No two individuals can have the same personality. Especially, if you’re a mixed martial artist. The world of MMA is filled with hundreds of different personalities ranging from the silent assassins, those who fly under the radar, and of course, t…
No two individuals can have the same personality. Especially, if you’re a mixed martial artist. The world of MMA is filled with hundreds of different personalities ranging from the silent assassins, those who fly under the radar, and of course, the goofballs. The goofballs bring a different spice to the table and have attracted many […]
Filed under: UFC, NewsAnthony Johnson’s strategy (if you want to call it that) against Vitor Belfort is quite simple at UFC 142 this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“I’m going in there to do me. And that’s to fight,” Johnson said Thursday during t…
Anthony Johnson‘s strategy (if you want to call it that) against Vitor Belfort is quite simple at UFC 142 this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“I’m going in there to do me. And that’s to fight,” Johnson said Thursday during the UFC 142 pre-fight press conference. “There’s no strategy. My strategy is to fight and that’s what I get paid to do and that’s what I’m here to do. So as far as strategy, it’s called: get it done.”
Johnson projected an air of confidence in front of reporters heading into his middleweight debut against the former UFC light heavyweight champion.
He spoke of gaining extra motivation after watching the “Countdown to UFC 142” preview show upon hearing Belfort say, “We’re going to see a lion.” Johnson was reminded of something his grandfather once told him.
“I’m looking forward to seeing that lion, actually,” Johnson said. “Before my granddad died, a week before he died, he told me, ‘Fight like you’re fighting a lion across the cage from you.’
“That’s all he had to tell me really before he passed,” Johnson continued. “For me to not care and do the best I can in life. With Vitor saying that made me want to fight even more. I’m hungry too. I’m looking forward to the fight. I can’t wait. I definitely can’t wait.
Belfort (20-9) is known as one of the most devastating punchers in UFC history. He joined the UFC at UFC 12, stopping two opponents in one night. 15 years later, Belfort hasn’t slowed down. He’s coming off a KO finish against Yoshihiro Akiyama last August at UFC 133.
Johnson (10-3) is a knockout artist himself, having recorded five knockouts in his six UFC wins. His only losses inside the Octagon have been due to an injury and a pair of rear-naked chokes.
Last year Johnson made a switch to Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Fla. to train under Mike Van Arsdale with the likes of Rashad Evans and Jorge Santiago. From the look of things, the move has already paid off. Last October, Johnson ended Charlie Brenneman’s night with a first-round head-kick knockout.
Training with a new camp and fighting at a new weight class, Johnson on Saturday will aim to establish himself against one of the future Hall of Famers in the sport.
“Vitor is an amazing athlete, very hands and very powerful. You have no choice but to respect him. I respect him but I’m not afraid of him. I’m willing to accept the challenge.”
The UFC has served as America’s mixed martial arts forefront for nearly 20 years.And with groundbreaking television deals and pay-per-view exploration poised to create even a bigger splash across the world in the coming decade, MMA is starting to gain …
The UFC has served as America’s mixed martial arts forefront for nearly 20 years.
And with groundbreaking television deals and pay-per-view exploration poised to create even a bigger splash across the world in the coming decade, MMA is starting to gain the top-notch recognition it wholeheartedly deserves.
When you try to weigh that potential and magnitude of the sport heading into the future, it’s important to understand what skill sets fighters bring to the ring, and how those strengths stack up against other divisional opponents.
From spinning elbows to devastating knees, to unmatchable longevity and unremarkable power, the UFC incorporates some of the most dangerous Octagon arsenals in the world.
Here are the top 15 deadliest weapons in the UFC today.
Filed under: UFC, NewsVitor Belfort’s first UFC fight came at what may have been the promotion’s lowest moment. So he takes particular joy in seeing how far the UFC has come.
Belfort, who has been in the UFC longer than any other active fighter, is pr…
Vitor Belfort‘s first UFC fight came at what may have been the promotion’s lowest moment. So he takes particular joy in seeing how far the UFC has come.
Belfort, who has been in the UFC longer than any other active fighter, is preparing to fight back home in Brazil on Saturday at UFC 142. But as he discussed the upcoming fight on Thursday, he also remembered his very first fight in the UFC, which came at a time when the entire sport of MMA was on the verge of collapse.
That would be UFC 12 on Feb. 7, 1997. At the age of 19, Belfort was an entrant in the four-man heavyweight tournament originally scheduled to take place that night in New York. But as politicians began to speak out against what they viewed as a savage bloodsport, the New York government told the UFC it was no longer welcome in its state, and the UFC had to scramble to move the event to Alabama at the last minute.
“My first fight, we had to travel all night to Alabama,” Belfort said. “We could only fight in Alabama. It was my first UFC. And then after so much investment they were able to remove that stigma in the U.S. and we slowly won over different countries.”
Winning over different countries included Brazil, where Belfort said it hasn’t always been easy. Although MMA traces its origins to Brazil, the sport has also faced some of the same opposition there that it has faced in the United States. Belfort, who beat Wanderlei Silva at UFC Brazil in 1998 but hasn’t fought back home since then, said it’s been a struggle to get people back home to accept that mixed martial arts is a legitimate sporting competition, not a violent spectacle.
“We really had to be pioneers, here in Brazil especially,” Belfort said.
Belfort said it used to frustrate him when people thought that because he fights professionally for a living, that meant he must also be a thug who gets involved in street fights. He said that in the early days of the UFC, people would ask him if anyone who ran into him in the street should fear him, not understanding that for him, fighting is just a job.
“I remember my first interview they asked me, ‘If someone crashes into your car, what would you do?’ I stopped and thought, ‘If they crash into Pavarotti’s car, does he have to sing an opera?’ So people have prejudice against fighting,” Belfort said.
Now the UFC has reached the point where it can sell thousands of tickets for a major event in Brazil, and Belfort says he believes Brazilians have come to understand what MMA is all about.
“The sport was born in this country and it’s been difficult to gain acceptance, but we actually overcame this hurdle,” Belfort said. “The sport has a lot to teach people. Martial arts is about physical and moral respect. . . . In martial arts we have this balance. So if someone crashes into my car I will come out of the car, get their license plate and talk about the damage and who has to pay. People relate our sport to aggression and it’s not that at all. It’s a contact sport but we respect each other greatly and we don’t use it outside of the sport.”
Belfort said that he’s thrilled to see how many people across his home country are enjoying the UFC.
“Children, the elderly, families, women can understand our sport,” Belfort said. “There’s a lot for our sport to offer.”
The UFC is taking the Octagon to the HSBC Arena for UFC 142, which goes down this weekend and features a main event between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Chad Mendes.Countdown to UFC 142 takes fans into the tra…
The UFC is taking the Octagon to the HSBC Arena for UFC 142, which goes down this weekend and features a main event between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Chad Mendes.
Countdown to UFC 142 takes fans into the training camps of each fighter and also gives a behind-the-scenes look at their personal lives from outside the cage.
Mendes enters the bout with a perfect 11-0 record. The former NCAA Division I wrestler is 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Rani Yahya and Michihiro Omigawa. He also went 4-0 in the WEC before the UFC absorbed the 145-pound weight class.
Aldo will be making the third defense of the title in his hometown, and it might be his last fight in the division, win or lose. He was last seen defending the title against Kenny Florian, winning a unanimous decision over five rounds. His other defense came against Mark Hominick, also by unanimous decision.
The pay-per-view main card will also include Anthony Johnson vs. Vitor Belfort, Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio, Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater and Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim.
As Strikeforce heavyweights start to make their way to the UFC, there are a few fighters who fans are intrigued to see compete in the Octagon.Chief among them was Alistair Overeem, but another is Josh Barnett.Barnett is a veteran of the sport, a winner…
As Strikeforce heavyweights start to make their way to the UFC, there are a few fighters who fans are intrigued to see compete in the Octagon.
Chief among them was Alistair Overeem, but another is Josh Barnett.
Barnett is a veteran of the sport, a winner of most of his fights, someone who has dabbled in pro wrestling and knows how to build up a fight, and someone who will never make it to the UFC.
On paper he has everything that the president of the UFC, Dana White, is looking for. He should be an easily promotable heavyweight.
It’s too bad that Barnett and White have such bad history.
The second time was in his fight for Affliction against Fedor Emelianenko which lead to the company folding. Affliction wasn’t in good shape to begin with, but the loss of their main event hastened their demise.
The first time was when he beat Randy Couture for the UFC title. There is no way to prove when White started disliking Barnett, but this could have been the beginning.
The UFC was still a fledgling promotion at the time and the heavyweight title has always been important in combat sports. Having a fighter not only win the belt in the biggest weight class in MMA and then test positive for performance enhancing drugs hurt what little credibility the company had at the time.
White seems to have a hard heart when it comes to repeat drug offenders as shown in the case with Nate Marquardt. After having failed medicals, not for the first time in his career, Marquardt was cut and banned from the UFC.
It’s obvious that White has little tolerance for repeat offenders.
And that was with Marquardt who is considered one of the nicer fighters outside of the cage.
White and Barnett have also traded verbal jabs in the media. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, White admitted that he has zero tolerance for Barnett and wouldn’t have him in the UFC.
But just because White is now in a truce with the heavyweight doesn’t mean that Barnett will get back in the UFC. White might have been fine with Barnett competing in a purchased Strikeforce, but nothing in the picture means that he will get a second chance in the Octagon.
Otherwise, fans could already have seen Paul Daley or Renato Sobral get some fights in the UFC or at least take pictures with White.
There is one chance though. If he wins Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix he will have some bargaining power and a status that might make White be willing to sweep their animosity under the rug.
If Barnett doesn’t win, it doesn’t mean his career is over. It just won’t be in the UFC.
Vitor Belfort
The UFC is taking the Octagon to the HSBC Arena for