The big talk leading up to Saturday's Bellator 40 was Ben Askren's writing off of opponent Nick "The Goat" Thompson as all washed up and how he was going to tenderize his opponent so much that when they were back on their feet, Thompson wouldn't be same fighter. While his bark was a little more than his bite, he certainly showed a thing or two since his last fight against Lyman Good to show why he's the promotions best welterweight.
On Saturday night from Newkirk, Oklahoma, The former NCAA and US Olympian who know goes by the odd name of "Funky" got on top from the opening bell and stayed there, dominating position after position against the former BodogFight champ. While Thompson had a few chances to try a knee bar in the first 2 rounds, Askren's positioning and activity were the difference, certainly wearing Thompson out and scoring a unanimous decision victory by a score of 30-27 (twice) and 30-26. While I didn't think Askren was so dominant to score a 10-8 round, one of the judges disagreed. Afterward, he told interviewer Jimmy Smith there was certainly room to improve.
"It felt great," Askren said. "I would have liked to finish the fight. I know the fans have been on my ass about that."
The other 2 semi-finals in the 170 and 155 lb. tournaments were on tap as well. Jay Hieron and Bret Weedman fought to a stalemate, with Weedman coming out on fire and dropping the former UFC and team Xtreme Couture product only to have Hieron reverse position and go for a choke. He controlled the positioning to eek out the round 10-9. Weedman did enough to take the second round with his takedowns and submission attempts, but the 3rd was a toss up as while Weedman had several more submission attempts, Hieron certainly showed a few combinations with effective counter punching. Another submission attempt by Weedman was reversed by Hieron near the end of the final stanza, and Hieron did enough damage with it to earn a unanimous decision victory. With the win, the man known as "The Thoroughbred" punches his spot into the 170 final against Rick Hawn.
In the 155 lb. semi-final, former NCAA wrestler Michael Chandler earned a unanimous decision victory over Lloyd "Cupcake" Woodard. Chandler had several takedowns in the first stanza, while not being overly active with them. In the standup, Woodard was clearly dominating, hitting with combinations and stuffing a few takedowns of his own. A scramble and sweep in the second round ended with Chandler giving Woodard his back, though Woodard was not able to finish anything with it, and the bell sounded with nothing settled. The third round was all Chandler, earning takedown after takedown, and grinding out the victory to earn his spot in the final, facing Patricky "Pitbull" Friere.
Honorable Mention : Team Cesar Gracie members have all said they wouldn't "fight their teammates" if the opportunity presented itself. They certainly didn't tell Heavyweights Eric Prindle and Josh Burns. The 2 adversaries were announced by Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith as being close friends, with the winner of their tilt "buying the beers" afterward. While a premature stoppage by the doctor due to a cut, the fact that 2 friends that close could spend 10 minutes quite frankly beating each other senseless and having no ill effect about it, despite 2 low blows by Prindle shows that regardless of relationship, you can put on exciting fights. Its something those "Scrap Pack" boys should think about.
Patricky "Pitbull" has apparently become the hot ticket in the Bellator Lightweight division. Not only did Eddie Alvarez call him out last week, but Chandler was excited at the prospect of facing the Brazilian, saying "Give me him "Let's go. (I'm) two thirds of the way to the goal. The goal is to win this Bellator tournament and then get this title shot. Patricky, he's flashy. He knocks dudes out, but I can't wait for that fight."
Also, Askren never to shy away from words said to Smith that Jay Hieron "Had nothing for him". I figured Thompson would give him a fight, but he spent 3 rounds laying on the mat. We'll see if Hieron can take out the former US Judoka Rick Hawn.
Tune in next week for 135 lb. champ Joe Warren in a 137 lb. catchweight bout as well as 125 lb. champ Zack Makovsky fighting in a non-title bout.
Until next time, fight fans.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Shinya Aoki : Hero, for just one day.
I'm not going to lie. I've never been a fan of Shinya Aoki.
In the world of Mixed Martial Arts, Japanese MMA has always been regarded as a "freak show". Guys like Giant Silva and Bob Sapp can go from being "tomato cans" to being icons. The rules sometimes make no sense and leave the average North American fan confused. It as almost if every fight fought in the ring over there is improvised, with the officials making the rules up as they go along.
Yet, there was always something that stood out about Aoki. From his long leotard striped pants to his general attitude towards tradition and sportsmanship, his outstanding submission victories over the likes of Joachim Hansen and Eddie Alvarez has constantly been overshadowed by controversial moments, like his arm-breaking and "finger-waving" incident against Mizuto Hirota at Dynamite!! 2009, or his fight with Gilbert Melendez where he went 0-for-19 in submission attempts and spent the last half of the 5 rounder in a sitting position refusing to engage.
When he got floored by a knee during his fight at Dynamite!! 2010 this past New Year's Eve, I laughed. Although the loss didn't account on his record, the knee he suffered from Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima was on a grand stage and perhaps the last big card in Japan's history (due to financial difficulties) and it was fitting to get his "just desserts" the year after he danced around the ring after breaking Hirota's arm. His twitter account got bombarded with hate messages and Aoki so upset he was threatening to retire.
With the current situation in that has happened in the Japan, it seems like MMA has taken a back seat to just general survival. 2 massive Earthquakes, a Tsunami and a Radioactivity scare have clearly come to the forefront, and more than anything else, the Japanese people need no doubt a break from all the mess that has come about in the past several weeks.
What they got was Aoki, the villian, stepping up on Saturday night. In the first Zuffa produced "Arena Series" card for Strikeforce, the opening fight featured the Japanese superstar. He didn't disappoint, dominating Lyle Beerbohm from the opening bell and getting top position, forcing the American to tap at just 1:33 of the opening round.
This time, Aoki didn't jump up and wave his finger, not caring about his opponent's well being. He jumped up in jubilation, running around being generally ecstatic at what had just transpired.
Japanese fans, who were in the arena in the hundreds, screamed his name. The whole arena, who might have been booing in any other situation, cheered in jubilation with Aoki. There were Japanese flags being waved, and a general smile came across the DREAM lightweight champions face in light of the victory.
Like I said, I'm not going to lie, I've always hated Shinya Aoki. But in all honesty, for one night, he did earn my respect and brought a bright moment to a country who has had it very rough lately. He is a hero, if only for one day.
Get back to me, mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com.
Until next time, fight fans.
In the world of Mixed Martial Arts, Japanese MMA has always been regarded as a "freak show". Guys like Giant Silva and Bob Sapp can go from being "tomato cans" to being icons. The rules sometimes make no sense and leave the average North American fan confused. It as almost if every fight fought in the ring over there is improvised, with the officials making the rules up as they go along.
Yet, there was always something that stood out about Aoki. From his long leotard striped pants to his general attitude towards tradition and sportsmanship, his outstanding submission victories over the likes of Joachim Hansen and Eddie Alvarez has constantly been overshadowed by controversial moments, like his arm-breaking and "finger-waving" incident against Mizuto Hirota at Dynamite!! 2009, or his fight with Gilbert Melendez where he went 0-for-19 in submission attempts and spent the last half of the 5 rounder in a sitting position refusing to engage.
When he got floored by a knee during his fight at Dynamite!! 2010 this past New Year's Eve, I laughed. Although the loss didn't account on his record, the knee he suffered from Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima was on a grand stage and perhaps the last big card in Japan's history (due to financial difficulties) and it was fitting to get his "just desserts" the year after he danced around the ring after breaking Hirota's arm. His twitter account got bombarded with hate messages and Aoki so upset he was threatening to retire.
With the current situation in that has happened in the Japan, it seems like MMA has taken a back seat to just general survival. 2 massive Earthquakes, a Tsunami and a Radioactivity scare have clearly come to the forefront, and more than anything else, the Japanese people need no doubt a break from all the mess that has come about in the past several weeks.
What they got was Aoki, the villian, stepping up on Saturday night. In the first Zuffa produced "Arena Series" card for Strikeforce, the opening fight featured the Japanese superstar. He didn't disappoint, dominating Lyle Beerbohm from the opening bell and getting top position, forcing the American to tap at just 1:33 of the opening round.
This time, Aoki didn't jump up and wave his finger, not caring about his opponent's well being. He jumped up in jubilation, running around being generally ecstatic at what had just transpired.
Japanese fans, who were in the arena in the hundreds, screamed his name. The whole arena, who might have been booing in any other situation, cheered in jubilation with Aoki. There were Japanese flags being waved, and a general smile came across the DREAM lightweight champions face in light of the victory.
Like I said, I'm not going to lie, I've always hated Shinya Aoki. But in all honesty, for one night, he did earn my respect and brought a bright moment to a country who has had it very rough lately. He is a hero, if only for one day.
Get back to me, mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com.
Until next time, fight fans.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Strikeforce : Daley vs Daley re-hash : "Scrap Pack" makes clear statement.
Nick Diaz has called out UFC fighters like Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva in the past. While most people think he's clear below that tier of fighter, he clearly made a statement Saturday night.
It included taking care of challenger from for his Strikeforce welterweight title, Paul Daley, by knockout. In the first "Arena Series" card produced by Strikeforce and Showtime since the Zuffa takeover and with UFC President Dana White and Co-Owner Lorenzo Fertitta amongst the attendees, Diaz showed a lot of patience, standing and trading with Daley, weathering an early storm from the Brit and unleashing his own flurry, peppering "Semtex" with shots and combinations. A "phantom strike" from Diaz following a scramble put Daley on Dream Street, with Diaz swarming with mop up punches, forcing legendary referee "Big" John McCarthy to call a stop to the action with just 3 seconds left in the opening round.
Afterward, a real grounded Diaz merely said "We've got to see what's up. I need to get paid."
Next for Diaz : He's won 9 in a row and is clearly on a roll. If Dan Hardy wants to prove he belongs in "The Show", please make him cross over and see what he could do against the Californian.
Next for Daley : a loss snaps what was a 4 fight winning streak. Had he won, it clearly would have been argued he belongs in the upper crust of Welterweights. Perhaps Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos.
Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine clearly was a battle for 3 rounds. Taking the fight on barely a week's notice, "The Dean Of Mean" showed a lot of grit and determination, standing and trading with the Armenian and controlling him in the takedown department, getting 4 of 5 in the first round, although he wasn't able to do much with them. With a minute left in the opening round, The man known as "Dreamcatcher" was deducted a point following a scramble with an upkick to a down opponent. With that, Mousasi knew he head to push the pace to earn the victory. The last 10 minutes of the fight, Mousasi dominated, peppering in the clinch and hurting the overwhelmed Jardine, though it wasn't enough to convince the judges of his transgression and it ended a majority draw, with the judges scoring it 29-27 for Mousasi and 28-28 twice.
Neither was satisfied with the result, Mousasi saying of the ill-timed foul "It happens. In the heat of the moment, I did what I did", and Jardine blaming his performance over the last 2 rounds as " "I got tired. I guess that's what training camp's for.", comparing the result as "like kissing your sister".
Next for Mousasi : His takedown defense clearly needs some improvement. I still think he could compete against the likes of Nate Marquardt, but he's got to improve substantially with his wrestling. That fight with Mike Kyle looks more appealing.
Next for Jardine : Showed a lot of heart and I think he deserves one more fight with Strikeforce. Either a fight with former Light Heavyweight champions "King Mo" Lawal or "Feijao" Cavalcante.
Honorable Mention : Diaz may have had the clear highlight of the card with his KO, his teammate Gilbert Melendez perhaps made the biggest statement of the night with his first round pasting of Japanese fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri. While its not a relevant top 10 lightweight, Melendez swarmed his opponent from the get-go and the former PRIDE fighter was never in the fight, as the Cesar Gracie fighter improved to 19-2 via a first round TKO. Afterward, he called out the lightweight fighters in the UFC and declared himself the "best lightweight in the world", But I wonder what might happen if he took a step up in name like a Clay Guida or a Ben Henderson. I wasn't interested in his fight at all, but that KO really did make me step up and take notice.
Also Shinya Aoki, no doubt fighting for the fans in Japan who have been through a pair of Earthquakes and the end of their age of Mixed Martial arts with a neck crank victory. While he'll never be in my good books, It was nice for him to be a hero, for just one day.
Also, did anybody else notice the ref for the Jardine/Mousasi fight looked like Yosemite Sam without the hat?
Finished undefeated for my picks, going 1-0-1, which brings me up for a 15-13-2 for the year.
Get back to me via e-mail, mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or leave a comment on here.
Until next time, fight fans.
It included taking care of challenger from for his Strikeforce welterweight title, Paul Daley, by knockout. In the first "Arena Series" card produced by Strikeforce and Showtime since the Zuffa takeover and with UFC President Dana White and Co-Owner Lorenzo Fertitta amongst the attendees, Diaz showed a lot of patience, standing and trading with Daley, weathering an early storm from the Brit and unleashing his own flurry, peppering "Semtex" with shots and combinations. A "phantom strike" from Diaz following a scramble put Daley on Dream Street, with Diaz swarming with mop up punches, forcing legendary referee "Big" John McCarthy to call a stop to the action with just 3 seconds left in the opening round.
Afterward, a real grounded Diaz merely said "We've got to see what's up. I need to get paid."
Next for Diaz : He's won 9 in a row and is clearly on a roll. If Dan Hardy wants to prove he belongs in "The Show", please make him cross over and see what he could do against the Californian.
Next for Daley : a loss snaps what was a 4 fight winning streak. Had he won, it clearly would have been argued he belongs in the upper crust of Welterweights. Perhaps Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos.
Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine clearly was a battle for 3 rounds. Taking the fight on barely a week's notice, "The Dean Of Mean" showed a lot of grit and determination, standing and trading with the Armenian and controlling him in the takedown department, getting 4 of 5 in the first round, although he wasn't able to do much with them. With a minute left in the opening round, The man known as "Dreamcatcher" was deducted a point following a scramble with an upkick to a down opponent. With that, Mousasi knew he head to push the pace to earn the victory. The last 10 minutes of the fight, Mousasi dominated, peppering in the clinch and hurting the overwhelmed Jardine, though it wasn't enough to convince the judges of his transgression and it ended a majority draw, with the judges scoring it 29-27 for Mousasi and 28-28 twice.
Neither was satisfied with the result, Mousasi saying of the ill-timed foul "It happens. In the heat of the moment, I did what I did", and Jardine blaming his performance over the last 2 rounds as " "I got tired. I guess that's what training camp's for.", comparing the result as "like kissing your sister".
Next for Mousasi : His takedown defense clearly needs some improvement. I still think he could compete against the likes of Nate Marquardt, but he's got to improve substantially with his wrestling. That fight with Mike Kyle looks more appealing.
Next for Jardine : Showed a lot of heart and I think he deserves one more fight with Strikeforce. Either a fight with former Light Heavyweight champions "King Mo" Lawal or "Feijao" Cavalcante.
Honorable Mention : Diaz may have had the clear highlight of the card with his KO, his teammate Gilbert Melendez perhaps made the biggest statement of the night with his first round pasting of Japanese fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri. While its not a relevant top 10 lightweight, Melendez swarmed his opponent from the get-go and the former PRIDE fighter was never in the fight, as the Cesar Gracie fighter improved to 19-2 via a first round TKO. Afterward, he called out the lightweight fighters in the UFC and declared himself the "best lightweight in the world", But I wonder what might happen if he took a step up in name like a Clay Guida or a Ben Henderson. I wasn't interested in his fight at all, but that KO really did make me step up and take notice.
Also Shinya Aoki, no doubt fighting for the fans in Japan who have been through a pair of Earthquakes and the end of their age of Mixed Martial arts with a neck crank victory. While he'll never be in my good books, It was nice for him to be a hero, for just one day.
Also, did anybody else notice the ref for the Jardine/Mousasi fight looked like Yosemite Sam without the hat?
Finished undefeated for my picks, going 1-0-1, which brings me up for a 15-13-2 for the year.
Get back to me via e-mail, mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or leave a comment on here.
Until next time, fight fans.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Strikeforce : Diaz vs Daley preview.
Friday. The day before Saturday in any given week. And on this particular Saturday, Us Mixed Martial Arts types will deal with another stellar card, courtesy of Strikeforce.
In the first major Showtime card since Zuffa's buyout of the California promotion (Have you ever noticed that Zuffa likes California promotions? They bought out WEC who had its roots in California as well) will take place in San Diego, at the Valley View Casino Center. Scott Coker has said that his "baby" will remain operational, so long as it makes money. So then why a small arena on a Casino's grounds? Who knows?
Onto my picks :
Nick Diaz vs Paul Daley : The main event features former UFC welterweights Nick Diaz (who's the current Strikeforce Welterweight Champ) and Paul Daley (who got kicked out of the UFC after his sucker punch on Josh Koscheck, who personally had it coming). Diaz is coming off another successful defense against Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos in his last fight, while Daley secured his title shot after a KO victory against Yuya Shirai at BAMMA 5 in Manchester, England this past February.
This fight won't last long. Daley, given his strengths in Karate and Kickboxing, will want to keep this standing. Diaz showed a lot of patience in his last 2 fights against Cyborg and KJ Noons, out boxing the Boxer Noons and weathering an early storm against Santos before unleashing his own fury. Expect the same from the get-go in this fight, as Daley will throw some early bombs and have the champion in trouble, but ultimately Diaz will weather the storm and take the fight to the ground, with Diaz ending up in a dominant position trying to pull the Brit's arm out of his socket.
The pick : Diaz by submission.
The co-main event features Diaz's teammate and Strikeforce lightweight kingpin Gilbert Milendez...but I'm not interested.
Gegard Mousasi vs Keith Jardine : In a fight that is more interesting than the originally announced fight featuring the Armenian Mousasi against Mike Kyle, "The Dean of Mean" will be the first UFC fighter (well I'm not sure if we can still call him a UFC fighter, he did get released) to make the jump over to the (now) sister promotion. Mousasi is fighting for the first time since his victory over Japanese fighter Tatsuya Mizuno at DREAM.16 last September, while Jardine is fighting since a victory in New Mexico last month.
A lot has been made over the fact that Jardine is taking this fight on barely a week's notice. That being said, his unorthodox stand up may give the former M-1 Global fighter Mousasi some problems early, but it might be only a matter of time before "The Dreamcatcher" is able to get the timing on that jab down. He'll pepper Jardine early, then finish with some mop up punches to further prove to the world that he belongs in "The Show" with the name middleweights.
The pick : Mousasi by TKO.
-In other news, All fighters made weight for tonight's Maximum Fighting Championship 29 : Conquer, which will mark the promotions first foray into the recently-sanctioned friendly confines of Ontario, at Caesars Windsor. The main event features Canadian Ryan Jimmo take on American Zak Cummings, and will be broadcast live on HDNET across North America. Other notable fighters included on the card include former UFC mainstay Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis, former UFC #1 lightweight contender Hermes Franca, and perhaps the smartest guy in MMA (he's a candidate for a doctorate) Terry Martin (who ironically enough, I swear is somehow related to Mike Tyson, though I don't have any proof).
-Bellator welterweight kingpin Ben Askren is no doubt trying to convince people to tune into Saturday night's Bellator 40, broadcast on the Score here in Canada. Askren will be taking on UFC and BodogFight veteran Nick "The Goat" Thompson in the main event "superfight", and in an interview with Sherdog Radio made several derogatory comments towards his opponent, mentioning that he believes that the 29 year old veteran of over 50 fights is "All washed up" and that he "hasn't been training that hard". He says that Thompson has "not a lot" for him to worry about, but that he "won't get in a Boxing match with him, Like I said, if I do stand up with him, it will be after I tenderize him for a few minutes and he won’t be the same person that he was at the beginning of the fight. He’ll be a much weaker and worn down opponent.”
Obviously, this kid is trying to sell the fight. But make it be known : a 29 year old is in no way shape or form "washed up" in terms of the fight game. You may be the champ Ben and the belt isn't on the line, but Thompson is a veteran of the game and should not be taken lightly. If you don't believe me, just ask Eddie Alvarez.
Questions? Comments? want to get back to me? email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans.
In the first major Showtime card since Zuffa's buyout of the California promotion (Have you ever noticed that Zuffa likes California promotions? They bought out WEC who had its roots in California as well) will take place in San Diego, at the Valley View Casino Center. Scott Coker has said that his "baby" will remain operational, so long as it makes money. So then why a small arena on a Casino's grounds? Who knows?
Onto my picks :
Nick Diaz vs Paul Daley : The main event features former UFC welterweights Nick Diaz (who's the current Strikeforce Welterweight Champ) and Paul Daley (who got kicked out of the UFC after his sucker punch on Josh Koscheck, who personally had it coming). Diaz is coming off another successful defense against Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos in his last fight, while Daley secured his title shot after a KO victory against Yuya Shirai at BAMMA 5 in Manchester, England this past February.
This fight won't last long. Daley, given his strengths in Karate and Kickboxing, will want to keep this standing. Diaz showed a lot of patience in his last 2 fights against Cyborg and KJ Noons, out boxing the Boxer Noons and weathering an early storm against Santos before unleashing his own fury. Expect the same from the get-go in this fight, as Daley will throw some early bombs and have the champion in trouble, but ultimately Diaz will weather the storm and take the fight to the ground, with Diaz ending up in a dominant position trying to pull the Brit's arm out of his socket.
The pick : Diaz by submission.
The co-main event features Diaz's teammate and Strikeforce lightweight kingpin Gilbert Milendez...but I'm not interested.
Gegard Mousasi vs Keith Jardine : In a fight that is more interesting than the originally announced fight featuring the Armenian Mousasi against Mike Kyle, "The Dean of Mean" will be the first UFC fighter (well I'm not sure if we can still call him a UFC fighter, he did get released) to make the jump over to the (now) sister promotion. Mousasi is fighting for the first time since his victory over Japanese fighter Tatsuya Mizuno at DREAM.16 last September, while Jardine is fighting since a victory in New Mexico last month.
A lot has been made over the fact that Jardine is taking this fight on barely a week's notice. That being said, his unorthodox stand up may give the former M-1 Global fighter Mousasi some problems early, but it might be only a matter of time before "The Dreamcatcher" is able to get the timing on that jab down. He'll pepper Jardine early, then finish with some mop up punches to further prove to the world that he belongs in "The Show" with the name middleweights.
The pick : Mousasi by TKO.
-In other news, All fighters made weight for tonight's Maximum Fighting Championship 29 : Conquer, which will mark the promotions first foray into the recently-sanctioned friendly confines of Ontario, at Caesars Windsor. The main event features Canadian Ryan Jimmo take on American Zak Cummings, and will be broadcast live on HDNET across North America. Other notable fighters included on the card include former UFC mainstay Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis, former UFC #1 lightweight contender Hermes Franca, and perhaps the smartest guy in MMA (he's a candidate for a doctorate) Terry Martin (who ironically enough, I swear is somehow related to Mike Tyson, though I don't have any proof).
-Bellator welterweight kingpin Ben Askren is no doubt trying to convince people to tune into Saturday night's Bellator 40, broadcast on the Score here in Canada. Askren will be taking on UFC and BodogFight veteran Nick "The Goat" Thompson in the main event "superfight", and in an interview with Sherdog Radio made several derogatory comments towards his opponent, mentioning that he believes that the 29 year old veteran of over 50 fights is "All washed up" and that he "hasn't been training that hard". He says that Thompson has "not a lot" for him to worry about, but that he "won't get in a Boxing match with him, Like I said, if I do stand up with him, it will be after I tenderize him for a few minutes and he won’t be the same person that he was at the beginning of the fight. He’ll be a much weaker and worn down opponent.”
Obviously, this kid is trying to sell the fight. But make it be known : a 29 year old is in no way shape or form "washed up" in terms of the fight game. You may be the champ Ben and the belt isn't on the line, but Thompson is a veteran of the game and should not be taken lightly. If you don't believe me, just ask Eddie Alvarez.
Questions? Comments? want to get back to me? email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Searching for Jamie Varner.
When announcing the fight at UFC 129 between Lyoto Machida and Randy Couture, Dana White described the situation for the Brazilian who's lost 2 consecutive fights as a "must win". While the reaction from fans ranged from shock to just the whole "he's trying to hype up the fight" response, if you think about it, a release for Machida might not be all that surprising.
In January 2009, Jamie Varner was the World Extreme Cagefighting Lightweight Champion. A subsequent defense against Donald Cerrone was highly competitive going into the 5th and final round, but an illegal knee by Cerrone in the 5th round changed things. While the referee allowed Varner a mandatory 5 minutes to recover before continuing, Varner claimed that he sustained "double vision" due to the illegal knee, calling a stop to the fight and allowing him to retain his title. While Varner claimed a broken hand factored in his decision, more than a few fans were claiming the Phoenix, Arizona native was feigning injuries and handing out excuses, elevating him from relative obscurity to "villian" status.
You know the rest : The emergence of fighters like Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis changed the landscape of the WEC's division, allowing more depth and bringing more fighters to front. While Varner sat on the shelf continuing a laundry list of excuses why he couldn't return, Henderson fought Cerrone in a fight that some people regard as a defining moment of the WEC for an Interim Belt. When Varner finally did return, He would ultimately meet defeat at the hands of "Smooth", with Henderson going on to defend the title against Cerrone before losing to the aforementioned Pettis.
Varner meanwhile, would draw against Iranian wrestler Kamal Shalrous in Edmonton, then lose consecutive fights to Cerrone and Shane Roller. When the WEC folded into the UFC, Varner was among the fighters lost in the shuffle, and Zuffa dropped him from the promotion, after being the champion 2 years prior.
I mention this because, while Googling Varner's name today, I found an article dated 2 weeks ago on MMA Fanhouse that announced the return of Jamie Varner. I was surprised to find that the guy he'll be fighting is 35-17-1 with a highlight of fighting at a Bushido in 2006, and it was going to be held in a 11,000 seat arena outside of Chicago on May 13th.
That's right people, after winning a major lightweight title and being arguably the best 155'er outside of the UFC in 2009, Varner is going to climb his way back up, taking the Jens Pulver route.
Its shocking that Varner has dropped this far. It completely caught me off guard that Bjorn Rebney wouldn't take a run at him and throw him in his 155 lb. tournament for this (or maybe next season) of Bellator a la Ben Saunders, but it appears Varner is content to at least give it a try. Whether he decides to bring it all together and return to the form that brought him 16 wins in his first 18 fights however, remains to be seen.
I guess we'll find out May 13th.
Until next time, fight fans.
In January 2009, Jamie Varner was the World Extreme Cagefighting Lightweight Champion. A subsequent defense against Donald Cerrone was highly competitive going into the 5th and final round, but an illegal knee by Cerrone in the 5th round changed things. While the referee allowed Varner a mandatory 5 minutes to recover before continuing, Varner claimed that he sustained "double vision" due to the illegal knee, calling a stop to the fight and allowing him to retain his title. While Varner claimed a broken hand factored in his decision, more than a few fans were claiming the Phoenix, Arizona native was feigning injuries and handing out excuses, elevating him from relative obscurity to "villian" status.
You know the rest : The emergence of fighters like Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis changed the landscape of the WEC's division, allowing more depth and bringing more fighters to front. While Varner sat on the shelf continuing a laundry list of excuses why he couldn't return, Henderson fought Cerrone in a fight that some people regard as a defining moment of the WEC for an Interim Belt. When Varner finally did return, He would ultimately meet defeat at the hands of "Smooth", with Henderson going on to defend the title against Cerrone before losing to the aforementioned Pettis.
Varner meanwhile, would draw against Iranian wrestler Kamal Shalrous in Edmonton, then lose consecutive fights to Cerrone and Shane Roller. When the WEC folded into the UFC, Varner was among the fighters lost in the shuffle, and Zuffa dropped him from the promotion, after being the champion 2 years prior.
I mention this because, while Googling Varner's name today, I found an article dated 2 weeks ago on MMA Fanhouse that announced the return of Jamie Varner. I was surprised to find that the guy he'll be fighting is 35-17-1 with a highlight of fighting at a Bushido in 2006, and it was going to be held in a 11,000 seat arena outside of Chicago on May 13th.
That's right people, after winning a major lightweight title and being arguably the best 155'er outside of the UFC in 2009, Varner is going to climb his way back up, taking the Jens Pulver route.
Its shocking that Varner has dropped this far. It completely caught me off guard that Bjorn Rebney wouldn't take a run at him and throw him in his 155 lb. tournament for this (or maybe next season) of Bellator a la Ben Saunders, but it appears Varner is content to at least give it a try. Whether he decides to bring it all together and return to the form that brought him 16 wins in his first 18 fights however, remains to be seen.
I guess we'll find out May 13th.
Until next time, fight fans.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Thug Life : Is it right for Bisping and Sonnen to be tagged as coaches?
Ahhh, Mr. Dave Meltzer. Every time I have a difficult time searching for something to write about in this blog, The senior writer from The Wrestling Observer always gives me something new, over the top, or just plain nuts to write about.
I nonchalantly sometimes pass by his articles to see what he's got brewing when it comes to the world of Mixed Martial Arts. This week, I seen a report from him declaring the UFC was preparing to make an announcement in regards to the next season of their flagship show "The Ultimate Fighter", set to commence in September. He goes onto say the coaches have already been chosen, and those are Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen.
While this might be a great matchup on paper for ratings, with Bisping and his comic relief and Sonnen spewing his nonsensical garbage, talking for the sake of talking. In reality, in terms of PR and an image standpoint, it is a horrible business decision.
Why? Because Dana White since his takeover of the UFC has had a long, uphill battle to climb. From day one, he's had to tangle with Government Officials from local, State and Provincial Athletic Commissions (depending on which country he's had to do his sweet talking in) and the general public, who fail to give his roster or MMA athletes in general any respect, referring to the sport as a form of "human dogfighting" and the competitors themselves as "Thugs".
The reality show is an opportunity for people to observe what the life of a mixed martial artist is. However "glorified" it might be, the reality is that it is a tough lifestyle that isn't for everyone. The competitors in every season work as hard as they can, albeit however experienced (Ultimate Fighter 4 : The Comeback) or novice (Amir Sadollah had NO fights under his belt when he won Ultimate Fighter 7) they might be. The coaches, in contrast, are on the show not only to mentor, but to essentially represent the brand of the UFC to all the "haters" and "naysayers" and show that they are indeed athletes, not "Thugs".
If this Meltzer article were to hold true to form, White is essentially allowing every non-MMA activist and casual observer to have their day : You're going to put on your flagship show that brings you fans every week an English "Thug" who has shown a complete disregard for the rules (like grabbing the fence and kneeing a downed opponent, against Jorge Rivera) as well as a complete lack of respect (spitting in the Rivera's cornermans face and getting in his opponent's face to "apologize" due to comments Rivera made on Youtube) against a man who not only just obnoxiously rambles on, But currently has been more famous for not only cheating (A failed drug test following his fight against Anderson Silva), but White Collar Crime as well (Sonnen is currently awaiting sentencing for his role in a Real Estate fraud scheme) as the leaders of possibly another promising crop of young prospects.
Since the story broke, White has refuted the article, saying that given Sonnen's legal troubles and his licensing issues with the NSAC (an article on MMAJunkie where NSAC head Keith Kizer criticized Sonnen re-affirmed this) were going to make it difficult for the former #1 middleweight contender to be one of the next coaches on the Reality show.
Let's hope it stays that way.
-In Other news, Strikeforce Challengers ratings came in from Friday night. Ratings peaked at 214,000 with the card broadcast live on Showtime. Also, Ratings for Bellator 39 were up slightly from the week before, at 174,000 tuning in to watch the World title fight between kingpin Eddie Alvarez and Pat Curran. Let's hope with Bellator 40 this week, they keep the momentum going (although with Diaz and Daley this weekend as well, that's unlikely).
-2 former lightweights, Joe Stevenson and Tyson Griffin, are making the drop to featherweight to further their UFC careers, as reported by MMAJunkie. Stevenson will take on Javier Vasquez (not the former Expos pitcher, but the guy that armbarred Jens Pulver out of WEC) at UFC on Versus 4 in June, while Griffin will face former #1 featherweight contender Manny Gamburyan on the same card.
-ESPN.com/Sherdog was the first to break the news in regards to fights at UFC 131 and 132. It appears TUF coaches Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos will face each other at UFC 131 in Vancouver (like we didn't know that already), while 132 will be headlined with a re-match featuring bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz against "The California Kid" Urijah Faber (again, like we didn't know). What is interesting though is the fight that was also announced for 132 : It seems Chris Leben will finally get his wish to face Brazilian Wanderlei Silva on the same card.
As a longtime fan of "The Ax Murderer", let me say this : Be afraid, Chris. Be very afraid.
Questions? Comments? Get back to me. e-mail me at mmarmaggedon@gmail.com
Until next time, Fight fans.
I nonchalantly sometimes pass by his articles to see what he's got brewing when it comes to the world of Mixed Martial Arts. This week, I seen a report from him declaring the UFC was preparing to make an announcement in regards to the next season of their flagship show "The Ultimate Fighter", set to commence in September. He goes onto say the coaches have already been chosen, and those are Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen.
While this might be a great matchup on paper for ratings, with Bisping and his comic relief and Sonnen spewing his nonsensical garbage, talking for the sake of talking. In reality, in terms of PR and an image standpoint, it is a horrible business decision.
Why? Because Dana White since his takeover of the UFC has had a long, uphill battle to climb. From day one, he's had to tangle with Government Officials from local, State and Provincial Athletic Commissions (depending on which country he's had to do his sweet talking in) and the general public, who fail to give his roster or MMA athletes in general any respect, referring to the sport as a form of "human dogfighting" and the competitors themselves as "Thugs".
The reality show is an opportunity for people to observe what the life of a mixed martial artist is. However "glorified" it might be, the reality is that it is a tough lifestyle that isn't for everyone. The competitors in every season work as hard as they can, albeit however experienced (Ultimate Fighter 4 : The Comeback) or novice (Amir Sadollah had NO fights under his belt when he won Ultimate Fighter 7) they might be. The coaches, in contrast, are on the show not only to mentor, but to essentially represent the brand of the UFC to all the "haters" and "naysayers" and show that they are indeed athletes, not "Thugs".
If this Meltzer article were to hold true to form, White is essentially allowing every non-MMA activist and casual observer to have their day : You're going to put on your flagship show that brings you fans every week an English "Thug" who has shown a complete disregard for the rules (like grabbing the fence and kneeing a downed opponent, against Jorge Rivera) as well as a complete lack of respect (spitting in the Rivera's cornermans face and getting in his opponent's face to "apologize" due to comments Rivera made on Youtube) against a man who not only just obnoxiously rambles on, But currently has been more famous for not only cheating (A failed drug test following his fight against Anderson Silva), but White Collar Crime as well (Sonnen is currently awaiting sentencing for his role in a Real Estate fraud scheme) as the leaders of possibly another promising crop of young prospects.
Since the story broke, White has refuted the article, saying that given Sonnen's legal troubles and his licensing issues with the NSAC (an article on MMAJunkie where NSAC head Keith Kizer criticized Sonnen re-affirmed this) were going to make it difficult for the former #1 middleweight contender to be one of the next coaches on the Reality show.
Let's hope it stays that way.
-In Other news, Strikeforce Challengers ratings came in from Friday night. Ratings peaked at 214,000 with the card broadcast live on Showtime. Also, Ratings for Bellator 39 were up slightly from the week before, at 174,000 tuning in to watch the World title fight between kingpin Eddie Alvarez and Pat Curran. Let's hope with Bellator 40 this week, they keep the momentum going (although with Diaz and Daley this weekend as well, that's unlikely).
-2 former lightweights, Joe Stevenson and Tyson Griffin, are making the drop to featherweight to further their UFC careers, as reported by MMAJunkie. Stevenson will take on Javier Vasquez (not the former Expos pitcher, but the guy that armbarred Jens Pulver out of WEC) at UFC on Versus 4 in June, while Griffin will face former #1 featherweight contender Manny Gamburyan on the same card.
-ESPN.com/Sherdog was the first to break the news in regards to fights at UFC 131 and 132. It appears TUF coaches Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos will face each other at UFC 131 in Vancouver (like we didn't know that already), while 132 will be headlined with a re-match featuring bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz against "The California Kid" Urijah Faber (again, like we didn't know). What is interesting though is the fight that was also announced for 132 : It seems Chris Leben will finally get his wish to face Brazilian Wanderlei Silva on the same card.
As a longtime fan of "The Ax Murderer", let me say this : Be afraid, Chris. Be very afraid.
Questions? Comments? Get back to me. e-mail me at mmarmaggedon@gmail.com
Until next time, Fight fans.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Bellator 39 recap : Alvarez retains title.
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has a simple motto when it comes to his tournament based product : Win, and move on. Lose, and go home.
Coming to us from Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut Saturday Night, Eddie Alvarez clearly knew what he needed to do. Win, and retain his title. Using crisp boxing technique and incredible cardio and takedowns, he simply imposed his will on season 2 winner Pat Curran. Curran, while a game competitor who got a few heavy shots in on the champ, was overwhelmed and Alvarez cruised to a unanimous decision, scores of 50-45 (twice) and 49-46. Afterward, he told interviewer Jimmy Smith that what the 23 year old Curran lacked in experience, he certainly made up for in heart.
"I wish I had the heart he has at his age," Alvarez said. "Pat's going to be a champion someday, and my hat's off to him tonight."
For mainstays Lyman Good and Toby Imada, they also knew what they needed to do. Win, and move within a victory of a title shot. However, neither did so Saturday night, and they are both coming home.
Good showed great stand up skills in his first round against Rick Hawn. By counter punching and using the clinch effectively, he was able to grind out the first round 10-9. The second round was dominated by Hawn, who used an outside trip to gain top position, and while he never had the former 170 lb. kingpin Good in trouble from that position, was able to grind out the middle stanza. The 3rd saw Good counterpunching and circling away with Hawn frustrated going forward. While he was able to score a late takedown, an upkick at the sound of the bell by Good was enough, in my mind, for Cyborg to move on. However, 2 judges saw the fight differently, and awarded the former US Olympian Judoka his 11th consecutive win as a professional. With the loss, Good has lost 2 of 3 since winning 11 straight.
As for Imada, the man who's best known for being on Bellator highlight reels due to his first season inverted triangle against Jorge Masvidal, he now knows what its like to be on the other end of the highlight package. Facing Brazilian Patricky "Pitbull" Friere and a 3rd straight trip to the finals on the line, Imada and Friere started out slow, each throwing a few punches and exchanging. A huge flying knee by Friere changed things, however, and while Imada was still standing after, it was clear he was out. Pitbull knew it too, and he swarmed right after, flooring the veteran and securing the victory at just under the 3 minute mark of round number two. .
The opening fight of the night featured Ben Saunders against Matt Sung Lee. In a bloody 3 round affair, the American Top Team product "Killa B" improved to 9-4-2, with 2 straight wins since his UFC release. He was domnant in the clinch and overwhlemed the Korean, leading to a ref stoppage at 1:24 of the final frame.
Honorable Mention : I'm all for the Bjorn Rebney backing of Alvarez as the best 155'er in the world, but seriously where did his confidence come from? There was more than one instance where he turned his back to Curran, and in the 5th he simply jumped in front of his opponent while keeping his hands down. Whether it was cockiness, confidence or his best Anderson Silva impression I'm still not sure, but he had better not do anything of the sort against Friere, should Patricky Pitbull advance to a title shot. Alvarez mentioned in his post fight interview that he'll be cheering for the brother of featherweight Patricio "Pitbull" in the finals.
Lyman Good was clearly the veteran I referred to in my preview about getting "robbed" by the judges. I could see the fight going 29-28 for Hawn, but 30-27 is a bit ridiculous. As well as the fight being given on a takedown at the end of the fight, when Hawn did nothing with it in the final 10 seconds.
Tune in next week for the other 2 semi-finals as well as Welterweight champion Ben Askren in a non-title bout.
Until next time, fight fans.
Coming to us from Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut Saturday Night, Eddie Alvarez clearly knew what he needed to do. Win, and retain his title. Using crisp boxing technique and incredible cardio and takedowns, he simply imposed his will on season 2 winner Pat Curran. Curran, while a game competitor who got a few heavy shots in on the champ, was overwhelmed and Alvarez cruised to a unanimous decision, scores of 50-45 (twice) and 49-46. Afterward, he told interviewer Jimmy Smith that what the 23 year old Curran lacked in experience, he certainly made up for in heart.
"I wish I had the heart he has at his age," Alvarez said. "Pat's going to be a champion someday, and my hat's off to him tonight."
For mainstays Lyman Good and Toby Imada, they also knew what they needed to do. Win, and move within a victory of a title shot. However, neither did so Saturday night, and they are both coming home.
Good showed great stand up skills in his first round against Rick Hawn. By counter punching and using the clinch effectively, he was able to grind out the first round 10-9. The second round was dominated by Hawn, who used an outside trip to gain top position, and while he never had the former 170 lb. kingpin Good in trouble from that position, was able to grind out the middle stanza. The 3rd saw Good counterpunching and circling away with Hawn frustrated going forward. While he was able to score a late takedown, an upkick at the sound of the bell by Good was enough, in my mind, for Cyborg to move on. However, 2 judges saw the fight differently, and awarded the former US Olympian Judoka his 11th consecutive win as a professional. With the loss, Good has lost 2 of 3 since winning 11 straight.
As for Imada, the man who's best known for being on Bellator highlight reels due to his first season inverted triangle against Jorge Masvidal, he now knows what its like to be on the other end of the highlight package. Facing Brazilian Patricky "Pitbull" Friere and a 3rd straight trip to the finals on the line, Imada and Friere started out slow, each throwing a few punches and exchanging. A huge flying knee by Friere changed things, however, and while Imada was still standing after, it was clear he was out. Pitbull knew it too, and he swarmed right after, flooring the veteran and securing the victory at just under the 3 minute mark of round number two. .
The opening fight of the night featured Ben Saunders against Matt Sung Lee. In a bloody 3 round affair, the American Top Team product "Killa B" improved to 9-4-2, with 2 straight wins since his UFC release. He was domnant in the clinch and overwhlemed the Korean, leading to a ref stoppage at 1:24 of the final frame.
Honorable Mention : I'm all for the Bjorn Rebney backing of Alvarez as the best 155'er in the world, but seriously where did his confidence come from? There was more than one instance where he turned his back to Curran, and in the 5th he simply jumped in front of his opponent while keeping his hands down. Whether it was cockiness, confidence or his best Anderson Silva impression I'm still not sure, but he had better not do anything of the sort against Friere, should Patricky Pitbull advance to a title shot. Alvarez mentioned in his post fight interview that he'll be cheering for the brother of featherweight Patricio "Pitbull" in the finals.
Lyman Good was clearly the veteran I referred to in my preview about getting "robbed" by the judges. I could see the fight going 29-28 for Hawn, but 30-27 is a bit ridiculous. As well as the fight being given on a takedown at the end of the fight, when Hawn did nothing with it in the final 10 seconds.
Tune in next week for the other 2 semi-finals as well as Welterweight champion Ben Askren in a non-title bout.
Until next time, fight fans.
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