Official UFC Event Discussion Thread

Moderator Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 196 Location: MIA

Jon Jones: 'I'm A Better Mixed Martial Artist Than Ryan Bader'

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This Saturday, the UFC light heavyweight division's "next big thing," Jon Jones, will once again be out to prove that the future of the 205 lb. division belongs in his hands.
Jonny "Bones" has cut a path through the light heavyweight division since making his UFC debut in 2008, defeating Andre Gusmao, Stephan Bonnar, Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko. The only blemish on his record is a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill, which came after Jones brutalized "The Hammer" with illegal downward elbow strikes. This Saturday, the Greg Jackson camp product will face arguably his toughest test yet in up-and-coming wrestling powerhouse Ryan "Darth" Bader. Jones recently appeared on Pro MMA Radio (props to MMAMania.com for the transcription), where he discussed his expectations for that upcoming bout, the role his own wrestling will play on fight night and how training with current number one light heavyweight contender Rashad Evans has helped him prepare.

"I definitely think that my wrestling is very underrated," Jones asserted. "I think people consider me as a Greco-Roman wrestler because maybe my frame or maybe it's because I strike a lot and people think that I'll be easy to take down. I have a lot of pride in my wrestling, it's something that I've been doing since I was a 14 year-old boy and now I consider myself a 23-year-old man. I guess I'll have to just keep working and keep proving people wrong. Eventually I think this whole hype train will go away. I'm not gonna say I'm a better wrestler than him, but when it comes to mixed martial arts, I'm a better mixed martial artist than him."

Part of the stout crew at Greg Jackson's New Mexico-based stable of fighters is "Suga" Rashad Evans, a former UFC light heavyweight champ and the next man slated to take on current divisional kingpin Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Jones discussed the added advantage it give him to spar with one of the division's top dogs on a regular basis.

"It's been extremely valuable on so many different levels," Jones said of training with Evans. "Not only is my confidence through the roof because I'm training with the second ranked light heavyweight in the world, but the technique of the fighting. Rashad Evans has a very fast double-leg dive. He has a lot more boxing combinations. He has probably the fastest overhand right in the sport, so my confidence is through the roof. My reaction time is at a really high level, so I'm being able to counter Rashad Evans' punches."

Jones and Bader square off this Saturday night on the main card of UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort, which will take place from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Don't forget to check back at FightLine.com Saturday night for our live and ongoing coverage of the card.

http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2011/0202/536109/jon-jones/

Anderson Silva On Title Defense Against Vitor Belfort: 'A Fight Is A Fight'

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UFC middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva has been described as the best and most sensational fighter on the planet. This weekend, he will face possibly his toughest test yet as divisional ruler in fellow Brazilian Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort. Regardless of the weight and implications of the bout, Silva recently told Sherdog.com that he is approaching this bout as he would any other and the fearsome Belfort as though he were "just another opponent."
"A fight is a fight. I'll do my job, and the best man will win," Silva said of his impending twelfth title defense. "We're preparing to fight and this is another like the others. He's just another opponent. He wants to fight for the title, so here we go!"

Silva and Belfort have been scheduled to fight twice before, but injuries incurred by both men cancelled those earlier bouts. Since they were announced to fight the first time, there has remained a palpable tension between the two, which many speculate has roots back to days they shared training in Brazil. Despite holding what appears to be obvious ill will towards Belfort, Silva has elected to remained mum in regards to their beef, opting instead to focus (at least outwardly) on more meaningful things.

"I'm training to fight. I don't have much to say about Vitor. I'll let people see what is or isn't and what can happen during all of this," he said. "My told me something before she died. She said that the important thing is to train, and that whether or not I succeed in life, my actions as a man, a friend and a son will be what defines me. I'm doing my job."

Having experienced Stateside training for his most recent title defense against Chael Sonnen and finding it to be an inconvenience on many levels, "The Spider" has relocated his training camp for Belfort back to Brazil. He told Sherdog.com that he made the choice for convenience and to stay closer to his family.

"I feel better here, being closer to family and friends," Silva said of training in Brazil. "It's so quiet here. There, things are much harder and everything is too far away."

Silva will attempt to break his own record of most successful title defenses in the UFC this Saturday night when he takes on Belfort in the main event of UFC 126 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Don't forget to check back on FightLine.com for our live, ongoing coverage of the fight card.

http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2011/0202/536115/anderson-silva/

Moderator Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 196 Location: MIA

Best UFC in history? I would say so.

I'm glad that Jones will be fighting Shogun for the belt instead of Rashad. The guy has been dominating all his opponents and took no damage in the fight against Bader.

And Anderson Silva? Pfffff I laugh at people saying he's making a mockery out of the sport. That was the greatest knockout in UFC History!!!

Role Player Joined: 26 Jan 2011 Posts: 277 Location: 954

im assuming that whoever is fighting whoever is going to end up in a gay looking submission.....so whatever, LOL U KNOW ITS TRUE

Moderator Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 196 Location: MIA

No? Did you even watch the gif? Nothing gay about that KO. I agree that in MMA their are A few moments that may seem gay like in wrestling, but that's because You have these fighters that just try to take a guy down, and stay in guard without passing or attempting to KO his opponent, and that is on the Refs as well. The rules state that if both guys are on the ground and no attempt to finish the fight is being done, then the ref MUST stand them up. But the thing is that occasionally you have these fucking retarded Refs that just stand their and watch as if nothing is happening. And theirs nothing the UFC or Strikeforce can do because they don't hire refs or judges, the State Athletic commisions are the ones that hire them.

Role Player Joined: 26 Jan 2011 Posts: 277 Location: 954

I was joking dude...The KO's are sweet and i actually watch MMA occasionally...my comment had to due with the sport overall, not ur gif...i didnt see ur gif....and i was drunk....once again, it was a joke bud

Moderator Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 196 Location: MIA

Oh ok my bad then.

Moderator Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 196 Location: MIA

UFC buying Strikeforce??

Wow talk about having a Monopoly.

Site Admin Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 317

3K wrote:

UFC buying Strikeforce??

Wow talk about having a Monopoly.

That's great news to me if and only if we get to see:

Site Admin Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 317

Hey 3K, what are your thoughts on Jake Shields vs George St. Pierre? I just saw a promo, I don't know too much about GSP, but I do know Shields is a beast.

Moderator Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 196 Location: MIA

WB3 wrote:

Hey 3K, what are your thoughts on Jake Shields vs George St. Pierre? I just saw a promo, I don't know too much about GSP, but I do know Shields is a beast.

Should be a good fight. Probably GSP's toughest fight in a while. Shields is going to do everything he can to take this fight to the ground so it's going to be interesting to see what happens if GSP gets taken down by a guy with grappling skills as elites as Shields. I have GSP winning, but I wouldnt be suprised if Shields takes it either.

And also, nice to see that Mayhem Miller is in the UFC now lol

Site Admin Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 317

3K wrote:

WB3 wrote:

Hey 3K, what are your thoughts on Jake Shields vs George St. Pierre? I just saw a promo, I don't know too much about GSP, but I do know Shields is a beast.

Should be a good fight. Probably GSP's toughest fight in a while. Shields is going to do everything he can to take this fight to the ground so it's going to be interesting to see what happens if GSP gets taken down by a guy with grappling skills as elites as Shields. I have GSP winning, but I wouldnt be suprised if Shields takes it either.

And also, nice to see that Mayhem Miller is in the UFC now lol

Yeah I am so pumped to see Mayhem lol! I know Dana White didn't like him and obviously the Diaz brothers hate him, so it came as a surprise to me. I don't know how long he'll be in UFC, I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see him head back overseas to Japan or something. Hopefully he stays for a while and is successful. He is entertaining as hell and pretty skilled.