So, I was skeptical when the Sengoku card seemed to lack any credible matchup except one, but the return of Takanori Gomi, hopefully in the top form that seems to follow his tough losses, will make the card sweeter and worth watching for alot of long time hardcore MMA fans like myself, and particularly as some who followed Gomi and his archrival in Pride, Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen.
What will become of Hansen? I don't know, but at least Gomi's back.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sengoku: Will it Be Worth Watching?
There's always a question with Japanese shows about whether or not they will translate well to the American audience, but the upcoming Sengoku card may not translate at all, as it seems to be a return to many of the traditional Japanese formula without the high class warriors that used to populate the Pride cards, and even made their way into smaller organizations like DEEP.
While the possibility of Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Roger Gracie has been discussed openly, the reality is that this is highly unlikely, given the Gracies' history of pulling out of fights. Even as a longtime Gracie fan, I regard those fights with the same skepticism: I'll believe it when I see it.
That's not to say I wouldn't be excited if the fight were to happen. Roger Gracie has said he's considering it and he's negotiating, and the potential for a matchup is very interesting.
Roger is a great grappler, and Yoshida is an Olympic gold medalist in judo, obviously there's the potential for a great match once this fight hits the clinch.
Gracie, though, is clearly the superior grappler. Even if we forget the last name, the man is still a world champion who's been on the podium at the Mundial and Abu Dhabi consistently. He's one of the most dominant grapplers to transition into MMA, and the only exception I can think of in the heavyweight division is Jeff Monson, and even that dominance is questionable, as Roger has performed on a higher level both in gi and no-gi grappling, while Monson has only ever done the former with much success.
I'll say that Gracie will take this fight on the ground, but Yoshida's striking skills have improved to a level that I don't think Roger's have, and it will be interesting to see if Yoshida chooses to keep the fight standing or decides to go for a big upset on the ground. We might even see some groundnpound from Yoshida, who may use his background in slam and pin based fighting to beat on Gracie for a little while.
Still, it will be a technical matchup that really draws alot of appreciation in Japan, but the question has to be asked, if we are talking so seriously about a matchup between guys who aren't in contention for a title, and aren't top ten guys, is this card really going to be interesting enough to spend big money on?
While the possibility of Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Roger Gracie has been discussed openly, the reality is that this is highly unlikely, given the Gracies' history of pulling out of fights. Even as a longtime Gracie fan, I regard those fights with the same skepticism: I'll believe it when I see it.
That's not to say I wouldn't be excited if the fight were to happen. Roger Gracie has said he's considering it and he's negotiating, and the potential for a matchup is very interesting.
Roger is a great grappler, and Yoshida is an Olympic gold medalist in judo, obviously there's the potential for a great match once this fight hits the clinch.
Gracie, though, is clearly the superior grappler. Even if we forget the last name, the man is still a world champion who's been on the podium at the Mundial and Abu Dhabi consistently. He's one of the most dominant grapplers to transition into MMA, and the only exception I can think of in the heavyweight division is Jeff Monson, and even that dominance is questionable, as Roger has performed on a higher level both in gi and no-gi grappling, while Monson has only ever done the former with much success.
I'll say that Gracie will take this fight on the ground, but Yoshida's striking skills have improved to a level that I don't think Roger's have, and it will be interesting to see if Yoshida chooses to keep the fight standing or decides to go for a big upset on the ground. We might even see some groundnpound from Yoshida, who may use his background in slam and pin based fighting to beat on Gracie for a little while.
Still, it will be a technical matchup that really draws alot of appreciation in Japan, but the question has to be asked, if we are talking so seriously about a matchup between guys who aren't in contention for a title, and aren't top ten guys, is this card really going to be interesting enough to spend big money on?
UFN: Florian vs. Lauzon; I'm Optimistic, I Think
I'll be honest, I don't really know what to think about the upcoming Ultimate Fight Night card scheduled for April. It's going to come after a long drought of UFC cards in March, since UFC 82 will be on the first of the month and there won't be another fight between the two. It will also immediately preced the UFC's first venture into Montreal, a fight that I think (and this is just an idea at this point) will probably be headed up by a rematch between Canadian Georges St. Pierre and champion Matt Serra, and hold a top contenders match for St. Pierre's countryman and training partner Patrick Cote.
Still, the Florian vs. Lauzon card provides some interesting issues for me, because the Boston boys are both incredible fighters and both have a history of being very impressive and very well rounded, but at the same time I have a hard time giving this matchup the credibility that it deserves.
I'll say that I'm skeptical, because Lauzon did burst on to the scene by knocking out one of the most notable fighters in the history of his division, but Florian is 6-1 at 155 pounds, and his only loss is to Champion Sean Sherk, who was unable to finish Florian even when given 5 rounds.
Florian, like Lauzon, has a penchant for finishing fights, and he's finished all six of his wins, using his muay thai skills honed with Mark Dellagrate (probably the best American muay thai coach besides, arguably, Duke Roofus) and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt.
It seems like Lauzon is seriously outclassed, and while Lauzon has never been beaten in a major octagon event and has had impressively devastating performances in his first three fights, he's still got a way to go before I see him as the top contender that Florian is. After all, Florian made it to the finals on the Ultimate Fighter, and he was fighting in a much higher weight class.
I think Lauzon will bring it in this matchup, but I'm not sure if that will be enough to handle Florian's clearly superior technical pedigree. I hope that the two guys can make this a war, but I see this fight getting finished early one way or the other, and I'm betting on Florian.
Still, the Florian vs. Lauzon card provides some interesting issues for me, because the Boston boys are both incredible fighters and both have a history of being very impressive and very well rounded, but at the same time I have a hard time giving this matchup the credibility that it deserves.
I'll say that I'm skeptical, because Lauzon did burst on to the scene by knocking out one of the most notable fighters in the history of his division, but Florian is 6-1 at 155 pounds, and his only loss is to Champion Sean Sherk, who was unable to finish Florian even when given 5 rounds.
Florian, like Lauzon, has a penchant for finishing fights, and he's finished all six of his wins, using his muay thai skills honed with Mark Dellagrate (probably the best American muay thai coach besides, arguably, Duke Roofus) and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt.
It seems like Lauzon is seriously outclassed, and while Lauzon has never been beaten in a major octagon event and has had impressively devastating performances in his first three fights, he's still got a way to go before I see him as the top contender that Florian is. After all, Florian made it to the finals on the Ultimate Fighter, and he was fighting in a much higher weight class.
I think Lauzon will bring it in this matchup, but I'm not sure if that will be enough to handle Florian's clearly superior technical pedigree. I hope that the two guys can make this a war, but I see this fight getting finished early one way or the other, and I'm betting on Florian.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Calm Before The Storm: Or Just the Calm Before More Calm
Sometimes when I read Sherdog.com columns, I wonder if they're watching the same fights that I am, but I'll say this of Mike Sloan's article about last weeks televised event, he's right on all counts.
Rarely will a fighter with as large an ego as Mike Swick apologize for putting on a terrible performance. The fact that he admits the fight was bad when he came out the victor speaks for how undeniably terrible it was. The Omigawa vs. Tavares fight is the same in that sense.
I'll admit that, like Sloan, I was very impressed with the performances turned in by Patrick Cote and Nate Diaz. I didn't think that Cote would be able to finish McFedries, but he did, and deserves respect for doing something that no one else in the 185 pound division has done yet, and that's hurt the Miletich man.
As for Diaz, he finished Alvin Robinson in the impressive, aggressive submission grappling style I've come to expect of Cesar Gracie students, with and without the gi. It speaks for Diaz's skill as a grappler, and there's no problem with a solid, technical submission.
My problem with Sloan's piece has nothing to do with the first section and everything to do with his allussion to a great fight between Lesnar and Mir, because he's hoping, and not looking at the facts, and setting himself up for a letdown, especially given the rest of this card.
Everyone knows that Nogueira vs. Sylvia is going to be a hard fight to watch, bar natural disaster (and I'm praying for rain like the NBA saw this weekend to brighten up the fight). After all, both fighters are coming off of fights that can be called nothing other than unimpressive, and they don't match up in a way that promises explosiveness. That's partly because one of the fighters is Tim Sylvia (who doesn't really provide and explosive matchup with anyone short of Fedor and CroCop) and the other is Nogueira, who is most explosive off of his back, a place where we know Sylvia will never allow this fight to be.
Anyone who suggests that this sport will be entertaining because Lesnar comes from a background in "sports entertainment" doesn't understand why fans watch this sport. I won't speak for everyone, but I watch it to see two guys go at it, not to see them talk about going at it and then pull a chair out from under the ring as soon as they show the first sign of defeat.
Sloan offers us with three possibilities.
The first two seem the most probable, and while I, like Sloan, will be praying for hell and high water to show up in that cage, it's important to acknowledge the unlikelihood.
I commend Sloan for his optimism, but question his reasoning. Well, I guess that when we're faced with certain boredom, all we can do is hope for the best.
Rarely will a fighter with as large an ego as Mike Swick apologize for putting on a terrible performance. The fact that he admits the fight was bad when he came out the victor speaks for how undeniably terrible it was. The Omigawa vs. Tavares fight is the same in that sense.
I'll admit that, like Sloan, I was very impressed with the performances turned in by Patrick Cote and Nate Diaz. I didn't think that Cote would be able to finish McFedries, but he did, and deserves respect for doing something that no one else in the 185 pound division has done yet, and that's hurt the Miletich man.
As for Diaz, he finished Alvin Robinson in the impressive, aggressive submission grappling style I've come to expect of Cesar Gracie students, with and without the gi. It speaks for Diaz's skill as a grappler, and there's no problem with a solid, technical submission.
My problem with Sloan's piece has nothing to do with the first section and everything to do with his allussion to a great fight between Lesnar and Mir, because he's hoping, and not looking at the facts, and setting himself up for a letdown, especially given the rest of this card.
Everyone knows that Nogueira vs. Sylvia is going to be a hard fight to watch, bar natural disaster (and I'm praying for rain like the NBA saw this weekend to brighten up the fight). After all, both fighters are coming off of fights that can be called nothing other than unimpressive, and they don't match up in a way that promises explosiveness. That's partly because one of the fighters is Tim Sylvia (who doesn't really provide and explosive matchup with anyone short of Fedor and CroCop) and the other is Nogueira, who is most explosive off of his back, a place where we know Sylvia will never allow this fight to be.
Anyone who suggests that this sport will be entertaining because Lesnar comes from a background in "sports entertainment" doesn't understand why fans watch this sport. I won't speak for everyone, but I watch it to see two guys go at it, not to see them talk about going at it and then pull a chair out from under the ring as soon as they show the first sign of defeat.
Sloan offers us with three possibilities.
Will Mir run out of gas within 90 seconds like he usually does, thus allowing Lesnar to capitalize? Will Lesnar take Mir down and fall right into an armbar 20 seconds in? Or will Lesnar and Mir both enter the Octagon in the best conditions of their lives, resulting in one hell of a heavyweight showdown worthy of being the main event of UFC 81?
The first two seem the most probable, and while I, like Sloan, will be praying for hell and high water to show up in that cage, it's important to acknowledge the unlikelihood.
I commend Sloan for his optimism, but question his reasoning. Well, I guess that when we're faced with certain boredom, all we can do is hope for the best.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Hard to Get Hotter: Interview with Ring Girl Michelle Wickert
So I had the opportunity to interview ring girl and model Michelle Wickert. Apart from being smokin' hot, she's going to be featured in next months issue of Ultimate Grappling.
Josh: To start things off, how did you get into being a ring girl for MMA?
Michelle: I had attended many fights. I got very upset b/c these girls were in the ring with not confidence. I happened to see an ad saying that they needed ring girls and you know the rest.
J: What do you like about the sport?
M: Everything. It takes so much for a fighter to get ready for their fight. I know this because I train!!!! I just don't fight.
J: What organizations have you worked with?
M: I have worked with so many. In fact I was just added to an organization in PA. I hope to work with UFC one day!
J: You recently did an interview with Ultimate Grappling Magazine. How'd that go?
M: That was AWESOME! I still can't believe it!
J: What are you looking to do in the future?
M: UFC or another organization very similar to that. Who ever wants me....I'll go! Plus I have many modeling gigs!
J: Do you have a crush on any fighters?
M: No crushes. But I'm a die hard Randy, Tito, and CroCop FAN! I even have the dolls that they make...sad I know!
J: What's your favorite time during a promotional or a fight?
M: I like doing both but if I had to choose I'd definitely pick the fights!
J: What's your favorite thing to do away from work?
M: Workout! If I'm not working as a ring girl or modeling you'll find me working out and helping others to achieve their fitness goals!
Thanks to Chelle for doing the interview. Sorry to all of the guys out there hoping I'd have pics up. She's got photos on her site and definitely check out her proelite account.
Josh: To start things off, how did you get into being a ring girl for MMA?
Michelle: I had attended many fights. I got very upset b/c these girls were in the ring with not confidence. I happened to see an ad saying that they needed ring girls and you know the rest.
J: What do you like about the sport?
M: Everything. It takes so much for a fighter to get ready for their fight. I know this because I train!!!! I just don't fight.
J: What organizations have you worked with?
M: I have worked with so many. In fact I was just added to an organization in PA. I hope to work with UFC one day!
J: You recently did an interview with Ultimate Grappling Magazine. How'd that go?
M: That was AWESOME! I still can't believe it!
J: What are you looking to do in the future?
M: UFC or another organization very similar to that. Who ever wants me....I'll go! Plus I have many modeling gigs!
J: Do you have a crush on any fighters?
M: No crushes. But I'm a die hard Randy, Tito, and CroCop FAN! I even have the dolls that they make...sad I know!
J: What's your favorite time during a promotional or a fight?
M: I like doing both but if I had to choose I'd definitely pick the fights!
J: What's your favorite thing to do away from work?
M: Workout! If I'm not working as a ring girl or modeling you'll find me working out and helping others to achieve their fitness goals!
Thanks to Chelle for doing the interview. Sorry to all of the guys out there hoping I'd have pics up. She's got photos on her site and definitely check out her proelite account.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Groundhog Day: Hopefully No Performance Repeats
It's no secret that former Pride Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is a warrior, and it's well known that former UFC champ Tim Sylvia was a monster in his day, but recently, neither of them have been particularly exciting in the Octagon, and the fact that they are top contenders speaks less to their ability and more to how thin the current division is.
Nogueira took a serious knock down from Heath Herring during his last fight, which was his first in the Octagon, and many of us are wondering whether or bot he's going to adjust better to his second fight in the cage. We can only hope that he'll show some solid boxing skills and some dangerous submissions against a fighter who has some of the most impressive standup and submission defense in the heavyweight division.
Sylvia hasn't finished an opponent since 2006, when he knocked out Andrei Arlovski to reclaim his heavyweight championship. Since, he's been coasting on decisions, and didn't show that he really improved after his loss to Randy Couture when he failed to finish Brandon Vera.
There's no doubt in my mind that this fight will go to the judges, and I really, really hope that I am wrong.
Nogueira has never been stopped in his professional MMA career, and his resiliance is something that he's known for. He's been in 20 minute bouts and kept on going.
On the other hand, Sylvia has been dropped, but he's changed his game to be much more conservative and, as a result, nearly impossible to finish. Since his armbar loss to Frank Mir that required him to have pins put in his arm, his submission defense has only been overpowered when he's been stunned by a big right hand, and that's not something that Nogueira has historically been able to do.
Can Tim Sylvia follow Heath Herring's lead and put Nogueira down with a big shot?
Can Nogueira succeed where world submission grappling champion Jeff Monson failed?
It's possible, but I wouldn't put money on it. I think it's going to come down to a battle of Sylvia's kickboxing against Nogueira's boxing, and I see that one slipping in favor of Sylvia.
I have no problem with being wrong on this one, but I don't see it going any other way.
Nogueira took a serious knock down from Heath Herring during his last fight, which was his first in the Octagon, and many of us are wondering whether or bot he's going to adjust better to his second fight in the cage. We can only hope that he'll show some solid boxing skills and some dangerous submissions against a fighter who has some of the most impressive standup and submission defense in the heavyweight division.
Sylvia hasn't finished an opponent since 2006, when he knocked out Andrei Arlovski to reclaim his heavyweight championship. Since, he's been coasting on decisions, and didn't show that he really improved after his loss to Randy Couture when he failed to finish Brandon Vera.
There's no doubt in my mind that this fight will go to the judges, and I really, really hope that I am wrong.
Nogueira has never been stopped in his professional MMA career, and his resiliance is something that he's known for. He's been in 20 minute bouts and kept on going.
On the other hand, Sylvia has been dropped, but he's changed his game to be much more conservative and, as a result, nearly impossible to finish. Since his armbar loss to Frank Mir that required him to have pins put in his arm, his submission defense has only been overpowered when he's been stunned by a big right hand, and that's not something that Nogueira has historically been able to do.
Can Tim Sylvia follow Heath Herring's lead and put Nogueira down with a big shot?
Can Nogueira succeed where world submission grappling champion Jeff Monson failed?
It's possible, but I wouldn't put money on it. I think it's going to come down to a battle of Sylvia's kickboxing against Nogueira's boxing, and I see that one slipping in favor of Sylvia.
I have no problem with being wrong on this one, but I don't see it going any other way.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sean Sherk: Shut Up and Fight
For those of you who don't diligently follow Sherdog's Beatdown Radio program, you might or might not have heard about UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk's recent comments about autograph signing.
In case you didn't, Sherk responded to a question about autograph signings by saying, "No, I'm not signing autographs for you, I was booed, either cheer me or no autographs."
These comments have led to Sean Sherk being compared to former UFC heavyweight champion, who has been routinely booed in his recent fights (a rash of unimpressive decisions), but, in defense of Sylvia, he doesn't bitch and moan about getting booed. Neither did Andrei Arlovski when he was booed after his lackluster decision win over Fabricio Werdum.
The following is a message to Sean Sherk:
Man, if you're going to fight, fight. You've always said that you want to be a fighter, but fighters don't just lie on top of their opponents until a group of old men with the approval of the Nevada State Athletic Commission declare them the winner. Fighters go out and fight, they try to win every second of every fight.
This isn't boxing, you aren't going to get cheered just because your hand is in the air. If you have a crappy performance, expect to be treated as such. I'm sick of calling you an upper echelon fighter when you don't even fight.
You were once touted as having one of the most explosive groundnpounds in the sport, but in the last few years you've exploded your way to three decision victories and a knockout loss to Georges St. Pierre.
You haven't finished an opponent since September of 2005. You haven't finished an opponent in the UFC since 2002. Excuse me if I'm less than impressed.
It seems like you expect people to cheer for you because you have a belt. I'll cheer for fucking Danny Abbadi if he brings his A game to an undercard fight (I don't, because that doesn't happen, but I would), but I'm not going to cheer for you just because your name is on the poster, and I'm not going to cheer for you just because you have the biggest bicepts of any 5'6 fighter in the sport.
At some point, the steroids become another redundant point in my arsenal of reasons for not liking you. It doesn't matter whether you actually took them or not.
If you didn't, then you've had three crappy performances in a row.
If you did, then you've had three crappy performances in a row and even illegal performance enhancing drugs couldn't help.
Frankly, I'm not impressed either way.
You will always be a solid athlete, but so will Mark Kerr. If you cease to impress, I will stop cheering, and so, I'm glad to say, will the rest of the fanbase.
This sport is still in its infancy, I refuse to stay silent while guys like you have shitty fights and then go and blame the fans when they make a note of it. This isn't the NBA, we're still dealing with the stigma of being a major combat sport and we're still trying to attract fans. If you continue to be a fucking diva, you are going to lose the support of the entire sport, just like you've just lost mine.
I've been a fan of this sport for a long time, and you were on the first live card I watched, so I've got some nostalgia, but if you stop treating this like a job and start treating the entire fan base like they should cater to your ego, someone is going to smash you.
Stop whining and get back in the gym. Put a performance out there that you can be proud of, and stop trying to defend wins that are clearly not worth defending.
Well, that's all I've got.
For the rest of my fellow MMA fans, whether you are still going to back Sean Sherk, I respect your loyalty, even if you're crazy. That said, I think we all like it when fighters fight, and don't waste their time and ours by Bible beating and inflating their own egos.
In case you didn't, Sherk responded to a question about autograph signings by saying, "No, I'm not signing autographs for you, I was booed, either cheer me or no autographs."
These comments have led to Sean Sherk being compared to former UFC heavyweight champion, who has been routinely booed in his recent fights (a rash of unimpressive decisions), but, in defense of Sylvia, he doesn't bitch and moan about getting booed. Neither did Andrei Arlovski when he was booed after his lackluster decision win over Fabricio Werdum.
The following is a message to Sean Sherk:
Man, if you're going to fight, fight. You've always said that you want to be a fighter, but fighters don't just lie on top of their opponents until a group of old men with the approval of the Nevada State Athletic Commission declare them the winner. Fighters go out and fight, they try to win every second of every fight.
This isn't boxing, you aren't going to get cheered just because your hand is in the air. If you have a crappy performance, expect to be treated as such. I'm sick of calling you an upper echelon fighter when you don't even fight.
You were once touted as having one of the most explosive groundnpounds in the sport, but in the last few years you've exploded your way to three decision victories and a knockout loss to Georges St. Pierre.
You haven't finished an opponent since September of 2005. You haven't finished an opponent in the UFC since 2002. Excuse me if I'm less than impressed.
It seems like you expect people to cheer for you because you have a belt. I'll cheer for fucking Danny Abbadi if he brings his A game to an undercard fight (I don't, because that doesn't happen, but I would), but I'm not going to cheer for you just because your name is on the poster, and I'm not going to cheer for you just because you have the biggest bicepts of any 5'6 fighter in the sport.
At some point, the steroids become another redundant point in my arsenal of reasons for not liking you. It doesn't matter whether you actually took them or not.
If you didn't, then you've had three crappy performances in a row.
If you did, then you've had three crappy performances in a row and even illegal performance enhancing drugs couldn't help.
Frankly, I'm not impressed either way.
You will always be a solid athlete, but so will Mark Kerr. If you cease to impress, I will stop cheering, and so, I'm glad to say, will the rest of the fanbase.
This sport is still in its infancy, I refuse to stay silent while guys like you have shitty fights and then go and blame the fans when they make a note of it. This isn't the NBA, we're still dealing with the stigma of being a major combat sport and we're still trying to attract fans. If you continue to be a fucking diva, you are going to lose the support of the entire sport, just like you've just lost mine.
I've been a fan of this sport for a long time, and you were on the first live card I watched, so I've got some nostalgia, but if you stop treating this like a job and start treating the entire fan base like they should cater to your ego, someone is going to smash you.
Stop whining and get back in the gym. Put a performance out there that you can be proud of, and stop trying to defend wins that are clearly not worth defending.
Well, that's all I've got.
For the rest of my fellow MMA fans, whether you are still going to back Sean Sherk, I respect your loyalty, even if you're crazy. That said, I think we all like it when fighters fight, and don't waste their time and ours by Bible beating and inflating their own egos.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Heavyweight Disaster: Spreading Outside of the UFC
As each organization announces upcoming heavyweight fights, I find myself getting more and more bored and even a little bit depressed by the low quality, not just of fights, but of fighters.
While I like to reminisce about the good ol' days of the freak matchup as much as any guy, I'll be the first to call out an organization for putting together a matchup just for the hype. So, Gary Shaw, consider yourself called out.
The fact is, Kimbo vs. Tank is a high profile fight because it's a freak matchup, even if it's about as interesting as Fedor vs. Zuluzinho. In fairness, there's far more speculation about the way that this fight is going to go down, but that doesn't make it more exciting. At least Fedor's fight had Fedor.
I'm not going to bash Kimbo or Tank as fighters, just state the facts and let them do the talking for me:
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has one professional fight.
David "Tank" Abbott has a losing professional mixed martial arts record
Both fighters are not famous because of what they have done in the cage.
Both fighters get more attention for the way they look than the way they fight.
Both fighters have shown little, if any, technical ability in their fights.
While it's only fair to say that both are incredibly strong, I was sort of hoping that the reign of bulky freaks of nature would die out when Igor Vovchanchyn put his shin through Mark Kerr's face. That, apparently, doesn't decrease the draw that Elite XC intends to get out of having two massive, skill-less warriors throw over-hand rights at each other until someone falls down.
I'd say that I'm disinterested in this fight, but there's some nostalgia attached to Tank Abbott. Still, there's not enough to get my attention with a single fight, and Elite XC seems to offer little else with their roster that consists or about a dozen talented fighters and a bunch of low caliber gatekeepers.
It's this simple: Gary Shaw's organization is dragging more cans than a wedding limo, but they don't have the same draw.
Why is Kimbo getting talked about like a main event?
Why is Tank Abbott's career being resurrected by a fight with a guy who's only win is over a guy who, like Tank, isn't even boasting a .500 winning percentage?
Let me tell you why:
Because the heavyweight division is so bad that we're going to tolerate the Brock Lesnar's and Kimbo's of the sport just to watch the giants go at it, and that, more than anything else, is depressing.
While I like to reminisce about the good ol' days of the freak matchup as much as any guy, I'll be the first to call out an organization for putting together a matchup just for the hype. So, Gary Shaw, consider yourself called out.
The fact is, Kimbo vs. Tank is a high profile fight because it's a freak matchup, even if it's about as interesting as Fedor vs. Zuluzinho. In fairness, there's far more speculation about the way that this fight is going to go down, but that doesn't make it more exciting. At least Fedor's fight had Fedor.
I'm not going to bash Kimbo or Tank as fighters, just state the facts and let them do the talking for me:
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has one professional fight.
David "Tank" Abbott has a losing professional mixed martial arts record
Both fighters are not famous because of what they have done in the cage.
Both fighters get more attention for the way they look than the way they fight.
Both fighters have shown little, if any, technical ability in their fights.
While it's only fair to say that both are incredibly strong, I was sort of hoping that the reign of bulky freaks of nature would die out when Igor Vovchanchyn put his shin through Mark Kerr's face. That, apparently, doesn't decrease the draw that Elite XC intends to get out of having two massive, skill-less warriors throw over-hand rights at each other until someone falls down.
I'd say that I'm disinterested in this fight, but there's some nostalgia attached to Tank Abbott. Still, there's not enough to get my attention with a single fight, and Elite XC seems to offer little else with their roster that consists or about a dozen talented fighters and a bunch of low caliber gatekeepers.
It's this simple: Gary Shaw's organization is dragging more cans than a wedding limo, but they don't have the same draw.
Why is Kimbo getting talked about like a main event?
Why is Tank Abbott's career being resurrected by a fight with a guy who's only win is over a guy who, like Tank, isn't even boasting a .500 winning percentage?
Let me tell you why:
Because the heavyweight division is so bad that we're going to tolerate the Brock Lesnar's and Kimbo's of the sport just to watch the giants go at it, and that, more than anything else, is depressing.
Mark Coleman to Be Inducted to UFC Hall of Fame
As the first heavyweight champion in the UFC, it makes sense that the Hammer would be the next inductee. Still, there are a few guys I'm really hoping will get the nod in the upcoming years. My list includes:
Frank Shamrock (5 time middleweight champion)
Tito Ortiz (6 time middleweight/lightheavyweight champion)
Matt Hughes (9 time welterweight champion)
Mark Kerr (UFC 14 and 15 tournament winner)
There are a few others I would induct, just for nostalgia's sake, but those are the ones that I think have the credentials to get pulled into the hall in the upcoming years, given that Ortiz and Hughes leave the organization and Shamrock gets on better terms with Dana White.
Coleman's induction will be at UFC 82, and there's been some talk about him returning to the incredibly weak heavyweight division, where he would be one of many wrestlers with too much muscle mass and not enough versatility.
Frank Shamrock (5 time middleweight champion)
Tito Ortiz (6 time middleweight/lightheavyweight champion)
Matt Hughes (9 time welterweight champion)
Mark Kerr (UFC 14 and 15 tournament winner)
There are a few others I would induct, just for nostalgia's sake, but those are the ones that I think have the credentials to get pulled into the hall in the upcoming years, given that Ortiz and Hughes leave the organization and Shamrock gets on better terms with Dana White.
Coleman's induction will be at UFC 82, and there's been some talk about him returning to the incredibly weak heavyweight division, where he would be one of many wrestlers with too much muscle mass and not enough versatility.
Monday, January 21, 2008
UFC Signs Shane Carwin: Dana White Insists on Wasting More Money on Another Heavyweight Joke
Shane Carwin appears to be the next in the UFC's ever improving line of Mark Kerr wannabes, and I continue to be unimpressed with the UFC's ridiculous attempts at building at solid heavyweight roster.
You can't build a palace of gold out of bricks made of shit, but Dana White and his commrades at Zuffa seem to be intent on doing it.
While Carwin boasts an impressive 8-0 record, he's shown all of the diversity one might expect from a fighter who would finish on the podium in any Mark Coleman look-a-like contest.
You might be thinking: "Well, at least he's got a solid repetoire of first round finishes, right?" That's true, but the fact is, he has yet to fight a fighter with any credibility. His only opponent ever to appear in the octagon was Sherman "The Tank" Pendergarst, who was absolutely decimated by Antoni Hardonk.
Why does Dana continue to sign guys like Carwin for the big dollars when he could be field testing loads of other guys for much, much less money?
It's about the press, baby!
All I have to say to Mr. White is "C'mon man, you've made this sport huge, but that doesn't mean you only need to sign the Jose Canseco's of the sport." And by Jose Canseco I mean the ones that performed great for a while and then start bouncing fly balls off of their head. Carwin's not even going to have the same run that Canseco had, of at least being a serious contender for the hall-of-fame. Carwin, rather, will find soon that he's a Hammer House fighter in a game that has changed more than Coleman's hair line.
To put it simply:
The UFC signs Shane Carwin, and I look for a reason to care.
You can't build a palace of gold out of bricks made of shit, but Dana White and his commrades at Zuffa seem to be intent on doing it.
While Carwin boasts an impressive 8-0 record, he's shown all of the diversity one might expect from a fighter who would finish on the podium in any Mark Coleman look-a-like contest.
You might be thinking: "Well, at least he's got a solid repetoire of first round finishes, right?" That's true, but the fact is, he has yet to fight a fighter with any credibility. His only opponent ever to appear in the octagon was Sherman "The Tank" Pendergarst, who was absolutely decimated by Antoni Hardonk.
Why does Dana continue to sign guys like Carwin for the big dollars when he could be field testing loads of other guys for much, much less money?
It's about the press, baby!
All I have to say to Mr. White is "C'mon man, you've made this sport huge, but that doesn't mean you only need to sign the Jose Canseco's of the sport." And by Jose Canseco I mean the ones that performed great for a while and then start bouncing fly balls off of their head. Carwin's not even going to have the same run that Canseco had, of at least being a serious contender for the hall-of-fame. Carwin, rather, will find soon that he's a Hammer House fighter in a game that has changed more than Coleman's hair line.
To put it simply:
The UFC signs Shane Carwin, and I look for a reason to care.
Final Thoughts on UFC 80: Not Surprised
Some of the events in 2007 were fucking shocking. Georges St. Pierre getting knocked out by Matt Serra, Gabriel Gonzaga getting laid out by Mirko CroCop and Randy Couture returning to the Octagon were just a few of the big surprises, but this first card of 2008, not so much.
Perhaps the only thing that might even be construed as an upset on the card was Fabricio Werdum knocking out Gabriel Gonzaga, but it's not terribly amazing when a fighter beats a guy he has beaten already. That said, I picked Werdum to lose, and we pretty impressed with his performance. Still, it didn't shock me.
Penn's choke out of Joe Stevenson and Marcus Davis' big KO of Jesse Laudin were not surprising either, and both of them were well expected by many fans, myself included.
While I was a little surprised by Wilson Gouveia pulling out an early round two KO of Jason Lambert, it isn't the first time Jambert's been floored with that strike before and it was a move that Gouveia clearly put some effort into scouting. If anything on this card can be called a surprise, this is it. The first Octagon KO might have been the big win of the night in my opinion, but with the odds for this fight basically up in the air, it wasn't a huge shock to see Gouveia pull it out.
Antoni Hardonk turned in what was my favorite performance of the night in a fight that I knew was going to be entertaining, though most people thought differently going in. I predicted a round one KO, but I was surprised that he did it so early, so quickly and so devastatingly. Not shocked at the outcome, but very happy to see Hardonk can a boring layngay fighter like Colin Robinson with some serious Dutch kickboxing saavy.
I know Kendall Grove is overrated, even if many of the hardcore TUF fans wanted to admit it. I knew he was going to lose the fight with Cote and I knew he was going to lose this one. The downfall for Grove continues to be that he cannot cope with the more experienced brawler and use his height effectively. In my opinion, he shouldn't be working with Punishment, but rather with a camp that's going to really teach him some effective muay thai skills like Chute Boxe.
That said, I was impressed with the way that Rivera showed up and really brought the fight to Grove, working around the reach and knocking him around like he was a 15 year old kid. I like watching the Conquistador fight, and even if he never manages to get to the top of this division, he'll be a solid test for many of the young up and comers.
Sakara brought some good boxing skills and put on a solid show in his fight with James Lee. He used his distance like a good boxer should as he transitions to MMA, and I was impressed with is ability to keep from getting taken down. I figured he had one out for this fight, and that was to use his hands to keep distance between him and Lee, and he did that. Props to Sakara, and hopefully the UFC will keep him around to see if he can continue to use his hands at that level.
Sam Stout and Paul Kelly turned in impressive showings, and hopefully we'll get to see them finish a fight in their next matchup, as they'll probably be facing UFC rookies to show that they belong in the upper echelon of their division.
In a card with only one heavyweight fight I'll say this: the only thing that surprised me was that the UFC managed to broadcast the entire card on pay-per-view, and I wasn't bored with the decisions. I good note to start of the year, but not one that really shook the world.
Oh well, maybe that will come later.
Perhaps the only thing that might even be construed as an upset on the card was Fabricio Werdum knocking out Gabriel Gonzaga, but it's not terribly amazing when a fighter beats a guy he has beaten already. That said, I picked Werdum to lose, and we pretty impressed with his performance. Still, it didn't shock me.
Penn's choke out of Joe Stevenson and Marcus Davis' big KO of Jesse Laudin were not surprising either, and both of them were well expected by many fans, myself included.
While I was a little surprised by Wilson Gouveia pulling out an early round two KO of Jason Lambert, it isn't the first time Jambert's been floored with that strike before and it was a move that Gouveia clearly put some effort into scouting. If anything on this card can be called a surprise, this is it. The first Octagon KO might have been the big win of the night in my opinion, but with the odds for this fight basically up in the air, it wasn't a huge shock to see Gouveia pull it out.
Antoni Hardonk turned in what was my favorite performance of the night in a fight that I knew was going to be entertaining, though most people thought differently going in. I predicted a round one KO, but I was surprised that he did it so early, so quickly and so devastatingly. Not shocked at the outcome, but very happy to see Hardonk can a boring layngay fighter like Colin Robinson with some serious Dutch kickboxing saavy.
I know Kendall Grove is overrated, even if many of the hardcore TUF fans wanted to admit it. I knew he was going to lose the fight with Cote and I knew he was going to lose this one. The downfall for Grove continues to be that he cannot cope with the more experienced brawler and use his height effectively. In my opinion, he shouldn't be working with Punishment, but rather with a camp that's going to really teach him some effective muay thai skills like Chute Boxe.
That said, I was impressed with the way that Rivera showed up and really brought the fight to Grove, working around the reach and knocking him around like he was a 15 year old kid. I like watching the Conquistador fight, and even if he never manages to get to the top of this division, he'll be a solid test for many of the young up and comers.
Sakara brought some good boxing skills and put on a solid show in his fight with James Lee. He used his distance like a good boxer should as he transitions to MMA, and I was impressed with is ability to keep from getting taken down. I figured he had one out for this fight, and that was to use his hands to keep distance between him and Lee, and he did that. Props to Sakara, and hopefully the UFC will keep him around to see if he can continue to use his hands at that level.
Sam Stout and Paul Kelly turned in impressive showings, and hopefully we'll get to see them finish a fight in their next matchup, as they'll probably be facing UFC rookies to show that they belong in the upper echelon of their division.
In a card with only one heavyweight fight I'll say this: the only thing that surprised me was that the UFC managed to broadcast the entire card on pay-per-view, and I wasn't bored with the decisions. I good note to start of the year, but not one that really shook the world.
Oh well, maybe that will come later.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Coach Superfights: Why The IFL Is At Least A Little Bit Interesting
There are alot of problems with the team concept in the IFL, not the least of which have to do with where the teams are located (most of them are not in urban areas), the way the rouds work (four minutes being an odd amount of time compared to the usual five minute rounds) and the fact that they really only have one interesting division (the 155'ers are the only real group in the IFL that's really been exciting to watch, since Big Ben Rothwell can't carry the entire heavyweight division on his back).
The fact is, the coach superfights still give alot of nostalgia to old school fans of the sport, myself included. The fact that they are bringing two of the most interesting fighters in the history of the sport, Ian Freeman and Mario Sperry, into the mix will hopefully make it that much more interesting.
While there are some coaches that haven't done any fighting in the IFL (namely Chicago Red Bears coach Igor Zinoviev and Tokyo Sabres coach Ken Yasuda), there are plenty of high profile fighters to make up for that, including former UFC champions like Frank Shamrock (lightheavyweight/middleweight), Ken Shamrock (superfight) and Maurice Smith (heavyweight).
Hopefully the upcoming matchup will keep the league afloat while they fix the team concept that is really making them hard to watch.
The fact is, the coach superfights still give alot of nostalgia to old school fans of the sport, myself included. The fact that they are bringing two of the most interesting fighters in the history of the sport, Ian Freeman and Mario Sperry, into the mix will hopefully make it that much more interesting.
While there are some coaches that haven't done any fighting in the IFL (namely Chicago Red Bears coach Igor Zinoviev and Tokyo Sabres coach Ken Yasuda), there are plenty of high profile fighters to make up for that, including former UFC champions like Frank Shamrock (lightheavyweight/middleweight), Ken Shamrock (superfight) and Maurice Smith (heavyweight).
Hopefully the upcoming matchup will keep the league afloat while they fix the team concept that is really making them hard to watch.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Kurt Angle Runs His Mouth (Two Flames This Week, I'm on a Roll)
Recently, one of my least favorite people in the world, Kurt Angle, released a statement saying that he withdrew from a prospective fight with former UFC Superfight Champion Ken Shamrock because the fight was on short notice, not, as had previously been speculated, because he was a pussy.
It's no secret that I hate Kurt Angle and everything that he stands for, but I have to say that this just pissed me off that much more. I have a few quick thoughts for Kurt Angle, regarding this fight with Ken Shamrock.
First, Kurt, you've said that you can beat Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. You said that, even though you've been away from any sort of serious athletic competition for years, you would destroy all three of those guys in a wrestling match or in a fight. If that's really the case, you should be able to crush Ken Shamrock while the rest of the Lion's Den is on your back.
If you're going to talk shit about the toughest fighters in the world, including three of the most successful champions in the history of the sport, and then not step in with a guy who has been washed up for years, you're obviously a little bit of a pussy.
Let's face it, though, you know that you don't have the skills to make it in the sport, and you aren't even young enough to learn the skills. At least Brock Lesnar has youth and a recent background in another pro-sport, even if that sport is football. Lesnar, at least, has been doing something other than having jumping off of ropes and having his opponents feed him ankle locks for the last few years.
No one is doubting that Kurt Angle was a great wrestler, but the fact is, he
was a great wrestler.
We're talking about hyping a guy who hasn't even had a serious wrestling match since the Olympics, and people still care what he thinks about this sport. That amazes me.
Kurt Angle would also do well to remember that the great wrestlers who have come into this sport, the ones who have made wrestling credible as a combat system, didn't come in through the WWE or TNA or whatever tights-wearing, piledriver using excuse for a combat spectacle happens to be getting airtime.
You want to talk about great wrestlers that have come into this sport:
Talk about Mark Coleman.
Talk about Randy Couture.
Talk about Kevin Randleman
Don't talk about Kurt Angle. It's a waste of time. He'll give you alot of lip, but he'll never get anything done. He's like..... well...... a pro-wrestler.
Kurt wants to say that he deserves some credibility because of his Olympic gold medal (which some people believe has become permanently attached to his chest).
Rulon Gardner didn't need his Olympic status to legitimize him. He just showed up.
Kurt Angle, there's an old saying in the world of Japanese Kyokushin Karate, and it would serve you very well:
Keep your eyes forward, put your hands up, and shut your face.
And don't forget where the ankle lock came from.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
My Thoughts on UFC 80
In light of the upcoming UFC pay-per-view, I thought I'd post my thoughts on the card. They can also be found on mmaforum.com with the rest of the release that the staff there will be doing. (Thanks to Trey from the forum for putting that together)
"The Prodigy" BJ Penn (11-4-1) vs. Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (28-7-0)
For the UFC Interim Lightweight Title
BJ Penn is by far the superior fighter and a long time staple of the sport, both at 170 pounds, and in this 155 pound weightclass. He's a top 3 fighter in the world as a welterweight, and I don't think that anyone will disagree that, as a lightweight, he's a force to be reconned with. While Stevenson has a credible grappling backround and some wrestling skills, all that will do is give him the power to pick his poison in this fight, because Penn is a world champion and genius in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has some of the best standup (if not the best) in the division. Stevenson will probably take this fight where he's comfortable, to the ground, but I see BJ finishing him there.
Result: Penn by Submission (armbar/omoplata), Round 2
Jason "The Punisher" Lambert (23-6-0) vs. Wilson Gouveia (9-4-0)
Lambert is one of the most powerful fighters in the second tier of the 205 pound division. While most agree that he's not on the same level as the big guns in the division like Rampage, Chuck, Silva or even Forrest or Jardine, he's where I draw the line in terms of who's part of the top, and who's in the rest of the pack. As far as Gouviea, I think Gouviea's just another guy in the 205 pound division, and Lambert has the strength and ability to power through him, much as Lambert has done with all of the other no-name fighter's he's fought, and even done to a serious veteran in Babalu Sobral.
Result: Lambert by KO, Round 2
Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga (8-2-0) vs. Fabricio Werdum (9-3-1)
While Gonzaga is coming off of a tough loss, so is Werdum, so psychologically I think both fighters are on the same playing field, even though Gonzaga was beaten in a bloody slaughter and Werdum only dropped an unimpressive decision. They're both trying to break the losing mindset. While it's important to remember that this is a rematch and Werdum won the first fight, the original bout came before Gonzaga had really stepped into the spotlight as a top fighter, and showed his versatility. I think that Werdum is going to have alot of problems with Gonzaga, because Werdum isn't famous for using his takedowns on the BJJ circuit, and Gonzaga has much more experience in that department. Beyond just their background as submission fighters, the last time Gonzaga stepped in with a fellow BJJ blackbelt, he demolished him. (that fight was with Fabiano Scherner) I see this fight going much more like the fight with Scherner, though perhaps being shorter, given that Werdum is much, much smaller than Scherner.
Result: Gonzaga by TKO, Round 2
Jess "The Joker" Liaudin (12-8-0) vs. Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis (13-3-0)
Marcus Davis a great fighter, and Jess Laudin isn't really on the same level in my opinion. Recently, we've seen that Davis can do more than just box (which is the skillset he came into the sport with) and we know he's an athlete. I don't see Laudin being about to win this fight anywhere, so I'm going to stick with the heavy favorite in Marcus Davis, and I'm thinking he'll win early, either by catching Laudin with a stiff punch, or slipping on the guillotine, which has been the bread and butter of his groundgame recently.
Result: Davis by KO, Round 1
Kendall "The Spyda" Grove (8-4-0) vs. Jorge "El Conquistador" Rivera (14-6-0)
I'm one of the few people who thinks that Rivera has a legit shot in this fight, but I don't think it's because Rivera is an underrated fighter. I think Grove gets alot of attention for being really, really tall. That's why I called him out before the fight with Patrick Cote, a fight that ended in him getting completely demolished. I think that Grove is going to have alot of trouble dealing with an experienced, saavy fighter like Rivera, who knows how to work around his reach standing and can avoid Grove's so-so BJJ on the ground. While Grove trains with Punishment, I don't think that the increasingly one-dimensional nature of the camp (which has gotten progressively worse since Dean Lister left) is going to help, given that I don't think Grove is a good enough wrestler to take Rivera down if he needs to, and I don't think that his freakishly high center of gravity will allow for that.
Result: Rivera by Unanimous Decision
Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout (12-3-1) vs. Per Eklund (12-2-1)
I like Sam Stout. While I think that his groundgame is suspect, I respect his Muay Thai skills alot, and I think that they present a serious problem for Eklund. I see Stout keeping this fight on the feet by keeping Eklund at range, and I don't see Stout having any trouble finishing without using the thai-clinch, which it's definitely in his best interest to avoid. This fight could go the difference if neither fighter wants to push the pace (Stout will keep it slow so he doesn't get caught, and Eklund may fall into that rhythm too), but I think that Eklund will get worn down, get stupid and get knocked out.
Result: Stout by (T)KO, Round 3
Colin "Big C" Robinson (9-3-0) vs. Antoni Hardonk (5-4-0)
I think Antoni Hardonk is one of the more underrated fighters in a division populated by seriously overrated sacks of crap. He's got a kickboxing background under Ernesto Hoost (one of the greatest kickboxers in history) and he's been training BJJ with Rickson Gracie, who gave him a bluebelt. I think that his Dutch kickboxing will be what takes this fight home, though, and he'll finish Robinson in similar style to his finish of Pendergarst in his first fight. I really hope this ends up on the pay-per-view, because people forget how much damage Hardonk can do with leg kicks, and they forget how devastating his hands are. I don't think Hardonk is as serious a force as a couple of the other great kickboxers in this division, but he's a helluva lot better than Robinson.
Result: Hardonk by KO, Round 1
Paul Taylor (8-2-1) vs. Paul Kelly (6-0-0)
Even in defeat, I was impressed with Paul Taylor, though I will admit that I think his ground game could use a little work. I think that he's going to be a good example for the way the British fighters are going to have to transform from their more-or-less pure kickboxing backgrounds into a more balanced style of fighting. That said, I think he's learned alot from his fight with Davis, and I think he knows that Kelly isn't going to present the same issues that Davis did in terms of a well rounded opponent with a high quality of striking ability. Paul Taylor did some serious damage to Davis in their fight, and I see him inflicting similar damage on Kelly, though I don't see Kelly fairing as well as Davis did, and I see him going to sleep early.
Result: Taylor by TKO, Round 1
Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara (11-6-0) vs. James Lee (13-2-0)
As has been alluded to, Alessio Sakara is a great boxer with a sh*tty submission game. While I see him having the advantage standing up, I don't think that his boxing background grants him the clinch skills or the lower body attacks (leg kicks, knees, etc) necessary to really keep his opponent at decent range. I see this fight hitting the ground early and Sakara doing something stupid, like leaving an arm out or sticking his neck in a guillotine.
Result: Lee by Submission, Round 1
Well, those are my thoughts on the card. Feel free to post responses.
"The Prodigy" BJ Penn (11-4-1) vs. Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (28-7-0)
For the UFC Interim Lightweight Title
BJ Penn is by far the superior fighter and a long time staple of the sport, both at 170 pounds, and in this 155 pound weightclass. He's a top 3 fighter in the world as a welterweight, and I don't think that anyone will disagree that, as a lightweight, he's a force to be reconned with. While Stevenson has a credible grappling backround and some wrestling skills, all that will do is give him the power to pick his poison in this fight, because Penn is a world champion and genius in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has some of the best standup (if not the best) in the division. Stevenson will probably take this fight where he's comfortable, to the ground, but I see BJ finishing him there.
Result: Penn by Submission (armbar/omoplata), Round 2
Jason "The Punisher" Lambert (23-6-0) vs. Wilson Gouveia (9-4-0)
Lambert is one of the most powerful fighters in the second tier of the 205 pound division. While most agree that he's not on the same level as the big guns in the division like Rampage, Chuck, Silva or even Forrest or Jardine, he's where I draw the line in terms of who's part of the top, and who's in the rest of the pack. As far as Gouviea, I think Gouviea's just another guy in the 205 pound division, and Lambert has the strength and ability to power through him, much as Lambert has done with all of the other no-name fighter's he's fought, and even done to a serious veteran in Babalu Sobral.
Result: Lambert by KO, Round 2
Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga (8-2-0) vs. Fabricio Werdum (9-3-1)
While Gonzaga is coming off of a tough loss, so is Werdum, so psychologically I think both fighters are on the same playing field, even though Gonzaga was beaten in a bloody slaughter and Werdum only dropped an unimpressive decision. They're both trying to break the losing mindset. While it's important to remember that this is a rematch and Werdum won the first fight, the original bout came before Gonzaga had really stepped into the spotlight as a top fighter, and showed his versatility. I think that Werdum is going to have alot of problems with Gonzaga, because Werdum isn't famous for using his takedowns on the BJJ circuit, and Gonzaga has much more experience in that department. Beyond just their background as submission fighters, the last time Gonzaga stepped in with a fellow BJJ blackbelt, he demolished him. (that fight was with Fabiano Scherner) I see this fight going much more like the fight with Scherner, though perhaps being shorter, given that Werdum is much, much smaller than Scherner.
Result: Gonzaga by TKO, Round 2
Jess "The Joker" Liaudin (12-8-0) vs. Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis (13-3-0)
Marcus Davis a great fighter, and Jess Laudin isn't really on the same level in my opinion. Recently, we've seen that Davis can do more than just box (which is the skillset he came into the sport with) and we know he's an athlete. I don't see Laudin being about to win this fight anywhere, so I'm going to stick with the heavy favorite in Marcus Davis, and I'm thinking he'll win early, either by catching Laudin with a stiff punch, or slipping on the guillotine, which has been the bread and butter of his groundgame recently.
Result: Davis by KO, Round 1
Kendall "The Spyda" Grove (8-4-0) vs. Jorge "El Conquistador" Rivera (14-6-0)
I'm one of the few people who thinks that Rivera has a legit shot in this fight, but I don't think it's because Rivera is an underrated fighter. I think Grove gets alot of attention for being really, really tall. That's why I called him out before the fight with Patrick Cote, a fight that ended in him getting completely demolished. I think that Grove is going to have alot of trouble dealing with an experienced, saavy fighter like Rivera, who knows how to work around his reach standing and can avoid Grove's so-so BJJ on the ground. While Grove trains with Punishment, I don't think that the increasingly one-dimensional nature of the camp (which has gotten progressively worse since Dean Lister left) is going to help, given that I don't think Grove is a good enough wrestler to take Rivera down if he needs to, and I don't think that his freakishly high center of gravity will allow for that.
Result: Rivera by Unanimous Decision
Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout (12-3-1) vs. Per Eklund (12-2-1)
I like Sam Stout. While I think that his groundgame is suspect, I respect his Muay Thai skills alot, and I think that they present a serious problem for Eklund. I see Stout keeping this fight on the feet by keeping Eklund at range, and I don't see Stout having any trouble finishing without using the thai-clinch, which it's definitely in his best interest to avoid. This fight could go the difference if neither fighter wants to push the pace (Stout will keep it slow so he doesn't get caught, and Eklund may fall into that rhythm too), but I think that Eklund will get worn down, get stupid and get knocked out.
Result: Stout by (T)KO, Round 3
Colin "Big C" Robinson (9-3-0) vs. Antoni Hardonk (5-4-0)
I think Antoni Hardonk is one of the more underrated fighters in a division populated by seriously overrated sacks of crap. He's got a kickboxing background under Ernesto Hoost (one of the greatest kickboxers in history) and he's been training BJJ with Rickson Gracie, who gave him a bluebelt. I think that his Dutch kickboxing will be what takes this fight home, though, and he'll finish Robinson in similar style to his finish of Pendergarst in his first fight. I really hope this ends up on the pay-per-view, because people forget how much damage Hardonk can do with leg kicks, and they forget how devastating his hands are. I don't think Hardonk is as serious a force as a couple of the other great kickboxers in this division, but he's a helluva lot better than Robinson.
Result: Hardonk by KO, Round 1
Paul Taylor (8-2-1) vs. Paul Kelly (6-0-0)
Even in defeat, I was impressed with Paul Taylor, though I will admit that I think his ground game could use a little work. I think that he's going to be a good example for the way the British fighters are going to have to transform from their more-or-less pure kickboxing backgrounds into a more balanced style of fighting. That said, I think he's learned alot from his fight with Davis, and I think he knows that Kelly isn't going to present the same issues that Davis did in terms of a well rounded opponent with a high quality of striking ability. Paul Taylor did some serious damage to Davis in their fight, and I see him inflicting similar damage on Kelly, though I don't see Kelly fairing as well as Davis did, and I see him going to sleep early.
Result: Taylor by TKO, Round 1
Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara (11-6-0) vs. James Lee (13-2-0)
As has been alluded to, Alessio Sakara is a great boxer with a sh*tty submission game. While I see him having the advantage standing up, I don't think that his boxing background grants him the clinch skills or the lower body attacks (leg kicks, knees, etc) necessary to really keep his opponent at decent range. I see this fight hitting the ground early and Sakara doing something stupid, like leaving an arm out or sticking his neck in a guillotine.
Result: Lee by Submission, Round 1
Well, those are my thoughts on the card. Feel free to post responses.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir: Will It Be Exciting, Or Will It Flop
BROCK LESNAR SMASH!!!
Of all the opponents the UFC selected for Brock Lesnar, I'm happy they picked someone who wasnt just famous for getting punched in the face. It would have been too easy for them to pick a Cabbage Correira or some other guy with no ground game and just let him get demolished by Brock in order to build hype.
Lesnar said he wanted to compete against the top guys, he said he wanted to prove himself against legitimate competition, and there are few guys better than the guy who snapped Tim Sylvia's arm in half.
Frank Mir is was a warrior, back in the day. He had one of the most devestating submission games in the heavyweight division and some solid standup to back it up, but alot of people aren't sure that guy still exists.
Sure, he submitted Antoni Hardonk in his last fight, but there are Special Olympics judoka who could submit Hardonk blindfolded. While Hardonk trained some jiu-jitsu with Rickson Gracie leading up to that fight, I (like everybody else in the world) knew that his ground game was not going to be a match for Mir's. There's a reason for that:
It turns out that three months of jiu-jitsu is not enough to deal with a guy who's been doing it since he was 16.
The real question is, will Brock Lesnar's football playing, piledriver slamming athleticism be able to handle submission fighting. It's not like guys Lesnar's size haven't tried to fight in this sport before, coming in with a wrestling background and "unmatched athleticism."
Are we forgetting Bob Sapp?
Are we forgetting Mark Kerr?
Has Dana White learned nothing from watching both of their careers slowly drain down the toilet as fighters with blackbelts in real martial arts take over the sport?
Didn't he want the first four UFC's?
Apparently he thinks that Lesnar is the exception to the rule, a fighter who can make the leap from being an athlete with a decent wrestling background to being a fighter with a solid skillset and some credibility.
Mark Kerr is the one on the bottom, getting punched in the face.
While Sapp and Kerr held their own for a while (Kerr was ranked at the top of the sport for a few months), none of them had to compete with serious BJJ warriors until later. Sapp had to deal with it once he fought Nogueira and Kerr, well, Mark Kerr didn't need a BJJ blackbelt's help to fall apart.
The question is really whether Mir will let himself get overwhelmed and do what the Gracies' insist one cannot do in a fight, ever. Will Mir cave to the pressure of having a 285 pound opponent trying to shove those four ounce gloves down his throat?
I'm betting he won't, given his experience, but since Mir's motorcycle accident, I've been worried about his health and his ability to cope with the psychological apsects of fight prep. That said, I'm going to go with the veteran and the BJJ guy on this one because, well, he's the veteran and the BJJ guy.
Lesnar, on the other hand, will continue to flap his mouth, win or lose.
At least he's stepping in the cage, while Floyd Mayweather and Kurt Angle sit on their couches. Gotta respect Lesnar for that, even if he might bore us to death with a layngay like the world has never seen.
Monday, January 7, 2008
I'm Just Going To Say It: "Floyd Mayweather, Shut the Hell Up"
Before I get to flaming, I should thank Eric Raskin, who's yellow-bellied attempted at explaining the Floyd Mayweather situation pissed me off enough to say exactly what's been going through my head since I first heard about these bullshit press releases discussing Floyd Mayweather's transition to MMA. So, here goes something. While the MMA fanbase will probably be the only people reading this, I hope that you guys understand where I'm coming from.
Floyd Mayweather, first and foremost, is a bag of wind. His lips keep flapping, air keeps coming out, but they aren't doing anything except cashing checks. Oh, and throwing that "check hook." Mayweather may be laughing all the way to the bank, but the least he can do is put up and shut up.
Mayweather is a stripper, he gets paid great and he puts on a great tease, but he never delivers. MMA is the land of the hookers, they might not get paid the same, but at least they deliver. The least Mayweather can do, if he's serious about jumping into the mix, is step up and open debates with the biggest pimp of all, Dana White, instead of flapping his lips to the playing customer about how bad he is, about how raw he is and about how he'd beat anybody in the world.
As Eric Raskin so remedially pointed out, going from boxing to mixed martial arts is like going from basketball to boxing, but even that comparison doesn't cover it. You might as well say it's like going from bowling to rugby.
We're not just talking about Mayweather making a transition in learning submission fighting. We're not just talking about teaching this boring excuse for a pugilist to utilize the sprawl and brawl, you're also going to have to restructure the guy's entire style of striking.
There are these things that got brought into this sport pretty early on, in fact I think I remember seeing them get used by this Dutch guy over in Japan. Oh yeah, they're called kicks. And then there's that other part of your leg that you use to hit stuff. That thing right where it bends.
If you put Mayweather in the ring, he'd be so confused when he got locked in a thai clinch, that he'd be yelling at the referee to break that up while his opponent kneed his ribs until they were purple.
Mayweather's standup translates so badly to MMA that Danny Abbadi is sitting on his couch laughing about it right now.
Then, once the fight hits the ground, you're talking about putting a guy who's never even had his back on the floor unless he was getting laid trying to defend elbows to his face that will cut him a third asshole, right on the bridge of his nose. I call it a third asshole, because it will only serve to drain the shit that didn't get carried out through his mouth.
As a long time fan of the sport, I'm offended when someone says the sport is barbaric.
As someone who trains in this sport, I'm offended when someone says the sport is easy.
I'd love to see Mayweather step in a cage with those fat gloves on and that big grin on his face. That match would be over so fast that he'd be wondering why Muhammad Ali is shuffling around above his head while Big John is raising his opponent's hand.
Mayweather is a world class athlete, I will not dispute that, but he's not a fighter.
A fighter fights.
He doesn't dance.
He doesn't weave.
And he definitely doesn't say he has a great performance when his opponent is still standing.
A fighter attacks
A fighter takes pain.
A fighter apologizes when he doesn't finish.
Fedor Emelianenko is a fighter.
Mark Hunt is a fighter.
Andrei Arlovski is a fighter.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., not so much.
The problem with boxing is that it's acceptable just to win, and that's why boxing stopped being called fighting. That's why the sport lost its credibility.
In this sport, you can't just win. In fact, you can't just do anything.
You can get a submission and still get boo-ed.
You can get a stoppage and still get boo-ed.
No one is going to cheer for you just because the judges were nice enough not to put a blemish on your record.
In this sport, the fans want you to step into the cage and put your balls out. That's why I love this sport, and that's why I'll continue to love this sport. Because two fighters step in there and want to show that they have taken physical conditioning and combat skills to a new level. They want to assert they're dominance. They want to earn their right to pound their chest afterwards.
A decision does not give you the right to pound your chest. You might walk home with a belt, but people are still going to wonder whether or not you deserve it.
So this is all of the wisdom I've got to offer Floyd Mayweather Jr.
If you are going to show up in this sport, it's time for you to do as the Romans do, and the way we do it here is the way you haven't done it in a long time:
Put up or shut up. We're sick of the talk.
Friday, January 4, 2008
My Predictions for 2008: UFC Titles
This is going to be a big year for the sport, but the way the sport is growing, it doesn't take a psychic, or even an analyst, to pick up on that, so I've decided I'll give you some specific points of things that I'm thinking are going to happen this year.
First, my picks for the etymology of the UFC division titles and what's going to happen to them over the course of the next 12 months.
UFC Heavyweight Title
Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera vs. Tim Sylvia is going to be an interesting fight, as the almost garunteed next fight for the heavyweight title. That said, I'd love to go with Nogueira on this one, but I can't bring myself to do it. While Nog has high quality boxing skills, his kickboxing is not at the same level as Sylvia's, and I don't think that Nog has the takedowns to bring this fight to the ground. Even he manages to pull guard on The Maine-iac, I have a hard time believing that Noguiera is going to be madly successful against the submission defense that Jeff Monson (a world submission fighting champion) couldn't crack.
Sylvia will return to the heavyweight crown, probably by decision, and I think the first matchup in store for him will be one with the French standup machine Cheick Kongo, perhaps the worst matchup for Sylvia in this division. I see Kongo taking that matchup easily, perhaps even with a knock out in the late third, early fourth round. Whether or not Kongo gets the title shot will have alot to do with who his next opponent is and how his new coach Juanito Ibarra helps him with his ground game. I think that his next opponent will probably be Justin McCully and Ibarra will be able to help Kongo use distance control and solid sprawling, along with Kongo's already well developed knees, to beat McCully into a bloody pulp.
With Kongo as the new champion, his opponent may end up being Brock Lesnar, depending on how Lesnar fares in two fights that will, in all likelyhood, test his ability to adapt. This will be an interesting fight, and this far out it's hard for me to say who I think would take it, though if Kongo shows the kind of grappling saavy I hope he will develop, I'd put my money on the Frenchman.
The other possible opponent for Kongo, towards the end of the year, is Andrei Arlovski, and I think Kongo takes that matchup too, as it is one that favors him very, very heavily. There's the possibility of Andrei using his sambo backround and taking the fight to the ground, but I think that Kongo's youth, athleticism and superior technical striking ability (which, at the moment, seems unrivaled in the UFC heavyweight division) will pull this one out for him.
Heavyweight Champion at the End of 2008: Cheick Kongo
UFC Lightheavyweight Title
This will be an interesting title, since there is really no solid top contender right now, even the man currently lined up for a title shot, Forrest Griffin, is not the obvious first choice. I think that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, the current champ, will beat Griffin, either by late TKO or decision, and continue to hold his title.
As far as the next opponent for Jackson, that's an easy call for me. It would have to be Lyoto Machida. While Machida could always drop his next fight, which I see being against Thiago Silva, I don't see that happening. I see Machida pulling out the win and going on to fight Rampage. Once Machida gets in the cage with Jackson, I don't see this being Machida's matchup. While I do think Lyoto's strength is serious underrated, it's definitely not on the same level as Rampage's, and his submission skills are not as good as some of the guys that Rampage has beaten in his career. I see Jackson pulling this one out too.
For his final fight of the year, I see Jackson fighting a newly revitalized Houston Alexander. I think Alexander will explode back onto the scene and beat the holy hell out of his next two opponents.
This fight could be interesting, as they are both very explosive, ver powerful fighters, still, I'm going to go with Jackson, as we have now seen that Alexander is not as invincible as he once appeared.
Lightheavyweight Champion at the End of 2008: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
UFC Middleweight Title
The first fight for this title will be Dan Henderson vs. Anderson Silva, that we already know. I have said that I think Hendo will take this fight, and I'm going to stand by that. I think that his wrestling ability and his knockout power will really help to win this one, but I also think that his athleticism will be the major tipping factor against a fighter with an awesome skillset.
Whoever pulls this out will fight the next contender in line, Martin Kampmann, and I think that Kampmann will lose to either Henderson or Silva. I don't think that Kampmann has the striking ability that Silva does, and I don't think that his ground game is particularly impressive. He really loses to both fighters on all fronts.
After Kampmann, I see the next contender being the man who almost beat Kampmann when they fought at UFC 68, Drew McFedries. I think that McFedries, though, is the kind of fighter who will give Silva lot of problems, should Anderson remain champion, and I think that he's got a similar style to Henderson. I think that Anderson is in serious stylistic trouble if he fights McFedries, as McFedries can cause serious psychological issues for his opponents when they try to strike with him, and I see that fight staying primarily on the feet.
As for the matchup I think is more likely, that being Henderson vs. McFedries, I think that this will go an impressive five rounds, but I think McFedries will pull it out with his power and his aggressiveness. While I think Henderson could win this fight on the ground, I'm going to mix up the division a little bit and give it to the up-and-comer out of Miletich.
UFC Middleweight Champion at the End of 2008: Drew McFedries
UFC Welterweight Title
Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra, the inevitable matchup to start the year off, will be an interesting rematch, but I think that St. Pierre has shown recently that he is a warrior and is determined to live up to the hype that he has been given as the #1 170 pound fighter in the world. I see St. Pierre beating Serra standing up, utilizing his superior wrestling ability to stay away from Serra's groundgame, and using his muay thai and karate skills to give Serra alot of problems, finishing this fight in the second round.
As far as the next matchup for St. Pierre, I think there are a handful of contenders, but I am going to go with a serious underdog as far as the contention line goes: Karo Parisyan. I think that people seriously underestimate Karo's game and that he will be set up with a shot against Matt Hughes, which will put him at the top of a card. If he does fight Matt, I see him pulling that victory out and getting lined up for a shot with the new champion.
That said, I see Parisyan dropping a fight with St. Pierre on the basis of St. Pierre having superior takedown skills, though Parisyan has a world class judo backround. I'd like to see this matchup and this it will go three or four rounds, but I think that St. Pierre takes it.
As far as the final fight for St. Pierre in 2008, I think his opponent will be a fighter who has been forgotten about a little bit in this division, since dropping a decision to Josh Koscheck at UFC 69.
I see Diego Sanchez working his way back into contention, getting a rematch with Josh Koscheck or a fight with Jon Fitch, and winning. Two or three fights, including avenging his loss, could put him in position for a title shot, and I think that it will, but, as with Parisyan and Serra, I see Diego losing this one, as St. Pierre is better at pretty much everything.
UFC Welterweight Champion at the End of 2008: Georges St. Pierre
UFC Lightweight Title
I'll keep this one simple, because I think this division is.
Like the rest of the sporting world, I see BJ Penn beating Joe Stevenson. When that happens, I see him dominating whoever gets pulled up to fight him.
Whether or not Sherk beats the rap for steroids isn't that important to me, as I think he will lose to Penn anyway. I don't think Sherk has the same submission defense as Matt Hughes and that the submissions Penn almost finished Hughes with will be the end of Sherk.
I see Penn holding the title against anyone he fights, because he's far and away the most versatile fighter in the division, and he's got the best standup and the best groundskills.
UFC Lightweight Champion at the End of 2008: BJ Penn
First, my picks for the etymology of the UFC division titles and what's going to happen to them over the course of the next 12 months.
UFC Heavyweight Title
Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera vs. Tim Sylvia is going to be an interesting fight, as the almost garunteed next fight for the heavyweight title. That said, I'd love to go with Nogueira on this one, but I can't bring myself to do it. While Nog has high quality boxing skills, his kickboxing is not at the same level as Sylvia's, and I don't think that Nog has the takedowns to bring this fight to the ground. Even he manages to pull guard on The Maine-iac, I have a hard time believing that Noguiera is going to be madly successful against the submission defense that Jeff Monson (a world submission fighting champion) couldn't crack.
Sylvia will return to the heavyweight crown, probably by decision, and I think the first matchup in store for him will be one with the French standup machine Cheick Kongo, perhaps the worst matchup for Sylvia in this division. I see Kongo taking that matchup easily, perhaps even with a knock out in the late third, early fourth round. Whether or not Kongo gets the title shot will have alot to do with who his next opponent is and how his new coach Juanito Ibarra helps him with his ground game. I think that his next opponent will probably be Justin McCully and Ibarra will be able to help Kongo use distance control and solid sprawling, along with Kongo's already well developed knees, to beat McCully into a bloody pulp.
With Kongo as the new champion, his opponent may end up being Brock Lesnar, depending on how Lesnar fares in two fights that will, in all likelyhood, test his ability to adapt. This will be an interesting fight, and this far out it's hard for me to say who I think would take it, though if Kongo shows the kind of grappling saavy I hope he will develop, I'd put my money on the Frenchman.
The other possible opponent for Kongo, towards the end of the year, is Andrei Arlovski, and I think Kongo takes that matchup too, as it is one that favors him very, very heavily. There's the possibility of Andrei using his sambo backround and taking the fight to the ground, but I think that Kongo's youth, athleticism and superior technical striking ability (which, at the moment, seems unrivaled in the UFC heavyweight division) will pull this one out for him.
Heavyweight Champion at the End of 2008: Cheick Kongo
UFC Lightheavyweight Title
This will be an interesting title, since there is really no solid top contender right now, even the man currently lined up for a title shot, Forrest Griffin, is not the obvious first choice. I think that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, the current champ, will beat Griffin, either by late TKO or decision, and continue to hold his title.
As far as the next opponent for Jackson, that's an easy call for me. It would have to be Lyoto Machida. While Machida could always drop his next fight, which I see being against Thiago Silva, I don't see that happening. I see Machida pulling out the win and going on to fight Rampage. Once Machida gets in the cage with Jackson, I don't see this being Machida's matchup. While I do think Lyoto's strength is serious underrated, it's definitely not on the same level as Rampage's, and his submission skills are not as good as some of the guys that Rampage has beaten in his career. I see Jackson pulling this one out too.
For his final fight of the year, I see Jackson fighting a newly revitalized Houston Alexander. I think Alexander will explode back onto the scene and beat the holy hell out of his next two opponents.
This fight could be interesting, as they are both very explosive, ver powerful fighters, still, I'm going to go with Jackson, as we have now seen that Alexander is not as invincible as he once appeared.
Lightheavyweight Champion at the End of 2008: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
UFC Middleweight Title
The first fight for this title will be Dan Henderson vs. Anderson Silva, that we already know. I have said that I think Hendo will take this fight, and I'm going to stand by that. I think that his wrestling ability and his knockout power will really help to win this one, but I also think that his athleticism will be the major tipping factor against a fighter with an awesome skillset.
Whoever pulls this out will fight the next contender in line, Martin Kampmann, and I think that Kampmann will lose to either Henderson or Silva. I don't think that Kampmann has the striking ability that Silva does, and I don't think that his ground game is particularly impressive. He really loses to both fighters on all fronts.
After Kampmann, I see the next contender being the man who almost beat Kampmann when they fought at UFC 68, Drew McFedries. I think that McFedries, though, is the kind of fighter who will give Silva lot of problems, should Anderson remain champion, and I think that he's got a similar style to Henderson. I think that Anderson is in serious stylistic trouble if he fights McFedries, as McFedries can cause serious psychological issues for his opponents when they try to strike with him, and I see that fight staying primarily on the feet.
As for the matchup I think is more likely, that being Henderson vs. McFedries, I think that this will go an impressive five rounds, but I think McFedries will pull it out with his power and his aggressiveness. While I think Henderson could win this fight on the ground, I'm going to mix up the division a little bit and give it to the up-and-comer out of Miletich.
UFC Middleweight Champion at the End of 2008: Drew McFedries
UFC Welterweight Title
Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra, the inevitable matchup to start the year off, will be an interesting rematch, but I think that St. Pierre has shown recently that he is a warrior and is determined to live up to the hype that he has been given as the #1 170 pound fighter in the world. I see St. Pierre beating Serra standing up, utilizing his superior wrestling ability to stay away from Serra's groundgame, and using his muay thai and karate skills to give Serra alot of problems, finishing this fight in the second round.
As far as the next matchup for St. Pierre, I think there are a handful of contenders, but I am going to go with a serious underdog as far as the contention line goes: Karo Parisyan. I think that people seriously underestimate Karo's game and that he will be set up with a shot against Matt Hughes, which will put him at the top of a card. If he does fight Matt, I see him pulling that victory out and getting lined up for a shot with the new champion.
That said, I see Parisyan dropping a fight with St. Pierre on the basis of St. Pierre having superior takedown skills, though Parisyan has a world class judo backround. I'd like to see this matchup and this it will go three or four rounds, but I think that St. Pierre takes it.
As far as the final fight for St. Pierre in 2008, I think his opponent will be a fighter who has been forgotten about a little bit in this division, since dropping a decision to Josh Koscheck at UFC 69.
I see Diego Sanchez working his way back into contention, getting a rematch with Josh Koscheck or a fight with Jon Fitch, and winning. Two or three fights, including avenging his loss, could put him in position for a title shot, and I think that it will, but, as with Parisyan and Serra, I see Diego losing this one, as St. Pierre is better at pretty much everything.
UFC Welterweight Champion at the End of 2008: Georges St. Pierre
UFC Lightweight Title
I'll keep this one simple, because I think this division is.
Like the rest of the sporting world, I see BJ Penn beating Joe Stevenson. When that happens, I see him dominating whoever gets pulled up to fight him.
Whether or not Sherk beats the rap for steroids isn't that important to me, as I think he will lose to Penn anyway. I don't think Sherk has the same submission defense as Matt Hughes and that the submissions Penn almost finished Hughes with will be the end of Sherk.
I see Penn holding the title against anyone he fights, because he's far and away the most versatile fighter in the division, and he's got the best standup and the best groundskills.
UFC Lightweight Champion at the End of 2008: BJ Penn
Thursday, January 3, 2008
If a Giant Falls in the Octagon... Would Anybody Care?
Coming into the New Year, there’s one important State of the Sport address to be made, and UFC President Dana White should hold a press conference to figure the damn thing out.
The UFC heavyweight division is the elephant in the room right now; it’s just sitting there, fat, immobile and out-of-place as it slowly decays. This is affected both in the quality of recruiting and the inability of an overseas organization to put together some solid matchups to really force Dana and Joe Silva to do anything about it. I mean, why should Dana organize a tournament when the biggest matchup in the heavyweight matchup in the heavyweight market in the last three months that he didn’t own was between Fedor Emelianenko and Hong Man Choi?
I think Choi’s a pretty good fighter, and even I knew that was a half-hearted matchup.
The matchup man Joe Silva has put together some interesting parings in the lighter divisions, and Dana has made a clear effort to raise the bar at 205 pounds, bringing in Pride fighters like Mauricio “ Shogun” Rua, Wanderlei, Sokoudjou and the new UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Even though Shogun, Silva and Sokoudjou dropped their opening fights, the 205 pound division seems to get mixed around a little bit after every card and the upcoming opponent for Jackson’s belt is an issue that gets a lot of people going, as opposed to the big-man’s division, where there seems to be a lot less “who’s next?” and a lot more “who cares?”
While the 185 pound division is often seen as slacking a little bit, too, at least there are some really interesting matchups coming out of that division and a champion that continues to be mind-melting with every fight. The UFC doesn’t even have a king at 265 pounds and the undisputed champ on the world stage only fought twice this year, both against opponents who were nowhere near qualified.
But it’s not just the fall of many of the big name senior guys in the division starting to step down as age kicks in, it’s also the fact that the UFC hasn’t been showing any signs of bringing in new, young talent, or even drawing the serious overseas talent pool that was expected after Zuffa’s buyout of Pride.
Realistically, I don’t know why they aren’t bringing guys in, it’s not like there aren’t guys out there.
I’m not just talking about the Brock Lesnar’s of the sport, who may be more talk than walk when it comes their time to step into the Octagon. There’s also a whole field of guys that the UFC hasn’t even talked to who deserve to fight in the Octagon and would make this division thicker than Evan Tanner’s hair.
I mean, even beyond the up-and-comers that have a little fame already, like Roger Gracie (backed by his family name) and Big Ben Rothwell (who’s starting to really come into his own in the IFL), there’s an entire echelon of guys out there with the skillset to be in this division. I could rattle off their names (Mike Russow, Neil Grove and Christian N’Pumbu), but it wouldn’t matter, because nobody knows who they are, because their testicles haven’t been caressed by the starmaking power of Mike Goldberg’s lips.
Believe, me, though, when I tell you that Russo (7-1-0), Grove (5-0-0) and N’Pumbu (8-0-0) are all more worthy of the octagon limelight then Justin McCully or Scott Junk. I mean, if the UFC is looking for a serious veteran so badly, they should hire Travis Fulton (188-44-9), who’s got more credibility than Junk or McCully, and has more fights in his career than the entire rest of that heavyweight roster put together.
In the upcoming year, my forecast isn’t so gloomy. Hopefully, Cheick Kongo will show some groundskills and Eddie Sanchez will stop yelling “Yeah, boy” every time he lands a punch (if they don’t knock the guy out, you probably shouldn’t be so excited).
In all likelihood, Nogueira and Silva will bring a show to decide the new heavyweight champion, and we will deal with whatever new regime is born out of that, but I hope that this division starts to come together, since it’s thinner than Randy Couture’s hair right now.
There’s bound to be one good recruit the UFC picks up, and given the ones they’ve thrown back into smaller ponds this year (and I’m not just talking about Brad Imes and all of his go-go-glory) they could always invite a guy back, and I wouldn’t complain.
Taking the rumors of signing former K-1 heavyweight champion Semmy Schilt at face value, we can only hope that the UFC will put some effort (and some money) into this serious fixer-upper division. Then, maybe we’ll start to care when a 265 pound ass hit’s the canvas and Steve Mazzagatti spits out the winner’s name through that ridiculous porn star mustache.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
10 Things to Remember from 2007
This was a big year for the sport. 2006 really marked an explosion into the spotlight for the sport and '07 was an opportunity to show that we're not going anywhere. While there's alot to be said, both good and bad, for the things that went on this year, there was certainly no shortage of interesting goings on. Both in the cage and in the boardroom, the sport showed some serious change. Here's the highlight reel from 2007:
10) BJ Penn returns to 155 pounds, the weightclass that he had long deserted, the fight Jens Pulver. The rematch between the two fighters was, brief, and BJ finished with a rear naked choke in the second round, but the proof that Penn is back in the mix was only solidified further when the UFC offered him the chance to fight Joe Stevenson for the Interim Lightweight title at the beginning of the 2008 year.
9) Dan Henderson comes to the UFC to unify the first UFC and Pride titles. He lost his fight as the 205 pound representative of the Pride hardward to UFC champ Rampage Jackson, but his next unifying fight at 185 pounds with Anderson Silva will reveal whether or not he really is the champion of champions in his natural weight class.
8) Anderson Silva defends his title three times, demolishing everyone the UFC has to throw at him without even spending the full length of a title fight in the cage. Anderson's wins over Travis Lutter, Nate Marquardt and Rich Franklin came together in a total time of less than 20 minutes, and Anderson continues to be a complete wrecking ball in the 185 pound weight class.
7) Quinton "Rampage" Jackson shocks the world by making quick work of then UFC lightheavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, putting Liddell to sleep less than two minutes into the opening round of their fight.
6) Sean Sherk tests positive for steroids, becoming the highest profile trial in the Nevada State Athletic Commission. While his appeal has been postponed repeatedly, there is little to do other than to see what becomes of the UFC 155 pound champion.
5) Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou bursts on to the MMA scene when the man everyone thought was a stepping stone connected with a right hand to the face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, one of the unstoppable brothers Nogueira. It was the first time one of the brothers had lost a fight without the judges and it showed that anything can happen.
4) Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell finally comes to fruitition, and the long awaited striker vs. striker matchup takes place in the Octagon. Liddell won a decision over Silva in a fight that showcased his jaw, but also showed Silva's skills as a counterpuncher. While the fight didn't occur in the prime of either fighter, Liddell vs. Silva was still an exciting matchup that had the kind of back-and-forth pace that is hard to count on in this sport.
3) Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic gets knocked out by Gabriel Gonzaga, making Gonzaga an undisputed force in the sport and leading people to question the power of CroCop, once thought to be the undisputed champion of heavyweight striking. In the wake of his loss to Gonzaga, CroCop dropped a decision to Cheick Kongo, but few things have shocked MMA fans more than seeing Gonzaga's right shin catch the Croatian squarely on the dome.
2) Matt Serra upsets Georges St. Pierre to become the UFC Welterweight champion, making the reality show winner perhaps the biggest underdog of the turbulent year to pull out his win. More impressive, in reality, was the way that he did it; knocking out St. Pierre in the first round.
1) Zuffa buys the Pride Fighting Championships, making the UFC the largest organization in the world by far and resulting in the buyouts of half a dozen top ten contracts from the former Pride roster. While there's some contreversy about what this did for the sport, whether it created a UFC monopoly, created the potential for some serious, high caliber matches or a little bit of both remains to be seen, but it has changed the entire landscape of the sport both in South-East Asia, where there are a handful of shows now emerging to fill Pride's space, and in North America, where the quality of fighters is quickly improving.
10) BJ Penn returns to 155 pounds, the weightclass that he had long deserted, the fight Jens Pulver. The rematch between the two fighters was, brief, and BJ finished with a rear naked choke in the second round, but the proof that Penn is back in the mix was only solidified further when the UFC offered him the chance to fight Joe Stevenson for the Interim Lightweight title at the beginning of the 2008 year.
9) Dan Henderson comes to the UFC to unify the first UFC and Pride titles. He lost his fight as the 205 pound representative of the Pride hardward to UFC champ Rampage Jackson, but his next unifying fight at 185 pounds with Anderson Silva will reveal whether or not he really is the champion of champions in his natural weight class.
8) Anderson Silva defends his title three times, demolishing everyone the UFC has to throw at him without even spending the full length of a title fight in the cage. Anderson's wins over Travis Lutter, Nate Marquardt and Rich Franklin came together in a total time of less than 20 minutes, and Anderson continues to be a complete wrecking ball in the 185 pound weight class.
7) Quinton "Rampage" Jackson shocks the world by making quick work of then UFC lightheavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, putting Liddell to sleep less than two minutes into the opening round of their fight.
6) Sean Sherk tests positive for steroids, becoming the highest profile trial in the Nevada State Athletic Commission. While his appeal has been postponed repeatedly, there is little to do other than to see what becomes of the UFC 155 pound champion.
5) Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou bursts on to the MMA scene when the man everyone thought was a stepping stone connected with a right hand to the face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, one of the unstoppable brothers Nogueira. It was the first time one of the brothers had lost a fight without the judges and it showed that anything can happen.
4) Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell finally comes to fruitition, and the long awaited striker vs. striker matchup takes place in the Octagon. Liddell won a decision over Silva in a fight that showcased his jaw, but also showed Silva's skills as a counterpuncher. While the fight didn't occur in the prime of either fighter, Liddell vs. Silva was still an exciting matchup that had the kind of back-and-forth pace that is hard to count on in this sport.
3) Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic gets knocked out by Gabriel Gonzaga, making Gonzaga an undisputed force in the sport and leading people to question the power of CroCop, once thought to be the undisputed champion of heavyweight striking. In the wake of his loss to Gonzaga, CroCop dropped a decision to Cheick Kongo, but few things have shocked MMA fans more than seeing Gonzaga's right shin catch the Croatian squarely on the dome.
2) Matt Serra upsets Georges St. Pierre to become the UFC Welterweight champion, making the reality show winner perhaps the biggest underdog of the turbulent year to pull out his win. More impressive, in reality, was the way that he did it; knocking out St. Pierre in the first round.
1) Zuffa buys the Pride Fighting Championships, making the UFC the largest organization in the world by far and resulting in the buyouts of half a dozen top ten contracts from the former Pride roster. While there's some contreversy about what this did for the sport, whether it created a UFC monopoly, created the potential for some serious, high caliber matches or a little bit of both remains to be seen, but it has changed the entire landscape of the sport both in South-East Asia, where there are a handful of shows now emerging to fill Pride's space, and in North America, where the quality of fighters is quickly improving.
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