Vitor Belfort could be looking at his third UFC title shot in as many calendar years after scoring his second straight knockout win in the UFC on FX 8 main event against Luke Rockhold.The final Strikeforce middleweight champion, Rockhold would have bee…
Vitor Belfort could be looking at his third UFC title shot in as many calendar years after scoring his second straight knockout win in the UFC on FX 8 main event against Luke Rockhold.
The final Strikeforce middleweight champion, Rockhold would have been a strong candidate for a title shot of his own had he defeated Belfort in his UFC debut. However, after finishing Rockhold and Michael Bisping before him, Belfort is now at the top of the heap of 185-pound contenders.
Heading into Saturday’s fights, Belfort was ranked No. 2 in the middleweight division behind upcoming title challenger Chris Weidman. Did that change with the results from UFC on FX 8?
With UFC on FX 8 in the books and UFC 160 ahead, let’s take a look at the latest official UFC rankings.
Following a brutal highlight-reel worthy knockout at the hands of Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 8, Luke Rockhold isn’t making any excuses. Speaking with MMA Junkie following the event, the American Kickboxing Academy member refused to blame the …
Following a brutal highlight-reel worthy knockout at the hands of VitorBelfort at UFC on FX 8, Luke Rockhold isn’t making any excuses.
Speaking with MMA Junkie following the event, the American Kickboxing Academy member refused to blame the loss on “The Phenom’s” testosterone replacement therapy usage.
“TRT had nothing to do with that kick,” Rockhold said. “I lost to one of the best guys in the world, and it was something pretty spectacular,” Rockhold said. “I don’t know what to really think about anything right now. I just want to get back and fight and beat someone up. That’s what I’m focused on. Good job by Vitor. What can I say?”
The victory improved Belfort‘s record at middleweight to 5-1, including back-to-back headkick knockouts over Rockhold, a former Strikeforce champ, and perennial contender Michael Bisping.
His only loss at 185-pounds came against long-reigning titleholder Anderson Silva at UFC 126 in February 2011, where Belfort suffered a devastating headkick knockout of his own.
Despite being ranked second in the UFC’s official list of top 10 middleweights, Belfort may never receive another title shot due to the controversy surrounding his TRT use.
Leading up to the fight, Rockhold was anything but complimentary of his Brazilian counterpart, saying that his TRT exemption is a loophole used to cheat the system (via ESPN).
The loss snaps a nine-fight win streak for Rockhold, who also indicated that he would like to have a quick turnaround for his next fight.
Should Chris Weidman pull off a major upset and defeat Silva at UFC 162 this July, Belfort would clearly be the front runner for the next shot at the middleweight strap.
However, if Silva notches yet another successful title defense, Belfort will likely need to win at least one more fight before he is seriously considered for another championship bout.
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
Following another amazing head-kick knockout at Saturday’s UFC on FX 8 in Brazil, the resurging lion (or is it T-rex?) that is Vitor Belfort had to know the question that was lingering on the minds of MMA fans and media members:How big of a factor has …
Following another amazing head-kick knockout at Saturday’s UFC on FX 8 in Brazil, the resurging lion (or is it T-rex?) that is VitorBelfort had to know the question that was lingering on the minds of MMA fans and media members:
How big of a factor has testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) played into the 36-year-old former champ’s recent success?
It’s a fair question to ask considering the current climate of performance enhancing drugs in today’s sports world. However, it’s a question “The Phenom” would really prefer not to answer (just ask MMA Junkie’s John Morgan).
Politics aside, it’s clear that TRT has enabledBelfort to continue training—and thus succeeding—at the highest level. But to assert that it is the only contributing factor to the Brazilian’s career renaissance is preposterous.
The fact is, raising your testosterone levels may give you an extra boost in the gym, but it can’t teach you how to do a spinning wheel kick.
The real key to Belfort‘s recent success, in my opinion, has more to do with his new alliance with the Blackzilians than his usage of TRT.
Since joining the Florida-based team last August, “The Phenom” has gone 2-1, highlighted by two Knockout of the Night head-kick finishes. In addition, Belfort almost stole the light heavyweight title when he nearly armbarred Jon Jones in the first round at UFC 152.
Utilizing a more diverse set of attacks inside the Octagon, Belfort‘s recent performances are proof of his technical evolution.
Gone are the Brazilian’s wild days where he’d swarm and try to overwhelm his opponents with punches.
While the power and speed are still there, Belfort is more patient in the pursuit of his foes and now looks to set up his attacks in more creative ways—a strategy I’m sure he picked up from his Blackzilian teammates.
Revisiting Saturday’s main event bout against Luke Rockhold, Belfort‘s spinning wheel kick was not a wild strike that landed due to pure luck. Instead, it was a well-calculated and unexpected technique that “The Phenom” set up perfectly. Belfort may have missed with his first spin-kick attempt earlier in the opening frame, but it helped him gauge his distance with the former Strikeforce champ.
From there, the Brazilian used a more reserved combination of punches to open up Rockhold as well as make him forget about the threat of his kicks. When Belfort finally unleashed his wheel kick from hell, in Rockhold‘s mind, it seemingly came out of nowhere.
The ex-Strikeforce champ was also holding his hands down throughout the fight, a costly mistake that Belfort capitalized on in a huge way.
I’m not saying that TRT hasn’t helped “The Phenom” remain at the pinnacle of the sport, but you have to give the guy credit for continuing to refine his technique while simultaneously adding to his arsenal.
The concept of creating a legacy is something unique unto humankind—an extension of our collective mortality.Vitor Belfort has built his legacy atop a series of highlight-reel finishes.And “the Phenom’s” knockout of former Strik…
The concept of creating a legacy is something unique unto humankind—an extension of our collective mortality.
VitorBelfort has built his legacy atop a series of highlight-reel finishes.
And “the Phenom’s” knockout of former Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold at UFC on FX 8 may very well be the most impressive of his career.
Midway through the first round, Belfort threw a spinning heel kick that Rockhold never saw coming. It landed flush on his chin. After a few follow-up punches, the ref jumped in to save Rockhold from further punishment.
The finish earned Belfort Knockout of the Night honors and it is easily an early contender for Knockout of the Year.
With his second straight victory over a top-level divisional opponent, Belfort finds himself surging through the middleweight ranks.
However, at 36, Belfort’s age-defying accomplishments have been seriously called into question.
He tested positive for elevated testosterone levels after his unanimous-decision loss to Dan Henderson at Pride 32 in 2006.
A dark cloud of skepticism has hung over his career ever since.
The level of suspicion reached a crescendo following Belfort’s head-kick KO of Michael Bisping back in January. After the fight, the UFC announced that Belfort was receiving testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
Other fighters including ChaelSonnen, Frank Mir and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson have also been granted waivers for TRT.
Even though TRT is currently legal, many still equate the highly controversial procedure to cheating.
The order of life dictates that as a man ages, he experiences a natural decline in his testosterone levels. This drop leads to obvious decreases in strength, speed and agility.
The reintroduction of testosterone into the system not only helps to negate these losses, but also further delays the aging process.
Not surprisingly, Belfort has been cagey about the TRT issue and relatively dismissive of the subject altogether.
While TRT definitely doesn’t turn the user into Superman, it is hard to argue with the perceived effects it has had on Belfort’s career.
Over a four-year period from 2002-2006, Belfort was in a 4-6 slump and looked like he may be finished in the MMA.
He lost to Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and dropped two fights to the light heavyweight version of Alistair Overeem.
But after returning from a nine-month suspension stemming from his positive steroid test, Belfort has looked like a fighter reborn. He’s gone 9-2 in his last 11 fights, only coming up short against Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.
Belfort has ripped through the rest of his opponents with ease, finishing seven of the bouts by way of knockout.
The win over Rockhold puts him at the front of the line in a division seemingly bereft of ready talent. From the UFC’s standpoint, it is hard to argue with this scenario.
There are few fights for Belfort to take aside from a possible matchup with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who defeated Chris Camozzi via arm-triangle choke on the same FX card.
However, it is more likely that he will play the waiting game to see who comes out on top in the championship tilt between Silva and up-and-comer Chris Weidman at UFC 162.
While Weidman’s top-notch wrestling may give him a good shot at dethroning Silva, one would wager a guess that Belfort is hoping that “the Spider” successfully defends his belt for a record 11th time.
In their first meeting at UFC 126, Silva knocked out Belfort with a front kick to the face.
It’s safe to assume then that Belfort would relish the opportunity to fight Silva again. If “the Phenom” could hand the Brazilian his first loss Octagon loss, it would really put an exclamation point on his career.
But even with UFC gold around his waist, it remains to be seen how fans will ultimately view Belfort‘s MMA legacy.
Perhaps he will be remembered fondly for his accomplishments inside the cage, or maybe he’ll be harshly tossed on the trash heap and dismissed as just another “cheater.”
That’s why – in many ways – it should come as little surprise that UFC Lightweight also-ran John Cholish is walking away from the sport after his loss to Gleison Tibau during last night’s UFC on FX 8.
If you find yourself wondering who John Cholish is, you’re far from alone. After compiling a 7-1 record in the minor leagues – including a victory on the undercard of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva – the Renzo Gracie product made his UFC debut at UFC 140, where he defeated Mitch Clarke by second round TKO. This would be the final victory of his career, as Cholish would then drop a decision to Danny Castillo during the UFC on FOX 3 undercard, lose to Gleison Tibau last night and retire from the sport. Another small fish in a big pond, whose career barely made a splash.
Perhaps fittingly, Cholish’s retirement may very well end up being the most significant part of his career. Cholish – who announced his intent to retire on Twitter shortly before the his fight – made it clear while speaking with MMAJunkie.com that the low paychecks that fighters in his position earn were his primary motivation for hanging up the gloves. Via MMAJunkie:
Cholish estimates that after training costs, his paycheck from last night’s fight wasn’t enough to break even. Photo courtesy of his Twitter page.
That’s why – in many ways – it should come as little surprise that UFC Lightweight also-ran John Cholish is walking away from the sport after his loss to Gleison Tibau during last night’s UFC on FX 8.
If you find yourself wondering who John Cholish is, you’re far from alone. After compiling a 7-1 record in the minor leagues – including a victory on the undercard of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva – the Renzo Gracie product made his UFC debut at UFC 140, where he defeated Mitch Clarke by second round TKO. This would be the final victory of his career, as Cholish would then drop a decision to Danny Castillo during the UFC on FOX 3 undercard, lose to Gleison Tibau last night and retire from the sport. Another small fish in a big pond, whose career barely made a splash.
Perhaps fittingly, Cholish’s retirement may very well end up being the most significant part of his career. Cholish – who announced his intent to retire on Twitter shortly before the his fight – made it clear while speaking with MMAJunkie.com that the low paychecks that fighters in his position earn were his primary motivation for hanging up the gloves. Via MMAJunkie:
“I’m fortunate enough that I have a job that provides for me really well,” Cholish said. “I give a lot of these guys credit that fight at this level. I think they could be compensated much better based on the income that the UFC takes in. Fortunately, I can just walk away and I’m OK with it. By no means do I mean it disrespectfully toward any other fighters because I think they do a great job. But hopefully Zuffa and the UFC will start paying them a little better.”
By the way, this job he’s referring to? Yeah, he’s a full-time energy trader on Wall Street. I know, I feel worthless now, too.
Don’t assume that the “low paychecks” he’s complaining about are simply “low for a guy who works on Wall Street.” While the amount of money that Cholish made for his losing efforts to Castillo and Tibau haven’t been disclosed, we do know that he only made $8,000 for his lone UFC victory. It’s doubtful that he earned more than that last night: Cholish estimates that after travel expenses and training costs, he lost money by competing in Brazil.
“At the end of the day, it’s hard,” he said. “I have great coaches that take time off and travel. They deserve money, as well. To be completely honest, on a fight like this, I’m losing money to come down here. Flights, hotel rooms, food – and that doesn’t even cover the cost of the time I have to pay for my coaches for training. It’s funny because people talk about the fighters, but at the same time there’s camps and coaches behind the fighters that you don’t even see. So if a fighter is having a tough time making ends meet, how do you think his coaches are doing?”
So what does Cholish offer up as a solution? The obvious answer, of course, is the formation of a fighters union. However, Cholish isn’t stupid. Because he still intends on training regularly and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of coming out of retirement (who actually does?), he says “form a union” in the most careful, “I’m not saying I’m just saying” manner possible.
“I don’t know if there is one significant answer,” he said. “And again, this is just my opinion, so there’s no right or wrong. It’s hard because you have top-level guys like Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva that have started off where we started and worked really hard to get there. So is it right for them to have to give up what they did to try and sacrifice for the greater good? It’s an individual sport, at the end of the day. It’s not like you have a whole team that can kind of step away, like in baseball, when the first union started. Only time will tell. (Zuffa is) a private company. Maybe when it goes public at one point?
I know the Zuffa higher-ups probably aren’t happy with what I’m saying, but I’d like to think I can speak for the lower portion of fighters. A lot of guys I’m sure would love to say the same thing but aren’t in a position where they have another source of income.”
Enjoy your retirement, John. You made the most out of your time in the sport, despite never making much money from it.
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is one of the best grapplers in MMA. We’ve heard it before and, judging by his performance against Chris Camozzi at UFC on FX 8, we’ll hear it again.Souza grounded Camozzi in slightly more than a minute and had the fight finished…
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is one of the best grapplers in MMA. We’ve heard it before and, judging by his performance against Chris Camozzi at UFC on FX 8, we’ll hear it again.
Souza grounded Camozzi in slightly more than a minute and had the fight finished with an arm triangle before the end of the first round. The win was Souza‘s 14th via submission in his blossoming MMA career. He’s so excellent on the ground that Souza has made submitting UFC veterans in his last two fights look like a walk in the park.
It takes a highly-skilled and even well-rounded fighter to do what Souza did to Camozzi on Saturday, though. Let’s take a closer look at exactly how the former Strikeforce champion breezed through his UFC debut so easily.
Striking
While the jab is the most commonly used strike to set up combinations, Camozzi was probably going to it too often against Souza. Aside from a telegraphed left head kick from the southpaw stance, Camozzi was opening with a right jab every time he engaged with Souza.
It took Souza all of 40 seconds to pick up on that tendency, and he was able to start countering and closing the distance as a result.
However, Souza was the aggressor when he landed the most significant strike of the one-round fight.
As great as Souza is on the ground, it’s his consistent improvement in the striking department that has him looking like a potential middleweight title challenger.
Wrestling
We’ve seen plenty of great jiu-jitsu practitioners come into MMA and have trouble working their game because they don’t have the takedowns of top amateur wrestlers. Without the ability to take opponents down, these jiu-jitsu fighters are forced to stand or find themselves being shut down on their back by adversaries with solid submission defense.
Souza is not one of those individuals.
The Brazilian had two very nice takedown attempts within the first 70 seconds of his bout with Camozzi. The brilliant thing about both of them was that Souza forced Camozzi to put himself in danger rather than forcing the attempts without setups.
First, Souza found himself in the clinch with Camozzi‘s right arm stuck in tight between the fighters’ bodies. In this situation, Souza knew Camozzi would need to slip his right elbow backward in an effort secure an underhook. As that movement came, it created an opening for Souza to drop level and attempt a single-leg takedown.
Souza wasn’t able to finish the takedown, and he may have benefited from turning his head inside so that his left ear was on Camozzi‘s body instead of his right, but it was a solid attempt nonetheless.
On his one successful takedown, Souza transitioned from striking to wrestling beautifully. “Jacare” tried to knee Camozzi‘s body, which prompted his opponent to lift his left leg in an attempt to deflect the strike. Realizing Camozzi would have to shift his weight back to his left when bringing that left leg down, Souza wrapped his right leg behind his adversary’s knee. At the same time, the Brazilian twisted Camozzi‘s torso with his right arm and drove to his right.
With his left leg taken away by Souza, Camozzi went to the canvas as he tried to return that support to the ground, and “Jacare” nearly landed in full-mount right away.
Guard Passing
Once Souza had Camozzi on the ground, it was only a matter of time until he locked up a submission.
However, Souza would first have to pass his opponent’s guard before he could threaten Camozzi, and he actually had to work harder to that transition than expected. Eventually, though, Souza was able to capitalize on a small mistake made by Camozzi.
With Souza standing over him, Camozzi kicked low with his right leg and made the error of crossing his opponent’s right leg with the strike. Camozzi‘s right leg now stuck on his right thigh, Souza passed his foe’s left leg across his body and collapsed downward to create room to circle leftward into side control.
Submission
From side control, Souza could begin working toward a finish, and Camozzi practically handed it to him on a silver platter.
With his left leg flat on the canvas, Camozzi was asking to be mounted by Souza. It didn’t take long for Souza to sniff out this opening and slide his left knee across Camozzi‘s belly. Souza kept his right forearm draped across Camozzi‘s neck so that the arm triangle would present itself when the fighter on the bottom rolled to his left.
Souza buried his right ear into Camozzi‘s shoulder and slipped his right leg over to his opponent’s right side to tighten the choke. From the time that he secured the arm triangle and moved back to side control, it took Camozzi under two seconds to go unconscious, as shown by his left arm going limp.
Conclusion
Although it wasn’t against a top-10 middleweight, Souza showed a lot more than excellent jiu-jitsu at UFC on FX 8. He showed the kind of well-rounded game that could make him a champion in the UFC’s 185-pound division.
Before he’s thrown at one of the division’s top contender’s, though, it’d be nice to see Souza tested against a top-notch wrestler. A bout with the winner of a UFC 162 fight between Mark Munoz and Tim Boetsch would give “Jacare” a chance to prove himself as a serious contender.
Following another amazing head-kick knockout at Saturday’s 