Fedor vs. Rogers: A Carefully Planned Risk

The owners and operators of Strikeforce must be absolutely terrified as much as they are absolutely excited. They signed the golden goose but you can’t just put him on your mantle if you want to make money. Fedor has to fight and fight he will. Fedor is to Strikeforce what EliteXC tried to make Kimbo. Word is that Strikeforce has invested a lot in Fedor and lets face facts, Fedor is only worth as much as his unbeatable mystique to the average fan. Diehard MMA fans will be there no matter what, Fedor or not. However, if you want to survive in this business you need more than the MMA faithful. Stikeforce needs a broader fan-base. The legend of Fedor can bring that in, but only the LEGEND of Fedor. I guess what I am trying to say is Strikeforce is in a world of trouble if Fedor loses. This is probably their motivation for putting Fedor in the cage (wow, Fedor is going to be in a cage) with the greenest heavyweight in their stable, Brett Rogers. While Rogers is the greenest of the legit Heavyweights to match with Fedor, he is also one of the most popular to an American audience, with his exciting knockouts and recent victory over The Pitbull Arlovski. A few posts back I argued with myself a bit about what would be the best choice here and came to no conclusions but with the fight now staring us all in the face I have to say, this is starting to look like the best possible scenario for Strikeforce and MMA.

Brett Rogers is the lowest risk and potentially highest reward opponent for Fedor at this juncture. He is one-dimensional and likely presents less technical problems for Fedor than any other fighter. Fedor will be heavily favored in this fight. That is not to say that Rogers should be counted out and the possibility of Fedor losing had to be considered by the powers that be. Rogers actually might pose a slightly greater threat than some of the other fighters (this is my opinion) because he is so raw but constantly improving, making him somewhat less predictable. He is tough as nails and hungry to win. He fights for his family and that makes him dangerous. Fedor’s big swinging punches better land before Rogers’ does because I don’t like anyone’s chin against a few shots from Grim. If the Emperor is dethroned in this most unceremonial of fashions, Strikeforce and company may have more to gain from Rogers winning than Werdum or Overeem. Rogers will be identified as a Strikeforce guy (no one will remember his EliteXC work in a year or so) so they can claim him as the first pure Strikeforce fighter. Additionally, he will inherit at least some of Fedor’s unbeatable aura given that he is in fact unbeaten and would have pulled two of the biggest upsets in MMA history in a row. Finally, Brett Rogers can easily recover from a loss to Fedor. The MMA world will just shake its collective head and say he wasn’t ready, but they won’t lose interest in the young prospect. We can still watch him grow and become a more complete and capable fighter, climbing his way back to a rematch. This benefit of the doubt would likely not be given to Werdum or Overeem and would be less likely given to Rogers if he was built up a little more.

Rogers presents a reasonable (in fact interest) challenge for Fedor and offers less of a loss in all possible scenarios. I, for one, just hope this fight lasts a few rounds. I would like to see Rogers put on a good showing and at least hang in there. While I think an upset is well within the realm of possibilities, I don’t want to see Fedor lose at this point in time. I have spoken of the Fedor mythos before. The Last Emperor’s legacy is not just important to Strikeforce, it is important to MMA.

UFC 102 Preview

On August 28^th, 2009 two living legends of a mixed martial arts will finally cross paths. The fight will be the culmination (to this point) of two epic careers belonging to two of the sports most beloved fighters. These represent two different archetypes of what MMA has been over the last 10 – 15 years. One is an American wrestler who has been at the top of the leading state side MMA organization and the other is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace who climbed to the panicle of Japanese MMA. While the fight is not for a title or even a title shot, the significance is not lost on the mixed martial arts world. The card also features a number of fantastic fights that will compliment the exceptional main event.

Brandon Vera vs Krizysztof Soszynski

This fight was originally suppose to include Matt Hammill, but the UFC favorite new replacement guy stepped in again to take on Vera when “The Hammer” got injured. I was a little skeptical of Soszynski when he was on The Ultimate Fighter because I couldn’t figure out what all the hype was about. Fortunately, he turned things around once he got regular UFC fights and looked really impressive in his last few outings. Brandon Vera has been up and down as of late, with more down than up. Coming off of a relatively impressive win against an unimpressive opponent, Vera will look to build some momentum but that will be no easy task. The Truth had a lot of trouble with Keith Jardine’s awkward stand up style and Soszynski could present the same problem. While we hear so much about Vera’s ground game, we are yet to see it and know he will be facing someone who can hold his own once the fight hits the floor. Soszynski is improving with every outing and it is tough to tell where he will be at a true disadvantage, but Vera’s stand-up is the most likely option. The winner of this will likely secure a solid opponent up the 205 ladder and become that much more relevant in the title hunt.

Chris Leben vs Jake Rosholt

I don’t know why I like this fight so much but I do. Rosholt vs Leben will represent a classic style clash between the striker and the wrestler. I have been less than impressed with the blue-chip Rosholt to this point. He is clearly talented but I am not sure he is ready for this level. Rosholt’s stand-up is porous and he leaves himself open to submissions on the ground. I suspect Leben will be able to keep it on the feet and hit Rosholt almost at will. If Rosholt can get this fight to the ground, he should be able to do some damage and control Leben there. Both of these fighters have proven to have concrete chins, meaning this fight will likely not be too quick, regardless of who controls the location of the fight. If Rosholt has worked enough on the other (not wrestling) aspects of his game, this could be a contender for fight of the night.

Demian Maia vs Nate Marquardt

Holy Crap…. I am excited for this fight. Maia is nothing short of wizard like on the ground and every time we think he is going to really be tested, he demonstrates that he is actually getting better at implementing his BJJ into MMA. Marquardt has looked almost unstoppable since he lost to Silva; I don’t even have to address his loss to Leites. I think he is one of the top 185 pounders in the world, easy. I also think he presents a real problem for Maia who had some issues with the scrappy McDonald. Marquardt should have better wrestling and better BJJ than McDonald presented Maia with. He should also have more power and dangerous stand-up. One cannot ever count out Maia’s ability to submit an opponent though. One mistake and Maia takes your arm home or you lose oxygen to your brain. At the end of the day, no one really knows the limits of Maia so it would be hard to pick the winner even if I was in the business of picking winners. I like the match-up regardless. We are going to find out what Maia is made of and get a little closer to figuring out what is next for Anderson Silva.

Thiago Silva vs Keith Jardine

This is one of those fights that I hate to know someone will lose. I have really grown to respect Keith Jardine through his last hand full of fights. He is a tough guy and has proven he won’t back down from anyone. Thiago Silva on the other hand has been a fighter I have been behind for a long time. I like his style and his attitude. He is very confident in himself and his ability. Machida’s style was tailor made to finish Thiago. However, Silva’s style may be tailor made to give Jardine headaches. Jardine has had problems with aggressive fighters and I expect Silva to push the pace in this fight Both fighters love to stand and bang so I doubt we are going to see much of either fighters ground game unless it is ground-and-pound. I think there are a lot of contender’s for fight of the night and if I didn’t suspect that this would end in the first (maybe second) I would pick it hands down. If they go the distance, watch out for a serious brawl.

Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

What can you say about this fight? I covered its significance above but there seems to be a general feeling of fear in the MMA community that this fight will be lackadaisical. The more I think about this fight the less I fear that issue. I am actually quite convinced that this fight could steal the show if both guys enter in shape. Randy Couture is going to be hard to catch in a submission and hard to outstrike. Big Nog will be hard to knock out or put in a rough enough spot to get a stoppage. The style match-up and tendencies of each fighter might make for a really fun back and forth brawl. Both guys are smart enough to have a feeling out process but business savvy enough to start swinging before too long. While both fighters are considered long in the tooth, neither has really given us much reason to give up on them. Like the last fight, it is unfortunate that one of these athletes has to lose. Couture and Big Nog will likely be seen again but this fight is pretty close to a must win for both, making it as significant as virtually any main event this year.

The Heavyweight Mix-Up

It is becoming abundantly clear that Dana White was super-duper serious when he said he was going to sign Fedor. Obviously he failed in this pursuit, but his intentions were genuine. How else can you explain the UFC booking Carwin and Velasquez against one another and leaving Brock Lesnar no opponent for the foreseeable future when they wanted him to defend before the end of the year? In light of the failed signing the UFC shuffled some fights around and now three new Heavyweight contests are booked before the end of the year with rumors swirling about a new fighter coming in to mix things up.

Chase Gormley vs Stephan Struve (UFC 104)

This fight may seem relatively unimportant to the average MMA fan but it is anything but. Gormley is a promising blue chipper with a 6-0 record who was supposed to get his big break at the third Affliction show against Ben Rothwell. Then their rematch was moved to the UFC upon Affliction’s demise. Now Gormley will fight the Skyscraper who has had short but rollercoaster UFC career so far. Junior Dos Santos walked through the poor kid in his first UFC outing but Struve came back in a big way by winning a blood bath (his blood) over Denis Stojnic, showing guts and heart in that fight as well as a work-in-progress ground game. Unfortunately, he might be tailor made to showcase Gormley, who is well rounded and proficient on the ground and in tight spaces. Either way, this makes someone press the main card in a division that is picking up nicely right now. One of these guys could be just right to welcome the winner, runner up, or otherwise promising prospect TUF 10. Either way, I like this as a solid under-card bout and hope it finds its way to the public eye.

Cain Velasquez vs Ben Rothwell (UFC 104)

Cain Velasquez has been long overdue for a title push in my eyes and this match upset me at first for that very reason. I am not quite sure why the UFC looks at Carwin’s body of work and Velasquez’s body of work and continually gives the promotion and position nod to Carwin. It didn’t take me long to change my tune regarding this fight though. Either athlete will move up the ranks with a win here. Velasquez is interested in being the best fighter he can be and Rothwell is going to give him a solid test along with a chance to improve. Rothwell is tough as nails and experienced to boot. On the other hand, Big Ben could really make his name in the UFC if he can pull off the upset, positioning himself well for a top tier fight to follow. Remember, this fight will be the co-headliner of the night meaning it is going to get some hype machine play. That will be two very public fights in a row for Velasquez and one right off the bat for Rothwell. Cain takes a half step down and Rothwell takes about 5 steps up for this fight but when the dust settles we can’t really complain too much, can we?

Shane Cawrin vs Brock Lesnar (UFC 106)

My contention for some time now has been that Shane Carwin is currently one of the most dangerous fighters for Brock Lesnar in the UFC. Anyone who gets hit square by Carwin is going down and Carwin’s wrestling is likely good enough to prevent Lesnar from pushing him around and might be good enough to do some damage of his own. He is as big and strong as Lesnar and might be as mean to boot. From a match-up standpoint this is a great fight. From a business standpoint I am scratching my head. That is all periphery concern though. The fight itself is what is really important. The next Heavyweight Title fight will either be a quick clash of two monsters that ends with someone getting beat up pretty bad or it will be a long boring grappling contest between two wrestlers that cancel each other out. Either way, the UFC has decided, for one reason or another, that Carwin deserves a title shot more than anyone else right now…. anyone else in the UFC that is. We do have to wait quite a while for this fight. Zuffa has been pretty keen on giving Brock a solid break between fights, giving him as much time as reasonable possible to improve. By that time we will also know where almost everyone else in the division stands (Rothwell, Velasquez, Cro Cop, Dos Santos, Couture, Big Nog) and who might be in line to fight the winner. No matter how you cut, this is going to be a huge (literally) fight and might just be a sign of things to come in the HW division. I think Joe Rogan called this the Age of the Super Wrestler, or something cheesy like that.

The Wildcard – Anderson Silva

Yes, 185 lbs king Anderson Silva has expressed serious interest in fighting at HW. I am all about Anderson Silva and his ability in the cage but when I think of him fighting some of the bigger HW’s in the division I get scared. Let’s face it, he isn’t going to start out against Lesnar or Carwin. He will fight someone with a good style match-up or relatively similar size to his. Rumors are swirling that he wants to fight Frank Mir, likely realizing that Mir’s takedowns are manageable and his stand-up would be god for little more than a laugh or two for The Spider. I tend to think things might just go in a different direction. I am going to go out on a limb here, but if Randy Couture beats Big Nog we are going to see Randy Couture vs Anderson Silva at the end of the year. Think about it. Couture is not much bigger than Silva. There would be a double element of revenge given the relationships between Silva/Nog and Forrest/Couture. To make it even more appealing, the fight would be a HUGE moneymaker. I expect that final the 2009 card is going to need someone like Randy and/or Silva to find his way into a superfight, but that is a different topic for a different time. I am not sure anyone could argue that a five round fight between Anderson Silva and Randy Couture would be unappealing. Silva has done a lot in the UFC and has basically earned the right to do whatever he wants in his last three fights, hence I don’t like the chances of seeing Silva/Henderson II. Silva to HW is risky but I think it will happen. Isn’t it kind of amazing that we are looking at guys over 205 lbs to find the best challengers for the 185 lbs champion?

The Rules Are Changing

The Nevada State Athletic Commission had a sit down this week and decided on some relatively significant rule changes for MMA so as a fan of MMA that writes about it… I thought I would give them some of my valuable valuable attention. While I am still a bit unclear about how these changes affect the rest of the states’ respective commissions, it is clear that the NSAC is a leader in organized combat sports and other states will likely follow suit. At the end of the day most of the UFC bouts are held in Nevada and if the UFC chooses to utilize one of these rule changes, they can ensure the bouts are held there, making this meeting of systemic importance.

The B.J. Penn Rule

Greasegate, the term endearingly tagged to the allegations that GSP’s trainers put grease on his body to make him harder for B.J. Penn to hold on to when their superfight fight hit the ground, sparked a rules change that will treat greasing the same as eye gouging, small joint manipulation, or biting. This means that a fighter can now be disqualified or deducted points if they don’t come into each round sans slippery skin. According to Yahoo News, B.J. Penn’s lawyer has been involved in bringing this rule to fruition and speculates that more specific measures will need to be taken eventually. Even the idea of a pre-fight shower has been thrown around. This is a classic case of a rule change addressing an unforeseen problem in the game. It is clearly necessary to address this problem the B.J. Penn rule is a really solid step in doing just that, perhaps the only necessary step. The new rule seems to be generally accepted as a positive. I am amused by name of the rule. It will always cast a little shadow over GSP/Penn II, smart move from The Prodigy and company.

Lets Take Another Look

Instant replay has finally found its way into MMA. Referees, and only referees, can now call for instant replay to determine weather questionable or match ending shots were within the realm of the rules. Here is a change I worry about. As it stands, instant replay will be beneficial in enforcing the rules of the fight. The logistics are perfect: referees discretion, limited use, hasn’t been rushed in, etc etc. I do fear what most sports fans fear when instant replay is implemented into their world, the fear of too much replay and not enough flow. This is particularly important in MMA where the breaks are limited to two to four a fight and the action is (ideally) continuous for up to five minutes. I am also a bit concerned about giving SOME of these referees more power. MMA referees are evolving just like the sport and some of them are not very good at what they do. Giving them more power will give them more opportunity to mess up. As long everyone approaches instant replay with the sport’s best interest in mind, it could really benefit everyone, helping to maintain fairness in the cage of play.

Are You Championship Caliber?

The last rule is the most potentially exciting but, as with many exciting changes in our sport, it comes with the greatest risk of setback. The NSAC has approved five round non-title fights for championship caliber athletes. Humm… Vegas, we may have a problem. Of course when you have fights like Couture/Nog or Rampage/Rashad determining weather or not a fighter is of championship quality is simple because both fighters have been champions. What about fights like Bisping/Henderson? Would we count Michael Bisping in that category? Of course the commission will be the ones to decide, but will there be a lobbying process? Does this open up the door for certain camps to lobby commissions? These are questions that will be answered in the not too distant future. The rule change could also cause some commotion after the fight as fighters will certainly bring up more “what ifs...” like what if this fight lasted two more rounds. It is not all bad though. Non-title main events are going to start feeling more like real main events. Who would not have loved to see Wandi/Franklin go two more rounds? Who would not have dug on Jardine/Jackson as a five round fight? This rule change will open up a number of possibilities for good fights to become great. It will also allow us to see what fighters look like in a five round fight before they actual get title shots. That could be a bad thing if you believe in the aura of the “championship rounds,” but it could also be good for helping fans and match-makers understand who deserves a title shot the most. Lets face it, I wouldn’t have a blog if I wasn’t interested in learning more about MMA and the athletes there in. All in all, I don’t think this is a horrible idea, but I am not sure we really need it. Sure it will be nice for the aforementioned reasons, but I am not sure it will provide results beyond selling a few more PPVs for the UFC and creating one more rout to controversy. It is what it is now so I will have fun watching the fights. I just hope the NSAC thinks Clay Guida is a championship caliber athlete.

Playing Catch-Up (WEC and Strikeforce)

After a trip to Chicago for Lollopalooza and a trip to Huntington, WV to visit some friends, I finally have time to sit in front of my computer and talk about some MMA. I thought with so many phenomena occurring since my UFC 101 preview the best way to return would be to hit the high notes and then elaborate where need be later. A lot of divisions hit turning points in the last two weeks so there is no shortage of observations to be made, here is the WEC and Strikeforce sections.

Brian Bowles Shocks the World… Kind Of

I don’t really think that the MMA world was as shocked by Brian Bowles victory as was the WEC announce team (especially poor Frank Mir who was a sad sack of man) or the official channels that covered the event. I had picked Bowles after a short conversation with a friend about the fight. Bowles was always a very dangerous opponent in my book, but it wasn’t until Torres’s willingness to run headfirst into range was pointed out to me that I realized there were some crucial holes in game that were almost tailor made for Bowles. I didn’t really comment on it extensively here so whatever, I am not looking for credit. I am just saying there were people who weren’t drinking the Koolaid coming into this fight and didn’t lose their minds when it ended with Torres knocked goofy. Aside from hurting Frank Mir’s feelings, Bowles shook up the 135 lbs division big time. Everyone who took a shot at Torres has got to be thinking about how they can get another. That said, it won’t take Torres more than one fight (presuming he wins) to get a rematch. Bowles vs Torres II could be quite a lucrative fight for the WEC as they had just gotten Torres to the point where he was a pound for pound contender before he got knocked off. I am going to go out on a limb and say this is not the last time we have seen these two fight. Picking the second might actually be a little more difficult for me because I think Torres will learn from this fight, but I hope people stop counting out the new135 lb king come round two.

Cyborg Puts a New Face on Women’s MMA

I don’t really believe that Christina Cyborg is going to be the new face of women’s MMA. She might get more facetime, but Gina Carano is still going to be the “face.” The fight itself was not really too competitive, despite the commentary table’s best efforts (it was a bad month for Franks). Gina landed a few shots that Cyborg walked right threw. Cyborg ended up in precarious positions because of her sloppy throws but her superior ground game put her back in advantageous positions quickly. In the end, Cyborg was just too much for Gina. Cyborg is likely the best female fighter operating in North America today and most of the top fighters on the other side of the world are smaller. This might be the baddest woman on the planet. This win is better for women’s MMA in the LONG term. It prevents MMA from being reigned over by a beauty queen as it emerges into the mainstream, helping quell any stereotypes about women athletes in MMA. Cyborg is no beauty queen but she can fight and no one can deny it. She comes from a brutal camp and it shows in the cage when she fights like one of the boys. In short, she is a better champion right now. She won’t cause the kind of spike in attention that Carano might have garnered but she will lay the credibility foundation for attention on her skills and her skills alone. This also allows us to follow Carano back to a second title shot. We would all love to see the former postergirl determined to work harder and prove herself against the Cyborg. I don’t see it happening though. Finally, Cyborg is also fresher for the mainstream MMA fan. They have likely seen Gina and watched her beat people with relative ease. Then in comes this monster and wrecks her. All the sudden they have something new to watch.

Did Melendez Grease?

I don’t care… next.

The Dreamcatcher Comes To America

What an impressive performance Mousasi put on in his crushing of Babalu. Most people with any sense knew that Mousasi belonged in the cage with Babalu as a top 205er not under Zuffa contract. With Little Nog in the UFC we may have just seen the two best outside it clash. Mousasi will now try to go win the Super-Hulk tournament, which is a joke of a tournament that would really only matter if he won, considering is momentum and that prior to the tournament he was fighting at middleweight. You know Dana White has his eye on this guy. He could be a top shelf addition to either the LHW or MW divisions in the UFC, especially if either of them run out of contenders (quite likely). White and company may take away all his competition but Mousasi doesn’t seem to care about weight classes. I think he will pretty much fight anywhere and everywhere on the weight scale so they are going to have to put the money on the table and its going to have to make professional sense to the young sensation with the dumbest nickname in MMA. Any way you cut it, this was impressive and it proves that Mousasi can hang at 205, hang to say the least.

Werdum Wants Fedor… But Does He Deserve The Fight

Strikeforce is essentially in a position to set up a tournament for the Strikeforce HW title, presuming they can ever get Overeem back in the cage. That is a big presumption though. Lets assume they can. Werdum went a long way towards staking his claim for the first shot at the uncrowned champion, Fedor. The other man in the mix is Bret Rogers, who made short work of Arlovski last time we saw him in the cage. It appears that one of them will fight Fedor (#1 HW in the world) and one of them will fight Overeem (Strikeforce HW Champion). I for one am torn. I want to see them all fight Fedor, and they eventually will, but I can’t decide what order I want to see those fights in. Bret Rogers is red hot and has the big win fresh in everyone’s mind, while Werdum is coming off a largely successful UFC run and a relatively quick win on a big show over a lesser opponent. They present two completely different skill sets, neither of which I fear keeps Fedor up at night. I would like to roll the dice and put Fedor in the cage against Rogers. It might not be the best thing for Rogers but I doubt seriously it would be the worst. Lets say he loses. He is young, fresh, and suppose to lose… no big thing. He could climb back up the ladder if he keeps his head down and works hard. Lets say he wins… holy crap. Werdum on the other hand has been around quite a while. If he wins, the win is somewhat anti-climactic by comparison. If he loses, it might be harder to forgive as it would likely be attributed to him simply not being good enough. In short, MMA fans could easily forgive Rogers for losing to Fedor, easier than they would forgive Werdum. Either way, Strikeforce should push forward with this unofficial tournament. Werdum’s win was there to keep the division relevant.

Playing Catch-Up (UFC)

After a trip to Chicago for Lollopalooza and a trip to Huntington, WV to visit some friends, I finally have time to sit in front of my computer and talk about some MMA.  I thought with so many phenomena occurring since my UFC 101 preview the best way to return would be to hit the high notes and then elaborate where need be later.  A lot of divisions hit turning points in the last two weeks so there is no shortage of observations to be made, here is the UFC section.

 

Silva Walks Over Griffin

It might be more appropriate to say that Forrest gets made to look like a little kid.  Anderson Silva brought a new level of stand up that Forrest had simply not seen before.  Silva hit him, mocked him, helped him up, danced around him, and knocked him out silly.  They were just on different planets when it came to striking prowess and it showed, big time.  My biggest concern regarding Forrest was his tendency to put his head down and swing. Even though he keeps his eyes up more, his head is still a big, slow target when he comes in.  This fight accomplished a lot. It solidified Silva as the best fighter in the world by most accounts (simply reigniting the question for me). It caused a wirlwind of questions regarding Silva’s place in the UFC. Is it at 205, 185, or both? It also basically squashed the Silva/GSP talk. We also got to see another fit thrown by Forrest Griffin, which I do not begrudge him this time around. It was embarrassing and it is hard for me to imagine facing that many fans after what happened to him.  As it stands now, Silva will not be dropping his title, but still wants his next fight to be at 205. This tells me two things. First it indicates that the Brazilian is serious about his distaste for a rematch with Henderson.  Second, it leads me to believe that he does want to hold two belts at once and wants to put himself in a position to do so in Machida were to suffer a loss. Anderson Silva ran through a top contender at 205 in the UFC and there is no telling just how successful he could be there. 

 

Penn Reestablishes Himself

BJ Penn was the favorite coming into UFC 101, but his defense was no walk in the park. Florian put up a good fight and even had a decent game-plan, but as soon as that fight hit the ground for a good floor scrap BJ Penn put on a clinic.  KenFlo easily represented the most deserving challenger but now we must turn to fighters like Diego Sanchez and Gray Maynard. The break Penn took from 155 to chase revenge might actually have been a good thing. It gave other contenders time to emerge. I for one hope the energy that Penn had after the fight is a sign that he is ready to dedicate himself to being a long-term champion.  There are good matches waiting for him at 155.  It is unfortunate for Florian that he has lost his second title shot, ast is going to take a fair amount of time for him to climb back up to get another shot, even if he wins and wins big. I would kind of like to see him fight Franky Edgar next, being that Edgar could become a serious contender but could use a test from a gatekeeper like Florian.  Either way, Florian is going to be working hard to get back to the top, which means more exciting fights and finishes. 

 

Little Nog Signs Zuffa Contract

Word on the street is, and by street I mean the internet and his brother, Little Nog is the latest addition to the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division. He could provide a number of interesting match-ups, although one of those might not be with the champion, Machida. I am not sure where these two stand on fighting each other but I would guess they aren’t too keen on it. All the same, Forrest, Jardine, Rashad, Rampage, Shogun, T. Silva, Cain, and the list goes on and on could all provide interesting challenges for the smaller Nogueira brother. It is quite possible that Machida won’t be the champion (but he will be) so their friendship might not even be an issue.  I for one would like to see Forrest welcome him to the big U. S. show, but White and company might not want to put Forrest in such a dangerous position. This pick up also means one less top 205er roaming the streets outside the UFC’s door, an implication for another time.

 

Tito Ortiz vs Mark Coleman??????

When I heard the rumor a few weeks ago I just started laughing. It is odd. There was a time that this would have been a crazy superfight. Now it is a fight of two guys past their prime that attempt to convince the world they are ready for one more run at the title every time they hype a fight. Neither fighter is likely to make that run, but they are still significant.  This fight represents an odd phenomenon in MMA.  People are going to buzz about it. It will likely get time on a countdown show and neither one of these fighters have done anything significant in years. However they are both heroes from certain time periods in MMA history.  MMA is so young that even its pioneers can find themselves fighting stars of today and yesterday at major events.  This is a microcosm of the way the MMA world works.  I am not saying I don’t want to see the fight. I am not saying it won’t be a good fight (but it likely wont). All I am saying is that it is amusing. It is funny on a base level.  Just say the names out loud and you will likely giggle (manly MMA fans giggle).  I have nothing but respect for these fighters but what is this fight, the stagnant fight of the century? Maybe the UFC should do a big hall of fame induction and create a Hall of Fame title… that would work, right? Right?

UFC 101: Declaration - Preview

I pent a few days ranting and raving to anyone who would listen, either on my blog or in message forums, about how underrated and underappreciated this card is.  Once new broke that Fedor would not sign with the UFC, and  subsequently would sign with Strikeforce, the MMA universe took one big collective sigh and then turned its attention, somewhat begrudgingly, to this card. While I still think it is getting cold shoulder, it is what it is.  Upon review of this card, there are a lot of great fights and this could go down as one of the most entertaining cards of the year.

There are at least three undercard fights that deserve mention.  I was in Columbus for Shane Nelson vs Aaron Riley 1 and that was easily the worst stop I have ever seen. I rarely complain about stops but the worst of the worst. Riley is going to look to right a wrong and both of these guys are capable of putting on exciting fights. I expect a scrap and hope we see it on the PPV.  Tamdan McCrory is a great up and coming fighter who seems to get better with every fight.  John Howard has already delivered one upset and will be looking to knock off the young barncat. Again, both of these guys bring the noise in the cage. It looks like McCrory might be moving up (the cat is still growing) so pay close attention to what improvements he has made since he might just be going to a deeper division with bigger fighters soon.  Are MMA fans ready to forgive Thales Leites? We will find out (we likely wont find out) on Saturday when he comes out to the cage.  He has a really favorable match up in the Italian boxer Alessio Sakara. Sakara’s skills on the ground are less than astounding and if this goes to the ground, this could be a great comeback fight for him. However, if Leites is afraid to get inside, this could be his last fight in the UFC… win or lose. 

Josh Neer vs Kurt Pellegrino

I can think of few fights that could start an event off better than this one. Both of these guys are known for excitementand they match-up well to boot. Neer is not called the Dentist because he fixes teeth; its irony folks. This guy loves to stand up and punch people in the face and he can take a beating. Neer is also pretty good at getting himself back up off the ground when he is uncomfortable. Pellegrino has almost the opposite skill set. Proficient on his feet, Batman is known to get the fight to the ground in spectacular fashion and is comfy as a pig in shit when he gets there.  Long story short, if you get involved in a pick-ems that gives bonus points for picking fight of the night, this one might just be the front-runner.

Kendall Grove vs Richardo Almeida

I, for one, believe that Almeida is a skilled middleweight but has suffered from poor game plans and judging.  He might suffer from a relatively poor reach this Saturday as he fights the lanky Kendall Grove. Grove is on a tear as of late and seems to have a bit of the TUF winner swagger back. As long as this stays on the feet, I think Grove could be more dangerous to Almeida than Cote was (which isn’t saying that much to me).  However, Grove has long limbs to grab a hold of if this gets to the ground one could wind up wound up in all different directions.  Almeida is a submission wizard and if he can get Grove down and keep him down for any amount of time, that reach could work against Da Spyder.

Amir Sadollah vs Johny Hendricks

Until Tuesday night I really didn’t care about this fight at all. Tuesday I saw the countdown show. When I first saw that they were dedicating time to this fight, I got angry, then I got to hear Johny Hendricks talk. I don’t know the dude and I don’t know much about him since I have only seen some WEC highlights. However, I have never been crazy about the Amir Sadollah hype, both the hype for his personality and his skills. He seems like a nice guy and all but the Forrest Jr. shtick is stale and awkward.  Hendricks on the other hand LOVES what he does and LOVES the idea of beating Amir; you can tell when he talks about the fight.  If Amir wins, continues to win, and proves me wrong about his skills, I will be the first to admit it but as of right now I am excited about the prospects of an upset here.

Anderson Silva vs Forrest Griffin

This is the main event in my opinion. I am not saying that I am not excited about the title fight, but this is a dream fight with real consequences on at least two divisions. Anderson Silva is doing one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in MMA, turning heel. For those of you who didn’t make the move from watching wrestling as a kid to watching MMA as an adult (or pseudo-adult), that means he is becoming a bad guy.  There was a time he was the unstoppable but modest fighter.  Now he doesn’t seem to care what the fans think. I am not completely sure he should.  Yes, what we are seeing is a real good guy of MMA turn bad. He fights the way he wants and to hell with the money you spent. This would be a good time for me to mention that this totally makes it worth the money for me.  Forrest is the ultimate good guy in MMA. He is in some ways the savior of MMA. His heart, along with Stephan Bonnar’s, brought the UFC back from the dead.  If Silva just wants to win and doesn’t care how, Forrest wants to fight first and win second.  As long as Silva wins, he continues this trend.  However, Forrest is going to present a set of challenges for Silva that he has yet to see in the UFC. Griffin is bigger and stronger than any of the MWs in the UFC and he is a technical scrapper. He will suck you into a scrap but he does it with precision. Its like watching the biggest, dirtiest, drunkest dude at the bar get up from his stool, walk over to the pool table, and gracefully clear the table without anyone else getting a shot.  I am confident that we are not going to see a disappointing fight, but I am absolutely dumbfounded on whom to pick for this fight. There seems to be a school of thought that thinks Forrest will lose quickly, and I can hear the arguments but I have to throw my arms up at this one. I am just going to sit back and enjoy the show.

BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian

It is hard to take Kenny Florian seriously sometimes. He draws on a lot of very serious metaphors but most of them manage to come out sounding silly out of his mouth, given that he looks like the operational definition of a nerd.  Lets be clear though, he is dead serious and should be taken as such.  This cat knows how to fight.  I have even gone through periods of being pretty confident that he would win this fight. Those were phases though, perhaps wishful thinking as I constantly fear that BJ will hold the division hostage once more.  When I really listen to my gut, it is hard to pick against BJ Penn. He is just too good everywhere the fight can go.  Despite the new level of conditioning that Penn has reportedly reached, Florian’s best shot sits in the fourth or fifth round of the fight.  BJ’s time to shine will be early, while Florian will likely spend those early rounds proving he belongs in the cage with the Prodigy.  I like Kenny Florian’s chances compared to say… Joe Stevenson, but I am not going to be playing the odds on him.

The UFC had to bring something unique to the table after UFC 100.  They weren’t going to top the event and they shouldn’t try, but they had to put something out there that people would be interested to see. Penn/Florian and Silva/Griffin fit the bill.  The thing I like most about this card is that we aren’t getting superfights for superfights sake. We are getting a legit championship match (few people deserve a shot more than Kenflo) and a superfight that will actually matter to more than just the fans.  A lot of fighters at 185 and 205 will have a close eye on this fight because rankings WILL be affected.  Joe Silva has pulled off another good one here. Sometimes I think he and the rest of the people with any voice in the process book themselves into corners and try to wiggle out but this card is a really nice chaser to the UFC’s centennial extravaganza. 

WEC: Torres vs Bowles - A Preview

I am headed to lollapalooza this weekend so I wanted to make sure I previewed this weekend’s big events before I left.  I have to say, the prospects of coming back and watching two MMA events in one day (likely back to back) is somewhat exciting.  I will start with the lesser known event, but don’t overlook this WEC card as it is one of the best in recent memory. The WEC has hitched its wagon to Faber for a number of reasons, but with Mike Brown reigning over the 145 lbs division and Miguel Torres emerging as a pound for pound contender, the tides have turned.  The bantamweight king will meet his most significant challenge while under the WEC banner on August 9^th, making this a paramount event for the WEC.

In a night of Bantamweight showdowns, a lightweight bout between Danny Castillo (7-1) and Ricardo Lamas (6–0) will be the battle of the big boys.  Both fighters are coming off unanimous decision victories at the same show and will likely be looking to make statements against one another’s gaudy records. I was not fortunate enough to catch their last respective fights but have seen and been generally impressed with Castillo.  Since I am not typically in the business of picking a winner, understanding how far a single win can go in this division is enough for me to get excited bout this fight. Joseph Benavidez and Dominick Cruz will be jousting for their own position in the ever-crowded 135 lbs division. I have been relatively impressed with Benavidez, particularly with his win over Curran.  He could be the next guy to move his way up the ladder with another win, potentially putting himself in line for a title fight.

Speaking of Jeff Curran, he is going to have his hands full avoiding his 4^th loss in a row when he fights Takeya Mizugaki. Mizugaki gave Miguel Torres everything he could handle, demonstrating solid stand up that could give Curran problems.  The difference is that Curran is not accepting this fight on short notice and will have at least one WEC fight to study.  Each man could be a few wins away from a title shot but Curran might be on his last WEC leg. These are two highly talented fighters and I fully expect them to put on an excited fight.

Finally, Brian Bowles will at last get his shot at Miguel Torres.  Torres seems to have reached the pound-for-pound status and that comes with assumed wins. This is one fight that I am really hesitant to assume anything on.  If Torres had trouble with Mizugaki’s stand up, Bowles could make things a lot worse for the Bantamweight king.  Bowles has very sound stand up and is well rounded to boot.  You can never count out Miguel Torres, who is as scrappy as anyone in MMA.  He mixes scrap with profound talent and technical prowess that has brought him this far.  The WEC wins either way this goes down. Another feud for the title would be great, meaning the world doesn’t end if Bowles wins. However, everyone loves an unstoppable champion and Torres is the closest thing the WEC has. 

At the end of the day, the WEC always delivers an entertaining card. You don’t have to know a single fighter on the card to come away from one of these shows smiling.  Zuffa’s smaller promotion bats a thousand when it comes to entertainment and this card will be no different. 

The Farsightedness of MMA and Our Desire for Mythos – Part II

 The word mythos is defined by my mac dictionary (because I don’t really care to go find anything more credible) as “a tradition or recurrent narrative theme or plot” and “a set of beliefs or assumptions about something.”   The mythos of a culture refers to the narratives that give that culture identity. They are shared stories that can be referred back to for identification. MMA has a certain mythos already. That is, certain stories already exist for us. Most noticeably, the Gracie family and particularly Royce Gracie brought about what is almost like our origin narrative.  However, our sport is young and, in turn, is still in the process of developing its mythos.  Think about it.  Baskeball (Michael Jordan, Bird vs Magic, Dr. J, Pistol Pete), baseball (Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, the curse, Lou Gehrig) football (Superbowl III, LT, The Dynasties) and boxing (Ali, Tyson, Foreman, Frasier, Joe Louis, Marciano) all have stories with which fans of the sport can identify with in one way or another. They may take sides on these stories but they are unequivocal touchstones in the sport.  Our farsightedness as culture demonstrates our desire for such stories for our own sport.

Fedor represents the new emerging narrative. Even if he lost now, Fedor will still be looked back upon as a touchstone character in MMA lore, but as we watch that character we want more, more aura. Even though fighters like GSP and Anderson Silva make compelling cases as better overall fighters, Fedor’s mystique comes from him being Russian, somewhat undersized for the division, and gaining his credibility despite never having competed in the biggest and most known company in the sport.  If Fedor came to the UFC, beat a few key fighters, and went home, it would be set in stone. Hell, Fedor could lose after that or even suffer a lose in the UFC if it were to the right fighter (Randy Couture) without hurting his legacy one bit. The Last Emperor is already the stuff of legend but there will always be a “what if” if he does not fight under the UFC banner and do it in time for the dream fights MMA fans want to see. This is why Fedor catches our attention and keeps it… no matter what else is going on.

Alas, it seems as if we must wait and wait we will. I am convinced that Fedor might well end up in the UFC, once his contract with M-1 is up, which by my understanding is one more fight.  I can even see it happening by the end of the year.  What is important here is that our fascination with Fedor and his potential moves at the expense of super-fights around the corner demonstrates our desire to have a history, narratives that we can turn to.