Kaikki viestit käyttäjältä Chris Huntemann

Vapaaottelu, UFC, naisten MMA

UFC 185: It’s Showtime!

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Kuva pistetilanne: Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports

Despite the turmoil experienced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship so far this year, from the failed drug tests of stars like Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz, to the reshuffling of UFC 184 because of an injury to middleweight champion Chris Weidman, the company has delivered in the Octagon so far this year. Despite Weidman’s injury, UFC 184 was still a smashing success thanks to another dominant performance by women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

Now UFC 185 is here, with another stacked card that should entertain once again. This card is anchored by TWO title fights, taking fans back to a time when the UFC would routinely offer stacked fight cards before rapid expansion under their deal with FOX apparently created an oversaturated product.

Here’s who I think emerges victorious on this talent-filled card.

Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso (17-6) vs. Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo (7-0) (Flyweight – 125 lbs.)

Cariaso is coming off a submission loss to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson last summer. But to be fair, everyone is losing to Johnson these days, and he’s close to cleaning out the flyweight division. Cejudo has yet to experience defeat and enjoyed a unanimous decision victory in his UFC debut late last year.

Cariaso has been a UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran for the last five years and rode a 3-fight win streak prior to his loss to Johnson. Cejudo is a young pup trying to make a name for himself in the UFC, but Cariaso will use his veteran savvy to catch the overeager fighter for a finish.

Winner: Cariaso by second-round TKO

Roy “Big Country” Nelson (21-10) vs. Alistair “The Reem” Overeem (38-14-1) (Heavyweight – 225 lbs.)

I’ll admit up front that I’m not a big Roy Nelson fan. He’s a talented fighter who delivers exciting fights and is an entertaining personality. But ever since he debuted in the UFC and won season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” he feasted on lower-ranked heavyweights like Stefan Struve, Brendan Schaub and Matt Mitrione. But when matched up with elite heavyweights like Fabricio Werdum, Junior Dos Santos and Daniel Cormier (before he dropped to light heavyweight), Nelson was routinely outclassed and battered.

Overeem has also failed to live up to the hype that came with his jump to the UFC. After he demolished Brock Lesnar in 2011, a title shot was in the works against then-champion Junior Dos Santos. But the fight never materialized due to injuries and Overeem suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Antonio Silva and Travis Browne.

Overeem has alternated wins and losses since then but is coming off a first-round knockout of Struve. Nelson was knocked out in his last fight against Mark Hunt, which despite Nelson’s usually iron chin, does not come as a shock, given Hunt’s incredible punching power.
Overeem may not have Hunt’s power, but I think he will batter Nelson for a rather lopsided decision victory. At this stage in his career, Nelson is a gatekeeper. But “The Reem” doesn’t need to prove himself against a brawler like Nelson.

Winner: Overeem by unanimous decision

Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks (16-3) vs. Matt “The Immortal” Brown (21-12) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)

Speaking of brawling and battering, this fight has all the makings of a Fight of the Year candidate. Hendricks dropped the welterweight title to Robbie Lawler last year and should he win this fight, a rematch with Lawler is all but assured – assuming Lawler gets past Rory McDonald later this year.

Brown also lost to Lawler in his last fight and was also on the receiving end of a brutal beating. Hendricks and Brown tend to just slug it out and ask questions later, which should result in an entertaining fight for the fans. Hendricks seems to have renewed his commitment to MMA following his loss to Lawler and he seems driven to get his belt back. Brown is as game as they come, but Hendricks will prove to be too much.

Winner: Hendricks by second-round TKO

Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (11-2) vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk (8-0) (Women’s Strawweight Title – 115 lbs.)

Esparza made her UFC debut with a bang by winning the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” to feature all female fighters, and in the process become the UFC’s first women’s strawweight champion. She effectively derailed the Rose Namajunas hype train to win the belt, when some were dubbing Namajunas the next Ronda Rousey in the strawweight division.

Jedrzejczyk derailed a favorite in her own right, defeating highly regarded Claudia Gadelha last year by a close decision when many thought Gadelha would be Esparza’s first title defense. Jedrzejczyk is a grinder who thrives in an ugly fight in close quarters. Esparza used her wrestling to neutralize Namajunas’ quick-striking offense, so getting into an ugly fight with Jedrzejczyk shouldn’t faze Esparza one bit. Esparza will take Jedrzejczyk down early and often and ride her wrestling to a decision victory.

Winner: Esparza by unanimous decision

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (18-2) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (23-7) (Lightweight Title – 155 lbs.)

Pettis has been absolutely dominant as of late, not only winning the lightweight title from Benson Henderson in quick and exciting fashion with a first-round armbar but routinely displaying his amazing athleticism and using it to quickly shoot himself up the best pound-for-pound fighter list.

But Dos Anjos is not to be taken lightly. He too finished Henderson in the first round and earned his title shot by absolutely dismantling Nate Diaz late last year. Dos Anjos is tough and will know that Pettis is looking for a quick finish. He won’t get it, but Pettis’ freakish athleticism will make its presence felt eventually and overcome Dos Anjos and solidify Pettis’ case as one of the best lightweight fighters of all time.

Winner: Pettis by second-round submission

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also shares his thoughts on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, tai seurata häntä Twitterissä: mmamaryland.

Vapaaottelu, UFC, naisten MMA

Ronda Rousey- Cleaner

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Kuva pistetilanne: Esther Lin / MMA Fighting

Koska se on vero kausi, se on hyvä aika muistaa, että on olemassa kolme takuita elämässä: kuolema, verot ja Ronda Rousey näyttää jälleen kerran, miksi hän on paras naispuolinen taistelija planeetalla, jossa ensimmäisen kierroksen purku hänen vastustajansa.

Rousey suorituskykyä UFC 184 viime kuussa oli hänen hienoin tähän mennessä. Hän esitti neula Kissa, pidetään yleisesti Rousey suurin haaste, sisään 14 sekuntia. Vaikka Rousey oli apunaan aivan kamala strategian Zingano, hänen virtuoosimainen johti toiseen keskusteluun siitä, kuka on se mitä syrjäyttää Rousey. Se johti myös naurettava keskustelu siitä, onko Rousey voisivat kilpailla ja voittaa mies taistelijoita UFC kääpiösarjalainen divisioona. Kuluu vähemmän aikaa, että absurdi käsite, jolla saavutetaan vain yrittää häpäistä hyvä nyrkkeilijä Rousey on, parempi.

Tietenkin, etunimi että nousee aina on Cris "Cyborg" Justino, the Invicta FC featherweight champion. She is expected to drop to 135 pounds for a fight with Invicta this summer before moving on to a fight with Rousey. Kuitenkin, Cyborg attempted a drop to bantamweight last year and abandoned those plans. So I wouldn’t hold my breath on the long-awaited grudge match between Rousey and Cyborg happening anytime soon.

Rousey recently expressed a desire to fight Bethe Correia, who battered two of Rousey’s “Four Horsewomen” teammates and has been calling Rousey out ever since. Jessica Eye has also staked her claim to a title shot, but neither of these women pose a real threat to Rousey. During UFC 184’s postfight coverage, Daniel Cormier floated the idea of his colleague Miesha Tate getting a third crack at Rousey.

Besides the fact I think trilogies should be reserved only when each fighter has a victory over the other, I see no reason why third time would be a charm for Tate. While she is the only woman to go further than the first round with Rousey, Tate juurikaan voi kuin taistelija taas Rousey on mennyt paremmin. Jos kaksi oli taistella kolmannen kerran, En näe mitään syytä uskoa, tulos olisi erilainen.

Joten mistä tämä jättää Rousey? Minun mielestäni, hän on siivottu UFC naisten kääpiösarjalainen divisioona. Ei ole ketään, joka aiheuttaa uskottava uhka hänen. Jos Zingano säätää hänen strategia ja sai toisen ampui Rousey, hän saattaa olla mahdollisuus voittaa. Beyond että, jos Rousey päätti mennä ulos päälle ja rakentaa hänen orastavaa elokuva uransa, En usko, että kukaan olisi pidä sitä häntä vastaan.

Rousey on tällä hetkellä ajaa sukua Anderson Silva nousun huipulla UFC: n keskisarjan jako. Hän hallitsi kaikkia hänen tielleen ja paitsi hänen ensimmäinen taistella Chael Sonnen, sai näyttämään helppoa. Rousey vaikein taistelu tähän mennessä ollut vastaan ​​Liz Carmouche, kun hän oli Rousey vuonna taka alasti rikastin ensimmäisellä kierroksella niiden taistelua 2013 ennen Rousey kykeni pakenemaan ja kiinnitä toinen armbar voitto.

Silvan valtakauden huipulla keskisarjan divisioonan päättyi, kun aiemmin tuntemattoman Chris Weidman tulivat ja osoittivat pelkoa ja lähti taistelemaan Silva. Ehkä se mitä tarvitsee tapahtua Rousey. Hän tarvitsee löytää vastustaja, joka saa aivan hänen kasvonsa, antaa hänelle armoa ja taistele hänen. Neula että yrittänyt UFC 184, mutta hänen äärimmäinen kiihkoilu päätyi maksaa hänen kalliisti.

Kunnes Rousey etsii omaa Chris Weidman, we can add another superlative to the many that are already attached to the women’s bantamweight champion: cleaner. Rousey is fresh out of worthy challengers to her crown, a task she accomplished by cleaning out her division.

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also shares his thoughts on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, tai seurata häntä Twitterissä: mmamaryland.

Vapaaottelu, UFC

UFC and PEDs: Where do we go from here?

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Kuva pistetilanne: Esther Lin / MMA Fighting

Usually when I ask that question, it’s in the wake of a pay-per-view and I’m wondering aloud at what’s next for the fighters who competed on it. Tällä kertaa, I’m talking about something that affects ALL mixed martial artists in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC announced this week that it will implement far stricter, far more comprehensive drug testing in the wake of fighters like Anderson Silva ja Hector Lombard failing tests for performance-enhancing drugs (Peds), kun taas Jon Jones ja Nick Diaz failed tests for cocaine and marijuana, vastaavasti.

Increased drug testing and harsher penalties can only help the UFC, and mixed martial arts in general. But what brought on this increase in failed tests? PEDs have been a part of sports long before MMA fighters started taking them, and they have been a problem in MMA prior to the last month-and-a-half.

But more fighters seem to be getting caught. As in most sports, there is a tremendous amount of pressure to perform in MMA and in the UFC. If you don’t perform, you basically don’t get paid. The increased demand for UFC programming by virtue of its deal with FOX could also be a factor. They went from being on Spike TV – where they only broadcast “The Ultimate Fighter” once a year and two or three live fight cards annually – to practically having two live fight cards a month and airing “The Ultimate Fighter” twice a year on the FOX channels.

The increase in programming means a need of more bodies to fill that programming. It also means that more fighters are training for more fights, which can lead to more injuries. Peds, in addition to giving you a competitive advantage over your opponent, allow you to recover from injuries more quickly. With the need for more fighters to fill more fight cards, I think it’s possible the apparent increase in failed drug tests can at least be partly attributed to that.

The UFC’s increased drug-testing measures take effect July 1. What can we expect once it does? Here are some of the guidelines the UFC presented.

Even UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta admitted during this week’s press conference that things “would get worse before they better” with the new testing. Lisää, it remains to be seen how much of this will actually stick once July 1 rolls around. UFC previously considered expanding its drug-testing efforts before but pulled back, citing cost and a previously botched attempt at doing so.

Kuitenkin, with the rash of high-profile stars like Silva, Jones and Diaz failing tests, cost can’t be considered a hindrance and the UFC must be vigilant. Browsing my Twitter feed following the press conference, it was eerily quiet. Almost no fighters weighed in initially. It is likely that was just a byproduct of the press conference taking place on a Wednesday afternoon, when most people are working or presumably have other things to do besides post on Twitter. But it was still pretty telling. It seems like this has grabbed fighters’ attention, as it should.

What do I think will happen? There will be an increase in failed test once the new measures take effect July 1, I’m fairly confident. But given that the UFC is supporting harsh penalties for those who do fail – including a ban of up to four years – I expect the dirty fighters to eventually cycle themselves out and the ones who compete clean (which is most of them, presumably) to take a more prominent role.

Increased drug testing is long overdue in the UFC. The sport of mixed martial arts itself is still in its infancy, especially compared to other sports like football, basketball and baseball. But just like baseball is still recovering from its own crisis with PEDs, these recent failed drug tests have shaken the foundation of the UFC and have harkened back to the days when it was referred to as “human cockfighting.”

UFC adopted the slogan “The Time Is Now” for 2015, and I couldn’t agree more. The time is now for them to take the lead in cleaning up the sport of mixed martial arts.

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also shares his thoughts on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, tai seurata häntä Twitterissä: mmamaryland.

Vapaaottelu, UFC, naisten MMA

Dana White and the Women

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Kuva pistetilanne: Esther Lin / MMA Fighting

Lauantai, Helmikuu. 28, is going to be a landmark day for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. All the fighters on the pay-per-view card that day will pass their pre-fight drug…….never mind. That’s too easy.

That day will be the first time a UFC card features women’s bouts in both its co-main event and main event. Keskisarjan mestari Chris Weidman joutui vetäytymään taistelustaan ​​Vitor Belfortia vastaan ​​loukkaantumisen vuoksi, UFC:n uusi päätapahtuma 184 on Ronda Rousey puolustamassa naisten painovyötään Cat Zinganoa vastaan. Vuonna yhteistyössä päätapahtuma, paljolti ennustettu potentiaalinen Holly Holm tekee UFC-debyyttinsä Raquel Penningtonia vastaan ​​toisessa naisten sarjassa..

Kuten olen aiemmin maininnut, UFC on kulkenut pitkän matkan siitä, kun Dana White kertoi TMZ:lle että naiset "ei koskaan" taistele hänen organisaatiossaan. Rousey pelaa päätapahtumassa kolmannen peräkkäisen helmikuun PPV:n, ja Holmin uskotaan olevan seuraava jonossa tittelistä., jos hän voittaisi Penningtonin. Holm on edelleen erittäin raaka sekataistelulajeissa, mutta harjoittelee maailmankuulujen valmentajien Greg Jacksonin ja Mike Winkeljohnin kanssa.

Rousey kantaa lippua naisten MMA:ssa ja naisten UFC:ssä. Muut naistaistelijat ovat seuranneet häntä Octagonille, mukaan lukien Miesha Tate, Liz Carmouche ja Alexis Davis. Mitä yhteistä näillä kolmella on? He kaikki putosivat myös Rousey – Tatelle kahdesti Strikeforcessa ja UFC:ssä, ja Carmouche ja Davis molemmat ensimmäisellä kierroksella UFC PPV:issä 2013 ja 2014, vastaavasti.

Rouseyn ja Taten riita on hyvin krooninen. Se johti siihen, että heistä tuli valmentajia The Ultimate Fighterissa, joka sisälsi ensimmäistä kertaa naispuolisia taistelijoita, jotka ylittivät miespuoliset kollegansa tällä kaudella..

Kun otetaan huomioon tuon kauden menestys, The Ultimate Fighterin viimeisimmällä kaudella oli KAIKKI naistaistelijat ja UFC:n uusimman divisioonan debyytti, naisten olkipaino. Carla esparza, the former Invicta FC strawweight champion, won the inaugural UFC version of that belt after defeating Rose Namajunas.

So in the span of four years, UFC goes from having no female fighters and White emphatically stating that it never will, to being home to TWO female weight classes and undoubtedly the promotion’s biggest star right now in Rousey. Don’t believe me? Did you see the third Expendables movie? Or do you plan on seeing the film version of Entourage this summer? You might notice a familiar face.

So where does women’s MMA go from here? I am personally a big fan of female fights, as they tend to be among the more entertaining and action-packed fights on a UFC card. As I previously stated, female fighters are more than capable of outshining their male contemporaries. Why is that? Maybe female fighters feel they have more to prove inside the Octagon and always go for broke. Maybe they go into the Octagon with more of a “go for broke” mentality and actively seek a finish as opposed to “playing it safe.”

The fight between Rousey and Zingano on Feb. 28 will also go a long way toward determining the future of women’s MMA. Should Rousey defeat Zingano – which all signs indicate she will – she will have essentially cleaned out her division, with only unknown challengers like Holm and Bethe Correia left. If Zingano pulls the upset, then the division has a fresh batch of exciting matchups waiting.

But who knows what would have happened if Dana White kept his promise to TMZ?

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, tai seurata häntä Twitterissä: mmamaryland.

Fox Sports 1, Vapaaottelu, UFC, naisten MMA

UFC 183: Who will show up?

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Kuva pistetilanne: UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has hit it out of the park so far in 2015, with its first two major cards of the year living up to the hype of their main events. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones dominated Daniel Cormier to prove he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world at UFC 182, and at the UFC’s live card in Boston, Mass., tammikuussa, Conor McGregor secured a featherweight title shot against José Aldo and wasted no time getting in his next opponent’s face.

Which brings us to UFC 183 tänä iltana, and a main event that is considered a dream matchup by many. Anderson Silva returns to the Octagon after suffering a gruesome leg injury in his last fight against UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in 2013. Nick Diaz also makes his return to the UFC after losing his last fight against former welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in 2013.

Tonight’s card isn’t without its other storylines though. A pair of significant undercard fights are taking place under some controversy, as flyweight John Lineker came in overweight for his fight against Ian McCall, which is expected to determine the next no. 1 contender to the flyweight title. Vuonna yhteistyössä päätapahtuma, Kelvin Gastelum came in 9 pounds overweight for his fight against Tyron Woodley, which means 30 percent of Gastelum’s fight purse actually goes to Woodley. Talk about insult to injury.

Tietenkin, there is always the wild card with Diaz too. He plays by his own rules, having no-showed the open workouts earlier this week. Will he actually show up to the cage for tonight’s main event? It remains to be seen, though most everyone thinks he will.

Joten, having said all that, who do I think wins tonight?

Miesha “Cupcake” Tate (15-5) vs. Sara McMann (8-1) (Women’s bantamweight – 135 lbs.)

This is actually the main event of the preliminary card on Fox Sports 1. Tate requested to compete on this portion of the card instead of the pay-per-view card, taking a page from Urijah Faber’s playbook. Tate is also eager for a third fight with Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title. Both of these women suffered Rousey’s wrath, particularly McMann, who was demolished by Rousey in about a minute last year.

McMann is a pure wrestler with very little else to her repertoire, whereas Tate built on her established wrestling skills to become an effective striker. I think she will stuff McMann’s attempts to take this fight to the mat and use her vastly superior striking skills to keep McMann befuddled en route to a dominant victory.

Winner: Tate by unanimous decision

Jordan “Young Gun” Mein (29-9) vs. Thiago “Pitbull” Alves (25-9) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)

Alves has alternated wins and losses in his last six fights, while Mein rides a two-fight win streak. Alves is always dangerous with his Muay Thai and striking, while Mein landed a first-round TKO victory in his last fight. This should be an exciting stand-up battle with neither guy willing to give an inch. Luulen, että Alves on vaarallisin taistelija täällä, ja saa yhden hyvän laukauksen lyödäkseen Meinin typeräksi.

Winner: Alves toisella kierroksella TKO:lla

Thales Milks (24-4) vs. Tim "Barbaari" Boetsch (18-7) (Keskisarja - 185 lbs.)

Leites tulee tähän taisteluun rullalla, voitettuaan seitsemän viimeistä otteluaan, kaksi viimeistä tulevat TKO:n kautta. Boetsch on vuorotellen voittanut ja tappiollinen neljässä viimeisessä ottelussaan, mukaan lukien TKO-voitto hänen viimeisessä taistelussaan Brad Tavaresia vastaan.

Boetsch on hidas, räjähtävä mustelma, joka tunnetaan parhaiten Hector Lombard -hypejunan suistumisesta, kun hän teki ensimmäisen UFC-debyyttinsä. Leites on taitava, vaarallinen taistelija, joka voi viimeistellä sinut käsillään tai alistumalla. Luulen, että Leites välttää Boetschin voimaa ja odottaa Boetschin tekevän virheen, jossa Leits kirjoittaa isolla kirjaimella.

Winner: Leites by third round submission

Joe Lauzon (24-10) vs. Al “Raging” Iaquinta (10-3-1) (Lightweight – 155 lbs.)

You know what you’re getting with a Joe Lauzon fight. You’re going to see an exciting, action packed bout that will most likely end with him locking in a slick submission or, in the case of his fight against Jim Miller, suffering a gnarly cut that will guarantee a blood battle.

Iaquinta has been on a roll since his time on The Ultimate Fighter Live, having only lost once in his last six fights. A win against Lauzon would be a real feather in his cap and might propel him into title contendership discussion. But Lauzon is one of the best submission specialists in the UFC, and I think the crafty veteran has another submission up his sleeve.

Winner: Lauzon by second round submission

Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley (14-3) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (11-0) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)

As mentioned above, Gastelum weighed in 9 pounds over for this fight and will forfeit 30 percent of his purse directly to Woodley. It was reported that Gastelum spent time in the hospital leading up to this fight, which contributed to him coming in overweight.

Woodley will be angry in this fight, and rightly so. It’s not fair that his opponent will have a weight advantage due to his own failure to do what he was supposed to do. Give Woodley credit for wanting to keep fighting when it would have been perfectly understandable to postpone it.

Woodley will channel his rage into a blitzkrieg of offense at Gastelum, and the lethargic and probably still-injured Gastelum will have no response.

Winner: Woodley by second round TKO

Anderson "Spider" Silva (33-6) vs. Nick Diaz (27-9-1) (Keskisarja - 185 lbs.)

This is one of the several main events that have fight fans buzzing in 2015. Many didn’t think Silva would ever walk again after his leg injury against Weidman, let alone come back to the UFC to fight. The matchup style of Diaz wanting to push the pace, get in his opponent’s face and sucker him into trading blows against Silva’s unrivaled elusiveness will be interesting to watch.

Diaz said he wouldn’t trash talk Silva during this fight out of respect. But if Silva keeps bobbing and weaving and dodging Diaz’s punches, we’ll see how long Diaz commits to that. I think we’ll see vintage Silva in this fight, making Diaz look silly in some spots while landing well-timed strikes that will confuse and frustrate Diaz, which will allow Silva to land even more.

Diaz is too tough to finish, but this fight will show that Silva still has it and is the vastly superior fighter.

Winner: Silva by unanimous decision

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, tai seurata häntä Twitterissä: mmamaryland.

Vapaaottelu, UFC

UFC Fight Night: The Swedish Are Coming!

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Kuva pistetilanne: Esther Lin / MMA Fighting
Kuva pistetilanne: Esther Lin / MMA Fighting

In a land once popularized in a Tom Green (remember him?) song – “Lonely Swedish (The Bum Bum Song)” – the Ultimate Fighting Championship brings a Fight Night card that will hopefully bring more attention than a song about a Canadian’s ass.

The first FOX card of the new year, UFC Fight Night: Ruotsi, brings the national stage of FOX overseas and gives America a glimpse into the UFC’s ongoing overseas expansion. But unlike previous UFC overseas cards, this one is not short on star power. Let’s see if a clear-cut no. 1 contender for Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title will emerge.

Akira Corassani (16-4-1) vs. Sam Sicilia (13-5) (Featherweight – 145 lbs.)

This is a matchup of The Ultimate Fighter alumni, with both guys coming off losses and Corassani coming off back-to-back losses to Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier. Corassani’s also been finished early in both fights, while Sicilia is coming off a submission loss. In a crowded featherweight division, a knockout or submission victory would go a long way toward boosting either of these gentlemen’s stock. I like Sicilia to finish Corassani and possibly give him his walking papers after three straight losses.

Winner: Sicilia by second-round TKO

Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (13-2) vs. Ryan “Darth” Bader (19-4) (Light Heavyweight – 205 lbs.)

Both of these guys are poised for another run at the top of the light heavyweight division. Both of these guys are coming off victories and actually faced each other in college when Davis wrestled for Penn State and Bader wrestled for Arizona State. Davis uses his wrestling to smother opponents and grind out unanimous decision victories, while Bader uses his wrestling when necessary but also has lethal knockout power.

I expect Davis to try and get this fight to the ground early, and if he succeeds I think he can use his reach advantage and athleticism to keep Bader down. Bader must keep this fight standing to have a chance, and I think he will avoid the temptation to avenge his college loss to Davis by engaging in another wrestling match. I like Bader to land more shots and score an upset victory.

Winner: Bader by unanimous decision

Dan “Hendo” Henderson (30-12) vs. Gegard Mousasi (35-5-2) (Keskisarja - 185 lbs.)

Henderson returns to middleweight after a mostly ill-fated run at light heavyweight, including being tossed around like a rag doll and submitted by Daniel Cormier in his last fight. Simply put, if Henderson can’t land his patented “H-Bomb” right hand for a knockout, he’s easily susceptible to defeat.

I think the wars of years past are finally catching up to Henderson. He will go down as one of the greatest fighters ever not to hold a UFC title, but he simply can’t keep up with the sport’s elite any more. He will leave himself open when wanting to drop the H-Bomb, and Mousasi will take advantage.

Winner: Mousasi by third-round submission

Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson (16-2) vs. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (18-4) (Light Heavyweight – 205 lbs.)

The winner of this fight will receive the next shot at light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and it would represent a rematch for Gustafsson. He took Jones closer to defeat than anyone else has during their epic 2013 täsmätä. Depending on who ask, some people think the Swede actually won that fight.

Johnson is rapidly ascending the 205-pound ladder after knocking out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and scoring an upset win over Phil Davis to begin his climb. Johnson also has devastating knockout power and if he lands one such shot on Gustafsson, the Swede’s road to redemption is derailed. But I think Gustafsson uses his reach advantage (which is nearly identical to Jones) to keep Johnson at bay and make Johnson go a full five rounds.

Gustafsson’s striking in the 205-pound division is second to none, and I like him to land enough of those to secure a rematch with Jones later this year.

Winner: Gustafsson by unanimous decision

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, tai seurata häntä Twitterissä: mmamaryland.

Vapaaottelu, UFC

Anna “Choirboy”

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Kuva pistetilanne: Keith Mills / Sherdog.com

Mukaan Chris Huntemann, Kolumnisti

Vapaaottelu on hauska juttu. Jotkut ihmiset, jotka kilpailevat siitä voi tulla hetkessä tähteä kuluttua taistelu. Kaikki he tarvitsevat on yksi mahdollisuus näyttää, mitä he voivat tehdä. Saat Maryland MMA taistelija Ron “Choirboy” Stallings, että mahdollisuus voi tulla sunnuntai-iltana UFC Fight Night kortti Bostonissa.

Stallings, joka harjoittelee Team Lloyd Irvin Camp Springs, Md., sopi astua sisään viikon varoitusajalla kohtaamaan Uriah Hall sunnuntai-iltana n kortti. Hall on veteraani kausi 18 of “Ultimate Fighter” ja on tunnettu kohokohta kiekon aihiot, erityisesti tämä.

Stallings kuljettaa kirjaa 12-6 hänen taistella Hall jaksoja useita alueellisia järjestöjä ja Strikeforcen Challenger sarjan vyöllä. Hän on, kuitenkin, irtoamassa yksimielisellä päätöksellä tappiota hänen taistella sunnuntai-iltana. Mutta, kun UFC Calling mahdollisuuden, sillä ei ole väliä, jos olet voittanut tai hukannut viimeinen taistelu. Voit hyödyntää sitä.

Useita tiedotusvälineet mainittu Stallings astumalla kohtaamaan Hall, mukaan lukien MMA Fighting ja FOX Sports. Pääsin ulos Stallings henkilökohtaisesti nähdä, jos hän voisi edistää muutamia ajatuksia hänen ensimmäinen UFC ulkonäkö. Jos saan vastauksen, Laitan ne tähän blogiin.

PÄIVITYS: Stallings jakanut ajatuksia kanssani Twitterin kautta perjantai-iltana yhden hänen joukkuetoverinsa, joka käsittelee hänen sosiaalisen median tilejä.

“Kokemus on ollut suuri toistaiseksi ja UFC on kohdellut minua hyvin,” Stallings sanoi. Stallings’ valmentaja, Master Lloyd Irvin, oppinut, että Hallin edellinen vastustaja putosi pois ja otti yhteyttä Sucker Punch Viihde, joka helpotti Stallings astumalla kohtaamaan Hall.

“Tämä mahdollisuus on todella unelma minulle, tiimini ja perheeni. Olen todella odotan taistelevat sunnuntaina,” Stallings sanoi.