Category: UFC (Page 26 of 45)
E. Spencer Kyte of HeavyMMA.com writes that if Matt Hughes seems like he’s enjoying himself these days, it’s because he is. And the former welterweight champion plans on having fun against B.J. Penn on Saturday day at UFC 123.
There is a point in the careers of many elite athletes where their once dominant skills start to erode, the twinkle in their eye turns into a glossy stare as they go through the motions.
Somewhere along the way, the Jim Gray du jour sits across from them, softly and earnestly asking what caused the decline, often eliciting the same response: “It stopped being fun” or some variation on that sentiment.
Sitting on the sidelines, far away from the daily grind of being a professional athlete, many wonder how such a thing could be possible, ready and willing to trade our daily routine with those of our athletic idols at any moment. But every job gets stale after enough time, and being a professional athlete is no different.
At that point, there are only a handful of options: riding things out, continuing to collect a paycheck is the path many take, while some decide enough is enough and opt for retirement. A small percentage choose the path Matt Hughes has decided to follow, accepting that his glory days are gone and getting back to having fun inside the cage.
Despite losing five straight fights, Jeremy Botter of HeavyMMA.com writes that Tito Ortiz will get another shot at staying in the UFC.
UFC President Dana White confirmed today that Ortiz will face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. White said he considered cutting Ortiz following his loss to Matt Hamill, but Ortiz convinced his boss to give him one more shot.
“I thought I was going to cut him,” White said. “I talked to Tito. He came up to me and we had a conversation. Tito said ‘I’m not done. I feel healthy and I feel good.’ And he asked for one last chance, so I’m going to do it.”
White did say that the Nogueira bout would be Ortiz’s last chance at remaining with the promotion.
“I’m not the evil bastard everyone thinks I am,” White said. “But it’s definitely his last chance. And he knows that, too.”Ortiz has not won a fight since an October 2006 victory over Ken Shamrock. The Nogueira fight is expected to take place in March, likely in the promotion’s return to Abu Dhabi.
E. Spencer Kyte of HeavyMMA.com thinks so.
Phil Davis’ first year with the UFC has already been a very good one.
The 26-year-old former Penn State wrestler has already earned a trio of victories, a pair of lopsided unanimous decisions sandwiched around a first round Anaconda choke submission of Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 112.
Saturday night, Davis has a chance to add a fourth win to his yearly total, facing off against Tim Boetsch in his main card debut at UFC 123. Though the 12-3 Boetsch has the edge in experience, Davis is favoured heading into the bout, and with good reason. In a sport where fans and analysts are always looking for “The Next Big Thing,” many have tabbed Davis as the man to carry that moniker in 2011.
Arguing with that assessment is a difficult task, as the talented young light heavyweight has the pedigree and past performances to make you believe greatness rests in his future.
Urijah Faber is mixing things up.
The decorated former WEC featherweight champion is making the move down to bantamweight, beginning tonight with his main event bout at WEC 52 against Takeya Mizugaki from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
I had a chance to catch up with the MMA legend as he gears up for Mizugaki.
During the interview Faber discusses his change in weight, the WEC/UFC merger, and what’s in his future. Enjoy.
The Scores Report: Well Urijah, it is fight week, how are you feeling?
Urijah Faber: I feel great. I am just working on getting my weight down. I am within striking distance now. I am walking around about 7 or 8 pounds over. (Faber weighed in at 136 pounds for his 135-pound fight on Wednesday night).
TSR: What has the weight cut been like? You have been fighting at featherweight for a while now and really haven’t had a strenuous cut as you have for this fight.
UF: It’s going better. My body feels great. I have been doing the cut steadily over the last few months. It has kind of been the opposite for me because before I was doing what I could to keep food in and stay heavy and now I am trying to eat lighter and lose weight. Initially the weight was easy to lose but the closer you get to 135, the harder the pounds are to shed. When I went through the practice cut, the last few pounds were pretty tough.
TSR: Do you notice anything different with your abilities at this lighter weight?
UF: I feel like my grappling is at a whole new level. When I competed in wrestling I always competed at 133 pounds, so being at this weight to fight, I feel like my skills are where I need them to be. I feel like I have great conditioning already and I feel faster and even stronger.
TSR: This fight with Mizugaki was originally scheduled for WEC 50 back in August but you had to pull out with a knee injury. Have you fully recovered from that injury?
UF: Yeah. My health is great and I am 100 percent. I have made a full recovery. It took about six weeks and even when I was recovering, I could still train and just not use the injured leg, so I was able to stay in great shape.
TSR: Give me your thoughts on your opponent. What do you feel he does well?
UF: His strength is his stand up. He has good hands and he has god takedown defense and submission defense. He has a couple decent takedowns too. The guy has a ton of heart too and he is not an easy guy to get past, but I think I have better all-around skills and will be comfortable wherever the fight goes.
TSR: The UFC recently announced it would be absorbing the WEC and its roster in 2011. What do you think of that decision and where were you when you heard the news?
UF: I basically got a call from manager at MMA INC. Had all us guys from Team Alpha Male on a conference call and told us what was going on. We were all stoked. We all went to practice that day on cloud nine. The implications for exposure and notoriety and pay all go up so much by becoming part of the UFC.
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