Tag: UFC on Fox 3

UFC on FOX 3 Fallout: Nate Diaz Doesn’t Deserve Title Shot, Anthony Pettis Does

We are all guilty of being prisoners of the moment at certain points, and if you believe that Nate Diaz deserves the lightweight championship title fight more than Anthony Pettis, you are a prisoner of the moment.Don’t get me wrong, Diaz had a great sh…

We are all guilty of being prisoners of the moment at certain points, and if you believe that Nate Diaz deserves the lightweight championship title fight more than Anthony Pettis, you are a prisoner of the moment.

Don’t get me wrong, Diaz had a great showing against one of the top opponents at 155 in Jim Miller. He’s tough as nails and even harder to stop.

However, let’s not forget that “Showtime” Pettis has not only beaten the current champion at lightweight, but is coming off of a spectacular head-kick-Knockout-of-the-Night performance. What else could you want?

I’m of the mind that all current fighters are only as good as their last five fights, and with that said, just look at the fact that in his last five fights, Anthony Pettis is 4-1, while Diaz is 3-2.

Pettis has also received a Knockout of the Night thanks to his Decapitation of Joe Lauzon, Submission of the Night thanks to a Triangle Choke with only nine seconds remaining in the fight, then won a Fight of the Night performance in which he caught current lightweight champ Ben Henderson with a spectacular kick off of the cage.

Add all of this to the fact that Anthony Pettis was promised a championship match almost two years ago and it’s almost as if Showtime is becoming the 155-lb version of what John Fitch was. Continues to win but continues to be overlooked.

Whatever the deal, there’s just no way that Diaz deserves the title shot more that Pettis. It’s the fair thing to do, it’s the right thing to do, and it would actually make for the better lineup of future fights.

Who wouldn’t love to see Henderson vs. Pettis 2, and Edgar vs. Diaz? There’s always good money to be made in a semi-feud and this could be the one that the lightweight division has been waiting on since BJ Penn left.

So do the right thing, Dana. Give the title shot to the man who deserves it most, and put Nate in a contenders match for now. Let’s not be prisoners of the moment, let’s look at the entire picture.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Grading the First Three UFC on FOX Events

UFC on FOX 3 is now in the books and the UFC brand continues to grow with every appearance on the network television station.The most recent event featured an excellent fight card with a main event between lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. While i…

UFC on FOX 3 is now in the books and the UFC brand continues to grow with every appearance on the network television station.

The most recent event featured an excellent fight card with a main event between lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. While it did not contain the star power that the previous two events did, many are already saying that UFC on FOX 3 might have been the most exciting of the bunch so far.

But are exciting fights alone enough to make these cards a success?

Let’s delve deeper as we grade each of the first three UFC on FOX events.

Begin Slideshow

UFC on Fox 3: John Lineker Came to Fight Without Corner Men or Gear

Even before getting choked out by Louis Gaudinot on Saturday night, John Lineker had a pained look on his face. Pain be damned, the Brazilian prospect brawled his heart out against Gaudinot. Although he was tapped out in the second round, it’s am…

Even before getting choked out by Louis Gaudinot on Saturday night, John Lineker had a pained look on his face.

Pain be damned, the Brazilian prospect brawled his heart out against Gaudinot. Although he was tapped out in the second round, it’s amazing Lineker fought as well as he did, given his pre-fight tribulations.

Matheus Aquino, a friend of Lineker and manager of Bellator’s Pitbull brothers, revealed startling information on his Twitter account. Lineker came to the US by himself because his corner men had visa issues.

But it gets worse. The diminutive Brazilian came without training equipment, and he didn’t have a mouthpiece or a cup, both of which he had to borrow at Saturday’s venue. Furthermore, Lineker had no sponsors, and if not for some last minute help from Brazilian Top Team, his situation would have been worse. 

Without the counsel of his trusty corner men, Lineker tested the volatile science of cutting weight by himself.

The tiny brawler was hopeless; he didn’t know how to cut the weight properly, and at a sauna days before the fight, fellow weigh-cutters thought the former Jungle Fight bantamweight champion was “dying.”

“Hands of Stone” had never cut to 125 pounds before.

Somehow, he made it to fight night intact, and put on a gutsy performance against TUF veteran Gaudinot. Lineker threw more punches in the first round than I have ever seen a fighter throw. His combinations were lightning, and he was unrelenting despite his horrible pre-fight circumstances.

Hopefully, Lineker uses the $65,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus wisely and joins a solid camp that will look after him better.

On Saturday, the kid showed promising skills and the heart of a warrior. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FOX 3: Nate Diaz vs Anthony Pettis Should Determine Next Title Contender

After a few years of struggling to find consistency in both the lightweight and welterweight division, Nate Diaz proved he now belongs among the elite fighters at 155 pounds.Diaz earned a dominant victory over Jim Miller this past weekend at UFC on FOX…

After a few years of struggling to find consistency in both the lightweight and welterweight division, Nate Diaz proved he now belongs among the elite fighters at 155 pounds.

Diaz earned a dominant victory over Jim Miller this past weekend at UFC on FOX 3 and his third consecutive victory in his last five bouts, leading some fans to believe he is next in line to receive a title shot.

While Diaz’s performance was certainly impressive enough to convince fans of his potential in the lightweight division, it was wasn’t necessarily enough to earn him a title shot yet.

Diaz is obviously talented and his recent wins over Takanori Gomi, Donald Cerrone and Miller are evident that he can be a threat to either Benson Henderson or Frankie Edgar. However, there is still one challenger left who some feel should deserve a title opportunity especially since he currently owns a victory over the champion: Anthony Pettis.

With Henderson and Edgar expected to meet sometime this fall and Diaz waiting on the winner, it won’t be until early-mid 2013 until the Stockton, Calif. native steps back into the Octagon. That would leave Pettis open as a valuable opponent and another top name for either competitor to earn a victory over in order to cement their status as a top contender.

Plus, Pettis is already making his claim as the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds and called out Diaz during the post-fight show on FUEL TV.

Stylistically, this could be one of the most exciting bouts of the year. 

The lightweight division is currently stagnant and a possible bout between Pettis and Diaz would officially determine the next title contender. And with no other significant bout surfacing momentarily, this matchup makes perfect sense and the UFC shouldn’t waste any time in booking it. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FOX 3 Results: What’s Next for the Winners and Losers?

UFC on Fox 3 is in the books and there are some huge takeaways. There’s also some big news coming out of the event as both Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks earned title shots in victory. With the fights over and the fighters home, it’s time to play f…

UFC on Fox 3 is in the books and there are some huge takeaways. There’s also some big news coming out of the event as both Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks earned title shots in victory. 

With the fights over and the fighters home, it’s time to play fantasy matchmaker with the winners and losers on the night. Some of these matchups were made for the division and others were made because they are exciting. 

So without any further ado, let’s take a look at the matches to make after UFC on Fox 3. 

Begin Slideshow

UFC Star Nate Diaz: Is Nick Diaz’s Little Brother MMA’s Most Exciting Fighter?

Mixed martial arts is the most amazingly bizarre and violent spectacle in the history of American sports. The fighters are all paragons of courage—men and women who are willing to test themselves in the confines of a steel cage simply to see who …

Mixed martial arts is the most amazingly bizarre and violent spectacle in the history of American sports. The fighters are all paragons of courage—men and women who are willing to test themselves in the confines of a steel cage simply to see who the better person is on a given day.

Also a factor in their willingness to lay it all on the line? Piles of cash.

I write the above to indicate how much respect I have for the people who do this for a living. Fist fighting, even for major dough, is a daunting prospect. But among this subset of special people, one shining diamond has emerged.

I’ve sung the praises of former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz for years. Is hyperbole what gets you through the day? I have even called Nick “the greatest man who ever lived.” That’s high-level hyperbole. And, no, I don’t wish to reconsider my position. Thanks for asking.

The Stockton, California-based bad boy is one of the most dynamic fighters in UFC history. He is a rock-em-sock-em volume puncher who also just happens to be an amazing submission artist, as capable of pulling off a gogoplata against an elite competitor as he is of demolishing them with punches.

On top of that, his antics are legendary. Brawls on national television. Fist fights in the hospital. Terrorizing the ECW Press booth at the UFC Fan Expo. No matter where he goes in this world, Nick Diaz is guaranteed to make things more interesting. What more can you ask of any man?

It turns out, however, that while our eyes were locked on Nick, another Diaz was lurking in the shadows. And as incredible as it may seem, he may trump his older brother in pure and unbridled entertainment value.

Nate Diaz, in many ways, has arrived at a pinnacle of pure entertainment that even his brother will find hard to match. Diaz wowed the world over the weekend, dismantling lightweight contender Jim Miller and making it look all too easy. No one has ever finished Jim Miller, a tough guy from New Jersey who put the “it” in grit. But Diaz made him quit, choking him so hard that announcer Joe Rogan feared Miller was seconds away from biting off his own tongue.

The win earned Diaz “Submission of the Night” and a cool $65,000. In his 16 UFC fights, Diaz has walked away with a bonus check on nine occasions. Only Chris Lytle has surpassed that number, earning 10 awards in 20 fights.

But something tells me that before Diaz is through, he will have more bonus checks than Lytle or anyone else in the UFC. 

Still, fighting is just part of the equation. Nate is like his brother, only a version of Nick Diaz dosed on a double helping of Ritalin. Nate doesn’t miss press conferences. Nate doesn’t miss flights. Sure, there was his confrontation with Karo Parisyan in the Ultimate Fighter house—but for the most part, Nate Diaz does his talking in the cage.

Does all this make Nate a more together, professional and promising athlete? Of course.

It also, for better or worse, hurts his chances of ever surpassing his brother in pure entertainment value. Nick Diaz, in my mind, still holds that title, with Chael Sonnen running in close second.

But Nick needs to keep pushing. The dark horse from Stockton is coming strong, and he has the blood lines to make a real run at this thing.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com