Quote:Lately you may have seen us criticizing various proposed rematches as “completely unnecessary” and wondered out loud, ‘Are there any rematches you jerks do want to see?’ Our answer to this is a) you’re the jerk, jerk, and b) as a matter of fact, there are approximately ten, and here they are:
10. Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 79, 12/29/07)
Technically, these guys are in different weight classes now. We realize that. We know that Silva cut down to middleweight after ridding himself of fifteen pounds worth of facial scar tissue, and Liddell has slipped into the ‘old guy who can only fight other old guys’ division, right alongside Matt Hughes.But other than that minor barrier, there’s no reason not to have these guys reprise their memorable 2007 battle just for the pure hell of it. Neither one of them wants to quit fighting, and neither is going to become a world champion again. The only suitable option left is to find interesting fights against competitive opponents who won’t murder them. In this sense, they are exactly what the other has been searching for.
9. Mark Coleman vs. Kazuyuki Fujita (Pride GP, 5/1/00)
At first glance, this probably makes no sense to you. Why, you’re wondering, would we want to see a has-been and a never-was square off in a nursing home fight that probably wouldn’t be very exciting to watch, and would only result in both guys smelling like Icy Hot for the next three months? The answer is, because we feel like we deserve it.These two originally “fought” in the semi-final round of the 2000 Pride Grand Prix. Only once they got in the ring together it was clear that Fujita didn’t have much left after his decision win over Mark Kerr. He tried to put on a brave, albeit bruised face, but his corner let him get just far enough into what was sure to be a failed takedown attempt against Coleman before they threw in the towel. Essentially, we were promised an ugly beatdown, and we didn’t get it. We don’t really want to see it any more now than we did back then, but it just feels right.
Honorable mention: Mark Coleman vs. Nobuhiko Takada. For similar, and yet very different reasons.8. Vitor Belfort vs. Tito Ortiz (UFC 51, 2/6/05)
Belfort is a middleweight now, and Ortiz is a robot designed by the government to confuse our enemies with nonsensical sentence constructions, but once upon a time they had a closely contested bout that ended in a split decision for the HBBB. That was back in 2005, which was not a great time in Belfort’s career but was close to a pinnacle in Ortiz’s. We’re not saying we lose sleep thinking about what would happen if they met in the present day, but the part of us that will forever be nostalgic for the mid-2000’s sure wouldn’t mind putting on a Kelly Clarkson CD and watching these two go for it again.7. Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum (Pride GP Opening Round, 5/5/06)
Of all the possible rematches in this list, none has as good a chance of actually happening as this one. Werdum’s submission victory in the opening round of the Pride 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix might even serve as sufficient motivation for Overeem to consent to a drug test and fight a top ten opponent in an MMA bout – two things he’s been very hesitant to do of late. Maybe for those reasons alone, this is a fight that Strikeforce shouldn’t rule out.6. Dan Henderson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pride Total Elimination, 4/23/05)
Back in the Pride days Hendo was up for fighting anyone with the last name Nogueira. Perhaps the most compelling of those bouts was his 2005 clash with Little Nog, which ended with a very tired Henderson tapping out to an armbar late in the first frame (and in Pride rules, late means eight minutes in).Henderson’s conditioning and overall skill-set have vastly improved since then, and Nogueira’s recently shown himself to be a promising contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight class, so it would make a great clash for a UFC card in the need of a little more star power. And if only Dana White hadn’t let Hendo slip away to Strikeforce, it could have become a reality. Yeah, we’re going to mention that blunder every chance we get.
5. Kenny Florian vs. Diego Sanchez (TUF 1 Finale, 4/9/05)
The first meeting wasn’t at all competitive, and even Kenny Florian can’t tell you now why he spent the opening moments circling the cage for no good reason. That said, there are few fighters who have changed so much for the better over the last half decade than Florian, and as long as Sanchez is still at the point in his career where he remembers what it’s like to weigh 155 pounds for one afternoon, there’s no reason they shouldn’t see how things would turn out if they went at it a second time. No, it won’t solve any top contender debates or propel the winner to new career heights. It’s more like drinking outside: if you can’t think of a reason not to do it, consider it a good idea.4. Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami (Rumble on the Rock 8, 1/20/06)Take a step back and just appreciate this fact for a moment. This DQ loss to Okami at Rumble on the Rock 8 in January of 2006 was the last time Anderson Silva came out of a fight without the taste of sweet, sweet victory on his lips. That was a little over four years ago, and contrary to what Chael Sonnen says, it’s not as if he’s been fighting nothing but chumps since then. That’s damn impressive and deserves to be mentioned here. But on to the fight.
Right away things looked bad for Okami. He was outclassed on the feet and his takedown attempts were all telegraphed from way too far out. To his credit, he kept at it and eventually got the fight where he wanted it – him on top, Silva on his back. That’s when Silva unleashed a totally awesome and totally illegal heel kick that knocked Okami senseless. Just that quickly you can go from celebrating to angrily accusing your opponent of pretending to be more hurt than he is.
3. Renzo Gracie vs. Eugenio Tadeu (Pentagon Combat, 9/27/97)
For those of you unfamiliar with one of the strangest results ever entered into the Sherdog FightFinder, let us set the scene for you. It’s a hot September night in Rio de Janeiro. The year is 1997. Pentagon Combat has put together a card featuring such early MMA luminaries as Oleg Taktarov, Jerry Bohlander, and Murilo Bustamante. But the crowd has come to see one fight above all others, and it’s the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs. Luta Livre showdown between Renzo Gracie and Eugenio Tadeu.What follows is a grueling fifteen-minute scrap in front of an intense, and at times unruly crowd. Some of that is to be expected in Brazil, but things really get bad when fans (many of them Tadeu supporters) ignore their seating assignments and climb up on the cage apron. Not only does this block the view of everyone behind them, it also gives them the chance to shout some probably not very nice things in Gracie’s face as they strain to reach through the fence and help their fighter out.
It’s a volatile situation, is what we’re saying. There’s only so long that can go on before the whole thing boils over into a riot, which is exactly what happened before the fight could ever reach its conclusion. What do you expect from an event like this? The ref was wearing jeans, for crying out loud.
2. Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons (Elite XC Renegade, 11/10/07)
On the books, it was Diaz’s last official loss. In our hearts, it was the unsatisfying result of the clash between a cut-prone Diaz and a surprisingly sharp Noons. Noons left that night with a victory that he didn’t get a chance to truly earn, and Diaz had to settle for giving the world an indignant double Stockton heybuddy (not to be confused with the celebratory Stockton heybuddy, which looks more or less identical to the untrained eye).In short, there was every reason to run this one back, but Noons fled to the world of boxing instead, while Diaz rose through the Strikeforce ranks. Now that they finally have the same employer again, this is one that we need to see again.
1. “Rampage” Jackson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Pride Total Elimination, 4/23/05)
If you ask ‘Page now, he’ll probably tell you he only lost this fight because he was never really all that into MMA anyway. The truth is that Jackson found himself in against a “Shogun” who was at the height of his ferocity and “Rampage” couldn’t find any answer for the onslaught that didn’t involve getting kicked in the face. These days there’s no denying that Jackson has become a more technically sound fighter and Rua has had his ups and downs, mostly due to injuries. But assuming you could convince Jackson to stick around in this pro fighting mess for a little while longer – perhaps through pointing out his complete lack of acting skills – wouldn’t it be great to see them try it again?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
• View topic - 10 Completely Necessary MMA Rematches
• View topic - Dana White donates $10k to brain-tumour infant
02/03/10 - Dana White donates $10k to brain-tumour infantQuote:THE family of a poorly two-year-old girl were "shocked but over the moon" after a U.S. cagefighting boss pledged £5,000 to help pay for her treatment.Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White made the surprise gesture on Ruby Owen's fund-raising website on Saturday – despite having never met the family.
The 40-year-old American decided to support the Kidsgrove family's campaign to raise £250,000 to pay for the youngster, pictured, who has a brain tumour, to have life-saving treatment in America.
Ruby's dad, 38-year-old Martin Owen, said he had been amazed by the donation.
He said a family friend, who has asked not to be named, was a UFC fan and often went out to watch fights in America.
Martin added: "He emailed Dana and told him about Ruby's story and asked if he could help.
"The first we knew about the donation was when someone mentioned it on Ruby's Facebook page.
"We don't even know the man, yet he has given £5,000 towards Ruby's treatment. It's a big sum of money and we are very grateful. It's given us all a big boost."
Cagefighter Ross 'The Gladiator' Pointon, who runs Gladiator Gym, in Tunstall, has fought in the UFC.
And the 30-year-old said: "Dana is a cool guy so this doesn't really surprise me."
Ruby's brain tumour was diagnosed in May last year and since then she has undergone surgery and seven courses of chemotherapy.
With Mr White's donation, the campaign total now stands at around £56,000, but the remaining amount must be found before she can be registered for the six-week proton therapy treatment in Indiana.
The treatment is a form of radiotherapy which isolates and treats only the diseased tissue. Ruby's family hope she will receive it in 10 weeks' time.
Parents Martin and Rachel, have given up their jobs to care for the youngster, and take it in turns to stay with her in hospital while also looking after her 10-year-old sister Charlotte.
And Martin added: "We just have to hope people keep donating and we can hit the target."
Doctors have given Ruby less than a 20 per cent chance of survival.
Monday, March 1, 2010
• View topic - TUF 11 Cast Revealed
Quote:“THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: TEAM LIDDELL VS. TEAM ORTIZ” CAST IS ANNOUNCED
28 Middleweights To Vie For A Six-Figure Contract With The UFC
Premieres Wednesday, March 31 at 10:00 PM ET/PT on Spike TVNew York, NY, March 1, 2010 – The 11th season of Spike TV’s most popular original series ever, “The Ultimate Fighter,” for the first time will feature 28 of the best up and coming mixed martial artists in the world competing for 14 spots in “The Ultimate Fighter” house. The series boasts a new format, which will be introduced to viewers in the show’s premiere episode. The smash hit will also feature two coaches who need no introduction to mixed martial arts fans, UFC legends Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Tito “The Huntington Beach Badboy.” The new season premieres Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 10:00 PM ET/PT featuring the following cast members:
RICH ATTONITO
Fighting out of: Deerfield Beach, FL / American Top Team
Record: 7-3
Age: 32A 2001 graduate of Hofstra University in Long Island, Rich Attonito wrestled several different weight classes as a member of the Pride wrestling team including the 167lb. and 197lb. divisions. Attonito has been training with American Top Team since he moved to Florida in 2006. He is the strength and conditioning coach for UFC veteran Luigi Fioravanti.
SETH BACZYNSKI
Fighting out of: Canyon, AZ / Apex MMA
Record: 11-5
Age: 28Training partner to TUF alums Santino DeFranco (season 9) and Efrain Escudero (season 8 ) at Apex MMA in Arizona, Seth Baczynski is a full-time water inspector at Liberty Water.
CHARLES BLANCHARD
Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, FL / American Top Team
Record: 7-2
Age: 24A 2-time All State wrester in high school, this single father is a jiu-jitsu brown belt and a published poet.
JOSH BRYANT
Fighting out of: Tulsa, OK / Absolute Combat Alliance
Record: 10-0
Age: 29A member of the Absolute Combat Alliance camp in Tulsa, OK, Josh Bryant sports a perfect 10-0 professional mixed martial arts record. When not training, Bryant works as a manager for Mazzio’s Italian Eatery in Oklahoma.
CHRIS CAMOZZI
Fighting out of: Denver, CO / Gumm MMA
Record: 11-3
Age: 22Camozzi is a freestyle fighter from Denver that works as a bouncer in his spare time. Two of his three losses are to TUF alums Jesse Forbes (season 3) and Jesse Taylor (season 7).
BRENT COOPER
Fighting out of: Long Beach, CA / Team Oyama
Record: 5-1
Age: 31Of Sioux Indian descent, Cooper is a pipeliner by day for Shell Oil, and a devastating striker by night, with four of his five wins coming via TKO.
JACEN FLYNN
Fighting out of: Meridian, ID / No camp
Record: 8-2
Age: 31Jacen Flynn possesses an 8-2 mixed martial arts record that includes wins over Dennis Kang and Dean Lister. Away from the Octagon™, he is a social worker.
JAMES HAMMORTREE
Fighting out of: Ocala, FL / USA Martial Arts
Record: 4-0
Age: 23Following one season at Weber International, where he starred on the football team as a linebacker and on special teams, Hammortree left the program in order to become a full-time firefighter in Ocala, FL. The former high school wrestler owns a 4-0 professional record with all four of those bouts taking place in 2009.
JOSEPH HENLE
Fighting out of: Thousand Oaks, CA / Big John McCarthy’s MMA
Record: 3-0
Age: 26Joseph Henle splits time training at Big John McCarthy’s MMA and working as a substitute teacher and wrestling coach in Thousand Oaks, CA. Henle earned his MBA in Financial Planning from California Lutheran University in ’06. He speaks fluent Japanese.
CHARLEY LYNCH
Fighting out of: Mound, MN / Northway MMA
Record: 6-0
Age: 25The self-proclaimed baddest man in Minnesota, Charley Lynch owns a 6-0 professional record with zero of his bouts going to decision.
KRIS MCCRAY
Fighting out of: Dumfries, VA / Chute Boxe
Record: 5-0
Age: 28Son of a military father, Kris McCray was raised in Germany, where he excelled on the soccer pitch and garnered All-Europe honors in high school. In 1999, McCray moved permanently to the United States, where he has served parts of 8 years (6 active, 2 inactive) as a member of the US Army Reserve, while also finding time to earn his Associates Degree in Social Studies from Northern Virginia Community College.
COURT MCGEE
Fighting out of: Orem, UT / Throwdown Elite Fight Team
Record: 9-1
Age: 24A Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist out of Orem, UT, Court McGee beat “The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom” runner-up DaMarques Johnson in 2007 by submission
CLAYTON MCKINNEY
Fighting out of: Orlando, FL / Jungle MMA
Record: 4-2
Age: 27A teammate of TUF (season 8 ) alum Tom Lawlor at Jungle MMA, Clayton McKinney is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt that supplements his training by working security at a local bar in Orlando.
KYLE NOKE
Fighting out of: Albuquerque, NM / Jackson’s MMA
Record: 16-4-1
Age: 29Kyle Noke, from Mooloolaba, Australia, is the former bodyguard of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin. Currently training with Jackson’s MMA in New Mexico, Noke defeated TUF (season 6) alum George Sotiropoulos in June 2005 and current castmate Kyacey Uscola this past September.
VICTOR O’DONNELL
Fighting out of: Milford, OH / Vision MMA
Record: 8-1
Age: 27Hailing from Milford, OH, O’Donnell suffered his first professional loss this past September against cast mate Costantinos Philippou. Before that, he had won eight contests, seven of which by submission.
NORMAN PARAISY
Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, FL / American Top Team
Record: 5-1
Age: 23Norman Paraisy was born and raised Paris, France. The 5-1 Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist left France in order to pursue MMA in the states and is now a member of the American Top Team.
COSTANTINOS PHILIPPOU
Fighting out of: Merrick, NY / Serra-Longo
Record: 5-1
Age: 30Costantinos Philippou is a former boxer with 3 professional and over 80 amateur fights on his record. The 30-year-old server from Merrick, NY was born and raised in Greece. He currently trains out of the Serra-Longo camp.
GREG REBELLO
Fighting out of: Buzzards Bay, MA / Sityodtong USA
Record: 9-2
Age: 27Greg Rebello trains full-time at Sityodtong USA in Massachusetts under the watchful eye of Mark DellaGrotte. Currently in peak physical condition, Rebello at one time weighed in over 300lbs before dedicating himself to fitness at the age of 18.
NICK RING
Fighting out of: Calgary, Canada / B.D.P. Martial Arts
Record: 10-0
Age: 30Nick Ring returned to MMA in May 2009 following a three year stint away from the sport after suffering a devastating knee injury. In that time, Ring boxed professionally to the tune of a 4-1 record with 3 knockouts.
JORDAN SMITH
Fighting out of: Clearfield, UT / Throwdown Elite Fight Team
Record: 10-0
Age: 24A 7th grade teacher by day, Jordan Smith is a former professional boxer that trains with fellow cast member Court McGee at Throwdown Elite Fight Team.
BEN STARK
Fighting out of: Tamarac, FL / American Top Team
Record: 3-1
Age: 27Born and raised a practitioner of the Orthodox Jewish religion until the age of 6, Ben Stark began training with American Top Team in Florida as a sophomore in college. When not at the gym, Stark picks up shifts at “The Original Fat Cats,” and also finds time to breed snakes.
LYLE STEFFENS
Fighting out of: Tucson, AZ / Apex MMA
Record: 5-2
Age: 26Lyle Steffens is a firefighter and an EMT in Tucson, AZ. He trains with fellow cast member Seth Baczynski at Apex MMA.
BRAD TAVARES
Fighting out of: Las Vegas, NV / TapouT
Record: 4-0
Age: 21At 21, Brad Tavares is the youngest of this season’s cast members. Originally from Hilo, HI, Tavares recently relocated to Las Vegas and trains full-time with TapouT
WARREN THOMPSON
Fighting out of: Marietta, GA / Team Khunpon / Roberto Traven BJJ
Record: 5-0
Age: 23Warren Thompson, aka “The Kool-Aid Man,” is a muay-thai fighter from Marietta, GA. The volunteer firefighter splits his training in Atlanta between Team Khunpon and Roberto Traven BJJ.
KYACEY USCOLA
Fighting out of: Sacramento, CA / Team Alpha Male
Record: 18-15
Age: 28Kyacey Uscola joins the cast with 33 professional MMA fights on his record. He trains with Team Alpha Male and Urijah Faber out of Sacramento.
CLEBURN WALKER
Fighting out of: Keller, TX / Team Lutter
Record: 9-3
Age: 26Born and raised in Texas, Cleburn Walker is a full-time fighter and instructor at Team Lutter. He suffered a recent loss via submission to TUF (season 3) alum Jesse Forbes this past June.
WOODY WEATHERBY
Fighting out of: Hudson, NH / Renzo Gracie / Mickey Wards Boxing Gym & Xtreme MMA
Record: 7-3
Age: 27The former US Navy officer currently works full-time as a corrections officer for the Hillsborough County jail in Manchester, NH. Weatherby rotates his training between 2 gyms: Renzo Gracie Academy in Derry, NH, and Mickey Wards Boxing Gym & Xtreme MMA.
JAMIE YAGER
Fighting out of: Los Angeles, CA / Kings MMA
Record: 2-1
Age: 25A standout varsity letterman in baseball and football, Yager was the 2001 Athlete of the Year at South Pasadena High School in California. He picked up training MMA as a hobby, and went straight from training to the professional ranks in February 2008 as part of BET’s Iron Ring, where he defeated his opponent by TKO.
During the six-week taping of “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz,” the competitors endured a grueling regimen of jiu-jitsu, judo, Muay Thai, karate, boxing and wrestling. The intense competition among the fighters continues after they leave the gym – at the Ultimate Fighter House. These warriors must live together, knowing that any day they might be forced to fight each other in the famed UFC Octagon™.
The two finalists will square off in a live finale on Spike TV, where the winner will be declared “The Ultimate Fighter” and net the six-figure contract and a cash prize. UFC President Dana White will once again serve as host of the series.
After each show, Spike.com users will get exclusive extended footage from each episode and an exclusive video leak of the upcoming episode.
Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films and Television, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White of Zuffa, LLC, and Kevin Kay of Spike TV are the show’s executive producers. Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, sports & specials, Spike TV is co-executive producer and Christopher Martello is executive in charge of production for Spike TV.
• View topic - Overeem Vs Rogers May 15.
Champ Alistair Overeem confirms May 15 Strikeforce fight with Brett Rogers
Quote:Alistair Overeem (32-11 MMA, 2-0 SF) wants American fans to get ready. There are no more obstacles in the way of his American MMA career; Strikeforce is the priority for 2010.In an exclusive interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion said he is likely to meet Brett Rogers (10-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) in a non-title fight on an as-yet-unannounced card set for May 15 in St. Louis, Mo.
Although Strikeforce has not placed an event permit request to the Missouri State Athletic Commission, all signs point to a second trip to the 22,000-seat Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
The promotion made its first visit there this past June for "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler."
Overeem announced the Rogers fight earlier today on his Twitter account but clarified that the matchup is not confirmed. He also added that a rumored appearance at DREAM.13 against Neil Grove or Josh Barnett is also unconfirmed.
"I'll know this week," he said.
Keeping up with the Dutch fighter's schedule has proven a difficult task for American fans. Overeem was slated to face Rogers at "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler" in 2009 before he injured his hand in an Amsterdam nightclub brawl and suffered severe complications, which he said shelved him for a follow-up appearance two months later against Fabricio Werdum at "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg."
Just 11 days after the proposed Werdum fight, Overeem entered the 2009 K-1 Grand Prix and made two appearances for the kickboxing promotion before he lost to Badr Hari in the tournament's semifinals. Along the way, he picked up two MMA wins (via submission over Tony Sylvester and James Thompson) before he defeated Kazuyuki Fujita in his most recent appearance at the Dec. 31 "Dynamite!! 2009" event in Japan.
Overeem has not defended his title since November 2007, when he won the vacant belt by defeating Paul Buentello at "Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives."
Overeem's manager, Bas Boon, said his fighter made far more money competing for K-1 and assured American fans he will return in April or May. Boon, though, would not confirm the Rogers bout.
Meanwhile, Overeem said he hopes to fight in the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix but that Strikeforce obligations come first.
"If I can do K-1 after these fights or in between, that's OK, but if not, then I will go for Strikeforce," he said. "It's been too long. Last year was a good year in K-1, but this year, I want to fight in MMA."
The chance of a long-rumored fight with Fedor Emelianenko appears to be a longshot. Emelianenko will not appear on Strikeforce's second CBS-televised event, which is set for April 17 in Nashville, Tenn., and he is currently in a contract dispute with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion. He is rumored to be fighting on the May 15 card against an unnamed opponent.
While Overeem counts the top-ranked Russian among his targets stateside, there is too much red tape between them.
"Fedor doesn't want to fight," Overeem said. "His manager doesn't want to fight. That's basically the message I'm getting out of all of this. The management said, 'Yeah, we want to fight Alistair, but first, Alistair must fight somebody else.' Basically, you need two parties to agree on a fight. Otherwise it's not going to happen.
"And now, I don't know what is going to happen because I think [Fedor] might want to leave Strikeforce. I'm not really occupied with the situation; I'm just focused on myself and my training."
Overeem was more than happy, though, to take on Rogers, who has called him out on several occasions and demanded he defend his title or give up the belt.
"He's an excellent opponent," Overeem said. "I'm looking forward to [smacking] his face and his loud mouth. I'm really happy that Strikeforce came with this fight so now we can settle things once and for all."
Rogers manager, Mike Reilly, declined to comment on a potential fight between Rogers and Overeem.
"I don't think it's going to be for the title because [Brett] lost to Fedor," Overeem said. "He’s coming off a loss, so I don't think they're going to put it for the title, but it's up to the promotion."
Rogers fights for the first time since his November loss to Emelianenko at Strikeforce's first CBS-televised event. The TKO defeat snapped his 10-fight win streak (all of the wins came via stoppage due to strikes), which included Strikeforce victories over Abongo Humphrey and Andrei Arlovski.
After a long absence, Overeem intends to prove his critics wrong and make his mark once again in the U.S.
"If people take the time to look what the situation is, there's no secrets; there's no strange stuff going on," he said. "I can look you in the face and answer your questions. Then they'll see that things turn out the way they turn out.
"There are no obstacles for me."
• View topic - Is Jones The Last Chance For Brandon Vera?
UFC LIVE on Versus: Is Jon “Bones” Jones The Last Chance For Brandon Vera?
The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first “live” broadcast on Versus will take place in Broomfield, Colo., on March 21, and in the main event is a highly anticipated light heavyweight match up between Jon “Bones” Jones (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Brandon “The Truth” Vera (11-4, 7-4 UFC)
Vera, although a fan favorite is undoubtedly the underdog here, and if we dare put our emotions aside for a second and take a closer look at this upcoming cage fight from a honest perspective, we can see why.
Vera, in his last outing at UFC 105, was handed a gift from the UFC in the form of 47-year-old UFC pioneer Randy Couture.
Couture, with all due respect, is an aging warrior with diminished skills, and although his fans and his mind tell him he is still able to compete at the top level, the truth is that he is barely able to ” hang in there ” against such well worn travel horses as Mark Coleman, and Minotauro Nogueira.
Therfore, it is this writer’s opinion that the UFC was literally sending Vera a message: ” this is your time son, go out and make a statement to the fans, and to the UFC by knocking out the old and bringing in the new.
” Put out to pasture this aging stud and past trail blazer, and you—the young Thoroughbred, can move on to the challenge the lead horses down the stretch.”
” If not, you will suddenly find yourself on a downward spiral, facing the young guns of the division who—with one shot KO power, see you only as an obstruction on their ravenous path towards title contention.”
A knockout of Couture would have been the “order of the day”—and Vera’s only true route to victory.
Yet instead, the “never say die” elder statesman exposed the younger Vera for exactly what he is—a mid-level fighter, with his biggest claim to fame being a win over a—post-motorcycle accident, and still halfway incapacitated Frank Mir
Vera was unable to deliver anything worthy of top contender-ship in a fight where he so desperately needed to. Vera lost a close decision, and now must face an even tougher test.
The hungry young “Bones” Jones has been on a “hurricane” like tear.
Smashing his way through game, tough, UFC opposition such as Chicago Golden Gloves boxing champion, and Gracie trained jujitsu fighter Stephan Bonner, who he used as as virtual “human punching bag” throughout most of the fight.
And Matt Hamill—who Jones had mounted and was brutally hammering from the top, but lost by disqualification due to a minor technicality in the UFC rule book which states—in essence—that striking vertically with elbows on a 12 to 6 angle to the top of the head of a downed opponent is dis-allowed.
Hamill was said to be a great young up and coming fighter, but he looked terribly out matched and was losing every second of every round in this one-sided fight.
So now Vera once again finds himself in an extremely precarious position, and as in the fight with Couture he has another rare window of opportunity here.
An upset win over the skyrocketing Jones would virtually erase any previous discrepancies on his record.
“The Truth” Vera is honestly the “long shot” and the “dark horse” here.
Yet anything can happen in a fight at any time, even the last few seconds.
So if Vera fights intelligently, by that I mean kicks, jabs, and lateral movement, he will have the ever-present, “puncher’s chance ” and could make liars of us all.
Good luck to both fighters.
• View topic - Cro Cop, Pat Barry’s Gatekeeper/Stepping Stone?
UFC 115: Is Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic Pat Barry’s Gatekeeper/Stepping Stone?
Recent UFC heavyweight up-and-comer Pat “HD” Barry announced Friday on MMA Scraps Radio, a show which he regularly co-hosts, that Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will be the next to feel the wrath of HD (“Hype or Die”) Barry
The fight will be featured at the upcoming UFC 115 event scheduled for June 12 at the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, here in Canada.
Barry is a former world-class kickboxer for the Japanese promotion K-1, and he thrilled fans in his most recent outing and established himself as possible future threat among the new UFC heavyweight contenders.
The fight was against a much bigger and more experienced Antoni Hardonk at UFC 104 in October, and the 5′11″, 230-pound Barry effectively silenced those critics who questioned his size disadvantage when he courageously stood toe-to-toe and traded bombs with Hardonk.
And, much to this writer’s surprise, also got the better of those exchanges.
Although he had to absorb bone-numbing kicks from Hardonk in the first round, Barry’s accurate striking early in the second seemed to give the 30-year-old renewed confidence.
Sensing blood late in the second round, Barry started pouring it on, throwing powerful three-punch combinations, stunning, hurting, and dropping Hardonk before finally knocking him down and out for the final time.
For his winning efforts and the excellent display of boxing skills, he was awarded Knockout and Fight of the Night accolades.
So next up for Barry is Cro Cop, who is also a former top K-1 fighter; however, Filipovic is mostly renowned for his highlight-reel head kicks against subpar opponents in the lower-level and now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships promotion.
Unfortunately, or so it seems, Cro Cops “Pride FC hero” days are long gone, and his past success has not in any way been translated into today’s UFC Octagon.
Whether that is merely due to an increase in competition level or some other psychological factor is as yet an unknown and unreported variable.
Ironically, Cro Cop, in only his second fight in the UFC, became a highlight-reel himself when he was a victim of his own bad medicine, a brutal head kick knockout from Brazilian jiu-jitsu stylist Gabe Gonzaga.
And though he has emerged victorious in his most recent outing at UFC 110, my opinion of Cro Cop—who has lost three of his six fights—is that he has been reduced to a mere UFC gatekeeper, or a stepping stone who lacks substance and has “name brand” value only.
I also feel that this is simply a “speed bump” for the catapulting young Barry, who—after this easy win—will certainly be back on the road to bigger and better challengers.
The main event for UFC 115 is scheduled to be another predicted droll meeting of TUF 11 coaches Chuck “Dancing with the Stars/Nude Workout” Liddell and “Huntington Beach Has-Been” Tito Ortiz.
• View topic - Chris Lytle: UFC's All-Time Bonus Winner
Quote:A handful of the UFC's biggest stars get six-figure guarantees for all their fights and a cut of the pay-per-view revenue. Those guys are the promotion's highest-paid fighters.For the majority of UFC fighters, the standard payday is in the five figures, and winning a bonus check for Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night or Submission of the Night can actually make up the majority of their income. And in that category of fighter, no one has cashed in more than Chris Lytle.
Cage Potato has put together a great UFC performance bonus leaderboard, and Lytle comes out on top with seven bonuses that paid him a combined $310,000. No one else even has six career bonuses.
Obviously, being the all-time leader in performance bonuses in no way makes Lytle even close to the best fighter in UFC history. He's been pretty mediocre in his UFC career, has bounced around between the UFC and smaller promotions, and has a record of 7-9 inside the Octagon.
But I still think Lytle has a special place in UFC history. I've heard some people denigrate Lytle by saying he fights like he'd rather earn a bonus than a win, but in fairness to Lytle, only two of those bonuses were for fights he lost: He got the Fight of the Night check at UFC 78, when he lost to Thiago Alves because the fight was stopped when he suffered a nasty cut, and he got it at UFC 93, when he lost a split decision to Marcus Davis. It's not like he wasn't trying to win those fights.
The 35-year-old Lytle is never going to be a UFC champion, and he's never going to be one of those guys with a six-figure guarantee or a cut of the pay-per-view proceeds. But he'll always be a fighter the fans will want to see, and he has certainly earned that $310,000 in extra income.
