As a long time supporter of pugilist sports, I have waited for approximately 10 years (probably longer) for Mixed martial arts (UFC in particular) to come to Canada's largest city. It took quite a long time, but that time has come, and it is now. Tomorrow, 55,000 fans will partake in UFC 129 at Toronto's Rogers Centre, with hundreds of thousands more expected to attend the fan expo at the adjourning Direct Energy Centre on the CNE grounds. All in all, the whole weekend is expected to raise about $40 million for the city, which is a substantial amount of cash.
Although you don't want to hear what I think about that. I'll spare you more chatter, and just get on with my picks :
Georges St. Pierre vs Jake Shields - The main event features the best welterweight on the planet today, Canadian Georges St. Pierre, take on a man who has been the best welterweight outside of the UFC, with 4 titles in the class to show for it (the 5th is at Middleweight) in "American Jiu-Jitsu" practitioner and Cesar Gracie product Jake Shields. The oddsmakers have this fight at a 4-to-1 clip for the champion, though if you ask everybody including St. Pierre, its a lot closer than people think. St. Pierre is coming off a one handed jab heavy boxing contest against Josh Koscheck last December, while Shields is riding a 15 fight win streak and handed the title shot due to his (controversial) decision victory over Martin Kampmann last October.
Expect this fight to go the distance. Shields' 2 weaknesses are his stand up and punching power, though he might be able to hold positioning and win a round, I just think St. Pierre's strengths (including his wrestling) will be the difference, and he will simply wear out the will of the challenger. In doing so, St. Pierre will make the inevitable jump to the middleweight division.
The Pick : St. Pierre by Decision.
Jose Aldo vs Mark Hominick - The co-feature features the pound for pound king (in my opinion), Jose Aldo take on Canadian (and Ontario resident) Mark Hominick. Aldo had been nursing a back injury since retaining his WEC title against Manvel Gamburyan and subsequent awarding of the newly minted UFC featherweight title, while Hominick has won his last 3 fights in Zuffa owned promotions (4 overall) since losing to Josh Grispi, his latest victory being a one sided dismantling of George Roop at UFN : Fight for the Troops 2 in January.
Hominick's one chance to victory is to circle outside Aldo's power and use his technical boxing. If he can keep Aldo off balance with it, he might be able to win a round or 2, but it might only be a matter of time before the Brazilian's explosiveness and power have Hominick on the ground. From there, Aldo, who is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, will finish however he pleases.
The Pick : Aldo by Submission.
Lyoto Machida vs Randy Couture - After a 2 fight losing streak at the hands of both Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, The Brazilian of Japanese origin known as "The Dragon" looks to right the ship against the 47 (soon to be 48) year old UFC hall of famer Couture, who is riding a 3 fight win streak into their tilt (of course, it was at the hands of an old man, a gatekeeper and a fish out of water, but a win is a win!). Also, The man known as "The Natural" has re-iterated several times over the course of the week that regardless of the outcome, this fight will be his last (though we've also heard that before!)
Machida needs to definitely be more aggressive than he has in his previous 18 fights. He needs to push the pace early and not be the elusive, countering, "boring" Dragon we're used to seeing out there. Randy's only chance is to try to use his strength and push Machida against the cage, wear him out with shoulder punches and his "dirty" boxing. The only problem is, if Machida does make a mistake and is being too over aggressive, is Randy too old now to pull the trigger? The answer to that is yes. and Machida will be victorious.
The Pick : Machida by decision.
Mark Bocek vs Ben Henderson - Former WEC lightweight champion and excitement immaculate, "Bend it like" Ben Henderson takes on Canadian Mark Bocek. This fight will be furious from the get go, and though Bocek will have Henderson in trouble early and often, Henderson will finish the fight in the 3rd round by a slick submission as only the man known as "Smooth" can.
The Pick : Henderson by submission.
Well, those are my picks. Agree? Disagree? want to get back to me? hit me up. email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Bellator 42 recap : Hale shows he's no "one-trick pony", advances to 205 lb. final
Richard Hale has gone from relative obscurity to having a video gone viral. At Bellator 38 last month, he secured an inverted triangle over Nik Fekete, netting over 140,000 hits on youtube (according to CEO Bjorn Rebney) and earning a spot in the semi-finals of the promotions inaugural Light Heavyweight tournament.
On Saturday night in Concho, Oklahoma at the Lucky Star Casino, Hale fought in the semi-final. During a highly contested 3 round affair, We didn't get to see any moments worthy of a highlight reel, The man known as the "Rare Breed" had a war with DJ Linderman. Hale used his power and size advantage, controlling Linderman's takedown attempts in the second and surviving a spinning backfist during it, and his counter punching and leg kicks to the body were enough to grind out a split decision victory, 2 judges having it 29-28 for Hale, with the 3rd having the same score for Linderman. Hale told interviewer Jimmy Smith that the fight "was more difficult than he expected" and he looked "forward to the finals".
Those finals will feature Hale vs Congolese prospect Christian M'Pumbu, who showed that with his grappling skills (also on display at Bellator 38), are a serious pair of fists. After roughly 2 minutes of the opening round, M'Pumbu caught his opponent, American Tim Carpenter, with a furious left hook that left the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and Philadelphia native prone, akin to being knocked out on his feet. After another right hand that dropped him, M'Pumbu stopped to scream loudly in Carpenter's face showing his jubilation over his victory.
Other winners included Luis Nogueira (no relation to the Nogueira brothers) winning a unanimous decision over Jerod Spoon, and British product Ronnie Mann winning a unanimous decision over Josh Arocho.
Honorable Mention : Both classes featuring the lighter weights (135 and 145) were far more interesting than the light heavyweight main events. Luis Nogueira and Jerod Spoon fought to a stalemate, with Nogueira trying several different striking attacks, featuring a spinning roundhouse in the 1st. Spoon threw a few spinning backfists in the 2nd, but it wasn't enough as the Brazilian won.
Also, DW better keep his eyes on Ronnie Mann. The British (by way of Thailand) fighter controlled an overwhelmed Arocho from the get-go, getting him on the ground and holding him there. He was able to control positioning, from side control to a north south position, and had several submission attempts (including a kimura as well as an arm triangle) on the American, simply outclassing him. I know fans and critics are also calling for "more 10-8" rounds in Mixed Martial Arts, and the judges for this fight certainly obliged : Mann won on one judges scorecard 30-25, which means not one but 2 10-8 rounds.
No Bellator fights next week, but a preview of the Finals will air at an early time (7 pm ET) on MTV2. Somehow I have a feeling nothing will be next week as there's another show in Toronto going on?
Until next time, fight fans!
On Saturday night in Concho, Oklahoma at the Lucky Star Casino, Hale fought in the semi-final. During a highly contested 3 round affair, We didn't get to see any moments worthy of a highlight reel, The man known as the "Rare Breed" had a war with DJ Linderman. Hale used his power and size advantage, controlling Linderman's takedown attempts in the second and surviving a spinning backfist during it, and his counter punching and leg kicks to the body were enough to grind out a split decision victory, 2 judges having it 29-28 for Hale, with the 3rd having the same score for Linderman. Hale told interviewer Jimmy Smith that the fight "was more difficult than he expected" and he looked "forward to the finals".
Those finals will feature Hale vs Congolese prospect Christian M'Pumbu, who showed that with his grappling skills (also on display at Bellator 38), are a serious pair of fists. After roughly 2 minutes of the opening round, M'Pumbu caught his opponent, American Tim Carpenter, with a furious left hook that left the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and Philadelphia native prone, akin to being knocked out on his feet. After another right hand that dropped him, M'Pumbu stopped to scream loudly in Carpenter's face showing his jubilation over his victory.
Other winners included Luis Nogueira (no relation to the Nogueira brothers) winning a unanimous decision over Jerod Spoon, and British product Ronnie Mann winning a unanimous decision over Josh Arocho.
Honorable Mention : Both classes featuring the lighter weights (135 and 145) were far more interesting than the light heavyweight main events. Luis Nogueira and Jerod Spoon fought to a stalemate, with Nogueira trying several different striking attacks, featuring a spinning roundhouse in the 1st. Spoon threw a few spinning backfists in the 2nd, but it wasn't enough as the Brazilian won.
Also, DW better keep his eyes on Ronnie Mann. The British (by way of Thailand) fighter controlled an overwhelmed Arocho from the get-go, getting him on the ground and holding him there. He was able to control positioning, from side control to a north south position, and had several submission attempts (including a kimura as well as an arm triangle) on the American, simply outclassing him. I know fans and critics are also calling for "more 10-8" rounds in Mixed Martial Arts, and the judges for this fight certainly obliged : Mann won on one judges scorecard 30-25, which means not one but 2 10-8 rounds.
No Bellator fights next week, but a preview of the Finals will air at an early time (7 pm ET) on MTV2. Somehow I have a feeling nothing will be next week as there's another show in Toronto going on?
Until next time, fight fans!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Randy Couture : Will he or Won't he?
There is a report on various MMA outlets, ranging from ESPN.com/Sherdog to Sports Illustrated, that next Saturday, April 30th will see the end of a legendary career.
No, I'm not talking about Joe Rogan resigning and having Stephan Bonnar replace him.. I'm talking about the fight between Lyoto Machida and Randy Couture, with obvious implications on the current Light Heavyweight division situation no doubt in the balance.
Couture told MMAJunkie on a article posted today, that the "time has come" for him to move on to the next chapter of his life. With 2 world title victories in 2 different weight classes (the only UFC fighter to do so) as well as a budding film career and a chain of successful Mixed Martial Arts gyms, It has little doubt that regardless of what happens at Rogers Centre, he certainly doesn't need the money he gets from fighting...as he'd only do it solely for the thrill of competition.
But.....how much do we really believe that Randy will walk away? He has done so before, the first time in 1997 when he left the then SEG-Owned Ultimate Fighting Championship over a pay dispute. He returned 10 months later in 1998, in Japanese promotion RINGS, going 2-2 in the land of the rising sun before the UFC ultimately decided to pay him the money he so richly deserved.
Then, there was the fiasco in 2008, where he locked heads in a legal tug-of-war over his outright release from the promotion, so he could have the opportunity to fight Fedor Emelianenko, who's management at M-1 Global couldn't come eye to eye on a contract with Zuffa, The UFC's parent company. Again, Couture would return to lose his heavyweight title to Brock Lesnar.
Inbetween, we were treated to one of the greatest careers this sport has ever seen. Nobody will forget Randy's 3 fights with Chuck Liddell, with the penultimate tilt between the 2 stars serving as the base for the successful reality program, "The Ultimate Fighter". His single handed dismantling of Tito Ortiz where he doubled the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" over and pounded his rear, giving the allusion of the "spanking" Tito received at UFC 44. And who could forget his comeback in 2007, where he moved up in Heavyweight to fight Tim Sylvia, and while many detractors said he wouldn't last against the bigger stronger UFC champion, Randy dropped him 3 punches in and controlled him for the next 24 minutes and 57 seconds, never backing off of position and never missing a beat. Even in his mid-forties, he is a man that defies the aging process...seeming to get better, almost as if like a fine wine.
Granted, his last few fights haven't been up to par : His fight with Brandon Vera in England in 2009 was left to a decision that people still dispute, He beat an antiqued wrestler in Mark Coleman and a fish out of water in James Toney. All in all though, he was able to ride the momentum and secure a shot with Machida next weekend.
The truth be told : Even if he loses to "The Dragon", I can't see him walking away. There is one more fight out there for him. While he doesn't have the skills to main event a UFC anymore, he can still put on a formidable fight against a competent foe. It showed when he fought fellow legend Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who is also past his best years, but provided a fight that left us on the edge of our seat. The MMA fan in me hopes that Couture still agrees to the "one more fight".....and that fight is against Fedor Emelianenko. If not, I guess I'll have to wait to see if I can watch it if I get into Heaven.
-In Other news, the UFC 129 press conference at Rogers Centre is open to the public. MMAJunkie reported the the UFC made the announcement today, which will take place at the Ricoh Colosseum next Friday, April 29th.
-Bellator has come under a lot of hot water. Off the heals of the Joe Warren fiasco comes allegations of match-fixing. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney responded by awarding Warren's foe last Saturday, Marcus Galvao a spot in the upcoming 135 lb. tournament (which will also feature Warren) this fall. I don't understand how the UFC can have several bad judged fights (Edgar vs Penn I is an absolute prime example), and yet nobody says anything about fixing fights. Somebody else does it and OH NO!!! this fight was fixed. People its a judges objective. The problem is we need better judges.
-Speaking of Tournaments, Japan's Promotion DREAM has announced a bantamweight tournament set to begin May 29th at the Mecca of Japanese MMA, Saitama Super Arena as reported by ESPN.com/Sherdog. The "Japan Grand Prix" will serve as a precursor to their World Grand Prix, set to commence in September.
-ESPN.co.uk reports that Brock Lesnar says his chin isn't to blame for his recent troubles in the cage....it has to do with his boxing. Funny, but I remember Lesnar standing and trading up until he took a shot. and its not like he took a shot and dropped. He took a shot and turtled. So it isn't either to blame...its the phobia he has when taking a punch.
-Oh, and everybody's favorite little white collar criminal, Chael Sonnen, is due in court to hear his sentencing April 27th. When he comes back...I say throw him in there agains the winner between Wanderlei and Chris Leben.
Questions? Comments ? want to get back to me? email me mmarmaggedon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans.
No, I'm not talking about Joe Rogan resigning and having Stephan Bonnar replace him.. I'm talking about the fight between Lyoto Machida and Randy Couture, with obvious implications on the current Light Heavyweight division situation no doubt in the balance.
Couture told MMAJunkie on a article posted today, that the "time has come" for him to move on to the next chapter of his life. With 2 world title victories in 2 different weight classes (the only UFC fighter to do so) as well as a budding film career and a chain of successful Mixed Martial Arts gyms, It has little doubt that regardless of what happens at Rogers Centre, he certainly doesn't need the money he gets from fighting...as he'd only do it solely for the thrill of competition.
But.....how much do we really believe that Randy will walk away? He has done so before, the first time in 1997 when he left the then SEG-Owned Ultimate Fighting Championship over a pay dispute. He returned 10 months later in 1998, in Japanese promotion RINGS, going 2-2 in the land of the rising sun before the UFC ultimately decided to pay him the money he so richly deserved.
Then, there was the fiasco in 2008, where he locked heads in a legal tug-of-war over his outright release from the promotion, so he could have the opportunity to fight Fedor Emelianenko, who's management at M-1 Global couldn't come eye to eye on a contract with Zuffa, The UFC's parent company. Again, Couture would return to lose his heavyweight title to Brock Lesnar.
Inbetween, we were treated to one of the greatest careers this sport has ever seen. Nobody will forget Randy's 3 fights with Chuck Liddell, with the penultimate tilt between the 2 stars serving as the base for the successful reality program, "The Ultimate Fighter". His single handed dismantling of Tito Ortiz where he doubled the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" over and pounded his rear, giving the allusion of the "spanking" Tito received at UFC 44. And who could forget his comeback in 2007, where he moved up in Heavyweight to fight Tim Sylvia, and while many detractors said he wouldn't last against the bigger stronger UFC champion, Randy dropped him 3 punches in and controlled him for the next 24 minutes and 57 seconds, never backing off of position and never missing a beat. Even in his mid-forties, he is a man that defies the aging process...seeming to get better, almost as if like a fine wine.
Granted, his last few fights haven't been up to par : His fight with Brandon Vera in England in 2009 was left to a decision that people still dispute, He beat an antiqued wrestler in Mark Coleman and a fish out of water in James Toney. All in all though, he was able to ride the momentum and secure a shot with Machida next weekend.
The truth be told : Even if he loses to "The Dragon", I can't see him walking away. There is one more fight out there for him. While he doesn't have the skills to main event a UFC anymore, he can still put on a formidable fight against a competent foe. It showed when he fought fellow legend Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who is also past his best years, but provided a fight that left us on the edge of our seat. The MMA fan in me hopes that Couture still agrees to the "one more fight".....and that fight is against Fedor Emelianenko. If not, I guess I'll have to wait to see if I can watch it if I get into Heaven.
-In Other news, the UFC 129 press conference at Rogers Centre is open to the public. MMAJunkie reported the the UFC made the announcement today, which will take place at the Ricoh Colosseum next Friday, April 29th.
-Bellator has come under a lot of hot water. Off the heals of the Joe Warren fiasco comes allegations of match-fixing. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney responded by awarding Warren's foe last Saturday, Marcus Galvao a spot in the upcoming 135 lb. tournament (which will also feature Warren) this fall. I don't understand how the UFC can have several bad judged fights (Edgar vs Penn I is an absolute prime example), and yet nobody says anything about fixing fights. Somebody else does it and OH NO!!! this fight was fixed. People its a judges objective. The problem is we need better judges.
-Speaking of Tournaments, Japan's Promotion DREAM has announced a bantamweight tournament set to begin May 29th at the Mecca of Japanese MMA, Saitama Super Arena as reported by ESPN.com/Sherdog. The "Japan Grand Prix" will serve as a precursor to their World Grand Prix, set to commence in September.
-ESPN.co.uk reports that Brock Lesnar says his chin isn't to blame for his recent troubles in the cage....it has to do with his boxing. Funny, but I remember Lesnar standing and trading up until he took a shot. and its not like he took a shot and dropped. He took a shot and turtled. So it isn't either to blame...its the phobia he has when taking a punch.
-Oh, and everybody's favorite little white collar criminal, Chael Sonnen, is due in court to hear his sentencing April 27th. When he comes back...I say throw him in there agains the winner between Wanderlei and Chris Leben.
Questions? Comments ? want to get back to me? email me mmarmaggedon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Fists of Legend : How Royce Gracie should go out on top.
On August 27th of this year, The Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold their first card in the Brazilian city of Rio De Janeiro, the promotions first under the Zuffa banner and first since the "Ultimate Brazil" card back in 1996.
Since then, Royce Gracie has come about to announce he's actively campaigning for a fight on the night's card, with Dana White confirming that negotiations are ongoing. An online poll suggested such names as BJ Penn, Chris Lytle, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes and the very conspicuous choice of "Other".
Its the choice of "Other" that makes this so interesting. Since Gracie first stepped into the Octagon and showed the world, how barbaric it might have seemed then, that ground skills are just as important as throwing a punch in a real fight, millions of people have decided to take to Dojos across the world, participating in seminars, grappling tournaments, and world championships. Though Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is still a important part of learning the "game" of MMA, it has since been downgraded to just a facade of it, along with boxing, muay thai, and wrestling.
In recent days, 2 men that have both suffered losses at the hands of the Brazilian, Boxer Art "One Glove" Jimmerson and Olympic Wrestler Dan "The Beast" Severn, have come out and made claim they wanted a shot at the legendary Brazilian. Jimmerson, if you MMA historians remember, was the participant in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship that wore one Boxing Glove (hence his name), while Severn was 3 fights in to what has become an illustrious career (all that night) when he fought Gracie at UFC 4. At 52 years old, Severn still fights 3 times a year and is nearing 100 win plateau, which is an unheard of achievement in a sport that now perhaps lasts 30 or 35 fights (if one's body and chin hold up). He told MMAJunkie that a fight with Gracie would be "all-out ground war – two legends of the octagon can thrill and amaze the UFC audience of yesterday and today, one last time."
Unfortunately, the article on Junkie also points out that with today's weight cut rules, it would be very difficult for Severn to make the 170 lb limit that Gracie would probably prefer, given his frail, light frame. If Jimmerson and Severn truly want to make an appearance at the event, I say sure. But, for nostalgic purposes, throw in another name, like say Dave Beneteau, Kimo Leopoldo or even (dare I say it) Ken Shamrock, and have a one-night "Legends Tournament".
Before you sit there and want to commit me for this idea, just hear me out. It could be single elimination, 4 men (which means the 2 victors would have to fight twice), with a catchweight at 200 lbs. Also, Dana White has long said he'd like to see the end of elbows in competition, so let's experiment with that rule, as we all know as you get older, bones become more brittle. It could be Jimmerson, Severn, Gracie and Shamrock. Pair them off and have those 2 bouts as your undercard bouts on Spike TV, with the 2 winners meeting in the co-main event later on in the night.
I know this sounds like an insane idea, but wouldn't you rather see a 44 year old Gracie lose to a 52 year old Severn than a younger, fresher BJ Penn?
Until next time, Fight Fans.
Since then, Royce Gracie has come about to announce he's actively campaigning for a fight on the night's card, with Dana White confirming that negotiations are ongoing. An online poll suggested such names as BJ Penn, Chris Lytle, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes and the very conspicuous choice of "Other".
Its the choice of "Other" that makes this so interesting. Since Gracie first stepped into the Octagon and showed the world, how barbaric it might have seemed then, that ground skills are just as important as throwing a punch in a real fight, millions of people have decided to take to Dojos across the world, participating in seminars, grappling tournaments, and world championships. Though Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is still a important part of learning the "game" of MMA, it has since been downgraded to just a facade of it, along with boxing, muay thai, and wrestling.
In recent days, 2 men that have both suffered losses at the hands of the Brazilian, Boxer Art "One Glove" Jimmerson and Olympic Wrestler Dan "The Beast" Severn, have come out and made claim they wanted a shot at the legendary Brazilian. Jimmerson, if you MMA historians remember, was the participant in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship that wore one Boxing Glove (hence his name), while Severn was 3 fights in to what has become an illustrious career (all that night) when he fought Gracie at UFC 4. At 52 years old, Severn still fights 3 times a year and is nearing 100 win plateau, which is an unheard of achievement in a sport that now perhaps lasts 30 or 35 fights (if one's body and chin hold up). He told MMAJunkie that a fight with Gracie would be "all-out ground war – two legends of the octagon can thrill and amaze the UFC audience of yesterday and today, one last time."
Unfortunately, the article on Junkie also points out that with today's weight cut rules, it would be very difficult for Severn to make the 170 lb limit that Gracie would probably prefer, given his frail, light frame. If Jimmerson and Severn truly want to make an appearance at the event, I say sure. But, for nostalgic purposes, throw in another name, like say Dave Beneteau, Kimo Leopoldo or even (dare I say it) Ken Shamrock, and have a one-night "Legends Tournament".
Before you sit there and want to commit me for this idea, just hear me out. It could be single elimination, 4 men (which means the 2 victors would have to fight twice), with a catchweight at 200 lbs. Also, Dana White has long said he'd like to see the end of elbows in competition, so let's experiment with that rule, as we all know as you get older, bones become more brittle. It could be Jimmerson, Severn, Gracie and Shamrock. Pair them off and have those 2 bouts as your undercard bouts on Spike TV, with the 2 winners meeting in the co-main event later on in the night.
I know this sounds like an insane idea, but wouldn't you rather see a 44 year old Gracie lose to a 52 year old Severn than a younger, fresher BJ Penn?
Until next time, Fight Fans.
Requiem For a Heavyweight : Tragedies show Fighters aren't invincible.
When Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva defeated Fedor Emelianenko on February 12th, He said that Fabricio Werdum's victory over the former #1 heavyweight showed that "Superman" in this sport, didn't exist.
How fitting that comment was. Over the past year, we have seen fighters stepping up and being "heroes" from Roger Huerta's fight outside a Dallas nightclub that thrust him into a Superfight with Bellator Champion Eddie Alvarez. Huerta was stepping in and challenging a University of Texas football player, who had allegedly struck a woman in the club. We also seen Jon Jones' make a citizen arrest on a would-be burglar mere hours before his World Championship fight against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
We have also seen MMA fighters meet with tragedy over the past couple of weeks, from Sergio Salcido Luna being murdered in a burglary attempt at the US-Mexico border, to the recent tragedy on Saturday night in Brampton, Ontario with Kearn Nedd losing his life while trying to attempt a robbery during a Poker tournament in which he was participating.
Why is this so important? The fact is that while Luna and Nedd aren't known fighters, their deaths show what being a Mixed Martial Artist is all about. When we meet Athletes, whether it be from the 4 major sports (MLB, NHL, NBA or NFL), we have always gotten the impression that while they shake hands and sign autographs for fans, the amount of money they are making separates them from the "norm", Mixed Martial Artists, albeit Jon Jones or Kearn Nedd, are like everyday people : They are dreamers. They aspire to be the best throughout their training, all the while going to their regular "9 to 5" routine day in and day out, having their lunch breaks and making small talk with co-workers or fellow students.
The fact that they want to make it to "The Show" (i.e. UFC, Strikeforce, DREAM or Bellator) re-iterates their dedication, and even if they do make it to the top of this sport, it doesn't guarantee millions and fame and fortune (The average UFC fighter making their debut, will only net about $5,000 for that one fight, not including win bonuses for Fight, Submission, or Knockout of the night).
Luna's friend and fellow fighter Dominique Robinson, told MMAJunkie in an interview that the Mixed Martial Arts community was partially to blame for his friends demise, claiming he "couldn't get help" and he moved frequently (he was based in Bakersfield, but worked in Mexico due to circumstance) was because there was "no help" from anybody in the business. While he may have a point, the truth is that while it might be the most entertaining sport growing in the 21st Century thus far, we glorify these fighters as they are standing on some pedestal. Like you and me, they are made of flesh and blood, and the money they make despite the spectacle that surrounds MMA is nothing.
So even though they are not going to be known other than getting murdered, We should remember Luna and Nadd for what they were : Regular human beings, pursuing a dream.
A dream that we should all be respectful and proud of.
Until next time, fight fans
How fitting that comment was. Over the past year, we have seen fighters stepping up and being "heroes" from Roger Huerta's fight outside a Dallas nightclub that thrust him into a Superfight with Bellator Champion Eddie Alvarez. Huerta was stepping in and challenging a University of Texas football player, who had allegedly struck a woman in the club. We also seen Jon Jones' make a citizen arrest on a would-be burglar mere hours before his World Championship fight against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
We have also seen MMA fighters meet with tragedy over the past couple of weeks, from Sergio Salcido Luna being murdered in a burglary attempt at the US-Mexico border, to the recent tragedy on Saturday night in Brampton, Ontario with Kearn Nedd losing his life while trying to attempt a robbery during a Poker tournament in which he was participating.
Why is this so important? The fact is that while Luna and Nedd aren't known fighters, their deaths show what being a Mixed Martial Artist is all about. When we meet Athletes, whether it be from the 4 major sports (MLB, NHL, NBA or NFL), we have always gotten the impression that while they shake hands and sign autographs for fans, the amount of money they are making separates them from the "norm", Mixed Martial Artists, albeit Jon Jones or Kearn Nedd, are like everyday people : They are dreamers. They aspire to be the best throughout their training, all the while going to their regular "9 to 5" routine day in and day out, having their lunch breaks and making small talk with co-workers or fellow students.
The fact that they want to make it to "The Show" (i.e. UFC, Strikeforce, DREAM or Bellator) re-iterates their dedication, and even if they do make it to the top of this sport, it doesn't guarantee millions and fame and fortune (The average UFC fighter making their debut, will only net about $5,000 for that one fight, not including win bonuses for Fight, Submission, or Knockout of the night).
Luna's friend and fellow fighter Dominique Robinson, told MMAJunkie in an interview that the Mixed Martial Arts community was partially to blame for his friends demise, claiming he "couldn't get help" and he moved frequently (he was based in Bakersfield, but worked in Mexico due to circumstance) was because there was "no help" from anybody in the business. While he may have a point, the truth is that while it might be the most entertaining sport growing in the 21st Century thus far, we glorify these fighters as they are standing on some pedestal. Like you and me, they are made of flesh and blood, and the money they make despite the spectacle that surrounds MMA is nothing.
So even though they are not going to be known other than getting murdered, We should remember Luna and Nadd for what they were : Regular human beings, pursuing a dream.
A dream that we should all be respectful and proud of.
Until next time, fight fans
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Bellator 41 recap : Warren survives, 145 lb. finals set.
In a pre-fight interview with Bellator colour commentator Jimmy Smith, Joe Warren said : "I'll tell you the truth all the time, even if you're not going to like it".
If that's the case, The University of Michigan product won't like this : He received a clear gift from the judges ringside on Saturday night.
Bellator 41, live from the Cocopah Resort and Casino in Yuma, Arizona was the first of this young 4th season to be featured outdoors. In the main event, Warren fought WEC veteran Marcos Galvao in a non-title catchweight bout at 137 lbs. Throughout the first 2 rounds, Galvao used his size advantage, stuffing Warren takedown attempt after attempt, as well as hitting the Bellator 145 lb. champ with 3 heavy knees that had Warren reeling. The final round was finally Warren's time to shine, as he used his Greco-Roman experience to impose his will on the Brazilian, and while grinding out a 10-9 third round, he did nothing in the eyes of many to have his hand raised and looked to be on track to be the first Bellator champion to lose their in season non title "Superfight".
The judges however, saw it differently, and gave Warren a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28 (twice) and 30-27. A varied reaction of shock and boos came over the crowd, as even ringside commentator Smith thought Warren had lost.
The co-main event saw 135 lb. Champion Zack Makovsky dominate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist Chad Robichaux following a failed guillotine attempt by Robichaux in the first, holding his position and landing quite a few shots to take the first round. The second saw a lot of position and the 2 fighters exchanging submission attempts, with the round ending as Makovsky had Robichaux in a rear naked choke, although the bell sounded and the former Armed Forces soldier survived. At just before the 2 minute mark of the final stanza, Makovksky landed a shot that dropped Robichaux and finished off with mop up punches, as he wins via TKO at 2:02 of Round 3.
Other winners saw Patricio "Pitbull" follow his brother Patricky into the finals of his weight class with a 3rd round KO over the man he defeated in the semis in Season 2, Wilson Reis, and Daniel Straus will be facing him in the finals following his 3rd round submission victory over Kenny Foster.
Honorable Mention : The Friere-Reis match had a lot of hoopla surrounding as it was Reis' 3rd consecutive trip to the semi-finals. From the get go, these 2 guys went at it, each landing a variety of body strikes although neither was able to put the other away. Heis had a chance during the second round to end it following a rear naked choke attempt, but the younger brother and finalist of the second season (he lost to Joe Warren) showed his resilience, finally having his boxing skills get through and rocking Reis to drop him just after the 3 and a half minute mark of round 3.
Also, is it just me or are they going to give the inverted Triangle by Richard Hale overkill? He was in attendance last night, and they took the opportunity to replay the highlight over and over. I mean it was amazing, but enough is enough!
Tune in next week for the semis of the 205 lb. tournament, featuring Hale as well as Heavyweight Champion Kyle Conrad taking on UFC veteran Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello in a non-title bout.
Until next time, fight fans.
If that's the case, The University of Michigan product won't like this : He received a clear gift from the judges ringside on Saturday night.
Bellator 41, live from the Cocopah Resort and Casino in Yuma, Arizona was the first of this young 4th season to be featured outdoors. In the main event, Warren fought WEC veteran Marcos Galvao in a non-title catchweight bout at 137 lbs. Throughout the first 2 rounds, Galvao used his size advantage, stuffing Warren takedown attempt after attempt, as well as hitting the Bellator 145 lb. champ with 3 heavy knees that had Warren reeling. The final round was finally Warren's time to shine, as he used his Greco-Roman experience to impose his will on the Brazilian, and while grinding out a 10-9 third round, he did nothing in the eyes of many to have his hand raised and looked to be on track to be the first Bellator champion to lose their in season non title "Superfight".
The judges however, saw it differently, and gave Warren a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28 (twice) and 30-27. A varied reaction of shock and boos came over the crowd, as even ringside commentator Smith thought Warren had lost.
The co-main event saw 135 lb. Champion Zack Makovsky dominate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist Chad Robichaux following a failed guillotine attempt by Robichaux in the first, holding his position and landing quite a few shots to take the first round. The second saw a lot of position and the 2 fighters exchanging submission attempts, with the round ending as Makovsky had Robichaux in a rear naked choke, although the bell sounded and the former Armed Forces soldier survived. At just before the 2 minute mark of the final stanza, Makovksky landed a shot that dropped Robichaux and finished off with mop up punches, as he wins via TKO at 2:02 of Round 3.
Other winners saw Patricio "Pitbull" follow his brother Patricky into the finals of his weight class with a 3rd round KO over the man he defeated in the semis in Season 2, Wilson Reis, and Daniel Straus will be facing him in the finals following his 3rd round submission victory over Kenny Foster.
Honorable Mention : The Friere-Reis match had a lot of hoopla surrounding as it was Reis' 3rd consecutive trip to the semi-finals. From the get go, these 2 guys went at it, each landing a variety of body strikes although neither was able to put the other away. Heis had a chance during the second round to end it following a rear naked choke attempt, but the younger brother and finalist of the second season (he lost to Joe Warren) showed his resilience, finally having his boxing skills get through and rocking Reis to drop him just after the 3 and a half minute mark of round 3.
Also, is it just me or are they going to give the inverted Triangle by Richard Hale overkill? He was in attendance last night, and they took the opportunity to replay the highlight over and over. I mean it was amazing, but enough is enough!
Tune in next week for the semis of the 205 lb. tournament, featuring Hale as well as Heavyweight Champion Kyle Conrad taking on UFC veteran Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello in a non-title bout.
Until next time, fight fans.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Emperor is back : is Fedor's return a lose-lose situation?
When we last saw Fedor Emelianenko, He was getting mounted by Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and having his face pummeled into the mat. We saw him wiggle his way out into a heel hook attempt, only to have the former EliteXC heavyweight champ Silva wave his finger in disapproval. We saw the ref stop their Strikeforce Grand Prix tilt due to the punishment Fedor's face took, his eye being swollen shut to the point that the mouse under his eye looked more like a plum growing out of the Russian's face.
We saw Fedor tearfully allude to retirement. We saw him say numerous times that it was "the last time" we'd ever see him in the arena of combat. Then, there were numerous reports of not only Fedor returning, but Fedor ignoring the suspension of the New Jersey Athletic Commission (NJSAC) and competing in a Combat Sambo competition (Fedor eventually gave into their request).
Both Scott Coker and M-1 head Vadim Finklestein said Fedor's retirement talk was based on "emotion", not actually what his plans were. Coker alluded to Fedor returning even before the landscape of Mixed Martial Arts changed (which if you remember, was when Zuffa purchased Strikeforce late last month). After Dan Henderson defeated Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante for the Strikeforce 205 lb. world title last month, He called out the "Last Emperor" for a superfight. Little was known, however, whether Fedor would accept the challenge.
A report, however, from ESPN.com/Sherdog published yesterday has confirmed that talks are indeed ongoing for a fight between the two, quite possibly on the undercard of the Dallas card on June 18th. Fedor has been said that he would welcome the fight against the former PRIDE 2 belt division champion, although when looking at the bigger picture, this fight makes little to no sense.
Why? Because a "Superfight" is defined as 2 superstars, champions of their divisions or respective sports, fight with some sort of prestige on the line. Georges St. Pierre vs Anderson Silva, or even Silva vs Jake Shields, count as a superfight, amongst others. Henderson might be the 205 lb. champion in Strikeforce, but in the UFC would probably be in the top 6 or 7 in that division, due to its depth. Fedor is nowhere near the top of the heavyweight class following consecutive losses to Fabricio Werdum and "Bigfoot". If he were in UFC, he'd be battling bottom feeders and prospects such as Brandon Schaub and Pat Barry, not Junior Dos Santos and Brock Lesnar.
In MMA circles, Henderson is indeed a name. A veteran who has fought in PRIDE and the UFC, competed for titles, and established a career as a grizzled veteran not to be taken lightly. While he held 2 titles simultaneously in PRIDE, being their last 205 and 185 lb. champion, to the casual observer, he'll be best remembered as a guy who failed to win a big fight (against both Rampage Jackson and Anderson Silva for the UFC 205 and 185 lb. titles respectively, and Jake Shields for Strikeforce's 185 lb. strap).
There are far too many questions in regards to this fight : Will it be at 205 or at heavyweight? Will the title be indeed on the line? Should Fedor lose, it will just coincide with what the majority of casual MMA fans think about him : He was always overrated. Should he win, it will do little to nothing to restore the Russians credibility, as he's only 34 years old and should be "expected" to beat a 40 year old veteran of over 30 professional fights.
I know that Coker has alluded to the Russian getting back into the Grand Prix as an alternate following his loss in February. I also know that is impossible. Fedor is the great heavyweight of his era, and prolonging his career if he were to win would only tarnish what he did at Heavyweight for so long. I know this is nostalgia talking, but the only fight that would make sense at this stage of his career is Randy Couture. That, and that alone would indeed be a Superfight, although only if Couture were to lose to Lyoto Machida in Toronto.
-In other news, BodogFight and UFC veteran Nick "The Goat" Thompson has decided to call it a career, according to MMAJunkie. The interview with the site said he decided to make use of his day job as a lawyer and spend more time with his family. Somehow, I have to think his one handled dismantling at the hands of Ben Askren had a lot to do with it too.
-Bellator ratings have rebounded from a low of 150,000 to 218,000 this past weekend, according to MMAJunkie. Guess loads of people figured they'd see another inverted triangle.
-According to ESPN.com/Sherdog, there was an argument as to whether the main event between Nick Diaz and Paul Daley was stopped prematurely. Chuck Mindenhall says absolutely. I disagree. there is a thing called "Championship Advantage" which the Champ will get beneficial treatment. For example, he mentions Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin and Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, both instances where the champ was in trouble but given time to recover. Daley didn't have a belt; Diaz swarmed him. Fight was over. Simple as that.
Questions? Comments? Get back to me, mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans.
We saw Fedor tearfully allude to retirement. We saw him say numerous times that it was "the last time" we'd ever see him in the arena of combat. Then, there were numerous reports of not only Fedor returning, but Fedor ignoring the suspension of the New Jersey Athletic Commission (NJSAC) and competing in a Combat Sambo competition (Fedor eventually gave into their request).
Both Scott Coker and M-1 head Vadim Finklestein said Fedor's retirement talk was based on "emotion", not actually what his plans were. Coker alluded to Fedor returning even before the landscape of Mixed Martial Arts changed (which if you remember, was when Zuffa purchased Strikeforce late last month). After Dan Henderson defeated Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante for the Strikeforce 205 lb. world title last month, He called out the "Last Emperor" for a superfight. Little was known, however, whether Fedor would accept the challenge.
A report, however, from ESPN.com/Sherdog published yesterday has confirmed that talks are indeed ongoing for a fight between the two, quite possibly on the undercard of the Dallas card on June 18th. Fedor has been said that he would welcome the fight against the former PRIDE 2 belt division champion, although when looking at the bigger picture, this fight makes little to no sense.
Why? Because a "Superfight" is defined as 2 superstars, champions of their divisions or respective sports, fight with some sort of prestige on the line. Georges St. Pierre vs Anderson Silva, or even Silva vs Jake Shields, count as a superfight, amongst others. Henderson might be the 205 lb. champion in Strikeforce, but in the UFC would probably be in the top 6 or 7 in that division, due to its depth. Fedor is nowhere near the top of the heavyweight class following consecutive losses to Fabricio Werdum and "Bigfoot". If he were in UFC, he'd be battling bottom feeders and prospects such as Brandon Schaub and Pat Barry, not Junior Dos Santos and Brock Lesnar.
In MMA circles, Henderson is indeed a name. A veteran who has fought in PRIDE and the UFC, competed for titles, and established a career as a grizzled veteran not to be taken lightly. While he held 2 titles simultaneously in PRIDE, being their last 205 and 185 lb. champion, to the casual observer, he'll be best remembered as a guy who failed to win a big fight (against both Rampage Jackson and Anderson Silva for the UFC 205 and 185 lb. titles respectively, and Jake Shields for Strikeforce's 185 lb. strap).
There are far too many questions in regards to this fight : Will it be at 205 or at heavyweight? Will the title be indeed on the line? Should Fedor lose, it will just coincide with what the majority of casual MMA fans think about him : He was always overrated. Should he win, it will do little to nothing to restore the Russians credibility, as he's only 34 years old and should be "expected" to beat a 40 year old veteran of over 30 professional fights.
I know that Coker has alluded to the Russian getting back into the Grand Prix as an alternate following his loss in February. I also know that is impossible. Fedor is the great heavyweight of his era, and prolonging his career if he were to win would only tarnish what he did at Heavyweight for so long. I know this is nostalgia talking, but the only fight that would make sense at this stage of his career is Randy Couture. That, and that alone would indeed be a Superfight, although only if Couture were to lose to Lyoto Machida in Toronto.
-In other news, BodogFight and UFC veteran Nick "The Goat" Thompson has decided to call it a career, according to MMAJunkie. The interview with the site said he decided to make use of his day job as a lawyer and spend more time with his family. Somehow, I have to think his one handled dismantling at the hands of Ben Askren had a lot to do with it too.
-Bellator ratings have rebounded from a low of 150,000 to 218,000 this past weekend, according to MMAJunkie. Guess loads of people figured they'd see another inverted triangle.
-According to ESPN.com/Sherdog, there was an argument as to whether the main event between Nick Diaz and Paul Daley was stopped prematurely. Chuck Mindenhall says absolutely. I disagree. there is a thing called "Championship Advantage" which the Champ will get beneficial treatment. For example, he mentions Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin and Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, both instances where the champ was in trouble but given time to recover. Daley didn't have a belt; Diaz swarmed him. Fight was over. Simple as that.
Questions? Comments? Get back to me, mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans.
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