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January, 2016
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On January 26, 2016 By In Mixed Martial Arts

The Prodigal Son Returns

“As an MMA writer, I try to be as objective and emotionally detached as possible. While I can proudly say I’ve checked my personal feelings at the keyboard — and many times gone about the sobering process of betraying them — the truth of the matter is that I’m still, at my core, a fan. So objectivity be damned: Quit playing games with my heart, B.J. Penn.

“The Prodigy” last week made his comeback official. In doing so, he sent fans everywhere jolts of excitement, anxiety and that feeling you get when you’re called to the principal’s office. I don’t know how to process it all…”

 

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On January 20, 2016 By In Mixed Martial Arts

Cyborg and the Post-Rousey World

“When Ronda Rousey lost at UFC 193 in November, it felt like a defining moment. The biggest star in the sport went supernova, sending shockwaves into the MMA universe that have just begun to register.

Before her fateful collision with Holly Holm’s shin, Rousey put women’s MMA on the map. She quickly rose to become the first legitimate female draw in MMA and then transcended that label to become one of the biggest draws in combat sports period. However, what we are now coming to understand is that Rousey did not only bring women’s MMA to the forefront of public consciousness — she single-handedly held it there. The proof lies in the declining fan interest around Invicta Fighting Championships featherweight titleholder Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino…”

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On January 12, 2016 By In Mixed Martial Arts

T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz Statistical Analysis

“Champion will fight former champion at UFC Fight Night Dillashaw vs. Cruz on Sunday at the TD Garden in Boston.

Former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has been on the shelf for the greater part of the last four years due to a long string of broken hands, torn knee ligaments and a torn groin. Cruz was the final World Extreme Cagefighting champion and the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s inaugural titleholder at 135 pounds, but he vacated the title in January 2014 after more than two years of injury-induced inactivity. He briefly returned later that year and demolished Takeya Mizugaki, earning a title shot that would end up getting pushed back for another torn ACL. “The Dominator” has not lost a fight since dropping down from featherweight to bantamweight in 2008…”

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On January 4, 2016 By In Mixed Martial Arts

Sherdog.com’s 2015 Fighter of the Year

“We should have seen it coming.

Rewind to this time last year. Of all the fighters coming off superlative years, of all the burgeoning and blazing stars of the sport, only one of them had the clairvoyance to know where he would end up by year’s end: the man they call “Mystic Mac.”

Entering 2015, McGregor was still plagued by questions and doubters. He had run roughshod over inferior foes, they said; the Ultimate Fighting Championship was handpicking opponents for him to look good against; he had yet to face a stud wrestler; his ground game was completely untested and unproven; he was being promoted because of his trash talk, not his skill. Such accusations brought comfort to the high school coach types who hated his cockiness, and they put staunch McGregorites in a defensive uproar. However, the man himself could not seem to be bothered by any of it…”

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