MMA-URLS

Mike Thomas Brown may be nearing the end of his career, but the former WEC featherweight champion may also have another title run left in him.

Posted in: champion, end, retirement, mike, wec

Read the full article at Sherdog

Donald Cerrone is a simple guy. He likes to fight, and he likes to get paid. And he just so happens to be very good at both. In fact, these days Cowboy is a regular patron to the Zuffa Bonus Express, having cruised to extra '(Blank) of the Night' checks in four of his five UFC appearances. So with a résumé like that, it shouldn't surprise that ahead of his UFC on FUEL 3 clash against Jeremy Stephens, Cerrone's focus is on making it five out of six. "You name it, the post-fight bonuses, I'm going for it," Cerrone declared through his informal drawl. "I've got s**t to buy. I'm thinking (of getting) 10 or 12 girls to come out on a pontoon boat." For Cerrone, this mindset is nothing new. Any MMA fan worth their salt remembers the brash, young lightweight jumpstarting his aspirations with five ‘Fight of the Night' marks in the WEC. Back then excitement was the hallmark of the fledging World Extreme Cagefighting promotion, and between names like Cerrone, Ben Henderson, and Anthony Pettis, fans always knew what they were getting with the bright blue gloves. "You'd never go to a WEC event that was boring or lame," Cerrone thickly asserted. "All the WEC guys were throwing down, making interesting fights. Sometimes in the UFC, you'd be like ‘come on you fat bastard, do something.'" Cerrone has a decent point. Looking back through the history of mixed martial arts, the WEC held one of the highest good-fight-to-bad-fight ratios out there. Though the blue cage never carried the brand recognition of its Zuffa counterpart, so it became commonplace for WEC fighters to see their names tumble down the lightweight rankings without provocation. Obviously, considering the current state of the 155-pound division, that fact becomes somewhat ironic in retrospect. But like many of his contemporaries, Cerrone harnessed the slights as motivation to fuel his UFC barnstorming tour. "I knew the whole time," he chuckled. "We were the top of the WEC guys, and everyone said that we weren't s**t. We were the little brothers of the UFC. And now look. We're here, making a statement, so it feels good to be a part of that." With the exception of Henderson, no one's statement has been as loud as Cerrone's. From February to October, Cowboy bulldozed his way through a wildly entertaining run of four-straight victories -- three of which came as a short-notice replacement -- to kick off his UFC career with miles of highlight-reel material and a stack of bonus paper so thick it would make Chris Lytle blush. Suddenly whispers of a UFC title shot were reaching Cerrone's ear, and a coveted co-main event slot on a Brock Lesnar pay-per-view was his for the taking. But the fight game is an unpredictable one, and no one, least of all Cerrone, could have imagined the ferocity with which Nate Diaz showed up at UFC 141, or how quickly and decisively ten months of work could come crashing down. "Man, I haven't even watched that fight," Cerrone bitterly recollected. "I'm so disgusted with myself about that performance and what went on. "It was definitely an off night, and he got in my head. He did exactly what he had to do. I came out and was f***ed from the beginning." For what it's worth, Cerrone's upcoming opponent, Stephens, pretty much agreed with that depiction, saying Cowboy mentally "broke" during the third round, and "gave up and took his ass-whooping." Those are strong words, and after suffering such a back-to-earth loss, Cerrone is in no mood to start hearing other fighters question his toughness. "Last year it was my rookie year in the UFC, s*** was coming at me so fast," Cerrone admitted wryly. "Talk of the title in one year was big, big news to me. So I've stepped back, reconsidered, and now it's time to make some money. 2012 is the year. I feel great. I'm going to f***ing take some names, beat some ass and get that belt." Of course, it all starts on Tuesday night with Stephens. Only after that fight is in the books, and a bonus check is nestled safely in his pocket, will Cerrone turn his sights to his new target -- Diaz. He may never be able to erase the memory of that cold December night, but with Diaz cresting into the upper-echelon of the division, Cerrone knows deep down there'll be a day the two men meet again. And to that, Cowboy has just one thing to say. "Don't be scared, homie."

Posted in: ufc, fight, night, wec, cerrone

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner will replace an injured Evan Dunham and fight Edson Barboza at UFC 146.

Posted in: ufc, varner, wec, evan dunham, edson

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Two of the most exciting veteran bantamweights in the UFC will collide this Saturday afternoon (April 14, 2012) as British bomber Brad Pickett takes on "The Angel of Death" Damacio Page in the opening bout of the UFC on Fuel TV 2 main card in Stockholm, Sweden. Pickett has performed admirably against some of the best talents on the UFC roster throughout his career. He came up short in a thrilling one round fight against current top contender Renan Barao in his UFC debut last fall and he's hoping to turn things around this weekend. Page has long been one of the most dangerous heavy-hitters in the bantamweight division. Despite fighting at 135 pounds, there's always a chance that he'll be putting someone to sleep in his fights. He also was defeated in his UFC debut against former champion Brian Bowles and now that he's finally healthy, he too is hoping to restore some of his former glory. Will "One-Punch" be able to put Page's lights out? Can "The Angel of Death" put an end to Pickett's run at the top of the division? Which bantamweight will reign supreme this Saturday night? Let's find out: Brad Pickett Record: 20-6 overall, 0-1 in the UFC Key Wins: Demetrious Johnson (WEC 48), Ivan Menjivar (WEC 53), Vaughan Lee (Cage Rage 6) Key Losses: Renan Barao (UFC 138), Scott Jorgensen (WEC 50) How he got here: Originally transitioning into MMA from boxing, Brad Pickett cut his teeth in the UK's Cage Rage promotion, winning and defending the featherweight title in his first six professional bouts. After five full years of fighting which resulted in an impressive 18-3 record, "One Punch" would earn an invite to the WEC. He would make a tremendous splash in his promotional debut, winning via Peruvian necktie against Kyle Dietz in one of 2009's finest submissions which also took home a "Submission of the Night" bonus. He would next appear on the main card of WEC 48, the promotion's first and only pay-per-view against newcomer Demetrious Johnson. Pickett defeated Johnson in a strong showing, handing "Mighty Mouse" his first career loss. He would go on to suffer his first and only loss in the WEC against Scott Jorgensen in another thrilling bout that saw him take home yet another bonus. Lastly, Pickett battled veteran Ivan Menjivar on the preliminary card of WEC 53 in one of the year's most exciting bouts in a back and forth battle. The top British bantamweight suffered a back injury and didn't make his UFC debut for nearly 10 months, but when he did, he had a blistering battle with elite prospect Renan Barao but was defeated via first round submission. He'll be trying to get back on track against the battle-tested Damacio Page. How he gets it done: Pickett has a nice striking background, which should keep him safe in the stand-up portion, but he needs to work that terrific ground game of his, you know, the game that has resulted in a total of nine submission victories on his end.. Page has had trouble if he gets outgrappled by opponents and he tends to leave openings if taken down when he tries to scramble to his feet. He's especially had trouble with the guillotine choke so Pickett should be on the lookout to latch something on and squeeze for dear life. While Pickett is more than competent in the stand-up realm, he's needs to resist the urge to brawl if Page comes forward aggressively and swinging heavy. Yes, he loves his boxing and desperately wants to score his first knockout or TKO in over three and a half years, but he needs to play to his technical strengths. He got caught against Barao because he was swinging for the fences. He needs to fight a bit more composed this time around. Damacio Page Record: 12-6 overall, 0-1 in the UFC Key Wins: Scott Jorgensen (WEC 32), Marcos Galvao (WEC 39), Will Campuzano (WEC 43), Key Losses: Brian Bowles 2x (UFC on Versus 4, WEC 35), Demetrious Johnson (WEC 52) How he got here: Damacio Page has spent his whole life in the Albuquerque, New Mexico region, so it's no big surprise that he gravitated to Greg Jackson's gym before too long. "The Angel of Death" was a terrific talent in mixed martial arts, but multiple personal issues prevented him from achieving the elite levels of success he desired. After winning four straight bouts, he was given an opportunity to compete in the WEC when they sent an event to Albuquerque and he scored the most impressive victory of his career with a unanimous decision against Scott Jorgensen. Page would go 2-2 in his next two WEC fights, losing twice via guillotine choke to Brian Bowles and Demetrious Johnson while sandwiching in two knockout victories in between. He was plagued by a host of injuries before he finally made his UFC debut in 2011, but again was stopped by Bowles in a rematch. With this upcoming fight against Pickett, he may very well be battling for his UFC career. How he gets it done: Page needs to do whatever it takes to avoid the ground game. He's got respectable wrestling skills and he needs to use them defensively to keep this fight standing where he can brawl with Pickett and force exchanges in the stand-up portion. If he can get the crowd going because the fight is exciting, he could definitely get into Pickett's head and force "One Punch" to stand and trade with him to keep the crowd cheering. Page has a very intense stalking style, similar in the stand-up to main eventer Thiago Silva. He loves to push forward, looking to land that heavy shot and if he can force Pickett to stand and bang, he might very well get that opportunity. Fight X-Factor: The X-Factor for this fight is all the wear and tear and the injuries that both of these bantamweights have suffered over the past few years. Page is recovering from a serious vertebrae fusion surgery while Pickett has been dealing with back problems and at 33 years old, is approaching an inflection point of the 135 pound division. How healthy each man is heading into this fight could very well be the defining factor in who wins it. Both can pack a punch and are exciting. Whoever still has that spring in their step has a major probability of pulling this one out. Bottom Line: Damacio Page and Brad Pickett hands down do not have boring fights. They have a high ratio of either "Fight of the Night" awards or finishes when they perform whether it was in the WEC or the UFC and they've more than held their own against the elites of the division. This is a very strong match-up considering it's the opening bout of the main card. You should be in for a treat from both combatants. Who will come out on top at UFC on Fuel TV 2? Tell us your predictions in the comments below!

Posted in: ufc, fight, wec, page, pickett

Read the full article at MMA Mania

You ever look at a fight booking and think "I'm sure these guys have fought before, but I guess they haven't"? That's what this UFC on FX 3 fight looked like to me. Despite both guys spending years in the WEC, they've never actually met in the cage. They will now though, on June 8th. UFC.com gives it to you, bantamweight style: They've fought in the same division for years and now two perennial bantamweight contenders will finally cross paths, as Eddie Wineland and Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen have verbally agreed to fight at the June 8 UFC on FX event. Wineland (17-8-1) was the first WEC bantamweight champion and fought a total of seven times in the WEC, going 5-2. His UFC tenure hasn't gone as well, dropping decisions to both Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez in 2011. His tough UFC schedule continues with a bout against Jorgensen (13-5), a 10-time WEC veteran who lost his only chance at the 135 title at the final WEC event. He rebounded by winning his first two UFC fights, but dropped a decision to Renan Barao at UFC 143 in his last bout. It's unclear if the bout will be on the UFC on FX 3 main card at this point, but it should be. SBN coverage of UFC on FX 3

Posted in: ufc, fight, fx, ufc fights, wec

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

After his loss to Raphael Assuncao at WEC 52, L.C. Davis spent more than a year away from live competition in the mixed martial arts arena, only recently returning to action in February.

Posted in: wec, davi, lc, raphael assuncao, arts arena

Read the full article at Sherdog

Two former WEC bantamweights are set to square off in the UFC Octagon, as Eddie Wineland and Scott Jorgensen have been added to the main card of UFC on FX 3 on June 8th. The event, which has a set date, but does not have a set city or venue, will have its location selected by fans in the Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown. Wineland (18-8-1), the first ever WEC bantamweight champion, will look to rebound from two consecutive losses to start his UFC career. Prior to the back-to-back losses, Wineland was riding a four fight win-streak, which included wins over George Roop and Ken Stone. This will be his first fight in nearly a year, with Wineland having last fought in August at UFC on Versus: “Hardy vs. Lytle”. Wineland lost to former bantamweight-turned-flyweight Joseph Benavidez by unanimous decision. On the other side of the cage will be Scott Jorgensen (13-5). “Young Guns” started off 2-0 in the UFC, but lost his last matchup, a unanimous decision to Renan Barao at UFC 143 in February. The Idaho native fought for the WEC bantamweight title at WEC 53 in December 2010, losing to Dominick Cruz. Having never lost two consecutive fights, Jorgensen will look to continue that pattern against Wineland. UFC on FX 3 will feature the rematch between Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson in the first round of the UFC flyweight tournament. The event will take place on June 8th at a soon to be named city and venue. For complete coverage of UFC on FX 3, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, fx, wec, jorgensen, wineland

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

COMMERCE, Calif - Chad George picked up his third consecutive win since his release from the WEC in late 2010, and he wants back to the big show in a big way. But when he returns, he said he's going to have a much different outlook. Instead of asking himself whether he's at an opponent's level, he'll ask whether they're at his. "I'm taking one person at time to prove that they are not," George told MMAjunkie.com.

Posted in: release, wec, george, chad, he

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

It's a funny thing, second chances. Some of us get them, some of us don't. Ian McCall got do-overs in both his personal and professional lives. The second one wouldn't have been possible without the first. For a while, all of his talent was in danger of going wasted, another kid who couldn't resist the temptations of drugs.For a time, even a burgeoning career did nothing to slow down his descent. If anything, it sped it up. McCall told MMA Fighting that he was deep into drugs even as he progressed into the WEC, and would stop using for one week prior to an event to make sure he could pass a drug test. Aside from that, life was a constant party."Honestly, that’s when it got worse, was when I was in WEC," he said. "I thought I was a rock star. I was just completely abusing myself. I would clean up for the fight and then go right back to it." So how did he get from WEC bantamweight flameout to UFC flyweight contender? Do second chances have any rhyme or reason? One day McCall simply woke up more mature, more focused. Part of it had to do with the threat of losing not his life, but his freedom. After an arrest, he faced 3-5 years in jail, but was fortunate enough to receive a deal that allowed him to go to drug rehabilitation instead. Part of it had to do with his family. When he found out his then-girlfriend, now-wife Shay was pregnant, everything seemed to change. "I've got so many reasons not to screw up now," he said. "My family, my wife, my daughter, my career. They're things I'm not going to squander again."And make no mistake about it, he came dangerously close to squandering everything.One time, McCall ended a period of sobriety with a binge of oxycontin and xanax and GHB and pot, overdosed and woke up two days later in a hospital. At the time, he was already a professional fighter, and not a smalltime one, either. By then, he'd already fought three times in the WEC, once losing a decision to future bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.His descent started with his own steps towards some dark sides of life. He says that he didn't come from a bad home, that it was nothing more complicated than a misjudgment of the situation before him."I just walked my way up to them," he said of how he got caught up in the drug lifestyle. "It looked like fun. It seemed like something I would be into. I guess I was hanging out with the wrong people. It's no one else’s fault but my own. I just tried it and liked it, and it went from there."The dark days were standard for the story: jail, rehab and hospitals, as his life spun away from him and his potential faded away. Nothing could stop him, not even a promising career. If MMA is indeed a lifestyle as many claim, at least for a while, it couldn't compare to the drug lifestyle. Yet part of him wanted out, and in quitting to avoid a possible prison term, he effectively traded one addiction for another, channeling his energy into his fight career. His first big step back came in February 2011 when he faced Jussier da Silva, who was then considered by many to be the world's top flyweight. The fight marked McCall's debut in the weight class, and many who had heard about his recent troubles expected it would not go well. Even now, the 27-year-old McCall believes that the fight organization that promoted the event -- Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) -- brought him in to lose. "I was a guy who fought in WEC, and they thought he could walk all over me," he said. "But in the gym, I was a different person, so I knew I had a chance to beat him, a fighter with a lot of recognition. I wasn't going to pass that up. That was the most important fight of my career so far, as far my comeback."The victory put McCall on the UFC's radar as a flyweight to watch as they prepared to launch their division. Following two more wins in TPF, McCall got a tweet from UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby asking for a phone number, the start of a dialogue that led to McCall signing with the promotion.In his UFC on FOX 2 bout on Friday, McCall will face Demetrious Johnson, a former top contender at 135 who decided to move down a weight class. That will be one semifinal as part of a four-man tournament field to crown a 125-pound champ (the other pits Joseph Benavidez against Yasuhiro Urushitani). That essentially means that the former WEC washout can become a UFC champion within two fights, a shocking turn of events that somehow perfectly coincides with the rest of his life. McCall voiced respect for Johnson's talents, noting in particular his great stamina and effective wrestling and striking games. But in the end, he says, he's going to prove that he's better at everything, and that if worse comes to worse, he'll outmuscle him. He'll outwork him. Just like he did in life, he'll find some way to overcome."I always wanted a way out," he said of his old life. "A piece of me was always trying, trying, trying, and finally I was able to do it. If you have the right motivation and mind set, you can do anything. Everything's fallen into place. My wife and my daughter are motivation. I'm not going to fall back into a hole. I can't let them down. They're my world."

Posted in: ufc, fight, life, wec, mccall

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Yesterday, I broke down how Ben Henderson's UFC Lightweight title win at UFC 144 was not just a victory for Henderson, but for the entire WEC. Along with Carlos Condit, Henderson proved that the former WEC champions are indeed among the sport's elite, and in my opinion, much of the credit for their successes goes to their WEC tenures. But now with WEC gone, are the UFC missing an opportunity to build future champions? They may be, but the answer to solving that problem is already in front of them. This weekend, the now Zuffa owned Strikeforce returns with an event headlined by Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey. Since the Zuffa buyout last year, there has been much discussion over how Strikeforce should be used. To me, the answer is clear, especially after UFC 144. Strikeforce should become the new WEC. This is already the general direction Zuffa seems to be heading, but there are a few steps they need to follow to best emulate the WEC model: Keep the company separate. By folding the WEC, the UFC gained some valuable new names and divisions, but it also lost a development system. Let Strikeforce stay alive in that role as long as it is economically viable. Focus on only the divisions that can deliver. It was a good choice to abandon the Heavyweight division, as the talent is just not there for a rich UFC and Strikeforce division. I also vote to do away with Welterweight, which also lacks a full talent pool. Focus instead on Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, and Lightweight - 3 divisions where Strikeforce has nice depth. Lock the roster down. No more switching champs over to the UFC - decide who stays, and keep them there. Keep Women's MMA alive - for now. In the WEC, there were the Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions that were unique. Both divisions eventually flourished, and are now a good asset to the UFC. In Strikeforce, women's MMA can play that same role. Keep it alive, let it develop. If it takes off to the degree that it can be a part of the UFC, bring it in. If it doesn't, let it go. Focus on new prospects, not old veterans. No more Keith Jardine or Robbie Lawler. Both are talented, but they won't be in the UFC again, so why bother? Use your resources to build up possible future UFC contenders and champions. And they have plenty of those - Tim Kennedy, Luke Rockhold, Jacare, Ovince St. Preux... these are the men to build up. With these plans in place, Strikeforce can become a great tool for the UFC. Like the WEC before it, Strikeforce can give younger fighters a chance to test themselves against fighters at their same level while gaining valuable experience dealing with the added pressure of television, PPV, title fights, and so much more. On the one hand, it looks like this is the direction that Zuffa is headed, which gives me hope. On the other, if you visit Strikeforce's website today, less than one week before their next show, you see a shocking lack of content, which does not bode well for Zuffa's commitment to the company. If the do indeed shut Strikeforce down, they will gain more fighters to the UFC roster, which is a good short term positive. But in the long-run, a developmental league can be a valuable tool, and it's one the UFC should continue to use.

Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, division, wec, zuffa

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

At UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson, Ben Henderson pulled off a tremendous win, defeating Frankie Edgar in a close decision to become the new UFC Lightweight champion. Post-fight, rumors swirled that his next defense would be a rematch against Anthony Pettis. Earlier this month, at UFC 143, Carlos Condit had a similar close win over Nick Diaz to claim the Interim UFC Welterweight title. When you look at this collection of names, 3 letters stand out: WEC. With Henderson's win, of the 7 active UFC champions, 4 are former WEC champs. And later this year, Chael Sonnen (who should be considered the final WEC Middleweight champion) will look to make it 5 of 7 when he rematches Anderson Silva. This abundance of WEC champions wearing UFC gold is no surprise in the lighter Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions, but the wins from Henderson and Condit come as something of a shock. During its tenure, the common perception of the WEC was always that the divisions above Featherweight were entertaining, but ultimately irrelevant - a place where fun fighters who were not good enough to hang in the UFC would go. Condit and Henderson have effectively flipped that perception, validating the higher WEC weight classes. What's more, I would argue that their UFC success comes exactly because of their WEC runs. In the WEC, these champions had a chance to develop in a system outside of the UFC. They gained TV experience, felt the pressure of title fights, and trained for 5 round battles. But they did so not against the absolute elite that exist in the UFC championship scene, but against other fighters at their same level. Henderson, Cerrone and Pettis sharpened and pushed each other, and the end result is that all emerged from their WEC runs as significantly better fighters. When they stepped up to the UFC, they were better prepared, and last night we saw how that preparation helped Henderson reach the pinnacle of the sport's deepest division. But in looking at Henderson and the WEC's success, I have to ask - did Zuffa make the right move in shutting the organization down? If WEC was producing future champions, with it closed, is there a missing opportunity for future growth? Maybe, but Zuffa already has the answer in front of them for how to deal with that problem, and its name is Strikeforce. Check back tomorrow for more on how Zuffa can learn from the WEC in order to best utilize Strikeforce. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson UFC 144 Results: Rampage Jackson Goes Out Like A Lamb In Loss To Ryan Bader - Nate Wilcox UFC 144 Results: Ben Henderson And Anthony Pettis Ready For Rematch - Nate Wilcox UFC 144: Edgar Vs. Henderson Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 144 Results: Dana White Says Anthony Pettis Will 'Likely' Get Next UFC Lightweight Title Shot - Bloody Elbow UFC 144 Post-Fight Press Conference Video UFC Japan Video: Georges St. Pierre Gets Attacked By A Mob Of Kids With Samurai Foam Swords - Bloody Elbow Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 139: UFC 144 Results Review UFC 144 Results: Ryan Bader Dominates Rampage Jackson To Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Mark Hunt Knocks Out Cheick Kongo In The First Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Jake Shields Wins Hard Fought Decision Over Yoshihiro Akiyama - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Tim Boetsch Upsets Yushin Okami In The Third Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Post-Fight Press Conference Video UFC 144 Results: Hatsu Hioki Defeats Bart Palaszewski By Unanimous Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Anthony Pettis Knocks Out Joe Lauzon In The First Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Takanori Gomi Stops Eiji Mitsuoka In The Second - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Vaughan Lee Submits Kid Yamamoto With An Armbar - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Riki Fukuda Dominates Steve Cantwell To Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Chris Cariaso Defeats Takeya Mizugaki By Unanimous Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Issei Tamura Knocks Out Tiequan Zhang - Matthew Roth

Posted in: ufc, result, henderson, wec, roth

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

In light of Benson Henderson winning the UFC lightweight title perhaps it is time to admit that many of us grossly underestimated the talents of those who competed in the now defunct World Extreme Cagefighting. Upon entering the UFC Former WEC contender Donald Cerrone ran off four wins before finally losing to Nate Diaz, while former WEC champion Anthony Pettis, after stumbing in his initial fight against Clay Guida, has now won two in a row and finds himself penciled in as the next challenger to Bendo. The "big three" of the have run through the UFC like a warm knive through butter. Or pehaps we have grossly overestimated the talent levels within the UFC? If that is the case than other fighters currently outside the promotional bubble might find the same success that their WEC compatriouts have. And just as the WEC fighters were able to surprise us because there was no means of comparison between them and their UFC brethren, the same may be the case with those competing in Strikeforce, Bellator, or elsewhere. In light of what has happened to say that it couldn't happen again seems foolish. MMA math often proves useless but does anyone really doubt that Eddie Alvarez, the same Eddie Alvarez who destroyed a Roger Huerta who lost a close split decision to Gray Maynard and demolished a Josh Neer who has now won his last two fights in the UFC, wouldn’t be able to at least compete? That Eddie Alvarez, Michael Chandler, and Shinya Aoki are all currently signed to promotions competing with the UFC make it likely that we won’t get any answers soon. But there is one fighter who could answer a lot. A fighter higher ranked than those listed above, having actually beaten Aoki in a dominating performance. A fighter who has gone undefeated since 2008 and avenged the only two losses of his career. Most importantly, a fighter who holds a contract with Zuffa. And yet he toils in Strikeforce, sacrificed to keep Showtime happy and a vestigial promotion alive. Benson Henderson will most likely be number 1 when the new rankings come out, but is he really the number 1 lightweight in the world? When comparing resumes isn’t it just as easy to claim that Gilbert Melendez should hold that position? And yet, because one fights in the UFC and the other languishes in Strikeforce such considerations will allude him. Zuffa’s best fighter should be fighting in the UFC.

Posted in: ufc, fighter, eddie alvarez, wec, benson henderson

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This FanPost was edited and promoted to the front page by Cory Braiterman Photo by Esther Lin via MMA Fighting I think the whole MMA community can unite in agreement that UFC 144 was a great card. I personally missed the Mizugaki fight and most of the Fukuda-Cantwell fight, but everything else that I saw, I liked. Correction, I LOVED it. The thing I liked more than the great knockouts, the back and forth fights, and the incredible comebacks was that there were so many upsets on this card. I don't pay attention to upsets betting-wise, but in terms of rankings... there were certainly more than usual. I personally love it when guys win and shake up the rankings, so let's take a look. Bantamweight - Unranked Chris Cariaso defeats #12 Takeya Mizugaki via Unanimous Decision. From what I understood, this was a decision most saw the other way, and Dana F. White gave Mizugaki his win bonus. That being said, the Bloody Elbow play-by-play noted that it was a 'close fight' after the first two rounds and they scored round 3 for Cariaso...so I feel Cariaso's upset is worth mentioning, even if it wasn't the best call by the judges. Middleweight - #23 Tim Boetsch defeats #3 Yushin Okami via Knockout. God bless Tim Boetsch for going for it like he did. Too often you see fighters down two rounds in a 3 round fight essentially stop trying to really change the fight in the 3rd. Boetsch was down two rounds, and had nothing to lose. He was either going to drop a decision or get finished. His only option for victory was to get a finish himself, and he came out in the 3rd, went for broke, and made it happen. Hats off to him. Heavyweight - #22 Mark Hunt defeats #12 Cheick Kongo via Knockout. Mark Hunt's MMA career is illustrated by a few high peaks and low valleys: He lost his first fight, followed it with a 5 fight winning streak, then suffered 6 straight losses and has now resurged with 3 straight victories. The fights that the UFC were contractually obligated to give him were his last chance to make something more of his MMA career, Hunt knew that and has risen to the occasion beautifully. Light Heavyweight - #16 Ryan Bader defeats #5 Quinton Jackson via Unanimous Decision. In all likelihood, Jackson's alleged knee injury which resulted in him eventually missing weight probably had an effect on his performance tonight. Would Rampage necessarily have won without the knee injury is anyone's guess, but Bader went out there and did what he needed to do for 3 rounds. Bader losing to Jon Jones is what almost everyone expected, him losing to Ortiz is what nobody expected. Everyone seemed to want to permanently write him off after the loss to Tito. 'He lost to Tito Ortiz, in 2011, he's THAT bad!' or 'He's the only guy to lose to Tito Ortiz since 2006!' were repeated often. I don't like using the 'oh he just got caught' excuse for upsets in MMA, or for any outcome...it seems to just write off what the winner did. But sometimes, one guy just happens to land the right punch on someone who would likely beat him 9/10 times. I didn't think it was fair to write him off completely just because of that loss. I love that he's shocked everyone by doing what nobody expected him to do and defeated Rampage. Lightweight - #4 Benson Henderson defeats #1 Frankie Edgar via Unanimous Decision. It wasn't a huge rankings upset, but it was an upset nonetheless. The fight was certainly competitive, but it felt to me like Henderson did enough to take the rounds he needed to win. I love this, people were quick to say that the WEC lightweight division was built with lower caliber fighters. Josh Thomson was quick to criticize journalists for putting Ben Henderson in the top 10 of the division. Well, now look at what has happened. You have the former(and lineal) WEC Lightweight champion becoming the UFC Lightweight champion, and his first challenger is likely going to be a rematch of a WEC Lightweight title fight with another former WEC lightweight champion in Anthony Pettis. I couldn't be happier, I'll leave you all with this: WEC NEVER DIE! Poll Which was the biggest upset of UFC 144? Bader over Rampage Bendo over Frankie Boetsch over Okami Hunt over Kongo Cariaso over Mizugaki   1 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, decision, wec

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Going into UFC 144, it seemed you couldn't avoid PRIDE Fighting Championships' (PRIDE) name being brought up. And for good reason. Ultimate FIghting Championship (UFC) made its return to the "Land of the Rising Sun" by setting up shop in the Saitama Super Arena, a favorite haunt of the much loved and missed Japan-based promotion. While the Yokohama Arena or the Budokan in Tokyo seemed more appropriate a size for the 20,000 seat arrangement Dana White and company were planning, it was the enormous venue that hosted Final Conflict 2005, the 2004 grand prix and a bevy of New Year's Eve events selected and modified instead. The UFC 144 fight card was also packed with fighters whose names had nearly become synonymous with PRIDE like Quinton Jackson and Takanori Gomi. Others -- like Mark Hunt -- were better known for other accomplishments but still had deep ties with the Japanese promotion. Rather than come into the building last night (Feb. 25, 2012) and attempt some awkward PRIDE recreation, the UFC opted to put on its own show, while also managing to pay tribute to mixed martial arts' (MMA) past. The shrewd balancing act came full circle when "Rampage" walked out to the bombastic PRIDE theme and the Saitama audience roared in approval. But, at the end of the night, the long gone promotion on everyone's lips wasn't from Japan. It was an American company. Before the event, everyone was talking about PRIDE. After UFC 144, no one could stop talking about World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). The main pay-per-view (PPV) card opened up with the last WEC lightweight champion, Anthony Pettis, taking on division stalwart Joe Lauzon. Pettis had won the title on the company's last card in the promotion's last fight. He did so after amazingly jumping of the fence and nailing Ben Henderson across the face with what is know famously known as the "Showtime Kick." He was set to challenge for the UFC 155-pound title after UFC 125 against either Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard. When those two went to a draw after nearly half an hour of fighting, an immediate rematch was set up and "Showtime" was left with the choice of either waiting for the dust to settle to cash in his title shot or stay busy and take another fight inside the Octagon. He opted for the latter and met Clay Guida in his UFC debut. "The Carpenter" spoiled the WEC champion's evening by nullifying Pettis' striking with unrelenting takedowns. The title shot that was once so secure for Pettis had evaporated. He stepped inside the Octagon for a second time at UFC 136 to take on Jeremy Stephens and while he picked up his first UFC win, it was far from inspired. A fight that all but promised to be a shootout ended up being a grinding, wrestling-heavy affair. On the other side of the performance spectrum that evening in Houston, Lauzon made short work of Melvin Guillard and walked away with his biggest victory since knocking out Jens Pulver. Pettis and "J-Lau" both seemed open to fighting each other and the bout was set for UFC 144. Less than 90 seconds into it, "Showtime's" shin cracked Lauzon across the jaw and ended The Ultimate Fighter 5 alumni's night early. The title shot Pettis lost last summer suddenly reappeared. While the last WEC lightweight champion was opening the event, the man he won the title from closing it out. Henderson may have come up short at WEC 53 but three impressive victories inside the Octagon gave Dana White more than enough cause to give "Smooth" a shot at Edgar. In an instant classic, Henderson wrangled the lightweight title away from "The Answer," something neither B.J. Penn nor Maynard could do. In doing so, he became the only man to hold the 155-pound titles from both UFC and WEC. After the excitement of Henderson's win began to give way to speculation of his future, one name continuously came up: Pettis. "Showtime" was the last -- and only in nearly five years -- man to defeat Henderson. While Edgar has more than enough reason to feel an immediate rematch should be in order and Jim Miller and Nate Diaz have a date in May with title shot implications, it looks like the UFC is leaning towards Henderson/Pettis II as their next 155-pound title showdown. The UFC put together one hell of a card for the Japanese fans at the Saitama Super Arena. But, it was PRIDE and WEC that really made it a night worth remembering.

Posted in: ufc, title, petti, pride, wec

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This time, Frankie Edgar couldn’t pull off another improbable rally. The New Jersey native fought valiantly for five rounds in the UFC 144 main event against former WEC champion Benson Henderson

Posted in: ufc, event, champion, wec, frankie

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When Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson step into the Octagon at UFC 144 they will be fighting for more than just the UFC lightweight belt.

Posted in: ufc, wec, frankie edgar, frankie, wec titles

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

On December 16th, 2010, with one minute remaining in a hotly contested five round WEC lightweight championship bout that would also be the final fight of the company’s storied tenure, arguably the most sensational athletic move was attempted and successfully delivered: the ‘Showtime kick.’ After 24 minutes of back and forth action with the title on the line, then challenger Anthony Pettis seemingly defied all known laws of physics by leaping towards the cage, spring boarding off of that cage with his right foot, and delivering a mid-air whip kick with that same right foot, which caught then champion Benson Henderson in the face. It didn’t knock the champion out, but it did drop Henderson and was the declarative statement that Pettis won the epic contest. About the only person in the entirety of the MMA community who is not still hypnotized by that captivating moment is the man who did it. “I don't want the ‘Showtime kick’ and the WEC belt to be the highlight of my career,” affirms Pettis, who understandably is working towards a long, successful career as a professional fighter, and not resting on his 23-year old self’s accomplishments - as great as they were. “I want to be the UFC champ. I want to do well in this and I believe in myself. I want to show the fans that I am a skillful fighter and I can be the best at 155.”If UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones had the most impressive year in MMA history in 2011, then there’s a case to be made that Pettis had the second best in 2010. Coming off a split decision loss to Bart Palaszewski at WEC 45, which was also the first loss of his career, Pettis entered 2010 a relative no name 155er who found himself being followed around by a yet-to-debut documentary television show while preparing for his third WEC bout. At WEC 47 against Danny Castillo, Pettis scored an opening round head kick knockout, which earned him “Knockout of the Night” and provided a scintillating ending to the World of Jenks MTV show. But that was only the beginning to his year, as Pettis would win three more fights, a “Submission of the Night”, a “Knockout of the Night”, and was crowned the last WEC lightweight champion. An added stipulation to the Pettis/Henderson bout was that the winner would face the winner of the UFC lightweight championship fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard at UFC 125. The title fight ended in a draw, which earned Edgar and Maynard a rematch with each other, but left Pettis without a dance partner for the foreseeable future. Instead of waiting for the eventual winner of Edgar/Maynard (which was finally decided last October), Pettis chose to take on another top contender. Long story short, six months later, Pettis debuted in the UFC against veteran grinder Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and suffered a unanimous decision loss. “It sucked,” tells Pettis. “Going from fighting pretty much every two months to having six months off - I didn't like it at all. A lot of stuff changed. Having Mr. Andrew Jenks follow me around, my popularity definitely went up, and having six months off I didn't have anything to look forward to. My fight camp and I decided I should take a fight and luckily we did because I wouldn't have been fighting until this year. Taking that fight didn't turn out how I was hoping, but there were a lot of factors - time off, gameplan, and a lot of stuff factored into why I lost that fight.”It wasn’t the UFC debut Pettis expected, but he is a professional, and four months later he was inside the Octagon for a second time looking for that first win. “The biggest thing for me was to not get another loss,” says Pettis, who took on the heavy-handed Jeremy Stephens at UFC 136, a bout which did not go as expected either. “Going into the Stephens fight, we were expecting a standup war. He was talking big stuff like he was going to knock me out and welcome me properly to the UFC, so I was expecting a standup fight. It didn't turn out that way.”No one would have guessed the ultra, dynamic striking of Pettis and the 14 knockouts, power punching of “Lil’ Heathen” would end up in a wrestling match in Houston. “He goes and takes me down in the first round, twice I think, but I wasn't expecting him to shoot on me - I was expecting him to throw big bombs,” divulges Pettis, who didn’t start the grapple-thon, but definitely ended it by showing off his takedowns in the later rounds. “He takes me down and he goes up on the judges’ score cards right away. In the corner, Duke [Roufus] told me, ‘if you can take him down then take him down and grind him out.’ In the second and third round, I came out and I did just that.”Although, 2011 was slow for the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, going 1-1 in two wrestling matches in the UFC, 2012 is shaping up to be very exciting. At UFC 144, in the UFC’s first event in Japan in over a decade, Pettis faces five-time Submission of the Night winner Joe Lauzon at the Saitama Super Arena. The submission magician from Massachusetts is entering the bout on a two fight win streak capped off by a huge 47 second upset victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC 136. At 20-6, the Ultimate Fighter season 5 alum is in the mix for a title shot, and Pettis knows a win over him would put him back near the top of the lightweight pack hunting for gold.“He’s a very intelligent fighter and very dangerous,” says Pettis. “He's got some good striking, he's getting better all the time, he's been around a long time, he's got the experience factor on me, and he's very good on the ground. He's one of those fighters who is dangerous everywhere. I wanted someone of his caliber and of his skill set. He's coming off a huge win against Guillard. He's going to put me right back where I need to be. A win over Lauzon will be huge for my career. Coming off of a win you have better mental preparation going into a fight. You're not doubting yourself, you're not thinking about your last loss. I'm coming off of a win, so I'm better mentally. I know that I can go out there and do what I usually do. I can't go out there and play it safe. I need to go out there and bring the fight and break his will.”The type of fight that only “Showtime” can bring is a uniquely flashy, but effective, one that is fan-friendly and knockout-centric. It’s a style that is as atheistically pleasing as it is deadly for Pettis’ opponents. Nevertheless, Pettis fights with a controlled chaos, as seemingly high risk maneuvers like the ‘Showtime kick’ are actually thoughtfully practiced with legendary kickboxing coach Roufus, and they come naturally to Pettis because of his background in traditional martial arts like Taekwondo (3rd degree black belt). “People ask me all the time, ‘am I trying to go out there and be ‘Showtime’ or am I trying to go out there and show off a new kick?’ Nah, this is the way I practice,” states Pettis. “I practice flashy because I've been doing it my whole life. Jump kicks, spin kicks, I've been doing them my whole life and they're second nature to me. For a boxer to throw a 1-2 is nothing for them because they've been doing it their whole life. For me to throw a spin kick is nothing to me because I've been doing it my whole life. A jump spin kick has been something I've using in my whole martial arts career and it's just something that carries over into my fighting. When someone is getting ready to fight me as an opponent, they definitely have to bring in some sparring partners who throw crazy moves. But the thing is I have very good basics, which allow me to go out there and throw spin kicks. I don't just go out there and throw spin kicks and spin kicks and spin kicks. I set them up with a 1-2 and a low kick, mixing in with a high kick, and I'll see the opening and then I'll go for it. The kicks that people have seen in the WEC are kicks that I've done my whole life - the spin kicks, the capoeira kicks - that all comes second nature.”For the training required to make himself elite, Pettis doesn’t even need to leave his hometown of Milwaukee because of Roufusport Mixed Martial Arts Academy. Within the hallowed walls are the gym’s namesake, Roufus, who is both head coach and striking coach, as well as a cast of steadily growing up-and-coming talent like UFC featherweight Erik Koch. One of the newest members of the fight team is the highly decorated, former 2x NCAA Division I National Champion wrestler from the University of Missouri, Ben Askren, who is 9-0 as a pro in MMA. Also, Pettis’ younger brother, Sergio, is a 3-0 flyweight on the Roufusport team. “It's huge,” says Pettis about the motivation he gets from training with his brother. “For me and my brother training together we have a bond, we're both pushing each other to the limit because we want the best for each other, but we're competitive. I don't want to lose, and I don't want my little brother whooping my ass, so I have to stay on top of my game. I know he looks up to me, so I know I have to do the right things and set the right examples.”Lastly, out of all the fans that he earned from the TV show, the exciting finishes, the kick, and the title, Pettis’ biggest fan didn’t get to see any of that happen because she’s only seven months old: his daughter Aria. “You hear it all the time that when you have kids that they're your ultimate motivation, but it doesn't really make sense until you have one and you see,” says Pettis, who is going to have to work harder than ever to outdo what he’s already done, but with his daughter in his corner he’s ready for the task. “I have a baby girl, she's amazing, and I'm more focused than ever.”On February 25th at UFC 144, Pettis is bringing “Showtime” to Japan and Lauzon better be prepared for that arsenal of creativity. “I have a fight style that is different from everyone else’s and from what everyone has ever seen,” asserts Pettis, who wants to eclipse his previous WEC accomplishments and the best way to start doing that is a win over Lauzon. “I think coming out here and having a great performance shows that I'm one step closer to my goals. I've got the basics, I've got the flash, and I'm trying to be the most well-rounded fighter in the UFC.”Who knows, maybe it's possible to jump off the cage into a flying triangle choke, back flip kick. If anyone is going to do it, Pettis can.

Posted in: ufc, fight, petti, wec, kick

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Former WEC bantamweight fighter Chad George used to be one the "graf artists" making an art studio out of the urban scene.

Posted in: wec, george, chad, art studio, graf artists

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

For Ben Henderson, it's quite a long road from Glendale to Saitama. At the end of 2010 in Arizona, "Smooth" suffered his first and only defeat in a thrilling five-round war against Anthony Pettis, a fight punctuated by the infamous "Showtime Kick." As World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) took its final breaths and folded into bigger brother Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), it was supposed to be Pettis who stormed the UFC lightweight division, with his flashy striking and more than competent submission game. But Clay Guida gave "Showtime" a less than accommodating welcome into the Octagon and the last WEC 155-pound champion saw his hype train temporarily derailed. Two months prior, Henderson had made a successful UFC debut earning a unanimous nod against a solid Mark Bocek. Two months after Pettis fell short against "The Carpenter," Henderson once again stepped inside the Octagon and convincingly defeated Jim Miller. It was enough to push his name towards title contention and a fight with Guida who had already ruined one former WEC fighter's championship aspirations. The bout took place at UFC on Fox 1, the promotion's debut on broadcast television. Unfortunately, it didn't actually air on the network. The event was by and large a showcase for the heavyweight title bout between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez so the two men, a hundred pounds lighter, got the proverbial shaft. It didn't stop them from tearing the roof off the Honda Center. And in the end, Henderson stood once again victorious, winning not only his third straight fight but a shot against Frankie Edgar which he'll cash in this Saturday (Feb. 25) at UFC 144 in the main event. Before he does, we'll take a closer look at the fight against Guida, a three-round instant classic which should have aired on Fox and ushered the UFC into its new era. The two fighters begin to circle each other, snapping jabs to keep the other at bay while also aiding to find their range. A leg kick from Guida slaps against the tree trunk-like leg of Henderson and it's soon after that "The Carpenter" pressures his opponent against the cage. They exchange wildly with one punch from "Smooth" grazing an off-balance Guida who slips to the mat. He pops up but now his back is against the cage with Henderson applying pressure. The former WEC champion and his opponent engage in a firefight, swinging like madmen until Henderson cracks the Greg Jackson fighter on the jaw, forcing him to drop to the mat for a takedown attempt. Arms wrapped around one of Henderson's legs, Guida is more so buying himself time to recover than anything else. No such luck as "Smooth" continues his attack, punching the head and body before dragging Guida back to his feet and nailing him with a knee to the skull. Guida desperately continues to work towards the takedown but his opponent defends beautifully. They jockey for position against the cage, grinding against each other, attempting to wear the other down. "Smooth" now pushing Guida towards the chain-link while "The Carpenter" throws some rabbit punches. Guida pushes off in an attempt for a single leg takedown but Henderson spins out and looks to attack. A stiff jab from his opponent forces him to retreat and reset. An errant high kick from "Smooth" and the two begin to slow the pace. They circle around and Henderson finds himself against the cage. He lightly bounces off and uses the momentum to throw a Superman punch which, like the head kick, misses completely. Guida then busts out his own high risk/high reward strike when he sails through the air, throwing a flying knee. It misses but the ensuing exchange sees him tag -- and drop -- Henderson with less than a minute left in the opening round. Guida immediately tries to cinch up a guillotine choke but can't find lock it in. They begin to scramble on the mat and by the time the horns sounds, Henderson has fully recovered and taking the fight to his opponent. The next stanza opens up with a knee to the body from Henderson which Guida responds to with a takedown attempt. No luck. A second attempt almost immediately after finally sticks but when "The Carpenter" attempts to transition forward on the mat, Henderson slips out from under and ends up on top. Knees and takedown attempts from "Smooth" paint the picture of the first half of the round until one of those knees is caught by Guida, leading to a takedown of his own. As usual, they spend very little time on the mat and instead -- again as usual -- wind up bullying each other against the cage. They break apart and in one the of most ... aerodynamic moments the Octagon has seen, Guida throws a spinning back fist which barely misses its mark and the momentum sending him flying through the air, barrel rolling onto the mat with Henderson quickly pouncing. "The Carpenter" finds a standing guillotine and looks to sink it in as he pulls guard. "Smooth" defends perfectly and ends up on top as the round ends. The final round to determine Edgar's next challenger opens up more measured than the previous two. Neither wants to make a fight-ending mistake but neither should be comfortable leaving the decision in the hands of three people who may or may not know what they're doing. A takedown attempt from Guida sends both fighters from one end of the Octagon to the other as "Smooth" bounces and defends but still ends with Henderson on top. It's been the same story the entire fight: Guida simply cannot take the former WEC lightweight down. With a little over a minute remaining, "Smooth" is wrapped firmly around his opponent and searching for a rear naked choke but the wild haired madman slips out and they collide on their feet with Guida ending up on top and frantically looking for a last minute choke to pull out the victory. Like fellow Greg Jackson fighter Donald Cerrone can tell you, wrapping your arms around Henderson's neck is easier said than done. Much like he did in the WEC 43 main event, "Smooth" avoided each submission and ended the fight on top of Guida, raining down ground and pound. The unanimous decision for Henderson came minutes after and three and a half months later, the reward for his victory has also arrived. With a win at UFC 144, "Smooth" will be the first man to hold both WEC and UFC 155-pound titles. Can he accomplish what B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard couldn't? Can he take the title from Frankie Edgar? We'll find out Saturday.

Posted in: ufc, fight, henderson, wec, guida

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The UFC sat down with top lightweight contender Ben Henderson, the former WEC 155-pound king, to talk about his UFC 144 title shot against champ Frankie Edgar.

Posted in: ufc, ben, henderson, wec, king

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Edited and Promoted to the Front Page by Anton Tabuena In a league haunted by corporate greed, dirty politics, entitlement attitudes and a waning, fed-up fanbase, Jeremy Lin has captured the hearts of America and has made basketball cool again – all in a span of two weeks. It isn’t hard to see why Linsanity has taken over the nation. He’s the antithesis of the nasty off-court bullshit plaguing the sport. He’s the undrafted "DIII player" from Harvard, who didn’t receive a single athletic scholarship offer. The nomadic D-Leaguer, sleeping on his brother’s couch, working his ass off for an opportunity. He’s the ultimate underdog who shattered all expectations. Ben Henderson’s career has followed a similar trajectory. From his time in the WEC to his title fight against Frankie Edgar this Saturday in Japan, I look at the similarities of the various stages of Lin and Henderson’s careers. Without further ado, LETS LINSANITY SpoiLIN’ Time The NBA Summer League is the showcase for future stars, where top draft picks start their highlight reels at the expense of development league players playing for minimum contracts. The 2010-2011 Summer League was supposed to be John Wall’s coming out party. But despite taking home MVP honors, it was Jeremy Lin, not Wall who had the basketball world buzzing. Undrafted out of Harvard, Lin was given a chance to play his way to a contract on the Dallas Mavericks and made the most of his opportunity. Sitting on the bench for the first two quarters, Lin was put into the game late into the 3rd quarter against the best point guard in his class. Undaunted, he frustrated Wall on both ends of the court, and by the end of the game the once vociferously pro-John wall crowd were chanting for Jeremy Lin. Ever since WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner and number 1 contender Donald Cerrone’s exciting, but controversial fight at WEC 38, MMA fans were clamoring for a rematch and proper closure to their bitter rivalry. However, Varner was not medically cleared to fight at WEC 43, so the WEC called on an up-and-coming Ben Henderson to take his place in a fight against Cerrone for the Interim WEC Lightweight Championship. While Henderson was coming off of a TKO and submission against respectable lightweights in Shane Roller and Anthony Njokuani, Cerrone was a well-rounded killer with the Muay Thai to brutalize Henderson on the feet and the BJJ acumen to submit the wrestler. Henderson was a placeholder in the Varner/Cerrone feud. He wasn’t supposed to be on Cerrone’s level and the betting lines reflected as much with Cerrone coming in as a -350 favorite. But like Lin, Henderson was undeterred by his opponent’s reputation. Cerrone locked in deep (and I don’t mean Rogan deep) submissions, but Henderson refused to lose and retaliated with crushing ground and pound. When the dust cleared Henderson was declared the winner in a closely contested FOTY candidate and the new WEC Interim Lightweight Champion. LINdefinite Futures Following Lin’s impressive Summer League performance, the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and his hometown Golden State Warriors offered him contracts. Wanting to stay close to home, Lin accepted a minimum contract with the Warriors and developed a cult following. However, stuck in the rotation behind the ultra-talented Stephen Curry and Monte Ellis, Lin spent most of his time on the bench, competing for garbage minutes with Charlie Bell, Reggie Williams, and Acie Law. With significant minutes unavailable, Lin was sent to the NBDL where he showed flashes of brilliance and made the All NBDL Showcase First Team. Despite having a decent rookie campaign, the Warriors desperately tried to make a bid for Clippers restricted free agent DeAndre Jordan (Jordan ends up resigning with the Clippers) and waived Lin on the first day of training camp. Henderson built on his huge interim title win with guillotine submisions over the Champion, Jamie Varner and a wildly anticipated rematch with Cerrone, effectively ending any controversy over who the real champ was. With Varner and Cerrone out of the way, Henderson needed a new challenger. Enter, Anthony Petits, a young, dynamic, Duke Roufus trained striker. With the imminent UFC/WEC merger the stakes were higher than ever before: a place in MMA history as the main event of the final WEC card, in Henderson’s hometown, and an immediate UFC Lightweight title shot. For 24 minutes, Henderson and Petits laid it all on the line in and engaged in a thrilling back and forth with neither man gaining a clear advantage, and then it happened. The Showtime Kick. Words can’t do it justice, and I’m not going to try. The Showtime Kick was the perfect end, the perfect exclamation point for the WEC and turned Petits from the MTV fighter to a bona fide star and Henderson from the champion to a loser. LINdicated After getting waived by his hometown team, the Houston Rockets picked Lin off waivers, only to release him to make room for center Samuel Dalembert. Once again, Lin was teamless. However, when starting New York’s Knick’s point guard Iman Shumpert was out with an injury, the Knicks picked up Lin as a third-string point guard. Upon Shumpert’s return Lin was once again sent to the NBDL where he again excelled. With just days away from his contract expiring, Lin looked to be out of a job again. But fortunately for Lin, Baron Davis’ recovery was going slower than planned, Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas were inept, and with an 8-15 record coach Mike D’Antoni was dangerously close to being fired. The Knicks’ superstar Carmelo Anthony suggested giving Jeremy Lin a chance. Desperate for an answer, D’Antoni put him in. 25 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and a win over all-world point guard Deron Williams. Jeremy Lin had arrived. While Anthony Petits was fast-tracked to the top of the division with a main event against Clay Guida, Henderson had to work his way back up in a PPV opener against Mark Bocek, a tough fighter with slick BJJ and deceptively good stand-up. As per usual, Henderson beat Bocek in thrilling fashion, with his demi-god-like submission defense on full display. Passing his first test with flying colors, Henderson was ready for his biggest challenge yet – Jim Miller. May the Best Man Lin Following his stunning victory over Deron Williams and his New Jersey Nets, Lin proved he was no one game wonder with wins over the Utah Jazz where he scored 28 points and dished out 8 assists and John Wall’s Washington Wizards where Lin recorded his first double-double and his first NBA dunk. Wins over the Nets, Jazz, and Wizards were nice, but next up was Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. When reporters asked Kobe about Lin before the game, Kobe scoffed with indignation "I don't even know what the fuck is going on. What the fuck is going on? Who is this kid? I've heard about him and stuff like that, but what's he been doing? Is he getting like triple doubles or some shit? He's averaging 28 and eight? No shit. If he's playing well, I'll just have to deal with him." Firing shot after shot, lighting up Madison Square Garden with 34 points, Kobe made his message clear – he was going to deal with Lin. Unfortunately for Kobe, Lin fired back. 38 points on 56.5% shooting and the win. By night’s end everybody in the NBA knew who Lin was. Leading up to his fight with perennial top contender Jim Miller, many expected Henderson to get ripped to shreds. It wasn’t that Henderson wasn’t good; he had an impressive UFC debut against a tough mid-level lightweight and a successful WEC career. But that was the WEC, and being elite in the WEC meant jack shit to the upper echelon of the UFC lightweight division, the deepest division in MMA. Jim Miller standup was tighter, his wrestling could counteract Henderson’s, and being a Miller, everyone knew that he was a tough SOB. He was on a seven fight win streak and Henderson was just another name to add to the mantle. He was just a better fighter. Henderson proved otherwise and dominated Jim Miller in typical Ben Henderson fashion, emphatically dispelling any notions that the WEC guys couldn’t hang against their big bad UFC brothers. The LINSANITY: The Ignored BENSATION Players are often defined by how "clutch" they are, their ability to rise above the nerves and the pressure and the fatigue to lead their team the victory. Like Carlos Condit’s TKO finish against Rory MacDonald and the aforementioned Showtime Kick, moments in the clutch are what differentiate stars from superstars. Some players like Chauncey Billups and Robert Horry have made entire careers off those last seconds, when everything is on the line while others like LeBron James have crumbled and folded under the spotlight. Jeremy Lin’s moment of truth came against the Toronto Raptors. Down 9 going into the 4th quarter, the Knicks battled their way to an 87-87 gridlock after a Lin three point play. With 20 seconds left on the clock the ball came back to Lin’s hands. The logical move is simple: put up a shot with about 5 seconds left and give your team an opportunity to get the rebound if you miss. Lin didn’t do that. Instead, he waited. 5…4…3 Swish. With 3 seconds on the clock and the world watching him, Lin sank the go-ahead 3 point pointer to win the game. LINSANITY became a superstar. Riding high from his win over Jim Miller, Henderson kept the momentum going and steamrolled Clay Guida on the untelevised co-main event of the first UFC on Fox. And on the 24th, Henderson will have his own opportunity in the clutch. Like Lin, Henderson has had a remarkable journey as the underdog, shattering all the expectations. But unlike LINSANITY, the world isn’t watching Ben Henderson. Even in MMA circles, he’s been widely ignored; buried under Nick Diaz dirt and the rejuvenated welterweight division. And with UFC 144 next Saturday, and this being the fight I’ve been most excited to see this year, it’s about time we recognize the BENSATION. Yup, I went there. Fuck good conclusions they’re fucking artificial most of the time anyways.

Posted in: jeremy, henderson, wec, point, lin

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After Dustin Poirier's first round submission win at UFC 143 over Max Holloway, the question immediately arose of whether he was ready for a shot at Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. With the 23-year-old on a five fight win streak and Aldo without an immediate No. 1 challenger, Poirier (12-1, 4-0 UFC) looked like a good choice. But along the way, the focus shifted to a battle with Chan Sung Jung, affectionately known as the "Korean Zombie" and beloved by many thanks to his three round stand-and-slug split decision loss to Leonard Garcia at WEC 48. Things heated up between the two on Twitter Wednesday with Jung throwing the first grenade: @KoreanZombieMMAChan Sung Jung Dustin Poirier? 6 seconds! Feb 08 via TweetCaster for iOS Favorite Retweet Reply Poirier then responded: @DustinPoirierThe Diamond .@KoreanZombieMMA Trust me you don't want this... I will expose you. Feb 08 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply While he was 0-2 in the WEC, Jung (12-3, 2-0 UFC) submitted Garcia and knocked out Mark Hominick in six seconds in two 2011 Octagon appearances, picking up big bonuses in the process. Poirier went 1-1 in the WEC before moving to the UFC where he's won all four of his fights and has submitted his last two opponents. With Eric Koch on the shelf with an injury, a No. 1 contender's bout between Poirier and Jung makes a lot of sense.

Posted in: ufc, jung, wec, poirier, max holloway

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Two of the best bantamweights on the planet will meet this Saturday night (February 4, 2012) as fast-rising Brazilian prospect Renan Barao takes on former WEC title challenger Scott Jorgensen on the main card of UFC 143 in Las Vegas. Barao has incredibly gone 28 fights without defeat and he finally made his mark on the division last November in a thrilling battle against fellow bantamweight contender Brad Pickett in which the Brazilian waxed his opponent in the first round. The Nova Uniao fighter is working towards a potential title shot in 2012 and a victory over a former top contender would do wonders for his standing in the division. Scott Jorgensen has quietly gone 2-0 in the UFC ever since losing his title shot to Dominick Cruz in the final WEC show ever. He crushed Ken Stone via knockout and held off wily veteran Jeff Curran in 2011 and with both Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez dropping to flyweight, he's hoping to fill the void they left behind as top contenders at 135 pounds. Can Renan Barao surpass the hype by passing his toughest test to date? Will "Young Guns" Jorgensen shoot down the Brazilians soaring momentum? How does each bantamweight score a victory this weekend? Let's find out: Renan Barao Record: 27-1 (1 No Contest) overall, 2-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Brad Pickett (UFC 138), Cole Escovedo (UFC 130), Chris Cariaso (WEC 53) Key Losses: none How he got here: After losing the first fight of his professional career, Barao hasn't tasted defeat. While the Brazilian didn't exactly face top talent while competing in his native country, he fought often, as many as seven times per year. After his 24th straight bout without a loss, he finally earned an invite to the WEC, where he would submit Anthony Leone via armbar in his promotional debut. Barao competed on the final WEC 53 event, also submitting Chris Cariaso with a slick transition from a Kimura to taking the American's back before choking him out. In his UFC debut this past summer, Barao had a tough battle with former WEC champion Cole Escovedo but would eventually earn a unanimous decision victory. He followed it up by going into Brad Pickett's homeland at UFC 138 and completely and utterly crushing the Brit by knocking him down in the first round and then choking him out to instantly burst into contention. He's hoping a follow-up victory over a former title challenger in Jorgensen will put him over the top for an eventual title shot. How he gets it done: In this fight, Renan Barao needs to either keep his distance, or get to the canvas. His striking has progressed very quickly and he's capable of scoring points with a vast array of kicking attacks and he can also explode forward with the occasional knee. If the bout is standing, he can't let Jorgensen get inside as "Young Guns" has some very powerful short strikes. Barao showcased much improved boxing in his last fight and his overall game is rounding out nicely. If he feels he's got a speed and technique edge, he's going to keep this fight standing as long as possible, only going to the ground if he drops Jorgensen with a kick, knee or punch. If he can force a scramble, Barao is lightning quick with his ability to hop onto his opponent's back and once there, a fight-ending rear naked choke is almost inevitable. Look for the young Brazilian to perhaps try to reverse a takedown attempt or maybe even shoot for one of his own if Jorgensen is on his heels in the striking. Expect anything and everything from this young star in the making as he has grown by leaps and bounds in nearly all of his skills. Scott Jorgensen Record: 13-4 overall, 2-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Brad Pickett (WEC 50), Takaya Mizugaki (WEC 45), Jeff Curran (UFC 137), Key Losses: Dominick Cruz (WEC 53), Damacio Page (WEC 32) How he got here: Scotty Jorgensen was a successful wrestler in college, competing in Division I at Boise State and he transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2006. In just his sixth professional bout, he was competing in the WEC at bantamweight. "Young Guns" wasn't given the easy rode either, getting thrown to the likes of Damacio Page, Kenji Osawa and Antonio Banuelos in three of his first four WEC bouts. His controversial split decision loss to Banuelos lit a fire under him and he reeled off five consecutive victories to earn a title shot against champion Dominick Cruz in the final WEC event ever late last year. Jorgensen was a step slow against Cruz and was beaten to the punch badly over the course of five rounds, losing a dominant unanimous decision. He got back on track against Ken Stone in his last bout, knocking American Top Team fighter out cold from within his full guard on the ground. In his last fight, "Young Guns" took on veteran bantamweight and former WEC title challenger Jeff Curran. Jorgensen outwrestled his opponent over the course of three rounds, surviving submission and sweep attempts to score a unanimous decision. The Boise State alumni then accepted a bout against the up and coming Barao in an effort to get back into the title picture. How he gets it done: Jorgensen is not the fastest guy in the division by a long shot, but he makes up for it with power. If he can connect with a big punch, your lights will go out and if he lock up your neck with a guillotine choke like his brutal finish against Chad George last year. Jorgensen is also patient in the stand-up, he does a good job of sitting back and striking when openings are available rather than forcing the issue. When his opponents get too aggressive in the stand-up realm, he's also got that solid wrestling in his back pocket where he can shoot in and put an opponent on their back. It'll be an interesting dynamic to see if Jorgensen is confident enough in his wrestling and submission defense to shoot in on Barao and go for takedowns and ground and pound. His Brazilian opponent is extremely competent on the canvas, but Jorgensen has not been submitted in well over five years now so he shouldn't be fearful of anything. Expect to see Jorgensen stand with Barao as long as he feels he's got the advantage there but if Barao is picking him apart, "Young Guns" will go to his bread and butter which is his wrestling. As long as he keeps his elbows tight on the ground and doesn't allow Barao to control his posture, he should be fine from top position. Fight X-Factor: The biggest X-Factor for this fight is how Barao deals with a strong wrestler. We've seen him dominate strikers and well-rounded fighters but what will happen when a strong top control wrestler with powerful ground and pound like Scott Jorgensen puts him on his back and keeps him there? We haven't seen a ton of his bottom game or if he's capable of fending off big takedowns. We also haven't seen if he has the ability to sweep opponents. It will be interesting to discover this information live in the Octagon. If he can't deal with someone holding him down and occasionally punching him in the face, we might have to re-evaluate where he stands in the division. Bottom Line: This fight has all the makings of a terrific battle. In the stand-up department, both young men are exciting and hit very hard. They are both capable of scoring a knockout blow on the feet. Barao has more weapons in the striking and he's quicker, so it will be an interesting dynamic to see how Jorgensen reacts to his movement and speed. On the ground, Jorgensen has some ferocious ground and pound while Barao is extremely aggressive with submissions and scrambles. Again, both men are capable of putting on a great show on the canvas. The only potential lull in the action would be if Barao can't deal with a top control wrestler and Jorgensen is too concerned with the Brazilian's submissions to be active from above. Those odds are very low, however, so prepare yourselves for what should be a very fun battle. Who will come out on top at UFC 143? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Which bantamweight will get one step closer to a title shot with a victory this weekend? Renan Barao Scott Jorgensen   8 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, wec, barao, jorgensen

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When UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo first made a name for himself in WEC it was in large part the result of not only his dominance in the cage but the way in which he beat opponents. Six of his seven WEC appearances resulted in a strike-based stoppage with the lone exception being a decision over a badly-battered Urijah Faber. However, Aldo has gone to the judges’ scorecards both times he’s fought inside the Octagon – something the 25-year old Brazilian hopes to change tonight when he faces Chad Mendes at UFC 142. Aldo spoke some about his inability to overwhelm opponents in the UFC as he did in WEC, offering up a fairly logical reason for the change in outcome. “More publicity means more studying, more strategy, and guys come to fight avoiding my creativity,” explained in an interview with the UFC’s website. “It’s not like in the WEC times, when they were unsure of, ‘What will this guy will come out with next?’ So this is not just trying to knock their head off, but there is an elite opponent ready to capitalize on my mistakes and spoil things for me.” “I never stopped training flying knees, and my standup game is much better than it was in the WEC, but like I mentioned, we have worthy talent standing on the other side of the cage,” he continued. “WEC (did) too, but in the UFC, the opponents have more footage and they are taking advantage of this fact.” Come tonight’s bout against Mendes it could be a different story, as Aldo revealed he is understandably amped about competing in his home-country, saying, “I’m fighting in Rio de Janeiro, with the support of my fans, so I’ll push the pace and get back on the road to knockouts.” Fans can catch Aldo’s attempt to finish the unbeaten Mendes tonight on PPV when things start at 10:00 PM EST. As always Five Ounces of Pain will be covering the action from start to finish. Make sure to check back here when preliminary pairings begin at 7:00 PM EST on Facebook. PHOTO CREDIT – WEC/UFC

Posted in: ufc, opponent, wec, aldo, mende

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Boring. If after watching Jose Aldo storm through the WEC Featherweight division three years ago, with spectacular knockout after spectacular knockout, you had told me that his fights could be boring, I would have laughed at you. But when rewatching Aldo vs. Urijah Faber for a Judo Chop earlier this week, the dreaded B word came up. And it was spoken by no less than Joe Rogan, who described the end of the fight as boring. And, to be fair, he was right. Now, we are heading into Aldo's 5th defense of the Featherweight title (or, I guess, 3rd if you insist on only recognizing the UFC fights, but why would you do that?). And I am getting a little nervous. Not that Aldo will lose (though he might), not even that the fight will go the distance (it probably will). No, I am getting nervous that perhaps the whirlwind of destruction version of Aldo was left behind in the WEC, replaced by the new cautious model. In short, I am nervous that Jose Aldo is becoming a new Georges St. Pierre. Many fighters would dream of becoming GSP, and rightfully so. He's one of the best in the world, and one of the two truly long-standing dominant champions in the sport. But he's also become boring in recent years, at least in the eyes of many fans. This is not news to anyone who follows the sport. But maybe it is news that Aldo is heading down that same path. And he definitely is. Consider the statistics: in Aldo's run to the belt, which I consider all of his WEC fights up to and including the title win over Mike Brown, Aldo had a spectacular 100% finishing ratio, closing the show against 6 out of 6 opponents. His ratio since then? 25%, with just 1 finish in the 4 fights since winning the belt. That's a significant drop. There are possible reasons for this; in particular, perhaps it's the inevitablity of becoming champion. As you face tougher competition, it becomes harder to finish. Fair argument, but if so, we should see a similar drop in finishes from other champions, and we don't. Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz have low finishing ratios in title defenses (33% and none respectively), but they both had low ratios heading in as well (25% and 20%). Anderson Silva and Jon Jones finished a lot of people before winning the belt and, despite Silva's weird Cote/Leites/Maia run, finish a lot of people after (80% for Silva, 100% for Jones). Only one man has seen his finishing ratio drop like Aldo's since winning the belt, and it's no surprise who that is. GSP went from stopping 5 of 8 opponents before winning his current belt (63%) to just 1 of 6 since (17%). So is the same thing happening to Aldo? Is he becoming a new Georges St. Pierre? In a word, yes. There's no question of "will this happen to Aldo" - it's happened. The question now is, "can he turn this trend around?" Can he become the dynamic fighter he was in the WEC - the man that casual UFC fans have never even had a chance to see? Maybe. Maybe a move up to 155 where he will be less depleted will help. Maybe a title loss will light a fire under him (though it certainly had the opposite impact on St. Pierre). But Saturday night against Mendes? I don't think so. For this fight, I expect the full 25 minutes. And if at the end Aldo's hand is raised, I expect to see a lot of frustrated fans making the St. Pierre comparison next week. Maybe Aldo will prove me wrong. As a fan, I certainly hope he does. But I am a realist. And I worry.

Posted in: fight, belt, wec, aldo, ratio

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A look back at the time UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo spent in the WEC will make you realize that after a few of his knockouts in the blue cage, he started dancing to celebrate his victories.This tradition repeated itself time and time again, and while it was hard to understand what kind of rhythm Aldo was trying to emulate, you also laughed at the stance and moves the 145-pound kingpin performed in those times, and actually looked forward to the idea that if Aldo mauled his opponent, we'd see a dance or witness him leaving the cage to celebrate with the fans in the arena.That was the trademark of Aldo’s early days in the WEC, but once he moved to UFC and got his belt, we never saw these moves again. First, because he defended the belt twice, both by decision, and second...well, there is no second. So where exactly were those moves, Aldo?He laughs."That was part of the excitement I felt after each victory in the WEC. I wasn't like, 'if I beat the guy I'll dance like this or like that.’ I just played around with it during training, joking with my teammates, and then after the fights I did it."Aldo mentioned how pumped he was those times, with every obliteration of an opponent crowned by those funny moves, oops, the dances. That said, something happened when the champion was imported to the UFC. We didn't see knockouts, we didn't see dances; perhaps a different Aldo is now fighting for the UFC. The champion disagrees, but he does discuss the difference between the organizations."The UFC gets much more attention, and of course those who didn't know me before but went to search my footage, they saw what I did in the WEC," he said. "I feel like them, like some pieces of my game were missing. But what I can say? I'm back, hungry, very well trained, and I'll search for the KO and try to make it happen.""Plus, more publicity means more studying, more strategy, and guys come to fight avoiding my creativity,” Aldo continues. “It’s not like in the WEC times, when they were unsure of what will this guy will come out with next? So this is not just trying to knock their head off, but there is an elite opponent ready to capitalize on my mistakes and spoil things for me."That was probably what we saw during his two title defenses against Mark Hominick (UFC 129) and Kenny Florian (UFC 136). It wasn't that Aldo looked completely different from the WEC times, but for those who were used to see his flying knees and combos, it seemed Aldo wasn't training these showcase moves anymore. But he was."I never stopped training flying knees, and my standup game is much better than it was in the WEC, but like I mentioned, we have worthy talent standing on the other side of the cage," he says. "WEC had too, but in the UFC, the opponents have more footage and they are taking advantage of this fact. Anyway, I'm fighting in Rio de Janeiro, with the support of my fans, so I'll push the pace and get back on the road to knockouts."Fighting in Rio de Janeiro is a fuel to Aldo, as he hasn’t fought here since 2007, and when he did, the results were usually fantastic. There was a 20 second KO via soccer kicks over Aritano Barbosa in 2005, and a unanimous decision over ultra-tough Fabio Mello, just to name two. The fight against Barbosa was a memorable one, and not just for the result, but because it showed the stark contrast between fighting in Rio nearly seven years ago compared to fighting here now with the UFC in his adopted home city. "That fight was (laughs)…we were starting, the crowd was on their feet because no seats were available, and I got pumped about that,” he says. "It was a sold out place with people screaming and giving me their support, and man, I'm seeing this scene again now, but with a bigger crowd, everybody able to sit down, and I'll go for the knockout with the support of my hometown fans."What was first seen during the UFC’s return to Brazil last August will again be seen for UFC 142, and Aldo believes that the support of his Brazilian fans is going to be an extra weapon against his challenger, the powerhouse wrestler and undefeated Team Alpha Male member, Chad Mendes."After you get a belt, your dream is to headline an event like I’m doing now against Mendes," said Aldo. "I feel at home fighting in Rio, and my friends, family and of course my fans will be closer to me and it's all I need to overcome Mendes."But Aldo doesn't fool himself, as just having the crowd behind him doesn't win fights. If that was a reality, every single time people fought outside their country it would be a guaranteed defeat. So to boost his chances, the Brazilian brought aboard a high level wrestler in former UFC lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard, a worthy addition when you are going to face a great wrestler like Mendes."Training with Gray was an eye opener for my takedown defense, and our connection was great," he said. "The importance of acquiring an elite wrestler like Gray will be seen. He has been doing it since he was a kid, and his tips, his advice, and his strategy are some things I'll be using on the night of UFC RIO. I learned a lot, and now it's time to get it on."So, now it time to dance again?"He'll lose his undefeated record on January 14th; I see that happening," he says. "And if the KO happens, I'll have a surprise for the fans, indeed (laughs)."

Posted in: ufc, time, wec, dance, aldo

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Two strikers will meet up at UFC 145 in Montreal as Canadian John Makdessi meets former WEC standout Anthony Njokuani.

Posted in: ufc, standout, wec, njokuani, makdessi

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Somewhat lost amidst the announcement of the main event for the UFC's Sweden debut, featuring Alexander Gustafsson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, was the additional confirmation of an intriguing bantamweight scrap for the same card, with Brad Pickett taking on Damacio Page: Additional bouts for this card include bantamweight action pitting British bomber Brad Pickett vs. free-swinging American Damacio Page Pickett came into a very emotional bout in his native England at UFC 138 as one of the top-ranked bantamweights in the world, but after throwing strategy out the window and engaging in a wild firefight with Renan Barao, he ended up getting clipped on the feet and then choked out on the ground. Now in bad need of a win to regain his footing on the 135 lb. ladder, Pickett will once again compete in Europe, against another powerful puncher. Page rarely finds himself in a boring fight, but like Pickett did against Barao, the Greg Jackson-trained fighter often employs a go-for-broke style rather than fighting with a smarter gameplan. It will be over a year since Page's last fight when April rolls around, as an injury forced him out of a scheduled bout with Norifumi Yamamoto back in September. "The Angel of Death" is also looking to put a stop to a two-fight losing streak, with both losses coming via guillotine choke to Demetrious Johnson and Brian Bowles respectively. Brad "One Punch" Pickett (20-6)L Renan Barao (submission) - UFC 138W Ivan Menjivar (unam. decision) - WEC 53L Scott Jorgensen (unam. decision) - WEC 50 Damacio "The Angel of Death" Page (12-6)L Brian Bowles (submission) - UFC on Versus 3L Demetrious Johnson (submission) - WEC 52W Will Campuzano (submission) - WEC 43 UFC on Fuel 2 coverage

Posted in: ufc, submission, wec, page, pickett

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Make liars of your detractors. Turn public perception on its head. Few feats are more gratifying to an athlete, with Danny Castillo being the latest example. The Sacramento fighter won’t try to hide the humongous chip on his shoulder, the one that has firmly resided there since last December, when World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) merged with the UFC. Castillo and company suddenly felt like second-class citizens among the UFC’s much more heralded lightweight division, like chum being served up to sharks.“I’ll never forget all the naysayers who said we would just get rolled on,” the 32-year-old recently shared. “A bunch of people were saying that our lightweights wouldn’t be able to hack it, that WEC guys are just going to get ran through. But we’re doing a good job proving all those people wrong.”“Good job” is right. The WEC’s big six of lightweights are comprised of Castillo, Benson Henderson, Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Anthony Njokuani and Shane Roller. They have combined for a stellar 12-5 record in the UFC over the past year, with a list of conquered foes that includes “name” fighters such as Clay Guida, Jim Miller, Charles Oliveira, Joe “Daddy” Stevenson and Denis Siver. Henderson, 3-0 in the UFC, will fight Frankie Edgar at UFC 143 for the 155-pound world title. Cerrone, 4-0 under the UFC banner, goes for his fifth straight on Friday against Nate Diaz at UFC 141. Castillo (12-4 overall, 2-1 UFC) also competes on the New Year’s Eve ‘Eve’ card, against the aforementioned Njokuani (15-5, 1-1). There is a certain ‘cannibal’ quality to the matchup and it is not lost on Castillo.“Anthony Njokuani is a good guy. He and I started at the same time in the WEC,” Castillo said. “I want all of the guys that come over from the WEC to do well because that’s where I started my career. I have a WEC sweatshirt on right now as we speak! It says, “WEC Never Forget.” Unfortunately my next fight is against another WEC guy. It will be the first time two WEC (lightweights) are meeting in the UFC, but we’re professionals and one of us has to lose, and I don’t plan on that being me. Stylistically I like the fight.” While Njokuani is coming off a win over Andre Winner, Castillo has won four of his past five. The win over Joe “Daddy” raised eyebrows, and his recent first round destruction of Shamar Bailey was perhaps Castillo’s finest hour as a pro. “I felt fresh. I didn’t overtrain for that fight,” Castillo said. “I felt fresh, I listened to my body. It’s taken me four years as a pro to understand how to run a fight camp. There are no blueprints to teach you how to run a fight camp for your body. This time I did it correctly and it showed up in the fight.” Castillo muscled Bailey with takedowns and pounded away on top with punches. He says there was a moment in the fight when he felt some of Bailey’s will vanish. “There was a hammerfist that landed from half-guard,” Castillo said, “and right then and there I saw him look up and I knew right then that he didn’t really want to fight. That’s when you see me just letting go and throwing punches with abandon.” In addition to his own purse, Castillo also walked away with 10 percent of his opponent’s fight purse because Bailey failed to make weight. Rather than pocket the funds, Castillo donated them to a Sacramento-based charity for homeless youth. “I think it’s important for me to give back because wrestling kind of saved my life,” he said. “My last fight was on TV and I want to use that exposure that I’ve created for myself to do something good, to give back to some kids that are just like I was. When I was younger I was kind of a knucklehead who came to a fork in the road and could have gone either way. Fortunately I found wrestling and I was able to go to college. So if I could help some other kids then I’ll feel a little bit better about myself.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, “ i, wec, castillo

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When you think of fighters who have earned almost as much money in bonuses as fight purses, names like Anderson Silva and Chris Lytle come to mind. But neither of those fighters -- nor heavy-handed brutes like Chris Leben, Cain Velasquez or Quinton Jackson -- have achieved what Anthony Njokuani can claim to have done. Over the course of eight months in 2009, "The Assassin" racked up three straight "Knockout of the Night" bonuses during his run in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), a feat that no other Zuffa fighter can match. Some have two straight and some even have scored three spread out over several fights, but Njokuani's performances remain unique. Originally slated to compete at UFC 138, an injury to Paul Taylor left the Nigerian kickboxer without a fight. Shifting over a few months, "The Assassin" found a home on the New Year's Eve card. With his original opponent Ramsey Nijem injured, Njokuani is now set to face Danny Castillo at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem. Before he steps inside the Octagon for the third time, let's take a look at the three knockouts that put him in the record books. Let's go! Looking to rebound from a loss to Ben Henderson in his WEC debut, Njokuani stepped inside the blue cage opposite Bart Palaszewski at WEC 40. The first half of the opening round went by without much fanfare -- both fighters felt the other out and attempted to find their range. Aside from a takedown attempt early on from the Polish fighter, there wasn't a whole lot of action to be had. That is until the Nigerian fighter connected with a solid right to Palaszewski's jaw that dropped "Bartimus." Njokuani swarmed in for the kill but was unable to secure the win. Allowing his opponent to get to his feet, "The Assassin" began to chip away at his opponent little by little throughout the rest of the round. A takedown with half a minute remaining was too little, too late for the Polish fighter and he assuredly went into the second round knowing he was down on the judges' scorecards. "The Assassin" didn't allow Palaszewski to dwell too long on that fact, however. Seemingly have figured out his opponent's stand-up strategy, Njokuani connected with a beautifully time and executed three-strike combination -- right hook, left body kick, right jab -- that staggered, rocked, and finally dropped "Batimus" to the mat. Hunched over against the cage, his only defense was to cover up while Njokuani unleashed a fury of ground and pound. Seconds later, the Nigerian had picked up his first WEC win. Four months later, Njokuani returned to his adopted homestate of Texas to take on Muhsin Corbbrey. In a first round that was strikingly similar to the one in his previous fight, "The Assassin" took his time to open up and engage with his opponent. When he finally did, he did so with ferociousness. He dropped Corbbrey but unlike when he did so against "Bartimus," Njokuanki's WEC 43 opponent was felled by knees. Once again the Nigerian was unable to finish his opponent off on the mat so he allowed him back to a vertical base. Going into the second round, Corrbrey amped up his aggression but it proved to be his undoing. Despite early success, he was caught by a head kick that didn't connect flush but had enough impact to daze him momentarily. As small a window as that was, Njokuani seized it and threw a straight that crumpled his opponent to the mat. A repeat performance of the same ground and pound that ended Palaszewski's night earned Njokuani his second straight Knockout of the Night bonus. "The Assassin's" next performance came only two months later at WEC 45 where the Nigerian fighter capped off what had been the best year of his then-six year career. Booked against former International Fight League (IFL) standout Chris Horodecki, Njokuani became the only Zuffa fighter to earn three consecutive bonuses for having the best knockout of the night. The size difference between the two difference was immediately noticeable and just to add emphasis on it, Njokuani threw a quick jab that snapped Horodecki's head back. The IFL veteran attempted the same but his smaller frame didn't allow him to get inside as easily. Instead, he opted to grapple with the kickboxer and muscled him against the cage for a minute or so trying to get the fight to the mat. They eventually broke off the fence and reset in the center of the cage, exchanging for a bit before Horodecki once again shot in for a takedown. This time, however, it was reversed and Njokuani nailed a beautiful hip toss before smoothly transitioning to full mount for a brief moment. The Polish fighter was able to kick his opponent off and got to his feet. It was at this moment Njokuani told me he thought, "Where does he think he going?" Horodecki, after getting to his feet, began to literally jog away from his opponent who took the opportunity to launch a jumping head kick that ended up smacking "The Polish Hammer" across the jaw. A little bit of ground and pound later and "The Assassin" was in the record books. His career since then has had its ups and downs. After losing two of his final three fights in the WEC, Njokuani made an immediate splash inside the Octagon at UFC 128 when he and Edson Barboza battled it out in a three-round war which put an extra $70,000 in his pocket. Coming up short that night, "The Assassin" got back into the win column with a dominant win over Andre Winner four months later. Can he make it two in a row -- and possibly add another highlight reel knockout to his resume -- this upcoming Friday?

Posted in: fighter, opponent, wec, njokuani, assassin

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With their season six bantamweight tournament set, Bellator is now filling out their featherweight tournament and they’ve recently added Wagnney Fabiano, one of the top 145 lb competitors in the world, to the line up. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney announced the signing on Twitter. A former IFL featherweight champ, Fabiano was thought to be the second best 145-pound fighter in the world (behind Urijah Faber) when he entered the WEC in 2008. After winning his first two bouts in the WEC cage, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was upset at WEC 43 when Mackens Semerzier submitted him with a triangle choke in the first round. Following the loss, Fabiano dropped to 135, where he won two more bouts before losing via guillotine choke to former WEC bantamweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez. He was released from the organization and hasn’t competed in MMA following that November 2010 loss to Benavidez but in March 2012 he’ll step back into the cage and move back up to 145 when he enters the Bellator featherweight tournament. PHOTO CREDIT – WEC

Posted in: bellator, featherweight, featherweight tournament, wec, fabiano

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From a life of poverty to the Olympic boxing team to defeating former champ Chase Beebe in the WEC, there seemed to be no limits to how far Will Ribeiro could go. That is until three years ago today. After fulfilling a promise to deliver the gloves from his fight against Brian Bowles to a student in his native Brazil, Ribeiro's motorcycle was struck from behind by a racing car. It sent him flying through the air headfirst into a curb.

Posted in: year, wec, brian bowles, air headfirst, ribeiro

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Filed under: UFCIan McCall will make his UFC debut in March at UFC on FX 2 in Australia against recent UFC bantamweight title challenger Demetrious Johnson. And as a representative of UFC's new flyweight division, McCall (11-2) wants to introduce himself to fans in a dramatic way. "I became No. 1 for a reason," McCall said Monday on The MMA Hour. "I rededicated myself, I think that [135-pounders] don't finish people enough. I'm a finisher. I can make it exciting. I can make it what people want to see. That's one thing I can promise that people will be always be happy after I fight." McCall admits his first experience under the Zuffa banner was underwhelming. Fighting for the Zuffa-era WEC in 2007 and 2009, McCall compiled a 1-2 record with the promotion. "I kinda blew it in the WEC," the 27-year-old said. "I took it for granted. I didn't work very hard." Since his last WEC fight, McCall has won four straight, including a win over Jussier da Silva to earn his No. 1 standing at flyweight. Now, McCall will take on Johnson in the semifinals of an unofficial tournament to crown the first-ever UFC flyweight champion. Top contender Joseph Benavidez will take on 123-pound Shooto champ Yasuhiro Urushitani on the other side of the bracket. In Johnson, McCall received the opponent he wanted all along to show what he's all about. "i really, really wanted this fight because he's so talented," McCall said. "And also because he's riding so high and everyone is so stoked on him. I think it's a good fight for me. I think I match up well -- not only to win but to make it exciting. I like challenging myself. I don't want to go in there and fight some random guy who sucks. I want to fight the best." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, johnson, wec, mccall

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Tying the fastest KO in UFC history, Chan Sung Jung adds another impressive accolade to his WEC and UFC career.

Posted in: ufc, korean zombie, career, name, wec

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Former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres has been released from the UFC. Company president Dana White revealed the news about Torres on Thursday.

Posted in: ufc, champion, torre, miguel, wec

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Filed under: UFCTORONTO -- Just when you thought Strikeforce might be going the way of the WEC, UFC president Dana White told reporters on Thursday that Zuffa's other promotion is sticking around. We just don't know in what form yet, or with which fighters. "It's staying," White said of the organization, adding that he hoped to have more information to release on it next week, hinting that big changes might be in the works. "Just sit and wait and watch what I do. Trust me, it's going to be just fine. Like I said last time I talked to you guys about this, I'm getting into this and I'm going to handle it. Watch and see." Media members weren't the only ones curious about the fate of the organization, whose contract with Showtime is set to expire in February of 2012. A fan also took the opportunity during the UFC 140 pre-fight press conference to question the UFC president on what he planned to do with the Strikeforce fighters , specifically heavyweight Grand Prix finalists Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier. "We'll see what happens," White said. "I know I keep saying this every week, but that deal should be wrapped up any day now, and then I'll make the decisions on who goes where and what's going to happen. So we should know hopefully by Monday." The question that leaps to mind is, why maintain an organization that's been looted of most of its top draws, and which has recently struggled to move the needle at all when it comes to generating fan interest in its events on Showtime? After all, didn't Zuffa try that model already with the WEC, when it ran the organization as a separate entity on a separate channel before eventually folding the roster into the UFC? If it didn't work then, what makes White think it will work with Strikeforce, which has already lost its heavyweight, light heavyweight, and welterweight champions to the UFC, with the remaining beltholders suggesting that they're eager to follow? Only don't tell White that the WEC was a failure. He insisted on Thursday that the WEC "did work," even if it no longer exists. "We had a television deal -- a great television deal with the WEC," he said. "It was very successful. The fights were awesome. There were people that loved watching the WEC fights. It absolutely worked." And yet, it didn't work so well that Zuffa felt compelled to keep it around. If you're a Strikeforce fighter these days, that track record might not instill much confidence, but White insists that the organization won't be fading into the ether any time soon, and Strikeforce's Scott Coker said earlier this week that he was optimistic about the organization's future on Showtime. "In the history of Strikeforce since the relationship with Showtime was developed, we put on, I think some of the best fights in the history of MMA," said Coker. "We've done our part to grow the sport, and that's going to continue. There's still a lot of great fighters on the roster. And we're going to keep building these fighters. We're going to continue putting on great fights. To me, that's not going to change. So everybody can tune into Showtime and watch in 2012, and we're going to put on some amazing, amazing fights." Then again, as White pointed out, the WEC also put on some amazing fights. In the end, it wasn't enough to ensure its long-term survival as a separate entity under the Zuffa banner. One can't help but wonder whether Strikeforce will be able to avoid the same fate. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, strikeforce, wec, organization

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UFC officials on Tuesday announced that former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown has been added to the inaugural UFC on FX fight card.

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UFC newcomer Khabib Nurmagomedov will face WEC veteran Kamal Shalorus on his debut.The fight will take place on the ‘UFC on FX 1’ card and...

Posted in: ufc, wec, nurmagomedov, shaloru, debutthe fight

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In the waning days of October last year, UFC President Dana White made the announcement that fight fans had been longing to hear since 2006 when Zuffa purchased World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). WEC's 155-pound division would merge with the UFC's and the Octagon would welcome for the first time inside its chain link fencing featherweights and bantamweights. It wasn't that fans wanted to see the smaller promotion gone, it was that the fighters under their employ were so talented and provided so many great fights that they deserved to be on the bigger stage that the UFC provides. Less than six weeks after the announcement, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale hosted the company's first featherweight bout. Securing their names in the history books, Pablo Garza and Fredson Paixão agreed to fight on the undercard of the "Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" card. Now two seasons later the weight division finds itself no longer relegated to the preliminaries but rather the star of TUF and next Saturday (Dec. 3) -- nearly a year to the day -- the UFC will crown its first 145-pound TUF winner in The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. To prepare, let's take a look at Garza's and Paixão's bout from that evening. Dive in. Garza wanted to fight on the TUF 12 Finale even before featherweights were invited into the Octagon. He fought for a place in the house but lost out to eventual runner-up Michael Johnson. He went back to his native North Dakota and rattled off two quick wins before catching the eye of Zuffa yet again. He was signed by the WEC as a replacement five days out but ended up losing to Chinese fighter Tiequan Zhang in the first round. Not known for forgetting fighters that step up on short notice, the UFC gave Garza the opportunity to fight less than six weeks later at his new home of 145 pounds. His opponent was Fredson Paixão, himself a four-fight WEC veteran. Let's take a closer look. Immediately apparent is the over half a foot height advantage Garza holds over his opponent. Standing at an inch over six feet tall, the former TUF hopeful towers over the 5'6" Paixão. The corresponding reach advantage comes into play almost as quickly when the Brazilian gets his head snapped back by a jab. He returns fire with a leg kick but continues to eat jabs. Early on into the historic bout, Paixão is having trouble getting on the inside of his taller opponent. Height and reach aren't something learned in the gym, you've either got it from birth or you don't. Garza was lucky enough to be blessed with the offensive tools and uses them completely to his advantage. It's unknown whether or not Paixão would have figured out the riddle that is "The Scarecrow's" reach because less than a minute into the first round, Garza correctly anticipates a takedown attempt from his opponent and launches his body into the air with his knee leading the charge. Bone smacks against bone and the lights don't simply go out for Paixão, the whole damn power grid fails. His entire body freezes up, stiffer than shot of whiskey and he falls straight back like a giant redwood. Garza lands another shot for good measure before the referee is able to literally jump in between the two fighters. It was a jarring and exciting introduction for the audience who was only versed in the UFC and hadn't seen featherweight action inside the blue WEC cage. There's been a long held -- and incorrect -- belief that smaller weight classes means less power which in turn produces fewer knockouts. Garza put the stereotype to bed as quickly as he did Paixão.

Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, wec, garza

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Kid Nate has a couple of fun posts up at MMA Nation today: 1) Danny Castillo Makes a Statement: WEC > TUF and 2) What Made Miguel Torres Boring? Enjoy.

Posted in: miguel torres, wec, kid nate, castillo, fun posts

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Filed under: UFCThe path to UFC 139 began in 2007 with the acquisition of Pride, continued in 2010 with the absorption of World Extreme Cagefighting, and was finished in 2011 with the purchase of Strikeforce. The six fighters in the top three fights from Saturday night's card all came to the UFC from those business moves. Pride never died, the WEC never died, and Strikeforce never died. At least they all still seemed alive at UFC 139. The main event was a classic, with former Pride and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson beating former Pride Middleweight Grand Prix champion Shogun Rua. This was exactly the type of bout that fight fans hoped we'd see inside the Octagon when the UFC purchased Pride: A brutal, bloody battle between two Pride stars that had all the best elements of the Pride glory days. More Coverage: UFC 139 Results | UFC 139 Post-Fight Press Conference But it was more than just that. It was Wanderlei Silva, perhaps the greatest of all the Pride stars to sign with the UFC after the Pride purchase, having perhaps his greatest victory inside the Octagon. And doing it against former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, who came to the UFC after it purchased Strikeforce. And there was also another tremendous fight that's probably going to be largely overlooked this morning, thanks to all that came after it: Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber beating former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles. Faber and Bowles both came to the UFC from the WEC, and they gave the kind of great show that the WEC was famous for. In theory I like the idea of competition among MMA promotions, and I watch MMA regardless of the promotion: I was watching two TVs on Saturday night, one with the UFC and one with Bellator, which put on a tremendous fight of its own between Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez. So I don't necessarily want the UFC to swallow up every MMA promotion on earth. But I must say that I can't think of many times I've ever enjoyed the top three fights on a card more than I enjoyed the top three fights at UFC 139, and we got to see all of them because the UFC has absorbed Pride, Strikeforce and the WEC. Saturday night was a night when it was hard not to enjoy the UFC's dominance of the MMA landscape. UFC 139 Notes -- Miguel Torres won an easy unanimous decision over Nick Pace, 30-27 on all three judges' cards, but he didn't do anything spectacular, which is what he's going to need to do if he wants to fight for the bantamweight belt. There's a lot to be said for fighting smarter and fighting safer, which is what Torres has tried to do recently, but when it comes to earning a shot at the title, the fact is there are style points. Torres may need to regain some of his old reckless form if he wants the UFC to give him a chance to fight for the title. -- You can make a good case that it's really not fair to the rest of the bantamweight division to give Faber another shot at champion Dominick Cruz, but realistically I think that's the only option available to the UFC right now. From a business perspective, Cruz-Faber 3 is really the only bantamweight title fight that the UFC can sell, and the UFC is, ultimately, a business. UFC 139 Quotes -- "I felt really disrespected at the weigh-in. You're supposed to be professional. Don't come in two pounds overweight and then tell me you can't lose any more weight." -- Danny Castillo after beating Shamar Bailey, who had come in at 158 pounds for their lightweight fight. Castillo is absolutely right: Professional fighters need to make weight, period. -- "He's a super gnarly dude. I knew I had a fight on my hands." -- Seth Baczynski after submitting Matt Brown with a guillotine choke in the second round. %VIRTUAL-Gallery-139928% Good Call Chris Weidman is to be commended for immediately alerting the referee that he had choked out Tom Lawlor. The fighters and the referee are all in a difficult position when a fighter passes out from a choke and the ref doesn't realize it, but Weidman did the best thing he could, telling the ref that Lawlor was out. The ref then stepped in and separated the two of them, and Lawlor was back on his feet moments later. Bad Call The judge who gave Rafael dos Anjos a 29-28 decision over Gleison Tibau should be forced to publicly explain it -- that's a tough score to understand. The other two judges scored it 30-27 and 29-28 for Tibau. Stock Up Michael McDonald looks like a future UFC bantamweight champion. McDonald needed just 56 seconds to knock out Alex Soto -- a man who entered the fight undefeated -- and is now 14-1 in his MMA career, at only 20 years old. I'd love to see McDonald get a Top 10 opponent in his next fight. Stock Down Jason Brilz is reeling right now, with back-to-back ugly knockout losses, first to Vladimir Matyushenko in April and now to Ryan Bader on Saturday. When Brilz lost a hard-fought split decision to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in May of 2010, a lot of people thought he deserved to win and would have some big fights ahead of him. Unfortunately, Brilz now looks like he's on the verge of getting cut from the UFC. Fight I Want to See Next Dan Henderson vs. Rashad Evans. Henderson vs. Evans would be a great fight, and a great way to determine who's the next contender for the light heavyweight belt. Evans has already been promised a title shot, of course, but the way the timing has worked out, I don't think it's realistic for Evans to wait around for the Jon Jones-Lyoto Machida winner. If Henderson and Evans are both healthy and ready to fight in early 2012, that's the fight to make. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, champion, pride, wec

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Two former WEC champions collide on the main card of Saturday night's UFC 139: Henderson vs. Rua pay-per-view. Urijah Faber (25-5), the longstanding WEC featherweight champion from 2006-2008, meets Brian Bowles (10-1), the man who snapped Miguel Torres' seventeen-fight winning streak to nab the bantamweight crown in 2009. "The California Kid" was the baby faced poster boy in the promotion's early epoch, stopping a soaring Cole Escovedo to win the strap way back at WEC 19. Faber picked off a pile of contenders, defending the title five times throughout his reign, four of which were memorable finishes, one of which was versus Dominick Cruz. The surge vaulted Faber into the top pound-for-pound mix as one of MMA's most dominant champs. After the higher weight classes were nixed in the WEC, the little guys riddled each and every event with nonstop, accelerated action. As more global talent migrated to the states and the WEC began to established itself as the premiere organization for feather and bantamweights, the roster started overflowing with tremendous talent. One of those new entries was former lightweight and ATT fire hydrant Mike Brown. Faber's flashy and creative style had propelled him to a thirteen-fight roll and distinguished him as an exciting fighter, but it also left room for Brown's drilling right hand when Faber attempted a risky spinning back-elbow. The loss was only Faber's second in twenty-three fights. He rematched Jens Pulver, this time choking him out, but broke his hand against Brown while seeking revenge when the two met again. Flaunting his ever-improving mat skills, Faber hit a third round rear-naked choke on Raphael Assuncao before he got caught in the Jose Aldo wood-chipper. At this point, he needed a change and the bantamweight division beckoned. Two immediate top-shelf wins (Takeya Mizugaki and Eddie Wineland) carried him to an unsuccessful title shot against Dominick Cruz in UFC 132's headliner. Brian Bowles is more simple and straightforward in just about everything he does -- but an equally voracious finisher. He ignited his pro-fighting career by decimating three opponents, all in the first round. Expedited to the big leagues, Bowles tore through five more in the WEC -- again, all finishes -- consummated by flooring Miguel Torres and wrapping championship gold around his waist. His tenure at the top was brief. Bowles broke his hand on Dominick Cruz's head, resulting in his first career defeat and the belt changing hands yet again. The WEC was then folded into the UFC, where Bowles notched two straight: submitting Antonio Banuelos in a mirror image of their first match and his first decision over Takeya Mizugaki in a bout where the broken hand curse struck again. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 139: Henderson vs. Rua Faber has really filled out his skill-set nicely and started fighting a lot smarter after losing to Brown the first time. He's much more comfortable with his boxing, his punches are flowing smoother, his timing and accuracy are sharper, and his footwork and head movement have come along well. He was always an explosive wrestler, so now his continuously expanding submission knowledge endows him with more options to exercise. The cut to 135 has made him one of the stronger fighters, but he doesn't enjoy the same quickness advantage he had at 145. Now that Faber is about an equally formidable threat standing or shooting, it's his intelligent aggression and frenetic pace that create opportunities. Confronted with the aggravating hoppity-skip style of Cruz, I was impressed by the way Faber reverted to simple basics effectively. He picked his spots and launched himself at the champ with controlled but ferocious punches. Cruz's movement often keeps him at the helm to steer the direction of the action, but Faber gave him a respectable run for his money and stayed on him for all five rounds. Dedicating at least three-quarters of this article's intro to Faber might be construed as unfair to Brian Bowles. MMA always has a nice balance of consummate sportsmen and villainous heels; quiet performers and outspoken eccentrics; Randy Coutures and Chael Sonnens, if you catch my drift. Brian Bowles fills the nice guy quota. He's not going to filet his opponent with clever jeers in the pre-fight interview or magnetize fans with a comical walk-in gimmick. What he will do is offer a sheepish smile, shake your hand and wish you good luck, then proceed to knock your melon into the cheap seats. He epitomizes an all-business, no-frills, no-bullshit, no-weakness fighter with a blue collar and spartan work ethic. Similar to how I described Faber's approach for Cruz, when confronted with a wildly dynamic foe, Bowles protected himself well, chambered a devastating right hand and timed it perfectly to dethrone Miguel Torres (above). He does nothing fancy yet he's a straight A student in every subject: striking, wrestling, clinching, and submissions.  In all of these animations of Bowles, it's apparent what a fundamental machine he is. His hands and reactions are lightning fast, he has his chin tucked tight when blasting crisp counters and he always keeps his feet active and underneath him. Staying firmly on-balance translates directly to staying composed, and Bowles' rigid but agile base does the same for his offense. Additionally, he's very selective in unleashing his prime firepower -- punches and submissions -- so as never to sacrifice his ongoing poise. I'm a little surprised to find Faber favored in the mid -200s for this bout. He definitely has the bigger name and broader career profile, but Bowles has flattened everyone he's ever faced, save his sole defeat at the hands of the world's apex bantamweight and his recent decision over Mizugaki, which he gutted through without his best weapon. I think Bowles presents a challenge much like Mike Brown did: a smart, quick and calculating wrestle-boxer who will mercilessly prey on the tiniest of mistakes. This will be a huge test for Faber's maturity, as he'll be faced with the timeless dilemma of blazing the cannons to uphold his highlight reel reputation (and risk getting caught) or walk that fine line of being smart and strategic without forgetting what got him here. I'm taking Bowles in this one, but Faber has all the abilities and instincts to win. Bowles' chin has been phenomenal and his hand speed is astounding. I'd rate their wrestling, clinch and sub games pretty equally, and I can't help but envision Bowles sniping punches through the tiny holes in Faber's defense with sharper striking. My Prediction: Brian Bowles by decision   Bowles x Torres gif via MMA-Core.com All others via Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com Poll Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles Urijah Faber Brian Bowles   9 votes | Results

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Former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles talks about his title contender bout with Urijah Faber at UFC 139.

Posted in: bantamweight, wec, urijah faber, brian, bowle

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A bantamweight title shot is on the line this Saturday night (November 19, 2011) as former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber takes on former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles in a thrilling UFC 139 main card showdown. Faber is a legend of the lighter weight classes, the former face of the WEC. He's coming off a thrilling five round war with champion Dominick Cruz and both he, fans and analysts alike are hoping for a rematch. After coming up short in his last 4 title fights, a victory over Brian Bowles could earn him his last shot at being a champion again. Brian Bowles lost his title to Dominick Cruz in early 2010 and after recovering from the broken hand that cost him his belt, he's picked up right where he left off with two strong showings in the UFC. The Georgia resident is a fan-friendly finisher and he needs to get through Faber to earn another crack at the only man to ever defeat him. Will Urijah Faber be the alpha male on Saturday night? Can Brian Bowles spoil Faber's California dreams? How does each former champion earn a victory at UFC 139? Let's find out Urijah Faber Record: 25-5 overall, 1-1 in the UFC Key Wins: Dominick Cruz (WEC 26), Eddie Wineland (UFC 128), Takeya Mizugaki (WEC 52) Key Losses: Dominick Cruz (UFC 132), Jose Aldo (WEC 48), Mike Brown 2x (WEC 41, WEC 36) How he got here: After cutting his teeth in the Gladiator Challenge and King of the Cage promotions on the local California circuit, Urijah Faber had compiled an 11-1 record and was given a title shot in his WEC debut against champion Cole Escovedo, which he won after a second round corner stoppage. Faber would defend his title five times over the next two years, becoming the face of the organization in the process during a 12 fight winning streak. At WEC 36, he would lose his title to Mike Brown after a spinning back elbow attack backfired and he was knocked out in the first round. Faber would earn another shot at Brown and in one of 2009's best fights, he'd continue battling despite breaking both hands early in the match, choosing instead to lunge forward with elbow strikes although he would lose a decision. After Brown lost his title to Jose Aldo, all eyes were on Faber to take on the young Brazilian at the first ever WEC pay-per-view. "The California Kid" would fall short to Aldo in a gritty performance, absorbing some awful leg kicks for five straight rounds. Faber made the decision to drop to bantamweight afterwards. At 135 pounds, Faber has gone 2-1  including a unanimous decision victory over former bantamweight champ Eddie Wineland at UFC 128 in his debut with the promotion. He gave champion Dominick Cruz the toughest fight of his bantamweight career at UFC 132, but came up short in the decision. He's hoping for one more crack at "The Dominator" with a victory over Bowles. How he gets it done: Faber needs to take advantage of Bowles' patience in his striking game by turning up his aggression. He naturally is the type of fighter that loves taking risks and going for broke, so this could play right into his mindset as a competitor. As long as he keeps his hands up while moving forward, he'll be able to block the counter and keep Bowles on his heels. Another thing to look out for is that Brian Bowles tends to circle to his left and he's been prone to eating right hands. As long as Faber can set it up with a simple 1-2 combination or perhaps something more complex, he should be able to find a home for his power strikes as long as he can properly gauge them. Mixing it up is key as well. Faber loves to stand and bang, but he should definitely not be afraid to shoot in for takedowns the second that Bowles get comfortable on his feet. If he can keep the former bantamweight champ guessing, he's definitely going to earn favor with the judges, if not more. Brian Bowles Record: 10-1 overall, 2-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Miguel Torres (WEC 42), Takeya Mizugaki (UFC 132), Damacio Page 2x (UFC on Versus 3, WEC 35) Key Losses: Dominick Cruz (WEC 47) How he got here: Brian Bowles made an explosive burst onto the MMA scene. After destroying on the local Georgia circuit, he was given an invite to the WEC and despite only having had three previous fights, he finished everyone in his path all the way to a title shot against the then-seemingly unbeatable Miguel Torres. Bowles took the fight to Torres, dropping him early in the fight and then finishing him at the end of the first round with a beautiful right counter while under fire from a wild flurry of strikes. Just eight fights into his professional MMA career, Brian Bowles was the bantamweight champion of the world. His reign would not be long, however, as Bowles showed up against Dominick Cruz with a rib injury and broke his hand just seconds into his first title defense. After a two round beating, he'd had enough. Since recovering from the busted appendage, Bowles has gone 2-0 in the UFC with impressive victories against Damacio Page and Takeya Mizugaki to once again jump back into title contention. He'll have to get through another legend in Faber if he wants to get his revenge against Cruz. How he gets it done: Bowles is a patient fighter, but if he sees any good openings, he needs to attack. Especially with how aggressive Faber is, he'll need to look to either respond in kind, or find the perfect opportunity for a counter. Bowles has significant power in both hands and his striking technique is superior to Faber's, but his defense is not. The clinch is his friend, as long as he doesn't allow Faber to get inside position so he could look for takedowns. Bowles has some sneaky Muay Thai and he's capable of unleashing some very nasty elbow strikes if the fight gets up close. Also, Bowles has a nasty guillotine choke, so if Faber leaves his neck exposed while shooting in for a takedown, he could find himself in trouble. He has a very underrated ground game and he's strong off his back, capable of sweeps or submission attempts if need be. The main concern for him is keeping his left hand up in the stand-up department and if he's taken down, he has to get back to his feet. Bowles has the power to finish this fight if he can connect solidly. Fight "X-Factor:" The X-Factor for this fight could be the mental side of the bout. Urijah Faber thrives under pressure and he's stepped up every time he's had an opportunity to earn a title shot. He may have come up short when competing for the belt, but he's damn near unstoppable in any other bout. He's also shown incredible mental toughness in his fights, battling through broken hands and some crippling leg kicks in losing efforts. Brian Bowles has some fragile hands and if he hurts them against Faber, he could be in serious trouble. When healthy, he's one of the most violent fighters on the planet, but when he gets hurt, he becomes much more passive and it's possible that he could break mentally. Even the thought of a broken hand against Mizugaki seemed to get to him, although he did fight through it this time. How each man handles adversity could be a huge factor. Bottom Line: These are two of the best bantamweight fighters in the world and they're meeting while still at the top of their abilities. You can't ask for much better than this. As long as these men fight to their capabilities, this has all the making of a thriller. Both men are well-rounded and rather evenly-matched. It could come down to one punch, one submission attempt or one single takedown as the deciding factor. There's a title shot on the line so keep your eyes peeled. With how dangerous both men are, anything could happen on Saturday night to force a crazy finish. Who will come out on top at UFC 139? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Which former champion will earn a title shot with a victory on Saturday night at UFC 139? Urijah Faber Brian Bowles   0 votes | Results

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Former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles wants another shot at Dominick Cruz when both his hands are intact. But first, he has to get through Urijah Faber.

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Spotlighting UFC 139's bantamweight prelim bout between former WEC champion Miguel Torres and Nick Pace.

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A lightweight confrontation between former WEC titleholder Anthony Pettis and red-hot Joe Lauzon has been added to the fight bill for UFC 144 on Feb. 26.

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On Sat., Nov. 19, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight Miguel Torres will take on former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) competitor Nick Pace at UFC 139 in San Jose, California. For those with short memories, Torres was once the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) bantamweight champion. During a stretch between 2003 and 2009, Torres reeled off 17 consecutive wins. The rest of the 135-pounders in the WEC were no match for his long reach and slick Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He was a dominant champion and was one of the prominent faces of his organization. At UFC 139, just two years later, Torres finds himself fighting on the Facebook "Prelims" portion of the card, which is a far cry from the main event status he commanded just a few years ago. He will fight a guy who was fairly recently on a reality television show and who hasn't exactly been setting the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene ablaze. So how did a fighter like Torres end up in his current predicament? How does a fighter go from being on top of the world to the bottom of the food chain in a manner of only two years? After the jump, we'll take a look at the events that transpired to take Torres down the path that he has traveled, as well as what he can do to get back on top: On Aug. 9, 2009, Torres took on Brian Bowles at WEC 42 in Las Vegas. Bowles entered the fight as the underdog, but was riding an impressive seven-fight win streak. Though Torres was running through opponents at the time and looked somewhat unbeatable, Bowles was making a name for himself with a furious, fast-paced style that earned him four finishes in each of his first four WEC contests. When the two finally collided in "Sin City" on that fateful night, it looked as though Torres had finally met his match. Bowles was faster. His power clearly was something that Torres was not used to and for which he seemingly had no answer. Then, at 3:57 of the very first round, Bowles sent the champion to the canvas with a knockout blow that would be the beginning of his undoing. Torres returned to the WEC cage on March 6, 2010. His opponent, Joseph Benavidez, was a top prospect and looked to test his mettle on the big stage.  Again, Torres experienced a significant speed deficit. Benavidez worked him for just over a round, then took him down to the mat, which most believed was Torres' world, cut his wig wide open and then finished him with a guillotine choke in the second round. Just a few months later, Torres was able to collect himself and gain some redemption with a rear naked choke victory over journeyman tough-guy Charlie Valencia at WEC 51 on Sept. 30 in Colorado. Shortly thereafter, Torres won his UFC debut in a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Banuelos at UFC 126 on Feb. 5, 2011, in Las Vegas, giving him a two-fight streak and a new lease on his fight life. But then in his next appearance, Torres faced another bump in the road when he lost a very close decision to Demetrious Johnson. Some felt that Torres actually should have been awarded the decision. "Mighty Mouse" went on to get a title shot against Dominick Cruz. How about Torres? The owner of quite possibly the most famous mullet in all of MMA now finds himself fighting on the early Facebook prelims, challenging someone who probably never would have even got a chance to fight him during the WEC days. If he wins decisively, he may be able to silence the critics and get back on the right track again. Should he lose or even look poor in victory, the former champion may find himself stuck in limbo. What do you think, Maniacs? Was Torres overrated? Did his move to the UFC expose him as not being as strong a bantamweight as originally supposed? Or was he just experiencing a rough patch in his career? How do you see his UFC 139 match up with Nick Pace going down? Comments, please!

Posted in: ufc, nick pace, torre, wec, bowle

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As little as three years ago, Miguel Torres was considered to be one of the top mixed martial artists in the game. Torres was often placed by many in the top pound for pound rankings alongside illustrious company such as Fedor Emelianenko, Georges St. Pierre, and Anderson Silva. With a record of 36-1 at the time, it was hard not to. Torres began his career with an unprecedented 19 straight wins in a span of only two years before losing too Ryan Ackerman in 2003 via decision. How did he bounce back after suffering his first loss? He simply racked up another 17 fight win streak and in the process picked up the WEC bantamweight championship in 2008 by submitting Chase Beebe at WEC 32. Impressive indeed. However, what goes up must come down, and Miguel Torres did just that. Brian Bowles ended Torres' impressive 17 fight win streak at WEC 42 via knockout in the very first round, taking his WEC title in the process. His return would not be as successful as the first as he would go on to lose once again seven months later, falling to Joseph Benavidez  via submission at WEC 47. The loss marked the first time in his career that he had suffered back to back losses. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt got back to his winning ways after picking up back to back victories at WEC 51 against Charlie Valencia and making a successful UFC debut at UFC 126 against Antonio Banuelos. However, Miguel's winning streak would be short lived this time around as he lost a unanimous decision to Demetrious Johnson at UFC 130. Now at the age of 30, Miguel knows it's his time to rejuvenate his career and come back stronger than ever. Posting this heart felt message on his Facebook page, Miguel expresses his feelings, the sacrifices he has made and his desire to return to the top. "To my family, friends, and true students, I miss you guys and am coming home in a week. The choices I have to make to become a world champion again comes at an extremely high expense. I know what must be done to take care of my family, students, business, and employees. When I was fighting in local events in small shows it was easy to just train in my own gym. The game has changed so much, every fight team has a gym of 40 full time fighters who live and train full time and are always in the gym, do not work, do not go to school, or diss training cause of their girlfriends. I have had to raise the stakes immensely to achieve a lifelong accomplishment. This message is just to clear my mind so I can prepare for my fight next week. If one can't appreciate what it costs physically, mentally, emotionally, or even monetarily to do what I do at the highest level then they can stop coming to my gym. If you ever even get close to where I am, you might understand where I am coming from. Everyone makes choices for a reason, I have a real opportunity at being the best in the world, not just taking a chance or going for a long shot ... I never claimed to be perfect, a god, a millionaire, or claim to have all the answers in life, but I do know about hard work, mma, martial arts, fighting, and getting shit done. To everyone who supports me, my gym, my career, thank you and I love you guys. Trust me that I miss my gym family as much as my family at home and my friends. It hurts to be away and not be able to sleep cause you are worried about everything that is going on. I saddens me that this is what it has come to but in life we all chose our own paths. Miss you guys, see everyone in a week when I come home. Osu."   Torres, who also runs Torres Martial Arts Academy in Hammond Indiana, is set to make his return this weekend, November 19, 2011, as he takes on Nick Pace at UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson which goes down in San Jose, California. After spending most of his training days at Tri-Star gym with Firas Zihabi and with Mark Dellagrotti at Sityodtong USA; Torres recently joined Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton which houses top talents such as Strikeforce heavyweight Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, Michael Johnson and Jorge Santiago. The team, who are also known as "The Blackzillians", are trained by head trainer Mike Van Arsdale. The mullet wearing bantamweight has always displayed heart, strength and determination on top of a very well utilized skill set.  With the bantamweights now getting their shot to shine on the biggest stage of them all, the UFC, Torres is ready to put it all to good use in order to make sure that his name is not forgotten and is mentioned amongst the greatest of all time.  A win over Nick pace at UFC 139 can get him going in the right direction. With a new management team and new training camp in place, Miguel is ready to take back his place among the best bantamweights in the world, no matter what the cost. What do you say; will Miguel Torres return to his early glory days of the WEC, or will Nick Pace put a halt to his comeback party?

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UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will next defend his belt against former WEC titleholder Ben Henderson when the UFC returns to Japan in February.

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Frankie Edgar could be finding out who the next challenger to his UFC lightweight title will be this Saturday night (November 12, 2011) as two of the top contenders at 155 pounds, Ben Henderson and Clay Guida meet in what promises to be a pivotal lighweight showdown at UFC on FOX: "Velasquez vs. dos Santos." Ben Henderson emphatically made his case as one of the best lightweights in the world when he completely dominated then-number one contender Jim Miller earlier this summer by simply being more physical fighter. He will make a strong case for a title shot with a victory over fan-favorite Guida on Saturday night. Clay Guida has won four straight in the UFC lightweight division and nothing was more impressive than when he also defeated the number one contender, Anthony Pettis, earlier this summer by grinding out the WEC champion and earning a unanimous decision victory. Once considered the division's gatekeeper, a big victory over Henderson would definitely give Guida a solid case for a shot at the title. Can Ben Henderson keep his crazy momentum rolling all the way to a shot at UFC gold? Will Guida's gas tank be the deciding factor in this fight? Who has more heart? Even more, what would be the best plan of attack for each man to be victorious? Let's find out: Ben Henderson Record: 14-2 overall, 2-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Jim Miller (UFC on Versus 5), Donald Cerrone 2x (WEC 48, WEC 43), Mark Bocek (UFC 129) Key Losses: Anthony Pettis (WEC 53) How he got here: Ben Henderson was a two-time All-American at Division II Dana College while earning a double degree in criminal justice and sociology. Instead of pursuing a career with his degree, he tried out amateur cagefighting, compiling a 2-1 record and loving the sport enough to make it his job. It didn't take him long to be noticed. Henderson was fighting for Mark Pavelich's MFC within 18 months and earned an invite to the WEC just over two years into his professional career. He was thrown into the fire immediately, earning stoppage victories over Anthony Njokuani and Shane Roller to earned him an interim WEC lightweight title shot against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at WEC 43. Henderson was still green at the time, but he gutted through a multitude of submission attempts from the former bullrider, using his wrestling to outscore him positionally in what was voted Sherdog's 2009 "Fight of the Year." With the victory, he became the interim WEC lightweight champion. He unified the titles by defeating incumbent champion, Jamie Varner with a third round guillotine choke and would once again have to face Cerrone for the title at WEC 48, the first and only pay-per-view the promotion ever attempted. In what was expected to be a repeat of their first epic war, the "Smooth" one, choked out Cerrone in less than two minutes to defend his belt. Henderson would fight one last time for the WEC against the upstart Anthony Pettis. We all know how that played out, with the kick heard 'round the world. What some may forget, was the fight was incredibly close, entirely up for grabs until the final minute of round five. In his UFC debut, Henderson put on a strong showing against submission specialist Mark Bocek and he followed it up with the most impressive victory of his career, a three round domination of then-number one contender Jim Miller at UFC on Versus 5. With the victory over Miller, he earned a match against Clay Guida, a fight that fans have been demanding ever since the UFC-WEC merger was announced. How he gets it done: Henderson has the overall skills to keep this fight standing if he wants to, but when was the last time you really saw someone put Clay Guida on his back? If anyone can do it in the UFC lightweight division, it might be "Bendo."  While I feel that the former WEC champ should have an advantage on the feet and in the clinch, he also is strong enough to potentially overwhelm Guida and give him a taste of his own medicine. Also, this wouldn't be the old Henderson who was content to have his position on the ground. Against Miller, he was brutal, bashing his opponent with ground and pound and bloodying him up. If he can score a takedown at any point during the fight, he could definitely do the same thing to "The Carpenter." In the strand-up, Henderson would be wise to avoid regular exchanges in the pocket as his defense still needs some work. The best plan of action would be to try to corner Guida along the fence where he can explode forward with knees or attack with short strikes that have a much higher percentage of landing. I believe Henderson is the stronger man, so if he can close the distance and try to tire Guida out with pressure, that could be key for him. Clay Guida Record: 29-11 overall, 9-5 in the UFC Key Wins: Anthony Pettis (Ultimate Finale 13), Nate Diaz (UFC 94), Rafael dos Anjos (UFC 117) Key Losses: Kenny Florian (UFC 107), Diego Sanchez (Ultimate Finale 9), Roger Huerta (Ultimate Finale 6) How he got here: Clay Guida, believe it or not, was once the Strikeforce lightweight champion. He defeated Josh Thomson for the title before losing the strap via split decision to current champ Gilbert Melendez. After a WEC fight, Guida made his way to the UFC where he fought a high energy and fan-friendly style that created incredible fights but also put him in situations to lose often. "The Carpenter's" UFC record had dropped to 5-5 after a tough submission loss to perennial contender Kenny Florian and he needed to change. Guida stepped up his training with Greg Jackson and put a focus on his offensive wrestling, footwork, head movement and submissions. The results have been amazing. The Chicago native scored three consecutive submissions against impressive foes like Takanori Gomi and Rafael dos Anjos. In his last bout with Gomi, he perplexed the Japanese slugger with some of the most ridiculous and frenetic head movement of all time, eventually mixing in takedowns to put away "The Fireball Kid" with a guillotine choke. With the victory, Guida once again entered contender status and he solidified his claim as one of the promotion's best 155 pounders when he ground out an easy unanimous decision over the WEC champion and number one UFC lightweight contender, Anthony Pettis earlier this summer. He accepted about against another former WEC lightweight champion, Ben Henderson and will duke it out with him this Saturday night. How he gets it done: Clay Guida has the best gas tank in the lightweight division and he'll need to utilize it as best he can if he wants to secure a victory on Saturday night against Henderson. He'll need to constantly be moving, trying to confuse his opponent in the stand-up like he did against Gomi and hopefully that will leave openings for him to land his punches. Guida doesn't have one-punch knockout power, but if he can create the correct type of openings, he can definitely do damage. Who can forget his brutal uppercut to Roger Huerta, or when he broke Rafael dos Anjos' jaw with a nasty hook? Guida needs to harness his frenetic energy and go full speed for the entire fifteen minutes. He's capable of pushing a pace that even Henderson might not be able to keep up with. If he can wear "Bendo" down, that will open up opportunities for takedowns later in the fight. I don't believe Guida is a strong enough wrestler to put Henderson on his back early, but he definitely could do it as the fight wears on. Conditioning kills at times, and while the former WEC champion has never had major cardio issues before, he could definitely wilt if pushed to the limit by Guida over the course of three rounds. Fight "X-Factor:" The X-Factor for this fight is which man has the better takedowns and wrestling? Both Guida and Henderson have utilized their wrestling throughout their careers to dominate their opponents and stand atop the division. Now it could come down who can put their opponent on their back and keep them there for an extended period of time. Also, if the wrestling cancels out, as it is prone to do when two high level grapplers match up, this fight could come down to who is better in every other facet of mixed martial arts. It could be clinch work, footwork, striking and power that end up being the deciding factor in this fight and that's what makes this bout so special. Both of these men are very evenly matched so the tiniest advantage could be the biggest deciding factor of them all. Bottom Line: This is must-watch television. Even if this fight isn't going to be aired on the major FOX broadcast, it still has as much implications as any non-title lightweight fight this year. Finally, this isn't a case of the number one contender taking a fight against a non-contender while waiting for his next opponent. This time, it's two men who are both the elite of their weight class battling it out. It would be a shame if the winner of this fight doesn't earn a title shot as both men have the credentials and both men have defeated the number one lightweight contender this year to get to where they're at right now. This expects to be a high-pace, action intensive battle. Clay Guida has had his best fights of his career when he's matched up with fighters that he can't simply take down and grind out a decision victory, and this fight has the makings of another classic Guida war. Don't miss it! Who will come out on top at UFC on FOX? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who do you think will potentially earn a lightweight title shot with a victory come Saturday night? Ben Henderson Clay Guida   14 votes | Results

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Two of the most entertaining featherweights in the UFC will match up this Saturday night (November 12, 2011) as perennial "Fight of the Night" winner Cub Swanson takes on the well-rounded Ricardo Lamas on the preliminary card of the UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. dos Santos" event.After being delayed twice due to injury, Swanson will finally be making his UFC debut this weekend. The Greg Jackson-trained featherweight will likely be gnawing at the bit to get in there and make something happen as he hasn't been able to fight for almost exactly a year. Ricardo Lamas looked terrific in his UFC and featherweight debut earlier this summer, knocking wrestler Matt Grice out cold with a beautiful switch kick and some ground and pound in the first round. A victory over Swanson would put him in high standing in the division. Will Cub Swanson be able to overcome the rust after a year away from the cage? Can Lamas continue his strong momentum after dropping down to featherweight? What is the key to victory for each man on Saturday night? Let's find out: Cub Swanson Record: 15-4 overall, 0-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Mackens Semerzier (WEC 52), Hiroyuki Takaya (WEC 37), Micah Miller (WEC 28) Key Losses: Jose Aldo (WEC 41), Chad Mendes (WEC 50), Jens Pulver (WEC 31) How he got here: After losing his MMA debut, Cub Swanson won 11 straight bouts, including avenging that first loss to eventual UFC lightweight Shannon Gugerty. After making it to the WEC, he would win his first two fights in the promotion before getting submitted by the debuting Jens Pulver after getting caught with a guillotine choke during a takedown attempt. Pulver would earn a title shot after beating Swanson, as would eventual champion Jose Aldo, who famously knocked Swanson out with a flying double knee attack in just eight seconds. Swanson's other loss in the promotion was to current number one contender Chad Mendes.  Swanson had a very fan-friendly brawling fight style, he actually won "Fight of the Night" in his last three WEC victories, including one of 2010's most entertaining scraps against Mackens Semerzier. He was set to make his UFC debut twice this year in March and July, both times against budding contender Erik Koch but he  would be forced to back out with an injury each time. Now healthy, the Greg Jackson-trained featherweight is ready to make a splash in the UFC. How he gets it done: Swanson is good at everything, but not particularly great at anything. He's won a lot of his fights lately by pushing a tremendous pace, outworking his opponents and just being incredibly scrappy. He's got pretty solid kickboxing and if he wants to win this fight, he should try to draw Lamas into a striking war. Lamas is coming off a strong knockout performance against Matt Grice and he might oblige him. Don't be surprised to see the Palm Springs native do whatever it takes to keep this fight standing, whether it's in the clinch or at a distance. Swanson has incredible cardio and if he can draw this fight into the later rounds, he could take advantage of a fighter who's only competing at featherweight for the second time in his career.  Ricardo Lamas Record: 10-2 overall, 1-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Bart Palaszewski (WEC 39), Matt Grice (UFC on Versus 4), James Krause (WEC 44) Key Losses: Yuri Alcantara (WEC 53), Danny Castillo (WEC 53) How he got here: Ricardo Lamas was a successful wrestler while competing at Division III Elmhurst college, earning All-America honors as well as eventually become a wrestling coach there. He transitioned to mixed martial arts, turning pro in 2008 and winning his first six fights, including an impressive unanimous decision victory against IFL standout Bart Palaszewski in his WEC debut. Lamas would unfortunately fall victim to Danny Castillo's superior striking in his next bout, but would win three straight in the promotion before again getting knocked out by powerful striker Yuri Alcantera at the final WEC event ever. The Chicago transplant would drop to featherweight for his UFC debut and would knock Matt Grice senseless with a head kick and follow up ground strikes at UFC on Versus 4 earlier this summer. He's looking to keep the momentum rolling against Swanson on Saturday. How he gets it done: While Lamas was able to score a tremendous knockout against Grice in his last bout, Grice is a pretty limited striker and he left a huge opening for him. That's not something he could get away with against a talented kickboxer like Swanson. Swanson has had trouble in the past against top wrestlers like Chad Mendes, so perhaps if Lamas is able to utilize his very strong wrestling base, he can grind out a decision that way. Swanson is the type of fighter who's not afraid to throw very heavy strikes, the type of punches and kicks that leave openings for takedowns. If he does this, Lamas needs to immediately shoot in and put him on his back.  Swanson also has a good ground game, but Lamas should be able to nullify it with his brown belt under Daniel Valverde and instead pound away with punches. He does not want to have an extended brawl with the perennial fight night bonus winner on the feet. Fight "X-Factor:" The are two X-Factors for this bout. The first is conditioning. Swanson pushes a high pace and while Lamas has gone 4-0 in fights that have gone to decision, he's never had the opportunity to go past the first round since dropping down to featherweight. Depending on how severe the weight cut is for him, Swanson could potentially take advantage of it. The other factor is Swanson's ring rust. He hasn't fought since WEC 52, which will be almost a year to the exact day by the time the fight takes place on Saturday. He's been sidelined on consecutive occasions with injuries that delayed his UFC debut and with how strongly Lamas started against Matt Grice in his last bout, there could be an opening for him to hurt Swanson early in Anaheim as well. Bottom Line: This has all the makings of a very entertaining battle. Swanson loves to stand and bang and Lamas, having won via knockout in two of his last three victories, will likely be game to at least see if he can hang with the Jackson's Submission fighter on the feet for a while. Neither of these guys have tremendous chins, so there's a very real possibility that the tide can turn from just one punch or kick at any given moment. The only way this fight is not entertaining is if Swanson finds himself on his back for three straight rounds. There is a possibility that happens, but the chances of an entertaining scrap are considerably higher. This should be fun. Who will come out on top at UFC on FOX? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who do you think will earn a victory on the UFC on FOX preliminary card this Saturday? Cub Swanson Ricardo Lamas   4 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, wec, swanson, lama

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Two of the most talented bantamweight fighters on the planet will meet this Saturday night (November 5, 2011) as Brad Pickett makes his UFC debut against top Brazilian prospect Renan Barao in the co-main event of UFC 138 in Birmingham, England. Pickett's debut with the promotion was delayed after a painful back injury earlier this summer, but "One Punch" is fully rehabilitated and ready to stake his claim as one of the next title contenders. But first, he's going to have to get through Barao, a fighter who hasn't lost in his last 27 fights over a six year period. Renan Barao has one of the best records in MMA, but now it's time to back it up against elite competition. In Brad Pickett, he sees an opportunity to legitimize himself as he's yet to be tested against a top 25 ranked opponent thus far in his career. If he can defeat the talented Brit, he'll prove the hype is real. Can Pickett win one for the home team by stepping up in his native England? Will Barao keep his ridiculous unbeaten streak alive? What must each elite bantamweight have to do to continue the forward progression of their careers on Saturday night? Let's find out: Brad Pickett Record: 21-4 overall, 0-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Demetriuos Johnson (WEC 48), Ivan Menjivar (WEC 53),  Key Losses: Scott Jorgensen (WEC 50), Hideo Tokoro (K-1 Dynamite!! USA)  How he got here: Originally transitioning into MMA from boxing, Brad Pickett cut his teeth in the UK's Cage Rage promotion, winning and defending the featherweight title in his first six professional bouts. After five full years of fighting which resulted in an impressive 18-3 record, "One Punch" would earn an invite to the WEC. He would make a tremendous splash in his promotional debut, winning via Peruvian necktie against Kyle Dietz in one of 2009's finest submissions which also took home a "Submission of the Night" bonus. He would next appear on the main card of WEC 48, the promotion's first and only pay-per-view against newcomer Demetrious Johnson. Pickett defeated Johnson in a blistering back and forth battle that likely would have garnered a Fight of the Night bonus had Chan Sung Jung - Leonard Garcia not taken place earlier in the night. He would go on to suffer his first and only loss under the Zuffa banner against Scott Jorgensen in another thrilling bout that saw him take home yet another bonus. Lastly, Pickett battled veteran Ivan Menjivar on the preliminary card of WEC 53 in one of the year's most exciting bouts, but his thunder was stolen by Anthony Pettis' "Showtime Kick" later that same night. The top British bantamweight was geared up for his UFC debut this summer against Miguel Torres but was sidelined with a back injury. Now fully recovered, he's ready to make a big splash fighting in front of his native country. How he gets it done: Pickett will likely be the larger fighter in the cage, and he would be wise to keep this fight standing. The Brit will have a striking advantage, especially in the punching department. The primary area Pickett will want to keep this fight is in the pocket, where he can trade strikes while staying close enough to avoid any crazy kicks.  If the fight goes to the ground, Pickett shouldn't panic as he's actually scored more wins by submission than anything else in his career thus far. That being said, he definitely does not want to find himself on his back against Barao and he would prefer not to have to be on the defensive while on the ground. As evidenced by his last three fights, Pickett is more than comfortable standing in the center of the cage and trading blows. The key for him will be to not overextend himself an allow an easy takedown. As long as he's not caught off balance, he should be strong and skilled enough to keep this fight standing and force Barao to play his game. Renan Barao   Record: 26-1 (1 No Contest) overall, 1-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Cole Escovedo (UFC 130), Chris Cariaso (WEC 53), Anthony Leone (WEC 49) Key Losses: none How he got here: Despite being nine years younger than Pickett, Renan Barao started his career just 5 months after the talented Brit. After losing the first fight of his professional career, Barao hasn't tasted defeat. While the Brazilian didn't exactly face top talent while competing in his native country, he fought often, as many as seven times per year. After his 24th straight bout without a loss, he finally earned an invite to the WEC, where he would submit Anthony Leone via armbar in his promotional debut. Barao competed on the final WEC 53 event, also submitting Chris Cariaso with a slick transition from a Kimura to taking the American's back before choking him out. In his UFC debut this past summer, Barao had a tough battle with former WEC champion Cole Escovedo but would eventually earn a unanimous decision victory. He's hoping a win against a top opponent like Pickett will shoot him up the divisional rankings. How he gets it done: In this fight, Renan Barao needs to either keep his distance, or get to the canvas. He's not the most skilled striker, but he's capable of scoring points with a vast array of kicking attacks and he can also explode forward with the occasional knee. If the bout is standing, he can't let Pickett get too close or he's going to find himself on the receiving end of some solid punches. The key for Barao is to find the opportune moment to shoot in and try to get this fight to the ground. If he has to stand and eat some strikes from Pickett before he gets an opening, so be it. Once on the ground, Barao is extremely aggressive. He's so aggressive, in fact, that he accidentally allows his opponents to retain guard or gives them space to scramble back to their feet while he's trying to pass to a more dominant position. If he gets the fight to the ground, Barao needs to be more patient. If he tries to haphazardly pass Pickett's guard, he's either going to get swept or Pickett will pop right back up to his feet. That's the last thing in the world he wants to do.   Fight "X-Factor:" The X-Factor for this fight is the major jump in competition level as well as the jump into the spotlight for Barao. He's been in the opening fight of the night in all three of his previous bouts under the Zuffa banner. While he was able to be victorious for those matches, the pressure was significantly smaller and there were considerably less eyes watching. Barao has a ton of talent, but he also had some trouble against Cole Escovedo, a fighter who has lost four of his last five bouts. Brad Pickett is the real deal, a top 10 opponent who will test him in all facets of the game. Thankfully, the Brazilian trains out of Nova Uniao alongside some of the best lighter weight fighters on the planet, but that isn't a perfect substitute for a real fight situation. He's going to find out quickly whether be belongs with the top tier of bantamweights on Saturday. Bottom Line: This is one of the most significant bantamweight fights of 2011, plain and simple. It got co-main event billing for a reason. As of right now, nearly everyone in the top 10 at 135 pounds has already fought and lost to champion Dominick Cruz, but neither Pickett or Barao have stepped in against the champion. Whoever wins this match will be putting themselves one step closer to a title shot, perhaps becoming one fight removed from a shot or even stepping up next in line in case of an injury to the Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles winner. This fight is not only going to be important, it should be a riveting battle and Brad Pickett has delivered every time he's ever competed for Zuffa. Don't expect Saturday night to be any less. Who will come out on top at UFC 138? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will come away with a huge victory in the co-main event of UFC 138? Brad Pickett Renan Barao   8 votes | Results

Posted in: fight, wec, barao, he, pickett

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It was announced today that former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres has joined "The Blackzilians" and signed with under the top athlete...

Posted in: miguel torres, torre, miguel, wec, blackzilian

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For most fans, WEC champion Anthony Pettis and the final challenger to his crown, Ben Henderson, were the only two fighters who might have an eventual impact at the elite levels of the UFC's lightweight division after the two promotions merged in December. They were obvious choices due to their status within the promotion's lightweight ranks, and a showdown between the two fighters at WEC 53 that became a fight of the year candidate only furthered the focus. In hindsight, we might have forgotten someone. Donald Cerrone, who fought for the WEC lightweight crown three times and failed, wasn't thought of as a man who could become a relevant fighter in the UFC. His aggressive and entertaining style of fighting would almost certainly pit him against beatable opponents for fan-friendly action, but questions still arose about whether he could ever compete against the better competition that awaited him. Those same questions were asked about Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis, so why would anyone think Cerrone could have an impact when he couldn't sneak past Henderson on two separate occasions? Almost a year later, our assumptions couldn't be further from reality. Henderson, while playing second fiddle to Pettis at the end of the WEC's existence, has become the promotion's top import while Pettis faltered in his debut. And Cerrone? He's been quietly and efficiently dispatching of every fighter the UFC has put in front of him, stringing together four straight wins in 2011. Saturday night's performance at UFC 137 was icing on the cake for Cerrone. After beating up Paul Kelly, Vagner Rocha, and Charles Oliveira, he was finally given a challenge that fans felt was appropriate. The match-up had many of us questioning whether Cerrone could prevail. Unlike his WEC counterparts who were thrown tough opposition from the start, Cerrone was allowed to mature over the course of the year. That slowed progression has allowed Cerrone to develop his game, a more mature style than what we've seen from him in the past. Impressively, Cerrone dominated Siver at his own game, landing multiple head kicks that caused Siver to put on his best dance routine in front of the fans at the Mandalay Events Center on Saturday night. Siver, who's well known for his powerful punching and unpredictable kicking prowess, couldn't answer, eventually succumbing to Cerrone's grips on the ground. The victory puts Cerrone is a surprising position. He's gone from failing to win the WEC lightweight crown to sitting on the outside looking in at UFC lightweight contention in just a year. Even more impressive is Cerrone's focus and dramatic shift in his mentality. While he remains a fighter fueled by emotion outside of the cage, it couldn't be further from the truth inside the cage. The massive improvements he's made make a run toward the top a possibility next year. Is it possible we'll hear Donald Cerrone's name involved in contention next year? I think we will.

Posted in: ufc, fighter, year, wec, cerrone

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Former WEC lightweight title contender Donald Cerrone stayed hot.

Posted in: ufc, title, contender, wec, cerrone

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A year ago at this time, Scott Jorgensen was training for the biggest fight of his life. Jorgensen was to face Dominick Cruz at WEC 53 for the WEC Bantamweight Championship (which would go on to become the UFC Bantamweight Championship). Today, Jorgensen finds himself on the road back to fighting for that title again, as he welcomes Jeff Curran back to the UFC octagon on Saturday at UFC 137. Curran once fought under the UFC banner in January 2004 against Matt Serra. Since then, he has fought under numerous promotions, including WEC, PRIDE, and Bellator. Even with that experience, Jorgensen is not the slightest intimidated. “Jeff is a tough guy, and he’s been in a lot of fights,” Jorgensen told MMAFrenzy.com. “But with how I’ve fought in my last twelve fights, there is no way in hell I’m letting him disrupt my career and my chance to get back to fighting for that belt. It’s going to be a one-sided domination, whether it’s on the feet or on the ground.” That confidence Jorgensen displays is certainly no slight on Curran, whom he respects.However, Jorgensen is a man on a mission when it comes to returning to what he almost achieved last December. Jorgensen wants to remove the word “almost” from that statement. “I’m back to where I was when I lost to Antonio Banuelos [WEC 41 in June 2009]. Fight by fight, I’ve got to prove I deserve that title shot. This is just another chance to prove I’m still one of the best in the world.” “I love to fight. I love the feeling of being inside the octagon and being in that moment. You have to put up with me in an environment I feel is the best in the world. Nobody outgrinds me, and I thrive on people trying to.” Jorgensen’s forte, his wrestling, is something that Curran has long struggled with. Prior to being released from the WEC, Curran faced top wrestlers in Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez, and Mike Brown. All three thoroughly dismantled Curran, prompting his release from the organization. Jorgensen knows that is something he can take advantage of. “He has never come out on top to the top guys in the division,” said Jorgensen. “And he’s lost to guys I’ve beaten. There is a lot of pressure on him. He’s even said ‘If I’m not fighting in the UFC, I’m not going to fight’” “I think I handle my pressure a lot better than he handles his. That shows since he’s never beaten a top five opponent.” Jorgensen knows his mission will continue following the matchup with Curran. With the fight now on the main card of the pay-per-view event, he feels this is not only an opportunity to show the fans his style, but how exciting the entire bantamweight division is. “I fought for the title, and came back with a devastating knockout in June,” said Jorgensen. “I’m still one of the best in the world, and I want to fight the top opponents. I want to show why the fans should be asking for the bantamweights to be the marquee matchups.” While Jorgensen does not know how he will defeat Curran on Saturday, one thing will continue to hold true. “I’m on a mission to eliminate anyone who is in front of me.” For complete coverage of UFC 137, including fight previews, weigh-ins coverage, and results, stay tuned to mmafrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, fight, wec, jorgensen, curran

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Two different generations of fighters will collide this Saturday night (October 29, 2011) on the UFC 137 main card as Jeff Curran, a veteran of nearly 50 professional fights, takes on "Young Guns" Scott Jorgensen. For Curran, it was UFC or nothing. He'd given the ultimatum after a victory this past May that he would either fight for the UFC again or he'd retire. He got his wish and he'll be making his Octagon return for the first time since losing a decision to Matt Serra at lightweight in 2004. Scott Jorgensen was on a roll in the bantamweight division before getting "dominated" by Dominick Cruz in the final WEC event ever late last year. The former Boise State wrestler got back on track with a first round knockout over prospect Ken Stone and he's looking to add a big veteran name to his hit list. Can Curran regain some former glory with a tremendous upset win? Will Jorgensen continue his slow ride back to the top of the bantamweight division? What does each fighter have to do to be victorious on Saturday night? Let's find out Jeff Curran Record: 33-13-1 overall, 0-1 in the UFC Key Wins: Wagnney Fabiano (APEX), Raphael Assuncao (XFO 13), Dustin Niece (Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers) Key Losses: Urijah Faber (WEC 31), Mike Brown (WEC 34), Joseph Benavidez (WEC 40) How he got here: Jeff Curran has been fighting professionally for nearly 14 years now. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Pedro Sauer, he was one of the original fighters to seamlessly blend wrestling and jiu-jitsu in MMA. On top of maintaining a successful mixed martial arts career, "Big Frog" also owns his own gym in Chicago and promotes his own MMA events in the area, the XFO. Curran has fought a who's who of the lighter fighters throughout his long career. He's been matched up with everyone from American stars like Urijah Faber and Mike Brown to Japanese greats like Hatsu Hioki and Norifumi Yamamoto to top Brazilians Wagnney Fabiano and Raphael Assuncao. Curran famously had a crazy tough run in the WEC where he faced four consecutive champions, former champions or title challengers in a row, losing all four before getting his walking papers. Even a drop to bantamweight couldn't help the Chicago native. Outside of the major organizations, Curran has gone 4-1 in the last two years fighting at smaller shows. His sole loss was a thrilling back and forth battle with Bellator bantamweight Bryan Goldsby. Knowing he was in the golden years of his career, Curran stated that if he couldn't get a fight with the UFC, he was going to retire. Thankfully Joe Silva called him up with an invite back into the big show. How he gets it done: Jeff Curran is all about the ground. Nearly all of his wins are from using his wrestling and jiu-jitsu to control and/or submit his opponents. The "Big Frog" can be very tricky, especially if he's on top. He can overwhelm his opponents there, grind them out with short ground and pound and he does a very good job of staying attached if they turn away from the punishment. The Team Curran owner is a decent striker, but most of his stand-up is about surprise before he can get the fight either to the clinch or on the ground. Expect to see anything from kicks to superman punches as he tries whatever it takes to close the distance and get away from Jorgensen's power. If Curran can't take "Young Guns" down, he's going to have some trouble. He might try to grind this fight out, make it ugly along the fence. Perhaps he can use some of that "old man's strength" to stifle some of the Idahoan's attack. Scott Jorgensen Record: 12-4 overall, 1-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Brad Pickett (WEC 50), Takaya Mizugaki (WEC 45), Antonio Banuelos (WEC 48),  Key Losses: Dominick Cruz (WEC 53), Damacio Page (WEC 32) How he got here: Scotty Jorgensen was a successful wrestler in college, competing in Division I at Boise State and he transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2006. In just his sixth professional bout, he was competing in the WEC at bantamweight. "Young Guns" wasn't given the easy rode either, getting thrown to the likes of Damacio Page, Kenji Osawa and Antonio Banuelos in three of his first four WEC bouts. His controversial split decision loss to Banuelos lit a fire under him and he reeled off five consecutive victories to earn a title shot against champion Dominick Cruz in the final WEC event ever late last year. Jorgensen was a step slow against Cruz and was beaten to the punch badly over the course of five rounds, losing a dominant unanimous decision. He got back on track against Ken Stone in his last bout, knocking American Top Team fighter out cold from within his full guard on the ground.  Jorgensen accepted a fight with the seasoned Curran as he looked to build his way back up to the top of the bantamweight ranks. How he gets it done: Jorgensen is not the fastest guy in the division by a long shot, but he makes up for it with power. If he can connect with a big punch, your lights will go out and if he lock up your neck with a guillotine choke like his brutal finish against Chad George last year. Jorgensen is also patient in the stand-up, he doe a good job of sitting back and striking when openings are available rather than forcing the issue. When his opponents get too aggressive in the stand-up realm, he's also got that solid wrestling in his back pocket where he can shoot in and put an opponent on their back.  Jeff Curran is a pretty good wrestler but he's been susceptible to takedowns in the past and Jorgensen is competent enough on the ground to be able to control him there and land strikes without getting submitted.  Expect to see Jorgensen stand with Curran as long as he feels he's got the advantage there. He probably would prefer to just showcase his striking for three full rounds if he can get away with it but if the veteran overcommits to anything, he'll also likely be going for a ride and getting blasted to the canvas with a power double. Fight "X-Factor:" The X-Factor for this fight is the stakes for both men. At 34 years old, Jeff Curran knows this is his last shot in a major organization. There's a very high probability that "Big Frog" fights like he has nothing to lose, because that's the truth. He knows he doesn't have a lot of time left to make one last impact in the division so don't be surprised if he comes out guns blazing. I'm sure he would rather go out on his shield if he had the choice.  Scott Jorgensen, on the other hand, has a ton to lose. He's expected to win, he's younger, stronger and significantly higher ranked in the division. There's a lot more pressure on "Young Guns" to win this fight. How he responds to that press Bottom Line: This fight could be many things. Depending on what Curran's got left, it could be an exciting back and forth war, or it could be a one-sided beatdown. There's a possibility for both. There's also the chance that this could get ugly as that's probably the best method for Curran to win the fight. It's definitely a wildcard, so brace yourself for anything. Both men have been notoriously hard to finish as of late, with neither getting stopped in nearly four years so it's likely heading to the judges. Who will come out on top at UFC 137? Tell us your predictions in the comments below? Poll Which bantamweight will earn the victory come Saturday night on the UFC 137 main card? Scott Jorgensen Jeff Curran   11 votes | Results

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Filed under: UFC, NewsIt's been an interesting road, but after nearly eight years, Jeff Curran is back in the UFC. Curran will return to the promotion at UFC 137 next week against former bantamweight title challenger Scott Jorgensen in Las Vegas in a bout that was moved to the main pay-per-view card on Friday. It's another shot with Zuffa and the UFC that Curran said he begged for, and a fight against a top contender that he jumped at the chance to get. On Monday's edition of "The MMA Hour," Curran told host Ariel Helwani that he's always been physically ready - but now he believes he's more mentally ready than he ever was before and it's time to "put up or shut up." "Everything's going great," Curran said. "It's kind of like I knew where I need to be to be able to focus on my fighting, and (the past personal problems) seem like such a long way away sometimes. Everything is revamped and going smoothly in my personal life, everything's going smoothly in my gym, and I couldn't ask for a better situation." Curran (33-13-1) took a short-notice fight against future UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra at UFC 46 in January 2004. He lost a unanimous decision, but went on to a nine-fight winning streak outside the promotion. After a loss in his lone fight for Pride, the Illinois-based fighter went on another winning streak, one that got him a shot at the WEC not long after it had been purchased by Zuffa. After a win in his first fight for the promotion since WEC 4, Curran got a shot at featherweight champion Urijah Faber and was submitted in the second round. He said that loss started a domino effect for him, mentally, and after four straight losses - all to WEC champions or title challengers - he was cut by the WEC in August 2009. "Physically, I was prepared as ever for all my fights in the WEC," Curran said. "For Urijah, I just got caught. After that, it was a spiral in my mental focus. I don't know what made them turn the table and give me (another) opportunity. But at this point, it doesn't really matter. I've got to get out there and prove myself." Curran has won four of five fights since his last loss in the WEC, a split decision loss to Takeya Mizugaki. His one loss in that stretch came in a Bellator event in Chicago, not far from the gym he runs in the city's northern suburbs that is the training home to the likes of former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver and UFC featherweight Bart Palaszewski, who also will fight at UFC 137. But Curran said even at the Bellator fight, in April 2010, he wasn't where he needed to be mentally for Bryan Goldsby, who beat him in a unanimous decision. He said there had been a temptation to sit back and wait for the WEC to call (before it merged with the UFC), since matchmaker Sean Shelby had said they might have a fight for Curran later in the year. WIth his cousin Pat making his Bellator debut on the same show - the start of what would be his improbable run through the lightweight tournament to a $100,000 pay day and an eventual shot at Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez - Curran said he felt pressure to take the fight, even though he wanted to pull out. "We decided I needed to make some money - I was having some financial problems," Curran said. "And part of getting Pat into the lightweight tournament was having both cousins on the same show in Chicago. I kinda stepped in and took one for the team, even though I tried to pull out of the fight. I just didn't want to make up a lie. I was asking to be released and they wouldn't' do it because I was the main event in Chicago. I was going to pull an injury card, but I didn't. So I just went forward with it. That's one fight I regret taking - not that Goldsby didn't earn the win." Even two wins in his own XFO promotion after the loss to Goldsby had him unsure what his next step might be. He beat Billy Vaughan in May, but said that a loss to him likely would have meant his retirement from the sport. "I was training hard, I was in great shape," Curran said. "I thought if I can't beat these guys, nothing against them, I don't deserve to be in the UFC. I thought I needed to finish Billy Vaughan to get back in the UFC, but I think that was enough for them to say, 'Jeff looked good, he was back meaning business.'" And now that he's back, fighting at bantamweight where he believes he has his best shot instead of featherweight or lightweight, Curran said he has to take advantage of what might be his last opportunity in the world's biggest promotion. "I think about it every second of the day," Curran said. "I was just at a Keith Urban concert and there were 20,000 people there, and I just sat there with chills and thought, 'The pressure.' I'm not intimidated by it. I've been in all the big shows. But what it all encompasses is that I finally fought my way back, and it's either put up or shut up - embarrass myself or get out there and do my thing." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, loss, wec, curran

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A month ago, he was talking retirement. Now, Jamie Varner may have put himself back on the path to relevance

Posted in: champion, retirement, jamie varner, varner, wec

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on FighterXFashion.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] Round 5 takes us back to Aldo’s days as the WEC Featherweight champ with a preview of his upcoming limited edition WEC figure. Individually numbered and limited to just 750 units in total, the new Aldo figure is scheduled to hit stores this November, alongside the rest of the characters included in the Round 5 UFC Ultimate Collector Series 8 set. But before it drops later on this Fall you can sneak a peek at the limited edition figure below which includes a mini replica Dethrone walkout tee, DTR fight shorts and bright blue WEC fight gloves. See the Ultra Rare Figure...

Posted in: figure, round, wec, aldo, edition figure

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Around this time last year, the rumors began flying. A few weeks later, the rumors became fact: the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) organization was going to be folded into the UFC, with the bantamweight and featherweight divisions making their debuts in the world’s premier MMA promotion. Also migrating over would be the top guns from the WEC’s lightweight division, bolstering one of the sport’s toughest weight classes even more.It was big news at the time, and considering that four of the nine main events that the UFC has held from July’s UFC 132 show to the UFC 137 event later this month have included WEC alumni, it’s still big news today. And unlike the PRIDE migration that took place after the Zuffa purchase of Japan’s premier promotion, the WEC fighters have adapted perfectly to their new surroundings, with many making immediate impacts on the other side of the MMA street.Here are 20 of those fighters…THE CHAMPSJose AldoDominick CruzA combined 4-0, featherweight champion Jose Aldo and bantamweight boss Dominick Cruz have been the perfect representatives for their divisions in the UFC. Aldo has defended his belt twice thus far, winning Fight of the Night honors in a decision win over Mark Hominick and then notching another five round victory last Saturday against Kenny Florian. The only thing missing from Aldo’s performances thus far is his trademark explosiveness, a trait that earned him finishes in seven of his eight WEC bouts. As for Cruz, it’s hard to picture him being more impressive than he’s been in his UFC wins over Urijah Faber and Demetrious Johnson. Against two ultra-tough challengers, “The Dominator” has shown off his impossible to decipher standup game (Faber) and his underrated wrestling (Johnson), earning decision victories both times. If there’s been a breakout star not named Jon Jones in 2011, it’s Cruz.NEXT IN LINEJoseph Benavidez 2-0Ben Henderson 2-0Chad Mendes 2-0Anthony Pettis 1-1The Fab Four of bantamweight Joseph Benavidez, featherweight Chad Mendes, and lightweights Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis has made their presence known in various ways in 2011. Pettis came in as the WEC Golden Boy after his “Showtime” kick against Henderson in the last WEC show last December, but with the UFC 125 draw between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, his guaranteed title shot was delayed. Admirably, he didn’t sit around waiting for a fight; instead, he took on Clay Guida in June, but was decisioned over three rounds. Forced to regroup, Pettis got back in the race last weekend, defeating tough Jeremy Stephens. It wasn’t a win that will put him in a title fight immediately, but now he’s back in the conversation.As for Henderson, he saw his own hype train derailed by Pettis, but with back-to-back UFC wins over Mark Bocek and Jim Miller, the former WEC lightweight champion has sailed ahead of his old rival, and he, along with Guida (who Henderson will face in November), have got to be considered frontrunners for the next shot at Edgar’s 155-pound belt.In the bantamweight division, the only fighter more dominant than Benavidez is Cruz, and Joe-B-Wan-Kenobi’s wins over Jeff Curran, Rani Yahya, Miguel Torres, Wagnney Fabiano in the WEC, and Ian Loveland and Eddie Wineland in the UFC prove it. Unfortunately, his only two losses as a pro have come in two close battles with the UFC champ, making a third bout a tough marketing sell. But from a fighting standpoint, what fan wouldn’t want to see these two go at it again. Another big win may just seal the deal for Benavidez.The one man who is likely to see his title shot number come up soon though is Benavidez’ teammate Chad Mendes. Unbeaten in 11 pro fights, including two in the UFC, Mendes’ wrestling could give Aldo plenty of trouble if he can close the gap and get his hands on the champion, and with each passing fight – not only his own, but Aldo’s – the Californian’s confidence that he can beat the man at the top grows. KNOCKING ON THE DOORBrian Bowles Donald Cerrone Urijah Faber By the time UFC 139 rolls around in November, the winner of the Brian Bowles vs. Urijah Faber scrap will move up to the “Next in Line” category while the loser falls a notch on the bantamweight ladder, but high stakes is not the only beauty of this matchup. Truth is, this is a bantamweight dream matchup pitting the former featherweight champ (Faber) against the former bantamweight titleholder (Bowles), and it’s an almost impossible fight to pick. But if you’re going by UFC performances thus far, Faber has the edge due to his stellar efforts in beating Eddie Wineland and dropping a close decision to Cruz. Bowles was in his usual top-notch form in finishing Damacio Page in his UFC debut in March, but didn’t look like himself in a decision win over Takeya Mizugaki in July. But that’s why they fight the fights, and Faber-Bowles should be a classic.And when you’re talking about nearly always delivering a classic performance, that’s the forte of lightweight contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who followed up a WEC career in which he picked up five Fight of the Night awards with a 3-0 UFC run where he’s scored a Fight of the Night bonus for beating Paul Kelly and earned a Knockout of the Night check for finishing Charles Oliveira. If he can get another win, this time over German contender Dennis Siver, at UFC 137 this month, start talking about Cerrone as being a title challenger sooner rather than later.THE NEXT WAVERenan Barao Pablo Garza Demetrious Johnson Scott Jorgensen Chan Sung Jung Erik Koch Michael McDonald Anthony Njokuani Brad PickettDustin Poirier Miguel Angel TorresThe next group of WEC vets to make some noise in the Octagon have either challenged for UFC gold (Demetrious Johnson), wore a WEC title belt (Miguel Angel Torres), fought for one (Scott Jorgensen), or are hot prospects ready to make their move to the next level. But wherever they’ve been or where they are now, exciting fights usually follow.Leading off is one of the game’s top action heroes, Chan Sung Jung, or as he is commonly known, “The Korean Zombie.” Jung left quite an impression in his two WEC fights, with a war for the ages against Leonard Garcia and a loss to George Roop, but there were just as many question marks heading into his rematch with Garcia in March. So what did the Zombie do? Submit Garcia with the first Twister ever used in Octagon action. If this doesn’t get you amped up for his December battle with Mark Hominick, check your pulse.Featherweight Pablo Garza is making some highlight reel appearances as well, as he rebounded from a short notice WEC loss to Tiequan Zhang with a frightening knockout of Fredson Paixao and a flying triangle finish of Yves Jabouin. Featherweight up and comer Erik Koch and longtime bantamweight contender Scott Jorgensen have also put their names in the hat for Top 10 KO of the Year consideration with their finishes of Raphael Assuncao and Ken Stone.Surprisingly, Muay Thai machine Anthony Njokuani, owner of three WEC KO of the Night awards, hasn’t scored a UFC knockout yet, but it’s not from a lack of trying, as his UFC debut against Edson Barboza earned Fight of the Night honors, and his first UFC win over Andre Winner saw “The Assassin” deliver a hellacious three round pounding on the Brit.A lightweight in the WEC, Louisiana’s Dustin Poirier found his home at 145 pounds in the UFC, and after an upset win over Josh Grispi to kick off his Octagon career in January, he proved that the victory was no fluke (pardon the pun) as he defeated England’s Jason Young at UFC 131. He will be back in action on November 12th in a surefire war against Garza.Like the 22-year old Poirier, 20-year old bantamweight phenom Michael McDonald is wise beyond his years in the Octagon, and his exciting three round wins over Edwin Figueroa and Chris Cariaso prove it. Scheduled to return in November, McDonald is one of the top prospects to hit the sport in the last couple years.Staying in the bantamweight division, Brazil’s Renan Barao (1-0 in the UFC) and England’s Brad Pickett (0-0) will meet up in Birmingham, England on November 5th. “One Punch” Pickett always brings it, and Barao (currently riding a 16 fight winning streak) is seen as the next brightest hope for championship honors out of the Nova Uniao camp (home to Jose Aldo), so this UFC 138 match should be a good one.And last, but certainly not least, stand Demetrious Johnson and Miguel Angel Torres, two standouts looking to fight their way back into the title picture after recent losses. “Mighty Mouse” is coming off a competitive five round loss to Cruz in their title bout earlier this month, and a couple wins should get him right back on the contenders’ line. Torres, 1-1 in the UFC with a win over Antonio Banuelos and a close loss to Johnson, has an opportunity to get back on track when he battles Staten Island’s Nick Pace at UFC 139, but it will be how the 30-year old vet looks in November that will determine whether he’s got another title run in him.Note – fighters who came back to the UFC after a stint in the WEC (Mike Brown, Mark Hominick, Leonard Garcia, Manny Gamburyan, etc) or who had previously migrated over (Brian Stann, Mark Munoz, Aaron Simpson, Carlos Condit, Chael Sonnen) were not included in this piece.

Posted in: ufc, fight, title, bantamweight, wec

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The last man to hold the WEC lightweight title, Anthony Pettis, lost his chance at fighting the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard after being mugged by Clay Guida back in June. Hear why "Showtime" thinks his UFC 136 fight against Jeremy Stephens will redeem him by clicking here.

Posted in: title, jeremy stephens, anthony pettis, clay guida, wec

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The UFC bantamweight title is on the line for free tonight (October 1, 2011) in the main event of UFC on Versus 6 and current 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz takes on Demetrious Johnson. Cruz has been on a tremendous roll as of late, winning the belt in early 2010 and having defended it three straight times. He's looking to tie Miguel Torres' record of four straight bantamweight defenses as he tries to build his legacy against Johnson. Demetrious Johnson has been the perpetual underdog his entire UFC career. He overcame the odds against both "Kid" Yamamoto and Miguel Torres thus far in 2010 and despite breaking his leg, he's healed, revitalized and ready for the challenge of competing for the title. Will Cruz continue to dominate his bantamweight opposition? Can "Mighty Mouse" pull off something superhuman and upset the champion? Who will will be the king of 135 pounds when tomorrow night is over? Dominick Cruz Record: 18-1 overall, 1-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Urijah Faber (UFC 132), Joseph Benavidez 2x (WEC 50, WEC 42), Brian Bowles (WEC 47) Key Losses: Urijah Faber (WEC 26) How he got here: Dominick Cruz started out as a serviceable featherweight and got off to a terrific 9-0 start. Despite having barely fought professionaly for two years he was given a WEC featherweight title shot against champion Urijah Faber who quickly caught Cruz in his patented guillotine choke and forced the tap inside two minutes. After the loss, Cruz would make the cut to bantamweight for his next WEC bout and hasn't looked back since. He earned a title shot against then-champion Brian Bowles and completely outworked the champ for two full rounds, forcing him to call it quits after the second round with a broken hand. "The Dominator" would successfully defend his title in a rematch against Joseph Benavidez and would go on to absolutely destroy Scott Jorgensen for five consecutive rounds during the final WEC event ever. His speed had never been more impressive in a fight. This past July, Cruz finally got his shot at revenge against Faber who had dropped down to bantamweight and he would earn it with a unanimous decision victory in which his speed and volume made up for Faber's power. With Faber taking on the former champion Bowles, Cruz accepted a bout against Demetrious Johnson while waiting to (hopefully) fulfill the trilogy with "The California Kid." How he gets it done:Cruz has a unique style that is all his own. It includes strange movement, odd angles and constant misdirection. He's about as active as any fighter on the planet when he's in the cage and he never gets tired. His conditioning is the most important thing to him because he believes that's the one thing he can always control no matter what. For once, Cruz won't have a speed advantage in the fight with Johnson so he's going to have to make up for that with footwork, technique and by utilizing his height and slight reach advantage. Every time Johnson tries to dart in, Cruz needs to slip to the sides and pepper him in the face with punches. The key for Cruz will be to come in at angles against Johnson and try not to give him the same look twice. He also needs to keep Johnson honest by mixing in takedowns every once in a while so his opponent doesn't get comfortable. Even if he's unsuccessful, it could at least force Johnson to respect the possibility of being put on his back and back off a bit. Demetrious Johnson Record: 9-1 overall, 2-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Miguel Torres (UFC 130), Norifumi Yamamoto (UFC 126), Nick Pace (WEC 51) Key Losses: Brad Pickett (WEC 48) How he got here:"Mighty Mouse" carried an impressive string of five straight wins on the regional circuit to earn a WEC debut against top bantamweight Brad Pickett in the promotion's first and only pay-per-view event. The AMC Pankration fighter lost a spirited decision to "One Punch" but then proceeded to reel off two consecutive victories in just a few short months against top 15 ranked bantamweights Nick Pace and Damacio Page He would meet Japanese legend Norifuni "Kid" Yamamoto in his UFC debut this past February and completely outworked the dynamic striker/wrestler over the course of three rounds. Never one to turn down an opportunity, Johnson stepped up when Brad Pickett dropped out of his UFC 130 bout with Miguel Torres. Despite breaking his leg early in the fight, Johnson gutted through the injury and turned what had been a strong striking performance into a strong grappling performance against the former WEC bantamweight champion and pulled out a unanimous decision victory. With no other challengers on the horizon, Johnson's victory over Torres was enough to vault him into title-challenger status How he gets it done: Demetrious Johnson absolutely needs to utilize his tremendous athletic gifts. He will be giving up five inches in height but only two in reach. Getting inside is a top priority in the stand-up, and it won't be easy. Cruz almost never attacks straight on. He comes in at angles and is constantly moving. Time and time again his opponents choose to sit back and counter which, whole conserving energy, also lets them get repeatedly tagged with punches while not offering much in return. Johnson should go on the offensive, he's just as fast as Cruz and likely faster. He shouldn't chase Cruz but he should cut him off constantly and get in his face with constant pressure and punches. This is not something "The Dominator" is used to and it could catch him off guard. "Mighty Mouse" is also a terrific wrestler but it will not be easy putting Cruz on his back as Cruz is also very competent in that department. If Johnson wants to win this fight, he needs to get in Cruz's face and never let him get in a groove. If Cruz gets comfortable with his striking, it could mean a lot of trouble for the AMC Pankration fighter. Fight "X-Factor:" The X-Factor for this bout, at least to me, is speed. How is Dominick Cruz going to deal with a man who's actually faster than him for once? This will be the first time he's stepped into the cage where his cardio and quickness aren't going to be huge advantages.  Of course he has other weapons like his wrestling, his size and his technique, but it's been his all-around advantages that have helped him make up for his lack of punching power. If he gets frustrated at any point by Johnson's speed, we might see something completely new out of him, or perhaps he's been planning for that already. How he reacts to Johnson's speed will perhaps be what turns the fight either into his favor or against it. Bottom Line: This is a match-up of two of the quickest fighters in MMA history. Both Cruz and Johnson fight at a high pace, have faith in their hands, have strong wrestling and have gas tanks for days. This bout has the potential to be a flurry of strikes for five straight rounds and the odds that it's not exciting are incredibly low. Ignore the fact that Johnson is a large underdog, he fights like he's got something to prove every time out and this championship bout will be no different. This is going to be a good one. Who will come out on top at UFC on Versus 6? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will be the UFC bantamweight champion once the UFC on Versus 6 main event is over tonight? Dominick Cruz Demetrious Johnson   1 votes | Results

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Former WEC champion Jamie Varner fell short against late replacement Dakota Cochrane, losing by decision and may be talking retirement following the loss.

Posted in: sanchez, jamie, varner, wec, cochrane

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Filed under: NewsJamie Varner says he's had all he can stand, and he can't stand any more. After a unanimous decision loss to Dakota Cochrane on Saturday night at Titan Fighting Championships 20, Varner said via Twitter that he intends to retire from mixed martial arts. Varner left the Titan cage bloodied after a 30-27 sweep by Cochrane, who took the fight on just two days notice, and moments later Tweeted his announcement. "I gave fighting another shot I need 2 thank u guys 4 ur support! But I just don't have it anymore. Love u all but ull never c me fight again," Varner said on Twitter. Varner (17-6-1, 2 NC) now has just one win in his last six fights, a submission of Tyler Combs in Jeff Curran's XFO promotion in May. That was his first bout after being cut from Zuffa and the WEC last December, and it came in a temporary move to welterweight. Varner won the WEC lightweight title against Rob McCullough at WEC 32 in February 2008 and defended it twice against Marcus Hicks and Donald Cerrone. The Cerrone fight was a split decision that ended because of an illegal knee from Cerrone - and touched off one of the most heated rivalries in MMA history. But injuries suffered in that fight kept Varner out for nearly a year. And once he returned, it's been mostly downhill. Varner lost his WEC lightweight title to Ben Henderson at WEC 46 in January 2010. He returned six months later, but settled for a draw with Kamal Shalorus. And in a highly anticipated rematch with Cerrone, he was dominated in a 30-27 sweep. Varner then took a fight with Shane Roller at WEC 53, the final show in the promotion's history - and in his backyard in Glendale, Ariz. But he was submitted in the first round and Zuffa cut him loose. Varner started his career 11-1 with a pair of no contests, mostly in his native Arizona, before signing with the UFC in 2006. His UFC debut was a submission loss to Hermes Franca at UFC 62. At UFC 68, Varner submitted Jason Gilliam, then signed with the WEC, where he would win the lightweight belt in his second fight in the promotion. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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