Ben Nguyen found a suitable replacement anxious to return to the Octagon Wednesday night, as Tim Elliott volunteered to replace Joseph Benavidez. A few hours later, and Elliott vs. Nguyen had been added to UFC Fight Night 110 on June 11 from Auckland, New Zealand. Elliott (14-7-1) returned to the UFC last year and claimed […]
Ben Nguyen found a suitable replacement anxious to return to the Octagon Wednesday night, as Tim Elliott volunteered to replace Joseph Benavidez. A few hours later, and Elliott vs. Nguyen had been added to UFC Fight Night 110 on June 11 from Auckland, New Zealand. Elliott (14-7-1) returned to the UFC last year and claimed […]
UFC on FOX 24 emanated from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO tonight (Saturday, April 15, 2017). The stacked card was headlined by Demetrious Johnson’s record-tying tenth straight successful title defense against Wilson Reis. Johnson put on a masterclass performance. After having a surprisingly hard time with Tim Elliott, who won the 24th season
The post UFC on FOX 24 Bonuses: Whittaker Earns Well-Deserved $50,000 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.
UFC on FOX 24 emanated from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO tonight (Saturday, April 15, 2017). The stacked card was headlined by Demetrious Johnson’s record-tying tenth straight successful title defense against Wilson Reis.
Johnson put on a masterclass performance. After having a surprisingly hard time with Tim Elliott, who won the 24th season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ to earn himself a title shot, “Mighty Mouse” was in control from start to finish against Reis. Too fast, too elusive, and too technical for the Brazilian challenger, Johnson worked his prey over, gradually wearing him down before finishing him with a third-round armbar. Johnson banked one of the $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses and vowed to break the title defense record his next time out.
The other $50,000 Performance of the Night check went to another main card fighter. Robert Whittaker picked up the most impressive victory of his career, by far, by TKO-ing Jacare Souza in the second round of their featured middleweight bout. The Brazilian grappling phenom failed to keep Whittaker down for any length of time and was forced to deal with the Kiwi’s dangerous striking. It did not go well. A head kick and follow-up ground and pound put an end to Jacare’s title aspirations and announced Whittaker as perhaps the most exciting contender at 185 pounds.
Fight of the Night was wrapped up as soon as Tim Elliott and Louis Smolka started their scramble-fest for the ages. Elliott hit takedown after takedown, only for the Hawaiian to continually threaten with submissions and sweeps. Both flyweights found themselves in dire straits on the mat on multiple occasions in a thrilling back-and-forth affair. In the end, Elliott’s deluge of takedowns and advances won him a unanimous decision, but both men walked away $50,000 richer.
Keep it locked to LowKickMMA.com for all your post-fight analysis and coverage of UFC on FOX 24.
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It’s every MMA fighter’s dream to fight for a UFC title, but for many that golden opportunity to prove that they are the best of the best will never materialize. Those who do have usually run the gauntlet in the Octagon to reach that pivotal moment in their careers, gradually working their way of the
The post 12 UFC Fighters Who Didn’t Deserve Their Title Shots appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.
It’s every MMA fighter’s dream to fight for a UFC title, but for many that golden opportunity to prove that they are the best of the best will never materialize.
Those who do have usually run the gauntlet in the Octagon to reach that pivotal moment in their careers, gradually working their way of the ladder against increasingly challenging opposition, and in some extreme cases even racking up as many as eight or nine UFC wins in a row to prove their worth.
On the other hand, over the years there have been a number of fighters who have bypassed that process altogether and been granted a title shot without having gone to the same lengths to prove themselves, often at the expense of far more deserving fighters.
In this article we’ll take a closer look at 12 classic examples of fighters who were handed undeserved title shots in the UFC and explore the reasons why they were able to skip to the head of the queue.
Bethe Correia
Brash Brazilian bantamweight Bethe Correia managed to trash-talk her way into an unwarranted title shot against Ronda Rousey in 2015.
Correia’s 9-0 MMA record at the time flattered to deceive, with her three-fight winning streak in the Octagon having come against opponents with a combined UFC record of just 1-7.
The key to Correia getting the title shot was the fact that she had begun to call out and taunt Rousey after her victories, with the added spice being that two of her Octagon wins were against members of Rousey’s own ‘Four Horsewomen’ fight team, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler.
The fight still made no sense given that she was only ranked No.7 in the division at the time and had yet to face anyone remotely close to the top 10, but the UFC liked the hype the Brazilian had generated and booked the fight anyway.
Correia instigated a nasty trash-talking campaign in the build-up to the bout at UFC 190, but was found out to have more bark than bite when Rousey knocked her out in just 34 seconds.
The post 12 UFC Fighters Who Didn’t Deserve Their Title Shots appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.
BAMMA flyweight champion Rany Saadeh is on quite a roll. Saadeh is currently riding a six-fight winning streak. His only loss is to Pietro Menga back in Sept. 2012. When you consider the fact that Menga is still undefeated and earned a 41-second knockout in his Bellator debut, Saadeh doesn’t have much to be ashamed […]
BAMMA flyweight champion Rany Saadeh is on quite a roll. Saadeh is currently riding a six-fight winning streak. His only loss is to Pietro Menga back in Sept. 2012. When you consider the fact that Menga is still undefeated and earned a 41-second knockout in his Bellator debut, Saadeh doesn’t have much to be ashamed […]
Heading into the twenty-fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter, I wasn’t all that excited about the premise. A sixteen man tournament to determine who would challenge the nigh unbeatable human tornado also referred to as Demetrious Johnson? Suffice it to say, I wasn’t particularly convinced the season would be worthwhile. Johnson as flyweight champion has looked nearly perfect in almost all of his outings. The thought process was that none of these flyweights had what it takes to actually challenge Johnson and ultimate it’s a notion that proved to be true.
The post Eric Shelton Could Be The Next Big Thing At Flyweight appeared first on Cagepotato.
Heading into the twenty-fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter, I wasn’t all that excited about the premise. A sixteen man tournament to determine who would challenge the nigh unbeatable human tornado also referred to as Demetrious Johnson? Suffice it to say, I wasn’t particularly convinced the season would be worthwhile. Johnson as flyweight champion has looked nearly perfect in almost all of his outings. The thought process was that none of these flyweights had what it takes to actually challenge Johnson and ultimate it’s a notion that proved to be true.
But then these sixteen men had to prove me dead wrong.
Every match during the season was filled with some sort of drama, each one of them exciting in their own way. By the end, although not every fighter seemed to have the skill set to beat Johnson, the fans of the long running show were likely thoroughly entertained. Tim Elliott was the man that everyone was talking about by the TUF Finale, which was bound to happen seeing as he was the man who fought Johnson for the flyweight strap. That said, the show also offered us a glimpse at the future of the division.
Though Tim Elliott received the title shot there were a large contingent of people who believed that Eric Shelton deserved to be the man who fought Hiromasa Ogikubo in the final round of the tournament. Hell, even Elliott himself said that Shelton probably deserved the nod when the two fought to a close decision in the semifinals. In that match we saw a glimpse of what Shelton brings to the table. It was enough to lead me to believe that the young flyweight could be a major threat to Demetrious Johnson.
Intelligence Far Beyond His Years
The three fights had during the tournament showcased Eric Shelton’s ability to do a number of things. His striking is controlled and calculated though he could use a few more tools in his kit. Nevertheless, he understands the basics and when and how to use them. Shelton understands distance very well, fighting on the outside when he’s facing wrestlers and grapplers, while keeping a balanced approached when facing opponents with a more complete game. He also knows when to play counter fighter and when to be the aggressor. It’s the kind of savvy you’d expect from a well seasoned fighter.
He’s Stubborn As Hell
What we also saw during the show is just how stubborn Shelton can be. That doesn’t mean he won’t pass the ketchup when sitting down for dinner, but what he certainly won’t do is concede a position without giving up a hell of a fight. The Tim Elliott fight in the semifinals of the tournament demonstrated Shelton’s ability to create scrambles and never lay down flat once he’s on his back. He’s always looking to get to his feet or improve his defensive position or get a dominant position. Shelton is stubborn once he’s put in a disadvantageous position. He’s constantly moving his hips and looking to get himself back into the fight. That kind of stubborness will serve him well as he climbs the latter of the flyweight division.
One To Watch
With Eric Shelton’s next bout against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC on Fox 23, we’ll have the opportunity to see what the young flyweight has been working on. I for one will be looking forward to his bout as it could mark the beginnings of a truly interesting journey for a man who could one day challenge one of the sport’s pound for pound greats.
Do you think Eric Shelton can defeat Demetrious Johnson?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
The post Eric Shelton Could Be The Next Big Thing At Flyweight appeared first on Cagepotato.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CQLTEkLJGU
With another Las Vegas UFC card out of the way, that means that the fighter pay was released quickly, and MMAFighting snapped it up. Here’s how everyone on the card stacked up income-wise (all winners’ pay is split 50/50 between show money and win bonus unless otherwise noted):
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
Devin Clark: ($20,000) defeated Josh Stansbury ($12,000)
Anthony Smith ($30,000) defeated Elvis Mutapcic ($16,000)
Prelims on FOX Sports 1
Jamie Moyle ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) defeated Kailin Curran ($20,000)
“Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim ($20,000) defeated Brendan O’Reilly ($12,000)
Rob Font ($33,000) defeated Matt Schnell ($10,000)
Ryan Hall ($34,000) defeated Gray Maynard ($51,000)
Main Card on Fox Sports 1
Brandon Moreno ($24,000) defeatedRyan Benoit ($15,000)
Sara McMann ($56,000) defeated Alexis Davis ($27,000)
Jared Cannonier ($24,000) defeated Ion Cutelaba ($12,000)
Jorge Masvidal ($120,000) defeated Jake Ellenberger ($78,000)
Joseph Benavidez ($140,000) defeated Henry Cejudo ($50,000)
Demetrious Johnson ($350,000 with no win bonus) defeated Tim Elliott ($100,000)
It looks like there are some changes in the UFC’s payout strategies. In the past, TUF winners generally went up very slowly from the UFC minimum at the time (which currently appears to be $10,000) with escalators in maybe the $2,000 to show range per fight. Ryan Hall, in his first fight since winning TUF 22 a year ago at a $10,000/$10,000 purse, saw his show and win money nearly double to $17,000 on each side. Meanwhile, Tim Elliott, presumably due to the nature of TUF 24, got a big jump to $100,000 to show. That’s four times as much as Carla Esparez and Rose Namajunas were contracted to earn in the strawweight tournament finals of TUF 20, which took place two years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CQLTEkLJGU
With another Las Vegas UFC card out of the way, that means that the fighter pay was released quickly, and MMAFighting snapped it up. Here’s how everyone on the card stacked up income-wise (all winners’ pay is split 50/50 between show money and win bonus unless otherwise noted):
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
Devin Clark: ($20,000) defeated Josh Stansbury ($12,000)
Anthony Smith ($30,000) defeated Elvis Mutapcic ($16,000)
Prelims on FOX Sports 1
Jamie Moyle ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) defeated Kailin Curran ($20,000)
“Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim ($20,000) defeated Brendan O’Reilly ($12,000)
Rob Font ($33,000) defeated Matt Schnell ($10,000)
Ryan Hall ($34,000) defeated Gray Maynard ($51,000)
Main Card on Fox Sports 1
Brandon Moreno ($24,000) defeatedRyan Benoit ($15,000)
Sara McMann ($56,000) defeated Alexis Davis ($27,000)
Jared Cannonier ($24,000) defeated Ion Cutelaba ($12,000)
Jorge Masvidal ($120,000) defeated Jake Ellenberger ($78,000)
Joseph Benavidez ($140,000) defeated Henry Cejudo ($50,000)
Demetrious Johnson ($350,000 with no win bonus) defeated Tim Elliott ($100,000)
It looks like there are some changes in the UFC’s payout strategies. In the past, TUF winners generally went up very slowly from the UFC minimum at the time (which currently appears to be $10,000) with escalators in maybe the $2,000 to show range per fight. Ryan Hall, in his first fight since winning TUF 22 a year ago at a $10,000/$10,000 purse, saw his show and win money nearly double to $17,000 on each side. Meanwhile, Tim Elliott, presumably due to the nature of TUF 24, got a big jump to $100,000 to show. That’s four times as much as Carla Esparez and Rose Namajunas were contracted to earn in the strawweight tournament finals of TUF 20, which took place two years ago.
