Tag: UFC on Fox 6

UFC on Fox 6 Results: TJ Grant Looking for Jim Miller After Beating Matt Wiman

At UFC on Fox 6 Saturday night, T.J. Grant entered himself into the lightweight title sweepstakes with a first-round knockout of Matt Wiman. After the fight, another rugged and well-rounded lightweight was on a lot of lips—including Grant’s&mdash…

At UFC on Fox 6 Saturday night, T.J. Grant entered himself into the lightweight title sweepstakes with a first-round knockout of Matt Wiman. After the fight, another rugged and well-rounded lightweight was on a lot of lips—including Grant’s—as a potential next opponent.

“One guy who I think would be really exciting (to fight) is Jim Miller,” Grant said during the post-fight press conference.

Though Grant (20-5) emphasized that he was willing to fight anyone and was careful not to out-and-out demand Miller (22-4), the fight does make sense for both sides. Both men are grapplers at heart but have developed powerful stand-up games. Grant tends to rely on Muay Thai, whereas Miller is more of a boxer.

Grant is on the rise after winning his first four fights at 155 pounds (two of them by stoppage). After a good, though not great, 16-5 run as a welterweight, Grant dropped down a weight class in 2011 and has been tough to stop ever since. Grant has now defeated Shane Roller, Carlo Prater, Evan Dunham and Wiman in succession.

Miller, once firmly “in the mix” at the top of the weight class, finds himself on the comeback trail after losing to Nate Diaz in May. At UFC 155, Miller got back in the win column by defeating Joe Lauzon in arguably the best fight of 2012. 

Grant was humble during the post-fight press conference but still firm in staking his claim to a top-10 opponent.

“Tonight was a great opportunity for me to showcase my skills,” Grant said. “I’ve had 10 fights in the UFC, and right now I feel like I’m putting it all together.”

Some, but not many, fighters may be slightly ahead of Grant and Miller for a shot at Benson Henderson’s lightweight belt. These include Rafael dos Anjos and Anthony Pettis, who may have become the next title challenger Saturday night with his first-round TKO of Donald Cerrone. 

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3 Reasons We Will See Rampage Jackson Back with the UFC

You do not always get what you want in life. That was the case for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as he was proclaiming a victory in his fight with Glover Teixeira this evening. Indeed, things didn’t go the way the former light heavyweight champion had expe…

You do not always get what you want in life. That was the case for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as he was proclaiming a victory in his fight with Glover Teixeira this evening. Indeed, things didn’t go the way the former light heavyweight champion had expected, as Teixeira defeated Jackson by unanimous decision.

This fight was the final fight on Jackson’s UFC contract. Rampage has been loudly speaking that this was his final fight in the UFC, and that he wants to go to a place where he feels respected.

The loss tonight was the third in a row for Jackson. Even though Jackson has a lot of star power, it will be difficult for Jackson to find the right contract and place to fight.

Could we see Rampage back in the UFC?

Let’s take a look at reasons why Quinton Jackson will be back in the UFC.

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UFC on Fox 6 Results: Power Ranking the Stoppages from Chicago

UFC on Fox 6 came to you live from the Windy City itself, Chicago. The event was action-packed and many fans were treated to exciting finishes. From submissions by Rafael Natal and Ryan Bader to nasty knockouts by Pettis, Grant and more, this card…

UFC on Fox 6 came to you live from the Windy City itself, Chicago.

The event was action-packed and many fans were treated to exciting finishes.

From submissions by Rafael Natal and Ryan Bader to nasty knockouts by Pettis, Grant and more, this card had it all.

The UFC built a stacked card and it delivered in spades.

Let’s power rank each stoppage from this card.

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UFC on Fox 6: What’s Next for John Dodson After Losing to Demetrious Johnson?

John Dodson came painstakingly close to nabbing Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s flyweight title at UFC on Fox 6.In Round 2 of their affair, Dodson clipped the champion twice—sending Mighty Mouse tumbling awkwardly to the canvas on each occasi…

John Dodson came painstakingly close to nabbing Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s flyweight title at UFC on Fox 6.

In Round 2 of their affair, Dodson clipped the champion twice—sending Mighty Mouse tumbling awkwardly to the canvas on each occasion. 

Dodson kept his composure and did not blitz for the finish, though, and that lack of a rush may have spelled his demise. 

Johnson came back strong and clearly took Rounds 3, 4 and 5 in my book—winning a split decision for his efforts. 

So what’s next for Dodson? 

Let’s make this clear: Dodson looked good. Every question we had about him—his cardio, his heart and his composure under the big stage—was a non-factor in this bout. 

Dodson showed an incredible will to win, excellent conditioning and the willingness to engage Mighty Mouse for the bout’s duration. Not many guys can match Johnson’s pace for 25 minutes, and Dodson performed admirably. 

Furthermore, Dodson posed much more of a threat to Johnson than anybody else has thus far in the champion’s career. The Jackson MMA fight hurt Johnson badly—a feat not to be taken lightly. Johnson is incredibly deft, and catching him with a hard shot is an achievement. 

A rematch makes sense, as the fight was certainly competitive. Dodson clearly showed where he can win the fight, but that path is highly unlikely.

The UFC will want to build stars in the flyweight division, and my guess is that an immediate rematch does not tickle the company’s fancy from a business standpoint. 

So, let us turn to a UFC 156 matchup between Joseph Benavidez and Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall.

This fight looms just around the corner on Feb 2, and the winner of that bout will be primed for a title shot. 

What the winner should be primed for, however, is John Dodson. 

The flyweight division is still disgustingly thin, and a victory by either Benavidez or McCall will only set up a not-so-juicy rematch with Johnson, and that is a bad idea. 

Let the winner of Benavidez versus McCalll fight Dodson, and then that victor can then safely and reasonably stake his claim to the title of “No. 1 contender.” 

All things considered, I think Dodson deserves the winner of Benavidez vs. McCall.

It will postpone a championship fight rematch at least briefly, and it will better establish a No. 1 contender. 

Right now, the division appears to be comprised of Mighty Mouse, three legitimate contenders and some other guys.

It’s harsh to say, but the division is young, and the reality is that the talent pool is not deep enough yet to create fresh and intriguing title matchups.

It sucks, friends, but we are in for a rematch one way or another.

Dodson vs. either Benavidez or McCall will be a fresh matchup, and I think the UFC should capitalize on that opportunity.  

For fans of MMA, heavy metal or general absurdity, . 

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UFC on Fox 6 Results: What’s Next for Glover Teixeira

Glover Teixeira may not have gotten the stoppage victory that he wanted, but at UFC on Fox 6, the Brazilian outstruck Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for three rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory.Some might suggest that Teixeira lacked the killer ins…

Glover Teixeira may not have gotten the stoppage victory that he wanted, but at UFC on Fox 6, the Brazilian outstruck Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for three rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Some might suggest that Teixeira lacked the killer instinct necessary to finish Rampage, who was hurt in several instances. Instead of following his wobbled foe, Teixeira opted to stay conservative and wait for the next engagement instead of charging in on the PRIDE veteran.

Jackson was able to score shots on his opponent, although, the chin of Glover was just as solid as his dangerous right hands.

After fights against Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado, this was Teixeira’s first UFC matchup against a former member of the division’s elite.

Say what you will about Rampage Jackson’s declining skills over the year, but anyone who saw his fight against Jon Jones knows that the A-Team star is as dangerous as it gets when he shows up motivated. 

On Saturday night, Rampage was certainly in shape, but simply not good enough to stop the rising star of Teixeira. 

Now that he has a UFC win against a former champion, as well as a 3-0 record in the world’s biggest fighting organization, what lies ahead for Glover Teixeira?

Last year, some suggested that Teixeira should be given the fast track to a title shot. That is absolutely the wrong move for a guy who is three fights into his UFC career and has no victories over a Top 5 opponent.

Not to mention that with the recent challenge from Daniel Cormier—as well as a potential title eliminator between Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson on the horizon—there is no doubt that Glover is not the next man in line.

Perhaps the best matchup for Teixeira comes in the form of fellow UFC on Fox 6 fighter Ryan Bader. The Ultimate Fighter winner scored a fantastic submission victory earlier in the night and has largely been a member of the division’s Top 10 for the past two years.

Bader has dynamite in his hands, similar to Teixeira, but also possesses an incredible wrestling pedigree that could dictate the bout’s location.

However, Bader called out Shogun Rua post-fight, and could likely get his wish.

Another option for Teixeira would be the winner of Rashad Evans vs. Lil Nog at UFC 156. Whoever comes out on top of that contest is a Top 5 fighter, and would undeniably be a title contender in their own right.

Despite the heavy discussion of Evans as a potential opponent for Anderson Silva‘s middleweight championship, it is unlikely that “Suga” will leave the light heavyweight division. Anyone who listened to the UFC 156 pre-fight teleconference heard the former champion express little interest in making the drop.

So who is the best potential opponent for Glover Teixeira?

Phil Davis.

Davis is an elite wrestler with long limbs and a tendency to score impressive submission victories. Despite a devastating loss to Rashad Evans in 2012, the light heavyweight is a ranked fighter who will force Teixeira to show off his takedown defense or fight off of his back.

Currently, Phil is involved in a Twitter feud with Vinny Magalhaes which could potentially lead to a fight later this year. However, that fight has little upside for Davis. With some quality career advice, it is easy to see that a fight against Teixeira will do more for his career.

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UFC on Fox 6 Results: 5 Fights for Clay Guida to Take Next

Clay Guida earned a big win Saturday night in Chicago, when he earned a split decision nod over Hatsu Hioki. It was his featherweight debut and will likely push him up the rankings in a big way.It wasn’t a pretty win, but he did just enough. The win ca…

Clay Guida earned a big win Saturday night in Chicago, when he earned a split decision nod over Hatsu Hioki. It was his featherweight debut and will likely push him up the rankings in a big way.

It wasn’t a pretty win, but he did just enough. The win came at the delight of the Chicago crowd that was largely in favor of Guida. 

Here are five fights he could take next.

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