In a recent interview, UFC Lightweight Nate Diaz was as candid as I have ever heard him. He said many things that were over the top, and many things I do not agree with, but I had never heard him as relatable as he was during that conversation. It was so fascinating that it prompted me to tweet his manager to encourage him to do more of them.

However, Diaz’s recent comments on Twitter – while not the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in cyberspace – are probably in my top ten. For those that don’t know, Diaz insulted Bryan Caraway for ending up with the bonus money that would have gone to Pat Healy had he not tested positive for marijuana after his UFC 159 bout with Jim Miller. While it’s easy to understand his support, the problem with Diaz’s reaction is that he chose to call Caraway “the biggest fag in the world.”

Diaz’s disciplinary problems started as an unlicensed cornerman at the famous “Strikeforce Brawl” in Nashville when he decided to jump into the foray in the cage that night. For his actions, Diaz was suspended for three months and was fined $7,500. This would be the first bad decision  Diaz would make in a long line of them.

With the new UFC Code of Conduct policy now firmly in place, the hammer came down hard and fast. As soon as UFC President Dana White heard of the post, he vowed action from the UFC, and before the story was six hours old, the UFC had issued a statement and suspended Diaz indefinitely. As I write this, the post is twenty hours old and Diaz has not apologized nor even deleted the tweet. As if things weren’t ugly enough, his manager isn’t doing his client any favors.

Diaz representative Mike Kogan vehemently defended his client, and tried (and failed miserably) to rationalize the unfortunate choice of words from his fighter. Kogan, who obviously doesn’t understand that you don’t get to decide how people take the things you say, basically said by calling him that, he meant Caraway was “a punk, or a bitch.” Does this sound shocking to you? How could the guy who manages such high-profile athletes like Royce Gracie, Roy Nelson and Mo Lawal choose his words so poorly? The answer is because that’s what Kogan does.

Not only was I not shocked by Kogan’s comments, I expected them. A while back Kogan wrote an article and he chose to use the term “house niggas” when referring to Quinton Jackson and Jon Jones. While explaining that the racism among MMA fans bothered him, Kogan would go on to say the most ignorant things I have ever heard from a manager.

That’s why Rampage and Jon Jones are so popular. They are “house niggas”, they are for the white folk, you know what I mean? I’m not trying to put down black folk, but if you sit down and listen to Jon Jones, ain’t no black folk saying that shit man, come on. The last person that said that shit is Barack Obama, and that nigga the President, so of course he gonna say that shit- Mike Kogan  (link)

What does this have to do with Diaz? Diaz decided that this was the man who should represent him professionally. Kogan isn’t even telling the fighter to delete the tweet. In this case, Kogan does not have his client’s interest ahead of his. Any smart manager would go into damage-control mode and put together a multi-step plan that included apologies, communicating to the UFC that they would accept any and all punishments, and that they would do all they could to undo the damage done. Part of a good manager’s job is to protect their client 365 days a year, and yes they need to protect them from themselves.

If the UFC was going to make an example out of someone since implementing their code of conduct policy, can you imagine a better candidate than Diaz? Diaz has a tremendous amount of abilities as a fighter that I predict will one day outshine his brothers, but it really seems like he is hellbent on squandering them. Diaz’s decision-making GPS seems to be set on Bellator or WSOF.

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The post Nate Diaz’s Decision Making Problem appeared first on Fighters.com.

UFC 159 was a great night for Strikeforce refugee Pat Healy. He waged an absolute war against the affable Jim Miller, came out on top via a gutsy performance and tap out via rear naked choke, and was awarded a hefty “submission of the night” and “fight of the night” bonus to go with his winnings. Sadly, his good fortune ended there – or rather, it ended when his mandatory drug screening came back positive for marijuana. Cue sad trombone music, because from that lapse in judgment, Healy saw his win turned into a “no contest”, and saw his bonus dough go to fellow UFC 159er Bryan Caraway (who also won by sub that night).

That sucks for “Bam Bam”, does it not? After all, he fought his heart out against Miller. While the “no contest” is of course fitting, is it possible that the loss of the bonus money might be a bit too harsh of a punishment for being caught with a drug that isn’t really much of a performance enhancer?

Cue drumroll, because here’s what the Rebellion team had to say on the matter.

Chris McDevitt, MMALinker:

Maybe now that someone has smoked a proverbial “six-figure” bowl, fighters will realize that marijuana has absolutely no place in their training camps.  It doesn’t matter how many weeks out you quit, that last session is the one that tears up your winning lottery ticket. Pat Healy was given a full training camp to prepare for Jim Miller and during that camp, he toked; one would assume he tapered his usage as the fight grew closer.  Bryan Caraway took his fight on five days notice, losing 23.5 pounds in the interim, and pissed clean. It sucks that they even test for non-performance enhancing substances but it is reassuring to see Caraway rewarded for positive behavior. Wait until after the post-fight autographs are signed and the cups are filled and THEN spark a spliff with Rogan in the parking lot.  Dammit, Bam Bam, if you don’t want to be drug tested, go sign with Bellator.

Dana Becker, MMAConvert and FightLine:

No, Pat Healy does not deserve either bonus because the UFC made it quite clear: you fail the drug test, you get no bonus. Pat, and every other fighter in the promotion, was told the same thing. Hey, don’t smoke the green stuff before a fight, stupid!

Casey Hodgin, MMALinker:

I definitely think Zuffa is being too harsh on him. The NC and suspension is bad enough for a fighter. A fighter’s success is based around his activity, and how often he wins. They already took that away, and now they’re robbing him?! Healy deserves that money 100%! He fought one of the toughest fighters in the world, put on a hell of a performance and a fight, and even managed to finish him! I guess we’ll see how Healy can deal with adversity. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Healy turn into a bonus-hunter. He has the style and attitude to be incredibly exciting, and now with a setback just after his UFC debut, we could see him fight with a bit of desperation.

Chris Leslie, MMAFrenzy:

Earlier this year the powers at be at Zuffa announced they would penalize fighters who failed their drug tests in addition to local rules. Part of that decree was that the company would take back bonuses. So when Pat Healy failed a test due to marijuana, they did just that. Healy had a fantastic evening at UFC 159, but knew the rules beforehand and still broke the rules. People can get angry at the commissions and the rules, but the fighters know they will likely be tested and should act accordingly. Until the rules are changed regarding marijuana, fighters have been warned and have only themselves to blame when they fail a test.

Miguel Barragan, FightLine and Fighters.com:

Let’s just be honest here, we all know that the sweet leaf is by no means a performance-enhancing drug (PED), at least not for mixed martial arts. I mean I’ve heard of archers using it for its calming benefits but let’s be realistic, the UFC has decided to take back the two “Of The Night” rewards from Healy for reasons that hold no substance. Healy took a beating before coming on late in the third round to earn the victory, the hard way. Dana White has commented several times that, in his opinion, marijuana is not a PED. It is however still illegal, no debate there. But taking in consideration that it’s the UFC’s discretion who wins these “locker room bonuses”, it’s blatantly obvious the UFC’s reason or reasons for this cheap move has no merit. If Dana White truly feels how he says he does about marijuana, there should be no reason for him to take the prize money back since it’s up to them who gets it to begin with. It’s not a fight purse, it’s a bonus and everything from an athletic commission standpoint has already been taken care of. From the outside, it looks like the UFC is retrieving the award money for PR reasons. It has to look good in the public’s eye, but since when has the UFC done things others want them to do? It’s a bogus decision and the UFC knows it, bottom line. And people still talk shit about Bellator’s business practices.

John Petit, Fighters.com:

I heard the head of USADA Travis Tygart say once, “The easiest drug test to pass is the one you know thats coming.” Healy knew that there was a drug test coming, and he made the decision to smoke pot anyway. This has NOTHING to do with whether weed is legal or not (its legal all over the world, yet you will find it on the WADA list), and if you think that once they make marijuana legal in the Unites States it won’t be on the banned list anymore, you should go take a look at how the process to change the rules works. Fighters must think that these tests for marijuana aren’t getting more sophisticated, but you better believe that these tests will evolve exponentially as these fights go on and they catch more of them. Healy lost $130,000 for being stupid, and had a big win overturned for poor decision making. In this case, the weed was a symptom, not the problem.

Sam Genovese, MMAConvert and MMAFrenzy:

Don’t break the rules. If you want to keep your bonuses, don’t break the rules. You shouldn’t be rewarded for breaking the rules. I think the ban on marijuana is stupid but until it is legalized in fight sport, do it at your own risk.

Joe Lisnow, FightLine:

Pat Healy being popped for marijuana and losing his two bonus honors was justified. The main argument should be that the effects of marijuana are the opposite of other banned substances fighters use, namely steroids. There is no advantage for a fighter who uses marijuana. It’s not a strong opiate pain killer or one of the hundreds of drugs that can create a case of ‘roid rage. Healy broke the rules set by the athletic commission, and federal law, so he deserves to lose that extra cash. He admitted the mistake on his part, but it was a little too late. If he went to Dana White after the fight and came clean, it would be a different story. He only told the truth when the drug test results came in.

Marco Scolari, CagedInsider:

This marijuana issue is getting silly. Now the UFC, who has advocated against weed being deemed a “performance enhancer”, is taking well-deserved pay from its guys!? Never mind that Healy generated a fair amount of income for them and, because of that performance, will no doubt generate future revenue as well. Suspend the guy so he is unable to make a living presently as he made a bad decision, but don’t take his bonus.

Jake Norris, FightLine:

Fighters test positive for testosterone levels and get fined/suspended.  But get a doctor’s note and it becomes a legal TRT exemption.  Yet Matt Riddle gets fired over marijuana, even though he has a medical card.  Then Dana White tweets that the NSAC has “lost its mind” when JCC Jr. is fined $900k over weed.  But now Pat Healy loses $130k over the same thing.  Make sense to you?  Me neither.  We can talk all day about whether Healy really deserved to lose his bonus, but the real takeaway is that the UFC needs to find some consistency on its drug policy.

Brendhan Conlan, FiveOuncesofPain and Fighters.com:

It’s amazing how a little green can ultimately result in a lot less green, if you know what I’m saying. Though I may not agree with the current policy regarding marijuana use in MMA, especially in a situation like Healy’s where it clearly wasn’t performance enhancing or abused, the reality is smoking pot is against the rules and “Bam Bam” broke them by doing so. Since the win over Miller was changed to a No Contest, no “submission” technically existed nor did any “fight” so thereby no bonuses could be issued to Healy. It’s really as simple as that.

On a side note, I’d have zero problem with Dana White paying Healy a little something off the books for the excellent effort involved at UFC 159 coupled with the UFC President’s past disgust with athletic commissions’ approach to weed.

PHOTO CREDIT: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The post Rebellion Roundtable: Pat Healy’s $135,000 Bong Hit appeared first on Fighters.com.

There comes a time in every fighter’s career when the cold fist of reality hits them square in the puss and lets them know that they’re too old and their body too beat up to compete at the highest levels anymore. Such was the case with Shane Carwin this week, who – after rocketing up the UFC’s heavyweight ranks, securing an interim title, then running into a pair of brick walls named Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos – announced his retirement from MMA competition. Sure, it’s been a couple years since Carwin last saw action, but it always seemed like his return was inevitable. Now, we’re left musing over what sort of legacy, if any, he left behind.

Thus, this week’s Rebellion Roundtable question: What is Carwin’s legacy?

Dana Becker, FightLine and MMAConvert:

In the end, the legacy of Shane Carwin will likely be felt by those behind the scenes more than the typical fan. While Carwin was a champion, he didn’t make the impact of a Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez or Junior dos Santos. However, his ability to balance fighting and his other career (as an engineer) could serve as a great example for fighters going forward.

Chris McDevitt, MMALinker:

I think Carwin’s legacy is one of the greatest what-ifs in the heavyweight division. Prior to his fight with Brock Lesnar he had never been out of the first round. Prior to his last fight, he had never been to a decision. If you watch Lesnar vs. Carwin again, I think you can make a strong case that the fight should have been stopped in the first round.  The same ref whose judgment was praised for allowing the fight to continue is now facing a decade in prison for owning and operating a multimillion-dollar marijuana operation.  Whose judgment are we praising? Carwin was robbed and it seems that his body never truly recovered from the back/shoulder/neck injuries and punishment of his youth and career.  I’m glad he won’t be risking further injury. I just wish he were retiring as a former champ.  He deserved that much.

Miguel Barragan, FightLine and Fighters.com:

As reported yesterday, Shane Carwin tweeted that he has officially retired. After eight years in this sport we call MMA, Carwin calls it quits, mainly due to the many injuries and surgeries in the last two years or so. As much as I loved watching a Carwin fight, he’ll realistically go down in the UFC record books as a flash in the pan. To be great in any sport, one needs longevity in their careers and Carwin certainly didn’t have that. Just as Lesnar before him, his biggest career win was against Frank Mir, winning the interim UFC heavyweight title. Truth be told, that’s a lot more than your average heavyweight in the UFC can say. Let me be clear about this, I’m not saying that being a flash in the pan is a bad thing. Not only did he fight like what the general perception of what a heavyweight is supposed to fight like, but he came through just about everytime with a KO, with the exception being his last career bout against Junior dos Santos. Although brief, Carwin’s legacy (if you can call it that) is a throwback to fighters who left it all in the cage and a fighter who knew just how much joy he can bring to the masses with one of those sledgehammer-like right hands. From a Frank Mir fan who saw Carwin smash him like a tin can, I’d like to thank Carwin for what he gave the sport of MMA, and specifically the UFC, at a time when the UFC’s heavyweight division was beginning to really take off. Brief or not, he was part of one of the biggest, literally, heavyweight bouts in UFC history and for that Carwin and his legacy will always be remembered fondly.

Mike Stets, FightLine:

Everyone remembers Carwin gassing out and getting subbed in the second round vs. Lesnar, but that fight could’ve easily been called in the first.  Then maybe he faces Cain Velasquez and things are possibly different for him.  That didn’t happen and he barely survived a first-round bashing at the hands of JDS, eventually losing by decision.  He has had some big wins but ultimately not in the discussion of the greats of the sport.  Maybe if he had defeated Lesnar, and not suffered injuries, he would’ve been.

Marco Scolari, CagedInsider:

Shane Carwin was an alright fighter but the only thing he really left behind was his teeth after his lashing from Junior. Outside of that, he bullied some shitty heavyweights and folded to an inexperienced WWE wrestler when it mattered. Unless being the most surgically repaired athlete in sports is worthy of a legacy, nothing historical from Mr. Carwin.

Sam Genovese, MMAConvert and MMAFrenzy:

He was overrated. He beat up on smaller guys and when it came time to fight serious competition, his lack of dedication to training showed. He gassed out in the biggest fight of his life. I understand that he wanted to be both and engineer and a fighter but his career suffered because of it. He had huge power but his technical boxing skills were lacking. Still, his huge KO’s will fill the UFC’s highlight reels for years to come.

Joe Lisnow, FightLine:

Looking back at Shane Carwin’s short run in MMA, the first word that comes to mind is far from legacy. I’m not sure what word will define his career, as it was similar to other heavyweights who earn a title shot after a few wins. That’s all it takes in the heavyweight division. The two memorable moments from Carwin will be when he gassed out with Brock Lesnar and the bloody mess his face was after 15 minutes with Junior dos Santos. The memorable moments aren’t postives and neither was Carwin’s role to the sport.

Brian Park, MMALinker:

I suspect only a few awaited his return as a championship contender after his loss to Junior dos Santos and his subsequent back surgery. At the age of 38, it’s tough to be on top, let alone competitive, unless you’re Randy Couture. Nevertheless, it’s unfortunate to lose such a great fighter to Father Time.

Jake Norris, Fightline:

I think Shane Carwin had a remarkable UFC run and I’m sorry to see him go.  I recall when that group of heavyweights (Carwin along with Cain, Junior, Lesnar, and Roy Nelson) burst onto the scene and the UFC heavyweight division went from shallow to stacked almost overnight.  Carwin obviously deserves recognition for his tremendous punching power and highlight reel KOs, but unfortunately, I’d say the real defining moment of his career was the Lesnar fight.  That’s about as close as you can get to winning a UFC championship (no, the interim belt doesn’t count) without actually taking home the gold.  In light of that, I think Carwin will be remembered as a very good fighter, but not quite great.  He’s the Earnie Shavers of MMA.

Brendhan Conlan, FiveOuncesofPain and Fighters.com:

Carwin’s retirement is definitely unfortunate in that it was almost certainly related to health issues rather than a decision he willingly made, and the presence of a cement-fisted slugger with some wrestling chops is always welcome in the heavyweight division. However, losing him isn’t a major blow by any means considering he hadn’t fought in two years or won in more than three. And, though he may have had to call it quits prematurely, Carwin wasn’t likely to have much more time left in the sport to begin with at 38-years old.

The post Rebellion Roundtable: Shane Carwin’s Retirement appeared first on Fighters.com.

UFC 159 was no doubt a strange event. It was such a weird night that when Chael Sonnen walked to the Octagon, for about four and a half seconds, I thought there was a chance he could win against Jon Jones. The night featured two technical decisions, the first time in UFC history, and they were both over eye pokes. I won’t even get into what a sideshow the Gian Villante-Ovince St. Preux reffing was, but after that tilt and the Michael Bisping-Alan Belcher bout, UFC commentator Joe Rogan had had enough. Rogan has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to eye pokes, and to him the fix is to change the gloves.

According to Rogan, the solution lies in covering the tips of the fingers on the glove that is allowed in MMA competitions. To date, I haven’t heard any fighter or even UFC President Dana White say a change like that is needed. Yet every time a fighter takes a digit in the eyehole, Rogan seems to go on and on about what I can only describe as ‘finger-condoms’ that will somehow protect the fighters so much that the time to act is RIGHT NOW! What does Rogan’s co-pilot say about this? Well, Mike Goldberg seems to always agree with whatever Rogan says when it comes to the analysis, and that means he is on the finger-rubber train too.

This is a dangerous sport by its very nature. The primary target for most punches and a majority of kicks is the front of the head, and eye injuries happen in every fight as a result. Sometimes these eye injuries are just small cuts, or swelling around the eyes, and sometimes it looks like a man’s brains are leaking out of his skull through an empty socket. We all have a set of eyeballs, and we all wince or tear up a bit when we see someone get poked in the eye, but part of the sport is to disrupt the vision of your opponent. The fighters know the risk, and they sign on the dotted line. To put it more simply they vote with their feet, and If they didn’t like the rules they wouldn’t compete under them.

Some fighters think changes to the gloves should be made, or more time should be allotted for the fighters to break in the gloves. They may have a valid point on this one as some commissions will let you break them in when you get them, and some will only give you a few minutes before you put them on. I have a hard time believing these changes would affect the pokes to the eyes though. Maybe it would prevent the corner of the glove going into the eye, but if a fist is that close to your face, its the fist doing the damage and not the glove. That’s the thing to remember here – these guys are trying to go after each others eyes with strikes.

Rogan is one of the best at his job, but he is way off the mark on this one. What’s going to hold these finger covers on? You can’t have these things flying over the cage, and won’t they peel off when their is hand fighting on the ground? Are we going to cover the toes as well? Rogan has good intentions when it comes to protecting the fights, as I highly agree with his Thai Cup advice (it’s like having your boys in a Sherman tank,) but this is not a realistic change or one that could prevent evepokes.

Is there a solution? Tell me what you think in the Comments section below!

The post Covering The Fingers Of The MMA Glove Isn’t A Realistic Solution appeared first on Fighters.com.

UFC 159 saw Chael Sonnen drop to a career 0-3 mark in UFC title fights after he suffered a first-round TKO loss at the hands of UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones. Seeing Sonnen on the bad end of a second straight beatdown has no doubt led many to question whether the 36-year-old veteran of 41 MMA fights still has what it takes to be a world-class competitor. And though it’s probably a good idea to ignore anything an athlete says after a crushing defeat, even Sonnen himself seemed resolved to the notion that his meteoric rise to MMA stardom had run its course.

But in reality, the only reason Sonnen’s fighting career should be over is if he wants it to be. Losing to the likes of Anderson Silva and Jones doesn’t make one a scrub; Sonnen still has the skills to put on great fights at both 185 and 205 pounds. And his humorous (and sometimes outlandish) promotional antics, which draw heavily from motifs commonly seen in professional wrestling, have seemingly broken new ground in terms of how far an MMA fighter can go to reach the fan base. Love him or hate him, the self-styled “American gangster” has made the MMA landscape a more interesting place these past few years.

So assuming it’s not quite time for Sonnen to hang ‘em up, where does he go from here? Another run at a UFC championship is unlikely, so the only way to keep Sonnen in the spotlight is to find someone with a big enough name to generate major attention. Perhaps someone who is on the back end of his own career, and is looking for a few more moments of glory before he rides off into the sunset. Maybe someone who already has a bit of a beef, and would jump at the opportunity to punch Sonnen in his always-running mouth.

Someone like Wanderlei Silva.

The story behind a Sonnen-Wanderlei throwdown is practically already written. In a highly publicized clip filmed during the build-up to Sonnen’s rematch with Anderson, Wanderlei had a few choice words for Sonnen regarding some of his disparaging remarks about Brazil. Sonnen was demure during the exchange, although he later went on to claim that he was more afraid of Axe Body Spray than “the Axe Murderer” and Wanderlei’s chin was “more suspect than Oscar Pistorius”. If these lines are any indicator, we could expect a vibrant display of pre-fight banter between two of the sport’s most popular figures.

And to top it all off, the fight might be pretty good, too. In another classic case of “striker vs grappler”, the outcome would likely be dependent on which man could impose his will and control where the fight takes place. Was Sonnen just being polite when Wanderlei gave his now infamous warning? Or was he just too afraid to respond? The Octagon is the only place we can learn the true answer.

Regardless of what his next career move turns out to be, the story of Chael P. Sonnen has been an entertaining one. But many in the MMA community are not quite ready for it to end. Chael Sonnen vs Wanderlei Silva could be a fun fight on all counts and the UFC should seriously consider making it happen.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

The post Chael Sonnen Still Has Big Fight Potential appeared first on Fighters.com.

UFC 159: Jones Vs Sonnen takes place this Saturday night on pay per view, and the preliminary card will be broadcast on FX and on Facebook/Youtube. While the conflict between the main event and co-main event combatants has taken center stage in the marketing of UFC 159, there happens to be a solid under-card leading up to the main card action. Here is a fight by fight breakdown of the undercard, and make sure to check back tomorrow for the main card picks.

Kurt Holobaugh vs. Steven Siler

Steven Siler gets to roll out the UFC welcome wagon for Strikeforce import Kurt Holobaugh in this one. Holobaugh was able to put up a decent short notice fight against Pat Healy at the last Strikeforce card, but came up short in the process. Siler ran into the wrestling of Darren Elkins at UFC 154, and now both UFC 159 fighters are looking to get back in the win column. Siler’s experience is going to a long way in this one, and if he gets put on his back he will threaten with submissions or attempt to scramble up to his feet. Although Holobaugh is coming off of his first loss, I’m not sure if he is going to be able win two rounds on Siler.

Steven Siler via Unanimous Decision

Nick Catone vs. James Head

Depending on how this one plays out, we may a welterweight pink slip grand prix happening in this fight. Both fighters are coming off of losses, and although Nick Catone is coming off of two losses, if Catone can tear up James Head he will likely be on his way out as well. Head was absolutely handled in his last fight against Mike Pyle in under two minutes, and although it looked awful he had a two fight winning streak going into the fight. That was the first time Head was finished in his professional career, and that should be motivating him in this fight. Head will likely start fending off the takedowns from Catone towards the end of the first round, and win the rest of the fight on his feet peppering Catone.

James Head via Split Decision

Leonard Garcia vs. Cody McKenzie

Leonard Garcia has been losing so much he has been saying that if he loses he will give himself his walking papers from the UFC. Garcia is tough as nails, but his skills just don’t match the size of his heart. He arguably got jobbed by the refs against Hollaway but he is now 1-5 in the UFC. Cody McKenzie made his featherweight debut against Chad Mendes and ate a liver shot that crumpled him early in the fight. Even by decision, I just don’t see how Garcia pulls off this win. McKenzie has eaten some hard shots so I doubt he will get hurt by anything Garcia is selling, and for that alone I see him winning this fight.

Cody McKenzie via Unanimous Decision

Rustam Khabilov vs. Yancy Medeiros

The last time we saw Rustam Khabilov he was throwing Vinc Pichel around the octagon like a bag of leaves, and seconds later he was pounding him out for the win. Certainly one of the better octagon debuts in quite sometime. Yancy Medeiros is returning to the cage for the first time since 2010, and despite fighting at light heavyweight and middleweight, he will be making his octagon debut as a lightweight. Too many variables, and the flashiness of Khabilov, makes it really hard to go with Medeiros in this bout.

Rustam Khabilov via Technical Knockout, Round 2

Sheila Gaff vs. Sara McMann

If there was ever a ‘play this one safe’ fight in the career of Sara McMann, her fight against Sheila Gaff is it. Gaff has some solid striking skills and she has put away her last three opponents in a combined time under 2 minutes. McMann, the USA Silver Medalist in wrestling, is undefeated and with a win she is in the mix for a title shot. Her grappling will prove too much for Gaff in this fight, and if she doesn’t get the submission early in the bout, she will likely skater her way to a decision win.

Sara McMann via Unanimous Decision

Ovince St. Preux vs. Gian Villante

When Ovince St. Preux gets comfortable, and fighters allow him to get his rhythm, its usually curtains for the first person he is fighting. Outside of a loss to Gegard Mousasi, OSP is 6-1 and is looking to make a brutal mark in his octagon debut to send a message. Gian Villante, who is also making his debut, is riding a 3 fight win streak and his most recent fight was just under a year ago. His grappling background and wrestling chops should be enough to win a close decision over OSP, but he just can’t let the flashy striker get comfortable.

Gian Villante via Split Decision

Johnny Bedford vs. Bryan Caraway

Both fighters were castmates on “The Ultimate Fighter 14”, and both have put together modest UFC records since the show. Caraway is stepping in for an injured Erick Perez, and he has his hands full up against the streaking the streaking Bedford. This should be a ‘rinse, wash and repeat’ for Bedford if he elects to take Caraway down and pound holes in him. All Bedford would really have to do is be wary of Caraway’s slick bottom control and make him think about the punches coming in hard and fast.

Johnny Bedford via Unanimous Decision

Photo  Credit: Josh Holmberg-USA TODAY Sports

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Being a coach is a tricky thing. You have to be part task master, part psychologist, part motivator. It’s a subtle alchemy that, if not blended properly by the man or woman who’s been entrusted to a team of developing athletes, can easily lead to folding chair-tossing tirades or tearful dry humps in the gym parking lot.

Certainly one’s own skill as an athlete isn’t the sole predictor of coaching ability. We’ve learned that much from this season of The Ultimate Fighter in which Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen have coolly sent salvoes of middleweights to face each other in the cage. While the lanky, young phenom’s team has had some wins, it’s the ever workmanlike wrestler from Oregon who has shined as a mentor. Despite the bombastic persona he’s created for himself, Sonnen has proven to be mature, thoughtful, and above all else focused on the success of the individuals on his team. He is the consummate mental tune-up machine – implacable, never angry – constantly whispering the tried and true chestnuts of encouragement most athletes have memorized by the time they graduate high school.

It’s a good season, shot in a sober, documentary fashion with less of the meatheaded pranks that have characterized past installments in the series. Finally, TUF has found a new direction that seeks to shed the adolescent persona the sport has grappled with since Zuffa purchased it over a decade ago.

Or has it?

Turns out that next season, in which women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey coaches opposite the winner of the upcoming Miesha Tate/Cat Zingano fight will feature co-ed teams living together in the fabled house. In one fell swoop, the fighters have gone from six weeks of none of the conventional distractions or trappings of the outside world to the ultimate one: members of the opposite sex. Will the show be turned on its ear, another version of The Real World or Big Brother (except with more leg-kicks and tribal tattoos) as some have predicted or will the nature of the competition and the personalities involved trump the impulse toward shenanigans? Can Rousey and her rival, the two main personalities, set the proper tone, gain respect early, and create an atmosphere conducive to winning?

Were this to be an all-female season, I think the answer would be a clear yes. As it stands, though, no doubt some male competitors will bristle, however unconsciously, at the prospect of taking instruction from a woman. This may be less the case with Rousey; her skills and credentials are above reproach. As a formidable judo athlete and MMA fighter raised by a mother who also competed at the highest levels of judo, she is poised to be a no-nonsense female complement to the high standard Sonnen has set this past season.

Rousey will be prepared. She is the attractive, well-spoken vanguard of women’s MMA and second in media training at this point to perhaps only Georges St. Pierre and Jones. Lesser-known quantities Tate and Zingano leave a lot of people wondering what they bring to the table, and if viewers and pundits aren’t sure, you best believe that the fighters who land on the team opposite Rousey’s will be looking to their coach for early signs of assertiveness and competence.

Tate has never been to the big show, but she fought in Strikeforce and reigned as champion there. She trains with the well-conditioned, high-level guys at Team Alpha Male (her history of holding her own with the boys dates back to being on her high school wrestling team) and, while no superstar, has received a healthy dose of press attention. The pressures of the reality show environment and of dealing with a mixed gender group aren’t likely to get to her. Her one shard of kryptonite is her history with Rousey. The two had some heated exchanges leading up to their Strikeforce bout and old habits die hard. There’s real potential that gym squabbles with her old nemesis will draw her much-needed focus away from the fighters she’s supposed to be coaching.

Zingano – there are a lot of questions there. Does she have the calm in the face of sudden fame to concentrate on the task at hand and does she have the charisma to lead a group of prospects who are likely unsure about her and themselves? There’s indication that, in her day job role as the instructor of a women-only fitness boot camp, she has the chops to motivate. The fact that she typically doesn’t teach men may seem like a knock against her, but it may be a hidden boon. Taking a different instructional tack with aggro men not accustomed to being led by a woman may unlock potential in them that their hard-nosed wrestling and striking coaches from back home never knew how to reach. It’s an untested hypothesis, but an intriguing one nonetheless. I can see Tate, in one of many possible realities, coming across like a shrill also-ran being given an undeserved second shot, while Zingano’s under the radar status may endear her to the troops. Her anonymity, regular car, and non-magazine cover lifestyle could instantly put her on common ground with her team and signal, “I was just like you and look where I am. Now let’s see what we can do together.”

Unknown variables like these are fun to think about. Add to the Zingano equation her perfect record, her supposed affiliation with the legendary Black House, and a potential nothing-to-lose attitude, and viewers may be in for a rival that can stymie Rousey with the same elements that worked so well for her when she burst onto the scene: drive and mystery.

After all, everyone’s a mystery until they’re given a chance. Here’s hoping Zingano seizes the opportunity on April 13 and rises.

The post Opportunities Emerge as the TUF Landscape Changes appeared first on Fighters.com.

I’ve always liked Matt Mitrione. Any time an athlete from a different sport decides to jump ship and try MMA or boxing to see what it’s like to not have teammates around to help when in need is someone I have much respect for. However, his uninformed tirade really solidified his nickname, Meathead. This kind of narrow minded and uneducated thinking is exactly what our beloved sport had to suffer through for over a decade before athletic commissions and influential political figures educated themselves in the ways of MMA. How much dedication, true athletic ability and overall disciplined fight skill and technique it really takes to compete at a high level.

I attended the boxing bout between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado late last month. I arrived as soon as the doors open to catch the un-aired preliminary bouts. This most uninformed and down right annoying fan began to yell out instructions to the boxers on the undercard and began to yell “yawn” and “boring” when there was a lull in the action, mind you these were four-round bouts. Some fans, like myself were pretty much embarrassed and ignored the simpletons comments while other fans laughed and found it entertaining. The more they laughed, the more it egged him on. Then out of nowhere he yells out “hit him in the balls!!” One fan turns and laughs at his idiotic comment and replies “what? This isn’t UFC!” I just about fell over. Do people serious believe that groin shots is something that is legal in MMA? This sort of uneducated and uninformed frame of mind is exactly what MMA is now doing to Fallon Fox. How can we be so butt-hurt when the uninformed talk about our sport and yet turn around and do the exact same thing when a new and mostly misinformed situation (to most of us at least) arose in our sport? I urge fans to read into it, learn about Fox’s situation, treatment and current state.

This is not a black and white situation by any means and I am just as uninformed as Mitrione is, but let’s not be so cruel and fast to pass judgement on Fox life’s decision and choice to continue her MMA career without efficient and proper study and evidence. This feels like a case of guilty until proven innocent. Mitrione isn’t the only person to have had tirades like this, UFC commentator Joe Rogan has a similar opinion. If Mitrione has been suspended, which I agree with, then so should Rogan. Both of their views and opinions are based on prejudice and not science and there’s no room for such harsh judgement period, much less by a sport that is barely beginning to build positive momentum in terms of global acceptance and sanctioning.

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The post Matt Mitrione: My Opinion of his Suspension appeared first on Fighters.com.

Bellator Season Eight started on January 17, 2013 and ended last Thursday, April 4, 2013. This season marked their debut on Spike TV, which will be their home for the immediate future. Spike TV offers a larger audience than MTV2 and the capability to air their events in high-definition (HD). It also marked the first time in the promotion’s history that a champion defended a title twice in the same season. Now that Season Eight is officially in the books, we can look back and examine whether or not it was a success and then aptly grade it.

They started their season with two title fights and a few tournament quarterfinal bouts and ended it with one title fight and a couple of tournament finals. From a fan’s perspective, title fights are always a plus. One of the most common gripes Bellator fans voiced over the previous seven seasons was the lack of title fights. In their place stood the always unpopular “superfights”, which were implemented for the purpose of keeping Bellator champions active when a tournament winner was yet to be decided. Often times, champions were allowed to accept fights outside of the promotion for the same purpose, and on one occasion, with unfavorable results. Season Eight saw none of those. Not one. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney had preached for some time now that with the resources parent company Viacom can offer, Bellator will be holding more tournaments and thus, more often than not, have title challengers on deck for their champions. Season Eight was the definition of that.

As mentioned above, Season Eight was Bellator’s debut on SpikeTV. Previously airing on MTV2, Bellator made the decision to move to the new network once Spike’s contract with the UFC ended in 2013. SpikeTV has become synonymous with MMA since the UFC aired events and their hit reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter on that network. In an attempt to stay in the MMA game, they now call Bellator MMA their newest tenants. Based on their ratings this season on Spike, there’s no doubt that more people are watching Bellator MMA now than ever before, closing the season with 901,000 viewers and peaking at 1,046,000 viewers. Season Eight averaged just under 793,000 viewers per episode, absolutely obliterating Season Seven’s average of 162,000 viewers per episode. The move to Spike was the smartest thing Bellator could’ve done this far into their development. Based on those ratings at the end of this season, the move can officially be considered a success.

One particular fighter made his presence known this season, or should I say made his absence known this season. As one of Bellator’s biggest stars, or possibly former Bellator star, Eddie Alvarez spent the entire season locked in a court battle with Bellator over a matching stipulation in his contract that was called into question by an interested party, the UFC. This really isn’t breaking new by any means; however, the fact remains that to a certain degree, Bellator has shown that they’re not just another MMA show on the block. Nor will they be bullied, pushed around or scared out of legitimately competing against the biggest MMA promotion in the world. Bellator has become the second biggest MMA promotion in the US, mainly by default, however they have strategically placed themselves in a favorable position with Viacom and will soon debut their own reality TV show named “Fight Master” that will also air on Spike TV. In the same way that a highly-skilled kickboxer backs up that discipline with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to strengthen and fortify his or her overall offensive repertoire, Bellator has backed themselves up with a powerful multibillion dollar global mass media company in Viacom -not only in an effort to stay in the MMA game for the long run, but also to ensure that Bellator will have the resources to reach its fullest potential. Simply by analyzing the number of prospects Bellator has signed since its inception, you get the idea that they are certainly holding up their part of the deal. If anything, this first season on Spike showed that even without Alvarez, Bellator can and will successfully march on, which in the larger scheme of things reflects how they have fortified their foundation in ways other promotions that failed never did. Season Eight was a perfect example of this.

In the fashion Bellator showed that they are here to stay this season with the facts mentioned above, I must give this season a solid A-. The minus is only because, even though Bellator has signed top prospects for some time now, they rarely sign top-ranked veterans to their promotion. Rebney has mentioned that where his fighters stand in regards to world ranking doesn’t concern him much, if at all. However, Pat Curran made his presence known in the featherweight rankings by defeating highly-ranked Marlon Sandro, and Michael Chandler announced his arrival by defeating highly-ranked lightweight Alvarez. Perhaps looking into signing higher ranked – and most likely higher priced – veterans is the next step.

The post Bellator MMA Season Eight Report Card appeared first on Fighters.com.

It’s been a slow couple of news weeks, but the wheel still turns for the media, so to keep things rolling, this installment of Rebellion Roundtable is all about “Why MMA?” – as in, what prompted Rebellion Media’s writers to pick up the figurative pen and start scribbling about mixed martial arts.

Sam Genovese, MMAConvert:

Around 2007 I was listening to 106.7 WJFK in Washington, D.C. and Luke Thomas (now of SBNation) was on the air doing his weekly MMA radio show. I had been a casual boxing fan but had never really checked out MMA. After hearing him talk about a guy getting his ass kicked and then submitted, I figured I would check it out. Casually, I would watch MMA when I could, but it wasn’t until Kenny Florian took on Joe Lauzon that it really clicked for me. I’m still not sure why that fight was the turning point, but after that I couldn’t watch enough MMA. I bookmarked BloodyElbow and Sherdog and checked them out every day. When I was offered the opportunity to get paid to watch fighters beat the fuck out of each other, I jumped on it. At my very first event as a writer, I saw Jose Figueroa turn Artiom Damkovsky’s face into ground beef at M-1 Challenge 24 and I knew MMA was for me.

Sean Beanblossom, MMALinker:

Although it is currently my favorite sport, I actually didn’t begin following MMA until the Chuck Liddell/Randy Couture/Tito Ortiz era. I grew up a boxing fan. I can remember as a child watching boxing pay-per-views. My grandfather’s favorite boxer was Oscar De La Hoya so he ordered every card he fought on. Naturally, I began following boxing. I also remember watching Bloodsport as a kid and having no idea of what all the different martial arts were. I remember how electrified the soundtrack of that movie made me feel. Jean Claude Van Damme became my hero. As I got older I remember how motivated and inspired I would become after watching the HBO Boxing 24/7 series. I think I watched every Mayweather vs. Hatton episode at least 50 times. One day I was at a friend’s house and we caught the end of UFC 66. The first UFC fight I ever watched was Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 2. I look back on that experience now realizing how lucky I was to be able endure the thrill of that being my first MMA fight, due to how historical that fight was in terms of UFC history. Since then it’s been MMA all the way. I’ve grown to love the sport. It’s amazing how many different disciplines are incorporated into a fighter’s skillset to be able to destroy an opponent. The complexity and diverseness of each discipline is so unique, it’s amazing. MMA is like a culture developed by each nation’s history and combative teachings. Writing about it doesn’t even seem like a job because I’m writing about my passion. I was born a boxing fan, but I will die an MMA lover.

Joe Lisnow, FightLine:

Watching the early UFC tournament pay-per-views, it was about the violence of this somewhat new sport. Those early fights were brutal and it was a change from boxing. As the competition evolved further from a brawl and more into a fight, the interest grew. Everyone was watching the “Big Four” sports and my eyes were glued to wrestling, which segued into MMA. Seeing two people fight with the better one leaving the victor was the ultimate sport of brains and brawn. And don’t forget the unpredictability. Any bout, on any card, could be Fight of the Year. Take Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice for example. Anything can happen in the fight business.

Miguel Barragan, FightLine and Fighters.com:

I was first introduced to mixed martial arts when I was 10-years old, watching UFC 3: “The American Dream” in 1994 at my neighbor’s house in Chino, C.A. Needless to say, seeing two grown men duke it out bare-knuckled was extremely startling to a 10-year-old boy whose exposure to “fighting” at that point was gloved boxing and choreographed pro wrestling. My hands trembled as I saw Kimo swing away with all of his, and “Jesus’”, might at Royce Gracie while holding his gi like it was a hockey fight, legitimately thinking someone was actually going to die in the Octagon before my eyes. My mind immediate took me back to the times my older brothers would purchase “Faces of Death” tapes and remembering how my heart nearly stopped watching this footage. At this point in my life, I had boxed for about three years, never actually sparring, only hitting the bag, learning techniques on the mitts and working on my cardio. After quitting boxing for several years, not really sure why, I had joined a karate class at a local recreation center. It was probably the biggest waste of money my parents had ever spent on me. I essentially learned nothing and yet I had a yellow belt, whatever that meant. After moving to Vegas, I started wrestling in high school and after renting several other UFC events at Hollywood video, I realized that perhaps I too can do this. I had decent stand-up skills with my boxing background and I had wrestled in my high school days. I asked myself what’s next? Well, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu of course. And then it was on. After I had stopped following MMA (NHB) for a couple of years, I started renting these UFC tapes in 1999. After that I was totally hooked, following the UFC on their website, which when using Windows 95 was extremely slow. I visited SemaphoreEntertainmentGroup.com every other day to see what event was coming up and the results, as the UFC was not on pay-per-view at the time. I’ve followed MMA ever since, purchasing PRIDE’s 2000 Open Weight Grand Prix in 01′, a whole year after it took place. Nonetheless nothing has diverted my attention away from MMA to date, even though I still follow boxing extensively. In short, MMA has captured my attention enough to never follow any other major league sport ever again, with the exception being perhaps soccer. But my experiences in boxing, wrestling, and BJJ, all while relentlessly following the UFC, PRIDE, King of the Cage and even Grapplers Quest, has gotten the sport embedded in my life to such a degree that it has led to me now write about it.

Casey Hodgin, MMALinker:

I’ve always approached MMA in a very unique sense. While most fans would care about the recent drama going on between fighters, and arguing about who is top P4P and who would win in a fight between Anderson and Fedor, I was thinking about other things. For me, it’s all about the match-ups. I’m fascinated at what it would be like to play Joe Silva for a day, and create match-ups that I, as a die-hard fan, would absolutely love. I first started writing about MMA on MMALinker. I was approached to join their blog team and I loved it.

John Petit, Fighters.com:

I worked in music, I played in bands, and was almost always surrounded by artists in my personal time. No one cared about sports, and the few people who did always trounced all over MMA. It was my dirty little secret for a long time. Each fight, one after the other, had the potential to be a display of glorious violence.  One person would stand victorious and feel like a god while the other would feel as defeated as a person could be. That dichotomy, that drama, and that possibility for each fight is what drew me to the sport. When all of those things line up perfectly, there is no purer sport and no story more dramatic to chronicle.

Jake Berezansky, MMAConvert:

I actually was hugely against MMA in the beginning. My grandparents are Soviet immigrants, and my grandfather was a pretty good boxer for the Soviet Army team. Anyhow, I was brought up as a boxing fan, and I saw MMA as threatening boxing’s top spot in combat sports, so I hated it for that alone. Well in all honesty, I admitted to myself that boxing sucked ass ever since Tyson fell from grace, so I figured I’d watch MMA and give it ago. UFC 70 was the first one I watched, and I truly only watched it because it was free on SpikeTV. After I watched that event, I was hooked. MMA is clearly superior to boxing in every way, and it dawned on me as I saw Mirco Cro Cop taking a snooze compliments of a Gabe Gonzaga kick. Ever since then I’ve been totally hooked. I bought UFC 71 on PPV, and I have probably missed like eight events ever since.

Dana Becker, MMConvert and FightLine:

MMA became a passion for me because of the “unexpected” factor. In other major sports, there is always a time the game is set to end. You know when the final chance to win or lose will go down. In MMA, a fight can end at any given moment: a thrilling knockout, an unexpected submission. The amount of work these athletes put in is incredible, and the passion with which most of them compete/prepare is out of this world.

Ben Bieker, CagedInsider:

I got into the sport of MMA because, unlike most sports, the action is constant and entertaining. There are no time outs, no half time, and the only breaks taken are from fouls. Plus, even if fights are boring, you know they are only going to last 15 or 25 minutes instead of a whole game. At its core, MMA the most basic form of testing a human’s capabilities, which means all those people that dislike wrestling do not understand the game. If you are not the best fighter in the cage you will not come out the winner, and that is what interests me the most about the sport.

Brendhan Conlan, FiveOuncesofPain and Fighters.com:

My journey to MMA journalism was three-fold. I’d like to believe my initial interest in the sport came from watching martial arts movies and professional wrestling as a kid. In each, colorful characters were pitted against one another with opposing styles. From there, I eventually got a little older and encountered the UFC, where fantasy became reality. However, though I enjoyed the bouts, the real catalyst for my current passion was the first season of TUF, since it not only was a great educational tool but introduced mixed martial artists as intelligent, interesting people rather than the brutes society so often portrayed them as.

The post Why MMA? appeared first on Fighters.com.

ProfileGeek.com is a new data and analytics site featuring profiles and breakdowns of MMA fighters. My job entails plenty of stats and numbers. Most of the time, they aren’t stats that can be taken at face value and they typically require a great deal of interpretation. When trying to break down a UFC card I am looking at stat sheets, win records, and video for up to 24 fighters. Watching and analyzing videos of studs like Cain Velasquez and Georges St. Pierre is one of the best parts of my job so I try hard not to complain about it, but unpackaging statistics isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Tom Szczerbowski-USAToday Sports

Some analysts look at the reach of two fighters, and say “since Jon Jones has a longer reach, he will have the advantage.” Anyone who understands the fallacy of “MMA math” knows that’s laughable. My favorite part of ProfileGeek is the interactivity of the profiles that display the information in a way so that you aren’t just looking at a page of numerals. It’s one thing to have pie charts and bar graphs, but it means something a whole lot more when the pages flow together.

The downside to the site is that you can tell that it is all computer generated within the code of the site. The software automatically assigns phrases to the fighters in the comparison section. By way of example, Anderson Silva’s profile says he is a “slow finisher”, but that phrase was obviously generated because of the time it’s taken him to end fights – an algorithm that fails to take into account the level of competition he’s finished as well as how dramatic those finishes were. Things like that could potentially turn off the historically finicky mixed martial arts fans. This is easily fixable, and it really just needs an analyst’s touch.

A lot of times when you read statistic sites with regards to MMA, it’s just a pile of numbers with outdated and selective information. When the numbers pile up, they all blur together, and the information becomes next to useless as you start to ponder things like “what numbers make up the ‘take down defense’ metric?” The devil is in the details when it comes to data and statistics, and a unique perspective and look is always appreciated. That’s exactly what ProfileGeek does, and as time goes by and more and more data enters the site, the stronger the information and platform will be. This site has all the tools and potential to be a very powerful implement, for everyone from fans to analysts.

The post ProfileGeek.com: A Fresh Look at MMA Stats appeared first on Fighters.com.

At UFC 158 on Saturday, Dana White announced that female bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey would be a coach on the eighteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite the winner of the upcoming Miesha Tate/Cat Zingano bout, and in addition, the TUF House would be packed with both male and female competitors. As Joe Rogan so succinctly put it, “That sounds ridiculous.” But it’s happening, so for this week’s edition of Rebellion Roundup, I asked the team their thoughts in the matter. Do they like the idea of Rousey coaching a house full of men and women? Some do.

Others, not so much.

Mike Drahota, MMAFrenzy:

Ronda Rousey coaching TUF with a mixed bag of male and female contestants comes off as complete bullshit to me. I understand that you need a certain amount of hype to get the ball rolling for women in the UFC, but is this the best way to go about it? It seems like they’re trying to make their own version of The Real Word: UFC. TUF ratings may be on the downward slide, but creating a freak show is not the answer to that problem. Either Miesha Tate or Cat Zingano will coach opposite Rousey based on their TUF Finale bout this April. They’ll be TUF coaches after only one fight in the UFC. I just don’t agree with the show being anything more than a drama-filled money grab. It simply screams illegitimacy, and definitely compromises the respect of martial arts for a chance at good television ratings.

Brendhan Conlan, FiveOuncesofPain and Fighters.com:

The UFC makes a lot of bone-headed decisions but this isn’t one of them. Not only does it give female fighters a platform to showcase their skills, deepening the bantamweight division in the process as well, but it also injects a little excitement into an otherwise stale product. Additionally, the move is destined to draw new viewers who show up for the drama created by men/women living in the same house and stay because they realize MMA is a tremendous sport peppered with interesting personalities.

Chris Leslie, MMAFrenzy:

As a longtime proponent of WMMA, I was excited to hear that Rousey would coach and that there would be female fighters on TUF. However, when Dana White mentioned there would be male bantamweights in the house as well, I could not help but be disappointed. The look on Joe Rogan’s face said it all. “Did you get in my stash, Dana?” I know the UFC is in a war with Viacom, but they did not have to turn TUF into a half-assed version of Jersey Shore/Real World to fight it. There is so much potential for disaster here with potential fights and other drama that usually gets annoying when it is only guys in the house. This is a ratings grab by Fox unfortunately, and quite frankly, it is bullshit.

Dana Becker, FightLine and MMAConvert:

It’s all about ratings, baby! Why do you think there were a hundred seasons of The Real World? Hell, I’m actually surprised it has taken the UFC this long to bring females into a house with amped-up, hot-headed male fighters. Will there be the obvious Jersey Shore fights between men and women? Yep! Will it drive the ratings? Yep. Is it the worse thing possible for TUF? Yep. So, why not do it, right?

Joe Lisnow, FightLine:

Ronda Rousey coaching serves two major points. The UFC is trying to keep The Ultimate ratings from dropping, and they’re looking to expose more women to the sport as they seek to add more names. It’ll probably do decent numbers, similar to the current season, but it depends on who the other coach is. Miesha Tate and Cat Zingano have expressed disdain towards Rousey, but the Tate feud is already there and a nasty one it is. Now, featuring women on the show is great and there’s no better way to introduce a new dynamic since women still believe they need to prove their place in the sport. Truthfully, women have already shown they’re here to stay, since they always deliver more exciting fights than the males. As for mixing male and female fighters on TUF, that sounds like lots of drunken drama. Maybe the UFC is starting to drift into MTV’s The Real World. Ultimately, Rousey coaching TUF works, but it would be better with an all-female cast to strengthen the division.

Sam Genovese, MMAConvert:

Time to get ready for this season of Real World: TUF. Which fighters will become a couple? Will this be the first season of TUF where a fighter actually gets pregnant in the house? Tune in to find out! This season is really banking on train-wreck television to garner ratings. I’ll watch it, hell, a lot of people are going to watch it. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Sure, watching horned up low-level fighters waste their time trying to hook up with their meathead counterparts will be entertaining TV, but it certainly won’t be good TV. Still, I guess the UFC has outsmarted all of us, considering I hate the idea but I am still going to watch.

Sean Beanblossom, MMALinker:

The UFC is the front-runner in the ongoing race to make MMA a world-wide spectator sport. When it comes to making sure that their product, and the sport itself, is widely broadcasted and is constantly mainstreamed, diverse measures of exploitation are needed to ensure expansion. Simply meaning, fight organizations need to do more than just promote fights to keep limelight status and stay relevant in the world of sports. The Ultimate Fighter is the prime broadcasting experience to keep viewers attentive to things inside and outside of the cage. Choosing Ronda Rousey to coach TUF, and bringing female and male fighters together to live in a house, is the perfect way to attract fans who appreciate the excitement of reality television and drama. Relationships mixed with fighting will be just another branch off the tree of MMA expansion in terms of versatile publicity attempts. Smart move for the UFC. Expect TUF ratings to flourish.

Jake Berezansky, MMAConvert:

It’s a stupid show with an old and drawn out format. What the hell am I watching? MTV Road Rules vs. MTV Real World? I’m no fan of the show in general, but this is purely a publicity stunt, and the saddest part is it’ll work. Idiots will tune in to see scripted drama, so the ratings won’t dip too low. The show was great when the UFC needed it, but when I pray to the MMA Gods at night, I pray this show gets shit canned, and we never need to see a highlight of “Rampage” ripping a cardboard door down or a three-second clip of ambulance lights promoting a crap reality TV show ever again.

Tim Thompson, MMALinker:

Ronda Rousey coaching season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter can be described as nothing but a brilliant move by UFC president Dana White. Rousey is extremely talented, very outspoken, and undoubtedly a sex symbol after her recent pictures for ESPN the magazine. She was brought in to the organization as a champion, faced adversity in her fight with Liz Carmouche, and still managed to finish with her vintage first round armbar. The time is now for women’s MMA to be pushed into the spotlight and it is undeniable the TUF ratings will benefit by having her on the show week after week. As long as they can showcase some exciting fights in the house, there is no reason that this won’t be a building block to another huge expansion for the UFC.

Miguel Barragan, Fighters.com and FightLine:

The next season of The Ultimate Fighter featuring both men and women living in the same home can be summed up in one word: desperate. This reeks of desperation, desperation for ratings. Forget who’s coaching, I could care less who’s chosen as coaches. To be frank, I don’t even tune in for the show until the last half hour to fifteen minutes to catch the fight at the end of each episode because the drama in the house has gotten so staged and just plain pathetic. The show used to be about finding young prospects to develop into refined mixed martial artists. Now it’s been reduced to a house full of douchebags who happen to fight, bottom line. Chael Sonnen and Kenny Florian blatantly struggled to show their supposed enthusiasm without blurting something politically incorrect. It is a well-known fact that the UFC supplies and provides alcohol for TUFers while in the home. I can only hope for the sake of these TUFers lives that it is removed this season. I can absolutely understand and support training alongside women – I do it, everyone who’s trained has done it. Now living together? That’s just unacceptable. It’s bad enough that some of these young men are banned from seeing their families, wives, girlfriends and children. Now they will be forced to live with other most likely attractive and fit women? How are the girlfriends and wives of the male TUFers going to feel about that? And that’s just the men, how about the women who have husbands, boyfriends and children of their own? It’s an obvious and pitiful attempt to embark into another key demographic, young gullible women who watch E!, TMZ, Jeresy Shore, etc. This next season should be re-named The Ultimate Homewrecker.

Casey Hodgin, MMALinker:

I definitely think they’re trying to milk for attention! Yes, I felt that an all-women TUF was inevitable… but why co-ed? I feel that the addition of men into the mix was a last-second attempt to “vamp” up the scheme to draw more attention. I’ll watch it regardless, but it has some high risks. I think, if approached with the same mentality as this current TUF is (with more emphasis on the competition and “fighting” drama, rather than partying, getting drunk, and “personal” drama) it could be fine and could turn out really well. But that’s a big IF.

Ben Bieker, CagedInsider:

It is amazing that the sex of the fighter should make any difference on what should happen in the house. As we have seen with the current season of TUF, the executives at FOX are putting more on the emphasis of what the fighters’ home lives, inspirations, and passions are instead of the drunken escapades that ensued on the first 16 seasons. In fact, have we even seen crazy pranks or drunken people this season? No, the worst it got was a rap battle and a couple of fight callouts. Of course there will always be the fighter that is there more for reality show infamy than a career in the UFC, but this is the biggest opportunity that most of these fighters will ever get in their professional MMA careers. People should be worrying less about sex, pregnancies, and shenanigans, and worry more about giving female fighters the respect they deserve for how far they have come.

John Petit, Fighters.com:

The UFC is in the fight/pay-per-view business, and they are partnered with a company (FOX) that is in the ratings business. Ronda Rousey is an extremely talented champion that garners media attention from around the world. The decision to make her a TUF coach is a no brainer, and is really that simple. The peculiar part is that the UFC is making Rousey a coach over women in the 135 pound division that is in its infancy stages. Also important to mention is the fact that by the time the fighters fight to get into the house, they will have as many fights in the octagon as Rousey has. In a new division where you are literally one fight away from getting a title shot, this seems like a strange time to make Rousey a coach

The post Ronda Rousey on TUF: The Ultimate Sell-Out? appeared first on Fighters.com.

Season Eight of Bellator MMA is just about over with only three weekly episodes left before the close of the season. It was their first season on their new home SpikeTV, and simply by taking a look at their ratings, this season cannot be considered anything less than a success. Their highest rated episode was their season opener, which raked in an average of 928,000 viewers and peaked at 1.2 million viewers. They nearly replicated this feat with Bellator 91 late last month with an average of 901,000 viewers, peaking at 1.05 million viewers, even with little to no star power in that event.

Bellator MMA on Spike TV ratings for season Eight per MMAWeekly:

• Bellator 85: 938,000 viewers
• Bellator 86: 812,000 viewers
• Bellator 87: 705,000 viewers
• Bellator 88: 807,000 viewers
• Bellator 89: 719,000 viewers
• Bellator 90: 737,000 viewers
• Bellator 91: 901,000 viewers
• Bellator 92: 741,000 viewers

During Season Eight we also found out that Miller Lite has become the official beer of Bellator. When thinking of major sports, be it baseball, basketball and MMA (as in the UFC), having a beer sponsor is always present, not to mention a strong sign that the mainstream sponsors are ready and willing to accept them. Judging by the ratings mentioned above and the resources parent company Viacom can bring to the table, Bellator is indeed here to stay.

An odd observation that I feel the need to voice is their lighting. Perhaps it was my eyes playing tricks on me or the brilliant picture HD provides, but for some reason it appears as if the lighting of the Bellator cage and crowd is on another level, a greatly improved level. It reminds me of when wrestling promotion WCW moved from their dimly lit shows in stagnant southern arenas to the Disney/MGM studios in Orlando, F.L. for filming of their flagship shows. I tuned in for Bellator’s SpikeTV debut and I immediately noticed a drastic improvement in production, everything from the graphics to the sound. Bellator comes across almost as a new promotion, with a new logo and a tweak of their name, going from Bellator Fighting Championship (BFC) to Bellator MMA – possibly in an attempt separate themselves from the UFC or any other MMA promotion that ends with “Fighting Championship”.

Season Eight has been full of exciting fights, as well as jaw-dropping upsets. For starters, reaching a ratings peak of 1 million viewers is certainly a high point for Bellator in addition to being a first, averaging 800,000 viewers for the season thus far. This season, all reigning title holders defended their belts and a few vacant titles were filled. In fact, one champion, Pat Curran, is scheduled to defend his title for the second time in the same season. He successfully defended his featherweight title in the season opener in January against Season Four tournament champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and he is now scheduled to face Season Seven tournament champion Shahbulat Shamhalaev on April 4 in Atlantic City. This is an unprecedented move on their part that may turn out to be common in the seasons to come.

One of the most common gripes about Bellator from MMA fans was non-title super fights. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney preached for months that with the help of Viacom and their optimistic increase of viewers that there will be more frequent tournaments to have a title challenger on deck – a technique to eliminate non-title super fights altogether. Rebney himself isn’t’ a fan of those types of bouts in the first place, but with time, ambition and strategic expansion and growth, Rebney insisted they will end. Prior to moving to Spike TV, Bellator aired on MTV2, which was a channel not available in high definition (HD), another fan complaint. Season Eight effectively addressed both matters and seems to be moving along like a well-oiled machine. There are times when there isn’t a decisive title challenger available, but on the other side of that coin, there are occasions when there are two title challengers on deck at any given time, which was ever present when featherweight title challenger Daniel Straus was forced to withdraw for his title fight due to injury. Waiting in the wings was none other than the aforementioned Shamhalaev.

Speaking of upsets, the biggest upset in the history of Bellator since Toby Imada’s inverted-triangle choke win over Jorge Masvidal in Season One took place a mere three weeks ago. Light-heavyweight tournament favorite Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal was unceremoniously eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals when former MFC light-heavyweight champion Emanuel “Hardcore Kid” Newton knocked him out cold at 2:35 of the very first round with a highlight-reel spinning backfist. After an overhand right by Newton missed it’s mark, the momentum spun Newton around, positioning him perfectly for the left spinning backfist that landed squarely on King Mo’s chin, sending the former Strikeforce champ toppling over like a timbering tree.

As I mentioned before, there are three more weekly episodes left. The last event of the season will feature a title fight – ironically enough, the same title that was defended in the main event of their season opener. Bellator started Season Eight with a bang and we expect them to do the same in the season closer. It definitely met, if not surpassed, expectations of their first season on Spike TV. If this season is a sign of things to come in future seasons, I eagerly yet patiently await the start of next season .

The post Bellator MMA Season 8 Review appeared first on Fighters.com.

UFC certainly delivered last night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, with a card that had fans on the edge of their seats. Jake Ellenberger earned knockout of the night over Nate Marquardt, Carlos Condit and Johny Hendricks clashed in a war that earned “Fight of the Night”, and Georges St-Pierre retained his welterweight title for an eighth consecutive time by defeating Nick Diaz by unanimous decision.

Hendricks was able to walk away with the unanimous decision victory, all judges scoring the bout 29-28 in favor of “Big Rigg”, but many felt that Condit had done enough to earn the decision. I felt the judges were correct.

Despite Condit’s late surge, Hendrick’s 12 takedowns would be the difference in the fight. Even though Condit was able to get to his feet on every occasion, Hendricks was able to put him on the mat too easily. Hendricks landed bombs in a few of the heated exchanges, and while he wasn’t able to put a game Condit to sleep, Hendricks did enough to secure the decision.

It was a non-stop battle and very close, but Condit needs to work on his takedown defense rather than his scrambling ability. This is his second consecutive loss because he has been unable to defend the takedown. As for Hendricks, he needs to work on his striking defense. Condit landed too many clean strikes throughout the fight, including a kick to the face, flying knees and punches. If Hendricks is going to pose a threat to the champion, he needs to be able to defend strikes – especially a jab.

After the fight Hendricks called out St. Pierre once again. With St. Pierre’s title defense successful against Diaz, maybe fight fans will now be able to see the true number one contender get his shot at the 170-pound strap.

The post Johny Hendricks Definitely Beat Carlos Condit appeared first on Fighters.com.

Perennial top welterweight contender, all-around badass and unabashed malcontent Nick Diaz will step into the cage tonight to face champ Georges St.-Pierre at UFC 158, and with those top-level boxing and jiu-jitsu skills he possesses comes the prospect that if he wins (or loses for that matter), the Stockton bad boy could easily fail every drug test and ditch every media obligation going forward. Which begs the question: Is Nick Diaz good for the sport?

Here’s what the Rebellion crew had to saw on the matter.

Dana Becker, FightLine and MMAConvert:

The “reporter” in me says yes, Nick Diaz is great for the sport because he brings interesting takes on a number of subjects – when he shows up for press events. His insight is so out-of-this world that you really don’t know what to expect. Unlike Chael Sonnen, Diaz just goes from one end of the spectrum to another. However, there is this other side of me that feels like there is no place for someone who doesn’t want to play by the same rules as everybody else. The marijuana use, the missing of planned events – MMA and, more important, the UFC, do not need that kind of attention.

Chris Leslie, MMAFrenzy:

Nick Diaz is a mixed bag in regards to his influence on MMA. He is a big boost to the media, as the mere mention of his name usually attracts a firestorm from his fans and detractors alike. That said, when it comes to battling stereotypes, he is terrible for the sport. Diaz will always be a mixed bag for the sport of MMA, but with the right handling he is a very valuable asset to have when promoting a fight. Once his value diminishes however, his antics make him an easy cut.

Miguel Barragan, Fighters.com and FightLine:

Nick Diaz is absolutely not good for the sport. Nick, along with his brother Nate show fans, both hardcore and general fans what’s wrong with MMA. The UFC is doing what they can to milk every drop they can out of the Nick in terms of his attractiveness and overall popularity. But if the UFC and the entire sport of MMA expects to continue evolving, to the point where certain UFC higher-ups are in court attempting to bring MMA to New York, the last thing the sport needs is a f-bomb dropping, irresponsible, marijuana smoking, pessimistic and often unintelligible antagonist. Mind you, this is coming from a Nick Diaz fan. But a Diaz fan who is not only looking out for the future of my chosen sport but also looking at the big picture. I want MMA to flourish even further than it has to this point and if at the current time that means pitting an undeserving Nick Diaz against the UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre, so be it. But realistically, how good would it appear to the general fan if Diaz emerges victorious Saturday night and have him represent the best of the welterweight division? I am a fan of what Nick does in the octagon and what he represents in terms of keeping the sport clean of performance enhancing drugs (PED’s), but in today’s world, marijuana smoking is still taboo and having Diaz represent the UFC to the capacity of being their welterweight champion would be the biggest target any anit-MMA lobbyist could aim for. If they’re looking for a scapegoat, the UFC is making it easier for them by pitting Diaz as the potential face of the UFC’s welterweight division. Am I a fan of Diaz’s? You bet I am. Is he good for the sport? The bottom line is absolutely not

John Petit, Fighters.com:

This is one of those situations where I have to separate myself from being a fan of the sport and an analyst of the sport. ‘Fan me’ loves everything about Nick Diaz. His aggression, his technique, his skill, his animosity, and the dichotomy of him being so talented and so hated at the same time makes him one of the most enjoyable fighters for me to watch. ‘Analyst me’ sees a guy who has a good shot at defrocking one of the best fighters in the game on Saturday night in Montreal, but according to Diaz he is just hoping he passes the post fight drug screen. The attitude of Nick Diaz can be overlooked, but if he wants to be treated like a professional he needs to act like one. That includes caring enough about a championship fight to stop using cannabis in time to guarantee he would pass a test. If things go south for Diaz, we may have a champion who may be stripped of the title as soon as he gets the belt and get suspended for a year, and no that isn’t good for the sport.

Sam Genovese, MMAConvert:

I know these arguments are necessary but I generally don’t enjoy arguing about if someone is “good” or “bad” for the sport. Nick Diaz is a hothead and can be annoying at times. But he’s no different than plenty of other athletes in other sports who are troublemakers. The only way I would ever consider someone bad for MMA is if someone were to commit some heinous act on a national stage. As it is, the mainstream media doesn’t care if Diaz challenges St. Pierre to a fight in a hotel. The mainstream media doesn’t care when he pops positive for steroids. However, if he were to go into the stands and punch a fan, much like Ron Artest did a few years ago, THEN he would be bad for the sport. That kind of event would be covered ad nauseum by ESPN and Sportscenter. I don’t think Diaz will ever do anything like that, so in my mind, he isn’t bad for the sport.

Mike Stets, FightLine:

Nick Diaz is an enigma that the media constantly tries to figure out. He has become a media magnet, attracting reporters who feverishly await any line that could make for a huge story.  Analyzing his paradox statements, and trying to figure out what he is really trying to say has consumed all who cover him. There is no schtick, an Andy Kaufman he is not. He fires away any thought without a filter.  Throw in the fact that he has been one of the best in his division his entire career and it just fits perfectly.    He is a  true rebel who fulfills his role as an antagonist more than he fulfills his media obligations, in a sport that started out as rebellious; and he always comes to fight–that is great for the sport.

Ben Bieker, CagedInsider:

Personally, I could care less about Nick Diaz and his antics. Whether it is authentic or not remains to be seen, but there are two positives that he helps bring to the fight cards he is on. First, a lot of people want to watch GSP fight him since they will bring a different side to the long time champion, and I hope he brings the pre-Serra GSP back out. The fighter who finished fights on the feet or on the ground. Also, the attention this card receives brings the spot light on fighters like Jake Ellenberger, Carlos Condit, and Johny Hendricks who generally do not talk trash, but deserve to have as many fans necessary watch their fights since they are usually amazing.

Jake Berezansky, MMAConvert:

Yes, he acts like a child, and he hides he behind the banner of a “professional athlete”. I’m not doubting his ability to compete. I do doubt the fact that he’s really that motivated though. He whines and cries way too much to garner any real respect. Like the time he “retired” following his loss to Condit… Boo hoo dude, you lost. Finish your fights, and it won’t be an issue in the future. Also, missing all these events that’s he’s legally contracted to attend is as asinine as it is unacceptable. I’d love to see him fired.

Brendhan Conlan, Five Ounces of Pain and Fighters.com

Diaz is tough as nails, a polished pugilist, and entertaining to watch for a number of reasons. We’re not talking about a man who is out partying until sunrise, gets in trouble with the law, or injects steroids into his body. He misses media obligations, smokes medically prescribed marijuana, and speaks his mind without fear of how others will react. Though he’s not a true-to-form professional, the controversial Californian’s brand of bizarre behavior creates buzz and brings in new viewers; he’s an anti-hero who also happens to be a helluva fighter. As such, he is “good” for Mixed Martial Arts.

The post Nick Diaz: Is He Good for the Sport? appeared first on Fighters.com.

Georges St-Pierre has been the UFC Welterweight Champion since April of 2008, uninterrupted from the time he unified the title against Matt Serra. Since then, he’s defended the title seven times, tying Matt Hughes for the most title defenses in the welterweight division. Next to Anderson Silva, he is the longest-reigning champion in the history of the UFC. This Saturday, March 16, 2013, St-Pierre has the opportunity to surpass Hughes in the record books in terms of title defenses when he takes on Nick Diaz in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. St-Pierre is the odds-on favorite to win, as he has been his entire title run, so it obviously makes sense that Dana and the boys at ZUFFA have scheduled the fight to take place in Canada. But after checking off the statements above from the “stating the obvious” list, one opinion that the general public isn’t voicing is that St-Pierre needs lose already, for the sake of an ever-evolving sport.

Every era must come to an end, just as a new era must begin. Whether or not the GSP era will end this Saturday is anyone’s guess, but with welterweights like Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald and Demian Maia, it’s beginning to appear less and less likely that “Rush” will last another year as champion.

After taking over a year off due to injury and recovery, St-Pierre looked a tad bit slower and not quite himself in his most recent title defense against Carlos Condit. In fact, late in the third round, Condit had GSP in serious trouble, the most trouble we’ve seen in him in since his knockout loss to Serra. That may be the harbinger of what is to come in the coming months for St-Pierre. To his credit, “Rush” managed to hang on and finish the round on top. If you would’ve tuned in at the end of that third round, you wouldn’t even have known St-Pierre was in trouble earlier.
The point I am trying to make is that the time has come for St-Pierre to lose his title, and it seems as if that time is rapidly approaching, using his recent bout with Condit as a measuring stick.

The welterweight division is too stacked to have “Rush” go another year as champion. Maybe Diaz will be the man to take the title or perhaps it will be one of the fighters mentioned above. One thing that has been made crystal clear: the injury and time off has deeply affected St-Pierre, and chances are that he’ll lose his title in 2013.

PHOTO CREDIT: UFC

The post Georges St-Pierre Needs to Lose at UFC 158 appeared first on Fighters.com.

To that end, I asked the writers across the Rebellion Media network of MMA blogs what they thought of Fox and the prospect of her beating on women. Here’s what they had to say (and feel free to agree or disagree in the “comments”):

Dana Becker, MMAConvert and FightLine:

“I feel as though the precedent has been set with previous sports ruling that a transgender is allowed to compete against the sex they currently are. While I personally feel it is a very sensitive subject when it comes to MMA, if a transgender athlete has completely changed their body to that of a new sex, they should be allowed. However, they must be completely tested and approved by a medical staff to do so.”

John Petit, Fighters.com:

“This has to be an issue decided by medical science. If a large group of doctors determine she is to be considered 100% a female- than I have no problem at all with Fallon Fox fighting. However, if they can’t all come to that agreement then she has to respect the decision of the panel. The criteria to be a woman mma fighter says you have to be a female, if a diverse panel of medically qualified physicians says she meets that standard, that’s enough for me. There is a chance that this turns into a hot button issue discussion on peoples opinion on the LBGT communities, but that is a road people shouldn’t go down, as it has nothing to do with the real question. Does she meet the requirements to be a woman MMA combatant? The onus is upon Fallon Fox to prove she meets those requirements.”

Brendhan Conlan, FiveOuncesofPain, Fighters.com:

“In a sport like MMA where gross mismatches can be found with relative commonality, and heavyweights often differ in size by 20-30 pounds, I don’t have a problem with Fox fighting females given that all parties are aware of her background. Hell, women spar/grapple with full-fledged men in the gym on a daily basis. Of course, from what I understand, Fox has undergone enough treatment both surgically and hormonally to be considered female enough to compete in other sports as a woman, plus she’s apparently viewed as female in legal terms. As such, why prevent her from making a living so long as her opponent is comfortable with the situation?”

Jake Berezansky, MMAConvert:

“I’m going to have to say yeah sure why not? I mean if she/he wants to compete, and [CFA] is cool with it, let it happen.  If she/he can compete as a woman in the Olympics, it’s hard to say she/he can’t in MMA. I’d say it’s worth noting any of the natural-born women Fox may face should have a de facto right to decline a fight with her/him without any negative repercussion, though. I’d say this has been turned into a bigger deal than it ever needed to be, also. You have to wonder if there’s any shock value being played here, and I’m sure [CFA] hates getting some extra attention.”

Chris Leslie, MMAFrenzy:

“While it may seem counterintuitive, a transgendered fighter is actually at somewhat of a disadvantage in the sport of MMA. The process of gender reassignment surgery is a long one that involves hormone therapy that actually negates any strength advantage that Fox may have had over time. The Olympics allow for transgendered athletes to compete in their newly assigned genders, albeit with strict guidelines. So as long as the athlete can pass the testing administered by the commissions and other agencies, there is little reason to not allow the fighter to fight.”

Ben Bieker, CagedInsider:

“In the case of Fallon Fox, in my opinion, I believe that it could dangerous for Fox to be in the cage with other female fighters. While I am not an expert on the science and process it takes to make a male into a female through surgery or chemicals, it seems that spending life as a male well into your 30’s would give you some physical advantage over women. Fox has had many years of increased testosterone, muscle, and other advantages that come from being a male athlete. The gender reassignment was a personal choice of Fox, and if it affects her dream of being a MMA fighter than that is part of the sacrifice made when Fox decided to become a woman.”

Casey Hodgin, MMALinker:

“I think she should fight against females. It doesn’t matter what she was, if the surgery and procedure was done correctly she should be a female. I guess you should take into consideration testosterone levels. If her testosterone is normal for a female, let her fight. However, if it’s above the norm, maybe have her take some supplements? Or maybe should she shouldn’t even be cleared to fight if she’s walking around with twice as much testosterone as all the other female fighters. That’s my take on it, if her testosterone levels are in check, let her fight women.”

Ted Czech, MMALinker:

Sam Genovese, MMAConvert:

“There are certain athletic advantages that men have that women simply don’t. Their testosterone levels are higher which makes their bodies stronger than women. This is simply a biological fact. However, as long as Fallon Fox is able to pass all of her tests for both performing enhancing drugs and testosterone levels, there is no reason she can’t compete against women. Most transgenders actually have lower testosterone levels than their female competitors. If this were a case where Fox was anatomically a man who simply identified as a woman, this would be a different story. But modern medicine has developed testosterone blockers and estrogen enhancers which allows he body to mimic her female counterparts. Recently we’ve seen a woman kicker invited to a regional scouting combine for the NFL; in my hypothetical world, all athletic competition would be gender neutral. But as it is currently, sports are divided by gender. As long as Fox’s levels of testosterone and estrogen are within the normal range, she should be allowed to compete against women.”

Jesse Denis, MMAFrenzy:

“The arguments over Fallon Fox’s licensure are absolutely heinous.

The core problem lies in the fact that this is the combat sports community and there is a fair bit of sexism, homophobia, etc… going around. The fact is that Fox has been a woman for nearly seven years, despite being born a man.

The very landscape of MMA today sees media, fighters, and promoters alike lashing out at TRT use. Consider this, ‘The Queen of Swords’ is prescribed estrogen and testosterone inhibitors, putting her at what many would consider a ‘disadvantage’ to most women in that respect. Meanwhile, the world awaits the return of ‘Cyborg’ behind her stanozolol suspension.

Let’s not forget this isn’t the first time this has happened in fight sports. Does the name Nong Toom ring a bell? She was the kathoey Muay Thai fighter that had a sex-change mid-career. She battled various women, and her plight was the subject of the documentary ‘The Beautiful Boxer’.

The Olympics allow for transgendered people to compete under the stipulation that, ‘Transsexual athletes must have undergone hormone replacement therapy for at least two years, be legally recognized as the sex in which they want to compete and have had sex-reassignment surgery.’ Fox meets those requirements. As a Floridian who knows how disorganized the Sunshine State’s boxing committee can be, I assume they can’t possibly think they have a better grip on things than the IOC.

Lastly, the disclosure issue: the reason the Chicago native never disclosed that she was transgendered was because nowhere in the appropriate paperwork was it asked. Nor should it be. Fox is a woman at this point and has been for seven years. There is no reason for her not to be licensed.”

Michael Stets, FightLine:

“I can’t see an athletic commission giving the green light for Fox to fight other women.  That being said, I don’t think they would be too keen on seeing Fox fight men.  I’m not sure what the answer is, but I highly doubt any big promotion would go near Fox with the type of publicity it would bring, and the possibility of a women fighter getting hurt. Discrimination will be brought up, but getting a license to fight is a privilege not a right.”

The post Fallon Fox and the Transgender Quandary appeared first on Fighters.com.

Early on, it appeared as if Struve would cruise to an easy submission victory. The Dutch grappler pulled guard and Hunt looked helpless on the ground. But after gaining mount, Struve lost position when Hunt rolled onto his back. That allowed the Samoan to gain top position and land a few blows of his own.

Hunt then showed off his sneaky athleticism in the second round when he foot-swept Struve to the ground. While it probably wasn’t the smartest fight strategy, Hunt at least showed that he could survive on the ground and even managed to land a few powerful blows of his own.

The third round began and both fighters were clearly gassed. Struve, instead of pulling guard, decided to stand and trade with the former K-1 champion. That was a huge mistake: even a gassed Hunt can throw big bombs. Hunt landed hook after hook and eventually was able to stagger Struve. Hunt pounced with a big left hook and ended the fight for good.

Where does this leave Hunt? In my mind, he’s in line for a title shot. In any other division in MMA, there is no chance a guy with such a limited skill-set as Hunt would even sniff a title shot. But heavyweight MMA is a different animal. This fight showcased that fact. We saw terrible cardio, horrendous fight IQ, and poor grappling. None of that mattered though, because Struve is a top-ten fighter and Hunt beat him.

Now the Samoan has a four-fight win streak in the UFC. Is it unbelievable? A little bit. Is it fun? You bet it is. Let’s keep it rolling and give Hunt a title shot with one more win.

We all know that there are some terrible match-ups for Hunt near the top of the division that he would almost assuredly lose. A fight with Junior dos Santos would end quickly. Even Antonio Silva would probably take him down and submit him. But if he were given a fight against a guy like Frank Mir, he would have a legitimate chance to knock him out. If he were to win, the next stop would be a date with the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

The post Mark Hunt is Officially a Contender appeared first on Fighters.com.

Stann was a heavy favorite to win this bout, and after hurting Silva several times in that first round, it was clear why. He was the fresher of the two fighters in terms of miles on the odometer, and he always has immense power in his hands. Silva did not let that factor into the bout in the least bit and he made sure to let fans at home watching and the respectful Japanese crowd in the arena know that he will not go quietly into the night.

So after an unexpected victory, the next logical question is what’s next for Silva? Silva made it clear that he is planning to stay at light-heavyweight after this bout, thus it will expected that he will continue to campaign at that division. Pitting Silva against a non-top ten light-heavy is a good start, perhaps someone who likes to keep the fight standing, like Fabio Maldonado. The division has always been one of the most stacked, therefore, picking an opponent who isn’t a top notch fighter isn’t as easy or simple as one would expect.

Another potential opponent could be someone like Krzysztof Sosznynski. One thing the UFC should keep in mind when matching Silva up is to select a fighter who won’t mop the floor with him, but at the same time not choose an opponent who will be overmatched. Maldonado or Sosznynski just might be that happy medium.

Whomever Silva fights next, fans across the world will definitely be watching. If all goes well, Silva may go down in the history books as one of the few mixed martial artists who will retire on their own terms. And make no mistake about it, that’s rarified air in this sport. An unexpected, yet extremely exciting, knockout win over the always classy Stann is most certainly the right start to a successful retirement of what is already one of the most legendary careers or our generation.

The post Wanderlei Silva: Who’s Next? appeared first on Fighters.com.

It wasn’t shocking to hear the boos from the fans in the arena, but the feedback on social media sites was that Henderson was screwed out of decision is what shocked me. People must have short memories when it comes to this sport, because what you saw on Saturday night at the Honda Center is exactly what makes Machida so good.

Machida has the ability to make good fighters look awful. He doesn’t do it by pounding them into oblivion, which he is definitely capable of doing, but he does it by not being anywhere near the punches of his opponents. Henderson is a great fighter, and dare I say a future UFC Hall of Famer, but Machida made him look silly by making him miss so much. His elusiveness is what prompted UFC Commentator Joe Rogan into screaming “Welcome to the Machida era” when he defeated Rashad Evans for his title.

When expert strikers fight Machida they run and try to brawl with him, and he historically picks them apart. When he fights wrestlers, he uses kicks and punches to keep his opponents on the outside, and that’s exactly what happened to Henderson on Saturday night. Henderson couldn’t get anywhere near Machida to land the big shot, barring one or two punches, and he didn’t do enough to win.

When Mauricio Rua defeated Machida everyone thought that the code had been cracked, and that it was all but a downhill slide for Machida. Machida’s win against Ryan Bader, and  his win against Dan Henderson at UFC 157, are great examples as to why that is not the case. Machida will now face the winner of Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen for the light heavyweight title, and while the Machida era isn’t as impossible as Rogan made it out be, you better believe if he rematches Jon Jones he will fight differently. Lyoto Machida uses footwork and space like no other in MMA, and he should be heralded for it. Not jeered.

Photo Credit: UFC

The post Lyoto Machida’s Dominant Win Should Be Applauded appeared first on Fighters.com.

Who should be next for Carmouche?

• Winner of Meisha Tate vs. Cat Zingano- If Carmouche is to defeat the winner of this fight, it gives her a chance to stay relevant in the title hunt, and with a performance like the one she put on display last night after nearly finishing Rousey, I think she deserves that. Zingano is 7-0, with six finishes including three knockouts and three submissions, and Tate has an impressive record of 13-3 with three knockouts and six submissions, and is also coming of an armbar victory of her own.

Who should be next for Rousey?

• Sarah McMann- McMann not only holds an impressive record of 6-0, but she is also the first American woman to ever receive a silver medal in Olympic wrestling. As an Olympian with a great story behind her, she seems like a logical choice for the UFC and Rousey.
• Alexis Davis- Davis holds a 13-5 record with submissions and two knockouts, and is coming off a two-fight win streak in Invicta FC, with both of those wins coming via submission. Davis is a legitimate contender in this division and may perhaps be next up for Rousey.

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The current champion, Jon “Bones” Jones, is scheduled to face Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 in April. Jones is the heavy favorite and if he dot’s his I’s and crosses his T’s, Jones should come away with a victory and his title intact. So it’s relatively safe to say that the winner of the Machida/Henderson bout would move on to face Jones sometime this year. Well, after three rather uneventful rounds, Machida managed to sneak away with a win. There’s a saying in boxing that goes, “win this fight, look good next time”. Sometimes this is exactly what needs to be done in order to ensure that “next time” – even if it’s not aesthetically pleasing. So it really should come as no surprise that Machida played it as safe as he could, even more than usual. With that being said, let’s look ahead and analyze just what Machida can do differently this time against Jones.

In the eyes of many watching, Machida actually won Round One of his fight with Jones at UFC 140 in December of 2011, before Jones came back strong to finish Machida in the second stanza. So if there’s any sort of studying or research Machida can do, for all intents and purposes, he’s done about a quarter of the work already.

We saw a strategy that Machida implemented in his bout with Henderson that may potentially lay the groundwork for a successful strategy against Jones, and that strategy is all about leg-kicks. Jones’ nickname is Bones, not because he’s great at dominoes but because he’s tall and in his younger years was extremely thin. Simply by taking a look at his legs, one can come to the conclusion that his legs may be a pretty big chink in the armor. Although Machida’s leg-kicks did little in terms of being a major factor in his victory against Henderson, it may very well prove to be a very important commodity against a tall, thin-legged champion within a twenty-five minute championship main event.

And there it is. What can Machida employ against the utterly dominant light-heavyweight champ that may help him secure a victory where one eluded him before? Leg-kicks. It’s all about the leg-kicks.

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Chico Camus (12-3) vs. Dustin Kimura (9-0)

Camus showed some solid wrestling during his UFC 150 win over Dustin Pague and was slick enough to avoid any submissions. That is what he will have to do in this fight against Kimura, but the youngster is on a whole different level than Pague when it comes to tapping out foes. Still, Camus has enough skill and defense to avoid any major problems if he stays sharp. I am picking Camus to take the decision, but if  I were the gambling type, there could be some value with Kimura coming in as high +145 in spots.

Prediction: Chico Camus via Decision

Yves Edwards (42-18-1) vs Isaac Vallie-Flagg (13-3-1)

If I was to pick a fight to be voted most likely have fans screaming “Thats a BS decision” on this card, it would be this one. The way these styles match-up, and the fact both are difficult to put away, means this one has Split Decision written all over it. Team Jackson fighter Vallie-Flagg comes into the UFC with two Strikeforce wins and riding an eleven-fight unbeaten streak since 2007, but he has never fought anyone as experienced as Edwards. A veteran of 61 fights with sixteen scraps in the Octagon, Edwards is going to have to be extra careful with Vallie-Flagg, and I think if he goes into this fight with the ‘I’m going to knock him out’ game plan he will lose.  Vallie-Flagg is going to push him to his limits in this fight, but if he could find a way to monkey-wrench the approach Greg Jackson has come up for him, Edwards should win this by a close decision.

Prediction: Yves Edwards via Decision

Jacob Volkmann (15-3) vs. Bobby Green (19-5)

Volkmann has his hands full in this fight when he welcomes former King of the Cage champ Bobby Green to the UFC from Strikeforce. Green is riding four-fight winning streak, and although he has eight submission wins, most of those  come after he has already stung his opponents with punches. While Volkmann’s stand up isn’t terrible, it would behoove him to get this fight to the ground. He is cagey enough to set up the takedowns with his striking, but he should be attacking for submissions in the first round. That’s where I think this fight ends by submission for Volkmann.

Prediction: Jacob Volkmann via submission 

Jay Hieron (23-6) vs. Tyron Woodley (10-1)

Neither of these guys have a win in the UFC, though the big difference is Hieron has already had three fights in the UFC.  None of Hieron’s fights were easy outings by any means, and he doesn’t have an easy one here either. Woodley, who lost his Strikeforce belt to Nate Marquardt in his last bout, will be dealing with the Octagon jitters and a Hieron who is VERY hungry to get his first UFC victory. I just don’t think he can pull it off against a wrestler like Woodley, and I just don’t he can create the space he would need to launch a real offensive attack. If Woodley returns to his grappling roots, instead of standing in the pocket with Hieron, then he should get the decision win.

Prediction: Tyron Woodley via Decision

Evan Dunham (13-3) vs. Gleison Tibau (26-8)

This is one of the hardest fights on the card to predict, and odds wise its a “pick em” fight. Both fighters basically have the same reach and both are southpaws. If it wasn’t for a questionable decision on Nurmagomedov, Gleison Tibau would be on a five-fight run and would probably be competing on the top half of this card. Dunham is coming off of a loss to TJ Grant, but he certainly has the tenacity and striking prowess to sting Tibau in this fight. Tibau has shown signs of getting rocked in recent fights, as recently as a rumble with Francisco Trinaldo,  but I think he can use his grappling skills to stay tight on Evan Dunham and pull together a decision win.

Prediction: Evan Dunham via Decision

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Joseph Benavidez (16-3) vs. Ian McCall (11-3-1)

I can think of a dozen reasons to pick Benavidez in this fight over McCall, and can only think of one way McCall wins this fight. Benavidez happens to be very good at all the things that gave McCall problems in both of his fights with champion Demetrious Johnson, and when you add in all of the public personal issues McCall has had this past six months, its hard for me to assume he  will be 100% focused on Benavidez. Yes, they both lost to Johnson by basically the same way – they were  outstruck and out grappled over the course of the three fights.

The key to this one will the be takedowns and scrambles from Benavidez. He is an expert in transitions and is able to sneak around into submissions to take fighters by surprise. I think this is going to keep McCall preoccupied in this fight, and Benavidez will do enough to take the decision. McCall is going to make a true test out of this, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get the  upset win, but its a really steep uphill battle in my opinion.

Prediction: Joseph Benavidez unanimous decision

While Maia has looked like a whole new fighter in the welterweight division, his main obstacle will be the pristine position grappling of Fitch. Maia is definitely schooled enough to pull something off that Fitch won’t be expecting, but Fitch is so good at using his BJJ too stay out of submissions that he will have to pull of something very unorthodox to catch him.  That said, Maia will find out exactly where he stands at welterweight tomorrow night as he faces one of the divisions many wrestlers he will have to deal with in his hunt for the belt. That’s what I think this fight will be for Maia, and as such I expect him to win a round though Fitch will ultimately take the victory home via decision.

Prediction: Jon Fitch split decision

Alistair Overeem (36-11) vs. Antonio Silva (17-4)

Overeem is calling this fight a warm up fight for a title fight, but he should definitely not be looking past “Bigfoot”. The last guy who did that was Fedor Emelianenko, and that worked out terribly for him. Overeem has the tools to beat Silva nine times out of ten, but his confidence leading up to this should be checked as I have a hard time believing he is going to finish Silva quick. I think Silva’s chances increase the longer the fight lasts, as I think he could get some serious damage in he gets on top of Overeem. Its a possibility, but not a likely one in my opinion.

Prediction: Alistair Overeem TKO round 1

Rashad Evans (17-2-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5)

This is a really tough fight for Nogueira, and if he can  pull off a win here he will turn the top of the light heavyweight division on its head. Nogueira’s only real way to win this fight is to knock out Evans, and while Evans has been knocked out in the past, its not something that happens a lot. Lets not forget how much Evans’ striking has improved since his run on The Ultimate Fighter, where he went in as a heavyweight wrestler and is now a former champion who still has a good chance at getting back in the title hunt.

I think Evans will play on the feet a little bit with Nogueira, and if he is doing well I expect him to stay there until the end of rounds where he will secure points with takedowns. Nogueira will probably do little to defend them, as he is able to fight off his back, but I expect Evans to stay out of submissions and do more than enough damage on the ground to secure the win.

Prediction: Rashad Evans Unanimous Decision

Jose Aldo (21-1) vs. Frankie Edgar (15-3-1)

Edgar has done well in recent fights by being very durable come showtime. His ability to recover from punches and stay in fights has been a joy to watch, but eventually he is going to meet someone who has the power to put him away with strikes. I think that person is Aldo.

Edgar has been using his speed advantage to keep his opponents on their heal, but I don’t think that is going to work on Aldo. I think Aldo is quicker than Edgar, and especially when it comes to his responses in quick transitions.  His match-up with Chad Mendes is a perfect example, as the timing on the knee that put him away was perfect, and it was instinct/twitch reflexes that landed that strike. Only a few people are that quick with throwing strikes in the UFC and Aldo is one of them. I see Aldo neutralizing the speed advantage of Edgar, going on to finish him in the fourth round.

Prediction: Jose Aldo TKO round 4 

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Read below to get this humble writer’s take on what I think should be done with the winners from Saturday night’s FOX card (and feel free to make your own suggestions in the Comments section below)…

Demetrous Johnson:

This is the easiest one to pick after the card since the division is still so small. Johnson is coming off of a big five-round fight, and now all he needs to do is wait until next weekend. At UFC 156, 125-pound stand-outs Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall will fight, and although he has faced  both of them before, putting a rematch together with the victor is the logical step for the defending champion. When the division starts to grow more, fans will be sure to see less rematches, but for now we could be seeing a third Johnson/McCall fight or another scrap with Benavidez.

Glover Teixiera:

Teixiera did what many thought he would do on Saturday, taking care of business by roughing Quinton Jackson for three straight rounds. How do you solve a problem like Glover? Normally Teixiera would be on tap for a title-shot since he made Jackson look silly and is on a nice winning streak, but don’t expect the Brazilian to ride the bench until June to fight again. With Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira fighting next week, a logical foe for Teixiera’s next tussle is the winner of that light heavyweight scrap.

Anthony Pettis:

UFC President Dana White said he wants Pettis to have a title-shot, but after such a long layoff will Pettis elect to ride the pine until Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez fight in late April? Right now Pettis is saying yes, but don’t expect to see him waiting if the Henderson-Melendez match is somehow delayed. Too much inactivity isn’t good for him, and since Jim Miller just picked up a big win over Joe Lauzon, a bout between him and Pettis could be a barn burner.

Ricardo Lamas

Lamas was losing his fight with Erik Koch in the early stages but he was able to turn the tables and secure the second round TKO win. Lamas knows exactly what he wants, and in fact he has said he is getting on a plane and will be  in Las Vegas for next weekend’s superfight between current champion Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar to watch the action unfold. If the winner of that scrap stays healthy, you can expect Lamas to get his wish and receive the opportunity he rightfully deserves. If that match doesn’t materialize, Chad Mendes has finished his last two fights in the first round and his last loss was by way of the champ, so a showdown with “Money” could be a possibility for Lamas.

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How the fight ended seemed to have encapsulated a description of a very fitting metaphor. It was as if Teixeira, who mounted Jackson in the closing seconds of their bout, was for all intents and purposes beating “Rampage” right out of the top ten – not to mention the UFC altogether. The UFC, through Teixeira, basically said “see ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out”.

Within a minute and a half of the opening round of his bout with Glover, he was taken down and back-mounted. This was certainly not a favorable start to his final fight with the UFC, but it became abundantly clear that these opening minutes would set the tone for how the rest of the bout would unfold. In addition to setting the tone for that fight, it was an indication of where Jackson stood in the scheme of things in the light-heavyweight division. It’s obvious that he is no longer the force he once was and, truth be told, the only reason he was placed as co-main event was to act as sacrificial lamb for budding contender Teixeira.

Since Quinton has preached for some time now that he is no longer happy with the UFC, and the UFC has shown little to no interest in keeping Jackson, one question begs to be asked: What’s next for ’Rampage’?

He certainly has options outside of fighting. After all, he’ll be 35 in a couple of months, so his athletic clock is ticking rather quickly. It’s also been noted that in recent bouts, he’s failed to make weight or has had to lose a significant amount of weight to make the 205 limit. Thus, it’s no secret that Jackson’s motivation to train and fight has taken a back seat to filming movies or ads.

Should he continue to fight, in MMA specifically, there are few promotions in the world that can offer competition like the UFC, and even less who can offer their paydays. He has shown interest in turning to boxing, but as I mentioned before, time is not on his side.

With relevancy in the light-heavyweight division beaten out of his hands for good, leaving the UFC will only ensure smaller paydays. One can hope that Rampage retires, on his own terms, rather than being forced to retire like other fighters. He’s made his name, carved it into the history books and made a nice chunk of money in doing so. It’s now time to ride off into the sunset… with his Reeboks.

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Here are five defining moments that brought our main event combatants to the Octagon on Saturday night…

Johnson Wins Unanimous Decision Over Miguel Torres

The UFC didn’t always have a flyweight division, and that left guys like Johnson and Dodson fighting at bantamweight. That said, Johnson wasn’t supposed to win this fight against Torres. Torres was a bantamweight who went unbeaten in 30 straight fights, and although Johnson wasn’t the one to derail the run, he opened a lot of eyes when he got his hand raised with a unanimous decision. To be fair, many scorecards had Torres winning the fight, but Johnson put together a tough win over the toughest guy he had fought to date.

John Dodson Wins The Ultimate Fighter 14

You don’t get to come into the UFC and tell the UFC the way you want things. Meaning, Dodson wouldn’t normally get a UFC contract and then tell the promotion that he will be fighting at another weight class. That is unless that competitor in question won his contract on TUF. It only took Dodson two minutes to dispatch T.J. Dillashaw with strikes, but the win enabled him to set his own table, and his own path in the UFC.

Demetrious Johnson’s Rematch with Ian McCall

Many analysts, including this one who was at both fights, thought Johnson won the first the fight despite it being scored a Draw. The commission made a mistake that night, and the a provision for a sudden victory round never came into play. This threw a wrench in the flyweight tournament, but before long fans in Florida were treated to the rematch. This was important because the world saw Johnson learn from his previous performance against McCall. His improved knowledge was evident when he came out and ran the table on McCall, cementing his status as a serious threat for the flyweight gold.

John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga

Dodson and Formiga were two of the top flyweights from outside of the tournament that determined the champion. While Dodson entered the division after his TUF win, the fight marked Formiga’s Octagon debut even though he was still regarded as one of the best 125ers in the world. If Dodson wanted to stay in the division he would need a win, and boy did he get it. Late in the second round Dodson not only overwhelmed and flattened Formiga with strikes, but he became the first person to ever to put him away.  With the victory, Dodson put the fight world on notice that that some flyweights can in fact finish fights.

Johnson Beats Joseph Benavidez for Inaugural Flyweight Title

This fight set the table for this Saturday’s FOX card and was the first time the flyweight strap made an appearance  in the Octagon. Johnson’s showing was a masterful performance, as he executed a near-perfect gameplan. Benavidez made a fight of it, but as the tilt went into later rounds it became clear who the first flyweight champion would be. The fight was scored a Split Decision, but most cards had Johnson winning 3-2. The way Johnson used his strikes to set up his takedowns, and vice-versa, was just enough to keep Benavidez guessing through the most of the later rounds.

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Renato Sobral vs. Mauricio Rua
IFC: Global Domination
Colorado, United States

As part of the light-heavyweight tournament for an International Fighting Championships event in Colorado, Sobral met an undefeated Mauricio Rua, who was 4-0 at the time. Up to that point only one of Rua’s opponents had made it past the first round, and all were finished prior to the eight-minute mark.

Sobral was ready for Rua’s offense, and neutralized it with his grappling and jiu-jitsu. He easily won the first round with his grappling, but the crafty Rua was able to escape everything. “Shogun” was the fresher fighter in the second round,where he really turned the tide. However, at the end of the frame, Sobral came close to finishing him via armbar before Rua was saved by the bell. Both were tired in the third, so the fighters exchanged submission attempts until the final few minutes, when Babalu locked up a guillotine choke to score the victory.

Renato Sobral vs. Jeremy Horn
IFC: Global Domination
Colorado, United States

After fighting for six rounds, including the two-and-a-half listed above,  Sobral climbed into the cage against Jeremy Horn in the tournament final. While this fight was decided by the judges, it did not lack action. Sobral used his grappling to control the very dangerous Horn, who spent the whole fight threatening with submission after submission. In both the first and second rounds, Horn came fairly close to finishing him, but Babalu was able to use his ground and pound to neutralize the attacks. Still, Sobral was saved by the bell in both rounds after getting caught in submissions.

In the third frame, the action was stopped halfway through when Horn landed an illegal knee to Sobral’s face. The action ceased, and in a bit of fun trivia, the commission used live instant replay during the broadcast to determine if Sobral was grounded; he was. Sobral came back swinging for the fences and swarmed in for the takedown, and ended the round with a vicious attack from above. The judges gave him the decision. He dedicated the fight to his brothe,r who had passed away a month prior to the event. With the win, Sobral became the tournament champion, and was presented the belt by Chuck Liddell, who last held  it (and who Sobral would eventually go on to face twice in the UFC).

Renato Sobral vs. Fedor Emelianenko
Rings – 10th Anniversary
Tokyo, Japan

This is the only fight on the list that Sobral dropped and its the only one on the list where he fought as a heavyweight. The 7-1 Fedor Emelianenko was just beginning his heavyweight reign – a reign that would last almost a decade and span 32 fights. It was clear from the start that Babalu wanted to grapple with Emelianenko, but he was typically fighting from the bottom and unable to do much. Emelianenko spent a decent chunk of the ten-minute scrap landing punch after punch to Sobral’s body, though the attack left “The Last Emperor” open for Sobral to use his jiu-jitsu. In the end, it wasn’t enough to win fight, due in no small part to Emelianenko’s ability to use his sambo and shake away in the nick of time.  The match looked like two heavyweights fighting it out, though through the lens of history it was much more than that. In truth, when fans look back at it and realize what these two fighters went on to become, the fight increases in importance.

Photo Credit: Strikeforce

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And for some strange reason, people care whether they come or go. For the UFC’s recent foray into Macau, it was noteworthy that the new locale prompted a guest ring card girl.  But why do fans care? Why, when there are Playboy spreads of Brittney Palmer on newsstands and hot photos of Arianny Celeste all over the web, does it matter to anyone when the UFC recruits a fresh face into the mix?

The answer, it seems, are that ring card girls are as necessary to an MMA event as fighters squaring up and throwing down.

“Good ring card girls are necessary,” says Carl Mascarenhas. Mascarenhas is the promoter of the Aslyum Fight League in New Jersey, and has organized over 60 fights shows. He’s employed ring card girls at every single one of them.

“There are two kinds of ring card girls,” he says. “Some are just there for eye-candy. Then there are those who maybe aren’t as pretty, but they’ve got great personality and they really connect with the crowd. Those are the ones you really want. The ones that are just eye-candy but don’t do anything else, they’re worthless.”

And there you have it. If the fighting and violence fails to do it, a good ring card girl helps the promotion connect with the fans.

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Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley
April 9, 2011
Valley View Casino Center
San Diego, California

We get used to the tiresome rhetoric from MMA fighters, and the phrases begin to mean less and less. It’s hard to tell if they are serious if they say things like, ‘We’re going to go toe-toe.’ Since Paul Daley had little to no ground game at the time, we all knew he had no choice but to stand and trade with Nick Diaz. As for Diaz, when he says he is going to throw hands with someone, you can assume he means it 99.99% of the time.

Everyone knew what was going to happen in that fight, and it somehow lived up to everyone’s expectations. As usual, Diaz came forward and was the aggressor, but Daley slipped a punch early and landed a counter that dropped Diaz. The Gracie fighter turtled up and kept calm, regained his composure, and came back to finish Daley with three seconds left in the round. When great champions are tested, they do exactly what Diaz did in San Diego on that night.

Another important tidbit in this fight is that Diaz would land 44 significant strikes in the round with an accuracy of 54%, scoring on 65 out of 103 strikes. The bout made it on to many Fight of the Year lists, but Diaz-Daley is the only one on the list that was a title defense.

Rafael Cavalcante vs. Dan Henderson
March 5, 2011
Nationwide Arena
Columbus, Ohio, USA

Dan Henderson came into Strikeforce with much anticipation, but when he lost to Jake Shields in a middleweight title fight, questions began to rise again about Henderson’s age. The 40-year old wasn’t having it though, and found himself in a light heavyweight title-eliminator with Renato Sobral. The win set Henderson up for his championship clash with Rafael Cavalcante, which silenced many pundits who had concerns for Henderson’s age.

Cavalcante had success in the fight, but it was Henderson who was able to turn it into his type of tilt. Henderson used his grappling to force “Feijao” against the fence, and used his dirty boxing too, positioning to win the second stanza after a very close first round. In the third frame it was all Henderson, as “Hendo” landed the same right hand that has haunted many fighters along his MMA journey. The blow dropped the Brazilian in the first minute of the round and set Henderson up to attack from above. After securing his position, Henderson landed enough shots to convince referee Dan Miragliotta to jump in and save Cavalcante.

Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey
March 3, 2012
Columbus, Ohio
Nationwide Arena

If you were one of those people who thought women’s mixed martial arts was on its deathbed at the end of 2011, then there is no doubt that current UFC champion Ronda Rousey was the defibrillator that kept it from flat-lining. Sometimes the stakes are even higher than a championship, and many argue Rousey won much more than a fancy belt that night. In reality, the fight had historical implications, as it helped seal the future of women’s MMA on a large platform.

Miesha Tate will be known as the only person to last longer than a minute in the cage with Rousey in her Strikeforce run, and to her credit she showed a tremendous amount of will to struggle out of submission attempt after submission attempt. Rousey was pretty much glued to Tate the entire fight, and kept her thinking about the lifespan of her limbs the whole time. With 33 seconds left in the opening frame, and her arm bent at an obscene angle, Tate submitted, giving the Olympic Judo Bronze Medalist her first taste of Strikeforce championship gold.

Photo Credit: Strikeforce

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