Author: Dustin Filloy

Ranking the 7 Best (and Worst) Chins in MMA History

The presence of a sturdy chin, or lack thereof, always has and always will be predicated on a fighter’s genealogical makeup.
And since a chin can’t be strengthened through hard work and dedication, those seemingly blessed with jaws of granite bring an …

The presence of a sturdy chin, or lack thereof, always has and always will be predicated on a fighter’s genealogical makeup.

And since a chin can’t be strengthened through hard work and dedication, those seemingly blessed with jaws of granite bring an attribute to the cage that many fighters can only dream of possessing.

The opening portion of this two-part slideshow details the most rock-solid chins in MMA history—those that withstood countless beatings before ever giving into an embarrassing in-fight nap.

The second segment represents a list of the most unreliable chins in the sport’s history, a countdown of glass-jawed warriors who couldn’t seem to survive in slugfests.  

Begin Slideshow

Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva: What We Learned from Heavyweight Tilt

More than four years after Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva outlasted Andrei Arlovski in their first bout, the 35-year-old Belarusian exacted his revenge in the Octagon in Bigfoot’s home country of Brazil on Saturday.
Arlovski needed just two minutes, 59 s…

More than four years after Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva outlasted Andrei Arlovski in their first bout, the 35-year-old Belarusian exacted his revenge in the Octagon in Bigfoot’s home country of Brazil on Saturday.

Arlovski needed just two minutes, 59 seconds to dispose of the hulking Brazilian with a brutal knockout in the main event of UFC Fight Night 51 at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia. 

Arlovski more than made up for a lackluster performance in his last bout, a controversial split-decision win over Brendan Schaub at UFC 174.

Bigfoot, on the contrary, hasn’t scored a win since TKO’ing the now-fading Alistair Overeem at UFC 156 in early 2013. 

Here’s a look at what we learned from this heavyweight rematch.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

Unlike his fight with Schaub, Arlovski ensured that fans would have something positive to talk about following his rematch with Bigfoot the instant he landed a venomous right straight that put the KO into motion.

Bigfoot absorbed the right straight midway through the first round and crashed to the canvas before absorbing a barrage of hammerfists from Arlovski that rendered him unconscious.

The bout’s referee, Jerin Valel, had seen enough and intervened to save Bigfoot from any further punishment. 

 

What We Learned About Antonio Silva

Although Silva may have advantages over many UFC heavyweights in the strength and size departments, the 35-year-old former title challenger struggles greatly with speedier and more technically sound heavyweights.

Silva has lost via KO/TKO in four of his last seven bouts, and the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has notched just two wins since joining the UFC in the spring of 2012.

After showing that he couldn’t keep up with the wrestling of champion Cain Velasquez, Bigfoot has now been exposed as an average boxer.

 

What We Learned About Andrei Arlovski

With his future in doubt, the 14th-ranked Arlovski answered his critics and earned one of the most pivotal wins of his career, doing so in highlight-reel fashion against the fourth-ranked Silva.

Arlovski clearly showed that he still has the speed and striking skills that helped him win the UFC heavyweight belt in 2005.

At 35, he obviously still has enough power, speed and killer instinct to hang with the best heavyweights in the world.

 

What’s Next For Silva

Bigfoot dropped to 2-3-1 in the UFC, and coming off a nine-month suspension for a failed drug test, it’s safe to say that the hulking Brazilian has found himself on the hot seat.

Thankfully for Bigfoot, the heavyweight division appears in utter disarray at the moment. So for the time being, Silva can consider his job with the UFC safe.

However, with losses in two of his last three fights, he will certainly have his work cut out for him on his road back to the top.

A bout with the ninth-ranked Ben Rothwell would suit Bigfoot just fine once he gets cleared to fight again.

 

What’s Next For Arlovski

In his second stint with the UFC, Arlovski ran his winning streak to four with his KO of Silva, which was his first pure KO since putting away journeyman Travis Fulton in 2011.

Because he was so underwhelming in his win over Schaub, Arlovski still needs several wins before becoming a bona fide title contender.

That doesn’t mean UFC matchmaker Joe Silva won’t pit Arlovski with one of the division’s studs, like the fifth-ranked Stipe Miocic or the sixth-ranked Josh Barnett. 

Arlovski would certainly be tabbed an underdog against either Miocic or Barnett, but a win would catapult him into the heavyweight title picture.

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Georges St-Pierre Will Get Title Shot If He Returns in 2015

Whether or not Georges St-Pierre ever plans to grace the Octagon again remains one of the UFC’s most talked-about mysteries.
So rather than wait for “GSP” to make the decision to come back, UFC president Dana White decided the throw the longtime former…

Whether or not Georges St-Pierre ever plans to grace the Octagon again remains one of the UFC’s most talked-about mysteries.

So rather than wait for “GSP” to make the decision to come back, UFC president Dana White decided the throw the longtime former welterweight champion some tantalizing bait.

During the UFC’s latest installment of “The Download,” White cleared the air in terms of where St-Pierre would stand in the division he reigned over for five-plus years—in his latest run as champ—if he returned in 2015.

“It would be tough to deny that GSP comes right back and doesn’t fight for the title, you know what I mean? GSP can do whatever he wants. If he wants to come back and fight for the title, or if he wants a fight before that—he can do whatever he wants,” he said.

Longtime St-Pierre friend and head coach Firas Zahabi admitted during an interview with ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto that he and GSP haven’t had many conversations regarding his comeback.

Zahabi also said he believes GSP has a few fights left in his tank:

Right now, every time I talk to him, we never talk about his comeback. I’m being 100 percent honest with you. I tell him people ask me about it every day. I think we both just know that there is no answer until he gets back in the gym, in his routine and sees if he wants to continue. 

My personal opinion is he still has plenty of competitive juice in him. I don’t think he’ll be anywhere near fight shape until he’s late-34 — mid-34. I think he’s got a few fights in him but I don’t want to speak for the guy. He might retire and no one could blame him.

Among other less pressing issues, St-Pierre has stated on numerous occasions in the months following his hiatus that he disagrees with the sport’s drug testing policies.

In August, St-Pierre got more specific in his criticism by telling Bloody Elbow’s Brent Brookhouse that he won’t return unless an independent anti-doping agency like VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) conducts tests on both him and any potential opponents.

“I will never fight again in MMA without my opponent and myself being thoroughly tested for the most advanced PEDs by a credible independent anti-doping organization like VADA or USADA under the strictest standards of the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) Code,” he said.

St-Pierre was riding a 12-fight winning streak when he took his hiatus and relinquished his welterweight belt following a highly contentious split-decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 last November in Las Vegas.

Hendricks edged Robbie Lawler in a unanimous decision in his next bout at UFC 171 in March to win the vacant welterweight title.

“Big Rigg” will square off with Lawler in a rematch for the belt at a place to be announced in early 2015.

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Travis Browne vs. Brendan Schaub Booked for UFC 181

The UFC’s brass evidently still considers unranked heavyweight Brendan Schaub a viable contender, even after his lackluster performance in his most recent outing at UFC 174 in June.
As reported by Fox Sports, the UFC announced Tuesday that Schaub will …

The UFC’s brass evidently still considers unranked heavyweight Brendan Schaub a viable contender, even after his lackluster performance in his most recent outing at UFC 174 in June.

As reported by Fox Sports, the UFC announced Tuesday that Schaub will square off with third-ranked heavyweight and Jackson’s MMA stalwart Travis Browne at UFC 181 in December.

Schaub acknowledged the matchup with Browne via Twitter on Tuesday.

A fight with Browne arguably represents the most promising opportunity in the five-year UFC career of Schaub, a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a former tight end at the University of Colorado.

Schaub saw his two-fight winning streak come to a halt when he dropped a controversial split decision to Andrei Arlovski at UFC 174.

Schaub scored the only takedown of the bout and outstruck the former UFC heavyweight champ, 65-40, including 30-12 in the significant strikes department. 

Prior to his loss at UFC 174, Schaub submitted slugger Matt Mitrione with a D’arce choke at UFC 165 in February 2013. Seven months before that win, The Hybrid earned a unanimous decision over another heavy-handed boxer, Lavar Johnson, at UFC 157.

Schaub (10-4) holds a 6-4 UFC record with three KOs. 

Browne (16-2-1) was riding an impressive three-fight winning streak before getting routed by top-ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum in a unanimous-decision loss at UFC on Fox 11 in April.

In consecutive fights in 2013, Hapa notched KO wins over a trio of top-15 heavyweights in Gabriel Gonzaga (No. 12), Alistair Overeem (No. 10) and Josh Barnett (No 6).

Browne has compiled a 7-2-1 record since joining the UFC in 2010.

All stats gathered via Fightmetric.com.

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Cheick Kongo: ‘The UFC Threw Me Away After Treating Me Like S–t at the End’

Sixteen months after surprisingly turning down a four-fight contract extension with the UFC, Bellator MMA heavyweight Cheick Kongo offered some insight regarding his split with his former employer.
“You know some things happen unexpectedly in your care…

Sixteen months after surprisingly turning down a four-fight contract extension with the UFC, Bellator MMA heavyweight Cheick Kongo offered some insight regarding his split with his former employer.

“You know some things happen unexpectedly in your career, but no matter what happens, you can get everything you want. Everything in my career now is good,” said Kongo this week, according to SciFighting.com. “But the UFC threw me away after treating me like s–t at the end. You have to be really tough. They just pushed all the time…push, push, push…and no matter what, I had to keep going.”

Kongo, who went 11-6-1 during a near seven-year stretch as a heavyweight in the UFC, has won three of his first four bouts in Bellator MMA.

Kongo’s lone loss since parting ways with the UFC came via unanimous decision against venomous Russian Vitaly Minakov in a heavyweight title fight at Bellator 115 in April at the Reno Events Center.

At 39 years of age, the hulking Frenchman has finally gotten a chance to catch his breath, and now that he’s done so, he’s got his sights set on becoming Bellator MMA’s fourth heavyweight champ.

“What they’re (Bellator) doing is good, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store next,” said Kongo, who has TKO’d two of his three Bellator MMA foes with knees and punches. “I would love to rematch Vitaly, and this time around I would not over-train for him. I want to fight for the title next.”

Kongo, however, can’t think about scoring a rematch with the unbeaten Minakov until he conquers his next opponent, fellow UFC veteran Lavar Johnson. Kongo and Johnson will square off in the co-main event of Bellator 123 on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

After going 2-2 in the UFC, the hard-hitting Johnson has dropped two of his first three bouts in Bellator MMA, including a submission loss to Blagoy Ivanov in his last outing at Bellator 116 in April at the Pechanga Resort and Casino.

“I can’t wait, he is a big deal, and he’s just WOW. I have to keep a good base and make sure he doesn’t touch me,” said Kongo of Johnson.

In his last bout, Kongo disposed of promotional newcomer Eric Smith with a second-round TKO at Bellator 120 in May at the Landers Center.

Johnson notched his lone win in Bellator MMA when he TKO’d Ryan Martinez in brutal fashion at Bellator 111 in March at the WinStar World Casino.

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Ronda Rousey Demands Fight Against Apparent New Rival

Ronda Rousey has certainly created the sport’s most polarizing persona, but there’s no denying the UFC women’s bantamweight champ always takes care of her own.
Bethe Correia stopped Shayna Baszler to score her second straight win over a member of Rouse…

Ronda Rousey has certainly created the sport’s most polarizing persona, but there’s no denying the UFC women’s bantamweight champ always takes care of her own.

Bethe Correia stopped Shayna Baszler to score her second straight win over a member of Rousey’s team, The Four Horsewomen, on Saturday at UFC 177.

Minutes after the fight, the former Olympic judoka naturally contacted UFC president Dana White to demand a showdown with the unbeaten Brazilian striker, per Yahoo Sports.

As soon as (Correia) started talking, (Rousey) texted me and said, ‘I want that fight; I want it now,'” White said. “‘I want it before someone else beats her,’ and I said, ‘Calm down, lady. You’ve got other people to fight. We’ll figure it out.’

Ninth-ranked women’s bantamweight Correia fought off an armbar attempt and landed 29 strikes to Baszler’s 14 in the opening round.

The 31-year-old Correia then came out swinging in the second round and finished the seasoned Baszler with an impressive barrage of punches 1:56 into the round.

Four months before besting Baszler, Correia stuffed five of six takedowns and outstruck Jessamyn Duke, 118-70, to earn a unanimous decision and her first win over a member of The Four Horsewomen at UFC 172.

Recognizing her window for an opportunity, Correia offered the following message to Rousey through an interpreter during her post-fight interview at UFC 177, per Yahoo Sports: “I have a message for Ronda Rousey. I want her belt and I’m coming to take it. The belt is going to be mine.”

By speaking up at the ideal moment, Correia proved to White that she’s determined to get the next crack at Rousey. However, the UFC president maintained that the thrashing Correia handed Baszler has gotten her to the title picture, not her post-fight remarks about Rousey.

I don’t think Bethe moves up because of the rivalry. I think Bethe moves up because of what she did tonight. That was crazy. The punches she hit (Baszler) with, I haven’t seen anything like that since (Phil) Baroni (vs. Dave) Menne. She looked good tonight. That’s what’s going to get her a fight with Rousey.

Correia improved to 3-0 in the UFC and 9-0 overall with her win over Baszler. Seven of Correia’s nine wins have come by form of decision.

Rowdy has amassed a 10-0 record since making her pro debut in March 2011. Rousey has finished seven foes with first-round armbars and another with a third-round armbar and has won by first-round KO/TKO in each of her last two bouts. 

While UFC matchmakers have yet to determine her next opponent, according to the UFC on Fox, Rousey said she would like to fight on the Jan. 3 card, which includes the light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.

In her last outing, Rousey mauled Alexis Davis with a 16-second KO at UFC 175 in July. For her efforts, Rousey pocketed her second straight “Performance of the Night” bonus.

 

All stats gathered via FightMetric.

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