UFC / WEC Doubleheader: 10 Things We Learned

1. Ben Henderson, WEC Lightweight Champion

If anyone ever questioned why the newly unified WEC Lightweight Champion rocks the nickname "Smooth," all you need to do is look at this fight.

While Jamie Varner was being Jamie Varner - coming out guns blazing, locking in a guillotine, talking smack - Henderson took everything in stride, popping his head of the submission attempt, shaking off the onslaughts and fixing his hair.

The second Varner offered up his neck... game over.

In one year, Ben Henderson has beaten the very best the WEC Lightweight division has to offer. As the newly unified champion, it's time to start all over again, including a probable rematch with "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone.

2. God Bless the Media...

Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated raised the question of how the WEC lightweights stack up against the remaining 155-pounders in the world.

It pains me that the immediate response from one of the best in the business is to raise such a question. No one is putting Ben Henderson in the Top 10 of the lightweight division worldwide, and it is universally accepted that the WEC 155-pound division is a notch below that of their Zuffa sibling.

So what's the point of instigating such a debate? Obviously, it's the responsibility of the media to ask these kinds of questions, and I get that, but less than 24-hours after Henderson put on a quality performance, we're already looking to hyper-qualify things and detract from his accomplishment.

Yes, the WEC Lightweight division isn't populated with the best in the world. That said, they've put on some great fights and offered up some great finishes in the last year, so why not just be happy with the returns and leave it at that?

3. Maynard Earns Title Shot

Yes, you read that correctly.

I'm getting more in-depth on the subject at Heavy.com (and I'll link the article once complete and posted), but the gist of it is that you can't tell a guy who is unbeaten that a fighter he threw around the cage for 15 minutes is a more worthy contender.

Now, that doesn't mean Maynard won't get bumped in favor of Frankie Edgar, because the UFC is as much about marketing as it is about merit, if not more so at times, it just means that if we're going on results and results only, Gray Maynard should be the next man to have his ass handed to him by BJ Penn.

4. Introducing Evan Dunham

What an outstanding performance for the young, undefeated Oregon native.

Efrain Escudero is a tough kid and was the clear favorite heading into the fight, and all Dunham did was make it through a tough first round to dominate the remaining six minutes and change of the fight, en route to his tenth straight win.

He's now won three fights by three different methods, and showed unexpectedly strong jiu jitsu last night in Virginia.

My colleague Zak Woods asked the question, "How excited are you to see Evan Dunham fight again?" earlier today at Watch Kalib Run.

Answer: Extremely.

5. The Tapping Dichotomy

Today, Efrain Escudero is being questioned for his decision not to tap sooner in his bout with Evan Dunham.

However, you can't blame the kid for trying to gut it out. After all, that's the message we often send.

Jonathan Snowden at Heavy.com recounts the night Renzo Gracie became a hero in his eyes, refusing to submit to a brutal kimura applied by "The Gracie Killer" himself, Kazushi Sakuraba. In the very next line, he says Escudero looked stupid for doing the same thing.

I agree that the TUF 8 lightweight winner needed to tap far sooner than he did, but when the media and fans put Gracie's refusal on a pedestal - or rip on Jamie Varner for his quick tap against Ben Henderson - you can see where the message is mixed, can't you?

Tapping isn't a sign of weakness, and refusing to do so isn't a sign a valor. That needs to be the message we're spreading.

6. "The California Kid" is Back and as Good as Ever

Great performance for Urijah Faber in front of his hometown crowd on Sunday night, earning Submisson of the Night honors for his rear naked choke win over Raphael Assuncao.

While I was skeptical of the performance we would see from the returning former champion, Faber left no doubt in my mind that he is still the dynamic force who ruled the Featherweight division, and a legitimate threat to Jose Aldo's title.

Whether he should be the first to challenge the new champ is up for debate, but that's a whole different article altogether.

7. If Jamie Varner Wants to Box, Give Him Kamal Shalorus

The former lightweight champ has caught some flak for his post-fight comments about Henderson wanting to grapple, not fight. Well, if Varner wants someone to stand-and-bang with, let him go 15 minutes with Kamal Shalorus.

His boxing is thoroughly unrefined, but the former Olympic wrestler hits like a sledgehammer and apparently has a chin make of granite. There wasn't a single minute in his decisive win over Dave Jansen where "The Prince of Persia" stopped coming forward.

Shalorus would hold an edge in the wrestling department, but Varner's more technical boxing and experience would make him the favorite.

The villain of the WEC lightweight division gets an opponent who will give him the fight he apparently craves, while the 32-year-old Shalorus would get a serious step up in competition.

8. Sadollah Continues to Improve and Impress

While the TUF 7 winner looked good in battering Phil Baroni at UFC 106, he was basically fighting a human punching bag after the first three minutes. Last night, Sadollah showed that his hard work and determination are paying off, as he took a unanimous decision from a very game Brad Blackburn.

As in the Baroni fight, Sadollah showed his strong Muay Thai skills and the stamina to offer up 15 minutes of action without a problem. That said, he also took a few shots along the way and needs to tighten up the defense a little, but it was a good performance nonetheless.

It will be interesting to see where the UFC goes next with Sadollah. The welterweight division is stacked with talent, and while two wins means a step up in competition is in order, the company should be careful with their charismatic fan favorite.

May I suggest someone in the Dong Hyun Kim / Yoshiyuki Yoshida range?

9. Mike Brown Deserves Better

I know I said this is an entirely different article waiting to happen - and it will be, I promise - but watching Faber talk up an all-but-certain title fight with Jose Aldo made it impossible not to address the double standard former champion Mike Brown is now forced to deal with.

Yes, Faber vs. Aldo makes sense on a number of levels, but in terms of "How's that right?" one has to wonder how Brown isn't given an opportunity to reclaim the belt he held for a year - and took from Faber - when "The California Kid" gets the same opportunity every other fight?

Life most certainly isn't fair, and Faber is the wise business decision, but still...

10. Great Job by The Score Sunday Night

Canada's Home for the Hardcore began their partnership with the WEC on Sunday and did a tremendous job.

Before picking up the Versus feed of the fights, Mauro Ranallo hosted an hour-long preview show that introduced a number of the fighters on the card to the Canadian viewers, as well as showed portion of some of fights that setup the night's bouts.

They also ran through a segment outlining the major players in the WEC divisions, something essential for future events. Knowing who to watch for in coming WEC events is what will help grow the brand, and make household names out of stars like Brian Bowles, Miguel Torres and Mike Brown.











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UFC 108: 10 Things We Learned Last Night

1. Rashad Evans MUST Use His Wrestling

Over the first two rounds, the former light heavyweight champion kept Thiago Silva off balance, blending his quick hands with powerful takedowns. The first ten minutes of the bout were all Evans, and the frustrated look on Silva's face said it all.

Two things in Round 3 seemed to stop Evans' approach: first, Silva actually stuffed a takedown attempt, and secondly, the Brazilian began taunting Rashad as if the former Michigan State star had been avoiding him all night. Don't worry, we'll get to that soon.

For whatever reason, Evans stopped utilizing his tremendous shot, and nearly lost the fight as a result. Silva landed a heavy-handed counter that rocked Rashad, though he failed to capitalize and the former champ came away with a unanimous 29-28 decision.

The Rashad Evans from the first two rounds is a fighter who can be successful again in the UFC light heavyweight division. His great wrestling base combined with the speed and power of his hands can keep opponents guessing. But when they don't have to guess and Evans decides to stand-and-trade, he's playing with fire.

Last night, he almost got burned.

2. Thiago Silva Deserves All the Criticism He's About to Receive

Let me start by asking how a guy can be down two rounds, walk into the center of the cage and taunt his opponent the way Silva did Evans?

Dude, you had done absolutely nothing up until that point and you're gesticulating to the crowd and Evans as if he needs to bring the fight to you? In the words of Keyshawn Johnson on NFL Countdown, "C'MON MAN!"

What makes it even worse is that once Silva connected with a counter right that gave Evans a severe case of the rubber legs, Silva pounced... for like 12 seconds. Then he backed away, caught his breath, and gave his dazed and confused opponent all the time he needed to regroup enough to secure the victory.

Welcome to life as a dangerous, but fatally flawed gatekeeper. Keith Jardine will be happy to show you around.

3. Nothing Like Spoiled Fans Who Have to Bitch About Everything

Gotta love that there are scores of fans out there this morning calling Rashad Evans everything from a coward to boring and back again following his win over Thiago Silva.

This is what kills me about some fans of this sport and makes me want to shake them violently. Even after a solid night of fights, they have to find something to bitch about.

While we all love watching a slugfest, that 30-second stretch in the third round showed why Rashad Evans trading punches all night long with Thiago Silva was a horrible idea.

Do these same people who are calling Rashad a coward for not boxing with Silva all night say the same about GSP when he drags everyone to the ground over and over and over again?

4. Worst. Idea. Ever.

Let's say you're Dustin Hazelett.

You're set to face a guy nicknamed after a Special Forces explosive who everyone knows is lethal on his feet, and suspect on the ground. While your striking has improved, you're still much, much better on the ground, as you own a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu.

When you're the grappler in a "Grappler vs. Striker" matchup, why in the name of everything right in the word would you think that standing with the striker and not even trying to bring the fight to the ground would be a good approach?

That's right - it isn't, it wasn't and it never will be.

Did you think everyone was just clowning when they told you standing with Paul Daley was bad for your health?

5. Daley vs. Koscheck is Going to be Fun

My colleague Brian Oswald opined that this fight needs to happen following Dana White's comments at the post-event press conference last night.

With just about everyone else in the welterweight division otherwise occupied, there is a very good chance that the dangerous Daley and always game Koscheck will meet in the very near future, and it's going to be awesome.

First, the war of words is going to be extremely entertaining. Both are championship-caliber smack talk artists and have never met a microphone they didn't like. While it won't get personal like Dan Hardy and Marcus Davis, expect some bon mots from both men.

Second, the fight itself will be violent.

If they stand? Fireworks.

On the canvas? Ground and pound fireworks.

If they fought this fight after jumping out of an airplane? Aerial fireworks.

This would be a tremendous third fight on the UFC 112 show from Abu Dhabi, tentatively featuring Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort in the main event, and Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie in the two hole.

6. Sam Stout Looked Great. Period. End Sentence.

A lot of people are adding "but you have to remember that Joe Lauzon was coming off knee surgery blah blah blah blah blah" on the end of that sentence this morning, and that is unfair to Sam Stout.

Yes, Lauzon was seeing his first action in 11 months and we've seen in the past that fighters coming back from that kind of injury (torn MCL) need roughly 18 months to get back to full strength (example: Shogun), but let's not take anything away from Sam Stout.

The London, Ontario native - and friend of Keyboard Kimura - weathered an early storm, one which included a wild, diving kimura attempt, to pick apart Lauzon for the final two-and-a-half rounds.

Was Lauzon tired? Absolutely, but doesn't detract from the crisp boxing and precision attack Stout delivered.

Interesting to see where each fighter goes from here.

7. Tweet of the Night

Next time you find yourself saying "Just give Striker X a year or two to work on the ground game...", think of Bang Ludwig. He's had nine.

That bit of wisdom courtesy of Sherdog's Jordan Breen, summing up the Jim Miller submission of Duane "Bang" Ludwig as succinctly as possible.

By the way: Miller did exactly what he had to do, and his comments at the end of the fight were 100% on point.

8. What More Does dos Santos Have to Do?

A full-length version of this point is coming soon, but the abridgment goes like this:

In four fights, "Cigano" has laid out Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop and Gilbert Yvel.

Say what you want about each of those four fighters, but cumulatively, there isn't a single heavyweight in the UFC who has put together a four-fight run as destructive and impressive as dos Santos has delivered.

9. Really Cole?

The reverse triangle / kimura combo submission of Dan Lauzon was pretty nice, but should you really be running over to the cage, shouting to Dana White, "I told you I'd kick his ass?"

After all, the guy (Dan Lauzon) did floor you and have you on the ropes at one point.

Turns out the American Top Team member had no recollection of getting dropped by Lauzon.

Maybe next time you have a little humility and wait to watch the replay before making yourself look like an idiot on live television.

All the awesomeness of your submission and great show of sportsmanship after the tap went out the window with your ill-advised words to White.

Sidenote: I really want to know what Dana's reaction was. If it were me, the words, "Sure thing, Slick" would have been all I could muster without bursting into laughter.

10. For a Lackluster PPV, We Saw Nine Quality Fights

While there was no way to know this going into the broadcast, anyone who invested $49.99 from the comfort of their own home last night (example: me) got to see nine entertaining bouts, although watching the Prelims Live special on Spike meant you saw four of those fights twice.

Still, just as a couple of the supposedly "lackluster" cards from the UFC Fall / Winter schedule had done before it, UFC 108 delivered some great performances, a number of stoppages and a quality broadcast all things considered.

Would it have been even more awesome if the scads of fighters originally slated to compete on the card could have been involved? Absolutely, but you can only play the hand you're dealt, and the UFC came through with a nice hand last night if you ask me.








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MMA Super Saturday: 10 Things We Learned Last Night

1. The Embodiment of "Puncher's Chance" and "Anything Can Happen"

Scott Smith may want to add "Head of Stone" to his "Hands of Steel" nickname, as once again last night, the veteran slugger survived two-plus rounds of beating to emerge victorious after landing a monster power shot.

Just as he did against Benji Radach earlier in the year, Smith came from way behind on the cards to drop Cung Le, handing the San Shou star his first professional fighting loss ever and simultaneously throwing a big ol' monkey wrench into the Strikeforce star system. More on that one later.

This is the awesomeness and awkwardness of Smith all in one; he can literally knock just about anyone out and change a fight with one punch, but he can also look very much like the journeyman who has bounced around from the UFC to EliteXC and now to Strikeforce as well.

He'll always give you an exciting fight, but he might also knockout one of your biggest stars in the process, only to follow it up by getting his dominated the next time around.

2. Falling Strikeforce Stars

While Strikeforce has made great strides this year and has a number of emerging stars on their roster, three of their top of the marquee fighters have fallen this year and that can't sit all that well with Scott Coker.

Frank Shamrock returned from his broken arm to get decimated by Nick Diaz. Though Diaz is a popular fighter in his own right, his reluctance to fight in the State of California due to his enjoyment of marijuana limits his possibilities.

Gina Carano got clobbered by Cris "Cyborg" Santos, who left the "Face of Women's MMA" bloodied and battered. With a reported starring role in Steven Soderbergh's Knockout in her future, when the beautiful Body Issue cover girl will reappear in the cage is anyone's guess.

Now Cung Le falls to Scott Smith.

While Strikeforce has done a great job to spin Santos as the dominant fighter she is and worked to make new stars out of Gegard Mousasi and Jake Shields, and bring in established stars like Dan Henderson, losing three main event fighters in the span of nine months is challenging.

3. "Cowboy" Needs to Clean It Up

There is no question in my mind that the knees landed by Donald Cerrone to the manhood of Ed "9mm" Ratcliff last night were unintentional.

But drilling an opponent in the pills enough times to merit two point deductions combined with Cerrone's illegal knee against Jamie Varner make me think this isn't just a series of freak occurrences.

It's not that I think Cerrone is dirty; we're not looking at the MMA version of Andrew Golota or anything like that, but rather a fighter who is sloppy and fights too fast at times.

Cleaning things up can come from taking a deep breath every now and again, and properly measuring opponents. Cerrone seems to fight a fraction of a second ahead of his mind at times, rattling off a string of moves that end up getting messy simply because he's trying to do too much.

The skill and technique is there - it just needs to be cleaned up.

4. Time for a Rematch

Two and a half years ago in Colorado's Ring of Fire promotion, Donald Cerrone and Anthony Njokuani locked horns, with Cerrone securing a triangle submission late in the first round.

Now, both men reside near the top of the WEC lightweight food chain and after Njokuani's third consecutive win last night (and third consecutive Knockout of the Night award I might add), the two need to get in the cage together again to determine the #1 contender for the soon-to-be-unified lightweight title.

An interesting wrinkle to the bout is that both men have lost to Ben Henderson, so the possible promotional angles moving forward have already written themselves. Not only would the fans be treated to another great fight and the victorious fighter come away with a title shot, but the WEC would have an easily marketed Main Event no matter which way things turned out.

All we need is for Reed Harris to make it happen.

5. Speaking of Rematches...

Expect there to be a Melendez - Thomson 3 in the future.

And by "expect," I mean that I would bet one of my kidneys on the fact that the two best lightweights competing under the Strikeforce banner will face-off in an rubber match somewhere down the line.

Each holds a Unanimous Decision win and a trilogy fight would be an easy sell. The only question is timing; do you put them right back in the cage together immediately to ensure the title is still up for grabs or do you give it time, letting each fighter earn a win or two in the interim?

Strikeforce is hopeful to get DREAM star Shinya Aoki into the promotion for a future event, so chances are that the Japanese grappling sensation would need to be in a title fight to make the trip worthwhile, so chances are the 17-2 Melendez will be dangled as his potential opponent.

Personally, I'd like to see Thomson get another fight under his belt before taking on "El Nino" for a third time. As admirably as "The Punk" performed last night, there is always a certain amount of ring rust that needs to be shaken off after spending 15 months on the shelf.

Make Melendez - Aoki happen, give Thomson another tough fight and then put them together 8-12 months from now to resolve this thing.

6. Is "Jacare" That Good?

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza looked superb in submitting Matt "The Law" Lindland in the first round last night, but the question for me is whether "Jacare" is as tremendous as he looked or did he dominate an aging fighter on the downside of his career?

The correct answer is probably somewhere in the middle.

Souza showed why he is considered one of the best BJJ players in the sport in executing his gameplan perfectly once the fight hit the floor, but Lindland's failed takedown attempt early on also showed that the best days of Matt Lindland are definitely behind him.

"The Law" has now dropped two fights in a row and hasn't made it out of the first round in either. While he used to be one of the best in the sport, those days are passed. He's still competitive when given the right matchup and certainly is a credible name to have on the Strikeforce roster, but a title contender he is not.

On the other hand, "Jacare" most certainly is and should be in the conversation about who gets a crack at the middleweight title after the rumored Shields - Henderson bout in April.

Between now and then, Souza certainly has some unfinished business with Jason "Mayhem" Miller that could be promoted as a solid second or third fight on a future Showtime card.

7. Miguel Torres' Next Opponent is...

Either Joseph Benavidez or Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen, both of whom emerged victorious from tough bantamweight challenges last night.

Benavidez stopped submission specialist Rani Yahya early, while Jorgensen rode a dominant first round to a Unanimous Decision (29-28 across the board) win over Takeya Mizugaka, putting both fighters into the title picture and as possible challengers for the returning former champ.

Jorgensen is riding a two-fight winning streak and has been working his way up the ladder, meaning he is certainly the more deserving of the two, but look for Benavidez to get the spot opposite Torres thanks to his finish of Yahya and allegiances with Team Alpha Male and Urijah Faber.

8. "King Mo" Is Like Oxy...

He takes care of whiteheads... fast!

Yes, I went there, and just as he had said he would when he tweet'ed the fight announcement, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal popped Mike Whitehead, knocking the tough veteran out three minutes into the first round.

With his entertaining entrances, over-the-top bravado and seven consecutive victories, it's going to be hard to slow the "King Mo" hype train, but Strikeforce would be wise to preserve one of their emerging prospects for a while, rather than throw him to the wolves right away.

There are tougher fights and then there are tough-as-nails fights. For now, Lawal needs the former, not the latter.

Putting him in with Mousasi this quick would squander a prospect and potential star, while Renato "Babalu" Sobral presents a potential loss and nowhere else to go should Lawal emerge victorious.

Instead, why not get the charismatic and cocky Lawal some more national exposure? The challenge will be finding fights that are credible.

9. Two Cards in One Night is Too Much

I understand counter-programming and that things like this are going to happen from time-to-time, but it doesn't really help anyone, least of all the overall sport itself.

Coverage has to be split between two events, fans get split between two events and while both did very good numbers at the gate (and I expect them to have done the same on television), a lot of fans and community members were left watching one show on their DVR instead of getting to catch both live.

Additionally, I like the WEC on Sunday nights as they have done numerous times in the past. It is a nice little niche, can work in piggy-backing a UFC event, scoring viewers off promotion during the UFC broadcast, and keeps Saturday nights like yesterday from happening.

10. As Great a Night as Last Night Was in the Cage...

It doesn't compare to having a great night with my wife.

Terrific day out and about Victoria, tremendous birthday dinner at a local seafood joint, gourmet cupcakes (including candles) instead of cake and laughing hysterically throughout The Hangover...

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl and thanks for a great night!

(photo courtesy of the outstanding Esther Lin)











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UFC 107: 10 Things We Learned Last Night

1. Best. Lightweight. Ever.

If there was ever any doubt (and there shouldn't have been in all honesty), BJ Penn made it abundantly clear within the first 45 seconds of his fight with Diego Sanchez that he is simply on another level than everyone else at 155 pounds.

In each of his last two title defenses, we've heard the build up of the challenger being a great test for the champion, and each time, said challenger was thoroughly dismantled by Penn. There isn't a lightweight in the world who can hang with Penn, and there hasn't been one better in the history of the sport.

Not Aoki, not Pulver, not Gomi, not anybody. BJ Penn is the best lightweight ever and one of the greatest fighters of all-time.

2. Now What?

Each of his last two opponents were supposed to have the skills to be a challenge and potentially end the reign of the kid from Hilo. Both those men were sent home with their tails between their legs.

After dominating Diego Sanchez last night, there isn't a sole lightweight who could honestly challenge BJ Penn remaining in the UFC. Not because there aren't some talented fighters in the division, but because Penn is a transcendent talent.

Where things go from here is anybody's guess.

Personally, I have no interest in seeing BJ Penn move up to welterweight, as Dana White recently said the lightweight champion would have to start at the bottom and work his way to another title shot.

Joe Rogan tossed out Shinya Aoki's name last night, but that isn't going to happen. In addition to being contracted to DREAM, if "The Tobikan Judan" is fighting in the United States, it will be with Strikeforce. And let's be honest: Penn would smash Aoki.

Keep dominating and defending the belt; a year from now, Kenny Florian will be due for another title shot and then we'll see if the third time is the charm.

3. Even in a Bloody Defeat, Diego Sanchez Impresses

For all the jokes and ribbing aside - from the YES! routine to the greatest mean face in the history of mean faces - Diego Sanchez is one tough kid.

Less than a minute into the biggest fight of his life, he was rocked and made painfully aware of what a long and painful night it was going to be. But he just kept coming and coming and coming and coming.

His unbreakable spirit looked broken at the start of each of the championship rounds, yet Sanchez kept walking out to the center of the Octagon. We've seen fighters, including Penn himself, call it quits and give up, but that just isn't a part of Diego Sanchez' makeup.

While he was completely dominated and left beaten and bloody, Diego Sanchez showed the heart of a champion and deserves some recognition today.

4. "Water is Wet"

Yes, Frank Mir quickly disposed of Cheick Kongo, connecting with a big punch before putting the French kickboxer to sleep with a guillotine inside of 90 seconds.

But going into that fight, who didn't know that Frank Mir was going to submit Cheick Kongo pretty damn quickly? Mir is a great submission fighter and Kongo has a pretty horrible ground game, so Mir earning a win by submission is about as shocking as learning that water is wet.

Now, what was impressive and a new development stemming from this bout was the recreated Frank Mir. Holy weight training, Batman!

While I would still pick a 100% healthy Brock Lesnar in their eventual trilogy fight, Mir looks to be a bigger, stronger version of the guy who submitted the current champ in his UFC debut and that could prove problematic, not only for Lesnar, but for everyone else in the division as well.

5. Jon Fitch Needs to Evolve

While partial credit certainly goes to Mike Pierce for putting up a great effort and nearly ending things in the final minute of the third round, Fitch came away with another Jon Fitch victory, earning two-of-three rounds on all three scorecards to move his record to 11-1 in the UFC and 21-3 (1 No Contest) overall.

That said, I don't know if there is a more frustrating 21-3 fighter in all of Mixed Martial Arts. Though his blue collar, Purdue Boilermaker, grind-it-out style makes him an easy-to-appreciate every man, Jon Fitch needs to evolve.

The guy who won last night wouldn't get passed Thiago Alves and his original opponent, Ricardo Almeida, would surely have been a stiff test as well. His boxing needs improvement, from both an offensive and defensive standpoint, as does his overall strength and power.

Interestingly enough, the blueprint has been laid by his teammate, Josh Koscheck. An equally gifted wrestler, though a better overall athlete than Fitch, Koscheck has developed a solid striking game and more power under the watchful eyes of Bob Cook and Dave Camarillo, and Fitch needs to do the same.

6. Lovable? Yes. A Legitimate Contender? No.

Such is life for Clay Guida.

The fans love him and rightfully so; he puts on an exciting fight 99 times out of 100, has crazy hair and energy, let's out monster burps when they're checking his cuts and sings his walkout song on the way to the cage.

That said, he's a gatekepper and nothing more.

Ten fights into his UFC career, he's 5-5 and never beaten a top ranked guy. He's tested them, challenged them and given them fits, but in the end, he's come out on the losing end.

Entertaining the crowd is one thing, but to be considered a contender, you have to beat other contenders and that's not been the case for Clay Guida thus far.

7. Kenny Florian Should Face Diego Sanchez Again

Now that they're both fighting in the weight class they belong in and have grown as fighters, let's get the rematch from The Ultimate Fighter Season One on a card in 2010.

This just makes sense on so many levels.

Sanchez certainly won't want to drop too far down the ladder in terms of his next opponent, and Florian needs to keep beating top level competition if he hopes to earn a third title shot. Mix in their rivalry from TUF 1, and the improvement both have made since their time on the show and you have everything you need to sell this fight.

Besides, I want to see another Florian fight before I officially gush about the improvements that were already noticeable last night. Better boxing, better gameplan, and better execution.

In my opinion, that was the best Kenny Florian we've seen yet.

8. With Time, Stefan Struve Could Be a Handful

While some will certainly speculate about the outcome (I'm not fussed either way...), last night's win over Paul Buentello showed me that with more development and a little added meat on them bones, Stefan Struve will eventually be a very difficult opponent for his fellow UFC heavyweights.

Just because of his height alone, Struve is already a tough test. For starters, it's not like there are a ton of nearly 7-foot MMA fighters with good kickboxing and submission skills to train with in preparation.

What struck me the most was that it has taken this long for Struve to begin utilizing his kickboxing in the UFC, as his barrage of leg kicks in the third round clearly hurt Buentello and could be a very useful tool in not only weakening his opponents, but keeping distance.

Now, he certainly needs to clean up his striking, as a blind man looking the other way would have seen that flying knee coming and it almost got him knocked out. Though he survived, we've seen him (a) get cut up a couple times, (b) be prone to leaving his chin out there to get belted despite having a ridiculous height advantage on everyone and (c) straying from his strengths to stand-and-trade.

He's got room to add 20 pounds before reaching the 265 pound limit, and given that he's just 21-years-old, he's sure to fill out in the future. If he does, and he cleans up his all-around game, "The Skyscraper" could have a very bright future.

9. Dear Alan Belcher...

White boy's with cornrows barely works on Urijah Faber, and "The California Kid" you are not.

Pink shorts don't work on anybody. Period. End of Sentence.

So what makes you think that combining the two is a good look?

You looked like the scrawny, pasty white kid in Take the Lead who put his red-headed afro into 'rows for the big dance competition.

Yes - I've seen Take the Lead and can remember way too many of the details. Tell me something I don't already know...

"The Talent" looked okay in his win over a clearly out of shape, ten-pounds-over-the-limit Wilson Gouveia, but not good enough to warrant declaring he wants that belt with Joe Rogan post-fight.

He gets punched in the face far too much for my liking right now and isn't that far removed from losses to both Jason Day and Kendall Grove for me to take him seriously as a contender.

Personally, I'd love to see Belcher hook up with Mark DellaGrotte and Team Sityodtong. Belcher has a great deal of potential and is just 25, so there is time and room to grow as a fighter. Sometimes all a guy needs is the help of a great teacher, and DellaGrotte would be the right match in my opinion.

10. 5-0 on the Main Card, 2-4 in the Prelims

Clearly, I need to invest more time and energy into picking the preliminary bouts.

Though some will certainly point out that the pay-per-view portion pretty much ended up going down as many believed it would, I'd like to point out my string of three consecutive "dead-on predictions" in the Florian / Fitch / Mir bouts that would have turned into a four-pack had BJ Penn's shin not tore Diego Sanchez' forehead apart.

Yes, this is my Barry Horowitz moment where I pat myself on the back.

Now that it's over - man did my prelim picks suck!

Wilson Gouveia came in fat and got dropped, Matt Wiman dominated Shane Nelson (who needs to drop to '45 immediately), "Toquinho" submitted Lucio Linhares and DaMarquis Johnson fought off a submission attempt to choke out Edgar Garcia.

Still, 7-4 isn't all that bad.

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10 Things We Learned from the TUF 10 Finale

1. Roy Nelson, Ultimate Fighter

"Big Country" was the big favorite heading in to Season 10 and made all those who were betting the chalk come away winners, as the former IFL champion knocked out Brendan Schaub to claim the six-figure contract and entry into the UFC.

For those who have lamented Nelson's fat belly tactics, this fight showed there is far more in the arsenal of the newest member of the UFC family than smothering his opponents with his Burger King belly.

What comes next for Nelson will be interesting; he is a legitimate Top 25 heavyweight with a fairly complete game, so if ever there was a TUF winner who could be thrown to the fire without concern, it's Nelson. Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos both need opponents...

2. Despite the DQ, Jon Jones Looked Awesome

The letter of the law was rightfully enforced and instant replay was used for the first time to determine the decision, resulting in the first loss of Jon Jones' career.

That said, damn did that boy look good!

Two things I especially liked that might go unmentioned amidst the disqualification / rules / unnecessary complaining about Steve Mazzagatti: one, Jones shock off that early Hamill single leg pretty easily, which is impressive as hell and two, that sequence of clinch / takedown / mount / beatdown was as fluid as I've seen in a while and the kid is only 22.

You can officially remove the prospect tag from Jon Jones; he's no longer a future contender. The future is now.

3. About That Ruling

As I said, the letter of the law was followed and it resulted in "Bones" Jones being disqualified.

Personally, I understand the ruling and won't ramble on about things too much, other than to say that while the elbow certainly landed and did damage, Hamill was done. He apparently broke his shoulder, so that probably had a thing or two to do with his inability to continue.

Hypothetically speaking, if the elbow doesn't occur and Hamill makes it through the round, he doesn't get off the stool to start the second round. While the ruling was by the book, it will go down as one of those "he lost, but not really" type deals.

4. Apparently I Have No Idea How to Score Fights

See, I had the Kimbo - Houston Alexander fight 29-28 Alexander with Kimbo obviously earning the nod in Round 2. As for the other two rounds, I'm not sure how he takes either of them, yet alone both on one judges' card.

Round 1 saw Kimbo do absolutely nothing for more than half the round, while Alexander did the bare minimum, throwing a couple leg kicks. Neither fighter gained any real dominant position or landed any serious blows, so Alexander gets a boring 10-9 for initiating with the crappy leg kicks.

To me, Round 3 had two big moments: the one where Alexander knocked Kimbo down with a leg kick, leaving Kimbo in obvious discomfort on the ground and the late elbow Kimbo ate to close the round. Everything else was kind of a wash, with both guys gassed and failing to land anything really serious. Another 10-9 for "The Assassin" on my card.

Apparently, I saw something different than the three people sitting cage side charged with scoring the fight. Despite my lack of judging certification, I'm not sure I'm the one who got it wrong.

5. More Kimbo to Come

Kimbo winning was honestly my worst nightmare come to life, because it means we're going to be forced to endure more Kimbo Mania courtesy of the UFC.

Since more people are interested in watching Kimbo fight just about anyone than the best heavyweight in the sport battle an undefeated up-and-comer, Kimbo will continue to take up featured space on Fight Night cards and perhaps pay-per-view events moving forward.

My question to the UFC is: Who do you force feed to him now?

Houston Alexander was supposed to be the perfect opponent, and that just backfired miserably.

My early prediction: Seth Petruzelli and tons of people will tune in for no apparent reason.

6. Isn't Heavyweight 206 and Up?

Last I checked, that was how it worked, so why exactly was this considered a catchweight bout?

I know the answer is that they agreed to an upper weight limit, but honestly, since we knew neither guy was going to come in super huge (Kimbo had fought around 235 max previously), why not just do this at heavyweight?

Alexander will continue to fight at light heavyweight, though this performance may be his swan song with the UFC, where Kimbo fights in the future is a mystery. He apparently hated trying to cut weight all week, but being a smaller heavyweight isn't a great idea these days.

Unless the UFC decides to go forward with the oft-discussed "middle heavyweight division," Kimbo is going to have to get used to cutting weight or take his chances against the big boys.

Neither sound all that appealing to me.

7. Frankie Edgar: Good Win, Glaring Weakness

I absolutely love the guy, but Matt Veach further illuminated the blueprint for beating Frankie Edgar before "The Answer" ended things early in the second round.

Bigger fighters, especially bigger wrestlers, can manhandle the smaller Edgar. We saw it in the Gray Maynard fight and we saw it both times the larger-framed Veach picked Edgar up and slammed him to the canvas.

Seeing Veach make like Matt Hughes on the first slam makes me want to see Edgar win one more fight before getting a title shot, against either Tyson Griffin or Gray Maynard. Beat a guy who can dominate you on the ground and you've earned your title shot.

8. Count Me Out for Season 11

Honestly, when Dana White said, "The fans want to see them fight again" in reference to the freshly-announced coaches of The Ultimate Fighter's 11th season Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, I shook my head and asked, "What fans?"

I'm a fan and I have no interest in seeing a third fight between the two for a number of reasons:

1. Liddell is up 2-0, so it's not like we need a rubber match.
2. It does nothing for the division or the company, so I don't really care who wins.
3. It'll be 2010 when they finally meet, also known as nearly three years since either guy won a goddamn fight.

At least they're not tying up a title, but this is enough for me to officially submit my "reboot the franchise or I'm not watching anymore" statement for Dana White's consideration.

9. Things Are Getting a Little Sloppy

My wife actually brought this up during the James McSweeney - Darrill Schoonover fight and I think she's right.

Just in this fight alone we saw McSweeney almost fire a big knee to his downed opponent, run his fingers over Schoonover's eyes, prompting a warning from Josh Rosenthal, and deliver an elbow after the bell to the base of the neck.

Personally, a lot of it is the fighter's themselves, the heat of the moment and the timing of blows, but part of it, at least I think, goes to the emergence of so many organizations and the tough guy image too many people buy into because they're MMA fighters / wear Affliction gear.

Accidents happen and I understand that, but there is a part of me that can help but think that some of the traditional values of Martial Arts are being left behind as more and more people flock to the sport.

Respect for your opponent and the quest to prove your dominance and honor your style and team is losing ground to talking the most trash and being the toughest douche bag in the room who can't always be expected to remember the rules.

Just something to think about courtesy of my wife and her ever-expanding knowledge of the sport. And yes, I know I'm a lucky man.

10. The Pro Wrestling Tie-In

I have to acknowledge it.

While I know TNA Wrestling also broadcasts on Spike TV and using the UFC platform to push just about anything makes sense, putting Mixed Martial Arts next to Professional Wrestling doesn't sit all that well with me.

Having Hulk Hogan on the broadcast accomplishes what for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts? Sure it bumps the numbers for TNA a little for the next couple weeks and helps them announce their intentions to start up a new version of "The Monday Night Wars" with the WWE, but nowhere in there did I say anything about the UFC gaining anything.

Because they don't.

Additionally, people have already and will resume talking about the pro wrestling connections should all the Shane McMahon rumors ever come to fruition and people keep referring to Brock Lesnar as a "heel" like he's playing a bad guy in the WWE.

I know why they did it and the UFC certainly has to continue to shill everything under the sun for Spike TV, but just know that this left me feeling a little dirty.







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UFC 106: 10 Things We Learned Last Night

1. Best Entrance Music Ever

Before breaking down the fights, let's get one thing clear: the choice of "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba as Forrest Griffin's entrance song was awesome.

Coming off an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Anderson Silva, there was no better song for Griffin to walk out to than one whose chorus states, "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down."

Well played, Forrest Griffin. Well played.

2. Play It Again, Sam

Chances are, we'll see Forrest - Tito 3 somewhere down the road, just because it's (a) 1-1 in their series and you have to have a winner and (b) both these guys bring in the crowds and would make for a great #2 or #3 fight on a stacked card.

While it might not be warranted in some people's estimations because Griffin was clearly the victor last night while Ortiz eeked out a decision in their first fight, they seem to enjoy fighting each other and matchup well against one another, so why not do it again down the road?

You have to admit: this was far better than Ortiz vs. Coleman would have been.

3. Sorry Tito, But You Missed the Evolutionary Bus

No, I'm not saying Tito is a caveman or anything disparaging when it comes to the real world application of the word evolution. But in terms of Mixed Martial Arts, Tito missed the bus in a big, big way.

Back when Tito dominated the 205 pound division, being outstanding at one skill could propel you to numerous victories and Tito was a prime example. His wrestling was tremendous and few could defend his double leg takedown. From there, a little Tito ground and pound and the fight was done.

But we're creeping up on 2010 and being one dimensional isn't going to cut it today. Even a guy like Forrest who started out as a brawler has evolved, tightening up his striking, adding some Muay Thai and developing a very underrated ground game under Robert Drysdale.

If Tito wants to have any success moving forward, he's going to have to disprove the theory that you can't teach and old dog new tricks.

4. Not Quite Ready to Rumble

He's close, but Anthony Johnson just isn't quite there yet and Josh Koscheck showed that last night, by utilizing his strong wrestling base and superior submission skills to force the Cung Le protegee to tap in the second round of their much-anticipated bout.

What a novel concept, using your strengths in accordance with your opponents weaknesses to earn a victory. Why didn't someone think of that sooner... or at least tell Jorge Gurgel?

Results aside, this was an ugly fight. Both guys got poked in the eye and we were extremely close to seeing the fight end in a disqualification thanks to Johnson's blatant and brutal knee of a downed Koscheck.

Regardless of what the replays showed and however you want to spin it, Johnson should know better and until those mental errors are erased and he develops his defensive skills against submissions, "Rumble" will remain an outstanding prospect who can't quite get over the hump.

5. That Was Fight of the Night?

As entertaining as the Koscheck - Johnson tilt was, am I the only one wondering how a fight filled with fouls and accidental eye gouging was awarded Fight of the Night?

My understanding of things is that the $60,000 bonus should go the bout that provided the most action throughout or was the most evenly contested fight of the evening, not a scrap that didn't see the third round and was stopped repeatedly for rest and regaining clear vision.

Griffin - Ortiz and Thiago - Volkmann were far more deserving of the money in my books, but these aren't my books we're talking about.

6. Speaking of Jacob Volkmann...

Two things I liked from the debuting Minnesota Martial Arts Academy welterweight:

1. His nickname

As Joe Rogan said, we have enough pitbulls and spiders and guys with menacing names who are far from menacing, so now we have a guy his friends call "Christmas" and I love it. Even better is that it comes from his ever-so-slight resemblance to Jim Carrey's character "Lloyd Christmas" in Dumb & Dumber.

2. D'Arce Choke off His Back

Yeah, you don't see that one every day, especially against a guy who is known for having a great jiu jitsu game of his own. While he was able to secure the choke enough and score the win, pulling moves like that out is certainly a glimmer of hope for future fights with the UFC.

7. The Best Part of Phil Baroni's Performance...

... was his entrance.

Honestly, someone needs to tell me why Baroni was given an opportunity to collect whatever money he made last night while countless fighters are denied chances to fight pay-per-view cards or even fight in the UFC at all.

Remember, the UFC re-signed "The New York Bad Ass" after Strikeforce had released him, so it's not like he was a big-name talent who could have helped the competition. This was brutal, just as everyone outside of the Baroni family knew it would be.

8. Sadollah Looked Solid

Actually, he looked more than solid. He looked strong and despite my history of ragging on the former Ultimate Fighter, I won't even qualify that with an "against the equivalent of a human punching bag in Phil Baroni."

His Muay Thai was terrific; powerful kicks and well-placed elbows that would cut up anyone, and he showed a killer instinct to keep pushing the fight when he clearly could have coasted through the final round.

While the memory of the Johny Hendricks fight still lingers, it's not as salient and I look forward to seeing what's next for Sadollah.

9. Introducing Antonio Rogerio "Minotouro" Nogueira

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Lil' Nog. Nog meet the UFC fan base.

This was one of the best debuts I can remember, as Nogueira made quick and easy work of a very game opponent in Luis Cane, showing those who were unaware that there are two talented Nogueiras in the game.

Unlike Koscheck - Johnson, Rogerio was more than deserving of his $60,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night and the rest of the light heavyweight division has officially been put on notice that a new knockout artist has arrived.

10. Still A Couple Judging Questions

As always, there are a couple points of discussion concerning scorecards and judges.

a) Did anyone else think Phil Baroni won a round besides the one judge who scored it 29-28?
b) I still don't know how you can have a fight scored 30-27 Griffin and 29-28 Ortiz...
c) If ever there were a 10-8 round it was Round 3, right? Ortiz did zero...

While there are always going to be a couple questions, at least we didn't have a main event that yielded a controversial decision!

On to The Ultimate Finale!







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UFC 105: 10 Things We Learned Last Night

1. Time to Fix Things... And Fast

Controversial decision aren't good for business and the UFC has had back-to-back main events end with a lot of people questioning the results, and it obvious that the current issues with judging need to be dealt with, quickly.

This one comes down to the weight of different criteria - Randy Couture's "Octagon Control" versus the "Damage Done" by Brandon Vera, with a sprinkling of takedowns for seasoning.

While Couture certainly forced Vera up against the cage for a large portion of the fight, you can't stop a guy by holding him against the cage. However, you can stop him with powerful kicks to the body that send him to the ground wincing.

Additionally, Couture's takedown is nullified by the fact that he kept Vera there for nine seconds, unlike the time Vera took Couture to the floor and mounted him. While it was brief, it's still a dominant position and I was under the impression that those things scored points?

2. That Being Said, Part I

Say hello to another shining example of why you don't let fights go to the judges.

Finishing a fight is far easier said than done; it's not like you can just walk in there and punch Randy Couture in the face and call it a night. That being said, the judges have screwed things up before and seem to be doing it more frequently, so why take the chance?

While you can't throw caution to the wind and go full-out on offense, pouncing when your opponent is hurt and trying to stay in advantageous positions is far better than having your heart broken when the three men at ringside didn't see it the same way you did.

3. That Being Said, Part II

Can we finally stop thinking that Brandon Vera is going to put it all together and live up to the ridiculous boasts he made early in his career? He's just not that good.

While I still think he won the fight, when it's clear you're getting the best of it when you're in space, how in the name of all things right in the world do you continually end up in the clinch? Use your reach, get space, be the aggressor... all things that could have wrapped up a win for Brandon Vera.

But instead, he did only enough to make it tight and then sat on the steps of the cage dejected after the fight. Yes, the judges screwed up in my opinion, but Vera certainly could have done a whole lot more to keep that from happening.

Every time he's given an opportunity to move forward, he stalls. I didn't believe the Brandon Vera hype to begin with and I certainly won't be buying into it in the future.

4. "Quick" Swick Got Out Quicked

The guy with the fast hands got beat to the punch time and again last night, as Dan Hardy countered and combo'ed his way to a Unanimous Decision victory.

This fight showed how tight the middle tier of the UFC Welterweight division really is, as Swick was the favorite and higher-ranked fighter heading into the bout, while Hardy was seen by some as an overhyped British prospect who needed more seasoning.

Swick is still a considerable talent at 170 and will maintain his position in the four-through-ten range of the rankings, while Hardy showed he belongs in that area too. While this was a big win for Hardy, it did nothing to diminish the talents of Mike Swick.

The better man simply won.

5. To The Victor Go The Spoils?

Dana White had said the winner of the Dan Hardy - Mike Swick fight would face Georges St-Pierre, and there was GSP last night, dressed as sharp as ever, congratulating Hardy on his effort and beginning the promotion of their eventual clash.

As stated at Heavy.com, "Congratulations Dan... Enjoy the Beating."

This is what happens when the welterweight champ cleans out the division. While Dan Hardy has been impressive and earned his way into a match-up atop the marquee with GSP, he's at best #4 in the division and even that is stretching it.

Unfortunately, St-Pierre has dismantled everyone else in the last two years, so Hardy becomes next in line. While there is always an outside chance of pulling a Matt Serra, the greater likelihood is that GSP drags Hardy to the floor for five rounds and maintains his position of dominance in the division.

Some reward, huh?

6. The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!

Dan Hardy looked good. After he got tagged, Michael Bisping looked good. Ross Pearson looked real good. James Wilks looked solid in defeat and the Brits on the preliminary card all acquitted themselves pretty well too...

Perhaps this whole new wave of British MMA stars isn't just pomp and circumstance after all?

In addition to having a strong national showing, a battle for training camp supremacy has clearly started, as Team Rough House had an exceptional night with Hardy, Pearson and Andre Winner all earning wins.

While Wolfslair might still be the most well-known, another couple of nights like this and Rough House will certainly have something to say about that.

7. "The Real Deal" Indeed

Now, one fight certainly doesn't make a career, but Ross Pearson couldn't have had a better performance than his official UFC debut last night.

Before continuing, allow me: Holy crap was I wrong on that one!

Pearson destroyed Aaron Riley in every aspect, utilizing a great clinch, precise boxing and ending things with a devastating jumping knee to the face that split Riley wider than the doctors could consider reasonable, forcing the fight to be called.

While his ground game is still a question mark and something that will certainly be tested in the wrestling-heavy lightweight division, this kid lived up to his name, at least for last night.

8. The Hard Sell Never Really Works That Well

The UFC worked hard leading up to this fight to make Brandon Vera seem like a vaunted challenge for Randy Couture and that a win over Vera would send Couture into the upper echelon of the 205-pound division.

Ah... not so much.

Vera was Vera, Couture continued to look like Couture - capable but with limitations - and no one came away from that fight thinking, "You know? Randy Couture would be a handful for Lyoto Machida."

Even better, we're getting the hard sell on next weekend's main event too, as if Tito Ortiz's return and rematch with Forrest Griffin is something epic. If you hear a thunder of footsteps, chances are it's horses, not zebras... no matter how much the guide tells you it's zebras!

9. Brock Lesnar is Seriously Ill

This isn't about whether you like or dislike Brock Lesnar, so anyone interested in saying he has "chickenshititis" or is ducking Shane Carwin ... don't.

The guy is seriously ill and was rushed to the hospital recently. This isn't about fighting, this is about another human being dealing with whatever mysterious illness he has and getting better, not to fight again, but to live a normal life.

Minotauro Noguiera has additionally contracted staph again and will not be meeting Cain Velasquez at UFC 108. It's like he's gone back in time to play for the Cleveland Browns of two years ago...

Just kidding - get well soon, Big Nog!

10. Everyone Takes Aim When You're On Top

Whether it's as a fighter, in the business world or as a writer, if you're at the top of the heap, there are going to be a ton of people looking to cut you down.

Nothing you say or do will change the way your detractors feel about you, and no matter what you say, they'll find a way to spin it in their favor, call you out again and then tell you you're complaining for defending your position.

What's more is that they have suggestions galore about what you can do to improve, how you should act, what you should and shouldn't do, since pointing out your shortcomings or errors is easier than working to improve themselves.

People are going to believe whatever they want about you and more of them will try to cut you down than help build you up. All you can do is keep pushing forward for yourself and let the cards fall where they may.

Jealous Ones Still Envy... whether they like to admit it or not.

Image courtesy of UFC.com
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Strikeforce: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

1. This Picture Might Be Accurate

Anyone else would have been finished.

Broken nose on the very first punch, from a jab no less, before taking some serious ground and pound from a guy known explicitly for his big hands? We've seen talented fighters succumb to less.

But Fedor? The increasingly mythical entity that is "The Last Emperor" stood tall and remained calm, weathered the storm, landed some shots of his own and put an exclamation point on the evening with a precision knockout of Brett Rogers less than two minutes into Round 2.

More and more, Fedor is looking like an unbeatable fighting machine.

2. Brett Rogers is a Top 5 Heavyweight

After defeating Andrei Arlovski back in the June, Rogers' trainer Mike Reilly proclaimed his fighter to be a Top 5 Heavyweight, prompting a certain someone (read: we're talking about me here) to counter on Watch Kalib Run. Now, five months and a fight with Fedor later, let me assure you that Brett Rogers is a Top 5 heavyweight.

Results aside, Rogers busted up Fedor and showed the hands to put just about anyone into some serious trouble. What impresses me most about "The Grim" is where he can go from here.

Right now, he's still a brawler, but there is potential there to harness those hands and build a serious striker. Add in some semblance of a ground game - because there isn't one yet - and Brett Rogers could be deadly, and that's saying something, because he's already pretty damn dangerous.

3. 30 More Seconds and Mayhem is Champ

For all the talk about Jake Shields' phenomenal submission game, he was the one in the most danger last night.

While the Cesar Gracie student earned a Unanimous Decision and the Strikeforce Middleweight title, Jason "Mayhem" Miller came closest to finishing the fight with a very deep Rear Naked Choke at the close of the third round.

Had there been any more time in the round, we're talking about an upset and Mayhem is rolling with some new gold around his waist. Instead, we're talking about something we already knew: Jake Shields has zero - REPEAT ZERO - stand-up, no matter what he tries to tell everyone.

4. The Fans Booed a Grappling Match? Didn't Someone Say That Would Happen?

I remember, it was me, yesterday, when I was talking about The Jorge Gurgel Theory.

As if on cue, the action in the Shields - Mayhem match went to the ground and the chorus of complaints started ringing through the Sears Center. Admittedly, there were points in the action where it certainly was boring, but there were also some terrific scrambles and reversals and still the boos came crashing down.

If this is the way casual fans are going to react when a fight goes to the floor (and it is), pushing Jake Shields is going to be a tough task, 13-fight winning streak and shiny, gold belt or not.

5. Sokoudjou Added to the Dictionary

Sokoudjou (verb): the act where a person routinely looks good in their chosen profession before pulling a complete 180 and getting their ass handed to them.

Example: Mark Sanchez was on a roll in New York before he sokoudjoued against the Bills.

What makes it even harder to stomach is that Soko won the first round and looked good doing it; great balance, a couple nice throws, kept Mousasi from doing much damage, but then it was done.

My new question is whether it is a cardio issue or a "Sokoudjou simply quits" issue?

6. Mousasi is the Next Fedor

You can see it in his demeanor; both just look so calm and almost disinterested before the fight begins and once it's underway, nothing seems to phase them.

There are going to be those who jump all over this idea, citing Mousasi's lack of Top 10 opponents and that's fine. Renato Sobral is better than a lot of people give him credit for and the kid can only beat up whoever they put in front of him.

As stated earlier in the week: Gegard Mousasi will be considered the best MMA fighter on the planet inside the next three years.

7. Nothing Like Talking About the UFC

Here's an idea for the next Strikeforce card: have the announcers try even harder to advertise for the competition, and by "the announcers" I mean "the two guys who aren't Mauro Ranallo."

When you add up the GSP reference and talking about Sokoudjou losing to Machida with Johnson calling him something like "the emerging UFC superstar," the only thing missing was Brock Lesnar and some reference to Fedor avoiding the UFC like the plague.

Strikeforce presents: the prime-time UFC info-mercial with your host, Gus Johnson.

8. While We're on the Topic of Announcers...

Frank Shamrock has got to go.

Repeatedly saying he couldn't score rounds whenever Ranallo gave him the lead in was bad enough, but not quite as bad as calling Sokoudjou "Sujoku" all night.

Frank, he's a fighter, not a tricky little numbers game in the Sunday morning paper. That's called Sudoku. You'll have time to attempt one next time Strikeforce is on CBS because you shouldn't be at the announce table.

9. Fights Good, Production Bad

You can't control the outcome of fights (sorry DMX...), but you can control the timing of the event and Strikeforce failed in my books last night.

Everything felt really slowed down and while I understand that being on network TV and needing to mix in commercial breaks and such plays a part, things just looked amateurish.

On a night where Strikeforce could have entrenched themselves as a legitimate opponent to the UFC, the fighters came through in spades, but the production crew seriously dropped the ball.

Did I mention an entire fight was just scrapped for no real reason? To quote Ron Burgundy, "that's just Bush. It's Bush League! Audrey!"

10. EA Sports MMA Looks Gooooooooood!

Two words: Me Likey





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UFC 104: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

1. Shogun Was Robbed

Before the scores were read, I turned to my wife and said, "49-46 Shogun," feeling that was an accurate result of the fight I just watched. When Bruce Buffer announced all three judges scoring the bout 48-47, I was even okay with that.

Then he said Lyoto Machida was the winner and I was thoroughly confused.

For years we've been told that being the aggressor, landing the harder strikes and generally inflicting more damage is what leads to victory inside the Octagon. Apparently we never saw the asteriks and the fine print that says, "except if you're fighting the champion we just spent six months building up."

2. Newsflash: We Have Judging Issues

This certainly isn't brand new information, but when the Main Event of a UFC card draws as much attention for what many, including company President Dana White, saw as the wrong decision, something seriously needs to be done.

Last night's decision trumps the Chase Beebe / Mike Easton in that it took place on the biggest stage of them all. Two judges saw it the exact same way, with Cecil Peoples and Marcos Rosales giving Machida the first three rounds.

Somehow, judge Nelson Hamilton saw the fourth round for the champ, despite the fact that it was clearly the challenger's best round.

Honestly, I could go on for hours with this one and will be talking about it at length tomorrow, so I'll leave it at this: we gotta get this nonsense figured out and stop having these brutal decisions.

3. Welcome to the Big Leagues, Cain Velasquez

I'll be honest: I didn't think Cain Velasquez was ready yet. I also don't mind telling you I was dead wrong.

The AKA and Arizona State product dominated every minute of his fight with Ben Rothwell, setting the frantic pace he always does and overwhelming the overmatched former IFL titlest. Now, the question is what's next?

Originally slated to face Shane Carwin, Velasquez seems like the logical challenger for whoever emerges from UFC 106 with the shiny, gold belt around their waist. While the UFC might choose to go with the older, more experienced "Minotauro" Nogueira, Cain will certainly get his chance in the near future.

Don't be surprised if he makes the most of it.

4. Anthony Johnson, Middleweight

Injury or not, you don't head into camp looking to drop 50 pounds. While cutting weight in general isn't all that good for you, dropping those kind of lbs is big-time dicey.

All fighters want to gain whatever advantage they can and being the bigger fighter is certainly one of them. But Johnson was six pounds over, walks around above 200 pounds and has the frame, talent and overall athleticism to seemlessly move to 185 and maintain the hype he currently holds.

That being said, "Rumble" didn't sound like he was in any hurry to jump up in class after perfectly recreating the fight scene from Josh Koscheck vs. "Zenko" Yoshida from UFC Fight for the Troops.

5. How Does Josh Neer Still Have No Takedown Defense?

Last time he set foot in the Octagon, Kurt Pellegrino used superior wrestling abilities and myriad takedowns to score a Unanimous Decision victory over the Miletich Fighting Systems product known as "The Dentist."

So when he agreed to replace Sean Sherk against Gleison Tibau, I expected he would be prepared for the myriad takedown attempts that would be coming courtesy of the American Top Team lightweight gorilla.

In a word: Nope. Time after time like Cyndi Lauper, Tibau took Neer to the mat, scoring points en route to a clean sweep on the judges' scorecards.

Apparently, Josh Neer needs to stop agreeing to fight guys who like to work on the ground because he's apparently not planning on improving his takedown defense any time soon.

6. Welcome Back, Joe Daddy

Two fights into his time at Greg Jackson's in Alburquerque and Joe Stevenson looks to be back in the form that made him The Ultimate Fighter and a perennial top contender in the lightweight division.

He outworked and outclassed Spencer Fisher, taking the fight to the floor in the second round and pinning "The King" in an Ivan Salaverry-esque crucifix before forcing Herb Dean to stop the fight.

With back-to-back solid performances, Stevenson is back into the mix at 155. While he's not quite at championship contender level, he's certainly back in the conversation and one more good win could put him back into the title picture.

7. Really? Chael Sonnen?

Yushin Okami had all of one loss in the UFC heading into last night's action, that coming at the hands of former Middleweight champion Rich Franklin. Far more people were stumping for "Thunder" to receive the title shot he had to forgo due to injury than were picking Chael Sonnen.

Then the longtime Team Quest member came out and dominated his Japanese counterpart from the opening bell, securing his second consecutive upset and putting himself into the upper tier of talent in the UFC middleweight division.

Not that Sonnen is a slouch; after all, this is a former Olympic wrestler and the rightful last WEC middleweight champion, but he looked so bad against Demian Maia that back-to-back wins over Dan Miller and Yushin Okami weren't what you would call expected.

While Sonnen goes up the ladder, where Okami goes from here is anyone's guess. Chances are far fewer people will be calling for Main Card fights and title shots any time soon.

8. Stefan Struve Keeps Improving

Maybe Struve looked so bad against Junior dos Santos because "Cigano" is one of the top talents in the UFC heavyweight division, because for the second consecutive fight, the incredibly lanky youngster from The Netherlands looked really good.

Now, Dennis Stojnic and Chase Gormley are far from upper echelon fighters, but Struve has battled through a bad cut against Stojnic and secured back-to-back submission wins.

At just 21-years-old, "Skyscraper" has certainly shown promise heading into 2010.

9. Tough Night of Picking Fights

The aforementioned Cain Velasquez looked great and more than spoiled my Ben Rothwell upset pick, while the rest of the night was a 50/50 split, leaving me 5-6 for the evening.

Honestly, I feel a little dirty even saying I went 5-6 because really, if judges Hamilton, Peoples and Rosales would have scored the fight the rest of us watched, I would have gone 4-7 and that is not so hot at all.

10. There Is No Way Machida Won That Fight

Not to beat a dead horse, but honestly, there is no way for anyone to convince me that Lyoto Machida won that fight.

Yes, the champ landed some solid counterstrikes and did his karate thing as best as he could, but Shogun landed kick after leg-bruising kick, nulifying Machida's trademark elusiveness and connecting on the champion more than his previous UFC opponents combined.

Seriously, everyone had the fight in favor of Rua; Dana White, Fight Metric, you, me, everyone in the crowd and countless others. Everyone but the three blind mice sitting ringside.










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WEC 43: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

1. FIGHT OF THE YEAR

Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone went toe-to-toe for five non-stop rounds and along with earning the respect of anyone who wasn't already in their corners as legitimate lightweights, these two probably earned Fight of the Year last night too.

For me it had all the things I look for: close fight, both guys putting in work on both offense and defense, close calls and nothing but action. Add in that the lightweight strap was on the line and this five round war certainly has to be on everyone's list at the end of the year.

2. NOT EVERYONE AGREES WITH THE JUDGING

Sherdog's Jordan Breen called it a "bullshit decision." Josh Gross of CNNSI stated he's "getting tired of judges overlooking close sub attempts," and Zach Arnold at Fight Opinion called it a 49-46 win for Cerrone.

Personally, I scored it in Cerrone's favor as well, and agree with Gross that more weight needs to be put on submission attempts and reversals, but this is what happens when you go to the scorecards.

3. QUICK TURNAROUND FOR HENDERSON?

With Jamie Varner ringside and a title unification bout needed, early reports have the WEC looking at a mid-December card for Varner to return to the ring and take on the new interim champ.

While it's certainly dependent on a laundry list of things including medical suspensions, injuries and overall fatigue, if I'm Henderson, I sign on the dotted line as quickly as I can. The guy just proved again that he has the heart of a lion and as much stamina as the Energizer Bunny, so why not stay in fighting shape and get right back in there with a guy who is coming off nearly a full year on the sidelines?

Jamie Varner is no joke, but after spending the better part of the last year unable to train, you would assume there is going to be some ring rust there and Henderson could look to capitalize quickly.

4. CURSE? WHAT CURSE?

Scott Jorgensen said he wasn't superstitious and that he was going to push the pace against Noah Thomas. Last night, "Young Guns" did just that, dropping the former Ultimate Fighter contestant at 3:13 of the first round to lock up his seventh win and continue his climb up the bantamweight ladder.

Did I mention that Jorgensen is the first member of the K2 Interview Series to score a win? While I knew all along that spending time answering my questions certainly wasn't the reason the fighters featured in the series had been suffering losses (or having their fights canceled), it certainly is nice to mark one in the win column.

Maybe now we can start a winning streak...

5. ASSUNCAO'S ASCENT

As much as I would have loved to see the Canadian Yves Jabouin come away with a win in his WEC debut, Rafael Assuncao proved why he is one of the best featherweight fighters in the world.

By extending his win streak to six and boasting a 14-1 record overall, Assuncao is certainly on a very short list of challengers for the winner of the upcoming Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo title fight at WEC 44 in Vegas next month.

6. ONE NAME NOT ON THAT LIST ANYMORE...

Is Wagnney Fabiano, as the Brazilian was submitted by newcomer Mackens Semerzier at the 2:14 mark of the first round.

Going into this fight, many, myself included, had Fabiano as a Top 3 featherweight and sizable favorite, but "Mack da Menace" delivered the massive upset, making a lasting impression on the WEC and fight fans in the process.

Despite being way wrong on my prediction, upsets like this remind me why I love Mixed Martial Arts so much.

7. YET ANOTHER JUDGING QUESTION

Somebody needs to ask judge Ruben Carrion what fight he was watching, because there is no way in the world that Yves Jabouin earned a 30-27 score in his fight with Rafael Assuncao. Did he maybe get the two fighters confused?

Now, this is certainly nowhere near as bad as the Chase Beebe / UWC incident of last weekend, as Assuncao correctly came away with the win thanks to the other two judges, but once again we have a completely unimaginable score being read at the conclusion of a fight.

Seriously, there is no way Jabouin even comes close to 30-27... we need to fix this nonsense, quickly.

8. DAMACIO PAGE VS. MIGUEL TORRES?

With the WEC announcing that Bantamweight champ Brian Bowles would first face Dominick Cruz, former champion Miguel Torres needs an opponent in the interim. From where I'm sitting, Damacio Page fits the bill nicely.

The Greg Jackson product has won his last two fights in a combined 80 seconds, as he submitted newcomer Will Campuzano is 62 second last night.

The only blemish on Page's WEC record came courtesy of the current champ and with both he and Torres clearly established at the top of the heap, having the two square off would only make sense.

9. DAVE JANSEN: MY BAD

Everyone gets one wrong from time-to-time and sometimes we completely shit the bed.

Such was the case with my lead in to the Rich Crunkilton - Dave Jansen fight. Here I was thinking the clear experience advantage held by Crunkilton would stymie the youthful exuberance and strong wrestling game Jansen. Yeah... not so much.

Doesn't help either that I totally neglected Jansen's training with Team Quest in breaking down the fight, as if a whole gang of top level wrestlers haven't come out of Temecula and Gresham over the last, I dunno, ten years of MMA...

Sorry Dave... I'll get you next time.

10. PEOPLE NEED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WEC

I've actually known this for quite some time, but I thought I'd throw it out there today.

As great as the UFC can be, WEC shows deliver more bang for your buck than anything their big brother at Zuffa can put on and more people need to recognize that and start paying attention. Every card offers a complete collection of exciting fights, upsets and absolute wars, yet even those who consider themselves hardcore fans often miss out on the action.

This isn't intended as an "I'm a better fan than you" expression or anything like that; I just want to keep spreading the world that there is life outside of the UFC bubble and the WEC deserves your attention.




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