On Saturday, the UFC returned to network television for UFC on FOX 3, which turned out to be a very exciting event from top to bottom.The event’s main card saw lightweight Nate Diaz and welterweight Johny Hendricks separate themselves as top contenders…
On Saturday, the UFC returned to network television for UFC on FOX 3, which turned out to be a very exciting event from top to bottom.
The event’s main card saw lightweight Nate Diaz and welterweight Johny Hendricks separate themselves as top contenders in their respective divisions, while the preliminary card was full of exciting submissions and come-from-behind victories.
With the UFC still in the first year of its partnership with FOX, every moment of these network-televised events will be remembered long into the future. Let’s take a look at 10 of the moments that will be most remembered from UFC on FOX 3.
Nate Diaz no longer lives in the wide-cast shadow of his brother Nick.At UFC on Fox 3, the young Diaz brother became the No. 1 lightweight contender after submitting Jim Miller at 4:09 of the second round.UFC President Dana White has already set the wh…
Nate Diaz no longer lives in the wide-cast shadow of his brother Nick.
At UFC on Fox 3, the young Diaz brother became the No. 1 lightweight contender after submitting Jim Miller at 4:09 of the second round.
UFC President Dana White has already set the wheels in motion for Diaz to challenge the winner of the Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar rematch.
Is Diaz ready to compete against the upper-echelon sharks of the lightweight division, or should he wait things out and take a couple of more fights to be sure?
It’s always great for a young fighter like Diaz to keep taking fights to facilitate growth and all-around improvement, but the unpredictable nature of the sport could force his hand.
Fighters aren’t offered UFC title shots every day. Jon Fitch had to pile up eight straight wins before he was finally given an opportunity to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title. Miller was on a seven-fight win streak and still seeking a title shot before losing to Henderson in in August 2011.
Diaz happens to be in the right place at the right time. He is currently riding a three-fight win streak, and his last name is Diaz, a name that has become synonymous with entertainment and controversy.
At 27 years old, Diaz already has a ton of experience in competing on the big stage under the bright lights of the UFC.
The concern for Diaz predominantly stems from his subpar wrestling.
He was dominant in shutting down all of Miller’s takedown attempts, but Miller has never truly been considered a world class wrestler. His world class grappling skills are credited more to his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu abilities.
Diaz has been donkey-konged on in the past by strong wrestlers in Gray Maynard, Rory MacDonald, Dong-Hyun Kim, Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson. How do we know he’s made the necessary improvements to shrug off takedowns from Henderson and Edgar?
The simple answer to this question is that we don’t.
Still, a shot at a UFC title is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s better to cash in now and not risk losing somewhere down the road in a non-title bout.
Diaz needs to live in the moment and avoid any what ifs. This opportunity may never come around again.
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Jim Miller is steadily slipping from contender to perennial lightweight gatekeeper.The New Jersey native was finished for the first time of his professional career by Nate Diaz in front of his hometown fans in East Rutherford at UFC on Fox 3 on Saturda…
Jim Miller is steadily slipping from contender to perennial lightweight gatekeeper.
The New Jersey native was finished for the first time of his professional career by Nate Diaz in front of his hometown fans in East Rutherford at UFC on Fox 3 on Saturday night.
Diaz used his reach and pinpoint accuracy to outland Miller on the feet. Takedowns were expected to be the key for Miller, but he was stuffed on every shot in the open and negated in all attempts from the clinch.
By the end of the second round, Miller was bloodied and battered, and in typical Diaz fashion, Nate began to open up with trash talk and a volley of punches.
Miller made a last-ditch effort on a telegraphed takedown attempt which proved to be his undoing, as Diaz countered with a modified guillotine choke to net the tap at 4:09 of the second round.
What’s next for Miller?
In such a stacked division, Miller has a long road ahead of him back to the top of the contender’s column.
Going into Saturday’s UFC on FOX 3 event there were some that questioned the depth of the card, offering the opinion that the main card was weak. The eight fighters that competed on FOX surely silenced those doubters before the evening was through.All …
Going into Saturday’s UFC on FOX 3 event there were some that questioned the depth of the card, offering the opinion that the main card was weak. The eight fighters that competed on FOX surely silenced those doubters before the evening was through.
All but one of the fights resulted in a stoppage finish, and the one that went the distance was close enough that no one was 100 percent sure who was going to get their hand raised.
The preliminary card had its shares of ups and downs, sure, but to say that the overall card was disappointing would be a lie, forcing a contrary opinion just to be different, just to be that “cool guy” that remembers card X being so much better than Saturday night’s event.
What follows are memorable images from the UFC’s third card on FOX, as well as quotes from the winners of those fights.
UFC on Fox 3 is in the books, and the four bouts broadcast to fight fans for free did not disappoint. Though the majority of the preliminary contests ended in decisions, only one of the main card’s fights went to the judges. Josh Koscheck vs…
UFC on Fox 3 is in the books, and the four bouts broadcast to fight fans for free did not disappoint. Though the majority of the preliminary contests ended in decisions, only one of the main card’s fights went to the judges.
Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Josh Koscheck (19-6) lost a very controversial split decision to Johny Hendricks (13-1) in a co-main event fight he started very well. Hendricks spent the early part of the first round backing up, taking leg kicks and dealing with the distraction of an eye poke.
Koscheck displayed great boxing in the round, slugging and landing some nice bombs. Hendricks did manage to punch back in spots, but he didn’t seem to be getting to Koscheck or stopping his advance. He did land a nice left haymaker hook near the end of the round before both men went toe to toe and traded up to the bell.
Koscheck scrambled to get an early takedown in the second round, but Hendricks worked his way back to his feet. He began parrying most of Koscheck’s punches, waiting for the perfect opportunity to counter. Much of the round went back and forth with each fighter taking his turn on offense.
With around a minute and a half left, Koscheck landed a couple really nice elbows to the head of Hendricks. The round could have gone either way, but it obviously didn’t go to Koscheck on the two score cards that decided the outcome.
Koscheck went into the third round trying to brawl with Hendricks. Koscheck seemed to be landing the cleaner connecting shots, but Hendricks just kept his hands down and bulled forward with wild hooks. He also landed a nice knee in the round before Koscheck took him down and held him there until the round ended.
UFC president Dana White later told a reporter he had the fight tied going into the third and felt that Koscheck would have won if he had done more to damage Hendricks while he was on top for the final seconds.
“It was a good fight. I felt like I ended the fight on top,” said Koscheck in the post-fight press conference. He also saw himself winning the first and third rounds but added that he “should have finished the fight.” He cited luck as the main factor in Hendricks edging out the win.
Koscheck seemed determine to move on and “fight another day,” but it’s not likely he’ll make it back to title contention any time soon. Hendricks will probably have to put together another impressive win before he earns a chance to scrap for the 171-pound belt.
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Before that fight, the evening’s first two bouts ended early.
Pat Barry (7-5) began his heavyweight battle with Lavar Johnson (17-5) by taking the fight to his opponent and landing some awesome strikes. Johnson weathered the storm and came back with his own heavy blows, leading to a post-fight medical suspension for a swollen hand.
Despite injuring himself, Johnson did much worse to Pat Barry, busting up his face as he fell against the cage fence and slumped to the mat in a heap. The end came with just 22 seconds left in the first round. The performance earned Johnson the knockout of the night bonus, making him $65,000 richer and a little more well-known in the MMA landscape now.
Barry’s loss means he’s 1-3 in his last four bouts, only beating a young and untested Christian Morecraft in that stretch. Though he could still be a great draw because of his name and his history with the UFC, the league might give him his walking papers now that the Strikeforce heavyweights will be moving over to the UFC soon.
Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
Alan Belcher (18-6) made even quicker work of Rousimar Palhares (14-4) at 185-pounds. Palhares secured an early single-leg takedown, but he couldn’t do much with it. Belcher came in fully prepared for the infamous leg locks and heel hooks of Palhares. The two scrambled and grappled themselves into a few awkward pretzels before Belcher was able to swarm Palhares with relentless ground and pound for the TKO. The end came at the 4:18 mark of the first round.
Belcher will get himself a crack at the title if he continues to fight like he did Saturday. He just needs a match with a more formidable contender to solidify his position in the division and gauge his readiness to face Anderson Silva (31-4), who is slated to battle Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) in their long-awaited rematch at UFC 148 in July.
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
The main event showed just how tough and durable the Diaz brothers can be. Nate (16-7), the youngest of the two fighting phenoms, really made a statement by choking out Jim Miller (21-4) for the first time ever. As someone who only has one submission loss himself, Diaz can appreciate what it means to be the first person to tap such a talented fighter out.
Miller had an impressive first round and took advantage of Diaz coming at him with a one-dimensional striking attack. Diaz landed a few 1-2 combos and some key knees to the head and body, but Miller managed to take him down and hammer him with leg kicks in the first frame.
Diaz spent the second round finding his range. He used a constant flow of punches and knees to begin wearing Miller down. Miller rewarded him by getting sloppy and coming in with his hands down to try to go toe-to-toe with Diaz. Miller went for a head kick that missed, and Diaz smacked himself in the face to show his opponent he wasn’t hurt. He then bulled Miller against the fence and punished him with strikes as Miller kept to a knee to avoid taking a Diaz knee to the head.
Getting up proved to be futile for Miller as Diaz unleashed some nasty elbows and punches, transitioning into a side-locked Guillotine choke he didn’t quite secure until both men went to the mat and rolled over. Miller’s mouthpiece fell out in the process of locking the choke in, so tightening the choke made Miller bite down on his tongue harder.
“He had my number,” admitted Miller multiple times after the fight was over. Diaz said he is ready for whatever comes next, though White reported at the post-fight press conference that he’ll get a title shot if he wants to wait for it. Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar will have to complete their rematch before Diaz finds out who he’ll be facing for his chance at strapping on the UFC lightweight belt.
The victory over Miller is Diaz’s third in a row after dropping consecutive fights to Rory MacDonald and Dong Hyun Kim in early 2011. He looked lean and chiseled for Saturday’s fight, and his game is definitely improving. He is turning into a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division.
Nate Diaz will be doing all the family’s professional MMA fighting until his older brother gets cleared from his suspension for testing positive for marijuana metabolites. If he can avoid the same level of controversy Nick seems to find himself in all the time, Nate could become a very formidable champ.
Preliminary Bout Results
185: Karlos Vemola (9-2) beats Mike Massenzio (13-7) via Rear Naked Choke at 1:07 of Round 2
135: Roland Delorme (8-1) wins by Rear Naked Choke over Nick Denis (11-3) at 4:59 of Round 1
145: Dennis Bermudez (8-3) destroys Pablo Garza (11-3) in a unanimous decision victory
155: Danny Castillo (13-4) wins unanimous decision over John Cholish (8-1)
155: Michael Johnson (11-6) defeats Tony Ferguson (13-3) by unanimous decision
125: John Dodson (13-5) edges out a unanimous decision win over Tim Elliott (8-3)
171: John Hathaway (16-1) dominates Pascal Krauss (10-1), winning by unanimous decision
125: Louis Gaudinot (6-2) takes out John Lineker (19-6) with a Guillotine submission
UFC on Fox 3 was the UFC on Fox event fans were hoping for, but it might’ve been at the cost of the MMA’s soul!Pat Barry versus Lavar Johnson was likely the most exciting fight that’s been on a Fox card. However, when you examine that fight more closel…
UFC on Fox 3 was the UFC on Fox event fans were hoping for, but it might’ve been at the cost of the MMA‘s soul!
Pat Barry versus Lavar Johnson was likely the most exciting fight that’s been on a Fox card. However, when you examine that fight more closely, it wasn’t the best example of MMA—it was largely a brawl.
Don’t get me wrong, a good brawl every now and then is great but not at the expense of the MMA product as a whole.
It’s no secret that a lot of casual fans aren’t fond of grappling or of technical striking matches (derided as “point-fighting” by some). If people who are somewhat familiar with the sport don’t like such fights, what about people who are watching the sport for the very first time on Fox?
Obviously, a fight the likes of Barry versus Johnson was chosen intentionally to appeal to such fans and that’s fine for this instance. It was after two Fox events that some considered it to be lackluster. The first because it ended in a minute with Junior dos Santos knocking out Cain Velasquez, the second because the fights themselves weren’t anything to write home about.
Thus, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva had no choice but to throw together a card where the fights had a high chance of producing fireworks.
That’s all well and good but what happens when the new fans of the Fox era see fights like Barry versus Johnson and end up expecting a fight like that for every fight they see?
It could develop into a worrying epidemic for the sport of mixed martial arts!
Think about it.
If there were fans who were viewing MMA for the very first time tonight, the fight that will burn most brightly in their memory is no doubt Barry versus Johnson.
Yes, it did have some limited groundwork, but the marquis moments of the fight were the back-and-forth exchanges between the two fighters as well as the barrage of lethal punches from Johnson that floored Barry, ending the fight in dramatic fashion.
If the UFC gets an influx of new, casual, Fox era fans off the back of fights like this, they’ll either lose those fans since not all fights can be that exciting or fighters, in an attempt to become popular, will mimic the Pier six brawl that was Barry versus Johnson!
Even before this fight, the trend of fighters opting to “stand and bang” rather than showcase the full depth of the fight game was growing. Fighters like Leonard Garcia, Joey Beltran, Chris Leben and Dan Hardy were idolized for forsaking the “mixed” in mixed martial arts.
Hardy is an extreme example, since he was even kept in the UFC despite losing four fights in a row! He was kept because he was a “stand and bang” fighter who rejected grappling. Or in the words of part owner of the UFC Lorenzo Fertitta, “I like guys that WAR!!!”
MMA is not brawling. MMA is not kickboxing with smaller gloves.
For an enjoyable, technical mixed martial arts fight, fans need to look no further than Louis Gaudinot versus John Lineker—the fight that earned fight of the night honors.
Unfortunately, Gaudinot versus Lineker was on the Fuel TV preliminaries. New and casual fans (as well as hardcore fans who are without Fuel) most likely didn’t see it.
Nevertheless, they got to see the art of MMA showcased to its true potential.
Nate Diaz versus Jim Miller was an amazing technical battle and an entertaining fight—Diaz gave an incredible performance.
RousimarPalhares versus Alan Belcher was another incredible MMA bout. Both men demonstrated wizardry on the mat and Belcher lived up to his “The Talent” moniker by proving that he was far more talented than many in the MMA world gave him credit for.
Josh Koscheck versus Johny Hendricks, too, was a good fight that was multifaceted, having striking and wrestling.
Ultimately, “stand and bang” is fine in moderation. It’s nice to see every once in a while but the fans and the UFC cannot let the sport become a glorified tough-man contest! Skill and technique must always trump haymakers and looping punches, even if it means a few letdowns and a few “boring” fights every now and then.
