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Showing posts with label UFC 140. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UFC 140. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Ben Fowlkes: Firas Zahabi Breaks Down Kenny Florian's Loss: 'We Weren't Able to Adjust'
Trainer Firas Zahabi was encouraged by what he saw out of Kenny Florian early on in his UFC featherweight title fight against Jose Aldo on Saturday night. But ultimately, Zahabi told Ariel Helwani on Monday's MMA Hour, their team just couldn't keep up with Aldo down the stretch."Aldo did a beautiful job of adjusting in the second, and I feel that our side had to adjust as well to keep the match going in our favor, but we weren't able to adjust," said Zahabi, who works with Florian at the Tristar gym in Montreal. "Aldo's a brilliant fighter and he had a brilliant counter to our attacks and he just did a great job."
The unanimous decision loss to Aldo was the third failed bid for a UFC title in Florian's nearly nine-year MMA career, and now the 35-year-old fighter faces some difficult questions about his future. As for how he'll decide to answer those questions, Zahabi said he doubts even Florian knows just yet.
"I feel we did everything we could to prepare him for Aldo and Kenny's going to have to let his mind take some time off, clear his mind, then make that decision for himself afterwards," Zahabi said, adding, "I don't think he's decided yet."
As for Zahabi, he must quickly turn his focus to his most celebrated fighter, long-time friend Georges St-Pierre, who puts his UFC welterweight title on the line against Carlos Condit at UFC 137 on October 29.
St-Pierre, who Zahabi still considers to be the world's best pound-for-pound fighter ("Of course I'm biased, like all coaches," he admitted), was originally slated to take on former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz before Diaz angered the UFC by no-showing a couple press conferences, which led to Condit replacing him in the main event.
The GSP-Diaz bout's champion-versus-champion angle might have been more interesting "from a marketing perspective," Zahabi said, "but in terms of skill, I think it's even harder with Carlos."
"He has good knees and good kicks. He's more of a diverse fighter standing up. And if you look at his record, he's very good at finishing. He's just got a few more threats. Diaz has a different style of boxing, which made him more of a threat with the hands, but I find that in terms of Muay Thai, we have to adjust for more of a Muay Thai fighter and less of a boxer."
Of course for St-Pierre, who has defended his title with four straight decision victories, the most common criticism concerns his perceived inability or unwillingness to look for the finish. Many fans and pundits accuse him of playing it too safe, but Zahabi said he encourages his fighter to put those matters out of his mind altogether.
"I think he has to focus on the process, not worry about the outcome, and let that part take care of itself. If he starts trying to finish him I think he'll have a harder time finishing him. He's just got to let it happen. I think that's the secret to finishing.
"When you're looking to knock the guy out, you telegraph more. You come out of your game plan. You start taking more risks and you start skipping steps. If you want to finish a guy, in my opinion, you have to go through all the steps, just keep adding more pressure, adding more attacks, tying your moves together until you get that finish. You don't have to jump to the end. You have to take every step along the way to get to that end."
Whether GSP can get to that end against Condit, who hasn't been finished since 2006, remains to be seen. If the bout ends with another decision win for the current champ, however, don't be surprised if many fans focus exclusively on the result, no matter what the process might have entailed.
Thomas Gerbasi: GSP 7 - The Greatest Hits
"You can be as skillful as you want, but if you don’t have the mental toughness, you’re not going to go anywhere, and in our sport, sooner or later, you’ll need that to win a fight.” - Georges St-Pierre
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will put his title on the line for the seventh time at UFC 137 when he faces “The Natural Born Killer,” Carlos Condit on October 29th in Las Vegas. If it looks like GSP is on the verge of cleaning out the division, that’s not surprising if you take a glance at the fighters he’s beaten over the years. But what were his greatest hits? Read on to find out.
Karo Parisyan – January 31, 2004 – UFC 46
Result – St-Pierre W3 (Unanimous)
Now this is what you call a debut. Despite going 5-0 on the Canadian scene, defeating Ivan Menjivar, Thomas Denny, and Pete Spratt in the process, St-Pierre wasn’t the fighter with all the hype behind him heading into this UFC 46 bout. It was judo wizard Parisyan, whose own UFC debut a few months earlier saw him dazzle fans with his grappling before submitting Dave Strasser. But this was GSP’s night, and as I wrote that night, he pretty much controlled matters from the start. “Effectively working his striking game while in Parisyan’s guard, St-Pierre pounded his foe throughout, bloodying him in the process. The courageous Parisyan had his moments in the bout as he attempted to secure a submission lock on the Canadian, but St-Pierre’s strength and ring savvy allowed him to stay out of serious danger and easily take the bout on the scorecards.” This was just the beginning.
BJ Penn – March 4, 2006 – UFC 58
Result – St-Pierre W 3 (split)
It was a purist’s dream match, and it lived up to the hype, but after the first round ended, not too many people would have bet that St-Pierre would emerge victorious. “That first round (against Penn) was the worst round of my life,” admitted GSP after the bout. “Actually, if you look at my career, I had never lost a round against anybody (to that point). Even when I fought Matt Hughes, the judges thought I was ahead – I asked them if they would have given me the round. So this round (against Penn) was the only round I lost.” GSP more than lost it; he was bloodied and battered by the crisp standup of Penn, and many wondered if he would fold. He didn’t, showing the heart of a champion in roaring back and taking the next two rounds and the decision. It was the gut check moment all fighters have to go through, and St-Pierre passed with flying colors. “It just proved to everybody that I’m a lot stronger mentally than when I fought Matt Hughes,” he said. “I’ve been able to come back after a beating and get the victory. I think that’s the difference between a champion and a guy who will always be tough, but will never be a champion. You can be as skillful as you want, but if you don’t have the mental toughness, you’re not going to go anywhere, and in our sport, sooner or later, you’ll need that to win a fight.”
Matt Hughes II – November 18, 2006 – UFC 65
Result – St-Pierre TKO 2
St-Pierre more than earned a second title shot at the first man to beat him, Matt Hughes, after five straight wins against top-notch competition, and he was a different fighter than he was two years earlier. Hughes, one of the strongest fighters ever to step into the Octagon, found that out early on when he tried to lock the challenger up and St-Pierre tossed him away with little if any effort. By round two, the result was academic, and when the Montrealer dropped Hughes with a kick to the head in round two, seconds later a new champ was crowned. It was expected to be a reign that would last for as long as St-Pierre wanted it to. But you know that old adage about the best-laid plans of mice and men, and just five months after this monumental win, GSP was knocked out by Matt Serra in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Josh Koscheck I – August 25 – UFC 74
Result – St-Pierre W 3 (Unanimous)
This may have been the most important fight of St-Pierre’s career. After the loss to Serra, the whispers were that GSP was ultra-talented but didn’t have that extra something to be great. It shows you how soon people forget the way he came back against Penn or dominated most of the 170-pound division on the way to the title. St-Pierre kept quiet and went about his business, determined to teach all the skeptics a lesson. The lesson he taught in dominating wrestling ace Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 was that you can’t keep a good man down, that he was back, and that he wasn’t going anywhere.
Matt Serra II – April 19, 2008 – UFC 83
Result – St-Pierre TKO2
If GSP was going to crack under the pressure, this was the night to do it. Not only was he facing the man who knocked him out, but he was doing it in his hometown of Montreal, where fans packed the Bell Centre just to see their hero in action. Well, he didn’t disappoint, stopping Serra in the second round with a disciplined and dominant attack. “The pressure was there,” he said. “But I’m at my best when I perform under pressure – it keeps me sharp and aware of what can happen and what is on the line.”
Jon Fitch – August 9, 2008 – UFC 87
Result – St-Pierre W5 (Unanimous)
To this day, St-Pierre calls this five round scrap with number one contender Jon Fitch the toughest fight of his career. And with good reason. Going the championship distance for the first time, St-Pierre had plenty of success early, but as the bout progressed, it was clear that Fitch wasn’t going anywhere. The judges didn’t see fit to give Fitch any rounds on the scorecards, but anyone who witnessed the fight knew that it was anything but a 50-44, 50-44, 50-43 blowout. Fitch tested St-Pierre’s mettle as a champion, and GSP passed that test with flying colors.
BJ Penn II – January 31, 2009 – UFC 94
Result – St-Pierre TKO4
Nearly three years after their first bout, St-Pierre and Penn locked horns again in THE superfight of 2009. Only this time, it wasn’t a 15 minute back and forth war. The second time around, St-Pierre, bigger and stronger than Penn – who was coming up from 155 pounds for the bout – was in control for four rounds until the Hawaiian’s corner decided that they had seen enough and halted the fight before the final stanza. After all the bad blood and trash talk before the match, it was one of St-Pierre’s most satisfying victories and one that entrenched him in the upper reaches of the mythical pound for pound list. It’s a spot that he hasn’t come close to giving up, four fights and four wins later.
Karo Parisyan – January 31, 2004 – UFC 46
Result – St-Pierre W3 (Unanimous)
Now this is what you call a debut. Despite going 5-0 on the Canadian scene, defeating Ivan Menjivar, Thomas Denny, and Pete Spratt in the process, St-Pierre wasn’t the fighter with all the hype behind him heading into this UFC 46 bout. It was judo wizard Parisyan, whose own UFC debut a few months earlier saw him dazzle fans with his grappling before submitting Dave Strasser. But this was GSP’s night, and as I wrote that night, he pretty much controlled matters from the start. “Effectively working his striking game while in Parisyan’s guard, St-Pierre pounded his foe throughout, bloodying him in the process. The courageous Parisyan had his moments in the bout as he attempted to secure a submission lock on the Canadian, but St-Pierre’s strength and ring savvy allowed him to stay out of serious danger and easily take the bout on the scorecards.” This was just the beginning.
BJ Penn – March 4, 2006 – UFC 58
Result – St-Pierre W 3 (split)
It was a purist’s dream match, and it lived up to the hype, but after the first round ended, not too many people would have bet that St-Pierre would emerge victorious. “That first round (against Penn) was the worst round of my life,” admitted GSP after the bout. “Actually, if you look at my career, I had never lost a round against anybody (to that point). Even when I fought Matt Hughes, the judges thought I was ahead – I asked them if they would have given me the round. So this round (against Penn) was the only round I lost.” GSP more than lost it; he was bloodied and battered by the crisp standup of Penn, and many wondered if he would fold. He didn’t, showing the heart of a champion in roaring back and taking the next two rounds and the decision. It was the gut check moment all fighters have to go through, and St-Pierre passed with flying colors. “It just proved to everybody that I’m a lot stronger mentally than when I fought Matt Hughes,” he said. “I’ve been able to come back after a beating and get the victory. I think that’s the difference between a champion and a guy who will always be tough, but will never be a champion. You can be as skillful as you want, but if you don’t have the mental toughness, you’re not going to go anywhere, and in our sport, sooner or later, you’ll need that to win a fight.”
Matt Hughes II – November 18, 2006 – UFC 65
Result – St-Pierre TKO 2
St-Pierre more than earned a second title shot at the first man to beat him, Matt Hughes, after five straight wins against top-notch competition, and he was a different fighter than he was two years earlier. Hughes, one of the strongest fighters ever to step into the Octagon, found that out early on when he tried to lock the challenger up and St-Pierre tossed him away with little if any effort. By round two, the result was academic, and when the Montrealer dropped Hughes with a kick to the head in round two, seconds later a new champ was crowned. It was expected to be a reign that would last for as long as St-Pierre wanted it to. But you know that old adage about the best-laid plans of mice and men, and just five months after this monumental win, GSP was knocked out by Matt Serra in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Josh Koscheck I – August 25 – UFC 74
Result – St-Pierre W 3 (Unanimous)
This may have been the most important fight of St-Pierre’s career. After the loss to Serra, the whispers were that GSP was ultra-talented but didn’t have that extra something to be great. It shows you how soon people forget the way he came back against Penn or dominated most of the 170-pound division on the way to the title. St-Pierre kept quiet and went about his business, determined to teach all the skeptics a lesson. The lesson he taught in dominating wrestling ace Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 was that you can’t keep a good man down, that he was back, and that he wasn’t going anywhere.
Matt Serra II – April 19, 2008 – UFC 83
Result – St-Pierre TKO2
If GSP was going to crack under the pressure, this was the night to do it. Not only was he facing the man who knocked him out, but he was doing it in his hometown of Montreal, where fans packed the Bell Centre just to see their hero in action. Well, he didn’t disappoint, stopping Serra in the second round with a disciplined and dominant attack. “The pressure was there,” he said. “But I’m at my best when I perform under pressure – it keeps me sharp and aware of what can happen and what is on the line.”
Jon Fitch – August 9, 2008 – UFC 87
Result – St-Pierre W5 (Unanimous)
To this day, St-Pierre calls this five round scrap with number one contender Jon Fitch the toughest fight of his career. And with good reason. Going the championship distance for the first time, St-Pierre had plenty of success early, but as the bout progressed, it was clear that Fitch wasn’t going anywhere. The judges didn’t see fit to give Fitch any rounds on the scorecards, but anyone who witnessed the fight knew that it was anything but a 50-44, 50-44, 50-43 blowout. Fitch tested St-Pierre’s mettle as a champion, and GSP passed that test with flying colors.
BJ Penn II – January 31, 2009 – UFC 94
Result – St-Pierre TKO4
Nearly three years after their first bout, St-Pierre and Penn locked horns again in THE superfight of 2009. Only this time, it wasn’t a 15 minute back and forth war. The second time around, St-Pierre, bigger and stronger than Penn – who was coming up from 155 pounds for the bout – was in control for four rounds until the Hawaiian’s corner decided that they had seen enough and halted the fight before the final stanza. After all the bad blood and trash talk before the match, it was one of St-Pierre’s most satisfying victories and one that entrenched him in the upper reaches of the mythical pound for pound list. It’s a spot that he hasn’t come close to giving up, four fights and four wins later.
Public Invited to UFC 140 Press Conference in Toronto
UFC® RETURNS TO TORONTO FOLLOWING HISTORIC APRIL EVENT
UFC® 140: JONES vs. MACHIDA
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011 from Air Canada Centre in Toronto
PRESS CONFERENCE AND AUTOGRAPH SESSION TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12
UFC® LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION JON JONES AND FORMER CHAMPION LYOTO MACHIDA ARE
JOINED BY UFC® PRESIDENT DANA WHITE AND TOM WRIGHT AT AIR CANADA CENTRE
UFC® 140: JONES vs. MACHIDA
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011 from Air Canada Centre in Toronto
PRESS CONFERENCE AND AUTOGRAPH SESSION TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12
UFC® LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION JON JONES AND FORMER CHAMPION LYOTO MACHIDA ARE
JOINED BY UFC® PRESIDENT DANA WHITE AND TOM WRIGHT AT AIR CANADA CENTRE
TORONTO – Following its historic inaugural April event, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns to Toronto to host a press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. ET as tickets for UFC® 140: JONES VS. MACHIDA go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Oct. 15. UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former champion Lyoto Machida will be joined by UFC® President Dana White and Canadian Director of Operations Tom Wright at Air Canada Centre.
The 1 p.m. press conference will be open to the public while the UFC® will also hold a special fan autograph session for Jones and Machida at Real Sports Apparel from 5 to 6 p.m., located within Maple Leaf Square at 15 York Street. (Please note – this event is on a first-come, first-serve basis – one autograph per fighter per person.)
Tickets for UFC® 140: JONES VS. MACHIDA go on sale to the public on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. ET. Members of UFC® Fight Club™ will have the first chance to buy tickets on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. ET, followed by UFC newsletter subscribers on Friday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. ET. Fans can sign up for the UFC® Fight Club™ at www.ufcfightclub.com. Ticket prices will be announced early next week.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
UFC® 140 PRESS CONFERENCE
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 – 1:00 p.m. ET (media check in at 11:30 a.m., doors to public at noon)
WHERE: Air Canada Centre, Toronto – Gate 5 entrance off Bremner Blvd.
WHO: JON JONES, UFC® LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
LYOTO MACHIDA, FORMER UFC® LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
UFC® PRESIDENT DANA WHITE
UFC® DIRECTOR OF CANADIAN OPERATIONS TOM WRIGHT
AUTOGRAPH SIGNING
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 – 5-6 p.m. ET
WHERE: Real Sports Apparel, Maple Leaf Square, 15 York Street, Toronto
WHO: JONE JONES AND LYOTO MACHIDA
The 1 p.m. press conference will be open to the public while the UFC® will also hold a special fan autograph session for Jones and Machida at Real Sports Apparel from 5 to 6 p.m., located within Maple Leaf Square at 15 York Street. (Please note – this event is on a first-come, first-serve basis – one autograph per fighter per person.)
Tickets for UFC® 140: JONES VS. MACHIDA go on sale to the public on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. ET. Members of UFC® Fight Club™ will have the first chance to buy tickets on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. ET, followed by UFC newsletter subscribers on Friday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. ET. Fans can sign up for the UFC® Fight Club™ at www.ufcfightclub.com. Ticket prices will be announced early next week.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
UFC® 140 PRESS CONFERENCE
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 – 1:00 p.m. ET (media check in at 11:30 a.m., doors to public at noon)
WHERE: Air Canada Centre, Toronto – Gate 5 entrance off Bremner Blvd.
WHO: JON JONES, UFC® LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
LYOTO MACHIDA, FORMER UFC® LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
UFC® PRESIDENT DANA WHITE
UFC® DIRECTOR OF CANADIAN OPERATIONS TOM WRIGHT
AUTOGRAPH SIGNING
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 – 5-6 p.m. ET
WHERE: Real Sports Apparel, Maple Leaf Square, 15 York Street, Toronto
WHO: JONE JONES AND LYOTO MACHIDA
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