Then and Now: What has changed in MMA since 2005?

A long term dynamic develops in every sport that sticks around for a while. A section of the fan base will inevitably compare the play of today to their heroes from yesteryear.  Whether it is the baseball fan that longs for the day where they didn’t have to worry about someone using performance enhancing drugs after every home run, or the football fan that yearns for the era of hard hitting and less complaining in the NFL. One thing is a common factor; this group wishes things would go back to

Frankie Edgar officially moves down to Featherweight

This week’s edition of “UFC Tonight” has confirmed something that has speculated upon for quite some time. Former UFC Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will indeed make the drop to fight in the 145 lb. division. After spending almost two-and-a-half years fully entrenched in the 155 lb. title scene due to six fights with three rematches, Edgar will now cut weight to make Featherweight.
Recent weeks have shown a ton of controversy surrounding Edgar, as many thought that he had won his

UFC 150 Recap: Benson Henderson retains his belt in Denver, Colorado

UFC 150 took place tonight live from Denver, Colorado, and Lightweight champion Benson Henderson has retained his championship belt in a somewhat controversial split decision over former champ Frankie Edgar. The fight saw Henderson possess an advantage in significant strikes, outlanding Edgar 89 to 62. However, Edgar held a huge advantage in the area of control, with 3 minutes, 15 seconds to a mere 10 seconds by Henderson. Edgar rocked Henderson early in the fight, while the champion landed many leg kicks.

Frankie Edgar: I look forward to being Lightweight champion again

UFC Lightweight challenger speaks to Karyn Bryant and Kenny Florian via FuelTV.com, addressing the issue of dealing with champion Ben Henderson’s size in their rematch. He thought that he fought very well in the first fight, but thinks he needs to deal with the always-effective kicks of Benson Henderson a bit better. When asked about his time as the number one contender after being the Lightweight champion for almost two years, Edgar responded:
“Yeah of course, you get pretty accustomed to being

10 Most Underrated Fighters in Mixed Martial Arts

As serious mixed martial arts fans, many of us have been around the sport long enough to know potential when we see it.  It usually comes in the form of a fresh face, but can also exist in a journeyman who has seemed to find a new found focus and determination. However on some occasions, it can take a fighter years to find the discipline or focus needed to channel that potential. Some of the fighters on this list have seemed to suffer from that lack of focus, some have suffered bad luck/timing or have

Aggression or Elusiveness: Who will win Cruz vs. Barao?

With Renan Barao’s convincing defeat of consensus number-one contender Urijah Faber at UFC 149, talk shifts to his looming bout with current Bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz. Cruz, who still remains on the shelf following major knee surgery, is rumored to be unable to fight until March of 2013 at the earliest. While the main event of UFC 149 has been much-maligned over the past few days as not delivering, the fact remains that Renan Barao is one of the most gifted and well-rounded fighters in the

Passing of the Guard: Why Renan Barao will defeat Urijah Faber at UFC 149

As we all know, this Saturday will mark the inauguration of the very first UFC Interim Bantamweight championship as popular former WEC champ Urijah Faber will face surging Brazilian fighter Renan Barao in the main event of UFC 149. The fight from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is one full of suspense as it presents an interesting dynamic not usually seen in MMA. Faber is the one that most casual fans and even most pros I’ve seen interviewed would pick to win wholeheartedly, without much thought. He has tons of

Will Urijah Faber be in the UFC Hall of Fame?

Urijah Faber has done a lot for the sport of MMA in terms of drawing in fans and popularity. With the serious knee injury to UFC Bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz, Faber finds himself again fighting for UFC gold. Faber will face Brazilian sensation Renan Barao for the Interim Bantamweight title in the headliner of UFC 149 from Calgary, Alberta, Canada this Saturday. While much of Faber’s fame and glory was accomplished during his title run in the WEC as Featherweight champ, the WEC is part of Zuffa

UFC 148 Results Recap: Anderson Silva defends title, Ortiz retires with a loss

The monumental rematch between Middleweight champion Anderson Silva and arch-nemesis Chael Sonnen began as we may have expected, with Sonnen looking for the double leg early and securing it. He spent the rest of the round in top position, scoring some strikes on Silva and looking for a few submissions to no avail. As the second round started, Sonnen pushed Silva up against the cage. He appeared to have gone for a spinning backfist, as he was previously seen training. This one was wild and found no home, as

Zuffa offering refunds on UFC 147, are fans really that fickle?

For the first time in UFC history, the promotion is issuing refunds to fans who purchased tickets to UFC 147 in Brazil. A spate of training-related injuries and a repeatedly altered fight card has lead to a flurry of complaints from fans who bought tickets to see a very different promotion from the one that has materialized.
The promotion published the following on its web page: “With the change on the main card, fans who purchased tickets for the event will now officially have three (3) days to decide