It’s been a busy October for Zuffa, with UFC 137 coming up now. It is the third pay per view and in five weeks and the fifth card in six weeks. I had originally written up a whole batch of predictions and thoughts on the original main event of Georges St. Pierre defending the UFC Welterweight Title against Carlos Condit, but that was cancelled when GSP pulled out with a knee injury on ten days notice. Since the injury is minor enough that this fight can happen in the next few months, Condit was pulled completely from the card. Otherwise, I’m sure he would be fighting Josh Koscheck. The new main event is now BJ Penn against Nick Diaz, a fight I was anticipating more anyways. The co-main is a heavyweight scrap between Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo, which should be...something. Let’s get to it.
Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop: This is a featherweight battle, with Hioki a new signing for the UFC. Considered the best featherweight not named Jose Aldo prior to his arrival, this is presumably his chance to be introduced to the American market before getting a title shot. Roop is a middle of the pack featherweight. Hioki, according to his fight record, wins by submission a lot. Over half of Roop’s losses have been by submission. Roop also fought Leonard Garcia to a draw. If you can’t beat Leonard Garcia, odds are you can’t beat a top five featherweight. I guess that isn’t fair, but based on looking at Roop’s record he hasn’t been able to beat any of the guys who have been in the featherweight title picture the past two years. Hioki by decision.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson: Good grief. The last time we saw Cro Cop, he was brutally knocked out by Brendan Schaub at UFC 128. Nelson was on the receiving end of a decision loss to Frank Mir back in May in one of the absolute worst fights of the year. Despite Joe Rogan stating that it showed Frank Mir’s lethal striking, it just showed two gassed heavyweights who could barely do a damn thing for a quarter of an hour. I digress, however. I can’t imagine Nelson getting Cro Cop to the ground to work any jiu jitsu, as Cro Cop has always had a solid takedown defense and Nelson is slower than molasses. I also can’t imagine Cro Cop knocking Nelson out since Cro Cop has not shown the killer instinct that marked his PRIDE stint, nor has Big Country proved easy to put down. This is going to go one of two ways: Cro Cop will win a decision by being the better striker and moving away from any massive blows or Nelson will blast him with the aforementioned massive blow in the first round. I tend to think Nelson is going to catch Cro Cop, but if Mirko can manage to get the fight into the second round and later, he should win. I imagine that the loser of this fight is in serious danger of being cut by the UFC, especially if that loser is Roy Nelson. I can’t stand to think of Mirko getting killed again, so I’m going to stick with PRIDE nostalgia and say Cro Cop by decision.
Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione: I never would have thought that “Meathead” from Ultimate Fighter Season 10 would have advanced his career to the point that he is fighting a gatekeeper like Kongo. This fight should prove whether or not Mitrione is more legit than someone like Brendan Schaub , as Cheick Kongo is someone who really only loses to guys who end up in the title picture. If you’re a scrub, you will get beaten (and probably hit with at least one illegal blow). I don’t particularly care for Mitrione and I get some sort of perverse enjoyment from watching Kongo knee someone in the nuts or grab the trunks, but I am surprisingly leaning towards Meathead in this fight. Kongo looked awful against Pat Barry despite winning, somehow not having the fight stopped after being knocked silly twice in the first round. On top of that, Meathead seems to be improving with each fight and can take a punch pretty well. I’m going to say Mitrione by first round knockout.
BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz: I’m banking on this being fight of the night, as both men like to scrap (as BJ would put it). This features two of the best technical boxers in all of MMA, although I would give the edge in power to Penn and speed to Diaz. They are also two of the best jiu jitsu practitioners in the sport. For Diaz, I would go out on a limb and say Penn is the best opponent he has ever faced and this match should go a long way to determining whether his top five ranking at welterweight is justified. He should be coming into this fight with a significant advantage in size and cardio. BJ is likely the more well rounded and better fighter, due to his insane takedown defense and ability to utilize takedowns himself (see the first two rounds of the Fitch fight). Unlike when he fought larger guys like GSP and Fitch, BJ probably doesn’t have to worry too much about a strength disadvantage since Diaz isn’t going to clinch or shoot for takedowns. The key will be if BJ can make up the reach disadvantage to use his boxing. Also, not gassing out would help him considerably because Diaz almost certainly won’t. I think BJ will use takedowns a lot and use some ground and pound, as his jiu jitsu offense and defense should be enough to keep Diaz’s at bay. If BJ has a great first round, I think he can pull out a decision. If he has a bad first round, Diaz will win the decision. Neither man has ever been submitted and both have granite chins, so a finish is unlikely. As I think about it though, Diaz was almost knocked out by Paul Daley, so there is a chance that if BJ catches him that he will end the fight early. I don’t expect it though. I think that BJ is the more skilled fighter overall, so I’m going to go with Penn by decision.
Even though this card is short on names and losing out on a title fight, it should still be a pretty good show. Penn vs. Diaz is a great main event and the two heavyweight fights have the potential to be pretty entertaining. I know I’ll be ordering it, and if you get the chance you should see it too. As always, feel free to share your predictions on the evening here or on facebook.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Joe's UFC 137 Predictions
UFC 137 is tomorrow, so as is the tradition here on BBB I have composed my preview of the fights we’ll be seeing on the main card. Originally 137 was going to be a great show with Georges St-Pierre defending his Welterweight Championship against Nick Diaz in the main event, and a co-main of BJ Penn against Carlos Condit. Diaz then skipped out on the media events to promote the show so Condit moved up to fight GSP and Diaz was dropped down to fighting Penn. Then GSP got injured, so now the main event is Penn against Diaz and a strange and underwhelming co-main of Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione. However, the first two fights on the main card are in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions respectively and the little guys are always exciting so this could be a pretty good show. But on the other hand this seems like one of those cards where almost every fight is going to go to decision and be pretty underwhelming. Who knows. Here’s the predictions…
Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) vs. George Roop (12-7-1): I have no idea who either of these guys are, but looking at their records I can make some sort of feeble prediction. Hioki’s four losses have all been by decision, and for that to happen in 30 fights says a lot about his toughness. Twelve of his 24 wins have been by submission, and four of Roop’s seven losses have come by submission. In Roop’s last five fights he’s 2-2-1. In Hioki’s last five fights he’s 4-1, with the one loss coming as a split decision back in 2009. I’m thinking Hioki by second round submission.
Scott Jorgensen (12-4) vs. Jeff Curan (33-13-1): Once again, I haven’t a clue as to who either of these guys are, but Jorgensen is coming off a knockout win after losing a decision for the Bantamweight Championship. Curan is 34 with an insane 47 fights under his belt, but he’s got good submissions. Seven of his last eight fights have ended in a decision, and four of Jorgensen’s last six have gone to decision. I think Jorgensen wins by decision.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (27-9-2, 1 NC) vs. Roy Nelson (15-6): This is incredibly sad as it is essentially the Mirko Cro Cop retirement party. Mirko is a sad shell of the destroyer he once was. He used to possess devastating kicks, once describing them with the amazing quote, “Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery.” However he has been laid out in his last two fights and was demolished by heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos at the end of 09. Two underwhelming wins fill the gap between dos Santos brutalizing him and his two knockout losses. Cro Cop is cooked, and Roy Nelson will most likely finish his career off. Nelson is a disgusting slob of a person, coming into fights with a huge gut and obviously in no shape to go longer than a round, but he packs a devastating right hand. Sadly Mirko’s shown he can’t take many big shots anymore, nor can he give them out. Even before he submitted Pat Barry at 115 he was getting dropped by little punches the entire first round. Nelson is fat and disgusting and an insult to the sport, but he can take a beating in the unlikely even Mirko can throw out some strikes, and he can dish out some big punches of his own. Nelson wins by second round KO.
Cheick Kongo (17-6-2) vs. Matt Mitrione (5-0): Mitrione is a rising star in the heavyweight division. Known affectionately as “Meathead” from his time on The Ultimate Fighter, he has gone from being one of the most easily hate-worthy fighters to being an easily likable prospect. It is amazing. As for Kongo, he possesses awesome knockout power. He’s coming off a knockout loss to Pat Barry which was total crap since Barry was out on his feet for about a minute and the ref never stopped the fight, then Barry his Kongo with a freak punch and put him down. Kongo is a tough guy, only being knocked out once in his career. This fight could either be really exciting or really boring since that’s how it goes with the heavyweights. I'm sure the first round will be kind of intense, then the pace is going to go way down. I don’t like picking against either one of them really, but I think Mitrione wins a decision.
BJ Penn (16-7-2) vs. Nick Diaz (25-7-0, 1 NC): Though his record doesn’t make it seem so, BJ is the greatest lightweight of all time. Now he’s moved back up to welterweight, where he had won his first championship in the UFC against the legendary Matt Hughes. Nick Diaz is back in the UFC after a run as Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. BJ has been said to have the best boxing in MMA history, and Diaz’s striking is also very good. Both like to work submissions as well. It is a curious fight since BJ is known for coming out early and whooping ass, then gassing out later in the fight (see fights with Jon Fitch and Georges St-Pierre). BJ will be giving up some size but that has never mattered to him before. Diaz is extremely tough, having lost by TKO one time in the last 9 years. BJ's only true TKO loss came five years ago, while his other was just a corner stoppage since he was too tired and beaten up for go a fifth round with GSP. Neither has ever been submitted, and it is hard to see either fighter knocking the other out. As long as BJ doesn't gas out, this should be a very close fight. I feel bad picking against a Diaz brother, but BJ Penn is BJ Penn and you can't go against that. I think BJ will win a decision, though I could easily see him gassing out and getting beat convincingly by Diaz.
Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) vs. George Roop (12-7-1): I have no idea who either of these guys are, but looking at their records I can make some sort of feeble prediction. Hioki’s four losses have all been by decision, and for that to happen in 30 fights says a lot about his toughness. Twelve of his 24 wins have been by submission, and four of Roop’s seven losses have come by submission. In Roop’s last five fights he’s 2-2-1. In Hioki’s last five fights he’s 4-1, with the one loss coming as a split decision back in 2009. I’m thinking Hioki by second round submission.
Scott Jorgensen (12-4) vs. Jeff Curan (33-13-1): Once again, I haven’t a clue as to who either of these guys are, but Jorgensen is coming off a knockout win after losing a decision for the Bantamweight Championship. Curan is 34 with an insane 47 fights under his belt, but he’s got good submissions. Seven of his last eight fights have ended in a decision, and four of Jorgensen’s last six have gone to decision. I think Jorgensen wins by decision.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (27-9-2, 1 NC) vs. Roy Nelson (15-6): This is incredibly sad as it is essentially the Mirko Cro Cop retirement party. Mirko is a sad shell of the destroyer he once was. He used to possess devastating kicks, once describing them with the amazing quote, “Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery.” However he has been laid out in his last two fights and was demolished by heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos at the end of 09. Two underwhelming wins fill the gap between dos Santos brutalizing him and his two knockout losses. Cro Cop is cooked, and Roy Nelson will most likely finish his career off. Nelson is a disgusting slob of a person, coming into fights with a huge gut and obviously in no shape to go longer than a round, but he packs a devastating right hand. Sadly Mirko’s shown he can’t take many big shots anymore, nor can he give them out. Even before he submitted Pat Barry at 115 he was getting dropped by little punches the entire first round. Nelson is fat and disgusting and an insult to the sport, but he can take a beating in the unlikely even Mirko can throw out some strikes, and he can dish out some big punches of his own. Nelson wins by second round KO.
Cheick Kongo (17-6-2) vs. Matt Mitrione (5-0): Mitrione is a rising star in the heavyweight division. Known affectionately as “Meathead” from his time on The Ultimate Fighter, he has gone from being one of the most easily hate-worthy fighters to being an easily likable prospect. It is amazing. As for Kongo, he possesses awesome knockout power. He’s coming off a knockout loss to Pat Barry which was total crap since Barry was out on his feet for about a minute and the ref never stopped the fight, then Barry his Kongo with a freak punch and put him down. Kongo is a tough guy, only being knocked out once in his career. This fight could either be really exciting or really boring since that’s how it goes with the heavyweights. I'm sure the first round will be kind of intense, then the pace is going to go way down. I don’t like picking against either one of them really, but I think Mitrione wins a decision.
BJ Penn (16-7-2) vs. Nick Diaz (25-7-0, 1 NC): Though his record doesn’t make it seem so, BJ is the greatest lightweight of all time. Now he’s moved back up to welterweight, where he had won his first championship in the UFC against the legendary Matt Hughes. Nick Diaz is back in the UFC after a run as Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. BJ has been said to have the best boxing in MMA history, and Diaz’s striking is also very good. Both like to work submissions as well. It is a curious fight since BJ is known for coming out early and whooping ass, then gassing out later in the fight (see fights with Jon Fitch and Georges St-Pierre). BJ will be giving up some size but that has never mattered to him before. Diaz is extremely tough, having lost by TKO one time in the last 9 years. BJ's only true TKO loss came five years ago, while his other was just a corner stoppage since he was too tired and beaten up for go a fifth round with GSP. Neither has ever been submitted, and it is hard to see either fighter knocking the other out. As long as BJ doesn't gas out, this should be a very close fight. I feel bad picking against a Diaz brother, but BJ Penn is BJ Penn and you can't go against that. I think BJ will win a decision, though I could easily see him gassing out and getting beat convincingly by Diaz.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Great Moments in MMA History: BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes I
Although MMA is a fairly new sport, especially when compared to most other popular mainstream sports, it has had more than a fair share of memorable events. One of my favorites would be the 2004 UFC Welterweight Title fight between then champ Matt Hughes and BJ Penn.
This one is unforgettable for several reasons. At the time, Matt Hughes was 35-3, hadn’t lost in three years ,and was the most dominant welterweight in MMA history. BJ Penn was “The Prodigy,” an incredibly gifted 24 year old jiu jitsu and boxing expert moving up to welterweight for the first time. Most people scoffed at Penn moving up to face Hughes. After all, he couldn’t get it together and win the title in his natural lightweight class. Now he was going to face an unbeatable powerhouse wrestler with endless cardio and relentless takedowns?
The prefight hype was fascinating. Hughes seemed offended that Penn would even consider a fight with him, especially after he had lost to Hughes’ friend and training partner Jens Pulver two years before. He also mocked Penn for training from his Hawaii home, while Hughes trained in the heartland of America during the winter. On the flipside, Penn seemed royally pissed that Hughes considered himself to be so much better than him. He felt Hughes was being needlessly condescending and that where and how he trained didn’t matter. At UFC 46, he would show Hughes and all the naysayers that Hughes wasn’t unstoppable.
Their fight took place on January 31, 2004. Most people expected Hughes to grind and wear Penn down, like he had to so many other opponents in the past. Instead, everyone was treated to the best BJ Penn anyone had ever seen. He showed what has since become a hallmark of his game and made him so difficult to beat for so many years: a legendary takedown defense. Normally when a fighter shoots and grabs a single leg, it is very difficult for the fighter defending the takedown to keep his balance and stay up. Penn was blessed with some of the greatest balance and flexibility the sport has ever seen and managed to stay up on one leg until he could break the attempt. With Hughes’ takedown game nullified, he was forced to rely on one of his weakest points: boxing. Penn easily won the stand-up and midway through the first round, dropped Hughes. While on his back, Hughes ate a hard punch to the face that stunned him. From there, Penn showed the submission skills he would become known for and locked in a rear naked choke that forced Hughes to submit with 21 seconds left in the round.
The upset happened. BJ Penn got his first taste of UFC gold, at a weight class no one would have expected to boot. He also got a taste of Matt Hughes, as the emotional Penn gave the dazed former champion a kiss on the face as soon as the fight was stopped. The championship win and celebration is one of the more memorable in UFC history and fans were excited to see what would happen next in a division that had previously been lorded over by Hughes for the better part of three years.
Unfortunately, we will never really know. Due to a contract dispute, Penn left the UFC after this fight and didn’t return until 2006. Hughes ended up winning the title back in October 2004 and held the UFC Welterweight Title for another two years. The two would tangle again after Penn’s return in what would be Hughes’ last successful title defense. In the UFC 63 rematch, Penn
pummeled Hughes for two rounds before gassing out and getting submitted in the third round. With the score tied at one each, they faced off for the final time in November 2010 at UFC 123. In this fight, Penn put the final stamp on their rivalry, blasting Hughes and knocking him out in 21 seconds.
While both men have had legendary careers with several accolades, the first match between Hughes and Penn is one of the most notable. It’s the most surprising and memorable loss in Matt Hughes’ career, coming at the peak of his run. For Penn it is his career defining win and showed what he is capable of when motivated or feels the odds are stacked against him. In terms of significance to the sport and the quality of this fight, Hughes-Penn I is something that all MMA fans should see at least once.
This one is unforgettable for several reasons. At the time, Matt Hughes was 35-3, hadn’t lost in three years ,and was the most dominant welterweight in MMA history. BJ Penn was “The Prodigy,” an incredibly gifted 24 year old jiu jitsu and boxing expert moving up to welterweight for the first time. Most people scoffed at Penn moving up to face Hughes. After all, he couldn’t get it together and win the title in his natural lightweight class. Now he was going to face an unbeatable powerhouse wrestler with endless cardio and relentless takedowns?
The prefight hype was fascinating. Hughes seemed offended that Penn would even consider a fight with him, especially after he had lost to Hughes’ friend and training partner Jens Pulver two years before. He also mocked Penn for training from his Hawaii home, while Hughes trained in the heartland of America during the winter. On the flipside, Penn seemed royally pissed that Hughes considered himself to be so much better than him. He felt Hughes was being needlessly condescending and that where and how he trained didn’t matter. At UFC 46, he would show Hughes and all the naysayers that Hughes wasn’t unstoppable.
Their fight took place on January 31, 2004. Most people expected Hughes to grind and wear Penn down, like he had to so many other opponents in the past. Instead, everyone was treated to the best BJ Penn anyone had ever seen. He showed what has since become a hallmark of his game and made him so difficult to beat for so many years: a legendary takedown defense. Normally when a fighter shoots and grabs a single leg, it is very difficult for the fighter defending the takedown to keep his balance and stay up. Penn was blessed with some of the greatest balance and flexibility the sport has ever seen and managed to stay up on one leg until he could break the attempt. With Hughes’ takedown game nullified, he was forced to rely on one of his weakest points: boxing. Penn easily won the stand-up and midway through the first round, dropped Hughes. While on his back, Hughes ate a hard punch to the face that stunned him. From there, Penn showed the submission skills he would become known for and locked in a rear naked choke that forced Hughes to submit with 21 seconds left in the round.
The upset happened. BJ Penn got his first taste of UFC gold, at a weight class no one would have expected to boot. He also got a taste of Matt Hughes, as the emotional Penn gave the dazed former champion a kiss on the face as soon as the fight was stopped. The championship win and celebration is one of the more memorable in UFC history and fans were excited to see what would happen next in a division that had previously been lorded over by Hughes for the better part of three years.
Unfortunately, we will never really know. Due to a contract dispute, Penn left the UFC after this fight and didn’t return until 2006. Hughes ended up winning the title back in October 2004 and held the UFC Welterweight Title for another two years. The two would tangle again after Penn’s return in what would be Hughes’ last successful title defense. In the UFC 63 rematch, Penn
pummeled Hughes for two rounds before gassing out and getting submitted in the third round. With the score tied at one each, they faced off for the final time in November 2010 at UFC 123. In this fight, Penn put the final stamp on their rivalry, blasting Hughes and knocking him out in 21 seconds.
While both men have had legendary careers with several accolades, the first match between Hughes and Penn is one of the most notable. It’s the most surprising and memorable loss in Matt Hughes’ career, coming at the peak of his run. For Penn it is his career defining win and showed what he is capable of when motivated or feels the odds are stacked against him. In terms of significance to the sport and the quality of this fight, Hughes-Penn I is something that all MMA fans should see at least once.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
UFC 140 Gets A Main Event And Lyoto Machida Gets An Opponent
Earlier this week, I had been planning to write that the main event of UFC 140 should become Lyoto Machida against Rashad Evans. This was based on the assumption that Jon Jones’ six month medical suspension would hold for at least half that time. Turns out, it is Evans who can’t make the December 10 fight card and now Lyoto Machida will be fighting Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title.
In some ways, this makes the UFC look a little silly. After Jones’ last two fights, Rashad was brought into the Octagon to hype a fight with Jonny Bones. Now for the second straight time, Jones will be fighting a different person. From a promotional standpoint, it makes the UFC look a bit amateur by repeatedly announcing and then changing this fight. Evans has been the clear top contender for over a year now, hence being put in a title match, but the changing of opponents makes title matches seem more entertainment and less merit (ranking system) based.
That being said, it worked out well the prior two times. Replacing Evans with Jones against Shogun Rua helped to usher in a brand new star for the company. Then, after the bickering, setting up Jones vs. Rampage Jackson made for a fight that provided both a credible challenger and increased attention from people due to Jackson’s popularity and name recognition. In this instance, Machida hasn’t fought since crushing Randy Couture in March and hasn’t really been mentioned in the title picture other than “if he wins his next fight or two, he should get a title shot.”
While the UFC has been pushing this Jones and Evans rivalry all year, I believe Machida makes for a better opponent and match. Jones and Evans have similar styles and Jones would be the bigger, stronger, faster opponent. I would expect him to beat Evans decisively. Machida is a much more intriguing challenger. He forces his opponents to fight his way, on his terms. Jones hasn’t faced anyone capable of that. Machida’s style of counter punching and his speed and reflexes could cause some serious problems for Jones. During the Shogun and Rampage fights, Jones left himself exposed for strikes and takedowns. The only problem was that Rua was too injured and Jackson was too slow and one dimensional. Machida has underrated takedowns and can be lightning fast with his strikes. If Jones comes in on him or turns his back during strikes (like he did against Rua AND Jackson), Machida can make him pay.
I think that this is the only fight for Jones that will truly test him. Dan Henderson might have a chance, but I tend to think Jones can rag doll him. Even if he gets healthy and that’s a big if, I don’t know that Shogun can beat Jones’ wrestling skills. While Jones is considered a favorite in the Machida fight and justifiably so, I think its only a slight favorite. I’m biased both against Jones and towards Machida, so it is impossible to objective in this fight. I lean towards Jones 55%-45% in my thinking. I’m sure I’ll get into this more once we get closer to the fight. Regardless, I’m glad this fight is happening and it definitely saves a UFC 140 card that was highlighted by the brothers Nogueira facing Frank Mir and Tito Ortiz. Between this fight and UFC 141’s Lesnar-Overeem tilt, Zuffa has made December a must see month.
In some ways, this makes the UFC look a little silly. After Jones’ last two fights, Rashad was brought into the Octagon to hype a fight with Jonny Bones. Now for the second straight time, Jones will be fighting a different person. From a promotional standpoint, it makes the UFC look a bit amateur by repeatedly announcing and then changing this fight. Evans has been the clear top contender for over a year now, hence being put in a title match, but the changing of opponents makes title matches seem more entertainment and less merit (ranking system) based.
That being said, it worked out well the prior two times. Replacing Evans with Jones against Shogun Rua helped to usher in a brand new star for the company. Then, after the bickering, setting up Jones vs. Rampage Jackson made for a fight that provided both a credible challenger and increased attention from people due to Jackson’s popularity and name recognition. In this instance, Machida hasn’t fought since crushing Randy Couture in March and hasn’t really been mentioned in the title picture other than “if he wins his next fight or two, he should get a title shot.”
While the UFC has been pushing this Jones and Evans rivalry all year, I believe Machida makes for a better opponent and match. Jones and Evans have similar styles and Jones would be the bigger, stronger, faster opponent. I would expect him to beat Evans decisively. Machida is a much more intriguing challenger. He forces his opponents to fight his way, on his terms. Jones hasn’t faced anyone capable of that. Machida’s style of counter punching and his speed and reflexes could cause some serious problems for Jones. During the Shogun and Rampage fights, Jones left himself exposed for strikes and takedowns. The only problem was that Rua was too injured and Jackson was too slow and one dimensional. Machida has underrated takedowns and can be lightning fast with his strikes. If Jones comes in on him or turns his back during strikes (like he did against Rua AND Jackson), Machida can make him pay.
I think that this is the only fight for Jones that will truly test him. Dan Henderson might have a chance, but I tend to think Jones can rag doll him. Even if he gets healthy and that’s a big if, I don’t know that Shogun can beat Jones’ wrestling skills. While Jones is considered a favorite in the Machida fight and justifiably so, I think its only a slight favorite. I’m biased both against Jones and towards Machida, so it is impossible to objective in this fight. I lean towards Jones 55%-45% in my thinking. I’m sure I’ll get into this more once we get closer to the fight. Regardless, I’m glad this fight is happening and it definitely saves a UFC 140 card that was highlighted by the brothers Nogueira facing Frank Mir and Tito Ortiz. Between this fight and UFC 141’s Lesnar-Overeem tilt, Zuffa has made December a must see month.
Friday, October 14, 2011
UFC 136 Thoughts, Where Do We Go From Here?
Despite another dreadful nite of Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan on commentary, UFC 136 proved to be an excellent card. From Joe Lauzon’s opening fight upset of Melvin Guillard to Frankie Edgar’s comeback win over Gray Maynard, UFC 136 had a little bit of everything.
Again, it must be noted that Rogan and Goldie were woeful on commentary. To be fair, it wasn’t as bad as UFC 135, but still really not good at all. The best (or worst) examples of this would be during the Nam Phan-Leonard Garcia fight and the Aldo-Florian one. Rogan was raving about the knockout power and all around skill of Leonard Garcia, but Garcia was getting the shit beat out of him for the bulk of the fight. He also said that “if you don’t like Leonard Garcia, then you aren’t a fan of MMA.” Slow your roll, Joe Rogan. Leonard Garcia is kinda neat the first time you see him fight, but after that it’s like learn to block and stop just throwing sloppy punches from your arms with no real power in a windmill fashion. After you see him brawl like that once or twice (like against Roger Huerta and Chan Sung Jung), you’ve seen it enough times. Against Phan it was tedious. It’s like watching a barfight without the probability of prison time for one of the combatants. To say not liking him is akin to not liking the sport is absurd. It’s not like watching Anderson Silva and being like “that dude ain’t shit.” If you can’t appreciate the skills of a champion, you probably don’t like MMA. To not like Leonard Garcia means you most likely actually appreciate the finer points of the sport. You know, the ones Rogan should be espousing.
The other fight Rogan was awful during was Aldo-Florian and this was due to his obvious bias for KenFlo. He kept talking about Kenny’s aggression and strong gameplan when all Kenny was doing was leaning Aldo against the fence and try (and fail) for a takedown. Leaning and failed takedowns are not aggression. Then they would separate, Aldo would block most of Kenny’s strikes and hit him with a few punches and kicks. It wasn’t until the fourth round that Rogan acknowledged any of Aldo’s offense, despite the fact Florian’s leg was bruised badly by the third round. The fact that Kenny went to his corner after the fight with his head down in shame while Aldo looked triumphant says all that needed to be said. It isn’t like Aldo was particularly outstanding (more on that later), but Rogan acted like he was getting dominated in a fight that he was pretty clearly winning. And of course Goldberg was Goldberg and spouted ridiculous things all night, like hyping up the destructive powers of a gassed Joey Beltran. I might have to write an article soon about how Rogan and Goldie need to go and all the damage they do to fights with their dreadful commentary, but let’s just go right into what’s next. I’m omitting the Phan/Garcia combatants because I don’t really know or care what either of them do next, even if they got Fight of the Night. I guess that isn’t fair since there are fights I enjoyed less than theirs, but the commentary telling me how great it was really turned me off. It wasn’t like it was a trainwreck like the heavyweight fights on the last card, the fight just meant nothing to me. But again, I digress.
Melvin Guillard: Man oh man did Melvin screw up in this one. He showed up in this fight far too cocky and it cost him. He landed a punch and then started dancing and showboating for his hometown fans. Then he got caught and submitted inside of a minute and now his championship aspirations are on hold for another year. Very disappointing showing for Guillard. I would consider either Gray Maynard or Jim Miller. Both guys were top contenders and are coming off losses. Maybe that and this humiliating defeat can get him back on track.
Joe Lauzon: Lauzon got the surprise win of the night by submitting Guillard. I think it was more of a fluke, but this puts Lauzon in a good spot. While he will never get a title shot, he always tries hard and could make a solid little run into the top ten. I would say put him up against a fringe top ten guy like Dennis Siver, but Siver fights in a few weeks. Nate Diaz makes sense, as a win for Nate makes him a fringe contender and a win for Lauzon puts him on the cusp of the top ten in the division.
Chael Sonnen: Sonnen utterly abused Brian Stann on the ground and actually finished an opponent for the first time since the Bush administration. His dominant win showed that Stann has no ground game whatsoever and that he probably wasn’t anywhere near ready to be included in the title picture. This was overshadowed by Sonnen’s ridiculous “loser leaves town” WWE themed post-fight interview. I’m not going to get into it too much because I can’t stand him and my brother already delved into why Sonnen is such a lowlife in an excellent post earlier this week. His next opponent will likely be Anderson Silva, unless Silva takes longer to recover from injury. I think it should take place in Brazil just because he has no business calling out Silva after he cheated and still lost, yet still gets to be a contender. If he gets to dictate fights and not be reprimanded by Zuffa for being a scumbag, at least make him fight in hostile territory. If the Silva fight doesn’t happen next, he should fight Dan Henderson in a title eliminator or fight Vitor Belfort, so the two most annoying fighters in the division (to me) can go at it and I can skip it.
Kenny Florian: Florian came up short again in a title fight, but it isn’t really fair to say he choked. Much like the BJ Penn fight, he ran up against a fighter with excellent takedown defense and superior striking. It’s not like he dropped a fight to Leonard Garcia or something. That being said, his gameplan was not good. It was the same one he used against BJ Penn to no avail: grind his opponent against the fence and work for takedowns. But just like Penn, Jose Aldo has some legendary takedown defense. I think Kenny should move back up to lightweight for a fight or two before calling it a career. Maybe a rematch with Sean Sherk or something like that. Either way, Kenny has nothing to be ashamed of. He has been one of the better fighters in the UFC over the past five years and despite never winning a title, he’s been smart AND exiciting in the cage and has a lot of wins by finish to his credit. Not a bad legacy at all.
Jose Aldo: I think it is pretty much set in stone Chad Mendes is his next opponent, so I’ll talk more about Aldo’s performance in this fight. He showed great takedown and striking defense, as well as crisp kickboxing. He still wasn’t as impressive as he should have been. His leg kicks were absolutely brutal and his punches busted KenFlo up. However, he didn’t use that killer instinct he showed in the WEC when he could have. There were points where Florian was absolutely hurt and Aldo didn’t follow up like he should have. Florian’s leg started to give out after a hard kick in the third round, but Aldo backed off instead of throwing another one or pouncing. In fact, much like in the Hominick fight Aldo didn’t use nearly enough of his leg kicks. He still won a clear cut decision, but his nonaggression was curious and disappointing to me. He has failed to truly impress since moving to the UFC, so hopefully the strong wrestling of Mendes forces Aldo to push the pace and action more.
Gray Maynard: Unlike Florian, Maynard did choke. For the second straight fight, he had Edgar on the verge of unconsciousness in the first round and failed to finish. And again, after the first round he had nothing left to offer Edgar. It wasn’t like he gassed out like the first time either. He just kind of stood around and got outworked until he was surprisingly finished in the fourth round after Edgar hit him flush on the jaw with four straight rights. He tried to argue the finish, but it was a good stoppage. This leaves him in a weird spot in the division. He should be able to beat the bulk of the division, but there’s no way he gets a rematch with Edgar in the next year or two. The only way that will happen is if he just starts finishing dudes left and right, which is unlikely. Welcome to being the new Jon Fitch, Gray Maynard. I could see him against Melvin Guillard, Jim Miller, or the loser of Clay Guida and Ben Henderson. If Edgar drops the title in his next defense or two, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Maynard back in the title hunt sooner rather than later.
Frankie Edgar: As someone who didn’t really care for Edgar before this fight, all I can say is Jesus Christ. I don’t know how he survived the beating he took in round one, much less dominated the fight from that point on. His finish of Maynard after surviving that drubbing was the highlight of the night by far. I could run out of superlatives describing what went down. His next opponent will be the winner of Henderson/Guida, with Strikeforce Champ Gilbert Melendez lurking as well. While he would beat Guida, the Henderson and Melendez fights are tougher. Bendo is relentless and can match Edgar’s pace. Melendez, by all accounts, is an absolute beast with his wrestling and ground and pound. Either way, after Edgar’s performance against Maynard, I’ll be tuned in. And I won’t be surprised if Edgar pulls out another win either.
UFC 137 is in a few weeks. Keep a look out for some stories about the fighters on the card and predictions.
Again, it must be noted that Rogan and Goldie were woeful on commentary. To be fair, it wasn’t as bad as UFC 135, but still really not good at all. The best (or worst) examples of this would be during the Nam Phan-Leonard Garcia fight and the Aldo-Florian one. Rogan was raving about the knockout power and all around skill of Leonard Garcia, but Garcia was getting the shit beat out of him for the bulk of the fight. He also said that “if you don’t like Leonard Garcia, then you aren’t a fan of MMA.” Slow your roll, Joe Rogan. Leonard Garcia is kinda neat the first time you see him fight, but after that it’s like learn to block and stop just throwing sloppy punches from your arms with no real power in a windmill fashion. After you see him brawl like that once or twice (like against Roger Huerta and Chan Sung Jung), you’ve seen it enough times. Against Phan it was tedious. It’s like watching a barfight without the probability of prison time for one of the combatants. To say not liking him is akin to not liking the sport is absurd. It’s not like watching Anderson Silva and being like “that dude ain’t shit.” If you can’t appreciate the skills of a champion, you probably don’t like MMA. To not like Leonard Garcia means you most likely actually appreciate the finer points of the sport. You know, the ones Rogan should be espousing.
The other fight Rogan was awful during was Aldo-Florian and this was due to his obvious bias for KenFlo. He kept talking about Kenny’s aggression and strong gameplan when all Kenny was doing was leaning Aldo against the fence and try (and fail) for a takedown. Leaning and failed takedowns are not aggression. Then they would separate, Aldo would block most of Kenny’s strikes and hit him with a few punches and kicks. It wasn’t until the fourth round that Rogan acknowledged any of Aldo’s offense, despite the fact Florian’s leg was bruised badly by the third round. The fact that Kenny went to his corner after the fight with his head down in shame while Aldo looked triumphant says all that needed to be said. It isn’t like Aldo was particularly outstanding (more on that later), but Rogan acted like he was getting dominated in a fight that he was pretty clearly winning. And of course Goldberg was Goldberg and spouted ridiculous things all night, like hyping up the destructive powers of a gassed Joey Beltran. I might have to write an article soon about how Rogan and Goldie need to go and all the damage they do to fights with their dreadful commentary, but let’s just go right into what’s next. I’m omitting the Phan/Garcia combatants because I don’t really know or care what either of them do next, even if they got Fight of the Night. I guess that isn’t fair since there are fights I enjoyed less than theirs, but the commentary telling me how great it was really turned me off. It wasn’t like it was a trainwreck like the heavyweight fights on the last card, the fight just meant nothing to me. But again, I digress.
Melvin Guillard: Man oh man did Melvin screw up in this one. He showed up in this fight far too cocky and it cost him. He landed a punch and then started dancing and showboating for his hometown fans. Then he got caught and submitted inside of a minute and now his championship aspirations are on hold for another year. Very disappointing showing for Guillard. I would consider either Gray Maynard or Jim Miller. Both guys were top contenders and are coming off losses. Maybe that and this humiliating defeat can get him back on track.
Joe Lauzon: Lauzon got the surprise win of the night by submitting Guillard. I think it was more of a fluke, but this puts Lauzon in a good spot. While he will never get a title shot, he always tries hard and could make a solid little run into the top ten. I would say put him up against a fringe top ten guy like Dennis Siver, but Siver fights in a few weeks. Nate Diaz makes sense, as a win for Nate makes him a fringe contender and a win for Lauzon puts him on the cusp of the top ten in the division.
Chael Sonnen: Sonnen utterly abused Brian Stann on the ground and actually finished an opponent for the first time since the Bush administration. His dominant win showed that Stann has no ground game whatsoever and that he probably wasn’t anywhere near ready to be included in the title picture. This was overshadowed by Sonnen’s ridiculous “loser leaves town” WWE themed post-fight interview. I’m not going to get into it too much because I can’t stand him and my brother already delved into why Sonnen is such a lowlife in an excellent post earlier this week. His next opponent will likely be Anderson Silva, unless Silva takes longer to recover from injury. I think it should take place in Brazil just because he has no business calling out Silva after he cheated and still lost, yet still gets to be a contender. If he gets to dictate fights and not be reprimanded by Zuffa for being a scumbag, at least make him fight in hostile territory. If the Silva fight doesn’t happen next, he should fight Dan Henderson in a title eliminator or fight Vitor Belfort, so the two most annoying fighters in the division (to me) can go at it and I can skip it.
Kenny Florian: Florian came up short again in a title fight, but it isn’t really fair to say he choked. Much like the BJ Penn fight, he ran up against a fighter with excellent takedown defense and superior striking. It’s not like he dropped a fight to Leonard Garcia or something. That being said, his gameplan was not good. It was the same one he used against BJ Penn to no avail: grind his opponent against the fence and work for takedowns. But just like Penn, Jose Aldo has some legendary takedown defense. I think Kenny should move back up to lightweight for a fight or two before calling it a career. Maybe a rematch with Sean Sherk or something like that. Either way, Kenny has nothing to be ashamed of. He has been one of the better fighters in the UFC over the past five years and despite never winning a title, he’s been smart AND exiciting in the cage and has a lot of wins by finish to his credit. Not a bad legacy at all.
Jose Aldo: I think it is pretty much set in stone Chad Mendes is his next opponent, so I’ll talk more about Aldo’s performance in this fight. He showed great takedown and striking defense, as well as crisp kickboxing. He still wasn’t as impressive as he should have been. His leg kicks were absolutely brutal and his punches busted KenFlo up. However, he didn’t use that killer instinct he showed in the WEC when he could have. There were points where Florian was absolutely hurt and Aldo didn’t follow up like he should have. Florian’s leg started to give out after a hard kick in the third round, but Aldo backed off instead of throwing another one or pouncing. In fact, much like in the Hominick fight Aldo didn’t use nearly enough of his leg kicks. He still won a clear cut decision, but his nonaggression was curious and disappointing to me. He has failed to truly impress since moving to the UFC, so hopefully the strong wrestling of Mendes forces Aldo to push the pace and action more.
Gray Maynard: Unlike Florian, Maynard did choke. For the second straight fight, he had Edgar on the verge of unconsciousness in the first round and failed to finish. And again, after the first round he had nothing left to offer Edgar. It wasn’t like he gassed out like the first time either. He just kind of stood around and got outworked until he was surprisingly finished in the fourth round after Edgar hit him flush on the jaw with four straight rights. He tried to argue the finish, but it was a good stoppage. This leaves him in a weird spot in the division. He should be able to beat the bulk of the division, but there’s no way he gets a rematch with Edgar in the next year or two. The only way that will happen is if he just starts finishing dudes left and right, which is unlikely. Welcome to being the new Jon Fitch, Gray Maynard. I could see him against Melvin Guillard, Jim Miller, or the loser of Clay Guida and Ben Henderson. If Edgar drops the title in his next defense or two, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Maynard back in the title hunt sooner rather than later.
Frankie Edgar: As someone who didn’t really care for Edgar before this fight, all I can say is Jesus Christ. I don’t know how he survived the beating he took in round one, much less dominated the fight from that point on. His finish of Maynard after surviving that drubbing was the highlight of the night by far. I could run out of superlatives describing what went down. His next opponent will be the winner of Henderson/Guida, with Strikeforce Champ Gilbert Melendez lurking as well. While he would beat Guida, the Henderson and Melendez fights are tougher. Bendo is relentless and can match Edgar’s pace. Melendez, by all accounts, is an absolute beast with his wrestling and ground and pound. Either way, after Edgar’s performance against Maynard, I’ll be tuned in. And I won’t be surprised if Edgar pulls out another win either.
UFC 137 is in a few weeks. Keep a look out for some stories about the fighters on the card and predictions.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Cheaters Never Prosper, Unless You Work for the UFC
For years people have complained about the UFC’s policy in dealing with fighters who fail their drug tests for steroids. In a 2007 interview with ESPN, UFC president Dana White said he would withhold fight bonuses from any fighter who failed their drug tests. They’d still get paid the amount on their contract and serve their suspension but they wouldn’t get any bonuses. People feel that is a pretty light punishment for something like cheating. Dana White disagrees with doing something more like cutting the fighter since there’d be no place else to fight and you’d be ruining somebody’s entire career for one mistake they made. The UFC’s policy on dealing with fighters failing drug tests can be debated for ages but there is one facet that should be widely agreed upon: if you fail your drug test you shouldn’t be allowed to come back and jump into the title picture.
Apparently that isn’t how the UFC operates. Chael Sonnen made his return to the UFC this past weekend in an impressive showing against middleweight rising star Brian Stann. Immediately following his second round submission win, Sonnen took to the microphone and in a moment like something out of the WWE he called out Anderson Silva in a retirement bout, much like the “Macho Man” Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII. Whoever loses must leave the company. Really it makes perfect sense that this is how Chael Sonnen would celebrate winning his first fight after a 14-month hiatus since all he does is cut promos like a professional wrestler and make the sport look silly. Of course when you look at why he was on a 14-month hiatus you realize it isn’t just his promos that make mixed martial arts look like a joke.
Sonnen took on UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117 on August 7, 2010. In a stunning display, Sonnen continually took Silva down and was bringing the fight to The Spider through the first 23 minutes of the fight until Silva caught Sonnen in a triangle choke and won by submission with just a minute and 50 seconds left. It is widely regarded as the greatest submission finish in UFC history and Dana White proclaimed the bout to be the best the company has ever had. Silva’s performance turned out to be even more heroic when it was revealed he went into the fight with a fractured rib. As if that didn’t make a submission victory in the final minutes insane enough, Sonnen failed his post-fight drug test.
It came out he also failed his drug test from the day before the fight. The California State Athletic Commission released a statement saying Sonnen had elevated testosterone levels, “which is indicative of steroid use” and he was suspended. People also dug up pictures of Sonnen’s back from weigh-ins for his last few fights and pointed out he had “bacne” before the Silva fight, which is also indicative of steroid use. Sonnen said he had hypogonadism, which causes low testosterone levels, so he had to receive injections. It should be noted that one of the causes of hypogonadism is steroid use, but Sonnen claimed it was because he didn’t hit puberty until he was an adult. Regardless, Sonnen was receiving injections and failed to get permission from the state’s athletic commission. One must wonder if this failed drug test caused Dana White to take back Sonnen’s Fight of the Night bonus he got from that fight. To make things worse, Sonnen was caught in a money laundering scandal and was facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Had Sonnen won the Silva fight, the UFC would be the laughing stock of the sports world. A champion who had just beaten the pound-for-pound king of the sport in an unbelievable display, who was facing prison time and is a cheater, would have been a slap in the face to the entire mixed martial arts world. Luckily Silva won and preserved the integrity of the sport. Of course, a championship fighter failing their drug test is nothing new to the UFC. Former Lightweight Champion Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk failed his drug test after a title defense. It turns out the Muscle Shark was using steroids, though there was controversy surrounding the test. Either way, Sherk was suspended and his first fight back was for the Lightweight Championship he had forfeited.
Sonnen’s first fight back wasn’t for the title, but it was widely accepted that whoever won would immediately jump into the title picture. Despite the fact he was not only caught cheating but he was finished, Chael Sonnen is apparently the best contender the UFC could come up with. Dana White was thinking about doing Dan Henderson against Silva, but after Sonnen’s wrestling-esque promo following his win it appears White is looking to do Silva-Sonnen 2 on the Super Bowl weekend card. Keep in mind Dan Henderson has been on amazing run as of late and cemented his place as one of the top fighters ever. Chael Sonnen cheated and nearly caused one of the most embarrassing scandals the UFC could ever face, and is rewarded by stepping right back into the title picture.
What’s worse is that it wasn’t as though Sonnen lost a close decision. He tapped out. There’s no doubt about who won. Silva has finished 12 of his last 14 opponents now and essentially ended any debate over who is the best ever. While Silva knocked out Vitor Belfort in the first round and then became the first man in eight years to finish Yushin Okami, Sonnen was in exile for shaming the sport and himself. But just like professional wrestling, if you can talk trash in the UFC then you’ve won yourself a spot in the main event.
Chael Sonnen is cutting promos saying since he won the first 23 minutes of the fight he is the real “people’s champion” and is willing to but the true UFC title on the line against Silva. Because the UFC is a business and mostly about the money, Dana White has allowed Chael Sonnen to say these ridiculous things and is giving him a title shot since it will sell pay per views. On one hand it is good business, but on the other it is dishonorable and shameful to do to the sport. Silva could fight Dan Henderson again or if Michael Bisping beats Mayhem Miller he could be in line for a title fight. It is ridiculous that Sonnen tested positive for banned substances in a title fight and is essentially rewarded for it.
Jon Fitch hasn’t tested positive for anything and has been the clear cut number two welterweight for ages but has never gotten a second shot at Georges St-Pierre in the three years since their last fight. The reasoning behind that is that Fitch is boring and everybody knows how that fight would end. Well if Silva isn’t going into a Sonnen fight with a broken rib, who is to say the fight won’t end within the first three rounds? Silva nearly knocked out Sonnen to start the fourth and fifth rounds but the broken rib took all of his explosiveness. If you can deny a great fighter like Jon Fitch a title shot on such ridiculous grounds, surely somebody can point out that Sonnen was winning because of Silva’s broken rib and the fact that Sonnen was juiced up.
It is ridiculous that Dana White feels it isn’t his place to punish a fighter more after they get caught juicing. Sonnen failed two drug tests and got finished but is somehow the top contender in the division. The UFC has shown once again they will protect a cheating fighter if it means selling fights. If Dana White had any integrity he’d punish Sonnen by giving him the title fight in Brazil, a country Sonnen has badmouthed repeatedly in his WWE rants on Silva, and make him feel an unreal amount of pressure in front of a rabid crowd that would want to hurt him. For a guy who nearly ruined all the good will the UFC has built up in the last few years by getting caught cheating in what would have been one of the biggest upsets in sports history, it is the least White could do to show that not every cheater goes unpunished.
Apparently that isn’t how the UFC operates. Chael Sonnen made his return to the UFC this past weekend in an impressive showing against middleweight rising star Brian Stann. Immediately following his second round submission win, Sonnen took to the microphone and in a moment like something out of the WWE he called out Anderson Silva in a retirement bout, much like the “Macho Man” Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII. Whoever loses must leave the company. Really it makes perfect sense that this is how Chael Sonnen would celebrate winning his first fight after a 14-month hiatus since all he does is cut promos like a professional wrestler and make the sport look silly. Of course when you look at why he was on a 14-month hiatus you realize it isn’t just his promos that make mixed martial arts look like a joke.
Sonnen took on UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117 on August 7, 2010. In a stunning display, Sonnen continually took Silva down and was bringing the fight to The Spider through the first 23 minutes of the fight until Silva caught Sonnen in a triangle choke and won by submission with just a minute and 50 seconds left. It is widely regarded as the greatest submission finish in UFC history and Dana White proclaimed the bout to be the best the company has ever had. Silva’s performance turned out to be even more heroic when it was revealed he went into the fight with a fractured rib. As if that didn’t make a submission victory in the final minutes insane enough, Sonnen failed his post-fight drug test.
It came out he also failed his drug test from the day before the fight. The California State Athletic Commission released a statement saying Sonnen had elevated testosterone levels, “which is indicative of steroid use” and he was suspended. People also dug up pictures of Sonnen’s back from weigh-ins for his last few fights and pointed out he had “bacne” before the Silva fight, which is also indicative of steroid use. Sonnen said he had hypogonadism, which causes low testosterone levels, so he had to receive injections. It should be noted that one of the causes of hypogonadism is steroid use, but Sonnen claimed it was because he didn’t hit puberty until he was an adult. Regardless, Sonnen was receiving injections and failed to get permission from the state’s athletic commission. One must wonder if this failed drug test caused Dana White to take back Sonnen’s Fight of the Night bonus he got from that fight. To make things worse, Sonnen was caught in a money laundering scandal and was facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Had Sonnen won the Silva fight, the UFC would be the laughing stock of the sports world. A champion who had just beaten the pound-for-pound king of the sport in an unbelievable display, who was facing prison time and is a cheater, would have been a slap in the face to the entire mixed martial arts world. Luckily Silva won and preserved the integrity of the sport. Of course, a championship fighter failing their drug test is nothing new to the UFC. Former Lightweight Champion Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk failed his drug test after a title defense. It turns out the Muscle Shark was using steroids, though there was controversy surrounding the test. Either way, Sherk was suspended and his first fight back was for the Lightweight Championship he had forfeited.
Sonnen’s first fight back wasn’t for the title, but it was widely accepted that whoever won would immediately jump into the title picture. Despite the fact he was not only caught cheating but he was finished, Chael Sonnen is apparently the best contender the UFC could come up with. Dana White was thinking about doing Dan Henderson against Silva, but after Sonnen’s wrestling-esque promo following his win it appears White is looking to do Silva-Sonnen 2 on the Super Bowl weekend card. Keep in mind Dan Henderson has been on amazing run as of late and cemented his place as one of the top fighters ever. Chael Sonnen cheated and nearly caused one of the most embarrassing scandals the UFC could ever face, and is rewarded by stepping right back into the title picture.
What’s worse is that it wasn’t as though Sonnen lost a close decision. He tapped out. There’s no doubt about who won. Silva has finished 12 of his last 14 opponents now and essentially ended any debate over who is the best ever. While Silva knocked out Vitor Belfort in the first round and then became the first man in eight years to finish Yushin Okami, Sonnen was in exile for shaming the sport and himself. But just like professional wrestling, if you can talk trash in the UFC then you’ve won yourself a spot in the main event.
Chael Sonnen is cutting promos saying since he won the first 23 minutes of the fight he is the real “people’s champion” and is willing to but the true UFC title on the line against Silva. Because the UFC is a business and mostly about the money, Dana White has allowed Chael Sonnen to say these ridiculous things and is giving him a title shot since it will sell pay per views. On one hand it is good business, but on the other it is dishonorable and shameful to do to the sport. Silva could fight Dan Henderson again or if Michael Bisping beats Mayhem Miller he could be in line for a title fight. It is ridiculous that Sonnen tested positive for banned substances in a title fight and is essentially rewarded for it.
Jon Fitch hasn’t tested positive for anything and has been the clear cut number two welterweight for ages but has never gotten a second shot at Georges St-Pierre in the three years since their last fight. The reasoning behind that is that Fitch is boring and everybody knows how that fight would end. Well if Silva isn’t going into a Sonnen fight with a broken rib, who is to say the fight won’t end within the first three rounds? Silva nearly knocked out Sonnen to start the fourth and fifth rounds but the broken rib took all of his explosiveness. If you can deny a great fighter like Jon Fitch a title shot on such ridiculous grounds, surely somebody can point out that Sonnen was winning because of Silva’s broken rib and the fact that Sonnen was juiced up.
It is ridiculous that Dana White feels it isn’t his place to punish a fighter more after they get caught juicing. Sonnen failed two drug tests and got finished but is somehow the top contender in the division. The UFC has shown once again they will protect a cheating fighter if it means selling fights. If Dana White had any integrity he’d punish Sonnen by giving him the title fight in Brazil, a country Sonnen has badmouthed repeatedly in his WWE rants on Silva, and make him feel an unreal amount of pressure in front of a rabid crowd that would want to hurt him. For a guy who nearly ruined all the good will the UFC has built up in the last few years by getting caught cheating in what would have been one of the biggest upsets in sports history, it is the least White could do to show that not every cheater goes unpunished.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
UFC 136 Predictions
UFC 136 is coming up, so that means more predictions. If it seems like I just did one of these, you’re right. For some reason, Zuffa decided to put this card two weeks after UFC 135, and one week after a UFC card on Versus. However unlike UFC 135, this has to be considered one of the best cards of the year (even if I don’t like either guy in the main event). It features two title fights: Lightweight Champ Frankie Edgar against Gray Maynard and Feathweight Champ Jose Aldo against Kenny Florian. It also has Chael Sonnen against Brian Stann in a title eliminator and top ten lightweight Melvin Guillard will be in action as well. Let’s just get down to predictions.
Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon: Guillard is a top ten lightweight that is on the cusp of a title shot, while Joe Lauzon is probably somewhere in the 11-25 range in that class. Guillard is a striker with solid takedown defense, like a 155 lb version of Chuck Liddell but much more athletic. Lauzon is a submission specialist. I like Lauzon and he is a good fighter, but he isn’t good enough to beat the top of the division and Guillard has been on an absolute tear for the past year and a half. His time at Greg Jackson’s camp has really helped shape him into a much better fighter and he has the most knockout power in the division. He’ll use it to devastating effect here. Guillard by second round KO.
Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia: This fight was bumped to the main card after Dave Herman pulled out of his fight with Mike Russow due to injury. This is a rematch of a fight from last December, where Garcia somehow won a split decision in a battle he clearly lost. This has the potential to be an entertaining brawl, one that Phan needs to win in order to stay employed. Garcia will always have a job because he just brawls, for better or worse. He isn’t actually that good and he wings punches with no real force, but he can take a punch and always comes forward. Phan isn’t a particularly good fighter, but he is more technically sound and should end up the winner. Nam Phan by decision.
Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann: I should preface this by making it clear that I loathe Sonnen. He is a cheating, obnoxious, lying lowlife scumbag that shouldn’t even be allowed to fight, much less do so in a top contender’s bout. Stann is an American war hero and by all accounts, a good guy. People want to see if Sonnen could beat Silva in a rematch. I am not one of them. He was on the roids and Silva was injured, but Chael still lost. In a rematch, Silva will beat his head in nine ways to Sunday. That being said, this fight comes down to whether or not Stann can stuff Sonnen’s takedowns and nullify his top game. If he keeps it standing, there is a good chance he can either KO or bust open the paper thin skin of Sonnen and get a doctor stoppage. If it does go to the ground, Stann does have one win by triangle choke so he should be able to beat Sonnen there. Stann has also been improving steadily with each fight at middleweight and even if he wasn’t, there is no way I’m picking Sonnen. Stann by second round TKO.
UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian: This is the main reason I’m buying this card. I love Jose Aldo. He is an absolutely vicious striker and has been a one man wrecking crew since he started fighting. Florian is a veteran who was on the Ultimate Fighter Season One as an undersized middleweight, then became a successful lightweight that lost two title shots and a number one contender’s bout before moving to featherweight this year. Florian looked OK in his lone match, but it was obvious the weight cut was not the easiest. At the age of 35, this is likely Florian’s last chance at gold before he hangs it up. He will come into this fight as the larger fighter and is probably the most well rounded fighter Aldo has faced and ever will go against. His range and Muay Thai could make it difficult for Jose, but Florian has never gone up against someone as explosive as Aldo. I expect his speed and power to cause KenFlo some problems and he showed decent ground defense and takedowns against Mark Hominick, so I don’t think Florian can grind away a decision. I expect Aldo to make use of some brutal leg kicks to wear Florian down like he did to Urijah Faber last year to win the belt. Aldo by decision.
UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard: Speaking of decisions, this is a fight between two men that had a draw in their last fight and combined haven’t finished a fight since 2007. I’m just happy this fight is happening so that the lightweight division doesn’t have to be at a standstill anymore like it has been all year. By all accounts, their January fight was a wild, exciting affair. I’m having a hard time getting excited for this fight, as I think Maynard is about as exciting as a Joe Biden speech and Edgar doesn’t particularly interest me. I don’t see Edgar finishing the bigger, stronger Maynard but I also don’t see Gray finishing it either. If he couldn’t after putting the beating of a lifetime on Edgar in the first round of their last fight, how could he now? I just want to see the winner get slapped around by Ben Henderson (provided he gets by Clay Guida). I guess I would prefer Edgar because I think both Bendo and Guida can beat him, whereas only Bendo would beat Maynard. I think I lean towards Edgar on the strength of the fact he beat BJ Penn twice and would have won the Maynard fight if he hadn’t had to overcome such a lopsided first round. Edgar by decision.
That does it for this batch of picks. Feel free to leave yours on the comments section or on facebook.
Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon: Guillard is a top ten lightweight that is on the cusp of a title shot, while Joe Lauzon is probably somewhere in the 11-25 range in that class. Guillard is a striker with solid takedown defense, like a 155 lb version of Chuck Liddell but much more athletic. Lauzon is a submission specialist. I like Lauzon and he is a good fighter, but he isn’t good enough to beat the top of the division and Guillard has been on an absolute tear for the past year and a half. His time at Greg Jackson’s camp has really helped shape him into a much better fighter and he has the most knockout power in the division. He’ll use it to devastating effect here. Guillard by second round KO.
Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia: This fight was bumped to the main card after Dave Herman pulled out of his fight with Mike Russow due to injury. This is a rematch of a fight from last December, where Garcia somehow won a split decision in a battle he clearly lost. This has the potential to be an entertaining brawl, one that Phan needs to win in order to stay employed. Garcia will always have a job because he just brawls, for better or worse. He isn’t actually that good and he wings punches with no real force, but he can take a punch and always comes forward. Phan isn’t a particularly good fighter, but he is more technically sound and should end up the winner. Nam Phan by decision.
Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann: I should preface this by making it clear that I loathe Sonnen. He is a cheating, obnoxious, lying lowlife scumbag that shouldn’t even be allowed to fight, much less do so in a top contender’s bout. Stann is an American war hero and by all accounts, a good guy. People want to see if Sonnen could beat Silva in a rematch. I am not one of them. He was on the roids and Silva was injured, but Chael still lost. In a rematch, Silva will beat his head in nine ways to Sunday. That being said, this fight comes down to whether or not Stann can stuff Sonnen’s takedowns and nullify his top game. If he keeps it standing, there is a good chance he can either KO or bust open the paper thin skin of Sonnen and get a doctor stoppage. If it does go to the ground, Stann does have one win by triangle choke so he should be able to beat Sonnen there. Stann has also been improving steadily with each fight at middleweight and even if he wasn’t, there is no way I’m picking Sonnen. Stann by second round TKO.
UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian: This is the main reason I’m buying this card. I love Jose Aldo. He is an absolutely vicious striker and has been a one man wrecking crew since he started fighting. Florian is a veteran who was on the Ultimate Fighter Season One as an undersized middleweight, then became a successful lightweight that lost two title shots and a number one contender’s bout before moving to featherweight this year. Florian looked OK in his lone match, but it was obvious the weight cut was not the easiest. At the age of 35, this is likely Florian’s last chance at gold before he hangs it up. He will come into this fight as the larger fighter and is probably the most well rounded fighter Aldo has faced and ever will go against. His range and Muay Thai could make it difficult for Jose, but Florian has never gone up against someone as explosive as Aldo. I expect his speed and power to cause KenFlo some problems and he showed decent ground defense and takedowns against Mark Hominick, so I don’t think Florian can grind away a decision. I expect Aldo to make use of some brutal leg kicks to wear Florian down like he did to Urijah Faber last year to win the belt. Aldo by decision.
UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard: Speaking of decisions, this is a fight between two men that had a draw in their last fight and combined haven’t finished a fight since 2007. I’m just happy this fight is happening so that the lightweight division doesn’t have to be at a standstill anymore like it has been all year. By all accounts, their January fight was a wild, exciting affair. I’m having a hard time getting excited for this fight, as I think Maynard is about as exciting as a Joe Biden speech and Edgar doesn’t particularly interest me. I don’t see Edgar finishing the bigger, stronger Maynard but I also don’t see Gray finishing it either. If he couldn’t after putting the beating of a lifetime on Edgar in the first round of their last fight, how could he now? I just want to see the winner get slapped around by Ben Henderson (provided he gets by Clay Guida). I guess I would prefer Edgar because I think both Bendo and Guida can beat him, whereas only Bendo would beat Maynard. I think I lean towards Edgar on the strength of the fact he beat BJ Penn twice and would have won the Maynard fight if he hadn’t had to overcome such a lopsided first round. Edgar by decision.
That does it for this batch of picks. Feel free to leave yours on the comments section or on facebook.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
PRIDE Comes Alive At UFC 139
Evidently, someone at Zuffa reads my constant hypothetical matchmaking. After the UFC on Fox card was announced with the main and co-main events I (and many others, to be fair) suggested and paired Overeem and Lesnar together for UFC 140 (or 141), the new main event for UFC 139 was revealed. Originally the main event was announced as Vitor Belfort vs. Cung Le (now Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le), an interesting bout but one that is completely irrelevant and unworthy of headlining a pay per view card. Now, in a battle of former PRIDE stars and current top ten light heavyweights, Dan Henderson will be facing off against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
This is a huge fight that should be exciting for several reasons. For starters, they never faced each other in PRIDE, where both men plied their craft for years. It’s weird, as it seems like almost every possible combination of 205 pounders faced off at one point or another there. The chance to see two legends of that organization face off is, for lack of a better word, amazing.
Tying into this is the fact that not only are they both legends of the sport, but Hendo and Shogun are both still relevant in the sport. Henderson is the current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and most recently moved up in weight to defeat the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, while Shogun just beat Forrest Griffin in the first round and is two fights removed from being the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. This isn’t Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva, where both men had seen better days in their careers and the main purpose of their bout was nostalgic. This fight between Shogun and Rua could set one of these men up for a title shot next year against the winner of Jon Jones/Rampage Jackson vs. Rashad Evans.
Last but not least, this should be a good fight, definitely one that is worthy of main eventing a pay per view card. While I always thought Hendo was boring in his most recent UFC stint (excepting his crushing of Michael Bisping at UFC 100), I think most of that can be attributed to fighting at middleweight, where he has always looked a bit sluggish. His PRIDE and Strikeforce stints at light heavyweight have been much more exciting. At 205 lbs., he is no longer “Decision” Dan and is instead “Hollywood” Henderson. He is a little small for that weight, but he makes up for it by fighting at a faster pace and utilizing a nuclear right hand to devastating effect. One only needs to see that he has won his last three fights by KO or TKO for proof of that. On the other side, Shogun is one of the most devastating and electric strikers in MMA history. He has possibly the best finishing instincts the sport has ever seen. Regardless of whether or not he is healthy, he shows up to fight. Really, that’s true of both men. Neither of them ever phone it in and that’s why this should be a great fight.
Early betting odds show Shogun as a slight favorite, which surprises me. Neither man has ever been KOed in their careers and Shogun’s knees still don’t look quite right to me. His technical advantage in striking is nearly nullified by the fact that Hendo’s right hand could kill a rhino and he will be at a clear disadvantage in grappling and cardio. I personally think that its more of a toss up, as if Shogun catches him early he will finish him. Fedor and Calcavante, two recent Hendo opponents, rocked Dan but didn’t pounce fast enough. Rest assured, that will not be the case if Rua connects. If I had to pick a winner right now, I would go with Henderson. He’s been on a roll over the past year and a half and even though he is considerably older than Shogun, he is in much better physical condition. I would lean towards him winning a decision or wearing Shogun down and finishing him in the third or fourth round. Either way, this should be a great fight that I know I can’t wait to see.
This is a huge fight that should be exciting for several reasons. For starters, they never faced each other in PRIDE, where both men plied their craft for years. It’s weird, as it seems like almost every possible combination of 205 pounders faced off at one point or another there. The chance to see two legends of that organization face off is, for lack of a better word, amazing.
Tying into this is the fact that not only are they both legends of the sport, but Hendo and Shogun are both still relevant in the sport. Henderson is the current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and most recently moved up in weight to defeat the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, while Shogun just beat Forrest Griffin in the first round and is two fights removed from being the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. This isn’t Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva, where both men had seen better days in their careers and the main purpose of their bout was nostalgic. This fight between Shogun and Rua could set one of these men up for a title shot next year against the winner of Jon Jones/Rampage Jackson vs. Rashad Evans.
Last but not least, this should be a good fight, definitely one that is worthy of main eventing a pay per view card. While I always thought Hendo was boring in his most recent UFC stint (excepting his crushing of Michael Bisping at UFC 100), I think most of that can be attributed to fighting at middleweight, where he has always looked a bit sluggish. His PRIDE and Strikeforce stints at light heavyweight have been much more exciting. At 205 lbs., he is no longer “Decision” Dan and is instead “Hollywood” Henderson. He is a little small for that weight, but he makes up for it by fighting at a faster pace and utilizing a nuclear right hand to devastating effect. One only needs to see that he has won his last three fights by KO or TKO for proof of that. On the other side, Shogun is one of the most devastating and electric strikers in MMA history. He has possibly the best finishing instincts the sport has ever seen. Regardless of whether or not he is healthy, he shows up to fight. Really, that’s true of both men. Neither of them ever phone it in and that’s why this should be a great fight.
Early betting odds show Shogun as a slight favorite, which surprises me. Neither man has ever been KOed in their careers and Shogun’s knees still don’t look quite right to me. His technical advantage in striking is nearly nullified by the fact that Hendo’s right hand could kill a rhino and he will be at a clear disadvantage in grappling and cardio. I personally think that its more of a toss up, as if Shogun catches him early he will finish him. Fedor and Calcavante, two recent Hendo opponents, rocked Dan but didn’t pounce fast enough. Rest assured, that will not be the case if Rua connects. If I had to pick a winner right now, I would go with Henderson. He’s been on a roll over the past year and a half and even though he is considerably older than Shogun, he is in much better physical condition. I would lean towards him winning a decision or wearing Shogun down and finishing him in the third or fourth round. Either way, this should be a great fight that I know I can’t wait to see.
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