Guillard choking, in every sense of the word. (Photo: UFC.com)
While the ‘UFC on FX’ debut may have lacked the big names of UFC 142, the fights themselves packed just as much fire-power. For the second straight week, six fighters were able to put away their opponent and double their earnings in less than a round. Punches, chokes, and a torrent of brutal hellbows were all used to send grown men into la-la land, and we’ve got the GIF’s to prove it.
Guillard choking, in every sense of the word. (Photo: UFC.com)
While the ‘UFC on FX’ debut may have lacked the big names of UFC 142, the fights themselves packed just as much fire-power. For the second straight week, six fighters were able to put away their opponent and double their earnings in less than a round. Punches, chokes, and a torrent of brutal hellbows were all used to send grown men into la-la land, and we’ve got the GIF’s to prove it.
• Dana says the UFC 143 countdown show (which debuts tonight) is going to be crazy
• He denies using paper-thin doors on TUF for dramatic effect
• Apparently copyright infringements, including playing Rage Against the Machine and wearing a Sons of Anarchy sweatshirt during the vlog aren’t a big deal
• Dana says the UFC 143 countdown show (which debuts tonight) is going to be crazy
• He denies using paper-thin doors on TUF for dramatic effect
• Apparently copyright infringements, including playing Rage Against the Machine and wearing a Sons of Anarchy sweatshirt during the vlog aren’t a big deal
Filed under: UFCFriday night is almost here and so is the inaugural UFC on FX event. Before you sink your teeth into another night of live MMA action, allow us to present you with a few things to think about in the long hours before fight time.
Friday night is almost here and so is the inaugural UFC on FX event. Before you sink your teeth into another night of live MMA action, allow us to present you with a few things to think about in the long hours before fight time.
I. Will the UFC’s new TV deal lead to a new kind of live event? In the old days it was the Spike shows and the pay-per-views, and it was very easy to look at the fight cards and tell the difference between the event you were expected to pay for and the one you were merely expected to be home for. But now the UFC has FOX, FX, and FUEL at its disposal, and it still has a pay-per-view regimen to keep up. Judging by this first event on FX, it seems possible that a reclassification of sorts is underway. Just look at the fight poster for this one. You see two former contenders who are both coming off losses, two journeyman welterweights, and two heavyweights who are a combined 4-6 in the UFC. I point this out not to knock any of those guys — all three of those fights are interesting for different reasons — but rather to ask, you think these are all main card fights in a world where the UFC isn’t sandwiching a cable TV event between a pay-per-view and a network TV show? It’s a natural progression, really. If you put on more total fights, but without significantly expanding the roster, you’re going to end up shifting the spotlight onto some guys who were toiling in the dark before. Again, that’s not all bad. Fighters like Ludwig deserve a little face time with the fans. The question is, will the fans agree? Will they keep showing up and sitting down for fighters that they’ve been trained to view as undercard material, or will more of them decide to wait for the next one, when guys they know and care about are fighting? My guess is that 2012 is the year we find out.
II. How far away from a title shot is the winner of the Jim Miller-Melvin Guillard fight, anyway? The lightweight division is so choked with talent these days, for a while it seemed like nothing short of a Secretariat-esque winning streak would earn you a crack at the champ. But now that the Edgar-Maynard trilogy is in the books, things might be opening up a bit. That’s good news for Miller and Guillard, who both seemed to be on their way to the top before one loss stopped them cold. Now that Ben Henderson is getting his shot and Gilbert Melendez seems to be staying put in Strikeforce (for now), it might not take more than a couple wins for either Miller or Guillard to make their case all over again. But then, this is a tough match-up for both of them. Whoever loses will have dropped two in a row, and will then feel miles and miles away from the top of the division. And after being so close, once upon a time, that he could have reached out and touched it.
III. New voices for a new era in the UFC. It had to happen. There’s only so much you can ask of longtime UFC commentators Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan. For this event, the organization turns to its so-called “B-team” of play-by-play man Jon Anik and fighter/color commentator Kenny Florian. Neither is a rookie at this, and they had great chemistry together on ESPN’s MMA Live, so expectations shouldn’t be lowered just because they’re not the UFC’s varsity announcing squad. Watching Anik on the UFC 142 post-fight show, you’d have thought he’d been working these events for years. It should be interesting to see how well the two of them handle their first time calling a UFC event together, but I have high hopes. Both these guys are good hires, and the addition of a couple fresh faces at the broadcast table comes at just the right time.
IV. Mike Easton finds himself in a tough position in what’s supposed to be an easy fight. There’s a definite downside to facing a late replacement who’s new to the UFC. For starters, everyone expects you to smash the guy. Easton is a 4-1 favorite according to some oddsmakers, and you can take your pick of reasons. Either it’s because Jared Papazian has never fought at this level, or because he took the fight on short notice after Ken Stone was forced out with injury, or just because Easton seems like the superior fighter. I can’t argue with any of that, but that does create a situation where Easton has relatively little to gain and a ton to lose. You beat Papazian in his UFC debut? Good for you. You lose to him? Total disaster.
V. Somewhat surprisingly, Duane Ludwig’s improbable redemption saga trudges on. In March of 2010, “Bang” was 0-2 in his latest UFC stint and looking like he might be on the verge of washing out of the big time for good. He was beaten up and broken down, taking fights he shouldn’t have taken and further abusing a body that had already seen a lifetime’s worth of punishment in MMA cages and kickboxing rings. But what was he going to do? He had a family to support and a career to maintain. Neither could wait very long for him to feel fully healthy and ready again. It would have been very easy for this story to take a turn in the other direction. If he’d lost his third fight in a row to Nick Osipczak at UFC 122, he might have been done in the UFC. Instead he pulled out a close decision down the stretch, then surprised a lot of people by battering Amir Sadollah in his next fight. Somewhere in there he also got the UFC to recognize his knockout of Jonathan Goulet as the fastest in the organization’s history, and he got Joe Rogan to sign his action figure. It’s as if everything just started coming up Ludwig. It didn’t happen on accident, of course. It happened because he kept coming, refusing to be slowed by injuries or discouraged by losses. Now he’s enjoying a charmed second (maybe even third?) act in his MMA career, and there’s no telling how far he can go if he keeps racking up the wins. It’s a good lesson for the younger fighters out there: just because you’re losing at the moment, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost.
VI. Prelim fighter to watch: Nick Denis. You’ll have to get in front of the TV early to do it — his bout with Joseph Sandoval is up first on the FUEL TV broadcast, beginning at 6 p.m. ET — but I think you’ll be glad you did. He’s an interesting guy, as the nickname “Ninja of Love” suggests. Denis is a Canadian bantamweight who dropped out of a PhD program in biochemistry when the UFC absorbed the WEC and suddenly it looked as if a 135-pounder might earn a living at this MMA stuff. He finished his last fight with a brutal slam KO — his ninth TKO finish in ten career wins. If you’re late getting to the couch for this one, you may miss it.
VII. Can Pat Barry put together a complete effort, from the first bell to the last? We don’t know, because it’s been a while since he’s done it. There’s no doubting the man’s kickboxing ability or his power. He’s one of the rare fighters who can and has finished opponents with leg kicks alone. But lately his problem has been fast starts followed by lackluster finishes. Of his four losses in the UFC, at least three came in fights where he seemed to be dominating early, only to let the victory slip through his fingers. Some of that could be inexperience in MMA — this is just his eleventh fight with the little gloves — or it could be simply bad luck. Whatever it is, the time to shake it off and put together a complete effort is now. But that’s easier said than done when you’ve got a 6-foot-6 monster like Morecraft standing across from you.
The frantic pace of UFC events and the multitude of FOX-owned cable networks on which to show those events has at least one upside: more fights means a greater demand for fighters. In turn, that might mean that some of the pressure to win, win, win jus…
The frantic pace of UFC events and the multitude of FOX-owned cable networks on which to show those events has at least one upside: more fights means a greater demand for fighters. In turn, that might mean that some of the pressure to win, win, win just to stay in the UFC will slacken just a tad, though I wouldn’t bet on it.
The UFC is still in the business of rewarding winners and jettisoning losers. As we’ve seen lately, there is a place for guys who put on a good show even in defeat. It’s just still unclear what that place is. The UFC might need guys to fill out these FX and FUEL TV fight cards, but it’s not as if there’s a shortage of MMA fighters who want a shot in the big leagues. When in doubt, it’s best to win and keep your neck off the chopping block.
So who needs a victory in a bad, bad way on Friday night’s UFC on FX card, and what are their chances of getting it? For answers, we turn to the Cut List.
Pat Barry (6-4, 3-4 UFC) Who he’s facing: Christian Morecraft Why he’s in danger: First off, let me say that I like Barry. I like him as a person, and I enjoy watching him fight. This is his eighth fight in the UFC, and he’s yet to have a boring or even mediocre one. That said, Pat Barry needs to win. He’s lost two straight, and three of his last four. This trend simply cannot continue much longer. The tough part is, it’s not like he’s getting outclassed. He had Cheick Kongo all but knocked out before that one slipped away, and he seemed to be well on his way to beating Cro Cop before he broke almost every bone that he needed for that fight. I know every fighter has to deal with his share of bad luck now and then, but the way Barry’s career has been going I’m started to suspect he hit a gypsy with his car or built his gym on top of an Indian burial ground. The good news is, he’s well liked by fans and has the guns-a-blazing style that the UFC loves. It seems like just about everybody wants him to be successful, and how could you not? Just read this, this, and this, and then try and tell me he’s not the most down-to-earth, self-aware fighter in the UFC. But if you’re going to stay in the UFC, you have to win some fights. Eventually even the nice guys run out of second chances. Outlook: Cautiously optimistic. He should beat Morecraft, who has a size but not a skill advantage over him. Even if he doesn’t, I predict at least one more go-round for Barry. He’s too much fun to have around for the UFC to cast him out before it absolutely has to.
Jorge Rivera (18-9, 7-7 UFC) Who he’s facing: Eric Schafer Why he’s in danger: Rivera had the best run of his UFC career in 2009/10, beating a trio of guys who have since left the organization to seek their fortunes elsewhere. His current two-fight skid began with the TKO loss to Michael Bisping, which you could argue was a very raw deal in many respects, then continued with a split decision loss to Constantinos Philippou. That rough stretch has dropped him from co-main event territory to the prelim portion of a Friday night fight card. Where’s the next stop if he can’t halt his fall there? The 39-year-old Rivera would probably rather not find out. Outlook: Hopeful, but fading fast. It’s Rivera’s age more than his record that gives one pause. He’ll be 40 next month, and his is not a fighting style that tends to age well. Maybe he can beat Schafer, but even then, how much time is left on the clock? Rivera’s a good dude and a tough fighter, but no one gets to do this forever.
Eric Schafer (12-6-2, 3-5 UFC) Who he’s facing: Jorge Rivera Why he’s in danger: If you’re like me, you reacted to the news of this pairing by shouting out loud, ‘Hold up, Eric Schafer’s still in the UFC?!’ Then, when the grouchy librarian came over to tell you that you had to either be quiet or leave, you used your remaining seven minutes of internet time to research Schafer’s recent career stats in search of an answer. Turns out he’s been victorious just three times in his eight trips inside the Octagon, and all three of those opponents were booted from the UFC immediately after losing to him. Granted, Houston Alexander was later brought back for a fight with Kimbo Slice, but that doesn’t change the fact that, thus far in his MMA career, Schafer has been the guy who helps the UFC decide if you should be fired or not. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for that. But what happens when that guy loses? Better yet, what happens when that guy hasn’t won a fight in the UFC in three years, and the last person he beat in the Octagon then went on to lose five of his next seven in the smaller shows? The last time Schafer lost two in a row, he got cut. Then he won one fight outside the UFC before coming back to lose to Aaron Simpson at the start of his current stay. If he can’t beat Rivera, that’s another two-fight skid for Schafer. He’s been around this sport long enough to know what that would mean for his career. Outlook: Grim. Look, this is a winnable, though by no means easy fight for him. What it definitely isn’t is a losable fight. Not if he wants to stick around.
Daniel Roberts (12-3, 3-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Charlie Brenneman Why he’s in danger: Roberts got off to a rough start in the UFC with a brutal KO loss to John Howard, but then he rebounded with three straight victories — two by submission. That led to a step up in competition, which in turn led to some hard times for Mr. Roberts. After losing back-to-back decisions to Claude Patrick and Rich Attonito, he now finds himself just one loss away from the dreaded three-fight skid. The worst part is, not many people expect him to win this one. Brenneman is a 3-1 favorite according to most oddsmakers, and the bout itself is stuck in the middle of the FUEL TV prelims. With his 3-3 mark in the organization, this bout feels like a fork in the road for Roberts, who has some genuine talent. You just wonder if he’s good enough to stay at this level. You also wonder how many chances the UFC will give him to prove it. Outlook: Slightly pessimistic. Brenneman is a tough draw for a guy in Roberts’ shoes, but that’s life in the UFC. As long as he’s upright and conscious, he’s got a chance to pull off the upset and turn this thing around. If he doesn’t, he might be headed straight off a cliff.
Filed under: UFCAll 20 fighters taking part in UFC on FX Friday night will first step on the scale on Thursday for the UFC on FX weigh-ins, and we’ll carry the live video here at MMAFighting.com.
In the main event, lightweights Jim Miller and Melvin G…
All 20 fighters taking part in UFC on FX Friday night will first step on the scale on Thursday for the UFC on FX weigh-ins, and we’ll carry the live video here at MMAFighting.com.
In the main event, lightweights Jim Miller and Melvin Guillard will need to make 156 pounds. Co-main event fighters Duane Ludwig and Josh Neer are meeting at welterweight, so they’ll need to make 171 pounds. In non-title fights, fighters get a one-pound allowance over the ordinary weight class limit.
The weigh-in begins at 5 PM ET and the video is below.
Filed under: UFCThe UFC heads to Nashville this Friday night for a fight card that makes up for with easy accessibility what it lacks in star power. Sure, maybe we’re not talking about the biggest names here, and maybe the big(ger) names on the card ar…
The UFC heads to Nashville this Friday night for a fight card that makes up for with easy accessibility what it lacks in star power. Sure, maybe we’re not talking about the biggest names here, and maybe the big(ger) names on the card are mostly coming off losses, but what do you expect for a Friday night on FX?
At least oddsmakers still care enough to handicap the action, and at least I still care enough to see if I can’t make them pay for it.
When you talk about this fight, you’re going to end up comparing losses. There’s just no way around it. You take two lightweight contenders who had their respective rises suddenly and violently halted, and it’s only natural that we’d go back and try to sort through whose loss was worse, and what it means now. Miller had a pretty thorough beating put him on by Ben Henderson, but now that Henderson’s getting set to challenge for the lightweight title that doesn’t look so bad. Guillard, on the other hand, lost a shocker to Joe Lauzon after getting dropped and then choked early in the first round. It’s a longer fall, quality of opponent-wise, but it does have a bit of a fluke-ish quality to it, which you can attribute to Guillard’s reckless overconfidence. You know, if you really want to.
This is what makes picking a winner in this fight so difficult. You can kind of talk yourself into anything. It’s a little surprising to see Miller this much of a favorite, but then you think about his ground game, his seven-fight win streak prior to the Henderson loss, and it makes sense. And Guillard? Guillard has the allure of pure ability. The promise of speed and power and an athletic ability that even he can’t help but overestimate at times. Guillard seems like the kind of guy who can beat anybody when things fall his way, but also like the kind of guy who could lose to anybody and at any given moment. It’s not hard to imagine him knocking Miller out with a flying knee, nor is it difficult to picture him missing that same flying knee, landing on his end, and getting submitted seconds later. It all depends on what you want to tell yourself. My pick: Miller. Unlike Guillard, he never beats himself. In a fight like this, don’t be surprised if that turns out to be enough.
Right off I’ll say it: I’m surprised at this line. I would have thought that Ludwig would have been the clear favorite and Neer the obvious underdog. That’s not meant as a knock on Neer, who still does a few things very well and for whom toughness is never a question. But Ludwig seems to be undergoing a sort of mini-Renaissance lately. He seems more at home in the welterweight division than he ever was in the lightweight class, and he’s sharpened his defensive wrestling skills to the point where his kickboxing is even more of a problem for opponents. As long as he’s fully healthy, it’s hard for me to see how Neer wins this. At one point, oddsmakers agreed. He was up in the +120 range until the money started to flow in, but it’s not like his chances have really improved since then. He still deserves to be a slight underdog against Ludwig. It’s just that, if you jump on it now, you won’t get anywhere near the value out of him. My pick: Ludwig. I wouldn’t say it’s a lock, but I would say this is his fight to lose. If he plays it smart, he ought to pick Neer apart on the feet for as long as it takes.
You can always tell that the odds are going to be heavily in one guy’s favor when his opponent doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page yet. Maybe it was Wednesday’s Wikipedia protest blackout, or maybe the denizens of the internet just don’t care enough about a UFC newcomer until he actually does something in the Octagon. Either way we’re looking at another bantamweight bout that oddsmakers expect Mike Easton to win and win easily. That makes sense. Easton’s had a pretty charmed career up until this point, while Papazian has been up and down, winning some and losing some against the knowns and unknowns alike. Papazian does have a three-fight win streak going, which has to count for something. Then again, those are three wins over guys most fans probably never heard of. The UFC must have seen something in him, even if that something was a warm body for Easton to throttle on a card so lacking in big names, Christian Morecraft appears on the poster. Hey, somebody had to say it. My pick: Easton. It’s a parlay pick for sure, but I can’t think of a single reason to think that Dominick Cruz’s personal hype man won’t swarm all over Papazian.
You never know exactly what you’re going to get with Barry. On paper, he looks like a mediocre heavyweight who’s just barely holding on to a UFC roster spot. But those who’ve actually seen him in the cage know that he’s probably the best 6-4 fighter in all of MMA. It’s just that, lately, none of the breaks have gone his way. Morecraft is another of the big, hulking heavyweights that seem to have popped up like weeds in the UFC recently. He’s in the same mold as guys like Travis Browne and Ben Rothwell, all towering heavyweights who look like they’d make great extras in a Viking movie. Morecraft will obviously have a size advantage, but that’s nothing new for Barry. It would probably throw him off more to fight someone his own height at this point. On a pure skill level, Barry’s on another planet. Morecraft has to know he can’t win a kickboxing match against him. What he has to do is treat this like a bar fight and take technique out of the equation. He’s the bigger, stronger man, with an edge on the mat. Again though, if Barry isn’t used to that by now, he never will be. My pick: Barry. I know, this is usually the point where I talk myself into taking an underdog, but I can’t do it here. Eventually Barry has to catch a break. He just has to.
Quick picks:
– Jorge Rivera (+115) over Eric Schafer (-146). If I have to choose between two fighters down on their luck, I’ll take the guy who got that way by facing superior opponents.
– Khabib Nurmagomedov (even) over Kamal Shalorus (-130). First of all, Nurmagomedov needs a nickname in a bad, bad way. Secondly, I have yet to be impressed with a full performance by Shalorus, who tends to look good only in short bursts.
The ‘For Entertainment Purposes Only’ Parlay: Ludwig + Easton + Barry. Also throw in Charlie Brenneman, who’s at -300 over Daniel Roberts. Because why not?
Friday night is almost here and so is the inaugural 
The frantic pace of UFC events and the multitude of FOX-owned cable networks on which to show those events has at least one upside: more fights means a greater demand for fighters. In turn, that might mean that some of the pressure to win, win, win just to stay in the UFC will slacken just a tad, though I wouldn’t bet on it.
All 20 fighters taking part in 
The