UFC Middleweight

UFC booking Marvin Vettori – Jacare Souza

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The Italian Dream will finally get a big time name in his next UFC contest. Marvin Vettori (15-4-1) is riding a three fight winning streak since fighting to a split decision loss to the current champion, Israel Adesanya. Vettori has looked very solid inside the octagon.

We last saw Vettori when he took on Karl Roberson back at UFC on ESPN 10. That night, Vettori submitted Roberson in the first round of their fight. Since that victory, Vettori has been calling for a big time name in the UFC‘s middleweight division.

However, the promotion struggled to get him a fight. Recently, it was thought that Vettori would be taking on Omari Akhmedov, however those plans have seemingly changed. Vettori’s coach said that the current plan is to take on the legend Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (26-8, 1 NC) at UFC 256.

For Jacare, the fight with Vettori will mark the first fight for him in 2020. The last we saw of Jacare in the UFC was last November when he took on current light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz. That night, Souza lost by split decision.

Solid middleweight clash at UFC 256

Souza will walk into the cage on December 12th at 41 years old. It is pretty clear that he doesn’t have many fight left in his UFC career. However, he can still hang with the best of them as he showed in his last UFC contest.

He still possesses elite skills on the ground, and he can hold his own on the feet. This will be a big test for the Italian Dream. Vettori has been looking for that UFC win that will put him on the map when it comes to the MMA casuals.

He’s been searching for that signature UFC victory. If he can pick up his fourth consecutive win in the UFC and do it against a guy like Jacare, it will say a lot about the path Vettori is on. Who knows, maybe one day he could run it back with the champion.

Chris Weidman believes he would beat the UFC champ: ‘I’d ragdoll him!’

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Chris Weidman

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman (15-5) is back in the news today after some recent comments. Weidman has never lacked for confidence over the last few years despite going through some tough times in his UFC career.

Weidman was once the undefeated UFC middleweight champion. Then he went on to lose five out of six fights by knockout. During that stretch, Weidman explored a move to light heavyweight, but was quickly knocked out by Dominick Reyes at UFC on ESPN 6.

Following that loss, Weidman decided to move back down to middleweight. Weidman was able to defeat Omari Akhmedov by unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 6. The win was a massive victory for Weidman who seems more motivated than ever to get back to UFC gold.

Weidman currently doesn’t have his next opponent setup. However, that hasn’t stopped him from having his eyes focused on the top of the middleweight division. The All American sees himself as a nightmare matchup for UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya (20-0).

Calling out the UFC champ

In an interview with Chael Sonnen, the former UFC middleweight champion said, “I think that’s a tailor-made matchup for me. I’m the type of guy that will bring that pressure, and I will take him down and I’ll rag doll him on the floor.”

Those are some strong words from the former champ to the current UFC middleweight champion. For years, people have thought that the key to beating Adesanya would be getting him to the ground and keeping nonstop pressure on him.

I think Weidman is right in the sense that that’s how you could beat him. However, I’m not sure Weidman would be the best guy in the UFC to implement that game plan. Still, Weidman pointed out his success against fighters like Adesanya as his reasoning.

“Those tall athletic strikers, I’ve proven that I can beat them. I think wrestling, heavy punches and kicks, and nonstop pressure is what you need to beat them. That’s the recipe that beats those guys. I’ve proved that with Anderson Silva twice, and Uriah Hall. Those guys are in trouble against me.”

Weidman still has a ways to go before he’s ready for another UFC title shot. Who knows, Adesanya might not even be in the division anymore by the time Weidman gets a crack at UFC gold. However, if they fight, Weidman sure believes he’s the perfect guy to beat Adesanya.

Who is the greatest middleweight in UFC history?

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This past weekend at UFC 253, Israel Adesanya (20-0) put on a show. Facing his toughest test to date in Paulo Costa (13-1), Adesanya put on the performance of his career stopping Costa in the second round. He proved he’s the best middleweight in the world.

Adesanya has become a superstar for the UFC. Whether it be the way he talks, his dancing, or his incredible slick striking skills, Adesanya wows fight fans. However, after Saturday evening, I was seeing a little bit of being a victim of the moment.

There were some members of the MMA media and the UFC Twitter mob that were already declaring Adesanya the greatest middleweight in UFC history. Stylebender is clearly the best in the world now, but I think that people need to pump the breaks just a little.

Yes, Adesanya is perfect at 20-0, but he just defended his UFC title for the second time. Remember, he just became champion in October. He’s not even one year into his title reign, and some are already declaring him the GOAT.

There is no questioning the talent and the skill of Israel Adesanya. He very well might be the greatest middleweight to have ever stepped foot in the UFC. However, declaring him the GOAT at this point is wrong. To me, he’s not even in the conversation with the actual GOAT of the middleweight division yet.

One of the UFC’s Best of All Time

There is only one GOAT at middleweight and his name is Anderson Silva (34-10, 1 NC). Before Adesanya fans immediately try to argue, I will warn you that there is no argument when it comes to their resumes inside the UFC.

Yes, I understand that Silva has really fallen on rough times, but you have to remember, he’s far past his prime. When he was in his prime, Silva dominated the UFC like only Jon Jones has dominated the UFC.

Silva outclassed every opponent on his way to winning his first 16 UFC fights. A winning streak that still hasn’t been matched in the promotions history. Silva won the middleweight crown back at UFC 64 and successfully defended the title 11 times before falling in 2013.

Silva’s unbeaten reign inside the UFC spanned seven years. If he would have retired after he defeated Stephan Bonnar, he would still be considered to be the greatest to ever do it. Of course, things derailed for Silva starting at UFC 162.

Like all great champions, Silva was never the same as he exited his prime. However, it’s still impressive that Silva can compete at his age. In fact, he looked pretty good in February of 2019 when he fought to a decision with Adesanya.

Yes, Silva lost the fight, but at 43 years old, Silva was able to keep the fight close, and he won a round. Adesanya is the best in the world right now, but he still has a ways to go in my eyes before he can be declared the greatest middleweight in UFC history. That’s still belongs to the Spider.

Anderson Silva acknowledges that his next UFC fight could be his last

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Anderson Silva (34-10, 1 NC) realizes that when he makes the walk on October 31st, it will probably be for the final time. The former UFC middleweight king is getting ready to close the book on fighting.

In an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Silva said, “I think that this will be my final performance inside the cage for my fans.” If it is, October 31st will be a night that the UFC world says goodbye to one of the greatest to ever do it.

Interestingly enough, Silva was trying to get fights with former UFC champions for his next fight. He was interested in Conor McGregor and Anthony Pettis. Despite mutual interest, the UFC put a halt to both of those matchups.

Silva changed the UFC

Prior to 2013, most if not all of the MMA community would have said that Anderson Silva was the greatest fighter of all time. The then UFC middleweight champion was 33-4 and had successfully defended his UFC title 11 times.

Silva’s blend of creative and precise striking made him almost impossible to deal with. The Spider did struggle with wrestlers, but he was a black belt in jiu jitsu and used it against wrestlers. He had submission wins in the UFC over grapplers like Travis Lutter, Dan Henderson, and Chael Sonnen.

Of course, we all know that history changed at UFC 162. Silva was playing with Chris Weidman inside the cage but played a little to much. He found himself staring up at the lights with Weidman becoming the UFC champion.

Following that, Silva had a devastating leg injury that he suffered in the rematch. He’s had a no contest against Nick Diaz after testing positive, one win, and four losses since the injury in December of 2013.

The former UFC middleweight king realizes it’s time to hang it up at 45 years old. Silva has been acting and he’s even developing a script which he mentioned to Okamoto. On October 31st, Silva will fight Uriah Hall (15-9) who in ways is a lot like Silva.

If you wanted to give Anderson a fight he could win and it will be exciting, Hall is the perfect choice. Both men have a lot to gain in the fight. Yes, Silva’s legacy is pretty well set, but nobody wants to walk away on a loss. While Hall is trying to get the biggest name victory of his UFC career.

UFC: Darren Till and Jack Hermansson to headline Fight Night

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UFC news is coming quick on this Friday afternoon. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto is reporting that the promotion is finalizing a middleweight contest between Darren Till (18-3-1) and Jack Hermansson (21-5) for a Fight Night on December 5th.

Darren Till took to Instagram to confirm the news that he would be headlining the December 5th UFC card against Hermansson.

Two top six UFC middleweights go to war

Darren Till is coming off of a razor close decision loss to Robert Whittaker back at UFC Fight Island 3. The fight was back and forth with Till tearing his MCL in the fight. Till came up just short against the former champion.

It was just the second fight for Till in the UFC‘s middleweight division after he had spent his career at welterweight. Till fought and defeated Kevlin Gastelum by split decision back at UFC 244 in his divisional debut.

Speaking of Kelvin Gastelum, he was just defeated by the man who will take on Till on December. Jack Hermansson just ran through Gastelum at UFC Fight Island 2. The Joker caught Gastelum in a heel hook less than 90 seconds into the fight.

In the last two years, Hermansson is 5-1 with his only loss coming to Jared Cannonier back at UFC Fight Night 160. Had Hermansson won that fight, he might have found himself next in line for a UFC title shot.

Instead, The Joker took on Gastelum on Fight Island. After making quick work of Gastelum, he turned his sites to Darren Till. Hermansson wanted this fight, and he’s getting this fight. The winner takes another step towards UFC gold. This should be a good one in December.

Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa have heated interview ahead of UFC 253

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One of the more anticipated fights of 2020 is the fight between Israel Adesanya (19-0) and Paulo Costa (13-0). The two undefeated fighters will fight for the middleweight crown at UFC 253.

The one thing that is very clear it’s that these two do not like each other. In fact, you could say the two top UFC fighters hate each other. Their hatred for each other was on full display in a recent interview on SportsCenter.

UFC 253 is Getting a War

“He’s (Adesanya) not a respectable guy,” Costa said. “The sport doesn’t need his attitude to sell a good fight. He says he’s not boring, look at his last fight…If you fight someone like Romero or me, you need to come to fight. He just stood there… I will bring the fight, I will bring the war,” Costa yelled at Adesanya.

Adesanya responded quickly showing off his 2019 UFC Fight of the Year trophy saying, “That’s just one, I’ve got many.” Adesanya yelled back at Costa saying, “When someone brings the fight, I f–cking fight. You say you’re going to bring the fight, bring that s–t! I’ll show you what I’m about.”

This was just one of the many exchanges throughout the full eleven minute video that you can view above. This fight is truly a matchup between the two best in the UFC‘s middleweight division. We have not seen a title fight between two undefeated fighters since UFC 98 back in 2009.

Technically we had DC/Jones, but Jones had that one DQ loss on his record. These two are undefeated and two of the baddest men on the planet. Costa is right about one thing, all he knows how to do is bring war to his opponents.

Adesanya might be the best technical striker in the UFC and he will have to lean on his countering skills in this one. Costa is going to give him no room to operate so Izzy is going to have to be elusive and catch him coming in. I can’t wait for this fight and we have just over a month to wait.

UFC: Anderson Silva’s last fight could come against Uriah Hall

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UFC, Anderson Silva

The career of one of the greatest fighters of all time is coming to a close. UFC President Dana White said in the post-fight press conference of the Contender Series that the promotion was working on the “last fight” for Anderson Silva (34-10, 1 NC).

The Spider was once considered universally to be the greatest MMA fighter to have ever lived. However, his 1-6, 1 NC stretch over the last seven years has changed a lot of minds. Without a doubt, the former UFC middleweight champion is still one of the best to ever do it.

White said that the promotion was looking at another striker for his final fight. One opponent that White likes is Uriah Hall (15-9).

UFC 198 Throwback

“We’re working on a fight for him (Silva) coming up soon here…He will fight again. I met with his managers the other day. This will be his last fight…We’re talking about putting him in a very competitive fight that should be fun… Uriah Hall,” White said to the media.

Believe it or not, this would not be the first time that these two men were paired up. These two were initially supposed to fight at UFC 198 a few years back. However, a last minute injury forced Silva off the card in Brazil.

When Uriah Hall was on the Ultimate Fighter, many people remarked that he reminded them of Silva. Silva was the UFC‘s gold standard at that point in time. The way Hall was knocking people out, you couldn’t help but dream about a fight between the two men.

Of course we know that since that time, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for either man. Hall has never really lived up to his hype, while Silva has been sliding as he’s gotten older.

One More Fight

Silva turned 45 this year and really has nothing left to prove. He’s simply fighting because it’s what he loves to do. While he’s not at the top of the sport anymore, he proved at UFC 234 that he can still hang with the best.

Silva put up a very competitive performance against the current UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Hall was initially scheduled to fight Yoel Romero this week, but that fight fell through with Romero pulling out.

Hall has won two straight fights and a win over a big name like Anderson Silva would really get some momentum behind him. I still would love to see Hall and Romero fight, but for now, I think I could live with seeing one of the all time greats compete in a striking match with Primetime Uriah Hall.

UFC: Ian Heinisch – Brendan Allen targeted for November 7th

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A big time UFC middleweight clash between two of the brighter prospects in the division will happen on November 7th. Ian Heinisch (14-3) will be taking on Brendan Allen (15-3).

This is a fight that was originally supposed to take place on June 27th, but Heinisch was forced off the card. Allen would go on to face and defeat Kyle Daukaus in a close fight. The match between Heinisch and Allen was first reported by MMA DNA.

Two Bright UFC Middleweight Prospects

Both of these fighters will head into the November 7th contest coming off wins in their last performances. For Heinisch, he was able to get a much needed win over Gerald Meerschaert.

Heinisch was able to score a TKO within the first 90 seconds of the fight. Meerschaert is Allen’s teammate which adds an interesting dynamic to this fight. Heinisch will make the walk currently ranked 13th in the world in the UFC‘s middleweight division.

Allen will enter the cage riding a seven fight winning streak on November 7th. Allen was awarded a UFC contract after he won by first round submission on Dana White’s Contender Series. He has gone on to start his UFC career 3-0.

Allen did run into some trouble in his last fight against Daukaus. While Allen was able to get the win in that fight, he didn’t come out unscathed. In fact, he took some good shots on the feet and found himself in some vulnerable positions on the ground.

A fight like that is really good for an up and coming prospect. They need to feel that sting of vulnerability to keep their skills sharp. Allen really wanted the fight with Heinisch and made that clear in his post-fight interview.

UFC: Luke Rockhold opts against retirement; returning to middleweight

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Luke Rockhold

The UFC‘s middleweight division is going to be adding another contender to the stacked division. According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, former champion, Luke Rockhold (16-5), will be returning to action in the middleweight division.

It has been over a year since we have seen Rockhold inside the UFC. Rockhold had moved up to light heavyweight and was knocked out by Jan Blachowicz in the second round at UFC 239.

Former UFC champion is returning

After Rockhold suffered the knockout loss, he hinted that he would be walking away from the sport. Rockhold had suffered back to back brutal knockout losses and one resulted in a broken jaw.

Despite the losses, Rockhold was the champion just four fights ago. Rockhold defeated Chris Weidman at UFC 194 to become middleweight champion capping off a two year run where he went 5-0 on his way to the title.

Rockhold and Weidman were scheduled to rematch at UFC 199. However, when Weidman had to pull out, Michael Bisping stepped in. We all know what happened then. Bisping shocked the world by knocking out Rockhold.

Rockhold bounced back with a dominant win over David Branch before losing two straight via knockout. Now, the former champion is going to be returning to the middleweight division.

Another former champion just made a very similar move, and it’s a familiar foe. Chris Weidman just moved back to middleweight after also suffering a brutal knockout in the light heavyweight division.

Today, we released on article about what was next for Weidman. I think Rockhold’s middleweight return just changed that whole situation. To me, it was difficult placing Weidman’s next opponent, but a fight with Rockhold makes perfect sense.

These two men do not like each other and their rematch is years in the making. There aren’t a ton of fights that make sense for either man, so why not pair them up for a contest before the end of the year? That would definitely be a fun fight for both men.

What’s next for Chris Weidman after UFC Vegas 6 victory?

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Chris Weidman

On Saturday night, former UFC middleweight champion, Chris Weidman (15-5), successfully returned to the middleweight division. After a one fight stint at light heavyweight, the former champion returned to face Omari Akhmedov (20-5-1).

Akhmedov entered the contest ranked 11th in the division. He hadn’t lost a UFC contest since April of 2016. Akhmedov has a tendency to make fights ugly. Many people didn’t know what to expect when Weidman would face him.

Weidman had his back up against a wall. The former champion was no longer a ranked fighter after going 1-5 in his previous six contest. He was finished in all five of those losses.

The All American showed up Saturday night and proved that he can still win at this level. It was an ugly fight, but Weidman got a much needed victory in the UFC. He took time after the fight to announce that he was back.

What’s next for the former UFC champ?

Weidman made it clear to the top tier guys that he was coming back, but acknowledge his performance wasn’t the best in his post-fight interview. The former champion will definitely have a number by his name when the new UFC rankings are released.

So what does the UFC do with Weidman? While I understand his desire to call out the top guys, he needs to earn those fights with consistent wins. A win over Akhmedov is a step in the right direction, but Weidman really needs to continue to prove himself.

The question becomes, who do you put him in there with? In looking at the rankings, there aren’t a ton of options. I wouldn’t have him fight Gastelum again, and he’s not going to get a shot against guys like Brunson or Hermansson.

I know this would technically be a step backwards in the rankings, but I would have him take on a guy like Marvin Vettori (15-4-1) next. The Italian Dream needs a fight and the UFC is having trouble finding him an opponent.

He’s won three fights in a row and he last lost a very competitive decision to the current champion. If Weidman fights and beats Vettori, you can move him up to a top five opponent given a two fight winning streak and his history.

On the other hand, if Vettori wins, you have a very exciting contender who will be coming off of the biggest win of his career. Not sure the UFC will go this way, but that’s my idea. I think Weidman shouldn’t be rushed. Give him one more guy outside the top tier before throwing him to the wolves.