Anthony Pettis took gold from Benson Henderson for a second time when he submitted the UFC lightweight champion at UFC 164 in August. The attention then turned to top contender TJ Grant.
Pettis and Grant were expected to meet at UFC on Fox 9, but Grant…
Anthony Pettis took gold from Benson Henderson for a second time when he submitted the UFC lightweight champion at UFC 164 in August. The attention then turned to top contender TJ Grant.
Pettis and Grant were expected to meet at UFC on Fox 9, but Grant would not be ready in time to see action. Thus, the UFC went looking for another challenger for the new champion and they came up with Josh Thomson. The longtime veteran will try to capture UFC gold for the first time when they meet in December.
Thomson, a former Strikeforce lightweight champion, made a successful return to the UFC with a Knockout of the Night performance against Nate Diaz in April. He gets a shining opportunity thanks to injuries to others, and his dream of becoming the UFC champion has a real possibility of coming true.
The dynamic lightweights will meet on December 14, and this is your early breakdown for the UFC Lightweight Championship bout.
The matchup is the latest in the long history of TUF winners fighting one another — the inaugural fight being Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping‘s headlining scrap at UFC 78: Validation. Did you forget about that fight? Because you are not alone, brother. Another fun fact: Of the 8 fights to take place between The Ultimate Fighter winners, just three of those fights have ended inside the distance (Danzig KO’d Joe Stevenson at UFC 124, Evans KO’d Griffin at UFC 92 and Robert Whittaker TKO’d Colton Smith at UFC 160).
What does this all mean? That McGee vs. Gastelum will likely go the distance. Unless Gastelum comes out like he did against Brian Melancon, in which case McGee is a dead man. Again.
Also recently booked for UFC on FOX 9…
(Gastelum celebrates after beating the brakes off Brian Melancon at Fight Night 27. Photo via Getty Images)
The matchup is the latest in the long history of TUF winners fighting one another — the inaugural fight being Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping‘s headlining scrap at UFC 78: Validation. Did you forget about that fight? Because you are not alone, brother. Another fun fact: Of the 8 fights to take place between The Ultimate Fighter winners, just three of those fights have ended inside the distance (Danzig KO’d Joe Stevenson at UFC 124, Evans KO’d Griffin at UFC 92 and Robert Whittaker TKO’d Colton Smith at UFC 160).
What does this all mean? That McGee vs. Gastelum will likely go the distance. Unless Gastelum comes out like he did against Brian Melancon, in which case McGee is a dead man. Again.
Also recently booked for UFC on FOX 9…
Edson Barboza, the man who secretly underwent a procedure to have his original legs replaced by metal ones back in 2006 (it was a risky operation, but totally worth it), will face Danny Castillo in a classic striker vs. grappler match up. Since seeing his unblemished record tarnished by Jamie Varner at UFC 146, Barboza has scored back-to-back stoppage victories over Lucas Martins (submission due to strikes*) and Rafaello Oliveira (leg kicks of Death).
Castillo is also riding a two-fight win streak at the moment, having collected a pair of upset decision victories over Paul Sass and Tim Means at UFC on FUEL 7 and UFC on FOX 8, respectively. Methinks Castillo’s strategy of holding a motherfucker down and pitter-pattering the piss out of him will once again be on full display here. Unless Barboza can stop the takedown, in which case Castillo is a dead man.
*For some reason, Sherdog currently lists Barboza’s win over Martins as coming via TKO (retirement). You can watch a video of the fight here, but Martins clearly taps to strikes, in any case.
No matter how hard the UFC tried—and make no mistake, they did try—the lightweight division was never going to be a draw with Benson Henderson at the top of the pile.
A lack of finishes isn’t going to appeal to the masses, and being credite…
No matter how hard the UFC tried—and make no mistake, they did try—the lightweight division was never going to be a draw with Benson Henderson at the top of the pile.
A lack of finishes isn’t going to appeal to the masses, and being credited with wins that most people feel were losses wasn’t going to help the case either.
Smile, toothpick, and cool haircut aside, Benson Henderson was just not the man to make people care about 155 pounds.
You know who is? The guy who beat him twice, once featuring the craziest highlight in Zuffa history and once in so quick and aggressive a fashion that Henderson still might not even realize he lost his belt.
That man is Anthony Pettis.
Pettis is the young, fiery, driven, athletic champion that lightweight has been lacking since the days of Motivated BJ Penn (yes, caps for Motivated there; he’s basically a different guy).
His first order of business after smashing his way to the title in his hometown? Calling out Jose Aldo, who hasn’t lost in sixteen fights and hasn’t been pushed in nearly as long, for a superfight.
If that doesn’t suggest a man looking to make a splash, not much does.
It also doesn’t hurt the case that he’s a truly marketable star on a level with a young Georges St-Pierre.
He’s exciting, which Georges once was.
He’s respectful, which Georges has always been.
He looks more like a guy selling boxers on a billboard than a cagefighter, which Georges also does.
And he gets results, which Georges certainly does.
Granted, he’s made some regrettablechoices in the world of full-chest tattoos recently, but he’s not even the first champion to do that. If that’s the worst thing you can say about a guy, he’s doing alright. Plus, that last guy ended up being pretty marketable in his own right.
While the argument could be made that Aldo is the most deserving of sub-170 recognition from the viewing public, he’s hindered by a language barrier and his bookings in Brazil.
Same applies to RenanBarao, the interim champion at bantamweight.
Dominick Cruz, the true king of 135, hasn’t fought in two years and has no return in sight. Hard to sell him at the moment, and not everyone loves his work even when he’s active.
Demetrious Johnson, repeated free-television showcases notwithstanding, simply isn’t for everyone. Joe Rogan can shout the word “technical” as often and as loudly as he wants, but that doesn’t make a guy a draw.
Everything that Pettis is, that’s what makes a draw. The UFC knows it, and that’s why half of his fights in the promotion will have been on free TV by the time UFC on FOX touches down in December.
With the new champion getting his first chance to defend gold in an MMA hotbed and in front of a national audience, the upward trajectory of Pettis and his division is in full swing.
Condit’s most recent appearance ended in a savage fourth-round TKO of Martin Kampmann, which snapped a two-fight losing streak. Meanwhile, Brown is on a six-fight win streak in the 170-pound division, with five of those wins ending by stoppage within the first two rounds.
While some Natural Born Killer fans might consider this a step backwards for Condit — who is currently listed as the #2 welterweight contender on the UFC’s official media rankings, compared to Brown all the way down at #10 — keep in mind that Condit specifically asked for this fight. “[Brown has] been on a tear, and it’d be really exciting for the fans,” Condit explained to MMAJunkie earlier this month. And so, Condit gets the fan-friendly matchup he wants, and Brown gets what he’s long been pleading for — a chance to prove that he’s an elite-level welterweight. Will he rise to the challenge?
Condit’s most recent appearance ended in a savage fourth-round TKO of Martin Kampmann, which snapped a two-fight losing streak. Meanwhile, Brown is on a six-fight win streak in the 170-pound division, with five of those wins ending by stoppage within the first two rounds.
While some Natural Born Killer fans might consider this a step backwards for Condit — who is currently listed as the #2 welterweight contender on the UFC’s official media rankings, compared to Brown all the way down at #10 — keep in mind that Condit specifically asked for this fight. “[Brown has] been on a tear, and it’d be really exciting for the fans,” Condit explained to MMAJunkie earlier this month. And so, Condit gets the fan-friendly matchup he wants, and Brown gets what he’s long been pleading for — a chance to prove that he’s an elite-level welterweight. Will he rise to the challenge?
UFC on Fox 9 might end up being the most ridiculously stacked free card in MMA history with the latest addition to the show being added on Wednesday.
Welterweights Carlos Condit and Matt Brown have agreed to meet on the December 14 show, taking place i…
UFC on Fox 9 might end up being the most ridiculously stacked free card in MMA history with the latest addition to the show being added on Wednesday.
Welterweights Carlos Condit and Matt Brown have agreed to meet on the December 14 show, taking place in Sacramento, Calif.
UFC officials confirmed the booking via Fox Sports on Wednesday.
The bout will pit two of the division’s most exciting fighters against each other with possible title contention hanging in the balance.
There hasn’t been a more dominant run in the UFC of late than what Brown has been able to do in his last six fights. The Ohio native has won all six bouts while stopping five of the opponents by knockout or TKO.
Brown most recently flattened former training partner Mike Pyle by first round knockout in just 29-seconds at UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston. His upcoming bout scheduled for UFC on Fox 9 will put Brown on free television for the fifth time in a row.
UFC president Dana White even joked recently calling Brown ‘Mr. Fox’ for his tendency to not only compete on the televised cards, but also by putting on blistering performances like the ones he’s had lately.
Hoping to stop Brown’s momentum will be former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit, fresh off a win over Martin Kampmann in his last fight.
Condit actually headed into the rematch with Kampmann on a two-fight skid after losing to UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and current top contender Johny Hendricks in back-to-back fights.
The former champion wasted no time getting back on track, however, as he punished Kampmann over the course of their main event battle before finally putting him away in the fourth round.
Now Condit will look to jump back into the title picture when he takes on Brown in what should be one of the most highly anticipated battles of the entire year.
Brown has gone to decision only three times in his 29 fight career, while Condit has finished 27 opponents out of his 29 career wins.
The welterweight showdown is expected to occupy a main card slot on the show headlined by lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defending his belt against Josh Thomson.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report
(“So the giant, nipple-eyed coy fish is imperialism, and the heart with the sniffing nose above it is Manifest Destiny?” (*head splodes*) Photo via Sherdog.)
On the heels of his first UFC win in four attempts at UFC 163, flyweight contender Ian McCall will get the chance to make it two in a row when he welcomes Scott Jorgensen to the flyweight division on the ever-growing UFC on FOX 9: Pettis vs. Thomson card in December. The matchup is arguably a must-win for both fighters, as Jorgensen has similarly collected just one win in his last four contests (over John Albert at UFC on FOX 5). Said McCall and Jorgensen about the booking:
Speaking of fighters who are 1-3 in their past 4…
(“So the giant, nipple-eyed coy fish is imperialism, and the heart with the sniffing nose above it is Manifest Destiny?” (*head splodes*) Photo via Sherdog.)
On the heels of his first UFC win in four attempts at UFC 163, flyweight contender Ian McCall will get the chance to make it two in a row when he welcomes Scott Jorgensen to the flyweight division on the ever-growing UFC on FOX 9: Pettis vs. Thomson card in December. The matchup is arguably a must-win for both fighters, as Jorgensen has similarly collected just one win in his last four contests (over John Albert at UFC on FOX 5). Said McCall and Jorgensen about the booking:
Speaking of fighters who are 1-3 in their past 4, Joe Lauzon and Mac Danzig have also been booked to face one another at UFC on FOX 9. In his last outing, Lauzon received quite possibly the most one-sided beatdown of his career at the hands of TUF 12 finalist Michael Johnson (in front of his hometown crowd, no less). The loss at Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen came following a back-and-forth FOTY contender with Jim Miller at UFC 155, which Lauzon also dropped via unanimous decision.
Danzig, on the other hand, was hit so hard by Melvin Guillard in his previous appearance at UFC on FOX 8 that he Vulcan mind-melded with the Grape Stomp Lady and cried like a rejected baby elephant for several moments after being knocked out. If you were to ask Danzig, however, the reason he was reduced to tears was not the result of Guillard’s Parkinson’s-inducing death fists, but rather due to the ringside physicians pressing down on his injured cartilage. I for one am totally fine with that explanation, and not just because I once bumped into Guillard in a hotel elevator and immediately started pleading for my life and emptying my bowels.
Needless to say, what happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. Especially when it’s a grown ass man crying in a puddle of his own sick while surrounded by strangers with perfectly capable camera phones.
No matter how hard the UFC tried—and make no mistake, they did try—the lightweight division was never going to be a draw with Benson Henderson at the top of the pile.
