Matches To Make After UFC 121

UFC 121 was nothing if it wasn’t impactful. The card didn’t just change the trajectory of the UFC; it changed MMA in general. Cain Velasquez has the potential to expand the UFC market into a new, exciting market. As the UFC breaks new ground individual fighters look at their own next steps. Some fights emerge out of the card obviously with contenders waiting in the wings and shots being all but guaranteed. On the other hand some fighters come out of UFC 121 with question marks surrounding their next step. This article outlines 7 matches that need to happen after the most important card in recent memory.

Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos

This fight may be all but signed but it is still worth mention. Both fighters have bulldozed through the HW division since entering the UFC and neither has given any reason to believe they are ready to slow. This writer has called this as the most important HW fight in MMA for some time now and Velasquez’s win over Brock pulled the magnifying glass directly over himself and in turn his title run. No doubt the UFC will consider running this fight in Mexico or at least the Southwest. Velasquez and Dos Santos are two new prototypes for HW MMA, a level above their competition. Their fight is not one to be missed.

GSP/Josh Koscheck winner vs Jake Shields

Following the Shields/Kampmann fight I was convinced that Shields would be forced to fight again before getting a title shot. He looked tired and uninspired for the latter half of the fight, winning due to the inexplicable game plan of Kampmann. Alas, Dana White seems to believe the fight warrants a title shot all the same. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if White and company don’t want Shields to get tooled sooner rather than later. GSP is the favorite to come out of his feud with the belt but either coach of The Ultimate Fighter would be a serious step up for Shields. On the bright side, it will be hard for critiques to stay vocal if Shields keeps finding ways to win, especially at this level.

Tito Ortiz vs Chuck Liddell

It is hard to imagine long-time MMA fans getting excited for yet another meeting between these two considering how their previous fights have gone. Liddell seems to securely have Ortiz’s number and nothing in either mans’ recent performances leads us to believe that things between the two have changed. What has changed is their relevancy in the division. Both fighters have fallen far from grace. Chuck seems to have accepted that he may have a few fights left but a title run is likely out of the question. Ortiz on the other hand has likely not lost the illusion, at least not publicly. However, the names Liddell and Ortiz still put asses in the seats and money in the right pockets.

Matt Hamill vs Vladimir Matyushenko

Hamill deserves to move up the ladder with his win but Ortiz’s lack of success prior to this fight mitigates his progress somewhat. Little Nog might be another good choice here but one might expect him to get someone who isn’t such a strong wrestler. Matyushenko and Hamill likely wont deliver fireworks it will test both’s will and strength. Unfortunately neither man will get a big publicity boost with this fight but the top of the LHW division is booked up for months. Matt Hamill and Vladimir Matyushenko could both use this solid no frills win before taking the next step.

Diego Sanchez vs Dan Hardy

This win might have been the worst thing that could have happened to Diego Sanchez. He should really be fighting at LW as his future there is much brighter, but beating Thiago might have convinced him that he should stay at WW or at least fight in two divisions. If he insists on moving up he needs to be put in the cage with stiff competition. As for Dan Hardy, it is time to decide how real he is, no breaks for either man. Diego’s energy will test Hardy; it hard to imagine anyone putting Sanchez to sleep early and walking away without being pushed. Additionally, Sanchez would provide all the trash-talking material Dan Hardy would need to build this fight to a fever pitch. If these two men want to get back in the title picture one of them is going to have to fall further down the ranks.

Gabriel Gonzaga vs Cheick Kongo

Kongo does not deserve to move up after his last showing, constantly grabbing his opponents shorts to gain a superior position and hitting his trademark (and increasingly hard to sympathize with) low blow. Gonzaga on the other hand has gone stagnant in the middle of the ranks yet again. Both fighters seem to have trouble breaking into the next level and both fighters are still recognizable to the general public. This fight could easily be sold on a main card or better yet as a Fight Night headliner, splicing in some heavyweight action into a slot usually reserved for the smallest three weight-classes in the UFC. This is yet another case where one fighter needs to make room for the other in the UFC ranks.

Court McGee vs Sam Stout

Both fighters are coming off wins on the same card and while Sam Stout is probably the higher ranked fighter, Court McGee is likely the more recognizable fighter due to his placement on the Spike TV prelims and The Ultimate Fighter. What Court McGee gains in fighting a more experienced and possibly better fighter he gives by providing Stout with a more hyped and recognized fighter to establish (or reestablish) himself against. McGee’s stand-up would be thoroughly tested against Stout, who is much less likely to gas out than Court’s last opponent. Fans would get to see just how resilient the TUF winner really is. Stout has tons of heart and can put just about anyone through the ringer. McGee however would get to take a great step up in the rise all TUF winners must take to serious contention.

Matches to Make after UFC 119

UFC 119 was not the worst event I have ever seen. It was however the worst main event that I have seen. Two fighters that didn’t seem to have much desire to fight walked around each other until one of them got lazy enough to get KOed with a sloppy knee. Alas, no one who heard Cro Cop talk before this fight should have really expected much from him. But for all the talk Mir does, you would expect serious attempts to get the fight the ground and “earn another trophy for his wall.” Alas, the fights that we should be concerned took place earlier in the night. Chris Lytle and Matt Serra may not have had the most technical battle but they certainly weren’t boring. Matt Mitrione and CB Dollaway impressed on the spike TV portion of the card. Evan Dunham and Sean Sherk tore the house down and while Sherk came away with a win, Dunham might have actually gained more from the fight. After a full night of fights (or at least what were billed as fights) its time to look forward.

Ryan Bader vs. Rich Franklin

The word on the street is Bader vs Jon Jones is next on the docket, but I side with sherdog.com on this one in thinking the UFC might want to think twice about sacrificing one prospect to another. Nothing in Bader’s performance at 119 leads me to believe that he has a chance against Jones unless he lands that big looping right. Jones wont worry about his wrestling or his hands. That is not to say that Franklin would be a cakewalk. Franklin will be more willing to let his hands fly than Nog. Bader will get a chance to test his wrestling and his standup against another vet and see just how close he is to a title shot. Franklin on the other hand gets to fight a name opponent that is on the opposite end of the spectrum from his last and demonstrate that he can hang with the young athletes at 205.

Frank Mir vs Roy Nelson

You know who won’t let Frank Mir have a lazy fight? Roy Nelson. You know who wont be afraid to bang with Frank Mir? Roy Nelson. You know who wont be afraid to go to the ground with Frank Mir? Roy Nelson. I think everyone in the MMA universe, including Dana White has a lot of time for Roy Nelson now. He is coming off a tough lose to a future title contender and deserves a top-level fight to come back on. Mir on the other hand can’t deserve to take a huge stride up the ladder when you consider his last two fights. Both men provide solid tests for one another and should more thoroughly articulate where each belongs in the division.

Chris Lytle vs Jon Fitch

I would say Lytle vs Alvez here but Alvez has a dance partner. The UFC has never wanted to give Jon Fitch an easy fight and I think the time is now to give Lytle a chance to line himself up to take the next step. Lytle always delivers excitement and is very dangerous in all areas of the fight. Fitch is oft criticized for his “boring” style and could use a well rounded, blue-collar fighter to push the pace on him a bit. Both men want to take a step toward the title and they are both probably two fights away. Neither guy is in a protected position in the UFC so why not put them against one another and see who really wants a title fight.

Kenny Florian vs Sean Sherk II

Both fighters are very different fighters from their first meeting. Both guys are trying to make their way back to a title shot and both guys need quality wins. I don’t think anyone is ready to make this a number one contenders fight but it would certainly be a step in the right direction for both fighters. Sherk beat a prospect now he needs to fight an established fighter while Florian would love to avenge a loss and get back on the winning track, proving that he is maturing and developing. Sherk needs to prove that he is back to being The Muscle Shark and not that short stocky relatively ineffective boxer we saw before his string of injuries. Florian would make him use all his skills and that is what we need to see from Sherk.

Evan Dunham vs Takanori Gomi

Gomi is coming off a huge win and Dunham is coming off the most productive lose of anyone’s career. Many people adamantly believe he won the fight. Gomi would be a perfect fight for Dunham, a quality fighter and big name. Additionally the fight would test Dunham in a different way than Sherk did. Gomi wouldn’t exactly be taking a step down either. Dunham didn’t lose any fans at UFC 119 and everyone will be eyeing his return to the cage bringing some more attention from American fans to the Japanese fighter. Both guys would gain a great deal with a win. Both fighters get a big opportunity with this fight and a serious title contender could be born out of it. .

UFC Fighters To Watch

LW - Charles Oliveira – Casually writing about MMA and likening myself a serious fan of the sport, I have never made an easier decision in my life when it comes to kicking off a post. Charles Oliveira fought a bigger stronger man in Efrain Escudero. Plan A was nixed by Escudero’s size and wrestling so Oliveira went to Plan B - flashy, lightening fast striking that caught everyone, including the “experts,” off guard. This kid has some very serious ground skills, is demonstrating developing striking skills, and… lest we forget… he is only 20 years old. Oliveira certainly found his share of challenges dealing with Escudero but dealing with challenges is the sign of a superstar. In addition to his skills the lightweight division is one that seems to be in a period of shift, a new guard coming forward. There is not a fighter among the emerging stars that possesses the same skill set, making him unique among his peers.

WW – John Hathaway – Before his fight with Diego Sanchez at UFC 114 Hathaway had flown under the radar, due mostly to his decision wins and ultra-vanilla image. Well-rounded and not wanting for excitement, Hathaway is on a tear and the UFC seems to have his best interest in mind. Mike Pyle is a game opponent but it would have been easy to push Hathaway past his ability against someone like Thiago Alvez or Jon Fitch. Another young fighter at 23 years old, Hathaway’s brightest years are in front of him. His combination of takedowns and striking is tough to outscore on any given night but once Hathaway starts honing his skills to finish fights he will be hard for anyone at 170 pounds to contend with.

LW – George Sotiropoulos – Most MMA faithful are on to Soti at this point but he is still invisible to even the casual fan. The Sotiropoulos that we saw on TUF was impressive and likely should have won the contest, but he pales in comparison to the relentless Aussie who wore down both Kurt Peiegrino and Joe Stevenson. While one might wonder about his ability to finish, posting decisisions in his two biggest wins, Sotiropoulos’ first 4 wins ended in the first two rounds (three submissions and one TKO) and one glance at any of his fights makes clear his intentions to finish at all times. Not a brash talker, six wins has not been enough to get him the spotlight just yet but a seventh over Joe Lauzon could be enough to get him the winner of the next title fight. The scariest part about this fighter is that his stand-up might be underrated as we have witnessed noted improvement as his level of competition increases.

LHW – Phil Davis – It would be too easy to cite Jon Jones or Ryan Bader as a guy to watch in this division. I have a lot of time for both men and think they could both be future champions, but Phil Davis is another fighter proliferating the new prototype of an MMA fighter. Well rounded, strong, athletic, and improving technical prowess in all areas – Davis is tough for just about anyone to deal with. His quality of competition to this point has not been what has caught some fans’ eyes. It is the way in which he has won each fight, dominating in virtually every statistical category. Tim Boetch is slated to be Davis’ next and biggest test to date. The subject of this particular test will be Davis’ chin and power. Boech is the closest thing to a modern Viking that we have in MMA but he has shown weakness against wrestlers before. This could be a step out fight for Davis, who is about to enter a tough stretch of opponents over the next year or so.

Honorable Mentions

HW - Brendan Schaub – From Schaub to this point we have seen impressive performances against relatively impressive fighters. His only lose comes to the closest thing to a full on ringer TUF has ever had. I still have questions about Schaub’s ability to hang with fighters at the next level, but his athleticism and stand-up skills have been enough so far at least enough to raise some eyebrows.

HW - Matt Mitrione – Unimpressive in his stint on TUF 10 season, Mitrione has become the “MMA Test.” A former football player himself, he demonstrated that Marcus Jones was not ready to be in the UFC. More importantly he showcased to the world that Kimbo Slice was nowhere near ready. It makes you wonder what would have happened if Mitrione had been given the James Toney fight. Yet to prove himself at the next level (or any competitive level in the UFC), the jury is out but the eyes are very much still on Mitrione.

LHW - Ricardo Romero – Ill-prepared for his first fight physically, Romero is still a fighter with a lot of upside in a division that doesn’t have a stand-out BJJ practitioner. Presuming that he gets another shot in the UFC, he could be facing a crossroads. He needs to put forth an impressive performance We have seen plenty of fighters with all degrees of hype disappoint early and then storm back to find success.

MW - Court McGee – I am rarely that high on TUF grads until they prove they can do something against guys NOT on the show (hence my honorable mention list). However, I am really tempted to throw my full support behind McGee. Court looked good throughout the show, constantly improving and always giving 110%. We will see what he can do against Ryan Jensen before we get too carried away but with his motor and his seeming desire to improve Court McGee could have a really bright future.

UFC 118 Preview

In a card absolutely stacked with talent and diverse in its place in the current MMA narrative, UFC 118 has something for everyone. If you are a fan of the Lightweight division this I likely the most important card of the year, sporting a huge rematch for the LW title between Frankie Edger and BJ Penn as well as a number one contender fight between Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard. Perhaps the little guys don’t do it for ya? You need big names and big personalities? It doesn’t get bigger than Randy Couture vs James Toney. Legends in their sports and infamous for their diametrically opposed personalities outside the cage, boxing and MMA will have a go at each other on Saturday Aug. 28^th. Lets not forget about Demian Maia, Nate Diaz, and Marcus Davis, all names that are firmly embedded in the MMA fan’s consciousness. There is a lot on the line in every fight at UFC 118.

Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz is going to step up to Welterweight, following his brother’s tendency to jump weight-classes. Making a good impression at your new weightclass is always important but Diaz is entering a stacked division and moving up in weight is going to make it more difficult to gain momentum towards a title fight. The welcoming committee is non-too-welcoming though. Marcus Davis has been hot and cold since he went on a tear in 2007/2008 and he needs to get back on track if he wants to avoid being a lifetime gatekeeper in the middle of the division. Both fighters will be trying to secure a win so as to avoid slipping further down the card. Diaz will likely find success with his range and versatile striking, knowing that Davis will want to avoid the ground. Davis must keep the stand-up battle crisp and close if he wants to exploit his strengths. That task is easier said than done against a Diaz.

Demian Maia v Mario Miranda

Maia gained a lot of fans in his loss to Anderson Silva and now he must rebound professionally against a very promising fighter in Mario Miranda. Miranda has demonstrated an ability to finish fights with strikes or submissions but he would be foolish to take the fight to the ground with a submission ace like Maia. Maia will need to further demonstrate his improved boxing and always-versatile takedowns to put this fight in his back yard. A return win is paramount for Maia while Miranda finds himself in a wonderful position to establish himself a division that all the sudden seems to be full of parody.

Kenny Florian vs Gray Maynard

In a steep, highly competitive division these two fighters have been steamrolling virtually everyone in their paths. Maynard lives up to his nickname, The Bully by pushing people around and controlling the pace of almost every fight he has been in. Florian has developed into a world-class fighter in front of our eyes, only slowing for the living legend BJ Penn. The biggest question surrounding this fight revolves around skill set vs skill set. Maynard has demonstrated improved boxing skills while Florian is known for sharp Mui Tai. One would tend to think Florian will have an advantage on the feet but the question is weather or not Maynard can use his stand-up to set up the take down. On the ground one would presume that Maynard might be able to use his wrestling and his power to control the fight. He must however deal with a strong BJJ based ground game from Florian, squandering sweeps and defending submissions while continuing to do damage. The fight could end up a war of attrition, each with enough skill to damage the other and avoid being finished. With a title shot on the line, the threat of each fighter being overly caution always looms over the fight, but the match-up is too interesting and too important to not get any MMA fan pumped.

Randy Couture vs James Toney

What can you say about this fight that hasn’t been said 100 times or isn’t painfully obvious to the world. Incase you have been living under a rock or literally have no idea what MMA is and subsequently what you have read to this point, James Toney is going to try to knock Randy out and Randy I going to try to take Toney down. It is that simple. If Randy can get in and take Toney down he is going to likely submit him or pound on him until Toney or the referee decides that the fight is over. However if Toney can force a stand-up battle or catch Couture coming in, it could be “Lights Out” for the MMA legend. Toney is the great unknown. We know he is not going to have world class grappling skills of any kind but we don’t know what he has learned. At the end of the day this is not one you can be on the fence about. As a loyal MMA fan and long time fan of Randy Couture I stand firmly behind him in the fight. My faith in his ability to return to championship glory has diminished but my faith in him dropping James Toney on his head has not.

BJ Penn vs Frankie Edger

The greatest Lightweight in the history of the sport will get a chance to prove the torch has not be wrestled away from him just yet. The first meeting between these two ended in a razor close decision, so close that few seemed upset about the title change but everyone understood running it back one more time was neccessary. BJ Penn will try to fight a different fight all together in this one. Being drawn into Edger’s wheelhouse led him to being about a half a step behind in the striking game for 25 minutes. The good news for Penn was that his cardio seemed relatively sound despite his rocky history with conditioning and his alleged sickness. What was a competitive title fight has now turned into a riddle to figure out. If Penn can change the style of fight he should be able to give Edger more than he can handle. A win for Penn would most certainly set up a rubber match and a win for Edger would open up new doors for challengers such as Florian and Sanchez (if he ever gets his head strait and return to LW). The main event may be overshadowed by James Toney’s mouth in the hype column but there is not a more important fight on this card by miles. Edger and Penn might be battling at the crossroads of a division to determine its future and just how big Penn’s legacy can grow.

To Rematch or Not...

The timeline for the middleweight title was supposed to be predetermined. Anderson Silva would decimate Sonnen, fight Vitor near the end of the year and then likely let it go to fight at Light Heavyweight. Before the real shit hit the fan, Silva declared that he no longer wished to fight at Light Heavyweight and instead intended to finish his career right where he was. Then came Chael Sonnen, the man who, love him or hate him, backed up everything he said he was going to do, except win the title that is. Anderson Silva was taken down and beaten up for over 22 minutes, fortunately for him a title fight lasts 25 and it was in this gap that the champion caught the challenger in a submission he had no choice but to submit to. There in lays the problem, what do we do with Anderson Silva now? Sonnan’s followers believe an instant rematch is in order while many still eye a Belfort title fight first.

The answer is not obvious in either direction and I am not completely sure I buy into a “right” answer. However, I do support Vitor’s shot at the title, assuming that both fighters are physically prepared and motivated. In the interest of full disclosure, I want to see Silva exposed to a completely different challenge before I have to seriously worry about him getting worked for another 25 minutes, hoping he can solve the smother puzzle. It isn’t that I dislike Sonnen. I have, in fact, grown to like him a great deal, but if you have visited this blog before and read my comments on Fedor or you have talked to me about MMA personally you know that I value the myth of certain fighters. It is important for a sport culture to have myths and legends that they can root themselves in. Anderson Silva is one of those myths and I root for him because I enjoy seeing larger than life figures in a sport full of parody.

So you see it isn’t that Sonnen doesn’t deserve a title shot. He is the most tangible threat to the title and in turn he is a top contender. My personal fascination with the growing culture of MMA is only part of why we need to see Vitor vs Silva. A fight is 25 minutes long. Sonnen lost the fight. Not only that, he was finished, tapped. There was no controversy, no argument, no two ways around it. Anderson Silva won the fight and Chael Sonnen, as dominant as he was is not a losing champion or cheated challenger. In addition, it should be hard to justify a rematch when a game, marketable, and novel challenger waits in the wings. No matter what the critiques say, Belfort has had success and put together enough wins for consideration.

No matter who gets the title shot MMA fans will likely not be disappointed on the whole. Anderson Silva will defend his title again and with Sonnen’s kick in the as to the Middleweight division we should se worthwhile match-ups for a long time to come.

6 Fights We Need To See In 2011

6. Jose Aldo vs Ben Henderson

Fights in the Way: Jose Aldo vs Manny Gamburyan, Jose Aldo vs Josh Grispi, Ben Henderson vs Anthony Pettis, Ben Henderson vs Shane Roller

Jose Aldo is a guy that I think could compete with some of the top ranked Lightweights in the world. In fact, Aldo vs Edger is almost the fight I pulled the trigger on here. However, I reined back my expectations for now, pitting the two dominant looking WEC champions. Both fighters are probably two fights away from proving that this WEC super-fight is warranted but as the divisions stand right now both might not have the worst time getting there. The biggest concern is the amount of time it might take given how much space we see between title defenses in the organization. That said, 2011 could see the WEC pose its first interdivision super-fight if both fighters can do their part, the winner potentially finding no place to go but the UFC.

5. Gilbert Melendez vs Eddie Alvarez

Fights in the Way: Eddie Alvarez vs Pat Curran, Gilbert Melendez vs. Billy Evangelista

When goliath is as big as the UFC and the rest of the mixed martial arts world seems to favor a freer flowing structure for the sport, ripe with inter-promotional fights, working together is a must. Strikeforce and Bellator have the power and the presumed motivation to bring these two fighters together if the circumstances present themselves. Alvarez has a date with Curran on the upcoming season of Bellator and Evangelista is as deserving as anyone of a shot at Melendez; however, these two powerhouses could easily find themselves without ranking opponents in their own organizations in the not too distant future. Both fighters share a flare for excitement and a passion for punching. Between Alvarez’s 5 strait submissions and Melendez’s highly publicized top control the fight could present edge-of-your-seat action no matter where it ends up. The powers that be outside the UFC must keep us interested and this is one way to do it.

4. Wanderlei Silva vs Chris Leban

Fights in the Way: None

This might be the easiest one to make happen but it might also be the most entertaining of the lot. Chris Leban stepped in for Wanderlei Silva and pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career recently. While Leban is very similar to Silva in many ways, the two fighters are very different. Leban is willing to throw anything and everything at his opponent while Wandi condenses everything he has into being a hunched over punch machine. Given what we have seen from Silva since joining the UFC and what we have seen from Leban in his last two fights, this fight is wide open. Silva is vulnerable to being hit on the button but he will never give an inch to any opponent. On the other hand Leban comes forward like a zombie. Anderson Silva even had to hit him, what seemed like, 100 times before he finally went down. There is no doubt that both men would come into the fight like their careers depended on it and while both fighters are coming off solid wins, they kind of do. The most recent word is that Dana White wants Leban back in the cage sooner rather than later but giving him a reasonable break seems like only the right thing to do. If these two throw down like everyone expects no one really comes out a loser with this fight, especially not the fans.

3. Jake Shields vs Georges St. Pierre

Fights in the Way: Georges St. Pierre vs Josh Koscheck, Jake Shields vs Fitch/Alvez Winner

Jake Shields has had his share of critics for the majority of his professional career. Just when he shakes the perception that there is one glass ceiling to his talent he gets matched up against someone perceived to be significantly more talented. His win against Dan Henderson put him on the map as one of the best Welterweights in the world, but his likely move to the UFC should present a whole new set of challenges, challenges that will keep him in the underdog role for some time to come. It is quite doubtful that Shields will be thrown to the wolf as it were with GSP. Much more likely is a scenario where he meets someone like Thiago Alvez or Jon Fitch in a number one contenders match. Only the UFC’s fear of cornering themselves into a rematch could fast-track Shields. The Shields/GSP fight is where the money is though. Shields has a skill-set to combat what GSP does really well and while GSP will always be the favorite, Shields could present a significantly more interesting fight than one of the many fighters the champ has already disposed of via unanimous decision.

2. Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos

Fights in the Way: Cain Velasquez vs Brock Lesnar, Junior Dos Santos vs Roy Nelson

Unequivocally, this is the best fight we can hope for in the Heavyweight division. Dos Santos and Velasquez are the two more talented fighters in a deep lot the UFC has built in its most marketable division. JDS has had a dynamic rise to top with a KO pace that may rival that of Cro Cop in Pride. Velasquez on the other hand seems to show us something new in every fight, looking like the most well rounded HW we have seen in years. Despite the oversized wrestlers that steal the headlines as of late, these two could be the new prototypes for HW fighting styles in the future. Not only is this a fight that I would like to see happen, it is a fight I very much think WILL happen. Velasquez will be by far the stiffest test for Lesnar, whom is going to have all kinds of trouble standing with Velasquez. A win over Brock Lesnar will establish Velasquez as the man to beat, a fighting machine with the skills to slay any beast, no matter how physically daunting. Dos Santos doesn’t have a walk in the park with Nelson but his hands are on another level right now and should give him a significant advantage. Another brutal KO could put JDS on the map as the most skilled striker in the HW division today. What’s more, his takedown defense and scramble ability are no joke. So what happens when the most dangerous striker in the HW division tries to KO a well-rounded super-fighter? Perhaps we will get the opportunity to find out.

1. Anderson Silva vs Shogun Rua

Fights in the Way: Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnan, Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort, Shogun Rua vs Rashad Evans

While many fans pine for Silva vs Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva vs. Shogun Rua is now far and away the top dog on this writers’ dream fight list. Size matters in MMA and even though the jump from MW to LHW is larger than WW to MW a move by The Spider is far more practical than one by GSP at this point. St. Pierre still strikes me as a bit small to make a fight with Silva the epic battle everyone hopes for; not to mention the style match-up begs for a quick finish or a 25 minute snoozer. If GSP puts on the weight over the next year or so I will reconsider. However, Silva is a big MW with experience (although limited) at the next weight-class. Many pundits and fans alike have argued for Silva to get a title shot at 205 when his friend and training partner Machida held the belt. The undisputed pound-for-pound king is slowly but surely running out of challengers and becoming one of the most divisive (and in turn marketable) fighters in the sport. In short, he needs to fight the best in the world and bring the biggest super-fights to the table. Across the hypothetical cage, Shogun looks like a world-beater again. His aggressive and well-timed approach has lead him to three very impressive performances, two over a world-class fighter (and counter-puncher) against which we can gage Shogun’s chances opposite Silva. It is the precise aggression he showed in those fights that make him dangerous against a fighter like Silva who clearly needs to have the fight taken to him by a highly skilled and well-rounded fighter. If Shogun returns to from his surgery in form and Silva gets past the only two real challenges left for him at 185 UFC matchmaking would do themselves a lot of favors to look at Light heavyweight for their next super-fight.

Brock Lesnar’s meteoric rise to prominence in MMA has certainly been impressive, but his win over Shane Carwin at UFC 116 is far and away his most awe-inspiring performance to date. Many critics, like myself, saw Lesnar’s career to this point one of favorable match-ups. Carwin was a different story all together, a skilled wrestler with incredible punching power. The fight seemed to be a toss up on paper. Lesnar’s ability to weather an early storm, one that has put many fighters before him out, demonstrated his toughness and endurance. Better still, Lesnar turned heads by locking on a textbook arm triangle. Even Rogan and Goldberg seemed as caught off guard as Carwin by the telegraphed submission. All credit to Lesnar for demonstrating his resilience and an evolving skill-set. Potential challengers for the top heavyweight in the world now have two more qualities to keep them up at night. His performance seems to be dividing the masses though. Some think this is a sign that the monster might just be unbeatable while others saw signs of his eventual demise in round one. Either way, one more win for Brock and one more chapter in MMA’s most profitable story.

Brock was not the only one to turn heads with a come from behind win. Chris Leben notched the biggest win of his career as he locked down a submission on Akyama in the closing seconds of what certainly would have been a decision victory for Sexyama. One got a funny feeling watching that fight that Leben was going to make something happen. Much like the feeling the first Scott Smith vs Chung Le fight brought as the third round closed and Smith seemed all but out on his feet before shocking the world. I for one had given up on Leben just seconds before, thinking the position would be enough for Akyama to grind out a win, taking nothing away from an extremely game Leben – silly me. Chris Leben has earned himself a real break this time around but the UFC would be smart to get him back in the cage in a reasonable amount of time to capitalize on the momentum both in the cage and in the press. Akyama didn’t come out of this a total loser, demonstrating some toughness that American fans were yet to really see in him. However he isn’t storming the UFC castle like many thought he could.

More than anything UFC 116 as a whole demonstrated that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and anyone else with any say in the matter are on fire as of late. Excitement abound as fights are getting very competitive in the UFC these days. Matt Brown and Chris Lytle lit up the cage with their scrap before Lytle duplicated their first encounter by submitting The Immortal. Both fighters seem to be perennial mid-tier drifters but rarely disappoint in the cage. Just when you think Stephan Bonnar’s UFC career is ending before your eyes, he refuses to die. The man is as tough as they come and showed a lot of heart by swinging with Soszynski till one of them could finally finish the other off. Both fighters seem to be remaining in the UFC. Rounding out an action packed ppv card, George Sotiropoulos continues his rise at 155 pounds by grinding out an exciting win over Kurt Pellegrino. Neither guy is particularly good at being boring so the pace surprised no one. Sotiropoulos is on the rise and hould see another visible fight and a game opponent in the near future. Spike TV was not without its share of wow moments as Brendan Schuab provided the most dominant performance of the night be making very short work of Chris Tuchscherer. Ricardo Romero and Jerald Harris had to survive some violent attacks before finishing their respective opponents in dazzling fashion. Romero appeared as if he might have broken Seth Petruzelli’ arm while Jerald Harris polished off David Branch with a stunning KO by way of slam. UFC 116 delivered and it delivered big. A fantastic card with a huge headliner, the event made good on its promise of action and even with UFC on Versus 2 around the corner it should keep the MMA world buzzing until UFC 117.

I never thought...

Before teaching kindergarten in Korea I never thought I would…

… break up fights over crayons on a weekly basis.

… walk down a hallway leading children in a parade of monkey imitations.

… have to say “its not called a peanut and don’t talk about that to me anyway.”

… day dream from time to time about punching a child. (Look, if you have ever worked with children or been around them for any significant amount of time and you say you have NOT thought about how good it would feel to hit a kid as hard as you can from time to time you are a dirty liar.)

… eat so much squid jerky.

… have to have serious conversations with other adults about stickers, laminated flip-cards, and rejecting gifts from children.

… have to work so hard and lie so much on reviews to spare the feelings of supposed adults who can apparently not take any (not just severe, but ANY) criticism of their children.

… receive teaching suggestions from parents who have never been in my classroom or have any experience in education.

… enjoy rice wine so much.

… read so many nonsense slogans on t-shirts, store signs, and advertisements.

… spend so much time looking for public trashcans. (Seriously there are lik12 in this whole country.)

… make up so many ridiculous lies like: my grandfather is Santa Clause, you will have to make lunch with the lunch ladies if you aren’t good in class, or I am friends with Spider Man.

… wait in so many lines for the bus just too seem people crowd around the door when it is time to board.

There are many more of these to come. I will try to jot down notes when I think of them.

The "Fall" of Fedor

I closed my last blog with what now seems like a prophecy delivered with an ironic tongue. The lose of Fedor deserves a great deal of attention in the MMA universe, attention it has certainly inspired. In my little corner of that universe I would like to keep it short and to the point.

Fedor has laid down a legacy that may not be touched in our lifetime. His lose does little or nothing to damage that legacy as all of the greats fall if they are truly pushing themselves. Werdum is a very game Heavyweight and there is no shame in losing to him. However, to be honest, the fight itself is small when compared with the backdrop to which it is set. With all due respect to the top-level performance from Werdum and his history making win that night, his career will likely be remembered for his role in Fedor’s story. Many people claim that this exposes Fedor and to that I agree. This exposed Fedor as a man that makes mistakes, something we once believe he was probably not really capable of.

When the dust settled on Fedor’s defeat I was sad, sad because the myth of Fedor had changed directions. It is no longer that of some mysterious God, but that of a great man. I am not sure which is better for the sport but the change brought about sadness all the same. Many have taken this as a prime opportunity to take shots at the man and his legacy but it is to that legacy that every MMA fan owes a debt of gratitude. That legacy has helped build and maintain the sport internationally. That legacy has fueled hype, debate, and endless speculation for a booming sport in its fastest growing period. Fedor means more to MMA than his record. Here s to hoping MMA remembers that as he proves himself a mortal man.

The New Breed

MMA as a sport is still relatively young, like baby young if you really think about it. It is still a sport that can be infiltrated and conquered to some degree by a college wrestler who has spent the majority of his professional life as a pro wrestler. That is not to say that pro wrestlers are not legitimate athletes or that Brock Lesnar is not a solid Mixed Martial Artists. In fact my opinion on both matters is quite to the contrary. My point is this; Lesnar wasn’t able to break into the NFL, not even on the lowest levels of a practice squad. His wrestling translates better to MMA but as a sport, no one should be able to train the intricacies of what is suppose to be a somewhat complex system of fighting and become the champion of the biggest organization in just 4 years. I am not here to bash Brock though. Quite the opposite, Brock Lesnar is an amazing athlete that is bringing something new to MMA; he is changing the game. However as the sport develops and evolves thanks to additions such as Lesnar, a more refined fighter is going to emerge as the standard.

What will the future of Mixed Martial Arts look like. It will probably be as diverse as the present, but the overall dynamic will be different. Rory MacDonald seems to be one fighter coming to the fore that could give us some insight into the future. At only 20 years old, MacDonald is showing a well-rounded arsenal of skills and top-level athleticism to boot. He sports an 11-1 record and has already made his way onto UFC main cards. At his age, he has been brought up on MMA like few of his peers in the UFC. By the time he is 27 he could have 7 years of big fight experience behind him, training at the top camps at the top levels. Hell, he already trains with GSP from time to time. Now imagine how things are going to look in another 5 years, another 10 years. Imagine what it will look like when dads have been raising their sons or daughters since they could walk to be mixed martial artists. Of course there is a terrible way we could all imagine that going horribly wrong but that is not my intention to go in that direction. What is going to happen when MMA is no longer a sport for fighters of different backgrounds to integrate other style into theirs and see who becomes the victor, but a sport of fighters who have trained virtually everything from a young age, who’s natural inclinations toward one area or physical gifts in one art dictate specialties but all areas are areas of proficiency? Well-rounded super athletes like GSP might be prototypes that get blown out of the water. Blue Chips like MacDonald might be considered pioneers of a new epoch. Former outsiders like Lesnar may never get a chance to break in.

Yes, MMA is still young. We are still building our myths and our legends. We are still trying to figure out our judging system and our weight classes. MMA is still trying to decide what a “real” MMA fighter looks like. It is my belief that as the sport continues to grow and be legitimized in mainstream sports culture more well rounded, naturally gifted athletes will emerge that would have otherwise started dedicating themselves to football or basketball. As natural athletic gifts get molded into fight tools from an early age (ideally though highly structured practice in a number of different martial arts by trained professionals) the overall quality of the fighter pool will increase. As that overall quality increases so will the quality of the top mixed martial artists in the world. Today we see some of the greatest fighters to ever walk the earth but it is my belief that they are early stages in the evolution of professional fighters. In a sport that has enjoyed unparalleled growth over the last 5-7 years there is no doubt that the best our sport has to offer could just be right around the corner.

Strikeforce Fedor vs Werdum Preview

The time is upon us again! Get out the red carpet, put on your city clothes, and do your hair up like the movie stars. Fedor Emelianenko is back in the cage and this is no circus fight. The Last Eporer will continue his streak of fighting legitimate heavyweights as he takes on former UFC fast riser Fabricio Werdum. As Strikeforce continues to set up the collision course between Overeem and Emelianenko they also feature the first Women’s Champion in American MMA and try a do over for Cung Le vs Scott Smith.

First thing’s first though, Josh Thomson is back in a Strikeforce cage and looking to make his way back to a title fight. Across the cage stands the epitome of a journeyman sporting a mediocre record in MMA. Pat Healy has a ton of experience in the sport but his selection for this fight is clearly based on the fact that he will likely provide Thomson a rebound. I expect Healy to be game as I have come to usually expect when someone is set up for defeat but Thomson should be on his way to a rubber match with the Strikeforce LW Champion using his superior athleticism and technique.

Thomson and Melendez might not be the only rubber match set up on June 26. Strikeforce is going to try their plan of having Cung Le notch a flashy win over Scott Smith one more time as they give Le the immediate rematch with the man who ruined his return party. Fort anyone who missed Schott Smith v Chung Le the first time around, it is a must watch. Smith’s come from behind KO of Le is one for the record books shocking, casual fans to pundits and youtube watchers to attendees. Obviously SF was looking for Le to get the win in their initial match and in turn it should be no surprise that they have set up the rematch. In fairness the first bout was such that a second go makes sense; one man dominated and the other man won. Even if Smith loses this one, fans should demand a rubber match. If you are going to make Smith fight a man he already beat let him get as much acclaim and big match press for it as possible, even in defeat. Turn this into a trilogy lets see if they can make it epic. That all said, Le should have better luck this time around and will likely have learned his conditioning lesson. He can’t teach his chin to take a Schott Smith punch though and that is why Smith is always in this fight.

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos is in all seriousness one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world today. Her dominance of the 145 pound women’s division thus far has been as impressive as anyone at this point and there is no end in sight. Sure she lacks the competition that male divisions have at this point in their maturation, but that doesn’t account for the fact that she looks to be about 3 or 4 levels above her closest peers. Strikeforce seems to be grasping at straws to find her challengers as they bring in Jan Finney, and 8-7 fighter that often fights a weight class lower than the dominant champion. Finney is on a four fight win streak, her most recent coming against previously 17-3 fighter Adrienna Jenkins. Unfortunately two of her other opponents only have one fight on their pro record (against Finney) and the third has a sub .500 resume. Cyborg should not take the veteran lightly but I tend to expect more of the same brutality we have seen from the champion in the past. Santos is just too fast and too sharp for her peers. MMA might be witnessing the development of a legendary champion. Each fight will either build her legacy or prove a monumental upset.

Speaking of the development of a legacy, Fedor has gone well beyond that and I constructing a full blown mythology around himself. Every fight with Fedor is either another brick in his monument or the emperor finally falling. Each opponent of Fedor since he returned to serious Heavyweight competition against Tim Sylvia has presented unique challenges and each was dealt with accordingly. At the risk of sounding like a broken record I have to maintain that this challenge is quite serious and quite dangerous. Werdum is well rounded and threatening both on his feet and on the ground. While he faltered against fast rising Junior Dos Santos, he has otherwise shown crisp boxing with a propensity to finish and very slick ground-work, particularly with regards to sweeps and control. If Fedor underestimates Werdum for one second he could find himself in a world of trouble. Werdum is not flashy, he is not the big name nor doe he have the look of a killer; however, I tend to count this a more serious threat than Sylvia, Arlovski, or Rogers for Fedor at this point. I do however expect Fedor to use his scary power on the feet to keep Werdum honest. Emelianenko is a master of timing and he can put Werdum down at any moment. On the ground Fedor is harder than your average HW to keep down. His hip work is second to none and once on top his ground and pound is brutal. I would be a bit surprised if he were able to catch Werdum in a submission but he should be able to sweep him into good positions. I don’t expect to be writing about the fall of an emperor on Sunday but anything is possible in this crazy sport. Hype aside, I never pass up the opportunity to watch The Last Emperor fight.

Changing The Game... Again: Wrestling in MMA

MMA has become a conglomerate of Martial Arts forms that can in many ways be considered a form unto itself. If you want success in MMA you need to be familiar with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, Mui Tai, Kickboxing, and Boxing in the least. Most fighters also demonstrate a familiarity with other forms such as Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Sambo or any number of others. More often than not it is difficult to tell where one traditional style ends and the other begins in a fighter’s repertoire. The days of determining which style is superior are long over. We no longer see pure Jiu-Jitsu practitioners versus pure kickboxers. When one fighter brings a style to the fore it begins to seep into the collective of MMA fight conscious, varying its influence between fighter types, weight classes, and organizations. The most recent example is of course the rising influence of Karate as a result of Lyoto Machida’s meteoric rise in the UFC. It is still how Karate will position itself in the larger MMA landscape but it influence seems an almost certainty in the years to come as more Karate schools are opening up and Karate teachers are in higher demand.

One style is currently changing the game more than any other, but not as a generally new addition to the MMA fighting lexicon. There is something of a second wrestling revolution going on in MMA, new fighters bringing a new level of wrestling that the MMA world is just going to have to adjust to. This new push is coming at virtually every level in the game. The first and most visible manifestation is headed up by the two men who will meet at UFC 116 for the heavyweight title, Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. Lesnar and Carwin have pushed the division around as of late, making it look easy to hold a guy in place and punch his face off. The brute size and strength at this level of wrestler is giving fits to the UFC’s big boys and is going to force the division to figure out new ways of dealing with this kind of wrestling. Georges St. Pierre brings a different wrestling to the table, one predicated upon speed and world class athleticism. GSP was not raised a high level wrestler but many would argue that he has the best wrestling in the sport today, forcing anyone thinking of competing against the WW division to address thi part of GSP’s game if they want to be the best. Then we come to Rashad Evans, wrestling’s prodigal son. Rashad Evans likened himself a striker until he lost his belt in somewhat spectacular fashion. His road back to the title has featured his wrestling pedigree in a whole new way. The jury is very much out on weather the new Rashad will win any new fans but there is no doubt that wrestling suits Mr. Evans very very well, yielding him one sided victories against Thiago Silva and Rampage Jackson. His victories are not unlike what we saw from Strikeforce champion King Mo as he took the title from then top 5 LHW Gegard Mousasi. King Mo and Suga’ are showing their division just how dangerous big athletic wrestlers can be. Finally, lest we forget, the west coast dynamic duo of Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez, who recently outwrestled two of MMA’s all time greats in Dan Henderson and Shinya Aoki respectively. Melendez further demonstrated what relentless athletic wrestlers can do in the current MMA and landscape while Shields followed GSP’s lead in incorporating wrestling into his style heavily influenced by other martial arts and his superior athleticism.

It is easy to miss the forest for the trees though. Each case can be easily isolated or countered in light of some case of a top-level striker changing the game. No aspect of MMA is stagnant; everything is always evolving and moving. The point is more about how wrestlers are in a position to make people adjust to them. Every aforementioned fighter is either a champion or in line for a title shot. Wrestlers or fighters heavily influenced by wrestling hold 6 of the 10 major belts in the UFC and Strikeforce, 7 if you count Carwin’s interim title. This represents a full-blown surge in the sport. Fighters must reckon with a new kind of wrestler, one with a better pedigree, who is more athletic, and utilize wrestling in light of other styles effectively. Expect takedown defense to improve over the next few years. Expect new striking techniques that punish shots quickly to creep into MMA as fighters get more creative with how they solve with tpuzzle of wrestling. Personally I expect styles like Sumo, Sambo, and Judo to become more influential as fighters determine how to best use leverage in the clinch and on the ground to deal with some of the problems this new surge of wrestling has been causing. No matter how you cut it, the sport evolves. What it means to be an MMA fighter evolves right along with it. Wrestling is pushing that evolution again and as fighters and coaches deal with the ramifications we can expect a more finely tuned elite sport to emerge out the other end.

UFC 115 The Aftermath

The 115^th UFC namesake event was one of those great cases in MMA that shined much brighter in practice than on paper. Recall in my last blog when I said that virtually every main card fight could be a show stealing fight of the night. As it turns out I was just about spot on.

Lets all get reacquainted with Martin Kampmann and fast. For a kick boxer, this guy has some serious ground skills. He was able to nullify Paulo Thiago and scrap out a convincing win. I have said before that my biggest concern with this young man is his consistency. In this fight we saw that he could fight his fight against a well-rounded, highly skilled fighter for three full rounds. That deserves a nod up the ranks if you ask me. The big boys of Yvel and Rothwell gave us three full rounds as well. Some fans are blowing this match off as two out of shape fighters flailing at and laying on each other. I thought it was two big boys who were scrapping it out and giving it hell. Sure Rothwell could have possibly been more aggressive going for the kill but I am not a fighter so I digress. Hats off to matchmaking for putting two evenly matched fighters in the cage.

You can’t ask for much more from a fight than three full rounds of action and a last second, legitimized stop. Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit brought their A games to open the show. MacDonald seemed to be living up to the hype until round three when Condit again showed he is 250 pounds of resilience in a 170 pound bag. Condit finally looked like he might live up to his nickname in the closing seconds of the fight, throwing everything he had into finishing his blue-chip opponent. However Rory MacDonald wasn’t the only rising star to fall in the final seconds of a fight. Mirko Cro Cop came out looking like a new man, finishing the impressive Pat Berry before the bell. I am not saying Cro Cop is back, but this is infinitely more impressive than virtually anything we have seen from the kick boxer since arriving in the UFC. I say that because I believe in the skills of Berry and therefore must believe in the performance of Cro Cop. Without getting ones hopes too high, lets cross our fingers that this is a sign of things to come from a man once the most feared striker in MMA.

Despite the busy under card one story rightfully emerged from UFC 115 as the most significant, the story of the main event. It might have been the shortest fight of the main card but it was full of storylines and interest. Rich Franklin put an exclamation point on his announcement that he has entered the ranks of light-heavyweight, not only beating the legendary Chuck Liddell but putting him out convincingly while suffering a broken arm. Just as emphatic as Franklin enters the division, Liddell bows out, now dropping 5 of his last 6 fights, 4 by KO. Liddell has left a legacy that will never be forgotten but I think it is safe to say that now is the time step away from the game gracefully. One last throw-down with Tito Ortiz will be dreadfully tempting for the Iceman and could be the perfect send off, but Liddell and his fans should ponder if it is worth the chance that Ortiz could get bragging rights for the rest of his days. Liddell looked sharp in the round with Franklin, leading some to whole-heartedly endorse his return, but his best days are behind him. The new, healthy lifestyle Liddell can be a priceless ambassador for the sport. Better that than test how many KOs it takes to tarnish a legacy.

UFC 115 Preview

MMA has no off-season. More often than not these days the gaps between major events just feature a less impressive card than normal, thus is the current existence of the sport. At the risk of making an overdone statement here, this is one of those brief times, times where even though the UFC is putting up a PPV with big name headliners we can almost take a breath and let ourselves absorbed what has recently come top pass. Cards like UFC 115 don’t get loyal MMA fans as excited as some other billings but they are necessary. There is an art to this kind of card and the UFC has perfected it.

The most intriguing thing about these shows, the ones that don’t feature title bouts or top contenders, is that they try to bring something to the table for everyone. MMA loyalists tend to balk at the shows a bit but find themselves more than a little taken by some of the fights. Casual MMA fan are usually drawn by a few names, regardless of their recent success or lack there of. Diehard MMA fans will find great interest in this card through Carlos Condits continued struggle to gain momentum in the UFC against huge prospect Rory MacDonald, Rothwell vs Yvel, Kampmann v Thiago, and Pat Barry’s stiffest striking test to date. The less dedicated fans will see the names Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin and Mirko Cro Cop, perking up a bit for the amount of name recognition the card features.

Big things were expected of Carlos Condit upon his move from the WEC to UFC but Condit has been a bit slow getting off the ground. Unbeaten Rory MacDonald should not provide the clear skies and runway he might be looking for either. Condit is an extremely well-rounded fighter many have seen him come of age a bit since his earliest days in the WEC, but some have crowned MacDonald as the next big thing. Both men will be looking to scrap this out and impress, I expect nothing short of a fight of the night candidate here with lots of work on the feet and the ground. Speaking of the ground, don’t expect Ben Rothwell and Gilbert Yvel make it down there. These two big men are in desperate need of a win in the UFC as both saw their UFC debuts come against rising superstars of the division. This could be anything from a heavyweight slugfest if both guys come prepared and motivated to a quick and much needed finish for one fighter. Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago may not be looking for a win in quite the same way but both fighters are very much looking to move in the direction of some UFC gold. Unfortunately both men have found it hard to string together wins in the right way. As a Kampmann fan and a recent convert to a Thiago believer I am confident that this fight could deliver in a big way come UFC 115.

Mirko Cro Cop is one of the most recognizable international faces in the sport of MMA today. He built his legacy around stunning knockouts and a stoic demeanor. Few heavyweights have inspired so much fear in their opponents over the years. Unfortunately it has been quite some time since we have seen that Cro Cop. Like with all fighters who have found themselves in a slump, the party line involves a refreshed, focused, and injury free comeback, but I will wait for June 12^th before I start penciling Cro Cop in as a top contender. If he doesn’t come prepared for this fight he might end up getting put down. Patrick Barry is a very game striker and this is his big chance, time to shine. A win here puts him in competition with the top names in the division. Neither man will need to worry much about submissions so both should be able to let it fly. This is another fight that could turn into a crowd pleaser.

This main event is likely what should have always been on the books. I didn’t know too many people, no matter their level of interest in the sport, that were really eager to see Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz fight for a third time, considering the outcome of their first two fights. TUF 11 had done a fair job of hyping the fight and stirring up some interest, but it didn’t really convince anyone that the result would be dramatically different. Rich Franklin filling in for the injured Ortiz however changes the game completely. Franklin has been stuck between divisions and playing gate-keeper for far too long. Franklin deserves a chance to break into the LHW division and a headlining bout against the hall of famer does just that. “Ace” could cause Liddell a lot of problems both fighters continue their recent form, save Franklin’s performance against Belfort. He has looked sharp and disciplined with his game-plans while Liddell has looked a bit exposed and slower. This fight is important not because it will make an immediate impact on the title picture but because it brings two great fighters together in what at one time could have been an all time dream match-up. UFC 115 has a lot to offer and virtually every fight on the main card has the potential to be an exciting show-stealer and that includes the main event. It is time to see where Franklin stands at 205 and see how much the legendary Iceman has in the tank. One of these two men will be going home highly disappointed and the other will breathe new life into their career. If that isn’t something to tune in for, I don’t know what is.

UFC 114 The Aftermath

As the curtain fell on UFC 114 MMA fans seemed conflicted. Rashad Evans’ fans couldn’t get the grin off their faces. Rampage diehards couldn’t shake the scowl. Many were angry that the fight went the distance and lacked the fireworks that the buildup featured. Some people criticized Jackson for not having his heart in it and others criticized Rashad for adopting a boring style for the fight. No matter what lens you look through, the fight Rashad Evans has come out the victor and likely next contender for the Light-Heavyweight Title.

The accusation that Rampage came in out of shape or undedicated does deserve a second look though. I saw a different problem with Jackson, confidence. Rampage believes in himself like no one else in front of the camera, but the idea of losing angers and scares Jackson so much that it debilitates him in fights. Jackson lacked aggression, the willingness to engage and risk the takedown or the big hook against Evans. Rashad for the most part was not able to take Jackson down but he was able to control him and stay close, putting the pressure on Jackson to go out and win the fight, something he seemed unwilling to do. The only sign of ring-rust I saw was a slight lack of quickness in his hands, a sharpness issues more than anything else and something attributable to time off or apprehension to engage more than a lack of dedication. There is only one person who really knows if Rampage was not 100% and that is the man that is ultimately in control of fixing the problem. Like most main events, everyone had their two cents to throw in but as the tides of MMA flow these issues too will pass, but all eyes will be on Rampage Jackson’s move and he has a lot to prove if MMA is going to continue to be part of his life.

What often gets lost after a large MMA card has finished is the under-card. This blog featured a discussion of UFC 114’s emphasis on big opportunities for favorites and underdogs alike. The focus of this card should be these opportunities and how they were capitalized upon, as few cards have features so many underdogs making an impact on their night to shine. Jason Brilz looked like a top tier LHW as he outworked Little Nog for 15 minutes. The razor thin decision went the other way but Brilz sure looked like a winner and a class act to boot once the fight was complete. Todd Duffee may have looked impressive for the better part of three rounds but it only took Mike Russow one punch to prove you can’t sleep on him. Duffee thought he was invincible by the end of that fight and he got knocked right back down to earth in dazzling fashion. John Hathaway made a cut and dry statement that he had arrived in the Welterweight division, soundly defeating an undersized Diego Sanchez. Sanchez needs to drop right back down to 155 and take a little time to regain his swagger and Hathaway is ready to make a push in a crowded division. Dong Hyun Kim was always the favorite in my eyes (and I was a bit confused by his underdog status to some) but he make good on my prediction by controlling his fight with Amir Sadollah, perhaps earning him move up the ladder. Finally, Cyrille Diabate taught the world that maybe Luiz Cane wasn’t quite where many, myself included, thought he was. Cyrille used his golden opportunity well and will now take a crack at making himself a player at 205 lbs.

No matter how you cut it, the feud is over and probably for good. UFC was a big night for a lot of fighters. It could have come off a boring predictable night but enough underdogs brought their best and made their statements, a relief on a night that didn’t deliver with dramatic headliners.

UFC 114 Preview

One of the most anticipated headlining bouts finally comes to fruition this weekend as Rampage Jackson steps off the movie set and back into the cage against his long-time rival Rashad Evans. The card itself lacks competitive matches on paper but features fighters who are being given huge opportunities to make statements from the favorite and the underdog roles.

Preliminary Card

Luis Cane will try to bounce back from his disappointing outing versus Little Nog. Losing to a Nogueira is never something to be ashamed of but a lot of fans, myself included, were talking Cane up, thinking even a highly competitive fight could be his true coming out. The UFC was not eager to put him back in the fire but Cyrille Diabate should be a game underdog, even if his kickboxing style could lend itself well to Cane’s precision and punching control.

Efrain Escudero will try to get his career on a roll again against Dan Lauzon, who is allegedly having some trouble staying motivated for fights. I don’t usually put too must stock in rumors but when your own brother walks out on you and says you aren’t committed, its time for Dan Lauzon fans to feel a little nervous. Lauzon can prove his detractors wrong with a win but he should have an up hill battle against Escudero. Escudero has loads of potential and needs to win when he is supposed to if he wants to break back into the spotlight.

Speaking of up hill battles, Waylon Lowe gets to test the uber athletic Melvin Guillard. Word on the street is that Lowe is a wrestler who likes to stand up and GnP. Both of those things are easier said than done against the explosive and powerful Guillard. The fight comes on short notice for Lowe as well. Don’t call the fight just yet. Guillard has always been prone to mistakes and likes to go for broke. He seems to have started utilizing strategy and he likely wont worry about Lowe’s submissions (his kryptonite since joining the UFC), but Lowe has a chance to make a name for himself and that can be all a fighter really needs.

One fighter who has been given a number of opportunities but has struggled a bit against guys not named C.B. has been Amir Sadollah. I don’t mean that he has struggled in his performance, more that he struggles to catch a break. The UFC seems to have got him back on track and has taken off the kid gloves again. Dong Hyun Kim is unbeaten and physically an impressive force. Even his initial “loss” to Karo Parisyan that was overturned was close enough that many, myself included, thought it should been judged the other way. Amir is a quirky fan favorite but being in Korea my internet might get shut off if I don’t pick Dong Hyun Kim outright so I stand firmly behind himand look forward to seeing him climb the ladder of success.

Main Card

Diego Sanchez makes his move back to 170 after being convincingly put down by BJ Penn. Like all fighters, the weight they are fighting at is always “their best weight” but time will tell if Sanchez can break through at WW in a way he was not able to before. While he is the favorite in this fight, the UFC gave him no cakewalk in John Hathaway, an unbeaten blue-chip fighter who has been given the chance of a lifetime at UFC 114. Sanchez has to prove that he does in fact belong back at 170 and Hathaway gets an opportunity for the biggest win of his career.

If you put a gun to my head today and told me to bet on one upset at UFC 114, I would stay as far away from Jason Brilz’s name as I possibly could. Little Nogueira might be the most underrated fighter in the world, tearing through the otherwise impressive Luiz Cane and coming off six-fight win streak. That is not to mention sporting one of the most impressive career resumes in the division. Many felt he was a heavy favorite against his original opponent, former UFC champion Forrest Griffin. His opponent, Jason Brilz ,… well he seems like a really nice guy. In seriousness though, he has been known to pull of upsets in the past, but this is a different beast all together. No one could state their presence in their respective division more emphatically than Brilz but no one faces a bigger obstacle, let alone on short notice.

The long awaited return of Todd Duffee is finally upon us. The man with the fastest win in UFC history will try to live up to the hype. Reportedly, Duffee believes he is being over-hyped and is not taking Mike Russow lightly. The rest of the world however does not seem to be following suit. Russow is a game underdog though; with an 8 fight win streak, 6 of those coming by submission. This is the key Russow’s chance at winning. It is easy to count out Russow’s inferior athleticism, striking and power, but if the fight ends up on the ground no one really knows what Duffee brings to the table. Stack that on top of the immense pressure that Duffee will be under to follow up his record setting win with another impressive performance and Russow has been handed a golden opportunity. Weather or not he can seize it is another thing altogether and I am not running out to place an underdog bet on this one.

Dan Miller seems to be given the greatest gift of all. First he was matched up with Michael Bisping, despite coming off two loses and then the fight was moved to the co-main event when Forrest Griffin had to pull out of the card. Now Miller has a chance to shut one of the biggest and most attention grabbing mouths in all of MMA. This fight should boil right down to who can impose their will, the wrestler or the striker. Bisping is officially in the grey zone, contender or mid-level gate keeper… the jury is out. Miller is not popular enough to afford a 3-fight slide. The fight is high profile considering the fighters and where they are in their careers so the win become that much more valuable. I suspect both guys are going to bring their best as they can and would be a little surprised if this one went the distance. Watch for this to be a candidate for an award of some sort tonight.

The main event strikes me as a bit different from the rest of the card. I don’t think there is a clear-cut favorite in this fight. Odds makers and fans alike seem to favor Rampage but not by much. Both fighters have a lot to prove but neither will make a shocking splash if they win. This is a grudge match. Better yet, this is a grudge match with title implications. These are the things that set this bout apart. Rashad has always eyed a return to the top and even though Rampage has shown signs of losing interest in his UFC contract, one can only assume he would jump at the opportunity for revenge on Shogun if he were to win this fight. This fight is real simple. If Rampage comes in as motivated as he says he is and he avoids a big mistake, he should have all the tools in hand to win and likely finish this fight. His boxing is more technical, his chin is made of iron, and his wrestling is highly underrated (ask Dan Henderson). Thiago Silva was able to jump up every time Rashad took him down so I don’t see Rampage having too much trouble with Rashad’s wrestling. Evans has one thing going for him though; he explosively finds ways to win. Rashad brings a varied skill set. He has knockout power in his hands and his feet and solid wrestling to keep his opponent honest. Rampage can’t sleep on him for a minute. If Rashad would happen to come in with a tight game plan, he could be athletic enough to give Rampage fits all night. One way or another the drama comes to an end this weekend (we hope). Both fighters have done all the talking they can and to the victor go the spoils, a title shot and infinite bragging rights.

UFC 113 and Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery

It seems like only yesterday the MMA world was buzzing over the big rematch, the match that would settle the poorly filled out score cards, Shogun vs Machida. With two cards past, MMA has seen some fairly significant shifts.

UFC

Lets start by trimming the fat. The Kimbo saga finally seems to have come to an end. I honestly thought they would try go get him one more win and feed him to Cro Cop but there is no way UFC brass missed on how one sided this one was always going to be. At best they thought it was a big wager and they didn’t care to lose. The worst part about the whole thing is the mainstream coverage that Kimbo’s fight, destruction, and subsequent firing stirred up while virtually no mention of the main event could be found outside the ol’ MMA standbys. Fortunately enough Kimbo brought some eyes to skilled MMA athletes and now he can go make his career elsewhere, someplace he fits a bit better.

Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley both lived up to their villain personas. Daley let his see him right out the UFC door following a sucker punch after the fight had ended. The sad thing for Daley is that in his head that had to have gone differently, a KO or something more satisfying. Kos on the other hand is getting himself a reputation, drama-king. I am not saying he faked it and I am not saying he didn’t but there is no doubt that MMA fans are beginning to wonder if Mr. Koscheck is taking acting classes in his spare time. Either way you cut it he has lined himself up for a title shot and rematch with GSP.

Shogun has finally done it; he has climbed his way to the top of the MMA rankings at 205 pounds. He had been the unofficial best fighter at his weight before fighting very serious injuries and now it is official. In the process he ended the Machida era as quickly as it began. Shogun’s victory was convincing but these two men are fair matches for one another and it would surprise no one if we saw them fight again. Machida is back to the drawing board. Perhaps it is time for him to try training full time at a big camp. Shogun on the other hand awaits a laundry list of challengers. Everyone from Little Nog to Forrest, Rampage to Rashad, and Couture to Anderson are potential challengers now that Shogun is champion. The win doesn’t flip the division on its head but it certainly opens things up a bit more in terms of potential match-ups in MMA’s most dynamic division.

Strikeforce

Andrei Arlovski hasn’t won since 2008. Considering how dominant he was thought to be as UFC heavyweight champion that is somewhat surprising. There is no doubt that he has been booked against quality competition but one would expect him to pull one win out of his last three. Arlovski will continue to be a relatively marketable heavyweight outside of Zuffa contract, but he is running out of marketable opponents. His fight against Nelson was closer than it should have been (being stood up in the middle of a submission attempt), Fedor nearly killed him for one mistake, Rogers had his punches scouted from a mile away and Silva out boxed the man who I suppose to have the most crisp and technical stand-up in the division. It appears that Arlovski is a crossroads, its time to start winning against quality competition again or he will become a stepping stone for HW’s climbing to the top and making names for themselves.

Bret Rogers looked more than a little exposed by a man who matches his size and possibly his power. That man, Alistair Overeem, silenced a lot of critics. Presuming he can stay away from steroid controversy (which seem to be the case for the time being) it seems like Overeem is well on his way to being a top HW, one to recon with. Fedor will feel the pressure to answer the challenge. The UFC could start feeling the pressure to make a move for him if he were to come available. If Overheem’s stock made the biggest jump, Rogers’ stock took a big hit. He was much more impressive in his fight against Fedor and Arlovski, contests that will likely keep him quite relevant in Strikeforce. However, this was the Rogers that many of the skeptics were waiting for, outmatched by superior striking and completely overwhelmed by talent. The only logical step is for Overheem to meet the challenge of Fedor, but don’t be surprised if he is forced to dispose of Silva first. There are only so many big ticket names in Strikeforce and you might as well call it a round robin tournament at this point because money means more than sensible booking for an organization in Strikeforce’s shoes.

In just 7 day a lot can happen in MMA and a lot did: champions crowned, dynasties fallen, critiques silenced, stars fading, and sucker-shots taken. Such is the climate of today’s MMA, the fastest moving, fastest growing sport in the world today where a new king seems to be crowned every month.