Tag: MMA (Page 25 of 40)
UFC 119 takes place tonight from the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The card doesn’t have a major fight that will have an impact on the landscape of the organization but each of the five main card bouts should be competitive and entertaining contests. Here are my picks for the show.
UFC Heavyweight Bout – Frank Mir (13-5) vs. Mirko Cro Cop (27-7-2) – Cro Cop took this fight on somewhat short notice as this was originally supposed to be a rematch of Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. On top of that, Cro Cop is not 100 percent coming into the fight as he is dealing with an eye injury. Cro Cop is a step slower than he was in his prime while Mir has improved his striking while still being one of the best submission fighters in all of MMA. I see Mir landing a big punch in the second round before jumping on Cro Cop and finishing with a choke.
UFC Light Heavyweight Bout – Antonio Rogerio Nogueria (19-3) vs. Ryan Bader (12-0) – This fight is a big contest for both as each needs the win to really get into the title picture in this division. The key to the bout will be Bader’s wrestling, as his explosiveness should win out against Nogueira. If Bader can avoid the big hit and close the distance in the fight, he should be able to win a decision by grinding out the fight on top with ground and pound.
UFC Welterweight Bout – Matt Serra (17-6) vs. Chris Lytle (29-17-4) – I see this fight going similarly to the first. Lytle is an entertaining and experienced fighter, but he never has been able to get that marquee win in his career. Serra really just has the win over Georges St. Pierre to go bye, but he has always been a tough guy to beat as well. In this fight I see Serra controlling the fight with his grappling. The only way I don’t see him winning by decision is if he gets too confident in his striking.
UFC Lightweight Bout – Sean Sherk (37-4-1) vs. Evan Dunham (11-0) – Sherk used to dominate the division with his strength and wrestling, but recently his opponents have been able to avoid his takedowns with their strength and they have been faster with their striking, which has caused Sherk to lose two of his last three bouts. Dunham has that same style to beat Sherk. Sherk will struggle to get the fight to the ground and Dunham will be a little quicker to the punch. I like Dunham to win this fight by decision.
UFC Lightweight Bout – Melvin Guillard (43-9-3) vs. Jeremy Stephens (18-5) – This fight should be explosive as both have big power and like to swing with everything they have in each punch. The key in this bout will be Guillard’s inability to fight off his back as Stephens trains with Hermes Franca and has some grappling skills that many haven’t seen yet. I see Stephens getting takedowns late to set up for some ground and pound and a TKO finish in the third.
According to the guys at HeavyMMA.com, Vitor Belfort will face UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for UFC 125, which will be held on New Year’s Day in Vegas.
Vitor Belfort is expected to face UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, likely in the headlining bout of UFC 125 on New Year’s Day in Las Vegas.
The change was confirmed today by UFC President Dana White.
Belfort was scheduled to face Yushin Okami in the main event of UFC 122 in November, but the Brazilian was pulled from the bout and replaced with Nate Marquardt. The winner of the Okami/Marquardt bout will get the next crack at the winner of the Silva/Belfort championship match.
Belfort takes the place of Chael Sonnen, who was scheduled to score an immediate rematch following a near-victory over Silva in August. But Sonnen tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs after the event and is currently facing a one-year suspension and $2,500 fine from the California State Athletic Commission. Sonnen is scheduled to appeal the decision on Dec. 2, but the UFC is moving forward with Belfort as the challenger.
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The change was first reported by MMAWeekly.com.
UFC 122 takes place Nov. 13 at Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. It will air on tape delay in the United States on Spike TV.
The original Belfort vs. Okami match was scheduled as a title eliminator fight, with the winner receiving the next shot at champ Anderson Silva’s middleweight belt.
Marquardt defeated Rousimar Palhares by TKO in the first round at UFC Fight Night 22 last week. The win put his record at 5-2 since losing his first middleweight title opportunity to Silva in July 2007. After the victory, Marquardt told Heavy.com that he was ready for more championship-caliber opportunities, and it appears that he’ll get just that when he steps in the cage with Yushin Okami.
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HeavyMMA.com recaps media day for UFC 119:
UFC 119 is just around the corner, and today main event fighters Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Frank Mir will sat down with the media to discuss their upcoming heavyweight clash. Check out the recap of today’s call.
1:05: Mir says his opinion of Cro Cop is the same now as it always has been. He believes that his striking is very dangerous, but is not very concerned with his submission game. Also includes that Mirko would prefer to keep the fight standing.
1:07: Mir is then asked about where he would be most comfortable. Mir says he is comfortable anywhere the fight may go.
1:09: Filipovic says that he doesn’t want short preparation to be an excuse. He also claims that he is completely prepared.
1:10: Mir is asked about his increase in size. The former champion says that he is continuing to do the same things he has been doing and is anywhere between 250 and 255 pounds.
1:11: The UFC is traveling to Indiana and will be experiencing a new market, to which Mir says he is honored to be a part of. Cro Cop addresses how this is the first main event he has been in for the UFC, saying that he is excited for the opportunity.
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