UFC on Fox 6 Prelim Recap

Ryan Bader sinks in a guillotine on Vladimir Matyushenko.
Photo via MMAConnected.com.

Simeon Thoreson vs. David Mitchell: This was a surprisingly good back and forth ground battle throughout. I had a feeling heading in that Mitchell’s strength would play a huge part in this fight, and it did. Being a six foot tall welterweight can really help during grappling exchanges. Mitchell pretty easily won the first two rounds but the third was much closer for Thoreson. Good showing by both guys but Mitchell was just too strong.

Possible matchups for Mitchell: Mitchell’s stature and grappling abilities could carry him to a decently successful UFC career. If he wants to continue his rise, he should fight someone with a big name but at the same level as him. Yoshihiro Akiyama is riding a four fight losing streak but is still considered a solid fighter. If Akiyama wants to stay with the UFC he needs to beat Mitchell, and if Mitchell wants to continue up the ranks, he should beat Akiyama.

Possible matchups for Thoreson: This is now two straight losses for Thoreson, which will give him a loser goes home bout his next time out. If he wants to stay with the UFC, he should fight another fighter riding a two fight losing streak. That man would be Papy Abedi.

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer: For a guy taking a fight on about two weeks’ notice, Spencer did a fantastic job in this fight for what he was given. Natal is a very solid fighter, which was shown throughout this fight. Though Spencer had his moments in the first round, Natal was able to control this fight from beginning to end with his much superior grappling. Spencer showed intense toughness as he somehow escaped an Americana that should have snapped his shoulder. Natal eventually synched up the arm triangle and finished from the mount in the third.

Possible matchups for Natal: Following his KO loss to Andrew Craig, Natal was ready to rebound from the devastating loss. He did so successfully with this win over Spencer. Thiago Bodao, a semi-finalist on the first season of TUF Brazil, has yet to make his return after his TKO win at UFC 147 over Leonardo Mafra. These two should fight sometime in the spring.

Possible matchups for Spencer: With his entertaining fighting style and extreme toughness, Spencer is a welcomed addition to the UFC’s middleweight division. Though he was finished in his debut, he deserves another shot in the UFC, as he not only took this fight on short notice but he put up such a fight. Caio Magalhaes, a talented grappler, is coming off of a decision loss in his UFC debut against Buddy Roberts back in June of last year. A bout between these two could prove to be a fun fight, but would ultimately lead to the release of the loser.

Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan: Well, we have an early favorite for comeback of the year with this fight. In in the first round, Russow absolutely obliterated Jordan with shockingly good standup as he nearly finished the Jackson’s MMA product on almost three occasions. Going into the second round, Jordan easily took the fatigued Russow down on multiple occasions and softened him up with some violent ground and pound. Eventually, Jordan got Russow’s back and pounded him out with violent ground and pound for the finish and great comeback. Russow has looked terrible in his last two fights despite looking great in the first round against Jordan. I predict a pink slip forthcoming.

Possible matchups for Jordan: Despite his extremely lackluster loss to Kongo and poor first round against Russow, Jordan is still one of the more promising heavyweights in MMA. Todd Duffee, an even more promising heavyweight prospect, is coming off of a 1^st round KO victory over Phil de Fries in his return to the octagon. A fight between Jordan and Duffee could very well be slugfest in the making.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: I think it’s time for Matyushenko to retire. At 42 years old and riding a two fight losing streak, Vladimir should hang up the gloves. Bader came out hungry and aggressive, landing a left hand that dropped Matyushenko and then choking him out with a guillotine choke. The fight only lasted 50 seconds and is now the fastest submission win in the history of the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

Possible matchups for Bader: Despite this huge win, I’m not going to consider Bader a title contender just yet. He needs one more win over a fellow up and comer if he wants to be mentioned in the title picture. James Te Huna and Ryan Jimmo will be fighting in the near a future and the winner of that should fight Ryan Bader in a fight that will launch the winner into title contention.

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf: Right from the get-go, Krauss easily out-struck Stumpf. Krauss landed tons of quick combinations throughout, even throwing something I’ve never seen before: a superman uppercut. Both times he threw it he landed it very solid. Stumpf did take Krauss down on a few occasions, but Krauss was able to get up and destroy Stumpf on the feet. This now makes Stumpf 0-2 in the UFC against mid-tier competition; he will be released shortly after.

Possible matchups for Krauss: With a very solid all-around game, Krauss is one of the more exciting prospects in the UFC’s welterweight division. Another fighter who is an exciting welterweight prospect is Ben Alloway, who is coming off of a first round front kick KO over Manny Rodriguez at UFC on FX in Australia. Both of these fighters bring a very dynamic standup game but Krauss brings in the better ground game.

Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki: It seems as though Guida is quickly starting to lose his “insanely entertaining” persona. This was a very close grappling match right from the start but Hioki was the more aggressive on the ground, despite being on his back the whole time. Guida took him down on multiple occasions but Hioki consistently threatened with submissions, leading many to believe the Hioki won the fight. It was such a close fight that the last two rounds really could have gone either way. Guida did take the split decision much to the chagrin of many grappling fans.

Possible matchups for Guida: With this huge win in his featherweight debut, Guida is now instantly put into title contention. With solid striking and powerful wrestling, his fighting style is very similar to that of Chad Mendes, who is fighting Manny Gamburyan at UFC 157. The winner of that bout should fight Guida in a potential number one contender’s bout.

Possible matchups for Hioki: A two fight losing streak is never good for anyone, even if you are a title contender like Hatsu Hioki. He desperately needs a rebound fight against a solid competitor. Pablo Garza is coming off of a dominant decision upset win over former title challenger in Mark Hominick. If Hioki wants to stay in the UFC, he needs a win over Garza.

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman: In the fight I was having the most trouble in predicting and saying it was going to be very close, turned out to be a one sided beat down. Grant just absolutely destroyed Wiman with superior striking and takedown defense. Grant continually caught Wiman with hooks and elbows whenever they got in close. Eventually with only about 10 seconds left, Grant dropped Wiman down and knocked him unconscious with ground and pound.

Possible matchups for Grant: With this huge KO win over Wiman, this puts Grant right into the top of the UFC’s lightweight division. I would guess that he is only about 2 wins away from a title shot. I would like to see him fight Gray Maynard and the winner of that is put into a number one contender’s bout. Grant poses a lot of problems for the former title challenger in Maynard.

Possible matchups for Wiman: This was a devastating loss that plummets Wiman down the lightweight ladder. Another fighter who is coming off of a brutal loss is Mark Bocek. Bocek is probably still healing after the brutal beat down that he received from Rafael dos Anjos. Both these guys should fight for a fun lightweight affair.

UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: Speed; the one word that is surrounding this whole title fight. Who will be the faster one? Who will have the advantage on the ground? These are two most important factors entering the fight. And the man to have the advantage in both is the champion, Demetrious Johnson. He has the better footwork, wrestling, and submissions. Dodson has the power to knock anyone at featherweight and under on their butt, but overall, Johnson is the more well-rounded fighter. Keeping distance away and moving in and out of Dodson’s power punches with some takedowns mixed in should be Johnson’s gameplan. It will be an extremely close fight, but Johnson’s superior skills will earn him the nod = Johnson via unanimous decision (48-47). My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: I really try not to fall into hype trains, and mostly fail, but I don’t think that Teixeira is a hype train. He is a legitimate contender and can defeat almost anybody at 205. A year ago, I would have picked Rampage hands down, but his lack of motivation is a turn off. He said he was motivated heading into his fight with Bader, but he was dominated. His heart just isn’t in it anymore, and Teixeira is just heading into his prime = Teixeira via unanimous decision (30-26).

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: BARNBURNER ALERT: When having two of the most entertaining guys in MMA facing off, it typically leads to an amazing fight. When you add in the fact that they really dislike each other and that there’s a title shot on the line, you have yourselves a fight of the year in the works. That is exactly what this fight is. Possibly the most interesting variable heading into this fight is the fact that both of these guys are really good off their back. They love the triangle and are very good at sweeps. One of Cerrone’s last outings against Jeremy Stephens was arguably the most impressive Donald Cerrone that we have ever seen, and he fought with a horrific intestinal problem. If you compare the difference in both Pettis’ and Cerrone’s last fights with Jeremy Stephens, it’s completely different. Pettis arguably lost to Jeremy and Cerrone absolutely destroyed him. Though this is MMA and anything can happen, but Cerrone is just too hard to bet against = Cerrone via split decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: I really, really hope that this is a number one contender’s bout. Lamas derailed Hioki’s title hopes with a shocking (though not to me) decision win over him. Koch is one of the more promising fighters in MMA today, possessing rare finishing ability for a featherweight. Koch’s one blemish to his record comes at the hands of Chad Mendes, a very strong wrestler. Guess what Lamas is. Yep, a very strong wrestler, and arguably stronger than Mendes. Lamas could possibly be the strongest featherweight in the UFC. Lamas’ last three wins are much more impressive than Koch’s. Koch has beaten Francisco Rivera by 1st round TKO (a bantamweight), Raphael Assuncao by 1st round KO (also a bantamweight), and a debatable win over Jonathan Brookins (who is semi-retired at the moment). Lamas murdered Matt Grice by 1st round TKO (a decent wrestler, nothing insane), demolished Cub Swanson by second round arm triangle (who is on a three fight win streak all by (T)KO) and an upset over former number 1 contender in Hatsu Hioki. Also, Koch hasn’t fought in 15 months = Lamas via unanimous decision.

Prelims

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman: I’m having a lot trouble picking between these two guys. Both have looked fantastic lately against very solid competition. It’s fun to see two of the more underrated guys in the UFC fight to finally become someone relevant in the title picture. When breaking down the aspects of MMA, Grant has the advantage overall. His striking is improving rapidly and looked great against Evan Dunham, his wrestling is better and his submission game is very dangerous. Wiman is a bit of a wild card though; he takes everyone by surprise, he certainly did against Paul Sass in his last outing. With them being such similar fighters talent-wise, I’m leaning towards the stronger fighter = Grant via split decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Hatsu Hioki vs. Clay Guida: I don’t really see as to why people are having so much trouble predicting this fight. The last person that Hioki fought was Ricardo Lamas, a strong and powerful wrestler with solid striking. Guida is a strong and powerful wrestler with fantastic striking. Hioki has looked terrible in the UFC thus far (minus his fight with Palaszewski, he looked fantastic) and Guida is almost a better version of Lamas = Guida via unanimous decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: I love Matyushenko but his days are quickly coming to an end. He can’t hang with solid fighters anymore. Bader is still a contender and he will rebound from his last loss to Machida with a violent KO, or a grinding decision = Bader via 1st round KO. MY pick for KOOTN!

Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan: Even though Jordan’s last fight with Kongo was truly one of the worst fights that my eyes have ever beheld, he is still an exciting prospect. He is crazy athletic for a heavyweight, which is always a plus in MMA. Russow is a very different fighter though. He isn’t particularly athletic, but he knows how to get the job done. His superior grappling will grind Jordan out to a decision win. I just hope the UFC keeps Jordan around to show his potential = Russow via unanimous decision.

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss via 1st round submission (armbar). My pick for FOTN!

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal via 3rd round submission.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen via unanimous decision.

Dave's Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: This will be the fastest fight any of us will ever see. These guys might be the fastest fighters in MMA, but I think this fight will be pretty similar to Johnson vs. Benavidez. I see Johnson outwrestling Dodson due to being the faster fighter and having the better wrestling. I do think Dodson will be stronger and have more punching power but other than that I think Johnson has every advantage. This will be close, just like every Johnson fight, but the champ will take it due to superior wrestling and speed. = Johnson by unanimous decision.

Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: This fight should be a brawl. Glover is going to kill Rampage and it’s going to be awesome. Rampage has been easily handled in his last two fights and hasn’t fought in 11 months. Glover hasn’t lost since 2005…and is coming off of two huge wins in the UFC. Be prepared to see a legend of the sport get totally outclassed on the feet and on the ground. This will be brutal and if you are a Rampage fan, this is the fight for you to go to the kitchen and grab another slice of pizza until you hear Goldy say “It’s all over!” = Glover by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: Definitely my pick for Fight of the Night! These guys are elite kick boxers and good on the ground. This fight will be incredibly fun to watch but very hard to predict. Pettis has shown a weakness to strikers and wrestlers who are aggressive and have good submission defense. (Stephens, Guida, Ben Henderson, Palaszewski). Cerrone can struggle against strikers who are diverse in their attacks (like Ben Henderson, Nate Diaz) and Pettis is incredibly diverse in his attack. Pettis hasn’t fought in almost a year and Cerrone’s camp (Jackson) has been studying Pettis for some time now. This is so hard to pick but I’m going with the Jackson camp. = Cerrone by split decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: This is another possible Fight of the Night candidate. Sam and I were the only people picking Lamas against Hioki and he ended up beating him handily. Koch has his work cut out for him due to the fact that Lamas is one hell of a wrestler. Koch’s only loss is to a wrestler (Chad Mendes). My only concern in picking Lamas is that his two loses have been by KO. Koch has the ability to KO anyone at 145 pounds. I think the safer bet is to always go with the fighter most likely to control the fight then it is to pick the fighter that might have a chance at a KO = Lamas by unanimous decision.

Prelims

T.J. Grant vs. Matt Wiman: This fight should be an awesome one as well. Grant should have the better wrestling and striking but Wiman definitely has the better submissions and fight IQ. I think Grant can use his superior size advantage to bully Wiman for 3 rounds but I wouldn’t be shocked if Wiman found a way to win. Both of these guys are highly underrated and I can’t wait to see this one. = Grant by unanimous decision.

Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki: This fight depends solely on Hioki’s takedown defense and submission offense. I see Guida pushing the pace and roughing Hioki up against the fence while Hioki tries to find a submission. This is a very hard fight to pick but I just have not been impressed with Hioki at all since he joined the UFC = Guida by split decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: This fight should be exciting. I am a huge fan of both guys. I think Bader will just be too big and strong for Vlad. I think that Vlad has the chance to KO Bader but I believe Bader will out wrestle Vlad for a decision win = Bader by unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Mike Russow = Jordan by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss by unanimous decision.

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal by split decision.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen by unanimous decision.

Clay Guida Autograph Giveaway!

This is the Prize!!!

Who wants a free Clay Guida autograph?! 

Edited: We are changing it up and making it a holiday giveaway. So, you can receive this as a gift or give it to someone for Christmas. (or a belated Hanukkah gift).

We will be Tweeting about this free giveaway randomly a few times a day. All you have to do is Follow us and Retweet and you will enter a chance to win this free Clay Guida Autograph!

1) Follow us at @Champion_Rounds

2) Each Retweet enters you into the pot 1 time. So Retweet as many times as you want! 100 Retweets = 100 entries!

3) We will pick the winner randomly on the night of December 15th! (CR is paying for shipping!) We will mail it out ASAP for the holidays. So once we announce the winner the winner must respond with their address in a direct message on Twitter.

Happy Holidays guys!

MMA Featherweight Rankings: September Edition

 As we at CR continue our rankings, we are now heading into what many consider the weakest division in the UFC: featherweight. The reason many consider this to be the case is due to the lack of top contenders and talent. I truly believe that this isn’t the case. There are plenty of solid contenders at 145 that have yet to challenge for the title.

Let’s check them out:

Photo via MMAWeekly.com

10. Dustin Poirier – At UFC 125, Josh Grispi was going to be fighting for the belt against Jose Aldo in the first ever featherweight title fight in UFC history. Aldo injured his neck and Poirier stepped in. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. It was very understandable at the time that “The Diamond” was such a monstrous underdog heading into the fight with Grispi. Since that dominating decision win over Grispi, he went on a 3-fight win streak over the likes of Max Holloway, Jason Young, and Pablo Garza. He ended up running into The Korean Zombie in one of the best fights in UFC history, a fight he ultimately lost via 4^th round D’Arce choke. At only 23 years old, Dustin Poirier will inevitably challenge for the featherweight strap.

9. Diego Nunes – Nunes is one of those top guys who is way under appreciated. He is one of the best fighters training out of Nova Uniao (which is saying a lot) and holds one of the most well-rounded games at 145, with a purple belt in BJJ and being mainly known for his striking arsenal. He has now fought four straight top contenders and lost two of them in very close decision losses, especially his fight with Dennis Siver. Nunes deserves more appreciation, I just hope he receives it sooner rather than later.

Photo via MMAWeekly.com

8. Erik Koch – Although his last decision win over Jonathan Brookins was far from spectacular, Erik Koch is one of the best fighters at 145. His KO wins over both Francisco Rivera and Raphael Assuncao further cement that statement. Many people believe that he doesn’t exactly deserve his title shot and I agree, to a certain extent. I believe he has the skills to become a champion in the future, so why rush the opportunity? Let him grow and he will become an even greater fighter.

Photo via MMAFrenzy.com

7. Hatsu Hioki – Many people were really confused when the consensus number-two featherweight in the world decided to turn down a title shot against Jose Aldo. He believed he wasn’t ready, and he was very right. He was then matched up against Ricardo Lamas in what many considered a relatively easy fight for the submission specialist. But, to the surprise of many, Lamas out grappled Hioki en route to a unanimous decision win. Hioki looked amazing in his last win over Bart Palaszewski in Japan, but once he hits American soil, his skills plummet.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

6. Dennis Siver – Siver was on his way to a UFC title shot at 155-lbs. Donald Cerrone took that away with a dominant first round submission win over the German. Siver has always been one of the shorter guys at lightweight, so I personally found the drop to 145-lbs a brilliant idea. Even though he failed to make weight in his first fight at featherweight against Diego Nunes, it was his first fight at featherweight and his first time dropping down (also his Rousimar Palhares body type didn’t help). Diego Nunes is a top guy and that win instantly catapulted him into title contention. His next fight with Eddie Yagin might not get him a title shot, but if he beats Yagin, he will certainly be just one fight away.

There he is!

5. Chan Sung Jung – If The Korean Zombie isn’t one of your favorite fighters; you aren’t a true fan of MMA. Four of his last 5 fights have been “of the year” performances. When he made his Zuffa debut against Leonard Garcia at WE 48, he fought in one of the best fights in MMA history. It ended in controversy with a Garcia win and followed it with a loss to George Roop via 2^nd round KO. Once he made it to the UFC, he really found his grove. He entered the UFC avenging his controversial loss to Garcia with the first ever-performed twister in UFC history. He then pulled of a monstrous upset over Mark Hominick with a 7 second KO, tied for the fastest UFC finish. His most recent win over Dustin Poirier further cemented the fact that he has truly found his grove. He is now most likely going to be fighting the winner of Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

4. Ricardo Lamas – Ricardo Lamas is one of the strongest fighters in the world at 145-lbs. He had a similar resurgence to that of Chan Sung Jung. Once he made his move to the UFC, his career took off. His last fight at 155, and in the WEC, ended with a 1^st round KO at the hands of Yuri Alcantara. He came back with a vicious 1^st round TKO over Matt Grice. It was brutal to say the least. He then dominated Cub Swanson with a win via 2^nd round arm triangle. The guy looks amazing at 145 and he continued his hot streak with a win over Hatsu Hioki, and he was injured!

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

3. Pat Curran – Bellator’s featherweight champion is easily the best fighter they have under contract at the moment. His last two wins over Marlon Sandro and Joe Warren are both KO of the year performances. The head kick he landed on Sandro was picture perfect and his win over Warren was quite literally, and I’m not exaggerating, the most brutal knockout I have ever seen. He landed a solid 20 unanswered knees and punches to the head. It was also one of the latest stoppages (no, it wasn’t Josh Rosenthal) that I have ever seen. In my opinion, if he were to come over to the UFC, he deserves an immediate title shot.

2. Chad Mendes – Mendes is still the one guy at 145 who has the best chance at defeating Aldo for the belt. Yeah, I know he just lost to that same guy by a first round knockout, but his wrestling is fantastic and that was his first loss, so it will certainly be a learning experience for him. His next fight should definitely be a number-1 contender’s match.

Aldo celebrating with his people.

1.Jose Aldo – Aldo has the potential to become the greatest fight of all time. Seriously. His standup is mind-numbingly fast, accurate, and powerful, and yet we haven’t even gotten a full taste of his ground game. There is no doubt that he is a top-5 pound-for-pound fighter and he will most likely become top-3 in the coming years. I’m terrified of the thought of him moving up to 155.

So what did you guys think? Let us know in the comments on what you either agreed on or disagreed on.

CR Exclusive Interview with Ricardo Lamas!

Photo by MMAjunkie.com

Ricardo Lamas is coming off of a huge win after taking a unanimous decision over #2 ranked Hatsu Hioki. Lamas was able to control most of the fight with superior wrestling, striking and great submission attempts. Lamas is now ranked among the top 5 featherweights in the world and is close to getting a title shot. We were able to get an interview with him after his big win. 

Championship Rounds: Hey Ricardo thanks so much for doing this interview. We were really happy to see you win recently. We've been fans of yours for a while. 

We at CR were some of the few that actually picked you to win that fight with Hioki. Do you believe that your underdog status helped motivate you in that fight? 

Ricardo Lamas: I have been the underdog in many of my fights.  Whether I'm the favorite or the underdog, I will train and fight the same way. 

CR: What was your game plan coming into Saturday? How did it work? 

RL: I was fighting with an injury so my game plan was to keep things simple. I think it worked out well.

CR: You said in the post-fight interview with Jon Anik that you have been with Zuffa for years but no one really knows you. How do you believe your win over Hioki has changed people's opinion of you? 

RL: I think it’s opened more people’s eyes and let them see that I can compete and win against the best fighters in the world.  

CR: In my opinion, a win over the number two featherweight in the world catapults you into the top five. Where do you rank yourself at 145? 

RL: I don't rank myself.  Only one spot means anything, and that spot belongs to the person holding the belt.

CR: You really showed off a good ground game against one of the best in the world. How much did you train to prepare for Hioki's masterful BJJ? 

RL: I train with world class jiu jitsu practitioners on a daily basis. What Hioki brought to the fight was nothing that I’ve never seen before.

CR: You are arguably the strongest featherweight in the UFC. How much strength training do you do in camp? 

RL: The first half of my camp is dedicated to a lot of strength training, then the second half is dedicated to more cardio and conditioning. 

CR: Why did you wait to go to featherweight? What made you want to drop down? 

RL: I wanted to drop down much earlier but when I was in the WEC, they told me they would prefer to have me at light weight, so I stayed there.

CR: What was your first martial art? How long have you been training in it? 

RL: I practiced Tae Kwon Do for 3 years. Then when I hit high school, I started wrestling and fell in love with the sport. I have been doing it ever since.

CR: A lot of people, including CR, are saying that you should be fighting the Korean Zombie in your next fight in a #1 contenders match. Any rumors on that?

RL: No rumors yet, still waiting to hear what the UFC has in store for me.

CR: How would you see a fight with the Korean Zombie going?

RL: A fun, bloody war.

CR: If you were to fight Jose Aldo, how do see that fight going? What would be your game plan? 

RL: No game plan, turn it into a brawl and come out of the gates swinging for the fences.

Thanks again! We can't wait for your next fight. 

Keep your eye out for Ricardo Lamas, he is doing big things! Make sure to follow him on twitter at @RicardoLamasMMA!