If Cruz takes out Johnson, there?s a long line of contenders waiting for him

If Cruz takes out Johnson, there?s a long line of contenders waiting for him

The storm is brewing down at 135 pounds. The veterans are probably jockeying for one final shot at Dominick Cruz, and then there's going to be an unfusion of young fighters in the next 18 months.

First Cruz has to successfully defend his title his this weekend against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Versus 6. After that, who the heck knows.

Bloody Elbow did a nice job of listing some of the big fights upcoming in the bantamweight division. It looks like the winner of the UFC 139 fight between Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles will get the next shot at Cruz. Then there's these scheduled matchups:

Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen (UFC 137) - This is a big fight for Curran. The 34 year old veteran has fought everywhere - Pride, the UFC, WEC - and is 4-1 since leaving the WEC in 2009. A win here could move him right into title contention, largely because he would make a new name at the top. Jorgensen looked great in his last fight, and will hope for another spectacular finish here.

Brad Pickett vs. Renan Barao (UFC 139) - Pickett has been out this year due to injury, but he's on a great 10-1 run that includes his claim as the only man to defeat Demetrious Johnson. A Pickett win here and a Johnson win would give Pickett a strong argument for a title shot. As for Berao, he lost his MMA debut, but in the 27 fights and over 6 years since that debut, he's never been defeated again. That's an impressive run.

On this list of future contenders posted by Bloody Elbow, who has the best chance of getting in line after Faber or Bowles? Here's our take:

Joe Benavidez: It seems unlikely that he'd get a third shot at Cruz and he's got to be a shoo-in as one of the first fighters to challenge for the new UFC 125-pound title coming in 2012.

Michael McDonald: He's 20 and will be brought along slowly. That said, in the next 18 months he has a chance to be where 22-year-old Rory McDonald is in the welterweight division and Anthony Pettis, 24, is at lightweight.

Miguel Torres - It looks like Torres has a long road back to contender status. Once 36-1, the 30-year-old veteran has lost 3-of-5 and may be stuck in the role of fighting some young guns for the next year or so. Up next is 24-year-old Nick Pace at UFC 139.

Takeyu Mizugaki - The Japanese slugger looked better than ever in destroying Cole Escovedo at UFC 135, but if he can't win a big fight he'll be stuck in the No. 5-10 range for the foreseeable future. Mizugaki is 0-4 against Faber, Torres, Jorgensen and Bowles.

BE points out nicely that no one should overlook Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter" either. The winner and runner-up from the TUF 14 Finale could be throw right into the mix with the veterans. That dude wins three or four fights coming out of the gates, and he'll be mentioned with the elite. There's some exciting things on the horizon at 135.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/If-Cruz-takes-out-Johnson-there-s-a-long-line-o?urn=mma-wp7478

Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga

Anthony Johnson is trying to turn the corner with his new camp

Anthony Johnson is trying to turn the corner with his new camp

Anthony Johnson has always been guy with a massive potential, but between weight cutting issues and the lack of a well-rounded game, he hasn't been able to breakthrough. Now might be the time to keep an eye on the 27-year-old.

We get our first look at the revitalized Johnson (9-3, 6-3 UFC) this Saturday against Charlie Brenneman on the UFC on Versus 6 card in Washington, D.C.

Johnson picked up new management early in 2011 and then made the wise move of joining what appears to be the next elite camp on the horizon - Imperial Athletics.

The south Florida camp was started by a crew of Brazilians who were unhappy with their old team American Top team. Now with an infusion of American fighters, including Johnson, Imperial is helping to shore up the weakness of various fighters.

For Johnson it means gaining more respect for takedown defense and his jiu-jitsu game.

"At one point, I can't lie, I couldn't stand jiu-jitsu. I did it, but if you don't have a passion for something, you're not going to be good at it. Now my passion for jiu-jitsu is picking up, so now my jiu-jitsu game is improving a lot," Johnson said. "It's all about if you want to be good or if you don't. If you want to be an average fighter or an average person in life, that's what you're going to be. I don't want to be labeled as a one-dimensional fighter."

He gets to work on his ground game with black belts like Jorge Santiago and Danillo Villefort. Fellow African-Americans Rashad Evans and Michael Johnson also train at Imperial and have now come to call themselves "The Blackzilians."

Johnson is becoming a smarter fighter. He heard a rash of crap from the fans in Oakland for his measured attack in a win over Dan Hardy at Ultimate Fight Night 24. He doesn't care if it leads to wins.

"I don't give a [expletive] what anybody has to say about how I fight, because at the end of the day, they're either going to watch me or they aren't. They're either going to love me or they're going to hate me, so I'm going to continue to be me," said Johnson. "If I say I'm going to punch you in the eye, I might not punch you in the eye; I might kick you in your leg, you know what I mean? I'm going to always do the unexpected."

Johnson saw the light around one his most heated fights. He and Josh Koscheck went at it during the prefight lead up to their bout at UFC 106. Koscheck took him down, controlled him on the ground and mocked him throughout the fight. As a result, something clicked with Johnson.

"I learned a lesson from the Koscheck fight. Don't fall into the hype; that's what you don't do. You don't believe everything somebody says they're going to do. That's what makes you a mixed martial artist ? being prepared in every aspect of the game."

Now Johnson is taking a respectful approach to Brenneman.

"Charlie has a good chin, a good style of fighting. I actually really like his style; he has a nice little swagger when it comes down to fighting, and he puts it together really well. I don't have any doubts in Charlie at all. I think he can do anything he wants to do, but when he's fighting somebody like me, it's going to be a lot tougher," said Johnson.\

Brenneman is a great test for Johnson. He's a relentless takedown artist. If Johnson's takedown defense isn't up to snuff he'll lose a decision.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Anthony-Johnson-is-trying-to-turn-the-corner-wit?urn=mma-wp7523

Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope 

Kenny Florian Beats Jose Aldo in Soccer Competition Prior to UFC 136

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HOUSTON -- MMA Fighting spoke to Kenny Florian on Thursday about his UFC 136 fight against Jose Aldo, how his soccer skills stack up to Aldo's, why he dropped down to 145, his weight cut, fighting Aldo and more.

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/06/kenny-florian-beats-jose-aldo-in-soccer-competition-prior-to-ufc/

Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello

Jon Jones facing six-month medical suspension without doctor?s clearance

It appears top 205-pound contender Rashad Evans may have to wait a big longer than anticipated in terms of finally getting his crack at UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones after the list of UFC 135 medical suspensions surfaced earlier today. According to Colorado?s regulatory board, Jones could be sidelined for six months as the result [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/27/jon-jones-facing-six-month-medical-suspension-without-doctor%e2%80%99s-approval

Ian Freeman Don Frye Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita

Joe Lauzon: 'I Think Jiu-Jitsu Is a Much Smarter Way to Fight'

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HOUSTON -- MMA Fighting spoke to Joe Lauzon on Thursday about his UFC 136 fight against Melvin Guillard, whether he was surprised he was booked against Guillard, what he needs to do to get back on track, how to beat Guillard and more.

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/10/06/joe-lauzon-i-think-jiu-jitsu-is-a-much-smarter-way-to-fight/

Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez

Wiman takes rematch with Danzig at UFC on VS 6

Wiman takes rematch with Danzig at UFC on VS 6

The rematch of their controversial fight ended with the same result, as Matt Wiman won a decision over Mac Danzig at UFC on Versus 6 in Washington D.C. Saturday night. It was scored 29-28 on all three judges' cards.

In a round with nonstop action, Wiman started by using a leg kick for a takedown, but when Danzig got to his feet, he punished Wiman with short strikes. Wiman came back with leg kicks and short elbows, while Danzig answered with good movement and strikes. Both fighters had bloody faces by the the time the first round ended.

Wiman showed off great grappling technique in the second, grabbing Danzig's arm for a Kimura. He came close to finishing, but Danzig got out and threw a flurry of punches. Wiman tried for another Kimura, but couldn't get it and the fight stood back up. At that point, the two matched each other strikes for strike.

By the third, the two slowed down but still gave another good round. After they again matched up in striking, Wiman tried to take Danzig down, but ended up with Danzig on top of him. As Wiman tried to stand up, Danzig mounted Wiman's back. With both fighters covered in sweat, Wiman slipped Danzig off of him, and used the top position to land tons of strikes. With his face covered in blood, Danzig worked his way back to his feet. In the last 10 seconds of the bout, Danzig dropped down and grabbed a guillotine, but Wiman flashed a thumbs up to show that he was in no danger of tapping.

Wiman won their first fight at UFC 115 with a technical submission, though Danzig never tapped and wasn't in danger of being choked out. Though it was a close fight, Danzig's win closes the book on his rivalry with Danzig, and allows him to move up in the UFC's stacked lightweight division.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Wiman-takes-rematch-with-Danzig-at-UFC-on-VS-6?urn=mma-wp7610

Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović

If Cruz takes out Johnson, there?s a long line of contenders waiting for him

If Cruz takes out Johnson, there?s a long line of contenders waiting for him

The storm is brewing down at 135 pounds. The veterans are probably jockeying for one final shot at Dominick Cruz, and then there's going to be an unfusion of young fighters in the next 18 months.

First Cruz has to successfully defend his title his this weekend against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Versus 6. After that, who the heck knows.

Bloody Elbow did a nice job of listing some of the big fights upcoming in the bantamweight division. It looks like the winner of the UFC 139 fight between Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles will get the next shot at Cruz. Then there's these scheduled matchups:

Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen (UFC 137) - This is a big fight for Curran. The 34 year old veteran has fought everywhere - Pride, the UFC, WEC - and is 4-1 since leaving the WEC in 2009. A win here could move him right into title contention, largely because he would make a new name at the top. Jorgensen looked great in his last fight, and will hope for another spectacular finish here.

Brad Pickett vs. Renan Barao (UFC 139) - Pickett has been out this year due to injury, but he's on a great 10-1 run that includes his claim as the only man to defeat Demetrious Johnson. A Pickett win here and a Johnson win would give Pickett a strong argument for a title shot. As for Berao, he lost his MMA debut, but in the 27 fights and over 6 years since that debut, he's never been defeated again. That's an impressive run.

On this list of future contenders posted by Bloody Elbow, who has the best chance of getting in line after Faber or Bowles? Here's our take:

Joe Benavidez: It seems unlikely that he'd get a third shot at Cruz and he's got to be a shoo-in as one of the first fighters to challenge for the new UFC 125-pound title coming in 2012.

Michael McDonald: He's 20 and will be brought along slowly. That said, in the next 18 months he has a chance to be where 22-year-old Rory McDonald is in the welterweight division and Anthony Pettis, 24, is at lightweight.

Miguel Torres - It looks like Torres has a long road back to contender status. Once 36-1, the 30-year-old veteran has lost 3-of-5 and may be stuck in the role of fighting some young guns for the next year or so. Up next is 24-year-old Nick Pace at UFC 139.

Takeyu Mizugaki - The Japanese slugger looked better than ever in destroying Cole Escovedo at UFC 135, but if he can't win a big fight he'll be stuck in the No. 5-10 range for the foreseeable future. Mizugaki is 0-4 against Faber, Torres, Jorgensen and Bowles.

BE points out nicely that no one should overlook Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter" either. The winner and runner-up from the TUF 14 Finale could be throw right into the mix with the veterans. That dude wins three or four fights coming out of the gates, and he'll be mentioned with the elite. There's some exciting things on the horizon at 135.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/If-Cruz-takes-out-Johnson-there-s-a-long-line-o?urn=mma-wp7478

Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo  Jeff Big Frog Curran

Rashad Evans Issues Statement on Getting Replaced by Lyoto Machida

Early reports on Wednesday suggested Rashad Evans (Pictured) would finally get the opportunity to settle his beef with friend-turned-foe Jon Jones at UFC 140. However, UFC president Dana White quickly killed that chatter after it was discovered Evans? surgically-repaired right hand wouldn?t allow him to answer the bell. Jones is now slated to defend his [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/91507/rashad-evans-issues-statement-on-getting-replaced-by-lyoto-machida/

Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen 

Dana White Talks UFC 136, Middleweight & Lightweight Title Pictures, Gilbert Melendez, Matt Hughes, Dual Events & More

Rundown of news and notes from Dana White’s chat with reporters following today’s UFC 136 press conference. Also, Dana White’s interviews with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani and Heavy.com’s Megan Olivi. ? Dana White doesn’t seem to mind that Spike TV is countering their UFC on FOX debut and other shows down the road. The way [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/I0RsDr18jcE/

Stav Crazy Bear Economou  Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo

Jones shares his big moment with his flooded hometown

Jones shares his big moment with his flooded hometown

Jon Jones experienced the most triumphant moment of his career on Saturday night, defending the light heavyweight championship with a fourth-round submission of former champ Quinton Jackson. He could have savored the moment and made it all about him, but instead he talked about his beleaguered hometown.

Saying, "Endicott, New York, my heart goes out to you," Jones mentioned the flooding that has hit New York state hard. Endicott, which is near Binghamton in the southern part of the state, is rebuilding now after floods in the wake of Hurricane Irene forced evacuations. Water covered the town in a scene that was described as surreal.

While in the Octagon, Jones asked for fans to make donations to help with the clean-up. Through a representative, he recommended the Broome County Council of Churches, who is working to clean up the area. Make a donation here.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Jones-shares-his-big-moment-with-his-flooded-hom?urn=mma-wp7382

Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie