CONDIT RETURN A SUCCESS
Natural Born Killer Returns
Los Angeles, CA-Welterweight (170 lb.) contender Carlos Condit (30-8) survived a bit of a rocky first round to defeat Thiago Alves (21-10) in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Alves. In the second round, Carlos punished Alves with vicious elbows that appeared to have broken Alves’ nose in a few places. The fans at the Goiania Arena in Goiania, Goias, Brazil had to feel a bit disappointed that the American destroyed their countryman so thoroughly. The medical staff chose to end the fight after round two to prevent any further damage.
SO HOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE CARD?
While the main event was decent, the undercard really underwhelmed. It was a card packed with prospects vying to be contenders, but no one truly shined. After the excitement of last week’s UFC 187, which featured two title fights, this week felt like quite a letdown.
ON THE HORIZON
If you’re looking to get your MMA fix next week, you may have to keep looking. UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs Henderson is the card they have lined up. Time Boetsch (18-8) is the ultimate gatekeeper of middleweight (185). Dan Henderson (30-13) is 1-5 in his last 6, and has been knocked out twice in a row. The superb chin of Hendo looks to be crumbling, and his only win in that stretch is over a severely declining Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (22-10).
AFTER THAT??
Cain Better Show Up In Better Shape Than This
Luckily, the next week will feature some solid fights. UFC 188 is all about the return of heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez (13-1). Known for his “BROWN PRIDE” tattoo, a tribute to his Mexican heritage, Velasquez will defend his belt at the Mexico City Arena against Fabricicio Werdum (19-5-1) in the main event. Cain has not been in the octagon since October 2013, and will need to be all full strength to beat Werdum. The Brazilian has shown a great deal of improvement in recent years, and Velasquez will have his hands full.
CHIEF SUPPORT FOR 188 LOOKING GOOD
The co-main will feature a great matchup between lightweights Gilbert Melendez (22-4) and Eddie Alvarez (25-4). Both guys come to fight, so fans should expect a fun bout. Alvarez is a former Bellator champ and Melendez once help the Strikeforce strap, so this is a battle between two of the top lightweights in the world.
RONDA MOST DOMINANT ATHLETE?
UFC bantamweight (135) champion Ronda Rousey (11-0) was recently named “Most Dominant Athlete Alive” by Sports Illustrated. As much as we like Ronda at Ring Talk, I do not agree with this sentiment. The most dominant athlete alive is boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (48-0, 26 KO). You may not like Floyd, but very few fighters have even come close to beating him in his Hall of Fame career. Mayweather may not have the best opposition to face as of late, but the talent pool near his weight class in boxing is much deeper than that of Rousey.
BIAS BY AUTHOR?
Since this award came out after Floyd’s biggest win, one may infer that the writer of the article may be a jaded Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO) fan. Of all the years to pass Floyd up when handing out this award, this may be the most foolish one. That being said, if Ronda keeps dominating her competition the way she has been, she will certainly have a great case for being considered the Most Dominant Athlete Alive in the near future.
Zack “Attack” Young
Co-host Sports Overnight America: Weekend Edition
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