CageTop News Roundup
Latest News from around MMA as prepared by CageTop:
King of the Castle: Why Anderson Silva Is the Pound for Pound King
There has never been a more consistent fighter in the sport than Anderson Silva. Since joining the UFC in June of 2006, the ‘Spider’ has won 13 straight fights. He has also defeated Rich Franklin at UFC 64, where he won the middleweight championship. He has defended the same title nine times—both are current UFC records. Not only is winning 13 fights in a row very impressive, but to do it in the toughest organization in the world is unbelievable.
Coker: If Strikeforce Is Profitable, It Will Continue
Following Strikeforce’s sale to the UFC, conventional wisdom suggests Strikeforce will close up after its various contracts expire.
However, Scott Coker (Pictured) believes Strikeforce’s future is in his and his team’s hands.
“At the end of the day, [the UFC] gave the WEC a good opportunity to try to flourish,” the Strikeforce CEO said Wednesday on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “I just think it didn’t pan out the way they wanted. That’s why inevitably it went the way that it did.”
The WEC ended up merging with the UFC, a move that could also await Strikeforce in the future.
“I think our brand name is very strong,” Coker argued. “I think it’s stronger than it’s ever been and I think the Showtime relationship has been good for everybody and good for mixed martial arts and has given a lot of fighters some great opportunities. If we can continue to grow and continue to build this business the way that we have been … if we’re profitable and the company is doing very well, then I don’t see why it would not continue.” Read more…
Phil Davis Ready To Defeat Nogueira at UFC Fight Night 24, Then Talk Titles
Phil Davis has a pretty funny history when it comes to the questions he’s asked at post fight press conferences. After defeating Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 112 last year in his second fight for the UFC, a reporter asked him candidly if he was ready for a title shot. Then following his win over Tim Boetsch at UFC 123, he was questioned about if he really had what it took to compete in mixed martial arts and how much longer he felt he could continue in the sport.
Davis takes the questions in stride and answers them as best he can, but he does have to laugh when the oddities keep happening whenever he takes the stage after a win. Well, one of those questions will be unavoidable if he gets past Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle on Saturday night. Davis has always taken the wait and see approach when talking about his ascension in the light heavyweight division, but at 8-0 with his first Top 10 opponent up next, the questions about his ranking in the title picture are bound to come up again.
“Now I can’t roll my eyes and act like they’re retarded,” Davis said with a laugh about being asked if he’s ready for a title shot.
Since Davis debuted in the UFC, the other question that always comes up is how he feels he would match up with now champion Jon “Bones” Jones. Both are thought of as the future of the light heavyweight division, and freakish athletes when it comes to their adaptation to MMA.
Jones of course reached the pinnacle of the sport by winning the UFC light heavyweight title just last weekend. So Davis knows the questions about him and Jones squaring off are going to be coming in with a new fervor should he win.
“I could count on one hand the interviews I’ve done where the question hasn’t come up between me and Jon Jones,” Davis told MMAWeekly Radio. “It’s crazy so many people ask me about fighting Jon Jones, and it’s just odd that they choose Jon Jones out of everyone in the division. Like after I fought Brian Stann, they were like ‘oh, you’re going to fight Jon Jones; what do you think about that fight?”