What can be said about Jon “Bones” Jones that hasn’t already been said? The man is the youngest fighter to ever hold a UFC title, has the longest reach in the UFC, and is considered to be one of the most dominant ever in the sport. Jones has a near flawless record of 14-1 with his sole loss coming by way of disqualification in a bout with Matt Hammil that he was dominating before using illegal 12-to-6 elbows, leaving Hammil unable to continue.
There are still many questions left unanswered about the young professional. He has yet to take any real damage inside the cage, so his chin still hasn’t been proven. He has also never been taken down, and the only time he has really done any work inside the cage off of his back was when he pulled guard in his most recent title fight against Rampage Jackson. It came in the closing seconds of the round, and there wasn’t much time for work to be done.
The biggest thing that Jones does not have in his young career is certainty. There has only been one UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in the last four years to defend the belt more than once, and that is MMA legend and UFC Hall-of-Famer Chuck Liddell. To ask Jones to live up to a legend is a tall task, but one not outside the realm of possibility.
Since his sole loss inside the cage, Jones has gone on to win five straight, finishing all of his opponents in stunning fashion. His fight with Brandon Vera saw a badly disfigured Vera exit the cage on his way to the hospital for a badly broken nose. In his next performance, against Vladimir Matyushenko, he landed a total of ten elbow strikes from the crucifix position in just four seconds to end the fight.
Jones defeated then-unbeaten, Ryan Bader by guillotine choke to earn himself a shot at Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s UFC Light Heavyweight title. It was the most dominant performance Jones had put forth to date, frustrating Shogun in all aspects of the fight. Rua was helpless to do anything in the standup game, getting out struck 75-9. He eventually succumbed to Jones’s onslaught of strikes in the third round and Jones was left as the youngest champion in UFC history at just 23 years of age.
His first title defense was against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jones was worried about Rampage’s aggressive style coming into the fight. He didn’t want to be rushed by an aggressive flurry and be knocked unconscious seconds into his first title defense, so he elected to try something new. Jones came out of his corner, three points on the ground. His variation of a shoot-wrestling style protected him from Rampage’s hands on his way in for a takedown to open the fight. It is this type of ingenuity and his ability to adapt in his fights that allowed him to cruise past Rampage, and will aid him in keeping his title for many years.
First, before he can cement his legacy as one of the division’s, if not the sport’s greats, Jones has to figure out his next opponent, Lyoto Machida. Machida is one of the very few karatekas in MMA, and he favors a counter-striking style. Add to that the fact that he was able to outwrestle former NJCAA Champion Rashad Evans, and Machida is a pretty scary obstacle. Jones should still have an edge in wrestling, as I believe he has a better wrestling base than Evans. This is an intriguing matchup because of Jones’s reach advantage versus Machida’s style. Jones’s aggressive striking style plays right into the hands of Machida, but because Jones doesn’t have to get very far inside to land strikes, Machida’s countering may be rendered useless.
The fight will most likely be a strong striking match, but look for Jones to shoot early. He wants nothing to do with the kick that ended MMA legend Randy Couture’s career, so expect to see Jones mix in a few takedowns to throw Machida off balance. As surprising as it may seem, I’ve got Jones and Machida going to decision, and Jones’s streak of five straight finishes coming to a close. Jones gets the unanimous nod, and moves into the annals of UFC history as one of four champions to defend the title more than once.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Machida, Victim of the "Jones Era?"
Upon winning the UFC Light Heavyweight Title in 2009, it was proclaimed that a new era had begun. “The Machida Era” as it was called had begun, and it didn’t look like anyone would be able to figure out Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida’s style, let alone beat him and take his title.
Machida began his martial arts career at a very young age. He already had his black belt in karate when he was thirteen years old. He also began training in sumo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before he was fifteen years of age. It is this combination of karate, and ground control that makes Machida a hard opponent to figure out.
His style consists mainly of counterstriking, and he truly uses every limb to strike, his most deadly being his straight right. Machida has shown proficiency in all aspects of his Mixed Martial Arts game, and is truly one of the most well rounded fighters in MMA.
Machida also boasts one of the most impressive records in all of MMA history. He has squared off with the best of the best, including Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans, Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson and Randy Couture. The only foe on his record he could not best in the Octagon is Rampage Jackson, who he lost a controversial split decision to. In total, he has faced seven former UFC Champions, a UFC Hall-of-Famer, two future Hall-of-Famers, and two former Pride Champions. Lyoto Machida has seen and done it all, and has arguably the best record in all of MMA.
The aforementioned, “Machida Era” was not long lived, and ended after just one controversial title defense over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The unanimous decision, awarded to Machida, was contested within the MMA community, and UFC President Dana White gave the green light for an immediate rematch between the two. Shogun took the second contest decisively, winning with the 2010 knockout of the year in the first round.
After his loss to Rua, Machida was put into the middle ranks of the highly competitive light heavyweight division. He was arranged to square off with the ever-rising Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. More controversy followed at the end of the fight when Rampage was given the unanimous nod over Machida. Rampage, in a post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan said that he felt Machida had won the fight and even suggested a rematch. White denied the rematch, and Machida was put on the hot seat, facing the prospect of three straight losses.
Machida was determined to not leave his fate up to his bosses, and put on a stunning performance at UFC 129, the biggest UFC event to date. Machida showed early on against Randy Couture that he wanted to strike. He consistently avoided Couture’s clinch attempts, and landed kicks and punches with pinpoint accuracy. Late in the second round, he landed the kick that ended Couture’s career. A fantastic jumping front kick to Couture’s jaw knocked out more than just a tooth and sent Couture to the mat. The fight was called, and it appeared that maybe The Dragon could be champion again one day.
His title aspirations were put on the backburner in possibly the most competitive division in the UFC. Rampage Jackson got his shot, and failed. Rashad Evans was arranged to have his crack at titleholder, Jon Jones, but due to injury he was forced to pull out. Could it have been fate? Machida, after just one win, is back in the title picture, and at the head of it.
The matchup with Jones is scary for fans of Jones, and quite interesting for Machida’s supporters. Jones, who may be considered the most dominant champion aside from Anderson Silva, has yet to taste legitimate defeat in his MMA career. The sole blemish on his record is the result of a questionable stoppage against Matt Hammil after Jones delivered illegal 12-to-6 elbow strikes. Jones is a very aggressive striker, and that plays right into the hands of Machida, a strong counter striker.
If Machida wants his title back, he will have to work for it against one of the best wrestlers in the UFC. Machida will have to carefully counter, and avoid being put on his back against Jones, but I’m not sure that will be enough. Jones has a massive reach at 84.5 inches, the longest in UFC history, and even against a superb counter-striker like Machida that will be a huge advantage. Jones will work his ground game effectively, but it is his striking where he will dominate. No one so far has been able to stop the reach of the freakishly athletic Jones, and don’t expect Machida to do that. Jones will mix in a few takedowns as well en route to his first unanimous decision since UFC 100 in 2009.
Machida began his martial arts career at a very young age. He already had his black belt in karate when he was thirteen years old. He also began training in sumo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before he was fifteen years of age. It is this combination of karate, and ground control that makes Machida a hard opponent to figure out.
His style consists mainly of counterstriking, and he truly uses every limb to strike, his most deadly being his straight right. Machida has shown proficiency in all aspects of his Mixed Martial Arts game, and is truly one of the most well rounded fighters in MMA.
Machida also boasts one of the most impressive records in all of MMA history. He has squared off with the best of the best, including Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans, Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson and Randy Couture. The only foe on his record he could not best in the Octagon is Rampage Jackson, who he lost a controversial split decision to. In total, he has faced seven former UFC Champions, a UFC Hall-of-Famer, two future Hall-of-Famers, and two former Pride Champions. Lyoto Machida has seen and done it all, and has arguably the best record in all of MMA.
The aforementioned, “Machida Era” was not long lived, and ended after just one controversial title defense over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The unanimous decision, awarded to Machida, was contested within the MMA community, and UFC President Dana White gave the green light for an immediate rematch between the two. Shogun took the second contest decisively, winning with the 2010 knockout of the year in the first round.
After his loss to Rua, Machida was put into the middle ranks of the highly competitive light heavyweight division. He was arranged to square off with the ever-rising Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. More controversy followed at the end of the fight when Rampage was given the unanimous nod over Machida. Rampage, in a post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan said that he felt Machida had won the fight and even suggested a rematch. White denied the rematch, and Machida was put on the hot seat, facing the prospect of three straight losses.
Machida was determined to not leave his fate up to his bosses, and put on a stunning performance at UFC 129, the biggest UFC event to date. Machida showed early on against Randy Couture that he wanted to strike. He consistently avoided Couture’s clinch attempts, and landed kicks and punches with pinpoint accuracy. Late in the second round, he landed the kick that ended Couture’s career. A fantastic jumping front kick to Couture’s jaw knocked out more than just a tooth and sent Couture to the mat. The fight was called, and it appeared that maybe The Dragon could be champion again one day.
His title aspirations were put on the backburner in possibly the most competitive division in the UFC. Rampage Jackson got his shot, and failed. Rashad Evans was arranged to have his crack at titleholder, Jon Jones, but due to injury he was forced to pull out. Could it have been fate? Machida, after just one win, is back in the title picture, and at the head of it.
The matchup with Jones is scary for fans of Jones, and quite interesting for Machida’s supporters. Jones, who may be considered the most dominant champion aside from Anderson Silva, has yet to taste legitimate defeat in his MMA career. The sole blemish on his record is the result of a questionable stoppage against Matt Hammil after Jones delivered illegal 12-to-6 elbow strikes. Jones is a very aggressive striker, and that plays right into the hands of Machida, a strong counter striker.
If Machida wants his title back, he will have to work for it against one of the best wrestlers in the UFC. Machida will have to carefully counter, and avoid being put on his back against Jones, but I’m not sure that will be enough. Jones has a massive reach at 84.5 inches, the longest in UFC history, and even against a superb counter-striker like Machida that will be a huge advantage. Jones will work his ground game effectively, but it is his striking where he will dominate. No one so far has been able to stop the reach of the freakishly athletic Jones, and don’t expect Machida to do that. Jones will mix in a few takedowns as well en route to his first unanimous decision since UFC 100 in 2009.
The Ultimate Fighter Finale Fighter Preview - Michael "The Count" Bisping
The sport’s brashest of Brits, Michael “The Count” Bisping has done it again. At the weigh ins for his clash with Jason Miller at The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale, Bisping was booed under the direction of Miller. Announcer Joe Rogan urged fans to give Bisping some love. Bisping proceeded to tell the fans that he doesn’t “give a [expletive] about getting [expletive] love. All I care about is smashing this dickhead’s head in.”
Bisping has always been a bully of sorts, and often, the king of trash talk. It seems simply fitting that he enter the cage on Saturday night opposite the former host of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown.”
Bisping, who is currently riding a three-fight win streak, has tussled with the best of the best at 185 pounds in the UFC. He started his career a perfect 14-0 at light heavyweight before dropping a split decision to Rashad Evans who later went on to win the 205-pound title. Bisping currently stands at 21-3, with his only losses coming to a former UFC champion, and two former Pride champions, Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson.
After his loss to Evans, Bisping dropped to 185 pounds and went on a three-fight streak that culminated in his defeat of Chris Leben. His next fight was set against Dan Henderson, the man coaching opposite him on that season of The Ultimate Fighter.Many remember the signature knockout loss against Henderson at UFC 100 after The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K, but what was even more memorable was Bisping’s time on the show as a coach. After rattling off victories over Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jorge Rivera, Bisping was again selected to coach on The Ultimate Fighter. He was originally slated to coach opposite, and eventually square off with the true king of trash talk, Chael Sonnen, but various issues pertaining to alleged steroid usage prevented Sonnen from obtaining his fighting license in time.
Jason Miller was selected as the newest coach, after pleading his case to UFC President Dana White over the social networking site, Twitter. White had Miller installed as the newest coach in a matter of days, clearly a result of his interesting persona. The trash talk on the show was kept to a minimum to begin the season, and there was no bad blood going into the show, but Miller’s pranks got the best of Bisping. Bisping decided to play some pranks of his own and even had Miller’s car towed at one point during the season. The antics between the two fighters came to a head at the weigh-ins Friday night, when Bisping missed weight by one-quarter of a pound. Miller antagonized him, and Bisping shot back with vulgarities. It is sure to be an exciting finale.
Statistically and stylistically, the two fighters couldn’t be more different. Bisping, a striker, holds the majority of his wins by knockout, whereas Miller, a grappler, holds the majority of his wins by submission. The bottom line is that these two fighters know how to finish. Miller has only been to a decision eight times and is an even 4-4 in fights that go all rounds. Bisping has only been to six, and has only lost two of them. Both have impressive cardio, so that shouldn’t be an issue even if this one does reach the later rounds.
Miller has stated that he wants to stand and trade with Bisping, and grudge matches such as these often bring out a fighter’s inner slugger. Bisping has to be careful though. He is a better striker, but if Miller can manage to catch him and send him sprawling he could find himself on the wrong side of a rear-naked choke. It will be surprising if this one goes the distance; I’ve got Miller by rear-naked choke in the fourth round.
Bisping has always been a bully of sorts, and often, the king of trash talk. It seems simply fitting that he enter the cage on Saturday night opposite the former host of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown.”
Bisping, who is currently riding a three-fight win streak, has tussled with the best of the best at 185 pounds in the UFC. He started his career a perfect 14-0 at light heavyweight before dropping a split decision to Rashad Evans who later went on to win the 205-pound title. Bisping currently stands at 21-3, with his only losses coming to a former UFC champion, and two former Pride champions, Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson.
After his loss to Evans, Bisping dropped to 185 pounds and went on a three-fight streak that culminated in his defeat of Chris Leben. His next fight was set against Dan Henderson, the man coaching opposite him on that season of The Ultimate Fighter.Many remember the signature knockout loss against Henderson at UFC 100 after The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K, but what was even more memorable was Bisping’s time on the show as a coach. After rattling off victories over Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jorge Rivera, Bisping was again selected to coach on The Ultimate Fighter. He was originally slated to coach opposite, and eventually square off with the true king of trash talk, Chael Sonnen, but various issues pertaining to alleged steroid usage prevented Sonnen from obtaining his fighting license in time.
Jason Miller was selected as the newest coach, after pleading his case to UFC President Dana White over the social networking site, Twitter. White had Miller installed as the newest coach in a matter of days, clearly a result of his interesting persona. The trash talk on the show was kept to a minimum to begin the season, and there was no bad blood going into the show, but Miller’s pranks got the best of Bisping. Bisping decided to play some pranks of his own and even had Miller’s car towed at one point during the season. The antics between the two fighters came to a head at the weigh-ins Friday night, when Bisping missed weight by one-quarter of a pound. Miller antagonized him, and Bisping shot back with vulgarities. It is sure to be an exciting finale.
Statistically and stylistically, the two fighters couldn’t be more different. Bisping, a striker, holds the majority of his wins by knockout, whereas Miller, a grappler, holds the majority of his wins by submission. The bottom line is that these two fighters know how to finish. Miller has only been to a decision eight times and is an even 4-4 in fights that go all rounds. Bisping has only been to six, and has only lost two of them. Both have impressive cardio, so that shouldn’t be an issue even if this one does reach the later rounds.
Miller has stated that he wants to stand and trade with Bisping, and grudge matches such as these often bring out a fighter’s inner slugger. Bisping has to be careful though. He is a better striker, but if Miller can manage to catch him and send him sprawling he could find himself on the wrong side of a rear-naked choke. It will be surprising if this one goes the distance; I’ve got Miller by rear-naked choke in the fourth round.
The Ultimate Fighter Finale Fighter Preview - Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Jason “Mayhem” Miller has done a lot with his career in Mixed Martial Arts over the years, but most of his career has taken place outside of the Octagon, until now.
Mayhem earned his nickname for his antics in and outside of the cage. In his first fight in the UFC, he wore a mask as he entered the cage, and he attempted to flip off of his back straight onto his feet when he found a young Georges St-Pierre standing in his guard. It didn’t work, and Mayhem was kicked back to the mat, but he got up chuckling.
Since that unanimous decision loss at welterweight to St-Pierre in 2005, Miller has fought at middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight, winning a contest at each weight. Any fighter who can go on a two-fight win streak while struggling to find his fighting weight is a pretty talented one. Shortly after his fight against Lodune Sincaid at 205 pounds, Miller realized that 185 pounds was the place for him. He cemented his place in the ranks at 185 as he captured the Icon Sport Middleweight Championship from Robbie Lawler in 2006, just a year after his sole, lackluster performance in the UFC.
Miller has also built a strong fan base through the use of his “Mayhem” image. His fans, which he personally calls “Mayhem Monkeys,” have come to follow him through his fights, as well as his television and radio personality. Mayhem regularly hosts a radio show on Sirius XM, and hosted three seasons of MTV’s Bully Beatdown, before deciding to take his MMA career to the next level.The current coach of Team Miller on The Ultimate Fighter 14 lucked into his role on the show. Originally, top middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, was asked to be the coach, but due to several incidents relating back to his August 2010 clash with Anderson Silva he was unable to get his fighting license cleared. The title fight, where Sonnen tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, possibly indicating steroid usage, essentially set everything in motion for Miller to become the new coach. He tweeted UFC President Dana White several days later that he wanted the spot, and White named him coach in a matter of days.
The opposing coach, Michael Bisping, and Miller will square off on Saturday at The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale, which is set to take place at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Miller comes into the fight as the favorite over the UFC veteran, Bisping. The fight could have title implications for either fighter down the line, as Bisping is currently riding a three-fight win streak, and Miller is on a two-fight streak.
Miller is known for his stellar ground game, as he owns 15 of his 25 wins by submission. Bisping has become known as a power puncher with 13 of his 21 victories by knockout. In the fighters’ combined 55 fights, only 14 have gone to a decision, so this is sure to be a barnburner. Miller’s maturation as a fighter and his willingness to take his career more seriously has brought him a lot of respect within the MMA community, but will it have an impact in his return to the UFC? The task of the night for Miller will be getting Bisping, to the mat. Bisping who has a career takedown defense of 58 percent, has fought a lot of pure strikers over his career, and the times in which he found himself matched up with a wrestler, he ended up on his back quite a bit.
Miller has openly stated that he will knock Bisping out and wishes to stand and trade with the Brit. If Mayhem opts to follow this game plan, he may find himself in a spot of trouble, but Bisping isn’t a world-class striker by any means. If Miller can pick his shots and go in for the big punches when the opportunity presents itself, he could easily find himself on top of Bisping, pummeling him to a TKO victory. I’m not sure that Miller has the power to take out Bisping, so watch for him to knock Bisping down, and go in for the rear naked choke. Miller takes this one is such a fashion, in the fourth round.
Mayhem earned his nickname for his antics in and outside of the cage. In his first fight in the UFC, he wore a mask as he entered the cage, and he attempted to flip off of his back straight onto his feet when he found a young Georges St-Pierre standing in his guard. It didn’t work, and Mayhem was kicked back to the mat, but he got up chuckling.
Since that unanimous decision loss at welterweight to St-Pierre in 2005, Miller has fought at middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight, winning a contest at each weight. Any fighter who can go on a two-fight win streak while struggling to find his fighting weight is a pretty talented one. Shortly after his fight against Lodune Sincaid at 205 pounds, Miller realized that 185 pounds was the place for him. He cemented his place in the ranks at 185 as he captured the Icon Sport Middleweight Championship from Robbie Lawler in 2006, just a year after his sole, lackluster performance in the UFC.
Miller has also built a strong fan base through the use of his “Mayhem” image. His fans, which he personally calls “Mayhem Monkeys,” have come to follow him through his fights, as well as his television and radio personality. Mayhem regularly hosts a radio show on Sirius XM, and hosted three seasons of MTV’s Bully Beatdown, before deciding to take his MMA career to the next level.The current coach of Team Miller on The Ultimate Fighter 14 lucked into his role on the show. Originally, top middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, was asked to be the coach, but due to several incidents relating back to his August 2010 clash with Anderson Silva he was unable to get his fighting license cleared. The title fight, where Sonnen tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, possibly indicating steroid usage, essentially set everything in motion for Miller to become the new coach. He tweeted UFC President Dana White several days later that he wanted the spot, and White named him coach in a matter of days.
The opposing coach, Michael Bisping, and Miller will square off on Saturday at The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale, which is set to take place at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Miller comes into the fight as the favorite over the UFC veteran, Bisping. The fight could have title implications for either fighter down the line, as Bisping is currently riding a three-fight win streak, and Miller is on a two-fight streak.
Miller is known for his stellar ground game, as he owns 15 of his 25 wins by submission. Bisping has become known as a power puncher with 13 of his 21 victories by knockout. In the fighters’ combined 55 fights, only 14 have gone to a decision, so this is sure to be a barnburner. Miller’s maturation as a fighter and his willingness to take his career more seriously has brought him a lot of respect within the MMA community, but will it have an impact in his return to the UFC? The task of the night for Miller will be getting Bisping, to the mat. Bisping who has a career takedown defense of 58 percent, has fought a lot of pure strikers over his career, and the times in which he found himself matched up with a wrestler, he ended up on his back quite a bit.
Miller has openly stated that he will knock Bisping out and wishes to stand and trade with the Brit. If Mayhem opts to follow this game plan, he may find himself in a spot of trouble, but Bisping isn’t a world-class striker by any means. If Miller can pick his shots and go in for the big punches when the opportunity presents itself, he could easily find himself on top of Bisping, pummeling him to a TKO victory. I’m not sure that Miller has the power to take out Bisping, so watch for him to knock Bisping down, and go in for the rear naked choke. Miller takes this one is such a fashion, in the fourth round.
UFC 137 Preview - Nick Diaz
We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Nick Diaz has passed his pre-fight medical screening. No marijuana this time folks.
The California native, Diaz, had a decision overturned against Takanori Gomi in early 2007 because he tested positive for marijuana after the fight. It was a fight in which he again was able to use his fantastic jiu-jitsu to win. He caught Gomi in a gogoplata with 3:14 remaining in the second round, to solidify himself as a force in Pride Fighting Championships. It was only the second gogoplata ever in Pride, the first having been done by Shinya Aoki just two months prior.
NSAC officials went on to test Diaz’s THC levels and they found him to be at 175, 125 over the limit allowed for athletes. A level of 175 during the fight indicates that he was intoxicated and clearly under the influence of the drug during the fight. Commission Chairman Dr. Tony Alamo said that he felt the drug made Diaz numb to the pain of a large cut that had been opened under his eye early in the fight.
The Gomi fight being his last with Pride, he didn’t have many places to turn due to the penalties imposed on him by the NSAC. He was suspended for six months and forced to turn over 20 percent of his earnings from the fight. The fight was also declared a no contest.
With his options running thin, Diaz turned to now-defunct promotion EliteXC. In his first of four fights under the EliteXC banner, Diaz took a split decision over Mike Aina. In his next fight, he took on K.J Noons for the vacant 160-pound title. Diaz was dropped early by Noons, and from then on opted to go in for the takedown. In doing so, he was stuffed multiple times, one time in particular left a massive gash on his forehead. The fight was called to a halt by the cage side doctor due to various cuts on Diaz’s forehead.
Diaz bounced all over, fighting for Japan’s Dream, and finishing up his deal with EliteXC before finding his home in Strikeforce. His first fight for the promotion was against MMA legend Frank Shamrock at a catchweight of 179 pounds. Diaz, aware of a nagging rib injury that Shamrock had sustained during training, attacked his body relentlessly. He eventually finished Shamrock with a body shot that sent him sprawling and followed up with strikes on the ground.
After his victory over Shamrock, Diaz’s next two fights were in Strikeforce, and after a bout in Dream in 2010, he fought solely for the promotion in 2011. He claimed the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Title at Strikeforce: Miami with a win over newcomer, MariusŽaromskis.Žaromskis has oftentimes been compared to Mirko Cro Cop because of his striking prowess, specifically with head kicks. Another commonality between the two is their takedown defense, which is among the best in MMA. Because of this, Diaz opted to stand and strike, with the takedown in his back pocket. He scored an early one after a few knees in the clinch, but his submission attempts were quickly shrugged off. Žaromskis floored Diaz with a left, and Diaz was punished on the ground. Once he recovered, he came back aggressive, and effectively landed many combinations, forcing the referee to step in with under a minute left.
With his new Strikeforce belt, Diaz was the king of the division, and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker made sure Diaz got the one fighter he had wanted since his loss in EliteXC, K.J. Noons. Diaz was offered a rematch with Noons while still in EliteXC, and promptly accepted, but Noons declined the offer, stating that he felt Diaz wasn’t the number one contender. In the rematch, Diaz went on to win a five-round decision.
His next two title defenses were against Cyborg Santos, and Paul Daley respectively. Diaz handled the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Santos, showing off his own impressive ground game, ending the fight via armbar with less than ten seconds remaining in the second round. It marked the first time anyone had ever finished the Brazilian, Santos by submission.
The fight with Daley was a wild one, featuring two unorthodox strikers. The fight opened with a lot of aggressive striking from both fighters, and ended that way too. With just three seconds left in the first round, the fight was called, with Diaz the victor. The fight saw Diaz get stumbled early on, but he recovered quickly, and baited Daley into aggressively exchanging, a decision that was also his undoing.
After the UFC’s parent company, Zuffa LLC. bought the rights to Strikeforce in March of 2011, many felt a matchup of UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St-Pierre and Diaz was immanent. The match finally came to fruition and was booked for UFC 137, but was eventually scrapped because Diaz failed to attend the mandatory press conferences. He was demoted to the second slot on the same card, and matched up against lightweight and welterweight ace, B.J. Penn. After St-Pierre was forced to pull out of his title bout due to a knee injury, Diaz versus Penn was upgraded to the main event.
The fight, featuring possibly the two best jiu-jitsu fighters the UFC has ever known, should be an interesting one. Given that both are so experienced and well versed in the ground game, both may try and avoid it. Diaz has developed more of a striker-first mentality since his stint with the UFC in 2003 that saw his ground game suffocated under more powerful wrestlers. Diaz will keep his takedowns in check, and be ready when the opportunity presents itself, much as he did in the Žaromskis fight.
Penn doesn’t provide as much a striking threat as Žaromskis by any means, but with his 21-second knockout of future UFC Hall-of-Famer, Matt Hughes, his hands aren’t to be underestimated. Diaz has a rather wild-striking style, as seen in his fight with Paul Daley. His aggressiveness got him into a lot of trouble in that fight, but he was able to recover quickly. He had better hope he can control his aggression in his fight with Penn, because the experienced veteran will not allow him to recover. Penn will move forward and pick his shots carefully, mixing in a takedown to add some additional strikes, en route to a unanimous nod over Diaz.
The California native, Diaz, had a decision overturned against Takanori Gomi in early 2007 because he tested positive for marijuana after the fight. It was a fight in which he again was able to use his fantastic jiu-jitsu to win. He caught Gomi in a gogoplata with 3:14 remaining in the second round, to solidify himself as a force in Pride Fighting Championships. It was only the second gogoplata ever in Pride, the first having been done by Shinya Aoki just two months prior.
NSAC officials went on to test Diaz’s THC levels and they found him to be at 175, 125 over the limit allowed for athletes. A level of 175 during the fight indicates that he was intoxicated and clearly under the influence of the drug during the fight. Commission Chairman Dr. Tony Alamo said that he felt the drug made Diaz numb to the pain of a large cut that had been opened under his eye early in the fight.
The Gomi fight being his last with Pride, he didn’t have many places to turn due to the penalties imposed on him by the NSAC. He was suspended for six months and forced to turn over 20 percent of his earnings from the fight. The fight was also declared a no contest.
With his options running thin, Diaz turned to now-defunct promotion EliteXC. In his first of four fights under the EliteXC banner, Diaz took a split decision over Mike Aina. In his next fight, he took on K.J Noons for the vacant 160-pound title. Diaz was dropped early by Noons, and from then on opted to go in for the takedown. In doing so, he was stuffed multiple times, one time in particular left a massive gash on his forehead. The fight was called to a halt by the cage side doctor due to various cuts on Diaz’s forehead.
Diaz bounced all over, fighting for Japan’s Dream, and finishing up his deal with EliteXC before finding his home in Strikeforce. His first fight for the promotion was against MMA legend Frank Shamrock at a catchweight of 179 pounds. Diaz, aware of a nagging rib injury that Shamrock had sustained during training, attacked his body relentlessly. He eventually finished Shamrock with a body shot that sent him sprawling and followed up with strikes on the ground.
After his victory over Shamrock, Diaz’s next two fights were in Strikeforce, and after a bout in Dream in 2010, he fought solely for the promotion in 2011. He claimed the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Title at Strikeforce: Miami with a win over newcomer, MariusŽaromskis.Žaromskis has oftentimes been compared to Mirko Cro Cop because of his striking prowess, specifically with head kicks. Another commonality between the two is their takedown defense, which is among the best in MMA. Because of this, Diaz opted to stand and strike, with the takedown in his back pocket. He scored an early one after a few knees in the clinch, but his submission attempts were quickly shrugged off. Žaromskis floored Diaz with a left, and Diaz was punished on the ground. Once he recovered, he came back aggressive, and effectively landed many combinations, forcing the referee to step in with under a minute left.
With his new Strikeforce belt, Diaz was the king of the division, and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker made sure Diaz got the one fighter he had wanted since his loss in EliteXC, K.J. Noons. Diaz was offered a rematch with Noons while still in EliteXC, and promptly accepted, but Noons declined the offer, stating that he felt Diaz wasn’t the number one contender. In the rematch, Diaz went on to win a five-round decision.
His next two title defenses were against Cyborg Santos, and Paul Daley respectively. Diaz handled the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Santos, showing off his own impressive ground game, ending the fight via armbar with less than ten seconds remaining in the second round. It marked the first time anyone had ever finished the Brazilian, Santos by submission.
The fight with Daley was a wild one, featuring two unorthodox strikers. The fight opened with a lot of aggressive striking from both fighters, and ended that way too. With just three seconds left in the first round, the fight was called, with Diaz the victor. The fight saw Diaz get stumbled early on, but he recovered quickly, and baited Daley into aggressively exchanging, a decision that was also his undoing.
After the UFC’s parent company, Zuffa LLC. bought the rights to Strikeforce in March of 2011, many felt a matchup of UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St-Pierre and Diaz was immanent. The match finally came to fruition and was booked for UFC 137, but was eventually scrapped because Diaz failed to attend the mandatory press conferences. He was demoted to the second slot on the same card, and matched up against lightweight and welterweight ace, B.J. Penn. After St-Pierre was forced to pull out of his title bout due to a knee injury, Diaz versus Penn was upgraded to the main event.
The fight, featuring possibly the two best jiu-jitsu fighters the UFC has ever known, should be an interesting one. Given that both are so experienced and well versed in the ground game, both may try and avoid it. Diaz has developed more of a striker-first mentality since his stint with the UFC in 2003 that saw his ground game suffocated under more powerful wrestlers. Diaz will keep his takedowns in check, and be ready when the opportunity presents itself, much as he did in the Žaromskis fight.
Penn doesn’t provide as much a striking threat as Žaromskis by any means, but with his 21-second knockout of future UFC Hall-of-Famer, Matt Hughes, his hands aren’t to be underestimated. Diaz has a rather wild-striking style, as seen in his fight with Paul Daley. His aggressiveness got him into a lot of trouble in that fight, but he was able to recover quickly. He had better hope he can control his aggression in his fight with Penn, because the experienced veteran will not allow him to recover. Penn will move forward and pick his shots carefully, mixing in a takedown to add some additional strikes, en route to a unanimous nod over Diaz.
UFC 137 Preview - B.J. Penn
Plain and simple B.J. Penn will go down as one of the best fighters to ever step inside the UFC Octagon, but the question that remains is how he will go out. Perhaps the more pressing question is when he will retire.
Penn broke on to the scene in 2001 with a TKO victory over Joey Gilbert. Penn is one of very few modern-day fighters to have started his career in the UFC. Most fighters start their careers in smaller, regional promotions, and wrack up a few wins before the UFC comes calling. The former dual-weight titleholder, Penn received his call after his success on the world Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu circuit. The ink was all but signed on Penn’s UFC contract after he became the first non-Brazilian to win the black belt division of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
Penn has had a storied career, both at welterweight and lightweight. Starting at lightweight, he went on a three-fight win streak that saw him beat talented striker Caol Uno. He was then given the chance to fight for the UFC Lightweight Title at just 3-0, against Jens Pulver. Penn lost the decision, and went on to challenge for the title again when Pulver vacated the title due to contractual disputes. A tournament was organized to crown a champion, and in the final bout, Penn fought Uno to a draw and no champion was crowned. The UFC subsequently suspended its lightweight division, so Penn moved back to his home state of Hawaii to fight for the Rumble on the Rock promotion.
Penn defeated Takanori Gomi by submission with a rear-naked choke in the third round to claim the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship. Soon after, Penn decided to return to the UFC, but with the lightweight division still on the shelf, he opted to return as a welterweight. At welterweight, he defeated future UFC Hall-of-Famer, and former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes to unrest the title from one of the longest reigning champions. Hughes had defended the belt five times prior.
Penn had a successful career at welterweight, until the rise of current champion, and pound-for-pound top dog, Georges St-Pierre. Penn lost a welterweight number one contender bout against St-Pierre in 2006, but shortly after bounced down to lightweight and won the UFC Lightweight Title. Amid defending his strap at 155, Penn was also climbing the welterweight ranks, and eventually was booked for another match with St-Pierre, this time for St-Pierre’s welterweight title. Penn lost the bout by a TKO in the fourth round in one of the more brutal beat downs of his career.
After UFC 94, Penn decided to remain on the UFC’s roster as a lightweight only. He defended his title twice more, against Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez, before losing it to current champ, Frank Edgar. The fight with Edgar was not the first time fans had seen Penn simply outclassed. UFC President Dana White mentioned at a UFC 107 press conference, that he though Penn had little work ethic and had skated through the UFC ranks on talent alone.
The factor that proved to be vital was speed. Edgar had incredible head movement, and shot around the cage, while Penn slowly moved forward into an onslaught of strikes. Fans were shocked to see a fighter who they thought would retire with the lightweight title, and was considered among the best pound-for-pound for years, get beat by a fighter who walks at 160 pounds.
Penn was granted an immediate rematch, but the second bout with Edgar was pretty much the same as the first, Penn just could not compete with the faster Edgar. After losing back-to-back title shots at lightweight, Penn decided to give it another go at welterweight. His first fight back in the ranks at 170 was a rubber match with former nemesis Matt Hughes. Penn solidified his return to welterweight with a stunning knockout in just 21 seconds. Penn then moved on to challenge Jon Fitch, and the two of them fought to a majority draw.
Penn, after an eight-month layoff, was slated to fight Carlos Condit, in a high stakes, contender bout. After a lot of shuffling, due to Nick Diaz’s refusal to attend mandatory press conferences, and Georges St-Pierre having to pull out of his title fight, Diaz and Penn find themselves in the main even of UFC 137. Diaz had a run with the UFC from 2003 until 2006 when the promotion released him after his third consecutive loss.
The matchup could be rather one-sided, depending on how much Diaz has learned since his last UFC stint. He was oftentimes found on his back being manhandled by wrestlers, and unable to use his very impressive jiu-jitsu game. Penn isn’t the best wrestler on the UFC roster, and his top game isn’t stellar, but it shouldn’t be underestimated. Both Penn and Diaz have some of the best jiu-jitsu the UFC has ever seen, so the ground game may be an area to avoid for the both of them. At first glance, this doesn’t seem like a slugfest, but it very well could end up that way. Penn has shown that his striking game is vastly improved since he lost his title, and Diaz has always been a very accomplished striker.
If this fight stays standing, Penn will need to be very careful and pick his shots, because Diaz’s wild striking style could play into his hand very well. Diaz’s last title fight, in Strikeforce against Paul Daley, saw him almost get knocked down several times with almost no respect for defense. The X-factor in this fight is whether Penn took his camp seriously. As White said, he has relied on talent for a while, and as he gets older, he has to rely more on work ethic. If Penn has aptly prepared for this fight, he can easily take a decision over Diaz. He has better jiu-jitsu, and more experience, so if he is careful and waits for his openings, he can whittle away at the impulsive Diaz brother. Penn takes this one by unanimous decision, possibly vaulting him into the conversation to fight for the UFC Welterweight Title.
Penn broke on to the scene in 2001 with a TKO victory over Joey Gilbert. Penn is one of very few modern-day fighters to have started his career in the UFC. Most fighters start their careers in smaller, regional promotions, and wrack up a few wins before the UFC comes calling. The former dual-weight titleholder, Penn received his call after his success on the world Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu circuit. The ink was all but signed on Penn’s UFC contract after he became the first non-Brazilian to win the black belt division of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
Penn has had a storied career, both at welterweight and lightweight. Starting at lightweight, he went on a three-fight win streak that saw him beat talented striker Caol Uno. He was then given the chance to fight for the UFC Lightweight Title at just 3-0, against Jens Pulver. Penn lost the decision, and went on to challenge for the title again when Pulver vacated the title due to contractual disputes. A tournament was organized to crown a champion, and in the final bout, Penn fought Uno to a draw and no champion was crowned. The UFC subsequently suspended its lightweight division, so Penn moved back to his home state of Hawaii to fight for the Rumble on the Rock promotion.
Penn defeated Takanori Gomi by submission with a rear-naked choke in the third round to claim the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship. Soon after, Penn decided to return to the UFC, but with the lightweight division still on the shelf, he opted to return as a welterweight. At welterweight, he defeated future UFC Hall-of-Famer, and former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes to unrest the title from one of the longest reigning champions. Hughes had defended the belt five times prior.
Penn had a successful career at welterweight, until the rise of current champion, and pound-for-pound top dog, Georges St-Pierre. Penn lost a welterweight number one contender bout against St-Pierre in 2006, but shortly after bounced down to lightweight and won the UFC Lightweight Title. Amid defending his strap at 155, Penn was also climbing the welterweight ranks, and eventually was booked for another match with St-Pierre, this time for St-Pierre’s welterweight title. Penn lost the bout by a TKO in the fourth round in one of the more brutal beat downs of his career.
After UFC 94, Penn decided to remain on the UFC’s roster as a lightweight only. He defended his title twice more, against Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez, before losing it to current champ, Frank Edgar. The fight with Edgar was not the first time fans had seen Penn simply outclassed. UFC President Dana White mentioned at a UFC 107 press conference, that he though Penn had little work ethic and had skated through the UFC ranks on talent alone.
The factor that proved to be vital was speed. Edgar had incredible head movement, and shot around the cage, while Penn slowly moved forward into an onslaught of strikes. Fans were shocked to see a fighter who they thought would retire with the lightweight title, and was considered among the best pound-for-pound for years, get beat by a fighter who walks at 160 pounds.
Penn was granted an immediate rematch, but the second bout with Edgar was pretty much the same as the first, Penn just could not compete with the faster Edgar. After losing back-to-back title shots at lightweight, Penn decided to give it another go at welterweight. His first fight back in the ranks at 170 was a rubber match with former nemesis Matt Hughes. Penn solidified his return to welterweight with a stunning knockout in just 21 seconds. Penn then moved on to challenge Jon Fitch, and the two of them fought to a majority draw.
Penn, after an eight-month layoff, was slated to fight Carlos Condit, in a high stakes, contender bout. After a lot of shuffling, due to Nick Diaz’s refusal to attend mandatory press conferences, and Georges St-Pierre having to pull out of his title fight, Diaz and Penn find themselves in the main even of UFC 137. Diaz had a run with the UFC from 2003 until 2006 when the promotion released him after his third consecutive loss.
The matchup could be rather one-sided, depending on how much Diaz has learned since his last UFC stint. He was oftentimes found on his back being manhandled by wrestlers, and unable to use his very impressive jiu-jitsu game. Penn isn’t the best wrestler on the UFC roster, and his top game isn’t stellar, but it shouldn’t be underestimated. Both Penn and Diaz have some of the best jiu-jitsu the UFC has ever seen, so the ground game may be an area to avoid for the both of them. At first glance, this doesn’t seem like a slugfest, but it very well could end up that way. Penn has shown that his striking game is vastly improved since he lost his title, and Diaz has always been a very accomplished striker.
If this fight stays standing, Penn will need to be very careful and pick his shots, because Diaz’s wild striking style could play into his hand very well. Diaz’s last title fight, in Strikeforce against Paul Daley, saw him almost get knocked down several times with almost no respect for defense. The X-factor in this fight is whether Penn took his camp seriously. As White said, he has relied on talent for a while, and as he gets older, he has to rely more on work ethic. If Penn has aptly prepared for this fight, he can easily take a decision over Diaz. He has better jiu-jitsu, and more experience, so if he is careful and waits for his openings, he can whittle away at the impulsive Diaz brother. Penn takes this one by unanimous decision, possibly vaulting him into the conversation to fight for the UFC Welterweight Title.
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