UFC 134 In Retrospect

UFC 134 was one of the most exciting and generally fun cards put on by the company in recent memory. The Brazilian crowed was absolutely electric and clearly well versed in MMA. Did they ever get their money’s worth as Brazilian fighters put on clinics for the most part, earning four victories on the main card and went 3/3 in the main events, all by way of knockout or technical knockout. Without further delay lets get down to the business of UFC 134.

Okami…. Okami, Okami, Okami

I hate to start with the fallen challenger given how impressive Anderson Silva looked but no one shocked me more than Yushin Okami. He almost didn’t show up at all. I am not one to queuestion fighters too often but Okami looked (again I stress, looked) scared. I am not sure how to explain this. He had all the tools to be competitive in this fight; I still believe that. It seems that Okami felt the power of Silva once and lost all hope of taking him down. I was wrong, dead wrong about Okami in this fight. I was sure he was going to give Silva a serious fight but he came in and really tossed away his big chance. I doubt he will get another one.

Big Nog Lives!

Folks had all but counted out Big Nog, leading many to crown Brendan Schaub the next legend killing blue-chipper. Not so fast – in typical Nog fashion he took shots to the face and head region en rout to knocking out his inexperienced counterpart. The group I was watching the fight with had screamed “it’s over” at least twice before Nog finally set the record strait. Now lets not get carried away and call for a title shot. Dana White said Nog has gone from the brink of retirement to the path to a title shot but I am skeptical. Nog has lots of fight left in him and could have some moments of greatness ahead, but the heavyweight division has some amazing talent at the top of the mountain and the division is only going to get more overpopulated. For now though, Big Nog is back and he looks pretty damn good.

Newsflash: Shogun is Still Really Good

I have been hearing and reading a lot of negativity about Forrest Griffin. Seems that a lot of fans and talking heads are questioning his future in competitive MMA. Lets be very clear about something, Forrest Griffin is still a top 10 light heavyweight. He is a highly skilled, tough, physically daunting fighter. The simple fact of the matter is he got beat to the punch buy a top-notch fighter. Shogun Rua is no joke and losing to him does not render one “done” or “washed up.” Shogun is well on his way to another title shot in a very competitive division. If Shogun can stay healthy and in shape we are going to see more of kind of action – a lot more. Watch for Rua to bring his electric striking every time out while pursuing redemption and a title shot.

The UFC Can and Should Return To Brazil

If you didn’t watch the show there is no real way for me to explain how jacked up this crowd was. Brazilian fans had waited a long time to see their best fighters come home to fight. Hours after getting their wish the buzz began about a stadium show, a show that could host up to 100,000 fans. Brazil could be a more regular, profitable, and all around beneficial second home to the UFC than England. Regardless this is not going to be a rare treat any longer.

Anderson Silva!

What else is there to say? This guy is simply the best. I no longer even entertain the GSP/Silva/Pound for pound conversation. It is dead… dead. Anderson Silva has won 15 fights in a row, finished 13 of those, and disposed of competition in two weight classes. This guy is light years ahead of anyone around him when it comes to striking and now is to the point of beating guys before they even get in the cage. World class fighters look scared when they go to fight Anderson Silva, not scared that they will lose but scared that they will get hurt or embarrassed. There is no one better than Anderson Silva right now and he demonstrated this truism again in Rio. I for one think the time has come. It is time to either convince GSP to move up in weight (a move I think GSP still has a work to do before given the opportunity for) or send Silva to light heavyweight. The man will do what he thinks is best for his career but I for one want to see some new competition for the best pound for pound fighter in the world, if not all time.

UFC 134: Rio... WATCH IT!

While watching UFC on Versus 5 I heard the following conversation:

Drunk Man 1: Who is Silva fighting next?

Drunk Man 2: That Japanese guy… Okami

Drunk Man 1: Oh you gotta be kidding me!

Simple enough, but it is clearly indicative of a larger consensus of many, if not most, mma fans: Okami doesn’t deserve to fight Silva. There is one problem; Okami is a different ballgame all together for the best pound for pound fighter in the world. He has the potential to ruin the nights of countless fans in Rio as the UFC returns to Brazil. Between the electric atmosphere, the all-star lineup and the potential fireworks, UFC 134 is not one to miss here are five reasons not to tune in.

5. The Return of Big Nog – Big Nog is the stuff of legends. Has he lost? Yes. Have his peers fallen from grace putting his legacy in some question? Yes. The fact of the matter is, you never bet against Big Nog. Before being an all around fighter was cool Big Nog was meshing top tier Brazilian Ju Jitsu with crisp boxing and a resilience that seemed super-human. Plagued by injury, our hero finally returns to Brazil for what might be one final stand against rising star, Brendan Schaub. Schaub will be stronger and faster but my eyes are on Nogueira. I want to see if he still has what it takes to fend off up and coming talent from the next generation.

4. Does Forrest Still Care – Forrest Griffin is easy to love. He is charismatic, blue collar, and he refuses to quit. Which is why some of the recent press about him has been somewhat confusing. Speculation has run a bit ramped that he doesn’t care as much as he use to, at least not about this fight. It kind of makes sense considering I always got the impression that Griffin fought because he was a fighter, not driven by some burning desire for championship glory or passion to be the best ever. His devil-may-care attitude doesn’t help much and wont inspire rowdy support. Don’t expect him to be any less the fighter in the cage for it though. I remain a believer that Griffin still quite a few fights left in him and he will be out to show that his first win over Shogun was no fluke

3. The Sonnan Factor – For those of you who missed it Chael Sonnan has been all over the place since determining his return date to the UFC. Given that his next opponent has been painted a military hero it wouldn’t behoove him go with the routine ridicule so he is turning his attention back to Anderson Silva (and the Nogueira brothers), mocking them incessantly every time a microphone is shoved in his face. The original title of this section was going to ask if Sonnan would show up like he promised, being that he trains with Okami. However, that question has been answered and it seems now that Okami will be without the brash trash talker, citing requests from his own sponsors and warnings from the police directed at Sonnan. It is probably for the best but don’t think for one second that Okami isn’t going to receive some of the residual effects. Prepare yourself for the most one-sided crowd in UFC history.

2. Can Shogun Avenge His Lose – Shogun came into the UFC one of the most highly touted fighters in history. He was said to be the greatest light heavyweight of all time, one of the greatest pound for pound fighters ever, and the future of the sport. He would later go on to win the light heavyweight title but first he would run into Forrest Griffin and experience one of the most flooring upsets this fan can remember. Many consider Shogun the favorite in the rematch but not a whole lot has changed in terms of how these fighters size up against one another, literally. Forrest is still a big, rangy fighter who is going to have advantages using his size. However, Shogun should be in a better shape. He should be quicker to the punch and less likely to lose his edge as the fight goes on. Shogun Rua’s lose to Jon Jones still rings in the ears of some MMA fans and resonates as the coming of Jones for all. He needs a win badly to prove he still belongs at 205 pounds.

1. Anderson Silva vs Yushin Okami – I alluded to the possibility of an upset earlier. That was not merely a teaser to get people interested in this fight. In fact I am quite tempted to go out on a limb and pick Okami in this fight. Anderson Silva will have the advantage standing, as he does with everyone he faces. If he is 100% healthy there might not be a person in the world that can get close enough to take him down and Silva’s terrifying hands or his maddening patience will likely win the day. However… and this is a big “however,” Yushin Okami might be the perfect match-up against the champ. If you watched Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnan you know that it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Silva can be taken down, held down, and beat up by a strong wrestler. Okami may not have pedigree that Sonnan has but he has been training with Sonnan for over two years and he is bigger and stronger. Okami out wrestled Mark Munoz , who’s credentials are unmatched for a wrestler in the division. And you remember how Silva was able to overcome Sonnan with that last minute submission. True, Silva has a BJJ black belt and he is quite skilled, but Sonnan’s notoriously bad submission defense didn’t hurt either. As bad as Sonnan is at defending submissions, Okami is good. The blueprint is there; the opportunity is ripe. Yushin Okami has waited longer than anyone in recent memory for his title shot and now it’s staring him in the face. As a fan who has seen every Silva fight in the UFC it is almost impossible to pick against him, unthinkable even. However, Yushin Okami may just be the right fighter in the right place at the right time to dethrone the king.

100th Post - MMA Bar Drinking Game!

If you have ever watched MMA at a bar you know that there are some REALLY dumb people out there with a fleeting interest in our wonderful sport. You also know that sometimes watching MMA at a bar can be more trouble than its worth because of said ignoramuses. For those of us who enjoy MMA so much that they are willing to tredge this hell by themselves to watch fights this can be particularly troubling. CRISIS OVERTED! This drinking game will keep you busy and turn those simpletons into amusing reasons to pick up your glass. Here are the rules…

Like most drinking games it is simply a matter of waiting for things that are relatively common and unique to your subject and drinking when they manifest themselves. This game comes in three tiers: 1) Direct quotes 2) Variations 3) Broad topics of idiocy.

Direct Quotes

“Nice (or good) Hit!” – 1 drink

“Hit Him!” - 1 drink

Nice (or good) choke hold” – 1 drink

“I’ve been watching this since UFC 1” – 2 drinks

“I think this is all fake” – 2 drinks

“I would have…” – 3 drinks

Variations

Any reference to Brock Lesnar being “the best” or “the champion.” – 1 drink

Any reference to the Gracies – 1 drink

Calling any fighter a pussy, pansy, or wuss – 1 drink

“Do you know that fighter that….” Followed by physical descriptions of said fighter and no mention of their fighting history or style – 1 drink

Anyone who calls Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Brock Lesnar, Forrest Griffin, or Georges St. Pierre their favorite fighter – 1 drink (they are allowed to be someone’s favorite fighter, you just have to drink for it)

Misinformation about fighter history (example: “Randy Couture only lost like 3 fights or something” – 2 drinks

Anyone who talks about hating when they wrestle or go to the ground – 2 drinks

Calling it “cage fighting” or “pit fighting” – 3 drinks

Broad Topics (Use Your Judgment)

Racism – Racism runs ramped in certain sports bars but someone must pay for it and it might as well be sober you.

- General racist comment – 1 drink

- “Did he just say that” moment – 2 drinks

o Examples include racial slurs, supremacist talk, or anything that would 100% start a fight if said in the presence of the people in question

- Racist comments about fighters – add 2 drinks to aforementioned equations

Mention of these fighters without logical connection to what is happening in the fight. This includes if someone says X is their favorite fighter.

- Randy Couture – 1 drink

- Chuck Liddell – 1 drink

- BJ Penn – 1 drink

- GSP – 1 drink

- Anderson Silva – 1 drink

- Brock Lesnar – 2 drinks

- Royce Gracie – 2 drinks

- Kimbo Slice – 3 drinks

- Ken Shamrock – 3 drinks

- Tank Abbott – 5 drinks

Underestimating REALLY good fighters. You really have to use your knowledge of how good someone is to make the call.

- Completely dismissing the chances of any fighter out of hand with no analysis of why – 1 drink

- Dismissing title contenders – 2 drinks

- Dismissing champions or legends as if they have never heard of them – 3 drinks

There you have it folks. This game is certainly going to see some permutations in the future but that should be enough to get you properly into your night by the end of say…. Fight #1. ENJOY!

Notable Notes from UFC on Versus 5

Ben Henderson is the man. I’ll admit, I have been on the Jim Miller bandwagon for a while and still am to some extent but Ben Henderson stole the show and with it took a whole lot of Miller’s thunder. Seriously, nobody wants to fight this guy right now, I promise you. This fight came down to the fact that Jim Miller could not submit Ben Henderson, who might just be unsubmittable. Miller has very good submissions for a wrestler but when you can’t make a guy tap under normal means, you find yourself in a pickle. Miller couldn’t go the extra mile against Henderson and this gave Henderson a number of prime opportunities to brutalize Miller out of submission attempts. This fight represents Ben Henderson’s coming out party and really puts his lose to Pettis in perspective – Pettis is very good and these two guys are here to stay. In retrospect he probably should have been my fighter to watch at 155 lbs but all eyes are on him now all the same.

Dan Hardy is not that good. I know he looked good on his rise to a title shot but he has looked equally bad on his descent from it. Hardy is likely done in the UFC and that might be ok given that the division is crowded. Hardy has been unimpressive, even when getting exactly what he wanted – a stand up fighter that will stand in the pocket and trade with him. All credit to Lytle for performing well in his last MMA fight but Dan Hardy didn’t live up to the hype one too many times and for that, SEE YA!

Donald Cerrone is better than I thought. Ok ok ok, I admit that I was down on Donald Cerrone. I am not fully on the bandwagon but I am a bit more open to the potential that he might have in the UFC lightweight division than I was before. As much as I was wrong about Cerrone I was wrong about Oliveira. Even on short notice the submission ace didn’t impress at all. He looked slow and made huge mistakes once the fight hit the ground that cost him the fight, reaching for holds that were not ripe and leaving himself exposed to strikes. He fought like he was in a grappling tournament, not an MMA fight and it cost him the win. Long story short, I was wrong about both these guys and learned a lot from their short bout.

We will miss Chris Lytle. This guy was a man’s man. He told Dan Hardy he was going to stand and swing with him and he did. Lytle likely could have taken the fight to the ground at any moment and controlled Hardy and/or tapped him out but he waited to the last minute to make that move and get a clean victory. Even the most lunatic striking fans can’t be upset with that move. Lytle has more fight awards than anyone in the UFC and he always came to fight. Even fans that didn’t know his name will miss him because Lytle is the kind of fighter that made your show better – period. Between standing and striking for 14 minutes, not using his grappling advantages for that amount of time, and refusing to let the fight go to the judges, Chris Lytle proved he was by far the superior fighter on this given night and a gem for the sport. Hats off to Chris Lytle and all the best to him and his family!

Why You Should Watch UFC on Versus 5

Given that I have recently moved across the country and am sort of busy with that I have been unable write about MMA recently and will be forced to keep this one abbreviated. However, this free card packs too much of a punch to completely ignore so I lets get right too it.

Facebook Card

If you get the chance tune into facebook for a few fights. It’s stacked with relative unknowns who can truly lay it all on the line. Kyle Noke vs Ed Herman should be exciting as both guys are tough and far from conservative but the main attraction to this portion of the card is Joseph Benavidez vs Eddie Wineland. Wineland is a scrappy fighter with tons of hart that gave Faber some trouble in his UFC debut and Benavidez is one of the top bantamweights in the world. In fact he has only lost to UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz. The winner of this fight might not be far away from a title shot so tune in because you might see them again soon.

Duane Ludwig vs Amir Sadollah

I’m going to be honest. I don’t like Amir Dadollah. I think he is overrated and generally boring/borderline annoying. He and Ludwig should be game for an exciting fight though. Their styles will likely lead to some interesting striking exchanges and I would be somewhat surprised if this one saw the third round. Even though I don’t like Amir, a lot of people think he is bee’s knees so tune in and judge for yourself.

Donald Cerrone vs Charles Oliveira

Holy Scrambling Ju Jitsu Batman! If you don’t know who these two guys are yet you haven’t been reading my blog (which isn’t particularly surprising). Charles Oliveira has some of the slickest bjj in all of MMA and he has been on a tear in the UFC, losing only to Jim Miller (significance to come). Donald Cerrone on the other hand is really likable… well kind of likeable. He carries his tough guy cowboy gimmick to the extreme but more often than not he backs it up in the cage. He is scrappy, hard to keep down, hard to hit, and flat out hard to hurt. I tend to think he is partially a product of relatively weak competition but there is no denying that he leaves it all in the cage. Oliveira will be looking to expose him but I think even someone of his skill will have trouble getting a hold of Cerrone. I expect fireworks and a potential fight of the night candidate with Oliveira picking up another win.

Jim Miller vs Ben Henderson

The fact that this is not the main event is absolutely beyond me. Ben Henderson and Jim Miller are nothing if they aren’t top contenders for the lightweight title. Miller might be the most deserving title contender not lined up for a shot in the business today. Henderson on the other hand is a former WEC champion and all around promising prospect. To boot, neither one of these guys know how to be boring, it isn’t in their blood. If the cards were to fall right the winner of this could end up next in line to fight the winner of Maynard vs Edgar III. Both fighters have strong wrestling but are extremely well rounded. Jim Miller submitted Charles Oliveira (see above) and Henderson has a knack for surviving some of the most excruciating looking submissions only to come out on top. Both men bring to the table fast hands and superb athleticism. The difference may be in attitude. Jim Miller is a fighter, you can tell by looking at him. You get the feeling that he would just assume hit you in the mouth as to look at you. Henderson on the other hand is one of those super-dudes. He seems to be the best at everything. He is athletic, nice, smart, and generally seems like a good guy. I may expect Cerrone vs Oliveira to be a fight of the night contender but this fight is the front-runner. If you tune in for no other reason tune in for this fight.

Dan Hardy vs Chris Lytle

It isn’t that I hate this fight or that I think it will be boring; it is just that I think this is the most overblown fight in some time. Dan Hardy hasn’t won a fight in his last three and Chris Lytle is coming off a huge upset lose. Both guys are more impressive names than the aforementioned fighters but the reality is that this fight means a lot less. On the bright side, I do expect that this will be nothing short of thrilling. Both Lytle and Hardy love nothing more than to stand and exchange punches and unless one of them plans “an Anthony Johnson” (and by that I mean they plan to ruin everyone’s good time), this one is going to be really exciting. Hardy is probably fighting for his job and Chris Lytle was knocking on the door of title contention before his set-back so both men have extra motivation to win and win with style. This fight wont be one you are sorry you watched so keep your TV on after the Henderson/Miller fight.

Why You Should Watch UFC 133

Rarely if ever has a card been more cursed than UFC 133. It has experienced myriad injuries that have led to a parade of opponents for Rashad Evans, the complete elimination of the original co-main event, and a shuffling of undercard fighters too numerous to mention here. The card has not been completely lost though. While certainly Philadelphia fans likely just want to get the card over with before someone else gets hurt, UFC 133 has maintained some integrity and should be on every fan’s radar.

Facebook Prelims

There is really no reason that you should miss free fights on facebook. First of all, you know you are on facebook at the time anyway. It is 6pm on a Saturday. Get yourself some pregame beers, order in or cook something up and log on. The preliminary card is solid top to bottom but two fights really catch my attention.

Mike Pierce is riding a three-fight win streak into the cage against Johnny Hendricks. Hendricks is a hot commodity at 170 pounds since beating Amir Sadollah in his UFC debut. Since that fight Hendricks has gone 4-1 with his only lose coming to fellow prospect Rick Story. Mike Pierce isn’t just streaking; he will represent a significant obstacle to Hendricks’ climb. Both men are strong wrestlers and Pierce looks like the bigger, stronger man. Many fans might fear a wrestling snoozefest with this fight but that’s not what it’s adding up to. I suspect that neither will be able to impose their will grappling and will turn to striking. There is a really good chance that this goes all 15 minutes but don’t expect boredom.

The other significant bout is somewhat baffling to me. It is hands down the most absurd fight of the facebook prelims, not because it is in any way shape or form abnormal in itself, but because it warrants a more prominent position on the card. Mike Brown vs Nam Phan is one hell of a fight, no matter how you cut it. Brown is a former champion at 145 pounds and was the man who sent Faber packing to the next weight class down. An apparent string of personal problems have led him to a meager 3-4 record since those glory days but Brown has huge knockout power for his size and strong wrestling that keeps his opponents in check. On the other side of the cage stands one of the few Ultimate Fighter alumni that I have been impressed with recently. Phan’s record as of late wont impress anyone but he put on a great performance against Leonard Garcia (a fight many, including myself, think he won) and he demonstrated an impressive skill set as well as an capacity to improve while on the show. This is a huge opportunity for Phan to show that he is for real and for Brown to show that he is still a top featherweight. Both men are exciting and have the ability to finish. Tune in to see two exciting, top quality fighters at crossroads in their respective careers.

Spike TV Prelims

The Spike TV Prelims also sport two fights that I think deserve main card status. In addition to being more free fights Spike TV is going to be showing you a top contender at 145 pounds and a risingstar at 205.

Chad Mendes (pictured) is undefeated. He is 10-0 at 145 pounds, a division running out of contenders for its gold goose, Jose Aldo. He is one of the most promising young fighters in the division and at UFC 133 he finds himself with a chance to take a huge step towards a title shot. He has to get past Rani Yahya, who is coming off of the biggest win of his career against the aforementioned Mike Brown. This will be a classic case of wrestler vs submission expert but the ramifications make this a whole lot more. There is a good chance you are going to see one of these guys in a number one contenders fight very soon and with so much to gain and not a whole lot to lose, both men should be ready to leave it all in the cage.

You remember that def fighter that everyone talks about? He got his ass handed to him by Rampage Jackson and they are making a movie about him… you know the guy. Well he is fighting on Spike TV and wowy zowy is it awesome. Matt Hamill took the fight on short notice and his reward for throwing the UFC a bone here is a fight with rising star Alexander Gustafsson. Gustafsson is one of my favorite young fighters right now, well rounded and with a propensity for excitement. He is embarking on a huge step upin competition against Hamill, who can’t afford a second strait lose. Gustafsson is going to try to make a splash in the division a division constantly in flux, while Hamill tries to get back on track in the win column.

Main Card

I am not going to bullshit you. There are only three fights on the main card that warrant being there and there are only three fights on the main card that I am going to bother talking about. The other fights could be exciting and if your tuning into the main card you might as well not skip them but they are of little to no consequence and my interest in them is negligible at best.

If you want to show off how much you know about MMA just start talking about Rory MacDonald (Pictured) and then casually predict that he is a future champion in the works. This will be impressive because it is true and in a couple of years you will be showered with compliments and dubbed the guy who knows the most about “ultimate fighting” in the room. MacDonald is the real deal folks. He may only be 2-1 in the UFC but his only lose came to a guy you might have heard tell of – Carlos Condit. Truth be told, MacDonald was winning that fight until Condit out of nowhere decided to hulk out and spoil Rory’s coming out party. Our young blue chipper in question runs into Mike Pyle at UFC 133 and as much as I just talked MacDonald up I must now warn you that Pyle is more than capable of spoiling the festivities. Pyle is a worker, a veteran, and one hell of a fighter. This fight is going to go everywhere and should be nothing if it isn’t electrifying. It has fight of the night written all over it and will either be a huge step forward for MacDonald or an attention stealing upset for Pyle.

Yoshihiro Akiyama and Vitor Belfort (pictured) are going to hit each other in their respective heads… hard. That is more or less all you need to know about it. Vitor is one of the most stunning strikers in MMA and Akyama has some serious power in his hands. The stakes are raised by the fact that it might actually be Akyama’s best bet to throw leather and swing for the fences. Some question Vitor’s chin and think this is just the fight the Japanese superstar needs to get back on track in the UFC. With Akyama on a two-fight skid this could be his last stand. Vitor on the other hand needs to prove he isn’t a fluke, but given his erratic fight record I don’t see him shaking that label anytime soon. Smart money is on Belfort but smarter money is on a finish.

Tito Ortiz… Tito, Tito, Tito. What else can you say really? Tito Ortiz (pictured) is an enigma wrapped in a riddle snuggled into a box of what the hell is going on. Tito Ortiz is kind of like a heel in wrestling in the late 90s. Everyone is pretty sure they are supposed to root against him, almost positive. However when his career was on the line against Ryan Bader I couldn’t help but root for him. Now that the overexcited MMA hype-machine is back behind him I can’t help but keep rooting for him. Let’s face it, he shouldn’t be able to beat Rashad Evans, who considered one of the top fighters in the division while Tito is past his prime, right? One look at Tito’s record will let you know that he has never been given an easy opponent in his life, particularly in the last 5 years. A quick look at Ortiz vs Evans part one will further blur the issue. Tito might have won the fight outright had he not held the cage. While men are different fighters today but I think both are better fighters. Add the fact that Rashad Evans is preparing to face his third opponent in the same training camp and transitioning from his longtime home at Greg Jackson’s camp and you have quite a different looking fight on your hand. The winner of this COULD be the next contender for the UFC Light Heavyeweight Championship. The trash-talk has been good for its share of amusement and the fight should top it by a margin.