Matt Brown
Photo by SHERDOG.com
Photo by SHERDOG.com
Photo by SHERDOG.com
Photo by SHERDOG.com
Photo by SHERDOG.com
Photo by SHERDOG.com
Prior to UFC 105, I was thinking that his fight with former TUF winner Michael Bisping will be Denis Kang’s coming out party in the UFC. Kang (now 32-12) is one of MMA’s enigmas. Though his skills are never in question, his mental fortitude or lack thereof is the thing that prevents him from being one of the best and most recognized fighters in the world.
Michael Bisping said it best in an interview with SHERDOG.com right after winning when he said “I noticed from my footage that he breaks mentally if the fight doesn’t go his way, and I could see it in his eyes when I hit him,” Bisping said. “One of those shots broke his will.” Losing is part of any sport. What’s important is for you to respond well after every setback and that is something Denis Kang has done his entire career, and while it seems like he’s on the verge of being cut (if he’s not already) i still believe that he’ll come back from this and get back to his winning ways. The only question is, will he do it in the UFC?
Photo from BadBoyMMA.com:
Shogun will finally get his chance to recapture his once lofty status this Saturday when he clashes with current UFC Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto “the dragon” Machida.
Photo from SHERDOG.com
Former TUF 5 Alum Gray Maynard (7-0) sees his fight with Roger Huerta as a huge step to be noticed in the talent heavy lightweight division. Although he admitted that he needs another win to warrant a title shot (should he win this one) against his TUF coach BJ Penn, he feels very confident that he will display this September 16 just how formidable and ready he is for the big fights.
photo courtesy of ufcmedia.com
With UFC 100 now behind us, let’s take a look at one of the matchups that is a bit intriguing for the next UFC outing on August 8. Everybody has been talking about the main event which is Penn vs. Florian. But let’s put that aside for a moment and talk about one of my favorite fighters. Kendall Grove, the winner of TUF season 3 is somewhat of an underachiever considering his well rounded fight game and ridiculous range for a middleweight (6’6 tall). Sporting a 10-5 win loss record, he will have another chance to be significant in the middleweight division at UFC 101 against Pancrase and Pride veteran Ricardo Almeida. Though no one will be clamoring for a Silva vs. Grove match up even if he wins in dominating fashion, a win will at least guarantee that he’ll fight in the UFC again.