Tag: Dan Henderson (Page 2 of 4)

      UFC 134 Preview: Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami

      August 23, 2011 /

      nullThe main event of Saturday’s UFC 134 is a middleweight championship contest with Anderson Silva defending his title against Yushin Okami.

      Okami is actually the last man to beat Silva, as he won by DQ over “The Spider” back in 2006 as part of Rumble on the Rock. Silva threw an illegal upkick that forced Okami to stop fighting.

      Here is a look at both fighters, more than five years since their last meeting.

      Anderson Silva (30-4) – Widely considered the best single fighter in the world in any weight class, Silva is the most lethal striker in all of MMA. Both of his hands and feet have one-strike KO power and he also has a jiu-jitsu black belt under the Nogeuira brothers. Silva is on a 14-fight win streak and is coming off an impressive KO of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. Silva seems unbeatable, but his one weakness appears to be wrestling, where Okami is at his strongest.

      Yushin Okami (26-5) – “Thunder” has had a long road to a title fight, as this is his 12th fight in the octagon. Since a tough decision loss to Chael Sonnen, Okami has won three straight, including decision wins over Nate Marquardt and Mark Munoz. Like Sonnen, Okami is a grinder that fights a very ugly style. He likes to clinch and grapple, using his strength to keep his opponent from going on the attack. If Okami can get the fight to the ground, he can win. If the fight remains on the feet, I don’t see him coming out on the winning end.

      Who Will Win – It’s hard to see any scenario where Silva doesn’t win, but Okami does have the style that has given Silva the most problems. Sonnen, Dan Henderson, and Travis Lutter were all able to score takedowns on Silva. Sonnen has some very strong wrestling skills, but he isn’t an aggressive fighter. He must be aggressive early and not allow Silva to find his flow. Eventually, I see Silva getting a KO in the second round against Okami, as Silva is just too fast for Okami to get his hands on.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      Top 10 Light Heavyweight Rankings

      August 11, 2011 /

      nullI waited a week to release my latest light heavyweight rankings as I wanted to see how the UFC 133 main event turned out.

      Rashad Evans did as I expected and beat Tito Ortiz, but his performance was very impressive and it made me consider putting him on top of the list.

      You have to consider the quality of opponents that Evans has over Jones. Granted, Jones has been unphased in any fight. But, he also hasn’t fought the best of the best throughout his career.

      Still, I left Jones on top for now, but No. 2 is a lot closer than he was a few months ago.

      1. Jon Jones (13-1): Jones will defend his UFC championship next month against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, in his biggest fight to date. Jones has yet to face any adversity, but a win over Jackson would prove that he can handle almost anyone in MMA. Wrestling will likely be the key in this one, as I don’t think Jones will want to slug it out with Rampage.

      2. Rashad Evans (16-1-1): Evans bulked up in his time away from fighting and he looks like a determined fighter. He seems angry based on what happened with Greg Jackson and Jones, and it seems to have improved his skills as opposed to hurt them. Evans is next in line for a title shot. Only time will tell if he and Jones will finally square off.

      3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8): Rampage has had some issues away from the cage, having his trainer decided to leave camp over “creative differences.” Still, Rampage says he is ready to go. He will face a fighter unlike anything he has really seen. It will be interesting to see how Rampage plans to attack Jones at UFC 135.

      Continue reading »

      Fighters, News, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC

      Strikeforce, Zuffa done with Fedor Emelianenko

      August 4, 2011 /

      nullFedor Emelianenko may not be ready to retire, but Zuffa thinks he probably should.

      While the company didn’t specifically say that, it was made pretty clear that they have no more interest in Fedor when they decided they will not pursue a new contract with him.

      According to MMAFighting.com, Dana White made his feelings about Fedor pretty clear.

      Fedor Emelianenko will be cut from the promotion following his loss to Dan Henderson at last Saturday’s Strikeforce/M-1 Fedor vs. Henderson event.

      UFC president Dana White — a co-owner of Strikeforce parent company Zuffa LLC — confirmed the news following the UFC 133 press conference on Thursday.

      “He’s being cut, yeah,” White told the media. “Why? Do you think we should keep him?”

      “You guys thought he was the pound-for-pound best in the world, but I thought he was overrated for years.”

      After being unbeaten for 10 years, Fedor has now lost three straight, all by stoppage.

      While he still seems competitive, it is clear the mystique behind “The Last Emperor,” has clearly dissolved. His drawing power is not what it was, and Zuffa is no longer interested.

      You can’t blame Zuffa from a business stand point, as dealing with Fedor’s extra management of M-1 Global was hard enough when he was on top of the MMA world, it could be even more ridiculous now that he doesn’t have the same credibility.

      Fighters, News, Strikeforce

      Fedor Emelianenko: The Fall of the Last Emperor

      July 31, 2011 /

      nullWith every great moment in sports history, there is typically one that is just as sad a little further down the road.

      No matter how invincible we think people like Anderson Silva or Georges St. Pierre are, time will make a coward of them all.

      Such is the case with Fedor Emelianenko.

      From 2000-2010 Fedor was considered a god in MMA. He went 10 years without losing a fight. It seemed impossible, but he kept finding ways to win. Through PRIDE to Affliction to Strikeforce, he kept finding himself on top.

      But, as time moved on, fighters kept improving, while Fedor has hit a standstill with his evolving in the sport.

      Now, a loser of three straight after being stopped by Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, and now Dan Henderson, “The Last Emperor” looks like someone that has been dethroned.

      Is Fedor still a top-level fighter? Yes.

      He is still someone that can compete with the best.

      But, he is far from the legend that he created over the last 10 years.

      Continue reading »

      Fighters, News, Strikeforce

      Strikeforce Recap: Henderson hands Fedor another loss

      July 31, 2011 /

      nullAnother big Strikeforce event is in the books and the storied career of Fedor Emelianenko continues to have a somber ending.

      “The Last Emperor” suffered a first round TKO loss to Dan Henderson in a heavyweight clash that saw Emelianenko basically taking on a light heavyweight.

      The action was fast and furious in the bout, with Fedor coming out swinging early. After surviving a few big punches early, Henderson answered with some of his own and then controlled most of the round in the clinch.

      The end came after Fedor landed a big uppercut that sent Henderson to the ground. As Fedor looked for the finish, Henderson managed to reverse the position and land a big right during a scramble that put Fedor down. A few punches later, referee Herb Dean stopped the fight just 4:12 into the contest.

      Fedor has now lost three straight fights, all by stoppage. His future is in doubt while Henderson is on a nice roll and just secured one of the biggest wins in his legendary career.

      In the co-main event, Miesha Tate pulled off a surprising arm triangle submission on submission specialist Marloes Coenen to win the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Championship.

      The fight was close from the start, with Tate surviving a second round that saw Coenen on her back for nearly the full five minutes. Still, in the fourth round Tate managed to score a takedown and catch Coenen off guard with a quick transition to an arm triangle that force the champion to tap at 3:03.

      For full main card results from Saturday’s fights, check out the jump.

      Continue reading »

      Events, Fighters, News, Results, Strikeforce

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