MMA fans who started the UFC revolution post "Ultimate Fighter" season 1 won't remember Fedor Emelianenko. They won't remember a cyborg of a man, who despite his many shots taken to the face and no matter how many times he was driven on his head, never went out. They won't remember his armbars to fighters like Mark Coleman, his dominance of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu against Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera or his ability to switch the fight around following a suplex on his head courtesy of Kevin Randleman.
No, they will remember Fedor Emelianenko, who despite his desire to fight the top fighters of his sport, was handcuffed by mismanagment, greed and excuses. They will remember a man who lost 3 of his last 4 fights, with his most recent win coming 2 years ago against a man who's better remembered for his recent domestic troubles (Brett Rogers).
Dan Henderson made sure of that Saturday Night. And in doing so, sent the legend of the Mixed Martial Arts "roped ring" era into sure retirement.
In a packed Sears Centre in Chicago, Henderson fought Emelianenko in the main event of the Strikeforce card airing live on Showtime. After a feverish start in which both fighters land heavy punches, Henderson managed to get the better of an exchange, gaining the advantage in the clinch and appearing to poke "The Last Emperor"s right eye with an inadvertent eye poke. Despite that, the clinch produced a stalemate, with Referee Herb Dean separating the 2 and putting them centre of the cage. From there, after a feverish flurry that sent Henderson to the floor, Fedor appeared to be finishing off the American and regaining his lost luster. However, the man known as Hendo was playing possum, coming up from behind with a wrestling scramble and dropping a right hand that left Emelianenko buckled and clearly out. After 2 mop up punches, Herb Dean put an end to the fight at 4:12 of round 1.
Next For Henderson : He's the Strikeforce 205 lb. kingpin without a contract. For some reason, I see Dana White saying "Abra Cadabra" and making that title go away. If he decides to come back, throw him the winner of Roger Gracie and Mohammed "King Mo" Lawal.
Next for Fedor : Sure retirement. Maybe owning "Emelianenko's Family Garage" in Stary Oskol doesn't sound so bad. Or finding the "Next Fedor" project for M-1 Global, being co-owner after all.
In the co-main event, we got Miesha Tate taking on Dutch grappling and Jiu-Jitsu ace Marloes Coenen. The first round saw great action as the 2 females scrambled off, Tate getting the dominant positions from on top and using her wrestling to stay there. The second round saw Coenen reverse Tate's dominant position and use her grappling to take control, trying to gain several submissions and mid to late in the 2nd round. A desperate attempt by Coenen to get Tate's back allowed the American to slip out and survive the round. The third round saw Tate dominate with an early takedown, though Coenen landed more power punches and was able to do more taking the round. After another successful takedown to start the first of the "Championship rounds", Tate got her chance. After gaining a full mount, Tate switched into full side control and trapped Coenen's arm. Getting the advantage, Tate seized in an arm triangle, Making "The Golden Girl from Golden Glory" tap for just the first time in his career, with Tate now owning the Strikeforce Women's World Welterweight title (say that 5 times fast).
Next for Tate : A rematch with Canadian Sarah Kaufmann, who's demeanour and attitude have earned her the nickname "The Hound" in my circles.
Next for Coenen : I wouldn't mind seeing her in a rematch with Liz Carmouche. Wow, DW wasn't kidding : The state of Women's MMA is really really diluted.
Honorable Mention : Paul Daley and Tyrone Woodley was my pick for fight of the night, and it did not disappoint. Woodley, a graduate of the "Strikeforce Challengers" series on Showtime, used his wrestling and iron will, along with Daley's knowledge (or lack thereof) of the ground game to secure a unanimous decision win. The Robbie Lawler-Tim Kennedy fight got off with an early scramble, action galore cultimating in a bloody nose by the former American Soldier, who used the wrestling to ease to victory. Also, Strikeforce commentator's have got to go. I'm sorry, Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo have probably more MMA knowledge in their pinky than i do my whole body, but they just lack pure chemistry. It doesn't help they add Gus Johnson into the mix, however. One of the comments during the Lawler-Kennedy fight was made by Shamrock, saying that while Lawler was down on the scorecards he was probably "winning the battle". My friends and I didn't understand what the heck he was talking about either. Fedor, who's career is now tarnished by greedy promoters, making an excuse saying he thought his fight with Henderson was prematurely stopped. As a longtime fan of "The Last Emperor", this is not typical. This is him making excuses, which is something he clearly does not do. Frustration comes with the inability to do things you used to be able to do seemingly easy. Just 2 years ago, what Emelianenko did seemingly easy was win.
I went 1 for 2 for my picks, which brings me to 33-21-2 for the year.
Until next time, fight fans!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The Road to Demolition : What is Overeem's next move?
When he pulled out of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix due to an injured toe, Alistair Overeem said that the injury occured before his first round tilt with Fabricio Werdum, that it would require extra time to rest and he'd hoped to be back fighting by October. Well, it appears as if that explaination wasn't good enough for Zuffa, the UFC, or Dana White.
The Reason being is that yesterday, the Strikeforce Heavyweight kingpin was not only out of the tournament, but the promotion as well, being released after news surfaced of his participating in a kickboxing card to take place in his native Netherlands the same month he was expected to fight again in Strikeforce. There are 2 conclusions from this transaction : 1) The Strikeforce Heavyweight World Championship will likely go to the winner of the tournament and 2) His replacement, wrestler Daniel Cormier, fares less of a chance than Overeem did against his opponent, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.
But since the MMA landscape has forever been altered with the UFC buying out Strikeforce this past March, the likelihood of predicting "The Demolition Man"s next move is very murky. So let's give all the possibilities another look :
1) He goes back to Kickboxing/K-1 : Probably the most likely choice, Overeem as mentioned before is scheduled to fight in an "Ultimate Glory" event in the Netherlands in October. A kickboxer by trade, Overeem's striking prowess and power are widely known, cumilating in his victory at the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix last December. The Problem? K-1 is owned by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the same parent company of Japan's biggest MMA promotion, DREAM, who if not for the recent tragedies in Japan would have surely perished into the history books. As it stands now, Overeem is likely to ask for a huge payday if he were to fight permanently there, which would likely mean FEG would have problems paying anybody else (which they have had already).
2) He heads to Boxing to fight the Klitschko Brothers - In a recent interview with ESPN UK, Overeem made it clear of his desire to fight Vitali Klitschko, saying that he was "definitely seriously thinking" about fighting Vitali, and that he is "always looking for a challenge. That came about in fighting for K-1 and becoming K-1 champion, something nobody ever did before. It would be cool to go to boxing and beat the main guy there".
This move seems the least likely. Considering Overeem's prowess in the striking department, he might have some power, but not enough to match up to a straight pugilist. Both Klitschkos have boxed from their formidable years, and it is not something to take on overnight. A tall, lanky boxer like Klitschko would pepper Overeem with jabs and dominate a boxing contest, not turn it into a brawl. While he wouldn't be a "fish out of water" akin to James Toney, he would certainly look out of place.
3) He goes to the UFC to challenge for the heavyweight crown - The release came under the stipulation that the last fight on Overeem's contract was an option. It was also clear that his kickboxing career was permitted as a stipulation on his contract. Is it possible that Overeem, who's 35-11 with a unblemished 3-0 mark in Strikeforce, could parlay his desire to box into a title shot, a la Nick Diaz? Perhaps. It seems like the most likely scenario, given Dana White's outright refusal to allow his athletes to compete in only one sport : Mixed Martial Arts.
This of course, would depend on how Overeem's "pinky toe" heals up.
-In Other news, all fighters for tonight's "Strikeforce : Fedor vs Henderson" card were on weight, as reported by MMAJunkie. Emelianenko, who for years has always shown up at the same weight, came in shedding 7 pounds, weighing in at a robust 223. For Henderson, he was true to his previous word of coming in at 206.1 pounds. Of course, it was rounded up to 207.
-MMAJunkie was also the first to report the first Bellator title to be defended in the promotion's upcoming 5th season will be Eddie Alvarez's 155 lb. strap. He'll take on 8-0 Michael Chandler, who earned his title shot with victories over Marcin Held, Lloyd Woodard and Patricky "Pitbull" Friere in the show's 4th season. Chandler definitely has a wrestling advantage, but its more than likely Alvarez will keep this fight standing to feel him out. We'll find out on October 15th.
-ESPN.com's blog (yes, they have an MMA blog co-hosted with Sherdog. Quite good actually. Look it up) says Dana White has re-iterated Paul Daley won't fight in the UFC again. Despite his showing against Diaz and the likelihood of a World title should he defeat Tyrone Woodley on Saturday, Daley's employment will likely evaporate once the inevitable happens, which is Strikeforce folding into the UFC. His likely suitors? Perhaps MFC in Canada (where he's fought once before at MFC 17), Bellator, or back in his native England with BAMMA, alongside fellow UFC castoff Nate Marquardt.
Questions? Comments? Leave one at the bottom or email me, mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com. You can also follow me on twitter, at twitter.com/MMArmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!
The Reason being is that yesterday, the Strikeforce Heavyweight kingpin was not only out of the tournament, but the promotion as well, being released after news surfaced of his participating in a kickboxing card to take place in his native Netherlands the same month he was expected to fight again in Strikeforce. There are 2 conclusions from this transaction : 1) The Strikeforce Heavyweight World Championship will likely go to the winner of the tournament and 2) His replacement, wrestler Daniel Cormier, fares less of a chance than Overeem did against his opponent, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.
But since the MMA landscape has forever been altered with the UFC buying out Strikeforce this past March, the likelihood of predicting "The Demolition Man"s next move is very murky. So let's give all the possibilities another look :
1) He goes back to Kickboxing/K-1 : Probably the most likely choice, Overeem as mentioned before is scheduled to fight in an "Ultimate Glory" event in the Netherlands in October. A kickboxer by trade, Overeem's striking prowess and power are widely known, cumilating in his victory at the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix last December. The Problem? K-1 is owned by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the same parent company of Japan's biggest MMA promotion, DREAM, who if not for the recent tragedies in Japan would have surely perished into the history books. As it stands now, Overeem is likely to ask for a huge payday if he were to fight permanently there, which would likely mean FEG would have problems paying anybody else (which they have had already).
2) He heads to Boxing to fight the Klitschko Brothers - In a recent interview with ESPN UK, Overeem made it clear of his desire to fight Vitali Klitschko, saying that he was "definitely seriously thinking" about fighting Vitali, and that he is "always looking for a challenge. That came about in fighting for K-1 and becoming K-1 champion, something nobody ever did before. It would be cool to go to boxing and beat the main guy there".
This move seems the least likely. Considering Overeem's prowess in the striking department, he might have some power, but not enough to match up to a straight pugilist. Both Klitschkos have boxed from their formidable years, and it is not something to take on overnight. A tall, lanky boxer like Klitschko would pepper Overeem with jabs and dominate a boxing contest, not turn it into a brawl. While he wouldn't be a "fish out of water" akin to James Toney, he would certainly look out of place.
3) He goes to the UFC to challenge for the heavyweight crown - The release came under the stipulation that the last fight on Overeem's contract was an option. It was also clear that his kickboxing career was permitted as a stipulation on his contract. Is it possible that Overeem, who's 35-11 with a unblemished 3-0 mark in Strikeforce, could parlay his desire to box into a title shot, a la Nick Diaz? Perhaps. It seems like the most likely scenario, given Dana White's outright refusal to allow his athletes to compete in only one sport : Mixed Martial Arts.
This of course, would depend on how Overeem's "pinky toe" heals up.
-In Other news, all fighters for tonight's "Strikeforce : Fedor vs Henderson" card were on weight, as reported by MMAJunkie. Emelianenko, who for years has always shown up at the same weight, came in shedding 7 pounds, weighing in at a robust 223. For Henderson, he was true to his previous word of coming in at 206.1 pounds. Of course, it was rounded up to 207.
-MMAJunkie was also the first to report the first Bellator title to be defended in the promotion's upcoming 5th season will be Eddie Alvarez's 155 lb. strap. He'll take on 8-0 Michael Chandler, who earned his title shot with victories over Marcin Held, Lloyd Woodard and Patricky "Pitbull" Friere in the show's 4th season. Chandler definitely has a wrestling advantage, but its more than likely Alvarez will keep this fight standing to feel him out. We'll find out on October 15th.
-ESPN.com's blog (yes, they have an MMA blog co-hosted with Sherdog. Quite good actually. Look it up) says Dana White has re-iterated Paul Daley won't fight in the UFC again. Despite his showing against Diaz and the likelihood of a World title should he defeat Tyrone Woodley on Saturday, Daley's employment will likely evaporate once the inevitable happens, which is Strikeforce folding into the UFC. His likely suitors? Perhaps MFC in Canada (where he's fought once before at MFC 17), Bellator, or back in his native England with BAMMA, alongside fellow UFC castoff Nate Marquardt.
Questions? Comments? Leave one at the bottom or email me, mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com. You can also follow me on twitter, at twitter.com/MMArmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Strikeforce : Fedor vs Henderson preview.
In 2009, Fedor Emelianenko was sitting on top of the proverbial Heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts landscape. Essentially undefeated, Fedor's aura of invincibility was such that at one point in 2008, Afflicition founder and President Tom Attencio defected from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and guaranteed merchandise sales in favor of starting a rival promotion built around "The Last Emperor". An organization, The World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) was formed, with their first event being centred around a Heavyweight championship fight between Emelianenko and former UFC champ Tim Sylvia. Emelianenko dispatched of the man known as "Maine-iac" in 36 seconds. Then, the then-current heavyweight champion, Randy Couture was brought into the ring, saying despite his issues with the UFC he'd fight Emelianenko. The stage was set : An old school Cold War battle, pitting 2 titans of their sport against one another from 2 great states, The United States and Russia.
Unfortunately, that fight did not happen. Couture would return to the UFC, lose his heavyweight title, and subsequently drop to light heavyweight, his career seemingly ending after a KO defeat at the hands (or in this case, feet) of Lyoto Machida this past April in Toronto at UFC 129. As for Emelianenko, He'd go on to defend the WAMMA belt against Andrei Arlovski and Brett Rogers, before consecutive losses to Brazilians Fabricio Werdum (which was nominated for an ESPY for "Upset of the Year") and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva essentially brought him back to earth.
After winning the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title this past March from Rafael "Feijao" Calavante, Another former US Olympian, wrestler, and UFC fighter Dan Henderson made a comment that despite the 2 losses, he'd like to face Emelianenko. A corporate takeover by Zuffa (the owners of the UFC) for Strikeforce essentially brought those plans to fruition.
So, Saturday night, from the Sears Centre outside of Chicago, Illinois, Emelianenko will take on Henderson. While not packing the same punch as a superfight with Couture would have, it is nonetheless essentially along the same lines : An old school Cold War battle, featuring 2 titans of the sport from 2 global superpowers, the United States and Russia.
Onto my picks :
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson - The Main event between Emelianenko and Henderson an intriguing one. Emelianenko, in the weigh-in pictures, looks to have slimmed down quite a bit, dropping from his usual 230 to a slender 221 lbs. This might give him an advantage in the speed and power department, so don't expect Henderson to try to trade with him. Henderson's best chance to take a win is by decision, by outwrestling and beating Fedor to the punch with takedowns. Fedor doesn't hold the same wrestling prowess as Henderson, but his Sambo and his positioning will frustrate Hendo. I see Emelianenko using his weight advantage to hold Hendo at bay, with the Russian ultimately having his hand raised.
The Pick : Fedor by submission.
Marloes Coenen vs. Misha Tate - The co-main event is a women's title fight between Dutch Product Marloes Coenen, versus the newly minted "Face of Women's MMA" , Miesha Tate. This is a fight that was expected to take place in March on the Feijao/Henderson card, but an injury to Tate essentially allowed a little known Liz Caramouche to step into the spotlight, dominating the "Golden Girl from Golden Glory" for 2 and a half rounds, outwrestling her before the veteran found the arm she needed to secure a triangle choke and hold onto her title. This fight might bode the same way : Expect Tate to circle outside of Coenen's power, frustrating her with combinations and using takedowns to keep Coenen off balance. If Tate can hold the position, she might be able to pound out a victory and leave with the Strikeforce Women's Welterweight title, with or without her new bosses from Zuffa looking on.
The Pick : Tate by TKO.
Also, look for Paul Daley vs. Tyrone Woodley to produce fireworks. Essentially 2 heavy bangers looking to make a statement and their claim for the Welterweight title, given Nick Diaz's recent vacating of the title and a move to the UFC.
Those are my picks. Agree or disagree? Want to get back to me? leave a comment or hit me up by email at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Unfortunately, that fight did not happen. Couture would return to the UFC, lose his heavyweight title, and subsequently drop to light heavyweight, his career seemingly ending after a KO defeat at the hands (or in this case, feet) of Lyoto Machida this past April in Toronto at UFC 129. As for Emelianenko, He'd go on to defend the WAMMA belt against Andrei Arlovski and Brett Rogers, before consecutive losses to Brazilians Fabricio Werdum (which was nominated for an ESPY for "Upset of the Year") and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva essentially brought him back to earth.
After winning the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title this past March from Rafael "Feijao" Calavante, Another former US Olympian, wrestler, and UFC fighter Dan Henderson made a comment that despite the 2 losses, he'd like to face Emelianenko. A corporate takeover by Zuffa (the owners of the UFC) for Strikeforce essentially brought those plans to fruition.
So, Saturday night, from the Sears Centre outside of Chicago, Illinois, Emelianenko will take on Henderson. While not packing the same punch as a superfight with Couture would have, it is nonetheless essentially along the same lines : An old school Cold War battle, featuring 2 titans of the sport from 2 global superpowers, the United States and Russia.
Onto my picks :
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson - The Main event between Emelianenko and Henderson an intriguing one. Emelianenko, in the weigh-in pictures, looks to have slimmed down quite a bit, dropping from his usual 230 to a slender 221 lbs. This might give him an advantage in the speed and power department, so don't expect Henderson to try to trade with him. Henderson's best chance to take a win is by decision, by outwrestling and beating Fedor to the punch with takedowns. Fedor doesn't hold the same wrestling prowess as Henderson, but his Sambo and his positioning will frustrate Hendo. I see Emelianenko using his weight advantage to hold Hendo at bay, with the Russian ultimately having his hand raised.
The Pick : Fedor by submission.
Marloes Coenen vs. Misha Tate - The co-main event is a women's title fight between Dutch Product Marloes Coenen, versus the newly minted "Face of Women's MMA" , Miesha Tate. This is a fight that was expected to take place in March on the Feijao/Henderson card, but an injury to Tate essentially allowed a little known Liz Caramouche to step into the spotlight, dominating the "Golden Girl from Golden Glory" for 2 and a half rounds, outwrestling her before the veteran found the arm she needed to secure a triangle choke and hold onto her title. This fight might bode the same way : Expect Tate to circle outside of Coenen's power, frustrating her with combinations and using takedowns to keep Coenen off balance. If Tate can hold the position, she might be able to pound out a victory and leave with the Strikeforce Women's Welterweight title, with or without her new bosses from Zuffa looking on.
The Pick : Tate by TKO.
Also, look for Paul Daley vs. Tyrone Woodley to produce fireworks. Essentially 2 heavy bangers looking to make a statement and their claim for the Welterweight title, given Nick Diaz's recent vacating of the title and a move to the UFC.
Those are my picks. Agree or disagree? Want to get back to me? leave a comment or hit me up by email at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Bellator 47 recap : Featherweight semis overshadowed by unruly, roudy fans; Curran advances.
After 46 events, Bellator Fighting Championships ventured North of the 49th parallel for the first time with an event coming to us from Casino Rama, in Rama, Ontario airing live on MTV2 and in Canada on The Score. The co-main events featured the semi-finals of the "Summer Series" Featherweight tournament.
The second semi-final, featuring Englishman and Sengoku vet Ronnie "Kid Ninja" Mann and American Pat Curran, was a chess match featuring really good technique and very few but nontheless solid exchanges. In the end, the aggressiveness and overall hustle of "Patyboy" was enough for the judges, as they scored it for him via unanimous decision, via scores of 30-27 (twice) and 29-28.
With the victory, Curran books his second straight finals appearance in a tournament, as he was the winner of Bellator's season 2 155 lb. tournament. With the loss, Mann drops to 4 losses from 25 fights, but he has won 2 out of 3 in Bellator.
As for who Curran will meet in that final, that was decided in a fight between Brazilian (and Jose Aldo training partner) Marlon Sandro, and Argentine-born Brazilian Nazareno Malgarie. Through 15 minutes, we saw Sandro using throws and effective striking to leave Malgarie a mess, complete with a swollen eye and a cut above his hairline, and although Malgarie was competitve, he nonetheless never used his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background until late, and his will wasn't enough to sway the judges, who saw it all by scores of 30-27. Sandro now improves to 2-0 in Bellator Fighting Championships, while Malgarie has dropped 2 of 3 in the promotion.
Other winners included Neil Grove, all 40 years of him, defeat Zak Jensen in a Heavyweight showcase and Canadian Chris Horodecki, who defeated Chris Saunders in a 3 round affair.
Honorable Mention : Curran and Mann was a solid 15 minute affair, depending on whom you asked. I was in the crowd on Saturday, and a fight that wasn't what people wanted got several jeers, including a woman whom screamed "We came to see a fight!", and boos late in the contest. The fight actually wasn't that bad. People like you give the sport a bad name. Also, Horodecki fought Saunders with a heavy heart in front of a hometown crowd. With a packed Casino Rama cheering him on, The man known as "The Polish Hammer"s close friend passed away earlier in the week, and he was dedicating the fight to him. While Saunders was game, Horodecki frustrated him with a vastly improved ground game from his WEC days.
The heavyweight tilt between Grove and Jensen was exciting that got the front row on its feet, as the 2 big boys got locked up in a kneebar position, and spent the next 30 seconds throwing haymakers left and right. That was definitely a Bellator highlight.
The inaugural Summer Series will conclude with Bellator 48, live from the Mohegan Sun Casino August 20th on MTV2.
Until next time, fight fans.
The second semi-final, featuring Englishman and Sengoku vet Ronnie "Kid Ninja" Mann and American Pat Curran, was a chess match featuring really good technique and very few but nontheless solid exchanges. In the end, the aggressiveness and overall hustle of "Patyboy" was enough for the judges, as they scored it for him via unanimous decision, via scores of 30-27 (twice) and 29-28.
With the victory, Curran books his second straight finals appearance in a tournament, as he was the winner of Bellator's season 2 155 lb. tournament. With the loss, Mann drops to 4 losses from 25 fights, but he has won 2 out of 3 in Bellator.
As for who Curran will meet in that final, that was decided in a fight between Brazilian (and Jose Aldo training partner) Marlon Sandro, and Argentine-born Brazilian Nazareno Malgarie. Through 15 minutes, we saw Sandro using throws and effective striking to leave Malgarie a mess, complete with a swollen eye and a cut above his hairline, and although Malgarie was competitve, he nonetheless never used his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background until late, and his will wasn't enough to sway the judges, who saw it all by scores of 30-27. Sandro now improves to 2-0 in Bellator Fighting Championships, while Malgarie has dropped 2 of 3 in the promotion.
Other winners included Neil Grove, all 40 years of him, defeat Zak Jensen in a Heavyweight showcase and Canadian Chris Horodecki, who defeated Chris Saunders in a 3 round affair.
Honorable Mention : Curran and Mann was a solid 15 minute affair, depending on whom you asked. I was in the crowd on Saturday, and a fight that wasn't what people wanted got several jeers, including a woman whom screamed "We came to see a fight!", and boos late in the contest. The fight actually wasn't that bad. People like you give the sport a bad name. Also, Horodecki fought Saunders with a heavy heart in front of a hometown crowd. With a packed Casino Rama cheering him on, The man known as "The Polish Hammer"s close friend passed away earlier in the week, and he was dedicating the fight to him. While Saunders was game, Horodecki frustrated him with a vastly improved ground game from his WEC days.
The heavyweight tilt between Grove and Jensen was exciting that got the front row on its feet, as the 2 big boys got locked up in a kneebar position, and spent the next 30 seconds throwing haymakers left and right. That was definitely a Bellator highlight.
The inaugural Summer Series will conclude with Bellator 48, live from the Mohegan Sun Casino August 20th on MTV2.
Until next time, fight fans.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
No Hand me downs : Bjorn Rebney calls Marquardt "not a good fit" for Bellator, but was it a missed opportunity to prove its worth?
As my many friends and fellow MMA fans can attest, I absolutely never have a bad thing to say about Bellator Fighting Championships, nor its CEO and founder Bjorn Rebney. His charismatic attitude and general knowledge of what's going on makes him almost as calculated as Dana White, given his limited resources and his inability to sell out a large arena (Bellator stages their shows on Casino grounds, sometimes at Caesar's in Atlantic City or Indian reserves, like in Yuma, Arizona or next weekend's Bellator 47 at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario). His international recruiting drive to bring in the world's top prospects, like current featherweight semi-finalist Ronnie Mann or Polish Prodigy Marcin Held, to open tryouts like the one last weekend in New Jersey, its completely obvious to everybody that despite the fact this brand doesn't carry the words "UFC", Bellator has a clear direction in where it is going.
So, it is quite a surprise that with Nate Marquardt, recently released from the UFC due to his alleged testosterone tampering, being on the market, that Rebney didn't jump at the opportunity to sign the talented Greg Jackson product. In an interview with MMAJunkie on Thursday, Rebney confirmed that indeed talks had taken place between Marquardt's camp and Bellator in regards to a contract, but that ultimately it just "wasn't the right fit" for Bellator at this time, due to multiple issues, not withstanding his reluctance to take place in the tournament for a right to fight for a title.
Unfortunately, this is where I stop extolling the virtues of Mr. Rebney and start telling him this is a grave mistake. With the Mixed Martial Arts umbrella currently the way it is, Bellator stands at No. 2 in the general landscape of the sport. Marquardt is an interchangable fighter, one whom can fight in either 170 or 185 (he won 6 of 9 fights at 185; his fight with Rick Story would have been his 170 debut) and with current champions like Ben Askren and Hector Lombard on Marquardt's "hit list" after an online jawing posted on MixedMartialArts.com as well as ESPN.com/Sherdog, it would no doubt bring Rebney's brand instand credibility to the average MMA fan, In a way similar to what Roger Huerta's tournament loss to Pat Curran in Season 2 was. If either Askren or Lombard were able to reciprecate what they have done in their paths to the title against Marquardt, it would show that MMA is not just a one horse race. That there is a place to watch top talent, and its not only the UFC.
A shame however, that it won't happen.
-In other news, it appears the Strikeforce Challengers series has found a new home. Recently licensed to fight in Nevada, the Strikeforce Challengers series beginning with number 17 this coming Friday will be the first of many to be showcased at Pearl at the Palms Casino on the Las Vegas strip, according to MMAJunkie. Friday's fight will feature a trilogy fight between welterweights Bobby Voelker and Roger Bowling. Wonder if either of these guys win if it will propel them to the top of the Strikeforce welterweight division. Bowling has 10 fights with 2 of them already coming against Voelker.
-Speaking of Strikeforce, they recently signed Canadian prospect Jordan Mein, according to Junkie. Mein, despite being 21 years old, already has amassed 29 fights (22 wins) with victories coming over Joe Riggs and current DREAM welterweight champ, Marius Zaromskis in Missisauga this past May. Wonder if they consider him the heir apparent to GSP.
- UFC 133 has seen several shifts in its co-main features. It was supposed to originally feature Rashad Evans and Jon "Bones" Jones, then due to injuries to Jones it became Evans vs Phil Davis. "Mr. Wonderful" pulled out due to a knee injury, paving the way for Tito Ortiz to continue his comeback on barely 3 weeks notice. Now, comes word that Antonio Rogerio Noguiera has to pull out of its fight with Rich Franklin according to MMAJunkie. The UFC is scrambling to find a replacement.
- Several fights have been rumored to be finalized to UFC 137's card, according to numerous MMA sources. Those include Brandon Vera's return (against Eliot Marshall), as well as Naturalized German Denis Siver vs. Canadian Sam Stout. This comes on the heels of the announcement that BJ Penn will face Carlos Condit in a potential #1 contender's matchup at Welterweight, according to ESPN.com/Sherdog.
Questions? Comments? leave one at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans.
So, it is quite a surprise that with Nate Marquardt, recently released from the UFC due to his alleged testosterone tampering, being on the market, that Rebney didn't jump at the opportunity to sign the talented Greg Jackson product. In an interview with MMAJunkie on Thursday, Rebney confirmed that indeed talks had taken place between Marquardt's camp and Bellator in regards to a contract, but that ultimately it just "wasn't the right fit" for Bellator at this time, due to multiple issues, not withstanding his reluctance to take place in the tournament for a right to fight for a title.
Unfortunately, this is where I stop extolling the virtues of Mr. Rebney and start telling him this is a grave mistake. With the Mixed Martial Arts umbrella currently the way it is, Bellator stands at No. 2 in the general landscape of the sport. Marquardt is an interchangable fighter, one whom can fight in either 170 or 185 (he won 6 of 9 fights at 185; his fight with Rick Story would have been his 170 debut) and with current champions like Ben Askren and Hector Lombard on Marquardt's "hit list" after an online jawing posted on MixedMartialArts.com as well as ESPN.com/Sherdog, it would no doubt bring Rebney's brand instand credibility to the average MMA fan, In a way similar to what Roger Huerta's tournament loss to Pat Curran in Season 2 was. If either Askren or Lombard were able to reciprecate what they have done in their paths to the title against Marquardt, it would show that MMA is not just a one horse race. That there is a place to watch top talent, and its not only the UFC.
A shame however, that it won't happen.
-In other news, it appears the Strikeforce Challengers series has found a new home. Recently licensed to fight in Nevada, the Strikeforce Challengers series beginning with number 17 this coming Friday will be the first of many to be showcased at Pearl at the Palms Casino on the Las Vegas strip, according to MMAJunkie. Friday's fight will feature a trilogy fight between welterweights Bobby Voelker and Roger Bowling. Wonder if either of these guys win if it will propel them to the top of the Strikeforce welterweight division. Bowling has 10 fights with 2 of them already coming against Voelker.
-Speaking of Strikeforce, they recently signed Canadian prospect Jordan Mein, according to Junkie. Mein, despite being 21 years old, already has amassed 29 fights (22 wins) with victories coming over Joe Riggs and current DREAM welterweight champ, Marius Zaromskis in Missisauga this past May. Wonder if they consider him the heir apparent to GSP.
- UFC 133 has seen several shifts in its co-main features. It was supposed to originally feature Rashad Evans and Jon "Bones" Jones, then due to injuries to Jones it became Evans vs Phil Davis. "Mr. Wonderful" pulled out due to a knee injury, paving the way for Tito Ortiz to continue his comeback on barely 3 weeks notice. Now, comes word that Antonio Rogerio Noguiera has to pull out of its fight with Rich Franklin according to MMAJunkie. The UFC is scrambling to find a replacement.
- Several fights have been rumored to be finalized to UFC 137's card, according to numerous MMA sources. Those include Brandon Vera's return (against Eliot Marshall), as well as Naturalized German Denis Siver vs. Canadian Sam Stout. This comes on the heels of the announcement that BJ Penn will face Carlos Condit in a potential #1 contender's matchup at Welterweight, according to ESPN.com/Sherdog.
Questions? Comments? leave one at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Huntington Beach Miracle : Was Ortiz's victory tainted, dedication, or simply just a fluke?
Last Saturday night, amidst the hoopla surrounding the Featherweight main event between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber at UFC 132, was a monumental upset that a year or so ago, nobody would have ever seen coming.
Jacob Christopher Ortiz, or "Tito" as he is more commonly known in MMA circles, was scheduled to fight Chuck Liddell in a 3rd encounter last year at UFC 115 in Vancouver after both fighters squared off as coaches on season 11 of "The Ultimate Fighter". At the eleventh hour however, Ortiz pulled out due to having a recurring neck injury, and many fans pointed to that as an "excuse" to get out of receiving another loss to "The Iceman" (they had fought twice before). The past few years have not been kind to Ortiz, who going into Saturday had not tasted victory in 5 years, that last win being over a then 44 year old Ken Shamrock in the Spike televised card for "The Ultimate Fighter" season 3. Following that (and his second loss to Liddell) was a draw to fellow former 205 lb. kingpin Rashad Evans, plus defeats at the hands of Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin and Matt Hammil. In between was a year long sabbatical, which Ortiz criticized UFC president Dana White and flirted with crossing over to Strikeforce and Affliction, getting as close to joining the fledgling organization as providing color commentary for the "Affliction : Day of Reckoning" Pay per view.
So in a nutshell, heading into Saturday, with his last fight being against Forrest Griffin in late 2009, and facing a blue chipper in 12-1 Ryan Bader, It was not shocking (or even a surprise) to see Ortiz being an underdog. How much of an underdog was extraordinary, as he was looking at 4-to-1 odds versus Bader, A young and hungry prospect who had only tasted defeat against current 205 lb. kingpin Jon "Bones" Jones.
About a minute in, the unthinkable happened. Ortiz dropped a right hand that send Bader to the mat, pulled guard and secured a guillotine choke. As a fan who had seen Ortiz dominated for 2 rounds against Lyoto Machida only to see Ortiz pull off a very tight triangle in the last round, I didn't get too anxious, inevitably thinking that once Bader pulled his head out, the fight would be over. It didn't happen, as Bader tapped, and in doing so, turned the entire light heavyweight division on its ear.
What can be made of this colossal upset? Tito had been blaming his lackluster performances of recent day due to injuries and a lack of commitment when it came to training. While it was clear that a 36 year old veteran body isn't as fresh as a 24 year old one, one can also make the argument that Tito dazed his opponent early, making his path to victory that much more clear. The sport has also evolved like everything else, which makes training day in and day out a necessity, not casually. Most importantly, the 205. lb division is stacked with much better fighters than there were perhaps a few years ago, with names like Phil Davis and Jon Jones dominating division excellence talk, along with household names like "Rampage" Jackson and "Shogun" Rua, as well as Griffin and Machida being in the way of Tito's comeback.
Ortiz declared himself "back" after his hand was raised Saturday night. With a stacked division the way it is, Father time catching up to him, and a laundry list of "excuses" he likes to hand out when unable to fight, it will be a difficult time to get back up to the mountain top. But as his many fans will attest, don't ever count Tito Ortiz out.
-In other news, Bellator 47 has taken quite a hit. While the "Summer Series" Featherweight semi-finals are secured with Ronnie Mann vs Pat Curran and Nazareno Malgahrie taking on Marlon Sandro, comes the news that would-be main event fighter Patricio "Pitbull" has pulled out of his fight with Joe Warren with a Broken Hand, as reported by MMAJunkie. The re-scheduled fight will take place at a later date.
-Speaking of fighters who have out stayed their welcome, Many pundits were pointing out that "Ax Murderer" Wanderlei Silva should take the high road and retire, including Dana White and the writer of this blog himself. One of those naysayers however, is former 205 lb. champ Lyoto Machida, as reported by ESPN.co.UK. Machida says that Wanderlei's punching power and gas are still there, but ultimately it would be his fellow Brazilian's decision, as he wouldn't tell him what to do.
-And speaking of "The Dragon" comes the talk that he would like to face the world's most famous white collar criminal this side of Conrad Black, Chael Sonnen, in a 205 lb. bout, according to Sherdog. UFC officials were quick to diffuse the talk, but I believe that a well placed front kick to the American wrestler's head would be something I would watch.
Questions? Comments? leave a comment at the end of the page or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or hit me up on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!
Jacob Christopher Ortiz, or "Tito" as he is more commonly known in MMA circles, was scheduled to fight Chuck Liddell in a 3rd encounter last year at UFC 115 in Vancouver after both fighters squared off as coaches on season 11 of "The Ultimate Fighter". At the eleventh hour however, Ortiz pulled out due to having a recurring neck injury, and many fans pointed to that as an "excuse" to get out of receiving another loss to "The Iceman" (they had fought twice before). The past few years have not been kind to Ortiz, who going into Saturday had not tasted victory in 5 years, that last win being over a then 44 year old Ken Shamrock in the Spike televised card for "The Ultimate Fighter" season 3. Following that (and his second loss to Liddell) was a draw to fellow former 205 lb. kingpin Rashad Evans, plus defeats at the hands of Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin and Matt Hammil. In between was a year long sabbatical, which Ortiz criticized UFC president Dana White and flirted with crossing over to Strikeforce and Affliction, getting as close to joining the fledgling organization as providing color commentary for the "Affliction : Day of Reckoning" Pay per view.
So in a nutshell, heading into Saturday, with his last fight being against Forrest Griffin in late 2009, and facing a blue chipper in 12-1 Ryan Bader, It was not shocking (or even a surprise) to see Ortiz being an underdog. How much of an underdog was extraordinary, as he was looking at 4-to-1 odds versus Bader, A young and hungry prospect who had only tasted defeat against current 205 lb. kingpin Jon "Bones" Jones.
About a minute in, the unthinkable happened. Ortiz dropped a right hand that send Bader to the mat, pulled guard and secured a guillotine choke. As a fan who had seen Ortiz dominated for 2 rounds against Lyoto Machida only to see Ortiz pull off a very tight triangle in the last round, I didn't get too anxious, inevitably thinking that once Bader pulled his head out, the fight would be over. It didn't happen, as Bader tapped, and in doing so, turned the entire light heavyweight division on its ear.
What can be made of this colossal upset? Tito had been blaming his lackluster performances of recent day due to injuries and a lack of commitment when it came to training. While it was clear that a 36 year old veteran body isn't as fresh as a 24 year old one, one can also make the argument that Tito dazed his opponent early, making his path to victory that much more clear. The sport has also evolved like everything else, which makes training day in and day out a necessity, not casually. Most importantly, the 205. lb division is stacked with much better fighters than there were perhaps a few years ago, with names like Phil Davis and Jon Jones dominating division excellence talk, along with household names like "Rampage" Jackson and "Shogun" Rua, as well as Griffin and Machida being in the way of Tito's comeback.
Ortiz declared himself "back" after his hand was raised Saturday night. With a stacked division the way it is, Father time catching up to him, and a laundry list of "excuses" he likes to hand out when unable to fight, it will be a difficult time to get back up to the mountain top. But as his many fans will attest, don't ever count Tito Ortiz out.
-In other news, Bellator 47 has taken quite a hit. While the "Summer Series" Featherweight semi-finals are secured with Ronnie Mann vs Pat Curran and Nazareno Malgahrie taking on Marlon Sandro, comes the news that would-be main event fighter Patricio "Pitbull" has pulled out of his fight with Joe Warren with a Broken Hand, as reported by MMAJunkie. The re-scheduled fight will take place at a later date.
-Speaking of fighters who have out stayed their welcome, Many pundits were pointing out that "Ax Murderer" Wanderlei Silva should take the high road and retire, including Dana White and the writer of this blog himself. One of those naysayers however, is former 205 lb. champ Lyoto Machida, as reported by ESPN.co.UK. Machida says that Wanderlei's punching power and gas are still there, but ultimately it would be his fellow Brazilian's decision, as he wouldn't tell him what to do.
-And speaking of "The Dragon" comes the talk that he would like to face the world's most famous white collar criminal this side of Conrad Black, Chael Sonnen, in a 205 lb. bout, according to Sherdog. UFC officials were quick to diffuse the talk, but I believe that a well placed front kick to the American wrestler's head would be something I would watch.
Questions? Comments? leave a comment at the end of the page or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or hit me up on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
UFC 132 : Cruz vs Faber 2 re-hash : Cruz utilizes footwork and boxing, wins by decision; Leben stuns Silva.
Its an age old adage : You get what you pay for.
On Saturday night in Las Vegas, fans certainly got a fantastic main event as Urijah Faber tried to take the 135 lb. bantamweight world title from Dominick Cruz. Like their first meeting, a title was on the line. Also like their first meeting, it was Cruz's promotional debut (they had fought in the WEC in Cruz's debut in that promotion in 2006).
Also on Saturday night, the belt didn't change hands, as Cruz's footwork and precise striking were clearly the difference in a unanimous decision victory, scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47. While "The California Kid" was certainly in the fight, landing arguably the 3 best shots of the 25 minute affair, his inability to go in for the kill and finish was certainly shown, and Cruz showed incredible grappling abilities, scrambling from more than one position and landing a couple takedowns of his own.
Next for Cruz : Demitirous Johnson or Brian Bowles..
Next for Faber : Miguel Torres.
The co-main event likely saw the end of the career of PRIDE legend and fan favourite, Wanderlei Silva as he took on Chris Leben. Wanderlei certainly looked different, it being his first fight in nearly a year and a half as he rushed in right away, attempting to re-create many of his legendary KOs from the early part of this century. However, it is no longer 2004, its 2011, and once Leben's fist landed on the Brazilian's chin, it was over, as Wanderlei feigned and fell prone with the American finishing with mop up punches.
Next for Leben : Vitor Belfort.
Next for Silva : Kind of hard to see him walking away. If he does return, either Yoshihiro Akiyama or Jorge Rivera.
GSP teammate and KO artist Carlos Condit took on Korean Dung Hyung Kim in the first fight of the PPV card. Kim threw and landed a high kick to secure an early takedown, though it was reversed into a guillotine attempt by "The Natural Born Killer". From there, the 2 scrambled to get back up, with Kim clearly the aggressor, though not hitting Condit. After a stalemate on the feet that lasted almost a minute, Condit threw a flying knee that caught "Stun Gun" on the chin, finishing off with a wild flurry of punches late in round 1.
Next for Condit : Very difficult to argue he doesn't deserve a title shot, but...The winner of Jake Ellenberger and Jake Shields looks appealing as well.
Next for Kim : He may be Dung Hyung Kim and he may be Stun Gun, but he can't compete against GSP. Hell I don't think he could even compete against Nick Diaz. Perhaps Diego Sanchez or Martin Kampmann.
Melvin Guillard continued his exponential rise to the top of the lightweight division, disposing of Shane Roller early, after a few hesitant moments including an eye poke from "The Young Assassin".
Next for Guillard : Perhaps Anthony Pettis or Donald Cerrone.
Next for Roller : The loser of Ben Henderson-Jim Miller.
Honorable Mention : Its amazingly ironic that on the same night we saw the end of one legend, another clearly resurrected his career. Tito Ortiz, a 4-to-1 long shot and a regular victim of constant retirement talk on this blog, faced Ryan Bader in the night's second fight. After dropping Bader with a short right hand, Tito secured a choke that made the prospect tap early in round one. For Ortiz, who hadn't tasted victory in about 5 years (his last win was against Ken Shamrock. Not the UFC 1 or UFC 5 Ken Shamrock, but the faded, past his prime, in desperate need to retire, verbal submitting at Impact FC in Australia last year version), this was jubilation. I didn't even make a pick on this fight because I had figured "Darth" would blast Ortiz into next week. Didn't happen though. Tito clearly made a case that his career deserves to end....at least in one more fight.
2 for 4 on my picks for the night, which brings me to 32-20-2 for the year.
After this, there will be no action for about 3 weeks, with the next card happening to be Bellator 47 at Rama. and yes, I think i said enough times i'll be there.
Email me at mmarmageddon@gmail.com or follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!
On Saturday night in Las Vegas, fans certainly got a fantastic main event as Urijah Faber tried to take the 135 lb. bantamweight world title from Dominick Cruz. Like their first meeting, a title was on the line. Also like their first meeting, it was Cruz's promotional debut (they had fought in the WEC in Cruz's debut in that promotion in 2006).
Also on Saturday night, the belt didn't change hands, as Cruz's footwork and precise striking were clearly the difference in a unanimous decision victory, scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47. While "The California Kid" was certainly in the fight, landing arguably the 3 best shots of the 25 minute affair, his inability to go in for the kill and finish was certainly shown, and Cruz showed incredible grappling abilities, scrambling from more than one position and landing a couple takedowns of his own.
Next for Cruz : Demitirous Johnson or Brian Bowles..
Next for Faber : Miguel Torres.
The co-main event likely saw the end of the career of PRIDE legend and fan favourite, Wanderlei Silva as he took on Chris Leben. Wanderlei certainly looked different, it being his first fight in nearly a year and a half as he rushed in right away, attempting to re-create many of his legendary KOs from the early part of this century. However, it is no longer 2004, its 2011, and once Leben's fist landed on the Brazilian's chin, it was over, as Wanderlei feigned and fell prone with the American finishing with mop up punches.
Next for Leben : Vitor Belfort.
Next for Silva : Kind of hard to see him walking away. If he does return, either Yoshihiro Akiyama or Jorge Rivera.
GSP teammate and KO artist Carlos Condit took on Korean Dung Hyung Kim in the first fight of the PPV card. Kim threw and landed a high kick to secure an early takedown, though it was reversed into a guillotine attempt by "The Natural Born Killer". From there, the 2 scrambled to get back up, with Kim clearly the aggressor, though not hitting Condit. After a stalemate on the feet that lasted almost a minute, Condit threw a flying knee that caught "Stun Gun" on the chin, finishing off with a wild flurry of punches late in round 1.
Next for Condit : Very difficult to argue he doesn't deserve a title shot, but...The winner of Jake Ellenberger and Jake Shields looks appealing as well.
Next for Kim : He may be Dung Hyung Kim and he may be Stun Gun, but he can't compete against GSP. Hell I don't think he could even compete against Nick Diaz. Perhaps Diego Sanchez or Martin Kampmann.
Melvin Guillard continued his exponential rise to the top of the lightweight division, disposing of Shane Roller early, after a few hesitant moments including an eye poke from "The Young Assassin".
Next for Guillard : Perhaps Anthony Pettis or Donald Cerrone.
Next for Roller : The loser of Ben Henderson-Jim Miller.
Honorable Mention : Its amazingly ironic that on the same night we saw the end of one legend, another clearly resurrected his career. Tito Ortiz, a 4-to-1 long shot and a regular victim of constant retirement talk on this blog, faced Ryan Bader in the night's second fight. After dropping Bader with a short right hand, Tito secured a choke that made the prospect tap early in round one. For Ortiz, who hadn't tasted victory in about 5 years (his last win was against Ken Shamrock. Not the UFC 1 or UFC 5 Ken Shamrock, but the faded, past his prime, in desperate need to retire, verbal submitting at Impact FC in Australia last year version), this was jubilation. I didn't even make a pick on this fight because I had figured "Darth" would blast Ortiz into next week. Didn't happen though. Tito clearly made a case that his career deserves to end....at least in one more fight.
2 for 4 on my picks for the night, which brings me to 32-20-2 for the year.
After this, there will be no action for about 3 weeks, with the next card happening to be Bellator 47 at Rama. and yes, I think i said enough times i'll be there.
Email me at mmarmageddon@gmail.com or follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
UFC 132 : Cruz vs Faber 2 preview.
In March 24th, 2007, WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber defended his 145 lb. strap for the second of 5 defenses against a relative unknown. About a minute in, Faber made the unknown fighter tap via guillotine choke, improving to a (then) 18-1, en route to eventually losing the title to Mike Brown.
For that relative unknown, Dominick Cruz it was the only time he has ever tasted defeat in his career. A post fight incident involving a auctioned poster which didn't feature Cruz and only Faber was signed by Cruz across Faber's face, creating a rift between the 2 fighters.
On Saturday Night from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Cruz gets his opporutnity to avenge his loss. He is now 18-1, making his UFC debut and defending the newly minted UFC bantamweight championship. As for Faber, he defended that featherweight belt for 2 years before losing it to Brown, later dropping to 135 after a one sided pasting at the hands of Jose Aldo. He's won both fights since the drop, taking care of Japanese fighter Takeya Mizugaki and decisioning Eddie Wineland. Now 26-4, He gets the opportunity to finally let his fists do the talking against Cruz.
Onto My Picks :
Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber - The Main Event will be the first bantamweight championship match in UFC history (Remember, Cruz won the title by beating Scott Jorgensen on the last WEC card). Cruz hasn't fought since then due to injury, while Faber was able to decision former champion Eddie Wineland this past March.
The X-factor to this fight will not be whether or not Cruz can outstrike or out box Faber : Its well documented how much of a tactical striker he is. Rather the question will be can he outwrestle the former NCAA division 1 wrestler. I'm tending to think Cruz's striking will keep him around further than last time, but Faber will ultimately time the champ to take him down, leading to a late 3rd/early 4th round stoppage.
The Pick : Faber by submission.
Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben - The co-main event features 2 brawlers in former PRIDE Light Heavyweight World Champion Wanderlei Silva and TUF 1st season alum Chris Leben. Silva hasn't fought since decisioning Michael Bisping in early 2010 due to injury, while Leben fought on the New Year's Day card in 2011, getting kneed and knocked out by former US Soldier Brian Stann.
I can see this fight going extremely similar to Silva vs. Bisping. The Brazilian will try to keep himself out of Leben's heavy hands and may even show an aptitude for Jiu-Jitsu at some point. While I do expect him to take a shot or two, I ultimately believe "The Ax Murderer" will have enough in his tank to down the American.
The Pick : Silva by decision.
Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim - Notable striker Carlos Condit and Korean fighter Dong Hyun Kim square off with possible title implications. With the notable controversy surrounding Nate Marquardt and Rick Story dropping his Versus fight vs Charlie Brennerman, this could no doubt give us the next contender in line for a shot at the 170 lb. title (remember, Condit and current champion Georges St. Pierre are teammates, and Condit has made it clear he has no bones about facing GSP). Condit hasn't fought since knocking out former welterweight challenger Dan Hardy last October, while Kim has "wanted GSP" since downing Nate Diaz in January. Expect Condit to keep this fight standing as long as he can. If he can sprawl and keep the korean Kim at bay, it might be only a matter of time before his fist lands on Kim's chin.
The Pick : Condit by TKO.
Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller - Lightweight contender Melvin Guillard faces WEC alum Shane Roller in one of the 2 televised prelims on Spike. Guillard last fought in January at Fort Hood, Texas, knocking out Evan Dunham in the 1st round, while Roller last fought in March knocking out Thiago Tavares. I expect this to be a slugfest, with Guillard having his hand raised.
The Pick : Guillard by KO.
Those are my picks. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or feel free to follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
For that relative unknown, Dominick Cruz it was the only time he has ever tasted defeat in his career. A post fight incident involving a auctioned poster which didn't feature Cruz and only Faber was signed by Cruz across Faber's face, creating a rift between the 2 fighters.
On Saturday Night from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Cruz gets his opporutnity to avenge his loss. He is now 18-1, making his UFC debut and defending the newly minted UFC bantamweight championship. As for Faber, he defended that featherweight belt for 2 years before losing it to Brown, later dropping to 135 after a one sided pasting at the hands of Jose Aldo. He's won both fights since the drop, taking care of Japanese fighter Takeya Mizugaki and decisioning Eddie Wineland. Now 26-4, He gets the opportunity to finally let his fists do the talking against Cruz.
Onto My Picks :
Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber - The Main Event will be the first bantamweight championship match in UFC history (Remember, Cruz won the title by beating Scott Jorgensen on the last WEC card). Cruz hasn't fought since then due to injury, while Faber was able to decision former champion Eddie Wineland this past March.
The X-factor to this fight will not be whether or not Cruz can outstrike or out box Faber : Its well documented how much of a tactical striker he is. Rather the question will be can he outwrestle the former NCAA division 1 wrestler. I'm tending to think Cruz's striking will keep him around further than last time, but Faber will ultimately time the champ to take him down, leading to a late 3rd/early 4th round stoppage.
The Pick : Faber by submission.
Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben - The co-main event features 2 brawlers in former PRIDE Light Heavyweight World Champion Wanderlei Silva and TUF 1st season alum Chris Leben. Silva hasn't fought since decisioning Michael Bisping in early 2010 due to injury, while Leben fought on the New Year's Day card in 2011, getting kneed and knocked out by former US Soldier Brian Stann.
I can see this fight going extremely similar to Silva vs. Bisping. The Brazilian will try to keep himself out of Leben's heavy hands and may even show an aptitude for Jiu-Jitsu at some point. While I do expect him to take a shot or two, I ultimately believe "The Ax Murderer" will have enough in his tank to down the American.
The Pick : Silva by decision.
Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim - Notable striker Carlos Condit and Korean fighter Dong Hyun Kim square off with possible title implications. With the notable controversy surrounding Nate Marquardt and Rick Story dropping his Versus fight vs Charlie Brennerman, this could no doubt give us the next contender in line for a shot at the 170 lb. title (remember, Condit and current champion Georges St. Pierre are teammates, and Condit has made it clear he has no bones about facing GSP). Condit hasn't fought since knocking out former welterweight challenger Dan Hardy last October, while Kim has "wanted GSP" since downing Nate Diaz in January. Expect Condit to keep this fight standing as long as he can. If he can sprawl and keep the korean Kim at bay, it might be only a matter of time before his fist lands on Kim's chin.
The Pick : Condit by TKO.
Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller - Lightweight contender Melvin Guillard faces WEC alum Shane Roller in one of the 2 televised prelims on Spike. Guillard last fought in January at Fort Hood, Texas, knocking out Evan Dunham in the 1st round, while Roller last fought in March knocking out Thiago Tavares. I expect this to be a slugfest, with Guillard having his hand raised.
The Pick : Guillard by KO.
Those are my picks. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or feel free to follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Leaning towards one side : Is it time for an MMA comissioner?
A week ago, Nate Marquardt was sitting on top of the world. While he hadn't yet made his debut as a welterweight, a main event tilt versus Rick Story on Versus was on the horizon, and the argument was that the winner of the fight could very well be the next in line for a shot at the 170 lb. strap. Today, Marquardt is at a crossroads in his career, being released by the UFC following a failed medical clearance for the event, which was shuffled around and was turned into a headliner featuring kickboxers Cheick Kongo and Pat Berry, which provided one of the greatest finishes in Mixed Martial Arts history.
Following that came the revelation from Marquardt, that like Chael Sonnen, he suffered from testosterone deficiency and needed to undergo Testosterone replacement therapy (TPT) to repair it. We also heard from Dana White, and his belief during a press conference this week regarding the situation that he believed Marquardt's hormone therapy might be "performance enhancing", as well as him going tooth and nail defending Sonnen yet again, claiming Sonnen had all the paper work but he hadn't seen a thing from Marquardt's camp, who had 6 weeks to file the paper work. He referred to whether or not the Greg Jackson product would return, saying that "Nate's Done" and his release was his "Fourth Chance".
Brett Rogers yesterday was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife and released from Zuffa-offshoot Strikeforce. Which again, I can understand. Publicity for a sport like Mixed Martial Arts, especially negative, presents a bad eye for marketing (though it probably doesn't help Rogers has lost 3 or his last 4 fights).
In the past we've seen Dana White have a video blog tirade (stemming from a Loretta Hunt article on Sherdog), going so far as to deny the veteran MMA writer media credentials while she attempted to report on the "Strikeforce : Diaz vs Daley" event earlier this year. We've seen him criticize Fedor Emelianenko's management, tweeting they "are the worst in the world" following "The Last Emperor's" defeat at the hands of Bigfoot Silva in February. We've seen White critique notable trainers like Greg Jackson and fighters like Anderson Silva, going so far as to say he'd "cut him" following another performance on par with the one against Demian Maia in Abu Dhabi (Silva would next fight Sonnen, who pushed him to the brink, no doubt aided by his testosterone boost).
I'm not saying that Dana White isn't a leader. His passion is unparalleled and his actions are based on pure emotion. What I'm saying is while he can stay installed as President of Zuffa, the truth of the matter here is that as a de facto commissioner, he does as he pleases and there are none that can question his decisions. I feel that if the sport of Mixed Martial Arts is to go forward, there is a dire need for a sport governing body, to separate the promotional side of the sport from the rule breaking side. At the head of it there needs to be a commissioner, be it whomever it is, that can not only make tough decisions, but is brave enough to kick out a rule breaker and a criminal (such as Sonnen), despite the fact that his loyal following keeps him inside the cage. One that if the need arises and rampant abuse takes over, is able to clamp down.
White is able to do that for some, but not for others. Favoritism needs to be thrown to the wayside.
-In other news, MMAJunkie reported that 2 more fights have been added to the "Strikeforce : Fedor vs Henderson" card set for July 30th. Both involve female fighters, with a 145 lb. fight between Ronda Rousey & Sarah D'Alelio, and 135 lb. tilt between Julie Kedzie and Alexis Davis. The card is set to air on Showtime.
-UFC color commentator Joe Rogan has been slated to host the relaunch of reality show "Fear Factor" on NBC. Rogan, if you remember, was the host of the show during its original run from 2001 to 2006, as reported by MMAJunkie.
-ESPN.com/Sherdog is reporting that the UFC is planning an event in Japan sometime this year, according to president Dana White. White has been quoted as saying the rumors regarding the Japan event speculated by numerous MMA sources are "true", and if it happens will be the first card in Japan since UFC 29 back in 2000.
-ProElite is back. The former match fixing, controversial MMA promotion has announced they will host their first event since resurrection in Hawaii on August 27th, reported by ESPN.co.uk. Wonder if they can find another "Street Brawler" to rest their hopes on. Or maybe Phil Baroni. That will be interesting.
-And I normally don't cover Boxing on this blog, but, Junkie has reported that Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has signed up to make his professional boxing debut on August 13th. This in my view, is definitely a good thing. Based on his cardio, he might be able to take over Butterbean's crown as the "King of the 4 rounders".
Though based on heavyweight boxing nowadays, he might be a contender.
Questions? Comments? drop one at the bottom here or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com. Also feel free to follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!.
Following that came the revelation from Marquardt, that like Chael Sonnen, he suffered from testosterone deficiency and needed to undergo Testosterone replacement therapy (TPT) to repair it. We also heard from Dana White, and his belief during a press conference this week regarding the situation that he believed Marquardt's hormone therapy might be "performance enhancing", as well as him going tooth and nail defending Sonnen yet again, claiming Sonnen had all the paper work but he hadn't seen a thing from Marquardt's camp, who had 6 weeks to file the paper work. He referred to whether or not the Greg Jackson product would return, saying that "Nate's Done" and his release was his "Fourth Chance".
Brett Rogers yesterday was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife and released from Zuffa-offshoot Strikeforce. Which again, I can understand. Publicity for a sport like Mixed Martial Arts, especially negative, presents a bad eye for marketing (though it probably doesn't help Rogers has lost 3 or his last 4 fights).
In the past we've seen Dana White have a video blog tirade (stemming from a Loretta Hunt article on Sherdog), going so far as to deny the veteran MMA writer media credentials while she attempted to report on the "Strikeforce : Diaz vs Daley" event earlier this year. We've seen him criticize Fedor Emelianenko's management, tweeting they "are the worst in the world" following "The Last Emperor's" defeat at the hands of Bigfoot Silva in February. We've seen White critique notable trainers like Greg Jackson and fighters like Anderson Silva, going so far as to say he'd "cut him" following another performance on par with the one against Demian Maia in Abu Dhabi (Silva would next fight Sonnen, who pushed him to the brink, no doubt aided by his testosterone boost).
I'm not saying that Dana White isn't a leader. His passion is unparalleled and his actions are based on pure emotion. What I'm saying is while he can stay installed as President of Zuffa, the truth of the matter here is that as a de facto commissioner, he does as he pleases and there are none that can question his decisions. I feel that if the sport of Mixed Martial Arts is to go forward, there is a dire need for a sport governing body, to separate the promotional side of the sport from the rule breaking side. At the head of it there needs to be a commissioner, be it whomever it is, that can not only make tough decisions, but is brave enough to kick out a rule breaker and a criminal (such as Sonnen), despite the fact that his loyal following keeps him inside the cage. One that if the need arises and rampant abuse takes over, is able to clamp down.
White is able to do that for some, but not for others. Favoritism needs to be thrown to the wayside.
-In other news, MMAJunkie reported that 2 more fights have been added to the "Strikeforce : Fedor vs Henderson" card set for July 30th. Both involve female fighters, with a 145 lb. fight between Ronda Rousey & Sarah D'Alelio, and 135 lb. tilt between Julie Kedzie and Alexis Davis. The card is set to air on Showtime.
-UFC color commentator Joe Rogan has been slated to host the relaunch of reality show "Fear Factor" on NBC. Rogan, if you remember, was the host of the show during its original run from 2001 to 2006, as reported by MMAJunkie.
-ESPN.com/Sherdog is reporting that the UFC is planning an event in Japan sometime this year, according to president Dana White. White has been quoted as saying the rumors regarding the Japan event speculated by numerous MMA sources are "true", and if it happens will be the first card in Japan since UFC 29 back in 2000.
-ProElite is back. The former match fixing, controversial MMA promotion has announced they will host their first event since resurrection in Hawaii on August 27th, reported by ESPN.co.uk. Wonder if they can find another "Street Brawler" to rest their hopes on. Or maybe Phil Baroni. That will be interesting.
-And I normally don't cover Boxing on this blog, but, Junkie has reported that Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has signed up to make his professional boxing debut on August 13th. This in my view, is definitely a good thing. Based on his cardio, he might be able to take over Butterbean's crown as the "King of the 4 rounders".
Though based on heavyweight boxing nowadays, he might be a contender.
Questions? Comments? drop one at the bottom here or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com. Also feel free to follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!.
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