Cardio is an incredibly important skill in any athletic endeavor, but especially fighting as it gets deep into the later rounds. These fighters seem incapable of slowing down and for many fighters, dealing with these talents is when the real trouble begins.
That might actually be the worst outcome that could have happened at UFC 321 between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane short of someone dying. Where in the world does the heavyweight division go from here and is it ever going to look good again?
f you didn't watch the UFC 321 presser today, well you are in for disapointment. It felt like Aspinall nor Gane really had anything to say at all and it really begs the question... is this kinda thing exactly the reason why MMA is lacking stars at the moment? Is everyone just trying not to say anything and avoid embarrassment?
Sometimes it seems so obvious how a fight is going to play out, but then it goes the literal opposite direction. In today's video we break down the fights that did just that. These completely broke our expectations in half.
Chael Sonnen's career at one point was certainly known to hardcore fans, but beyond that, he had struggled to amass enough fan support and wins to really get anything going. What we didn't know was his maniacal drive would soon be on display as he would stop at nothing to achieve his father's wish: becoming UFC world champion. This is the story of those motivations and what made those 6 months rewards last until this very day.
Just like Alex Pereira just beat Magomed Ankalaev immediately in there rematch, there are a few others in the sport have done the same. So this best the question, how does that fight rank among the best immediate wins back in title rematch history?
Gimme fights in MMA/UFC and combat sports are basically known as giving stars an opponent so easy, they it pretty much means a 99% certainty they'll win. These are fights so lopsided, the opponent doesn't even stand a chance. Well.... that 1% sometimes is in fact real and these are all those 1% winners.
The Rock's movie about The Smashing Machine Mark Kerr, has come out recently and a huge part of that story is the legendary Igor Vovchanchyn. Despite this, not many know his own story and that is perhaps in large part due to how much of it took place in eastern Europe and outside of PRIDE and the UFC. The story of his career and fight style is absolutely brutal. Well worth your time.
Alex Pereira just got in there and demolished Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320. He probably didn't even break a sweat. This certainly makes Dana White and the brass very happy, because now some big fights are on the table with their top star back on top.
The Rock, Emily Blunt, A24 and Ben Safdie just released a new movie this weekend about the Smashing Mark Kerr.... but is it actually any good?
Sometimes, fighters do so much to enrage the MMA fan base, that frankly everyone wants to see these guys lose. These losses actually feel deserved. Whether it was Michael Bisping endless trash talking Dan Henderson on the Ultiimate Fighter, James Gallagher endlessly taunting Ricky Bandejas in Bellator or Tony Kelley setting his sights on the entire country of Brazil and getting shut down by Adrian Yanez for it....these losses all felt pretty darn good.
MMA is a sport with tons of bravado and intensity based around the act of fighting, but what unpins a lot of it is some very real emotions.... emotions that are rarely shown. These moments are powerful and make you love these fighters even more.
Weight cutting is a bit of an endemic issue that will continue to persist in the sport of mixed martial arts, but just as recent stories have shown for the likes of Bryan Battle in the UFC, bad weight misses are continually going be a problem as well.
Fighter's might be in the hurt business and one of the toughest sports mentally, but that doesn't mean you can't get under their skin with words. It's actually shocking to see guys like Chael Sonnen break character from his usually funny or angry on purpose style, but then there's of course guys like Nate Diaz that you just never wanna cross. These are the 10 times reporters thoroughly upset fighters.
It doesn't matter how big a star you are, sometimes things just can't be helped. That is the case in today's video with the 2nd biggest PPV star the UFC's ever had in Brock Lesnar. What went wrong? How in the world could someone this popular be a failure in live attendance and PPV? We'll break it all down in this video.
People lie all the time, but these lies in today's video are way over the top. From lying about records, to PED failures and court proceedings, even medical tests.... and of course the UFC and Dana White have their bizarre lies too. These are the lies that were so strange, you couldn't help but turn your head in disbelief.
When you go from a 20 million dollar, international spectacle and gigantic PPV to just a run of the mill fight night.... well yeah that's a massive downgrade when you look at UFC Noche happening this month. Well that's because the original planned event was cancelled and this was it's replacement. Turns out MMA history is full of this sort of thing over the years
When someone just buzzsaws through everyone in their division en route to a title, they often don't realize how vulnerable they are themselves as well. In these cases, UFC and world class level talent are faced with a devastating loss for the first time and simply aren't the same anymore after. Guys like Darren Till may be doing well in other combat sports after many years, but his career never recovered in the sport of MMA. Check it out to see what we mean.
The greatest dynasty in the history of MMA is without a doubt the Gracie family, but at one point, while they were at the peak of their height, one man; Kazushi Sakuraba not only challenged them, but utterly defeated them. What was his base martial art? Pro wrestling.
What if you are clearly one of the best fighters on the planet, better than many champions who have won undisputed UFC titles, but never won one yourself? Well that question is essentially what this list is exactly about. Absolutely phenomenal fighters who fell just shy of their own undisputed gold. It goes without saying, this list does not count interim as it's an honor underneath the top fighter in that division usually meant to fill a gap or merely to help sell PPVs.
