Ex-NFL star Greg Hardy has decided to make the career switch from the gridiron to the Octagon, as the 28-year-old has been training at American Top Team (ATT) and sleeping at the facility as well. Hardy has been training closely alongside former WEC bantamweight champ Mike Brown, the man who defeated Urijah Faber twice over the
Ex-NFL star Greg Hardy has decided to make the career switch from the gridiron to the Octagon, as the 28-year-old has been training at American Top Team (ATT) and sleeping at the facility as well.
Hardy has been training closely alongside former WEC bantamweight champ Mike Brown, the man who defeated Urijah Faber twice over the course of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career. Brown recently spoke to TMZ to discuss Hardy’s extensive training, and has been staying in the ATT dorms that are provided at the facility:
“He’s staying in the dorms we have upstairs. It’s for guys who are really in intensive training.”
As far as the former Carolina Panthers star’s desire for training, Brown says that Hardy is training in all aspects of MMA to improve his overall game, training with Olympic wrestling coach Steve Mocco:
“He seems to have the drive and desire,” Brown said. “He took boxing last night, jiu-jitsu today. He was training with Steve Mocco, our wrestling coach, who was in the Olympics.”
Hardy has only made the jump to MMA training this year and has yet to take a fight, but Brown expects a 2017 professional debut for Hardy’s fight career. UFC President Dana White has stated that he is open to signing Hardy, but only after he gets some experience inside the cage first.
White toyed with the idea of bringing in former athletes who don’t posses any fighting background, as former WWE champ CM Punk took on Mickey Gall at UFC 203 but suffered a first round TKO loss.
We’ll keep you updated on Hardy’s MMA future, as well as any announcement on the former defensive end’s first pro fight.
(Henderson and Cerrone clash for the first time at WEC 43. Photo via Getty.)
Throwback Thursday is a new recurring column that pays tribute to the stars of an upcoming UFC event by taking a look back at some of their earliest defining moments. For our second edition, we focus on Ben Henderson’s last fight to end in a finish ahead of his Fight Night 42 main event clash with Rustam Khabilov this weekend.
Contrary to what he might tell you, former lightweight champion Ben Henderson does not actually finish fights. At least, not since making the leap from the WEC to the UFC back in April of 2010. Prior to his 9 fight, 8 decision run in the UFC, however, Henderson was a finishing machine, picking up submission victories over the likes of Jamie Varner and Anthony Njokuani and even a quick TKO over Shane Roller while making his name under the WEC banner.
This might be hard to believe, but back at WEC 43, Henderson actually captured the promotion’s interim lightweight championship via a controversial unanimous decision over Cerrone (pictured above) that both fans and many media members felt should have gone the other way. I know right? Crazy times, those were.
Anyway, Cerrone would score a third round rear-naked choke over Ed Ratcliff in his rebound fight at WEC 45, and Henderson would unify the belts with a third round sub of his own over Jamie Varner at WEC 46, thusly setting up the epic rematch that fans had been begging for at WEC 48. You hear that, Jon Jones? THAT IS HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
Join us as we look back at Henderson vs. Cerrone 2, complete with a full fight video, after the jump.
(Henderson and Cerrone clash for the first time at WEC 43. Photo via Getty.)
Throwback Thursday is a new recurring column that pays tribute to the stars of an upcoming UFC event by taking a look back at some of their earliest defining moments. For our second edition, we focus on Ben Henderson’s last fight to end in a finish ahead of his Fight Night 42 main event clash with Rustam Khabilov this weekend.
Contrary to what he might tell you, former lightweight champion Ben Henderson does not actually finish fights. At least, not since making the leap from the WEC to the UFC back in April of 2010. Prior to his 9 fight, 8 decision run in the UFC, however, Henderson was a finishing machine, picking up submission victories over the likes of Jamie Varner and Anthony Njokuani and even a quick TKO over Shane Roller while making his name under the WEC banner.
This might be hard to believe, but back at WEC 43, Henderson actually captured the promotion’s interim lightweight championship via a controversial unanimous decision over Cerrone (pictured above) that both fans and many media members felt should have gone the other way. I know right? Crazy times, those were.
Anyway, Cerrone would score a third round rear-naked choke over Ed Ratcliff in his rebound fight at WEC 45, and Henderson would unify the belts with a third round sub of his own over Varner at WEC 46, thusly setting up the epic rematch that fans had been begging for at WEC 48. You hear that, Jon Jones? THAT IS HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
But for every Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua II, there is at least one Silva vs. Sonnen II — a decent, if underwhelming rematch that leaves many fans ultimately disappointed with the outcome. That’s the thing about expectations; they require a delicate sense of restraint when it comes to MMA fights, television shows, or truly anything capable of generating hype in a culture obsessed with round-the-clock coverage of even the most mundane story. It’s why many people were let down by the ending of True Detective, and why many MMA fans were actually disappointed to see Henderson submit Cerrone (who had never been submitted prior and has not since) with a guillotine inside of two minutes.
Yet that’s what happened. After a brief exchange on the feet that was more a feeling out process than anything else, Bendo shot on a single leg takedown that was immediately stuffed by “Cowboy.” Henderson was able to use the momentum to push his opponent against the fence, however, where he landed a series of knees to the legs and torso of Cerrone before eventually securing the takedown.
An admittedly slow starter, Cerrone found himself on his back and in Henderson’s half guard, eating a steady diet of punches and elbows that forced him to scramble to his feet. It was in this scramble that Henderson would lock onto a no-arm guillotine and quickly force the tap. If everyone on Team Alpha Male hadn’t already proved it, Henderson’s victory showed fans that incredibly powerful grapplers who appear to be made of marble perhaps pack the best guillotine chokes of them all.
“That was way quicker than anyone expected,” said Joe Rogan from ringside, echoing the feelings of any MMA fan who was familiar with Donald Cerrone. And a somewhat anti-climactic finish it may have been, but when compared to Henderson’s current run of split and unanimous decisions, it’s probably something that fans wouldn’t mind seeing more of from “Smooth.”
Following his win over Cerrone, Henderson would meet rising contender Anthony Pettis at the final WEC event, WEC 53, with the belt on the line. I think we all know how that ended.
The temporary setback at the hands of Pettis would be just that for Henderson. “Smooth” would make his official UFC debut at UFC 129 in April of 2011, scoring a dominant decision over Canadian grappler Mark Bocek. Similarly impressive wins over Jim Miller and Clay Guida would follow before Henderson would receive his shot against champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 144. In a Fight of the Night-earning effort, Henderson would emerge victorious, setting up an immediate rematch against Edgar at UFC 150 that he would also win by an even closer split decision.
It wasn’t until Henderson faced Pettis for a second time at UFC 164 that his reign of decisions was snapped via a first round armbar loss. A tough pill to swallow for the former champ, Henderson would nonetheless bounce back in his next appearance, earning a split decision over Josh Thomson at UFC on FOX 10.
While Henderson’s current streak of decisions can at least partially be attributed to the level of competition he’s been facing in the UFC — Josh Thomson, Gil Melendez, and Frankie Edgar hold just one loss via stoppage between them, after all — it would be hard to deny that Henderson has seemingly lacked the aggressive instinct that made him a WEC champion in recent years. Scheduled to face suplex savant Rustam Khabilov at Fight Night 42 this weekend, Henderson will need a stronger than usual performance if he is to ever be mentioned in the title picture while Pettis is still champion. Let’s hope he’s up to the task.
Jose Aldo has reigned as the featherweight king since winning the World Extreme Cagefighting title in 2009. When Zuffa, LLC, absorbed the mixed martial arts organization in 2011, Aldo was brought into the UFC as the company’s inaugural 145-pound …
Jose Aldo has reigned as the featherweight king since winning the World Extreme Cagefighting title in 2009. When Zuffa, LLC, absorbed the mixed martial arts organization in 2011, Aldo was brought into the UFC as the company’s inaugural 145-pound champion.
However, irrespective of his long win streak and highlight-reel knockouts, Aldo lacks the star power of other champions. At this point, becoming a bigger commodity in the UFC appears to include facing the winner of the lightweight title matchup between Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez, with the intention of becoming champion of two greatly talented divisions.
Since his debut as champion at UFC 129, Aldo has remained undefeated within the UFC and has defended the featherweight title six times. At 24-1, the Brazilian phenom holds the organization’s No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound spot. Aldo is on a 17-fight win streak and sports 14 devastating knockouts to his credit.
Nevertheless, with regard to popularity (determined by those who pay to witness him fight), the last three bouts in which Aldo participated in either the main or the co-main event garnered only 730,000 pay-per-view buys in all. In contrast, the last three fights that starred Cain Velasquez, Jon Jones (the three preceding UFC 172) and Ronda Rousey produced 1.3 million, 1.31 million and 1.81 million pay-per-view buys in total, respectively.
If Aldo successfully advocates for a fight between him and the lightweight division’s reigning champion in Pettis, this matchup of champion vs. champion would more than likely exceed any pay-per-view in which Aldo has been previously involved and ensure the elevation of his star power.
Pettis mentioned this super bout immediately after winning the lightweight title at UFC 164 in August 2013. In an interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan, he stated, “Jose Aldo, we got unfinished business. My belt or your belt?”
Aldo mirrored Pettis’ interest in a bout between the two in a title matchup following his victory over Ricardo Lamas at UFC 169. Excited about the fight, according to Mike Whitman of Sherdog.com, UFC president Dana White soon thereafter stated:
Sounds like we’ve got a fight. I’ve been talking about that fight. I like Jose at 155 [pounds]. The weight cut is much easier for him. But again, he’s the king at 145. If he wants to move to 155, I think it’s a huge fight with Pettis.
However, Pettis injured both knees in 2013, and with the lightweight champion’s long recovery time, the matchup of champion vs. champion was placed on hold. Then, the two became occupied with other contenders.
Now, Pettis will coach opposite the former Strikeforce lightweight champion in Melendez on The Ultimate Fighter 20, and the two will face off later this year with the 155-pound title on the line. Aldo will face Chad Mendes in his seventh UFC title defense at UFC 176 on August 2.
Assuming he successfully defends his championship belt against Mendes, Aldo will be presented with the grand opportunity of holding two separate divisional belts simultaneously—a feat that has never been achieved in the UFC.
Only Randy Couture and B.J. Penn have seized two divisional UFC belts, only not at the same time. With a win in his next title defense, challenging the lightweight champion in Pettis or Melendez would place Aldo in a category all by himself and solidify him as one of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time.
Anthony Pettis‘ call out of Jose Aldo at UFC 164 (2:35):
(Just off camera, Guy Fieri could be heard describing these ribs as “A 1-2 punch to the taste buds from the heavyweight champion of Flavortown. Zabadoo!”)
A 50+ fight veteran of the game since 2002 who has fought under the IFL, WEC, KOTC, and UFC banners, Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski announced his retirement from MMA on Twitter earlier this week, stating:
It’s about that time! Want to thank @VFDMarketing @ufc @teamcurranmma @SuckerPunchEnt all my fans but I’m officially hanging it up!
Although he was released from the UFC last May following a three fight skid, Palaszewski steps away from the sport with an impressive 36-17 record and wins over the likes of Tyson Griffin, Ivan Menjivar, and most notably, current lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Additionally, Palaszewski was a two-time “Of the Night” winner in his brief UFC stint, scoring a KOTN over Griffin at UFC 137 and putting in a FOTN-worthy performance against Diego Nunes at UFC on FOX 10.
But perhaps the most significant thing we can take away from Palaszewski’s career was his absolute fearlessness in the cage. This is a man who was in some absolute wars, people (his battle with Ryan Shultz at the 2006 IFL championships comes to mind), yet never backed down from a fight and always looked for the finish.
We would like to thank “Bartimus” for his devotion to putting on a show in the cage as well as wish him the best of luck wherever the road takes him. Join us after the jump for a look back at some of Palaszewski’s finest moments.
(Just off camera, Guy Fieri could be heard describing these ribs as “A 1-2 punch to the taste buds from the heavyweight champion of Flavortown. Zabadoo!”)
A 50+ fight veteran of the game since 2002 who has fought under the IFL, WEC, KOTC, and UFC banners, Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski announced his retirement from MMA on Twitter earlier this week, stating:
It’s about that time! Want to thank @VFDMarketing @ufc @teamcurranmma @SuckerPunchEnt all my fans but I’m officially hanging it up!
Although he was released from the UFC last May following a three fight skid, Palaszewski steps away from the sport with an impressive 36-17 record and wins over the likes of Tyson Griffin, Ivan Menjivar, and most notably, current lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Additionally, Palaszewski was a two-time “Of the Night” winner in his brief UFC stint, scoring a KOTN over Griffin at UFC 137 and putting in a FOTN-worthy performance against Diego Nunes at UFC on FOX 10.
But perhaps the most significant thing we can take away from Palaszewski’s career was his absolute fearlessness in the cage. This is a man who was in some absolute wars, people (his battle with Ryan Shultz at the 2006 IFL championships comes to mind), yet never backed down from a fight and always looked for the finish.
We would like to thank “Bartimus” for his devotion to putting on a show in the cage as well as wish him the best of luck wherever the road takes him. Join us after the jump for a look back at some of Palaszewski’s finest moments.
Nearly three years have passed since the final event in World Extreme Cagefighting came and went.
WEC 53 featured electric fights, including Benson Henderson vs. Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, and sent the promotion out on as high a note as possible….
Nearly three years have passed since the final event in World Extreme Cagefighting came and went.
WEC 53 featured electric fights, including Benson Henderson vs. Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, and sent the promotion out on as high a note as possible. Then again, every WEC event seemed to deliver a level of exhilaration and intrigue not found elsewhere (or at least not found so consistently).
Nearly three years since the UFC absorbed the WEC and its roster, we look back on the fights that defined the promotion. But since one fight would not suffice in summing up the WEC’s terrific run, we picked nine.
Here are the nine best fights in the history of the WEC.
