Another week nearly in the books and it's actually been (kind of) light in the MMA world. There's actually a break between shows that started after Monday's UFC Fight Night and will end January 30 with Strikeforce Miami. Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis for the vacant welterweight title, and Cris Cyborg vs. Marloes Coenen in Cyborg's first defense of the women's crown headline a show that also features the Strikeforce debut of Bobby Lashley and the MMA premiere of Herschel Walker. Appearing on the preliminary card is fellow Long Islander Jay Hieron (Freeport) against veteran Joe Riggs.
Sad news hit the MMA world late yesterday with the passing of Bob Shamrock, the adopted father of MMA legends Frank and Ken Shamrock, at the age of 68 due following a long-term battle with various health complications due to diabetes. Bob's impact on the brothers was amazing. He kept the boys out of trouble by turning them to sports and resort to fist fight - provided he supervised it - to settle their differences. Frank & Ken grew up to be fighting champions, and are forever legendary and among the best we'll ever see.
I penned a piece for FightMagazine.com that went up today, which looks ahead at the top contenders in each of the UFC's weight classes in 2010. Lots changed since I filed the original draft earlier in the week. Frankie Edgar is next for B.J. Penn, while Nate Marquardt will secure his middleweight title shot against the winner of champion Anderson Silva vs. Victor Belfort - if Nate the Great gets past Chael Sonnen at UFC 109 in a few weeks.
That night I'm looking forward to also watching two of my favorite fighters and people in the game, Matt Serra and Frank Trigg, oppose one another. Then there's the main even featuring two active legends, Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. The Natural struggled in defeating Brandon Vera, but put together a classic with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira back in August. When two old, great warriors collide, you usually see something special, and that's what I'm expecting from Couture and Coleman. Heck if Couture wins he may get one last shot becoming a two-time UFC light-heavyweight champion.
Get psyched, Jersey. The UFC's return to the Garden State (UFC 111 in Newark on March 27) is loaded. The top three bouts are Georges St. Pierre-Dan Hardy, Shane Carwin-Frank Mir and Thiago Alves-Jon Fitch. It's also loaded with Jersey boys Ricardo Almeida, Jim Miller and Kurt Pellegrino. I spoke with one of Almeida's coaches this week. He told me Big Dog, 3-1 since returning to the UFC (and that defeat was to Patrick Cote via split decision), is "feeling great" and in awesome shape having worked his way back from a knee injury that prevented him from competing at UFC 106. MMA becoming legalized in New York State is looking inevitable with Gov. David Patterson publicly endorsing the sport. This card is a hell of a way to seal the deal, or if it's done by then allow lawmakers with open minds to tell themselves, "I made the right decision."
Joe Lauzon, off a crushing loss to Sam Stout earlier this month, said in a release that he hopes his next fight will be in his backyard when the UFC makes its Boston debut this August. Lauzon had Stout in trouble early, but failed to finish him and was pummeled by the Canadien in dropping a unanimous decision, but that was his first fight in 10 months after having knee surgery to repair his ACL. Lauzon gutting out the best performance of Stout's career to date earned them Fight of the Night honors.
“I’m obviously disappointed in the result,” Lauzon said. “It was an entertaining fight, but that’s not what I want to be known for. I focused on the health of my knee and it held up. I didn’t concentrate on my overall condition and I was a little rusty. I trained like a maniac six days of the week, twice a day, and then I couldn’t do too much for six months.”
Thanks to everyone for reading and following me on Twitter. I'm still penning my takes on the Yankees and Rangers, and have a story on the boxing/MMA relationship out in this month's edition of TapouT magazine (Issue 34). Though we're still months away, I'm gearing up for working UFC 111 on site at the Prudential Center. Expect a lot more stuff happening until then.
Showing posts with label B.J. Penn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B.J. Penn. Show all posts
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Call answered: Edgar gets his shot at Penn
It's not 100 percent official yet, but when Dana White says something's going to happen, prepare for it. As first reported by ESPN.com's Franklin McNeil, Frankie Edgar has been named the No. 1 contender to B.J. Penn's lightweight championship. Penn recently stated on his Web site that he expected to fight at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, whereas it was Edgar's hope that his next bout would be before his hometown fans in Newark at UFC 111 in March.
That's probably not going to happen, UFC 111 already has two title bouts, and I for one am sure Edgar will be more than happy to accept the deal whether it's in Abu Dhabi or the Sahara Desert. Besides enjoying a three-fight winning streak, his latest a second-round submission of Matt Veach at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in December which earned "Fight of the Night" honors, Gray Maynard, presumed to be the next in line for Penn by virtue of him owning a victory over Edgar, looked lackluster in defeating Nate Diaz Monday night, leading to White claiming he wasn't "100 percent ready" for the Prodigy.
Maynard is a good fighter who trains under an outstanding camp led by Randy Couture, so his time will come. Right now there's no doubt it's Edgar's time. He's 11-1 (6-1 in the UFC) with a resume that includes wins over Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Spencer Fisher and Tyson Griffin. During an exclusive interview that was published in the last edition of MMA Worldwide magazine, Edgar told me he's never been one to seek publicity and proudly billed himself as “the same dude from Toms River, N.J.,” who hangs with the people he befriended in high school. He’s always quick to counter that through hard work and faith your just rewards will be realized.
“If you win and perform well, all that stuff and recognition is going to catch up to you,” Edgar said. “People are going to notice.” Then when asked for a reaction to White’s praise that came after the Sherk win, he looked at it as a happy boss telling him job well done – until he slipped: “And it was good to finally get some recognition.”
Edgar's in the limelight now, but will be facing heavy odds. During yesterday's "Sirius Fight Club," host Randy Gordon and his crew agreed that Penn is on another level and will walk through Edgar. That will be the popular line of thinking. Penn destroyed Diego Sanchez, who I honestly believed stood the best chance of dethroning him, and nobody in the lightweight division can touch him now, if not ever. I'm interested to hear from Edgar how he plans on dealing with the Rocky-like odds that will be stacked against him.
That's probably not going to happen, UFC 111 already has two title bouts, and I for one am sure Edgar will be more than happy to accept the deal whether it's in Abu Dhabi or the Sahara Desert. Besides enjoying a three-fight winning streak, his latest a second-round submission of Matt Veach at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in December which earned "Fight of the Night" honors, Gray Maynard, presumed to be the next in line for Penn by virtue of him owning a victory over Edgar, looked lackluster in defeating Nate Diaz Monday night, leading to White claiming he wasn't "100 percent ready" for the Prodigy.
Maynard is a good fighter who trains under an outstanding camp led by Randy Couture, so his time will come. Right now there's no doubt it's Edgar's time. He's 11-1 (6-1 in the UFC) with a resume that includes wins over Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Spencer Fisher and Tyson Griffin. During an exclusive interview that was published in the last edition of MMA Worldwide magazine, Edgar told me he's never been one to seek publicity and proudly billed himself as “the same dude from Toms River, N.J.,” who hangs with the people he befriended in high school. He’s always quick to counter that through hard work and faith your just rewards will be realized.
“If you win and perform well, all that stuff and recognition is going to catch up to you,” Edgar said. “People are going to notice.” Then when asked for a reaction to White’s praise that came after the Sherk win, he looked at it as a happy boss telling him job well done – until he slipped: “And it was good to finally get some recognition.”
Edgar's in the limelight now, but will be facing heavy odds. During yesterday's "Sirius Fight Club," host Randy Gordon and his crew agreed that Penn is on another level and will walk through Edgar. That will be the popular line of thinking. Penn destroyed Diego Sanchez, who I honestly believed stood the best chance of dethroning him, and nobody in the lightweight division can touch him now, if not ever. I'm interested to hear from Edgar how he plans on dealing with the Rocky-like odds that will be stacked against him.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Grispi: 'I can't be stupid like I usually am.'
Remember Josh Grispi? The featherweight out of Plympton, Mass., used a guillotine choke to shock MMA legend Jens Pulver in 33 seconds at WEC 41 on June 7. Until recently, it was thought that the loss sent Pulver into retirement.
We haven't seen Grispi since. Two days before meeting Pulver he was hitting mitts and went for a high kick when he fell backwards and turned his right ankle to where it was severely swollen on fight night, but you had no idea seeing how he wiped out a pioneer of the sport and someone he's considered a role model since adolescence. Pulver was one of the first fighters Grispi saw and became his favorite after watching his lightweight title win over B.J. Penn at UFC 35, when he was blown away by Little Evil's "ridiculous" hand speed.
I spoke with Grispi Tuesday afternoon for a feature on Pulver I'm penning for TapouT Magazine and he provided an update since he underwent surgery in September. The cast was removed the middle of this month and he's followed an intense rehabilitation program at the Rockland, Mass.-based South Shore Sportfighting that includes aqua therapy.
Grispi (13-1, 3-0 WEC) said he's healing "quicker than I thought," but there remains no timetable for a return to the cage and he's not yet been cleared by his doctor to resume training. Before his WEC debut, Grispi's first 10 fights took place over a span of 15 months, and just when his career was set to take off, the surgery could keep him inactive for up to a year.
"I wanna get back soon," Grispi said. "I've never gone this long without training. It's crazy, but the doctor cautioned it's not fully healed. I can't be stupid like I usually am. I'm so young and can go so far. I don't want a permanent injury."
Grispi turned 21 in October, so there's absolutely no rush to return. Each of his three WEC wins have come in the first round, his last two in under a minute, so expect "The Fluke" to resume his rapid ascension up the ranks of WEC's deepest division.
We haven't seen Grispi since. Two days before meeting Pulver he was hitting mitts and went for a high kick when he fell backwards and turned his right ankle to where it was severely swollen on fight night, but you had no idea seeing how he wiped out a pioneer of the sport and someone he's considered a role model since adolescence. Pulver was one of the first fighters Grispi saw and became his favorite after watching his lightweight title win over B.J. Penn at UFC 35, when he was blown away by Little Evil's "ridiculous" hand speed.
I spoke with Grispi Tuesday afternoon for a feature on Pulver I'm penning for TapouT Magazine and he provided an update since he underwent surgery in September. The cast was removed the middle of this month and he's followed an intense rehabilitation program at the Rockland, Mass.-based South Shore Sportfighting that includes aqua therapy.
Grispi (13-1, 3-0 WEC) said he's healing "quicker than I thought," but there remains no timetable for a return to the cage and he's not yet been cleared by his doctor to resume training. Before his WEC debut, Grispi's first 10 fights took place over a span of 15 months, and just when his career was set to take off, the surgery could keep him inactive for up to a year.
"I wanna get back soon," Grispi said. "I've never gone this long without training. It's crazy, but the doctor cautioned it's not fully healed. I can't be stupid like I usually am. I'm so young and can go so far. I don't want a permanent injury."
Grispi turned 21 in October, so there's absolutely no rush to return. Each of his three WEC wins have come in the first round, his last two in under a minute, so expect "The Fluke" to resume his rapid ascension up the ranks of WEC's deepest division.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Master
I'm back from watching UFC 107 from my local Hooters. I was originally at Buffalo Wild Wings until finding out an hour before the telecast that they no longer carried UFC pay-per-views. Luckily I got to Hooters in time to sit at the bar. The place was jam-packed and electric, a great time for a Saturday night during the holiday season.
Okay, I went with the upset picked Diego Sanchez to defeat B.J. Penn. Oh well. What's undisputable is that Penn is going down as one of the greatest MMA fighters in the sport's history. The Prodigy had an answer for anything Nightmare attempted is now 7-2 in nine championship fights and a champion in two weight classes. Incredible.
When he dropped Sanchez with a right within the first 30 seconds he set the tone for the rest of the bout. I thought it was over, but Sanchez's heart kept him it. His tools, however, were no match for Penn's systematic destruction that ended with a high kick in Round 5 that opened an ugly cut on Sanchez's forehead.
For Sanchez, expect a mandatory medical suspension that will keep him out of action until around the beginning of summer. For Penn, he's cleaned out the lightweight division and left you wondering who on earth can stop him? Someone will be deemed No. 1 contender and my guess is Gray Maynard if he defeats Nick Diaz next month at UFC Fight Night 20. If I were matchmaker I'd also pair Frankie Edgar against Kenny Florian, who looked awesome in choking out Clay Guida and the winners in a title bout.
I'll have more about Frank Mir's demolition of Cheik Kongo and Alan Belcher's first-round TKO later. It's off to bed and early to rise for a leisure trip to New York City to enjoy the holidays sights.
Okay, I went with the upset picked Diego Sanchez to defeat B.J. Penn. Oh well. What's undisputable is that Penn is going down as one of the greatest MMA fighters in the sport's history. The Prodigy had an answer for anything Nightmare attempted is now 7-2 in nine championship fights and a champion in two weight classes. Incredible.
When he dropped Sanchez with a right within the first 30 seconds he set the tone for the rest of the bout. I thought it was over, but Sanchez's heart kept him it. His tools, however, were no match for Penn's systematic destruction that ended with a high kick in Round 5 that opened an ugly cut on Sanchez's forehead.
For Sanchez, expect a mandatory medical suspension that will keep him out of action until around the beginning of summer. For Penn, he's cleaned out the lightweight division and left you wondering who on earth can stop him? Someone will be deemed No. 1 contender and my guess is Gray Maynard if he defeats Nick Diaz next month at UFC Fight Night 20. If I were matchmaker I'd also pair Frankie Edgar against Kenny Florian, who looked awesome in choking out Clay Guida and the winners in a title bout.
I'll have more about Frank Mir's demolition of Cheik Kongo and Alan Belcher's first-round TKO later. It's off to bed and early to rise for a leisure trip to New York City to enjoy the holidays sights.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Going against wisdom and with the gut
"The psychological aspects of mixed martial arts are so huge, if you’re not right in the mind you’re not going to be right in the cage, and the worst thing a fighter can let enter his mind is doubt. There is a power within all of us, a spiritual power. There is something special in all of us and you can tap into that at any given time." – Diego Sanchez.
Luke Thomas at BloodyElbow.com offers more about a fascinating personality and a hell of a fighter. The funny thing is there are very few actually giving Diego Sanchez a chance against B.J. Penn. Sanchez has never gone five rounds. Penn is one of the all-time greats and owns the edge in striking, jiu-jitsu, takedown defense, etc. It’s also not the overmatched, undersized B.J. Penn we saw against Georges St. Pierre, rather the technician who lulled Kenny Florian into a false sense of security, thinking his gas tank was approaching ‘E’ in the championship rounds before catching him with a right cross and locking in that patented rear-naked choke.
Memo to the doubters: Diego Sanchez thrives when people are against him. His essence is a catalytic converter, taking toxic words and thoughts and filtering them into positive and kinetic energy that pumps his belief system. Many have Penn finishing Sanchez by Rounds 4 or 5, and those who give Sanchez any trace of a chance believe he must finish the Prodigy off early in their main event at UFC 107.
Whether that happens or goes the distance, win or lose, Thomas notes that “Nightmare” will exhaust every mental resource. Few fighters, Penn included, have neither emptied their inner-most reserves nor have they faced such an opponent who’s an unquestioned believer in the Peak Mind State. In his many wars of attrition, Penn has ran on fumes and found ways to win solely on talent alone. There’s always been a time, even against Florian, where Penn steps back and resets.
That’ll be the only opening Sanchez needs. Conventional analysis dictates Sanchez bull-rushing Penn like he’s done to all his opponents. Against Guida Sanchez went balls out before having to defend against the Carpenter’s prolific wrestling attack. In that bout he proved his striking improved greatly and with every fight – many in which he was the underdog – Sanchez has proven people wrong while learning something new about himself.
Like the Florian fight, Penn comes off an awesome training camp run by Marv Marinovich, one of the world’s best strength and conditioning coaches who also infamously and allegedly pushed his son Todd too hard. It looked inevitable that Penn would show signs of overtraining during the Florian fight. That didn’t happen, but what you’ll see at UFC 107 is a classic example of the power of belief, not to mention the sage teachings of a fourth-degree black belt and Royler Gracie disciple named Saulo Ribeiro.
I’m in the minority, and if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But jeez, this isn’t picking Matt Serra over St. Pierre. Uh, wait minute, what happened in their first fight? Feel the power ... of the underdog! Sanchez split decision.
Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo
Kongo is playing the role of the silent but dangerous face to Mir’s loudmouth, trash-talking heel. Funny, the last fight it was the other way around with Mir’s volume turned down just a little bit. Mir hates Brock Lesner and he’s channeled it into his training, building the strength and muscle mass that will be enough to overtake a fierce striker but one who’s yet to prove he can get it down on the ground, which is Mir’s domain. Mir’s not overlooking Kongo either. He’s been through hell and back, which humbles the best of them. Mir submission Round 1.
Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida
If there’s any night for Guida to finally break though, it’s this one. The Carpenter worked under Greg Jackson and it may have helped him to unlock some technical skills to complement his wrestling. When Ken-Flo the technician begins to chip away at Guida’s defense, Guida will be getting by on heart. Like Sanchez, Florian is an opponent with a heart to match and a skill set just a bit better. Florian unanimous decision.
Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
A grind-it-out battle if there ever wants one. Pierce wants to show he’s more than the one who hugged his way to a win over Brock Larson. Fitch wants to remain relevant in the welterweight division and the one nobody wants to fight. Fitch unanimous decision.
Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia
Not only is Belcher too skilled – see how Nate Marquardt handled Gouveia - he’s angry. Already seething over a close loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama, Belcher feels dissed over being on the preliminary card. That 5-4 UFC record may have a bit to do with it, but The Talent is better than that and needs a win to justify his case, if not simply to remain in the UFC. Belcher KO Round 2.
Luke Thomas at BloodyElbow.com offers more about a fascinating personality and a hell of a fighter. The funny thing is there are very few actually giving Diego Sanchez a chance against B.J. Penn. Sanchez has never gone five rounds. Penn is one of the all-time greats and owns the edge in striking, jiu-jitsu, takedown defense, etc. It’s also not the overmatched, undersized B.J. Penn we saw against Georges St. Pierre, rather the technician who lulled Kenny Florian into a false sense of security, thinking his gas tank was approaching ‘E’ in the championship rounds before catching him with a right cross and locking in that patented rear-naked choke.
Memo to the doubters: Diego Sanchez thrives when people are against him. His essence is a catalytic converter, taking toxic words and thoughts and filtering them into positive and kinetic energy that pumps his belief system. Many have Penn finishing Sanchez by Rounds 4 or 5, and those who give Sanchez any trace of a chance believe he must finish the Prodigy off early in their main event at UFC 107.
Whether that happens or goes the distance, win or lose, Thomas notes that “Nightmare” will exhaust every mental resource. Few fighters, Penn included, have neither emptied their inner-most reserves nor have they faced such an opponent who’s an unquestioned believer in the Peak Mind State. In his many wars of attrition, Penn has ran on fumes and found ways to win solely on talent alone. There’s always been a time, even against Florian, where Penn steps back and resets.
That’ll be the only opening Sanchez needs. Conventional analysis dictates Sanchez bull-rushing Penn like he’s done to all his opponents. Against Guida Sanchez went balls out before having to defend against the Carpenter’s prolific wrestling attack. In that bout he proved his striking improved greatly and with every fight – many in which he was the underdog – Sanchez has proven people wrong while learning something new about himself.
Like the Florian fight, Penn comes off an awesome training camp run by Marv Marinovich, one of the world’s best strength and conditioning coaches who also infamously and allegedly pushed his son Todd too hard. It looked inevitable that Penn would show signs of overtraining during the Florian fight. That didn’t happen, but what you’ll see at UFC 107 is a classic example of the power of belief, not to mention the sage teachings of a fourth-degree black belt and Royler Gracie disciple named Saulo Ribeiro.
I’m in the minority, and if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But jeez, this isn’t picking Matt Serra over St. Pierre. Uh, wait minute, what happened in their first fight? Feel the power ... of the underdog! Sanchez split decision.
Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo
Kongo is playing the role of the silent but dangerous face to Mir’s loudmouth, trash-talking heel. Funny, the last fight it was the other way around with Mir’s volume turned down just a little bit. Mir hates Brock Lesner and he’s channeled it into his training, building the strength and muscle mass that will be enough to overtake a fierce striker but one who’s yet to prove he can get it down on the ground, which is Mir’s domain. Mir’s not overlooking Kongo either. He’s been through hell and back, which humbles the best of them. Mir submission Round 1.
Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida
If there’s any night for Guida to finally break though, it’s this one. The Carpenter worked under Greg Jackson and it may have helped him to unlock some technical skills to complement his wrestling. When Ken-Flo the technician begins to chip away at Guida’s defense, Guida will be getting by on heart. Like Sanchez, Florian is an opponent with a heart to match and a skill set just a bit better. Florian unanimous decision.
Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
A grind-it-out battle if there ever wants one. Pierce wants to show he’s more than the one who hugged his way to a win over Brock Larson. Fitch wants to remain relevant in the welterweight division and the one nobody wants to fight. Fitch unanimous decision.
Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia
Not only is Belcher too skilled – see how Nate Marquardt handled Gouveia - he’s angry. Already seething over a close loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama, Belcher feels dissed over being on the preliminary card. That 5-4 UFC record may have a bit to do with it, but The Talent is better than that and needs a win to justify his case, if not simply to remain in the UFC. Belcher KO Round 2.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The big catch
It's not Roy Halladay, but the Yankees reeled in a pretty big fish named Curtis Granderson this week at the winter meetings. Once all medical records are reviewed and physicals are passed, Austin Jackson and Phil Coke head to Detroit, and Ian Kennedy to Arizona, as part of the three-team deal.
Jackson may well end up a superstar, but today he's projected as a fourth outfielder, and from where I sit, give me production over potential any day. Granderson's batting average has been in a decline the past two seasons and he flat-out cannot hit left-handers, but on top of his 30 home runs, there's no reason to believe a 28-year-old sparkplug can't rebound from a down season (just ask Nick Swisher). Kevin Long has worked wonders as Yankees hitting coach and I can promise you Granderson will be energized to play in New York and Yankee Stadium.
I interviewed him exclusively in 2008 when the Tigers were in town and learned about his lust for the Big Apple. He's made for New York and he'll be pushed and prodded to help repeat as World Champions.
Oh, Andy Pettitte has re-signed with the Yankees. Widely expected, but hugely important.
Pretty quiet in the world of MMA, save for Dan Henderson signing with Strikeforce, another good signing for Dana White's fledgling competitor that must remain committed to not taking too big a bite out of elephant. Last decade, Ted Turner and Eric Bishoff weren't content with competing with Vince McMahon's empire. They wanted him out of business and instead of evolving with the times tried too hard to make it happen instead of building a program. I hope Scott Coker doesn't make similar mistakes. The UFC needs healthy competition to help keep MMA thriving.
UFC business will pick up again Saturday night in Memphis when Diego Sanchez challenges lightweight champion B.J. Penn in the main event of UFC 107. I'm in the vast minority who believes the Nightmare will dethrone the Prodigy. Later this week I'll explain why.
Jackson may well end up a superstar, but today he's projected as a fourth outfielder, and from where I sit, give me production over potential any day. Granderson's batting average has been in a decline the past two seasons and he flat-out cannot hit left-handers, but on top of his 30 home runs, there's no reason to believe a 28-year-old sparkplug can't rebound from a down season (just ask Nick Swisher). Kevin Long has worked wonders as Yankees hitting coach and I can promise you Granderson will be energized to play in New York and Yankee Stadium.
I interviewed him exclusively in 2008 when the Tigers were in town and learned about his lust for the Big Apple. He's made for New York and he'll be pushed and prodded to help repeat as World Champions.
Oh, Andy Pettitte has re-signed with the Yankees. Widely expected, but hugely important.
Pretty quiet in the world of MMA, save for Dan Henderson signing with Strikeforce, another good signing for Dana White's fledgling competitor that must remain committed to not taking too big a bite out of elephant. Last decade, Ted Turner and Eric Bishoff weren't content with competing with Vince McMahon's empire. They wanted him out of business and instead of evolving with the times tried too hard to make it happen instead of building a program. I hope Scott Coker doesn't make similar mistakes. The UFC needs healthy competition to help keep MMA thriving.
UFC business will pick up again Saturday night in Memphis when Diego Sanchez challenges lightweight champion B.J. Penn in the main event of UFC 107. I'm in the vast minority who believes the Nightmare will dethrone the Prodigy. Later this week I'll explain why.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
No Bones about it
It's too bad Jon Jones competes in an ocean-deep light-heavyweight division. In the long run this will contribute to his development as one of the greats MMA has ever seen. Short-term Jones will be waiting awhile for his name to be on the championship committee's table. If he defeats Rashad Evans next month, Thiago Silva, in my view is in line for the next shot at the winner of May's rematch between champ Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua. If Sugar wins he'd love his shot at a second title reign. The wild card in this is the predictable return of Rampage Jackson. A chance at shutting up his hated rival - combined with big money - will probably supersede Evans facing either Machida or Rua.
Back to "Bones," who looked awesome in destroying Matt Hamill only to be handed a disqualification loss for an illegal "12-to-6" elbow that was confirmed by the wise implementation of instant replay. Hamill dislocated his shoulder early in the bout, but never in his career - not even against Rich Franklin - has "The Hammer" been decimated like he was Saturday night.
(For the record, Steve Mazzagatti, yet again in the line of fire for controversial situations, was 100 percent correct in not stopping the fight. Hamill may have been on the brink, but he was still defending himself in survival mode. In this sport it's often damned if you do, damned if you don't. You get heat for stopping a bout "too soon" when it's your job to protect a fighter's health or doing nothing and increasing risk of a serious injury.)
The DQ win combined with the injury will get Hamill a rematch, but considering what Jones displayed the results will be similar. Jones' flair for the creative and the dramatic, and his unorthodox style (think Keith Jardine with finesse), has him on track to be a future champion. He's just 22 years old and that's out-and-out scary.
****
Kimbo Slice will never be UFC Heavyweight Champion, but because he cemented his place in the UFC, he's a winner. Slice refused to buy into his hype for one second and his commitment to MMA is admirable. It'd be great if his next fight is a rematch with Seth Petruzelli ... I doubt seriously you'll see Slice-Houston Alexander on any best of 2009 compilations. Alexander looked awful and you have to wonder if the UFC's door is closed for good ... Stop hating on Roy Nelson. He's a legit heavyweight who'd put a scare into the top-tier fighters ... Brendan Schaub will be back and will be a superstar ... Marcus Jones, 36, has a lot of work to do and little time to do it ... Matt Mitrione knocked out "Darkness" with one punch, but must improve his ground game and endurance to complement his immense power ... What's next for Frankie Edgar? A rematch with Gray Maynard or the winner of Kenny Florian-Clay Guida? "The Answer" is a one more impressive win over a top contender from a title shot ... Am I in the vast minority of picking Diego Sanchez over B.J. Penn? I'll explain some time this week.
Back to "Bones," who looked awesome in destroying Matt Hamill only to be handed a disqualification loss for an illegal "12-to-6" elbow that was confirmed by the wise implementation of instant replay. Hamill dislocated his shoulder early in the bout, but never in his career - not even against Rich Franklin - has "The Hammer" been decimated like he was Saturday night.
(For the record, Steve Mazzagatti, yet again in the line of fire for controversial situations, was 100 percent correct in not stopping the fight. Hamill may have been on the brink, but he was still defending himself in survival mode. In this sport it's often damned if you do, damned if you don't. You get heat for stopping a bout "too soon" when it's your job to protect a fighter's health or doing nothing and increasing risk of a serious injury.)
The DQ win combined with the injury will get Hamill a rematch, but considering what Jones displayed the results will be similar. Jones' flair for the creative and the dramatic, and his unorthodox style (think Keith Jardine with finesse), has him on track to be a future champion. He's just 22 years old and that's out-and-out scary.
****
Kimbo Slice will never be UFC Heavyweight Champion, but because he cemented his place in the UFC, he's a winner. Slice refused to buy into his hype for one second and his commitment to MMA is admirable. It'd be great if his next fight is a rematch with Seth Petruzelli ... I doubt seriously you'll see Slice-Houston Alexander on any best of 2009 compilations. Alexander looked awful and you have to wonder if the UFC's door is closed for good ... Stop hating on Roy Nelson. He's a legit heavyweight who'd put a scare into the top-tier fighters ... Brendan Schaub will be back and will be a superstar ... Marcus Jones, 36, has a lot of work to do and little time to do it ... Matt Mitrione knocked out "Darkness" with one punch, but must improve his ground game and endurance to complement his immense power ... What's next for Frankie Edgar? A rematch with Gray Maynard or the winner of Kenny Florian-Clay Guida? "The Answer" is a one more impressive win over a top contender from a title shot ... Am I in the vast minority of picking Diego Sanchez over B.J. Penn? I'll explain some time this week.
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