He'd never survive past the first round.
That 11-0 record, with each win coming in the opening stanza, was cosmetic. He never faced anyone the caliber of Frank Mir. Gabriel Gonzaga buckled his knees. Never mind that he showed the mark of a champion by taking it and finding a way to win.
That one-year layoff from competition would come back to hurt him. Mir was going to dice him.
People at Zuffa will never admit it, but they were secretly hoping for Mir to defeat Shane Carwin to set up a rubber Mir-Brock Lesnar match July 3 and build hype based on legit hate.
With an explosive left hand that sent Mir tumbling and a barrage of follow ups that would turn cement into dust, Carwin changed all the questions at UFC 111. To anyone who doubted him because he lacked the big-fight experience of Mir, Carwin proved he's for real. By capturing the UFC interim heavyweight title he actually did Zuffa favor: Lesnar-Carwin lacks the spike fit for a WWE storyline, but Dana White and Co. can turn a 1,000-page novel (with no pictures) on the history of cabinet making into an exciting tale.
And the bottom line is this: Carwin provides Lesnar with the best matchup. For one, Lesnar won't be able to bully Carwin into a defenseless position, like he did Mir. Lesnar's chin has also never been truly tested. I don't care who you are. You get hit flush by a Carwin punch, you're falling. In turn, all of Lesnar's MMA fights took place prior to the diverticulitis that ravaged his body. Not only is Lesnar healthy, he's stronger.
Carwin will also be Lesnar's greatest challenge. Cry all you want about the quality of his opponents. When you win all 12 of your MMA fights, needing no longer than three minutes and 48 seconds, to vanquish 12 of the world's best athletes whose ability allowed them to excel in this sport, you've accomplished something absolutely amazing and remarkable. And this is from someone who at age 35 works full-time as an engineer and is a married father of a newborn daughter. Carwin's got the "it" factor I believed would get him past Mir and it did. And while doing so he forced the first seed of concern behind Lesnar and his smug smile.
*******
If there ever was going to be a fight in which all five rounds were scored 10-8, it was Georges St. Pierre's domination of Dan Hardy. This wasn't scored 50-40, but the judges had it 50-43, 50-44 and 50-45. Hardy earned respect by surviving an armbar and other painful submission attempts that would have forced a lesser fighter to tap, but there's nothing that nether he nor anyone can do to solve GSP. He's just that good ... From what Dana White said after the fight, the winner of Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley in May could meet Jon Fitch. The door for Jake Shields is looking wide open ... All five of the Jersey Boys won their bouts at 111, though I had Mark Bocek beating Jim Miller in a great fight that was very hard to score ... If I were matchmaker, I'd sign off on a rematch between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Both are out of the title hunt and both are still steaming over their last fight that Mir won but to whom Minotauro refused to give credit because he got over a staph infection ... It was a fun week in New York City. I hung out with great fans Friday night while reporting on Thiago Alves' next step. The UFC also sold out the Prudential Center and earned a gate of $4 million, more evidence clear to everyone except that clown and idiot, Assemblyman Bob Reilly, that MMA must be sanctioned in New York State.
Showing posts with label Brock Lesnar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brock Lesnar. Show all posts
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Cain is able: An exclamation point on rebuilt division
Even if you had Cain Velasquez defeating Minotauro Nogueira, no chance I'm believing you if you predicted first-round knockout. Nogueira was the popular pick among fans and media. And while the consensus was that Velasquez was good, and win or lose he'd remain a future champion, Saturday night in Sydney he shocked Nogueira and everyone by proving he's damn good.
Velasquez looked awesome and is no doubt championship material. For now he'll have to wait his turn. The winner of Frank Mir-Shane Carwin next month at UFC 111 will determine the No. 1 contender to Brock Lesnar's title, but if the victor is forced on a lengthy medical suspension, Dana White said Saturday night that Velasquez will step right into the top spot.
The heavyweight division was once on life support. Now with three viable top contenders - the winner of Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga becomes the fourth - this group is deep and getting stronger. Where in Strikeforce depth is a major problem, the UFC is building a foundation that will keep life pumping into the organization for years. In other words, Zuffa is winning the battle against complacency - at least in 2010
“Five years ago, there is no comparison to the way it is now,” White said during the UFC 110 post-fight press conference. “We had nobody like Cain. Nobody. All we had then was Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski and that was it. The division was terrible. It sucked and [Sylvia] and Andrei kept knocking each other out. Now, you go down the list and you see guy after guy and you go, ‘He’s the real deal. He’s the real deal. He’s the real deal.’ We’re full of them right now. I can’t wait to see some of these fights. It’s going to be sick.”
Nogueira, 33, is finished as a top contender, but still remains a tough out. You can't forget how impressive he was against Randy Couture, who is suddenly a threat at 205. In Velasquez Minotauro ran into a buzzsaw who took a quantum leap. The same can be said about a division once ruled (via an interim title) by the legend from Brazil.
“The young lions are definitely coming,” said Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, who himself mustered a needed win at UFC 110 over late replacement Anthony Perosh. “The heavyweight division is better than it’s ever been.”
If I were matchmaker, assuming Mir or Carwin emerge from UFC 111 healthy, I'd pit Velasquez against the dos Santos-Gonzaga winner (the two battle on the UFC's debut show on Versus). Seeing that health and injuries can wipe out Plan A (see UFC 112 and Anderson Silva's next opponent), a good Plan B would be Roy Nelson if he gets by Stefan Struve. The bottom line is you don't want Velasquez sitting idle for nearly a year waiting for an opponent of either Lesnar, Mir or Carwin to emerge.
Speaking of Mir-Carwin, UFC 111 is the next UFC pay-per-view. It takes place in Newark, N.J., in the shadow of New York City, where Zuffa is hell-bent on placing its flag by early 2011. It's no coincidence that Mir-Carwin is the co-main event with Georges St. Pierre-Dan Hardy - the focus of Spike's second UFC Primetime special debuting March 10.
Velasquez looked awesome and is no doubt championship material. For now he'll have to wait his turn. The winner of Frank Mir-Shane Carwin next month at UFC 111 will determine the No. 1 contender to Brock Lesnar's title, but if the victor is forced on a lengthy medical suspension, Dana White said Saturday night that Velasquez will step right into the top spot.
The heavyweight division was once on life support. Now with three viable top contenders - the winner of Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga becomes the fourth - this group is deep and getting stronger. Where in Strikeforce depth is a major problem, the UFC is building a foundation that will keep life pumping into the organization for years. In other words, Zuffa is winning the battle against complacency - at least in 2010
“Five years ago, there is no comparison to the way it is now,” White said during the UFC 110 post-fight press conference. “We had nobody like Cain. Nobody. All we had then was Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski and that was it. The division was terrible. It sucked and [Sylvia] and Andrei kept knocking each other out. Now, you go down the list and you see guy after guy and you go, ‘He’s the real deal. He’s the real deal. He’s the real deal.’ We’re full of them right now. I can’t wait to see some of these fights. It’s going to be sick.”
Nogueira, 33, is finished as a top contender, but still remains a tough out. You can't forget how impressive he was against Randy Couture, who is suddenly a threat at 205. In Velasquez Minotauro ran into a buzzsaw who took a quantum leap. The same can be said about a division once ruled (via an interim title) by the legend from Brazil.
“The young lions are definitely coming,” said Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, who himself mustered a needed win at UFC 110 over late replacement Anthony Perosh. “The heavyweight division is better than it’s ever been.”
If I were matchmaker, assuming Mir or Carwin emerge from UFC 111 healthy, I'd pit Velasquez against the dos Santos-Gonzaga winner (the two battle on the UFC's debut show on Versus). Seeing that health and injuries can wipe out Plan A (see UFC 112 and Anderson Silva's next opponent), a good Plan B would be Roy Nelson if he gets by Stefan Struve. The bottom line is you don't want Velasquez sitting idle for nearly a year waiting for an opponent of either Lesnar, Mir or Carwin to emerge.
Speaking of Mir-Carwin, UFC 111 is the next UFC pay-per-view. It takes place in Newark, N.J., in the shadow of New York City, where Zuffa is hell-bent on placing its flag by early 2011. It's no coincidence that Mir-Carwin is the co-main event with Georges St. Pierre-Dan Hardy - the focus of Spike's second UFC Primetime special debuting March 10.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Greenland
The week that was, was colored green, as in Jets green and white. Reminiscent of the Giants' march to the Super Bowl two years ago, the Jets have taken New York City by storm and are providing the perfect distraction to the impatient Spring Training countdown. Left for dead at 4-6, and by their coach following a hideous loss to the Falcons, Gang Green has filled the post-Yankees void in this city. The Knicks have played better, but the jury's still out on them even in a week Eastern Conference. The Rangers? One night they score eight goals and are shut out their next two games, the last Saturday's 6-0 whitewash in Montreal - which incidentally was their second 6-0 loss in three weeks.
On Tuesday I wrote why I truly believe the Jets are headed to Super Bowl 44. Their run is different from the Giants' in 2007 in the sense that more people are giving them a legitimate chance on the road against an NFL power. Yet this is similar in that it was unexpected. Enjoy this, Jets fans. As a loyal Giant fan I loved my journey two years ago. And it's cool if you're a Giants fan to pull for Gang Green. Last I checked they share the same venue, do not play the Giants six times a year and don't compete in the NFC East.
Brock Lesnar's recovery and return to MMA training, combined with New York Gov. David Patterson introducing a bill to legalize the sport, created an opportunity for me to publicize Lesnar and MMA through my YESNetwork.com blog. Lesnar reminds me of what Jens Pulver did for the UFC's little guys. In this case, Lesnar's brute skill and marketability is helping MMA earn more mainstream cred. The priority was seeing the man get 100 percent healthy. After that it was great to learn that he'll be defending his heavyweight title as early as Memorial Day weekend. His opponent will be the winner of Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin - by the way taking place in late March in Newark, N.J.
Lesnar's return also set the course of other heavyweight contenders. Prior to the announcement, FightMagazine.com published my breakdown of the UFC's top contenders in 2010. It's truly going to be a fun year. What will make it better is Strikeforce eventually stepping up it's marketing campaign to remind fans that there's life in MMA outside of Zuffa. If not for Herschel Walker's presence on this Saturday's event in Miami and the media blitz that hit New York last week, who would know to tune into Showtime to see Walker, Bobby Lashley-Wes Sims, Cris Cyborg-Marloes Coenen and Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis or vacant welterweight title? Here's a novel concept: Work out a deal with Showtime, or maybe CBS, to do a UFC Countdown-type preview show for your April card that will feature Fedor Emelianenko-Fabricio Werdum and Dan Henderson-Jake Shields. Hardcore MMA fans will get excited and watch, but the mainstream audience remains a lot bigger and must be stroked and educated.
Following watching my son play at my local Gymboree, it'll be off to my local Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Jets. In between, Johnny Damon and the Yankees will continue their waiting game of you can come back, but on our terms. Brian Cashman loves to fly stealth, so expected the unexpected, but he's not stretching the team's outfielder budget, nor trading Joba Chamberlain, for Carl Crawford. That's for 2011 ....
On Tuesday I wrote why I truly believe the Jets are headed to Super Bowl 44. Their run is different from the Giants' in 2007 in the sense that more people are giving them a legitimate chance on the road against an NFL power. Yet this is similar in that it was unexpected. Enjoy this, Jets fans. As a loyal Giant fan I loved my journey two years ago. And it's cool if you're a Giants fan to pull for Gang Green. Last I checked they share the same venue, do not play the Giants six times a year and don't compete in the NFC East.
Brock Lesnar's recovery and return to MMA training, combined with New York Gov. David Patterson introducing a bill to legalize the sport, created an opportunity for me to publicize Lesnar and MMA through my YESNetwork.com blog. Lesnar reminds me of what Jens Pulver did for the UFC's little guys. In this case, Lesnar's brute skill and marketability is helping MMA earn more mainstream cred. The priority was seeing the man get 100 percent healthy. After that it was great to learn that he'll be defending his heavyweight title as early as Memorial Day weekend. His opponent will be the winner of Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin - by the way taking place in late March in Newark, N.J.
Lesnar's return also set the course of other heavyweight contenders. Prior to the announcement, FightMagazine.com published my breakdown of the UFC's top contenders in 2010. It's truly going to be a fun year. What will make it better is Strikeforce eventually stepping up it's marketing campaign to remind fans that there's life in MMA outside of Zuffa. If not for Herschel Walker's presence on this Saturday's event in Miami and the media blitz that hit New York last week, who would know to tune into Showtime to see Walker, Bobby Lashley-Wes Sims, Cris Cyborg-Marloes Coenen and Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis or vacant welterweight title? Here's a novel concept: Work out a deal with Showtime, or maybe CBS, to do a UFC Countdown-type preview show for your April card that will feature Fedor Emelianenko-Fabricio Werdum and Dan Henderson-Jake Shields. Hardcore MMA fans will get excited and watch, but the mainstream audience remains a lot bigger and must be stroked and educated.
Following watching my son play at my local Gymboree, it'll be off to my local Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Jets. In between, Johnny Damon and the Yankees will continue their waiting game of you can come back, but on our terms. Brian Cashman loves to fly stealth, so expected the unexpected, but he's not stretching the team's outfielder budget, nor trading Joba Chamberlain, for Carl Crawford. That's for 2011 ....
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