Tag: UFC on Fox 5

UFC on FOX 5: B.J. Penn Aims to Recover from Brutal Loss

The UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Diaz has a solid fight card that not only solidified lightweight title holder Benson Henderson as the elite 155 pound fighter in the world, but also represented a changing of the guard for two legendary fighters that helpe…

The UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Diaz has a solid fight card that not only solidified lightweight title holder Benson Henderson as the elite 155 pound fighter in the world, but also represented a changing of the guard for two legendary fighters that helped shape the MMA landscape.

Rory MacDonald dominated B.J. Penn for three rounds and landed punches and kicks at will. At no point did Penn ever make the fight competitive. MacDonald looked quicker on his feet as he defended takedowns and battered the body of Penn with leg kicks that seemed to come from every angle and direction. MacDonald spoke prior to the fight about being a huge B.J. Penn fan, then went out and easily beat up a legend of the sport and one of his idols in front of a nationally televised audience.

Was it the best B.J. Penn in the octagon on Saturday night? Of course not, But when was the last time that fight fans have seen Penn at his best? The last several years in the UFC have not been kind to the former UFC lightweight and welterweight title holder. Since his loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 in 2009, Penn has compiled a 3-4-1 record with his last three bouts fought to a draw with Jon Fitch and lost two in a row to Nick Diaz and Rory MacDonald, respectively.

The B.J. Penn loss to Rory McDonald was painful to watch and left no question as to the future of “The Prodigy.” If he decides to keep fighting in the UFC he must consider dropping back down to lightweight where he will have a better opportunity for success. His decision to fight at the welterweight level will only lead to losses and further physical and mental punishment. Penn simply cannot keep fighting the larger welterweights who cut weight from 200 pounds. The older Penn gets the slower he becomes and the less effective his takedowns become, as was proven in the match against MacDonald. There is still plenty of punch left in the hands of B.J. Penn, but they would be more effective against the smaller fighters. Today’s welterweights are just too quick and too strong for Penn and they easily beat him to the punch.

If UFC President Dana White decides to retain the services of B.J. Penn, he could do so by requiring Penn to fight at lightweight. Who would be a possible matchup for Penn in the lightweight division? Jon Fitch who fought Penn to a draw at UFC 127. That fight could be Penn’s last at welterweight or a possible catch weight because there would be no title on the line. Or, a B.J. Penn vs. Nate Diaz matchup. Both fighters are coming off losses and stylistically would make for a crowd pleasing fight.

If B.J. Penn decides to keep fighting it will be against the wishes of UFC President Dana White, but ultimately it will be a decision that only Penn can make. No one would fault Penn for hanging up his gloves and moving on to a new stage of his life. The future for Penn is uncertain, but the mark that he left on the sport is undeniable.

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UFC on Fox 5 Results: Matt Brown Is Becoming a Fighter to Watch at 170

Allow me to get my bias out of the way early: I love Matt Brown.Since “The Immortal’s” stint on The Ultimate Fighter’s seventh season, I have been captivated by Brown’s skill set inside the Octagon.The dude looks like he should be playing bass in a loc…

Allow me to get my bias out of the way early: I love Matt Brown.

Since “The Immortal’s” stint on The Ultimate Fighter‘s seventh season, I have been captivated by Brown’s skill set inside the Octagon.

The dude looks like he should be playing bass in a local modern rock cover band, and there is nothing overly athletic or impressive about his fighting style.

Brown finds beauty in the ordinary though, and he always manages to fight better than the sum of his parts.

Put simply, the dude can scrap, and he is competent anywhere a fight may go.

His striking is just slightly above average, his wrestling is positively average, and his offensive jiu-jitsu is fairly impressive. That said, his defensive ground skills are lackluster at best, and Brown has been forced to tap in four of his five UFC losses.

Because he does not have a go-to skill or a home run technique to rely on, he becomes the best kind of fighter to watch: the kind that can (and will) do anything at any time.

Against Mike Swick at UFC on Fox 5, we saw everything that is great about Matt Brown. We saw him take some hard punches in stride, and we saw him land kicks, punches, knees and elbows after absorbing punishment.

When the fight hit the mat, we saw Brown’s aggressive bottom game in full force.

He looked for a D’Arce choke immediately, but eventually gave up on the submission attempt in favor of a triangle. When the triangle failed, Brown then looked for a straight armbar.

Swick, despite being on top, was unable to mount any sort of offense on the ground because he was constantly defending Brown’s attacks.

None of it was flashy, and none of it was overly technical (as evidenced by the fact that he couldn’t finish), but, again, the sum of these attempts got him back to his feet and out of danger.

Honestly, Brown’s brutal knockout of Swick was just the icing on his primetime cake (which I’m sure was plain vanilla with vanilla frosting), as Brown had already proven his worth by avoiding danger against an incredibly dangerous opponent.

While Brown does not possess the athleticism and power of a Rory MacDonald or a single devastating weapon like Johny Hendricks’ H-bomb, he is without question one of the most entertaining 170-pound fighters in the world.

“The Immortal” comes to fight, and after notching his fourth straight UFC win against Mike Swick, it appears he is finally ready for the big stage.

Will he continue his streak of excellence, or will he regress into the body of a fighter who was nearly cut by the organization after losing three straight contests via submission in 2010?

I don’t know.

But I do know Brown will come to fight, he will entertain and he will compete.

What more could you want in a fighter?

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Can Rory MacDonald Really Hang with the Elite Strikers of His Division?

The three men this question is referring to are Carlos Condit, Johny Hendricks, and Nick Diaz. Last night, Rory MacDonald put on the best performance of his young career on UFC on FOX 5. He lit up B.J. Penn with numerous jabs, body shots, and that unfo…

The three men this question is referring to are Carlos Condit, Johny Hendricks, and Nick Diaz.

Last night, Rory MacDonald put on the best performance of his young career on UFC on FOX 5. He lit up B.J. Penn with numerous jabs, body shots, and that unforgettable low-to-high sidekick that caught everyone watching off-guard. MacDonald felt so confident from his win that he went so far as to call out expert kickboxer Carlos Condit to avenge his controversial loss to the “natural born killer”—the only blemish on MacDonald’s record to date.

Regardless of his request, there is a good chance that MacDonald will have to face Condit, Hendricks or Diaz in the not-so-distant future. While it’s obvious that his striking skills did a great deal of damage to a washed-up B.J. Penn, could those same skills really stand a chance against his rivals?

MacDonald’s blows against Penn were fairly accurate and undeniably powerful, but the only times in which he truly shined were when he was stalking Penn up against the cage. He didn’t really get in the former champion’s face with many unique combinations, cut him off with angles and advanced circling techniques, or even loosen up to prepare a flurry that could have potentially put “the Prodigy” away.

Yet, it’s safe to say that MacDonald didn’t really have to make much of a strenuous effort to win, considering the absence of a defense from Penn.

This is why it could be argued that the real stand-up story of the match wasn’t how impressive MacDonald looked—it was the unbelievably sorry excuse for boxing displayed by B.J. Penn.

We all saw what Nick Diaz did to Penn in their fight, and if Penn stood there like a punching bag against Hendricks or Condit, he would either be knocked out or similarly beaten into a bloody pulp.

The same goes for MacDonald’s preferred stand up strategy as well. If he were to simply stand in front of either of these three fighters like he did before unloading on Penn, he’d have a lot less opportunities to capitalize on a lack of movement or responding strikes from his opponent. MacDonald wouldn’t have a target standing in front of him with not much to offer in return. In fact, he’d probably become the punching bag instead.

MacDonald most definitely exuded an understanding of MMA striking against Penn, but his win was not dominant enough to pose a threat on the feet to Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, or even Johny Hendricks. There is still reason to believe MacDonald would be at a disadvantage in the event of an exchange with any of these competitors.

Although he did just win a fight primarily due to strikes, Rory MacDonald’s greatest strength lies within his wrestling. This provided the foundation for him to do significant damage on the ground when he faced Nate Diaz, Che Mills, and Carlos Condit. MacDonald probably didn’t impose this strategy on Penn because of the fear of a possible submission or reversal from the decorated Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

Or maybe he was just bent on humiliating Penn on the feet.  

Whatever his motivation was, MacDonald only wrestled with Penn for a few moments. If he truly wants to challenge Hendricks, Diaz or Condit, he’d better get back to his base and not overestimate his striking skills.

That’s not to say he’d have an easy time grappling with any of these guys, but it’d be a hell of a lot easier than standing with them.

Yes, MacDonald picked up a huge win over Penn and he earned it definitively. However, his striking abilities did not showcase the level of efficiency of the hands of Nick Diaz, Condit, or Hendricks. Rory MacDonald cannot and should not be counted out in a fight with a top contender. A pure boxing/kickboxing match with Diaz, Condit or Hendricks, however, would not be a good situation for the Canadian to find himself in.

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3 Reasons Why Benson Henderson Will Be Champion for a Long Time

In the UFC on Fox 5 main event, Benson “Smooth” Henderson defended his lightweight title for the second time, against Nate Diaz.Henderson dominated the Stockton native from bell to bell and took home a unanimous decision victory for his efforts.Henders…

In the UFC on Fox 5 main event, Benson “Smooth” Henderson defended his lightweight title for the second time, against Nate Diaz.

Henderson dominated the Stockton native from bell to bell and took home a unanimous decision victory for his efforts.

Henderson has not tasted defeat inside the Octagon yet and holds a perfect 6-0 record.

He seemingly has all the tools and the right attitude it takes to defend the championship multiple times.

Let’s take a look at three reasons why “Smooth” will continue to rule the lightweight division.

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BJ Penn: 5 Fights for Him to Get Back on Track

Does BJ Penn still have a career left in any weight division?After being chased out of the 155-pound title picture by Frankie Edgar, we’ve seen “The Prodigy” in a quickly-descending spiral. But it might not be too late for him to climb back from the br…

Does BJ Penn still have a career left in any weight division?

After being chased out of the 155-pound title picture by Frankie Edgar, we’ve seen “The Prodigy” in a quickly-descending spiral. But it might not be too late for him to climb back from the brink.

We’ve seen it before. Penn suffered a horrible 1-3 four-fight stretch back in his early career days (losing to a killer’s row of Lyoto Machida, Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre), but bounced back as soon as he returned to the lightweight division.

With that in mind, here’s five fights that can get BJ Penn back on track if the UFC legend decides to repeat history and reinvigorate himself one more time.

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UFC on FOX 5 Results: The Top 25 Pound-for-Pound Fighters in the UFC

On Saturday night, several of the top 25 pound-for-pound fighters were in action looking to move further up the ranks.In the main event, Benson Henderson defended his lightweight title against Nate Diaz by unanimous decision. Prior to that, Alexander G…

On Saturday night, several of the top 25 pound-for-pound fighters were in action looking to move further up the ranks.

In the main event, Benson Henderson defended his lightweight title against Nate Diaz by unanimous decision. Prior to that, Alexander Gustafsson won a decision over Shogun Rua, and BJ Penn lost a unanimous decision to Rory MacDonald.

All of them have legitimate claims to being top 25 pound-for-pound fighters, but let’s see who moved up, down and all around.

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