A Warning to Kenny Florian

I don't consider myself a B.J. Penn fan.

As an athletically-challenged individual without any natural talents in the realm of sports, watching a guy like Penn coast along on the gifts he's been given sometimes leads me to hope his opponents smash him.

That being said, you're out of your mind if you think Kenny Florian is going to beat B.J. Penn come UFC 101.

I'll give Florian all the credit in the world for his evolution as a fighter. He's come a long way since losing to Diego Sanchez in the Middleweight finale of TUF 1 and he's looked pretty good in racking up six straight wins heading into his second Lightweight title shot.

But this is B.J. Penn we're talking about here.

I may not be a fan of Penn, but that doesn't stop me from recognizing and acknowledging great talents when I see them. Dislike him all you want, but there is no questioning the immense skills and proven track record "The Prodigy" has when fighting at his natural weight class.

Penn has five losses in his Mixed Martial Arts career. Three are at welterweight and one is an open weight decision loss at the hands of Lyoto Machida. That leaves just one loss at his natural 155 pound class, coming to Jens Pulver ... more than seven years ago.

The UFC Lightweight champion is 9-1-1 when fighting at 155 pounds, earning a draw against Caol Uno following the Pulver loss. That was in February 2002.

Do the math: BJ Penn is undefeated as a lightweight in the last seven years.

In that time, he made Takanori Gomi tap, did the same in avenging his loss to Pulver, and then destroyed both Joe Stevenson and Sean Sherk in earning and defending the UFC Lightweight title.

He also scored wins over respected veterans Duane "Bang" Ludwig, Rodrigo Gracie and Renzo Gracie outside of the 155 weight class during that time too, not to mention taking Matt Hughes' UFC Welterweight belt.

Can B.J. Penn be an obnoxious complainer and a frustrating fighter to watch? Absolutely, as we learned through "Greasegate" and his portrayal on "UFC Primetime" leading into the second GSP fight.

Can you question his level of dominance in the Lightweight division? Absolutely not.

Going into this fight at UFC 101, don't maintain the beaten and tired image of B.J. Penn losing to Georges St-Pierre in your head. That's not the Penn you'll be seeing.

The guy Kenny Florian is set to face is the human wrecking ball that decimated Sean Sherk, leaving him collapsed against the cage, a bloody mess that was unable to continue.

Maybe I'm going to be proven wrong.

Or maybe this will be the start of B.J. Penn running through the entire lightweight division, erasing all doubts about how great a fighter he truly is ... when he wants to be.



Continue reading...

Why a Super Heavyweight Division is a Horrible Idea

I know I said I wasn't going to write another feature involving Brock Lesnar until his next title defense, but I can't help it.

Everywhere I turn, every article that discusses the reigning UFC Heavyweight champion, the "need" for the UFC to create a Super Heavyweight Division is thrown out there and it's driving me insane.

Pictured next to Lesnar is Hong Man Choi, "The Techno Goliath" whom I share a birthday with and you would surely see in a Super Heavyweight division if one ever came into existence. If he looks familiar to you, it's because he was the massive Korean kickboxer who chased down Jose Canseco and smashed on him a couple months back.

Before I get to my real reasons for disliking the notion of a new division, let's first take an intellectual approach to this, analyzing the idea and what said division might look like.

Let's say the weight class begins at 250 and has no ceiling, allowing for the possible return of Emmanuel Yarborough. Looking down the current UFC heavyweight roster, here are the guys who would be eligible:

• Brock Lesnar
• Shane Carwin
• Gabriel Gonzaga
• Antoni Hardonk
• Heath Herring
• Tim Hague

"Big Country" Roy Nelson is the only other guy currently under the UFC umbrella who would also be eligible, which brings the total to seven whole fighters.

That means the UFC would have to go out and find more guys over 250 pounds with the athleticism and skills to compete with these seven individuals. How many of those guys do you think are just walking around?

Instead, I would bet that the likes of Jan Nortje, Bob Sapp, and Mark Hunt would be given an opportunity. Personally, that's not something I'm interested in. They're even lesser Mixed Martial Artists than Lesnar.

Even if you bump the weight down ten pounds, you're not increasing the talent pool all that much.

In creating such a division, you'd end up with a situation where, and this is best case scenario here people, Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin trade the title back-and-forth a couple times a year. That's only if Carwin has the strength to drop Lesnar the way he dropped Gonzaga, which we still don't know for sure.

Tell me how that is entertaining? UFC 124: Lesnar vs. Carwin: First One to Seven Wins!

Sarcasm aside, here is the real reason a Super Heavyweight division is ridiculous to me:

You don't change the rules just because no one seems to be able to beat Brock Lesnar.

For starters, he has been beaten. Up until last Saturday, countless people were reminding Brock Lesnar supporters like myself of his UFC debut and the kneebar he tapped to. How has this suddenly become a forgotten fact?

Additionally, Anderson Silva is just as dominant at middleweight as Lesnar is at heavyweight and no one is calling for him to give up his belt and make a permanent change in address.

And before everyone starts telling me how Silva uses "skill and technique and martial arts training," the bottom line is that he decimates opponents with the same quickness and ferocity as Lesnar and how they do it doesn't matter.

The goal is winning and you don't get style points in MMA.

Besides, if you think he's a dick now, imagine if the UFC went out and did this.

"Well Brock, none of these heavyweights seem to be able to compete with you, so we're going to make a new division with bigger guys just because of you."

He'd run through the list of "Super Heavyweights" listed above just as quickly as he ran through Frank Mir at UFC 100, probably even faster in many cases.

Creating such a division would presumably be giving Brock Lesnar even less competition and a longer title reign, and that seems to be the last thing his detractors want.

The solution? Adaptation.

Like it or not, Brock Lesnar is the next evolution of Mixed Martial Artists in the heavyweight division. He is more than a handful and a very difficult puzzle to solve.

But so was Royce Gracie.

So is Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko and Georges St-Pierre.

While some believe Brock Lesnar being champion makes the heavyweight division weaker, I say he will only serve to make it stronger.

He is a new wrinkle, a new challenge and a new twist on an already difficult task.

What we should all be looking forward to is seeing how others step up their game in an attempt to defeat the Minnesota mammoth, not looking to banish him to a less competitive landscape.



Continue reading...

The Best Month in MMA History

UFC 100 and the post-fight antics of Brock Lesnar have the Mainstream Media paying attention.

Pardon the Interruption has discussed MMA each day since returning to the airwaves following the centennial show in Las Vegas. That may not sound like much, but considering they spent Five Good Minutes with Jay Glazer yesterday, it's clearly headway and the timing couldn't be better.

While Lesnar's post-fight spectacle certainly wasn't intended to draw the curious eye of the casual fan and mainstream media outlets, now that they're paying attention, an outstanding month with no fewer than five top level events will showcase some of the brightest stars in the sport and possibly cement Mixed Martial Arts' standing as the sport of the future.

Without question, August 2009 is the single greatest month to be an MMA fan in the history of the world.

Instead of longingly waiting for that usual one event fix, all but one weekend in August offers a major showcase of some of the best fighters in the sport, beginning with arguably the best of all on August 1st.

Affliction: Trilogy takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California with Fedor Emelianenko taking on long-time friend Josh Barnett for the WAMMA Heavyweight title.

Though not necessarily the household name that Lesnar has quickly become thanks to his WWE past and UFC present, "The Last Emperor" is the unquestioned top heavyweight in the sport today and the Pound for Pound best in the eyes of many.

Emelianenko isn't the only top name competing on the Affliction card either; while they might only put on an event every six months, there is no denying the impressive lineups that Affliciton's Tom Atencio rolls out each time.

Former UFC veteran and Strikeforce champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral faces a stiff test from Gegard Mousasi, a 23-year-old riding a twelve fight win streak across several weight classes who is quickly becoming a favorite among MMA fans.

Additionally, Vitor Belfort takes on Jorge Santiago, Paul Buentello faces dangerous striker Gilbert Yvel and Japanese legend "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi returns to North America for the first time in nearly three years to take on Rafaello Oliveira.

Even the preliminary card is impressive, and the best part is that we're just getting started.

One week later, UFC 101 invades Philadelphia with a long-awaited Lightweight title tilt between champion B.J. Penn and challenger Kenny Florian.

Penn is a polarizing figure in the Mixed Martial Arts community; his legions of fans love him with fierce passion, while his detractors are just as numerous and just as vocal. One thing that is not up for debate is the immense skill and domination "The Prodigy" has displayed in the 155 pound weight class over the last two years.

While Penn and Florian garner top billing on the marquee, the co-Main Event could be even better, as Anderson "The Spider" Silva returns to Light Heavyweight to face The Original Ultimate Fighter, fan favorite Forrest Griffin.

Like Emelianenko, Silva is considered one of the very best in the world, though his last two performances have left many fans longing for the destructive Silva that ran through the UFC Middleweight division upon his arrival three years ago.

If anyone is capable of bringing it out of him, it's Griffin, a man who is known for rising to the level of his competition and pushing the action from the opening bell to the final seconds of the fight. Fireworks are a very real possibility.

As if that wasn't enough to fill your weekend, WEC 42 takes place just one night later, headlined by bantamweight title holder Miguel Torres defending against undefeated Brian Bowles.

Though potentially overshadowed by the UFC's event in Philadelphia the night before, this year's WEC shows have been a hotbed for highlight and outstanding fights and the Main Event could easily continue that trend.

Originally slated to face either other back in April, Bowles was injured during training, eventually being replaced by Takeya Mizugaki. In his place, the Japanese fighter, who faces veteran Jeff Curran on this card, teamed with Torres to put on one of the early candidates for Fight of the Year.

Now we get the original battle between the 37-1 champion and the 7-0 Bowles who represents Athens, Georgia's Hardcore Gym, the original home of the aforementioned Forrest Griffin, as well as three other solid main card match-ups.

Believe it or not, there is still more, including what could be a landmark event for the sport.

On August 15, Strikeforce hits San Jose and features Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and Gina "Conviction" Carano battling for the Womens 145 pound Championship as the Main Event.

Carano, known to many from her time as "Crush" on American Gladiators, has emerged in the last year as the face of female MMA, her unquestionable good looks landing her at #16 in Maxim's yearly Hot 100 countdown.

Don't be fooled by those looks either; Carano is as talented inside the ring as she is beautiful outside of it, and Santos might actually be better. This fight will mark the first time that two women have headlined a major promotion and some believe it will serve as a watershed moment for the continued advancement of female fighters everywhere.

As if a potentially historic fight wasn't enough, the other three fights announced for the Main Card are each title fights as well.

International star and heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem taking on UFC and Pride veteran Fabricio Werdum, a rematch for the Lightweight title between champion Josh Thomson and the man he won the belt from, interim champ Gilbert Melendez, as well as Nick Diaz and Joe Riggs squaring off for the Welterweight title.

After four shows in three weeks, fans get a break over, but just for one weekend, as UFC 102 rounds out an awesome August from Portland at the end of the month, with two icons in the sport meeting for the first time in the night's Main Event.

Randy "The Natural" Couture and Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira are two of the most successful and most respected fighters in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. Couture is an inspiration to many, earning his first UFC title at age 34 and continuing to dominate now, well into his 40's.

Nogueira, a long-time staple in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, fights for the 39th time in his professional career, one that has seen him faces a veritable pantheon of MMA legends, with Couture joining a list that includes Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Josh Barnett and Dan Henderson.

Over the span of 28 days in August, the world has a chance to witness some of the greatest athletes the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has to offer.

There will be no WWE-esque theatrics or post-fight ranting.

There will only be the truly impressive displays of athleticism, talent, respect and sportsmanship the sport has been founded upon.

Hopefully, the mainstream media and the challengers to the sport will still be watching.

Continue reading...

St-Pierre Still Reigns Supreme

UFC 100 is done and has been analyzed to death, so instead of continuing to beat the dead horse by talking about MMA's ascent into the mainstream or Bob Ryan's ridiculous belief that soccer will be a bigger North American sport than Mixed Martial Arts, we're ready to tackle more important debates.

Like who is the best fighter on the planet?

It's the middle of the month, so that must mean it's time for another installment of the Pound-for-Pound Rankings... please enjoy responsibly and let the debating begin!

July Pound for Pound Rankings

10. Gegard Mousasi

There may not be a fighter on the planet who better illustrates the concept of pound for pound than Mousasi, as the Armenian-born, Dutch-raised fighter's stock rose last year by winning the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix. Since then, he's defeated Mark Hunt in the Super Hulk Tournament and is set to take on light heavyweight Renato "Babalu" Sobral at Affliction: Trilogy on August 1.

9. Urijah Faber

It's going to take more than a broken hand for me to bounce "The California Kid" from this list. Despite his seeming inability to get by Mike Thomas Brown, Faber is unquestionably one of the most skilled fighters in the game today, regardless of weight class. Hopefully, his hand heals better than Jamie Varner's ...

8. Rashad Evans

Similar to Faber, there is no real shame in losing to a guy who is higher up on this list than you are. Evans' loss at the hands of Lyoto Machida doesn't diminish his skill set in my books. In light of recent poor performance from fighters out of Wolfslair Academy, we could see Evans' full array on display when he squares off with Rampage later this year.

7. Mike Thomas Brown

Two defenses into his reign as WEC featherweight champ, Brown will look to make it three-in-a-row in November when he puts the belt on the line against dynamic striker Jose Aldo. Sure, the kid is dangerous and has been delivering impressive highlights, but so too was Urijah Faber before Brown planted him the first time around.

6. BJ Penn

When Penn shows up in shape and demolishes Kenny Florian in Philly next month, I promise to bump him up the charts. Until then, he stays outside the Top 5 as punishment for not devoting himself to achieving the greatness he is capable of and that he thinks he deserves.

5. Miguel Torres

He hasn't lost in over five years. For the last year and change, he's been taking on some of the best the world has to offer at 135 pounds and beaten them all, including his Fight of the Night candidate with Takeya Mizugaki. Torres puts his belt back on the line against Brian Bowles on August 9 at WEC 42.

4. Lyoto Machida

The big fish in the deepest pond, Machida now has the unenviable task of trying to hold onto a belt that has been on the move fairly frequently as of late. If Shogun Rua is back to being the same fighter many considered the best light heavyweight in the world, Machida could be the next man to have a brief encounter with the belt.

3. Anderson Silva

"The Spider" can climb higher with a dominating performance over Forrest Griffin. Another one of the performances that we've seen of late from Silva and he can enjoy the view from the three hole. Bring back the Anderson Silva from the Marquardt / Franklin / Henderson / Irvin run, not this guy who suddenly doesn't want to engage and looks bored.

2. Fedor Emelianenko

Maybe it's because I poured through his record in preparing yesterday's piece. Maybe it's because Anderson Silva has been facing lesser competition as of late. Maybe it's a combination of the two. Whatever the case, I've finally bumped Fedor up a notch in the rankings, thought many will surely be sour that he's only second best.

1. Georges St-Pierre

I know, I know: he lost to Matt Serra. What I also know is that since that time, GSP has defeated Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, Serra, Jon Fitch, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves. There isn't anyone in the game right now who has fought as difficult a schedule as Georges St-Pierre and it's not like the guy is eeking out wins either. He's dominating everyone and continuing to be the king of the mountain in my books.




Continue reading...

Supremely Talented, Surprisingly Unknown

This is Fedor Emelianenko, the guy Dana White guaranteed would be in the UFC in the future and arguably the best fighter in the entire world.

Up until Saturday night, a huge portion of the fight fans out there had no idea who this man was. Then they Google'd him.

"The Last Emperor" hasn't lost a fight in eight years and some, myself included, would argue that he hasn't lost a fight ever. The one tick he has in the loss column came from a controversial stoppage way back in 2000 to UFC veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

Since then, pure dominance ... and shocking anonymity.

Hardcore fans know Fedor Emelianenko.

Guys like me who watch old fights on YouTube and think long and hard about buying the UFC DVDs that are for sale at the video store for $5. But I'm not the average fan.

To the average fan, Fedor Emelianenko is a name they have heard from their crazy, hardcore friends like me or the numerous times Dana White has mentioned him on his video blog. He's outside of the UFC and therefore, he's irrelevant.

I know that isn't the case, as do the large number of people who have probably stopped reading to go and tell me I'm a moron in the comments section before seeing where I'm going with this.

There is no question that Emelianenko is one of the three best fighters on the planet today and easily the best heavyweight. Again, he hasn't lost in eight years.

But while that certainly speaks to his dominance, it also greatly speaks to the inability of Affliction and M-1 Global to make this man a household name.

Take the most dominant athlete in any sport and that is who Fedor is to Mixed Martial Arts, minus the publicity.

Emelianenko's current 26-fight winning streak is the Joe DiMaggio 56-game hit streak of MMA. You read that right: I said it's the 56-Game Hitting Streak of Mixed Martial Arts.

But while even the most casual baseball fan and many that are completely uninterested in sports altogether know of DiMaggio's display, in a time where Mixed Martial Arts is (in your best Dana White voice people), "the fastest growing sport in the world," more people could pick out Kendall Grove from a police lineup than our version of "The Yankee Clipper."

While some of that falls on the fact that a great deal of "MMA fans" are actually "UFC fans," how Tom Atencio and company haven't jammed this man down the public's throats in the last year is beyond me.

If he was in the UFC, he'd be on the cover of every magazine and video game around. He'd be the Bo Jackson from Tecmo Bowl of UFC Undisputed - totally unstoppable.

Yet here we are, three weeks away from Affliction: Trilogy and the only advertising I've seen of the long-awaited fight between Emelianenko and his close friend and only remaining rival Josh Barnett has been on the tops of taxi cabs.

What makes it even better is that the ad campaign asks the question, "Do you know who I am?"

Here's a newsflash for Tom Atencio: the resounding answer outside of the hardcore MMA community is "No" and that doesn't bode well for your business!

You have the Tiger Woods of Mixed Martial Arts at your advertising disposal and the best you can do is this? Were are the interviews and video blogs and public appearances, especially in light of Dana bringing him up on the weekend?

Sure there has been the obligatory, "Fedor isn't going anywhere" comments, but that means little outside of the community that is already acutely aware of the situation.

Those stuck in the UFC vacuum only know that Emelianenko is on Dana White's radar, not that he's fighting in three weeks, has beaten the likes of Cro Cop, Randleman, Coleman and Nogueira and is the yin to Brock Lesnar's disrespectful yang.

In any other sport, whether we're talking football or basketball, hockey or tennis, the best of the best are put on the biggest stages imaginable. Their image is everywhere and their names are known in households from Alaska to Australia.

But not Mixed Martial Arts.

While every person in the world can identify the gentleman standing up in this picture, very few would recognize the guy sitting two rows back in the red shirt.

He's Fedor Emelianenko and he's one of the best the sport has ever seen.

Never heard of him? I hear that a lot.

Continue reading...

The Difference is Acceptability

I'm going to keep today as short and simple as possible because I spent way too much time on this computer yesterday, debating points of contention, wondering how people can just accuse people of things without basis and adding countless comments to various articles across the Internet.

Above is Matt Hughes, arguably the most dominant welterweight the UFC has ever had (thought GSP is coming up quick) and my choice to help present the last post I will write involving Brock Lesnar until he next defends his title.

One of the biggest arguments about Brock's in-ring performance last night and thus far in his career is that he "just lays on his opponent," whether because it makes breathing difficult or because he's just too big.

The too big argument holds no weight with me. Everyone who steps in the ring at heavyweight has to make 265 pounds and those stepping in with Lesnar know in advance that he'll be somewhere in the neighborhood of 280 come fight night.

Stop moaning about a Super Heavyweight division.

And where you say he "lays on his opponents," I say he plays to his greatest strength, just like Matt Hughes used to do.

Before getting into the Hughes side of things, let me also make it clear that if Lesnar did simply lay on his opponents, the ref would stand the two fighters up. But they didn't because the whole time he's "laying on his opponent," he's also driving that cinder block attached to his right arm into Frank Mir's mush.

Now to the Matt Hughes linkage.

Hughes had the best wrestling in the UFC for a long, long time. You could be sure that when the cage door closed, Matt Hughes was going to shoot for a takedown at least 20 times a night and if he got that single or double leg, you were going to the ground.

From there, he used his superior wrestling ability to control his opponents, transitioning to submissions or executing strikes until one way or another, the fight ended. Occassionally, he picked the other guy up and powerbombed him into unconsciousness.

Stripped to the bare bones, Hughes strategy was bring guy to ground, finish him how I know best.

What is Brock Lesnar's strategy again? Oh right - bring guy to ground, finish him how I know best.

It's the same strategy used by every single fighter that participates in Mixed Martial Arts. You play to your strengths and use the best tools available in your toolbox to beat the other man. So why is it that Brock Lesnar doing the same things as Matt Hughes and damn near everyone else in the sport requires new divisions or is less of a victory?

It's all about acceptability.

People don't accept Brock Lesnar.

Whether it's because of his time in the WWE, his bullish demeanor and ridiculous antics or because they feel he lacks "artistry" or an understanding of "Bushido" that they wish still emminated throughout MMA. Maybe a combination of all three?

Whatever the case, it's okay to not like the guy, but here's the thing:

There was no artistry to the way Dan Severn tossed guys around back in the day and there isn't that much artistry in Chuck Liddell loading up that lethal right hand to flatten someone. Besides, no one is proclaiming Brock Lesnar as the greatest incarnation of what it means to be a Mixed Martial Artist. He's a fighter, and GSP fills that other role.

Do I hope Brock Lesnar takes some cues from the thousands of respectful fighters throughout MMA and never has another one of those post-fight displays? Absolutely.

Does he have to? Nope. Being a dick isn't against the rules.

You can choose not to like him. I choose not to like Frank Mir.

But I'll give the guy credit for being a two-time former champion and a pretty solid fighter, at no point trying to diminish his accomplishments.

Why can't you?




Continue reading...

10 Things I Learned Last Night

Sundays at my personal blog I Blog Because I Can have been dedicated to a little something I've called 10 Things I Learned This Week for almost two years.

With last night's historic UFC 100 and all the headlines and stories to come from that show, I thought today would be a good day to bring 10 Things to Keyboard Kimura because honestly, last night offered up a lot to digest.

1. Welcome to the Brock Lesnar Era
When Lyoto Machida knocked out Rashad Evans, everyone started speculating about how long Machida would reign atop the light heavyweight division. My prediction is that it won't be as long as Brock Lesnar dominates the heavyweight landscape.

There isn't another heavyweight on the scene with the speed / power combination of Lesnar and it was very apparent that Lesnar is continuing to pick up the nuances of Mixed Martial Arts at a rapid pace. As he keeps learning, his freakish athleticism and brute strength will only become more dangerous and that is bad news for everyone in the heavyweight division.

2. Georges St-Pierre is the Best in the World
Not just in the UFC and not just at 170 pounds. He is the best in the world, period. Now, I've been saying this for some time, as GSP has sat atop my Pound for Pound rankings for a while, but last night should have solidified that for everyone.

Once again, St-Pierre spent five rounds picking apart an incredibly talented opponent, making Thiago Alves look entirely overmatched. The question that immediately comes up is where does "Rush" do next? First and foremost, he rests the pulled groin he sustained, but then who knows. A superfight with Anderson Silva would have to be at least a year away, as stepping up to 185 would take St-Pierre adding more muscle to his frame and you don't do that overnight.

3. Hey Bisping - How's the Crow?
I'm all for pre-fight hype and smack talk, but there are some times when you just need to be careful what you say. Michael Bisping learned that lesson in a big, big way last night.

Looking up at the lights, birds circling his head, I wonder if he was reconsidering all the junk he talked about Dan Henderson and how he was going to prove himself as the #1 contender at 185. What he proved was that he doesn't adapt properly in the cage, circling into Hendo's big right hand and that he needs to shut his yap and keep training, not to mention beating someone above the talent level of Chris Leben before talking about a title shot.

4. Another Tough Decision
Judging can certainly go either way and things like this are going to keep happening in fights that are as back and forth as the Akiyama - Belcher tilt was, but I'm sorry, how did one judge give Akiyama a 30-27 score?

29-28 I would buy, but when one judge has it 29-28 Belcher, having another score it 30-27 for the other guy only highlights that we're still missing something in the judging department of Mixed Martial Arts.

5. You're Lucky You Were on The Ultimate Fighter
If Stephan Bonnar wasn't Stephan Bonnar, I'd be wishing him luck outside of the UFC right about now. That being said, he was the losing half of the Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Finale and Dana White is loyal to the guys who helped him get to where he is (save for Tito), so I doubt he's done.

But he should be. When I questioned what would happen if Bonnar lost to Mark Coleman, I never thought I would actually have to think about it again, but Coleman pulled out decision and now Bonnar is back to the drawing board.

6. Speaking of Ultimate Fighters
I think Mac Danzig might be the first Ultimate Fighter winner to get released from the UFC.

He's now lost three straight and is clearly nothing more than a middle of the pack lightweight. With the way the division is continuing to improve and despite solid performances in a losing effort in each of those bouts, the UFC has shown that three straight losses is usually the breaking point.

7. We're Movin' On Up... A Little
UFC 100 was the cover story on the websites of both ESPN and Sports Illustrated for the bulk of the day yesterday and through the early part of this morning, giving the sport the major media attention it rightfully deserves.

However, let's not go patting ourselves on the back just yet. It's not like there is a whole lot of options out there right now, so being the lead story in a quiet week is one thing. The trick is to be the lead story each and every time a major card comes around. Let's see how everyone handles UFC 101 before we start proclaiming victory over the mainstream.

8. Paulo Thiago is Better Than I Thought
I know he lost, but I thought the guy was going to get flattened. Instead, he fought a very solid fight against Jon Fitch and that deserves at hat tip in my books.

He's still raw, but the talent is there. As Ficth said on the MMA Live post-fight show, he's big and long and uses that to his advantage, like securing a guillotine attempt in the first round. Give him a little more seasoning and some time working on his wrestling and we might have ourselves another contender at 170.

9. I'm Back!
After struggling mightily in the prediction department as of late, last night yielded an 8-3 performance to give me some breathing room, taking me to seven wins to the happy side of .500.

August will be the real benchmark of my handicapping skills, with both UFC 101 and 102, Affliction's third show, WEC 42 and the Strikeforce card at MSG with Carano vs. Cyborg as the headliner on tap.

10. Let the Fedor Watch Begin
It's going to happen. The only question is when?

When asked who he sees as a future opponent, Lesnar immediately said Fedor. We all know that the fans want to see it and, despite the smack he's talked about him in the past, Dana White knows that Fedor to the UFC - especially to fight Lesnar - would be MASSIVE and massive equals piles and piles of money to roll around in.

Expect the full-court press to begin as soon as "The Last Emperor" disposes of Josh Barnett at Affliction: Trilogy.


Continue reading...