Rated Next: Joe Warren

Welcome to Rated Next, a new segment we're trying out here to bring attention to fighters who may be flying under the radar of anyone outside of the hardcore set.

The fighters profiled here will be people that will soon be making a splash with the mainstream set and since I like having the upper hand and knowing about a guy before the Affliction-adorned masses start bastardizing their names, I thought I'd share them with you from time to time.

First up is Joe Warren.

It's not often that I throw my unwavering support behind a fighter who is just 2-0 and will turn 33 in 28 days, one more than it will take for me to turn 31. Send presents.

But Joe Warren is an exception to the rule; he's a former World Champion Greco-Roman wrestler who was favored for gold at the Beijing Olympics before testing positive for THC and being handed a two-year suspension.

As an aside, can someone please tell me how weed is a performance enhancer? Unless you're entering a Cheetos eating competition or a sleep challenge, you're not getting any edge from weed... at least that's what I've heard.

After missing out on the Olympics, Warren began his transition to MMA by joining forces with fellow Greco-Roman wrestling standout and Team Quest founder Dan Henderson. On March 8, 2009, Warren made his MMA debut as part of the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix against former WEC Featherweight champ Chase Beebe at DREAM 7.

When the fighters separated at the end of the first round, Warren was awarded the win after Beebe was unable to continue due to a cut above his right eye.

A little more than two months later, Warren returned to Japan and the second round of the Featherweight Grand Prix, where he would meet the returning Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto. Once a consensus Top 10 Pound-for-Pound fighter, Yamamoto was coming off a layoff of over 500 days, but was still the heavy favorite, having only lost once in 19 previous fights.

As the judge's decision was read, Joe Warren's hands were raised; the American scored a Split Decision victory over his more experienced opponent and is now set for final two rounds this Tuesday where he'll once again be the underdog in his semifinal fight against Brazilian Bibiano Fernandes (5-2).

To put Warren's accomplishments into perspective a little, the first two victories of his career came over figthers with a combined record of 29-4 with one No Contest prior to having faced the former Michigan Wolverine.

Even if he doesn't emerge victorious in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Warren's star is certainly on the rise and he will be a fighter you hear a lot about in the coming months.

Just as Gegard Mousasi came out of nowhere to become a critic's darling and now full-fledged superstar after winning the 2008 Middleweight Grand Prix, a continued Cinderella performance and tournament victory would do the same for Warren.

Win or lose, Joe Warren is Rated Next.

(picture courtesy of Sherdog.com)
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No UFC? No Problem: Quality Options During the UFC Hiatus

Saturday's UFC 103 marked the end of a run that saw the organization roll out three pay-per-view events, an Ultimate Fight Night and the debut of The Ultimate Fighter in the span of eight weeks.

A yeoman-like effort even for the biggest name in the business, the UFC enters the fall with a
five-week respite before Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua take to the cage for UFC 104 in Los Angeles.

Calm down; the world isn't going to end just because the UFC is on hiatus.

In fact, this is a golden opportunity to expand your horizons and step outside the Ultimate Fighting Championships bubble for a couple of weeks and get acquainted with some of the other fighters and organizations in Mixed Martial Arts.

Yes, there are other organizations besides the UFC.

Japanese organization World Victory Road is first up in this UFC-less stretch, as Sengoku Tenth Battle takes place on September 23 from the Saitama Super Arena.

Headlining the show is Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, the former EliteXC Heavyweight champion who earlier this summer stated that a win here would put him into a November title fight with fellow steroid abuser Josh Barnett.

While Silva may be the biggest name on the card, look for Nick Thompson and Dan Hornbuckle to put on the best performance. Thompson is a talented veteran of just about every organization to ever exist, while Hornbuckle is coming off a vicious head kick knockout of Akihiro Gono.

Two days later, Strikeforce rolls out the third installment of their Challenger series. In addition to the Strikeforce debut of Ray Sefo, rising prospect Tyron Woodley looks to extend his winning streak to four against veteran Zach Light.

In the main event, undefeated Zak Cummings takes his 10-0 record into the cage to face Tim Kennedy, the former Army Ranger who returned to full-time fighting in June with a win over the aforementioned Nick Thompson.

Canada gets involved in the action early in October with the most UFC-friendly card on the calender, as Maximum Fighting Championships (MFC) 22 - Payoff lands in Edmonton loaded with recognizable names.

For those fawning for fighters they know, MFC 22 offers UFC veterans like Marvin Eastman, David Heath, and Pete Spratt, as well TUF 4 winner Travis Lutter taking on Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald.

What is more impressive is that none of these name brand fighters make the main event, as that honor goes to MFC Lightweight champion Antonio "Mandingo" McKee and Brazilian Carlo Prater.

McKee is riding an eight-fight winning streak and hasn't lost since a 2003 decision to Karo Parisyan, while Prater is a veteran of more than 30 fights and holds wins over Spencer Fisher, Melvin Guillard and Carlos Condit.

As entertaining as each of those cards will surely be, the real week to watch for is the first week of October, as championship action takes to the ring on Tuesday, October 6 with DREAM 11 before the rescheduled WEC 43 lands in San Antonio for Cerrone vs. Henderson.

Honestly, DREAM 11 has the opportunity to be one of the best fight cards of the year. In addition to the semifinals of the Super Hulk tournament and the final two rounds of the 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix, the highly-anticipated rematch between Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen and "The Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (both pictured above) will finally take place.

This fight will mark Hansen's return to the ring after recovering from various injuries, and he will do so against the last man he face, Aoki.

After earning the right to serve as the injury replacement in the 2008 Lightweight Grand Prix, Hansen subbed for Eddie Alvarez in the finals of the event when the Philadelphia native couldn't continue following his win over tournament favorite Tatsuya Kawajiri.

The Norwegian capitalized, stopping Aoki before the five minute mark of the first round, capturing the DREAM Lightweight Championship in the process.

While Hansen hasn't set foot in the ring since, Aoki has won four of five fights, most recently scoring a Unanimous Decision over Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro. Finally, after 15 months of waiting, he submission specialist will finally get his chance for redemption.

For days later, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Ben "Smooth" Henderson will finally wage war for the WEC Interim Lightweight title at WEC 43.

In addition to determining a new champion in the absence of the injured Jamie Varner, WEC 43 offers the usual assortment of exciting fights and emerging talent that has become synonymous with the brand.

Fear not faithful followers of the UFC, despite the fact that the best in the business won't be back with a vengeance until seven days before Halloween, it doesn't mean that MMA has gone off the grid.

There is a wealth of quality events taking place before Dana White and company return.

Do yourself a favor and catch some of the outstanding action that is set to take place outside the walls of the UFC.

UFC is MMA, but MMA is not UFC; expand your horizons and try something new.

Chances are you'll like it.



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The Best Man Doesn't Always Win: Taking a Look at Tournament Fighting

Ah, tournament fighting.

The system that was the foundation for the original incarnation of the UFC and remains a staple of both World Victory Road's Sengoku events and DREAM's fight cards as well, this morning's results from the Featherweight Grand Prix illustrate why having multiple fights in the same night is challenging for both the fighter and the organization.

In one of the semi-finals of the Featherweight Grand Prix, Hatsu Hioki earned a hard-fought victory over Masanori Kanehara, dominating the first two rounds before tiring in the third.

However, Hioki was unable to continue in the tournament and Kanehara was put through to the finals where he ended up defeating Michihiro Omigawa to be crowned the 2009 Featherweight Champion.

Of course, this is far from the first time something like this has happened.

During last year's DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix, Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen lost his semi-final match to Eddie Alvarez in one of 2008's Fight of Year contenders, only to replace the Philadelphia-based fighter in the finals against Shinya Aoki when Alvarez sustained a cut in his win over Tatsuya Kawajiri.

From there, the Norwegian defeated "The Tobikan Judan" to claim the DREAM Lightweight title. At least Hansen won a fight to earn the right to replace Alvarez. UFC 3 winner Steve Jennum was just in the right place at the right time.

You remember UFC 3, don't you?

Royce Gracie battled Kimo in a tough ground war, leaving himself dehydrated and unable to continue. Harold Howard earned his place in the history books as the first man to "beat" Royce Gracie and advanced to the finals where he was supposed to face Ken Shamrock.

Only problem was, once Gracie was unable to continue, Shamrock had no interest in continuing either. His sole purpose in taking part in UFC 3 was to avenge his loss to Gracie from UFC 1 and when that couldn't happen, Shamrock withdrew as well, leaving the door open for Steve Jennum.

The Nebraska police officer made Howard tap to strikes and claimed the UFC 3 tournament title without having had to fight a sole for the opportunity, which prompted the UFC to change the rules to avoid a similar situation ever happening again.

While I understand the drama and tremendous show of athleticism and conditioning competing in multiple fights on the same evening takes, the possibility of results like these leave me questioning the value of such a practice.

Earlier this year, Bellator's tournament format went off without a hitch, as all the winners managed to emerge from their fights without serious injury and able to continue in the next round.

Hypothetically speaking, if Eddie Alvarez had sustained an injury in his first round fight, he would have had four weeks to recuperate, instead of simply being replaced by a fighter he had just defeated or an alternate.

To me, if tournaments are the way you want to go, the Bellator setup is much more favorable to the fighters than the two fights in the same night method used in Japan.

But that's just me.

What do you think?

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Marius Zaromskis: The Next Mousasi, A Mini Cro-Cop or Both?

This time last year, many fight fans were unfamiliar with an Armenian-born, Dutch fighter known as "The Dreamcatcher."

Then, Gegard Mousasi made an impressive run through the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix, defeated Denis Kang in the opening round, Korea's Dong Sik Yoon six weeks later, and finally disposing of both Melvin Manhoef and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in one night to win the tournament and the DREAM Middleweight title.

Since then, the 23-year-old has continued to impress and garner more and more attention, earning a win in the first round of the DREAM Super Hulk Tournament and a place opposite Renato "Babalu" Sobral on the Affliction: Trilogy Main Card on August 1st.

With his impressive display last evening in the Saitama Super Arena, is Marius Zaromskis set to make a similar splash in the world of Mixed Martial Arts?

The Lithuanian with the funny-yet-fitting nickname "The Whitemare" has followed the first steps laid out by Mousasi, working his way through the DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix en route to claiming the DREAM Welterweight title.

Admittedly, I was one of the many without much knowledge of Zaromskis heading into yesterday's two rounds of fights, and believed he would be dispatched by the more experienced Hayato "Mach" Sakurai in their semi-final clash.

Following a stoppage to deal with a cut on Sakurai's face, Zaromskis delivered a deadly headkick and dropped the man who once faced Matt Hughes in the UFC before finishing things off with a flurry of punches.

In the finals, a similar lethal headkick spelled the end for Jason High, who had advanced via split decision victory over then-undefeated Andre Galvao.

While the path looks similar to the course charted last year by Mousasi, the impressive finishes via deadly kicks to the head is reminiscent of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

Despite my use of headkicks as finishers on UFC Undisputed, you just don't see that many fighters utilizing the technique that much any more and no one has ever done it better than "Cro Cop" during his glory days in Pride.

Last night, Zaromskis delivered knockout blows to both Sakurai and High with expert timing, the MMA-equivalent of two no-doubt home runs in baseball, especially the one that wrapped up the tournament against High.

You never know where you're going to find great fighters; sometimes they just suddenly appear on the radar.

Winning streaks start in the most inauspicious ways.

Nothing is guaranteed for Marius Zaromskis now that he's the DREAM Welterweight Champion; while the path he's now embarking down is similar to that of Gegard Mousasi and his performances last night reminded fans of a younger, smaller "Cro Cop," this could be the highlight of his career.

Or it could be the beginning of something great.

Only time will tell.

* * * * * * * * * *

In other DREAM news, "The Old" Paulo Filho showed up, as the Brazilian weathered a couple of flurries from Melvin Manhoef before securing an armbar before the three minute mark of the First Round.
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Which Paulo Filho Will Show Up?

Bright and early tomorrow morning, DREAM 10 takes place from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

While the headlining act is the semi-finals and finals of the Welterweight Grand Prix, perhaps the most interesting bout on the card pits Dutch knockout artist Melvin Manhoef against one of MMA's greatest enigmas, Paulo Filho.

A year and a half ago, Filho was undefeated, with a record of 16-0, and had successfully defended his WEC Welterweight title for the first time. The man was on a roll.

Then the wheels fell off.

Controversy surrounded his first title defense, as Chael Sonnen argued that he had never tapped to the armbar Filho had locked in tight, so a rematch was slated for WEC 34. However, the fight would be postponed as Filho had apparently checked into rehab.

Two months later and eleven months after their first fight, Filho resurfaced in horrible shape, failing to make weight and changing the title rematch into a three round anti-climactic end to the WEC Welterweight division.

Sonnen dominated from the opening bell, as Filho looked confused and uninterested in fighting. That was the last time Paulo Filho was seen in the ring, creating a number of intriguing questions for tomorrow morning's tilt with Manhoef.

Exactly which Paulo Filho is going to show up?

Will it be the guy who stormed to the 16-0 mark already mentioned with wins over the likes of Ryo Chonan, Kazuo Misaki and Murilo "Ninja" Rua or the out of shape, unimpressive version that collected his first career loss the last time out?

My guess is that the old Paulo Filho shows up, ready for action and refocused on his fighting career. Sending any other version into the ring with a striker as dangerous as Manhoef would be a real mistake.

Unfortunately, the truth is that your guess is as good as mine and we won't know until tomorrow morning whether Paulo Filho is back to being a forced to be reckoned with at 155 or a cautionary tale of things gone wrong.

* * * * * * * *

The return of Filho against Melvin Manhoef might be the most intriguing matchup on the DREAM 10 card, but it is far from the only fight of note.

Welterweight Grand Prix Semi Finals

Jason High (7-1) vs. Andre Galvao (3-0)

High made quick work of Yuya Shirai in the opening round, but going to the mat against Galvao would be a big mistake. The Team Nogueira fighter is a submission specialist with terrific BJJ, having stopped all three opponents via armbar thus far in his career.

As much as I like Jason High and think he has a bright future, Galvao's star is shining a little bit brighter.

Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (35-8-2) vs. Marius Zaromskis (9-2-0)

All you need to know is this: Sakurai crushed Shinya Aoki in 27 seconds in the opening round, while Zaromskis earned a decision over Seichi Ikemoto.

When in doubt, stick with the guy with the proven track record coming off the dominating win.

Should things shake out the way I think they will, Galvao will be a solid test for Sakurai in the finals, but I still favor the veteran.

Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (20-2-0) vs. Shinya Aoki (20-4-0)

If you want to see sick submission attempts and top notch grappling, this fight will deliver in spades.

While I'll never be completely sold on Aoki until he performs some of his slick submissions without his Magic Grappling Pants, there is no questioning the flexibility and skill set possessed by "The Tobikan Judan" or "Shaolin" either for that matter. Ribeiro's two losses are to Gesias "JZ Calvan" Cavalcante and Tatsuya Kawajiri, whom he also holds a victory over.

There most recent fights would indicate an advantage for Ribeiro, as he dominated Katsuhiko Nagata, while Aoki was defeated in 27 seconds by "Mach" Sakurai, but something tells me the return to lightweight and the homefield advantage will play in Aoki's favor.

Additionally, Andre "Dida" Amade takes on Katsunori Kikuno, while Dong Sik Yoon faces TUF 7 alum Jesse "JT Money" Taylor.

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The Official "Bring Back Mayhem" Petition

This is an open petition to Dana White and the UFC.

I want to see Jason "Mayhem" Miller back in the UFC. Not because he's the host of a really, really bad reality TV show on MTV where he is paid to act like a cartoon version of himself, but because there is unfinished business to be handled and the entertainment value of it all.



We'll start with the second half of that equation, the entertainment value. For my money, there isn't a more entertaining entrance for a fight than a Mayhem entrance. While the UFC doesn't have the same ramp intros as they do in various other organizations, there is still a long walk to the ring and having the entertaining Mayhem and Co. breakdancing to the ring to "Dance Monkey" or breaking out the ceremonial Chinese dragons would get everyone's attention and be a ratings winner.

Now onto the more important part of the petition: the unfinished business.

Back in 2005, Mayhem and current Welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre had an epic, bloody battle. After losing by Unanimous Decision, Mayhem had some complaints about GSP being a little greasy. Now, in the post-Greasegate Era, Mayhem has renewed those objections and there is only one way I know of for fighters to settle their differences...

This works on so many levels!

Once GSP gets through with Thiago Alves - and he will get through with Thiago Alves - there isn't anyone on the immediate horizon in the Welterweight division worthy of a title shot.

We get a rematch of an epic bout and all that yapping Mayhem has been doing about GSP greasing can get resolved once and for all with what would hopefully be a great fight.

Of course, Mayhem has some unfinished business with Jacare for the DREAM Middleweight belt and he's fighting at 185 now, but still...

Add your name in the comments section if you want more Mayhem!


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Punch Drunk Predictions: DREAM 9

They always say that the best thing to do when you fall off the horse is get right back up and try to ride again.

Saturday night, UFC 98 threw me out of the saddle and landed me flat on my head. I can go 4-7 over a bad weekend during football season and not lose a wink of sleep. Labor to that kind of record on an MMA card and I'm going over my picks in my head for hours. And cursing Xavier Foupa-Pokam for being dumb enough to walk right into Drew McFedries' only means of winning the fight and Sean Sherk for, sorry about this, sherking his wrestling skills in favor of a standup war that he just couldn't win.

Now, DREAM 9 offers up an opportunity to rectify the situation. Ten fights to pick to get back on the happy side of the ledger.

Enjoy.

Punch Drunk Predictions - DREAM 9
Record: 4-7

Bob Sapp vs. Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa
Sapp certainly personifies the term "Super Hulk," but while the former NFLer has the build to match the tournament's title, he doesn't have the skills or pedigree to hang with Minowa.
Prediction: Minowa via submission

Hong Man Choi vs. Jose Canseco
Do I even need to break this one down? While Choi certainly isn't the most decorated and accomplished Mixed Martial Artist in the world - I mean, he's a kickboxer by trade really - he's fighting Jose Canseco. The baseball player.
Prediction: Choi via TKO due to strikes

Jan Nortje vs. Sokoudjou
I didn't believe the hype surrounding "The African Assassin" when he came to the UFC and continue to believe that he'll gas out come the second round of any fight. That being said, he's a far more skilled fighter than "The Giant" and should be able to get the win here.
Prediction: Sokoudjou via TKO due to strikes

Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt
The premier matchup of the Super Hulk tournament features a man who is nowhere near Super Hulk status and a dude who has fought some pretty impressive names over his career. Mousasi was my pick for Fighter of the Year last year after he won six fights, including beating both Melvin Manhoof and "Jacare" in the same night to capture the DREAM Middleweight Championship. Now he's fighting a true heavyweight in Mark Hunt, a man who has beaten Cro Cop and "The Axe Murderer," while taking loses against Alistar Overeem, Fedor and Josh Barnett.
Prediction: Mousasi via submission

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante
The skilled veteran who has fought everyone you can think of in his weight class versus the ATT youngster whom everyone is high on. Cavalcante hasn't won since September 2007, but he's had time to heal from various injuries and presents a dynamic style that can be very difficult to deal with.
Prediction: Kawajiri via submission

Hideo Tokoro vs. Abel Cullum
The only loss Cullum has suffered in the last three and a half years was to Wilson Reis, so you know he's got talent. Tokoro is a 31-year-old veteran coming off two straight losses. You do the math.
Prediction: Cullum via submission

Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuko Takaya
Maeda fought that war with Miguel Torres last year for the WEC, while Takaya seems to lose to anyone remotely known.
Prediction: Maeda via KO

Masakazu Imanari vs. Bibiano Fernandes
Fernandes has three straight wins and his two loses are to Urijah Faber and Kid Yamamoto. Imanari is "The Master of Leglocks" with wins over Mike Thomas Brown and Yoshiro Maeda and is a two-time DEEP title holder.
Prediction: Imanari vai submission

Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren
If you read this blog earlier in the day, you know my thoughts on this one.
Prediction: Yamamoto via TKO

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
"Mayhem" is just plain awesome; he's entertaining as shit, has fought a laundry list of talent and proved he's back to being healthy with his win over Kala Hose. On the other hand, "Jacare" was riding a 10 fight win streak prior to running into Gegard Mousasi last year and holds a win over Miller from last year.
Prediction: Miller via TKO due to strikes

Hopefully, this one goes better than the last one.




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The Comeback Kid

Lost amid the sideshow of Jose Canseco's Mixed Martial Arts debut at tomorrow night's DREAM 9 is the return of one of the best Pound-for-Pound fighters on the planet, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

While he's certainly not a household name here in North America, in Japan he is a legend, both for his impressive march to the 2005 K-1 HERO Middleweight Grand Prix title and his four second knockout of Kazuyuki Miyata. Yes, your read that correctly. Four seconds.

Unfortunately, injuries have kept Kid Yamamoto out of the ring since he stopped Rani Yahya on New Year's Eve 2007, a period of 17 months. Normally, there is no way that I would expect much from someone who hasn't fought in that long, but this is "Kid" Yamamoto we're talking about.

The same fighter who has rattled of 14 consecutive wins and has fought the likes of Josh Thomson, Jeff Curran, Royler Gracie and Caol Uno. What makes Yamamoto so dangerous is that his always deadly striking is backed by an equally impressive wrestling pedigree, as his father was an Olympic competitor and both of his sisters are freestyle world champions. The least decorated of the bunch, all Kid was able to do was earn three high school state championships in wrestling rich Arizona.

He's not getting a cake walk in his return either, as Yamamoto will face American Joe Warren who made his debut a winning one at DREAM 7 by defeating Chase Beebe. The Team Quest member is said to have been training with WEC standout Urijah Faber and the boys at Team Alpha Male who previously prepared teammate Joseph Benavidez for a fight with Yamamoto that never materialized.

While he's currently a little lost in the shuffle on a card loaded with talent and talked about match-ups, a dominant victory in his return to the ring will put Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto right back into the mix not only in DREAM, but also in the Pound-for-Pound discussion.

Welcome back, Kid.






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Quest for Legitimacy, Part I

Above is Jose Canseco.

Former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco.

Former Surreal Life house member Jose Canseco.

One-time celebrity boxer who couldn't knock out Partridge Family member Danny Bonaduce Jose Canseco.

Does it say anything about Mixed Martial Arts anywhere in the previous sentences?

Of course it doesn't, because Jose Canseco has never trained for MMA and should never be allowed anywhere close to an MMA fight, which makes DREAM's decision to have the former Bash Brother take on 7-foot-2 Korean kickboxer Hong Man Choi in the opening round of their eight-man tournament at DREAM 9 a step backwards for Mixed Martial Arts.

The card itself is actually quite impressive, headlined by the Featherweight Grand Prix featuring well-respected talents like Gesias " JZ Calvan" Calvalcante, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Kid Yamamoto. Even the eight-man tournament Canseco is scheduled to fight in possess some quality fighters, including my 2008 Fighter of the Year Gegard Mousasi taking on Mark Hunt.

But none of that will receive coverage outside of hardcore MMA circles on this continent. The main story will be the debut of a former baseball player who brought the steroid scandal that still lingers in that sport today to the forefront and that is certainly not a good thing.

As a passionate follower of Mixed Martial Arts since the first UFC, seeing the sport grow and gain the cultural and mainstream acceptance it has over the past few years has been outstanding, but I'm not naive enough to believe the fight is over.

Just yesterday on Pardon the Interruption, Michael Wilbon commented on how happy he was to see Manny Pacquiao's second round knockout of Ricky Hatton instead of "that cage fighting" stuff. While I too loved seeing Pacquaio light-up Hatton over the weekend, his knockout was nowhere near as impressive as Toby Imada's triangle submission of Jorge Masvidal in the Bellator semifinals.

And Wilbon is a guy who has had the opportunity to see Mixed Martial Arts and form an opinion, yet he still has little regard for the sport. What are people who have been opposed to Mixed Martial Arts from the outset going to think when all they hear about DREAM 9 is that Jose Canseco was fighting? This sport that we love and defend at every chance we get takes a serious kick in the credibility.

Mixed Martial Arts has had a hard enough time getting to where it is right now and the battle is far from over. Many states and provinces still refuse to sanction the sport and there are as many detractors as there are advocates both in the media and the general population.

Regardless of the fact that the fight is taking place in Japan, promoting a fight with a D-List celebrity who is willing to do almost anything for a little extra pocket money only hampers MMA's quest for legitimacy here in North America.

In Part II, we'll look at how MMA publications can impact the sport.

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