UFC 168 Tweet-Sized Stats & Facts: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly


(Image via @spideranderson. Click to view full-size.)

By Reed Kuhn

Note: Reed’s book ‘Fightnomics’ is available now on Amazon (in Kindle and paperback versions), featuring 336 pages of statistical analysis on UFC fighters and the “hidden science” behind their fights. If you’ve been a fan of his Databomb columns, pick up a copy today. A full description of the book is at the end of this post.

While cranking through some statistical analysis of fighters competing at next weekend’s UFC 168 event, I came across a few tidbits that fit the character limit for tweetability. Tweet ‘em all you want, I’ll make more.

The Good:
Anderson Silva has the highest Knockdown Rate of any fighter at #UFC168. 16% of his landed power head strikes cause a knockdown.

• In terms of Knockdown Rate, #UFC168 fighters Robert Peralta (14%) and Travis Browne (12%) are also way above average.

• Tibau vs Johnson at #UFC168 will be a rare Southpaw vs Southpaw matchup, or what I call a “Cyclone fight” due to the clockwise spin.

• Mostly likely to attempt takedowns at #UFC168 is Ronda Rousey who attempts 4 TDs per 5 min. round. Not that her rounds ever last that long.

• The most active standup striker at #UFC168 is Dennis Siver, who outworks his opponents by 59% in volume while standing.

• Hardest fighter to hit at #UFC168 is Anderson Silva, who avoids 82% of all head strikes thrown at him. Still, Weidman may only need one.

• Highest takedown defense at #UFC168 are Weidman & Browne, both 100%. Neither have been taken down despite each facing 7 attempts.


(Image via @spideranderson. Click to view full-size.)

By Reed Kuhn

Note: Reed’s book ‘Fightnomics’ is available now on Amazon (in Kindle and paperback versions), featuring 336 pages of statistical analysis on UFC fighters and the “hidden science” behind their fights. If you’ve been a fan of his Databomb columns, pick up a copy today. A full description of the book is at the end of this post.

While cranking through some statistical analysis of fighters competing at next weekend’s UFC 168 event, I came across a few tidbits that fit the character limit for tweetability. Tweet ‘em all you want, I’ll make more.

The Good:
Anderson Silva has the highest Knockdown Rate of any fighter at #UFC168. 16% of his landed power head strikes cause a knockdown.

• In terms of Knockdown Rate, #UFC168 fighters Robert Peralta (14%) and Travis Browne (12%) are also way above average.

• Tibau vs Johnson at #UFC168 will be a rare Southpaw vs. Southpaw matchup, or what I call a “Cyclone fight” due to the clockwise spin.

• Mostly likely to attempt takedowns at #UFC168 is Ronda Rousey who attempts 4 TDs per 5 min. round. Not that her rounds ever last that long.

• The most active standup striker at #UFC168 is Dennis Siver, who outworks his opponents by 59% in volume while standing.

• Hardest fighter to hit at #UFC168 is Anderson Silva, who avoids 82% of all head strikes thrown at him. Still, Weidman may only need one.

• Highest takedown defense at #UFC168 are Weidman & Browne, both 100%. Neither have been taken down despite each facing 7 attempts.

• The best takedown defense at #UFC168 is really Gleison Tibau at 92% against 62 total opponent attempts; he ranks #2 all-time behind GSP.

• Ronda Rousey has 0.72 submission attempts for every minute she has spent on the ground; closest 2nd at #UFC168 is Jim Miller at 0.37.

• Jim Miller has more total submission attempts in the UFC than any other fighter at #UFC168 with 29. One more & he wins an Octagon toaster.

• Denis Siver has the biggest pace advantage at #UFC168. He averages 12.8 Significant Strikes attempts/min, while Gamburyan averages 5.4.

• At 80.5” Uriah Hall will have the longest reach of any fighter at #UFC168, and >7” reach advantage over his opponent Chris Leben.

The Bad:
• Women’s champion Ronda Rousey will have the shortest reach of any fighter on the #UFC168 card at 66 inches. #irrelevant

• Weidman, Camoes, Brandao & Hall will all be facing southpaws. Generally, orthodox fighters fare a little worse when facing southpaws.

• The lowest paced standup striker at #UFC168 is Diego Brandao, who throws >40% fewer standup strike attempts than his opponents

• Lowest takedown defense at #UFC168 is Miesha Tate who only defended 1/5 attempts for 20%. Camoes not far behind (25%). But small samples.

• When fighting on the ground, Michael Johnson, Robert Peralta and Anderson Silva all mostly end up on their backs #UFC168

• Jim Miller and John Howard have both been swept for a ground position reversal 6 times by opponents, more than other fighters at #UFC168.

• 170’er William Macario is the only #UFC fighter ever who actually goes by the name “William.” There were 3 “Will”s though, and a “Willamy.”

The Ugly:
• Worst head striking defense at #UFC168 is Bobby Voelker, who only defends 57% of head strikes by opponents. Anderson Silva’s is best (82%).

• Both Rousey & Tate have very low head strike defense, meaning if they stand and trade they’re both going to look less pretty. #UFC168

• Denis Siver has suffered 6 knockdowns in his UFC career, more than anyone at #UFC168, despite having above average head strike defense.

• At 38.7 years old, Anderson Silva is the oldest fighter at #UFC168, meaning he is less likely to be submitted, but more likely to be KO’d.

• The worst Knockdown Resiliency rating at #UFC168 is Miesha Tate at 91%. She has suffered 3 knockdowns in Strikeforce/UFC.

• Despite having been KO’d by Weidman, Silva is still a -150 favorite at #UFC168, on par with when he fought Henderson -145 & Marquardt -150.

• Fabricio Camoes has the worst relative striking overall at #UFC168. His stats are below average in accuracy, power, pace & cage control.

• The final prelim bout pits some of the best head strike defense (Hall) vs some of the worst (Leben). Lots at stake in that fight. #UFC168

**********

Book description, via Amazon:

Fightnomics quantifies the underlying drivers of the world’s most exciting and fastest growing sport through deep analysis of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition. Part Freakonomics and part Moneyball, Fightnomics is a statistical spotlight on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the fighters who compete in the Octagon.

Does size matter?

Is the Southpaw Advantage real for MMA?

Is it better to be young or experienced in a fight?

How is the UFC Tale of the Tape lying to us?

What makes a strike significant?

What about Ring Rust, Octagon Jitters, or the Home Cage Advantage?

Just how accurate are betting odds?

Theories about how MMA works get put to the test with a little bit of science, and a whole lot of numbers. Fightnomics is the deepest and most complete analysis to date of historical UFC data that answers common, yet hotly debated questions about the sport. The fight game will never quite look the same once you’ve learned what really matters in a cage fight, and even a few surprising things that don’t.

20 Years, 20 Head Kicks: A UFC Anniversary Tribute


(Gerard Gordeau delivers the first head-kick TKO in UFC history against Teila Tuli back at UFC 1, which took place exactly 20 years today on November 12th, 1993.)

By Adam Martin

There are literally thousands of ways a mixed martial arts match can end, but one of the most thrilling methods is the head kick knockout.

Over the course of two decades of fights in the UFC Octagon, there have been a number of memorable knockout blows delivered via head kick, and in honor of the UFC’s 20th anniversary, I’ve put together a list of what I believe are the top 20 head kick knockouts in UFC history.

20 years, 20 head kicks. Here we go.

20. Uriah Hall vs. Adam Cella, TUF 17 episode 3 (aired 2/5/13)

I wanted to keep the list strictly to knockouts that happened during live UFC events, but I’m going to bend the rules a bit and kick off the list with one that happened on TUF.

Of course I’m talking about Uriah Hall’s spinning hook kick KO of Adam Cella, which took place earlier this year during TUF 17. It was a devastating knockout that made UFC president Dana White’s hyperbole raise to a whole new level as he declared Hall the nastiest fighter to ever step into the TUF house (the same house that produced Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin – you know, former UFC champs), and thus the UFC embarked on a social media campaign to play the clip non-stop on every medium in existence.

It was a brutal knockout, and I literally felt sick watching it. Even though Hall never lived up to the massive expectations that were placed on him, his most well-known career highlight deserves a place at #20.

19. Pat Miletich vs. Shonie Carter, UFC 32 (6/29/01)


(Gerard Gordeau delivers the first head-kick TKO in UFC history against Teila Tuli back at UFC 1, which took place exactly 20 years today on November 12th, 1993.)

By Adam Martin

There are literally thousands of ways a mixed martial arts match can end, but one of the most thrilling methods is the head kick knockout.

Over the course of two decades of fights in the UFC Octagon, there have been a number of memorable knockout blows delivered via head kick, and in honor of the UFC’s 20th anniversary, I’ve put together a list of what I believe are the top 20 head kick knockouts in UFC history.

20 years, 20 head kicks. Here we go.

20. Uriah Hall vs. Adam Cella, TUF 17 episode 3 (aired 2/5/13)

I wanted to keep the list strictly to knockouts that happened during live UFC events, but I’m going to bend the rules a bit and kick off the list with one that happened on TUF.

Of course I’m talking about Uriah Hall’s spinning hook kick KO of Adam Cella, which took place earlier this year during TUF 17. It was a devastating knockout that made UFC president Dana White’s hyperbole raise to a whole new level as he declared Hall the nastiest fighter to ever step into the TUF house (the same house that produced Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin – you know, former UFC champs), and thus the UFC embarked on a social media campaign to play the clip non-stop on every medium in existence.

It was a brutal knockout, and I literally felt sick watching it. Even though Hall never lived up to the massive expectations that were placed on him, his most well-known career highlight deserves a place at #20.

19. Pat Miletich vs. Shonie Carter, UFC 32 (6/29/01)

I couldn’t do a best-of MMA list without sneaking Pat Miletich and Shonie Carter in it, and thankfully they were both involved in the same fight so I get to kill two birds with one stone here.

At UFC 32 in 2001, Miletich fought Carter in a matchup between two of my personal old-school fan favorites. Miletich was coming off a defeat to Carlos Newton where he lost the UFC welterweight championship, while Carter was coming off an amazing spinning backfist KO of Matt Serra, meaning this fight had serious title implications at the time.

But while many predicted a close matchup on paper, the outcome belonged to “The Croatian Sensation” as he hit  “Mr. International” with a head kick so hard it knocked Carter out cold, one of the very rare head kick KOs that took place in the first decade of the Octagon’s existence.

I saw this one on a tape I borrowed from a friend a long time ago and I’ve always wanted to see it again but haven’t had the opportunity to. Fortunately I’ve found a GIF for all of us to enjoy, but if you can track down the entire fight I highly recommend it.

18. Paul Taylor vs. Gabe Ruediger, UFC 126 (2/5/11)

One of the most awesome head kick knockouts in UFC history took place at UFC 126, and no, I’m not talking about the one you’re already thinking of (that will come later). I’m actually talking about the head kick KO that Brit Paul Taylor delivered on Gabe Ruediger, one of the most underrated finishes in UFC history in my opinion and one that I don’t think enough people have seen.

On any other night, Taylor would have claimed a nice $50,000 bonus check for KOTN, but as we all know there was another very good head kick KO that same night. Still, we can give him some props for scoring a classic knockout in what turned out to be his final appearance in the Octagon; Taylor recently announced his retirement from the sport due to a variety of nagging injuries. At least we have this sweet finish to remember him by. (Watch the GIF here.)

17. Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes, UFC 65 (11/18/06)

Back in 2006, Georges St-Pierre was seen as the future of the UFC welterweight division and at UFC 65 he was able to get his revenge on Matt Hughes (who had earlier submitted St-Pierre with an armbar at UFC 50) when he kicked the Miletich Fighting Systems product in the head and then followed it up with a series of punches on the ground to capture the UFC welterweight title for the fist time in his career.

This head kick is the only part of the fight I really remembered, and I was going to place it higher on the list originally, but since St-Pierre needed the follow-up punches to finish off the job I decided to stick it at #17. Either way, a job well-done by St-Pierre in this fight, and arguably the best finish of his storied career to date. (Watch the GIF here.)

16. Andrew Craig vs. Rafael Natal, UFC on FUEL TV 4 (7/11/12)

One of my favorite fights of all time took place at UFC FUEL TV 4, an unheralded middleweight bout between Andrew Craig and Rafael Natal. I was actually the reporter who first broke news of this fight back when I worked for theScore.com, and so it always holds a special place in my heart for that. But I’ve broken other fight announcements before, and rarely do the final products turn out to be as good as Craig vs. Natal ended up being.

In the fight, Natal was absolutely beating the crap out of Craig and looking like he was going to cruise to a stoppage win, but at the end of the second round, Craig – who was down big on points – threw a booming head kick out of desperation and caught Natal square on the chin, knocking him out cold.

An absolutely insane fight, and an even crazier knockout. Wow. (Watch the GIF here.)

15. Chuck Liddell vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral, UFC 40 (11/22/02)

Back in his prime, Chuck Liddell was an absolute killer, and at UFC 40 he showed that he wasn’t just a power puncher as he head-kicked Renato “Babalu” Sobral into oblivion to earn a shot at the light heavyweight title.

Despite coming from a karate background, this remains one of only two head kick knockouts in Liddell’s storied MMA career (and his only one in the UFC), so let’s savor it since we’ll never get another one of these from “The Iceman” now that he’s happily retired. (Watch the GIF here.)

14. Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt, UFC 160 (5/25/13)

Mark Hunt is considered by many to have one of the best chins in the history of combat sports, but at UFC 160 Junior dos Santos showed that Hunt is a human being like the rest of us when Cigano spinning wheel kicked Hunt in the temple to knock him to the ground, and then followed it up with a massive punch to put “The Super Samoan” completely out cold.

It was a beautiful, dominant performance by Dos Santos up until the KO, and the finish was just a cherry on top. I still can’t believe that Hunt was finished in this fashion, but then again dos Santos is one of the most powerful punchers the Octagon has ever seen – and, one of the hardest kickers as well, clearly. (Watch the GIF here.)

13. Rory Markham vs. Brodie Farber, UFC Fight Night 14 (7/19/08)

Another knockout that doesn’t get as much love as it should was Rory Markham’s massive head kick KO of Brodie Farber at UFC Fight Night 14. Just watch the GIF and tell me how awesome this is.

It’s too bad that Markham has had so many issues out side of the cage, because when he was in the Octagon he was an absolute killer. But at least he was able to give us this beauty before he rode off into the sunset, and for that we have to give him props.

12. Tim Sylvia vs. Tra Telligman, UFC 54 (8/20/05)

I know Tim Sylvia gets a bad rap from fans these days, but don’t forget that he gave us one of the best head kick knockouts ever witnessed inside the Octagon.

It took place at UFC 54, when Sylvia took on Tracy “Tra” Telligman. Sylvia was coming off a loss to Andrei Arlovski at UFC 51 that cost him a chance to capture the UFC heavyweight title, but after taking Telligman’s head off, Sylvia gained the confidence to make a run up the ladder and eventually capture the belt.

Sylvia has had an underappreciated career and this finish of Telligman is my favorite moment from it. It’s also one of the very few knockouts in UFC history that’s occurred at the 4:59 mark of round one, making it extra special.

11. Alan Belcher vs. Jorge Santiago, UFC Fight Night 7 (12/13/06)

One of my favorite all-time knockouts of any kind took place at UFC Fight Night 7, when a young Alan Belcher took on Jorge Santiago and delivered one of the most damaging head kick finishes in the history of the sport.

I don’t think Santiago was ever the same after this KO, which is a shame because he is a skilled fighter — although he was never able to prove that in the Octagon. As for Belcher, he has had a solid career but there’s no doubt in my mind this is his ultimate career highlight, and it’s for good reason. (Watch the GIF here.)

Ready for the Top 10? Hit that “next page” link and read on…

And Here’s the Video of Mayhem Miller Calling Uriah Hall ‘Bitch N*gga’ Over and Over Again

(Props: YouTube.com/MMAInterviews)

You’ve probably heard by now that former MMA fighter/current crazy person Jason Miller got into an altercation with Uriah Hall at a BAMMA USA event in California on Friday night, which involved a punch being thrown and repeated incantations of the phrase “bitch nigga.” When the reports first came out, we had no idea what might have led to beef between the two middleweights, or even if the story was 100% accurate. But now Spencer Lazara of MMAInterviews has just released some footage on YouTube proving that yes, this all happened — and he also adds some backstory to the fracas:

The scene begins with Jason “Mayhem” Miller being aggressive to a woman who is apparently his ex girlfriend who he has allegedly assaulted in the recent past. This was told to me by a source close to Miller who added that he is currently out on bail in fact for allegedly assaulting her. She was visibly emotional and upset and he continued to yell at her as her friend shielded her from Miller. Uriah Hall poked his head in the situation and instantly Miller turned his aggression to him. He began with continuous rants of, “N**** please.” Then the video starts and you see the rest.

Indeed, we do. A tense face-off between Miller and Hall leads to Miller sticking his middle fingers in Uriah’s face and shouting “Bitch nigga! Fuck you bitch nigga!” In response, Hall fires a straight right that Miller mostly dodges, and a swarm of security guards and onlookers move in to separate them. Hall is immediately escorted from the building.


(Props: YouTube.com/MMAInterviews)

You’ve probably heard by now that former MMA fighter/current crazy person Jason Miller got into an altercation with Uriah Hall at a BAMMA USA event in California on Friday night, which involved a punch being thrown and repeated incantations of the phrase “bitch nigga.” When the reports first came out, we had no idea what might have led to beef between the two middleweights, or even if the story was 100% accurate. But now Spencer Lazara of MMAInterviews has just released some footage on YouTube proving that yes, this all happened — and he also adds some backstory to the fracas:

The scene begins with Jason “Mayhem” Miller being aggressive to a woman who is apparently his ex girlfriend who he has allegedly assaulted in the recent past. This was told to me by a source close to Miller who added that he is currently out on bail in fact for allegedly assaulting her. She was visibly emotional and upset and he continued to yell at her as her friend shielded her from Miller. Uriah Hall poked his head in the situation and instantly Miller turned his aggression to him. He began with continuous rants of, “N**** please.” Then the video starts and you see the rest.

Indeed, we do. A tense face-off between Miller and Hall leads to Miller sticking his middle fingers in Uriah’s face and shouting “Bitch nigga! Fuck you bitch nigga!” In response, Hall fires a straight right that Miller mostly dodges, and a swarm of security guards and onlookers move in to separate them. Hall is immediately escorted from the building.

Honestly, guys? At this point I miss Lucky Patrick. Jason Miller is now making Luke Cummo look somewhat sane by comparison. Barring any unexpected punishments from the UFC for extra-curricular brawlin’, Uriah Hall is still scheduled to face Chris Leben in a “loser leaves town” match at UFC 168.

Jason Miller and Uriah Hall Reportedly Get Into Brawl After ‘Mayhem’ Launches Racial Slur


(“Some of my best friends are black” defense in 5…4…3…” / Photo via ProElite)

This fucking guy. Jason “Mayhem” Miller has had some problems lately. More accurately, the people he’s allegedly terrorized lately have had some problems. Notably, there are the multiple charges and arrests related to domestic abuse for which Miller is currently out on bond for.

Now, according to Gracie Magazine’s Erik Fontanez, Miller can add racist taunts and casino brawling to his resume. According to the reporter, UFC middleweight Uriah Hall and retired basket-case Miller were both in Commerce, California on Friday night for a BAMMA USA fight card.

After the event, Fontanez tweeted that he saw and heard Miller hurl a racial epithet at Hall. Hall then reportedly went after Miller physically and a fight ensued before being broken up by security of the casino they were in at the time. Below are some of Fontanez’s tweets from late Friday night.


(“Some of my best friends are black” defense in 5…4…3…” / Photo via ProElite)

This fucking guy. Jason “Mayhem” Miller has had some problems lately. More accurately, the people he’s allegedly terrorized lately have had some problems. Notably, there are the multiple charges and arrests related to domestic abuse for which Miller is currently out on bond for.

Now, according to Gracie Magazine’s Erik Fontanez, Miller can add racist taunts and casino brawling to his resume. According to the reporter, UFC middleweight Uriah Hall and retired basket-case Miller were both in Commerce, California on Friday night for a BAMMA USA fight card.

After the event, Fontanez tweeted that he saw and heard Miller hurl a racial epithet at Hall. Hall then reportedly went after Miller physically and a fight ensued before being broken up by security of the casino they were in at the time. Below are some of Fontanez’s tweets from late Friday night.

I just witnessed Uriah Hall & Mayhem Miller scuffle.

Mayhem called Hall a “bitch ass ni**a.” Hall threw a punch.

Hall is pacing the front of the Commerce Casino, surrounded by security. He looks heated.

Miller went on to lend credence to the account with his own tweet:

HAHAHA FUCK YOU BITCH NIGGA

Well, looks like Dana White was wrong about Hall not being a “real fighter.” The kid seems ready to scrap at the drop of a hat when his honor is on the line.

Hall has a fight booked against Chris Leben in December, barring any legal constraints put on the middleweight after Friday’s reported casino fight with Miller. Maybe Hall will carry some of his anger from last night over to his bout with “The Crippler.” Or maybe Leben will suddenly decide to get racial and light a fire under the TUF finalist’s behind.

Who ya got in that one, nation? And, how long do you think it is until Miller is locked up in a Russian prison?

Seriously, Jason. Get it together. It isn’t cute anymore.

We’ll keep you posted with updates on this story as they come out.

Elias Cepeda

Do-Or-Die Alert: Chris Leben and Uriah Hall to Fight for Their Jobs at UFC 168

(This fight happened exactly six years ago today. Time flies when you’re rough-neckin’.)

After UFC president Dana White completely buried Uriah Hall following his decision loss to John Howard in August, it was unclear if the TUF 17 finalist would be getting another shot in the Octagon. It turns out that he will — against another guy who’s one loss away from getting cut.

The UFC announced today that Hall will return at UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2 (December 28th, Las Vegas) against eight-year UFC veteran Chris Leben, who has lost his last three outings, and hasn’t won a fight since his KO of Wanderlei Silva in July 2011. Leben is coming off a dull decision loss against Andrew Craig, which followed his dull decision loss against Derek Brunson. Any other fighter with the same run of failures both inside and outside the cage would have probably been cut by now. But Dana White has an almost inexplicable fondness for Leben, looking upon him like a wayward child.

“I’ve got to figure out what I think will be best for him,” White said following Leben’s loss to Craig. “I want Leben to get up everyday and be part of society and have to do something, whether it’s training or training other people, no matter what is. Chris Leben has the type of personality that can go off the deep very easily in a lot of negative ways. I really care about the kid. I like him a lot. I love him. So I’ve got to figure this thing out.”

And so, the decision has been made — one more fight for the Cat Smasher, who has earned the right to go out on his shield, and should maybe consider retiring directly after the fight if it doesn’t go his way. Any predictions?

In a related story, a featherweight bout between Dustin Poirier and TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao has also been added to UFC 168. Porier recently bounced back to the win column with an entertaining decision win against Erik Koch at UFC 164, while Brandao is riding a three-fight win streak, most recently earning a decision win against Daniel Pineda at UFC Fight Night 26.


(This fight happened exactly six years ago today. Time flies when you’re rough-neckin’.)

After UFC president Dana White completely buried Uriah Hall following his decision loss to John Howard in August, it was unclear if the TUF 17 finalist would be getting another shot in the Octagon. It turns out that he will — against another guy who’s one loss away from getting cut.

The UFC announced today that Hall will return at UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2 (December 28th, Las Vegas) against eight-year UFC veteran Chris Leben, who has lost his last three outings, and hasn’t won a fight since his KO of Wanderlei Silva in July 2011. Leben is coming off a dull decision loss against Andrew Craig, which followed his dull decision loss against Derek Brunson. Any other fighter with the same run of failures both inside and outside the cage would have probably been cut by now. But Dana White has an almost inexplicable fondness for Leben, looking upon him like a wayward child.

“I’ve got to figure out what I think will be best for him,” White said following Leben’s loss to Craig. “I want Leben to get up everyday and be part of society and have to do something, whether it’s training or training other people, no matter what is. Chris Leben has the type of personality that can go off the deep very easily in a lot of negative ways. I really care about the kid. I like him a lot. I love him. So I’ve got to figure this thing out.”

And so, the decision has been made — one more fight for the Cat Smasher, who has earned the right to go out on his shield, and should maybe consider retiring directly after the fight if it doesn’t go his way. Any predictions?

In a related story, a featherweight bout between Dustin Poirier and TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao has also been added to UFC 168. Porier recently bounced back to the win column with an entertaining decision win against Erik Koch at UFC 164, while Brandao is riding a three-fight win streak, most recently earning a decision win against Daniel Pineda at UFC Fight Night 26.

Dana White on Uriah Hall: ‘He’s Not a Fighter, Man’

(Shogun vs. Sonnen/Dana White media scrum video, via KarynBryant.)

Uriah Hall isn’t the first TUF finalist to terrify his housemates and then fall apart as soon as a paying crowd is watching him. Remember when Vinny Magalhaes was (allegedly) the second coming of Royce Gracie? Or when TUF 8‘s lightweight finalist Phillipe Nover was supposed to be the next Anderson Silva? And when was the last time you heard the name “Tommy Speer“?

After two official fights in the Octagon, it’s looking like Hall may join the ranks of TUF‘s all-time greatest flashes-in-the-pan. Just ask UFC president Dana White, who verbally buried Hall following his decision loss to John Howard at UFC Fight Night 26, saying that Hall simply doesn’t have the mentality to be a fighter:

“I love Uriah Hall. I have a great relationship with this kid. He’s one of the nicest human beings you can ever meet. He’s not a fighter, man…If I could take Brad Pickett‘s brain and heart and put it inside Uriah Hall’s body, holy shit there’d be some damage done. Because Uriah Hall has all the physical attributes to be amazing. He’s got speed, he’s got power…he’s just unbelievable. He doesn’t have what it mentally takes to fight here. You know what I mean?

“That was the high-five competition. Listen, you’re a nice guy, I get it. We’re not here to fuckin’ high five, we’re not here to shake hands. You can do all that shit when the fight’s over. You’re here to fight.”

White wasn’t prepared to make any decisions about Hall’s future so soon after the fight, but later on during the media scrum, he dumped more hate on the affectionate nature of Howard vs. Hall (skip to the 6:50 mark of the vid):


(Shogun vs. Sonnen/Dana White media scrum video, via KarynBryant.)

Uriah Hall isn’t the first TUF finalist to terrify his housemates and then fall apart as soon as a paying crowd is watching him. Remember when Vinny Magalhaes was (allegedly) the second coming of Royce Gracie? Or when TUF 8‘s lightweight finalist Phillipe Nover was supposed to be the next Anderson Silva? And when was the last time you heard the name “Tommy Speer“?

After two official fights in the Octagon, it’s looking like Hall may join the ranks of TUF‘s all-time greatest flashes-in-the-pan. Just ask UFC president Dana White, who verbally buried Hall following his decision loss to John Howard at UFC Fight Night 26, saying that Hall simply doesn’t have the mentality to be a fighter:

“I love Uriah Hall. I have a great relationship with this kid. He’s one of the nicest human beings you can ever meet. He’s not a fighter, man…If I could take Brad Pickett‘s brain and heart and put it inside Uriah Hall’s body, holy shit there’d be some damage done. Because Uriah Hall has all the physical attributes to be amazing. He’s got speed, he’s got power…he’s just unbelievable. He doesn’t have what it mentally takes to fight here. You know what I mean?

“That was the high-five competition. Listen, you’re a nice guy, I get it. We’re not here to fuckin’ high five, we’re not here to shake hands. You can do all that shit when the fight’s over. You’re here to fight.”

White wasn’t prepared to make any decisions about Hall’s future so soon after the fight, but later on during the media scrum, he dumped more hate on the affectionate nature of Howard vs. Hall (skip to the 6:50 mark of the vid):

[Howard] usually doesn’t fight that way. That’s not how he fights. It’s like, Uriah’s so nice, that he makes the other guy really nice. ‘This is a really nice guy, I really get the feeling that this guy doesn’t want to punch me in the face or do me any harm. I’ll high-five him. We’re both getting paid tonight, let’s just high five for three rounds if that’s what we’re gonna do.’ You know what I mean? You’ve seen that before, you’ve seen when guys get into that whole high-fiving thing and they kinda get…you’re in a fight. You’re here to use your martial arts to win this competition and move forward. You’re not here to high five and hug.

That’s great, one of the things I love about this sport is the sportsmanship that is displayed sometimes before, during, and after a fight. But it gets to a point where it gets ridiculous. And that’s not what people are sitting home to watch, that’s not what people paid to come into this building to watch, two guys hug and high five for fifteen minutes.

It’s a mental thing. He was this killer on TUF, and then he comes into the big show where it really matters and this is going to make your livelihood and everything else, and he turns into this different person — this super nice guy. He was telling me after the Kelvin [Gastelum] fight, he’s like, ‘You know, I just really like him, he’s a really nice guy.’ OK, well that really nice guy just took every fucking thing you ever wanted. Do you understand what I’m saying to you? Do you get that? Does that make sense to you? And I guess it doesn’t make sense to him.”

We didn’t appreciate all the lovey-doveyness during Howard/Hall either, but you have to admit — the match contained more “Oh shit, what if that landed??” moments than any other fight in UFC history. So what do you think of Dana’s assessment? Does Uriah Hall run into a mental block when the pressure’s on? Does he lack a true killer instinct? Or do his tricks simply not work against higher-level opponents?