Bellator Welterweights Return to Action for Season 6

 Posted by at 7:15 AM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Jan 082012
 
Jeet Kune Do practitioner and UFC veteran Ben Saunders (left) is one of eight welterweights competing in Bellator’s Season 6 tournament for a shot at current champ Ben Askren’s belt. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

The 170lbs. division is gearing up for another season-long Bellator tournament set to kick off in March. With a wealth of returning talent, two towering giants, a UFC veteran, and a wrecking machine all set to meet inside the Bellator cage, the fireworks are sure to fly. Eight hungry contenders will enter but only one will earn a title shot.

Returning to the cage after his tournament finale loss to eventual champion “The Phenom” Douglas Lima (19-4) is “Killa B” Ben Saunders (12-3). A Bruce Lee-inspired approach to fighting has lead the man who owns some of the deadliest knees and elbows in MMA to the finals before, and this time Saunders will make the needed adjustments to rectify the mistake. Saunders has the talent, the range, and the aggression to beat anyone at any time but in Season 6 he will have even more motivation to prove it. Continue reading »

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UFC 136 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III

 Posted by at 5:55 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Oct 072011
 
The speed and movement of Frankie Edgar (right) are his tools of choice to combat Gray Maynard’s (left) strength). Edgar’s offense should be more diverse after he was able to stuff Maynard’s takedowns and land some of his own in their UFC 125 encounter. If he can outlast Maynard, then another successful title defense is in the books. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The Toyota Center in Houston, Texas gets its second serving of UFC action when UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III storms in this Saturday night. Nam Phan (18-10) takes on “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (15-7-1) again in order to avenge his controversial loss in 2010.  ”J-Lau” Joe Lauzon  (20-6) and “The Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (27-8-2)  hope to collect another bonus check when they battle in a lightweight showdown. “All-American” Brian Stann (11-3) welcomes Chael Sonnen (24-11-1) back to the cage in what could be considered the most patriotic middleweight fight known to man, with Stann playing the part of decorated war hero and Sonnen the part of staunch Republican and aspiring politician. ”Ken-Flo” Kenny Florian (14-5) puts another weight class under his belt as he drops down to 145lbs. to challenge “Junior” Jose Aldo (18-1) for his featherweight title in the co-main event. UFC 136 marks the third fight between current lightweight champion “The Answer” Frankie Edgar (13-1-1) and a challenger he knows too well, “The Bully” Gray Maynard (10-0-1). UFC 125 saw both men go tooth and nail trying to take the belt home and while Edgar was successful, it was only because the judges saw the match as a Draw. With the history between these two made in the Octagon, no fan should count any man out when the cage door seal shut behind them. Continue reading »

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Spilled Bag of Fights: RETURNS!

 Posted by at 5:48 PM  Spilled Bag of Fights  2 Responses »
Aug 012011
 

Did you miss me? Well, dry your tears icemigos. I have returned. There was a rough few weeks with no MMA events – at least none that I was able to see. And now… now… I have three events to draw from. Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson, Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker vs. Bowling III, and Bellator 47.

Let’s start from the top. What’s up with Fedor? Sure, anyone can get knocked out by Dan Henderson but before that Fedor was swinging wildly.  Yes, Fedor is known to try and finish a fight when he has someone hurt but there was an almost desperate recklessness in Fedor’s attempt to finish – not the precision timing that KO’d Andrei Arlovski in mid-air. Continue reading »

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Wrestling with the Truth: Clay Guida Takes Heat From MMA Fans

 Posted by at 7:02 PM  Features, MMA News, UFC  2 Responses »
Jun 072011
 

"The Carpenter" Clay Guida's (white trunks) headlining bout opposite "Showtime" Anthony Pettis (black trunks) at "The Ultimate Fighter 13" Finale left much to be desired, according to many in the MMA community, as much of the bout was spent with Guida controlling his opponent on the mat. Are the pundits justified in their claims? (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

This past weekend’s The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale was a night to remember. TUF crowned a controversial, yet capable champ in “El Cucuy” Tony Ferguson (11-2). Fans were also fortunate enough to witness up-and-comers like “Kingsbu” Kyle Kingsbury (11-2), Fabio Maldonado (18-4), “C-Murder” Chris Cope (5-1), and others who will likely entertain for years to come. But the night was unfairly lambasted by fans when the co-main event fight between “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (29-11) and final WEC champ “Showtime” Anthony Pettis (13-2) went to the judges’ decision. The fight was derided as boring, “lay-and-pray”, and even incorrectly judged – and all this criticism came down on the winner, Clay Guida. Whether or not the fight was enjoyable is subjective and it is a moot point to try and argue. You either enjoyed it or you didn’t; there is not right or wrong there. However, fans’ displeasure with Guida’s winning tactics are unfounded. “The Carpenter” indeed displays varying skills in a sport that caters to those who know when and how to use their strengths, even if it means using one skill at a time. But it is the bias against wrestling that has misguided so much of the post-fight fallout. Continue reading »

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Bellator 39 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Eddie Alvarez vs. Pat Curran

 Posted by at 12:42 PM  Bellator, MMA News  No Responses »
Apr 022011
 

Eddie Alvarez (top) has the tools to finish this fight anywhere it goes, ensuring that Pat Curran will not have any way to "fight safe." (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

The city of Uncasville will see Bellator Fighting Championships make its first stop in Connecticut tonight when the regional promotion turned national TV MMA sensation arrives for Bellator 39. Hosting the event is the Mohegan Sun and attending  will be a house full of fans of the Northeast native and Bellator Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez (19-2). Alvarez will defend his title for the first time against Season 2 winner and perennial underdog contender Pat Curran (12-3). After an injury during training early last year, Curran had to sit out and recover on the side lines while Alvarez continued his reign as the promotion’s best lightweight. Now after a full recovery and months back into his training, Curran is ready to challenge the champion and looks to upset yet another fighter with the title of champion being the prize. Continue reading »

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UFC Fight Night 24 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia

 Posted by at 7:59 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Mar 222011
 

Leonard Garcia's (left) adrenaline-packed pace will once again collide with a force that refuses to go down easily in Chan Sung Jung. Another win over his Korean counterpart will disprove any doubts about the first contest along with his other Split Decision victories. (Photo courtesy of Dave Mandel and Sherdog)

Yet another installment of UFC Fight Night slams the Pacific Northwest and hits hard in the Key Arena of Seattle, Washington this Saturday night with UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis. The main event has veteran of the game “Lil’ Nog”  Antônio Rogério Nogueira (18-4) taking on uprising star, “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis (7-0). “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-3) steps back in the cage after a lengthy lay-off with the hopes of making former top welterweight contender “The Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-8) another victim of his knockout power. In a welterweight showcase, fan favorites and The Ultimate Fighter alumni meet when “Darkness” Damarques Johnson (15-8) and Amir Sadollah (4-2) step into the Octagon. In a repeat of 2010’s “Fight of the Year”, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (10-3) steps up on short notice, replacing Nam Phan (18-9), to challenge WEC transplant “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (15-6-1) in a featherweight match-up. With Garcia getting the Split Decision victory in the first duel, will the “Zombie” rise from the dead to even the score or will Garcia prove he has Jung figured out? Come March 26, any doubts of their first fight will be answered only to have new questions asked. With the card free on Spike TV,  there is no excuse to not tune in. Continue reading »

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Eddie Alvarez Set to Defend Bellator Lightweight Title Against Season 2 Winner Pat Curran

 Posted by at 6:23 PM  Bellator, Features, MMA News  1 Response »
Feb 192011
 

Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (left) is slated to make his first title defense in April against Season 2 Lightweight Tournament winner Pat Curran. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

After a shoulder injury left Bellator Season 2 Lightweight Tournament Winner Pat Curran (12-3) unable to challenge current 155lbs. champion Eddie Alvarez’s (19-2) lightweight crown, fan favorite and UFC veteran “El Matador” Roger Huerta (21-5-1) took his place in a non-title fight against Alvarez at Bellator 33 in Philadelphia last October. The fight was all Alvarez as he picked apart Huerta with powerful leg kicks and crisp boxing, causing the ringside doctors to stop the fight after the second round due to Huerta’s swollen eye and battered knee. Continue reading »

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Gray Maynard: Breaking Down the Bully

 Posted by at 10:58 AM  Features, MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Dec 272010
 

"The Bully" Gray Maynard (right) is set to fight UFC Lightweight Champion "The Answer" Frankie Edgar at UFC 125 this Saturday. Maynard comes into the fight with not only a strong wrestling background but the confidence from knowing he alone has defeated the champion, a feat not even past champions Sean Sherk and BJ Penn have done. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

Love or hate him, “The Bully” Gray Maynard (10-0) is “here to break your will”.

He bears an attitude befitting of his nickname, “The Bully”, and a wrestling pedigree which virtually renders his opponent’s takedown defense futile and asserts that their ground game had better be developed.  However in terms of the UFC’s lightweight division what holds Maynard to the highest degree as the number one contender is not his honor of earning one of the fastest knockouts in the promotion’s history or wins over notable fighters such as fellow TUF 5 alum Nate Diaz (12-6), “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (13-5), “The Mongoose” Jim Miller (19-2) or “El Matador” Roger Huerta (21-5-1).  It is the fact he is the only person who holds a victory, unanimous no less, against reigning Lightweight Champion “The Answer” Frankie Edgar (13-1).  With a challenger bearing a perfect record seeking the title and the champion who seeks to avenge the only loss on his record, UFC 125 on New Year’s Day has set the stage for these two lightweight titans to compete. Continue reading »

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Life After Bellator

 Posted by at 10:21 AM  Bellator, Features, MMA News  No Responses »
Dec 262010
 

(Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Bellator Fighting Championship (BFC), founded in 2008, is still in its infancy as an MMA promotion. Despite its youth the organization is affixed with deepening talent pools and world class prospects, from the fresh blooded young guns to the veterans that were released from larger promotions for one reason or another. Questions have arisen about what organizations would be best suited for Bellator’s elite when they move up in the MMA rankings and find a new promotion to call home. How would they fare in, say, Strikeforce or the UFC’s talent filled divisions? Could they compete against top level challengers? Take “The Warrior Princess” Zoila Frausto (8-1), Dan Hornbuckle (18-3), Ben Askren (7-0), Cole Konrad (7-0), and Neil Grove (10-3) – how would they fare against the rest of the MMA world? What about Eddie Alvarez (19-2) and “Shango” Hector Lombard (26-2)? These two warriors are the reigning champions of Bellator and are also considered two of the best fighters in the world, both in their weight classes and the pound-for-pound rankings. MMA Gospel explores what life after Bellator will be like for these fighters. Continue reading »

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Bellator: The Draft, Part Two

 Posted by at 8:41 AM  Bellator, Features, MMA News  No Responses »
Dec 242010
 

(Bellator logo courtesy of Bellator, with title addition by MMA Gospel)

In MMA Gospel’s first installment of Bellator: The Draft, the women, bantamweights, and featherweights were covered. This time, MMA Gospel looks to Bellator Fighting Championship’s (BFC) two strongest divisions: lightweight and welterweight. With top class fighters like Eddie Alvarez (19-2), “El Matador” Roger Huerta (21-5-1), Pat Curran (12-3), Ben Askren (7-0), and “The Assassin” Chris Lozano (6-0), BFC could be said to rival or even surpass Strikeforce and DREAM in these divisions. However, there is always room for improvement and the fighters listed below are exactly the kind of men Bellator needs to solidify a position as a promotion that belongs in the same league as its bigger rivals. Continue reading »

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Who to Watch Out For in 2011

 Posted by at 11:34 AM  Features, MMA News  No Responses »
Dec 222010
 

"Bones" Jon Jones (black shorts) is one of the fastest rising stars in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Come January 1, Jones will collide with fellow rising star Ryan Bader to see who will be launched into the higher levels of the 205lbs. weight class. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC)

The year 2010 showcased a wealth of fights and events for the mixed martial arts world to marvel over. “The Answer” Frankie Edgar (13-1) defeated one of the greatest lightweights of all time in “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (16-7-1). Boxing great “Lights Out” James Toney (0-1) stepped into the the cage to face UFC Hall of Famer “The Natural” Randy Couture (19-10) in what was intended to determine the superior combat sport, MMA or boxing. Couture pummeled Toney for nearly three minutes of pure fan delight before submitting him via Arm Triangle Choke. The MMA world was shaken and the heavyweight rankings sent into a state of disarray when the top ranked “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-2) was handed his first legitimate loss via first round submission to Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1).

To follow up with the 2009 roster exchange agreement between the Strikeforce, DREAM, and M-1 Global MMA promotions, the UFC ended 2010 with the intake of the WEC organization. With all the memorable fights and events that have taken place in the last 12 months, 2011 is the year where prospects can become contenders, fighters inflicted with injury or tribulations return to fight their way to a title, and champions become legends.

Here are some of the top fighters to look out for in 2011. Continue reading »

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Spilled Bag of Fights: That Just Happened!

 Posted by at 6:40 PM  MMA News, Spilled Bag of Fights  3 Responses »
Oct 242010
 

That’s right, bitches. Sean “Big Sexy” McCorkle was kind enough to check out my last column and tweeted the following review:

Nice. Continue reading »

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Bellator 33: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 4:28 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 222010
 

Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez retains his title after defeating UFC veteran Roger Huerta via TKO (doctor stoppage) following the second round. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

From its inception, Bellator 33′s main event between top-ten ranked MMA lightweight and Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (21-2) and UFC veteran “El Matador” Roger Huerta (21-5-1) promised to be one of the most action packed fights of the year in the 155lb. division.  Despite mixed emotions about the outcome, the match-up failed to disappoint.  The Alvarez/Huerta fight saw action from start to finish as both men put on a slugfest for the champion’s hometown crowd who consequently neglected their seats throughout the bout. In the same evening, fans also expressed their distaste for more lackluster fighting styles.  Here’s how it all went down. Continue reading »

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Bellator 33 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Eddie Alvarez vs. Roger Huerta

 Posted by at 9:08 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 202010
 

Roger Huerta and Eddie Alvarez will face off for the Bellator Lightweight Championship on Thursday. (File Photo)

This Thursday, Bellator brings the fans their biggest fight yet, a super fight between Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (18-2) and former UFC top ten lightweight “El Matador” Roger Huerta (21-4-1). The two men have been an elephant in the living room for the organization since Huerta’s arrival, and one could hear the cries of frustration over lost ticket sales when Huerta dropped his bout against Pat Curran (12-3) in May.  This was the super fight that the lightweight tournament was supposed to lead to and Huerta left Bellator with a garage full of promotional material gone to waste. Then Curran hurt his shoulder in training and the Bellator brass was more than eager to ask “El Matador” to step in.  Both of these men have something to prove and a freight train full of hype behind them, and that will make this the breakthrough fight for the Bellator organization. Continue reading »

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