Possibly the most polarizing figure in all of Mixed Martial Arts, Nick Diaz will fight for the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship on Saturday.
Diaz, who is known for his brawling style, dropped out of high school after just one year, and began training in all sorts of martial arts from Sambo to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Nick was also on the swim team in high school and credits that for his high level of cardio during fights. As a regular triathlon competitor, cardio is easily one of the
Stockton, California native’s biggest strengths.
Diaz began his first stint in the UFC at UFC 47 in 2004. After two straight wins over Jeremy Jackson and Robbie Lawler, he dropped one to famed Judoka, Karo Parisyan. It was an up and down road for Diaz, who won two straight again, over less-than-notable opposition, and went on to drop three straight against the upper echelon of the UFC. He was cut from the promotion, and went on to make a name for himself in the now defunct EliteXC, and Strikeforce.
As a member of Strikeforce’s welterweight roster, Diaz rose to prominence quickly. After a win over the legend, Frank Shamrock, Diaz was awarded a title shot against Marius Žaromskis. Dubbed,“Little Cro Cop,” Žaromskis was little more than a footnote on Diaz’s MMA career. After dispatching him in just under a round, Diaz went on to defend his belt three times, against rival KJ Noons, Evangelista Santos and Paul Daley. He finished all but his arch nemesis, Noons in his Strikeforce run before being called back to the UFC after its parent company, Zuffa LLC., bought Strikeforce in 2011.
Diaz had finally made it back to the top. As the Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, he was guaranteed an immediate title shot at welterweight king, Georges St-Pierre’s UFC title. That meeting has still yet to happen. Diaz, on the eve of their bout at UFC 137, missed the pre-fight press conference. As a result, he was pulled from the main event, and scheduled to fight B.J. Penn in the co-main event.
St-Pierre was scheduled to square off against Carlos Condit for the welterweight title. In a very interesting saga of events, St-Pierre was forced out of the bout with an apparent knee injury, and Condit was removed from the card. Diaz-Penn was promoted to the main event, and Diaz found himself again at the top of the UFC 137 card, though not exactly against who he had planned. Nonetheless, Diaz went out and took care of business as he always does.
The first round began with what many fans wanted to see, as the fan favorite, Penn was landing heavy shots in the pocket. Penn landed a takedown, and attempted to take Diaz’s back. The position that has spelled the end for so many fighters was not a factor as Diaz was able to escape it in just seconds.
In the second frame of their three-round contest, Penn looked tired, and Diaz capitalized. Diaz began to mix up his striking with hard body shots. It was at that point, Diaz began to taunt Penn in the Octagon as he often does. Throwing his hands up wildly, reminiscent of his clash with Robbie Lawler, Diaz forced Penn against the cage and went to work. Landing shots to the liver and head, Penn looked utterly defenseless against the onslaught. The fight from that point on was more of a boxing clinic than a brawl like fans had expected. Penn kept coming, and attempted to take a round to win the fight, but the volume of Diaz’s punches was too much. Diaz won the fight with a unanimous nod, and established himself as one of the best strikers in the UFC.
At the post-fight press conference, Diaz spoke about how he was supposed to fight St-Pierre and that he still wanted that fight. Adding to the interesting saga, St-Pierre had a miraculously quick recovery from his knee injury, which was found to not be as serious as originally thought. Carlos Condit “decided” to step out of his title fight with St-Pierre, and Diaz was back in to fight for the title. It was later revealed by Condit’s manager that he did nothing of the sort, which makes perfect sense, because why would anyone simply step down from a title defense?
Either way, all the controversy would be for naught, as St-Pierre was again sidelined due to injury. This time, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. Expected to be out over 10 months, an interim title was created, and Diaz finds himself fighting Carlos Condit for the right to that title.
The fight, billed as, “The fight they weren’t seeking, just became the biggest of their lives,” is exactly that. With a win here, either fighter could find himself fighting St-Pierre next. Originally, the UFC brass thought the interim titleholder to have to defend that title, but St-Pierre’s recovery is coming along quickly, and after surgery in January, he is already back on the mat.
The matchup is as explosive as any in recent memory inside the Octagon. Diaz has already proven to be one of the most prominent strikers at 170, and Condit has a habit of knocking guys’ heads off. With a combined 26 knockouts, an even 13-13 split between them, heads are sure to roll.
The biggest factor here will be technical striking. Diaz is among the finest in the UFC, whereas Condit is a power puncher. Condit has much more power in his hands, but Diaz has the ability to mix up his strikes and wear his opponent out. If the fight does go to the ground, Diaz has a significant advantage but I guarantee it will not go to the ground. This war will be won on the feet, with Diaz winning a unanimous decision over Condit and getting his wish: a bout with Georges St-Pierre.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
UFC 143 - Soft Spoken Condit Wants His Shot, Finally Gets It at UFC 143
“The Natural Born Killer”, Carlos Condit has slain many a foe in his WEC and UFC careers. He was the last WEC Welterweight Champion, and ended his run in the WEC in 2008 with a 5-0 record.
When the WEC’s welterweight roster was absorbed by the UFC in 2008, Carlos Condit made his debut against Martin Kampmann. In the closest fight of the year, Condit lost a split decision to Kampmann. He moved on to fight Jake Ellenberger next, and got another split decision, but this time he was on the right side of it.
After winning his first fight in the UFC, but still being at 1-1 inside the promotion, Condit had to prove himself before moving up in competition. He was scheduled to fight UFC newcomer Rory MacDonald, and put on a Fight of the Night performance. The fight looked to be going MacDonald’s way until late in the third round, Condit caught MacDonald with an elbow, and finished him off with punches with just seven seconds left in the fight.
After finishing MacDonald, Condit was given Dan Hardy, fresh off of a title shot loss. His biggest jump in competition yet came in the form of a talented striker, who showed the ability to escape submissions in his fight against the champion, Georges St-Pierre. Condit proved to be the better striker as he landed a left hook that floored Hardy. After swarming him with punches on the ground, the fight was called in the first round. Condit cruised past Hardy, becoming the first man to ever defeat him by knockout, and awaited Chris Lytle.
Condit and Lytle had been scheduled to meet before. At UFC Fight Night 19, where he faced Ellenberger, Condit was originally scheduled to face off against the fan favorite, but Lytle was forced out because of a knee injury sustained in training. Their next scheduled meeting was to be at UFC 127, but Condit had his own knee injury this time around.
After recovering without surgery, Condit was given the tough task of stopping Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132. Kim came into the bout a highly regarded Judoka, and undefeated. Condit won the fight in stunning fashion, when he landed a spectacular flying knee that threw Kim against the cage. From there, he finished Kim with strikes to hand Kim his first loss.
After defeating Kim in brutal fashion, Condit was given another massive step up in competition when he was set to square off against UFC legend, B.J. Penn at UFC 137. Problems arose, and the UFC 137 card underwent a facelift. Nick Diaz, who was scheduled to fight Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship, missed the pre-fight press conference, and was disciplined by being removed from the fight. Carlos Condit was given the opportunity of a lifetime, promoted to the main event and given the chance to fight for St-Pierre’s strap.
St-Pierre tweaked his knee in training for their bout, and withdrew from the fight. Condit was subsequently pulled from the card altogether, awaiting St-Pierre’s return. Diaz went on to defeat Penn via unanimous decision, and in the UFC 137 post-fight press conference UFC President Dana White announced that Carlos Condit had agreed to step aside and let Diaz fight St-Pierre for the title. Condit’s manager Malki Kawa later confirmed this statement to be untrue. As St-Pierre had recovered quickly from his first knee injury scare, he injured the same knee severely as he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, one of the most serious injuries an athlete can suffer. St-Pierre was forced out of any possible bout with Diaz, and underwent surgery.
With St-Pierre possibly out in excess of 10 months, White was forced to create an interim belt, with Condit and Diaz squaring off for the rights to it. An interesting shuffle has led to one of the most exciting bouts of the year.
Condit isn’t called “The Natural Born Killer” for no reason. He holds 13 knockout wins in his career, and many of them are true knockouts like what fans saw versus Hardy and Kim. Not the type where the referee runs in and stops the fight and the loser rolls over, but where the referee runs in to save the guy’s life and the loser simply lies there, wondering where they are. Condit has finished a fight time and time again; he has only been to three decisions in his 32-fight career. Nick Diaz holds similar accolades, finishing 21 of his 26 professional wins.
The biggest difference in these two fighters is the technicality of their striking. Diaz throws crisp, calculated strikes, whereas Condit throws power punches. Diaz will wear Condit out with his striking, and frustrate him with his movements. The reach is even, Condit is an inch taller and they both prefer a pure boxing style of striking. I really see Diaz’s volume punching playing a big role in this one. Diaz wins a relatively close one by unanimous decision.
When the WEC’s welterweight roster was absorbed by the UFC in 2008, Carlos Condit made his debut against Martin Kampmann. In the closest fight of the year, Condit lost a split decision to Kampmann. He moved on to fight Jake Ellenberger next, and got another split decision, but this time he was on the right side of it.
After winning his first fight in the UFC, but still being at 1-1 inside the promotion, Condit had to prove himself before moving up in competition. He was scheduled to fight UFC newcomer Rory MacDonald, and put on a Fight of the Night performance. The fight looked to be going MacDonald’s way until late in the third round, Condit caught MacDonald with an elbow, and finished him off with punches with just seven seconds left in the fight.
After finishing MacDonald, Condit was given Dan Hardy, fresh off of a title shot loss. His biggest jump in competition yet came in the form of a talented striker, who showed the ability to escape submissions in his fight against the champion, Georges St-Pierre. Condit proved to be the better striker as he landed a left hook that floored Hardy. After swarming him with punches on the ground, the fight was called in the first round. Condit cruised past Hardy, becoming the first man to ever defeat him by knockout, and awaited Chris Lytle.
Condit and Lytle had been scheduled to meet before. At UFC Fight Night 19, where he faced Ellenberger, Condit was originally scheduled to face off against the fan favorite, but Lytle was forced out because of a knee injury sustained in training. Their next scheduled meeting was to be at UFC 127, but Condit had his own knee injury this time around.
After recovering without surgery, Condit was given the tough task of stopping Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132. Kim came into the bout a highly regarded Judoka, and undefeated. Condit won the fight in stunning fashion, when he landed a spectacular flying knee that threw Kim against the cage. From there, he finished Kim with strikes to hand Kim his first loss.
After defeating Kim in brutal fashion, Condit was given another massive step up in competition when he was set to square off against UFC legend, B.J. Penn at UFC 137. Problems arose, and the UFC 137 card underwent a facelift. Nick Diaz, who was scheduled to fight Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship, missed the pre-fight press conference, and was disciplined by being removed from the fight. Carlos Condit was given the opportunity of a lifetime, promoted to the main event and given the chance to fight for St-Pierre’s strap.
St-Pierre tweaked his knee in training for their bout, and withdrew from the fight. Condit was subsequently pulled from the card altogether, awaiting St-Pierre’s return. Diaz went on to defeat Penn via unanimous decision, and in the UFC 137 post-fight press conference UFC President Dana White announced that Carlos Condit had agreed to step aside and let Diaz fight St-Pierre for the title. Condit’s manager Malki Kawa later confirmed this statement to be untrue. As St-Pierre had recovered quickly from his first knee injury scare, he injured the same knee severely as he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, one of the most serious injuries an athlete can suffer. St-Pierre was forced out of any possible bout with Diaz, and underwent surgery.
With St-Pierre possibly out in excess of 10 months, White was forced to create an interim belt, with Condit and Diaz squaring off for the rights to it. An interesting shuffle has led to one of the most exciting bouts of the year.
Condit isn’t called “The Natural Born Killer” for no reason. He holds 13 knockout wins in his career, and many of them are true knockouts like what fans saw versus Hardy and Kim. Not the type where the referee runs in and stops the fight and the loser rolls over, but where the referee runs in to save the guy’s life and the loser simply lies there, wondering where they are. Condit has finished a fight time and time again; he has only been to three decisions in his 32-fight career. Nick Diaz holds similar accolades, finishing 21 of his 26 professional wins.
The biggest difference in these two fighters is the technicality of their striking. Diaz throws crisp, calculated strikes, whereas Condit throws power punches. Diaz will wear Condit out with his striking, and frustrate him with his movements. The reach is even, Condit is an inch taller and they both prefer a pure boxing style of striking. I really see Diaz’s volume punching playing a big role in this one. Diaz wins a relatively close one by unanimous decision.
Davis About To Get Some "Suga" In His "Wonderbar"
As the UFC hosts its first event of the New Year on Fox, could fans finally see “Suga” Rashad Evans complete his long deferred title run?
Evans, who was originally awarded a shot at champion Shogun Rua at UFC 128, injured his knee in training camp, and Rua was left without an opponent. After his short victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 126, Jon Jones was called up to fight Rua for the belt.
Jones went on to destroy Rua, frustrating the champ in all aspects of the fight. After the fight, Evans, fully recovered from his knee injury, entered the cage. He congratulated his training partner at Jacksons MMA, and UFC President Dana White announced that the two would square off for Jones’s newly acquired gold. Jones accepted, adding that he would fight anyone the UFC put in front of him. The unwritten rule that training partners do not fight one another, regardless of the circumstances had been broken, and Evans angrily accepted.
Shortly after UFC 128, and the announcement of the Jones-Evans fight, Evans left Jacksons MMA, where he had trained since he won The Ultimate Fighter season 2 as a heavyweight. He went to Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida and formed what is now known as “The Blackzilians” with a group of top Brazilian fighters shortly after their departure from American Top Team.
Evans versus Jones was supposed to happen several times. The first time, at UFC 133, Jones was forced out of the bout with a hand injury sustained while fighting Rua. Evans, wanting to stay active in the interim, agreed to fight rising prospect Phil Davis at the event instead. With less than a month before the fight, Davis was forced out due to a knee injury, and Evans was left without an opponent in the main event. Enter Tito Ortiz, a man with which Evans fought to a unanimous draw at UFC 73. The rematch was booked for UFC 133, and on four weeks notice, Ortiz stepped into the Octagon to square off against the perennial number one contender.
The fight began back and forth, with Ortiz getting the better of the early exchanges. Evans was backed up into the corner and taken down. After an exhausting struggle from both fighters, Evans made his way back to his feet and began to take the round. Evans amped up his striking and scored a massive slam. From top position, he improved to full mount and ended the ground with hard strikes from the top.
Despite ending the round throwing a lot of punches, Evans came out in the second the fresher of the two. He came at Ortiz, aggressive with his punches. Evans landed a combination that floored Ortiz, but on the way down he locked up a tight guillotine choke. Ortiz spent all of his energy on the choke, but Evans was able to wiggle free, spelling the end for Ortiz. He rolled over to avoid the punches of Evans, but was trapped in a crucifix, and later finished on the ground after a knee to the liver.
The title fight was finally in Evans’s sights, and was confirmed to happen at UFC 140. Evans decided to forego the opportunity of a lifetime to be 100 percent, as he had a nagging thumb injury to take care of. Lyoto Machida stepped in, and Jon Jones handled him with a guillotine choke in the second round. Jones and Evans keep tearing through opponents, and it seems these two are destined to meet. Before that can happen, Evans must get past the undefeated Phil Davis.
Evans and Davis both wrestled collegiately at Michigan State and Penn State respectively. Evans is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rolles Gracie, where Davis is just a blue belt. Early on in his career, Davis has shown that he has an impressive arsenal of submissions. A variation of the kimura is now known as the “Wonderbar,” in homage to Davis’s nickname, “Mr. Wonderful.” The edge in the wrestling goes to Evans, but black belt or not, Davis is the better submission guy here. Evans probably has a stronger knowledge of grappling and positioning, but Davis has a much stronger arsenal of submissions. In terms of the striking game, I’m not sure either fighter really has an advantage. They both use their striking to set up takedowns, and neither can really be called a boxer. Evans however, has a superior ground striking game.
Time and time again, predictions have been cast aside when it comes to two spectacular wrestlers, as they end up in an all out striking brawl when their wrestling cancels out. I don’t believe we will see a stalemate in this one, but more of a back and forth grappling brawl. Expect Evans to get the better of the takedowns, and rain down punches. Davis won’t be held down for long, and will look for submissions from every position possible. Davis has a strong enough will, and a good enough ground game to not get suffocated and finished quick, but I still do not believe he has the tools to stop a highly motivated Evans, who takes a decision victory on his way to his ill-fated match with Jon Jones.
Evans, who was originally awarded a shot at champion Shogun Rua at UFC 128, injured his knee in training camp, and Rua was left without an opponent. After his short victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 126, Jon Jones was called up to fight Rua for the belt.
Jones went on to destroy Rua, frustrating the champ in all aspects of the fight. After the fight, Evans, fully recovered from his knee injury, entered the cage. He congratulated his training partner at Jacksons MMA, and UFC President Dana White announced that the two would square off for Jones’s newly acquired gold. Jones accepted, adding that he would fight anyone the UFC put in front of him. The unwritten rule that training partners do not fight one another, regardless of the circumstances had been broken, and Evans angrily accepted.
Shortly after UFC 128, and the announcement of the Jones-Evans fight, Evans left Jacksons MMA, where he had trained since he won The Ultimate Fighter season 2 as a heavyweight. He went to Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida and formed what is now known as “The Blackzilians” with a group of top Brazilian fighters shortly after their departure from American Top Team.
Evans versus Jones was supposed to happen several times. The first time, at UFC 133, Jones was forced out of the bout with a hand injury sustained while fighting Rua. Evans, wanting to stay active in the interim, agreed to fight rising prospect Phil Davis at the event instead. With less than a month before the fight, Davis was forced out due to a knee injury, and Evans was left without an opponent in the main event. Enter Tito Ortiz, a man with which Evans fought to a unanimous draw at UFC 73. The rematch was booked for UFC 133, and on four weeks notice, Ortiz stepped into the Octagon to square off against the perennial number one contender.
The fight began back and forth, with Ortiz getting the better of the early exchanges. Evans was backed up into the corner and taken down. After an exhausting struggle from both fighters, Evans made his way back to his feet and began to take the round. Evans amped up his striking and scored a massive slam. From top position, he improved to full mount and ended the ground with hard strikes from the top.
Despite ending the round throwing a lot of punches, Evans came out in the second the fresher of the two. He came at Ortiz, aggressive with his punches. Evans landed a combination that floored Ortiz, but on the way down he locked up a tight guillotine choke. Ortiz spent all of his energy on the choke, but Evans was able to wiggle free, spelling the end for Ortiz. He rolled over to avoid the punches of Evans, but was trapped in a crucifix, and later finished on the ground after a knee to the liver.
The title fight was finally in Evans’s sights, and was confirmed to happen at UFC 140. Evans decided to forego the opportunity of a lifetime to be 100 percent, as he had a nagging thumb injury to take care of. Lyoto Machida stepped in, and Jon Jones handled him with a guillotine choke in the second round. Jones and Evans keep tearing through opponents, and it seems these two are destined to meet. Before that can happen, Evans must get past the undefeated Phil Davis.
Evans and Davis both wrestled collegiately at Michigan State and Penn State respectively. Evans is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rolles Gracie, where Davis is just a blue belt. Early on in his career, Davis has shown that he has an impressive arsenal of submissions. A variation of the kimura is now known as the “Wonderbar,” in homage to Davis’s nickname, “Mr. Wonderful.” The edge in the wrestling goes to Evans, but black belt or not, Davis is the better submission guy here. Evans probably has a stronger knowledge of grappling and positioning, but Davis has a much stronger arsenal of submissions. In terms of the striking game, I’m not sure either fighter really has an advantage. They both use their striking to set up takedowns, and neither can really be called a boxer. Evans however, has a superior ground striking game.
Time and time again, predictions have been cast aside when it comes to two spectacular wrestlers, as they end up in an all out striking brawl when their wrestling cancels out. I don’t believe we will see a stalemate in this one, but more of a back and forth grappling brawl. Expect Evans to get the better of the takedowns, and rain down punches. Davis won’t be held down for long, and will look for submissions from every position possible. Davis has a strong enough will, and a good enough ground game to not get suffocated and finished quick, but I still do not believe he has the tools to stop a highly motivated Evans, who takes a decision victory on his way to his ill-fated match with Jon Jones.
Davis Looks To Add To Wonderful UFC Run With Title Shot
A former NCAA National Champion wrestler, and four-time All-American, Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis has another big wrestling match ahead of him, and this time its for the right to challenge for another kind of championship.
A UFC Championship belt, it’s the dream of every fighter that puts on those four-ounce gloves. With a win over Rashad Evans at UFC on FX 2 this weekend, Davis could have the chance to do what no other has done before him: claim Jon Jones’s UFC Light Heavyweight title belt as his own.
That would be quite a step up in competition for a man who only has nine fights under his belt, all of which he has won. He began his professional career with four-straight wins on the east coast, near his home state of Pennsylvania. After finishing three of his four opponents, the UFC began to take interest in the young star.
The UFC had big things in mind for Davis the second they signed him. They certainly didn’t waste any time in building up this young star, but rather threw him to the wolves, hoping he would survive. His first fight in the UFC was against former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, and Silver Star recipient, Brian Stann. It was Stann’s last fight at 185 pounds, as Davis was able to control Stann on the ground, whilst landing solid combos and looking for the submission.
He showed a lot of promise in his initial fight under the UFC banner. He scored three takedowns, and was able to transition at will. He almost locked up a kimura and an arm-triangle late in the second, adding to the buzz already surrounding his ground game.
Davis’s ground game was next on display versus fellow rising prospect, Alexander Gustafsson. Mr. Wonderful only scored one takedown in the fight, but it was all he needed as he sunk in an anaconda choke late in the first round. If not for Rafael dos Anjos’s spectacular armbar submission over Terry Etim, it might have received Submission of the Night honors.
Davis wouldn’t wait long to claim those honors, and after a lopsided win over Rodney Wallace, Davis put on the performance of his career in Auburn Hills, Michigan against Tim Boetsch at UFC 123. With Boetsch on the cage, and Davis holding him in side control, he trapped Boetsch’s left arm behind his back. From there, he proceeded to lock both of his hands behind Boetsch’s back and crank the arm almost up to the back of his neck. The modified kimura, dubbed the “Wonderbar” was granted Submission of the Night honors, and solidified Davis’s threat to end the fight on the ground.
His next test would come in the form of Brazilian grappler Antônio Rogério Nigeria. After an unsuccessful first round full of failed takedown attempts, and failure to mount any significant offensive attack, Davis showed his versatility in switching to the single-leg takedown in the second round. The first round saw Nogueira stuff five Davis takedowns, but the second told a much different tale. Davis landed two of his three takedowns, and late in the round was able to do some ground and pound.
By the start of the third frame, it was anyone’s guess as to who was going to win the fight. Davis, using his adapted single-leg, was able to get Nogueira to the ground, and hold him there for the majority of the round. Davis took a unanimous decision over the highly touted Brazilian, and though delayed several months, he now finds himself in a fight to decide the number one contender.
Davis versus Evans is one of the few matches that I feel can be predicted on paper. Look at both of the fighters’ records. Davis, 9-0 and undefeated, Evans, 16-1-1, both quite impressive. Once you take a look at the level of competition each has faced, Evans’s record shines much brighter than Davis’s. With wins over Stephan Bonnar Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz, Evans has done and seen it all and he is only 32. He has defeated four former champions, one of whom still holds the record as longest reigning champ at light heavyweight. Still, fights cannot be predicted based off of records, so we must delve deeper into their skill sets.
Evans, a former wrestler at Michigan State University faces Davis, a former Penn State wrestling standout. What a match this would have been to see on the college mat. Davis has an NCAA National Championship, and four All-American bids, while Evans has only a Junior College National Championship. One intriguing thing about Evans is that he is one of three people to defeat arguably the best wrestler in college history, Greg Jones on the mat. Phil Davis is not one of those three people. Davis may have the better accolades at the collegiate level, but Evans has shown that he knows how to adapt wrestling to MMA, and has done it better than most in the light heavyweight division.
Davis versus Evans will be won in the trenches. In a high-stakes wrestling match, Davis may be able to pull of a surprise submission, but I’m not confident he will be able to put Evans on his back very easily. A wrestler, who couldn’t take down Little Nog with a double leg, gives me a lot of reason to doubt that he can floor a wrestler like Evans. Davis has yet to face an elite wrestler inside the Octagon, and the final paper factor for Evans, experience will prevail. Evans takes a hard-nosed decision over the young prospect.
A UFC Championship belt, it’s the dream of every fighter that puts on those four-ounce gloves. With a win over Rashad Evans at UFC on FX 2 this weekend, Davis could have the chance to do what no other has done before him: claim Jon Jones’s UFC Light Heavyweight title belt as his own.
That would be quite a step up in competition for a man who only has nine fights under his belt, all of which he has won. He began his professional career with four-straight wins on the east coast, near his home state of Pennsylvania. After finishing three of his four opponents, the UFC began to take interest in the young star.
The UFC had big things in mind for Davis the second they signed him. They certainly didn’t waste any time in building up this young star, but rather threw him to the wolves, hoping he would survive. His first fight in the UFC was against former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, and Silver Star recipient, Brian Stann. It was Stann’s last fight at 185 pounds, as Davis was able to control Stann on the ground, whilst landing solid combos and looking for the submission.
He showed a lot of promise in his initial fight under the UFC banner. He scored three takedowns, and was able to transition at will. He almost locked up a kimura and an arm-triangle late in the second, adding to the buzz already surrounding his ground game.
Davis’s ground game was next on display versus fellow rising prospect, Alexander Gustafsson. Mr. Wonderful only scored one takedown in the fight, but it was all he needed as he sunk in an anaconda choke late in the first round. If not for Rafael dos Anjos’s spectacular armbar submission over Terry Etim, it might have received Submission of the Night honors.
Davis wouldn’t wait long to claim those honors, and after a lopsided win over Rodney Wallace, Davis put on the performance of his career in Auburn Hills, Michigan against Tim Boetsch at UFC 123. With Boetsch on the cage, and Davis holding him in side control, he trapped Boetsch’s left arm behind his back. From there, he proceeded to lock both of his hands behind Boetsch’s back and crank the arm almost up to the back of his neck. The modified kimura, dubbed the “Wonderbar” was granted Submission of the Night honors, and solidified Davis’s threat to end the fight on the ground.
His next test would come in the form of Brazilian grappler Antônio Rogério Nigeria. After an unsuccessful first round full of failed takedown attempts, and failure to mount any significant offensive attack, Davis showed his versatility in switching to the single-leg takedown in the second round. The first round saw Nogueira stuff five Davis takedowns, but the second told a much different tale. Davis landed two of his three takedowns, and late in the round was able to do some ground and pound.
By the start of the third frame, it was anyone’s guess as to who was going to win the fight. Davis, using his adapted single-leg, was able to get Nogueira to the ground, and hold him there for the majority of the round. Davis took a unanimous decision over the highly touted Brazilian, and though delayed several months, he now finds himself in a fight to decide the number one contender.
Davis versus Evans is one of the few matches that I feel can be predicted on paper. Look at both of the fighters’ records. Davis, 9-0 and undefeated, Evans, 16-1-1, both quite impressive. Once you take a look at the level of competition each has faced, Evans’s record shines much brighter than Davis’s. With wins over Stephan Bonnar Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz, Evans has done and seen it all and he is only 32. He has defeated four former champions, one of whom still holds the record as longest reigning champ at light heavyweight. Still, fights cannot be predicted based off of records, so we must delve deeper into their skill sets.
Evans, a former wrestler at Michigan State University faces Davis, a former Penn State wrestling standout. What a match this would have been to see on the college mat. Davis has an NCAA National Championship, and four All-American bids, while Evans has only a Junior College National Championship. One intriguing thing about Evans is that he is one of three people to defeat arguably the best wrestler in college history, Greg Jones on the mat. Phil Davis is not one of those three people. Davis may have the better accolades at the collegiate level, but Evans has shown that he knows how to adapt wrestling to MMA, and has done it better than most in the light heavyweight division.
Davis versus Evans will be won in the trenches. In a high-stakes wrestling match, Davis may be able to pull of a surprise submission, but I’m not confident he will be able to put Evans on his back very easily. A wrestler, who couldn’t take down Little Nog with a double leg, gives me a lot of reason to doubt that he can floor a wrestler like Evans. Davis has yet to face an elite wrestler inside the Octagon, and the final paper factor for Evans, experience will prevail. Evans takes a hard-nosed decision over the young prospect.
The Young Assassin Hunts Next Victim at UFC on FX 1
Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard is a true veteran of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. With over 30 professional fights under his belt, at just 28, Guillard has a bright future ahead.
Guillard recently left Greg Jackson’s camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico to train full time with the “Blackzilians” at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida. Co-founded by former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Rashad Evans, the “Blackzilians” feature stellar kickboxer Tyrone Spong, Strikeforce lightweight, JZ Cavalcante, former UFC welterweight and middleweight Anthony Johnson and UFC middleweight Jorge Santiago.
The new move could provide a lot of things Guillard had been missing at Jackson’s MMA. Guillard seemed to be getting lost in the shuffle of a training center featuring dozens of stars, including UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
Guillard is coming off of a submission loss to Joe Lauzon back at UFC 136. Prior to that, he had strung together five wins in a row, dating back to 2009, where he lost to Nate Diaz by submission. In the five-fight streak, he dispatched Ronys Torres, Waylon Lowe, Jeremy Stephens, Evan Dunham, and Shane Roller. Three of the five wins in that streak were by knockout, all before the first round had come to an end.
Guillard has eight of his nine career losses by submission, so it stands to prove that the ground game is his weakness. Guillard has been choked out in some fashion, seven times, and frequently gives up his back in battles taking place on the mat.
In his clash with Lauzon at UFC 136, he came out aggressive, looking for the early knockout as he had done so many times in his career. Lauzon caught him coming in with a short left hook and Guillard, surprisingly welt sprawling to the floor. From there, Lauzon pounced on Guillard, and took his back in a matter of seconds, slapping on a rear-naked choke just 47 seconds into the bout.
After being the heavy favorite, and losing by yet another submission, Guillard’s title hopes were immediately derailed. Guillard had again shown that he couldn’t hang with a fighter with a good arsenal of submissions. Enter Jim Miller, a man who, before a loss to current title challenger Ben Henderson, was at the top of the title talks in the lightweight division. With 11 submission victories, this could prove another deadly matchup for Guillard.
Miller only has three losses on his record, all of which have come by decision. Another frightening fact for Guillard, Miller has only lost to the current UFC Lightweight Champion, the current lightweight number one contender, and the contender previous. Frank Edgar, Ben Henderson and Gray Maynard have been the only fighters to best him, and none of them have been able to finish him. It appears Guillard has a lot of work ahead of him.
Guillard has exceptional takedown defense at 65%, and has some decent takedowns of his own, but I’m sure Guillard will try and stay off the ground by any means necessary. His game plan will be similar to all of his fights, rush out and get the quick knockout and go home. Guillard has said in the past that he felt like Lauzon just got a lucky punch, and it doesn’t seem Guillard has taken much from the fight. Miller isn’t known as a guy who will immediately rely on his ground game, but it has been there countless times for him to pull off the win. If anyone has learned something from the Guillard-Lauzon fight it is Jim Miller. If he can use his decent striking to set up a takedown, or even score a knockdown as Lauzon did, he could submit Guillard with ease. In this one, Miller pulls off a submission in the second round to vault himself back into the title picture at 155.
Miller only has three losses on his record, all of which have come by decision. Another frightening fact for Guillard, Miller has only lost to the current UFC Lightweight Champion, the current lightweight number one contender, and the contender previous. Frank Edgar, Ben Henderson and Gray Maynard have been the only fighters to best him, and none of them have been able to finish him. It appears Guillard has a lot of work ahead of him.
Guillard has exceptional takedown defense at 65%, and has some decent takedowns of his own, but I’m sure Guillard will try and stay off the ground by any means necessary. His game plan will be similar to all of his fights, rush out and get the quick knockout and go home. Guillard has said in the past that he felt like Lauzon just got a lucky punch, and it doesn’t seem Guillard has taken much from the fight. Miller isn’t known as a guy who will immediately rely on his ground game, but it has been there countless times for him to pull off the win. If anyone has learned something from the Guillard-Lauzon fight it is Jim Miller. If he can use his decent striking to set up a takedown, or even score a knockdown as Lauzon did, he could submit Guillard with ease. In this one, Miller pulls off a submission in the second round to vault himself back into the title picture at 155.
Guillard recently left Greg Jackson’s camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico to train full time with the “Blackzilians” at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida. Co-founded by former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Rashad Evans, the “Blackzilians” feature stellar kickboxer Tyrone Spong, Strikeforce lightweight, JZ Cavalcante, former UFC welterweight and middleweight Anthony Johnson and UFC middleweight Jorge Santiago.
The new move could provide a lot of things Guillard had been missing at Jackson’s MMA. Guillard seemed to be getting lost in the shuffle of a training center featuring dozens of stars, including UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
Guillard is coming off of a submission loss to Joe Lauzon back at UFC 136. Prior to that, he had strung together five wins in a row, dating back to 2009, where he lost to Nate Diaz by submission. In the five-fight streak, he dispatched Ronys Torres, Waylon Lowe, Jeremy Stephens, Evan Dunham, and Shane Roller. Three of the five wins in that streak were by knockout, all before the first round had come to an end.
Guillard has eight of his nine career losses by submission, so it stands to prove that the ground game is his weakness. Guillard has been choked out in some fashion, seven times, and frequently gives up his back in battles taking place on the mat.
In his clash with Lauzon at UFC 136, he came out aggressive, looking for the early knockout as he had done so many times in his career. Lauzon caught him coming in with a short left hook and Guillard, surprisingly welt sprawling to the floor. From there, Lauzon pounced on Guillard, and took his back in a matter of seconds, slapping on a rear-naked choke just 47 seconds into the bout.
After being the heavy favorite, and losing by yet another submission, Guillard’s title hopes were immediately derailed. Guillard had again shown that he couldn’t hang with a fighter with a good arsenal of submissions. Enter Jim Miller, a man who, before a loss to current title challenger Ben Henderson, was at the top of the title talks in the lightweight division. With 11 submission victories, this could prove another deadly matchup for Guillard.
Miller only has three losses on his record, all of which have come by decision. Another frightening fact for Guillard, Miller has only lost to the current UFC Lightweight Champion, the current lightweight number one contender, and the contender previous. Frank Edgar, Ben Henderson and Gray Maynard have been the only fighters to best him, and none of them have been able to finish him. It appears Guillard has a lot of work ahead of him.
Guillard has exceptional takedown defense at 65%, and has some decent takedowns of his own, but I’m sure Guillard will try and stay off the ground by any means necessary. His game plan will be similar to all of his fights, rush out and get the quick knockout and go home. Guillard has said in the past that he felt like Lauzon just got a lucky punch, and it doesn’t seem Guillard has taken much from the fight. Miller isn’t known as a guy who will immediately rely on his ground game, but it has been there countless times for him to pull off the win. If anyone has learned something from the Guillard-Lauzon fight it is Jim Miller. If he can use his decent striking to set up a takedown, or even score a knockdown as Lauzon did, he could submit Guillard with ease. In this one, Miller pulls off a submission in the second round to vault himself back into the title picture at 155.
Miller only has three losses on his record, all of which have come by decision. Another frightening fact for Guillard, Miller has only lost to the current UFC Lightweight Champion, the current lightweight number one contender, and the contender previous. Frank Edgar, Ben Henderson and Gray Maynard have been the only fighters to best him, and none of them have been able to finish him. It appears Guillard has a lot of work ahead of him.
Guillard has exceptional takedown defense at 65%, and has some decent takedowns of his own, but I’m sure Guillard will try and stay off the ground by any means necessary. His game plan will be similar to all of his fights, rush out and get the quick knockout and go home. Guillard has said in the past that he felt like Lauzon just got a lucky punch, and it doesn’t seem Guillard has taken much from the fight. Miller isn’t known as a guy who will immediately rely on his ground game, but it has been there countless times for him to pull off the win. If anyone has learned something from the Guillard-Lauzon fight it is Jim Miller. If he can use his decent striking to set up a takedown, or even score a knockdown as Lauzon did, he could submit Guillard with ease. In this one, Miller pulls off a submission in the second round to vault himself back into the title picture at 155.
UFC on FX 1, It's Miller Time
Jim Miller was, at one time, the hottest prospect in the lightweight division, and the most talked about fighter, short of the champ.
Most expected to see Miller fighting champion Frank Edgar for the UFC Lightweight Title in a rematch of their previous clash in the Reality Fighting promotion in New Jersey. The fight ended in a unanimous decision nod for Edgar. After suffering the first loss of his professional career, Miller at 5-1 went on a tear, shredding through his next eight opponents before running smack into Gray Maynard.
His eight-fight streak, which included a unanimous triumph over Bart Palaszewski, saw him finish all but two of his opponents. Entering the fight with Maynard, many thought it would be grappler versus wrestler, but it turned out to be mostly a standing affair. Miller attempted several takedowns, but just could not get the former Michigan State wrestling product to the ground. Maynard was simply the better fighter all around, and walked away with the unanimous nod.
Miller was forced to reevaluate his game plan, as he had just been embarrassed on the feet by a mediocre striker. A master of beating adversity, Miller again went on a massive win streak, seven in total. This streak was much more impressive than his previous one, because all seven wins were against UFC competition. He finished four of his opponents, two by submission, and two by knockout, including a spectacular finish of the previously unbeaten Kamal Shalorus.
After beating 7 fighters in the top promotion in the world, it would make sense that Miller be given someone from the upper echelon. He was given former WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson. Not a top five guy, but definitely in the title hunt.
The fight panned out much as the Maynard fight was expected to. There was a lot of grappling, which saw Henderson dominate from top position. The first round saw the two engage in the grappling game early on. They latched up in the clinch just seconds into the fight, and shortly thereafter Henderson scored the first takedown. Miller scrambled from the bottom, attempting an array of submission holds, but was unable to stick any. Henderson closed out the round with some short strikes.
The second began with some quick striking on the feet, but didn’t stay there very long. Henderson scored another takedown, and opened a cut above Miller’s eye with strong elbows. Miller, again attempted to grab hold of every submission in the book, and came close with a kneebar, but Henderson found his way out. Henderson continued to sit on top of Miller, nullifying his submissions, and punishing him with strikes from the top.
A frustrated Miller entered the third round fairly winded. Two solid rounds of Henderson imposing his will on him had taken its toll, and Henderson got him down easily. After a few time up and down, Henderson was able to control Miller on the ground, attempting a few submissions of his own, while still peppering him with ground strikes. Henderson, the clearly fresher of the two, dominated Miller to close out the fight. Henderson walked away from the fight with the unanimous victory; one judge even awarded him a 10-8 final round.
It seemed Miller’s weakness had been exposed. Put him in the cage with a superior wrestler, someone who can nullify his submissions, and he will lose his form and crumble. Still, having come back from his previous two losses in spectacular fashion, the future looks very bright for Miller.
Scheduled to face off with Melvin Guillard this weekend at UFC on FX 1 in Nashville, Tennessee, Miller can get back into the title picture with a win over the knockout artist. Guillard is undoubtedly the better wrestler here, but he hasn’t made a name for himself in the UFC for his brutal takedowns, he has done it with his explosive hands. With Guillard clearly being rather susceptible to the submission, he will look to avoid the ground at all costs, as is usually his game plan. Miller is relatively comfortable off of his back, and will welcome the ground game.
Look for Miller to use his striking to set up a takedown. He could even stand to pull guard against Guillard, as he can easily submit him from his back. Guillard better end this one quick, lest he face Miller’s spectacular submission holds. If he can’t get the first one, he will keep trying, and eventually sink one in. As evidenced in his fight with Henderson, he will not give up on his submissions. Miller takes it by submission in the second round.
Most expected to see Miller fighting champion Frank Edgar for the UFC Lightweight Title in a rematch of their previous clash in the Reality Fighting promotion in New Jersey. The fight ended in a unanimous decision nod for Edgar. After suffering the first loss of his professional career, Miller at 5-1 went on a tear, shredding through his next eight opponents before running smack into Gray Maynard.
His eight-fight streak, which included a unanimous triumph over Bart Palaszewski, saw him finish all but two of his opponents. Entering the fight with Maynard, many thought it would be grappler versus wrestler, but it turned out to be mostly a standing affair. Miller attempted several takedowns, but just could not get the former Michigan State wrestling product to the ground. Maynard was simply the better fighter all around, and walked away with the unanimous nod.
Miller was forced to reevaluate his game plan, as he had just been embarrassed on the feet by a mediocre striker. A master of beating adversity, Miller again went on a massive win streak, seven in total. This streak was much more impressive than his previous one, because all seven wins were against UFC competition. He finished four of his opponents, two by submission, and two by knockout, including a spectacular finish of the previously unbeaten Kamal Shalorus.
After beating 7 fighters in the top promotion in the world, it would make sense that Miller be given someone from the upper echelon. He was given former WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson. Not a top five guy, but definitely in the title hunt.
The fight panned out much as the Maynard fight was expected to. There was a lot of grappling, which saw Henderson dominate from top position. The first round saw the two engage in the grappling game early on. They latched up in the clinch just seconds into the fight, and shortly thereafter Henderson scored the first takedown. Miller scrambled from the bottom, attempting an array of submission holds, but was unable to stick any. Henderson closed out the round with some short strikes.
The second began with some quick striking on the feet, but didn’t stay there very long. Henderson scored another takedown, and opened a cut above Miller’s eye with strong elbows. Miller, again attempted to grab hold of every submission in the book, and came close with a kneebar, but Henderson found his way out. Henderson continued to sit on top of Miller, nullifying his submissions, and punishing him with strikes from the top.
A frustrated Miller entered the third round fairly winded. Two solid rounds of Henderson imposing his will on him had taken its toll, and Henderson got him down easily. After a few time up and down, Henderson was able to control Miller on the ground, attempting a few submissions of his own, while still peppering him with ground strikes. Henderson, the clearly fresher of the two, dominated Miller to close out the fight. Henderson walked away from the fight with the unanimous victory; one judge even awarded him a 10-8 final round.
It seemed Miller’s weakness had been exposed. Put him in the cage with a superior wrestler, someone who can nullify his submissions, and he will lose his form and crumble. Still, having come back from his previous two losses in spectacular fashion, the future looks very bright for Miller.
Scheduled to face off with Melvin Guillard this weekend at UFC on FX 1 in Nashville, Tennessee, Miller can get back into the title picture with a win over the knockout artist. Guillard is undoubtedly the better wrestler here, but he hasn’t made a name for himself in the UFC for his brutal takedowns, he has done it with his explosive hands. With Guillard clearly being rather susceptible to the submission, he will look to avoid the ground at all costs, as is usually his game plan. Miller is relatively comfortable off of his back, and will welcome the ground game.
Look for Miller to use his striking to set up a takedown. He could even stand to pull guard against Guillard, as he can easily submit him from his back. Guillard better end this one quick, lest he face Miller’s spectacular submission holds. If he can’t get the first one, he will keep trying, and eventually sink one in. As evidenced in his fight with Henderson, he will not give up on his submissions. Miller takes it by submission in the second round.
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