Almost 20 years ago, in 1993 at the Micnicholls Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, something incredible happened. In a caged single elimination tournament, a 150 pound Brazilian in a Gi showed that ground skills were just as tactical, if not more useful than a punch. An incredible new era was born, and in the coming years the sport would be known as Mixed Martial Arts. On Saturday night, after almost 16 years away, the UFC finally returns to where it all began.
Granted, Zuffa didn't own the UFC back then and Sepamore Entertainment Group, the company that did, would hold regular cards in the Colorado capital back then, with its last coming in 1995. In 2011, a 6'4" freak athlete now owns the sport known as MMA, having become world champion in only his 13th fight. A grizzled veteran stands between him and his continued dominance, and we'll find out whether or not another grizzled veteran is going out to prove he's not done, or to prove he is and he's not coming back.
Onto my picks :
Jon "Bones" Jones vs. Quinton Jackson - The main event features that aforementioned freak athlete, Jon Jones, and that aforementioned grizzled veteran, Rampage Jackson. Jones is defending his title for the first time having beaten Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in March, afterwards having to deal with both injury, and criticism from both Rashad Evans (whom he pulled out an originally planned main event at UFC 133 that ended up as Evans vs. Tito Ortiz) and Jackson, whom has labelled Jones a "fake" and "phony" and accused Jones of having a mole placed in his camp. Jackson is fighting since defeating Matt Hammil in Hammil's second to last fight at UFC 133.
If nothing else, Jackson can still talk a good fight. How he fights might be as Monty Python coined the phrase, "something completely different". I expect Jones to dominate this fight, using his athletic gifts to pepper Jackson from the outside, with him slowly moving in from the late 3rd to early 4th getting inside and taking Jackson down. From there, Bones might finish however he wishes.
The Pick : Jones by decision.
Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck - the co-main event is a pairing between American wrestlers from the old generation and the new, with former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes taking on Josh Koscheck. Hughes is making his UFC record tying 25th appearance in the Octagon (with Tito Ortiz), with his last fight being all of 21 seconds versus BJ Penn at UFC 123 last November. Koscheck, who is replacing injured Diego Sanchez on just 2 weeks notice, Koscheck himself coming back from injuring an orbital bone versus Georges St. Pierre last December for St. Pierre's Welterweight title.
I have no doubts this is the former UFC welterweight champ Hughes' last fight. Win or Lose, he will call it a career at the end of the day. Unfortunately, it won't be a Chris Lytle moment, as Koshcheck will finish this fight, and will finish it early.
The Pick : Koscheck by TKO.
Ben Rothwell vs. Mark Hunt - The fights first main card fight will feature a few big boys of the UFC's heavyweight division in Ben Rothwell and former PRIDE and K-1 vet Mark Hunt. Rothwell is fighting for the first time in over a year, having suffered a deviated septum in his fight against Dutchman Gilbert Yvel at UFC 115 in Vancouver in June 2010. As for Hunt, he recently did himself proud in front of family and friends at the UFC 127 prelims in Sydney, Australia this past February. This will be a slugfest, although at some point, expect the ground skills of Rothwell to come into play.
The Pick : Rothwell by decision.
The first preliminary on Spike will feature Canadian and TUF alum Nick Ring as he takes on Tim Boestch. Expect Boestch to advance on Ring early, and earn a unanimous decision win.
The Pick : Boestch by decision.
-In other news, Vitor Belfort has dropped out of a UFC 139 fight with former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le, MMAjunkie reported on Tuesday. In his place comes former PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva, whom Dana White says is in a "must win" situation in an article later posted on the Junkie website. Silva might be an all time favorite, but he's also lost 6 of his past 8. So, something's got to give.
-Stikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (and free agent) Dan Henderson is no longer a free agent, having signed to return to the UFC. While the former PRIDE champion has expressed his desire to fight in both promotions, it seems to be only another piece of Strikeforce's proverbial Titanic sinking into the UFC's ocean. He will face Mauricio "Shogun" at UFC 139 on November 19th Junkie also reported.
-Alistair Overeem has dropped his longtime management team Golden Glory, various MMA sites have reported. I'm not an expert, and I know Bas Boon is telling me the truth, I can't help but think this stinks of Zuffa micromanaging. I mean, why would Overeem suddenly shun a team he's essentially fought for his whole career?
-And just for you guys, it seems even Sports Illustrated's Jeff Wagenheim is appreciative of MMArmaggedistism. He recently threw a shout out to yours truly on a recent e-mail article on reader feedback about Nick Diaz. check it out here http://sportsillustrated.asia/vault/article/web/COM1190510/2/index.htm
like him, if you've got Questions? Comments, you can give me a shout out on your site (which I'm assuming isn't as large as Sports Illustrated but I do appreciate it) or leave one at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com you can also follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until Next time, fight fans!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Bellator 50 recap.
Coming to us from the Hard Rock Cafe & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Bellator Fighting Championships showcased its second card of their 5th season, broadcast live on MTV2 and Epix in the US and The Score in Canada. Fights featured on the card were from the promotions middleweight tournament.
The main event featured 2 former finalists, in Jared Hess (who lost to current Middleweight kingpin, Hector Lombard in season one) and Bryan Baker (who was defeated by Aleksander Schlmenko in season 2). Hess took the fight to the leukemia survivor Baker early, securing a body triangle and rear naked choke position early on in the opening round. It appeared Hess was about to secure his ticket to the semi-finals, only for Baker to survive and reverse into a front headlock position of his own, attempting a side choke on several occasions and nearly making Hess tap before the bell sounded as the round ended.
Hess never seemed to be in the fight from that point on, as he was visibly exhausted, and Baker (though exhausted himself) pounced on his opponent, attempting submission attempts and having his opponents back to end round 2. After securing Hess' back yet again in the final frame, Baker teed off on Hess with several shots while Hess was sprawled out stomach down, forcing the ref to stop the match at the 2:52 mark of round 3. Baker, who again had survived cancer and put his career on hold for 2 years, improves to 16-2 in his MMA career.
The co-main event featured Bellator newcomers Brian Rogers and Victor O'Donnell. After several non-threatening exchanges with fighters feeling each other out, Rogers threw a high kick that was ducked under by the Ohio native O'Donnell. A stiff jab dropped O'Donnell however, and Rogers finished up with several hammerfists and advanced to the semi-finals at 1:55 of Round 1.
Other winners included Victor Vianna, who defeated "Smiling" Sam Alvey via split decision, and the aforementioned Schlemenko, who defeated fellow European and DREAM veteran Zelg Galesic via standing guillotine choke.
Honorable Mention : I don't understand how MMA doesn't have a referees union. The referees appointed by the various state and provincial athletic commissions should have a central pool of referees to choose from. The referees in Florida were atrocious, complete with Troy Waugh's botching of the Rogers/O'Donnell fight. O'Donnell was furious at the stoppage, and from where I sat I do not blame him. He seemed to be defending himself well, and although stunned he was aware of his surroundings.
Schlemenko's standing guillotine choke on Galesic was incredible. For a fighter who is more renowned for his stand up skills complete with spinning backfists and roundhouse kicks, it was refreshing for him to be trying new submission skills, and i applaud him for it. He says he'd like another shot at Hector Lombard, and that's a fight i'd like to see with his newfound skills. Shaquille O'Neal in attendance at Hollywood was pretty cool. Wonder how he'd do against Hong Man Choi.
Tune in next week for Bellator 51, from Canton, Ohio with opening round matches from the Season 5 bantamweight tournament, highlighted by current featherweight champion Joe Warren dropping down to fight for a shot at being a champion in 2 different weight classes.
Until next time, fight fans!
The main event featured 2 former finalists, in Jared Hess (who lost to current Middleweight kingpin, Hector Lombard in season one) and Bryan Baker (who was defeated by Aleksander Schlmenko in season 2). Hess took the fight to the leukemia survivor Baker early, securing a body triangle and rear naked choke position early on in the opening round. It appeared Hess was about to secure his ticket to the semi-finals, only for Baker to survive and reverse into a front headlock position of his own, attempting a side choke on several occasions and nearly making Hess tap before the bell sounded as the round ended.
Hess never seemed to be in the fight from that point on, as he was visibly exhausted, and Baker (though exhausted himself) pounced on his opponent, attempting submission attempts and having his opponents back to end round 2. After securing Hess' back yet again in the final frame, Baker teed off on Hess with several shots while Hess was sprawled out stomach down, forcing the ref to stop the match at the 2:52 mark of round 3. Baker, who again had survived cancer and put his career on hold for 2 years, improves to 16-2 in his MMA career.
The co-main event featured Bellator newcomers Brian Rogers and Victor O'Donnell. After several non-threatening exchanges with fighters feeling each other out, Rogers threw a high kick that was ducked under by the Ohio native O'Donnell. A stiff jab dropped O'Donnell however, and Rogers finished up with several hammerfists and advanced to the semi-finals at 1:55 of Round 1.
Other winners included Victor Vianna, who defeated "Smiling" Sam Alvey via split decision, and the aforementioned Schlemenko, who defeated fellow European and DREAM veteran Zelg Galesic via standing guillotine choke.
Honorable Mention : I don't understand how MMA doesn't have a referees union. The referees appointed by the various state and provincial athletic commissions should have a central pool of referees to choose from. The referees in Florida were atrocious, complete with Troy Waugh's botching of the Rogers/O'Donnell fight. O'Donnell was furious at the stoppage, and from where I sat I do not blame him. He seemed to be defending himself well, and although stunned he was aware of his surroundings.
Schlemenko's standing guillotine choke on Galesic was incredible. For a fighter who is more renowned for his stand up skills complete with spinning backfists and roundhouse kicks, it was refreshing for him to be trying new submission skills, and i applaud him for it. He says he'd like another shot at Hector Lombard, and that's a fight i'd like to see with his newfound skills. Shaquille O'Neal in attendance at Hollywood was pretty cool. Wonder how he'd do against Hong Man Choi.
Tune in next week for Bellator 51, from Canton, Ohio with opening round matches from the Season 5 bantamweight tournament, highlighted by current featherweight champion Joe Warren dropping down to fight for a shot at being a champion in 2 different weight classes.
Until next time, fight fans!
Ultimate Fight Night 25 re-hash : Despite Loss, Shields deserves a round of applause.
The death of a parent is a traumatic one for most, if not all persons in one way or another. Although I have never experienced it, the truth is that when the persons who brought you in the world is no longer around to remind us, we must constantly be reminded that they are in a "better place" and although sad, we must find the strength in us to move on.
Kevin Randleman was one such example. Despite the loss of his father in 2004, the former UFC heavyweight champion boarded a flight to Japan to compete in the opening round of the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix against incumbent Champion Fedor Emelianenko. While he had the advantage early, complete with a belly to back suplex on the Russian, he wasn't able to ride the wave of emotion and in mere seconds following that emphatic slam, he had lost via kimura armbar. Afterward, he let it all out and weeped in the centre of the ring, consoled by the then world #1 heavyweight.
On Saturday night, Jake Shields stepped in the ring against Jake Ellenberger. Shields had won 14 consecutive fights when he entered the UFC, no doubt buoyed by the tutelege of father, manager and mentor, Jack Shields. While training for Ellenberger, Shields was informed by his mother that on August 29th, his father passed away at the age of 67.
Many people were curious as to what Shields' next move was. Jack had been there for every single aspect of his sons MMA career, from world titles in Japan and Strikeforce to his title shot versus UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. People were wondering if Shields would drop out of the fight, or soldier on and accept it despite the setback.
It turns out, he soldiered on. About a minute and a half into round one on Saturday, Ellenberger dropped Shields with a huge knee in a clinch and finished off with mop up punches (despite Shields being clearly out from the knee). Shields, was clearly confused as after the ref waved it off, tried a takedown on the referee and had to be restrained by support personnel and his own corner. With the loss, he's lost back to back fights after winning 15 straight before St. Pierre.
Nobody knows if Shields was in the correct frame of mind entering Saturday. What we can say is this : When either one of my parents does pass on, I just hope I can find the strength and intestinal fortitude (read: guts) that Shields showed by just stepping in the cage and doing the job as he would normally do on any Saturday night. Despite the loss, Shields deserves a round of applause in taking a fight he could have just as easily backed out from due to circumstance, and nobody would blame him for doing so.
Until next time, fight fans.
Kevin Randleman was one such example. Despite the loss of his father in 2004, the former UFC heavyweight champion boarded a flight to Japan to compete in the opening round of the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix against incumbent Champion Fedor Emelianenko. While he had the advantage early, complete with a belly to back suplex on the Russian, he wasn't able to ride the wave of emotion and in mere seconds following that emphatic slam, he had lost via kimura armbar. Afterward, he let it all out and weeped in the centre of the ring, consoled by the then world #1 heavyweight.
On Saturday night, Jake Shields stepped in the ring against Jake Ellenberger. Shields had won 14 consecutive fights when he entered the UFC, no doubt buoyed by the tutelege of father, manager and mentor, Jack Shields. While training for Ellenberger, Shields was informed by his mother that on August 29th, his father passed away at the age of 67.
Many people were curious as to what Shields' next move was. Jack had been there for every single aspect of his sons MMA career, from world titles in Japan and Strikeforce to his title shot versus UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. People were wondering if Shields would drop out of the fight, or soldier on and accept it despite the setback.
It turns out, he soldiered on. About a minute and a half into round one on Saturday, Ellenberger dropped Shields with a huge knee in a clinch and finished off with mop up punches (despite Shields being clearly out from the knee). Shields, was clearly confused as after the ref waved it off, tried a takedown on the referee and had to be restrained by support personnel and his own corner. With the loss, he's lost back to back fights after winning 15 straight before St. Pierre.
Nobody knows if Shields was in the correct frame of mind entering Saturday. What we can say is this : When either one of my parents does pass on, I just hope I can find the strength and intestinal fortitude (read: guts) that Shields showed by just stepping in the cage and doing the job as he would normally do on any Saturday night. Despite the loss, Shields deserves a round of applause in taking a fight he could have just as easily backed out from due to circumstance, and nobody would blame him for doing so.
Until next time, fight fans.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Strikeforce : Barnett vs Kharitonov re-hash : The "War Master" makes quick work of Kharitonov in advancing to final; Cormier shuts up naysayers.
Before Saturday night, the question was not if Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva would beat incumbent tournament alternate Daniel Cormier, but how. The big Brazilian's frame dwarfed the Americans, weighing in at 6 foot 4 and 265 compared to Cormier's 5'9 (5'10" with a bump on his head) and 247. Plus, Silva had dethroned Fedor Emelianenko in a dominating performance in the first round of the Grand Prix, whereas Cormier was taking a spot vacated by former Heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem by pasting a past his prime, slow and aged Jeff Monson.
After Saturday night, the only thing that can be concluded is why Bigfoot stopped Fedor, he never let him touch him on his chin. Had he, his losing streak might have ended at 1.
Coming to us from Cinncinati, Ohio, the semi-finals of Stirkeforce's World Grand Prix came to us live on Showtime, in Canada on Super Channel. In the Main event, Josh Barnett took on Russian Sergei Kharitonov. After an opening minute or so which featured both fighters standing and trading for a feeling out process, Barnett secured a takedown, that as luck would have it, ended up with the former UFC heavyweight champion (newly christened "The War Master" by his next of kin) landing in a perfectly positioned full mount on the Russian. From there, Barnett used his catch wrestling mastery, securing a arm triangle position after pasting Kharitonov with a barrage of shots, making the Golden Glory product tap at 4:28 of the opening round.
Next for Barnett : A matchup with Daniel Cormier. Barnett told Mauro Ranallo post fight he was looking forward to "taking down an Olympian".
Next for Kharitonov : Perhaps a rematch with Fabricio Werdum, or even going and signing with M-1 Global in Russia for a matchup with the winner of Fedor and Jeff Monson.
The co-main event featured Cormier, again replacing Alistair Overeem taking on the Brazilian Bigfoot Silva. You could clearly tell the size difference in the early going, with Silva having to bend his knees to look in the eyes of Cormier. Silva rushed in with a flurry, getting his opponent against the cage while the former Olympian pulled away and brought the action to the centre of the cage. After almost a minute, Cormier tagged Silva with a right hand, and through a scramble, was not able to do anything, imploring the big Brazilian to stand back up. Silva obliged, getting backed up and hitting Silva with a left hand. Silva hit with an uppercut before trying to secure a takedown which was stuffed by Cormier. After another minute or so with a few exchanges, featuring a trip by Cormier on the Brazilian, The AKA product shut up his naysayers with a hook uppercut combination, dropping Bigfoot and finishing off with a hammerfist before referee Rob Franklin (brother of Rich) put an end to the fight at just under 4 minutes of the opening round.
Next for Cormier : A chance to shut Josh Barnett up and eat his words at "taking down and Olympian".
Next for Silva : Realizing his victory against Fedor will probably be his crown jewel. After that, perhaps a fight with either Sergei Kharitonov or Fabricio Werdum.
Honorable Mention : Luke Rockhold said that the AKA team would get a measure of revenge against Brazilian fighters on Saturday night in the wake of the Brazilians impressive 8-1 record at UFC 134 in Rio, and they did not disappoint. The team that's famous for housing such notables as Jon Fitch and Cain Velasquez ran the table, going 4-0, buoyed no doubt by Rockhold's unanimous decision victory over Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza that secured him the Strikeforce World Middleweight Championship. Pat "Bam Bam" Healy's grit and determination are not one to be taken lightly either. Taking the fight on short notice replacing former Strikeforce Lightweight champion Josh Thompson, a kick to the head during a scramble from his opponent, Maximo Blanco, left the 28 year old veteran of 50 plus fights a little stunned with a broken nose. He went on to dominate Blanco, improving to 28-17 winning via rear naked choke midway through the middle stanza.
I laid an 0fer, going 0-2 for my first winless card since "Daley vs. Diaz" where I went 0-1-1. It brings me to a record of 39-23-2 for the year. Hope I can turn it around for "Fight Night" coming up shortly.
Comments? Questions? leave one at the bottom of the page or email me mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com also follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until Next time, fight fans!
After Saturday night, the only thing that can be concluded is why Bigfoot stopped Fedor, he never let him touch him on his chin. Had he, his losing streak might have ended at 1.
Coming to us from Cinncinati, Ohio, the semi-finals of Stirkeforce's World Grand Prix came to us live on Showtime, in Canada on Super Channel. In the Main event, Josh Barnett took on Russian Sergei Kharitonov. After an opening minute or so which featured both fighters standing and trading for a feeling out process, Barnett secured a takedown, that as luck would have it, ended up with the former UFC heavyweight champion (newly christened "The War Master" by his next of kin) landing in a perfectly positioned full mount on the Russian. From there, Barnett used his catch wrestling mastery, securing a arm triangle position after pasting Kharitonov with a barrage of shots, making the Golden Glory product tap at 4:28 of the opening round.
Next for Barnett : A matchup with Daniel Cormier. Barnett told Mauro Ranallo post fight he was looking forward to "taking down an Olympian".
Next for Kharitonov : Perhaps a rematch with Fabricio Werdum, or even going and signing with M-1 Global in Russia for a matchup with the winner of Fedor and Jeff Monson.
The co-main event featured Cormier, again replacing Alistair Overeem taking on the Brazilian Bigfoot Silva. You could clearly tell the size difference in the early going, with Silva having to bend his knees to look in the eyes of Cormier. Silva rushed in with a flurry, getting his opponent against the cage while the former Olympian pulled away and brought the action to the centre of the cage. After almost a minute, Cormier tagged Silva with a right hand, and through a scramble, was not able to do anything, imploring the big Brazilian to stand back up. Silva obliged, getting backed up and hitting Silva with a left hand. Silva hit with an uppercut before trying to secure a takedown which was stuffed by Cormier. After another minute or so with a few exchanges, featuring a trip by Cormier on the Brazilian, The AKA product shut up his naysayers with a hook uppercut combination, dropping Bigfoot and finishing off with a hammerfist before referee Rob Franklin (brother of Rich) put an end to the fight at just under 4 minutes of the opening round.
Next for Cormier : A chance to shut Josh Barnett up and eat his words at "taking down and Olympian".
Next for Silva : Realizing his victory against Fedor will probably be his crown jewel. After that, perhaps a fight with either Sergei Kharitonov or Fabricio Werdum.
Honorable Mention : Luke Rockhold said that the AKA team would get a measure of revenge against Brazilian fighters on Saturday night in the wake of the Brazilians impressive 8-1 record at UFC 134 in Rio, and they did not disappoint. The team that's famous for housing such notables as Jon Fitch and Cain Velasquez ran the table, going 4-0, buoyed no doubt by Rockhold's unanimous decision victory over Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza that secured him the Strikeforce World Middleweight Championship. Pat "Bam Bam" Healy's grit and determination are not one to be taken lightly either. Taking the fight on short notice replacing former Strikeforce Lightweight champion Josh Thompson, a kick to the head during a scramble from his opponent, Maximo Blanco, left the 28 year old veteran of 50 plus fights a little stunned with a broken nose. He went on to dominate Blanco, improving to 28-17 winning via rear naked choke midway through the middle stanza.
I laid an 0fer, going 0-2 for my first winless card since "Daley vs. Diaz" where I went 0-1-1. It brings me to a record of 39-23-2 for the year. Hope I can turn it around for "Fight Night" coming up shortly.
Comments? Questions? leave one at the bottom of the page or email me mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com also follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until Next time, fight fans!
Friday, September 9, 2011
The Goat : Why did White switch Diaz instead of releasing him?
There is an age old analogy in sports that if somebody is the best at what they do, they are anoited as the "GOAT" or Greatest Of All Time. "Goat" is also a word used by sports fans to describe a scapegoat for a defeat, loss or something that goes against their team/player in an unfavourable way.
Following Nick Diaz's first exit from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2006, Diaz had been on a tear. He had won 11 straight fights with one no contest, defeating DREAM mainstay Marius Zaromskis in January 2010 to win the newly minted Strikeforce Welterweight Championship. With the UFC's purchase of Strikeforce in March 2011, a defense by Diaz over former UFC fighter Paul Daley by TKO proved to the Zuffa brass that ultimately, he was the best candidate for a fight between Diaz and their champion, that being Georges St. Pierre. Diaz had been scheduled to fight former WBC champion Jeff Lacy in a boxing match, prompting UFC president Dana White to mediate and ultimately offer him a fight with St. Pierre, in lieu of his boxing aspirations. After 5 years and beating a who's who outside of the UFC (including a Strikeforce 2010 Fight of the Year against KJ Noons), Diaz was finally back at the top of the mountain.
So this week, all Diaz had to do was show up for a pair of press conferences in Toronto, Canada and Las Vegas, wave his middle finger and answer a few questions, and the fight was on.
When he didn't show up to Toronto, many people worried as to the wareabouts of Diaz. From perhaps a family member dying or some other personal tragedy, White gave Diaz the benefit of the doubt and was assured by Diaz manager, trainer and mentor Cesar Gracie that Diaz would be in Las Vegas for that press conference. When he went AWOL in Las Vegas, White promptly removed him from the contest in favor of Greg Jackson product and GSP teammate Carlos Condit, who's also a former World Champion (WEC) and is riding a 4 fight winning streak. On Youtube videos, White had been describe as "not being able to trust Nick Diaz again", and Gracie went so far as to say his fighter "got what he deserved".
White wasn't sure what to do with Diaz. But when Condit was elevated to the main event, his opponent for the night, BJ Penn, needed a dance partner. White obliged....by putting Nick Diaz in his place.
So instead of having the opportunity of a lifetime after working so hard, Diaz now has to get his shot at the world title the old fashioned way : He has to earn it. In my humble opinion, the only thing Diaz should have been able to earn was his outright release.
MMA is a sport, as much as it is a business. Going to a press conference and answering questions from the media scrum that congregate in front of them is part of the business side of things. Like it or not, even fighters like BJ Penn and Josh Koshcheck, both fighters who are notorious for drawing attention to themselves, have shown up and answered questions. Even Cesar Gracie product Jake Shields has done so. So why not Diaz?
This isn't the first time Diaz has gotten into hot water. His one no-contest in 2006 in PRIDE fighting championships was initially a victory. It became a no-contest when Diaz tested positive for Marijuana following his fight against Takanori Gomi. Diaz, also if you remember, was the catalyst for the infamous Strikeforce : Nashville brawl following his teammate Shields' victory over Dan Henderson. He pushed Jason "Mayhem" Miller (who jumped the cage and asked for a rematch vs. Shields), prompting a scrap seen live on national television on CBS in primetime. This third incident shows what little respect Diaz has for both the sport and the business, and although he posted a Youtube video (shot by himself from his car, while driving on the highway, no less.) apologizing for missing the "Beauty Pageant" and saying he would be willing to "fight anybody, anywhere" and his demotion from the main event means "he's left out", he's getting off far less harsh than he should have.
He had a desire to "get paid", and Dana White should have ensured this was a chance he was able to "get paid". After going AWOL, White should have ensured his desire to might happen, just not in the UFC.
I guess we'll see what happens to Diaz after his fight against Penn.
-In other news, the most famous man to ever grace the cage in Fruit of the Loom's is getting another fight. Dennis Hallman, fresh off his fight with Mike Ebersole which he showed up wearing fight shorts akin to underwear (and having his equipment subsequently exposed on Pay per view) will meet John Makdessi at UFC 140 in Toronto, as reported by MMAJunkie. For you people afraid to show up to the ACC, I assure you...Hallman isn't going to wear a G-string in December. They're now illegal thanks to Dana White.
-SPIKE has announced that all Bellator prelims will now be available on their website, starting with Bellator 49, also reported by Junkie. A source close to Viacom is also saying that Bellator going to the soon to be former home of the UFC is not a matter of "if" but "when". I suppose my first question on my season 5 preview was answered.
-All fighters have made weight for the Strikeforce : World Heavyweight Grand Prix semis set to air this weekend on Showtime, as reported by ESPN/Sherdog. Semi-finalists Josh Barnett and Sergei Kharitonov weight in at 261 and 256.5 lbs, respectively, while Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and Daniel Cormier weighed in at 264.5 and 247. this means that Silva will out weigh Cormier by at least 20 lbs on fight night. My guess is Cormier is immensly strong.
-Former UFC middleweight kingpin Rich "Ace" Franklin will undergo surgery on his shoulder and will miss approximately 2 to 3 months of training, also reported by ESPN. The procedure will be on his right labrum, with Franklin injuring it promptly 10 days ago while training. All I want to know is, was he taking notes from Lil Nog? Nog pulled out their fight at UFC 133 citing a shoulder injury of his own. Coincidence?
-Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida has opened up about why he turned down an opportunity to fight Rashad Evans last month. In a video on Sherdog, Machida has stated there was "nothing to gain" from a rematch with "Sugar", and while it would have moved him up to a world title shot, he wasn't training hard and he hadn't been prepared to step in when Phil Davis pulled out. Evans, if you remember, instead fought Tito Ortiz. Sure, preparation is nice Lyoto, but I'm sure fans would have dropped 60 bucks to see a repeat performance of "The Stanky Leg".
Questions? Comments? leave one at the bottom of the page or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com You can also follow me on twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Following Nick Diaz's first exit from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2006, Diaz had been on a tear. He had won 11 straight fights with one no contest, defeating DREAM mainstay Marius Zaromskis in January 2010 to win the newly minted Strikeforce Welterweight Championship. With the UFC's purchase of Strikeforce in March 2011, a defense by Diaz over former UFC fighter Paul Daley by TKO proved to the Zuffa brass that ultimately, he was the best candidate for a fight between Diaz and their champion, that being Georges St. Pierre. Diaz had been scheduled to fight former WBC champion Jeff Lacy in a boxing match, prompting UFC president Dana White to mediate and ultimately offer him a fight with St. Pierre, in lieu of his boxing aspirations. After 5 years and beating a who's who outside of the UFC (including a Strikeforce 2010 Fight of the Year against KJ Noons), Diaz was finally back at the top of the mountain.
So this week, all Diaz had to do was show up for a pair of press conferences in Toronto, Canada and Las Vegas, wave his middle finger and answer a few questions, and the fight was on.
When he didn't show up to Toronto, many people worried as to the wareabouts of Diaz. From perhaps a family member dying or some other personal tragedy, White gave Diaz the benefit of the doubt and was assured by Diaz manager, trainer and mentor Cesar Gracie that Diaz would be in Las Vegas for that press conference. When he went AWOL in Las Vegas, White promptly removed him from the contest in favor of Greg Jackson product and GSP teammate Carlos Condit, who's also a former World Champion (WEC) and is riding a 4 fight winning streak. On Youtube videos, White had been describe as "not being able to trust Nick Diaz again", and Gracie went so far as to say his fighter "got what he deserved".
White wasn't sure what to do with Diaz. But when Condit was elevated to the main event, his opponent for the night, BJ Penn, needed a dance partner. White obliged....by putting Nick Diaz in his place.
So instead of having the opportunity of a lifetime after working so hard, Diaz now has to get his shot at the world title the old fashioned way : He has to earn it. In my humble opinion, the only thing Diaz should have been able to earn was his outright release.
MMA is a sport, as much as it is a business. Going to a press conference and answering questions from the media scrum that congregate in front of them is part of the business side of things. Like it or not, even fighters like BJ Penn and Josh Koshcheck, both fighters who are notorious for drawing attention to themselves, have shown up and answered questions. Even Cesar Gracie product Jake Shields has done so. So why not Diaz?
This isn't the first time Diaz has gotten into hot water. His one no-contest in 2006 in PRIDE fighting championships was initially a victory. It became a no-contest when Diaz tested positive for Marijuana following his fight against Takanori Gomi. Diaz, also if you remember, was the catalyst for the infamous Strikeforce : Nashville brawl following his teammate Shields' victory over Dan Henderson. He pushed Jason "Mayhem" Miller (who jumped the cage and asked for a rematch vs. Shields), prompting a scrap seen live on national television on CBS in primetime. This third incident shows what little respect Diaz has for both the sport and the business, and although he posted a Youtube video (shot by himself from his car, while driving on the highway, no less.) apologizing for missing the "Beauty Pageant" and saying he would be willing to "fight anybody, anywhere" and his demotion from the main event means "he's left out", he's getting off far less harsh than he should have.
He had a desire to "get paid", and Dana White should have ensured this was a chance he was able to "get paid". After going AWOL, White should have ensured his desire to might happen, just not in the UFC.
I guess we'll see what happens to Diaz after his fight against Penn.
-In other news, the most famous man to ever grace the cage in Fruit of the Loom's is getting another fight. Dennis Hallman, fresh off his fight with Mike Ebersole which he showed up wearing fight shorts akin to underwear (and having his equipment subsequently exposed on Pay per view) will meet John Makdessi at UFC 140 in Toronto, as reported by MMAJunkie. For you people afraid to show up to the ACC, I assure you...Hallman isn't going to wear a G-string in December. They're now illegal thanks to Dana White.
-SPIKE has announced that all Bellator prelims will now be available on their website, starting with Bellator 49, also reported by Junkie. A source close to Viacom is also saying that Bellator going to the soon to be former home of the UFC is not a matter of "if" but "when". I suppose my first question on my season 5 preview was answered.
-All fighters have made weight for the Strikeforce : World Heavyweight Grand Prix semis set to air this weekend on Showtime, as reported by ESPN/Sherdog. Semi-finalists Josh Barnett and Sergei Kharitonov weight in at 261 and 256.5 lbs, respectively, while Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and Daniel Cormier weighed in at 264.5 and 247. this means that Silva will out weigh Cormier by at least 20 lbs on fight night. My guess is Cormier is immensly strong.
-Former UFC middleweight kingpin Rich "Ace" Franklin will undergo surgery on his shoulder and will miss approximately 2 to 3 months of training, also reported by ESPN. The procedure will be on his right labrum, with Franklin injuring it promptly 10 days ago while training. All I want to know is, was he taking notes from Lil Nog? Nog pulled out their fight at UFC 133 citing a shoulder injury of his own. Coincidence?
-Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida has opened up about why he turned down an opportunity to fight Rashad Evans last month. In a video on Sherdog, Machida has stated there was "nothing to gain" from a rematch with "Sugar", and while it would have moved him up to a world title shot, he wasn't training hard and he hadn't been prepared to step in when Phil Davis pulled out. Evans, if you remember, instead fought Tito Ortiz. Sure, preparation is nice Lyoto, but I'm sure fans would have dropped 60 bucks to see a repeat performance of "The Stanky Leg".
Questions? Comments? leave one at the bottom of the page or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com You can also follow me on twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Strikeforce : World Grand Prix Semi-Finals preview
Late last year, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced plans for a Heavyweight "Grand Prix" Tournament, something on par with the old PRIDE Grand Prix tournaments from yesteryear. In the first round, we saw a monumental upset (Bigfoot Silva TKO'ing Fedor) as well as a puzzling stalemate (Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum) and a monumental dismantling (Josh Barnett exposing what little MMA skills Brett Rogers brought to the table).
On Saturday from Cincinnati, We'll see the semi-final rounds from the tournament, featuring 4 men who will inevitably be trimmed down to 2, in hopes of a final at the end of the year.
Onto my picks :
Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov - The first semi-final features former UFC champion Josh Barnett vs. Former PRIDE and DREAM vet Sergei Kharitonov. Barnett advanced due to the aformentioned ground dominance he provided in June against Rogers, while Kharitonov punched his ticket into the semis through his TKO over former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski.
Barnett may have been dominant against Rogers, but the same won't be true against the former Soviet special forces officer, Kharitonov, who has an extensive background in Sambo and can work off the ground, his 8 victories by way of submission prove that. I fully expect Barnett to come out swinging for the fences to floor the Russian, but I also expect the product of Team Golden Glory to push the pace in the early going, standing toe to toe with the American. I also expect his Sambo background to take over late in the fight, possibly grinding out a split decision victory. Yes, I'm going with another upset here.
The Pick : Kharitonov by decision.
Antonio Silva vs. Daniel Cormier - The other semi features the man who knocked off Fedor, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva take on American Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier. Cormier was hand picked by Strikeforce brass to take the spot of Overeem, who was subsequently released by Strikeforce (and wound up in the UFC just weeks later. More on that in a minute).
This is a David vs. Goliath battle. Expect Cormier to do what he's best at doing, working positions and angles in hopes of a takedown and inevitably finishing on top. However, the height and weight difference (Silva is 6'4" and will come in at about 285, where as Cormier is 5'10" with a lump on his head and will possibly come in around the 240-245 mark) will be a burden on Cormier, who I doubt can hold the big Brazilian down for longer than a round. Expect Silva to make the first move, and once he gets on top of the American, it might be lights out.
The Pick : Silva by TKO.
-In other news, It appears that Alistair Overeem has done what everybody thought he would end up doing, that is going to the UFC. Reports on Tuesday surfaced that he will face none other than former Heavyweight kingpin Brock Lesnar in his debut, slated for a card on December 30th. Why they chose a Friday instead of New Year's Eve is anybody's guess, but I figure it would have something to do with less drunks being on the road then.
-The UFC 137 main event has been changed. Fresh off the no-show at both press conferences by one Nick Diaz (who was supposed to challenge incumbent welterweight king Georges St. Pierre on October 30th in Las Vegas) in both Toronto and Las Vegas, comes the news that Diaz has been replaced -- by GSP's teammate at Greg Jackson's, Carlos Condit. At the news conference, St. Pierre told reporters that Condit presents a more "dangerous" threat to his championship (and possible superfight with Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva). A youtube video by Diaz himself (while he was driving no less) surfaced immediately after, with the last Strikeforce Welterweight champion apologizing for missing the "beauty pageant" and saying he'll fight with anybody, anywhere. Let's just hope he remembers to show up, if he wants to "get paid".
-Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and Frank Mir will meet again at UFC 140 in Toronto, slated for December 10th at the Air Canada Centre. Numerous MMA outlets reported the news, though it isn't sure whether or not this is a main event. Noguiera is coming off the resurrection of his career by stopping prospect Brandan Schaub at UFC 134 in Rio, while Mir just decisioned Roy Nelson at UFC 130 in May. UFC head of Canadian Operations Tom Wright said that he'd hope there be a title fight on the card, but with GSP defending his title in October and Anderson Silva just defending his belt in August, plus title fights involving featherweights (Aldo vs. Florian), Heavyweights (Velasquez vs. Dos Santos), Lightweights (Edgar vs. Maynard), plus Bones Jones defending his newly minted Light heavyweight title at the end of September, that seems unlikely.
Questions? Comments? leave one on the bottom of the page or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com you can also follow me on twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
On Saturday from Cincinnati, We'll see the semi-final rounds from the tournament, featuring 4 men who will inevitably be trimmed down to 2, in hopes of a final at the end of the year.
Onto my picks :
Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov - The first semi-final features former UFC champion Josh Barnett vs. Former PRIDE and DREAM vet Sergei Kharitonov. Barnett advanced due to the aformentioned ground dominance he provided in June against Rogers, while Kharitonov punched his ticket into the semis through his TKO over former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski.
Barnett may have been dominant against Rogers, but the same won't be true against the former Soviet special forces officer, Kharitonov, who has an extensive background in Sambo and can work off the ground, his 8 victories by way of submission prove that. I fully expect Barnett to come out swinging for the fences to floor the Russian, but I also expect the product of Team Golden Glory to push the pace in the early going, standing toe to toe with the American. I also expect his Sambo background to take over late in the fight, possibly grinding out a split decision victory. Yes, I'm going with another upset here.
The Pick : Kharitonov by decision.
Antonio Silva vs. Daniel Cormier - The other semi features the man who knocked off Fedor, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva take on American Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier. Cormier was hand picked by Strikeforce brass to take the spot of Overeem, who was subsequently released by Strikeforce (and wound up in the UFC just weeks later. More on that in a minute).
This is a David vs. Goliath battle. Expect Cormier to do what he's best at doing, working positions and angles in hopes of a takedown and inevitably finishing on top. However, the height and weight difference (Silva is 6'4" and will come in at about 285, where as Cormier is 5'10" with a lump on his head and will possibly come in around the 240-245 mark) will be a burden on Cormier, who I doubt can hold the big Brazilian down for longer than a round. Expect Silva to make the first move, and once he gets on top of the American, it might be lights out.
The Pick : Silva by TKO.
-In other news, It appears that Alistair Overeem has done what everybody thought he would end up doing, that is going to the UFC. Reports on Tuesday surfaced that he will face none other than former Heavyweight kingpin Brock Lesnar in his debut, slated for a card on December 30th. Why they chose a Friday instead of New Year's Eve is anybody's guess, but I figure it would have something to do with less drunks being on the road then.
-The UFC 137 main event has been changed. Fresh off the no-show at both press conferences by one Nick Diaz (who was supposed to challenge incumbent welterweight king Georges St. Pierre on October 30th in Las Vegas) in both Toronto and Las Vegas, comes the news that Diaz has been replaced -- by GSP's teammate at Greg Jackson's, Carlos Condit. At the news conference, St. Pierre told reporters that Condit presents a more "dangerous" threat to his championship (and possible superfight with Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva). A youtube video by Diaz himself (while he was driving no less) surfaced immediately after, with the last Strikeforce Welterweight champion apologizing for missing the "beauty pageant" and saying he'll fight with anybody, anywhere. Let's just hope he remembers to show up, if he wants to "get paid".
-Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and Frank Mir will meet again at UFC 140 in Toronto, slated for December 10th at the Air Canada Centre. Numerous MMA outlets reported the news, though it isn't sure whether or not this is a main event. Noguiera is coming off the resurrection of his career by stopping prospect Brandan Schaub at UFC 134 in Rio, while Mir just decisioned Roy Nelson at UFC 130 in May. UFC head of Canadian Operations Tom Wright said that he'd hope there be a title fight on the card, but with GSP defending his title in October and Anderson Silva just defending his belt in August, plus title fights involving featherweights (Aldo vs. Florian), Heavyweights (Velasquez vs. Dos Santos), Lightweights (Edgar vs. Maynard), plus Bones Jones defending his newly minted Light heavyweight title at the end of September, that seems unlikely.
Questions? Comments? leave one on the bottom of the page or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com you can also follow me on twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The burning questions surrounding Bellator : Season 5
After a 2011 featuring Flash (Patricky "Pitbull's flying knee en route to his TKO of Toby Imada), Controversy (Joe Warren's unanimous decision victory over Wilson Gustao), History both being repeated (Rich Hale's inverted triangle) and being made (Christian M'Pumbu's 205 lb. title being the first time an African has won a major MMA championship) as well as a corporate takeover (UFC now owning Strikeforce), Bellator now heads into its 5th season next Saturday as the #2 organization on the MMA pyramid. The brainchild of one Bjorn Rebney has certainly grown in leaps and bounds from Season 1 (which was aired on ESPN Deportes) to, in this MMArmaggedist's view, a welcome change of pace from the norm (The UFC), featuring incredible highlights (like Zak Jensen and Neil Grove's kneebar stalemate which turned into a wild flurry of punches at Bellator 47) and single elmination tournaments, with no politics when it comes to giving title shots (hence their motto : Win and move on. Lose and go home).
But with everything that has happened recently in the world of MMA, it leads to a new series of questions. Such as :
5) Is this Bellator's last season on MTV2? - The one knock on Bellator has always been the promotion has been bounced around networks more than a basketball on a court. From ESPN Deportes (for season 1), to FOX Sports Net (Seasons 2 and 3), and MTV2 (which started in March). A deal with FOX cable outlet FX was in the works until it was shelved (which resulted in the UFC signing a deal with the cable giant last week). With that happening, and with MTV2 and UFC's soon to be former home, SPIKE being under the same umbrella (VIACOM communications), does this mean that Bellator will fill the void the UFC left by making the move to SPIKE? Rebney said no and that for the time being, he's committed to MTV2. Viacom execs have remained tight lipped. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
4) Will the Featherweight belt be defended twice this season? - Current Bellator featherweight kingpin Joe Warren has dropped down in weight to 135 in order to particpate in the Bantamweight tournament for a shot at current champion Zack Makovsky, with Warren's reasoning being his desire to be the first man in the promotion's history to hold 2 titles simultaneously. With Patricio Pitbull's title shot from Season 4 (which was supposed to happen this summer at Bellator 47) being put on hold due to a broken hand, does it mean Warren will have to defend his title after the Bantamweight tournament concludes or he's eliminated? Also, what does this mean for Pat Curran, who earned a shot at the Featherweight strap due to his victory in the inaugural "Summer Series" Tournament?
3) Will the "Superfight" winning streak end? - In lieu of giving tournament winners automatic title shots, Bellator keeps its various champions busy in the wake of non-title "Superfights", featuring such notable fighters as Paul Buentello, Falaniko Vitale and Nick Thompson, just to name a few. In the current format, The champions are 11-0 vs. the competition. But with Warren winning a fight against Gustao in Season 4 that many people (including color commentator Jimmy Smith) thought he had lost, is it only a matter of time before we see a champion lose a one-fight, non-title matchup? and will that time be this season?
2) Can Ben Saunders do what Nate Marquardt wouldn't? - Earlier on this summer, former UFC title challenger Nate Marquardt was in serious discussions with Bellator following his release from the UFC (surrounding the testosterone replacement therapy [TPT] fiasco), before balking at the tournament format (and subsequently heading to England where he found a new home in BAMMA). In the meantime, another former UFC castoff, Ben Saunders, came in and showed what skills he brought to the table, by dismantling Korean born American Matt Sung Lee (which qualified him for the Welterweight tournament). Saunders, in my opinion, was prematurely cut from the UFC and deserved a far better fate. With his original opponent in the first round US Olympic Judoka Rick Hawn withdrawing and now facing replacement Chris Cisneros, will Saunders continue to make the most of his opportunity?
1) Is this Dan Hornbuckle's time? - At 30 years old, The Native American has amassed a record of 22-4, with 9 KO's and victories over Nick Thompson and Akihiro Gono in Sengoku over in Japan. Yet, despite all his successes, Hornbuckle hasn't seemed to find his groove in Bellator, amassing a record of 3-2 with his best performance being a finalist to current Welterweight champion Ben Askren in the Season 2 tournament. With him now being a veteran of 3 tournaments and arguably the most established name in the 170 lb. division fighting for a chance at a title, is this the time Hornbuckle breaks through the barrier and goes from "Runner Up" to "Tournament Champion"?
Tune in starting next Saturday, with Bellator 49 airing starting at 9 PM EST on MTV2 in The US and The Score in Canada.
Until Next time, fight fans!
But with everything that has happened recently in the world of MMA, it leads to a new series of questions. Such as :
5) Is this Bellator's last season on MTV2? - The one knock on Bellator has always been the promotion has been bounced around networks more than a basketball on a court. From ESPN Deportes (for season 1), to FOX Sports Net (Seasons 2 and 3), and MTV2 (which started in March). A deal with FOX cable outlet FX was in the works until it was shelved (which resulted in the UFC signing a deal with the cable giant last week). With that happening, and with MTV2 and UFC's soon to be former home, SPIKE being under the same umbrella (VIACOM communications), does this mean that Bellator will fill the void the UFC left by making the move to SPIKE? Rebney said no and that for the time being, he's committed to MTV2. Viacom execs have remained tight lipped. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
4) Will the Featherweight belt be defended twice this season? - Current Bellator featherweight kingpin Joe Warren has dropped down in weight to 135 in order to particpate in the Bantamweight tournament for a shot at current champion Zack Makovsky, with Warren's reasoning being his desire to be the first man in the promotion's history to hold 2 titles simultaneously. With Patricio Pitbull's title shot from Season 4 (which was supposed to happen this summer at Bellator 47) being put on hold due to a broken hand, does it mean Warren will have to defend his title after the Bantamweight tournament concludes or he's eliminated? Also, what does this mean for Pat Curran, who earned a shot at the Featherweight strap due to his victory in the inaugural "Summer Series" Tournament?
3) Will the "Superfight" winning streak end? - In lieu of giving tournament winners automatic title shots, Bellator keeps its various champions busy in the wake of non-title "Superfights", featuring such notable fighters as Paul Buentello, Falaniko Vitale and Nick Thompson, just to name a few. In the current format, The champions are 11-0 vs. the competition. But with Warren winning a fight against Gustao in Season 4 that many people (including color commentator Jimmy Smith) thought he had lost, is it only a matter of time before we see a champion lose a one-fight, non-title matchup? and will that time be this season?
2) Can Ben Saunders do what Nate Marquardt wouldn't? - Earlier on this summer, former UFC title challenger Nate Marquardt was in serious discussions with Bellator following his release from the UFC (surrounding the testosterone replacement therapy [TPT] fiasco), before balking at the tournament format (and subsequently heading to England where he found a new home in BAMMA). In the meantime, another former UFC castoff, Ben Saunders, came in and showed what skills he brought to the table, by dismantling Korean born American Matt Sung Lee (which qualified him for the Welterweight tournament). Saunders, in my opinion, was prematurely cut from the UFC and deserved a far better fate. With his original opponent in the first round US Olympic Judoka Rick Hawn withdrawing and now facing replacement Chris Cisneros, will Saunders continue to make the most of his opportunity?
1) Is this Dan Hornbuckle's time? - At 30 years old, The Native American has amassed a record of 22-4, with 9 KO's and victories over Nick Thompson and Akihiro Gono in Sengoku over in Japan. Yet, despite all his successes, Hornbuckle hasn't seemed to find his groove in Bellator, amassing a record of 3-2 with his best performance being a finalist to current Welterweight champion Ben Askren in the Season 2 tournament. With him now being a veteran of 3 tournaments and arguably the most established name in the 170 lb. division fighting for a chance at a title, is this the time Hornbuckle breaks through the barrier and goes from "Runner Up" to "Tournament Champion"?
Tune in starting next Saturday, with Bellator 49 airing starting at 9 PM EST on MTV2 in The US and The Score in Canada.
Until Next time, fight fans!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Lightning in a Bottle : UFC announces FOX Main Event, but will it translate into lightning striking twice?
Saturday, April 9th, 2005.
It was a fantastic night, one I'll always remember. I was living in Calgary at the time, and sleeping in on a Saturday, I managed to catch the SPIKE marathon of its sleeper runaway hit "The Ultimate Fighter". Caught the episode from Josh Koscheck clowning around on Chris Leben until the very last episode.
When that episode concluded, we were treated to a night of fights live on Spike, featuring some fights involving many cast members, including Leben, Koscheck, Nate Quarry, Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian.
None of those fights are forever trenched in my mind, however, than the Light Heavyweight TUF tournament final contested between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
Through 15 minutes, we were treated to fantastic action, as both competitors never backed down, throwing combinations and leg kicks, both men dripping with sweat and exhaustion as the final bell rang. On a tiny 25" Television in Alberta, I was out of my seat going as crazy as the fans at the Cox Pavilion, as both fighters got a standing ovation and while Griffin won by unanimous decision, both had made enough of an impression to convince UFC president Dana White to give them permanent jobs, and the UFC revolution began in earnest.
I am only walking down memory lane today, because of the major announcement in regards to the very first UFC card on a cable outlet (FOX) announced today. That announcement, it was reported by numerous outlets, will feature what was to be the UFC 139 main event on November 19th, that being a Heavyweight world championship contest between returning kingpin Cain Velasquez, and current #1 contender Junior Dos Santos. In being on cable television, it will move a week up from its previously scheduled date, November the 12th.
In the press conference today, White maintained that he moved the fight up for one simple reason : He has the notion this tilt will have Griffin-Bonnar overtones, saying the fight is "now on a huge, massive platform, and we need to deliver", going onto say He's "literally betting everything" on an exciting heavyweight fight and that a snooze fest between the 2 juggernauts is just "not going to happen".
While it might be true we've never seen Dos Santos or Velasquez in a "boring" fight before, this is an incredible gamble. He's going to have a one hour time slot which will feature a title fight and nothing more or nothing else. Plus, there will be people who will tune into this event, given its advertisement on NFL pre-season games and the Saturday MLB game of the week on FOX, who have no idea of the rules or regulations of Mixed Martial Arts. White says "Some people are going to need to be educated on what the sport is, where it comes from. So we're going to need some time to kind of set up the whole, 'The UFC is on FOX' and what's going on. That's basically why it was done that way."
Velasquez will have been out of action for a year by the time he steps into the cage on November 12th. Dos Santos has been active meanwhile, dispatching of TUF winner Roy Nelson and taking out former title challenger Shane Carwin to secure his spot. While White is hyping up the tilt as a "barnburner" of a heavyweight fight, a lot will depend on the champion's match fitness. What will happen if Velasquez comes in out of shape, is able to take the Brazilian "Cigano" down at will and grind out a decision? Or, if Dos Santos floors the champion in the first 3 minutes, what will happen then? Will the fans be excited enough to tune in again, like they were after that historic light heavyweight contest?
For years I have watched Dana White spew words from his mouth, talking about everything from Anderson Silva's impending firing to the incredible drama what was the signing that wasn't (Fedor). He has said that he can count on one hand the amount of "bad" fights he's seen in 10 years, but I'm pretty sure more than one of those involved the man he is now calling the greatest Mixed Martial Artist ever (Anderson Silva). Of all the times, Brock Lesnar losing the title and being embarrassed by a true Mixed Martial Artist (Velasquez) was about the only time he looked to fall flat on his face....
Let's hope he's right this time.
-In other news, during the said press conference, MMAJunkie reported that White called an internet rumor circulating about former Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar's impending retirement "ridiculous". White said that Lesnar was working on a farm in Canada, and he expected him to be back "very soon". White didn't say when (like usual), but is banking on a late December card in Toronto or early 2012. Personally, I said in the last blog post that I'd like to see Lesnar get an easier fight this time around, hope White obliges.
-MMAFighting is reporting that Rampage isn't worried about the alleged Jon Jones spy he has in his camp. Jackson says that while he doesn't know who the alleged mole is, he hopes that they quote "Believe in Karma". I firmly hope that Jackson is in a well state, as I'm not sure why anybody would have to spy for Jones or give the champ any information. His lopsided victories are a testament to the skill he no doubt has, Spy or no spy.
-In time for the Rugby World Cup next week, ESPN UK is reporting that England star Matt Stevens considered a career switch to MMA during a 2 year drug ban. Stevens, a prop who will star for the English Rugby team, kept in match fitness during his exile by training with Roger Gracie, going onto say that MMA athletes are "the most well-rounded athletes in the world". Just exactly how big is this guy? I'd have paid money to see this Stevens dude and Brock Lesnar throw down.
-ESPN UK is also reporting that Brit Ross Pearson, fresh off his loss to Edson Barboza at UFC 134, is exploring a rematch. Pearson if you remember, tasted a close split decision loss in Rio. I said it while watching the fight that Pearson wouldn't win because the fight was in Rio, though I still feel Barboza did enough to earn the victory.
Questions? Comments? Leave one at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com You can also follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
It was a fantastic night, one I'll always remember. I was living in Calgary at the time, and sleeping in on a Saturday, I managed to catch the SPIKE marathon of its sleeper runaway hit "The Ultimate Fighter". Caught the episode from Josh Koscheck clowning around on Chris Leben until the very last episode.
When that episode concluded, we were treated to a night of fights live on Spike, featuring some fights involving many cast members, including Leben, Koscheck, Nate Quarry, Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian.
None of those fights are forever trenched in my mind, however, than the Light Heavyweight TUF tournament final contested between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
Through 15 minutes, we were treated to fantastic action, as both competitors never backed down, throwing combinations and leg kicks, both men dripping with sweat and exhaustion as the final bell rang. On a tiny 25" Television in Alberta, I was out of my seat going as crazy as the fans at the Cox Pavilion, as both fighters got a standing ovation and while Griffin won by unanimous decision, both had made enough of an impression to convince UFC president Dana White to give them permanent jobs, and the UFC revolution began in earnest.
I am only walking down memory lane today, because of the major announcement in regards to the very first UFC card on a cable outlet (FOX) announced today. That announcement, it was reported by numerous outlets, will feature what was to be the UFC 139 main event on November 19th, that being a Heavyweight world championship contest between returning kingpin Cain Velasquez, and current #1 contender Junior Dos Santos. In being on cable television, it will move a week up from its previously scheduled date, November the 12th.
In the press conference today, White maintained that he moved the fight up for one simple reason : He has the notion this tilt will have Griffin-Bonnar overtones, saying the fight is "now on a huge, massive platform, and we need to deliver", going onto say He's "literally betting everything" on an exciting heavyweight fight and that a snooze fest between the 2 juggernauts is just "not going to happen".
While it might be true we've never seen Dos Santos or Velasquez in a "boring" fight before, this is an incredible gamble. He's going to have a one hour time slot which will feature a title fight and nothing more or nothing else. Plus, there will be people who will tune into this event, given its advertisement on NFL pre-season games and the Saturday MLB game of the week on FOX, who have no idea of the rules or regulations of Mixed Martial Arts. White says "Some people are going to need to be educated on what the sport is, where it comes from. So we're going to need some time to kind of set up the whole, 'The UFC is on FOX' and what's going on. That's basically why it was done that way."
Velasquez will have been out of action for a year by the time he steps into the cage on November 12th. Dos Santos has been active meanwhile, dispatching of TUF winner Roy Nelson and taking out former title challenger Shane Carwin to secure his spot. While White is hyping up the tilt as a "barnburner" of a heavyweight fight, a lot will depend on the champion's match fitness. What will happen if Velasquez comes in out of shape, is able to take the Brazilian "Cigano" down at will and grind out a decision? Or, if Dos Santos floors the champion in the first 3 minutes, what will happen then? Will the fans be excited enough to tune in again, like they were after that historic light heavyweight contest?
For years I have watched Dana White spew words from his mouth, talking about everything from Anderson Silva's impending firing to the incredible drama what was the signing that wasn't (Fedor). He has said that he can count on one hand the amount of "bad" fights he's seen in 10 years, but I'm pretty sure more than one of those involved the man he is now calling the greatest Mixed Martial Artist ever (Anderson Silva). Of all the times, Brock Lesnar losing the title and being embarrassed by a true Mixed Martial Artist (Velasquez) was about the only time he looked to fall flat on his face....
Let's hope he's right this time.
-In other news, during the said press conference, MMAJunkie reported that White called an internet rumor circulating about former Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar's impending retirement "ridiculous". White said that Lesnar was working on a farm in Canada, and he expected him to be back "very soon". White didn't say when (like usual), but is banking on a late December card in Toronto or early 2012. Personally, I said in the last blog post that I'd like to see Lesnar get an easier fight this time around, hope White obliges.
-MMAFighting is reporting that Rampage isn't worried about the alleged Jon Jones spy he has in his camp. Jackson says that while he doesn't know who the alleged mole is, he hopes that they quote "Believe in Karma". I firmly hope that Jackson is in a well state, as I'm not sure why anybody would have to spy for Jones or give the champ any information. His lopsided victories are a testament to the skill he no doubt has, Spy or no spy.
-In time for the Rugby World Cup next week, ESPN UK is reporting that England star Matt Stevens considered a career switch to MMA during a 2 year drug ban. Stevens, a prop who will star for the English Rugby team, kept in match fitness during his exile by training with Roger Gracie, going onto say that MMA athletes are "the most well-rounded athletes in the world". Just exactly how big is this guy? I'd have paid money to see this Stevens dude and Brock Lesnar throw down.
-ESPN UK is also reporting that Brit Ross Pearson, fresh off his loss to Edson Barboza at UFC 134, is exploring a rematch. Pearson if you remember, tasted a close split decision loss in Rio. I said it while watching the fight that Pearson wouldn't win because the fight was in Rio, though I still feel Barboza did enough to earn the victory.
Questions? Comments? Leave one at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com You can also follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
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