The man who Fighters.com fourth-ranked heavyweight “Minotauro”Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1) called his lucky charm, Luiz Alves, passed away Friday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Read More About Nogueria’s Trainer and Good Luck Charm Dies…
Photo by Josh Hedges. Copyright Zuffa, LLC
All fighters on the UFC 110 card in Sydney Saturday made weight.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (233.2 lbs./106 kg) vs. Cain Velasquez (242 lbs./110 kg)
Read More About UFC 110: All Fighters Make Weight. It’s On!…
Photo by Josh Hedges. Copyright Zuffa, LLC
As I surf the internet bouncing from one mixed martial arts(MMA) site to the next a reoccurring theme occurs. The discussion of Pride Fighting Championships, the fighters, the rules and now a select number of fights being show on Spike TV. This brought back fond memories for me and made me think about the current state of MMA and what made Pride stand out from the crowd.
Read More About Best of Pride on Spike TV: Fond Memories Never Fade…
In an analysis posted Friday, Yahoo!Sports MMA and boxing writer Kevin Iole spouted the UFC line, “If the UFC was in the business of giving 50 percent of its company away every time it tried to sign an elite fighter, it would have been in worse shape a lot sooner than Chrysler.” The article should’ve ended with a full disclusore that Yahoo!Sports and the UFC have a business partnership because Iole’s cozy nest in the UFC tree has affected his usually uncomprimised reporting.
M-1 Global isn’t asking for 50 percent of the UFC in exchange for Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko’s (29-1) viscerally craved debut inside the Octagon.
Fighters.com isn’t sure whether that’s UFC spin strategized to pressure Emelianenko to surrender his co-promotion demand by persuading fans he’s unreasonable or a genuine misunderstanding by White about what Emelianenko is demanding.
By Steve Cha
“I like the small guys. They go at it,” UFC President Dana White stated to TUF 8 coach Frank Mir (11-3).
Lightweights Wesley Murch (3-2) and John Polakowski (2-1), who, in his words, “loves giving hugs to everyone”, didn’t disappoint White in the first fight of the night on Wednesday’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter 8.
Both fighters were able to land strikes and take each other’s backs; however, at the end of the first round, British fighter Murch injured his shin on a low kick attempt.
Ouch!
Murch braved the pain, but, early in the second round, collapsed; and, the ref was forced to stop the fight.
True to his words, Polakowski hugged Fighters.com’s top heavyweight contender and TUF 8 coach “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1), White, and Mir, forcing an admission from Nog’: “ I don’t care, you know. I like to hug too.”
The heavyweight division paces like a heavyweight slog. I’m tempted to switch to a semi-annual evaluation…but not until after this weekend.
There were a couple of shakers this month, but no movers.
In London 7 June, seventh-ranked “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-3-1) played a samba on “The Truth” Brandon Vera’s (8-2) noggin for a first round TKO.
Werdum remains the top contender to “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s (31-4-1) UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Of course, Big Nog’ is pitted versus struggling, but dangerous former UFC Champion Frank Mir (11-3) in a made-for-TUF match-up in October.
Werdum will probably draw the winner of 9 August’s eighth-ranked “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-13) versus Brock Lesnar (1-1) fight, maybe on the same October UFC card to build the follow-up versus the winners.
Also in action this rankings period, tenth-ranked “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) blew through confidence-booster Justin McCully (8-4-2) in Las Vegas 5 July to break a two-fight losing streak for the man who sentenced “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) down a spiral the Croatian has yet to ascend from.
While chatting with Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) Tuesday afternoon, he broached two myths that frustrate him and I. Let’s quash them.
Myth one: “I can beat Rich Franklin.”
Or, whoever you have a delusional cage fantasy about. I only say second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3) because I live in Greater Cincinnati and most often hear his name when I reveal I write about MMA; but, I’m sure, if you live in Vancouver, it’s Denis Kang (29-10-1) and, in Boston, it’s Florian.
You can’t beat any of them, even if you saw them get thrashed by another elite fighter.
Neither can your cousin who just got out of jail, nor your friend who just reached brown belt in BJJ.
What is it about mixed martial arts, the most grueling and graceful athletic endeavor in organized sport, that makes couch potatoes think they can put down their Cheetos, brush the orange dust from their stained fingers, and compete at an elite level?
No one watches baseball and thinks they can hit a 95 mph cut fastball 450 feet like Alex Rodriguez. No one watches gymnastics and thinks they can roll out of bed into a triple axel. (Well…no one watches gymnastics…)
UFC fighters, as well as many mixed martial artists in other promotions, are elite athletes. They’re experts in the fighting skills of many disciplines, but that’s just where it begins. Their cardio and strength training is as regimented and diligently-followed as the top athletes in any other sport, perhaps more so.
The fact is, even if you are as skilled in martial arts as a UFC fighter, there’s a genetic element that most of us just aren’t born with. Just like many of us will never run a 4.4 forty or bench press 700 pounds, no matter how dedicated we are.
It’s often a comment from someone who’s never trained or hasn’t trained since they were in high school wrestling and doesn’t realize they’re neither 18-years old, nor in any kind of athletic shape anymore.
The only thing worse than saying, “I can beat Rich Franklin,” is saying, “I still think I can beat Rich Franklin,” a week after he picks you apart like a chicken carcass in front of 22,000 at the Centre Bell. That’s not ignorant; that’s insane.
Myth two: “Kenny Florian: Not Your Average Fighter.”
Again, Florian or whoever in the sport can pack a coherent sentence with more than eight words is considered unique. Often, it makes a headline in main stream media; but, I’ve seen it creep into MMA media too.
Elite fighters are as intelligent as computer geeks. Wait,that’s “J-Lau” Joe Lauzon (16-4). Well, they’re as intelligent as people with master’s degrees. Well, that’s Rich Franklin. OK, they’re as intelligent as lawyers. Oops…that’s first-ranked heavyweight “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) and “Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (8-3). As intelligent as Ph.D.s? Yeah…that’s “The Snowman” Jeff Monson (24-7) and UFC fighter Terry Martin (16-4). None of them are unique among fighters in their intellect, they’re just a few names off the top of my head.
I think the stereotype of the meathead fighter stems from a self-consciousness that prevents some people from allowing for a guy who can both kick their ass and outwit them in a debate on ontological empiricism. It’s a way some people protect their own egos by reducing fighters to cavemen, regardless of the truth.
Now, of course there are meatheads in MMA; but, if you scan the top of the sport, most of the elite fighters are college-educated, artistically gifted, or intellectually interesting.
Intelligence is not unique among mixed martial artists, just like ignorance isn’t unique among those who’re surprised to meet a fighter who isn’t beating their chest.
Notes from around MMA
* Rich Franklin (23-3) turned down a fight versus ninth-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) that was offered while the UFC rushed to bolster their London fight card after seventh-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) was pulled from the main event with a pulled hamstring.
* Despite Franklin’s agent Monte Cox’s assertions on MMAWeekly Radio, Franklin is not considering a career move to 205-pounds, but would consider a one-off in the heavier division “if it was an interesting match-up”. But for an unlikely challenge of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and first-ranked light heavyweight “Rampage” Quinton Jackson, what meaningful fight could lure Franklin into a one-off? Maybe a rematch with “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (12-0)? That’s interesting…
* TUF 7 contestant Brandon Sene (2-0) was robbed on Wednesday night’s episode of the the UFC’s reality program. Fighters.com scored both of the first two rounds 10-9 for Sene, who was more aggressive and intent on inflicting damage to his opponent, Dante Rivera (10-2). BJJ player Rivera was able to take the fight to the mat, but managed few serious attempts to end the fight with a submission and was largely unable to avoid Sene’s striking from his back. Fighters.com did score the final, sudden-death round 10-9 for Rivera; but, the fight should’ve never made it to sudden death.
* The Tennessee House of Representatives will vote Tuesday on a bill to create a state athletic commission with the goal of attracting a UFC fight card and the $100 million in revenue that the big show’s events generate for local economies. Now, which Tennessee native son might like to belt out a howl in a main event on the Mississippi?
* According to the Winnipeg Sun, “Road Warrior” Jonathan Goulet (22-9) and his girlfriend will put the $75,000 bonus he won for “Fight of the Night” versus Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5) at UFC 83 towards a down payment on a home. Goulet hits the road to London 7 June to fight Paul Kelly (7-0).
* UFC glove maker, Century, revealed to Fighters.com contributor Jason Wawro that the legend of Brock Lesnar’s (1-1) 4X-sized glove is a myth. Despite rumors that Lesnar was the first MMA fighter to wear 4X gloves since “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1), a Century executive claimed, “I have the receipts right here and Brock Lesnar, Cheick Kongo, and Heath Herring all ordered 3X-sized gloves.”
* When asked about the CBS deal to air EliteXC MMA events, Fox Sports president Ed Goren replied that his company hasn’t struck a deal to air the sport because, “We don’t need money that badly.” This from an executive of a company popular for such high-brow entertainment as When Animals Attack! and Celebrity Boxing featuring matches between Todd Bridges and Vanilla Ice and Paula Jones and Tonya Harding.
“That’s why [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira] is the best in the world,” former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia proclaimed after suffering a guillotine submission loss to the Brazilian in the interim heavyweight title main event at UFC 81 Saturday night.
The fight pitted former world champions from the UFC and PRIDE, but was overshadowed by the MMA debut of former NCAA and pro wrestling champion Brock Lesnar.
Significance was also diminished by Randy Couture’s departure from the UFC while holding the title after defeating Sylvia in March 2007.
6′8″ Sylvia pot-shotted the Sao Paulo native from the opening ding and occasionally popped a power shot in Nogueira’s mug, even dropping him with a combo in the first session and again in the second.
The Miletich-trained “Maine-iac” fiercely dominated the opening two rounds.
Stubborn Nogueira had no quit, even as his face began to swell at the end of Sylvia’s tremendous reach.
“Minotauro” attempted takedowns; but, Sylvia’s balance is exceptional for a big man.
The train from Maine derailed in the third when Nogueira’s notorious resilience muscled the battle to the mat.
“He went for the guillotine, which we knew he was going to do,” a distraught Sylvia explained post-fight.
Nogueira became the first fighter to hold both UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles when Tim Sylvia tapped out at 1:28 of the third round.
“That’s what he does to everybody,” Sylvia echoed the sentiments of MMA faithful who’ve watched a battered Big Nog pull out seemingly impossible victories before.
Nogueira’s victory sets up a possible first defense versus French kickboxer Cheick Kongo, if Kongo can beat Heath Herring in Columbus next month. But, both Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski have claims to the top contender-ship too.
Sylvia may be headed for a history-loaded rematch with the man who broke his arm: Frank Mir.
Another former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Mir, defended MMA’s honor against powerhouse rookie Brock Lesnar by submitting him in a kneebar at 1:30 of the first round.
Mir got dumped on his ass early by the massive Minnesotan who hovered and hammered fists and elbows.
“He was so strong!” Mir explained in the locker room.
Tactic and technique determined the outcome though. “It wasn’t a textbook, perfect finish, but I ended up doing it 80% right.”
80% is all it takes versus an inexperienced opponent. As Lesnar stood to yank his arm from an armbar attempt, Mir secured a leg and rolled into a kneebar.
“Frank [Mir] and I have some unfinished business,” Tim Sylvia had taunted at a pre-fight press conference.
The high profile “W” for Mir makes that rematch marketable.
At 185-pounds, Nathan Marquardt entered the Octagon off a loss to division champ Anderson Silva to fight 79-17-5 Jeremy Horn, a late replacement opponent.
The veteran Horn absorbed punishment on the mat before nearly catching Marquardt in a gogoplata in the first round.
It was Marquardt, however, who applied a guillotine choke during a scramble and tapped Horn at 1:37 of the second round.
After a four-year hiatus from MMA, Ricardo Almeida invoked nostalgia over his earlier successes by submitting another late replacement, undefeated Alaskan Rob Yundt, in a guillotine choke at 1:08 of round one.
Almeida is a welcome addition to the scant 185-pound division.
Lightweights Tyson Griffin and Gleison Tibau tussled for three exciting rounds to open the televised card.
The shorter fighter, Griffin, popped Tibau with precise punches while Tibau seemed to take down the wrestler at will.
In the end, the judges saw it unanimously for Tyson Griffin, though Gleison Tibau lost no one’s respect.
“Lights Out” Chris Lytle treated 13-5 Kyle Bradley’s head like a speed bag in a 33-second TKO victory.
Light heavyweight Tim Boetsch reminded MMA fans of “Tank” Abbott in tossing Oklahoman David Heath to the mat and pummelling a TKO out of him at 4:52 of round one.
Terry Martin suffered another disappointing defeat, this time in a unanimous decision to “The Beastman” Marvin Eastman.
The event opened with a spirited lightweight scrap won in split decision by Robert Emerson over Japan’s Keita Nakamura.