WOW! What a fight!! What else can be said about the megafight that took place between Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva at UFC 79?
This was a fight 6 years in the making. It seems so long ago now when there existed two MMA superpowers UFC and Pride. At that time there also existed two of the most dominant 205 pound fighters in the world in the UFC's Chuck Liddell and Pride's Wanderlei Silva. With Pride fans claiming Silva to be the best 205 pound fighter in the world and UFC fans giving that title to Liddell, the question of who would win in a fight between the two desperately needed to be answered.
It had been the topic of many heated discussions between MMA fans and several attempts were made to answer that very question. One attempt in 2003 saw the UFC send Chuck Liddell to Japan to fight in Pride's Grand Prix Tournament in hopes that he would face Silva in the finals. Chuck was on his way to doing just that after knocking out Alistair Overeem in the quarterfinals. But Liddell ran into a roadblock in the form of current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Liddell ended up losing that semi-final matchup by TKO and the dream fight had been scrapped. Jackson went on to lose to Silva in the final.
Then in 2006 during the Shamrock-Ortiz II event, Dana White brought out Wanderlei Silva and announced a fight between him and Liddell inside the Octagon. But the deal to bring Silva over to the UFC fell through and, once again, the Liddell-Silva fight had been shelved.
In 2007, there appeared to be some light at the end of the tunnel for fight fans. Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC bought out the financially troubled Pride FC organization. Along with the organization, Zuffa took over the existing Pride fighter contracts. Meaning, yes, Wanderlei could very well make an appearance inside the Octagon. The UFC signed him to a four fight deal and BAM! the fight of the decade was a mere formality. The fight was a done deal as long as Liddell could get past "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine.
No problem, right?
Wrong.
Liddell would put on a mediocre performance against Jardine en route to a 3 round split decision loss. The fight world was shocked! It had seemed as though the megafight was destined to exist only in our dreams and the question of who was the best 205 pound fighter would never be answered.
But what the fans want, the fans get. There isn't a single fight fan who cared whether or not Liddell won or lost to Jardine. We all wanted to see a fight between Liddell and Silva, win or lose. Since it was still very possible to hold this fight, the UFC decided it was now or never for this fight.
The fight that everyone had been waiting so long for was now a reality.
Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell vs. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva was on!
I got out of my chair the second Wanderlei was shown on screen walking out to the Octagon; I never sat back down. I could barely contain myself, as I'm sure most fight fans watching were doing the same. There was also that nagging idea in the back of my mind that this fight might not live up to the surreal expectations put upon it after years of hype. Luckily, that idea was shattered early as this fight was as explosive as anyone could have possibly imagined.
The first minute or so saw the fighters circling eachother with neither man engaging in anything significant in what was a show of respect by both fighters for eachother's knockout power. I could tell right away that this was a different Chuck Liddell, as Liddell demonstrated early on a tactic that he hasn't used in a long time and should use more often; kicks. Liddell threw several leg kicks early on to keep Silva at bay but the two soon engaged in battle.
Silva began swinging for the fences and landed several nice shots on Liddell, with Liddell returning the favor. Near the midway point of the first round, Liddell dazed Silva with a jab/right combination that backed the brazilian into the cage. Liddell would rush in only to get drilled by a few shots from Silva. The two exchanged bombs for the rest of the round.
The second round saw Silva charge out and begin firing with Liddell again returning the favour. Liddell would slip on the canvas but pop back up to exchange some more, but a right hand from Silva sent Liddell to the mat, in what looked like another slip, but hard to tell. Liddell would get right back to his feet, however. The two would then clinch against the fence in what I thought would be a bad spot for Liddell. Liddell proved me wrong by getting the better of that battle by landing two big elbows that cut Silva above the eye. After breaking away, the two exchanged again and clinched again. This time, we saw something that we very rarely see from Chuck Liddell; a takedown. Liddell would put Silva on his back and remained there until the round ended shortly after.
The third saw Silva again march forward, bruised and bloodied like a pure warrior. Liddell again shocked the crowd by shooting in for a takedown! He put Silva on his back only briefly, in what I perceived to be a tactic to ensure a points victory. With the points for the takedown, Liddell was then comfortable about fighting out the rest of the round. Liddell had thrown everything including the kitchen sink at Silva but Silva would not be knocked down and would not give up. Both men landed some very heavy shots, Liddell landing some big bombs that would have put most men to sleep, but not Silva. Silva proved to be somewhat of a freak in that respect. Liddell has knocked out many men with far less than what he was handing out to Silva, but Silva proved to be one hell of a competitor. Silva, too, landed some major shots that would have dropped a lesser man. Liddell, displaying his versatility, landed a spinning backfist that backpedalled the Brazilian. The two kept exchanging and again, Liddell got another takedown at the end of the fight.
Simply unbelievable!
These two fighters gave the fans exactly what they wanted to see. All those years of waiting were definitely worth it and although this makes it 3 losses in a row for Wanderlei, those three losses were to top quality fighters in Cro Cop, Henderson, and Liddell. Wanderlei showed his warrior spirit and, although he was knocked out in the first two losses, he proved that his chin can not be questioned. I was a fan of both men before this fight and am now a bigger fan of each after this performance! Liddell for showing the fans that he's more than just a 'one-punch' fighter and Silva for showing incredible heart and giving the fans what they wanted to see. It was a fight for the ages; an epic battle that will be served as a highlight reel for both men!
Liddell vs Silva II is only a matter of time!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Triangle Choke Escapes
This past weekend I competed in a grappling tournament where I placed third in the middleweight division. Each match I lost, I lost due to triangle choke. The first match I lost was to a Judo fighter who ended up winning the division. After he got full mount on me, I managed to escape and get back to my feet, at which point I took him down with a single leg takedown. As soon as I put him on his back he caught me with one arm in and one arm out. I'll explain this concept shortly. He pulled my gi over my head like a hockey jersey, sucked me in, and sunk in the choke. There was nothing left for me to do but tap. The other match I lost was very similar. There was a lot of back and forth between me and him. At one point I had him in full mount and was setting up a triangle choke from mount, but he reversed position and we scrambled. I scrambled right into the triangle. I yelled out "Oh Crap!" and everyone laughed. I tried to fight the choke for as long as I could, but I was finished. Once again I had to tap.
In light of what happened, my coach went through two triangle choke escapes with me in our next class. These escapes should be automatic once your are caught in the triangle. I will describe these escapes and the concept of the triangle choke.
First off, my coach says that the best way to avoid the triangle is to not get caught in it. Sounds funny, I know, but it's the truth. Knowing the basic theory of the triangle choke will help you to prevent it from happening.
This brings me to the one arm in one arm out concept. A triangle choke is applied when you are on your back and your opponent is in your guard. The trick is to have one of his arms inside your legs and the other one outside. (One arm in - One arm out). With one of your opponent's arms between your legs, you can now set up the triangle.
Say you have your opponent's right arm between your legs. Wrap your right leg around your opponent's head so that your calf is pressing on the back of his neck and the inside of your thigh pressing against his left carotid artery. You then take your left leg and wrap it around your right foot. This locks in the triangle position. Bring your opponent's right arm and place it across your belly so that his hand points out to your right. This causes his shoulder to press against his right carotid artery. If you have it in tight, your right thigh and his right shoulder should now be pressing tightly against both his carotid arteries, cutting off the bloodflow to the brain. If he's hanging in there, you can tighten your lock and pull down on his head to make the choke more effective.
So again, the easiest way to avoid the triangle is to not get caught in it. Not getting caught in the triangle means never having one of your arms in between your opponents legs with one of your arms outside. So always follow this rule. ALWAYS. Either have both your arms inside your opponent's guard or have both arms outside the guard. Doing so will make it very difficult for your opponent to set up the triangle. If he can't trap one arm between his legs then he will move on to something else.
Now, sometimes you do get caught. So if you end up in the triangle position, here are two escapes to use:
Spinning Triangle Escape
Say your opponent has trapped your right arm.
In light of what happened, my coach went through two triangle choke escapes with me in our next class. These escapes should be automatic once your are caught in the triangle. I will describe these escapes and the concept of the triangle choke.
First off, my coach says that the best way to avoid the triangle is to not get caught in it. Sounds funny, I know, but it's the truth. Knowing the basic theory of the triangle choke will help you to prevent it from happening.
This brings me to the one arm in one arm out concept. A triangle choke is applied when you are on your back and your opponent is in your guard. The trick is to have one of his arms inside your legs and the other one outside. (One arm in - One arm out). With one of your opponent's arms between your legs, you can now set up the triangle.
Say you have your opponent's right arm between your legs. Wrap your right leg around your opponent's head so that your calf is pressing on the back of his neck and the inside of your thigh pressing against his left carotid artery. You then take your left leg and wrap it around your right foot. This locks in the triangle position. Bring your opponent's right arm and place it across your belly so that his hand points out to your right. This causes his shoulder to press against his right carotid artery. If you have it in tight, your right thigh and his right shoulder should now be pressing tightly against both his carotid arteries, cutting off the bloodflow to the brain. If he's hanging in there, you can tighten your lock and pull down on his head to make the choke more effective.
So again, the easiest way to avoid the triangle is to not get caught in it. Not getting caught in the triangle means never having one of your arms in between your opponents legs with one of your arms outside. So always follow this rule. ALWAYS. Either have both your arms inside your opponent's guard or have both arms outside the guard. Doing so will make it very difficult for your opponent to set up the triangle. If he can't trap one arm between his legs then he will move on to something else.
Now, sometimes you do get caught. So if you end up in the triangle position, here are two escapes to use:
Spinning Triangle Escape
Say your opponent has trapped your right arm.
- Make a fist with your right hand and plant it on the floor on the right side of your opponent's head.
- Stand up.
- Place your right knee against your opponent's left hip.
- With your left hand, reach around and grip your opponent's left hip.
- In one motion, turn to your right, press in against your opponent's hip with your right knee and your left hand.
- You should then spin to your opponent's left side and keep spinning around his head and over to his right. This will open his legs, releasing the triangle.
- Once you are at his right side, you can drop and end up in side control.
Knee Grip Triangle Escape
Once again, we'll use the example with your opponent trapping your right arm.
- With your right arm across your opponent's belly, take your right hand and grap his right knee.
- Take your left hand and place it over your right hand, grabbing at the knee.
- Drop his right knee to the floor.
- In one motion, pull in on his knee with both hands and push against his calf with your shoulder. This will cause his knee to twist and force him to release the triangle.
- You will end up back in his guard.
These are pretty simple escapes, but are very effective. They should only be used as a last resort. Remember, don't allow yourself to be caught in the triangle. Always keep both arms in or both arms out.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
'Big' John McCarthy Belongs in the UFC Hall of Fame
This Saturday at the Ultimate Fighter Finale in Las Vegas, longtime UFC official John McCarthy will say goodbye to the UFC. 'Big' John announced his retirement this week on his website.
Big John has become the face of the law in the Octagon. He has been an official since the very early days of the UFC, becoming a referee at UFC 2. Having officiated approximately 500 MMA bouts and always kicking things off with his trademark phrase "Let's get it on!", Big John has become more famous than most fighters in the UFC.
Since UFC 2, there has only been one event that he did not participate as a referee, and that was the most recent event; UFC 78 in New Jersey. This was because the Athletic Commission in New Jersey demanded that local referees oversee the bouts on the card.
The main event between Roger Huerta and Clay Guida will be the last time we ever see Big John raise the hand of a victorious fighter and the last time we hear the words "Let's Get it On" inside the Octagon.
Big John will move into his new job as a fight analyst for the Fight Network.
With his retirement, I say it's time that the UFC recognizes all that Big John has done for the organization and the sport of MMA. Send "Big" John McCarthy to the UFC Hall of Fame!
I was looking at his website earlier today and found a lot of interesting accomplishements that Big John has achieved. Here is the list of great things that Big John has done:
Big John has become the face of the law in the Octagon. He has been an official since the very early days of the UFC, becoming a referee at UFC 2. Having officiated approximately 500 MMA bouts and always kicking things off with his trademark phrase "Let's get it on!", Big John has become more famous than most fighters in the UFC.
Since UFC 2, there has only been one event that he did not participate as a referee, and that was the most recent event; UFC 78 in New Jersey. This was because the Athletic Commission in New Jersey demanded that local referees oversee the bouts on the card.
The main event between Roger Huerta and Clay Guida will be the last time we ever see Big John raise the hand of a victorious fighter and the last time we hear the words "Let's Get it On" inside the Octagon.
Big John will move into his new job as a fight analyst for the Fight Network.
With his retirement, I say it's time that the UFC recognizes all that Big John has done for the organization and the sport of MMA. Send "Big" John McCarthy to the UFC Hall of Fame!
I was looking at his website earlier today and found a lot of interesting accomplishements that Big John has achieved. Here is the list of great things that Big John has done:
- Officiated over 500 MMA fights worldwide
- Masters Hall of Fame - Outstanding contribution to Mixed Martial Arts
- American Grappling Association Black Belt Instructor
- Member of the Los Angeles Police Department's Mixed Martial Arts Review Board
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt
- Grapple Instructor for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
- Self-Defense Instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department
- Tactics Instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department
- Key figure for writing the unified rules for the sport of mixed martial arts
- Received a California State Resolution for accomplishments in Mixed Martial Arts safety and growth
- Recognized as the premier referee in mixed martial arts
Big John has done so much for the sport of mixed martial arts. He has done so much to ensure the growth of the sport and the safety of the fighters. Other than the first and last UFC events, Big John McCarthy has officiated at every single UFC event ever held. There's not a fight fan in the world who hasn't heard the words "Let's Get it On!" and there's not a fight fan in the world who doesn't know who Big John McCarthy is. He has become one of the most recognizable figures in the sport of MMA; this along with all his contributions to the sport make him more than deserving of the honour of being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
He, along with current Hall of Famers Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, and Randy Couture, has made the sport what it is today.
Send "Big" John McCarthy to the UFC Hall of Fame!
Although one could easily watch Big John on the Fight Network, I will really miss the big guy taking care of business inside the Octagon. Things won't quite be the same without him.
Monday, December 3, 2007
MMA Tragedy
Since MMA began its uphill battle to become a legitimate sanctioned sport in North America, it boasted a safety record that was hard to match by any sport. In sanctioned MMA, there has never been a death or serious injury. Until now.
On October 20th in Houston, Texas, Renegades Extreme Fighting held an event that included 12 matchups. The third match of the evening saw 35 year old Sam Vasquez take on 21 year old Vince Libardi in a featherweight battle.
In the third round of the bout, Libardi unleashed a flurry of punches that sent Vasquez to the mat. After collapsing in the cage, Vasquez then suffered a seizure and was rushed to the hospital.
His condition only worsened. He developed a large clot in his brain and underwent surgery just two weeks after being admitted. Five days later he suffered a massive stroke and was put into a drug induced coma.
Vasquez died on Friday.
MMA's clean safety record has now been marred by tragedy.
So what does this mean for MMA?
MMA's uphill battle to become sanctioned in every state and province in North America had appeared to be getting easier and easier as more and more states began embracing this new sport. But with these new developments, MMA's battle may have just hit the tip of the iceberg.
I'm sure that there will be an uproar caused because of this tragedy. There will be those who say that MMA is barbaric and that people are dying inside the ring. I'm sure Dana White and the UFC will address the concerns that the public may have about MMA and the safety of the fighters; as will all other MMA promotions. I believe that if MMA is to keep going with it's recent success it needs to blitz 'fighter safety' and 'safety track record'. MMA promoters need to get the word out fast and furious about the safety regulations that the sport of MMA has implemented. They need to have fighter testimonials as well as political references.
The sanctioning hearings held in each state will now, more than likely, include discussion regarding this particular MMA related death. There will be major concerns brought to the table during these hearings and with good reason. But I believe that the promoters of this sport have been doing all of the right things to make this a legitimate sport. I believe that they will continue to do everything in their power to ensure the safety of the fighters. This is only one step back among a hundred steps forward. This tragedy might have slowed the expansion of MMA, but it hasn't stopped it.
I don't know Sam Vasquez, but I'm sure he'd be right there in front of the panel telling them that MMA should stick around!
On October 20th in Houston, Texas, Renegades Extreme Fighting held an event that included 12 matchups. The third match of the evening saw 35 year old Sam Vasquez take on 21 year old Vince Libardi in a featherweight battle.
In the third round of the bout, Libardi unleashed a flurry of punches that sent Vasquez to the mat. After collapsing in the cage, Vasquez then suffered a seizure and was rushed to the hospital.
His condition only worsened. He developed a large clot in his brain and underwent surgery just two weeks after being admitted. Five days later he suffered a massive stroke and was put into a drug induced coma.
Vasquez died on Friday.
MMA's clean safety record has now been marred by tragedy.
So what does this mean for MMA?
MMA's uphill battle to become sanctioned in every state and province in North America had appeared to be getting easier and easier as more and more states began embracing this new sport. But with these new developments, MMA's battle may have just hit the tip of the iceberg.
I'm sure that there will be an uproar caused because of this tragedy. There will be those who say that MMA is barbaric and that people are dying inside the ring. I'm sure Dana White and the UFC will address the concerns that the public may have about MMA and the safety of the fighters; as will all other MMA promotions. I believe that if MMA is to keep going with it's recent success it needs to blitz 'fighter safety' and 'safety track record'. MMA promoters need to get the word out fast and furious about the safety regulations that the sport of MMA has implemented. They need to have fighter testimonials as well as political references.
The sanctioning hearings held in each state will now, more than likely, include discussion regarding this particular MMA related death. There will be major concerns brought to the table during these hearings and with good reason. But I believe that the promoters of this sport have been doing all of the right things to make this a legitimate sport. I believe that they will continue to do everything in their power to ensure the safety of the fighters. This is only one step back among a hundred steps forward. This tragedy might have slowed the expansion of MMA, but it hasn't stopped it.
I don't know Sam Vasquez, but I'm sure he'd be right there in front of the panel telling them that MMA should stick around!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
St. Pierre Steps in - UFC 79 Shaping up to Be The Year's Best
What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger. This couldn't be more true in the case of UFC 79. Last week the UFC found itself on the receiving end of a knockout punch. Matt Serra had been forced to pull out of the main event at UFC 79 due to a back injury he suffered in training.
The end of the year pay-per-view events have been the UFC's bread and butter. It is usually a show stacked with great fights and big name fighters and is meant to cap off another year and kick off the next. UFC 79 already featured the superfight between the UFC's former 205 pound champion Chuck Liddell and PRIDE's former 205 pound champion Wanderlei Silva. This fight was considered by many, including myself, to be the best fight on the card.
However, the main event featuring Matt Serra vs Matt Hughes for the welterweight title had so much hype behind it that it, alone, could have powered the UFC 79 money making machine. Hughes and Serra have been seen for the last few months duking it out in a war of words and blogs on the Ultimate Fighter reality show. The millions who watch the show would watch UFC 79 just to see a season's worth of bickering come to a head in one hell of a grudge match.
But you hear this time and time again: "In MMA, anything can happen."
And for the umpteenth time this year, it has.
So the UFC found itself scrambling to get back to its feet after being knocked on its ass. The found themselves with countless questions. What do we do now? Do we headline UFC 79 with Liddell vs Silva? Does Hughes stay on the card? If so, who does he fight? Do we create an interim title? Those questions and more are what had the UFC begging for mercy. The UFC frantically called on a number of its welterweights to step up, but none would heed the call.
But thankfully, we Canadians are a crazy bunch of bastards.
Enter Georges St. Pierre.
After receiving news that Hughes needed an opponent at UFC 79, Georges St. Pierre made the call and demanded the fight. The UFC relayed the message to Hughes, Hughes made the decision and a new main event, stronger than the first, was made.
Hughes vs. St. Pierre III for the interim welterweight title!!
The UFC officials now carry around a smile from ear to ear as UFC 79 has gone from good to bad to simply amazing in just a few short days. UFC 79 is now possibly, at least on paper, the best UFC event this year. On top of the Liddell-Silva fight, a fight I've been waiting to see for years now, I also get to see my favourite fight in St. Pierre take on the man he won the title from for the interim title.
This also means that, if St. Pierre wins, he will most likely defend the title instead of fighting for it in Montreal. If this happens, then watch out UFC - Canadian fans are insane! We love our hockey and we love our MMA! If St. Pierre headlines an event in Montreal to defend the welterweight title, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guarantee that the crowd in Montreal will be the loudest crowd the UFC has ever seen. If you've ever been to a Montreal Canadiens game at the Bell Centre, you know as well as I do that earplugs are sometimes a requirement! And the fans in Montreal love MMA just as much as they love their hockey team.
The way the UFC can pull together great fights and call on fighters in such short notice is nothing less than remarkable. This is a big reason why I love this sport; the UFC does everything in its power to bring to the table great fights for the fans to see. You don't see a champion fighting tomato cans in the ring. When a fighter becomes champion, he fights nothing but the best that the organization has to offer. It is a very fan friendly approach to matchmaking and is a major reason why the UFC and MMA is becoming such a dominant sport. Not only do the matchmakers do a great job and putting the best against the best, but the fighters themselves demand to fight the best. St. Pierre demanded this fight, Hughes accepted the fight knowing that St. Pierre is the best fighter he could possibly be fighting. We also saw Forrest Griffin demand a fight with Shogun Rua! Randy Couture resigned partly due to the fact that he wouldn't be able to fight Fedor Emelianenko. MMA fighters are a completely different breed, they possess a certain level of respect, pride, and dignity that is hard to find in today's athletes.
The UFC suffered a setback, but they got back on their feet, and what didn't kill UFC 79, definitely made it stronger! I'm pumped!
The end of the year pay-per-view events have been the UFC's bread and butter. It is usually a show stacked with great fights and big name fighters and is meant to cap off another year and kick off the next. UFC 79 already featured the superfight between the UFC's former 205 pound champion Chuck Liddell and PRIDE's former 205 pound champion Wanderlei Silva. This fight was considered by many, including myself, to be the best fight on the card.
However, the main event featuring Matt Serra vs Matt Hughes for the welterweight title had so much hype behind it that it, alone, could have powered the UFC 79 money making machine. Hughes and Serra have been seen for the last few months duking it out in a war of words and blogs on the Ultimate Fighter reality show. The millions who watch the show would watch UFC 79 just to see a season's worth of bickering come to a head in one hell of a grudge match.
But you hear this time and time again: "In MMA, anything can happen."
And for the umpteenth time this year, it has.
So the UFC found itself scrambling to get back to its feet after being knocked on its ass. The found themselves with countless questions. What do we do now? Do we headline UFC 79 with Liddell vs Silva? Does Hughes stay on the card? If so, who does he fight? Do we create an interim title? Those questions and more are what had the UFC begging for mercy. The UFC frantically called on a number of its welterweights to step up, but none would heed the call.
But thankfully, we Canadians are a crazy bunch of bastards.
Enter Georges St. Pierre.
After receiving news that Hughes needed an opponent at UFC 79, Georges St. Pierre made the call and demanded the fight. The UFC relayed the message to Hughes, Hughes made the decision and a new main event, stronger than the first, was made.
Hughes vs. St. Pierre III for the interim welterweight title!!
The UFC officials now carry around a smile from ear to ear as UFC 79 has gone from good to bad to simply amazing in just a few short days. UFC 79 is now possibly, at least on paper, the best UFC event this year. On top of the Liddell-Silva fight, a fight I've been waiting to see for years now, I also get to see my favourite fight in St. Pierre take on the man he won the title from for the interim title.
This also means that, if St. Pierre wins, he will most likely defend the title instead of fighting for it in Montreal. If this happens, then watch out UFC - Canadian fans are insane! We love our hockey and we love our MMA! If St. Pierre headlines an event in Montreal to defend the welterweight title, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guarantee that the crowd in Montreal will be the loudest crowd the UFC has ever seen. If you've ever been to a Montreal Canadiens game at the Bell Centre, you know as well as I do that earplugs are sometimes a requirement! And the fans in Montreal love MMA just as much as they love their hockey team.
The way the UFC can pull together great fights and call on fighters in such short notice is nothing less than remarkable. This is a big reason why I love this sport; the UFC does everything in its power to bring to the table great fights for the fans to see. You don't see a champion fighting tomato cans in the ring. When a fighter becomes champion, he fights nothing but the best that the organization has to offer. It is a very fan friendly approach to matchmaking and is a major reason why the UFC and MMA is becoming such a dominant sport. Not only do the matchmakers do a great job and putting the best against the best, but the fighters themselves demand to fight the best. St. Pierre demanded this fight, Hughes accepted the fight knowing that St. Pierre is the best fighter he could possibly be fighting. We also saw Forrest Griffin demand a fight with Shogun Rua! Randy Couture resigned partly due to the fact that he wouldn't be able to fight Fedor Emelianenko. MMA fighters are a completely different breed, they possess a certain level of respect, pride, and dignity that is hard to find in today's athletes.
The UFC suffered a setback, but they got back on their feet, and what didn't kill UFC 79, definitely made it stronger! I'm pumped!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Serra Out - What Now?
With the string of setbacks the UFC has encountered this year, it seems only fitting to end the year with one that will have a ripple effect on the welterweight division well into 2008.
The current UFC 170lb champion, Matt Serra, has been forced to pull out of his December 29th title defense against Matt Hughes. Serra suffered a herniated disc in his back while training at his gym in Long Island. It is unknown how long Serra will be forced to the sidelines for, but I would imagine he'll be out for quite some time.
So now the matchup in December is no longer a title fight. The welterweight championship will be shelfed until either Serra returns or an interim title is put into the mix.
So who fights who at UFC 79?
Matt Hughes is currently still on the card, but has no opponent. If he remains on the card, there are a few fighters who could take the fight on short notice.
Jon Fitch. This guy is a tough fighter who has won all seven of his fights in the UFC. He was well on his way to a title shot possibly in late 2008. He scored a split decision victory in his last bout against Diego Sanchez and holds wins over the likes of Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves, and Kuniyoshi Hironaka. I had assumed that he would next fight either Josh Koscheck or the loser of the Serra-Hughes fight. If he fights Hughes on December 29th, even if he wins, he will still have to wait for his shot at the title since Georges St. Pierre is still next in line to the title. I will detail GSP-Fitch in just a bit.
Josh Koscheck. Although he lost his bout against St. Pierre in August, he still managed to take the former champ the distance with St. Pierre winning via unanimous decision. Koscheck is a very talented wrestler and could pose an interesting matchup for Hughes. Although this match has the potential to be a boring fight, it brings to the table an interesting threat to Hughes. If 'Kos' can stay off his back, I believe he can win this fight. His striking has greatly improved and in my opinion he would get the better of Hughes in a standup war. Also, a win over Hughes would send Koscheck back into contention. Even if he loses to Hughes and makes it back-to-back losses, he will have lost to the top two welterweights. Back to back losses to fighters of that calibre will do nothing to hurt his reputation as a fighter.
Georges St. Pierre. This would be interesting because I don't think this would be a fight that Hughes would want. If UFC matchmaker Joe Silva came knocking on GSP's door, it's questionable whether or not Georges would take the fight. This fight would do nothing for St. Pierre. He has nothing to gain by fighting Hughes right now. If he wins this fight, he would still be where he is right now...and that's waiting for his title shot. If he loses, then he would be dropped from title contention. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by taking this fight. In the same respect, this is not a fight that Hughes wants either. Hughes knows that he cannot beat St. Pierre. If St. Pierre were to take this fight, I would assume that Hughes would go crying to Dana White and protest. Hughes doesn't have very many fights left in him, and if he loses to St. Pierre, he would drop from contention, putting that title shot even further into the distance. The way I had seen this thing playing out with Serra still in the mix, was that Hughes would fight Serra, win the title, and then lose it to St. Pierre, at which time he would announce his retirement. If he fights St. Pierre in December and loses, I would assume that would be the last we see of Hughes.
So what happens in 2008?
St. Pierre can't wait any longer to fight. Even if Serra hadn't been injured, he wouldn't be fighting until late March or early April. With the title fight not happening in December, it's likely (given that Serra recovers quickly) that there won't be a title fight until the time that GSP was supposed to get his shot. But since there is no title fight in December, GSP will not be the fighter challenging for the title at this time. Meaning, St. Pierre's shot at the title is being pushed back even further...at least 3 months after the March/April date. He simply can't wait that long to fight. So he WILL have to fight someone else in the meantime. This brings me back to the Jon Fitch-GSP comment I made earlier. It's possible that if GSP doesn't fight in December, that he'll fight Jon Fitch early 2008. This again, is a lose-lose situation for GSP, but there's no way around fighting someone else and waiting for a shot a the title. Fitch would have nothing to lose in taking this fight. If he loses, he's supposed to lose. If he wins, then he takes over St. Pierre's spot as next in line to the title.
There are a few possibilities that could be put in place, depending on how long Serra is out.
If Serra can fight by the March/April date. St. Pierre's best option would be to take the fight with Hughes in December. If he wins that fight, then the date he fights for the title will not change. He will then, hopefully, fight for the title in Montreal as planned.
If Serra's injury causes him to be sidelined for a lengthy period of time, an interim title can be put in place. If this happens, I assume that the interim title won't be in place until after December when we know for sure how long Serra will be out.
From here there are several scenarios.
St. Pierre doesn't fight Hughes at UFC 79. The winner of the Hughes-Replacement fight (Hughes vs Fitch?) will fight St. Pierre for the title in March/April.
St. Pierre fights Hughes at UFC 79. Koscheck and Fitch fight in early 2008 and the winner of that fight faces the winner of the GSP-Hughes fight for the interim title.
Lots of questions now loom in the wake of these recent developments, let's see what Dana White and the UFC can do.
The current UFC 170lb champion, Matt Serra, has been forced to pull out of his December 29th title defense against Matt Hughes. Serra suffered a herniated disc in his back while training at his gym in Long Island. It is unknown how long Serra will be forced to the sidelines for, but I would imagine he'll be out for quite some time.
So now the matchup in December is no longer a title fight. The welterweight championship will be shelfed until either Serra returns or an interim title is put into the mix.
So who fights who at UFC 79?
Matt Hughes is currently still on the card, but has no opponent. If he remains on the card, there are a few fighters who could take the fight on short notice.
Jon Fitch. This guy is a tough fighter who has won all seven of his fights in the UFC. He was well on his way to a title shot possibly in late 2008. He scored a split decision victory in his last bout against Diego Sanchez and holds wins over the likes of Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves, and Kuniyoshi Hironaka. I had assumed that he would next fight either Josh Koscheck or the loser of the Serra-Hughes fight. If he fights Hughes on December 29th, even if he wins, he will still have to wait for his shot at the title since Georges St. Pierre is still next in line to the title. I will detail GSP-Fitch in just a bit.
Josh Koscheck. Although he lost his bout against St. Pierre in August, he still managed to take the former champ the distance with St. Pierre winning via unanimous decision. Koscheck is a very talented wrestler and could pose an interesting matchup for Hughes. Although this match has the potential to be a boring fight, it brings to the table an interesting threat to Hughes. If 'Kos' can stay off his back, I believe he can win this fight. His striking has greatly improved and in my opinion he would get the better of Hughes in a standup war. Also, a win over Hughes would send Koscheck back into contention. Even if he loses to Hughes and makes it back-to-back losses, he will have lost to the top two welterweights. Back to back losses to fighters of that calibre will do nothing to hurt his reputation as a fighter.
Georges St. Pierre. This would be interesting because I don't think this would be a fight that Hughes would want. If UFC matchmaker Joe Silva came knocking on GSP's door, it's questionable whether or not Georges would take the fight. This fight would do nothing for St. Pierre. He has nothing to gain by fighting Hughes right now. If he wins this fight, he would still be where he is right now...and that's waiting for his title shot. If he loses, then he would be dropped from title contention. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by taking this fight. In the same respect, this is not a fight that Hughes wants either. Hughes knows that he cannot beat St. Pierre. If St. Pierre were to take this fight, I would assume that Hughes would go crying to Dana White and protest. Hughes doesn't have very many fights left in him, and if he loses to St. Pierre, he would drop from contention, putting that title shot even further into the distance. The way I had seen this thing playing out with Serra still in the mix, was that Hughes would fight Serra, win the title, and then lose it to St. Pierre, at which time he would announce his retirement. If he fights St. Pierre in December and loses, I would assume that would be the last we see of Hughes.
So what happens in 2008?
St. Pierre can't wait any longer to fight. Even if Serra hadn't been injured, he wouldn't be fighting until late March or early April. With the title fight not happening in December, it's likely (given that Serra recovers quickly) that there won't be a title fight until the time that GSP was supposed to get his shot. But since there is no title fight in December, GSP will not be the fighter challenging for the title at this time. Meaning, St. Pierre's shot at the title is being pushed back even further...at least 3 months after the March/April date. He simply can't wait that long to fight. So he WILL have to fight someone else in the meantime. This brings me back to the Jon Fitch-GSP comment I made earlier. It's possible that if GSP doesn't fight in December, that he'll fight Jon Fitch early 2008. This again, is a lose-lose situation for GSP, but there's no way around fighting someone else and waiting for a shot a the title. Fitch would have nothing to lose in taking this fight. If he loses, he's supposed to lose. If he wins, then he takes over St. Pierre's spot as next in line to the title.
There are a few possibilities that could be put in place, depending on how long Serra is out.
If Serra can fight by the March/April date. St. Pierre's best option would be to take the fight with Hughes in December. If he wins that fight, then the date he fights for the title will not change. He will then, hopefully, fight for the title in Montreal as planned.
If Serra's injury causes him to be sidelined for a lengthy period of time, an interim title can be put in place. If this happens, I assume that the interim title won't be in place until after December when we know for sure how long Serra will be out.
From here there are several scenarios.
St. Pierre doesn't fight Hughes at UFC 79. The winner of the Hughes-Replacement fight (Hughes vs Fitch?) will fight St. Pierre for the title in March/April.
St. Pierre fights Hughes at UFC 79. Koscheck and Fitch fight in early 2008 and the winner of that fight faces the winner of the GSP-Hughes fight for the interim title.
Lots of questions now loom in the wake of these recent developments, let's see what Dana White and the UFC can do.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Butterfly Guard Techniques
In class on Monday we drilled some pretty cool techniques from the butterfly guard. We ran through two guard passes and one sweep.
Sweep:
Always keep your elbows in tight to your body.
- Buck up with your hips to create space between you and your opponent.
- Press against your opponent's face with both hands and use a straight arm.
- If you opponent is looking towards his left:
- Hip out to your left, so that you are facing your right.
- Plant your right hand on the floor at a 45 degree angle.
- Underhook your opponent's right arm with your left arm.
- Grab your opponent's belt,pants, or gi with your left hand.
- Slide your butt backwards to give you more support when being pushed over.
- Posture! Your chest should be against his shoulder, with your head up.
- In one motion:
- Remove your right hand from ground and trap opponent's left arm.
- Fall back on your right shoulder.
- Hook your opponent's right leg with your left foot.
- Kick out with your left foot.
- Turn over to your right.
You should end up in mount position. If your opponent catches your leg on the way over, you'll end up in half guard.
Pass:
If attacking your opponent's right leg:
- Your head should be down, tight to your opponent's chest.
- Elbows should be in tight and to the floor, grabbing what you can of your opponent's shoulders.
- Bring your left knee slightly to the right.
- Kick your right leg straight back.
- Slide your right leg back in, sliding it tightly against your left leg.
- This catches your opponent's right foot and releases your opponent's left leg.
- Both of your knees should now be pressed tightly into your opponent's right shin.
There are two passes from here:
Jumping Bridge To Side Control:
- Move your grips from your opponent's shoulders to his hips.
- Get a good grip on what you can of your opponent's hips. (Elbows in tight!)
- Jump straight up, using your legs to push up and your hip grips to create a headstand type move.
- Turn to your opponent's right side and land on your feet in a bridge formation.
- Your back should be on your opponent's chest.
- Make sure you still have your grips on your opponent's hips.
- From the bridge position, bring your right foot over and turn into side control.
- Switch your grips from the hips to underhook the head and arm of your opponent.
Shifting Around the Trapped Leg:
- Move your grips from your opponent's shoulders to his hips.
- With your right hand, let go of the hip and grab your opponent's trapped foot.
- In one motion:
- Pull on the foot, pulling towards your right.
- With your left hand still gripping the hip:
- Use your left elbow to push down and in on your opponents right leg (knee).
- This motion sucks the trapped leg in.
- With your opponent's right knee out of the way:
- Slide your left leg around your opponent's right leg.
- Switch your left grip from the hip to underhook your opponent's right arm.
- Pull on the foot one more time to slide your right knee around your opponent's right knee.
- You should end up in side control.
Sweep:
Always keep your elbows in tight to your body.
- Buck up with your hips to create space between you and your opponent.
- Press against your opponent's face with both hands and use a straight arm.
- If you opponent is looking towards his left:
- Hip out to your left, so that you are facing your right.
- Plant your right hand on the floor at a 45 degree angle.
- Underhook your opponent's right arm with your left arm.
- Grab your opponent's belt,pants, or gi with your left hand.
- Slide your butt backwards to give you more support when being pushed over.
- Posture! Your chest should be against his shoulder, with your head up.
- In one motion:
- Remove your right hand from ground and trap opponent's left arm.
- Fall back on your right shoulder.
- Hook your opponent's right leg with your left foot.
- Kick out with your left foot.
- Turn over to your right.
You should end up in mount position. If your opponent catches your leg on the way over, you'll end up in half guard.
Pass:
If attacking your opponent's right leg:
- Your head should be down, tight to your opponent's chest.
- Elbows should be in tight and to the floor, grabbing what you can of your opponent's shoulders.
- Bring your left knee slightly to the right.
- Kick your right leg straight back.
- Slide your right leg back in, sliding it tightly against your left leg.
- This catches your opponent's right foot and releases your opponent's left leg.
- Both of your knees should now be pressed tightly into your opponent's right shin.
There are two passes from here:
Jumping Bridge To Side Control:
- Move your grips from your opponent's shoulders to his hips.
- Get a good grip on what you can of your opponent's hips. (Elbows in tight!)
- Jump straight up, using your legs to push up and your hip grips to create a headstand type move.
- Turn to your opponent's right side and land on your feet in a bridge formation.
- Your back should be on your opponent's chest.
- Make sure you still have your grips on your opponent's hips.
- From the bridge position, bring your right foot over and turn into side control.
- Switch your grips from the hips to underhook the head and arm of your opponent.
Shifting Around the Trapped Leg:
- Move your grips from your opponent's shoulders to his hips.
- With your right hand, let go of the hip and grab your opponent's trapped foot.
- In one motion:
- Pull on the foot, pulling towards your right.
- With your left hand still gripping the hip:
- Use your left elbow to push down and in on your opponents right leg (knee).
- This motion sucks the trapped leg in.
- With your opponent's right knee out of the way:
- Slide your left leg around your opponent's right leg.
- Switch your left grip from the hip to underhook your opponent's right arm.
- Pull on the foot one more time to slide your right knee around your opponent's right knee.
- You should end up in side control.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Couture and White to meet November 20th
"Can't we all just get along?"
This was Couture's text message to Dana White, president of the UFC. Last week the UFC officially offered Couture a bout against Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira in February. Apparently, the text message was Couture's first response to the offer.
Couture resigned from the organization in early October due to several factors. The UFC had failed to sign free agent, and PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. Couture had stated that, in this point of his career, a fight with Fedor was the only one that made sense to him and that he wanted to fight the best; Fedor is ranked No.1 as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Aside from the failed negotiations with Fedor, Couture also stated that he was "tired of swimming upstream with the management of the UFC" and felt disrespected. The month of October saw back and forth press conferences held by both parties that only seemed to make the whole situation worse.
Couture and White agreed to meet over dinner on Tuesday, November 20th to discuss their situation.
I sincerely hope that Couture returns to the Octagon. He is, in my opinion, the greatest fighter in UFC history. He is the smartest fighter to compete in the UFC, and his ability to have his opponent beat even before he steps into the cage makes his fights very entertaining. Not to mention the fact that he is 44 years old and is the oldest fighter competing in the UFC and the oldest fighter to hold a UFC title. His story is incredible.
I know Randy wants to fight Fedor, and trust me, this is one fight I wouldn't miss for the world, but I would love to see him fight just a few more times. And who knows, maybe somewhere down the line, if Randy is still in the prime shape he's in now, a fight with Fedor may still happen.
Either way, the news of this meeting makes me very hopeful of "The Natural's" return to the Octagon. We'll just have to wait and see...
This was Couture's text message to Dana White, president of the UFC. Last week the UFC officially offered Couture a bout against Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira in February. Apparently, the text message was Couture's first response to the offer.
Couture resigned from the organization in early October due to several factors. The UFC had failed to sign free agent, and PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. Couture had stated that, in this point of his career, a fight with Fedor was the only one that made sense to him and that he wanted to fight the best; Fedor is ranked No.1 as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Aside from the failed negotiations with Fedor, Couture also stated that he was "tired of swimming upstream with the management of the UFC" and felt disrespected. The month of October saw back and forth press conferences held by both parties that only seemed to make the whole situation worse.
Couture and White agreed to meet over dinner on Tuesday, November 20th to discuss their situation.
I sincerely hope that Couture returns to the Octagon. He is, in my opinion, the greatest fighter in UFC history. He is the smartest fighter to compete in the UFC, and his ability to have his opponent beat even before he steps into the cage makes his fights very entertaining. Not to mention the fact that he is 44 years old and is the oldest fighter competing in the UFC and the oldest fighter to hold a UFC title. His story is incredible.
I know Randy wants to fight Fedor, and trust me, this is one fight I wouldn't miss for the world, but I would love to see him fight just a few more times. And who knows, maybe somewhere down the line, if Randy is still in the prime shape he's in now, a fight with Fedor may still happen.
Either way, the news of this meeting makes me very hopeful of "The Natural's" return to the Octagon. We'll just have to wait and see...
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The UFC Turns 14
"Come on over, you've gotta see this!" Those were the words that started it all for me and my love of fighting. Me and my dad drove over to my uncle's place where watching pay per view events was a regular thing; the only catch was that we had to watch them in spanish because we needed satellite codes to get the english. I had become accustomed to the "en espangol" versions of WWF pay per views, so I figured this wouldn't be much different. It didn't take long for me to realize that this was definitely not WWF and that this was something completely different.
It was two guys, no gloves, three rules, and the only way to win was by submission, knockout, or having your opponent's corner throw in the towel. It was brutal. But I loved it. I watched as this small fighter dominated each of his larger opponents. Since I was watching it in Spanish, I went by the name that was displayed on screen which was Royce Gracie. This is how I had come to know him; as Royce (Pronounced just as it's spelled). It wasn't until years later that I found out that it is actually prounounced 'Hoyce'.
This guy that I called 'Royce' used these submission moves to make his opponents quit. I was only 11 years old at the time and didn't pay much attention to what martial arts discipline he was trained in; I really only cared about watching two guys beat eachother up inside a cage. I hadn't been familiar with the term 'tapout' or 'submission' but I was captivated by the way he could beat larger men in a fight without throwing a punch. I was amazed and I was hooked from the very first show.
The date was November 12, 1993.
The show was held at the McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado.
On Monday, November 12, 2007, the UFC turned 14 years old. There have been a lot of changes to the organization since those early days of watching it in Spanish at my uncle's place.
The fighters now wear gloves, there are weight classes, rounds with 5 minute time limits, and a whole list of rules to ensure the safety of the fighters. The fighters don't train in one single discipline anymore, they train in a wide variety of martial arts including boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, judo, and jiu jitsu. This mixture of martial arts became known as MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) ; a sport that is being sanctioned in more and more states every year.
Dave Meltzer from Yahoo! Sports wrote an interesting article on the UFC's 14th birthday and details the first few UFC events.
You can check out his article here.
It was two guys, no gloves, three rules, and the only way to win was by submission, knockout, or having your opponent's corner throw in the towel. It was brutal. But I loved it. I watched as this small fighter dominated each of his larger opponents. Since I was watching it in Spanish, I went by the name that was displayed on screen which was Royce Gracie. This is how I had come to know him; as Royce (Pronounced just as it's spelled). It wasn't until years later that I found out that it is actually prounounced 'Hoyce'.
This guy that I called 'Royce' used these submission moves to make his opponents quit. I was only 11 years old at the time and didn't pay much attention to what martial arts discipline he was trained in; I really only cared about watching two guys beat eachother up inside a cage. I hadn't been familiar with the term 'tapout' or 'submission' but I was captivated by the way he could beat larger men in a fight without throwing a punch. I was amazed and I was hooked from the very first show.
The date was November 12, 1993.
The show was held at the McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado.
On Monday, November 12, 2007, the UFC turned 14 years old. There have been a lot of changes to the organization since those early days of watching it in Spanish at my uncle's place.
The fighters now wear gloves, there are weight classes, rounds with 5 minute time limits, and a whole list of rules to ensure the safety of the fighters. The fighters don't train in one single discipline anymore, they train in a wide variety of martial arts including boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, judo, and jiu jitsu. This mixture of martial arts became known as MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) ; a sport that is being sanctioned in more and more states every year.
Dave Meltzer from Yahoo! Sports wrote an interesting article on the UFC's 14th birthday and details the first few UFC events.
You can check out his article here.
Friday, November 2, 2007
An Early UFC 2007 Review
The year 2007 has been quite the rollercoaster for the UFC. This year has marked more ups and downs than a porno film and it's not finished yet. Dream matchups, upsets, and suspensions, oh my! I'll run through just a few of the major turning points in the UFC this year.
2006 ended with one of the most profitable pay-per-view events in its history with Liddell-Ortiz II. This, Dana White had hoped, would be just a taste of what the year 2007 would bring.
But, as Dana White says, in MMA anything can happen.
February, 2007 - UFC DEBUTS
At UFC 67, we saw the UFC debut of arguably the most feared striker in MMA; Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. If you had ever witnessed the awesomeness of Cro Cop in Pride, you, like many others, were very excited to see this guy compete in the UFC. Cro Cop did as he was expected and won the fight, but not in the impressive fashion that true fight fans had come to expect from this head hunting kickboxer. He won his bout in the 1st round by TKO against Eddie Sanchez.
This victory, it was hoped, would start Cro Cop's run for the title (which he was expected to eventually win).
UFC 67 was also the event at which, for the first time, an Ultimate Fighter winner would get a shot at a championship. The winner Travis Lutter, who won his division of the Ultimate Fighter by submitting Patrick Cote, took on Anderson "The Spider" Silva. This match would however be downgraded to a non-title fight after Lutter failed to make the 185 pound weight limit; he would tap out to Silva due to triangle choke.
We also saw the UFC debut of Quinton Jackson, who knocked out Marvin Eastman with a nice uppercut in the second round. This would be the beginning of the rise of "Rampage".
March, 2007 - HISTORY UNFOLDS
The main event at UFC 68 will go down in history as possibly the greatest moment in UFC history. The story line here: Randy Couture, at 43 years old, comes back from a year long retirement to challenge the much younger, taller, heavier champ Tim Silvia. It was a real life Rocky story unfolding before your very eyes. With the first punch thrown in the fight, Randy Couture knocked the 6'8", 265 lb monster down; at the same time, the sold out crowd in Columbus, Ohio rose as one...and didn't sit back down for the entire 25 minutes of the fight! Couture dominated Silvia for all 5 rounds of the fight to win the heavyweight title for an unprecented third time, and also became the first person to win 5 championships! (2 time light heavyweight, and 3 time heavyweight). He also became the oldest fighter to win a championship in MMA history. This was simply unbelievable and I'm sure the rights to this movie are going to be sold to the highest bidder!
April, 2007 - UPSETS!!
Major upset!! Matt Serra, the winner of the Ultimate Fighter's welterweight tournament, was to face welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in February, but an injury forced GSP to pull out of the fight. The fight was postponed until UFC 69 in Houston, Texas. Matt Serra wasn't given much of a chance and considered a huge underdog going into his fight against the heavily favoured St. Pierre. But, as that nagging saying goes, "In MMA, anything can happen"; and it did. Serra caught St. Pierre with a right hook that stunned the champ. St. Pierre would not get a chance to recover. Serra charged forward and gave little breathing room to the troubled champion. Serra gained full mount on St. Pierre, and after a few unanswered punches, the fight was stopped and Serra had just shocked the world!
Just a few weeks later was UFC 70: Nations Collide. This event saw the main event headlined by Gabriel Gonzaga vs Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop was expected to win this fight hands down. Gonzaga was only meant to be the sacrificial lamb to be handed to Cro Cop so that Cro Cop could go on and win the heavyweight title. Dana White's plans were shattered when the fight world witnessed 'the kick heard round the world'! It was as horrific as it was ironic. Cro Cop who had become known for knocking out his opponents with deadly head kicks found himself tasting his own medicine. Gonzaga delivered a thunderous kick to the head that dropped the Croatian in disturbing fashion. Cro Cop's dead weight came crashing down on his ankle, leaving it twisted and distorted. Gonzaga barely had a chance to throw another punch on the unconsious Cro Cop before referee Herb Dean stopped the fight. With the kick, a new heavyweight title contender was named and big questions would loom over Cro Cop's contention.
May, 2007 - MAKING STATEMENTS
UFC 71 saw the much anticipated rematch between light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and recent PRIDE addition Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. These two first met in PRIDE during one of PRIDE's Grand Prix tournaments. Rampage would win that first bout after landing brutal forearms to Liddell's ribs. Liddell's corner threw in the towel and Liddell went back to the UFC without the tournament championship. But fast forward 3 years and Liddell had knocked out his last 7 opponents and was light heavyweight champion. Quinton Jackson had just been acquired by the UFC and knocked out his first UFC opponent in February. It didn't take long for Jackson to make one hell of a statement. Liddell, displaying one of boxings big no-nos, led with a left body shot. Jackson countered with a right hook that tagged Liddell on the chin and dropped the champ. Jackson followed with several unanswered blows and a new light heavyweight champion was crowned. UFC's poster boy had just lost in the first round.
This event also introduced Houston Alexander to the world; another fighter who was seemingly being thrown to the wolves. Keith Jardine was expected to walk through the unknown Alexander in a fight that was meant to help Jardine make his way to the title. Alexander proved to be no walk-through and after a 49 second dismantling of Jardine, a new light heavyweight star was born.
June, 2007 - FRANKLIN BACK IN TITLE CONTENTION
Not much to say about June of 2007. UFC 72: Victory might possibly be the worst UFC event in a long time. Besides Griffin vs Guida, this event was stuffed with long, boring fights. The main event was no different. Franklin vs Okami went to the judge's decision and Franklin walked away with a narrow unamous decision; winning 2 rounds to 1. With the win, Franklin is now in position to get his shot at the title against the man who took it from him, Anderson Silva (Assuming Silva defeats Nate Marquardt in July).
The Ultimate Fighter 5 finale was also held in June. Nate Diaz went on to become the lightweight winner against Manny Gamburyan and B.J. Penn put on a Jiu-Jitsu clinic in his dominant win over Jens Pulver. With the win, "The Prodigy" moved into the spot as number one contender to the lightweight title.
July, 2007 - STACKED OR JACKED?
UFC 73: Stacked saw two successful title defenses and a draw. Sean Sherk defended his lightweight title against Hermes Franca in a Unanimous Decision victory and Anderson Silva finished Marquardt in the first round to retain his middleweight title. Questions were also raised about Tito Ortiz's staying power as he put on a poor performance against TUF 2 winner Rashad Evans in a fight that ended in a draw. The two title defenses and the draw were not the headlining story of this event. After the steroid testing at UFC 73, it was revealed that both Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca tested positive for steroids. Hermes Franca didn't deny the charges, saying he was injured and didn't want to pull out of the fight on short notice, so he felt he had to take something in order to let him fight. Sherk, however, denied the charges and took his case to court. The hearing has been postponed until November. With the results still up in the air about Sherk's innocence, the lightweight title is stuck in limbo. If Sherk is proven guilty, he will face a year suspension and be stripped of the title; thus, leaving BJ Penn to sit and wait to hear of the status of the lightweight title and what opponent he might face and when.
August, 2007 - GSP RETURNS
In my opinion, this was the best UFC event in a long time, possibly ever. Every single fight on this card was amazing to watch. Stellar performances by all the fighters and a main card that featured the return of Georges St. Pierre and the heavyweight title bout between the ageless Randy Couture and 'The man who knocked out Cro Cop', Gabriel Gonzaga.
Georges St. Pierre answered a lot of questions that were lingering after his knockout loss to Matt Serra in April. He made major changes to his lifestyle and to his entourage and came in as focused as I've ever seen him. He was taking on a very talented wrestler in Josh Koscheck and most wondered if he could compete with such an accomplished and powerful wrestler. Not only did GSP compete, but he completely outwrestled the wrestler. In what surprised everyone, St. Pierre took Koscheck down almost imediately and pinned the wrestler on his back for most of the first round. The second round saw pretty much the same, with St. Pierre dominating the stand-up and taking Koscheck down at will. St. Pierre would spend alot of time in the second on top of Koscheck and attempting a kimura, but Koscheck proved he has good submission defense. The third round, again, saw St. Pierre dominating the standup with 'Superman punch' - leg kick combinations. St. Pierre won in impressive fashion via unanimous decision.
Randy Couture proved why he was the heavyweight Champion by overpowering the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt against the cage and using single leg takedowns to put Gonzaga on the mat. This fight was a war that saw Gonzaga break his nose after being taken down by Couture against the cage in the first round. Gonzaga showed tremendous heart as he fought with continued ferocity until the end. Gonzaga landed very heavy kicks; one, Couture blocked with his face, the other broke his arm. Couture went on to win via TKO after taking Gonzaga down and pounding him out from there.
September, 2007 - A September to Remember
Three live UFC events in one month. First was UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion. History was made as the world witnessed the first title unification bout in MMA history. UFC's 205 pound champion Quinton Jackson took on PRIDE's 205 pound champion Dan Henderson in a 25 minute war. Both fighters threw and ate some heavy bombs, with neither man going down. These were knockout punches that landed but without the knockout results. This was a great fight worthy of MMA's first title unification. Jackson retained his title via unanimous decision.
UFC Fight Night on September 19th saw Kenny Florian make a statement and put himself back in the lightweight title picture. He finished Din Thomas in the first round by rear naked choke. With names like BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Clay Quida, and Kurt Pelligrino in the mix, Florian might have to wait awhile before he gets another shot at lightweight gold.
Shockwaves rock the light heavyweight division after UFC 76. Chuck Liddell is defeated again!! This time by split decision in a lackluster performance against Keith Jardine. The loss leaves the former champ with back-to-back losses for the first time in his career and leaves the fight world with major questions about his future in MMA.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua made his UFC debut against Forrest Griffin. Griffin demanded this fight and most people thought he was crazy. Rua is considered by many to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. But fatigue is an ugly beast. Rua faded away early on in the second round, dropping his hands and taking deep breaths through his mouth. With just a few seconds left in the final round, Griffin had Rua's back and sunk in a rear naked choke that caused the Brazilian to tap out. With the win, Griffin skyrockets up the light heavyweight ladder and possibly one win away from a title shot. With the loss, Rua has the UFC scrambling to reorganize its light heavyweight division. But with the recent signing of Wanderlei Silva, the light heavyweight division will see many interesting matchups.
October, 2007 - Middleweight Division in Disarray!
As Anderson Silva was stopped by the referee from doing any more damage to the downed Nate Marquardt at UFC 73 in July, the camera shoots over to an onlooking Rich Franklin. Franklin looked as if he were watching Jason Voorhees dismembering another helpless victim. It was a look of fear that didn't seem to leave Franklin's face until he woke up on the Octagon floor, staring at the lights after his rematch with Silva at UFC 77. Franklin had, once again, been knocked silly by the devastating striker Anderson Silva. With such a dominant win over such a dominant fighter, Anderson Silva exposed a huge gap in talent in the middleweight division. Silva proved that his is on a completely different level than any other fighter in the middleweight division. The loss poses Franklin with a serious problem; he can beat any other fighter in the division, but can't beat Silva. What's a fighter to do when stuck in this type of limbo. He'll beat any other opponent put in front of him, but any chance for another title shot is very unlikely unless the belt changes hands. So Franklin will continue on winning, but will likely never get the title back. For Franklin, a move back to light heavyweight may be his only option other than retirement.
October also saw Randy Couture resign from the UFC. Thus, vacating his heavyweight title. In addition to Couture's resignation, the UFC was unable to acquire Fedor Emelianenko. With the world's two best heavyweights out of the UFC picture, the UFC's heavyweight division has gotten a little rocky. There are few exceptional fighters at heavyweight in the UFC. Vera, Silvia, Kongo, Gonzaga, and Nogueira make up the short list of serious contenders at heavyweight. The UFC also announced it's recent signing of WWE star Brock Lesnar. Lesnar has only one MMA fight under his belt, but if the result of that fight is any indication of how Lesnar will perform in the UFC, the heavyweight division may be saved.
Upsets, PRIDE fighter debuts, the fall of a champion, the comeback of another, the return of a legend, the greatest moment in UFC history, title unification, resignation, turmoil in the Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight divisions. 2007 has proved to be possibly the rockiest, yet most exciting year the UFC has ever seen....and it's not over yet...
2006 ended with one of the most profitable pay-per-view events in its history with Liddell-Ortiz II. This, Dana White had hoped, would be just a taste of what the year 2007 would bring.
But, as Dana White says, in MMA anything can happen.
February, 2007 - UFC DEBUTS
At UFC 67, we saw the UFC debut of arguably the most feared striker in MMA; Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. If you had ever witnessed the awesomeness of Cro Cop in Pride, you, like many others, were very excited to see this guy compete in the UFC. Cro Cop did as he was expected and won the fight, but not in the impressive fashion that true fight fans had come to expect from this head hunting kickboxer. He won his bout in the 1st round by TKO against Eddie Sanchez.
This victory, it was hoped, would start Cro Cop's run for the title (which he was expected to eventually win).
UFC 67 was also the event at which, for the first time, an Ultimate Fighter winner would get a shot at a championship. The winner Travis Lutter, who won his division of the Ultimate Fighter by submitting Patrick Cote, took on Anderson "The Spider" Silva. This match would however be downgraded to a non-title fight after Lutter failed to make the 185 pound weight limit; he would tap out to Silva due to triangle choke.
We also saw the UFC debut of Quinton Jackson, who knocked out Marvin Eastman with a nice uppercut in the second round. This would be the beginning of the rise of "Rampage".
March, 2007 - HISTORY UNFOLDS
The main event at UFC 68 will go down in history as possibly the greatest moment in UFC history. The story line here: Randy Couture, at 43 years old, comes back from a year long retirement to challenge the much younger, taller, heavier champ Tim Silvia. It was a real life Rocky story unfolding before your very eyes. With the first punch thrown in the fight, Randy Couture knocked the 6'8", 265 lb monster down; at the same time, the sold out crowd in Columbus, Ohio rose as one...and didn't sit back down for the entire 25 minutes of the fight! Couture dominated Silvia for all 5 rounds of the fight to win the heavyweight title for an unprecented third time, and also became the first person to win 5 championships! (2 time light heavyweight, and 3 time heavyweight). He also became the oldest fighter to win a championship in MMA history. This was simply unbelievable and I'm sure the rights to this movie are going to be sold to the highest bidder!
April, 2007 - UPSETS!!
Major upset!! Matt Serra, the winner of the Ultimate Fighter's welterweight tournament, was to face welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in February, but an injury forced GSP to pull out of the fight. The fight was postponed until UFC 69 in Houston, Texas. Matt Serra wasn't given much of a chance and considered a huge underdog going into his fight against the heavily favoured St. Pierre. But, as that nagging saying goes, "In MMA, anything can happen"; and it did. Serra caught St. Pierre with a right hook that stunned the champ. St. Pierre would not get a chance to recover. Serra charged forward and gave little breathing room to the troubled champion. Serra gained full mount on St. Pierre, and after a few unanswered punches, the fight was stopped and Serra had just shocked the world!
Just a few weeks later was UFC 70: Nations Collide. This event saw the main event headlined by Gabriel Gonzaga vs Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop was expected to win this fight hands down. Gonzaga was only meant to be the sacrificial lamb to be handed to Cro Cop so that Cro Cop could go on and win the heavyweight title. Dana White's plans were shattered when the fight world witnessed 'the kick heard round the world'! It was as horrific as it was ironic. Cro Cop who had become known for knocking out his opponents with deadly head kicks found himself tasting his own medicine. Gonzaga delivered a thunderous kick to the head that dropped the Croatian in disturbing fashion. Cro Cop's dead weight came crashing down on his ankle, leaving it twisted and distorted. Gonzaga barely had a chance to throw another punch on the unconsious Cro Cop before referee Herb Dean stopped the fight. With the kick, a new heavyweight title contender was named and big questions would loom over Cro Cop's contention.
May, 2007 - MAKING STATEMENTS
UFC 71 saw the much anticipated rematch between light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and recent PRIDE addition Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. These two first met in PRIDE during one of PRIDE's Grand Prix tournaments. Rampage would win that first bout after landing brutal forearms to Liddell's ribs. Liddell's corner threw in the towel and Liddell went back to the UFC without the tournament championship. But fast forward 3 years and Liddell had knocked out his last 7 opponents and was light heavyweight champion. Quinton Jackson had just been acquired by the UFC and knocked out his first UFC opponent in February. It didn't take long for Jackson to make one hell of a statement. Liddell, displaying one of boxings big no-nos, led with a left body shot. Jackson countered with a right hook that tagged Liddell on the chin and dropped the champ. Jackson followed with several unanswered blows and a new light heavyweight champion was crowned. UFC's poster boy had just lost in the first round.
This event also introduced Houston Alexander to the world; another fighter who was seemingly being thrown to the wolves. Keith Jardine was expected to walk through the unknown Alexander in a fight that was meant to help Jardine make his way to the title. Alexander proved to be no walk-through and after a 49 second dismantling of Jardine, a new light heavyweight star was born.
June, 2007 - FRANKLIN BACK IN TITLE CONTENTION
Not much to say about June of 2007. UFC 72: Victory might possibly be the worst UFC event in a long time. Besides Griffin vs Guida, this event was stuffed with long, boring fights. The main event was no different. Franklin vs Okami went to the judge's decision and Franklin walked away with a narrow unamous decision; winning 2 rounds to 1. With the win, Franklin is now in position to get his shot at the title against the man who took it from him, Anderson Silva (Assuming Silva defeats Nate Marquardt in July).
The Ultimate Fighter 5 finale was also held in June. Nate Diaz went on to become the lightweight winner against Manny Gamburyan and B.J. Penn put on a Jiu-Jitsu clinic in his dominant win over Jens Pulver. With the win, "The Prodigy" moved into the spot as number one contender to the lightweight title.
July, 2007 - STACKED OR JACKED?
UFC 73: Stacked saw two successful title defenses and a draw. Sean Sherk defended his lightweight title against Hermes Franca in a Unanimous Decision victory and Anderson Silva finished Marquardt in the first round to retain his middleweight title. Questions were also raised about Tito Ortiz's staying power as he put on a poor performance against TUF 2 winner Rashad Evans in a fight that ended in a draw. The two title defenses and the draw were not the headlining story of this event. After the steroid testing at UFC 73, it was revealed that both Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca tested positive for steroids. Hermes Franca didn't deny the charges, saying he was injured and didn't want to pull out of the fight on short notice, so he felt he had to take something in order to let him fight. Sherk, however, denied the charges and took his case to court. The hearing has been postponed until November. With the results still up in the air about Sherk's innocence, the lightweight title is stuck in limbo. If Sherk is proven guilty, he will face a year suspension and be stripped of the title; thus, leaving BJ Penn to sit and wait to hear of the status of the lightweight title and what opponent he might face and when.
August, 2007 - GSP RETURNS
In my opinion, this was the best UFC event in a long time, possibly ever. Every single fight on this card was amazing to watch. Stellar performances by all the fighters and a main card that featured the return of Georges St. Pierre and the heavyweight title bout between the ageless Randy Couture and 'The man who knocked out Cro Cop', Gabriel Gonzaga.
Georges St. Pierre answered a lot of questions that were lingering after his knockout loss to Matt Serra in April. He made major changes to his lifestyle and to his entourage and came in as focused as I've ever seen him. He was taking on a very talented wrestler in Josh Koscheck and most wondered if he could compete with such an accomplished and powerful wrestler. Not only did GSP compete, but he completely outwrestled the wrestler. In what surprised everyone, St. Pierre took Koscheck down almost imediately and pinned the wrestler on his back for most of the first round. The second round saw pretty much the same, with St. Pierre dominating the stand-up and taking Koscheck down at will. St. Pierre would spend alot of time in the second on top of Koscheck and attempting a kimura, but Koscheck proved he has good submission defense. The third round, again, saw St. Pierre dominating the standup with 'Superman punch' - leg kick combinations. St. Pierre won in impressive fashion via unanimous decision.
Randy Couture proved why he was the heavyweight Champion by overpowering the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt against the cage and using single leg takedowns to put Gonzaga on the mat. This fight was a war that saw Gonzaga break his nose after being taken down by Couture against the cage in the first round. Gonzaga showed tremendous heart as he fought with continued ferocity until the end. Gonzaga landed very heavy kicks; one, Couture blocked with his face, the other broke his arm. Couture went on to win via TKO after taking Gonzaga down and pounding him out from there.
September, 2007 - A September to Remember
Three live UFC events in one month. First was UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion. History was made as the world witnessed the first title unification bout in MMA history. UFC's 205 pound champion Quinton Jackson took on PRIDE's 205 pound champion Dan Henderson in a 25 minute war. Both fighters threw and ate some heavy bombs, with neither man going down. These were knockout punches that landed but without the knockout results. This was a great fight worthy of MMA's first title unification. Jackson retained his title via unanimous decision.
UFC Fight Night on September 19th saw Kenny Florian make a statement and put himself back in the lightweight title picture. He finished Din Thomas in the first round by rear naked choke. With names like BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Clay Quida, and Kurt Pelligrino in the mix, Florian might have to wait awhile before he gets another shot at lightweight gold.
Shockwaves rock the light heavyweight division after UFC 76. Chuck Liddell is defeated again!! This time by split decision in a lackluster performance against Keith Jardine. The loss leaves the former champ with back-to-back losses for the first time in his career and leaves the fight world with major questions about his future in MMA.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua made his UFC debut against Forrest Griffin. Griffin demanded this fight and most people thought he was crazy. Rua is considered by many to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. But fatigue is an ugly beast. Rua faded away early on in the second round, dropping his hands and taking deep breaths through his mouth. With just a few seconds left in the final round, Griffin had Rua's back and sunk in a rear naked choke that caused the Brazilian to tap out. With the win, Griffin skyrockets up the light heavyweight ladder and possibly one win away from a title shot. With the loss, Rua has the UFC scrambling to reorganize its light heavyweight division. But with the recent signing of Wanderlei Silva, the light heavyweight division will see many interesting matchups.
October, 2007 - Middleweight Division in Disarray!
As Anderson Silva was stopped by the referee from doing any more damage to the downed Nate Marquardt at UFC 73 in July, the camera shoots over to an onlooking Rich Franklin. Franklin looked as if he were watching Jason Voorhees dismembering another helpless victim. It was a look of fear that didn't seem to leave Franklin's face until he woke up on the Octagon floor, staring at the lights after his rematch with Silva at UFC 77. Franklin had, once again, been knocked silly by the devastating striker Anderson Silva. With such a dominant win over such a dominant fighter, Anderson Silva exposed a huge gap in talent in the middleweight division. Silva proved that his is on a completely different level than any other fighter in the middleweight division. The loss poses Franklin with a serious problem; he can beat any other fighter in the division, but can't beat Silva. What's a fighter to do when stuck in this type of limbo. He'll beat any other opponent put in front of him, but any chance for another title shot is very unlikely unless the belt changes hands. So Franklin will continue on winning, but will likely never get the title back. For Franklin, a move back to light heavyweight may be his only option other than retirement.
October also saw Randy Couture resign from the UFC. Thus, vacating his heavyweight title. In addition to Couture's resignation, the UFC was unable to acquire Fedor Emelianenko. With the world's two best heavyweights out of the UFC picture, the UFC's heavyweight division has gotten a little rocky. There are few exceptional fighters at heavyweight in the UFC. Vera, Silvia, Kongo, Gonzaga, and Nogueira make up the short list of serious contenders at heavyweight. The UFC also announced it's recent signing of WWE star Brock Lesnar. Lesnar has only one MMA fight under his belt, but if the result of that fight is any indication of how Lesnar will perform in the UFC, the heavyweight division may be saved.
Upsets, PRIDE fighter debuts, the fall of a champion, the comeback of another, the return of a legend, the greatest moment in UFC history, title unification, resignation, turmoil in the Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight divisions. 2007 has proved to be possibly the rockiest, yet most exciting year the UFC has ever seen....and it's not over yet...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
UFC Not Coming to Canada in January Is A Good Thing
Once again the Canadian dream is quashed. At least for now. The UFC will not be coming to Canada in January, as previously stated by Dana White; it will hold it's first event of 2008 in Newcastle, England at UFC 80.
To a lot of Canadian fight fans, this is devastating. The UFC has been continuously promising Canadians an event to be held in Montreal but these plans keep running into road blocks. The first event in Montreal was supposed to be in April 2007 where Georges St. Pierre was supposed to defend his Welterweight title against Matt Serra. This was not to be as Dana White couldn't secure a free Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal during hockey season.
St. Pierre would lose in his bout against Serra in Houston, Texas.
But word came that Dana White and the UFC were once again toiling at the idea of bringing the UFC to Montreal; this time in October for UFC 77. This, whether it be rumour or fact, would not become a reality. The reality here is that St. Pierre would almost definitely have to headline an event held in Montreal - pretty much in his backyard. St. Pierre, however, hadn't fought since April and making him wait 6 months to fight again just didn't make sense. That, and the fact that hockey season starts in October and the Bell Centre's Saturday nights were taken.
Instead, St. Pierre would have his next fight in August against Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 in Vegas and UFC 77 would be held in Cincinnati, Rich Franklin's hometown. St. Pierre went on to dominate Koscheck for 3 rounds to win via unanimous decision.
After the fight, St. Pierre grabbed the mic from Joe Rogan just like he did after his fight with BJ Penn and made the public request to Dana White to bring the UFC to Montreal. "My people will go crazy!", said St. Pierre. During the post-fight press conference, Dana White told reporters that, yes, the UFC will be definitely be coming to Canada in 2008. He said that the event would most likely be in January. He then said that a January event in Montreal would mean that St. Pierre would most likely NOT be on the card.
St. Pierre is slated to fight the winner of the Serra-Hughes fight in December for the Welterweight title. That fight being in December would mean that neither Hughes nor Serra would be ready for a fight in January.
When I heard that the UFC might be coming to Canada in January I thought to myself "NOOOOOOOOO!" St. Pierre is huge in the UFC and is the biggest thing to come out of Quebec since Patrick Roy. A UFC event held in Montreal just didn't make sense to me without St. Pierre in the main event, let alone not being on the card altogether!
UFC's canadian debut (in Montreal, nonetheless) without St. Pierre would be like eggs without bacon...it just wouldn't be right.
The UFC, I believe, realized this and abandoned the thought of bringing a live event to Montreal in January. Some people might be disappointed, but really this is for the best. This means that there is still a chance that St. Pierre will fight for the title in Montreal.
Dana White said that he needs to secure a free Saturday at the Bell Centre during hockey season. Well there are two Saturdays in March that are open to whoever wants them. March 8th and March 29th are free! I am aware that this means that St. Pierre will have waited seven months since his fight with Koscheck to fight another opponent, but seven months is do-able; Hughes hasn't fought since March and will have not fought for nine months by the time he fights for the title in December.
A title fight in March will have given the winner of the December fight enough time off to recover from that fight and prepare for the next. I'm sure St. Pierre would gladly wait seven months to fight for the title instead of fighting someone else in a non-title bout in the next few months and then wait another few months to get a shot at the title. And so would I.
If the UFC comes to Montreal in March with St. Pierre vs the Serra-Hughes winner as the main event, I will be there with bells on! DANA WHITE MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! MARCH 8th or MARCH 29th...MAKE IT HAPPEN!!
To a lot of Canadian fight fans, this is devastating. The UFC has been continuously promising Canadians an event to be held in Montreal but these plans keep running into road blocks. The first event in Montreal was supposed to be in April 2007 where Georges St. Pierre was supposed to defend his Welterweight title against Matt Serra. This was not to be as Dana White couldn't secure a free Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal during hockey season.
St. Pierre would lose in his bout against Serra in Houston, Texas.
But word came that Dana White and the UFC were once again toiling at the idea of bringing the UFC to Montreal; this time in October for UFC 77. This, whether it be rumour or fact, would not become a reality. The reality here is that St. Pierre would almost definitely have to headline an event held in Montreal - pretty much in his backyard. St. Pierre, however, hadn't fought since April and making him wait 6 months to fight again just didn't make sense. That, and the fact that hockey season starts in October and the Bell Centre's Saturday nights were taken.
Instead, St. Pierre would have his next fight in August against Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 in Vegas and UFC 77 would be held in Cincinnati, Rich Franklin's hometown. St. Pierre went on to dominate Koscheck for 3 rounds to win via unanimous decision.
After the fight, St. Pierre grabbed the mic from Joe Rogan just like he did after his fight with BJ Penn and made the public request to Dana White to bring the UFC to Montreal. "My people will go crazy!", said St. Pierre. During the post-fight press conference, Dana White told reporters that, yes, the UFC will be definitely be coming to Canada in 2008. He said that the event would most likely be in January. He then said that a January event in Montreal would mean that St. Pierre would most likely NOT be on the card.
St. Pierre is slated to fight the winner of the Serra-Hughes fight in December for the Welterweight title. That fight being in December would mean that neither Hughes nor Serra would be ready for a fight in January.
When I heard that the UFC might be coming to Canada in January I thought to myself "NOOOOOOOOO!" St. Pierre is huge in the UFC and is the biggest thing to come out of Quebec since Patrick Roy. A UFC event held in Montreal just didn't make sense to me without St. Pierre in the main event, let alone not being on the card altogether!
UFC's canadian debut (in Montreal, nonetheless) without St. Pierre would be like eggs without bacon...it just wouldn't be right.
The UFC, I believe, realized this and abandoned the thought of bringing a live event to Montreal in January. Some people might be disappointed, but really this is for the best. This means that there is still a chance that St. Pierre will fight for the title in Montreal.
Dana White said that he needs to secure a free Saturday at the Bell Centre during hockey season. Well there are two Saturdays in March that are open to whoever wants them. March 8th and March 29th are free! I am aware that this means that St. Pierre will have waited seven months since his fight with Koscheck to fight another opponent, but seven months is do-able; Hughes hasn't fought since March and will have not fought for nine months by the time he fights for the title in December.
A title fight in March will have given the winner of the December fight enough time off to recover from that fight and prepare for the next. I'm sure St. Pierre would gladly wait seven months to fight for the title instead of fighting someone else in a non-title bout in the next few months and then wait another few months to get a shot at the title. And so would I.
If the UFC comes to Montreal in March with St. Pierre vs the Serra-Hughes winner as the main event, I will be there with bells on! DANA WHITE MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! MARCH 8th or MARCH 29th...MAKE IT HAPPEN!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Liddell vs. Silva Finally a Reality
It's a fight years in the making. It's the fight that fight fans around the world have been waiting for. The biggest fight in Mixed Martial Arts history: Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell vs "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva has been inked for December at UFC 79:Nemesis.
The question that some people have been asking themselves is "Does this fight still have the impact that it had a year ago?" Liddell, some people think, has lost his edge and seems to be on the downhill slope to retirement. He has lost his last two fights; first by knockout to Quinton Jackson and most recently lost via split decision in a lackluster performance against Keith Jardine. With two consecutive losses, one might think that this fight shouldn't even take place since Liddell hasn't performed too well as of late.
But then again, neither has Silva. Silva is also under the gun after he, too, has lost his last two fights - both by knockout, nonetheless; First he was knocked out by the signature Cro Cop headkick, and lastly by Dan Henderson.
With these two both coming off back-to-back losses, my answer to the question is "Damn right this fight has impact! Damn right this fight should happen!"
Most people said the same thing about Keith Jardine getting a shot at Liddell and not Alexander, and look what happened there. There's no doubt in my mind that Alexander would have pummelled Liddell but Jardine did well also and ended up winning the fight - even knocked the former champ down! So who's to say that Liddell shouldn't get a shot at Silva. Silva, too, has lost two fights in a row and that's the bottom line. This fight makes sense.
Not to mention the fact that there sometimes exceptions to the rules; this exception being that the hype behind this fight far exceeds the requirement to give deserving fighters their just dues. Don't get me wrong; I believe that if a fighter has worked hard, has worked his way up the ladder, and has given exciting performances, that he should be given the fight he deserves.
But lets face it, if this fight doesn't happen now it may never happen. For example, say Dana puts this fight off until both Liddell and Silva have fought other opponents first. Worst case scenario is Liddell loses to his opponent and Silva beats his. Then what? There's no way the UFC can pit Liddell against Silva with Liddell coming off 3 consecutive losses and Silva on his way back to the top. It wouldn't make sense to anyone. So now's the time.
The timing right now still makes this fight a dream come true. We are going to see the former UFC and former PRIDE 205 pound champions going at it after both have lost 2 in a row. If it doesn't make sense now, it never will.
It's a fight that's been promised over and over again but never came to fruition. Let's just hope that it hasn't been destiny that was preventing this fight; if so, destiny might rear it's ugly head again and have one of these fighters become injured and force them to pull out of the fight.
I think that this fight is going to be spectacular. Two of the fight game's best strikers going toe to toe for the first time! I get chills just thinking of it. I'm counting down the days until December 29th when these two will finally "GET IT ON!"
The question that some people have been asking themselves is "Does this fight still have the impact that it had a year ago?" Liddell, some people think, has lost his edge and seems to be on the downhill slope to retirement. He has lost his last two fights; first by knockout to Quinton Jackson and most recently lost via split decision in a lackluster performance against Keith Jardine. With two consecutive losses, one might think that this fight shouldn't even take place since Liddell hasn't performed too well as of late.
But then again, neither has Silva. Silva is also under the gun after he, too, has lost his last two fights - both by knockout, nonetheless; First he was knocked out by the signature Cro Cop headkick, and lastly by Dan Henderson.
With these two both coming off back-to-back losses, my answer to the question is "Damn right this fight has impact! Damn right this fight should happen!"
Most people said the same thing about Keith Jardine getting a shot at Liddell and not Alexander, and look what happened there. There's no doubt in my mind that Alexander would have pummelled Liddell but Jardine did well also and ended up winning the fight - even knocked the former champ down! So who's to say that Liddell shouldn't get a shot at Silva. Silva, too, has lost two fights in a row and that's the bottom line. This fight makes sense.
Not to mention the fact that there sometimes exceptions to the rules; this exception being that the hype behind this fight far exceeds the requirement to give deserving fighters their just dues. Don't get me wrong; I believe that if a fighter has worked hard, has worked his way up the ladder, and has given exciting performances, that he should be given the fight he deserves.
But lets face it, if this fight doesn't happen now it may never happen. For example, say Dana puts this fight off until both Liddell and Silva have fought other opponents first. Worst case scenario is Liddell loses to his opponent and Silva beats his. Then what? There's no way the UFC can pit Liddell against Silva with Liddell coming off 3 consecutive losses and Silva on his way back to the top. It wouldn't make sense to anyone. So now's the time.
The timing right now still makes this fight a dream come true. We are going to see the former UFC and former PRIDE 205 pound champions going at it after both have lost 2 in a row. If it doesn't make sense now, it never will.
It's a fight that's been promised over and over again but never came to fruition. Let's just hope that it hasn't been destiny that was preventing this fight; if so, destiny might rear it's ugly head again and have one of these fighters become injured and force them to pull out of the fight.
I think that this fight is going to be spectacular. Two of the fight game's best strikers going toe to toe for the first time! I get chills just thinking of it. I'm counting down the days until December 29th when these two will finally "GET IT ON!"
Monday, October 22, 2007
Silvia Back To His Unanimous Decision Ways
"The winner by unanimous decision: Tim 'The Main-iac' Silvia!"
Is the CD skipping?
We've heard this many times before and it is exactly why Tim Silvia gets booed. He is not an exciting fighter. Sure he's finished opponents in the past, but he is slow and awkward and has been very boring to watch as of late. He said in a pre-fight interview that he wants to finish his opponents and that we'd see a different, more exciting Tim Silvia. For a guy who doesn't like to go to a decision, he has sure done it a lot lately.
If he would only let his hands go and use his kicks and knees in a more aggressive fashion, he could be one of the most exciting fighters to watch.
Right from the get-go Silvia clinched with Vera and pushed him into the cage. This was basically the entire fight. A lot of hugging and kissing and calling each other George. Vera seemed to be very frustrated at the way the fight was going; you could tell he wanted to get some distance and drop bombs, but Silvia would have none of it. Silvia seemed content to press Vera into the cage and pretty much lean on him the entire fight. Vera unable to move the monster that is Silvia, was stuck in this position, and as much as he wanted to stand and trade with Silvia, he couldn't get the big man off of him. Frustrating not only for him but frustrating for everyone watching. There is not a single person in the world who wanted to see these two hug it out against the cage for the entire fight.
Silvia doesn't impress me with his fighting skills. He is so dominant because he is so big. He's tall and heavy. His reach is enormous and there's few fighters who can deal with those traits. If he were a smaller man, Tim Silvia would not be at the top of the heavyweight division.
After the win, Silvia called out Cheick Kongo. This, in my opinion, was simply because he does not want to fight Minotauro. Silvia knows that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the best heavyweights in the world and would rather beat up Kongo on the ground than be beaten around by Nogeuira in a very Couture-esque fashion. Before Silvia's fight with Vera, there was much talk about the winner of the fight facing Nogeuira for the vacant heavyweight title. Tim most likely heard about this and decided it would be in his best interest to win a fight against a guy like Kongo who has no ground game. He wants to hype up a fight between him and Kongo to the point that the UFC decides it might be a good idea. Tim Silvia will beat Cheick Kongo, there's no doubt in my mind. Silvia will only finish Kongo if he takes him down and pounds him out. If the fight is left standing, it will be much like Silvia vs Vera or Kongo vs Cro Cop. Either way, I don't like the prospect of this fight. This is Tim's way of saving his own ass so that he doesn't go 1-2 in his last 3 fights; although I don't believe that that type of record would push Tim Silvia out of the UFC, it would severely hurt his chance for another shot at that title he craves so badly.
Vera, on the other hand, will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him; his opponent at UFC 77 for example. Vera is the real deal. If Vera hadn't broken his left hand in the first round of the fight, he could have quite possibly won that fight. I believe he took round 2; broken hand and all. Round 3 I gave to Silvia, but Vera didn't throw much in the third. He seemed tentative and a little concerned about throwing combinations. Had he been able to fight without the worries of a broken hand, he most likely would have taken round 3. For a guy who's been out of the fight scene for nearly a year, he showed no signs of rust. Vera will be back very soon and will be, in the words of Tim Silvia, "someone to be reckoned with".
Vera vs. Gonzaga in the future? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Is the CD skipping?
We've heard this many times before and it is exactly why Tim Silvia gets booed. He is not an exciting fighter. Sure he's finished opponents in the past, but he is slow and awkward and has been very boring to watch as of late. He said in a pre-fight interview that he wants to finish his opponents and that we'd see a different, more exciting Tim Silvia. For a guy who doesn't like to go to a decision, he has sure done it a lot lately.
If he would only let his hands go and use his kicks and knees in a more aggressive fashion, he could be one of the most exciting fighters to watch.
Right from the get-go Silvia clinched with Vera and pushed him into the cage. This was basically the entire fight. A lot of hugging and kissing and calling each other George. Vera seemed to be very frustrated at the way the fight was going; you could tell he wanted to get some distance and drop bombs, but Silvia would have none of it. Silvia seemed content to press Vera into the cage and pretty much lean on him the entire fight. Vera unable to move the monster that is Silvia, was stuck in this position, and as much as he wanted to stand and trade with Silvia, he couldn't get the big man off of him. Frustrating not only for him but frustrating for everyone watching. There is not a single person in the world who wanted to see these two hug it out against the cage for the entire fight.
Silvia doesn't impress me with his fighting skills. He is so dominant because he is so big. He's tall and heavy. His reach is enormous and there's few fighters who can deal with those traits. If he were a smaller man, Tim Silvia would not be at the top of the heavyweight division.
After the win, Silvia called out Cheick Kongo. This, in my opinion, was simply because he does not want to fight Minotauro. Silvia knows that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the best heavyweights in the world and would rather beat up Kongo on the ground than be beaten around by Nogeuira in a very Couture-esque fashion. Before Silvia's fight with Vera, there was much talk about the winner of the fight facing Nogeuira for the vacant heavyweight title. Tim most likely heard about this and decided it would be in his best interest to win a fight against a guy like Kongo who has no ground game. He wants to hype up a fight between him and Kongo to the point that the UFC decides it might be a good idea. Tim Silvia will beat Cheick Kongo, there's no doubt in my mind. Silvia will only finish Kongo if he takes him down and pounds him out. If the fight is left standing, it will be much like Silvia vs Vera or Kongo vs Cro Cop. Either way, I don't like the prospect of this fight. This is Tim's way of saving his own ass so that he doesn't go 1-2 in his last 3 fights; although I don't believe that that type of record would push Tim Silvia out of the UFC, it would severely hurt his chance for another shot at that title he craves so badly.
Vera, on the other hand, will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him; his opponent at UFC 77 for example. Vera is the real deal. If Vera hadn't broken his left hand in the first round of the fight, he could have quite possibly won that fight. I believe he took round 2; broken hand and all. Round 3 I gave to Silvia, but Vera didn't throw much in the third. He seemed tentative and a little concerned about throwing combinations. Had he been able to fight without the worries of a broken hand, he most likely would have taken round 3. For a guy who's been out of the fight scene for nearly a year, he showed no signs of rust. Vera will be back very soon and will be, in the words of Tim Silvia, "someone to be reckoned with".
Vera vs. Gonzaga in the future? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Silva the Sniper
It may have took a little longer this time around, but the UFC Middleweight Championship bout was an instant replay of the one that took place just over a year ago.
Silva, once again, dominated Rich Franklin in very impressive fashion. This guy is unbelievable. Silva has left no doubt in my mind that he is the deadliest striker in the UFC. His strikes are as accurate as a shot taken by a sniper and are just as deadly. He connected with pin point accuracy with everything in his arsenal; punches, knees, kicks, spinning backfists, spin kicks, etc...Silva threw everything but the kitchen sink at Franklin and made short work of the former champ.
Franklin fought off the attempted clinch early on and faired OK during the first minute of the match; this due to the fact that Silva's first strike came nearly 55 seconds after the opening bell. Franklin worked his kicks and used a good double jab to keep Silva from teeing off; however, Silva was a lion waiting in the grass to make his move. Silva started throwing some punches and went for the clinch. Franklin fought this off quite well and when the two were battling it out against the cage, Franklin scored a takedown. Silva wasn't on his back long though and soon was back to his feet. Once "The Spider" was up and standing again, he began to unload in spectacular fashion and dropped the former champ at the bell.
Franklin had to be carried to his corner and at this point anyone watching the fight knew that it was only a matter of time. By the look in Franklin's eyes, you could see that he, too, knew he was finished.
He came out firing, though, in the second. This aggressive push didn't last long as Silva once again opened his bag of tricks and unleashed a ferocious barrage of strikes that crumpled Franklin. After a couple of shots to the downed Franklin, Big John stopped the fight and Silva remained the champ.
With such a decisive win, one must ask "Is there anyone out there who can even compete with Silva?" Silva is on a totally different level than any other fighter in the 185 pound class. The UFC's middleweight division has lost its appeal now that it only consists of Silva beating Franklin and Franklin beating everyone else.
There is one other fighter who might give Silva a run for his money and that's Dan Henderson, the PRIDE 185 pound champion. Henderson, however, would rather fight at light heavyweight which doesn't cause me any grief because there are a lot of interesting fights that could potentially take place with Henderson at Light Heavyweight. Although, I would eventually like to see him come down to middleweight for a fight with Silva and another title unification bout.
The second loss to Silva poses Rich Franklin with a huge problem; he can beat anyone in the division other than Silva. So what does a fighter do when he can beat everyone else but can't beat the champ? The only decision I can see Franklin making is to move back up to Light Heavyweight. This division is stacked with talent and there is no shortage of great oppenents for Franklin to fight. Silva is just a terrible style matchup for Franklin and is simply just better than Rich. Although, this move will leave the middleweight division with even less legitimate fighers, I believe that there is nowhere else for Franklin to go.
Silva is also posed with a problem; there is no one who can even be considered a challenge for him. With no threats to his title, he may become a 2-fight-a-year fighter or even worse, 1 fight a year. So until Georges St. Pierre wins the Welterweight title, dominates the division for a few more years and decides to move up to middleweight, Anderson Silva, like Franklin, is in limbo.
As long as no new legitimate contenders come out of the wood work, Anderson Silva will dominate this division for a very long time and will no doubt become bored and begin searching for a decent challenge. In my opinion his only option will also be to move up to Light Heavyweight. This would be the icing on the cake for a division that's already stacked with talent. Could you imagine Anderson Silva vs Chuck Liddell, or Anderson Silva vs Shogun, Silva vs. Alexander, Silva vs. Silva??
This would, however, leave the middleweight division completely empty of elite fighters, but would at least give the rest of the division a shot at a title, and would make for more interesting fights at middleweight.
The result of the main event at UFC 77 has left the middleweight division in disarray and has left the rest of the fighters in the division rethinking their career plans.
Silva, once again, dominated Rich Franklin in very impressive fashion. This guy is unbelievable. Silva has left no doubt in my mind that he is the deadliest striker in the UFC. His strikes are as accurate as a shot taken by a sniper and are just as deadly. He connected with pin point accuracy with everything in his arsenal; punches, knees, kicks, spinning backfists, spin kicks, etc...Silva threw everything but the kitchen sink at Franklin and made short work of the former champ.
Franklin fought off the attempted clinch early on and faired OK during the first minute of the match; this due to the fact that Silva's first strike came nearly 55 seconds after the opening bell. Franklin worked his kicks and used a good double jab to keep Silva from teeing off; however, Silva was a lion waiting in the grass to make his move. Silva started throwing some punches and went for the clinch. Franklin fought this off quite well and when the two were battling it out against the cage, Franklin scored a takedown. Silva wasn't on his back long though and soon was back to his feet. Once "The Spider" was up and standing again, he began to unload in spectacular fashion and dropped the former champ at the bell.
Franklin had to be carried to his corner and at this point anyone watching the fight knew that it was only a matter of time. By the look in Franklin's eyes, you could see that he, too, knew he was finished.
He came out firing, though, in the second. This aggressive push didn't last long as Silva once again opened his bag of tricks and unleashed a ferocious barrage of strikes that crumpled Franklin. After a couple of shots to the downed Franklin, Big John stopped the fight and Silva remained the champ.
With such a decisive win, one must ask "Is there anyone out there who can even compete with Silva?" Silva is on a totally different level than any other fighter in the 185 pound class. The UFC's middleweight division has lost its appeal now that it only consists of Silva beating Franklin and Franklin beating everyone else.
There is one other fighter who might give Silva a run for his money and that's Dan Henderson, the PRIDE 185 pound champion. Henderson, however, would rather fight at light heavyweight which doesn't cause me any grief because there are a lot of interesting fights that could potentially take place with Henderson at Light Heavyweight. Although, I would eventually like to see him come down to middleweight for a fight with Silva and another title unification bout.
The second loss to Silva poses Rich Franklin with a huge problem; he can beat anyone in the division other than Silva. So what does a fighter do when he can beat everyone else but can't beat the champ? The only decision I can see Franklin making is to move back up to Light Heavyweight. This division is stacked with talent and there is no shortage of great oppenents for Franklin to fight. Silva is just a terrible style matchup for Franklin and is simply just better than Rich. Although, this move will leave the middleweight division with even less legitimate fighers, I believe that there is nowhere else for Franklin to go.
Silva is also posed with a problem; there is no one who can even be considered a challenge for him. With no threats to his title, he may become a 2-fight-a-year fighter or even worse, 1 fight a year. So until Georges St. Pierre wins the Welterweight title, dominates the division for a few more years and decides to move up to middleweight, Anderson Silva, like Franklin, is in limbo.
As long as no new legitimate contenders come out of the wood work, Anderson Silva will dominate this division for a very long time and will no doubt become bored and begin searching for a decent challenge. In my opinion his only option will also be to move up to Light Heavyweight. This would be the icing on the cake for a division that's already stacked with talent. Could you imagine Anderson Silva vs Chuck Liddell, or Anderson Silva vs Shogun, Silva vs. Alexander, Silva vs. Silva??
This would, however, leave the middleweight division completely empty of elite fighters, but would at least give the rest of the division a shot at a title, and would make for more interesting fights at middleweight.
The result of the main event at UFC 77 has left the middleweight division in disarray and has left the rest of the fighters in the division rethinking their career plans.
Friday, October 12, 2007
UFC's Heavyweight Division Dwindling
I'm sure most of you have heard by now that Randy Couture is, once again, retiring. The announcement of his retirement comes a day after it was announced that Fedor had signed with Russia's M-1 organization. The dream matchup that the fight world was praying for will no longer become a reality. Couture vs Emelianenko exists now only in our imagination.
With the UFC's heavyweight division without MMA's top two heavyweights, we are left with heavyweight questions.
There are few top heavyweights left in this division and several of those fighters have big question marks beside their names.
I'll begin with Arlovski. The "Pit Bull" hasn't fought since April 21 and, as of yet, has no fights lined up in the near future. His fight against Fabricio Werdum wasn't exactly Fight of the Year material; Arlovski fought very tentatively and used leg kicks as his weapon of choice. I have no doubt that the fearsome striker that is Arlovski still exists, but he hasn't shown his face in quite some time.
This brings me to Tim Silvia. In his last five fights, has has only stopped one opponent; the other four fights went to the judges' decision with his last fight coming as a loss to Randy Couture. Tim Silvia has also fought very tentatively in his last few fights. Throwing a lot of jabs but nothing significant. If Tim Silvia comes back a hungry fighter on October 20th, then watch out...but if not, he'll be booed back to the hotel once again and will leave Dana White seriously thinking of whether or not to resign him.
There's also Nogueira. This guy is tough and is a serious threat to the vacant UFC Heavyweight title. That being said, he nearly got his head kicked off by Heath Herring in his UFC debut. Heath Herring is another top heavyweight on my list, but he needs to pull off a few exciting wins to be considered as a contender to the title.
Cro Cop is the biggest bust in UFC history. He is 1-2 in the Octagon thus far. His lone victory coming in the form of an unimpressive TKO against Eddie Sanchez, who, basically ran away from Cro Cop the entire time. Cro Cop's future is one of the biggest problems on Dana White's plate. What is the UFC to do with a fighter with a huge salary like Cro Cop, but who is only deemed worthy of prelim fights?
Cheick Kongo can be considered a threat to the title if he works nothing but wrestling and Jiu Jitsu for 6 solid months. Nothing else. No fights, no kickboxing. Just grappling and submissions. He can be an exciting fighter if he becomes more aggressive, lets his hands and feet go, pushes the action and throws combinations. If he can do these things, then we have a serious contender on our hands. If not, then he's just another kickboxer who doesn't have confidence in his standup because he has no ground game to back it up.
Brandon Vera is possibly the real deal; something UFC fans are going to find out October 20th when he takes on former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Silvia. He is 8-0 and 4-0 in the UFC with only one of his UFC fights going past the first round (Beating Fabiano Scherner by TKO in the second round). If he beats Tim Silvia then Brandon Vera should be considered for the vacant title. Vera hasn't fought since November of last year, which leaves him questionable. Will his win over a questionable Frank Mir be seen as merely a result of Mir's motorcycle accident or will he move to the top of the food chain with a win over "The Main-iac"?
Gabriel Gonzaga is probably the baddest dude in this division. Although he lost to Randy Couture, he is, in my opinion, still the top contender for this title. Ridiculous kicks and great Jiu Jitsu, this guy will be champion one day - Guaranteed. Although, I think Randy would have won that fight either way, Gonzaga broke his nose in the first round when taken down by a high single by Couture; this took a lot of the life out of Gonzaga. Now, that being said, Gonzaga fought like an animal with a broken nose and landed some very powerful kicks - one of which broke Couture's arm. Besides Gonzaga, there are very few others who can be considered for the championship.
What I would like to see is Gonzaga take on Big Nog and have that winner fight the winner of Silvia vs Vera for the vacant title. I would hope that the UFC holds Gonzaga vs. Nogueira in December and have the Championship matchup maybe in March 2008.
I don't know the length of Fedor's contract with M-1, but I still hope that one day he makes the move to the UFC. And unless the UFC brings in Josh Barnett and possibly Brock Lesnar, the UFC Heavyweight division is going to go right back to where it was...boring.
With the UFC's heavyweight division without MMA's top two heavyweights, we are left with heavyweight questions.
There are few top heavyweights left in this division and several of those fighters have big question marks beside their names.
I'll begin with Arlovski. The "Pit Bull" hasn't fought since April 21 and, as of yet, has no fights lined up in the near future. His fight against Fabricio Werdum wasn't exactly Fight of the Year material; Arlovski fought very tentatively and used leg kicks as his weapon of choice. I have no doubt that the fearsome striker that is Arlovski still exists, but he hasn't shown his face in quite some time.
This brings me to Tim Silvia. In his last five fights, has has only stopped one opponent; the other four fights went to the judges' decision with his last fight coming as a loss to Randy Couture. Tim Silvia has also fought very tentatively in his last few fights. Throwing a lot of jabs but nothing significant. If Tim Silvia comes back a hungry fighter on October 20th, then watch out...but if not, he'll be booed back to the hotel once again and will leave Dana White seriously thinking of whether or not to resign him.
There's also Nogueira. This guy is tough and is a serious threat to the vacant UFC Heavyweight title. That being said, he nearly got his head kicked off by Heath Herring in his UFC debut. Heath Herring is another top heavyweight on my list, but he needs to pull off a few exciting wins to be considered as a contender to the title.
Cro Cop is the biggest bust in UFC history. He is 1-2 in the Octagon thus far. His lone victory coming in the form of an unimpressive TKO against Eddie Sanchez, who, basically ran away from Cro Cop the entire time. Cro Cop's future is one of the biggest problems on Dana White's plate. What is the UFC to do with a fighter with a huge salary like Cro Cop, but who is only deemed worthy of prelim fights?
Cheick Kongo can be considered a threat to the title if he works nothing but wrestling and Jiu Jitsu for 6 solid months. Nothing else. No fights, no kickboxing. Just grappling and submissions. He can be an exciting fighter if he becomes more aggressive, lets his hands and feet go, pushes the action and throws combinations. If he can do these things, then we have a serious contender on our hands. If not, then he's just another kickboxer who doesn't have confidence in his standup because he has no ground game to back it up.
Brandon Vera is possibly the real deal; something UFC fans are going to find out October 20th when he takes on former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Silvia. He is 8-0 and 4-0 in the UFC with only one of his UFC fights going past the first round (Beating Fabiano Scherner by TKO in the second round). If he beats Tim Silvia then Brandon Vera should be considered for the vacant title. Vera hasn't fought since November of last year, which leaves him questionable. Will his win over a questionable Frank Mir be seen as merely a result of Mir's motorcycle accident or will he move to the top of the food chain with a win over "The Main-iac"?
Gabriel Gonzaga is probably the baddest dude in this division. Although he lost to Randy Couture, he is, in my opinion, still the top contender for this title. Ridiculous kicks and great Jiu Jitsu, this guy will be champion one day - Guaranteed. Although, I think Randy would have won that fight either way, Gonzaga broke his nose in the first round when taken down by a high single by Couture; this took a lot of the life out of Gonzaga. Now, that being said, Gonzaga fought like an animal with a broken nose and landed some very powerful kicks - one of which broke Couture's arm. Besides Gonzaga, there are very few others who can be considered for the championship.
What I would like to see is Gonzaga take on Big Nog and have that winner fight the winner of Silvia vs Vera for the vacant title. I would hope that the UFC holds Gonzaga vs. Nogueira in December and have the Championship matchup maybe in March 2008.
I don't know the length of Fedor's contract with M-1, but I still hope that one day he makes the move to the UFC. And unless the UFC brings in Josh Barnett and possibly Brock Lesnar, the UFC Heavyweight division is going to go right back to where it was...boring.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)