UFC on Fox 9 got another high-octane lightweight bout Sunday, when UFC officials announced that veterans Pat Healy and Jamie Varner will do battle at the event.
According to a report from Sherdog.com, Healy and Varner—both enjoying late-career su…
UFC on Fox 9 got another high-octane lightweight bout Sunday, when UFC officials announced that veterans Pat Healy and Jamie Varner will do battle at the event.
According to a report from Sherdog.com, Healy and Varner—both enjoying late-career surges but each coming off a loss—will fight at the event, scheduled for Dec. 14 in Sacramento, Calif., and headlined by a lightweight title fight between champion Anthony Pettis and challenger Josh Thomson.
Known as much for his toughness as his takedowns, Healy (31-16-1) returned to the UFC in April, just before his 30th birthday and after a seven-year absence from the Octagon. Healy moved to the UFC after parent company Zuffa purchased and eventually folded the Strikeforce promotion, in which Healy had amassed a six-fight win streak.
Healy won his UFC return match over Jim Miller, notching Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus honors in the process. But Healy‘s positive marijuana test after the fact turned the win to a No Contest, vaporized his bonus checks and netted him a 90-day suspension.
Healy returned to the cage in September, but dropped a decision to undefeated super prospect KhabibNurmagomedov at UFC 165.
After a four-fight winless streak precipitated his release from the WEC promotion in 2010, Varner—who certainly burned a few bridges earlier in his pro career—appeared permanently relegated to the MMA hinterlands. But fortune smiled in May 2012, when Varner (21-8-1-2) got an unlikely call from the UFC to replace an injured Evan Dunham on short notice at UFC 146.
Varner made the most of the opportunity, scoring a major upset by knocking out EdsonBarboza. The win earned Varner a longer-term stay in the promotion. Now 28 years old, he has gone 2-2 since his return, most recently dropping a split decision to GleisonTibau.
Chad Mendes has really strong arms. He recently showed that off in the Octagon by knocking out the steely-chinned Clay Guida for the first time in his MMA career with some deadly-accurate punches.
Out of the cage, he apparently spends his time do…
Chad Mendes has really strong arms. He recently showed that off in the Octagon by knocking out the steely-chinned Clay Guida for the first time in his MMA career with some deadly-accurate punches.
Out of the cage, he apparently spends his time doing creative push-ups.
Showing off to TMZ, Mendes busted some impressive moves. You can see the full video here.
Clap behind the back? A full barrel roll? Then pushing himself back to his feet and finishing with a back flip? Capping everything off with a random (but always nice) Carlos Condit appearance?
The video is a not-so-subtle plug for his recently-announced bout with NikLentz. The two will face off at the super-stacked UFC on Fox 9 event on December 14 in Sacramento, California. Mendes fights out of Sacramento along with the rest of his camp, Team Alpha Male.
Mendes is on an impressive four-fight winning streak over Cody McKenzie, YaotzinMeza, Darren Elkins and Clay Guida. All four of those wins came by way of knockout.
Mendes is hoping a win over Lentz, who is 3-0 as a featherweight in the UFC with wins over EijiMitsuoka, Diego Nunes and Hacran Dias, will be good enough to earn him a title shot. Mendes fought current featherweight champion Jose Aldo in 2012 at UFC 142. He lost via shocking knockout, but has never fallen far from the top of the division.
UFC on Fox 9 is headlined by a lightweight title bout between Anthony Pettis and Josh Thomson. Stick with Bleacher Report for more details on the card as they become available.
Both fighters are arguably in a must-win situation, as both have dropped 3 of their past 5 contests. The cards are clearly more stacked against McKenzie, however, as his three octagon wins have all come over fighters who have since been released by the UFC — Aaron Wilkinson, Marcus Levesseur, and Garcia. “The AK Kid” was also recently dubbed “the worst fighter in the UFC” by Chael P. Sonnen, but he did provide the single greatest moment in The Ultimate Fighter history, so who the hell really knows what the future holds for this goofy, affable sonofabitch.
Stout, on the other hand, was most recently choked out by James Krause at UFC 161 in a Fight of the Night-earning affair. Prior to that, he notched a decision victory over Carlos Fodor at UFC 157. Prior to that, Stout was routed by John Makdessi at UFC 154 in a fight that highlighted his somewhat skewed interpretation of MMA scoring.
Official CP Prediction: Stout lights up McKenzie for a solid two rounds before running directly into the Alaskan’s signature McKenzietine. Upon waking up, Stout will retire from the sport in his post-fight interview, claiming that “He’s getting too old for this shit” and just wants a desk job. But in a shocking turn of events, Stout will immediately change his mind, snatch the mic from Joe Rogan’s hand, and inform the attending audience that he will be challenging the Michael Chandler/Eddie Alvarez winner for the Bellator lightweight title at an event TBD.
Both fighters are arguably in a must-win situation, as both have dropped 3 of their past 5 contests. The cards are clearly more stacked against McKenzie, however, as his three octagon wins have all come over fighters who have since been released by the UFC — Aaron Wilkinson, Marcus Levesseur, and Garcia. “The AK Kid” was also recently dubbed “the worst fighter in the UFC” by Chael P. Sonnen, but he did provide the single greatest moment in The Ultimate Fighter history, so who the hell really knows what the future holds for this goofy, affable sonofabitch.
Stout, on the other hand, was most recently choked out by James Krause at UFC 161 in a Fight of the Night-earning affair. Prior to that, he notched a decision victory over Carlos Fodor at UFC 157. Prior to that, Stout was routed by John Makdessi at UFC 154 in a fight that highlighted his somewhat skewed interpretation of MMA scoring.
Official CP Prediction: Stout lights up McKenzie for a solid two rounds before running directly into the Alaskan’s signature McKenzietine. Upon waking up, Stout will retire from the sport in his post-fight interview, claiming that “He’s getting too old for this shit” and just wants a desk job. But in a shocking turn of events, Stout will immediately change his mind, snatch the mic from Joe Rogan’s hand, and inform the attending audience that he will be challenging the Michael Chandler/Eddie Alvarez winner for the Bellator lightweight title at an event TBD.
Moraga’s loss to Johnson snapped a seven-fight win streak and dropped his UFC record to 2-1 — the same promotional record as Uyenoyama, who was most recently TKO’d by Joseph Benavidez at UFC on FOX 7. Though we normally wouldn’t call a fight like this a “must win” (especially in the relatively shallow flyweight division), it’s becoming harder and harder to predict which fighters will be considered expendable by the UFC.
Moraga vs. Uyenoyama becomes the ninth matchup added to the action-packed UFC on FOX 9 lineup, which currently lacks any fights above 170 pounds. Check out the current fight card after the jump…
Moraga’s loss to Johnson snapped a seven-fight win streak and dropped his UFC record to 2-1 — the same promotional record as Uyenoyama, who was most recently TKO’d by Joseph Benavidez at UFC on FOX 7. Though we normally wouldn’t call a fight like this a “must win” (especially in the relatively shallow flyweight division), it’s becoming harder and harder to predict which fighters will be considered expendable by the UFC.
Moraga vs. Uyenoyama becomes the ninth matchup added to the action-packed UFC on FOX 9 lineup, which currently lacks any fights above 170 pounds. Check out the current fight card after the jump…
Josh Thomson will finally get his shot at UFC gold when he battles Anthony Pettis this December. The former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion has had a long road to get to this point, but it will all be worth it if he can upset the new champion.
…
Josh Thomson will finally get his shot at UFC gold when he battles Anthony Pettis this December. The former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion has had a long road to get to this point, but it will all be worth it if he can upset the new champion.
A Rising Star
Thomson began his career with five straight victories. That gave the UFC enough to call him up to the show back in the fall of 2003. Even a decade ago Thomson was being billed as one of the best lightweights in the world.
He began his UFC career with two straight wins. A knockout over Gerald Strebendt and a decision against Hermes Franca. His third UFC fight was against Yves Edwards, a fight that resulted in a highlight reel KO still shown to this day.
In a competitive first round, Edwards capitalized when Thomson made a small error and landed a huge head kick that floored Thomson. Edwards would finish it up with a couple punches, but it was the head kick that stole the show. That KO loss would be enough to send Thomson out of the promotion.
In today’s UFC, Thomson would have gotten another chance after going 2-1. A loss to Edwards is nothing to complain about. However, in 2004 the lightweight division was not a priority for the UFC. Zuffa was still trying to build the brand, and The Ultimate Fighter had yet to send the sport to new heights.
Thus, Thomson was released out into the wild, wild west of the MMA world to fend for himself.
Thomson would move right to PRIDE and Strikeforce. He won his PRIDE Bushido 8 fight against Daisuke Sugie, but dropped his Strikeforce debut to Clay Guida. The Guida loss was a turning point for Thomson. After that fight he won six straight bouts—five in Strikeforce—to earn a shot at the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship.
Trilogy with Gilbert Melendez
Strikeforce is remembered for a lot of things: Fedor’s surprising losses, Cyborg’s dominance, Diaz‘s battles and Rousey’s ascent. Yet what it should be remembered for is the classic trilogy of fights between Thomson and Melendez.
Their first bout came on June 27, 2008.
All five rounds it went: A war of attrition between two lightweights who were not getting their due because of where they were fighting. To those who were watching, they were every bit as accomplished.
Thomson would win the first fight and claim the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship. He would not get to successfully defend it.
His next title fight was against Melendez. The December 19, 2009 fight was just as good as, if not better than, the previous. Though, this time it was Melendez who would get the nod on the judge’s scorecards.
Thomson would not get another shot at the gold for two years. He went 3-1 with all three wins coming inside the Strikeforce organization. He dropped a decision to TatsuyaKawajiri at the Dynamite!! 2010 card. Importantly, his Strikeforce wins came against Pat Healy, JZCavalcante and K.J. Noons. Those quality wins would give him one last shot at the Strikeforce strap.
The trilogy completed with another decision, but Melendez walked out with the title. This time, the decision was split: A testament to just how close the fight was, and how the series played out. It was a classic trilogy that will live on. It helped establish both fighters in the division, and made Thomson’s UFC return highly anticipated.
The Punk Returns
After the UFC ended Strikeforce and brought over the roster, one of the most anticipated fighters was Thomson. His return was set against Nate Diaz on April 20.
Heading into the bout, this was thought to be a potential Fight of the Night contender, but it would only be Thomson who collected a bonus check. He would stun everyone with a Knockout of the Night performance, becoming the first man to stop Nate Diaz.
Thomson was the more athletic fighter, and it showed. He looked sharp.
The finish came in the second frame when Thomson rocked Diaz with a head kick, and then finished up his handy work with punches for the TKO win.
It was a head kick that sent him out of the UFC, and a head kick announced his return to the elite of the lightweight division.
Through the summer, the lightweight title was held up. Injuries have played a big role in Thomson getting his title shot, which is ironic as the talented 155-pound fighter has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career.
Anthony Pettis replaced TJ Grant against Benson Henderson at UFC 164, and he was able to walk out with the title after an armbar stoppage. It was supposed to be Grant getting his shot, but he was not ready to return. Thomson got the call, answered it and now he has his shot at the ultimate glory.
After being unceremoniously released from the UFC years ago when lightweights were fighting for acceptance, Thomson has a chance to grab the title he never had a shot at when he fights Pettis at UFC on Fox 9 in the main event.
It has been a long road back for the AKA product. One that has injury roadblocks and several top level fighters trying to derail him. He has navigated his way through it all, and now only one more is in front of him.
UFC on Fox 9 is the last stop. Thomson’s long road back has led him to this point. We will find out if he can finally wear UFC gold on December 14.
UFC on Fox 9 got a very exciting welterweight matchup when the UFC announced they would add Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown to the fight card.
No. 2-ranked Condit rebounded from his back-to-back losses with a stoppage of Martin Kampmann on August 28. Brow…
No. 2-ranked Condit rebounded from his back-to-back losses with a stoppage of Martin Kampmann on August 28. Brown won his sixth straight in a quick KO against Mike Pyle on August 17. The win moved Brown into the top 10 at No. 10.
Whomever wins this fight will be in line for a title shot. It will be hard to argue against either man.
There is a lot at stake in this 170-pound scrap, and it should be one of the more anticipated fights of that card. These are two exciting warriors, and this is your early look at the matchup.
