The Karate Blitz

If you are someone who prefers to watch two sluggish fighters with little skill, poor technique almost no drive, stay away from Saturday night's lightweight title bout. Benson Henderon, the UFC's lightweight champion, takes on the last man to beat and rob him him of the WEC lightweight championship belt, Anthony Pettis. "Smooth" Henderson exemplifies his nickname mixing in constant jabs and low kicks into take downs.  Henderson's athleticism and cardio overwhelm most opponents while using his fluid wrestling to minimize risk. "Showtime" Pettis branded his name into the minds of MMA fans and non-fans everywhere with the famous kick off the cage to knock Henderson to the ground in their first meeting.  Since overcoming an embarrassing showing against Clay Guida, Pettis has plowed through potential contenders leaving a trail of highlight reel finishes. Many believe the outcome of their first encounter was determined by Pettis's spectacular kic...

When two of the best welterweights face off inside the Octagon for a second time, we venture into "fight of the year" territory.  These high-level strikers can position themselves as the next title contender with a dominant performance.  Carlos Condit already fought Georges St. Pierre for the title and lost a unanimous decision.  Martin Kampmann has not and most recently wilted in the opening minute to the powerful fists of current challenger Johnny Hendricks.  Both fighters boast well-rounded games, toughness and the ability to finish their opponents both on their feet and on the ground.  In Condit's first UFC fight, he faced Kampmann who took a split decision.  Since then, Kampmann's slow starts have cost him in the win column whereas Condit's more dynamic approach has created highlight-reel finishes.  This fight could go either way but the higher caliber of Condit's recent opponents should give him an edge when this chess match of aggression goes ...

WHO isn't excited to watch THE DEMOLITION MAN get in the ring with rising heavyweight Travis Browne?  Plenty of BANG and BOOM for your buck as Browne will likely choose to keep it standing against the the former K-1 kickboxing champion.  It's hard to imagine this fight ending in anything less than a KO or TKO by knees or a guillotine with Allstair Overeem coming out on top. Lights, camera, ACTION it's time to watch perennial title contender THE CALIFORNIA KID take on future bantamweight stud Yuri Alcantara.  Experience should win out but the young Brazilian is so FIERCE the ref might yell "Cut!" before Faber's scene is even over. Where in the HELL did Matt Brown come from?  Possibly a long way if he has indeed been dealing with factors outside of the Octagon.  So why not match one entertaining fighter with another entertaining fighter who somehow, someway keeps winning while rocking the UFC's sweetest M...

Since losing his title to current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has alternated wins and losses, struggling to regain the intimidation of old.  Knee problems and age have muted the latter stages of what should have been a dominant run as UFC champion.  Former middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen comes in looking to reinvent himself at 205 and put the beatdown at the hands, elbows and knees of Jones behind him.  In former Pride champion Rua, Sonnen faces yet another top level striker who's finished many opponents on their feet including former UFC champions Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin and Lyoto Machida.  But all the Freddie Roach boxing instruction in the world won't help Rua if he can't keep the indefatigable Sonnen from taking him down and keeping him there.  Although a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Rua chooses to stay upright when blitzing his opponents in the ring.  Back in his Pride days,...

Former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida continues his journey back to the top by fighting yet another All-American wrestler in Phil Davis.  Machida has used his stellar takedown defense and unusual movement to stifle nearly every wrestler he has faced.  Even against the current champion, Machida's feints and attacks confused Jon Jones until he took down The Dragon and elbowed him into a hazy consciousness.  Davis has used his wrestling and reach to build an 11-1 record, with the lone setback coming against another stellar wrestler, Rashad Evans, who negated his take downs and embarrassed him on his feet.  Can Phil Davis take Machida down?  If he cannot, Davis will lose the bout on points to the most accurate and elusive striker in the light heavyweight division.  But even a ground war is no guarantee for the submission-minded wrestler since Machida brings a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  A limited striker like Davis is tailor-made for on...

With the loss of former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo now finds his name being thrown around as the best pound-for-pound fighter inside the Octagon.  When he puts his featherweight championship on the line against Chan Sung Jung, Aldo will have the opportunity to bolster the arguments in his favor.  Although Jung is not as heralded an opponent as Aldo's original opponent, Anthony Pettis, "The Korean Zombie" poses the kind of high-volume threat that can wear down a muscular opponent like Jose Aldo over time.  Similar to the Diaz brothers, Jung's high volume of work in the cage saps an opponents strength over time while he seemingly walks through any flurry of strikes.  Aldo, who typically finishes his opponents early, faces the possibility of gassing against the most active opponent he's ever faced, especially if the fight goes deep in the rounds.  Although he can be evasive and tough against an onslaught of punches, the lone KO loss on Ju...

Demetrious Johnson defends his belt against the brick-fisted John Moraga Saturday and the question centers around whether or not they flyweight champion can handle his power.  Against John Dodson, Johnson outsmarted the best athlete at flyweight.  Against Moraga, he may have to outsmart the hardest puncher at 125 or Johnson may find himself surfacing to consciousness as a triumphant Moraga celebrates across the perimeter of the Octagon.  Look for Moraga to stalk Johnson in hopes of landing the shot that ends the evening festivities definitively.  But Johnson's superior technique, footwork and spacing may be such an advantage we could be in for a bit of a snoozefest.  Look for Johnson to safely eke out five consecutive 10-9 rounds to keep his belt.

When the greatest fighter in UFC history, undefeated in the Octagon, takes on Chris Weidman, he carries the weight not only of defending a championship, but of an amazing winning streak that may never be duplicated. In Chris Weidman, the sublime middleweight champion Anderson Silva faces a more well-rounded version of the man who almost beat him, Chael Sonnen.  Where Silva tapped Sonnen to a triangle armbar, Weidman's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills garner respect from black belt practitioners.  Where Silva withstood six rounds total of Sonnen's ground and pound, Weidman's power crushed middleweight tough guy Mark Munoz.  Where Sonnen controlled Silva with his outstanding wrestling, Weidman's MMA wrestling might even be better. And then there is the 38 year old Silva- when does Father Time tap him out?  Any fighter could make his entire career off being the first one to stop Silva's 16 fight winning streak in the Octagon.  Then you have a rising star like Weidm...

It says something about former Pride and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson's impressive career when former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans might not even be the eighth best fighter he's ever faced.  But at 40 years old, the centerpiece of Henderson's career- a championship belt in the UFC - remains as elusive as his previous opponent Lyoto Machida, who beat him in split decision.  In that loss, Henderson's plodding, slugging style repeatedly found air where an opponent once stood.  In Evans, Henderson faces a fellow wrestler only second to Machida in the speed department among light heavyweights.  With such an advantage, will Evans choose to keep the fight standing where he risks a highlight reel knockout?  Or will the outstanding wrestler try to take former Greco-Roman Olympic wrestler to the ground?  Coming off his lethargic and uninspired loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Evans may force the action and attack, which would please Henderson ...

1.  CAN SILVA AVOID THE GROUND? In their last meeting, Bigfoot Silva threw a low kick, Cain Velasquez quickly caught the kick, took Silva to the ground and dominated him from there.  Since that time, Silva admitted he made a mistake in his approach with Cain, but does that mean he won't throw kicks?  Is he practicing his takedown defense?  Cain is not only the fastest heavyweight but also the best wrestler, Cormier notwithstanding.  On his feet, Cain has been wobbled and his only loss came when Junior Dos Santos caught him in a stand-up exchange.  Silva might also hope to gas him out like he did with Alistair Overeem before he put him away, but Cain also possesses the best cardio in the division.  Still, anything is better than fighting Cain on the ground. 2.  WILL JUNIOR DOS SANTOS TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE GROUND? Dos Santos can outbox pretty much anyone in his division but any fighter who tries to stand with Hunt may land a few successfully, ...

JUNIOR DOS SANTOS VS MARK HUNT When former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and former K-1 champion Mark Hunt meet in a battle between two of the three best strikers in the division, the biggest question comes down to strategy.  Will dos Santos, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, take the fight to the ground where Hunt has shown weakness for submissions?  Or will dos Santos test Hunt's impermeable chin while resisting the lure of a straightforward brawl that favors brick-fisted Hunt over most any man on the planet.  Even if dos Santos tries to take the fight to the ground- a rare sight for him- he must get past Hunt's UFC-best takedown defense. GLOVER TEIXEIRA VS JAMES TE HUNA At light heavyweight, Glover Teixeira might be Junior dos Santos's doppleganger, possessing top-notch striking, heavy hands and a solid chin.  James Te Huna, a big, well-rounded fighter with ten KO's or TKO's on his resume, has been hurt in the past by lesser strikers but ...

Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez walked through Antonio Silva like a paper finish line when they first fought one year ago.  Velasquez took Silva down early in the fight and finished him on the ground,  taking almost zero damage.  Coming into this fight we can only wonder if anything will change. Since their last meeting, Silva plastered both Travis Browne and heavily-favored former K-1 champ Alistair Overeem on their feet.  Neither of them threatened to take him to the ground, whereas the heavyweight champion wields the best MMA wrestling in his division and drags everyone down into his domain.  In reclaiming his throne, the constant threat of takedowns and actual attempts rattled former champion and boxing wunderkind Junior Dos Santos to the point it was Velasquez who landed the most significant strikes.  Silva must defend those takedowns or try to catch him much in the way Junior Dos Santos did in handing Velasquez his first loss. While Silva's...

1.  CAN BELFORT HURT ROCKHOLD? Yup.  A spinning heel hook to the jaw answered that question, followed by a few undefended punches on the ground for good measure.  The big surprise was that Rockhold with his reach and fight savvy was unable to stay clean for even one round. 2.  WILL ROCKHOLD EXPERIENCE JITTERS IN HIS FIRST TRIP INTO THE OCTAGON? This is a possibility.  He did fight cautiously, but any Octagon veteran would know better than to wade recklessly into the deep waters of Belfort's choppy fists. 3.  WILL THE FIGHT GO PAST THE THIRD ROUND? Again, the big surprise was Rockhold allowing himself to be caught against such a dangerous striker.  Then again, how often have we ever seen Belfort throw that kick?  And with suck accuracy, too. 4.  WILL JACARE STRIKE WITH CAMOZZI? Jacare exchanged a few strikes with Camozzi on the feet but wisely chose to take it to the ground where he thoroughly dominated Camozzi.  Jacare an...

1.  CAN BELFORT HURT ROCKHOLD? Rockhold uses his reach and his kicks to control the distance of his fights.  Belfort likes to attack but if he follows a plan like Jon Jones then Belfort may have difficulty landing any of his punches. 2.  WILL ROCKHOLD EXPERIENCE JITTERS IN HIS FIRST TRIP INTO THE OCTAGON? Rockhold rolls into his UFC debut with plenty of pressure and high expectations.  Only the best fight here and the scrutiny that follows UFC fighters blows away the media attention for the other mixed martial arts leagues. 3.  WILL THE FIGHT GO PAST THE THIRD ROUND? Just like his fight against perennial contender Michael Bisping, Rockhold wants the fight to go long enough until Belfort slows down.  The plan worked great until Belfort set Bisping up with a strike and he ducked into his second head kick of the match.  Fight over.  Rockhold knows this and will surely plans to not emulate Bisping's results. 4.  WILL JACARE STRIKE W...

Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold debuts against a middleweight contendor in Vitor Belfort who has only ever lost to the very best. Traditionally, when Belfort wins he finishes his opponents early with powerful strikes that some consider the fastest in the UFC.  When he loses, the muscular TRT-laden Belfort gasses out.  And although he is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Belfort rarely uses it.  The exception being the Jon Jones fight when he nearly submitted the indomitable light heavyweight champion with an arm bar. Luke Rockhold blends wrestling, boxing, kicking and submission skills into one of the most well-rounded opponents Belfort has ever faced.  Though not particularly outstanding or dangerous in any specific area, the sum of the whole puts Rockhold on collision course to eventually fight for the middleweight championship, perhaps as soon as his next fight should he leave victorious. With a height and reach advantage, most feel ...

Why bother, it seems, with Jon "Bones" Jones holding an edge over Chael Sonnen in every conceivable area the fight could rumble through. Striking?  Only Lyoto Machida, master of accuracy and speed, has come close to outstriking him and that was in the first round. Submissions?  Jones has submitted the last two BJJ black belts he's faced. Physicals?  Jones has the longest reach in any division and is the second tallest light heavyweight. Wrestling?  That just so happens to be Chael's biggest strength.  And Jones's. So what happens when Chael tries to pressure Jones with takedowns?  He'll need to threaten Jones with his own strikes to open up an opportunity for a takedown, but if he dares tread there he'll face Jones's UFC-best reach, elbows, oblique kicks and side kicks.  Clinch and you enter the elbow zone.  Kick and you find yourself on your back and again in the dreaded elbow zone.  A Sonnen victory would be a bigger upset than Ma...

When UFC lightweight champion BENSON HENDERSON faces Strikeforce lightweight champion GILBERT MELENDEZ on Saturday, he faces a fighter nearly as well-rounded as he, but with more power in his hands.  Going into this fight, many feel Melendez's bland performance in his last fight portends a successful third defense for the reigning champion.  But before his last fight, many considered Melendez the best lightweight in the world- even above stalwarts like Henderson, Edgar and Penn.  Right now Henderson stands above all others (except perhaps the last man to beat him, Anthony Pettis).  With a slight disadvantage in wrestling and kicking, Melendez may seek an opportunity during a scramble to stun Henderson with his hands and perhaps finish him.  It will be interesting to see how often these top shelf grapplers take it to the floor and if Melendez learns from Nick Diaz's mistakes in handling Henderson's tae kwon do kicks. Undefeated Strikeforce heavyweight champio...

1.  WILL GSP ENGAGE WITH DIAZ ON THE FEET? The answer wasn't exactly "no", but he basically stayed out of his punching range until he would shoot in for a takedown.  He also landed a few shots and then moved away at an angle and not directly backing up.  In the third round he had a few exchanges on the feet and his face started to show some of the damage.  After that, he did his best to stick to his gameplan. 2.  ARE WE DISCOUNTING THE GRACIE BJJ BLACK BELT IN THIS FIGHT? Despite fighting off his back for a lot of the match, GSP's top control was careful enough so as to not put him in any serious danger even though Diaz kept looking for an opportunity.  GSP's awareness kept him out of harm's way for almost the entire fight 3.  IS HENDRICKS TWO-DIMENSIONAL? It is hard to say Hendricks isn't two-dimensional in that he really didn't vary his attack, but kept Condit on his feet the entire match.  Any time Condit threw a knee, Hendricks too...

1.  WILL GSP ENGAGE WITH DIAZ ON THE FEET? We've seen the emergence of GSP's jab- as Josh Koscheck can attest- but what about the rest of his striking arsenal?  Has he added any wrinkles to his striking game that he plans to unveil to prove he can also come forward non-stop?  Most assume GSP will limit the amount of time they spend on their feet, but maybe GSP has other plans for the mouthy Stockton striker. 2.  ARE WE DISCOUNTING THE GRACIE BJJ BLACK BELT IN THIS FIGHT? With so much focus on the indefatigable boxing game of Nick Diaz, his superb submission game gets overlooked.  Knowing GSP's strategy will likely rely on taking Diaz down and keeping him there, how will Diaz fight off his back?  And with the amount of time GSP spends smothering his opponents on the ground, won't that mean even more opportunities for Diaz to throw up his legs for an arm bar or kimura? 3.  IS HENDRICKS TWO-DIMENSIONAL? We know about his one-punch knockout power...

JOHNY HENDRICKS VS. CARLOS CONDIT Johny Hendricks's five fight win streak in the welterweight division is almost as impressive as how he's won those fights- a mix of dominant wrestling and some sterling knockout power.  Condit, who has never been knocked out, brings Hendricks his sternest test, boasting a well-rounded mix of striking and submission skills.  Hendricks doesn't change much- he will either bomb you with his powerful left hand or take you down and rain misery there.  With that in mind, will Condit employ the same strategy he used to grind out a victory against voluminous striker Nick Diaz?  Where he would land a few strikes and then circle out of range?  He kicked Diaz quite a bit but against a top-tier wrestler like Hendricks those kicks translates into easy takedowns as it happened with Georges St. Pierre.  And does Hendricks have the cardio to keep up with Condit if he keeps the fight at a safe distance?  And has Hendricks fallen s...

Georges St.Pierre's solid performance solved the mystery of his knee injury with a unanimous decision victory over an active Carlos Condit.  The next mystery brings the test of crisp boxing, dangerous submission techniques and brutal cardio of Stockton tough guy Nick Diaz. But it's really Diaz that has the biggest mystery to solve, with GSP's dominant wrestling controlling opponents takedown after relentless takedown.  GSP can even use the threat of takedown to take away some of the edge Diaz holds in boxing, much like Cain did to JDS, but Diaz fears little so expect him to welcome those takedowns. The ground could be the most interesting part of the fight as GSP's top control wilts strong fighters over the rounds, but also where Diaz and his long limbs can end the fight with any number of submissions. If it stays on the feet, GSP could likely follow lightweight champion Benson Henderson's approach with brother Nate Diaz, who possesses a similar fighting sty...

1.  WILL FRANKIE'S NORMAL SPEED ADVANTAGE BE NULLIFIED BY DROPPING DOWN IN THE FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION? Yes.  Normally, Frankie jumps in and out, lands some punches and takes very little damage.  Aldo's job stopped him repeatedly, as did his signature leg kicks that reduced his mobility. 2.  WILL ALDO GET TAKEN DOWN? No.  Well, once.  But wrestling played a very small role in this fight, outside of the single take down in the later rounds.  The bigger factor was Edgar's cardio which started turning the fight around in the later rounds, but not soon enough. 3.  CAN NOGUEIRA NEUTRALIZE RASHAD EVANS'S TAKEDOWNS? Yes.  Nogueira fought off one take down attempt and for the rest of the fight Evans tried to out-quick Nogueira in the striking department.  The last two opponents to beat Nogueira relied on their wrestling to neutralize his high-level boxing skills.  Evans fight tactics puzzled most observers and cost him only hi...

1.  WILL FRANKIE'S NORMAL SPEED ADVANTAGE BE NULLIFIED BY DROPPING DOWN IN THE FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION? In the lightweight division, former champion Edgar had the speed advantage in every single fight.  Striking, footwork, kicks, takedowns- Edgar got their first.  Against Aldo and the other featherweights, will this reduce his efficiency?  Will he take more punishment? 2.  WILL ALDO GET TAKEN DOWN? Edgar's wrestling often takes a backseat to the technical proficiency of his boxing, but it should not be overlooked in this fight.  Having taken down far larger and stronger men who possessed great take down defense, how will Aldo adjust Edgar repeatedly gets past his knees for takedowns? 3.  CAN NOGUEIRA NEUTRALIZE RASHAD EVANS'S TAKEDOWNS? Nogueira's recent two-loss streak came at the hands of two accomplished wrestlers- Ryan Bader and Phil Davis.  What happens when he takes on a wrestler who is even better than both of those fighters? ...

RASHAD EVANS VS. ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA Former champion Rashad Evans looks to rebound from his loss to the current champion, Jon Jones.  Pride veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira seeks his biggest win in the Octagon since defeating a now-retired Tito Ortiz.  A fast and athletic wrestler, Evans may try to negate Nogueira's boxing strengths by taking him to the ground, much in the same way his opponents did when he incurred his back-to-back losses.  Although a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the speedy and active Evans may be too much for Nogueira to overcome. ALISTAIR OVEREEM VS. ANTONIO SILVA Former kickboxing champion Alistair Overeem touts a striking arsenal second only to Junior Dos Santos.  Antonio Silva just beats men into the ground with brute force.  Although Silva likes to take his opponent down and rain misery upon them, he will find it difficult with the quicker Overeem threatening to cave in his chest with potent knee strikes. JON FITCH VS...

JOSE ALDO VS. FRANKIE EDGAR Jose Ado, the intimidating and dominant featherweight champion, faces his toughest challenge yet in former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.  The speed advantages Edgar once held at lightweight no longer apply in a faster division, but it might also mean his punches carry more force, relatively speaking.  While Gray Maynard might be the strongest fighter Edgar has faced, Aldo promises to be the  most dangerous striker he's ever faced, even more than former welterweight and lightweight champion BJ Penn.  Frankie's best chance to beat Aldo come via a boxing-heavy war where he can utilize his top-notch technique.  If the match strays beyond a stand-up exchange, Aldo holds a dangerous, fight-ending advantage via kicks, knees and submissions.

Dementrious Johnson vs. John Dodson This could very well be the fastest fight in UFC history.  Not in how quickly it ends but in how quickly Johnson and Dodson throw their punches, kicks, takedowns and submissions.  Dodson carries fight-altering power in his fists ( What?  A flyweight with knockout power?? ) in addition to his athletic prowess.  Johnson boasts similar athletic ability but maximizes it with stellar technique.  Johnson Quinton Jackson Vs. Glover Teixeira Since losing his UFC light heavyweight title in 2008, sluggish performances have defined the latter half of Quinton Jackson's career.  Glover Teixeira, a hard-striking star on the rise, presents Jackson with an opponent that could write the wrong kind of ending to the legendary brawler's career.  So which Jackson shows up?  The one who missed weight in Japan and lost an ugly decision to Ryan Bader?  You have to go back seven fights to find the last time Jackson finished ...

WAGNER PRADO came out swinging against ALCANTARA but had little success once he started fighting from distance and using his kicks.  Prado never changed tactics and was taken down at the end of the first.  An failed takedown by Prado lands him in an attempted guillotine, which leads to him flipping Alcantara on his back.  In a ground scramble Alcantara finds himself with Prado's legs and taps him out moments later as Prado yelps in pain.  A disappointing showing for Prado, but an exciting debut for Alcantara who next moves down to his natural middleweight division. The other ALCANTARA, a bantamweight brother, looked to be all business in his fight, handling every moment as routine, even the groin kick.  Easily controlling his opponent with his strikes, the ref stopped the fight on the ground when Alcantara appeared to be striking the back of the head.  Replay shows this was not the case, but his opponent played it up and a sure victory for Alcantara becom...

WATERWORKS You remember when Wagner Prado looked like he was about to cry? After clubbing Phil Davis early in the first round of a UFC on Fox 4 fight, an errant eye poke led the referee to bring a doctor over to examine Prado's eye.  The doctor asks him if he can see and, unaware it will stop the fight, Prado answers honestly.  The ref waves off the fight and Prado's grimacing howl becomes an enduring image.  Both men leave disappointed, as do the viewers. The rematch?  Couldn't have gone more the other way.  One of the best wrestlers in the UFC smothering Prado until Davis finally submitted him with an arm triangle.  Mr. Wonderful, indeed. Still- we saw Prado's fire in that first fight and Davis felt his power.  Watching him fight again gets me excited. THE BIGS It makes sense that if you get in shape, you would fight better.  Still, it felt surprising when a slimmed-down Ben Rothwell looked as good as he did.  But then again, he...

STRIKEFORCE came to an end last Saturday, leaving behind a legacy of some interesting fights, fighters and legendary upsets.  On the plus side, the UFC plucked the ripest fruits to generate a new wave of match-ups, rivalries and title contenders. Here are some of the new hires I really dig. At LIGHTWEIGHT I'm most looking forward to Strikeforce Lightweight Champ Gilbert Melendez- and so is the UFC since they immediately matched him up against Benson Henderson with the belt on the line for UFC on Fox 7. Gilbert trains out of the Cesar Gracie camp with the Diaz brothers and Jake Shields who all swear by his outstanding talent. K.J. Noons's striking adds more sharp boxing technique to the 155ers. And who isn't excited to see Ryan Couture, the spawn of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, mixing things up with his ground skills and genetically inherited dirty boxing? Before Nate Marquardt's disappointing showing on Saturday, the WELTERWEIGHT division thought his brute p...