UFC 132 is a stacked card with many potentially exciting fights, but there is one bout fans are excpecting to steal the show: Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva vs Chris “The Crippler” Leben.Both men have a reputation for never taking a step back and t…
UFC 132 is a stacked card with many potentially exciting fights, but there is one bout fans are excpecting to steal the show: Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva vs Chris “The Crippler” Leben.
Both men have a reputation for never taking a step back and throwing bombs. They are two of the most aggressive fighters in the history of MMA and, win or lose, they always put on a good show for the fans.
However, the question running through many people’s minds is: Is Chris Leben ready for a fighter like Wanderlei Silva?
Leben has been fighting in the UFC’s middleweight division for a long time, but he has never been able to elevate himself above gatekeeper status.
Wanderlei has only fought once in the UFC’s middleweight division, but is one of the most accomplished mixed martial artists ever and has fought many all-time greats.
On paper, This is a bad fight for Chris. He has knockout power, but usually needs to eat a few punches to land his own. The strategy works a lot of the time, but has gotten Leben into trouble against elite strikers.
When the Crippler faced off against elite striker Anderson Silva, he learned that their are certain opponents who’s shots you can’t afford to eat.
Wanderlei Silva is one of those opponents.
Out of Silva’s 33 career victories, 23 have come by knockout. He has big power in both his hands and can be devastating from the clinch.
So, stylistically this is a terrible fight for Leben. Luckily, there are other factors to consider.
Wanderlei is not the same fighter he used to be. He is 2-3 in the UFC since returning to the organization in 2007 and 2-5 in his last seven fights.
The Axe Murderer’s hands don’t seem to be as lethal as they used to be. He only has one knockout since entering the UFC and it was over Keith Jardine, who is known for having a suspect chin.
And speaking of chins, Wanderlei’s is not what it used to be. Silva started his career in 1997 and up until half way through 2006 had only been TKO’d twice. Since then, he has been KO’d three times.
Leben has huge power in his hands, so if he lands one good shot, he could walk away with the victory.
One big advantage Leben has is that Wanderlei has not fought in well over a year. In all likelihood, Silva is going to have major ring rust going into this bout. Leben fought three times in 2010 and once already this year, so ring rust should not be an issue for him.
One of the most important elements of fighting is fighting guys at the opportune moment and this very well could be Leben’s moment.
Wanderlei Silva is a name that still carries a lot of weight in the industry, but when you look at what he’s done lately, it becomes clear that he is way passed his prime; he’s only won two fights in the past five years.
If Leben and fights a smart fight, he can beat Wanderlei Silva and propel himself into title contention. He just needs to be careful—even an elderly lion can still maul you to death.
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, Rankings, MiddleweightsCould Mark Munoz be a future contender to Anderson Silva’s middleweight title? That’s a question few people would have asked before UFC 131. But after Munoz beat Demian Maia, it’s a serious question…
Could Mark Munoz be a future contender to Anderson Silva‘s middleweight title? That’s a question few people would have asked before UFC 131. But after Munoz beat Demian Maia, it’s a serious question.
After defeating Maia, Munoz is 6-1 since moving down to middleweight, with the only loss coming by split decision to Yushin Okami, the UFC‘s current No. 1 middleweight contender. Munoz is probably only one more win away from being the UFC’s best option to fight Silva, assuming Silva beats Okami.
Munoz would be a huge underdog to Silva, of course, but every middleweight is a huge underdog to Silva. And Munoz, a former NCAA champion wrestler, at least has the tools to threaten Silva where he’s weakest. Munoz and Silva are friends and training partners, and they might not wish to fight each other. But if both of them win their next fights, we could be heading toward a situation where fighting each other is what the UFC asks them to do.
See where I have Munoz ranked among the middleweights in MMA below.
1. Anderson Silva (1): The last time Silva lost, it was by disqualification when he illegally kicked Okami in the head on the ground. Since then Silva is 14-0, with half of those wins coming by first round knockout or technical knockout.
2. Chael Sonnen (2): Sonnen still deserves to be ranked No. 2 because of his impressive win over Okami and his tough fight with Silva, but soon he’s going to start dropping because of inactivity. There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight for Sonnen’s problems getting an athletic commission to license him.
3. Vitor Belfort (3): Belfort’s 19-9 record really doesn’t do his career justice, as the nine losses are to a who’s who of great fighters: He’s lost to Randy Couture twice, Alistair Overeem twice and Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Dan Henderson and Anderson Silva. Up next for Belfort is Yoshihiro Akiyama.
4. Yushin Okami (4): Although Okami does technically have a victory over Silva on his record, Silva was getting the better of Okami before he was disqualified for the illegal kick. If Okami can beat Silva in their August rematch in Rio, it would probably be the biggest upset of the year in MMA.
5. Mark Munoz (NR): Getting knocked cold by Matt Hamill might have been the best thing to ever happen to Munoz. That fight made him decide to move down from 205 pounds to 185, and he’s much more impressive at the lighter weight.
6. Demian Maia (5): The Maia-Munoz fight could have gone either way, and even in defeat Maia showed that his striking is continuing to improve. However, the fight also showed that Maia can’t just submit anyone he gets to the ground. In his first five UFC fights Maia submitted all five opponents, but in his last six fights he hasn’t submitted anyone.
7. Brian Stann (6): A matchup between Stann and Munoz would make a lot of sense as a next step for the UFC, and the winner would have a strong case for being the next No. 1 contender in the middleweight division.
8. Ronaldo Souza (7): Jacare, the Strikeforce middleweight champion, will defend his title against Luke Rockhold in September. Rockhold is 7-1, and all seven wins are by first-round stoppage, but he’s not on the same level as Jacare, who should be able to make Rockhold tap.
9. Wanderlei Silva (8): The soon-to-be 35-year-old Silva isn’t the fighter he once was, but his UFC 132 fight with Chris Leben promises to be an all-out war. And if he wins in spectacular fashion, it’s possible that the Axe Murderer could get the next shot at the middleweight belt.
10. Michael Bisping (10): With no UFC events in England this year, Bisping will not have any fights in his homeland for the first year since 2006, when he was an Ultimate Fighter contestant. Instead Bisping will coach on The Ultimate Fighter and take on Jason “Mayhem” Miller in December.
Butch Hiles is a gym owner in Charleston, W. Va. But, as you are about to find out if you weren’t aware of him already, Hiles is much more than just your average gym owner.Bleacher Report recently had the pleasure of speaking with Hiles, owner of Butch…
Butch Hiles is a gym owner in Charleston, W. Va. But, as you are about to find out if you weren’t aware of him already, Hiles is much more than just your average gym owner.
Bleacher Report recently had the pleasure of speaking with Hiles, owner of Butch Hiles Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, about his influence on mixed martial arts (MMA) sanctioning in West Virginia and some major events that have been happening and will be happening at his gym.
A leader in the push to legalize MMA in West Virginia, Hiles spoke about the toughest roadblocks he faced in trying to convince legislature to change their views on MMA.
“I would say [the toughest part was] having your voice heard,” Hiles said. “Everybody wants MMA to be legal, but it’s really hard to try to figure out the way to go about doing it. It sure wasn’t easy because you’ve got to try to meet with the legislatures and things you’re not usually accustomed to doing.
“Luckily, we had really good lobbyist, Sam Minardi, and some really good people on board to help out.”
“The unfortunate thing is there are just some people that don’t like MMA,” Hiles said “Most of our senators are obviously older, so some of them don’t like combat sports, period. In fact, that was kind of what I was told by several of the guys.
“We would come in and say MMA is safer than boxing and safer than Toughman, and they would say, ‘If that’s your argument, we don’t really care because we don’t like boxing, either, and if was up to us that would be illegal as well.’ So, that’s not something you really want to hear, because unfortunately those guys make the decisions.
“But luckily, the majority won out and there was only a few guys that said stuff like that and I think the most of them did their jobs correctly and actually studied the facts and heard both sides.
“Once the true facts are presented and they actually pay attention to them, then obviously the correct thing wins out and it did win out.”
West Virginia became the 45th state to sanction MMA. Since Alaska and Wyoming do not have athletic commissions, that means only New York, Connecticut and Vermont remain as states that do not regulate the sport.
Hiles has been leading this uphill battle for quite some time now. In 2005, West Virginia Athletic Commission Chairman Steven Allred prevented Hiles from holding a jiu-jitsu tournament because he felt submissions and choke-holds were too dangerous.
Now knowing that the athletic commission had been so strongly against jiu-jitsu competitions, it is easy to see why it has taken so long for the state to come around to the idea of legalizing MMA.
With this long battle now won, Hiles can finally look back at what he has helped accomplish for MMA in West Virginia with pride and rightly so.
“It is a big deal because that’s something that we’ve struggled with since 2000-2001, whenever they first made [MMA] illegal. Obviously, it’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve ever been a part of as far as my martial arts career goes and really anything that I’ve done for the state.”
But what caused the change in opinion that West Virginian legislature held for so long? Hiles points to a recent seminar at his gym with MMA legend Wanderlei Silva as a major factor in helping to sway the government officials.
“We were trying to get MMA legal and I wanted to bring somebody in that people would respond well to and that would get some attention, and Wanderlei [Silva] was that guy without a doubt,” Hiles said.
“We had about 200 people show up to the seminar alone. We also did a couple other events later at night and there was another 1,200 or so people there. So, altogether we were looking at around 1,500-2,000 people that showed up for these events that we put on and that brought the media out, and that brought the attention right at the right time.
“When you’ve got 2,000 people coming out to see a guy that does something that everybody respects and likes, I think that speaks volumes.”
“Ultimately, I think that’s what it showed them and I think it really did help us push that bill through because they could no longer argue, which they tried to argue, that there wouldn’t be an economic impact,” Hiles said. “As soon as they say that, we have 2,000 people show up just to see a guy, not even an event. That kind of shut that argument down.”
Just because MMA is now legalized in West Virginia doesn’t mean Hiles plans to slow things down at his gym any time soon. Already, Hiles has planned to bring in former UFC champion Jens Pulver to his gym for a seminar and special screening of Pulver’s recent documentary.
“[The film] kind of dug deeper into his whole life,” Hiles said. “He was an abused child and it was a pretty awful childhood. People are watching this screening of what happened in his childhood and they’re being emotionally touched by what happened to him.
“It’s a really important project and I felt like I could make this something bigger than something just for the gym. I wanted to do something for our whole community. We’re doing a one-night-only screening in Charleston, W. Va., of the documentary.
“It’s a 700-seat theater, so I got an opportunity to invite a lot of people. We reached out to all the local programs that have at risk youth and high schools and a lot of local places that could really impact the community and try to get the right target audience there.”
With the recent legalization of MMA and the legends that he has been bringing in for seminars, Hiles has built a ton of momentum around his gym. Nonetheless, Hiles plans to continue with his recent success by spreading it to the community.
“You can’t be happy with what you already accomplished,” said Hiles. “I feel like, as a local gym in West Virginia, we’ve accomplished a lot. There’s always going to be things that we can do to improve upon and this upcoming [event with Pulver] is something that I can do for the community, and that’s really something that I want to start gearing our gym towards.
“I want everybody at our gym and everybody that trains there to represent our community and our state as a whole and continue to go out there and help everybody that I can.”
To that extent, Hiles’ goals for his gym reach much farther that simply teaching MMA to his students. Hiles hopes to not only impress a positive impact on his gym’s members, but he wishes to help the entire community.
“That’s what I’m more proud of than anything else,” said Hiles. “If we can get a couple guys off the street or help a couple guys out that normally wouldn’t have been helped, then we’ve accomplished our goal.
“When I started this whole thing and chose to have a gym, my No. 1 goal was to help as many people as I can in whatever that was. Obviously that was jiu-jitsu and MMA, but it grew and now I have the opportunity to help people in different ways on a much larger scale.”
Click here for more information on the upcoming event with Jens Pulver, which will take place on June 11 in Charleston, W.Va.
For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter here.
As Clay Guida prepares for his showdown with WEC Lightweight Champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis on Saturday, fans will be anticipating the action that is about to ensue inside the cage.”The Carpenter” is a wildman and has produced some very entertainin…
As Clay Guida prepares for his showdown with WEC Lightweight Champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis on Saturday, fans will be anticipating the action that is about to ensue inside the cage.
“The Carpenter” is a wildman and has produced some very entertaining fights—some of which have been fight of the year candidates.
The fight will be free and broadcast live on Spike TV this weekend, and it’s one you don’t want to miss. Both fighters are in line for a title shot, taking their determination and will to win to an all-time high. Combine that with the granite chin of Guida and the dynamic striking of Pettis, and it will be one great fight.
Like Guida, the following fighters are also never in a boring fight and have produced many fireworks whether they won or lost.
Picture is unrelated. Do your worst, Nation. (PicProps: MMTKO)
After a long absence, we decided to solicit questions from our readers to find out what was on your minds, so that we may enlighten and amuse you in an engaging way. Also to keep you jerks occupied, because you get all crazy when you’re bored and that’s why we can’t have nice things.
As always, you can submit questions in the CagePotato Forums (which actually exist behind that button up top labeled “Forums”), or you can submit your queries via email to [email protected]. If The Great And Powerful Potato deigns to answer your question, you agree to buy us beers at the next meet and greet. Those are the rules.
Let’s get to it.
[The All Knowing Potato]
Picture is unrelated. Do your worst, Nation. (PicProps: MMTKO)
After a long absence, we decided to solicit questions from our readers to find out what was on your minds, so that we may enlighten and amuse you in an engaging way. Also to keep you jerks occupied, because you get all crazy when you’re bored and that’s why we can’t have nice things.
As always, you can submit questions in the CagePotato Forums (which actually exist behind that button up top labeled “Forums”), or you can submit your queries via email to [email protected]. If The Great And Powerful Potato deigns to answer your question, you agree to buy us beers at the next meet and greet. Those are the rules.
Let’s get to it.
[The All Knowing Potato]
A quick two-parter here for you:
Do you not realize that Wanderlei is a fan-favorite fighter who once seemed almost unbeatable? Have you not considered the fact that current fighters might think that Wandy is past his prime, has lost his aura, and is, therefore, the most vulnerable opponent that can skyrocket their own career?
Edit: Let’s make it a three-parter. Who should they be calling out?
Dear Potato,
As we all know, eating horses gives you super-strength, but horses are very expensive and hard to catch. What animal can the average Joe like me catch and eat for similar results?
-El Famous Burrito
If this is research for a new special ingredient, Burrito, do not tell us.
According to a registered dietitian we’ve been seeing, mind where your protein comes from only in regards to its fat content. Leaner (poultry) and healthier (fish) meats are preferable. Horse meat is leaner, along with game meats like bison, buffalo, and moose.
For things you can actually catch, may we suggest eggs?
-The Mighty Potato
PS: Steroids.
Do you see the UFC buying out Bellator anytime soon??
Also, what current BFC fighters do you think would perform the best in the UFC?
-rokabee
To hear Bjorn Rebney tell it, Bellator ain’t for sale, and we tend to believe him. MTV2 has seen an increase in viewership in its first season broadcasting the promotion, and it will likely continue to increase this fall when season five starts. After suffering through lean times, it looks like Bellator could start raking in a little dough.
Rather than acquire them, we kind of wonder if Zuffa won’t attempt to counterprogram Bellator to death, perhaps with the Strikeforce brand. Zuffa could conceivably deliver a weekly SF broadcast on Spike or one of the networks, providing a farm league for the UFC while directly attacking what is, in effect, their only competition. If Bellator went under, Zuffa could then pick up their video library and contracts for peanuts.
In our opinion, the first contracts they would be interested in would be Bellator’s current champs, particularly Eddie Alvarez and Hector Lombard. You may remember that we mentioned both of those guys when we talked about our top fives. Alvarez is prehaps the most likely to make a dent in the rankings, while adding Lombard would at least give the 185ers someone else to call out.
-The Sage Potato
What ever happened to the Reem answering our questions we posted on the front page? Liars! -Nicer
First of all, Nicer, The Potato does not appreciate your tone.
When we asked if any of you had a question for Ubereem, we don’t know what the hell we were thinking. Some of you bastards are downright creepy. Still, we picked out a nice selection, and we slipped the list to a guy we met who says he was headed to Amsterdam for a “spiritual journey”. We assume he was headed there to train with Golden Glory, so he should be able to find Overeem no problem, right?
Connection issues aside, we expect answers back after this weekend, so stay tuned.
Sure, we know that Wanderlei Silva is a high level BJJ black belt, but his last submission win was a decade ago. When Wandy tapped out Bob Schrijber in the opening round of the 2000 Pride Grand Prix with an RNC, Jon Jones was snitching on playground kids for doling out Pixy Stix, and Rory MacDonald was still watching SpongeBob.
Actually, some of us are still watching SpongeBob, so perhaps that wasn’t a great illustration. Whatever.
Point is, Wanderlei’s submission game is talked about, but you never expect to see him wrap someone up in his guard. It’s sort of like being told that Paris Hilton has a sister who is both intelligent and uninterested in chasing fame. You could believe it, but you really want to see some proof to make sure.
Anywho, check out this video of everyone’s favorite fighter and some other dude practicing some arcane martial art known as “Brazilian Jui Jitsu” in what appear to be pajamas.
[RX]
Sure, we know that Wanderlei Silva is a high level BJJ black belt, but his last submission win was a decade ago. When Wandy tapped out Bob Schrijber in the opening round of the 2000 Pride Grand Prix with an RNC, Jon Jones was snitching on playground kids for doling out Pixy Stix, and Rory MacDonald was still watching SpongeBob.
Actually, some of us are still watching SpongeBob, so perhaps that wasn’t a great illustration. Whatever.
Point is, Wanderlei’s submission game is talked about, but you never expect to see him wrap someone up in his guard. It’s sort of like being told that Paris Hilton has a sister who is both intelligent and uninterested in chasing fame. You could believe it, but you really want to see some proof to make sure.
Anywho, check out this video of everyone’s favorite fighter and some other dude practicing some arcane martial art known as “Brazilian Jui Jitsu” in what appear to be pajamas.
UFC 132 is a stacked card with many potentially exciting fights, but there is one bout fans are excpecting to steal the show: Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva vs Chris “The Crippler” Leben.
Could 