In the past two years, Strikeforce has done a tremendous job of gathering a group of talented young fighters in need of exposure and a bigger stage. Lightweight contender Justin Wilcox (11-3) has eagerly taken advantage of such circumstances as he faces Dream and Shooto veteran, JZ Cavalcante at Saturday’s Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.
There are few fighters willing to test themselves as frequently as Kenny Florian (16-5) has, but the payoff has been worth the seemingly endless drive. “Kenflo” came to public attention as a finalist in the Middleweight (185lb) bracket of the original “Ultimate Fighter”, but it wasn’t until his runs at Welterweight (170 lbs) and the resurrected Lightweight (155lb) divisions that Florian flourished and built himself to two title shots at Lightweight.
Las Vegas is a large city sitting in a circular valley; the bright lights of the strip can be seen from every corner of the metro area, and those lights bear heavily on fight night. The city is a different place, as the advertisements, posters and fighters themselves flood Las Vegas Boulevard. Both Frank Mir and Roy Nelson grew up experiencing the buzz of a Fight Night, though these days, the two veteran fighters are at the center of it and on May 28th they will face one another in an important Heavyweight bout.
The Nate Diaz and Rory Macdonald welterweight bout can be seen on the latter side of the free, televised prelims leading into UFC 129; an appetizer that is sure to spike (pun intended) the pallet of casual and hardcore MMA fans alike. The two young fighters are both coming off of losses to respected top contenders in the welterweight division and look to re-establish a base in a competitive division.
The lightweight final for this season of Bellator is a monster of a fight with Patricky Freire (9-1) meeting Michael Chandler (7-0) in clash of violently ambitious young fighters, looking to put sweat on the brow of champion Eddie Alvarez.
This past Saturday, everyone’s favorite noodle-legged grappler returned to the cage and erased whatever bad taste was left over from his ill-fated New Years Eve Exhibition. Shinya Aoki stopped Lyle Beerbohm with a brutal neck crank a little over a minute into their bout; marking his first win under the Strikeforce bannner and his 27th win overall.
Kawajiri is a monster of a fighter at lightweight; a large grappler with excellent composure and ring-savvy who brings a unique brand of ground control and slick guard passes to the mat, coupled with peppering, rapid ground and pound that leaves his opponents frustrated and in a “survival” mindset.
Ben Saunders (10-3-2) is a violent man. Standing at 6’3, he is a giant in the Welterweight division, and his aggressive, relentless style of striking is a handful for anyone who cannot pin him down.
UFC on FOX 7: Henderson vs. Melendez Weigh-in Pictures
Due to a previously scheduled Arena Football game at the HP Pavilion, today’s UFC on FOX 7 weigh-ins were held less than a mile away at the California Theater. The small theater was completely filled with cheering fans and all the fighters they came to see made weight.
The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale Weigh-in Pictures
Amidst everything else going on, the UFC has themselves a busy day today with the UFC on FX 6 taking place in Australia and The Ultimate Fighter 16 finale weigh-ins. All 24 fighters made weight today for tomorrow’s event that will crown The Ultimate Fighter 16 welterweight winner.
UFC on FUEL TV 4 Weigh-in Results and Photos
SAN JOSE, Cal. – Still recovering from Saturday’s UFC 148, MMAValor.com was inside the HP Pavilion for today’s UFC on FUEL TV 4 weigh-ins. A few of the fighters would need to step onto the scale behind a towel but all 22 fighters on the UFC on FUEL TV 4 fight card made weight.
TUF Live Finale Live Results and Event Pictures
The long grind of the first live version of The Ultimate Fighter ends tonight at the TUF Live Finale in Las Vegas. Featuring 12 of the 16 TUF Live contestants, the 10 bout card will be headlined by an important match-up in the welterweight division between Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann.
TUF Live Finale Weigh-in Results and Pictures
All the fighters for tomorrow’s TUF Live Finale were on weight as they stepped onto the scales inside the Pearl at the Palms. The 20 fighters, including 12 of the 16 TUF Live fighters will begin entering the Octagon tomorrow starting at 2:45pm PT / 5:45pm ET.
