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Monday, 28 January 2013
Antohny Pettis Reflects On Win Over Cerrone
Anthony talks about earning a title shot in his recent win over Donald Cerrone.
Gilbert Melendez will get UFC lightweight title shot, Dana White promises
Many knowledgeable mixed martial arts experts believe the Strikeforce lightweight champion might be the best 155-pound fighter in the world. But since Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce from Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment in March 2011, has fought just three times and hasn't gotten anywhere near a mega-event.
That is about to change with the demise of Strikeforce after its Jan. 12 show in Oklahoma City. That card will mark the final Strikeforce event as part of an agreement announced earlier this month between Zuffa and Showtime, which televises Strikeforce events.
UFC president Dana White said fighters under contract to Strikeforce would be folded into the UFC. Melendez is injured and unable to defend his title in Oklahoma City next month, so his next fight will be in the UFC.
"We'll see, but we'll probably bring him in and give him a title shot," White said.
As usual, White covered a slew of topics in his post-news conference scrum with reporters. Among the other gems:
• White said the UFC would put an event in Puerto Rico before 2014. The UFC last held an event in Puerto Rico in Bayamon on Feb. 16, 1996.
• He confirmed that he has begun casting for a Mexican version of "The Ultimate Fighter" and said the company is still in talk with networks there about a television deal.
The problem, he said, is not introducing the fans to the sport. Mexicans are notorious boxing fans and White said the UFC's market research has shown that there is plenty of interest among them in mixed martial arts. The issue is reaching what he believes is the proper television deal, which he admitted has been harder than expected to accomplish.
"We're dealing with some of these countries where five families run all of Mexico," White said. " ... Once we get the right deal, I know it will be big [among the Mexican fans]."
• White said the UFC's partnership with Fox and its related networks has been "unbelievable." He said Fox officials kept their promise to him and moved the U.S. version of "The Ultimate Fighter" to Tuesday nights on FX beginning with the debut of Season 17 on Jan. 22.
That season will feature light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen as the coaches.
The UFCs 18-34-year-old male demographic wasn't home to watch Seasons 15 and 16 and the ratings sank dramatically from its pre-FX days on Spike.
"I've said this to you guys a million times, but FX loved us on Friday nights," White said. "But they're good partners and they promised me [they'd change nights if it didn't work out]. They said, 'Let's try to build this on Friday to a point where you're happy with the [ratings]. If it doesn't work out, we'll move you to another night.' And they kept their word."
By going on Tuesday, the UFC will avoid competing directly with Bellator's reality series, which will be held on Thursdays on Spike starting Jan. 17.
• White said 2012 was a good year for the company despite its unbelievable rash of injuries. He said pay-per-view numbers were lower than in 2011, but said the drop wasn't alarming and was not unexpected given the major issues with injuries the company experienced.
TUF 17 Fantasy Preview: Smith Jr. vs. Barnatt
The Ultimate Fighter: Jones vs. Sonnen is now in full swing with 14 fighters officially making the house, and the next round kicks off on Tuesday as Team Jones' Gilbert Smith Jr. takes on Team Sonnen's top pick Luke Barnatt.In their opening fights, Gilbert Smith, who comes from a wrestling and grappling background, dispatched of Eric Wahlin with a powerful arm-triangle choke, while 6'6" Barnatt took care of Nicholas Kohring using his long reach but not without taking some damage along the way, including a noticeably bruised eye.
When the fight was announced, Barnatt mentioned that he hoped to fight a little later in the show due to the bumps and bruises he obtained in the opening bout, but he has no problem being the one with the target on his back as Team Sonnen's No. 1 selection.
While mixed martial arts really is a combination of every form of battle possible, this match-up in a lot of ways comes down to Smith's wrestling and grappling against Barnatt's extreme reach and height advantage.
Even UFC President Dana White noted the huge difference in Barnatt's size compared to Smith, who stands just 5'9", giving up a whopping nine inches in height to British-born fighter Luke Barnatt.
"I don't know why Jon would pick a guy with such height and reach advantages," White said.
What Smith has going for him is a wealth of wrestling and ground experience, having won four fights by way of submission in his career. He's also worked a lot in the past with UFC middleweight Chris Camozzi, who possesses a dangerous stand-up game of his own and stands 6'3" so Smith has sparred with plenty of fighters bigger than him.
On the flipside, Luke Barnatt is a newcomer to MMA by all comparisons, having started training about three years ago with no previous work in martial arts, and looks like the fighter who will do everything in his power to keep this fight standing with his long reach and powerful jab.
Barnatt's ground game isn't suspect though because he's trained many long hours under UFC welterweight John Maguire, the master of Gypsy Jiu-Jitsu, and with the long legs at 6'6" tall, he could use those in a similar fashion to what 7-foot heavyweight Stefan Struve does to his opponents any time he's on his back.
Leading into this fight, Smith has a slight advantage because of his ground game and wrestling, which unfortunately Barnatt just hasn't had the time to master yet in his young stage of development in MMA, and he's coming in a little more beat up than his opponent. Look for Smith to target Barnatt's black eye if he's smart, because if an opponent's vision is even slightly impaired, he could be just a second slower seeing that crucial punch coming in at him.
Don't doubt however that Barnatt could give his opponent fits if Smith can't get inside in the opening moments and take this fight to the ground. It's a toss up fight, and though the odds seem slightly in Gilbert Smith's favor, Barnatt's scrappy attitude and exceedingly long reach could carry him to a win here.
To play in the TUF Fantasy Tournament, visit fantasy.ultimatefighter.com
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/TUF-17-Fantasy-Preview-Smith-vs-Barnatt
UFC ON FOX 6 PREVIEW: Penick's breakdown and predictions for "Johnson vs. Dodson" event in Chicago
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC returns to Chicago on Saturday night, bringing a Fox event to the United Center for the second straight year. Saturday's card is headlined by a Flyweight Championship bout, but fan interest seems to be focused more on the lightweight bout between Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone, as well as Rampage Jackson's expected final UFC bout. All four fights on the main card should provide plenty of action, and we'll start today's preview with the main event:
Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson vs. John Dodson (Flyweight Championship)
"Mighty Mouse" has taken what made him successful at bantamweight and improved upon it in the 125 lb. division. His wrestling game is explosive at times, and he's brought his striking game up a notch from where it was at even a year ago. He's a tough puzzle to figure out for his opponents, because he's hard to hit consistently, he's very durable, and he's nearly impossible to keep down for significant periods of time.
What he is not is a dynamic finisher. He doesn't have any discernible power, and though he's won a number of fights by submission, those wins haven't come against top end competition.
Contrast that with Dodson, who absolutely has stopping power in the flyweight division, as he's shown in two of his three fights in the UFC. He's just as fast, if not faster, than Johnson, and he's got decent enough abilities in the grappling department. Now, five rounds is a lot of time for him to try connecting on a knockout strike, but Johnson has taken some fairly decent shots at times in his career, and he's continued fighting on. His wrestling and grappling game is more suited for this five round fight than is Dodson, and if he can avoid getting hit with a major shot, this is his fight to win. I just can't see Dodson scoring a finish on Saturday, and I think Johnson will make his first successful title defense.
PREDICTION: Johnson via unanimous decision
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira (Light Heavyweight)
Jackson fights for what he says will be the last time in the UFC, taking on a fast-rising contender in Brazil's Glover Teixeira. Many believe this to be set up as a star making opportunity for Teixeira, who destroyed Kyle Kingsbury in his debut and demolished Fabio Maldonado en route to a doctor's stoppage in his second UFC bout.
Teixeira's a violent, heavy handed striker, but he's not the technical marvel his most ardent supporters would like to suggest. He leaves himself open to counters and often telegraphs his strikes, which could be an issue against a counter-striker like Rampage.
That said, we haven't seen much from Rampage over the last several years of his UFC career, and he hasn't stopped a fight since knocking out Wanderlei Silva at the end of 2008. It's impossible to suggest he'll show up at his best given his history, a lengthy layoff after knee surgery, and the fact that he's simply ready to be done with the UFC.
More than likely, Teixeira will look to take Jackson down if he can't put him there with his striking on the feet. From there, the ground and pound comes into play, and that's where Jackson could be in a lot of trouble. I don't know that Teixeira stops Rampage, because it hasn't happened in some time from strikes, but I think it's entirely possible, and I'll lean towards a finish on the ground in the second.
PREDICTION: Teixeira via TKO in the second round
Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone (Lightweight)
This could very well be the best fight of the night, with two fantastically entertaining lightweights squaring off for a chance to move that much closer to title contention. Pettis spent the majority of 2012 recovering from shoulder surgery after a beautiful head kick KO over Joe Lauzon in February, while Cerrone bounced back from a loss to Nate Diaz to take out Jeremy Stephens and Melvin Guillard in succession.
Both fighters possess effective and exciting striking games, Pettis' being the more unique of the two, while Cerrone might have more of an effective track record. They're also considerably skilled on the ground, with 19 submission wins between the two of them.
There's certainly concern on Pettis' part that the layoff could have a negative effect on him, and it certainly halted his momentum after the Lauzon fight, but he's gotten himself fully healthy and feels he's added new weapons to his arsenal as well. Cerrone's been impressive for much of his UFC run, but he's always hit a ceiling in major fights, and despite the considerable skills he brings to the cage, Pettis is just a bit better in every aspect of the game.
Pettis has an edge in the striking game, and I'd give him an edge on the ground if it gets there as well. This is his chance to move close to a title fight, if not wait one out, and I think he gets it done in an exciting return to action.
PREDICTION: Pettis via TKO in the second round
Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas (Featherweight)
Another Roufusport fighter coming off a lengthy layoff returns with a drive to get back into title contention, as Erik Koch looks to move past Ricardo Lamas. Koch was scheduled to face Jose Aldo last year before injuries to both fighters ultimately opened the door for Frankie Edgar, and Koch fights for the first time since September of 2011.
Lamas has been very impressive in the UFC, winning all three of his fights in the Octagon and capping that run off by taking out Hatsu Hioki, who had been as highly ranked as #2 in the division before that matchup.
Koch won both of his fights in the UFC in 2011, moving his run to four straight with his WEC run included. His sole loss came by decision against current #2 Chad Mendes in the WEC, and he brings a diverse and multi-faceted attack into his return. Koch was a grappler first, but has shown off a knack for the striking game as well with consecutive KOs over Francisco Rivera and Raphael Assuncao.
Lamas has skills on the feet as well, though he's certainly a better grappler, and stylistically the two of them match up rather well. It could be a toss up, but I really like Koch's skill set and think he comes back with a vengeance after the layoff.
PREDICTION: Koch via KO in the second round
=====Preliminary Card Quick Picks=====
-T.J. Grant over Matt Wiman via decision
-Hatsu Hioki over Clay Guida via submission in the second round
-Ryan Bader over Vladimir Matyushenko via KO in the first round
-Mike Russow over Shawn Jordan via decision
-Pascal Krauss over Mike Stumpf via decision
-Rafael Natal over Sean Spencer via decision
-Simeon Thoresen over David Mitchell via submission in the first round
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/penickstake/article_15721.shtml
UFC interim champ Renan Barao's coach prefers title shot, but doesn't want to wait
Barao coach Pederneiras would prefer title shot, but doesn't want fighter to wait Nova Uniao leader and coach Andre Pederneiras on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com he's waiting on UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby's call to tell him when and where UFC interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao is fighting next.
"If I had a choice, I would rather Renan fight Dominick (Cruz), but I don't want to wait too long," Pederneiras said.
Dan The Sandman Christison Logan The Pink Pounder Clark Steve The Snake Claveau Rich No Love Clementi
UFC on FOX 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Attendance/Gate
UFC on FOX 6: Johnson vs. Dodson took place Saturday night at the United Center in Downtown Chicago, IL. For the second straight January in a row, the UFC has sold out the ‘Madhouse On Madison’ and has filled the building to the rafters. According to the UFC, 16,091 Fans attended the event on Saturday netting a gate of $1.270,000.
The post UFC on FOX 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Attendance/Gate appeared first on Fighters.com.
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