Tag: Diego Nunes (Page 2 of 2)

      UFC 131 Preview: Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes

      June 7, 2011 /

      nullThe complex of the UFC featherweight division could take an interesting turn on Saturday at UFC 131.

      Accomplished lightweight, Kenny Florian, will make his debut at 145 pounds when he takes on Diego Nunes. The featherweight division is in need of some star power and Florian can provide that if he looks solid in his debut on Saturday against a legit contender in Nunes.

      Here is a look at both fighters heading into this contest.

      Kenny Florian (13-5) – Florian is a solid muay thai fighter and a great submission specialist. Known for finishing fights, Florian has had his last three victories in the octagon come by choke. Despite being one of the best at 155 pounds, Florian hasn’t been able to make it over the championship hill, and now looks to find his gold at 145 pounds. Florian should have a size advantage in the weight class, but it has yet to be seen if he can match the speed of fighters like Nunes. Florian is also coming off a knee injury that could play a factor in his conditioning.

      Diego Nunes (16-1) – Nunes has just one loss in the UFC, but is somewhat unknown because he hasn’t been heavily profiled on television. His last three wins are over Mike Thomas Brown, Tyler Toner, and Raphael Assuncao. They all came by decision, and in fact, his last six bouts have gone to a decision. A grinding wrestler, Nunes will try to get Florian to the ground and control, similar to how Gray Maynard beat Florian. Nunes may struggle with the size of Florian and this will be the most technical striker he has fought in the octagon.

      Who Will Win: I think this is a tough first test for Florian at 145 pounds as Nunes is a grinder, but I expect Florian’s experience and poise to pull him to a victory. After a tough couple of rounds, I look for Florian to gain a advantageous position on Nunes and secure a victory by choke in the third round.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      Early Betting Odds for UFC 131

      June 6, 2011 /

      nullUFC 131 is set to go down this Saturday and BetOnFighting.com has the early odds for this weekend’s event.

      10 bouts have odds thus far and in the main event, Junior dos Santos is a slight favorite at -180 against Shane Carwin, who has a money line of +150. This matchup is a battle of two powerful strikers and will likely end up with a brutal KO one way or another. The question of the bout will be about which fighter can take a punch better than the other.

      In the co-main event, Kenny Florian is a clear favorite at -280 for his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes, who has odds of +200. Florian is a veteran of the octagon and one of the top lightweights in the world, but is now making the drop to 145 pounds. Nunes is a bit of an unknown to UFC fans, but a very tough challenge for Florian to open with.

      For the rest of the odds to UFC 131, check out the jump.

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      Events, Fighters, UFC

      Your weekly MMA TV Schedule update

      June 5, 2011 /

      nullIt’s another Sunday night, which means we have another MMA on TV update.

      This week is pretty thin during the week as The Ultimate Fighter wrapped up its season, but the weekend still features another big UFC PPV, UFC 131.

      – On Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, the Countdown to UFC 131 debuts on SpikeTV. The hour-long program will take an inside look at key fighters for this Saturday’s PPV event. The main aspect of the show will focus on the main event between heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin. The show will replay on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET and 2 a.m. ET on Versus as well as midnight on Friday on SpikeTV.

      – On Friday at 10 p.m. ET, HDNet will air Maximum Fighting Championship 30: Up Close & Personal live from the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The main event is a lightweight showdown between Drew Fickett and Brian Cobb while Marcus Davis and Pete Spratt meet in a fight between two UFC veterans.

      – On Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on PPV, UFC 131 will take place from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Carwin and dos Santos face off in the main event while Kenny Florian makes his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes. Demian Maia also faces off with Mark Munoz in a middleweight bout while Donald Cerrone takes on Vagner Rocha in a lightweight contest. Some of the prelim bouts will air live on SpikeTV at 8 p.m. ET and other bouts are expected to air live on Facebook.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      Top 10 Featherweight Rankings

      May 11, 2011 /

      nullIt’s Wednesday night, which means another edition of my top 10 rankings.

      The featherweights get the spotlight this week, headlined by UFC king, Jose Aldo.

      So, without further ado, here is my top 10.

      (If you need to go back and find my pound-for-pound, heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight or lightweight rankings, click on the links)

      1. Jose Aldo (19-1) – Aldo is one of the top strikers in all of MMA as his leg kicks are one of the most devastating strikes in the game. Aldo struggled toward the end of his win over Mark Hominick at UFC 129, but it was later discovered he was dealing with an infection leading up to the fight. Still, Aldo found a way to beat up Hominick for four rounds and retain his title.

      2. Chad Mendes (10-0) – The protégé of Urijah Faber is unbeaten in his MMA career and he continues to develop his striking to go along with his overpowering wrestling. Mendes is set to take on Aldo for the title later this year, but the memory of seeing Faber get blasted in the leg by Aldo may haunt him heading into the fight. Mendes appears to posses the ability to take Aldo to the ground. But, the question is, what will Mendes be able to do to Aldo when the fight hits the ground and can he hold the champ down for 25 minutes?

      3. Kenny Florian (13-5) – Florian has yet to fight at 145 pounds, but I still consider him one of the best now that he is jumping into the mix. Florian has only suffered losses to some of the best at 155 pounds and his style should pose a lot of problems for the top featherweights in the UFC. He begins his march towards a title against Diego Nunes at UFC 131, and a win will likely make him the No. 1 contender to the featherweight title later in 2011.

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      Dream, Fighters, UFC

      Apparently everyone wants to get beaten by Jose Aldo

      April 5, 2011 /

      nullThere seems to be a growing trend in the UFC as of lately: lightweights dropping down to featherweight.

      It all started with Kenny Florian, who decided to make the drop following knee surgery this last winter. Florian makes his debut in his new weight class at UFC 131 on June 11 against Diego Nunes. Florian has already lost two lightweight title fights and recently lost a No. 1 contender’s match to Gray Maynard. I think it’s safe to say that a chance at a lightweight title fight anytime soon would not have been likely.

      Then word came that Tyson Griffin was making the drop to 145 pounds in hopes of breaking out of his current funk. Griffin will make his featherweight debut on June 26 at UFC Live 4 against former No. 1 contender, Manny Gamburyan. Griffin lost his last three fights inside the octagon but immediately has to be considered one of the top threats for Aldo’s belt due to his wrestling ability.

      Now, Joe Stevenson is throwing his hat into the featherweight mix as Sherdog’s Brian Knapp announced that he will take on Javier Vazquez also on June 26. Stevenson lost five of his last seven UFC bouts, but is hoping for a fresh start at 145 pounds.

      Prior to the merger with the WEC, lightweights had no other place to go in the UFC, so perhaps these moves were long overdue. But, I have to laugh at the idea that fighters may believe there is an easier road to the title by going through Jose Aldo as opposed to Frankie Edgar.

      While the road to a title fight may be easier in the featherweight division, getting through the champion is another story.

      Fighters, News, UFC

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