UFC 137: 3 Reasons Carlos Condit Can Beat GSP

As anyone who even considered reading this article knows, Carlos Condit will be challenging Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title in the UFC 137 main event.  Riding a nine-fight win streak and widely considered the No. 2 pound-for-pound…

As anyone who even considered reading this article knows, Carlos Condit will be challenging Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title in the UFC 137 main event.  Riding a nine-fight win streak and widely considered the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, it is no secret that the champion is heavily-favored in this one. […]

UFC Betting

UFC 137: 3 Reasons Carlos Condit Can Beat GSP

Anderson Silva’s Manager Responds to Chael Sonnen and Silva’s Critics

When you sit atop the mountain, not just the divisional mountain of mixed martial arts, but the whole damn thing, you are bound to draw the jealousy and undivided attention of more than a few critics and potential opponents.Potential opponents meaning …

When you sit atop the mountain, not just the divisional mountain of mixed martial arts, but the whole damn thing, you are bound to draw the jealousy and undivided attention of more than a few critics and potential opponents.

Potential opponents meaning those you have yet to face, as well as those you have already laid to waste wanting another chance. There will always be guys who wish it was still ’82. They know with a second chance if Dana White would put them in, there is no doubt in their mind they would take state.

When your name is Anderson Silva, being the greatest active fighter in the sport pound-for-pound, not to mention one of the best ever, criticism and jealousy is par for the course.

Nowhere was that more apparent lately than this past weekend at UFC 136 after Chael Sonnen put on a stellar performance over a lethal Brian Stann to become the man many consider the favorite to challenge Anderson Silva next for his title. Unless you live under a rock on Mars you know this is Sonnen’s second quest towards the UFC middleweight strap.

Sonnen laid down the gauntlet telling the world and “The Spider” alike, “Anderson Silva…YOU SUCK!” He proceeded to call out Silva, stating if Sonnen won Silva would leave the division, and if Silva won that Sonnen would leave the UFC forever.

As is to be expected with Sonnen, the buck certainly did not stop there, with him later going on to directly insult not just the fighter he wishes to face but his family as well, specifically Silva’s wife. This has created quite a buzz in the MMA community and drawn the fire of Anderson Silva’s manager Ed Soares.

Soares sat down with Todd Jackson of Hurtsbad MMA and went into detail about both his respect for Sonnen, and frustration with Sonnen’s coloring outside the lines when it comes to fight promotion.

Soares first talked about his thoughts on Sonnen’s relentless trash talk and the difference between promotion and disrespect.

The Black House manager explained, “I don’t know if people listen to what he says, they hear it, but I don’t know if they listen. Hey man, he has a mouth, he has a right to say what he can, he has that right to say what he wants to say.”

Soares discussed the line he feels Sonnen crossed. “I find some of the things, whether he is marketing a fight or not, I feel some of the things he says are disrespectful. You shouldn’t go and talk about other people’s families. If you want to talk about Anderson, talk trash about his training, his coaches, talk trash about me, that’s fine.”

According to Soares that’s where the leeway ends. “But when you start talking about slapping his wife on the ass and having her cook him a steak, I just find that disrespectful.”

Even as classless as he sees the comments, he was sure to explain this is business. “I really don’t think Chael Sonnen is a bad guy. He has always been real respectful to me. Once in awhile in he tends to talk a little trash. But I really don’t take that too seriously. But I just think he starts crossing the line when he talks about his Anderson Silva’s wife.”

“Insulting an individual when it pertains to that individual, that can help promote a fight.” Soares said, “But I don’t see where he should be talking about Anderson’s wife or Anderson’s kids. Which he didn’t talk about his kids but who knows, maybe that is next. There are no boundaries with Chael.”

When asked if he sees this as a tactic on Chael’s part to ride Silva’s momentum, Soares decisively stated, “I can guarantee you that. Who ever listened to a word Chael Sonnen had to say before the Silva fight? The only reason he talks about Anderson Silva is because that is the only time people will pay any attention to what he has to say. When he doesn’t talk about Silva no one will listen.”

Soares added, “He has figured out that by talking about Anderson Silva that people are going to hear what he has to say. That is his only vehicle really. Other than talking trash, he never really has too many interesting things to say.”

Sonnen calling out Silva in such a Sonnenesque brash and in your face style did not surprise many analysts or fans. He clearly feels that regardless of a loss to Silva, and his questionable testing issues, that he is the rightful heir to the number one contender’s position in the UFC middleweight division, if not the throne itself.

Does Ed Soares agree? “I don’t. I mean he had an incredible performance against Brian Stann. But what you have to ask yourself is, Chael Sonnen was in his most dominant position over Silva for four and a half rounds. What happened?”

“If you can’t finish someone after four and a half rounds and you’re in your most dominant position, you deserve to lose as far as I’m concerned.” Soares stated. “Let Anderson be in his most dominant position for half a round, and I guarantee you you’re going to get finished.”

Sonnen may be the number one topic on the Anderson Silva hype train but there is also the return to the UFC of Dan Henderson. The first UFC fighter to ever pose even an ounce of trouble for Silva before he went on to lose by submission to the pound-for-pound king.

When asked if a fight with Hendo was also on the radar or a concern aside from Sonnen, Soares lit up and emphatically explained why Anderson Silva is worried about nothing more than Anderson Silva. The question clearly struck a nerve.

“To be honest, Anderson Silva is not worried about anything! Anderson is not ducking anybody! It’s funny, guys get their ass kicked by Anderson Silva and all of a sudden they want another shot. And when he feels they don’t deserve it, now he’s ducking them. Ducking them, how could he be ducking them?”

He spoke directly to the men who feel they deserve another shot at that which has already eluded them. ‘Listen, Dan Henderson, you were tapping out at the end of the second round. Chael Sonnen, you had a great performance but guess what? You tapped out at the end of the fifth round. The bottom line is you can say what you want about giving you another shot.'”

To hear Soares tell it, they don’t prefer any particular fighter, their fate is in the hands of the UFC brass. “When Dana White and the UFC want to make that fight happen, we will make that fight happen. We don’t pick our fights. We don’t ever tell the UFC we want to fight this guy or we want to fight that guy. None of our guys have ever chosen any of our fights. The UFC picks them and whatever they say, we take it.”

Soares clearly takes issues with the some of the criticism that is directed at his champion. “That kind of stuff irritates me when they say we are trying to hand pick guys for Anderson. Anderson Silva has fought every top middleweight in the world for the past five years and beaten them. Then he moved up to light heavyweight and knocked guys out in the first round.”

In closing he made the clearest statement he could make regarding the man who draws so much fire for his perceived faults when quite clearly it is his success that truly attracts the attention.

“Anderson has had fourteen fights in the UFC and only two have gone to decision. So I think people are just crazy saying that stuff.”

Enough said, end of discussion, es todo. When you put it like that, it is hard to argue with any rational sense of the truth.

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UFC 137: 3 Reasons Carlos Condit Can Beat GSP

As anyone who even considered reading this article knows, Carlos Condit will be challenging Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title in the UFC 137 main event. Riding a nine-fight win streak and widely considered the No. 2 pound-for-pound …

As anyone who even considered reading this article knows, Carlos Condit will be challenging Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title in the UFC 137 main event. 

Riding a nine-fight win streak and widely considered the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, it is no secret that the champion is heavily-favored in this one.  

While some fans are disappointed that it will no longer be Nick Diaz stepping up to the plate against GSP, others realize the Natural Born Killer poses a real threat for the French-Canadian. 

Here are three reasons why Condit is a legitimate challenge for GSP’s title. 

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UFC 140 Press Conference: Dana White, Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida in Toronto

Toronto is primed and ready for the UFC to return on December 10th with light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones defending his title against the world-class and elusive Brazilian Lyoto Machida.It will be the 2011 encore for the UFC north of the border as i…

Toronto is primed and ready for the UFC to return on December 10th with light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones defending his title against the world-class and elusive Brazilian Lyoto Machida.

It will be the 2011 encore for the UFC north of the border as it debuted in April with an incredible show both inside the cage and out, as fighters were scattered all over the city making appearances for flocks of rabid fans.

The UFC announced today that Jones, Machida, UFC President Dana White and Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright will be in Toronto tomorrow, Oct. 12, to discuss the event at a press conference at 1:00 P.M. EST at the Air Canada Centre. It will be open to the public and streamed live at UFC.com.

Additionally, the fighters will hold an autograph session from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. at Real Sports Apparel, located within Maple Leaf Square.

“After his performance against Rampage, there’s no doubt Jon Jones is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport,” UFC President Dana White said. 

“He’s already beaten Shogun and Rampage this year and now he gets Machida, a former champion. Machida is one of the most elusive and dangerous strikers in the UFC and he’s motivated to get the belt back. We’re giving the fans in Toronto a really great title fight.”

“I am thrilled to be fighting Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in Toronto, which is just a few hours from my hometown, Endicott, N.Y.,” Jones said.

“He is an incredibly skilled fighter and one who poses numerous challenges inside the Octagon. He has only been defeated twice in his career and is coming off a big victory in April. For me, it will be important to just continue to focus on making myself better as a fighter, and keeping the fight at my intensity and aggression levels. It is my goal to become the first UFC fighter to defeat three former champions in one year.”

 

“I’m really excited to be fighting for the light-heavyweight title again,” Machida, owner of a 17-2 record, said. “Jon Jones is a great fighter and a great champion. It’s going to be my experience and technique against his youth and athleticism. It’s going to be a great fight.”

Aside from the mouth-watering title fight, the UFC rewarded Canadian fans with the Nogueira brothers, Tito Ortiz and Frank Mir all fighting on the card. They have also followed the usual blueprint of stacking the card with fighters from the host country, as we will see fan-favorites Mark “The Machine” Hominick. Rory MacDonald, Mark Bocek, Krzysztof Soszynski, John Makdessi and Mitch Clarke, all on the card.

Christmas is coming early for UFC fans in Canada.

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and Correspondent for MMACanada.net. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Catch him on Facebook and Twitter at wakafightermma

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

TUF 14 Finale: Michael Bisping vs. Mayhem Miller, Early Head-to-Toe Breakdown

On December 3, The Ultimate Fighter coaches will square off as Jason “Mayhem” Miller will face off against Michael Bisping in a five round, non-title fight.These two are currently coaching on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, the first season featurin…

On December 3, The Ultimate Fighter coaches will square off as Jason “Mayhem” Miller will face off against Michael Bisping in a five round, non-title fight.

These two are currently coaching on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, the first season featuring featherweights and bantamweights.

Many fans are torn on who will win this one and it really is a toss up.

Read on to check out an early breakdown of their fight.

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Brock Lesnar Says He’s Willing to Return for “One More Match” in WWE

WWE fans may not have seen the last of Brock Lesnar. In an interview with ESPN’s Jon Robinson, the former UFC heavyweight champion talked about the possibility of pulling out the old pro-wrestling tights and stepping back into the squared circle….

WWE fans may not have seen the last of Brock Lesnar. In an interview with ESPN’s Jon Robinson, the former UFC heavyweight champion talked about the possibility of pulling out the old pro-wrestling tights and stepping back into the squared circle. “I think I will. I think under the right circumstances I will. I think […]

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Brock Lesnar Says He’s Willing to Return for “One More Match” in WWE