It took Dan Henderson 28 seconds to prove the naysayers wrong on Saturday night in New Orléans as he dispatched of Tim Boetsch. The catalyst for Boetsch’s demise came in the form of an H-bomb special that crumbled the barbarian, causing him to count the lights in the Smoothie King Center. Continue reading “Big Easy Win for Old Man Hendo”
I almost hate admitting this, but I have been bored with MMA as of late. The UFC’s overwhelming slate of shows has given me little cause for excitement. While I understand their business strategy is to create new stars, appealing content extends beyond merely two people fighting in a cage.
We’ve been spoiled for so long with a plethora of intriguing personalities. Gladiators like Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Tank Abbott introduced us to this combative spectacle. At the same time, warriors such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, BJ Penn, and Matt Hughes ushered in the sports boom period.
The new generation of fighters have evolved quite nicely, but besides Ronda Rousey, no one else has mass appeal. People want to like Jon Jones, but his Ill-mannered and disingenuous personality is a turnoff. Cain Velasquez, Demetrious Johnson, and Chris Weidman seem like the type of athletes you’d want your kids to look up to. Unfortunately, they lack that larger-than-life persona.
UFC 181 rejuvenated my excitement for Mixed Martial Arts. The event had everything you could ask for and then some, and I wrote a column about it at What Culture.com titled 5 Things We Learned From UFC 181.
This past Saturday at UFC 181 in Las Vegas, it was announced that former WWE Superstar CM Punk has signed to fight in UFC and will make his Octagon debut sometime in 2015.
Punk was interviewed at cage side by Joe Rogan and said he is done with professional wrestling and that MMA is his full-time career now because it’s now or never for him.
Punk said that the weight class he will fight at is up in the air, but he is looking at middleweight (185 lbs), but welterweight (170 lbs) is a possibility. He also said that he will not fight at light heavyweight (205 lbs)
When asked who he was going to train with, Punk said he didn’t want to tip his hat just yet and that he is making inquires with a few camps. Continue reading “Thoughts On CM Punk Signing With UFC”
UFC 181 features two championship bouts to close out the promotion’s pay-per-view calendar for the year. With an unprecedented 45 events scheduled for 2015, this card will go a long way in bringing clarity at the top of the welterweight and lightweight divisions. From top to bottom, this looks to be the most intriguing and action-packed card of the year.
This is a fight of technique versus raw aggression. Ferguson is very skilled, and Abel Trujillo made some serious noise with his win over Jamie Varner, which turned into a violent slugfest. Ferguson cannot win a firefight and has to dictate the pace with takedowns. I believe that Trujillo will land big shots, thus forcing Ferguson out of his wheelhouse.
The Pick: Abel Trujillo Continue reading “Calling The Shots Of UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II”
It’s funny how sometimes you can set out to do one thing, and then completely turn around and do something else. I’m of the opinion that the UFC is putting on way too many shows. The interest varies across the board due to some cards boasting big-name stars on the marquee while others simply have nameless faces posing as feature attractions.
With approximately forty-five events scheduled for 2014, the UFC runs the risk of over-saturating the market which will lead to customer fatigue. However, what if every event was must-see TV? As I was writing an article for the Camel Clutch Blog, my analysis of the situation has changed my position on the matter. There is a method to the Zuffa onslaught of shows that could pay huge dividends going forward.
Check out my newest article titled “Too Many UFC Shows Could Be a Good Thing” up now at the Camel Clutch Blog.com
Extra, extra, read all about it. Alexander Gustafsson is out of his title fight rematch against Jon Jones, and Daniel Cormier will step in as his replacement on September 27th in Las Vegas. It’s a shame that Gustafsson is injured and will miss out on his opportunity for the time being. However, this new match up presents a plethora of possibilities. Continue reading “Gustafsson Out, Cormier in against Jones at UFC 178”
UFC Fight Pass is presenting another exclusive offering with UFC Fight Night: Aub Dhabi featuring a five round heavyweight main event between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Roy “Big Country” Nelson. From top to bottom, this is the most stacked offering from the digital streaming service, and it’s fitting that “Minotauro” receives top billing. Currently ranked 11th in the division, he is one of the few that remain from the pre boom period where fighters were larger than life.
Continue reading “UFC Fight Night: Aub Dhabi – Nogueira’s Last Stand?”
Demetrious Johnson only needed two minutes and eight seconds to finish Joseph Benavidez at UFC on Fox 9 this past Saturday night. This nationally televised platform has officially the stomping ground for the Xbox clad fighter who has run off three consecutive title defenses, with each being more impressive than the last.
Continue reading “‘Mighty Mouse’ KO’s Benavidez to Retain Flyweight Title”
Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva has been suspended for nine months due to failing a drug test for elevated testosterone levels in his fight with Mark Hunt two weeks ago in Brisbane, Australia. This sucks because the greatest heavyweight fight in MMA history is now marred in controversy.
Continue reading “WTF: Bigfoot Fails UFC Post Fight Drug Test”
There is no single MMA aficionado, fighter, or journalist who thought UFC Fight Night 34 would produce the greatest heavyweight fight in history. That is exactly what happened when Mark Hunt and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva delivered a bloody epic that will become a legendary night where years from now, those that were fortunate enough to see it live will say, “Remember when Hunt fought Bigfoot?!”
Continue reading “Mark Hunt and Bigfoot’s Bloody Legacy”
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