By E. Spencer Kyte, UFC.com
After the fight is over, when the results appear online as the latest entry on a fighter’s resume, the subtle nuances, close calls, and near misses of the bout fade into the ether. All that remains is a win or a loss, the round and time the fight ended, and the method – decision, submission, or knockout.
While a resume conveys the bare essentials of a fighter’s career – their “tale of the tape” statistics, and an account of who they’ve beaten, who got the better of them, and how both happened – those names, dates, and results don’t tell the whole story. They’re the black and white bits that jump off the page, but the good stuff is in the grey that is often unseen or forgotten over time.

A 15-minute contest that goes to a decision could have more excitement than a bout that ends with a knockout in the closing seconds of the final round. On paper, the former looks like a boring affair, while the latter creates visions of a back-and-forth slugfest in our heads, the reality now lost on a resume, reduced to a handful of words and numbers.
Nik Lentz knows all about a fighter’s resume only conveying part of the story.
The 28-year-old Minnesotan began his UFC career by going unbeaten over his first 18 months in the organization, collecting five wins, with a majority draw with Thiago Tavares in January 2010 standing as the only hiccup. Instead of being propelled up the ranks by his string of success, Lentz’ suffocating brand of grappling and constant trips to the scorecards were the focus; sticking points with fans and critics who dubbed him “boring” while overlooking how difficult it is to go unbeaten in six consecutive trips into the UFC cage.
“The intent has always been there,” laughs Lentz, discussing his string of decision victories. “Regardless of what people want to think, these guys fighting in the UFC are not easy to finish, and I sure wasn’t given an easy road. Nobody was throwing me easy fights; they gave me hard opponents all the time.
“Even the guys who are not well known are still some of the top guys in the weight class in the sport. I was just missing little things – I would be very close to a submission or I would be very close to a knockout, but I was just missing something.”
Following his six-fight unbeaten run, Lentz hit a rough patch, going winless in his next three fights – a “no contest” result against Charles Oliveira was followed consecutive losses to Mark Bocek and Evan Dunham. He needed a change, and opted to hit the reset button on his career by changing camps and changing weight classes.

After an extended association with Greg Nelson and The Academy, Lentz opted to shift his training camps to Coconut Creek, Florida, home of American Top Team, and enlisted nutrition specialist Mike Dolce to make help him make the move to the featherweight division.

Seven months after losing to Dunham, Lentz made his featherweight debut against Eiji Mitsuoka, and everything clicked.
“I always felt like I did pretty well at ’55,” says Lentz, who stopped Mitsuoka just 3:45 into the first round of their UFC 150 encounter. “Once I got new coaches, and started doing all the right things, I realized how wrong I had been preparing. I realized how much I was missing. Sometimes you don’t know how much you’re missing to get to the next level, and you get better coaching, better training.
“Now I’ve got all these new coaches, new tools, a nutritionist, a strength trainer, that just kind of opened my mind to realizing that I could pursue a championship. I always knew that I could be a champion in fighting, but it wasn’t until I got all the new coaches and stuff that it really clicked; that I really thought now is the time that I can actually do it.”
His performance against Mitsuoka appears to have changed the way a lot of people viewed him as well, the UFC brass included. After struggling to climb the ladder in the deep lightweight ranks during his unbeaten run, Lentz’ first-round stoppage win over the Japanese veteran last August has quickly elevated him to the fringes of contention in the featherweight division.
Though the weight class is growing deeper with each passing month as more lightweights opt to relocate south of the 155-pound weight limit, Lentz will look to continue his climb towards championship gold when he squares off with perennial contender Diego Nunes this coming Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Coming off a victory in a Fight of the Night-winning battle with Bart Palaszewski last October, Nunes has been a fixture near the top of the featherweight division, boasting wins over former WEC champion Mike Brown and Manny Gamburyan, while dropping decisions to former title challenger Kenny Florian and rising contender Dennis Siver.
The 30-year-old Brazilian is viewed by many as a gatekeeper in the 145-pound ranks – a tough out hopefuls need to beat in order to be considered worthy of title contention. Lentz sees his next opponent the same way, and is intent on making another statement as he moves to the next level.
“I was super-excited, but I didn’t do anything different,” admits Lentz of his reaction to the news that he’d be facing the top-10-ranked Nunes in his sophomore appearance in the featherweight division. “It’s always the same: they text me and say this guy, and I always say yes, regardless of who it is. It’s always been the same, so it’s pretty simple, but I do like the matchup. I like the fight. I was real excited once I got a chance to think about it a little more. I’m ready for this. I’m ready to bust through that gate, not just walk through it. I’m ready to kick that sucker down.”
Looking at his resume, it’d be easy to dismiss Lentz and his upward ambitions following just a single appearance in his new division. The focused and candid featherweight contender knows this, but he also knows the wins and losses on his resume don’t tell the whole story.
“It’s all a process. I haven’t always planned it right, and I haven’t always done everything the way you’re supposed to, but I feel like it has all been for a purpose. Looking back and saying something like, `I’m pissed off because people didn’t pay attention’ doesn’t do me any good. People need to pay attention now.
“When I moved down to ’45 and changed over to ATT, I got a lot of new coaches, and everyone started seeing how talented I was, people started saying, `There is so much potential here that you haven’t been using.’ It took a move to ’45 for me to realize that myself. Once that happened, it changed my whole outlook on fighting.
“It was a frustrating process, but I think it has all worked out. Now I know how the game works. Now I know I’ve put the time in. Now I know I can beat the top-level opponents.”
And that’s exactly what he intends to do when he steps into cage with Nunes Saturday night.
“I’m going to be in his face, and he’s not going to be able to handle it. I don’t think he’s ever fought anyone as tenacious and aggressive as me. I don’t think he’ll be able to keep up with all of the parts of the game. I think we’re on the same level when it comes to striking, but once we get into the scrambles, once we get into the wrestling, once we get into the clinch, once we do all these things, I think it’s just going to wear on him.
“(The finish) is going to happen just like Mitsuoka. The same way it happened with him where it was kind of a slow, systematic destruction. He came in, he tried to strike, and he got hit. He tried to go for the takedown on me, which wasn’t his game plan. I blocked his takedown, got on top, and when he tried to stand up, I threw him down a bunch of times, and finally he cracked.
“That’s what’s going to happen with Diego too.”
 
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Vitor Belfort: A Warrior Reborn
by Duane Finley, Bleacher Report Features Columnist Photo courtesy of Ryan Loco
Throughout a legendary career filled with triumph, defeat, validation and hardship, Vitor Belfort is still standing tall.
Over his 17 years competing on the biggest stages across the sport of mixed martial arts, “The Phenom” has developed a passionate fanbase and a reputation for being one of the most dangerous fighters to ever step into the cage.
Working behind a unique mixture of speed, power and ferocity, the 35-year-old’s drive has navigated him across multiple eras as he’s faced a collection of the best fighters to ever compete.
Next Saturday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Belfort will look to further his legacy when he squares off with Michael Bisping in the main event at UFC on FX 7. This middleweight tilt may not carry the weight of some of his past bouts, but make no mistake about it, Belfort is looking at his showdown with “The Count” as if everything is on the line.
That being said, when the Octagon door closes and the time to handle business comes to call, the rejuvenated warrior spirit of Belfort will bring the fight to Bisping’s front door.
“I’m really focused to fight and it’s more like an outside vision,” Belfort told Bleacher Report. “I’m like a Navy SEAL going to war. I’m not focused on the politics, just give me the mission and let me accomplish it.
“When a mission is given to a Navy SEAL, they say turn your back and let me do what I’m here to do. Now this fight is my mission. I don’t care about the politics or anything else. I’m focused on accomplishing the mission. I’m very focused right now.
“I’m ready, man. I’m more ready than ever. Better than ever. Fresher than ever. Happier than ever. I’m ready.”
The bout between Belfort and Bisping will feature two fighters on different trajectories. The former TUF winner has won five or his last six showings, and has positioned himself at the doorstep of a potential title shot.
UFC President Dana White recently stated the brash Brit would earn the next opportunity to face champion Anderson Silva should he find success against Belfort in Sao Paulo.
While the former light heavyweight champion may not be in reach of a rematch with “The Spider,” Belfort is still very much positioned at the top of the game.
In his last outing against Jon Jones at UFC 152, Belfort nearly shocked the world by grabbing, and nearly locking up an armbar in the first round against the young superstar. “Bones” would eventually break free and go on to win with a submission of his own in the fourth round.
The fight with Jones showed a portion of his game which many of have overlooked. Due in large part to his one-punch knockout ability, Belfort’s ground game is overshadowed, and he sees a tactical edge in the fact his submission skills are not something his opponents are worried about.
“That gives me an advantage,” Belfort said. “I have a lot of things people don’t see. There are a lot of things I’ve accomplished. I’m the type of guy where I go to the gym to work hard. Fighters are made in the gym and we achieve things through sacrifice.
“That is how things are in life. If you want something, you have to work hard at it. God gave you the talent and the gifts, but you have to work hard if you want to use them.
“That’s how I approach everything I do. If I want to be a good dad, I need to work hard to be a good dad. If I want to be a good husband, I need to work hard to be a good husband. But you are never going to be anything if you don’t work hard.
“In this fight I have to go out there and do what I do. That’s it. There isn’t much to think about, only to act. I have to go out there, do what I do, and fight my game. It’s not about him. It’s about me.
“That is how we should think when we step into competition. When Michael Jordan stepped into competition, it wasn’t about what the other team was going to do; it is about what he was going to do.”
Throughout his career, Belfort has competed in multiple weight classes. He has found success in every division, but the past two years, the Rio de Janeiro native has made a home fighting at 185 pounds. In order to make what was historically a difficult cut much easier, Belfort sought the guidance of Mike Dolce.
Where many consider the former TUF competitor to be a nutrition guru, Dolce is more comfortable with the title of “longevity advocate,” as his methods reach much further than dietary assistance. Belfort credits Dolce, and his Blackzilians team, for making his rejuvenation possible.
“Mike is a great friend of mine and a guy with a lot of knowledge,” Belfort said. “He is not here full-time, but I know how he works and the meals we need to work into the plan. He knows I’m very dedicated and we are working hard together.
“We have a very good relationship and he’s been a big help for this fight. I tip my hat to Mike. He works very hard and he’s very passionate about it.
“I’m very happy to have Mike and the other guys on my team like Henri Hooft and my other coaches working with me. They are all great guys. Along the way, we have trained together and developed friendships. I’m a very happy guy.”
Next Saturday night, when Belfort steps in against Bisping, it will be yet another high-profile fight to add to his legendary resume. He will be competing against a surging contender who is considered to be one of the world’s best at 185 pounds.
While it is impressive for a 17-year veteran to still be performing at such a high level, the accomplishment becomes amplified when a look at his resume reveals a majority of the fighters he’s faced in the past, have long since vanished from the sport. This isn’t a reality lost upon him, and Belfort is proud of the journey traveled.
“Oh man, it’s amazing,” Belfort said. “I was just thinking the other day that I have been fighting for so long, for so many years, and it’s gratifying not only being able to fight, but to perform with the best. The sport is so hard on your body but I feel young.
“Randy Couture became a champion at 34 years old. I became a champion at 19 years old. I’ve worked so hard, but I’m still young and I thank God every day. I’m very thankful to God.
“When people talk about my name, I just want to be remembered as a guy who always gave his best. No matter what I’m doing, I want to give my best. That’s how I want to be remembered.”
 
Duane Finley is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained first hand unless noted otherwise.

“MY WEIGHT IS FANTASTIC”
-Vitor Belfort
@vitorbelfort 4:17pm
Meu peso esta Fantastico hoje vou até comer um sorvete quero agradecer1 meu amor @Joanapradob e depois ao @TheDolceDiet que faz a planilha

PHOTO: Nakahara Andrews  – Twitter: @nakahara_naka

Fifty reasons to love mixed martial arts

By Chuck Mindenhall, ESPN.com
10. Mike Dolce: He is the modern day Alberto Giacometti. Did you see what he did with Thiago Alves? Plus, the war on Teflon is only beginning to heat up.
 
Read Full TOP 50 Article
 

By Todd H.
MyDolceDiet.com member

Prior to starting 3 Weeks to Shredded I had gotten my yearly physical. I was surprised when I received the results of my blood work. I have always thought that I was a fairly “healthy” individual.
Much to my horror, the Doctor started telling me that many of my levels were way over the flag reference range, aka, bad. The Doctor immediately started listing off the medications I needed to start taking.
Much of my surprise and horror was due to the fact that I was in denial. I was at the heaviest weight I had been in my lifetime and in reality I was not feeling my best. I just had to face it and accept it. This information was a rude awakening for me, and I refused to ignore it.
The Doctor finished telling me what I needed to to do lower my cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, metabolic levels and vitamin levels back to a healthy range. I looked up and said, no. I refused to take any medications. At that moment I made a promise to myself that I would get back into great health without putting any chemicals in my body.
This was the point I decided to get off my ass, change myself into what I should be and know I can be. This is where 3 Weeks to Shredded happened and transitioned into Living Lean as a lifestyle.
On December, 4th of this year, I had another physical and blood results. I am happy to say that not only is my weight back to what I was in High School, all of my levels are back in the very healthy range, all of them!
The chances of me going back to my former lifestyle at this point are, ZERO.
Keep Living Lean and Thank You for reading.
Todd is a member of MYDolceDiet.com – Mike Dolce’s free-to-join online community where people from around the world are welcome to communicate about their health & fitness journeys.
 
 

On Nov. 14 we saw Josh (@drivenmma) tweet “66 days, 51 lbs” to @TheDolceDiet with the photo below. We posted his tweet on Facebook and he received an outpouring of hearty congratulations and support from folks all around the world. Below is what he wrote in response. Great work, Josh!
 

To answer what I’ve done: I eat/drink clean. Just like Mike talks about I eat about every two hours, until I’m satisfied and not full (took a while to learn this!). I drink water, a lot of water. It isn’t some crazy million dollar fad diet, it is actually really easy and I eat way more than I did before, I just understand my body, its needs, and food properties now. 
As for exercise, I started “running” (term used loosely, it was more like a waddle) on Sept. 7. I ran .73 miles in 18:53. I stuck with running, in fact today I ran a PR 7.5 miles at a 9:01 pace. I also do some push-up/sit-up work but not much. I didn’t change my life for any event, but rather to be the parent my son deserves. I am under 200lbs for the first time in 16 years, and feel great. 
If you haven’t read Mike’s book, do. If you have questions, ask, Mike is great at interacting with people. 

Two months ago I set a goal to be at 190 by New Years Eve. Today I weighed in at 198.8. I am registered for a half marathon, tough mudder and a full in 2013. 

Guys anyone can do this, I’m nothing special. Just commit to not quit, stay focused and don’t forget why you are doing it. I’m around for support if ya’ll need it!
Happy clean living!
…and thank you guys for the support. It feels great to be working for these goals I have, your support helps a ton!!

Coach: If GSP Wants Money, Fight Anderson Silva But Top Contender is Johny Hendricks

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Damon Martin
MMAWeekly.com
The next fight for UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is yet to be determined, but if he stays at 170lbs, the choice seems pretty clear to at least one guy who he should be facing.
Currently on vacation in France, St-Pierre hasn’t had much to say about what comes next for him, whether it’s a welterweight title defense or bumping up in weight to face middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a super fight.
St-Pierre’s coach Firas Zahabi however recently stated that he believes if his fighter stays at welterweight that former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz deserves a crack at the belt ahead of current top contender Johny Hendricks.
Zahabi stated that Hendricks was deserving, but Diaz had done more and beaten more high profile opponents to stake his claim to a title shot.
In the battle of words amongst coaches, Johny Hendricks‘ coach and MMA nutritionist Mike Dolce vehemently disagrees with Zahabi’s choice.
“Johny Hendricks is the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division. He has proved that with devastating knockouts of Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann, and he beat Josh Koscheck, sick as a dog. There’s no excuse there, Johny’s never mentioned it, but I’m going to mention it right now, when Johny fought Koscheck he was so sick and if he ever released his medical records to show how sick he was, it’s amazing he even got in the cage, fought as well as he did, and beat Koscheck,” Dolce told MMAWeekly Radio on Thursday.
“Johny’s the No. 1 contender, and I’m a huge Nick Diaz fan. I will pay to watch Nick Diaz fight every time he steps into the cage, I always root for Nick Diaz, but Nick has not beat anybody in the UFC welterweight division yet. He has not earned his shot for biggest title in the world as 170lber, Nick hasn’t earned it yet.”
If it’s strictly about numbers, Dolce has them on his side and Zahabi doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on.
Over the past 10 fights, Diaz has gone 9-1 with his only loss coming by way of unanimous decision to former interim UFC champion Carlos Condit. Impressive as the record may be, the only win Diaz holds over a top ten welterweight at the time of the fight is his knockout of former UFC and Strikeforce fighter Paul Daley.
Outside of that win, Diaz has done nothing but beat up the competition but his list is littered with names like K.J. Noons, Thomas Denny, Evangelista Cyborg, and Scott Smith. All solid veterans, but none who sit in the top ten at 170lbs.
Looking at Johny Hendricks’ record over the last ten fights, there’s a much different story to be told. He is also 9-1 with his only loss coming by decision to Rick Story, but his wins include knockouts over top ten staples Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann, as well as a decision victory over Josh Koscheck.
Now if it comes down to a money fight, that’s where Zahabi might have a point when looking at Nick Diaz vs. Johny Hendricks as potential opponents for St-Pierre. Diaz has been a proven star and magnetic personality, while Hendricks has yet to carry a pay-per-view or even headline a UFC event during his career with the promotion.
But as Dolce points out, if it’s about money or the biggest fight possible, St-Pierre would be fighting Anderson Silva, not Nick Diaz.
If it’s about beating the best welterweight in the world, Dolce says the choice is clear and Johny Hendricks is the guy who has clearly defined himself as the top contender at 170lbs.
“If you want to talk about a money fight, if GSP wants a money fight, he fights Anderson Silva. If it’s about the money, he bumps up, he fights Anderson, and he makes the biggest payday in all of mixed martial arts history,” said Dolce.
“If he’s not fishing for that payday and he wants to defend his title, he has to defend his title against Johny Hendricks, who is the clear cut No. 1 contender. It’s the end of the story.”

MIKE DOLCE TAKES ISSUE WITH GSP TRAINER’S COMMENTS ON NO. 1 CONTENDER

BY STEVEN MARROCCO
MMAJunkie.com
Mike Dolce considers Firas Zahabi a friend and colleague, but vehemently disagrees with the Tristar Gym head trainer’s belief that Nick Diaz is the No. 1 welterweight contender.
That distinction belongs to Johny Hendricks (14-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC).
“Nick hasn’t beaten anybody substantial in the welterweight division to earn that shot,” Dolce told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Nick certainly will be in line soon. He’s got to get a couple of wins. Johny’s got those wins already.”
The weight and nutrition consultant reached out after reading a story in which Zahabi claimed the former Strikeforce champion’s resume justified his status as the next man to fight welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Part of Zahabi’s opinion also was founded in Diaz’s controversial decision loss at UFC 143 to Carlos Condit, who won the interim welterweight title and recently lost a lopsided decision to St-Pierre at UFC 154.
“Johny deserves it very much, but Diaz has been there longer and done more fights and has bigger wins,” Zahabi said. “If you want to be really fair about it, he is the guy who beat the most amount of names in the biggest fights.”
An entirely different message was conveyed to Dolce, who began working with Hendricks just prior to the fighter’s 12-second KO of onetime welterweight title challenger Jon Fitch at UFC 141.
“I believe that they are avoiding Johny because Johny is a better wrestler than Georges St-Pierre, and Johny possess knockout power to defeat Georges,” Dolce said. “If Georges can’t take down Johny, he’s got to stand. If Georges has to stand with Johny, he’s in a lot of trouble.”
Dolce took further issue with the idea that Diaz has faced better competition in recent years.
“I’m looking at Nick’s record right now,” he said. “He beat K.J. Noons, a 155-pounder; Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ (Santos), and who is he? Then Paul Daley – all right, Paul Daley’s tough. Then B.J. Penn, a very uninspired B.J. Penn, who’s a lightweight. He beat two lightweights, one very fringe welterweight, and Paul Daley.
“Then you look at who Johny fought. Johny fought Mike Pierce, who’s very tough and underrated. Then he comes in and knocks out Fitch, beats Koscheck, and knocks out Kampmann. It’s hands down – Johny deserves a shot. But Johny’s not going to call anybody out. He’s not going to get into a Twitter battle. Johny’s in the gym right now, training – that’s what he does.”
And that, he acknowledged, might be a problem. He said the “middle-American, average, blue-collar” Hendricks is the opposite of Diaz, whose brash antics have confounded promoters and captivated fans.
Diaz’s behavior also has won the scorn of St-Pierre, who said he had a “professional hatred” of the 29-year-old native of Stockton, Calif., for the bad-boy image he brought to the sport. The welterweight champ requested a fight with Diaz after the fighter called him out at UFC 137. He then injured his ACL, prompting Condit to fight Diaz at UFC 143.
“I think there’s a grudge match there, where GSP and Nick, they don’t like each other,” Dolce said. “I think GSP wants to beat up Nick. With Johny, they don’t want to get in the cage with Johny, because Johny possesses the skills necessary to beat St-Pierre soundly.”
Dolce isn’t convinced that Zahabi is pushing for Diaz because he sees a bigger payout against St-Pierre. If that were truly the case, he said, the welterweight champ should fight middleweight champ Anderson Silva.
“I think GSP is the box office draw,” Dolce said. “If he shadowboxes for 25 minutes on a pay-per-view, he’s still going to outdraw nearly every other athlete in the UFC.
“He’ll make a little bit more money if he fights Nick Diaz – but he’s not going to make a lot more money if he fights Nick Diaz. He will make a lot more money if he fights Anderson Silva. So it’s not about the money. It’s about protecting his belt. He thinks he can beat Nick Diaz – they don’t think they can beat Johny Hendricks. And I agree.”
Dolce said Hendricks is back in the gym and would be ready to fight in December if asked by the UFC. But the fighter ultimately waits the decision of the UFC, which is pushing for the superfight between Silva and St-Pierre to take place in mid-2013.
While UFC President Dana White has said he’ll do his best to make the superfight, he earmarked Hendricks as the next welterweight contender after Hendricks’ 46-second KO of Kampann in the co-main event of UFC 154.
Speaking at the post-event news conference, Hendricks said he would wait for a title shot. Dolce said the fighter is a company man and will do what’s asked of him. But it shouldn’t be his image, or lack thereof, that should decide his fate.
“Johny grows out his beard and he wears cowboy boots, so he looks atypical; he doesn’t look like your typical athlete,” he said. “I think that’s a little bit of a problem. St-Pierre wears the Under Armour, he wears the Nike, he looks every bit the part of that super athlete. You put those two guys in the cage and you’re going to see who the best welterweight in the world is, and that’s Johny Hendricks, hands down.”
For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Johny Hendricks)

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