the former national champion wrestler from Penn State simply did not appear to be himself tonight and that perhaps he was not ready for this opportunity, but White disagrees.
“I would say that Davis did fine tonight and he was ready for this,” he said.
While the main event was very one-sided, the semi-main event had a decision which will likely be talked about for quite some time as Chael Sonnen narrowly edged out Michael Bisping to win a unanimous judges’ decision.
“I had Bisping two rounds to one,” White told Helwani.
Still, the victory will now sets the table for the highly anticipated Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen rematch in June in Brazil. The exact venue has not yet been declared, but it could very well be one of the biggest events in UFC history.
For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron
Following a Chael Sonnen victory over Michael Bisping in the co-main event of the evening at the UFC’s second appearance on FOX, the world prepared themselves for the main event clash between Rashad Evans (17-1-1) and up-and-coming star, Phil Davis (9-1).