MMA Gospel

French kickboxer Cheick Kongo (red gloves) will need to use his range and striking prowess to keep Shawn Jordan on his heels if he wants a win at UFC 149. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

With the UFC’s bantamweight king “The Dominator” Dominick Cruz (19-1) on the sidelines for an extended period of time due to knee surgery, the UFC quickly matched up the challenger and former WEC Featherweight Champion “The California Kid” Urijah Faber (26-5) with the outstanding Brazilian contender Renan Barao (28-1) to fill the main event slot at UFC 149 for the interim 135lbs. championship.  The unstoppable man with the Bellator, CFC, and AFC middleweight belts around his waist, “Shango” Hector Lombard, (31-2) will face new challenges in the UFC with his first opponent being “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (15-4). IFL veteran “The Menace” Chris Clements (11-4) goes to war against TUF 7 veteran Matt Riddle (6-3). “Bad Boy” Brian Ebersole (50-14) returns just a month out from his victory at UFC on FX 4 to face off against James Head (8-2) in perhaps Ebersole’s final bout at welterweight. In the co-main event of UFC 149 a heavyweight bout pits long-time UFC fighter Cheick Kongo (17-7) against Bellator and Strikeforce veteran “The Savage” Shawn Jordan (13-3). Continue reading »