UFC 102: Things I Learned Last Night

1. "Minotauro" Nogueira is Far From Done
You can now officially call his fight with Frank Mir an aberration, as it was clear last night that the staph infection and knee troubles Nogueira was suffering from heading into that bout took a lot out of the Pride veteran.

From the opening bell, the former Pride and UFC champion looked crisp, connecting with the more powerful and precise strikes, while working his usual submission magic when the two warriors went to the ground.

Though it remains to be seen how Nogueira would deal with the combination of talents and size that is Brock Lesnar, "Minotauro" is very much still a force to be reckoned with in the UFC Heavyweight division.

2. Randy Couture is My Hero Too!
Joe Rogan makes this statement at least once per Couture fight, and after his gutty performance against Nogueira last night, you can add me to the list of people who are simply in awe of the 46-year-old superstar.

Though Nogueira was clearly the better man, Couture displayed the heart and tenacity that has endeared him to fight fans around the globe, fending off submissions, coming back from a couple staggering shots and refusing to quit at points when younger men would have been finished.

And he's 46!

3. Retirement Certainly Isn't Happening
Prior to his bout, Couture inked a contract extension with the UFC that will keep him inside the Octagon for the rest of his storied career.

The agreement is for six fights and 28 months, beginning with last night's instant classic against Nogueira, and is rumored to be a similar deal to the one the UFC offered to a certain Russian heavyweight who didn't want to fight in the UFC.

While this move clears up questions about Couture's future with the company, the question remains whether "The Natural" will continue to slug it out at heavyweight or make the drop down to 205 and the deep water that is the UFC light heavyweight division.

4. Nate Marquardt Deserves a Title Shot
With all due respect to Dan Henderson, what Nate Marquardt did to Demian Maia cemented his standing as the #1 Contender to Anderson Silva's title.

While Henderson dispatched an over-hyped Michael Bisping, Marquardt made quick work of an undefeated fighter with stunning precision. When coupled with his dominant performances over Wilson Gouveia and Martin Kampmann, there is no question that Marquardt has earned the rematch.

5. That Being Said...
Anderson Silva's camp is now lobbying for a Dan Henderson - Nate Marquardt eliminator fight.

While it makes some sense as Silva has bested both fighters before and each of their previous fights were billed as determining who would be next for "The Spider," Henderson has already balked at the fight, saying if a title shot against Silva wasn't next, he'd prefer to move back to 205.

Though all three options (Hendo - Silva, Marquardt - Silva and Hendo - Marquardt) are reasonable, keeping the middleweight title on the shelf for an extended period of time isn't all that appealing, especially when each of these potential title fights would go a long way in erasing the memory of Silva's last two title defenses.

6. The 90 Second Rule Still Applies
When Keith Jardine makes it through the first 90 seconds of a fight, he wins 87% of the time. Last night, Thiago Silva stopped "The Dean of Mean" at the 92 second mark, validating the rule and bringing questions about both fighter's place in the division into question.

Jardine has long been considered the gatekeeper at 205 and perhaps he now takes a step down to a lower rung, having lost three of his last four fights, all by way of (technical) knockout.

As for Silva, he's now 1-1 against Top 10 competition and a loss to the division's best is never something to hang your head about. Who he faces next will really go a long way in cementing his status as a contender, as he'll certainly get another Top 10 competitor and preferably one who won't just stand and trade.

I'm advocating a fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira once his deal gets done.

7. The Curse is Alive
Two fighters have done interviews with me prior to events.

Both fighters suffered defeats, with the latest interviewee falling in dramatic fashion.

Maybe I should stop talking about this for the sake of getting interviews in the future...

8. Everyone, Meet Todd Duffee
Back in December, I read an article in Fight! Magazine about the Hardcore Gym in Athens, Georgia, the place Forrest Griffin got his start.

Operated by Adam and Rory Singer, the latter of whom you might remember from The Ultimate Fighter, the article chronicled some of the emerging talent coming from the gym. One fighter was Brian Bowles, the current WEC Bantamweight champion. Another was Todd Duffee.

Since then, I've been dying to see this monster in the ring and while we only got seven seconds of action last night, it was enough for me to proclaim that Todd Duffee is a threat. Great big, athletic kids (he's only 23) who can drop you with a jab and finish you in seven seconds don't come around every day.

You've been warned.

9. Sooner Rather Than Later
Another card, another tough situation for a referee, as Yves Lavigne's hesitation at the end of the Chris Leben / Jake Rosholt fight will certainly go under the microscope in the next couple days.

From where I was sitting (on the couch at Tyler & Shawna's house), Leben looked like he tapped and Lavigne was ready to dive in, only to stop when Leben bucked his hips and his legs swung out at Lavigne. Seconds later, Leben is out cold, twitching on the mat for all the MMA opponents to jump on.

I'm not a ref and I would never want to be one, but for as much as all of us often criticize early stoppages and fighters complain that they didn't tap **cough** CD Dollaway, Chael Sonnen **cough**, an early stoppage is always better than an injured fighter and Lavigne needed to go with his initial instinct last night.

10. The Truth Is...
Brandon Vera isn't as good as Brandon Vera believes he is.

Say what you will about me piling on the Filipino fighter, but nothing about last night's performance against Krzysztof Soszynski backed up an ounce of the smack Vera talks or the accolades Rogan and Goldie were tossing his way.

Does anyone honestly think that the Brandon Vera we saw last night would defeat anyone in the Top 10 right now? If you do, put down the Kool-Aid...


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Fight Week Previews: Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Maybe this fight really isn't getting the hype it deserves?

Randy "The Natural " Couture and Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira are two of the greatest heavyweights of all-time. Between them, they've held eight major organizational titles, fought some of the best ever and are two of the most iconic figures the sport has to offer.

While it certainly would have been more intriguing if this fight took place when both were at the height of their dominance, anywhere between three and five years ago, Saturday night's Main Event is still a worthy headliner with a great deal at stack for both men.

Randy "The Natural" Couture (16-9-0) vs. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)

At the level these two are at, where they train goes out the window. While both Xtreme Couture and Black House are top level teams, these two warriors have been doing this long enough that they know what it takes to prepare for a fight and come ready for war each and every time.

D'you want to know something insane?

This will be the first time since his 2005 fight against Mike Van Arsdale that Randy Couture hasn't been fighting for a title. Of his last 16 fights, 15 of them have been scheduled for five rounds with gold on the line.

Without a doubt, Couture will be ready to go the full 15 if needed.

As will Nogueira, who has made a career of being in battles and weathering storms until an opportunity for the win presents itself. In each of his two UFC victories, "Minotauro" was rocked and looked like he was going to be finished before emerging on the other side with his hand raised.

Stylistically, this fight could prove very interesting.

Nogueira is the best heavyweight jiu jitsu player in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. His anaconda choke of Heath Herring back in his Pride heyday was outstanding, as was the armbar that made Cro Cop tap.

In addition to his BJJ proficiency, Noguiera has solid boxing and Muay Thai, though he hasn't displayed the latter a great deal since moving to the UFC.

On the other side of ring, you have a superior wrestler who is also a strong boxer, although Couture and Nogueira offer very different technique. While "Minotauro" is more technical, "Captain America" likes to get inside and dirty box, utilizing his elbows in addition to his fists.

Coming off the first stoppage loss of his career, Nogueira should be looking to bring this fight to the floor, as Couture possess more power in his punches than Frank Mir.

While going to the ground isn't the worst thing for Couture, as he has great ground and pound and strong submission defense, keeping this fight standing would make more sense. Getting caught in a submission is harder when you're flicking out jabs and landing overhand rights from distance.

Now this is where things get interesting.

Both men have fought some serious competition over their careers; in addition to the Liddell Trilogy, Couture has locked up with the likes of Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort and Pedro Rizzo, while Nogueira has had his own trilogy fights with Fedor Emelianenko and Heath Herring, as well as battles with Dan Henderson and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

But when you look at the shared opponents, Nogueira comes out way ahead of "The Natural." Actually, it's not even close. While both men scored wins over Tim Sylvia, Couture lost to Ricco Rodriguez, Josh Barnett, Valentijn Overeem and Enson Inoue.

Nogueira beat every one of those men, although he is 1-1 versus Barnett, and has faced the tougher heavyweight competition throughout his career.

Neither man likes being introduced as a former champion. Honestly, who would?

For the winner of this fight, a place on the short list of heavyweight contenders awaits, while the loser will suffer a rarity, consecutive defeats. That hasn't happened to Couture since 2002, while a loss Saturday would mark the first time such an event has happened in the career of Nogueira.

Clearly, a lot is at stack here.

Seven days ago, this fight wasn't all that interesting.

After digging around and breaking it down all week, Saturday night can't get here quick enough.

(Pictures courtesy of Evan Shoman. Visit Shoman Art to see the complete collection)



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Could UFC 102 Mark the End of Randy Couture's UFC Career?

Understand right off the bat that this is 100% speculation and the results of spending too much time thinking about a fight that would have been awesome to see in 2003 or 2004.

2009? Not so much.

Discussing the fight early today on the latest Watch Kalib Run Cage Cast, two very different scenarios came to mind where the end result is UFC 102 serving as Randy Couture's last dance with the organization.

While the thought of "The Natural" no longer being a part of the UFC may seem like a unrealistic idea to some, taking a closer look at the situation reveals that such a conclusion may not be as unlikely as you might think.

No location is closer to home for Randy Couture than Portland, Oregon. While he has shifted his training and home to Las Vegas over the last few years, Couture, like both Ed Herman and Chris Leben, is a product of the Pacific Northwest.

Before establishing Xtreme Couture, "The Natural" was a founding member of the area's premier camp, Team Quest, along with Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson. While Couture is always a crowd favorite wherever he fights, there is sure to be an even larger than normal Couture contingent in the building on Saturday night.

Additionally, while fighting is still very much a part of Randy Couture's daily routine, the former multi-time UFC champion has an ever-expanding resume and list of pursuits that don't involve getting punched in the face.

Two weeks ago he was in the corner of Gina Carano for her historic confrontation with Cris Cyborg.

The Xtreme Couture brand continues to grow, both as a clothing line and as a gym. While the daily operations of such endeavours may not fall directly into Couture's own hands, he undoubtedly has a great deal of involvement with anything tired to his name and image.

Furthermore, the former Olympic alternate has continued his foray into the acting business, with the upcoming Sylvester Stallone film The Expendables next to hit theatres, while two other projects are currently listed in different stages of production according to his IMDB page.

When you add everything together and combine it with a fight in his own backyard, a win Saturday night could serve as a perfect "ride off into the sunset" moment for the man who has retired before.

Of course, that's only the warm fuzzy angle.

The nasty, grimy, "could it really happen" angle is one that arises should Couture come out on the wrong side of the results on Saturday night against Nogueira.

As everyone knows, Couture was recently introduced as one of the stars of the highly-anticipated EA Sports MMA title, something that at least raises questions considering the hard line approach Dana White has express about fighters being involved with that title and their opportunities with the UFC.

Simply put, White has stated anyone involved in the game with not have any opportunities with the UFC. The question is whether that extends to Couture?

Now, Couture actually entered into his agreement with EA Sports some time ago and has a clause in his contract that allows him to retain his ancillary rights, so this isn't necessarily as unexpected or intriguing as it would be if say, Anderson Silva signed up with EA Sports, but it's still worth exploring.

Hypothetically speaking, if Couture was to lose to Nogueira on Saturday night, the UFC would have the option to release Couture, as per a condition built into most fighter's contracts with the UFC.

Couple that with his participation in the EA Sports venture would produce a loud and clear message to the rest of the fighting population that Dana White's earlier statements were more than just his usual tough talk.

Would the UFC drop such a well-known and marketable entity as Couture, given how much he has expressed an interested in fighting Strikeforce's prized acquisition Fedor Emelianenko?

Probably not, but if ever Dana White & Co. wanted to back up their tough talk with some serious action, handing a Hall of Famer his walking papers for siding with the opposition would certainly fit the bill.

If someone had said two months ago that Affliction would pull the plug on Trilogy just days before the show and Fedor would sign with Strikeforce, you would have wondered how much glue that person had just finished sniffing.

Even now that it has happened, people still shake their heads in disbelief.

As far-fetched as these speculations sound, don't forget that this is the fight game and anything can happen.




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Carwin vs. Velasquez : A Bad Idea

As we tend to do in the fight game, speculation and rumors are running wild about who will be headlining the yet to be announced Fall fights in the UFC. While we know UFC 103 is going to take place in Dallas, we don't know who will have their names up in lights.

One co-main event fight sounds like it's going to be Mike Swick versus Matt Hughes, which I'll talk about some other time when the violent rage the thought of this fight builds in me subsides.

Another bout that is getting a lot of talk around the Internet is a heavyweight eliminator bout between Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez. For the love of all things holy, Joe Silva - please don't make this fight!


Not that it wouldn't be awesome. Of course it would; both are impressive specimens with unblemished records and would provide a quality heavyweight tilt.

That being said, why would you even consider throwing one of your prized heavyweight prospects under the bus?

Each of these guys have been on the receiving end of the UFC hype machine (with good reason) and stand somewhere in line behind the winner of the Couture - Nogueira fight as the next challenger for the heavyweight title. In my books, Carwin is ahead of Velasquez and by a decent margin at that.

Sticking these two inside the octagon together would automatically bump the loser down the charts and ruin the momentum the UFC has spent the last year and change building with each of them.

Cain already hit a minor speed bump in his uneventful decision win over Cheick Kongo last month in Germany and having his face smashed in by the frying pans Carwin launches would send him back to the preliminary card against newcomers like it has Gabe Gonzaga.

If the opposite were to happen and Velasquez came away with the win - most likely through some serious wrestling / ground and pound combo - Carwin takes the same fall and guys like me would start talking about how he's one dimensional and needs to build on his powerful striking.

Either way, a guy that the UFC has put serious effort into promoting falls a few rungs lower on the ladder and for what? To build up another guy that everyone already expects to see fighting for the heavyweight title within the next year?

The real problem is that there are few true challengers in the UFC heavyweight division. Six guys have cleaned out the division really, leaving matches between themselves as the only meaningful options to fans.

Some combination of Lesnar, Mir, Couture, Nogueria, Carwin and Velasquez have beaten everyone else the UFC could possible throw into the mix, which is why we're set to see the debut of a bunch of new heavyweights like Todd Duffee and Chris Tuchscherer.

Outside of bringing in guys like Jeff Monson, Ben Rothwell or *shudder* Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, Carwin and Velasquez almost have to fight or else face an extended period of inactivity.

Unfortunately, it means one great prospect moves forward while the other takes a big step backwards.

Funny, I always thought the idea was to have as many ready and worthy challengers as possible, not leave yourself with only one option.


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