Tag: UFC 142

Should Vitor Belfort Retire from the UFC After TUF Brazil Wraps Up?

Vitor Belfort picked up an impressive submission victory over Anthony Johnson in their UFC 142 co-main event. With the win Belfort has won seven of his last eight fights. His only loss during that run was to UFC middleweight champ Anderson Si…

Vitor Belfort picked up an impressive submission victory over Anthony Johnson in their UFC 142 co-main event. 

With the win Belfort has won seven of his last eight fights. His only loss during that run was to UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva. 

At just age 34, Belfort has been in the UFC longer than anybody on the current roster as he made his debut back in 1997. During his on-and-off UFC career, Belfort has picked up victories over Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture and Rich Franklin. 

Belfort has also won a UFC tournament and captured the UFC light heavyweight title. 

While Belfort is still one of the top contenders in the UFC, over the last couple of days leading up to UFC 142, there have been talk of retirement from him. 

Belfort has a coaching gig on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil against Wanderlei Silva. Following the season and a matchup with Silva, we could very well see Belfort retire from the sport.

If Belfort does decide to go that route, no one would blame him.

Although he is still very competitive, he is getting up there in age.

He’s accomplished a lot in the sport and is one of the few guys who have found success in multiple eras of the UFC. 

If Belfort chose to retire after TUF Brazil, no one could blame him for it. 

From a fan’s standpoint it is easy to say Belfort should not retire. Especially considering that he is still a world-class fighter. 

But considering Belfort still has his health intact and has nothing else to prove in the sport, it could be the right time for him to go. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 142 Results: 5 Fights for Terry Etim to Take Next

Terry Etim made history in his UFC 142 bout with Edson Barboza, but it wasn’t in a good way.The English native became the first fighter in UFC history to get knocked out by a spinning wheel kick. The spectacular finish came late in the third round.Barb…

Terry Etim made history in his UFC 142 bout with Edson Barboza, but it wasn’t in a good way.

The English native became the first fighter in UFC history to get knocked out by a spinning wheel kick. The spectacular finish came late in the third round.

Barboza and Etim earned fight of the night honors for a competitive and entertaining scrap. As the third round winded down, Barboza pulled off a beautiful spinning wheel kick, smashing his heel clean across Etim’s face.

The brunt force of the kick sent Etim crashing to the canvas like a log.

It’s hard enough on a fighter to taste the bitter pill of defeat, but for Etim, he knows he’ll be on the wrong end of a major highlight reel for years to come.

There’s no use dwelling over the past. Etim is still a solid talent in the lightweight division. He has some major defensive issues in regards to his wrestling and striking, but at only 26 years of age, he has plenty of time to shore up holes in his fight game.

Here are five fights Etim should take next…

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UFC 142 Results: What Vitor Belfort Did Right Against Anthony Johnson

UFC 142 was quite the homecoming for Vitor Belfort. Controversy surrounded his fight with Anthony Johnson, thanks to Johnson missing weight badly at one of the worst weigh-ins in UFC and MMA history. Thankfully for Belfort and fans …

UFC 142 was quite the homecoming for Vitor Belfort. 

Controversy surrounded his fight with Anthony Johnson, thanks to Johnson missing weight badly at one of the worst weigh-ins in UFC and MMA history. 

Thankfully for Belfort and fans alike, the fight was still able to go on after Johnson weighed in at 204lbs the day of the fight. 

After overcoming adversity early on in his fight with Anthony Johnson, Belfort was able to turn things around and submit him late into the first round. 

Here’s a look at the things Belfort did right against Johnson. 

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UFC 142 Results: Vitor Belfort vs Wanderlei Silva II Breakdown

Vitor Belfort’s submission victory over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 has set the stage for a legendary rematch against former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva.Both middleweights will coach opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. …

Vitor Belfort’s submission victory over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 has set the stage for a legendary rematch against former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva.

Both middleweights will coach opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. As is customary, the coaches are expected to face off after the season finishes airing.

In Oct. 1998, Belfort blasted Silva across the cage with multiple rights and lefts for a first-round TKO stoppage. Silva, who didn’t really hit his prime until a couple of years after that bout, has been seeking a rematch ever since.

Over a decade later, Silva will finally get his wish when he goes toe-to-toe with Belfort sometime this summer.

Will the second time be the charm?

This bout is kind of a shame due to the misfortune of bad timing. In the first bout, Silva was still green behind the ears and had yet to develop into the world-beater fans know and love.

Now, “The Axe Murderer” still makes for entertaining fights, but his time of soaking up the spotlight as an upper-echelon contender is on a steep decline.

At 35 years of age, Silva’s chin is starting to show the wear and tear after years of being involved in countless wars.

In his past nine fights, Silva is 3-6, and four of those losses ended in vicious knockouts.

Belfort has the technique, speed and power to overwhelm Silva on the feet. The ground also plays into “The Phenom’s” favor. He is the better wrestler, and his ground transitions are more fluid.

The ground likely won’t even be a factor in this bout. Silva will opt to stand and trade with Belfort, which is a bad decision for any middleweight—outside of Anderson Silva.

It may not end in 44 seconds this time around, but it’s tough to see the rematch unfolding any differently.

Belfort will feel the action out on the feet early, and it will only be a matter of time before he lands a haymaker or puts together that fight-ending combination that sings Silva his lullaby.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 142 Results: 5 Fights to Get Chad Mendes Back on Track

Chad “Money” Mendes had his chin foreclosed on by featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main event of UFC 142 on Saturday night.Coming into the bout, Mendes was seen as the biggest threat to Aldo’s reign, but it only took one round for the Brazilian …

Chad “Money” Mendes had his chin foreclosed on by featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main event of UFC 142 on Saturday night.

Coming into the bout, Mendes was seen as the biggest threat to Aldo’s reign, but it only took one round for the Brazilian to connect on a huge knee to crush the Team Alpha Male member’s title aspirations.

“[Aldo’s] a tough dude. This is the best I’ve ever felt for a fight. I was very prepared, and he got me,” Mendes told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview. “He’s very athletic and very fast. He was the better man.”

The bout shouldn’t bear any negative representation of what Mendes brings to the table as a fighter. He is easily one of the top three featherweights in the world.

Aldo is just that good.

It’s going to be tough for Mendes to rebound from such a decisive defeat. Things will be even tougher on UFC matchmaker Joe Silva in booking future bouts for the tenacious contender.

Mendes could be put in a similar position to Jon Fitch in the welterweight division. For years, Fitch played second fiddle to UFC champ Georges St-Pierre, who seemed to be the only man in the division he couldn’t beat.

Is Mendes destined to suffer a similar fate?

Here are five fights to get the young lion back on track.

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UFC 142 Results: Rousimar Palhares and the 8 Best Submission Artists Today

Last night at UFC 142, Rousimar Palhares proved once again why he is one of MMA’s most dangerous submission artists. Palhares submitted Mike Massenzio in the first round of their fight via heel hook. Palhares has become come one of the UFC’s …

Last night at UFC 142, Rousimar Palhares proved once again why he is one of MMA’s most dangerous submission artists. 

Palhares submitted Mike Massenzio in the first round of their fight via heel hook. 

Palhares has become come one of the UFC’s most feared fighters because of how brutal his submissions can end up being. 

Because of this, he has become one of the best submission artists in MMA today. 

Continue reading to find out who else makes the list. 

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