Tag: UFC on Fuel 7

Recapping the Fight Night Bonuses from UFC on Fuel 7

Even though almost every fight went to decision, UFC on Fuel TV 7 was still action packed from start to finish. That said, Dana White likely had little trouble picking out which fighters to award bonuses. So which fighters are taking home a bit more th…

Even though almost every fight went to decision, UFC on Fuel TV 7 was still action packed from start to finish. That said, Dana White likely had little trouble picking out which fighters to award bonuses.

So which fighters are taking home a bit more than they were anticipating? Who gets something written up in the “Notes” section of his Wikipedia record listing?

Find out right here!

 

Submission of the Night: Renan Barao

This was probably the easiest award to peg because Barao was the only fighter to make his opponent tap. Still, it was a very nice submission.

In the fourth round of the title fight against Michael McDonald, Barao scored a takedown that tangled his limbs up with McDonald’s. Rather than scrambling into a better position or letting McDonald return to his feet, Barao wrapped up his opponent’s head and arm and squeezed. It took him a while, but McDonald eventually tapped.

 

Knockout of the Night: Tom Watson

This one was a teeny bit less easy to pick than the submission of the night (though still pretty easy). Tom Watson had the only legitimate knockout of the night. The only other one was Cyrille Diabate’s calf exploding.

As with Barao‘s submission, though, Tom Watson’s knockout of Stanislav Nedkov was still a doozy.

Watson had an absolute barn burner of a fight, and both fighters took some serious damage. In the waning seconds of the second round, though, Watson landed some huge knees from the muay Thai clinch and finished off Nedkov with punches.

 

Fight of the Night: Tom Watson vs. Stanislav Nedkov

So yeah…as stated, total barn burner here.

Tom Watson and Stanislav Nedkov put on one of the most amazing, spirited fights you’ll ever see. Both of them brawled harder than one could reasonably expect from a human being, and they gave us a fight that could easily end up as Fight of the Year.

In the end, Watson took home the win and the Knockout of the Night check, but Nedkov will also be taking home more than his “show up” money. This is a fight both of them can be very proud of.

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UFC on Fuel 7 Results: Grades for Every Main-Card Fighter

UFC fans on the state side of the Atlantic enjoyed a spot of afternoon delight Saturday, when UFC on Fuel 7 went down from London towne.In the main event of the evening, bantamweight Renan Barao put his interim title on the line against hard-hitting yo…

UFC fans on the state side of the Atlantic enjoyed a spot of afternoon delight Saturday, when UFC on Fuel 7 went down from London towne.

In the main event of the evening, bantamweight Renan Barao put his interim title on the line against hard-hitting young buck Michael McDonald. As always, though, there were ramifications across the card, even if this one was a bit dull by UFC standards.

How did the main-card fighters perform across the pond? Here are grades for each one.

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Dominick Cruz Breaks Down Renan Barao’s Win: ‘Nothing Really Concerned Me’

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz had a hard time watching the main event for UFC on Fuel TV 7 because watch is all he could do. Cruz is still sidelined after having two separate surgeries to repair a torn ACL in his knee, while interim bantamwei…

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz had a hard time watching the main event for UFC on Fuel TV 7 because watch is all he could do.

Cruz is still sidelined after having two separate surgeries to repair a torn ACL in his knee, while interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao defended the title against top contender Michael McDonald in England on Saturday.

Currently filling his time as an analyst on Fuel TV, Cruz watched the bantamweight main event in studio and actually shadowboxed throughout the three-and-a-half round affair that saw Barao defeat McDonald with an arm triangle choke to retain the belt.

When it was over, Cruz had his chance during the UFC on Fuel 7 post-fight show to explain what he saw in the fight featuring the interim champ that’s gunning for his belt. As impressive as Barao was in victory, Cruz didn’t see anything in the fight that he can’t prepare for before they square off, hopefully later this year.

“You know nothing really concerned me,” Cruz said about Barao when speaking during the post-fight show on Fuel TV. “What I was noticing was the way McDonald chose to fight Barao, and it was pretty much the same problems I thought Barao was going to give him problems with. That is he can’t take down Barao, which gives Barao more chances to win. Defense and takedowns is what won this fight for Barao.”

Cruz promises a much different fight for the interim champion once he returns to action after rehabbing his knee injury. What Barao did against McDonald, Cruz says he shouldn’t expect to do against him.

“I tell you the difference–I fight different than anybody else. I’m not going to stand in front of you, I’m not just looking to counter you, and I’m mixing things up,” said Cruz. “On top of that, you take away range with angles and that beats range every day of the week. I can wrestle, I’m going to wrestle this guy, I’m not just going to stand in front of him and strike the whole time. 

“I’m going to mix it up and keep him guessing. Faints ruin the entire game of Barao in my opinion and you take away the range by taking away the jab. He’s going to be confused when he gets in there. He’s not even going to do this (makes a motion that Barao won’t touch him).”

Cruz is obviously chomping at the bit to get back in the cage and compete, especially since he currently has to watch another competitor carry around a belt and call himself the UFC bantamweight champion.

If his rehabilitation goes well this time around, Cruz is hopeful for a return this summer—until then, he will just have to continue waiting and watching until he can challenge Barao and determine who truly is the best bantamweight fighter in the world.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

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UFC on Fuel 7 Results: What We Learned from Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald

With Dominick Cruz on the shelf for at least a good while longer, Renan Barao and Michael McDonald squared off in an interim bantamweight title fight that can set the tone of the division for a long while. Both Barao and McDonald entered the fight unde…

With Dominick Cruz on the shelf for at least a good while longer, Renan Barao and Michael McDonald squared off in an interim bantamweight title fight that can set the tone of the division for a long while.

Both Barao and McDonald entered the fight undefeated in the WEC and UFC. Both have left very little doubt as to who was the winner in any given bout during their time with Zuffa.

When they finally met in the cage, things started off evenly, but the reigning champ picked up more and more steam as the fight went on until forcing McDonald to the ground and sinking in a sneaky head-and-arm choke. 

It was a great fight that showed us a lot from both fighters. So what did we learn?

 

Michael McDonald Is Very Good

When I was catching up on fights from either party before this event, I basically came to the conclusion that Renan Barao was a killing machine and Michael McDonald was going to be his first victim as interim champion with very little effort. McDonald proved me wrong.

Even though he ended up getting choked out, he was masterful on the ground, slipping away from Barao again and again. He looked every part Barao‘s equal but seemed just a little bit too tentative as the fight went on. 

At just 22 years old, though, McDonald may not have even hit his peak yet. We could very easily see him fighting for another 10 years, meaning he could be in the title picture of the division for the indefinite future.

 

Renan Barao is Even Better

Michael McDonald is very good, and Renan Barao is even better. He showed some very good hands and kicks, and we already know that he’s a master in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Renan Barao is as well-rounded as anybody and easily ranks among the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in MMA. On top of all that, as with McDonald, we could see him getting better over the next few years. 

 

Dominick Cruz Should Still Be Favored for Unification Bout

For those that don’t know, Dominick Cruz is currently shelved with a lingering knee injury. He hasn’t fought since October 2011.

While Renan Barao is a very, very good fighter, I definitely feel like Cruz has all the tools to take the win when they fight. That, of course, assumes that he comes back at full strength following such a long layover.

Cruz still has, perhaps, the best wrestling in the UFC under 155 lbs, and while Barao is quick and can mix his hands, kicks and takedowns well, I definitely think Cruz can dictate the pace and location of the fight with ease. 

 

Raphael Assuncao Is Last Man Standing for Title Shot

So let’s say Cruz can’t come back for a bit longer. He is currently projected to come back late 2013, but who knows if that will pan out?

Basically, the only guy with a winning streak longer than two is Raphael Assuncao, who is 3-0 at bantamweight, with wins over Johnny Eduardo, Issei Tamura and Mike Easton. Not especially stiff competition, but that’s where we are right now. The bantamweight division is very shallow on contenders, and it is starting to really show.

Part of it is how the UFC has let free agents slip through its fingers (the organization was outbid for both Tyson Nam and Bibiano Fernandes). Part of it is the lack of support for the division from The Ultimate Fighter.

Either way, Assuncao is basically the only guy with any level of name value, and any number of wins clumped together, to get the nod if Cruz faces another setback. Here’s hoping it doesn’t happen, because the division really needs more time for things to shake out.

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UFC on Fuel 7 Results: What We Learned from Cub Swanson vs. Dustin Poirier

UFC on Fuel TV 7’s co-main event featured featherweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Cub Swanson. Both guys entered the bout with equal opportunity to climb the divisional ranks, but it was Swanson who cashed in, battling to a hard-fought unanimo…

UFC on Fuel TV 7’s co-main event featured featherweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Cub Swanson. 

Both guys entered the bout with equal opportunity to climb the divisional ranks, but it was Swanson who cashed in, battling to a hard-fought unanimous-decision victory.

 

What we’ll remember about this fight

Since the UFC seems keen on importing featherweight title challengers from the lightweight division, the bout doesn’t have immediate title implications.

I guess that means we’ll just remember the fight for what it was: an entertaining match between two high-level competitors.

 

What we learned about Cub Swanson

He’s a slugger on the feet, but he also wields a sound ground game. The third round showcased Swanson’s strong wrestling and effective transitions. 

We also learned that he’s ready for a top featherweight. Maybe not the champ but a No. 2 or No. 3 opponent, for sure.

 

What we learned about Dustin Poirier 

He’s a good fighter, but he’s not yet fighting at or near a championship level. With a 5-2 record, Poirier has produced as a UFC fighter, but he has lost both times he’s taken a step up in competition (against Swanson and Chan Sung Jung). 

He’s still only 24, so reaching that next level is within the realm of possibility, but for now he’s a notch below the division’s upper echelon. However, his competitiveness in this fight against Swanson shows that he is close.

 

What’s next for Swanson

Either Ricardo Lamas, Chan Sung Jung, Dennis Siver or Clay Guida.

He should only face Siver or Guida if Lamas and “The Korean Zombie” fight each other.

 

What’s next for Poirier

Either Hatsu Hioki or Erik Koch would work.

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UFC on Fuel 7: Watch James Te Huna’s Men in Black-Inspired Walk-out

Dana White isn’t always big on flashy walk-outs, but the fans still love ’em. Whether it’s Jason “Mayhem” Miller or Tom Lawlor, it’s hard not to get a bit more excited by a big entrance.James Te Huna scored himself more than a few new fans by entering …

Dana White isn’t always big on flashy walk-outs, but the fans still love ’em. Whether it’s Jason “Mayhem” Miller or Tom Lawlor, it’s hard not to get a bit more excited by a big entrance.

James Te Huna scored himself more than a few new fans by entering the Octagon with a well-rehearsed, well-scripted dance inspired by the Men in Black movie series.

Te Huna fought against Canadian Ryan Jimmo. Jimmo used his effective, distance-focused skillset to take the MFC belt, but used his heavy hands to earn one of the fastest UFC knockouts ever last year, beating Anthony Perosh in just seven seconds.

Jimmo rocked Te Huna early with a big head kick, but punched himself out. Te Huna would take advantage, and outworked Jimmo en route to a unanimous decision victory. 

While the fight itself was solid, it was Te Huna‘s entrance that people will remember the most. Twitter erupted over the reveal, and the UFC actually took the rare step to post Te Huna‘s entrance for all to see (which, obviously, you can see above).

The UFC on Fuel TV 7 card is still on-going, so make sure to check out the main event, an interim bantamweight title fight between Renan Barao and Michael McDonald. Also, make sure to stick with Bleacher Report for all the breaking news on the UFC.

Last but not least, make sure to read my “What We Learned” article on the fight itself here.

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