UFC 139?s Brian Bowles: The Average Joe Thinks Urijah Faber Will Beat Me

When fighting Urijah Faber, there’s a pretty good chance the opponent is an afterthought, since Faber is one of the most popular fighters in the sport, and the fans assume he will roll to victory. Brian Bowles (10-1, 2-0 UFC) is under that assump…

When fighting Urijah Faber, there’s a pretty good chance the opponent is an afterthought, since Faber is one of the most popular fighters in the sport, and the fans assume he will roll to victory. Brian Bowles (10-1, 2-0 UFC) is under that assumption as well, as the former WEC Bantamweight Champion will square off […]

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UFC 139′s Brian Bowles: The Average Joe Thinks Urijah Faber Will Beat Me

UFC 139’s Brian Bowles: The Average Joe Thinks Urijah Faber Will Beat Me

When fighting Urijah Faber, there’s a pretty good chance the opponent is an afterthought, since Faber is one of the most popular fighters in the sport, and the fans assume he will roll to victory.
Brian Bowles (10-1, 2-0 UFC) is under that assumption a…

When fighting Urijah Faber, there’s a pretty good chance the opponent is an afterthought, since Faber is one of the most popular fighters in the sport, and the fans assume he will roll to victory.

Brian Bowles (10-1, 2-0 UFC) is under that assumption as well, as the former WEC Bantamweight Champion will square off with Faber (25-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC), the former WEC Featherweight Champion, at UFC 139 this Saturday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California on pay per view starting at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT.

Bowles and Faber each fought last at UFC 132, in which Bowles defeated Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision, and Faber lost via unanimous decision to bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.

A lot of people thought a good performance by Bowles would have netted him the next shot against Cruz, but after a lackluster win against Mizugaki, Demetrious Johnson ended up getting the next shot.

Bowles understood why he didn’t get the shot after the Mizugaki fight.

“I wasn’t able to finish,” Bowles told me. “I wasn’t very aggressive; he’s a tough guy.

“I mean, he has that kind of style. He’s not easy to finish, and he’s a tough opponent. We both went in there, and if either one of us had been more aggressive, the fight would have been a lot more exciting,” he said.

“I think he was waiting for me to be a little more aggressive and I was kinda waiting for him to be more aggressive,” Bowles continued. “We ended up just standing there looking at each other a lot more than my fights usually are.”

The Bowles-Mizugaki fight was on the undercard of UFC 132, so Bowles was able to take in the Cruz-Faber main event that evening and wasn’t shocked by the champion’s performance against Faber.

“Typical Cruz, you know.” Bowles said. “He does what he does. Faber did a pretty good job getting his hands on him and not getting too frustrated at what he does. Every time you watch the champion fight, you learn a little bit from that. I took a little bit away from that.”

With the title loss, Faber is now 4-4 in his last eight fights, but Bowles thinks Faber still has that mystique about him.

“Once you built something like that, it takes a lot for it to go away. I don’t think he’s lost it yet,” Bowles said. “Just because you lose a fight or two here and there? He’s not out there getting knocked out. He’s not like at the end of his career, he needs to hang it up or he’s just hanging onto it because he can’t let it go.

“He’s still a No. 1-guy contender. He could be champ at any moment,” he said.

As soon as this fight was announced, a lot of people were under the assumption that it would determine the No. 1 contender for the bantamweight title, and Bowles is under that assumption as well.

“Yea, I think (UFC president) Dana (White) announced that the winner between me and him should be fighting Cruz,” Bowles said. “I know they never set anything in stone, but its been said. But that’s what I’m expecting from it.”

Since Faber-Cruz II took place and the fight with Bowles was announced, a lot of people think that Faber will roll past Bowles and secure the rubber match.

Bowles has other plans in mind and relishes the role of the underdog.

“You know, I’m kinda used to that. I’ve been a underdog in almost every fight,” Bowles said. “When I fought Miguel (Torres), underdog; ever since I’ve come into the sport, its been the underdog for me. I kind of feed off that.

“I think true hardcore fans, the other fighters know he’s not gonna walk through me. I’ve heard a lot of people say they think I’m going to beat him.

“It’s mainly the people, average Joes out there. He’s the more popular guy. That’s what they go on. They think it’s a popularity contest and not a fight. That’s what they’re going by. Not going by fighting skills,” Bowles said.

“I’m a quiet guy. He’s out there; his face is out there. He’s more popular, so they think he’s gonna win,” he said.

You can listen to the entire interview with Brian Bowles here.

You can follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi.

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Brock Lesnar ‘Death Clutch’ book coming to paperback on June 6, 2012

Tweet Now, for the first time, Brock tells his incredible story in his own words. Brock relives his long journey to become the best college wrestler in the country, his meteoric rise in World Wrestling Entertainment, and what lead him to walk away from fame and fortune when he was at the top. He talks […]

Now, for the first time, Brock tells his incredible story in his own words. Brock relives his long journey to become the best college wrestler in the country, his meteoric rise in World Wrestling Entertainment, and what lead him to walk away from fame and fortune when he was at the top. He talks openly about the accident that derailed his plans to play in the NFL, his professional wrestling comeback in Japan, and his transformation and rebirth as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. Powerful and real, this remarkable memoir is the story of Brock’s determination and domination, and the making of a true champion.

Here is Lesnar introducing his book:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis Confirmed for UFC 144 in Japan

Tweet Verbal agreements are in for a match between two of the most exciting lightweights in the sport as Joe ‘J-Lau’ Lauzon will face Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis February 26th in Saitama, Japan,” confirmed UFC president Dana White today. Both fighters have been on win streaks, and had been calling each other out in what is […]

Verbal agreements are in for a match between two of the most exciting lightweights in the sport as Joe ‘J-Lau’ Lauzon will face Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis February 26th in Saitama, Japan,” confirmed UFC president Dana White today.

Both fighters have been on win streaks, and had been calling each other out in what is sure to be one of the most exciting lightweight showdowns of the year.

Chael Sonnen and Nick Diaz: Close Your Mouths and Raise Your Fists

Let your fists do the talking. The adage seems to have gone by the wayside, as more and more, fighters are finding success by effectively ranting against their opponents. Opponents are not the only targets, though. It could be their countrymen, their c…

Let your fists do the talking.

The adage seems to have gone by the wayside, as more and more, fighters are finding success by effectively ranting against their opponents.

Opponents are not the only targets, though. It could be their countrymen, their camp, their previous opponents, wives or sponsors.

At the sport’s inception and until the last two years, mixed martial artists were closer to their Roman counterparts, the gladiators, than their boxing brethren. They gave somewhat canned interviews and then got into the cage and fought.

Chael Sonnen wasn’t a star; he was just a wrestler who couldn’t defend a triangle.

He’s still that, but now his mouth is a star. And not in a Jenna Jameson sense.

Chael has revitalized his career by being loud. Not just loud, but purposely offensive. Over the top at every opportunity and more a character than an actual fighter. People who had never really watched the sport before were drawn in by his insults to Lance Armstrong and his subsequent denial.

This is still the same man who lost to Demian Maia without being hit by a single damaging strike.

And yet, despite being finished by an injured Silva and being suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, he’s back in title contention after defeating a man with zero discernible grappling ability in Brian Stann.

Nick Diaz was let go from the UFC after three consecutive defeats against wrestlers. One was above average, Diego Sanchez. One was average at best, Joe Riggs, and one was good, but undersized, Sean Sherk. Three straight times, Diaz was taken down, controlled and pounded on for three rounds.

The Stockton Slapfighter has yet to face a wrestler his size and win, to show a change in these glaring deficiencies.

He has made up for this by throwing middle fingers, complaining about his pay scale (despite being paid huge amounts for a non-UFC title holder), and generally spreading vitriol at anyone unfortunate enough to interview him.

He’s now challenging for the UFC Welterweight title.

Simply mentioning the names Josh Koscheck or Brock Lesnar immediately conjure up the images and sounds of spreading discontent.

These real-life Internet trolls have made a career not out of being the best fighter, but being the best talker. And while I previously would not have cared whether they pulled these shenanigans, it has begun to affect better, harder working fighters who are soft-spoken.

Carlos Condit, who found a bit of fortune after picking up Diaz’s ill-deserved title shot, found himself a victim of bad luck when the champ was injured, and in a worse place after Nick Diaz’s schoolyard antics earned him a crack at Gentleman Georges.

Mark Munoz, after putting on a top-notch performance against Chris Leben, which was hot off the heels of a well deserved victory over former title contender Demian Maia… can’t even smell the gold-and-leather strap as long as the breath from Chael’s rants lingers in the room.

The bottom line: It’s fine when it’s entertainment, but when it starts turning to a necessity to earn a title shot, we need to remind our fighters of their job description:

Shut up and Fight!

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Cain Velasquez and Why Cage Rust Is Just an Excuse for Not Being Prepared

Last Saturday, champion Cain Velasquez reentered the Octagon for the first time since his title tilt against Brock Lesnar in October of last year, where he bested the then heavyweight kingpin en route to a first-round knockout victory.Velasquez came in…

Last Saturday, champion Cain Velasquez reentered the Octagon for the first time since his title tilt against Brock Lesnar in October of last year, where he bested the then heavyweight kingpin en route to a first-round knockout victory.

Velasquez came into his bout with Junior dos Santos at the Honda Center in Anaheim at a career-high weight of 249 pounds—10 pounds well above his usual limit.

The svelte Dos Santos wasted little time in dropping Velasquez to the canvas with an overhand right before pouncing on his downed opponent, finishing off the Mexican-American in just 64 seconds.

Dissenters have already come to the aid of Velasquez—who has remained relatively unspoken about the loss—stating that his loss is a result of the famed “ring rust” theory, popularized by UFC President Dana White in the past, though the hypothesis has been disproven time and time again.

There’s no better example than that of former world champion Rashad Evans, who returned from a debilitating knee injury and 15-month layoff before his bout with rival Tito Ortiz this August. Evans dominated “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” stopping Ortiz on strikes in the second round, making him only the second man to hold that honor.

Ortiz is no world-beater these days, but he remains as durable as they come and was coming off a career-resurgent performance against The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner Ryan Bader, dropping the wrestling stud before submitting him inside of the first round.

Though Velasquez is not playing “pity me,” the fact remains that the AKA product simply didn’t do what was necessary for him in order to be in the same condition that has earned him the belt in the past. 

Albeit the bout didn’t last long enough to be indicative of how it could have played out in later rounds, we are all now left with the impression that an out-of-shape and flat Cain Velasquez was unprepared for a pivotal moment of his career not because of “cage rust,” but because he didn’t do what was necessary for victory. 

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