UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes Retires

When I saw that Matt Hughes had retired I felt many emotions. I felt old, upset, sad and happy. I started watching UFC and MMA when I was 10 years old back in 1996. I went to a friend’s house and his mom dropped us off at a video rental store and I rented UFC 1 on VHS. I already liked boxing and amateur wrestling and to see the combination of the two was surreal and blew my mind. Then I saw a small man named Royce Gracie totally dominate all of these behemoths and made it look easy. That is when I started to love Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well.

At first I was more in love with the sport as a whole. I liked some fighters like Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture but never had a “favorite fighter”. I grew up a Buffalo Bills fan (still am one) and had a favorite player in Jim Kelly. I have been a Yankees fan all my life and Paul O’Neill was my guy. But I never had that same connection with a fighter until I saw Matt Hughes fight at UFC 34: High Voltage back in 2001. I saw Hughes fight a few times before on earlier UFC cards but never noticed him too much. This fight left me stunned. He was a normal smaller regular guy like me. I saw myself in him. I am also a relaxed nice religious kid and was astonished at what this “ordinary” man could do. He was fighting Carlos Newton for the UFC Welterweight Championship and Hughes was the challenger. Newton had looked phenomenal going into this fight so I thought he would submit Hughes like he did with Hughes’ coach Pat Miletich when he won the title. I was wrong. Hughes came in and literally threw Newton around the cage. The fight ended when Matt picked Newton up in a power-bomb formation and slammed Newton down so hard he was completely knocked out. I had never seen anything like that in my life. I couldn’t believe anyone his size had the strength to do that.

Going into that fight was a very strange time in my life. The attacks on September 11^th had just happened and living right outside a major city (Chicago) made me and everyone else feel uncomfortable. There were so many talks about possible attacks on the Sears tower and other areas. I was constantly worried because my dad worked downtown everyday and it was just a dark time. Watching Hughes took my mind off of that tragedy. I had a new hero. I became hooked and started following his career like white on rice. One of my greatest experiences I ever had was when I was wrestling in high school and made it to the State Finals. It was held at Eastern Illinois University; the same college Matt Hughes attended. I got to wrestle on the same mats Matt Hughes wrestled on throughout his days. That was incredible and I will never forget it.

His career became a great one to follow because he finished almost everyone he fought. He put on exciting fights and was a great ambassador for the sport. He used his wrestling, ground and pound and submission skills to easily handle everyone. Then he lost to BJ Penn back at UFC 46 and I was devastated. But that loss gave me a chance to see the true heart of a champion when he made his way back to being champion and then defended it multiple times. Especially in his second fight against Frank Trigg. Trigg kneed Hughes in the groin and the ref made a move to pause the fight but then retracted and Hughes was almost knocked out but somehow came back and choked out Trigg and this all happened in just the 1^st round.

Then the UFC announced the fight between Hughes and Royce Gracie. I had to pinch myself to make sure I was awake. I had dreamt of this fight. I had hypothetically talked about it for years. Who would win? It would answer which martial art is superior: wrestling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? When the fight happened at UFC 60 I honestly thought it would be a close technical grappling match. But instead Hughes absolutely destroyed Gracie and brutally TKO’d him in the 1^st round. I was so stunned by the fight that my reaction was delayed. I literally could not believe what I just saw.

Then he had his rematch with B.J. Penn. I was so scared for this fight and had good reason to be. In the early going Hughes was caught in a tight triangle but somehow survived and eventually the round ended. Hughes went on to dominate Penn and eventually got the stoppage when he trapped Penn in a crucifix position and rained down punches until the ref had seen enough. I watched the fight from the back corner of the room with my hand of my eyes. I yelled so loud in elation that I lost my voice.

Hughes went on to have a few loses and then a short resurgence in his career. But lost his last two fights to Penn and Koscheck both by KO in the 1^st round. That is the only reason I am happy about Hughes retiring. I don’t want him to have brain issues later in life because he took too much damage at the end of his career.

Hughes is now going to be working for the UFC as Vice President of Athlete Development and Government Relations. This is a perfect role for Hughes and I am so glad he will still be involved with the sport.

I only wish he went through his prime now so that everyone could appreciate him the way he should be appreciated. The main part of Hughes’ career was already complete by the time the UFC hit it big. I am so glad I was able to witness his career as it happened. Matt Hughes will forever by my favorite fighter and a personal hero of mine.

Congrats Matt on a wonderful career.

Fighter Sponsorship Campaign

We here at CR are trying to raise funds so that we can sponsor a fighter on Indiegogo (Click here to see campaign). Our Indiegogo campaign says "UFC Fighter" but that is just so the average person who may not know what a "Mixed Martial Artist" or "MMA Fighter" is can identify with what we are trying to do. We want to sponsor in either Bellator or UFC (or if another great opportunity comes up we will go with that.) We will literally sponsor any fighter as long as it benefits both parties.

If you are a fighter, agent or anyone interested or have questions please look at our campaign and then contact us at cr_mma@yahoo.com

We are only raising about $1,800 and no more. If you contribute there are amazing perks that you can receive in return for helping out. Those are listed on our campaign page. Please spread the word and help us complete one of our dreams.

For those who do not understand what we are trying to do understand that every fighter has to pay to train before fights plus they have their everyday expenses and bills. So, after getting paid after their fight they usually do not have much money left over except from their sponsors. We want to be one of those sponsors so that we can help a fighter and contribute to this great sport. This will also help us advertise and reach a greater audience. This would be a dream come true for us. 

Again please visit this website www.indiegogo.com/crmma and help us out.

MFC Signs UFC Vet Jay Silva; 36th Event Taking Shape

Jay Silva pounding Kendall Grove.
Photo via Superior Cage Combat

The MMA world’s largest Canadian based promotion continues its growth with the signing of UFC, Bellator, and KSW veteran in Jay Silva. The middleweight is coming off of a very close majority decision loss to Poland’s Michal Materla back in May of this year. But before that, Silva was coming off of a huge upset submission win over The Ultimate Fighter season 3 winner, Kendall Grove in a highlight reel submission win by arm triangle.

But his opponent at MFC 36 is no easy one. Jacen Flynn, a veteran of the sport since 1999, is a tough-as-nails competitor with an impressive resume including first round submissions over Pride and UFC vet Denis Kang, journeyman Hank Weiss twice, and Edwin Dewees. His ground game is solid but Silva isn’t exactly the easiest fighter to submit, considering he hasn’t been submitted in his career despite fights with CB Dollaway, Jaime Jara, and Kendall Grove.

Maximum Fighting continues its middleweight matchups for its 36^th event with a bout between Jason Zentgraf and Luke Harris. This bout is bound to produce both fireworks and some crazy scrambles on the ground as they only have gone to one decision between the two of them and have 14 first round submission wins combined.

Harris, coming off a first round TKO loss at the hands of the underappreciated Joseph Henle, is looking to get back on track after an impressive run in a nine fight unbeaten streak. Jason Zentgraf, on the other hand, looks to continue to a four fight win streak at MFC 36.

The card is still in the works, though it will be headlined by lightweights Mukai Maromo and Graham Spencer for the MFC lightweight title.

The event will be held on AXS TV on February 15^th at 10 PM ET and held at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

Go purchase your tickets at www.maximumfighting.com.

RECHARGED: Shogun vs. Vera

Shogun Rua and Brandon Vera

Hello everyone! This is a new segment in which we are going to be posting your cure for the Mondays. It’s going to be a quick article on what to look forward to this week in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Who’s ready to get recharged?

This week in MMA holds two very exciting cards for both casual and hardcore fans alike.

The first of the two is XFC 19, which is being held in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is headlined by the always-tough Mike Bronzoulis, who is coming off a 2^nd round KO over Danny Salinas, against UFC vet, Corey Hill, who himself is coming off a quick anaconda choke victory over Darryl Madison. The co-feature of this event is between the popular, and the very beautiful, Felice Herrig against the underrated Simona Soukapova. This fight guarantees fireworks. The last bout I want to mention is between “Notorious” Nick Newell and David Mays. Nick Newell boasts an undefeated record of 7-0 with 6 of his wins coming within the first stanza.

He also just happens to have only one fully functioning arm. Yes, one. And he’s undefeated! Pretty amazing if you ask me (our interview with him earlier this year).

The other event the following day happens on Fox, which features light heavyweights Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon Vera. A lot of people aren’t giving Vera a chance to win this fight, as he is 1-3 in his last four (if you count the Thiago Silva fight), but you should never count someone out in MMA. It is also co-headlined in another light heavyweight tilt that features former UFC champ Lyoto Machida and TUF winner Ryan Bader in a fight that could go either way.

We also welcome three new additions to the UFC roster as flyweight newbies Ulysses Gomez and John Moraga face off in the opening showdown. And Muay Thai specialist, Wagner Prado looks to make a huge splash at 205 pounds as he and Phil Davis look to cement themselves as top guys in the light heavyweight division.

Other events this week in chronological order: Reality Fighting: Battle at the Beach 2012, CES MMA: Far Beyond Driven, KOTC: Sudden Strike, Fightworld Cup 12, Warriors Realm 14, UVC 20: Clash at the Coliseum, Champion Pro MMA Fights, FFC 1: The Beginning, and Pancrase: Progress Tour 9.

UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen 2 Predictions

Dave's Picks


Main Card

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen: So, here we go! Chael Sonnen is an amazing wrestler and a polarizing person. Anderson Silva is the best striker in MMA and a captivating one. This will be remembered as one of the best rivalries ever in MMA history. Let me inform you all that if Sonnen wins, the UFC will have a new face for their brand, whether they like it or not. Sonnen will bring the spotlight on himself and there will be no stopping him. I could see him refusing to fight anyone for over a year so he can keep doing media tours. I truly believe that Sonnen could either bring in a ton of fans or alienate 99% of the casual fan base. It is going to be chaos. If Silva wins he will still be the best fighter in UFC history and the best fighter alive on the planet right now. It is completely obvious that Sonnen needs to take this to the floor and Anderson needs to keep it standing. If Anderson is healthy, unlike last time, and Chael doesn’t have 17 times the testosterone of a normal man (he did steroids before their last fight) then Silva should win. I think this fight will be completely different. I think ,and hope, Silva ends this freakish parade. = Silva by TKO in round 3. My Pick for KO of the Night! My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz: Uhg. That’s a grunting sigh. This is Tito Ortiz’s last MMA fight. It is a good fight to end his career because this will be the rubber match of their trilogy. Both fights were pretty close and the decisions could have gone either way. But Tito will retire after this. So, that leads me to believe he will go all out and try and kill Forrest. Sadly, I truly think that is how you beat Forrest. Blitz him and aim for his chin. Forrest’s chin has faded quickly over the years of abuse and Tito does have the strength to rock him and then finish him off with a few big bombs on the ground. Forrest should play it smart and force Tito up against the cage and lands knees to the body. If Forrest does anything else, he is fighting a fight he has a greater chance of losing. Anything could happen here. = Forrest by extremely close split decision.

Patrick Cote vs. Cung Le: Patrick Cote makes his return to the Octagon for the first time since 2010 to take on Cung Le who is making his sophomore octagon attempt. Cote has had a bizarre up and down UFC career where he started his UFC career off by losing 3 straight. Cote then ended up a finalist of the fourth season of TUF and he lost in the finale to Travis Lutter making that 4 straight. Cote then won 4 straight and that earned him a chance to face off against Anderson Silva for the title. It was a mismatch but Cote ended up losing because his own knee blew out in the third round. He then lost two more which made that a 3 fight losing skid. Cote has then gone on to win 4 in a row outside the UFC. Cung Le is a great kick boxer but is coming off a vicious KO loss at the hands of Wanderlei Silva. Cote is primarily a boxer and Le might actually have the grappling advantage here. But Le is 40 years old and his days of fighting high level guys are done. I know it is only one loss to Wanderlei Silva but I think Cote is going to be able to pick Le apart and win a dominating decision. = Cote by unanimous decision.

Dong Hyun Kim vs. Demian Maia: One of the other difficult fights to call on this card. Kim is a great fighter with good grappling and strength but this time he will have a better grappler who is coming down from a bigger weight class. I am not sure who will be stronger but Kim has been much more dependable and consistent. Maia burst onto the UFC scene in 2007 and destroyed 5 straight people all by submission including a first round beating of Chael Sonnen. But he has gone 4-4 since then and his wins were not very spectacular and against lower level competition. This is also Maia’s first drop to welterweight. This is an interesting one. Kim should have a mall advantage on the feet but Maia should have the grappling advantage. This one is giving me fits. = Maia by split decision.

Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie: No offense here but like most people, I do not understand this matchup at all. Mendes is the #2 featherweight in the world. McKenzie isn’t even in the top 20. I don’t get it at all and Mendes should be able to dominate this on the feet and on the ground. BUT! McKenzie seems to have this bizarre ability to catch people in this crazy guillotine choke. If McKenzie can pull this off it will be one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. But I doubt it will happen because Mendes fights really intelligently. = Mendes by TKO in round 3.

Mike Easton vs. Ivan Menjivar: Both of these guys got wins in their last fights. Easton beat Jared Papazian by majority decision and Menjivar defeated John Albert by submission in round 1. Now both of these fights were very close. Menjivar was almost finished early on but had an amazing comeback victory that made for one of the best fights so far this year. This fight is going to be a grueling match with back and forth striking and grappling. I think Menjivar should take this to the ground and Easton should keep it standing. This one is going to be fun and very close. = Menjivar by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Gleison Tibau: Tibau by unanimous decision.

Fabricio Camoes vs. Melvin Guillard: Melvin by KO in round 1.

Riki Fukuda vs. Constantinos Philippou: Philippou by split decision.

John Alessio vs. Shane Roller: Alessio by split decision.

Yoislandy Izquierdo vs. Rafaello Oliveira: Izquierdo by TKO in round 2.

Sam's Picks

Main Card 

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen: Finally, the biggest rematch in the history of the UFC has finally arrived. I believe that this fight is going to be VERY different from the first. In their last fight, Silva had badly injured ribs and Sonnen had the testosterone levels that of 17 men combined. That is quite the handicap in favor for Sonnen. Silva will have the better striking and grappling, along with much better takedown defense from their last fight. Chael absolutely has nothing on him when he isn’t on steroids and Silva is healthy = Silva by 1^st round TKO. My pick for KOOTN! My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz: I don’t see this fight being as close as their first two. They are both clearly fading but Tito is the one who is retiring and he is retiring for a reason. Although Forrest is no longer the quick and crisp striker he used to be, he still has the better technical standup, and he now is a smarter fighter. I see Forrest aiming for the body and eventually finishing him = Forrest by 3^rd round TKO.

Patrick Cote vs. Cung Le: Cote is, understandably, a hefty underdog heading into this bout. But I disagree. Cote has been on a tear since he was cut by the UFC and Le is a 40 year old vet who is on the brink of retirement, which was shown in his brutal TKO loss to Wanderlei. Cote has the speed that can pick Le apart. The only problem is that Cote is a slow starter. Le will most likely win the first round but Cote will dominate the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds after he finds his range = Cote by unanimous decision.

Dong Hyun Kim vs. Demian Maia: What happened to Maia? The Marquardt loss really messed up his career and he has been trying to stand with people too much. Kim looked amazing in his fight with Sean Pierson. His striking was crisp and powerful; he even threw about 6 crane kicks! That’s going to be a problem for Maia if he decides to stand with Kim. Another problem is that Kim will probably be stronger than him too. Kim is a judo guy and judo practitioners are very strong grapplers. If Maia goes for a takedown, it will most likely be stuffed. I see Kim easily winning this fight = Kim by unanimous decision.

Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie: The question heading into this fight is, “Does McKenzie even have a chance at winning this fight”? Of course he does, with that patented guillotine of his. The only problem with that is that Team Alpha Male is all about the guillotines. Mendes will have the better standup, grappling, and submissions. I don’t see this fight going very well for McKenzie = Mendes by 2^nd round TKO.

Mike Easton vs. Ivan Menjivar: BARNBURNER ALERT: This fight is fantastic. It’s going to be explosive and possibly one of the most fast paced fights we will ever see. Menjivar is one of the most experienced fighters at 135, and I believe that is going to be the deciding factor in this fight. He has fought the who’s who in MMA and has been in this sport for over 11 years. He’s fought GSP, Jeff Curran, Matt Serra, Urijah Faber, Caol Uno, and even defeated Joe Lauzon by calf slicer. The guy has been everywhere while Easton is still a prospect looking to make a name. Easton will rebound from this and do big things at 135 = Menjivar by split decision. My 1^st pick for FOTN!

Prelims

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Gleison Tibau: Nurmagomedov is now getting the attention he deserves. The kid is only 23 years old and is 17-0 with 14 finishes and 9 in the first round. He will be challenging for the title in the next 3 years but Tibau may be too much too fast. Tibau is one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC with a 10-5 record in the octagon, all of the losses to top contenders: Guillard, Joe Miller, Nick Diaz, Tyson Griffin, Joe Stevenson. He is also arguably the strongest lightweight in the UFC. This may all be too much for Khabib, but he certainly has a bright future = Tibau by unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Fabricio Camoes vs. Melvin Guillard: As I said in our prelim preview (click here), this could truly go either way. I’m sure that Guillard has worked immensely on his ground game following his last two submission losses, but it likely won't be enough for Camoes. Guillard is going to have to explode and finish to make sure it doesn’t go to the ground = Guillard by 1^st round KO.

Riki Fukuda vs. Costa Philippou: This fight is arguably the hardest to pick. Philippou has really impressed me in his last 3 fights. Fukuda looked really good in the 2^nd and 3^rd round against Cantwell, but lost the first. Philippou has the power to defeat the technical striker in Fukuda = Philippou by split decision.

John Alessio vs. Shane Roller: Roller is not looking like UFC material in his last 3 fights. Alessio, although he was rather dominated, easily beat Mark Bocek in the standup. Roller is one of those guys who fights like he has great standup, where he leans forward with a lazy jab, but really isn’t very good. Alessio will dominate him in the standup and although Roller will most likely win a round due to takedowns, he will lose this fight and be released by the UFC = Alessio by unanimous decision.

Yoislandy Izquierdo vs. Rafaello Oliviera = Izquierdo by 3^rd round TKO.

5 Flyweights the UFC Needs to Sign Part I

The flyweight division is the most recently added weight class to the UFC. It ranges from 116 lbs. to 125 lbs. So far, the UFC has failed to sign any of the best flyweights outside the UFC despite Yasuhiro Urishitani and Ian McCall. Not only is the weight class possibly the most entertaining in combat sports, but it also holds some of the best fighters in the world.

I am making a list of all the flyweights that the UFC should sign as soon as they have the chance, not only to make the class deeper, but to also let these guys join the biggest MMA promotion ever and show why they are considered the best in their division. I will also give a rating of 1-10 in how much they need to sign them with 10 being the best and 1 being the worst

Photo by Sherdog

Jussier da Silva: Easily the best flyweight outside the UFC, whom holds a record of 13-1 with wins over Mamoru Yamaguchi, Danny Martinez, and Michael William Costa (twice) along with training at Nova Uniao. He was once ranked as the #1 flyweight in the world until Ian McCall came and scored a huge upset. Da Silva not only holds, arguably, the best BJJ game at 125, but he also has very underrated striking. Personally, I was surprised to see Urishitani in the tournament, rather than Jussier da Silva. The UFC needs to sign him the first chance they get. Rating: 10/10

Photo by MMATKO

Mamoru Yamaguchi: Most of the time when a fighter is known for constantly being a very flashy and crazy fighter inside the cage, they typically aren’t very good. Yamaguchi is an exception. He not only has one of the best afros you will ever see, ever, but he also is immensely talented and experienced. In fact, he may be the most experienced fighter at 125. He holds a record of 26-6-3 and wins over both Yasuhiro Urishitani and Fumihiro Kitahara and 10 KO’s overall. Although he may be old for the weight class, 35, he still is one of the most entertaining, and powerful, fighters at 125. Rating: 10/10

Photo by Bleacherreport

Darrel Montague: The former Tachi Palace flyweight champ is a young gun with a bright future ahead of him if the UFC decides to sign him. He is only 24 years old with an impressive record of 11-2 with the two losses coming to Ian McCall and the oversized Robbie Peralta. He defeated Ulysses Gomez to take the belt, something that is not easy to do, but then lost it to Ian McCall. Montague will be challenging for the UFC title in the coming years after they sign him. Rating: 9/10

Photo by Sherdog

Nam Jin Jo: Although he holds a very unimpressive record of 6-5, most of those losses come at bantamweight, in which he is undersized. He ranks among the top 10 of flyweights in the world and even holds a decision win over fellow top 10 flyweight, Shinichi Kojima. He is very well rounded as he holds 2 TKO wins and 3 submission wins. He made his pro debut at 17 years of age and amateur when he was only 14! He is only 21 now and has a lot of time to improve as a mixed martial artist and deserves a contract with the UFC once he racks up a couple wins, for he just lost a split decision at bantamweight. Rating: 8/10

Photo by MMAJunkie.com

Dustin Ortiz: An underrated and well-rounded mixed martial artist, Dustin Ortiz has fought to two close decision losses to Josh Robinson and Ian McCall. Although he has lost 2 of his last 3, he is still one of the bigger names at 125 and is a very well rounded mix martial artist. With 8 wins, he has 4 KO/TKO and 4 submission wins, showing he is also very entertaining with finishing ability. He would make an immediate dent at 125 in the UFC. Rating: 8/10

CR Exclusive Interview with Dakota Cochrane!

Photo by MMAFighting.com

Dakota Cochrane is best known for his short stint on TUF Live when he lost a controversial split decision to the ever improving James Vick in the fight to get in the house. Dakota may be on a two fight losing skid, but he is looking to put that behind him with a win over The Ultimate Fighter Season 2 winner, Joe "Daddy" Stevenson on June 30 at RFA 3 (Resurrection Fighting Championships).

Dakota is looking for a future UFC contract after his last win was over Jamie Varner this past September. He was gracious enough in agreeing to do an interview, taking time from training for the biggest fight of his career.

Championship Rounds: Hey Dakota! Thanks so much for taking time to do this! So, Joe Stevenson is a really big name. Do you believe that a win over him could launch you into a UFC contract. 


Dakota Cochrane: Joe Stevenson is a big name and it is an honor to be able to fight him. Now that is said, I believe it will take a couple more wins to get a contract.  Joe is a big name but was cut for a reason. After losing my last fight I believe I will have to show the UFC a little more than beating Joe daddy.


CR: How do you envision your fight with Joe going?


DC: The fight will be a tough one for sure. I don't plan on losing and neither does he I'm sure.  He will probably try to take me down and submit me while I will try to keep the fight standing.  Game plans can always change during the fight though.


CR: I personally scored your TUF fight 10-9 for you over James Vick. Why do you think the judges gave the fight for Vick despite the fact that you were out grappling him for a majority of the 5 minutes?


DC: I'm not one to complain but I also believe I won that fight through aggression and octagon control.  Honestly, [I'm] not sure what the judges saw to give him that fight.


CR: How has training been going for your fight at RFA 3? Anything different?


DC: Training has been really tough for RFA 3 because I need to show my true potential against Joe Daddy, win or lose.  Not a whole lot of differences [in training], but I'm putting my game all together.  I tend to stand up or take it to the ground, so just trying to work on my middle game.


CR: Your last win was against Jamie Varner, which is very impressive. Talk about how it felt to defeat a former WEC champ.


DC: Beating Jamie Varner was very fun, but that is not what I want my career to be based around.  I want to be known for beating several people at that level instead of just Jamie Varner.


CR: How was the experience competing on the first live season of TUF? How were the auditions?


DC: The experience on TUF was priceless.  I couldn't have gotten that much practice doing auditions and interviews anywhere else.  I'm still not good at them but definitely a little more confident.  Only being there the first week, I didn't get to see the house which kind of bummed me out. But I was super happy to be back home with my family.


CR: Which of your accomplishments means the most and why?


DC: My biggest accomplishment is taking care of my family: making sure there is food on the table, roof over their head and clothes on their back.  As far as fighting goes I go out to every fight and give my best effort no matter who it is.  Sometimes it doesn't go the way I would like but I know I gave it my best and trained my ass off.


Thanks to Dakota Cochrane for the interview. Make sure you follow him on Twitter @DakotaCochrane and on Facebook!

CR Exclusive Interview with Francisco Rivera!

Photo by Bloodyelbow.com

Francisco Rivera is an up and coming bantamweight in the UFC that is both one of the more entertaining fighters at 135, which is quite the accomplishment, and he also holds the power of a heavyweight. He has a record of 8-2 with 5 of those coming by 1^st round KO/TKO with an accumulated time of just 4:05. That’s some power!

Anyway, Rivera was very gracious in taking time away from training to do an interview with us on his upcoming fight with Ken Stone at UFCon FX 4. He took this fight on short notice, replacing the injured Edwin Figueroa. His answers were very honest and we look forward to him showing his power on June 22!

Championship Rounds: Hey Francisco! Thanks so much for doing this with us and we can't wait for your fight! So, your next opponent is Ken Stone at UFC on FX 4. How do you think taking this fight on short notice will affect your performance?

Francisco Rivera: This fight will be good one. Going to just bring it, hopefully he wants to stand and bang a little before he eventually tries to take me down. (Laughs) But we will see, I come to fight on my feet. It's what the fans like, it’s what I like, so we will see :).

CR: What motivated you to take this fight with Stone?

FR: What motivated me to take this fight was that I'm on a good fight streak and this will be my fourth fight in five and a half months. So my body is in pretty good shape and my confidence level is riding high.

CR: How do you envision your fight with Stone going?

FR: I feel like [the fight] will turn out my way. How can I say it won't? (Laughs) [I predict a] KO in the second round.

CR: What do you ultimately want to accomplish in the sport of MMA?

FR: I want to be able to look back and know that I was part of the biggest MMA organization of all time. Most people dream [of it]. And my dream came true.

CR: Which of your accomplishments means the most and why?

FR: Making it to the UFC is by far my biggest accomplishment of all ... Never would have I thought I would be here. My life growing up was a mess.

CR: What was your initial reaction when the UFC officials called you up to come in on short notice to fight Alex Soto?

FR: I was crying because after the 1st cut with Zuffa™, things were not good for me. I didn't think they would call me that fast but I knew my last two fights before they called me were two of the best KO’s of the year.

CR: Talk about your fight with Soto. What was your gameplan? And why do you think you utterly dominated him for 3 rounds?

FR: My fight with Soto was what I wanted and I knew what would happen. My experience got me through; the nerves and my confidence got me through the fight... Once I felt his power I knew it was my fight. He ran from me for three rounds and I rocked him in every round so I was happy with my performance. I was able to get some cage time and I was happy with my win.

CR: You are a very seasoned striker. How long have you been training in MMA and what was your first martial art?

FR: Yes, my Muay Thai was my 1st martial art. And my boxing was top notch in training. I was beating all the MMA guys up in training which led me to MMA and my first amateur fight which I got my ass kicked in. (Laughs)

CR: When you first were interested in MMA, who was your role model?

FR: My best friend, who died a few years back, was the one who got me to do MMA and I dedicate my MMA career to him. He was also a MMA fighter, Brian “Jop Jop” Joplin… RIP.

CR: There has been a lot of controversy over judging in MMA. How do you think this could be improved? What should be done?

FR: The thing with the judges sucks. To prevent that, or going to the judges, I guess fighters must finish fights, thus the only way to stay away from them (Laughs) Point blank.

Thank you to Francisco Rivera for doing this! Go follow him on Twitter @CiscoRiveraUFC and tune in on Youtube or Facebook for his fight against Ken Stone on June 22!

RIP Brian Joplin

UFC on FOX 3 Fight Club Schedule

Dave has been a Fight Club member for years and we will now be posting these e-mails the UFC sends to Fight Club members! Great weekend of events guys!






  

UFC 145 Recap from Rashad’s Hometown of Niagara Falls!

Dave’s Recap:

So I arrived very early to Buffalo Wild Wings in Niagara Falls, New York, Saturday night. I reserved a table of ten for myself and some close friends. It was only 7pm but you could feel the atmosphere shifting already. I was able to watch my beloved Yankees stomp the life out of the horrid Red Sox and then starting watching the prelims on FX at 8pm. People were already filing in and it was almost at capacity already. In every conversation you could hear the words “Rashad, Jones, UFC, win and lose”. Then my friends started to show up. My friend and occasional contributor Stephen DeRose, from the beautiful Ontario, Canada, showed up and said he could feel the tense vibe in the building as well.

Rashad was born and raised only minutes from where we were. Most fight nights have cheering and booing but nothing too emotional. But Saturday night’s atmosphere was electric and filled with emotion. Real emotion. Now I was rooting for Jones**. I would say the building was 75% for Rashad and 25% for Jones. Maybe a little more for Jones but around there. After each fight the noise was getting louder. More people bouncing in their chairs. My brother-in-law sat in Rashad’s exact chair in college and my other brother-in-law held the exact job only a few years after Rashad left it and moved to Michicagn. Rashad’s impact was felt in the community. So, when Rashad made his entrance the building shook. I was actually very impressed with the noise level. People were pumped. Then Jones came out and he received cheers but some boos too. So, the fight started and the whole building went dead silent. When Rashad landed that good head kick everyone went nuts but when Rashad was hurt badly by that sharp elbow everyone gasped. This fight was pulling everybody’s heartstrings. But in the end everyone was somewhat disappointed in Rashad. You could tell he pretty much gave up after the third round. He kept trying to do the same thing which was swing wild punches in from far away and decided not to change up his approach at all. I feel he did not change it up because he knew that what he was doing was safe and that he would most likely not be KOed. If Rashad really wanted that belt he should have rushed Jones like a crazy person, go for endless takedowns or something else to ensure he did all he could do to win. But he chose to coast to a decision loss because he didn’t want to end up unconscious in the end. I understand it but the people in Niagara Falls did not like it.

But the night came to a closer and everyone, rather silently, went home. The talk was mostly about Rory MacDonald and how amazing he was. But in the end everyone came away with more respect for Jones’ abilities. That’s the one thing everybody had in common.

But as for the rest of the card. Rory needs to fight top level competition. He should fight winner or loser or Koscheck vs. Hendricks. Or he could fight Martin Kampmann if Martin wins against Jake Ellenberger or Ellenberger if Jake loses to Kampmann. In my mind that’s what is next. No one else poses a threat.

Big Ben looked ok but will never reach near the top ever. Schaub’s chin is sadly not good at all. However, he is super athletic and pretty well rounded. If he can come up with a style and game plan that protects his chin at all costs then he could be elite but sadly due to only his lack of being able to handle heavyweight punches he won’t be able to achieve greatness.

Miguel Torres’ chin is also nearing its end. The dude has had an amazing career and if his chin was better I could see him challenging for the title but that just doesn’t look possible anymore. Michael McDonald has endless potential. Last night proved to me that he is only a few years away from being either champ or #2 for years to come. The kid is only 21….are you kidding me?!! Very exciting.

And yet another great fighter with a chin issue. I love Mark Hominick. Every time I met him the guy was a complete gentleman. He put on one of the best fights I have ever seen and proved he has the ebst ehart in the sport right in front of me at UFC 129 against Jose Aldo. Then I mourned for him when he lost his best friend in Shawn Tompkins. And sadly saw him lose in 6.6 seconds to Jung. And now this loss against Yagin. It’s truly gut wrenching. It’s just so sad. I feel for him so much. I hope he realizes that his chin just is not up to handling the big dogs anymore and he can either fight smaller guys or just be a trainer. He has nothing left to prove.

Bocek looked like a stud against Alessio. That fight went exactly how I said it would. Bocek is one of the top 5 mst underrated fighters in the UFC. He looks just like a normal person, he is quiet and reserved and his striking isn’t flashy. But his ground game is topnotch. I could see him trying to fight Mac Danzig again.

Travis Brown looked great and in my mind makes a case that he could be close to upper echelon status. Matt Brown looked adequate and is a tough match for anyone with he heart and grit. But I promise you that this loss was great for Stephen Thompson and he will use this to become even better. I still see him being a possible title challenger one day.

Over all great night of fights. I all hoped you enjoyed them as much as I did. Thanks for reading guys!

**Side Note:  I personally do not dislike Rashad but I am also not really a fan. I appreciate his abilities and how amazing he is at fighting but I never made that connection with him that would make me a big fan. But I am a huge Jones fan. I am originally from outside Rochester, NY. I knew guys who knew him when he first started training and fighting in smaller promotions and they all talked about how amazing he is at fighting but also how they hoped he succeeded “because he is such a nice kid”. I have met Jon Jones 3 times and he was an incredibly sweet and genuine person. He is the same guy you see in the Primetime series or during interviews. He is a nice 24 year old kid who is now the best in the world at what he does. That is crazy and probably difficult to comprehend. People who say he is cocky must sit back and think about that. He is only 24. When Anderson Silva was his age he was only 2-1 in MMA. Jones has almost done what he has already! By the time Jones is Silva’s age (37) think of what he might have accomplished. It’s crazy but remember All athletes that go through college and apply to their sports pro draft take courses and seminars on how to talk to press and handle the spotlight. And they have a coach who has walked the same road and can give advice but none of this was the case for Jon Jones. He has handled his crazy life very well in my eyes. I am a huge Bones fan and look forward to his next 10-15 years of kicking butt.

UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans Predictions

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans: I have been waiting for this fight for what seems like an eternity. This fight is a huge deal here where I live. I will actually be watching this in Rashad’s hometown of Niagara Falls! Because both these guys are from Western New York the area is split and there is a lot of tension between the two sides. Should be a crazy night regardless of who wins. (I’ll let you know in the recap how crazy it got!) But I could go on forever but I will break this down quickly. Jones is much bigger and his reach will be almost 1 foot longer. That is crazy. If Rashad wants to win he has to get in close for either his punches to land or to get a takedown. In doing that he puts himself into great danger. Jones has amazing clinch grappling, with his Greco-Roman, and sick clinch striking with his incredible elbow strikes. If Thiago Silva, Rampage and Lyoto can rock Rashad then Jones should be able to knock his block off. But Rashad is a great fighter in his own right. The guy is a winner, plain and simple. He has put together a great formula that has become very effective for him. He gets in close, puts pressure on his opponent, takes him down and then ground and pounds. It works. However, Jones adapts to each fighter and has the coaches that taught Rashad almost everything he knows. There is too much going right for Jones. = Jones by submission in round 3. My Pick for Submission of the Night! (And Fight of the Night #2)

Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills: This fight will most likely be a one-sided beat down. I say this not because Mills is a bad fighter but because Rory, in my opinion, is on an elite level. Rory has great wrestling, submissions and even his striking is good. His main advantages lie in his speed and strength. I see Rory pushing Mills around and eventually getting in to the ground and locking in a choke. = Rory by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Ben Rothwell vs. Brendan Schaub: Ben Rothwell never really impressed me throughout his career. His size and durability seemed to get him this far. Schaub is a very well rounded fighter and if he can avoid Big Ben’s bombs he should easily take this. I see Schaub wearing down Rothwell who has very mediocre cardio with superior striking and grappling. = Schaub by unanimous decision.

Michael McDonald vs. Miguel Torres: Although McDonald has the ability to one day be a title challenger I just think this was too much too fast. Torres is just too seasoned and smart at this point. Torres should use his jab to keep the distance and should be able to outbox McDonald. And if it goes to the ground Torres has the advantage there as well. It stinks to see a top prospect get derailed like this but Torres should take this. = Torres by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin: No offense to Eddie Yagin but the UFC obviously setup this fight so Hominick could get an easy win and have him fight a big name in September in Toronto. I think Yagin is better suited for bantamweight and is not UFC worthy talent. If Hominick comes out and smart then he should win this easily. = Hominick by TKO in round 2. 

John Alessio vs. Mark Bocek: First off let me start by saying Bocek is a very underrated fighter. His grappling is top-notch. Bocek just came off of a very solid win over Nik Lentz; which we saw live at UFC 140. Alessio is taking this fight on short notice and I just don’t see how he will be able to handle Bocek’s ground game. If Alessio can keep it standing he has somewhat of a chance but Alessio has proven he is just not UFC quality with his overall UFC record being 0-3. I see Bocek getting this to the ground and keeping it there. = Bocek by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs: Browne by unanimous decision.

Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson: Thompson by unanimous decision.

John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani: Njokuani by unanimous decision.

Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero: Danzig by unanimous decision.

Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski: Clements by split decision.

Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage: Blanco by unanimous decision.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans: Finally, the wait is over for the rivalry to end! I am so excited for this fight! People keep saying that this fight is going to be Jones’ hardest test to date but I completely disagree with that. Machida was his hardest test and will be his hardest test for some time. Machida controlled the pace of the first round and the beginning of the second but Jones showed that he has adaption skills of a champion and overcame Machida’s unorthodox style. Rashad is nothing even close to the type of fighter that Machida is. Rashad is also way too small for 205 while Jones is almost too big for the weight cut, giving him the size advantage. Jones has the longest reach in the UFC while Rashad’s reach is nearly a foot shorter than Jones, giving Jones a huge reach advantage. Jones is also much more mature than and isn’t going to fight angry, giving him the mentality advantage. Jones is way more technical on the feet along with power and speed while Rashad only has power, good power though. The submission game definitely goes to Jones who has very good Jiu Jitsu so that leaves wrestling. That is the only toss up and I would probably give it to Rashad based on his takedown defense recently along with some nasty takedowns of his own. The only advantages that go to Rashad are power and a slight upper hand in wrestling, so what does that mean? Jones is going to win handily = Jones by 2nd round TKO. My pick for KOOTN!

Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills: This fight confuses me. MacDonald is being considered the future of the UFC and Che Mills is a virtual nobody. Sure Mills had an impressive debut but it was only against Chris Cope. Mills doesn’t stand a chance against MacDonald = MacDonald by 1st round TKO.

Ben Rothwell vs. Brendan Schaub: Ben Rothwell has been one of the more underwhelming fighters that has ever entered the octagon. Rothwell came into the UFC with big name and has looked really bad in all of his fights including the one win. Schaub’s key to victory is keeping his chin tucked and pick him apart on the feet. Schuab will hand Rothwell a defeat along with the pink slip = Schaub by unanimous decision.

Michael McDonald vs. Miguel Torres: This is an awesome fight! A young phenom against a very seasoned veteran. McDonald is one of those kids who has such a bright future, it’s insane and Torres is just such a well rounded fighter and has been fighting for a very long time, his record is 40-4 for God’s sake, that looks like a boxing record. This one is a really hard one to call but McDonald just isn’t on Torres’ level yet, but he will be, just give him time. Remember McDonald is only 21 years old = Torres by split decision. My 3rd pick for FOTN!

Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin: This fight clearly seems to be a fight just to get the Canadian star back on track after his devastating loss to The Korean Zombie. Yagin’s debut was against Junior Assuncao and Assuncao easily beat him. If Assuncao and Hominick fought, I would pick Hominick to easily win. Hominick will easily dispose of Eddie Yagin = Hominick by 1st round submission (choke). My pick for SOTN!

John Alessio vs. Mark Bocek: People are most likely going to disagree with my choice on this fight but hear me out. Sure Alessio is 0-3 in the UFC but you have to look at who those are to. Pat Miletich by submission, (A prime) Diego Sanchez by decision, and (A prime) Thiago Alves by decision. Those are some hard opponents along with the fact that he was fighting at welterweight instead of lightweight, his natural weight class. Now let’s take a look at Bocek. Bocek has only lost 4 times in his career and they are to Benson Henderson, Jim Miller, Mac Danzig, and Frankie Edgar. Along with Alessio, these are some tough opponents but you also have to look at their performances. Bocek looked absolutely terrible against all of those guys while Alessio looked underwhelming at best. The best thing that Bocek did in any of those was that he mounted Ben Henderson, which is extremely impressive. Another factor we have to take in is the fact that Bocek has a lot of trouble against well rounded guys. Alessio is an extremely well rounded guy with dynamic stand up and slick submissions. Bocek is a purely submission based fighter. Bocek also has trouble against guys that are larger than him and Alessio is going to be much larger than him. Alessio is going to win this fight, despite his underdog status and late fight replacement = Alessio by unanimous decision.

Prelims
Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs = Browne by split decision.
Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson = Thompson by 1st round TKO.
John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani = Njokuani by unanimous decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!
Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero = Danzig by 3rd round submission (choke).
Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski = Wisniewski by split decision.
Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage = Blanco by unanimous decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Dave: Catch the Prelims on Facebook and FX and the Main Card is found only on PPV. Make sure you tune in to our Tweeter feed for live results. This card is loaded and the main event will define the UFC for many years to come. If Rashad loses then he joins the ranks of the many foes Jones has defeated. However, if Rashad wins then I believe the feud will continue and Jones will eventually get a rematch. Remember Jones is only 24 and Rashad is 32. If Rashad falls it could hurt him ever getting a shot again. But if Jones loses then he could easily work his way back to tile contention before he retires. I cannot wait for this fight! Make sure you tune in Saturday!