Picking up the Chicklets

I'll take Fortune for $500, Alex.

2006-09-27T08:01:00.000-04:00

I guess that answers that.

So the Matt Hughes/BJ Penn rematch brought all the excitement it promised. Hughes weathered a beating and put an apparently injured Penn away in the third. But, now that he has established himself as the undisputed welterweight champ, does this mean that Hughes is now the best welterweight out there? This question goes to the whole nature of MMA fighting. The best fighter doesn’t always win. As good as Matt Hughes’ all-around skills are, BJ Penn may be the better fighter…faster hands, better striker, incomparable BJJ skills, and obviously just as strong. In their first fight, Penn simply disregarded the warnings of Hughes superior strength and ran right over him. Hell, if it wasn’t for his falling out with Zuffa, Penn may have been the one defending his belt Saturday night.

The rematch showed that he could still hang with a Hughes who had improved since their last fight. But winning in this sport depends on many things: hard work, ability, heart, and luck. And while Hughes has all these qualities in spades, it was Penn’s bad luck that lost him the title, just as much as it was Hughes’ skill. Hughes is the kind of perfect workhorse/gladiator that Pat Miletich loves and who thrives in his system. But BJ Penn is some sort of MMA Mozart; a boundless talent who’s gift invariably and unfortunately outpaces his motivation.

Say this much for Penn, he was as classy in losing to Hughes as he was in beating him. I think these two should meet annually. Somebody tell Dana White to forget Shamrock/Ortiz 3 and give us Hughes/Penn 3 through 7.

Will everyone on the Mike Swick bandwagon please bunch up a bit and make room for one more. Now, I told my man Steve, the biggest Mike Swick fan I know, that I hope that he enjoyed the ride because The Crow was going to give Quick a taste of the big time. I was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! Swick showed a lot of … well, everything in his unanimous decision victory. He came out strong, took the fight to Loiseau, and showed some stones by taking everything right back in the third and not caving in. I don’t know that, if at 5-0, he is next in line for Rich Franklin, but he is legitimate. Maybe we could see Anderson Silva and Swick go at it, and let Franklin have winners? Maybe? Loiseau looked a little unwilling to get in the thick of it until too late and heads home with his second consecutive loss. I thought that he was building a head of steam. Now he’s back in the play-in line and needs to start all over.

The IFL continues to make it happen with another great night in St. Paul. There were 6000+ in attendance to watch Renzo Gracie give Pat Miletich a little of the ol’ “you can’t go home again”. Gracie hooked Miletich up in a guillotine choke and in a sensible display of valiant discretion; Pat tapped to avoid damaging the neck that ended his in-ring career the first time. Fighter Pat had a rough night, but Coach Pat has got to be loving how his Silverbacks have been fighting. They have picked up where they left off last season and are tearing through the tournament. They will meet Carlos Newton’s Dragons in December. In the other semifinal, Bas Rutten’s surging Anacondas will go against Matt Lindland’s Wolfpack. Great fights gong on in the IFL. Don't sleep on this thing.

RIP Shelby Girl

2006-09-25T14:22:00.000-04:00

We're all saddened to hear of the passing of Shelby Walker. I was looking forward to meeting her face to face at the October 6 Cage Fury show. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and many friends and fans.

Her manager will be posting details on her website at www.shelbywalker.com

I got your Croatian Sensation right here

2006-09-11T11:26:00.000-04:00

Wow. PRIDE knows how to party. And I’ll admit that I had both OWGP fights wrong. But I couldn’t be happier with the results. After a really terrific night of fighting, Mirko Filipovic is crowned PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix champ for 2006. It’s his first MMA title and well deserved. I’m a big fan of the striker and he left little doubt that he was bringing the house last night. I thought that Silva would get inside and take the fight to Mirko... keepin him off balance and out of his comfort zone. Maybe even getting him to the ground. Instead, he did the one thing that I (and just about everyone else) figured would give CroCop his best shot to win. And after wading in and finding Mirko waiting with an open can of whoop ass, Wand found himself rather the worse for wear. Then stunned, unsteady, and with his right eye swollen, the clock was ticking on Silva. CroCop read the situation and quickly dropped what is probably the single most lethal weapon in MMA today. And with apologies to Pat Travers, boom boom - out went the lights.

Once finished, Filipovic quickly departed the ring, confirming the rumored distaste he feels for Silva. This is a guy who disapproves of in-ring celebrations and after his fights goes to check on his opponent before leaving. It was near the end of his Grand Prix quarterfinal win against Hidehiko Yoshida that CroCop asked the referee to stop the fight as he had no wish to continue to damage a seriously injured opponent. When the referee refused, CroCop reluctantly finished him off as quickly as possible; making sure afterwards that he was alright. I don’t know how long he’s had these ill feelings towards Silva, but I’d hazard a guess that watching him bust up Kazuyuki Fujita without a care did little to lighten his mood. One thing is for certain… a striker like CroCop with a ground game? Welcome to the new world order folks.

The other match up saw Rodrigo Nogueira bring his black belt in against the refrigerator sized Baby-faced Assassin. I had this going to the ground with Minotauro working a sub on the big man. But give Barnett credit, he stayed on top and dealt out the punishment, all the while squirming out of everything Nog locked on him. I was surprised that this went the distance. And many were surprised that Barnett got the split decision. Did Nog stay on the ground too long waiting for his moment? Maybe. I think that this is can be a failing of guys who are mainly grapplers. That big submission can come in a flash but, if it doesn’t, you have to make sure you haven’t been on your back getting pounded in the meantime. Because when it goes to the judges, the beauty of a subtle, technically proficient performance is usually overshadowed by all those punches to your head.

This brought a battered Barnett to meet a fairly unscathed CroCop for the OWGP final. And the surprise of the night was a solid, powerful ground and pound from CroCop. Both fighters were bloodied, but it was Mirko who took command and dominated on the ground. And after a few heavy shots to Barnett’s face and eye, the big wrestler made the decision to tap out. I can only assume that realizing he was being dominated, and that didn’t have the gas to get out of it, Barnett did the smart thing. Not an easy thing to do for guys in this business, but it was the right thing to do. There is no shame in acknowledging that you’ve been beaten by a better man. This is their livelihood and it’s dangerous enough as it is. There is no reason to risk a broken bone or torn ligament, which will keep you out of the ring for months. There’s even less to risk an eye or head injury that would end your career. There will be other tournaments, other shots at the title.

As the Grand Prix was basically a battle to establish a Number One contender to face PRIDE champ Fedor Emelianenko, CroCop has earned himself a rematch against the big Russian. But will Fedor still have the belt? Fedor and Mark Coleman are set to tangle at PRIDE’s U.S debut in November and, while many feel that the 41-year old Coleman’s best days are behind him, he was giving Fedor all he could handle in their last meeting. It was only a nifty armbar that finally got Coleman to stop pounding on Fedor’s face. Don’t put he big fella out to pasture just yet. He is one guy who knows that he has to fight to eat (shaving commercials notwithstanding).

I’m not sure that this was the best choice for Fedor’s first back from surgery. As long as he’s not as tentative as he was against CroCop, Coleman has the power and experience to cause Fedor some problems. I’m not putting any money on it, but I won’t be surprised.

I just hope Wanderlei Silva has woken up by then.

Working for the Weekend

2006-09-09T16:34:00.000-04:00

So my boxing gym was closed the entire Labor Day weekend and neglected to post a sign. Though I should have expected as much, as it's an old school place... you know, lots of duct tape, the blood gets scrubbed off at the end of the month, and any teeth that come out are kept in the lost and found. But still, it totally threw off my week.

This weekend, on the other hand, is freaking packed with action. First off, tonight the IFL returns with its second season. If you've haven't bought into the IFL, now's the time. I was at the inaugural event and was very impressed with everything: the production, attention to detail, quality of the fights, not mention bumping into Pat Miletich in line for food. Then there was the Smashing Machine himself sitting one section over, as well as Tim Sylvia working the crowd and supporting Miletich's Silverbacks. Say what you want about Sylvia, but he's a hell of a nice guy to the fans, he's an enormous son of a bitch, and he wears his belt to stuff like this. I think that whomever the reigning champ is, they should wear the belt out all the time.
A. You're the best in the world at something (not too many folks get to say that), and
2. People want to see the belt. It's a big gold monstrosity with writing and all sorts of crap etched into it. Not too many people get to see one of those. Something to think about.

Sorry about the tangent. On to the fights. The biggest names are of course Matt Lindland and Jeremy Horn in the Superfight (yet another great idea for this league). Lindland looked great against the power of Quinton Jackson last month. Took everything Rampage threw at him and, on several occasions, nearly finished him off. Since losing to Sobral almost a year ago, Horn has made short work of two guys who probably aren't in his class. And since he's had to drop down for this fight (at 185), I'm lookin for Lindland to take it. Either way, I'd love to see eiter of these guys tee it up against Rich Franklin. I really think that Dana White is waiting for challengers to be born instead of throwing his champs against the best fighters available. Just one man's opinion. But really, after Tito beats Ken again, does he get another shot at Liddell? Tito hasn't fought anyone at the top of the heap in over two years, and hasn't beaten anyone at the top in over five. And I'm not counting an on-the-skids Vitor Belfort as top of the heap.

After Lindland and Horn, look for Horodecki's power to stop Ed West in a good fight, Mike Pyle to get back on my good side by tapping John Cole, and Alex Schoenauer to earn another check against Kazuhiro Hamanaka. Good times!

Tomorrow night is the long awaited final two rounds of the PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix. Final Conflict Absolute. I love the way stuff gets named in Japan. Big, bigger biggest. What's next.. Ultimate Ultimate Absolute Final Armageddon I Mean It This is The End of The World . This is sick stuff. Even the undercard is loaded. But I'm thrilled PRIDE matched up the fighters that they did. Barnett / Big Nog is going to be terrific. I don't know if, even with the 20 lb advantage, Barnett has the power to stop Nogueira. I think Nog submits him. On the other side, with Silva up to 218, I don't think CroCop can handle him. Look for Wand to fight his way inside and CroCop to try and keep the distance. Lot's of power in this one. If he doesn't just charge in, I'm going with Wanderlei Silva, simply because he really seems to be peaking as a fighter right now and CroCop's style doesn't put him at a disadvantage.

In the final, I think Nog gets Silva to the ground and locks him up.

The undercard has Aleksander Emelianenko against Sergei Kharitonov. Aleks has a lot of big fight experience for a kid, and he's enormous. If he shows up in shape, he's my pick to win the title as injury substitute for tomorrow's final. He's going to have a very good career. Watch out when he turns 30. Ricardo Arona against Alistair Overeem is another good fight. Arona can go with anyone from 185 to 205 and has. Overeem is six inches taller and is better than his losses indicate. This could be a big fight for Overeem's career if he pulls it off. Shogun Rua, who really should be going head to head with Wanderlei Silva for the middleweight belt, is looking to get back after breaking his arm after giving up over 30 lbs to Mark Coleman. A 6'6" Muay Thai fighter should be an interesting challenge.

That's it for me. Hopefully I can get something together for after the OWGP.

When is a can not a can

2006-08-31T08:28:00.000-04:00

So everyone seems pretty happy with UFC 62, which is nice. The complaints about 61 were sounding like the death knell of the UFC. And already, I'm hearing dissatisfaction about the 63 card. One fan groused that there should be two title fights on every pay-per-view! Well, in a dream world with 8 weight classes and 3 sanctioning bodies, you might pull it off. Oh wait, that's BOXING!

Say what you want to about Dana White, but he is doing two things right: he's making money for the company, and he's growing the product. UFC pay-per-views are monthly, TUF is in Season 4 and Ultimate Fight Nights are mixed in giving 15 televised or PPV events for the promotion in 2006 (with December no scheduled yet). And while all the MMA superfans want to see Chuck Liddell pound someone senseless every month, lots of good young fighters are getting needed exposure, fights, and paychecks. It's not enough to ride your stars to riches, particularly in a business where a broken hand and a 6 month vacation are right around the next corner. You have to take a long view.

It's great to see the big dog nurturing the fighters of the future. Identifying and grooming the next wave of Shamrocks, Gracies and Coutures is what will ensure the success of MMA. The IFL and the regional promotions are a boon to the MMA scene, providing a chance to fight in front of a good crowd and get paid. Get off your ass, step away from the pay-per-view, and get out to support your local MMA promotion. There are a ton of quality fights with great production values to be seen live. There is some pleasure to be taken in seeing a guy early in his career and then watch him grow into a champion.

Speaking of Shamrock, how fickle be the minds of MMA fans. In the stampede to denounce Ken as a can, it's interesting to see how other legends of the sport fair in the mind's eye of the public. Bas Rutten's return has been deservedly warm. People love Bas, and for good reason. But Bas has three losses to the Shamrock brothers, two to Ken. On the surface,Randy Couture's 14-8 record wouldn't put him the Hall of Fame, but that is exactly where he is. IFL coaches Maurice Smith (9-9) and Renzo Gracie (10-6, lost 6 of his last 7) have records that show them as distinctly beatable, yet no one disputes their status. I'm not going to do all the math for you. I mean, you are on the internet, look into it for yourself. My point is, why all the hate on Shamrock? Over a 10-plus year career, it's ridiculous to expect a fighter to go undefeated. This isn't boxing. You can't dance around, clinch and hide. You get three or five rounds to do some damage and, if you can't finish, suffer the whims of the judges. Ask Matt Lindland how he feels about judges. And Shamrock was giving up 10 years to Ortiz and Franklin. As a guy looking 40 in the face, I can say that with all the blah blah about weight classes, 10 lbs difference is nothing compared with 10 years. Everyone takes losses in this game. The proof of a fighter's greatness is seen in his fights, not necessarily in his record. Perhaps when he finally leaves the ring (or octagon or whatever the fighting venue) time will afford some perspective in regards to Ken's legacy.

People already seem to moving Royce Gracie from the pantheon of MMA stars to the ash heap. His loss to Matt Hughes has been heralded as some sort of event horizon for MMA. Out with the old, in with the new. Yes, times have changed since a 26 year-old Royce started his tear through the best fighters in the world. But those first UFC events were a battle to determine which was the dominant discipline. Now that the "mixed" in MMA is being fully realized, anyone without a solid combination of skills won't survive. But instead of being a used up cog in the new MMA machine, I think that Royce and his family have as much claim to the evolution of MMA as anyone. I've seen Royce up close... he's a slender guy. Matt Hughes makes me look around for the block of stone with the Matt Hughes shaped piece missing from it. He's not a mid-carder. That Matt Hughes used a strong BJJ game to supplement his superior strength (and relative youth) to help defeat him says alot about Royce and his achievements. The sight of Royce calmly working out his options while Hughes was trying to twist his arm off is the thing that sticks in my head the most. While no one leapt to praise them, the gospel that the Gracies have been preaching obviously made its mark on this fight. And though it was certainly not the result they wanted, it's important to remember that it's a poor teacher who has no student become his equal.

That said, if Royce wants to fight again, I'd like to see him put on 10 lbs of muscle and move up to 185. Trust me, it's easy to put the weight on at 40. And who wouldn't want to see a combination of his skills with some real power against someone like Rich Franklin or David Loiseau?

Dear Renato... DUCK!

2006-08-27T15:07:00.000-04:00

Now, I'm not a guy who likes to be wrong. It bugs me. But, I'm also a big boy and, when I back the wrong horse, I'll admit it (see my gaping, idiot face watching Mike Pyle get shaghaied in his IFL match with Rory Markham, just seconds after I told my friend Steve "watch the Pyle kid. Lot's of buzz. This is going to be a coming out party for him".

Yeah.

See I'm no stranger to the mea culpa. So please allow me a minute to sit smugly at the keyboard and simply say "Hmmph" (I'm also not an "I told you so" kinda guy, but I do relish a self-satisfied "Hmmph" when I'm right). I am forwarding the contents of this blog to Renato Sobral and his team of experts in case there is ever an opportunity for him to face Chuck Liddell again. This ain't the freakin' riddle of the sphinx. Write this down.. I WILL NOT TRADE SHOTS WITH CHUCK LIDDELL. Why do guys do this? Jeremy Horn chased him. Randy Couture chased him. Tito chased him until Chuck finally nailed him and then Chuck charged. Apparently Chuck is getting better at this, as the Sobral expedition into the Liddell wheelhouse barely had time to launch the boats before all were lost.

I'm no Liddell hater... he's the hammer, has crazy power, he seems to love his work, and the work of others...

But I want to see him challenged. I want someone to take him out of his comfort zone and really make him work. Right now, if you come in slow, he waits to line you up and then pow. If you come in fast, he backpedals, firing shots as he goes. I just looks to me like he doesn't want to get down and dirty (much like CroCop). And I don't blame Chuck. If he can drop guys with the minimum effort and risk, why deviate from the formula. If it ain't broke, etc.... But please, whomever the next guy is, make him work for it.

A second, and even more satisfied "Hmmph" to Nick Diaz. The kid can swing, and then slip on the lock when an opening presents itself. This is another guy who needs a game plan. Something that will maximize his strengths minimize his risks, namely exposing his face to unnecessary fists. Again, he'll only get better with some guidance. I"m glad to have him back and look forward to his next UFC fight... maybe another go-round with the Nightmare.

As for Forrest Griffin, kudos. But it's time to move on. Going round and round (and the distance - twice, now) with Stephan Bonnar, even with as much as they obviously bring out in each other, is not the stuff of legend. Or of a regular UFC job. Griffin needs to focus on one thing... Chuck Liddell. He's the guy with the belt. He's the guy you have to aim for. If you aren't ready for the best guy in your division, start working on that. If you don't think you'll ever be ready, enroll in a tax prep course... it's time for a new gig. He's got a KO loss to Jeremy Horn and dropped a split to Ortiz. Not bad guys to be losing to, but that sort of thing is supposed to make you stronger. Giddyup.

2006-08-24T12:44:00.000-04:00

Calling Matt Hughes. BJ Penn on line 2

As sorry as I am to see George St. Pierre unable to meet Matt Hughes, I'm thrilled that BJ Penn is stepping in for the rematch. These three guys could battle it out for the title for years. There's some talk of whether Penn is ready for this, but I can't think of a better challenge for him, or for Hughes. Look at Penn's record and you'll see he's lost twice in 4 years; once to GSP and the other to a guy who had 30 pounds on him. I like Hughes, terrific all-around fighter, but you gotta love a guy who has a black belt sewn into his shorts. Big balls. And that's what it will take. GSP? I guess he gets winners. And I can't wait for that.

Am I the only person happy to see Nick Diaz on this card? As much as I hate guys who jaw too much, I 'm definitely a fan. Yeah, he's on a slide, but look at the guys he in there with. Good, experienced fighters that he's taking the distance. I love his attitude and the way he went toe to toe with a swinger like Lawler, and I thought he won the Riggs fight. The kid is a talent and, most important, still a kid. He's on my list to only get better.

Lot's of chatter about Brock Lesnar signing with K-1. Did UFC miss the boat? Is he a future champion? Who let the pro wrestlers in? I don't know about you, but Lesnar is some kind of goddamn cyborg, physically. Strong, fast and agile, he's an NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion (after finishing second in 1999) and athletic enough to have a pre-season run with an NFL team. Yes, he got cut, but he was on short training after a motorcycle accident and did get offered a trip to NFL Europe to work himself into shape. And if you look at the success level of guys with strong wrestling backgrounds: Hughes, Coleman, Randleman, Couture and Liddell, you know he's got a shot.

The flip side is that this guy seems to be the classic bad decision maker... the bike accident, the improv top-rope flip that injured him in WWE, jumping to football, jumping to Japan wrestling. And then my favorite: leaving his fiancee to get engaged to, then breaking up with, and then marrying former wrestling diva and older woman, Rena Mero. Classy.

Do not wager any money on this guy. I don't care if Pat Miletich ADOPTS him. You'll get a better return with Keno.

2006-08-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

UFC 62 - On the way

Just some blah blah while I've got a minute...

Am I the only one who is surprised how long Chuck Liddell has managed to hang onto the title? It certainly doesn't hurt that eveyone decides to stand and slug with him. You would think that, between grapplers of the caliber of Couture, Horn and Ortiz, someone would figure out how to drag him down out of his comfort zone and work him on the ground. Not that Wanderlei would have done it any different but, at least with Wand, you have a complete striker to challenge him at his own game. Too bad that's not happening.

Speaking of the Axe Murderer (and how f*cked up is THAT for a nickname?), but something doesn't smell right with the Liddell/Silva fight now being written off. "Toruble coming to an agreement" with the difficult Japanese, is how it's being spun. But how does Wand find his way into the ring on a UFC pay-per-view to challenge the champ without a contract in place? Was he just passing through? And then DSE releases it's fight card for their US debut and it's all the big names... Cro-Cop, Fedor, Coleman, Randleman, Vitor, Barnett, Shogun, Silva and the New York Bare Ass. I'm joining the ranks of those hoping that these two promotions can be combined to give the fans the best fighters fighting each other on a regular basis.

Everyone is looking forward to Bonnar/Griffin, many as much as Babalu/Liddell. Look for Griffin to outlast Bonnar again for the win. And I'm picking Sobral to finally get through to the Iceman. Unless he turns it into a punchout. Then NOBODY is stopping Chuck.

Until Silva.