Sunday, 14 August 2011
Dan Hardy on UFC on Versus 5 opponent Chris Lytle - "I want to fight like this guy"
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Dan Hardy enters Sunday's UFC on Versus 5 event in desperate need of a win, having lost three straight fights heading into the event.
It's a rough patch that he finds himself in, and one wholly unfamiliar to him as well. The 29-year-old British Welterweight had only ever suffered back to back losses one time prior in his career, but after a decision loss to Georges St. Pierre in his one shot at a UFC Title last March, Hardy has added a knock out loss to Carlos Condit and another decision loss to Anthony "Rumble" Johnson as well.
His frustration has been palpable, especially in regards to his decision losses to St. Pierre and Johnson. With wrestling being a weak point in his game, both of those fights saw him be put on his back on numerous occasions, not allowing him to get going in the most effective aspect of his game. However, in Chris Lytle - the man he meets this Sunday in Milwaukee, Wis. - Hardy sees a somewhat kindred spirit, and is expecting a very different type of fight than he's gotten recently.
"I think this is the kind of fight that the fans want to see and I'm not expecting to hear any boos at any point in the 15 minutes," Hardy said during a recent media conference call for the event. "It's frustrating for me because I do this sport just because I love it. I love fighting, I love the competition, I love the risk taking and the gamble in throwing punches at somebody and two of my last three fights have been snoozefests. It's been disappointing and I just don't like having boring fights.
"I want fun fights and for me, Chris Lytle is the kind of guy that I can look up to and think he's the kind of guy I want to fight like. I want to fight like this guy. So having the opportunity to actually share a main event with him is an honor. And I know he's going to bring it, I know he's going to test me and I know that he's going to come and try to win the fight and that's exactly what I want is somebody who wants to get that paycheck and take it home."
Of course, Hardy also felt he was going to get a slug fest out of Anthony Johnson, who promised a war with Hardy before the two squared off in March. However, Johnson entered off a loss and a long layoff, and his instincts kicked in to utilize his wrestling to get a win, and that's just what he did. Hardy believes Lytle will indulge him with a more entertaining fight, but also knows he needs to be prepared for Lytle's ground game anyway.
"You know, I have come to realize that opponents can be quite unreliable, which is disappointing," Hardy said. "But I don't think that Chris is that guy but either way I mean as everyone on Twitter keeps telling me, 'it's mixed martial arts, got to learn some wrestling and jiu jitsu."
"I think everyone thinks I just hit bags all day but you know, it?s one of those things I was annoyed in the fight. I was disappointed because I had a lot of people especially over in the UK waiting up til early hours of the morning to watch a good fight and I ended up having a nap for 15 minutes. And I just don't want a boring fight. Regardless of where the fight goes I just don't want a boring fight... and I don't think Chris has got that in him."
For his part, Lytle assured that he's not coming out to eke out three rounds on the judges scorecards, and said the honor of being placed in the main event slot means he's going out to put on a show.
"You're going to get what you pay [for]," Lytle promised. "You're going to get a good fight out of it. That's all I can guarantee. It's going to be fun to watch."
The event comes live on the Versus network this Sunday, August 14, airing from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
Penick's Analysis: Lytle has the capability to bring this fight to the ground and end it with his submission game, but he's also got a penchant for swinging with opponents, and may be coming into this fight ready to go out on his shield. At any rate, it really should be a very entertaining fight, and even though it's main eventing with both coming off of losses over a more deserving fight in Jim Miller vs. Ben Henderson, it should send fans home happy with an entertaining scrap to close out the show.
[Dan Hardy art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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It's a rough patch that he finds himself in, and one wholly unfamiliar to him as well. The 29-year-old British Welterweight had only ever suffered back to back losses one time prior in his career, but after a decision loss to Georges St. Pierre in his one shot at a UFC Title last March, Hardy has added a knock out loss to Carlos Condit and another decision loss to Anthony "Rumble" Johnson as well.
His frustration has been palpable, especially in regards to his decision losses to St. Pierre and Johnson. With wrestling being a weak point in his game, both of those fights saw him be put on his back on numerous occasions, not allowing him to get going in the most effective aspect of his game. However, in Chris Lytle - the man he meets this Sunday in Milwaukee, Wis. - Hardy sees a somewhat kindred spirit, and is expecting a very different type of fight than he's gotten recently.
"I think this is the kind of fight that the fans want to see and I'm not expecting to hear any boos at any point in the 15 minutes," Hardy said during a recent media conference call for the event. "It's frustrating for me because I do this sport just because I love it. I love fighting, I love the competition, I love the risk taking and the gamble in throwing punches at somebody and two of my last three fights have been snoozefests. It's been disappointing and I just don't like having boring fights.
"I want fun fights and for me, Chris Lytle is the kind of guy that I can look up to and think he's the kind of guy I want to fight like. I want to fight like this guy. So having the opportunity to actually share a main event with him is an honor. And I know he's going to bring it, I know he's going to test me and I know that he's going to come and try to win the fight and that's exactly what I want is somebody who wants to get that paycheck and take it home."
Of course, Hardy also felt he was going to get a slug fest out of Anthony Johnson, who promised a war with Hardy before the two squared off in March. However, Johnson entered off a loss and a long layoff, and his instincts kicked in to utilize his wrestling to get a win, and that's just what he did. Hardy believes Lytle will indulge him with a more entertaining fight, but also knows he needs to be prepared for Lytle's ground game anyway.
"You know, I have come to realize that opponents can be quite unreliable, which is disappointing," Hardy said. "But I don't think that Chris is that guy but either way I mean as everyone on Twitter keeps telling me, 'it's mixed martial arts, got to learn some wrestling and jiu jitsu."
"I think everyone thinks I just hit bags all day but you know, it?s one of those things I was annoyed in the fight. I was disappointed because I had a lot of people especially over in the UK waiting up til early hours of the morning to watch a good fight and I ended up having a nap for 15 minutes. And I just don't want a boring fight. Regardless of where the fight goes I just don't want a boring fight... and I don't think Chris has got that in him."
For his part, Lytle assured that he's not coming out to eke out three rounds on the judges scorecards, and said the honor of being placed in the main event slot means he's going out to put on a show.
"You're going to get what you pay [for]," Lytle promised. "You're going to get a good fight out of it. That's all I can guarantee. It's going to be fun to watch."
The event comes live on the Versus network this Sunday, August 14, airing from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
Penick's Analysis: Lytle has the capability to bring this fight to the ground and end it with his submission game, but he's also got a penchant for swinging with opponents, and may be coming into this fight ready to go out on his shield. At any rate, it really should be a very entertaining fight, and even though it's main eventing with both coming off of losses over a more deserving fight in Jim Miller vs. Ben Henderson, it should send fans home happy with an entertaining scrap to close out the show.
[Dan Hardy art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_10128.shtml
2012 collection of Agua Bendita Swimwear with Bar Refaeli
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UFC 133 postfight: Special bonus, Vitor wants Silva and Evans can?t wait to face ?cocky? Jones
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- UFC 133 drew 11,583 to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. That was good for a $1.5 million gate. The solid gate allowed the UFC to pay out $70,000 bonuses. Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans got Fight of the Night, and Vitor Belfort got Knockout of the Night. Brian Ebersole got a special bonus for beating Dennis Hallman and his awful blue Speedos.
-- Evans had no problem admitting he wants Jon Jones next. Jones defends the UFC light heavyweight title against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in Denver at UFC 135. Why you ask? Jones is cocky.
"I would prefer to get [the title] from Jones. I would love to be the first one to beat him," Evans said. "You know, he's so cocky. He's for real cocky. I'm like on camera, joking around cocky. He's going to sleep, praising himself cocky. That's how cocky he is."
-- Evans was wearing a cast on his right hand as a result of what he called a jammed thumb. In the first round, he delivered an overhand right to Ortiz's head and felt it pop. It wasn't painful, but Evans thought it might be dislocated.
-- Belfort said his goal is to get another title shot against UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva suggesting that "The Spider's" nasty front kick knockout at UFC 126 only saved him from impending doom.
"If he didn't throw that kick, this would've happened to him. He knows that," Belfort said. "I would like to fight the winner of Okami and Anderson."
-- White thinks Belfort could turn around quickly if necessary. He agrees that Ortiz now needs a break. Tito countered by saying he wants to fight before the end of 2011.
-- Ortiz gave credit to Evans' submission defense saying he was very technical in getting out of trouble from a second-round guillotine choke attempt.
"I thought it was close for about a 10th of a second, then Rashad pushed my knee down and I was like 'damn.' I made a mistake and kept my elbow up a little high," Ortiz explained. "I teach my kids in my submission class at Punishment Training Center how to drop your elbow down and Rashad must've been working on that."
Evans admitted he'd put in work with his jiu-jitsu coach in Florida along with Renzo Gracie in New York.
"As soon as he grabbed me, I just put my head to the floor as hard as I could and I put my shoulder into him. So then I pushed his knee down and started working on his hands," said Evans.
-- Evans said there will be no more breaks during his career if he can control it. Evans was set to face Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the title in the fall of 2010. When Rua went down with a knee injury, Evans elected to wait. Then he got hurt right before the March 2011 matchup and saw Jones step in front of the line. Jones went on to�win the title and Evans didn't fight for 14 months.
"I just want to fight and I miss fighting so much that when it's my time to fight, I'm going to fight. I'm not going to be waiting to fight anymore. I'm 31 years old," Evans said. "I want to do some things. If I'm the best, I'm the best."
VIDEO: Stefan Struve shows how he's preparing for Pat Barry at UFC on Versus 6
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_10123.shtml
The Cut List: Who's in Desperate Need of a Win at UFC on Versus 5?
Filed under: UFC
The UFC Live cards may lack the firepower of the big shows, but a) they're free, and b) they afford some great opportunities for up-and-comers and down-and-outers alike to show off their stuff at an event where the spotlight isn't completely hogged by superstars.That also makes UFC on Versus 5 a last-chance go-round for several fighters on the roster, so it's either win or go home when the UFC rolls into Milwaukee.
Who's on the hot seat this time around, and who's most likely to get scorched before the night is over? Find out below.
Dan Hardy (23-9, 1 NC; 4-3 UFC)
Who he's facing: Chris Lytle
Why he's in danger: Hardy managed to avoid the UFC's informal three strikes policy based primarily on his popularity and his fighting style. If he was a bland, decision-prone wrestler with a buzz cut, he'd be long gone by now. But even the UFC would have trouble overlooking four straight losses, so Hardy needs to pull it together against Lytle. He's a smart chap, so he knows that, which is why he called out Lytle to begin with. As much as he can't afford to lose another one, he really can't afford to get out-wrestled in another snoozer. In Lytle, he's found an opponent who will probably choose not to exploit his weak takedown defense, opting instead to fling leather at one another's faces until someone falls down. That's exactly what Hardy needs right now. Of course, he also needs to be the one who doesn't fall down. If you lose a hand-picked fight like this, then what hope is there for you?
Odds of getting cut: 3-1. It's a winnable fight for Hardy, and one that'll probably produce enough fireworks to please the bosses. If he gets KO'd, however, he's almost certainly done in the UFC...at least for now.
Duane Ludwig (20-11; 3-2 UFC)
Who he's facing: Amir Sadollah
Why he's in danger: His current run in the UFC started with two straight losses, followed by a somewhat lucky split decision win over Nick Osipczak at UFC 122. Lucky not because he didn't deserve it, mind you, but rather because he was pretty clearly losing until Osipczak ran out of gas and tried to coast to the finish, allowing "Bang" to finish strong. With close to 90 fights on the books between MMA and kickboxing, Ludwig is a savvy, yet battered journeyman of combat sports. He's been in some battles and has more miles on the odometer than most 33-year-old fighters. If he gets beat by Sadollah, the UFC might start to do the math on him and decide it doesn't need another tailspinning welterweight who's doing good to pull off a 1-3 run against four mid-level opponents. Then again, he'll fight whoever you've got and he doesn't cause trouble, and there's something to be said for an employee like that.
Odds of getting cut: Even. Without a memorable showing, a defeat here -- which is likely, to say the least -- probably results in Ludwig getting his walking papers.
Alex Caceres (5-3; 0-1 UFC)
Who he's facing: Jim Hettes
Why he's in danger: At least so far, Caceres seems more suited for reality TV than for the Octagon. He's a character, and every season of TUF needs at least one of those. Once the show's over, however, you've got to earn your keep with your fists. Caceres seemed out of his depth against Mackens Semerzier in his first UFC fight. On paper, he seems to be headed for another defeat against the undefeated submissions artist Hettes. It was the Bruce Leeroy gimmick and the glimmer of raw talent that got Caceres this far in the UFC, but that shine wears off quickly. We know Caceres has personality. Now he needs to show he has skills, as well.
Odds of getting cut: 2-5. Caceres is still young, so maybe he could use the time to get some experience on the small circuit. My guess is he's going to get that chance after Sunday.
Jason Reinhardt (20-2; 0-2 UFC)
Who he's facing: Edwin Figueroa
Why he's in danger: What does it tell you when a guy's undefeated outside of the UFC and winless in it? Either he hasn't fought the toughest competition in the local shows or else he gets a killer case of nerves inside the Octagon. Neither is a particularly good sign. In two UFC fights, Reinhardt has lasted a total of 2:02. It's somewhat surprising that he didn't get cut after being mauled by Tiequan Zhang at UFC 127, but his role in the curtain-jerker on a UFC Live show should definitely tell him that this is the last stop on the express train out of the organization. Only a win will keep the 41-year-old Reinhardt on the UFC roster, and his opponent is a 3-1 betting favorite. If Reinhardt's going to turn out to be the UFC's answer to Rudy, he'd better start on Sunday.
Odds of getting cut: 1-5. Get a good look at him while you can, because Reinhardt is headed for the door.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/08/12/the-cut-list-whos-in-desperate-need-of-a-win-at-ufc-on-versus/
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Red Bull's wounds reopen as Alonso shines
At Silverstone
A week before the British Grand Prix, I sat down with Mark Webber to talk to him for his new column for this website.
Silverstone is a track he adores and always goes well on. So, expecting him to be more of a threat to Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Silverstone than he had been so far this season, I asked him if he would be allowed to race and beat the German if the circumstances arose.
He was momentarily taken aback. "Well, yeah, I hope so, yeah," he said. "I don't see any reason why we can't."
Given that Vettel headed into the race in complete control of the season having utterly dominated the championship so far, it is easy to see why Webber would be of that opinion.
As it turned out, though, his team principal Christian Horner was not.
Alonso (left) enjoyed a superb race but it was a frustrating day for Webber. Photo: Getty Images
With a great race winding to a thrilling climax, Horner watched Webber closing in on Vettel at about a second a lap as, ahead of them, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso cruised to a brilliant victory, his first of the season.
Horner would have known how desperate the Australian was for a strong result here, to start to try to make up for a disappointing start to the season compared to Vettel. But he decided that 33 points in the bank for the team was better than the potential of, as Horner put it, "two cars in the fence", and he tried to call Webber off.
And so a wound that has been festering for a couple of years was torn open again.
There is history here, as anyone who followed the titanic struggle between Vettel, Webber, Alonso and McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in last year's championship will know.
The issue of favouritism at Red Bull is a thorny subject with Webber, who last year at Silverstone had a front wing taken off his car and given to Vettel, whose own had failed.
Webber went on to win that race, and famously said over his radio on the slowing down lap: "Not bad for a number two driver."
The issue had been in the background long before that, and has been ever since, occasionally bubbling up to the surface, such as at the penultimate race of last season in Brazil, when Webber said it was "obvious" the team favoured Vettel.
Red Bull have always denied this, while reserving the right to call off fights when they feel the team is at risk - a policy hardened by the collision between their two drivers while disputing the lead at the Turkish Grand Prix last year.
Horner, well aware of the issues, admitted on Sunday afternoon that he could "understand" why Webber would be "frustrated".
He protested that the two drivers were allowed to race until that point, and that he felt the battle had gone "far enough".
And he insisted that the Australian was not being relegated to a de facto number two driver, and that he would still be allowed to race Vettel.
Let's be clear about this - Red Bull did nothing wrong.
Team orders are legal again in F1 this year, after governing body the FIA finally ended a farcical eight years when they pretended they could police whether teams were using them. And bosses are entitled to tell their drivers to hold station, or reverse positions, if they like.
But as an Italian colleague pointed out to Horner on Sunday, Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz made great play before last season's title-deciding race of the fact that his team would never use team orders to interfere with the championship battle, drawing a pointed comparison with Ferrari's demand to Felipe Massa to let Alonso win in Germany.
Horner's reply - "Mr Mateschitz wouldn't thank us for having both cars in the fence on the last lap, having got ourselves into a very good position" - did nothing to redress the obvious disconnect between Mateschitz's words and Red Bull's deeds.
On the face of it, many will feel that Horner over-reacted, given Vettel's massive advantage in the championship. But did he?
Alonso's victory on Sunday was as impressive as any by Vettel so far this season. The Ferrari driver took advantage of a pit-stop problem at Red Bull to take the lead, but once there his pace was, as Horner put it, "very strong".
Alonso clearly had the speed to compete with Vettel for victory at Silverstone, a particularly impressive feat given that this is a track where Red Bull have traditionally excelled and Ferrari have struggled.
On Sunday night, many put Ferrari's speed down to the row over off-throttle blowing of diffusers that has dominated this weekend.
This technology, in which Red Bull are said to lead the field, was banned for the British Grand Prix, and Horner felt this put his team at a disadvantage. Ferrari, by contrast, were believed by some to have benefited.
It would be wrong, though, to put all Ferrari's progress down to the change in the rules.
As Vettel pointed out: "There has been a bit of a trend over the last couple of races; they have been very strong on race days."
My colleague Mark Hughes will go into this subject in more depth in his column on Tuesday, but it is clear that much of Ferrari's progress at Silverstone can be explained by a major development to their car for this race, on which there is more detail in Ted Kravitz's post-race analysis.
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Alonso made full use of it on Sunday with a superb drive, to end a victory drought that goes back to last October's Korean Grand Prix.
The Spaniard was cautious about his title chances after the race, as well he might be given Vettel's 92-point advantage over him - nearly four clear wins.
But there is not a driver on the grid more formidable than the Spaniard with the scent of a possible victory in his nostrils.
Horner knows this full well - after Alonso's superb fight back last year, from 47 points off the championship lead following Silverstone, to leading it after that win in Korea.
Asked on Sunday how concerned he was about Ferrari's pace, Horner did not really answer the question. But if that is what was in his mind when he made the call to Webber, it is not that hard to see where he was coming from.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/07/red_bulls_wounds_reopen_as_alo.html
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