MMA Nation - UFC 136 Edgar Vs. Maynard III: News, Results, Analysis, Previews, More

Is UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva Ducking Chael Sonnen?

2011-10-14T14:21:25Z

Everything was put into place wonderfully by Chael Sonnen after his UFC 136 dismantling of Brian Stann. Sonnen, channeling "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, challenged middleweight champion Anderson Silva to a loser leaves town match on Superbowl weekend. Sonnen, he said, would leave the UFC if he lost. If he succeeded in beating Silva, undefeated in the Octagon, the great champion would have to depart the middleweight division.

It's a promo still being talked about today. Whether the stipulations are met is irrelevant. What's important is an energized UFC fanbase. Sonnen has them primed and ready for a great fight. It would be madness to walk away from it. Enter Silva's manager Ed Soares on Brazil's SporTV:

Let's see what the big boss is going to do. My opinion is that he had his chance and tapped, he should go back to the end of the line. The same thing is true with Vitor Belfort. They're great fighters, but they had their chance. Sonnen would make a big fight, as would Dan Henderson and Georges St-Pierre, but we should recognize that Anderson only has around 4 fights left in his career. (translation by Bloody Elbow's Tom Mendes)

It's an amazing statement. Here's an opportunity for Silva to prove a point, to prove that Sonnen's four round smackdown of the sport's pound for pound best at UFC 117 was indeed just a fluke. Because Sonnen ran a demolition derby on the champ's face that night, eventually succumbing to a last second miracle submission.

Soares has helped lessen that blow to Silva's aura of invincibility by claiming the champion was slowed by an injured rib. Now's the time to prove it. The truth is, I think Sonnen has the Silva camp a little scared. He manhandled the champion in their last fight - and that was before taking a year to perfect his grappling game.

As we saw against Stann, the new Sonnen isn't afraid to add slick jiu jitsu into his grinding wrestling based strategies. The resulting grappling god made Stann look helpless. Would Silva fare differently?

There is no other fight for Anderson Silva right now. Sonnen is the best fight from a sporting perspective - he nearly beat the champion and made the top ten Stann look like an amateur.

There's no better fight from a business perspective - in the wake of Sonnen's promotional genius, it was the Sonnen-Silva squabble that led coverage in the USA TODAY the next Monday.

Sonnen made people stand up and take notice. Silva's consistent greatness made people care. Now it's time for UFC President Dana White to make this fight.

Kenny Florian Denies Retirement, Plans To 'Take Some Time' Off

2011-10-10T20:01:53Z

Retirement isn't in the cards for Kenny Florian just yet, though it could come sooner rather than later.

Following a five-round defeat against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 136 in Houston, Texas -- Florian's third loss in as many title shots -- the 35-year-old perennial contender was rumored to be considering calling it a career. Despite appearing visibly despondent at the post-fight press conference, Florian was noncommittal about his status until Monday afternoon, when he released this statement via Authentic Sports Management (transcribed by MMA Junkie).

"First, I'd like to thank Jose Aldo for giving me the opportunity to compete for the featherweight title last Saturday," Florian stated. "I gave the fight my all, but Jose won that night. I would also like to thank the UFC, Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for their continued support.

"I am passionate about mixed martial arts, and I love being involved in this sport. It is incredible to see how much MMA has grown and that, today, there are millions of people who enjoy the UFC as much as I do.

"Second, everyone is asking what is next for me. The only response I can give right now is that I'm going to take some time. I want to rest, spend some time with my family and friends, and then evaluate all of my options. I'll speak with Dana, and my manager, Glenn Robinson, and we will figure out my next move. When I make that decision, my fans will be the first to know. One way or another, you haven't seen the last of Ken-Flo!"

UFC 136: Can Sport Without Spectacle Sell? Ask Frankie Edgar And Chael Sonnen

2011-10-10T19:12:38Z

In the last three weeks we've seen four UFC championship belts put on the line. By definition eight of the world's greatest martial artists, most skilled, most dedicated athletes competed with one another in those bouts. And the product delivered too. Champs Jon Jones, Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar all confirmed their standing at the top of their divisions and at the top of the sport by beating dangerous opponents in good fights.

You'd think we'd be reveling in the after-glow of one of the most exciting months in UFC history. Fans should be in a frenzy, buzzing about which champ is the best pound-for-pound fighter on Earth, reliving the high light moments of the fights, talking about who could possibly beat these guys.

Instead we've got a big flat "meh."

A lot of us obsessed MMA fans just don't understand. I mean, I can see why fans haven't warmed to the somewhat eccentric Jon Jones, a man whose preternatural talent is almost as off-putting as his not quite convincing nice guy persona.Sure Dominick Cruz' point-fighting style offends purists who live on the raw carnage of cage fighting and Jose Aldo has yet to put on his best performance for UFC fans, but Frankie Edgar?

Frankie Edgar Stamps His Ticket Into Immortality

How in the hell can fans not care about UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar now that he's put on two of the most epic, most amazing, most legendary performances MMA has ever seen?

Edgar came into UFC 136 against a bigger, stronger fighter with a better technical wrestling pedigree in Gray Maynard. Worse, Maynard had already beaten Edgar once and beaten the crap out of him in their second bout (which Edgar was lucky to escape with a tie). Maynard had all the confidence in the world going into Saturday's fight and proceeded to show why in a first round that saw him do everything but take Edgar by the ankles and use his head to mop the Octagon floor clean of blood, sweat and tears.

But Gray just couldn't finish the plucky lad from New Jersey in that first round and from there it was all over. Maynard faded with each succeeding round and Edgar just got tougher. When he finally finished Maynard there were no questions left as to which fighter is the better man.

And yet online in the post-fight buzz, Edgar's feat gets a shrug and the conversation turns to the WWE style antics of one Chael Sonnen, an undercard fighter at UFC 136.

Sonnen, a convicted felon who just came off a year's suspension for failing a drug test, riveted fans on Saturday. Not so much with his flawless performance in a submission win over the dangerous Brian Stann. Nah, most fans don't seem to appreciate the way Sonnen incorporated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into his Olympic-level wrestling game. No one's really hyped about the way Sonnen's improved grappling game put him in position to not just dominate Stann on the ground, but finish him in short order.

Chael Sonnen And The Best Interview In UFC History

No, instead everyone is lathering because Sonnen whipped out one of the most tired cliches of pro wrestling and challenged UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva to a "loser leaves town match." Really.

Let me quote MMA Payout on Sonnen's antics:

But what was more interesting than the fight was the post-fight interview. Short, brief and concise. Sonnen challenged Anderson Silva (who was in attendance and sitting next to Charles Barkley) to a loser leaves match (Silva leaves division or Sonnen leaves the UFC). A textbook pro wrestling promo: 1) Insult opponent, 2) challenge said opponent to a fight, 3) state when the fight is happening, 4) state stipulations and 5) leave.

And how does the site of record for the MMA business see Sonnen's gimmick going over with fans? Like gangbusters of course:

Sonnen vs. Silva - Super Bowl Weekend. The event is not on the schedule yet but I guess we have our first fight. This will be a big event and should help jumpstart 2012 with a big buy rate. Sonnen will be in full promo mode and with the help of Fox, we're going to be seeing Sonnen's face all over the Fox networks. There are talks of this being in Cowboys Stadium although that seems like talk at this point.

Someday maybe the magnitude of Frankie Edgar's athletic feats will be appreciated by fans. But in the meantime we're all about to get hustled by one of the best salesmen in the sport.

Happily Silva vs. Sonnen II promises to be a fight even more epic than Edgar-Maynard. Silva is thoroughly established as a fighting legend with UFC fans. Sure many American fans don't like or understand Silva and resent the times he's coasted through title fights with weak opponents, but they know he's the best. If his jaw dropping highlight reel didn't convince, Silva's records for most Octagon wins, most title defenses, etc. and Dana White's six year sales job have taught American fans that Silva is an amazing, incredible, once-in-a-lifetime athlete and martial artist.

The cherry on top is Silva's new-found status as a genuine celebrity in his native Brazil.

Sonnen's brand of hype was dismissed by many going into his first fight with Silva at UFC 117, but after the four and one-half rounds of ass-whipping Sonnen put on Silva, everyone knows he's the biggest threat to take the title. Sure there's the little factor of Sonnen being forced to tap out to a submission hold in the fifth and final round, but no one doubts Sonnen when he says Silva is not looking forward to fighting him again.

Is the moral of the story that Frankie Edgar needs to go to pro-wrestling school like Chael Sonnen did (I wish I was kidding)? No, but he might want to see if he can share another bill with Sonnen, maybe on Super Bowl Sunday, this time with Sonnen on top of the card and Frankie just one step away from the spot light.

MMA Nation Round-Up: Looking Back At UFC 136

2011-10-10T14:34:25Z

MMA Nation Round-Up provides you with daily coverage of the latest in news, multimedia, and analysis throughout the world of combat sports. Today we're still talking about UFC 136. Here's a sampler of our coverage:

- Let's start with Luke Thomas' live blog of all the UFC 136 fights and here's mine.

- We'll jump ahead to Chael Sonnen And The Best Interview In UFC History

- UFC 136 Video Highlights - Edgar Vs. Maynard, Aldo Vs. Florian

- UFC 136 Review: Frankie Edgar Is An Iron Man, Aldo Still Champ, Sonnen Wins, Goes WWE Post-Fight - Nate Wilcox

- UFC 136 Results: Post Fight News, Gate, Attendance, Injuries, Suspensions, Drug Test Results And More

- Our man Matt Roth was there and he brought his camera: Dana White Video: I'd Be Stupid To Not Make Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen Rematch

- Frankie Edgar Stamps His Ticket Into Immortality - Jonathan Snowden

- And Luke Thomas looked back at UFC 136 on his MMA Nation FM Radio show.

What's Next For UFC 136's Hard Luck Gray Maynard After Bitter Loss To Frankie Edgar

2011-10-10T12:00:48Z

Poor Gray Maynard.

Once again, "The Bully" hit Frankie Edgar with everything he had in the first round of their "trilogy" fight last night (Oct. 8, 2011) in the UFC 136 main event from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Well, almost everything.

"I hit him with a knee, a right. I hit him with a hook -- what else [does it take]?," Maynard pondered aloud. "If there was a bat there I probably would have hit him with that, too, but I didn't find one. [Turns to Dana White and asks] Where do you keep the bats in the cage?

Of course, there aren't any bats; although, Edgar probably would have had "The Answer" for those, too, had Maynard cracked him across the face with a Louisville Slugger.

The undersized Toms River, N.J., native is simply able to absorb an incredible amount of punishment and still persevere. And not just persevere, but improve as time ticks forward. It's an innate trait that has Maynard, as well as most humans, thoroughly perplexed.

"He's a tough kid," Maynard surmised. "And, again, he survived that first round. What the f*ck? He plays the possum or something I think. I don't know. I was trying to pick a shot, but he moves and does a good job with that. I kind of tried to load up a little bit instead of flowing."

If it were just a one-time deal, then perhaps we could chalk it up to a few fight-ending near misses or maybe even luck. However, Edgar demonstrated the exact same grit, resilience and sheer determination in their second fight at UFC 125: "Resolution," which ended in a draw.

Remarkably, his come-from-behind finish last Saturday night was no accident. On the contrary, it was ripped straight from a Hollywood, Calif., movie set. Or, in this case, the rough and tumble "Rocky"-run streets of Philadelphia, Pa., circa 1976.

"That's movie shit, that stuff doesn't really happen in real life," barked an incredulous White at the UFC 136 post-fight press conference. "There are two guys who I have seen do it, Arturo Gatti and Frankie Edgar. That's it. What he did -- the last time and this time -- he is an amazing human being, he's an amazing athlete and he's got a heart the size of this room. That's no promoter bullshit, either."

He's right. Edgar is seemingly unable to be stopped by traditional means. Not yet, anyway. If the gruesome knee bar submission he endured in his win over Tyson Griffin wasn't evidence enough, his two heroic performances against Maynard are proof positive.

It's a reality that Maynard will just have to accept. He's got no other choice at the moment. Even still, the former wrestling standout at Michigan State University was still having a very difficult time coming to grips with Edgar's survivability.

"Hindsight is always 20/20," he said. "I feel like I'm still trying to learn. I still have a lot to do, a lot to grow on. Eh, maybe, I guess i should have finished him in the second. I don't know.... He has a hard head I think, I don't know. F*ck. I hit him a bunch!... I don't know if he even has a button that puts him out, you know?

If he does, no one has been able to find it. And Maynard has hit just about every inch of Edgar's face/head during the course of nearly 45 minutes locked inside a cage together. Yet, still, nothing. No on/off switch.

Maynard is now forced to move on, missing out twice on the opportunity to become a world champion at 155 pounds. He's put his best foot forward on both occasions, but still came up doubly short. Even though he holds a win over Edgar, the way in which he lost in their third encounter will most likely send him to the back of the line.

A position that, for now, seems to suit him fine.

"I'm going to get back in the gym and train, improve on some stuff," Maynard said. "Improve and some stuff and start climbing the ladder again. That was my first loss -- he hit me on the button. That has never happened to me, not even in the gym. I'm down, but I'm not out. I'm going to climb the ladder. I know it might take awhile, but that's me. It's just who I am. I'm going to show everybody that I can still do it. I got heart, I'm not going to quit."

Sounds just like someone he, and we, already know very well. One has to wonder if Edgar will still be king of the lightweight hill if and when Maynard can make good on his future goals.

1-1-1 just doesn't seem like the "resolution" to any true trilogy. At least not for poor Gray Maynard.

Charles Barkley Is A Big Fan Of UFC Champ Frankie Edgar

2011-10-09T23:37:36Z

Here's a pic of basketball great Charles Barkley with UFC champ Frankie Edgar at UFC 133 in Philadelphia. Barkley was also cage side last night in Houston watching Edgar defend his title against Gray Maynard at UFC 136.

The 6'6", 250 pound (in his playing days) Barkley towers over the 5'5" 155 pound Edgar. Barkley was a feared scrapper in his days as a power forward for the Philadelphia 76'ers and certainly had the physique and athletic gifts to have been formidable heavyweight in his younger days.

But unlike his fellow NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, Barkley has never made a show of talking about fighting inside the Octagon. Shaq has called out Korean fighter Hong Man Choi and is even featured in the UFC Undisputed 2010 video game as a playable character.

At some point in the future, MMA may compete with pro basketball for the most athletic of the big men, but in the mean time expect to continue enjoying the best MMA from the smaller men's divisions.

UFC 136 Dana White Video: I'd Be Stupid To Not Make Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen Rematch

2011-10-09T22:40:50Z

UFC President Dana White spoke with members of the press following last night's UFC 136 post-fight press conference. The discussion is extremely lax and a great way to find out additional thoughts that White may not be willing to say during the presser.

In this exclusive video, Dana White tells MMA Nation he is most likely doing Chael Sonnen vs Anderson Silva 2 soon. In his words, "Those guys don't like each other. I don't know if Chael really hates Anderson but Anderson, I don't know if any of you saw his face when he won, but he wasn't doing the whole joking around thing. He was pissed. He was really upset about the slapping the wife on the butt thing. He's really pissed about it." "More than likely I'm making that fight. I don't like to commit to anything the night of the fights but I'd be pretty f****ing stupid to not make that fight."

He also spoke about what is next for UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar, saying he'd like to Edgar face UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. "Honestly? I'd like to see him more to 145 and fight Aldo," said White.

"I'm not gonna make him do it. How do you make a guy who's been so dominant at that weight class. Who am I to say you can't stay here? You beat everybody in that division. It's a tough argument to have."

He further insisted regarding (former?) Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez that no decision has been made about who he'll face once he makes the move to the UFC, "I don't want to get into any of that Strikeforce bulls*** tonight, but it's not really a clear cut choice," White said.

UFC 136 Results: Frankie Edgar Is An Iron Man, Aldo Still Champ, Sonnen Wins, Goes WWE Post-Fight

2011-10-09T21:57:57Z

Now that UFC 136 is in the history books, we can safely say that the 155 pound belt is in safe hands with champion Frankie Edgar, the 145 pound belt belongs to Jose Aldo and Chael Sonnen might well be the best fight promoter in Mixed Martial Arts.

Frankie Edgar Stamps His Ticket Into Immortality

Let's break down the action:

Two of the preliminary card fights that streamed live on Facebook earlier in the evening got bumped up to the main card: Stipe Miocic vs. Joey Beltran and Mike Massenzio vs. Steve Cantwell. Neither fight is a classic for the ages, but both fights are action-packed and feature the momentum shifts and reversals of fortune that should appeal to any MMA fan.
Nam Phan was out to avenge what he felt was a bad decision in his first fight against Leonard Garcia. Garcia, for his part, was out to prove the first fight was no fluke. Both men fought hard enough to take home Fight of the Night honors in this thrilling bout.
Melvin Guillard entered UFC 136 riding a five fight win streak amongst a consensus that Guillard had finally put his "Melvin's easy to submit" reputation behind him. Unfortunately for Guillard fans, Joe Lauzon showed the old "go right after Melvin, hurt him standing and go for the tap out on the ground" formula still works. Unfortunately for the UFC, Lauzon is no where near the title shot Guillard seemed to be on the verge of.
Chael Sonnen looked like the best grappler in the world against Brian Stann. He took him down at will, ground and pounded Stann to any sadist's heart's delight, and when the time came he went for the finish and got the tap.
After the fight Sonnen was even more electrifying -- if you like pro-wrestling style antics that is -- going full WWE, talking smack and challenging Silva to a "loser leaves the division/UFC" title fight.
Featherweight champion Jose Aldo made the adjustments he needed to make to come back and retain his title against a game and gritty Kenny Florian. The five rounder wasn't the most action-packed bout in UFC history, but Aldo showed a champion's ability to adjust and win against a clever challenger with a good game plan.
Lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard reprised their UFC 125 classic in what, if anything, was an even better fight. Once again, Maynard utterly dominated Edgar in a brutal first round but couldn't finish the champ. Once again, the relentless Edgar held on, came back and this time finished Maynard with a furious fourth round flurry.

All-in-all it was an action packed night of fights featuring striking, grappling, submissions and knock outs -- in short all the ingredients that MMA fans expect from a UFC pay-per-view.

Chael Sonnen Gives The Best Interview In UFC History

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