C.B. Dollaway: The most unmarketable fighter in the UFC?
May 29th, 2012 § 1 Comment
At UFC 146, C.B. Dollaway and Jason Miller took part in a career suicide pact, Miller was ground out and forced to follow through with a self-imposed retirement pledge, Dollaway on the other hand has strangled his marketability with his boring fighting style and anti-personality.
It’s ironic that one of the most excentric and exciting fighters in the sport should bow out to a fighter whose signature technique is crushing boredom.
With this performance Dollaway has cemented his position as an undercard fighter and will need to make drastic improvements to erase this from the minds of fans.
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Great Fights Being Overlooked at UFC 146
May 17th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
The battle royal of UFC 146 has cast a heavyweight-size shadow over some incredibly exciting prelim fights. Those who overlook the undercard and dismiss it as unimportant are wrong to do so. Some great fights have flown under the radar, hidden by the heavyweight fascination, failed testosterone tests and twitter campaigns that have accompanied the PPV.
1. Edson Barboza versus Jamie Varner
As I have said before, Edson Barboza is one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster and he’ll be looking to continue his seemingly unstoppable pursuit of the championship when he faces former WEC champ Jamie Varner. This will be Varner’s first fight back in the UFC and is coming off an impressive first round finish of veteran Drew Fickett. Barboza is now maincard worthy and a match up with a former champion is something not to be missed.
2. Jason Miller versus C.B Dollaway
Jason “Mayhem” Miller is one of the most popular fighters in MMA, despite a lack of credible success. After his unsuccessful return to the UFC against Michael Bisping, Miller is on the brink of capitulation in this do-or-die match up. Rather than drift back into the wilderness of Strikeforce or Bellator, he has said he will retire from the sport should he lose. Dollaway’s situation is a similarly desperate. Riding a 2-fight losing streak, Dollaway is in need of a vital win. Two flagging fighters scrapping for their future in an MMA relegation battle.
3. Dan Hardy versus Duane Ludwig
Very similar to the previous fight, ever-popular Dan Hardy is fighting for his UFC career against Duane Ludwig. Hardy’s profile within the sport hasn’t wavered despite being on a 4-fight losing streak, however popularity and promotion are unlikely to save him should that run stretch to five.
4. Diego Brandao versus Darren Elkins
Ultimate Fighter season 14 winner Diego Brandao is set to make his UFC debut against Darren Elkins. The explosive Brazilian tore through TUF and heads into this fight with a surprising high level of hype. The UFC tends to feed TUF winners the obligatory tomato can to ease them into the competition but this is not one of those occasions. Elkins is 3-1 in the UFC and could spoil Brandao’s arrival. An impressive win for either fighter will propel them into the title picture, alongside with the likes of Brookins, Oliveira, Hioki, Mendes and Siver just behind Chan Sung Jung and Erik Koch.
4 Reasons why Frank Mir can beat Dos Santos
April 27th, 2012 § 1 Comment
1. Underrated Striking
Frank Mir’s striking seems to be overshadowed at times by his ground game. Many people focus on his BJJ when describing his skills and forget about his much improved boxing. His ground game is rightly feared but that does not mean his hands and feet should be overlooked. Ever since he knocked out Minotauro Nogueria at UFC 92 Mir himself has spoken proudly of the development of his stand up. This advancement has been rubber stamped by his impressive victories over Mirko Cro Cop and Cheick Kongo.
2. Ground Game
As I said above, Frank Mir’s ground game is notorious and is the one clear area in which he has an advantage over the champion. It is his ground game that makes this an intriguing match up. Dos Santos has yet to face anybody with Mir’s BJJ ability (how could he, Mir is the best in the division) and it would be very interesting to see how Junior would fare if forced into a deadly ground battle with the former champ. He has however fought high level practitioners before such as: Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Gabriel Gonzaga and Roy Nelson but none of them were ever granted the opportunity to test the Brazilian on the floor, there inlies Mir’s dilemma and the mystery of this fight- will it ever reach the mat?
3. Less Pressure
I don’t know how much of a factor this could potentially be but Frank Mir has considerably less pressure on him to win heading into UFC 146. Mir is highly unfancied for this fight, as he was for the Velasquez fight, despite this he is only one big punch away from becoming an unlikely champion. He has nothing to lose, he’s getting a title show not many imagined he would get, considering how much of an underdog he was going up against Velasquez. Dos Santos on the other hand has went from facing a 50/50 pick’em to being the overwhelming favourite. How will that affect him heading into his first title defence?
4. Well-Rounded
Frank Mir has spoken of having less to worry about in facing Dos Santos as opposed to Velasquez. Unlike Dos Santos, Velasquez has been known to take the fight to the ground and use ground and pound or throw a variety of kicks. Dos Santos so far has been able to get by on his boxing alone. Utilizing a Chuck Liddell-like style of combining great takedown defence with unstoppable knock out punches, Dos Santos has forced opponents to reluctantly play his game to their demise. There are question marks over how he would cope should someone disrupt this game plan. The fact that his one loss came via an armbar submission is curious.
Now I am not for a second going to be outlandish and declare Mir favourite or even deny that he should be underdog. I doubt that we will leave with the belt but I also believe he has more of a chance than people think. I’m not sitting on the fence but this is a much more interesting fight than people are giving it credit for. As Mike Goldberg likes to say ‘Stylistically, it’s a great match up’.
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5 Guys who could face Dos Santos at UFC 146
April 16th, 2012 § 8 Comments
1. Alastair Overeem
The very existence of this article informs you that a replacement has not yet been named and Alastair Overeem remains in the main event. The very fact the UFC has decided file for a license application suggests they still harbour hope of their headliner being saved despite his remarkable 14-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. Is it worth muddying the name of MMA with dirty politics in order to save this match up?
2. Frank Mir
Without a doubt the most deserving fighter currently waiting in reserve. Set to face former champ Cain Velasquez in the 146 co-main event and the winner would become number one contender. Surely then it only makes sense to give the potential call up to one of these fighters? However you can’t really give it to Velasquez as his last fight was against Dos Santos and an immediate rematch would be unearned.
3. Mark Hunt
#RallyForHunt. One of the major shocks of the Overeem-Roids scandal, more shocking than the scandal itself (let’s face it the revelation that Overeem’s growth was not legit is hardly surprising, horse meat-pah!) is the upsurge in support for Mark Hunt. An incredible Cinderella story that has seen the K-1 legend go from defeat in a courtesy fight against Sean McCorckle to the stunning upset of Cheick Kongo and now a Twitter campaign has pushed the New Zealander to the verge of an unlikely title shot.
4. Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson wants a belt. Whether that be at middleweight, light heavyweight or, as he revealed recently, heavyweight- it really doesn’t matter to ‘Hendo’. Following wins over Fedor Emelianenko and Shogun Rua, Henderson is in a very prominent and versatile position. He is a multi-divisional number one contender who can be interchanged into whatever title fight he may want. At the moment he is in line to fight the winner of Jon Jones and Rashad Evans but has hinted that he may opt for a rematch with Anderson Silva. Now he is saying he would step up to face Dos Santos. Despite being a seemingly improbable choice, he is just as deserving as Frank Mir and has every right to flit between divisions. He is getting a title shot but whether that will be at heavyweight remains to be seen.
5. Fedor Emelianenko
Ok, admittedly this one is silly. Not only is his next fight is rumoured to be in St. Petersburg against Bobby Lashley but also he hasn’t achieved anything of note since 2006. Wins over Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii are really nothing to write home about for someone who is regarded so highly by so many. His best years are behind him but a marquee fight with Dos Santos would be huge if not merited.
Fighters Set to be Big by 2013
April 13th, 2012 § 2 Comments
1. Alexander Gustafsson
At UFC on FUEL TV 2, Alexander Gustafsson will face the returning Thiago Silva in Sweden. Many expect the young Swede to win on home turf and if that is how the fight goes, I can’t imagine it will be too long before Gustafsson gets a title shot. Right now he is not really viewed as a title contender but given the state of the light heavyweight division and his young age, by 2013 Gustafsson will be a force within the UFC.
2. Antonio Silva
Recently drafted over from Strikeforce after getting knocked out of the heavyweight tournament by Daniel Cormier, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva is set to make his UFC debut against Roy Nelson at UFC 146. With the current heavyweight division being as stacked as it is, I imagine “Big Foot” will be involved in a number of high-profile matches by 2013 and will have amassed a following based, if not on his success, purely on morbid fascination. His crushing victory over Fedor will live long in the memory and will grant him a certain longevity of credence.
3. Gilbert Melendez
Not many lightweight challengers remain for the Cesar Gracie fighter to face in Strikeforce. Although Dana White has spoken against it, it can’t be long before Melendez is in the UFC. There are so many big fights out there in the UFC’s most hectic division. The fans want to see a title unification fight and end this perpetual run of rematches that has congested this accordion of a division.
4. Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier has come out of nowhere and now he is just one fight away from perhaps being somewhere special. If he can maintain his 100% record and beat Josh Barnett in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale then he may well find himself filling an Overeem-shaped hole in the UFC.
5. Rhonda Rousey
Strikeforce womans champion Rhonda Rousey has garnered a pretty sizeable fan base already. Instantly marketable with her good looks, charismatic personality and not to mention her lethal fighting ability, she could be the figurehead of womans MMA for years to come. Her arm snapping finish of Meisha Tate continued her arm bar gimmick. There is something wholesome about Rousey, unlike with previous womans kingpin ’Cyborg’ Santos (the female version of Overeem) there isn’t a stomach churning size disparagement between her and her opponents. If the UFC decides to finally create a womans division, Rousey will in turn become one of the most recognisable fighters in the world.
6. Renan Barao
Described by Joe Rogan as being the ‘best fighter in the world without a belt’, Renan Barao is ripping through the batamweight division like a merciless Brazilian tornado. A string of highlight reel knockouts and an Aldo-esque striking game has earned him a lot of fans.
7. Michael Bisping
Will Michael Bisping finally shake off his tag as the perennial nearly man? Once again the Brit was on the verge of a title shot only to lose a razor close decision to Chael Sonnen. Unlike the Henderson and Silva fights, this loss does not seem to have dropped him too far down the pecking order. Looking through the middleweight division it does appear that he is locked in a five way battle for a title shot (Munoz, Belfort, Weidman, Palhares and himself). A win over any one of these fighters could propel him into a title shot. Next up he is surprisingly fighting a resurgent Tim Boetsch at UFC 148.
8. Rory MacDonald
An extremely well-rounded Canadian welterweight who trains out of Tristar Gym in Montreal… seem familiar? Rory MacDonald is very much the protegé of UFC welterweight champ George St. Pierre. Described as one of the so-called ’new breed’ of MMA fighter, MacDonald seems unstoppable in his rise to the top. The one blemish on his young record is a loss to current UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit. There is a feel of the Jon Jones about him and his situation in relation to training partners and title aspirations. It must have crossed GSP’s mind that he is training a young killer who is gunning for his belt. With Nick Diaz out the picture, Fitch losing and BJ retiring, MacDonald may only be two wins away from a title shot. Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampman will decide the next number one contender and the Hendricks-Koscheck fight effectively knock one of them out of the race. A fight with Jake Shields or a rematch with Carlos Condit (should he lose to GSP) will have the young Canadian challenging for the title.
9. Chris Weidman
Chris Weidman, like Bisping, is on the cusp of a middleweight title shot. Young and unbeaten, Weidman is viewed by many as the next big thing in the middleweight division. In his last fight he beat former title challenger Damian Maia. He hasn’t been given his next opponent yet but all the would be title challengers are currently occupied so a contendership showdown fight is unlikely and probably unadvised. With the middleweight division being as deep as it is, a slow and steady stream of middle of the road middleweights may be lined up as the title picture gets pruned. A fight with Yushin Okami, Chris Leben or Ronny Markes may be next.
10. Edson Barboza
His wheel kick knock out of Terry Etim at UFC RIO extened this young Brazilians unbeaten streak to 10 fights. Lurking in the shadows of the crowded lightweight division, Barboza seems to be only one or two wins away from a title shot and if he continues with his current lethal form I can’t think of many fighters who can stop him. The winner of Miller and Diaz will likely face the winner of Henderson and Edgar but it’s reasonable to assume that the champion at the end of that will have to face ’Junior’.
New Facebook Page!
April 9th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Everyone get liking the new Facebook page, please. >>>>>>>
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Greatest Celebrations in MMA
April 5th, 2012 § 2 Comments
1. Thiago Silva- Slit Throat
For it’s sheer coolness, Thiago Silva’s slit throat celebration is in at #1. Although Josh Barnett performs a similar post victory gesture, I have to give it to Silva. The way he strides up to the camera, stares down the lens with a psychotic intensity- and then… menacingly…
2. Tito Ortiz- Grave Digger
For it’s originality and over-the-top theatrics, Tito Ortiz and his Grave Digger are in at #2. Most famously, and perhaps most fittingly, performed after finishing Ken Shamrock.
3. BJ Penn- Blood Licker
Former UFC Lightweight champ BJ Penn features on this list for his primal, if not a bit hepatitus-risky celebration following his bloody beatdown of Joe Stevenson at UFC 80. After choking out the badly busted up Stevenson, “The Prodigy” then proceeded to lick the freshly shed blood from his gloves. Although clearly crazy, it shows his litterally bloodfirsty lust for violence and is a fitting salute to an MMA victory.
4. Rampage Jackson- Wolf Howl
Although his wolf persona remains largely unexplained (the fact he used to train at Wolfslair is coincidental), Rampage Jackson’s wolf howl is part of MMA legend.
5. Chuck Liddell- ‘The Chuck Liddell’
No other way to describe it. It is a move synonymous with the man.
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Chael Sonnen versus Brazil
April 4th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Long-time UFC middleweight number one contender and trash talk world champion, Chael Sonnen, is both lauded and hated for his highly xenophobic diss campaign against Brazil.
The American started the running joke during the build-up for his fight with Anderson Silva back at UFC 117. His rants angered other Brazilian fighters, especially Wanderlei Silva.
In commemoration of the outspoken middleweight’s rematch with the champion, here is some of his tweets and quotes that hopefully summarize why he polarises fans like no one else.
Click to Enlarge
Interview with Ariel Helwani
“You have to understand. If I say something in a very private manner that isn’t intended for a certain audience, come on, you can’t hold that against me. I picked my medium very carefully when I talked about Brazil. I went to the internet. And if I had the foggiest idea that they had computers in Brazil, I wouldn’t have done that.”
“I was in Las Vegas when the Nogueira brothers first touched down in America. There was a bus…this is a true story…there was a bus that pulled up to a red light and ‘Lil Nog’ tried to feed it a carrot while ‘Big Nog’ was petting it. He thought it was a horse. This really happened? Do you believe me that that happened? He tried to feed a bus a carrot and now you’re telling me their country has computers? I didn’t know that!”
“Listen Wanderlei, I will do a home invasion on you. I will cut the power to your house and the next thing you’ll hear is me climbing up your stairs in a pair of night vision goggles I bought in the back of Soldier of Fortune magazine. I’ll pick the lock to the master room door and take a picture of you in bed with the Nogueira brothers working on your “jeeuu-jitsu.”
“What happened Mirko, what happened to your legs? Nothing happened. The referee’s not wearing an earpiece. The promoter didn’t come in the back and tell your opponent when to go down. That’s what happened. ‘I lost my motivation.’ No you didn’t – you suck. You suck just like Wanderlei sucks, just like Fedor sucks. Big difference when that referee is real isn’t it?”
MMA Wrestlemania
March 30th, 2012 § 5 Comments
The worlds of MMA and Pro Wrestling are often accused of overlapping. I do not mean to blur the line because I know MMA fans hate comparisons being drawn between the two. I am a fan of both, I am an MMA fan now and have fond memories of enjoying WWF when I was younger. I have decided to write this article as a nostalgic blend of old and new.
Match #1: Tag Team Titles
GSP + Rory MacDonald v The Diaz Brothers
The opening bout will feature a match up for the tag team titles. GSP and Rory Macdonald are two formidable Canadian welterweights who both fight out of the Tristar Gym in Montreal. Who better to face the Canadian duo than the rowdy Diaz Brothers from Stockton, California. It’s a perfect match up! GSP and the elder Diaz, Nick, have been feuding for weeks in the build up to their expected but eventually non-existent showdown. MacDonald and the younger Diaz, Nate, have fought before in a one-sided victory for the Canadian. Nate later went on to accuse Rory of taking steroids.
Match #2: Handicap Match
Alastair Overeem v Ian McCall + Demetrious Johnson
Next up we have an interesting handicap match between the ginormous Dutchman, Alastair Overeem and mini American fighters Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson. Pro Wrestling has a tendency of pitting a monstrous heel against two opponents who are much smaller in stature.
Match #3: Ladder Match/ Loser Gets Fired
Jason Miller v Dan Hardy
In this bout, Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Dan Hardy will compete in a ladder match for a UFC contract. Dangling precariously above the centre of the ring is a 3-fight UFC deal and the first man to grab it is once again secure in the number one MMA promotion, the loser is fired. Hardy is on a four fight losing streak that has seen him fall from challenging for the title to the threat of release. Miller has had a nomadic career and last year he returned to the UFC to face Michael Bisping. The manner of Miller’s subsequent beat down has thrown his UFC future into question.
Match #4: Hell in a Cell
Brock Lesnar v Frank Mir
Now that Brock Lesnar has left the UFC, the only way to conclude this most hateful of rivalry is in the iconic Hell in a Cell. The most brutal match to house the most vicious hatred. Imagine Frank Mir getting chucked Mankind-esque from the top of the cell through the announcers table. Joe Rogan would go nuts, while he contemplates watching the rest of the event with nowhere to rest his elbows.
Match #5: Fatal Four Way for the Number One Contender Spot
Michael Bisping v Rousimar Palhares v Chris Weidman v Vitor Belfort
Who shall face the winner of Anderson Silva versus Chael Sonnen? This Fatal Four Way will determine the rightful number one contender. Bisping was gathering real momentum until he ran into Chael Sonnen, however many believed he won the fight and gained a lot of respect and credibility in defeat. Palhares has really captured the imaginations of MMA fans with his terrifying ground game. The fighter dubbed ‘the scariest fighter in the UFC’ by Joe Rogan has grabbed a lot of attention with his horror leg locks that threaten to end the career of anyone who gets caught in them. Weidman is a young middleweight who has amassed a great deal of hype already. His latest victory over a lackluster Damian Maia proved to many that he is the real deal. Belfort is a perennial contender and with his dramatic victory over a much bigger Anthony Johnson he is once again back in the mix for a title shot. If he can get past fellow Brazilian Wanderlei Silva in his next fight he may get another rematch with another Silva. Oh, and obviously wins this Fatal Four Way… obviously.
Match #6: Kiss My Ass Match
Dana White v Tito Ortiz/ Rampage Jackson/ Fedor Emelianenko
Vince McMahon is the Dana White of the WWE Universe and has a particular penchant for getting his enemies to kiss his ass. This pursuit was reserved for his most bitter of adversaries such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. In this match Dana White would face off against one his rivals with similar ass-kissing stipulations. He could face either Tito Ortiz, Rampage Jackson or Fedor Emelianenko. Due to the disparagement of technical ability, one of Dana’s stablemates will interfere in the match. Perhaps Lorenzo Fertitta will run in with a steel chair. If it is Rampage he is facing it would be a vengeful Ariel Helwani who would come dashing down to screw Jackson over. Maybe knocking him out with his microphone?
Main Event: World Title Fight
Jon Jones v Rashad Evans w/ Special Guest Referee Greg Jackson
In the Main Event we have title fight between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans with, controversially, Greg Jackson as special guest referee. Jackson is the current trainer of Jones and the former trainer of Evans, will his split loyalties have an effect on his ability to fairly arbitrate the fight? Similar to when Triple H fought The Rock in an Iron Man Match with Shaun Michaels as ref, will Jackson’s presence be a deciding factor in the outcome?
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Who could be next for Jon Jones?
March 26th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
I am writing this post in acknowledgement of the ever shortening list of fighters available to be put through the Jon Jones shredder. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not for a second discounting Rashad Evans’ chances at UFC 145, even if the bookmakers are. To me, Rashad Evans is the toughest fight of Jones’ career to date and is the man best equipped to take the belt. That said, if Evans should fail to regain the light heavyweight title, who else is really out there to face the champion? I have compiled a list, admittedly it is a short and multi-divisional list, of the last remaining beacons of hope should Evans fall.
1. Dan Henderson
Hendo is on a tear. He’s on a four fight win streak which includes wins over MMA legends Fedor Emelianenko and Shogun Rua. Henderson had vacated his Strikeforce light heavyweight title to pursue Jones and the UFC title. Stylistically, this may prove to be a difficult fight for Jones. Henderson possesses knock out power in his hands but he also has the wrestling credentials to possibly take the fight to the mat.
This fight scenario is very reminiscent of Henderson versus Silva in which the American succumbed to a rear naked choke. Jones has yet to demonstrate that he has a ground game as deadly as Silva’s. The submission victories the young champion has are against opponents so battered and demoralized that they limply concede limbs and necks.
Jones has faced a similar foe already. Ryan Bader is a watered-down version of Henderson- big one punch power and accomplished wrestling. The ease in which Bader was beaten must be a concern for Henderson fans.
2. Alexander Gustafsson
Alexander Gustafsson is like Jon Jones in a way. Very young and very promising and with only one blemish on his record. He has looked a real contender recently, finishing his last four opponents. He has yet to beat a top ranked opponent but his compition level has been gradually increasing.
In his next fight he will be facing dangerous Brazilain Thiago Silva at UFC on FUEL TV 2 in Sweden and if he can win impressively, necessity of a challenger in such a bare division may force the young swede into the title picture.
3. Anderson Silva
This is the most interesting fight of the list. Weirdly, despite dominating for six years, Anderson Silva is still further away from clearing his division than Jon Jones. Should Silva get past Sonnen he will still have to face the likes of Michael Bisping, Rousimar Palhares and Chris Weidman before his domination of the middleweight division is complete. Jones on the other hand has already dispatched of Ryan Bader, Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida in such devastating fashion that rematches are out of the question. Apart from a few, the light heavyweight division is full of fighters past their prime or stumbling inconsistently.
4. Gegard Mousasi
The Strikeforce fighter and DREAM light heavyweight champion has always been one of the fighters fans having been craving to see in the UFC. If he can claim the vacant Strikeforce light heavyweight title then he may just finally have earned his rightful place in the big league. Not only would he be entering the big league but he will be entering a thoroughly depleted division.
5. Frank Mir
Like when Anderson Silva moved up to light heavy and fought Forrest Griffin, Jon Jones should just dip his toe in the water by facing a top 5 contender. Frank Mir has the skills and the name to match up with the PPV selling standards of Jon Jones.
This is all hypothetical though as Jones still has to get through Rashad Evans at UFC 145. Knowing my luck, Evans will likely win the fight rendering this article pointless.
