#Silva vs Weidman

[theanticool]

We used to get Yoel Romero, Jacare Souza, Luke Rockhold, Lyoto Machida, Robert Whittaker, Chris Weidman, Trtor Belfort, Gegard Mousasi, Anderson Silva, and Michael Bisping middleweight main events.

Now we get Roman Dolidze vs Nassourdine Imavov and Sean Strickland Apex cards. Truly, a regression.

[ilovejevsjeans]

Daniel Ricciardo on his passion for combat sports, a walkout song and the time he asked Lewis Hamilton to ‘fight’

McLaren Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo, who currently sits seventh in the driver standings heading into this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, is among the world’s best behind a steering wheel. But how would he fare if he swapped his racing gloves for boxing or MMA gloves?

“I’d love to do a charity boxing match or something just to feel that adrenaline of walking to a ring,” Ricciardo said. “It’s on my to-do list for sure. At school I had a few little fights but nothing crazy. Nothing I’d brag about here.”

Ricciardo says he learned the sport of boxing from a friend who fought as an amateur growing up. However in recent years his love of combat shifted more toward mixed martial arts, a sport that is “quite beautiful. It’s an art form and I was just taken by it.”

The Australian — who boasts 4.6 million followers on Instagram — rarely misses a fight night, whether that’s a small card or pay-per-view. Every Monday he gears up for multiple MMA podcasts to hear analysis on what just took place in the cage.

In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, Ricciardo opened up about his love for fighting, which driver would make the best opponent and why Lewis Hamilton turned down an opportunity to get in the ring against him.

You’re an avid fight fan. How did this passion for the sport start?

One of my best friends growing up, when he was growing up, he was doing amateur boxing and got very good at it. I was then doing my racing and he was doing his boxing. We were both on a bit of an unconventional path — both individual sports, not really the typical sports the kids at school were doing. We had that in common. Once I started taking my racing more seriously I began taking my fitness more seriously. So I started going to his gym to just train. I really enjoyed doing it. But the truth is — I don’t want to lie to anyone. I’m not a fighter. As much as I would picture beating the bully up at school, it’s not me. But I just fell in love with not only doing it but also watching it.

I enjoyed watching boxing but it was really when I got exposed to MMA … It just had me. It was back in 2011 when I started properly getting into it. It was the quickest sport I had ever been absorbed by. I was all in.

My whole YouTube feed is just all MMA shows, whether it’s press conferences, interviews, podcasts. It’s just full of MMA stuff. I’m a full nerd now.

Being in Australia and traveling a lot, are you forced to get up at weird times for fights?

The beauty was I was in LA when (Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2) was on so it was prime time and I was happy. But normally in Europe, it’s 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., which isn’t as good. Any kind of sporting event that you look forward to, it’s always cool when it’s in the evening because you have all day to get ready and talk about it. If you wake up at 4 a.m. it’s like “ugh,” and then you’re straight into it so there’s not as much of a build-up. But it’s all good.

So do you still train at all?

No. To races, my trainer carries some pads and gloves just to stay a little sharp and change it up. If I’m getting my reflexes with some tennis balls, maybe I throw in a bit of a boxing combination or something. Again, I’m not saying I’m good or anything. But I just enjoy the whole movement part of it.

Boxing was cool and I enjoyed watching it growing up. But there was something with MMA where there’s just so many different disciplines and the matchups … as a contest it was so much more open and for that, exciting. I feel — I know it’s not always the case — you can kind of tell in boxing if someone is getting momentum, the advantage. It’s like “this guy is going to win the fight.” But in MMA, it’s like “this guy is winning standing but if this goes to the ground, it’s back to square one.” So I just loved it. I was really immersed by it all.

Did you have a particular fighter or fight that got you hooked early on?

One of the first events I watched was UFC 116. Chris Leben was on the card and I think he was losing the fight. And then he got a triangle with probably 20 seconds to go in the third round, so that was really exciting. Stephan Bonnar was also on that card and he got a really cool finish on “The Polish Experiment” Krzysztof Soszynski. That was a card for me where I was very taken from that. Then I discovered “The Ultimate Fighter.” I just binge-watched all of those (seasons).

In terms of fighters, Leben was a character, I liked him. Carlos Condit. I’d say Condit and Cub Swanson were two guys I got behind early on. Condit, I love his style and the way he carries himself.

Have you been to a lot of cards in person?

The very first one I did was the best for me personally. To this day, it’s my favorite sporting event I’ve ever been to: (Conor) McGregor-(Chad) Mendes. Vegas in July 2015. Obviously McGregor, but he wasn’t yet a champion and still kind of on the rise. It was the energy and atmosphere. It was just wild.

The whole event too. (Robbie) Lawler-(Rory) MacDonald, which had the fight of the year. Every fight on the main card I think was a finish, so I got very lucky at my first event.

I’ve done (Michael) Bisping-(Anderson) Silva in the UK. That was a great contest as well.

There are a lot of great fighters from Australia and New Zealand like Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski and Robert Whittaker. Have you had a chance to meet any of them?

I haven’t met them. A couple of them I’ve had interactions with on social media. But I love Whittaker, obviously Volkanovski is killing it. I’m fairly patriotic to the Aussie fighters. If they are fighting, 99 percent of the time I’ll be supporting them. But one of my good buddies is roommates with Luke Rockhold, so I got to know Luke the last couple of years. I was trying to do some training over Christmas with him but it didn’t end up working out.

I know you’re a big shoey guy. What do you think of Tai Tuivasa doing it after wins?

I’ve had a bit of contact with Tuivasa as well. It’s obviously great. But one thing I can’t get behind is spitting. That’s a little extra.

Plus he’ll grab some random fan’s shoe.

He definitely takes it to the next level. It’s cool that — as disgusting as it is — we have some traditions like this.

Shifting a bit to F1, have you ever gotten into any big fights on the track? What was the worst fight you’ve gotten in?

Earlier in go-karting there was a bit more. Unfortunately in F1, I guess because you’re on the world’s stage, even if you push someone you probably are going to get a fine or get penalized. At times it’s a little too clean. But I’m still waiting for the day that someone confronts me and I just lay them out (laughs).

You also just seem a lot more laid back than a lot of other drivers, so you’d probably not be my first choice of someone getting into a fight soon.

I’m all talk, it would be nice obviously to not have to fight anyone. But no one would expect it from me. Even when I tell people I’m a fight fan, people are like “oh really? You’re into that? You seem too nice to like that.”

But to get where I have in the sport, you need a bit of a killer streak in you. I do have it, but don’t always show it.

What other driver would make the best fighter?

I know some guys have done — for fitness — hit some pads. Randomly, he doesn’t have a seat this year, but Daniil Kvyat started doing quite a lot of boxing last year for his training. I saw a few clips and it started to look like he knew what he was doing. I would say he would be the guy who has the most idea. I’d put him and myself up there. The rest I don’t think stand a chance.

So if you had a charity event, you don’t have anyone in particular you’d want to go against?

To be honest, I actually asked Lewis Hamilton. At the beginning of 2016, he posted a video on his Instagram hitting pads. I was as well at the time, so I was like “hey, let’s do a charity fight.” I asked him in person. But he didn’t bite on that one so I was a little sad.

I might re-ask the question.

What about Max Verstappen? For people who watched the first season of the F1 show “Drive to Survive” on Netflix, I’m sure they would love to see you guys throw down at some point.

That would have been cool as well (laughs). Max would be a good competitor in the ring. The way he drives, he’s quite stubborn. He’d be a hard guy to put away. He’s probably the guy that you’d choke him and he’s going to sleep and not tapping. That would make an interesting one.

In contrast, is there an MMA fighter you’d like to race on the track?

An obvious one would be Conor McGregor. To hear in his Irish accent all kinds of things, that would make pretty good television. And he loves his cars. It’s obvious, but that would probably be the best.

How often would you say you watch fights now? Not just PPVs, right?

Unless I have something like work or another commitment, I’m watching it every week. Mondays I’m getting ready for every podcast. I sound like a real nerd but it’s just an addiction. I love it. Anyone doing that for Formula 1, I’d be like “you’re such a nerd,” but here I am doing it with MMA.

Is it hard to follow everything during the race season?

If I can’t see it live, then 100 percent I’m going to watch the replay or buy it later. But it’s also a good escape. If I’m traveling and I’m in between races, to get my mind away from my competition, I like to watch it. I also try to pick up things as well. Whether it’s from a mental point of view … I’ll look at the walkouts and how they are behaving. I try to figure out if they are really as calm and collected as they are portraying or if it’s a bit of a facade. I’m trying to work out what I can use in my events.

Do you have a walkout song prepared if you were to fight?

I’ve thought about it. The short answer is no. You typically have to have something heavy and fast, but I fell in love with Chris Weidman’s “Won’t Back Down.” It’s not typically a song that will pump you up but it’s so iconic and now it’s his, it’s very fitting.

I’d go for something more lyrically powerful as opposed to instrumental. I loved Max Holloway’s, I think it’s called Mount Everest (by Labrinth). (X)

[thesportssoundoff]

Been trying to consider some out of the box ideas for Anderson SIlva assuming he fights at UFC 250 which feels like a potential lock. I don’t necessarily think they;’d want to waste him against a genuinely good MW although he vs Gastelum FEELS like an easy sell. Anyways got a few ideas:

Robbie Lawler 

Johnny Walker at LHW

Wonderboy

Colby Covington

Weidman 3 

[dragon-writer]

Adesanya vs Silva just reminded me of why I will love Weidman forever...

I don't think I can forgive Whittaker for this one. Him and his fragile baby body 😒

[esportenomundo]

Chris Weidman fratura a perna no UFC 261 com chute similar ao de Anderson Silva; assista

O lutador Chris Weidman sofreu uma lesão que chocou quem acompanhava o UFC 261, que aconteceu em Jacksonville, na Flórida, Estados Unidos. A cena em que o atleta quebra a perna é similar a fratura sofrida pelo brasileiro Anderson Silva, em 2013, em uma luta contra o próprio Chris. Neste sábado, 24, ele acabou vivendo o outro lado da moeda e, ao tentar um chute baixo, fraturou a perna direita e viu o jamaicano vencer a luta por nocaute técnico aos 17 segundos do primeiro round. No início do combate, Weidman aplicou um chute de perna direita, muito semelhante ao que o Spider tentou diante dele há oito anos, mas Hall firmou a perna e a canela do americano encontrou justamente o joelho do adversário. Ele não percebeu e ainda tentou apoiar seu peso na perna quebrada, dobrando seu pé para trás, mas caiu com dores e o combate foi encerrado.

A cena chocante e angustiante impressionou as cerca de 15 mil pessoas que lotaram a arena de Jacksonville, marcando o retorno do público ao UFC, que foi ao ginásio pela primeira vez desde o início da pandemia de Covid-19. O resultado oficial foi nocaute técnico para o jamaicano. Weidman deixou o octógono de maca e com muitas dores. Uriah Hall, último oponente de Anderson Silva no UFC, parecia não acreditar na cena que havia acabado de presenciar e permaneceu estático. O combate em que o Spider fraturou a perna foi a revanche contra Chris Weidman. Eles se enfrentaram em 28 de dezembro de 2013. A fratura na perna esquerda a 1min16s do primeiro round matou o sonho do brasileiro de reconquistar o cinturão que perdera para o americano cinco meses antes, no UFC 162, quando foi derrotado por nocaute.

* WARNING: GRAPHIC *

Chris Weidman’s leg just snapped. #UFC261pic.twitter.com/X6s25g1wTl

— Sideline Sports (@sportsideline) April 25, 2021

Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman – 2013 //// Chris Weidman vs Uriah Hall – 2021

SURREAL #UFC261 pic.twitter.com/2bLfFLDpWI

— Laura ᶜʳᶠ (@llgcrf) April 25, 2021

Com o sentimento de quem conhecer a dor de Weidman, Anderson se solidarizou com o americano por meio de uma mensagem nas redes sociais. O ex-campeão do UFC desejou uma boa recuperação ao antigo algoz, conhecido por ser o primeiro oponente a desbancar o brasileiro no Ultimate. “Meus profundos e mais sinceros sentimentos, campeão. Tenha fé, desejo uma ótima recuperação. Nesse momento, desejo a você e toda sua família muita luz, muito amor e sabedoria. Aos fãs do esporte, respeitem este momento deste incrível guerreiro. Vamos torcer para que logo ele esteja 100%. Deus abençoe você e sua família, Cris”, escreveu o Spider.

  Ver essa foto no Instagram

  Uma publicação compartilhada por Anderson “The Spider” Silva (@spiderandersonsilva)

Outras lutas

Na luta principal do UFC 261, o nigeriano Kamaru Usman venceu o americano Jorge Masvidal por nocaute ao encaixar um direto de direita espetacular no queixo do rival a 1min02s do segundo round e manteve pela quarta vez o cinturão dos meio-médios. Já Jéssica “Bate-Estaca” não foi páreo para Valentina Shevchenko, que segue reinando no peso-mosca (até 57kg). A lutadora do Quirguistão não tomou conhecimento da brasileira, dominou todo o confronto e venceu por nocaute aos 3min19s do segundo assalto para garantir a quinta defesa de cinturão bem-sucedida na categoria.

*Com informações da Agência Estadão.

Leia também

UFC: Lutadora desmaia duas vezes durante pesagem e confronto é cancelado; assista

Gilbert Durinho é nocauteado e Brasil segue sem cinturão dos meio-médios do UFC

Vitor Belfort recorda derrota para Anderson Silva: ‘Maior sorte da vida dele’

The post Chris Weidman fratura a perna no UFC 261 com chute similar ao de Anderson Silva; assista first appeared on Esporte no Mundo. from WordPress https://ift.tt/32Mkkf3 via IFTTT

[theanticool]

If I ever needed to explain the middleweight division, to show what I mean when I say a fight feels like a middleweight fight - the fight I’d show is Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland.

The energy, the pace, the vibes - all encapsulated in a 25 minute title fight. No Anderson Silva, Chris Weidman, Izzy, Whittaker, or Strikeforce alums to throw off perceptions of what the division is. This is what the middleweight division is when you strip away the veneer of the top fighters.

[thesportssoundoff]

I just tried to post all these photos that I considered iconic images for MMA in the last decade and it wouldn’t go through so I’ll just list em here:

10- Anderson Silva getting hook’d by Weidman in July of 2013

9- A Jones/DC brawl pic in 2014

8- Brock celebrating post Carwin fight in 2010

7- The “iconic” shot of Conor McGregor throwing the handtruck/dolly at the bus

6- DC celebrating with both title belts

5- Masvidal planking post Ben Askren

4- Chael Sonnen looking up at Anderson Silva and realizing the fight was over in their 2nd fight

3- Dada 5000 faceplanting after the Kimbo vs Dada fatigue off. 

2- Robbie and Rory staring off at one another after the end of the 4th round 

1- McGregor’s check hook on Aldo in December of 2016

[cryptofeedzposts]

The 10 Best UFC Moments of the Last Decade

The 2010s were a remarkable decade for the UFC. Here’s a look at the top ten moments. | Image: AP Photo/John Locher, File

MMA is the sport that has grown the most over the last ten years.

There are a lot of moments that have contributed to the meteoric rise in popularity.

Here are the top ten.

The last decade in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has been an explosive one. With the meteoric rise of some amazing fighters, we have also seen UFC rise up as the biggest franchise on the planet. The last ten years have given us some stunning moments, and here are the top ten moments of the decade.

10. Stipe Miocic Counters Daniel Cormier’s Eye Poking with Liver Poking

Back in August, Stipe Miocic took on Daniel ‘DC’ Cormier at UFC 241 for the heavyweight championship in a fight that was shrouded in controversy. When the two fighters had clashed in their first fight before this event, some fans pointed out that there were clear eye pokes from DC which was the main reason Stipe lost the fight.

At UFC 241 however, Stipe was able to counter DC’s cheating with some brutal blows to the liver and reclaimed the belt, making him arguably the greatest heavyweight of all time.

9. Jon Jones Becomes the Youngest UFC Champion

In the main event of UFC 128, a 23-year old Jon Jones demolished Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua and claimed the light heavyweight belt. The beating was so intense that Shogun was seen tapping to Jones’ body shots just before the referee stopped the fight. Jones became the youngest champion in the UFC history in the process.

Don’t Miss:

8. Anderson Silva’s Front Kick to Vitor’s Face

Back in 2011, Anderson Silva did something that had never been seen before. In a fiery build-up to the fight with Vitor Belfort, both fighters made it pretty clear they hated each other’s guts. After a soft first round with exchanges far and few in between, Anderson Silva unleashed a vicious front kick to Belfort’s face and proceeded to finish him off with two more punches.

7. Rhonda Rousey’s fall from Grace

Before her fight against Holly Holm, Rhonda Rousey was flying with a 12-0 record. She seemed invincible. Holm, the underdog, was touted to lose the fight. After a few initial exchanges, it seemed that Rhonda was getting desperate to reach out. In the process, she received a vicious left hand from Holm, followed by a thunderous kick that knocked her out cold.

6. Jon Jones Defeats Daniel Cormier

It all began when a young Jon Jones told Daniel Cormier, an Olympic wrestler, that he would be able to take him down. This sparked off one of the greatest rivalries in MMA history. Jones eventually came out on top as he defeated DC by unanimous decision at UFC 182.

5. Conor McGregor ends Jose Aldo’s 10-year Streak in 13 Seconds

This fight drew a lot of new fans to the UFC thanks to Conor’s masterful trash talking leading up to the event. After staying invincible for ten years, Jose Aldo was scheduled to fight Conor at UFC 194. The fight was over in just 13 seconds, with McGregor knocking out Aldo with a sweet left hook.

4. Rory MacDonald vs. Robbie Lawler – UFC Fight of the Decade

Two relentless welterweights faced off against each other at UFC 189 in what became the fight of the decade. Rory McDonald and Robbie Lawler weren’t ready to give each other even a second to rest in a fight that featured visceral violence.

3. Conor McGregor Becomes the First Double Champion in UFC History

After ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor flawlessly defeated Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 205, he became the first fighter to hold titles in two different weight divisions simultaneously.

2. Anderson Silva’s Showboating Backfires

The moment of reckoning finally came for Anderson Silva as his cockiness finally caught up with him during his fight with Chris Weidman at UFC 162.  Known for dancing and ducking when fighters came at him, Silva had never lost a fight in his first seven years. Everything changed when he was knocked out by Weidman in the middle of showboating. Silva was never the same after the fight.

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov Dominates Conor McGregor

Conor’s rise to fame brought a lot of new fans to the UFC. His fall from grace was even more popular. McGregor usually gets inside his opponents’ head with his ingenious trash-talking and has a psychological advantage before stepping foot in the octagon. against Khabib, the trash-talking seemed to have an inverse impact. In typical Khabib fashion, the Dagestani wrestler dominated Conor and made him tap in the fourth round.

This article was edited by Sam Bourgi.

Last modified: December 31, 2019 17:08 UTC

[fupsmuggler]

One of the more memorable moments of the 1st Silva vs. Weidman fight was the advise #MMA coach #RayLongo gave his student the most straight forward advise in between rounds. Though he didn't hit him in the chest, at least @chrisweidman landed on the chin which resulted in one of the best knockouts of all time. Keep up the great coaching @raylongomma #UFC #UFC238 #MMACoach (at United Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByrWj9kl8Ca/?igshid=ee5r4rhqn3bs

[themuaythaiguy]

Relive Three UFC Fights & Thai Clinch Flops

The plum is one of the deadliest clinch techniques utilized in Muay Thai.

Usually referred to as just a “Muay Thai clinch” or simply “Thai clinch,” it is often solely characterized as having a dominant double collar tie. However, the technique itself serves to break down the opponent by negating any punches in close quarters and by drawing the body/head nearer to incoming massive knees.

Unsurprisingly, outside of Muay Thai, not every fighter is a master of its techniques because they locked in a Thai clinch a couple of times in their careers. Not every plum position is so skillfully executed inside the MMA arena. In fact, the plum position, when executed with poor control can also serve as a double-edged sword.

Let’s take a look at some of the MMA fights where the application of the plum clinch backfired.

  Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman II

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1.

Silva sets up a nice under hook with his left arm to control Weidman’s right arm. Anderson also establishes a nice single collar tie with his right arm while keeping compact and tucking his face into Weidman’s left shoulder to prevent any damage from being taken.

2.

After controlling the exchange with a left underhook and single right-hand collar tie, Anderson looks to advance to the plum position. This is after Chris attempts to crossface out of the clinch with his left arm.

3.

Anderson advances to the double collar tie and successfully controls Weidman’s posture while looking to create another highlight reel KO with the plum.

4.

Uh-oh. Anderson is unable to keep the plum compact without clearing Weidman’s left arm. Weidman’s left arm crossface defense actually keeps Anderson’s head in range and within range of the right hand. Anderson goes for a knee and at the same time, Weidman is able to throw the right hook exactly where the left arm has kept Anderson’s head in place.

5.

Anderson eats the right hook, loses the position and hits the mat.

  Johny Hendricks vs. Amir Sadollah

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1.

Amir gets in close to clinch and does well to control Johny’s left arm with his right.

2.

Amir gives up control with his right to set up a plum position, leaving Johny’s left hand wide open (Johny is known to have knockout power in this hand, too).

3.

Although Amir secures a double collar tie, he is unable to control Johny’s posture and unable to maintain his own as Johny pulls Amir’s head down into a left uppercut.

4.

After eating several more uppercuts, Amir can’t keep his elbows tight in the plum he locked, allowing Johny’s left uppercut to continually slip through.  To make matters worse, distance between the hips in the plum allows Johny the space to load up on the left upper cut.

5.

Like a true captain and his ship, Sadollah refuses to abandon the plum, instead opting to go down while eating left uppercuts.

  Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben

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1.

‘The Axe Murderer,’ no stranger to brawls, transitions eagerly into the clinch with Leben immediately after throwing bombs and haymakers.

2.

Wanderlei immediately advances to the double collar tie but cannot close the distance nor control Leben in the position.

3.

Wanderlei gives Leben too much space and distance to load up the left uppercut.

4.

Much like in Sadollah in his fight featured above, Wanderlei can’t keep his elbows tight. This vulnerability allows Leben’s loaded left uppercut to slide right through.

5.

Wanderlei eats another heavy sledgehammer on his way out.

  Final Thoughts

Some of the Muay Thai clinching seen in mixed martial arts is merely a tip of the iceberg modified to suit the current condition.

There are many more technicalities involved and not every display of striking in the clinch is a masterful display of Muay Thai as certain MMA commentators will lead you to believe. In particular, it is true that having a successful tightly locked plum position usually ends up destroying its victims in the clinch in devastating fashion.

But just the opposite, with poor control, the technique can quickly leave fighters in an extremely vulnerable position.

  PLUM Clinch Disasters In MMA Relive Three UFC Fights & Thai Clinch Flops The plum is one of the deadliest clinch techniques utilized in Muay Thai.

[2whatcom-blog]

UFC 234 predictions

So far as identify worth goes, UFC 234 is perhaps a two-fight present, however what a few headlining fights they're. Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker competes in his Australian stomping grounds on Saturday when he goes for his first official title protection towards Kelvin Gastelum in the primary occasion of UFC 234. Once we final noticed Whittaker, he was surviving 5 extra rounds towards Yoel Romero (who missed weight, rendering their rematch a non-title affair). Now he as soon as once more faces an elite wrestler with dynamite arms. Whereas Gastelum doesn’t have the freakish ending energy of Romero, he brings a continuous method that may completely match the fearless Whittaker. Within the co-main occasion, Israel Adesanya appears to capitalize on a 4-0 2018 marketing campaign and begin off his 2019 season with an announcement win over MMA legend Anderson Silva. “The Final Stylebender” has been saying all the suitable issues about what going through Silva means to him and the way he’s able to tear the torch from Silva’s grasp, however he could possibly be headed in direction of disappointment if Silva can flip again the clock and placed on a classic efficiency. Additionally on the primary card, Ricky Simon continues his climb up the bantamweight rankings when he fights Rani Yahya, Montana De La Rosa faces Australia’s personal Nadia Kassem in a flyweight bout, and 22-year-old mild heavyweight prospect Jim Crute fights short-notice substitute Sam Alvey. What: UFC 234 The place: Rod Laver Area in Melbourne, Australia When: Saturday, Feb. 9. The three-fight UFC Battle Cross preliminary card begins at 6:30 p.m. ET, the four-fight ESPN preliminary card begins at eight p.m. ET, and the five-fight pay-per-view foremost card begins at 10 p.m. ET. Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum Will Robert Whittaker’s middleweight reign be halted earlier than its begun? And by the hands of one other welterweight transplant? That’s a authentic risk as Kelvin Gastelum lastly will get his title shot, although not within the weight class that he lengthy predicted he would. The previous Final Fighter winner has been excellent at 185 kilos, together with his deep gasoline tank and quick arms giving him a bonus over the division’s finest. Former UFC champions Michael Bisping, Vitor Belfort, and Chris Weidman all felt Gastelum’s energy, with Bisping and Belfort failing to make it out of the primary spherical and Weidman getting rocked earlier than managing to compose himself and submit Gastelum. In a straight boxing match, this can be a toss-up. Whenever you add in Whittaker’s skillful kicking sport, the chances lean extra clearly in direction of the champion. He’s going to punish Gastelum’s lead leg with kicks whereas utilizing his knowledgeable vary hanging to make it troublesome for Gastelum to arrange takedown makes an attempt. As he’s proven in two fights with Yoel Romero, Whittaker’s takedown protection is out of this world. Towards the fence, Gastelum will have the ability to stop Whittaker from opening up, however retaining him pinned there's one other problem altogether. Search for Whittaker to keep away from being smothered and hold the motion primarily within the heart of the Octagon, the place he can take his time feinting and selecting Gastelum aside. Gastelum has by no means been knocked out and that ought to stay true at UFC 234, although it will likely be Whittaker who will get his hand raised after 5 robust rounds. Choose: Whittaker Anderson Silva vs. Israel Adesanya Israel Adesanya is 100 p.c right in saying that Anderson Silva isn’t getting his correct respect from the oddsmakers. He’s additionally 100 p.c right that he’s going to place Silva away. That’s no slight to Silva, whose struggles within the Octagon over the previous couple of years have been considerably overstated. In his losses to Chris Weidman, he confronted a hungry challenger in his prime who was a matchup nightmare for Silva (and that’s not even mentioning his unlucky leg break of their second combat). He defeated Nick Diaz in a five-round combat that has basically been erased from the books as a result of each of them failing drug checks. He was outworked by Michael Bisping, however appeared to knock “The Depend” out chilly in the midst of the combat solely to have Bisping saved by the bell. He was utterly grounded by Daniel Cormier after agreeing to combat the long run heavyweight champion with lower than 48 hours to arrange. And he escaped with a slim resolution win towards Derek Brunson in his final outing. All of that's to say that Silva continues to be a high-level fighter and positively one that's a lot better than his current outcomes would point out. Selecting Adesanya is extra concerning the repute that “The Final Stylebender” has made for himself over the previous 12 months. By far, Silva is one of the best striker that Adesanya has confronted within the UFC, so that is will likely be a real take a look at of Adesanya’s vaunted kickboxing abilities. No takedowns, no wrestling, simply who has one of the best standup. Silva isn’t a quick starter, so it gained’t be stunning to see Adesanya lead the dance early on. The query is whether or not Silva can nonetheless attain the highest speeds that he used to. We all know Adesanya can and if he senses the slightest weak spot or hesitation on Silva’s half, he'll pounce. Had this combat occurred in Silva’s prime, it could be a way more troublesome name to make. As it's, youth will likely be served and Adesanya goes to select up a knockout win. Choose: Adesanya Rani Yahya vs. Ricky Simon There’s quite a bit to love about Ricky Simon’s sport, particularly because it pertains to thwarting Rani Yahya. He has nice wrestling, which ought to permit him to find out the place the combat takes place. And his cardio is top-notch, so he ought to have the sting in a three-round battle. The place Yahya has at all times excelled is within the grappling division and nearly as good as Simon’s wrestling is, he’ll be in severe hazard if he makes any errors on the mat. Even when he doesn’t, Yahya is such a gifted jiu-jitsu artist that he might pressure the motion and catch Simon with one thing. He’s proven a willingness to face and commerce on the ft too, however Yahya could be clever to preserve his power relatively than go all out attempting to dent Simon’s comparatively recent chin. I like Yahya to discover a submission in some unspecified time in the future, although if he begins too gradual and permits Simon to take the initiative, he'll lose on the playing cards. Choose: Yahya Montana De La Rosa vs. Nadia Kassem Montana De La Rosa higher be prepared for boos as a result of she’s going to take out the hometown woman. Taller, longer, and extra battle-tested, De La Rosa has a number of benefits getting into her combat with Nadia Kassem. A cursory look at their stats would possibly make this look like a traditional grappler vs. striker matchup, however De La Rosa confirmed in her win over Rachael Ostovich that she’s comfy hanging from distance and Kassem was aggressive off of her again with submission makes an attempt en path to defeating Alex Chambers. Ought to this be contested totally on the ft, it will likely be troublesome for Kassem to land an influence shot towards the rangy De La Rosa. On the bottom, De La Rosa has proven she is a harmful finisher and carried out so towards higher competitors than Kassem has confronted. That have will make an enormous distinction. De La Rosa by submission in spherical two. Choose: De La Rosa Jim Crute vs. Sam Alvey Jim Crute has all of the makings of a fan favourite fighter together with his aggressive angle and a well-rounded talent set. Sam Alvey has no drawback coping with fighters who look to push the tempo and at all times finds a approach to gradual issues down (sometimes to the chagrin of these in attendance). His left hand is a continuing risk as nicely and Crute should be cautious of it if he doesn’t need to see his Zero go. That is a kind of fights the place the youthful fighter goes to must mature quick and present that he can adapt, particularly if Alvey fights as secure as he often does. Crute did an ideal job of out-grappling the submission-minded Paul Craig and he needs to be comfy mucking issues up with Alvey if want be. Alvey is troublesome to complete, however I see Crute having the sting within the standup and getting the higher of the clinch work to earn a convincing resolution win. Choose: Crute Undercard Devonte Smith def. Dong Hyun Ma Shane Young def. Austin Arnett Kai Kar... .. Read the full article

[theanticool]

Chris Weidman vs Anderson Silva 1

To think: Chris Weidman (14-3) has fought 7 times in the 5 years since this fight. The former middleweight champion has had issues with his neck, knees, shoulders, etc. that have kept him out of competition for years at a time. In fact, his last fight was just over a year ago - a win over Kelvin Gastelum that stopped a 3 fight losing streak. Weidman seems to suggest though that the UFC has told him he’s one win away from a title fight.

Originally scheduled for a rematch against Luke Rockhold, Weidman is now set to face off with Jacare Souza (25-6) at UFC 230 this Saturday (Nov. 3).

[sneakyjames]

The MMA Beat - Episode 144 by MMA Beat On this week's episode, the panel will discuss UFC 210, the Gegard Mousasi vs. Chris Weidman controversy, Anthony Johnson's retirement, UFC on FOX 24, Demetrious Johnson closing in on Anderson Silva's hallowed record, and more. http://ift.tt/2oE1rs5 http://ift.tt/1daKqY1 April 13, 2017 at 02:37PM

[thesportssoundoff]

“For Christmas I  Want....” What the UFC needs per division in 2020

Joey

December 10th

Right around now the majority of us are desperately chasing down gift ideas and huddling our cash together to try and budget it out for the people we care about evenly. In MMA, December means that for one month we spend 31 days pretending that everything's going to be fine in MMA. That the sins of 2019 are gone and won't re-emerge in 2020 and we are about to embark on another insane run like 2015 or 2016. MMA's changing, growing and expanding and shrinking and evolving and degrading all at once around us and so as we embark upon what should be a hectic 2020,  I wanted to take a light hearted approach at examining what 2020 will be. What would the UFC request that the MMA Gods give them in 2020? What are the divisions asking for on their Christmas lists? Let's run down what each division is secretly wishing for when we enter the next year of MMA stupidity.

Flyweight and Women's Featherweight- A bullet

Simply put, both of these divisions would probably be better suited if the UFC just put them out of their misery. 2019 started with a UFC flyweight roster rapidly approaching the single digits and a threat of TJ Dillashaw stepping in to kill the division outright. It ends with a roster of fighters still not too far off the single digits with a champion who seems disinterested in defending the title and clearly has the plans to move up to 135 lbs full time. The likelihood is that the flyweight division will get a title fight or two and then fade off into obscurity as there's no real prospects of note, Benavidez as champion has long lost any luster and the Cejudo good vibes are dead and buried. For women's featherweight, it was a golden carrot to get Cyborg to stop feuding with the organization that hired her. The Cyborg championship era lasted all of two fights and the Amanda Nunes run with the title is dead and/or bloated. Nunes having a token title defense vs Megan Anderson might appease some folks but there's been no development and no real sign of progress. Let these divisions go and let Bellator and Brave/ONE find stuff for them to do.

Men's Bantamweight- Some sizzle for this steak

The UFC's 135 lb division has been one of the more promising developments over the past few years. While it took a slight step backwards for me in 2019, I still think this division is among the best in MMA even if it ranks slightly behind 170 and 155 lbs. There's depth, new talent, a variety of names and faces and personalities and barring something unforseen 20120 figures to keep the pace overall. What it needs in 2020 is for this division to finally get an ROI on some big time names. Henry Cejudo is a promising potential draw at the lighter weight classes but I think he's still going to need help to reach the high end mark on his upside. That requires some names to step up and give him an assortment of fun new challenges. Dominick Cruz needs to get healthy because Cejudo vs Cruz verbally at least has some compelling appeal to it. Cody Garbrandt still has SOME name value and I think if he goes on a streak, we'll see an reset in terms of how fans view him. Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber need to find ways to win tough fights and maintain in the title picture because while I may not care for Cejudo/Aldo or Cejudo/Faber, there are fans who very clearly love these guys and would be absolutely up for seeing them try to capture the title from Cejudo. Guys like MArlon Moraes, Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan need to continue to develop new fanbases and keep up their stretch of exciting fights. This division has a lot of talent but it might need to get a bit greedy in search of some big money fights.

Featherweight- A definitive Max Holloway solution

The UFC spent most of 2018 having open discussions about whether or not Max Holloway was long for the 145 lb division. They talked a bunch about wanting him to move up due to intense weight cuts, saw him move up and then immediately bailed on the idea when he fought Dustin Poirier. My take is that Holloway is still probably destined for 155 lbs and one loss to Dustin Poirier (who is a naturally monstrous dude at 155 lbs) shouldn't deter them. If Max Holloway is hurting his long term health at 145 lbs but may be "too small" for 155 lbs then he'll just need to adapt to that and overcome that the same way Frankie Edgar has done for years. Figuring out what Holloway will be doing in 2020 will probably be aided by the Volkanovski fight but even if Alexander Volkanovski becomes the latest 145 lber to come up short vs Max Holloway, I'm still not convinced I need to see Max toiling at featherweight. As a bonus item or a stocking stuffer if ya will, it SURE would be nice to see the likes of Zabit, Yair Rodriguez, Shane Burgos and Calvin Kattar continue to clear out the 145 lbers who have been sort of lingering in the same spots since about 2016 or so.

Lightweight- For their stars to actually fight

Easy enough, right? The UFC's lightweight division revolves around three names; Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmamegodov and Tony Ferguson. I'd almost argue that Tony Ferguson is a level behind Dustin Poirier drawing wise but I think at peak value, those three guys make this division hum and draw the big numbers. Not even playing the "these guys fight three times a year!" card, the UFC got two fights out of those three guys and one of those (Ferguson vs Cerrone) was a desperation heave at the last minute. If this division is going to go places then Khabib needs to fight more, Conor needs to stay out of trouble and Tony Ferguson needs to come close to resembling the pace he had in 2016 and 2017. Even accounting for Khabib taking time off for Ramadan, this division cannot exist with THIS much talent in it without more fights from those three guys. I guess you could even throw in Justin Gaethje who expects to sit out until the Tony vs Khabib fight happens. You can't have 4 of your top 5 guys not doing anything with so much talent to be tested up and down the rankings.

Welterweight- A break

The welterweight division is the world's dumbest MMA riddle. It sure seems to trumpet out a finish or a "What the fuck is happening?!" fight on a per show basis better than any other division out there. I mean off the top of my head you have Vicente Luque, Tim Means, Mike Perry, Elizeu Zaleski, Niko Price, Geoff Neal, Robbie Lawler, Jorge Masvidal, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Muslim Salikhov, Matt Brown and that doesn't even begin to account for some of the dudes I can't remember off the top of my head. This division is loaded with dudes who exist to hit each other in the head really hard over and over and over until somebody falls down. It's the world's cruelest division in terms of raw violence. Unfortunately at the top of the division, we've basically had the same 4-5 guys hogging up spots and they more often than not tend to bring us fights that fall on the wrong side of the entertainment scale. Even if you like Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards, Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington, you have to admit you're probably exhausted by four dudes with similar styles and similarly cringy trash talk skills sucking up all the air and hype in this division. The UFC could really use a break from these folks in 2020. If Edwards/Woodley and Usman/Covington go off without a hitch, it'd be nice for us to get somebody new and fun in there just to allow us all the chance to mentally reset. Maybe that's Jorge Masvidal even!

Middleweight- More Israel Adesanya

The UFC has been very fortunate with the health of its breakout star of sorts. Since coming to the UFC at the start of 2018, Israel Adesanya has fought four times one year and three times the next. He's been busy and consistent and either healthy or healthy enough to always make the walk. With some much instability around him, the UFC really needs Adesanya to continue to take fights throughout 2020. If the goal is to do Adesanya vs Jones then he needs to have AT LEAST two fights prior to this (say March and July of 2020) against top competition. Yoel Romero is seemingly going to be one of those guys and you'd assume a healthy Paulo Costa is the other. The goal should be to keep Adesanya busy because you won't have his freshness and ability to fight consistently forever.

Light heavyweight- A genuine Jones challenger

I feel like it speaks to the pain of 205 lbs that Jon Jones' two title fights were against former 185 lbers who had casually beaten the shit out of the guys who once held pole positions in the division without much challenge. 2019 was a weird year for the division as it felt old, stagnant and perhaps worst of all directionless. If you honestly asked the UFC, I'd bet they'd say privately that the biggest disappointment of 2019 revolved around the fact that the fighters they probably expected to move up and provide fresh challenges all failed. Chris Weidman was smoked by Dom Reyes, Jan Blachowicz retired Luke Rockhold, Jacare Souza's 2019 was abysmal and his LHW debut left nobody impressed while Yoel Romero and Anderson Silva stayed home at 185 lbs. If one was to remove Dominick Reyes from the conversation, the next in line would be two guys who have pretty much failed historically when given a major step up (Jan Blachowicz is not too far removed from a four fight losing streak and Corey Anderson has been KO'd by the likes of Gian Villante and Jimi Manuwa) while the likes of Nikita Krylov, Misha Cirkunov, Khalil Rountree and that one polish dude (Michal Oluwalewalebangbang) all sort of did nothing. Even prized prospect Johnny Walker had a topsy turvy 2019 punctuated by getting smelted by Corey Anderson. The UFC needs to end 2020 with one of two things set in stone; 1) A genuine challenge for Jon Jones or 2) an understanding that Jon will be leaving the division for good and the UFC will finally have to invest resources into rebuilding this morbid division.

Heavyweight- More of the same, baby.

Seriously. This division is A-ok. You got a bunch of new dudes beating the shit out of each other, every year 2-3 new doughy guys show up and make a bit of an impact, a new HW to get giddy about from Brazil or Europe or Russia every few months and the likes of Alistair Overeem, Derrick Lewis, Stefan Struve and Andrei Arlovski to tie this shit all together. Let's keep HW happy and dumb, right? The only complaint could be had in every division really; have your champs fighting more.

Women's Strawweight- ALSO more of the same

Seriously this division has really become one of the best in MMA full stop. It still has the well earned reputation of being a decision division but if one wants to be honest, the depth at the top of this place is UNREAL good. Joanna, Zhang, Andrade, Namajunas, Suarez and Ansaroff on their own merits are as strong a top six as any division can offer. Throw in a healthy mix of ladies like Alexa Grasso, Claudia Gadelha, Randa Markos, Carla Esparza, Cynthia Calvillo and Marina Rodriguez and you've got great depth below that. Even if there isn't an influx of exciting fun new names (I think Virna Jirandoba and Brianna Van Buren are really the only two new debutants worth really getting excited over), there's plenty of talent o be had here. This is MMA's most unpredictable division so keep giving us wacky madness then.

Women's Flyweight- An identity

I guess you could sum up a division by its champion and clearly Valentina Shevchenko is the perfect face for this division. She's really talented, sometimes compelling as a fighter but you can't name anything about her besides "She killed Jessica Eye and she has a bullet tattoo!" At this point, what could you say about the women's flyweight division? What's their identity? What makes the women's flyweight division unique? Is it not just a grab bag of fighters too small for 135 lbs, too big for 115 lbs and prospects who are still trying to cut their teeth throughout the division? Women's flyweight fights just feel like they exist, adding nothing but always appearing on shows. What's the key to figuring out this division? They need an identity that gets fans to better understand it.

Women's Bantamweight- Depth beyond Amanda Nunes

I think there's a really good chance that barring the emergence of some faces, this division will not see a woman on the same level of Amanda Nunes, GDR and Holly Holm. What this division needs is depth because Holly Holm is one foot out the door and GDR has already retired once already. Just sign a bunch of ladies!

[andyfliz]

UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2

UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2

Not Available

[bettingtipstech-blog]

Robert Whittaker – Israel Adesanya: forecast for 06.10.2019

New Post has been published on https://betting-tips.site/robert-whittaker-israel-adesanya-forecast-for-06-10-2019/

Robert Whittaker – Israel Adesanya: forecast for 06.10.2019

Robert Whittaker – Israel Adesanya: forecast for 06.10.2019 Today, 12:18 | 0

Tournament: MMA – UFC 243 – the Battle for the title of Middleweight champion.

Place: arena “Docklands Stadium” (Melbourne, Australia).

Date: 06.10.2019.

Let the battle begin: 06:00 (GMT).

The long-awaited confrontation between the current holder of the title against the winner of the “interim” championship belt. In a fight Whittaker vs Adesanya we will witness the birth of the main stars of medium-weight, where, after Anderson Silva was a real mess.

Robert Whittaker (Australia)

Record: 24 fights, 20 wins (14 early) – 4 losses (2 early);

Age: 28 years;

Height: 180 cm;

Weight: 83,9 kg;

Arm span: 180 cm

The representative of Australia hasn’t lost in the octagon in 2014. Whittaker had during this period, nine bright duels and in each of them showed their high level of skill. Victims of Robert on the way to the title have become so dear in the world of MMA fighters, like Tavares, Hall, Branson, R. Souza, Romero (twice). It is in the confrontation with the Cuban Whittaker and won his championship. Until 2014, the Australian went to a number of promising athletes, but the defeat of Kim, Juarez, McGee and Thompson questioned his ability as a top fighter. Now Robert is a great technician, able in the octagon all. The only problem with the Aussie is a prolonged pause in a career which lasts for more than a year.

Israel Adesanya (New Zealand)

Record: 17 fights – 17 wins (13 early);

Age: 30 years;

Height: 193 cm;

Weight: 83,9 kg;

Span: 203 cm

Israel Adesanya all considered the “heir” of the great Anderson Silva, because Nigerian are just like your idol in terms of technology and action in the octagon. Moreover, the new Zealander managed in an internal duel to defeat a legend. In an extreme combat of Israel defeated Kevin Gastelum and walked out of the octagon not without prejudice. Despite the clean record, the fighter already has considerable experience of major fights – victory over the same Silva, Gastelum, the Tavares, Brunson, Gillard. From Israel in the octagon always waiting for a show and a confident performance. But, despite some arrogance, the new Zealander is able to act pragmatically and with a clear calculation, once again the risk of missing a dangerous shot.

Forecast for battle

Since losing the championship by Enerzona Silva, many thought that the belt will settle Widaman for a long time. Was later Rokhold (defeated Weidman) and Bisping who have their moments of glory in the UFC. Whittaker does not seem an ordinary champion, but he doesn’t look so cool as it makes Adesanya. It is in a tall, skilful, inventive and charismatic Israel all see the king of average weight. Bookmakers in this match are not isolated favorite, evaluating the potential success of the Australian ratio 1.89, 1.98 and the applicant. We believe that the skill and cunning of Adesanya, as well as its ideal job is in the rack, will allow this evening’s championship belt to change its owner. Our bet is the victory of the new Zealander.

The Victory Of Israel Adesanya 1.98