Bleacher Report - Articles by Jason Cottier

Will Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva Do It Again?

Jason Cottier — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:42:41 -0400

For years, it was the most anticipated fight in the world. Chuck was at one time the king of the light heavyweight division. Wanderlei was the Pride equivalent to that. The only disappointment to this fight was that neither fighter had to be scraped up off the mat once it was over.

Both fighters have been on a bit of a slump lately, with Wandy losing to the likes of Mirko Cro-Cop, Dan Henderson, Liddell (by decision), and Quinton Jackson.

Liddell has fallen, literally fallen, to Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, and Shogun Rua, not to mention that he was outpointed by Keith Jardine.

There has been a lot of talk going around about Chuck having one last fight with an opponent who also is on his way out, I am guessing to let one of them leave in a blaze of glory. The only problem with that is if Chuck were to win, it would open up all of the talk about Chuck challenging for a title again.

Who really wants to see Chuck fighting for a title again? For that matter, who wants to see Wanderlei fighting for a title again? These are both two fighters who were once on top of the game, who have been reduced to gate keepers.

Maybe these two were influenced by the movie "The Wrestler," Randy the Ram, and the Ayatollah going to do it again for one last time. The glory days are long gone for Chuck Liddell, he has been figured out. No one is going to charge him blindly anymore, which was the case for so long.

If Liddell decides to stick around much longer, the only title he will be challenging for is Antonio Inoki's title of canvas back. The only thing that really separates Chuck from Wanderlei is the fact that Wanderlei is so aggressive, that he will be able to make something happen in certain scenarios. Unfortunately for Chuck, Quinton Jackson got his number and put it on the wall for everyone to see.

The 10 Least Popular MMA Practitioners

Jason Cottier — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:12:23 -0400

Every good guy has to have a bad guy. Just like a popular fighter is a draw on a Pay Per View, these bad guys are also a draw. We watch our favorites to see them win and we watch these guys to see them lose.

10. Chris Leben

Chris Leben was the original drunken fool in the TUF house. Whether it was his recent antics that people are hating or just the drunken sobbing he was doing when we first saw him he is still hated.

9. Gilbert Yvel

The first time I remember taking note of Gilbert Yvel was him damn near kicking Big Daddy's head off his shoulders with a first round knock out. I started liking the guy at first. He was a little strange with his showing off of his pierced tongue, like he was the only one to have his tongue pierced.

Then Gilbert started switching into complete idiot mode and is known now for attacking officials. The referee was not the one punching you in the face dude. Maybe he promised someone he would win the fight, and when it did not quite shape up for him that way he decided to make it into the I didn't say which fight scenario.

8. Karo Parisyan

Karo burst onto the scene looking like a promising young fighter that would one day be a champion. Then Karo began bragging about how great his judo throws were, and singing stupid songs after the fights.

His appearance in the TUF house where he demanded the respect of everyone in the house by screaming, "shut up I am going to say something." Karo is truly a jackass, and honestly he needs to realize that he did not live up to the hype, and he is a gate keeper at best.

7. Sean Sherk

Whether it is because of the juicing, or the lay and pray, Sean Sherk belongs on this list.

6. Brock Lesnar

The next big thing...the guy that is such a jackass that he thought it would be a good idea to try and ride his opponent like a bull...maybe he just watched Brokeback Mountain or something.

The moment in my mind that sticks out when thinking of how much I dislike this guy is Brock pointing his finger in Heath Herring's face and laughing like a fifth grader that just took his lunch money.

5. Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping is the fighter that did not earn the attention he got. He did fight a good fight against Rashad, but being competitive will not win the fight. I have heard that he says he thought he lost two of the three rounds against Hamill, but then I remember him saying before the Rashad fight that he has never been beaten.

I also remember his tantrum that he was starting to throw when the crowd started booing him after the heist took place against Matt Hamill.

4. Chuck Liddell

I was the biggest Chuck Liddell fan...all the way up to the Tito Ortiz fight. On the UFC special to draw interest for the fight Tito told about how Chuck was his good friend, and stayed at his house. Chuck should have gotten his own room, because the fact that he stayed on the couch, ate Tito's food, and was treated like a member of his family did not mean that they were friends in Chuck's mind. Then with his book bragging about how big of a stud he was; like a high schooler that had to brag himself up to his buddies. His cockiness, and push by Dana to be the face of MMA is just too much.

3. Ken Shamrock

Ken is a highly intelligent completely evolved fighter. No not really...the first time I heard this guy talk I was like, "what an idiot." I remember renting the first UFC video over and over again just to watch him get tapped out by Royce Gracie.

The only reason Ken was ever a force is that he was one of the first well rounded fighters. Any of the fighters now would have destroyed him back then. I don't think that Ken is really too old to be fighting. He is still in great shape, but he never really was that good to begin with going by today's standard.

2. Tim Sylvia

Tim is a big goon. He just comes across as one of those guys that would beat up on everyone smaller than him in school. He has become a joke lately, and it is sad that the UFC has to be disgraced with him being the heavyweight champion at one point.

1. Matt Hughes

I was very happy to see Matt Hughes on so many people's hated list. I have always thought Matt was a jerk, and I am glad to see that everyone else sees that too. Whether he is making racial comments to other fighters, or showing off his autograph on white supremacist clothing Matt Hughes is always finding a way to piss everyone off.

10 Most Popular MMA Practitioners

Jason Cottier — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:14:35 -0400

I have heard several different fighters claim to be one of the most popular fighters in the sport. I did a little research, and asked some other writers for their opinions.

I asked each writer to list their five favorite and five least favorite. The favorites received a +1, and the least favorite received a -1. After I received the responses I tallied the votes, and came up with a top ten list based on points earned.

10. Joe Lauzon

I am not sure why Joe Lauzon is so popular, and apparently neither do the writers voting for him. I heard I don't know why, but I love Joe Lauzon a few times. Whatever the reason may be, Joe Lauzon is loved by the MMA community.

9. Lyoto Machida

I figure this should cause a little controversy, because he appeared on several lists, but some of those were on the most hated side. Lyoto is criticized for his boring elusive style, but more people see past that than not.

8. Urijah Faber

I think one of the reasons "the California kid" is so far down on this list is because he is a WEC fighter. If Urijah were a UFC fighter I think he would have made it a bit further up on the list.

7. Forrest Griffin

I think after Forrest's recent loss of the UFC title he dropped out of several people's minds. I really thought he would have come in higher.

6. Dan Henderson

With Dan's recent appearance as a coach on TUF, he really has gotten a lot more attention from the fans. I am glad that he had enough support to make the list.

5. Rich Franklin

If you look like Jim Carey odds are you will appear on a most popular list. Plus Rich is an overall nice guy.

4. Georges St. Pierre

The working class hero Georges St. Pierre. Georges shows everyone that just because you grow up with nothing other than a father that is a black belt you can make something of yourself.

That was a joke, and I am sure if Georges read it he would laugh too. He is a really kind hearted person, and even with a recent controversy he is still pulling in the popular vote.

3. Quinton Jackson

If you are as funny as a stand up comedian, and like to drop guys on their head during your matches then you will be popular. Even though he does look like Junior from the sitcom starring Damon Wayans, My Wife and Kids.

2. Anderson Silva

One of the most dominant fighters the UFC has ever seen. Anderson Silva can be enjoyed from the casual fan to serious fans of the sport. His name is synonymous with well rounded fighter.

1. Fedor Emilianenko

Surprised?

This was a really fun topic to research. I plan to do it again once new fighters start to emerge and make themselves more well known.

Riggs-Baroni: The Battle Of The Human Punching Bags

Jason Cottier — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:43:49 -0400

Joe Riggs and Phil Baroni are set to face each other in June. I do not know the exact date, because I really don't care.

I would actually love to see either of them get their asses handed to them, but I do not think that their opponent in this case is capable of doing so.

They were both hyped to be some great force to be reckoned with, but they are just jokes. Maybe they can set their next fights against Kimbo Slice to finally see who is the bigger disgrace to MMA.

This fight was reported on Yahoo.com as if it were some sort of super fight. I really hope this isn't the draw that they are making it out to be.

A little tip for Strikeforce, if EliteXC couldn't survive feeding garbage to fans in the form of a main event, then maybe you should start lining up at the unemployment office now.

Diego Corrales: I Missed My Chance

Jason Cottier — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:35:32 -0400

I chose the picture of how I remember Diego Corrales: after his unimaginable victory in the first of two matches against Jose Luis Castillo.

After being knocked down twice in the 10th round, he pummeled Castillo on the ropes to pick up an amazing victory.

Corrales fought back to negate what would have been a 10-6 round after he was penalized for removing his mouth piece.

I have friends, many of whom are not even boxing fans, say they admired Corrales after watching that infamous 10th round on YouTube.

I had a chance to see Corrales' last match against Joshua Clottey. The venue was a mere 100 miles from my home in an area where there is nothing of much interest as far as sports go.

For some reason, I eventually decided to not make the 100-mile trek to see one of my favorite fighters do battle.

Corrales lost the fight to Clottey via unanimous decision. I used the loss to make myself feel better about not seeing Corrales compete.

That lasted for one month.

After his fatal motorcycle accident, I realized that I had an opportunity to see Corrales compete in the last battle he would ever have in the ring

Instead of being a true fan to Corrales, I became a fair-weather fan. I had the money all set to go and cheer on my favorite fighter.

Even if it was a losing effort, I still could have been there.

A tribute to Diego Corrales by Stoker Dafire:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/146815-diego-chico-corrales-august-25-1977-may-7-2007

UFC Fight Night: Condit Vs. Kampmann Predictions

Jason Cottier — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:36:44 -0400

First off I will start by letting everyone know that the picture I have selected is the most relevant picture I could find to this event. There will be ring girls there with UFC plastered on their butts.

Now I am going to get on with the predictions of fighters that apparently you cannot get pictures of, unless they are at the adult movie awards.

I am only going to go over the main card, and one undercard fight that should be on the main card.

Gleison Tibau vs. Jeremy Stephens

Gleison is a very talented mid-level fighter. He has the ability to be at the top of the game someday, but so does Stephens. Stephens last losses were to Spencer Fischer and Joe Lauzon.

I think Stephens may be a little too young and inexperienced still to overcome the ground game of Tibau.

Tibau, by submission.

Junie Browning vs. Cole Miller

Cole Miller's most recent loss came to a fighter in Jeremy Stephens that I personally feel has a style similar to Junie Browning's. Both fighters are young and aggressive. I think Junie has the natural talent to be something some day.

Junie's antics on TUF got a lot of people hating him and hoping to see him get destroyed. I personally hope he can conquer his demons and become the fighter that he can be.

Browning, by decision.

Tyson Griffin vs. Rafael Dos Anjos

Tyson Griffin is one of the most under rated fighters in the game today. The man KO's Urijah Faber. He just doesn't get the respect he deserves sometimes, and I am one that is guilty of shunning him on the respect issue.

He is a great wrestler with good power in his punches, and that will be enough to stop Raffi.

Griffin, by TKO/KO.

Ryan Bader vs. Carmelo Marrero

Carmelo is cutting a lot of weight to make this fight happen. He is listed on Sherdog.com as being a heavyweight. Marrero's only losses are to Gabriel Gonzaga and Wilson Goveia.

I think Bader may have a bit of a problem with not having a huge strength advantage in this match up. I am going to give the nod to Marrero on this one.

Marrero, by submission.

Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann

I have personally been waiting to see Carlos step up in competition for a while now. I am a firm believer in the 155 and up in the WEC being a minor league for the UFC. If a fighter is that good and you own both companies why not put them up in the one that will make more money for you?

Carlos is on an amazing win streak that even involves avenging an earlier loss on his record. I think it was about time to see Carlos brought up to fight in the UFC. Unfortunately I think that Kampmann might just be too good for that to happen the way it should.

Kampmann has shown that he has the talent to make a name for himself and the KO loss to Marquardt may have slowed that down a bit. I think Kampmann can out strike Condit...hopefully I am wrong on this.

Kampmann, by TKO/KO.

Ten Heavyweights That Could Beat Brock Lesnar

Jason Cottier — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:29:52 -0400

I hate controversy in the octagon, or ring, depending on which organization the fight is taking place. On the other hand, I love controversy in writing. A good heated debate is great as far as an article goes...There are so many fans on the Brock Lesnar bandwagon, so I am going head up against them.

So I am going to name 10 fighters, in no particular order, that could beat Lesnar, and I will give reasons why...If you don't agree with any of them, then let me know and we can discuss this further.

10. Junior Dos Santos

Junior has the ability to tee off on Brock's over-sized head. Brock has shown that he has to get his mind back after getting cut. He looked like he was going to cry after Randy opened a small cut on him.

Junior hits harder than Randy, and therefore would be able to open a cut sooner than Randy and beat down the meat head mentally.

9. Cheick Kongo

Brock showed a slight weakness in the clinch when Randy laid it on him. He looked like he had no clue what to do. A fighter with the ability to utilize the knees in the clinch could drop Lesnar with a few huge knees.

8. Andrei Arlovski

Andrei has shown to have superior boxing skills against all of his opponents. The only thing Andrei has to work on is the rookie-like mistakes he makes from time to time.

The flying knee he attempted on Fedor so early in their fight was foolish and resulted in Arlovski laying flat.

Andrei knows this was a stupid mistake, and hopefully, he works on his small mistakes. Additionally, a return to the UFC, which is still open for negotiation, could allow for this match up take place.

7. Gabriel Gonzaga

Gabe has the stand up game that could give Brock fits. Yeah, he was knocked out by Carwin, but that was a different fight all together. Gonzaga also has a great ground game that could sub Brock. Brock still has not shown to have any submission game going for him—no matter what the reports are from his camp.

6. Josh Barnett

I have a strong dislike for Josh "the baby fat assassin" Barnett. Barnett cheated in his win against Randy Couture, by using steroids. He was released from the UFC after that and has not been back since. Barnett does have the ability to stuff Brock's take down attempts and punish him. Barnett also has the submission ability to put Brock away.

5. Shane Carwin

Brock has huge hands and hits hard...so does Shane. Brock is a well-established wrestler; Shane is established as well.

Maybe Brock is a better wrestler than Shane, but all Shane has to do is stuff his take downs and punch him in his balloon head. I have had trouble taking down people who I wrestled better than.

All they had to do was stuff my take down attempt...look at Sherk and Penn. Sherk is obviously a better wrestler, but Penn stuffed the take down, and then the wrestling ability was taken away.

4. Frank Mir

Frank has shown a weakness in Brock's ground game by tapping him out due to a leg lock. Brock's only loss to this point was to a guy who could very well do it again. By the way, Mir has greatly improved in his stand up game since then. So Lesnar may have a bit harder time clubbing him in the head to knock him down like he did last time.

3. Antonio Nogueira

Big Nog is known as one of the greatest submission fighters in the game, and that could easily spell disaster to Lesnar...not to mention Nog is tough as hell.

2. Randy Couture

Brock beat Randy last time. This is true. But, Randy was executing a game plan that seemed to be getting into Brock's head.

Randy got caught with a punch from Lesnar that dropped him. Randy did not get out of the way in time. Brock was having trouble controlling Randy on the ground, and Randy was picking him apart on the stand up aspect of the game.

He exposed Brock's inability to control the clinch, and if these two fought again, it would not surprise me if Randy walked away with a win.

1. Fedor Emelianenko

This should be no surprise to anyone. Fedor is a beast, and he has the ability to capitalize on any small mistake. With Brock being so new, he is bound to make a few mistakes, if these two were to fight.

In his win over Andrei Arlovski, it appeared that Arlovski may have had a game plan to stop Fedor. However, in the blink of an eye, Arlovski made a mistake, and Fedor put him to sleep.

UFC Replay: Friday's Jackson Vs. Jardine, Brown Vs. Sell, And Carwin Vs. Gonzaga

Jason Cottier — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:34:30 -0400

I actually missed the first time this was shown. I had to work, and that sucked. But I caught the replay today...I finally had time three days after the event originally aired to catch it, which is extremely unheard of.

There were some things that really got my attention here. I found out that I had greatly underestimated Shane Carwin. I knew he was good, and I knew that he could beat Gonzaga. I honestly thought this fight was so closely matched that it would go to decision.

I was shocked that Rampage did not knock out Jardine, but I think Jardine is a joke. He does have a crazy style that is hard to time, but he has a chin made of recycled Christmas ornaments. I'm sure everyone has dropped one of those on the carpet and watched it shatter.

Jason Day took the pacifist route again and got pounded, so maybe he didn't throw the fight against Bisping. In any case, he just doesn't belong.

And finally, Matt Brown gave me the biggest surprise of the night. When I think of Brown, I think about the guy that made a big deal about a $5 can of Skoal getting ruined. If the TUF house provides alcohol for him, I am sure they would pick up a new can of dip for you. I admit I thought he was an a-hole redneck.

Redneck, yes. A-hole, not quite. Not only did Matt Brown want the fight stopped once he noticed that Pete Sell was not quite there anymore, he went to the extent of throwing his arms out to show referee Yves Levigne that the fight is over, so stop it.

He even showed a blend of disgust and anger after the fight was stopped, confronting Yves and yelling "come on" at him. Then, during the interview, he kept talking about how tough his opponent was and how he didn't want to punish Sell any more than he deserved...which was enough to stop the fight.

The turning point in my mind that actually turned me to a fan was when he said "When you train with the guys I do...". This took the spotlight off of himself and gave it to the rest of his camp, a group of nice guys that only want to do enough damage to win the fight.

Matt Brown is officially a nice guy now who had enough of the childish antics at the TUF house and had a bad night. On this competition, though, he had a good night, and I'm only sorry I missed it the first time.

Randy Couture Signed to Fight Big Nog

Jason Cottier — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:35:49 -0500

Randy Couture and Big Nog are slated to fight at UFC 101. This would have been a super fight a few months ago. Since then Big Nog got destroyed, and Couture was clipped in a fight.

Nog is not a force any more after his last performance. Randy, for some reason, is being pushed as over the hill, and somehow said to be dominated in his last performance as well. Nog doesn't have the power to luckily clip Couture like Lesnar did, and Couture will out box Nog, just like Mir did.

And for anyone out there that did not get the fact that the Brock Lesnar win was a fluke, lucky punch that saved him from being broken down mentally and physically I will state it now for you. Lesnar is not championship caliber, and if he were to fight Randy again he would lose.

BJ Penn and Georges St. Pierre Need To Fight Again, and Soon

Jason Cottier — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:19:46 -0500

I just watched this fight again off my DVR. I needed to put in my two cents on the topic. When I watched it the first time I thought that was the end of all of the controversy.

Even after hearing the reports of GSP greasing up, I thought that it really didn't effect the match anyway, what does it matter. I am a BJ Penn fan, and I really did not enjoy watching him get dismantled, so I shied away from watching it again. I usually watch every one two or three times before I feel as though I got my money out of it and I can delete it to make room for any more.

Well as I was about to delete this one I just had to watch it again. I noticed myself that BJ's leg just slid off of GSP on a few occaisions, and GSP just basically did what he wanted. As a person that tries to keep from making excuses I can see both sides of the argument now.

BJ's side is that the fight would have been different if he were able to use his rubber guard, and ability to control the fight better on the ground. I also think that the fight could very well end up the same way after watching it twice. In order to have the end of an argument it would have to be done without controversy.

Not only did Penn happen to have a valid argument on his hands, but there were others who pointed it out.

Dana White himself admitted that GSP's corner was doing an illegal move by greasing him up. He seems to think it was not GSP's fault, but he surely saw the man apply the Vaseline to his hands before he put it on his shoulders. I saw the pictures posted on Yahoo, and it was obvious that is what was going on.

Would Barry Bonds be a shoe-in for the hall of fame without steroids...yes he would, but a lot of people on the outside do not see it that way. Would GSP have beaten Penn had he not had an illegal advantage...maybe, but we need to see while we still have the time.

So before anyone attempts to jump on me over any of this all I am saying is that we deserve as fans to see this come to a conclusion fair and square with no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

UFC 96 Preview

Jason Cottier — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:10:16 -0500

Aaron Riley vs. Shane Nelson

Nelson barely squeezed out a win against George Roop...forgive me if I don't give him a chance in hell here.

Riley by unanimous decision.

Brandon Vera vs. Michael Patt

After Brandon's lackluster performance against two straight opponents I really don't think he has what it takes to compete in the light heavyweight (205) division. He has a lot of talent, but he is an "inbetweener." He is at a size where he is stuck, he is too small to be a heavyweight and too big to cut to 205 efficiently.

Michael Patt by decision

Tim Boetsch vs. Jason Brilz

Boetsch is a beast...or at least he looks like one.

Boetsch by TKO

Kendall Grove vs. Jason Day

Jason Day is extremely overrated. He went to England to try to rope a dope Bisping or something. He showed no offense, and I hope he loses every fight from here on out.

Grove by don't care as long as he wins

Tamdan McCrory vs. Ryan Madigan

Tamdan is too much for Madigan

McCrory by submission

Gray Maynard vs. Jim Miller

Not a big fan of Maynard, but he will grind out a decision

Matt Hammil vs. Mark Munoz

Hammil is becoming a better fighter every time I see him fight. He has shown the improvements that everyone says he has...ever since his loss to Bisping, in which he destroyed Bisping but still lost some how...maybe it was the home field advantage. I have been a fan of Hammil.

He is an excellent wrestler with the evolving stand up to actually set up take downs. He is starting to remind me a little of a young Dan Henderson.

Hammil by TKO

Pete Sell vs. Matt Brown

Pete Sell has what appears to me as a huge advantage in every aspect of this fight.

Sell by TKO

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane Carwin

If Gonzaga can keep this fight standing he could land a head kick like he did against Cro Cop, but I don't see that happening.

Carwin by decision

Quinton Jackson vs. Keith Jardine

Jardine will come in like a gorilla with a nervous twitch, but his stupid looking style will have no effect on Rampage who will knock out Jardine.

Rampage by KO

Rahman Wants to Fight MMA Now

Jason Cottier — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:22:05 -0500

Hasim Rahman has expressed interest in MMA. He wants to start fighting in MMA within the next two to three months. I read a report on Sherdog.com that said Rahman called out some big name fighters...then they named fighters like Kimbo, James Thompson, and Butterbean. Ok where are the big name fighters he called out?

Rahman has no ground experience at all. He was a great street fighter, they say. Hell in that case since we are going to talk about fights that there is no way to check the record I am the greatest street fighter of all time. If he wants to join the sideshow freaks, then call it what it is. Rahman wants to stand and trade punches with four oz. gloves with wild swinging clubbing fighters like Tank Abbott.

Rahman's spokesperson went on to say that Hasim is very serious about MMA, but he can't find a gym that trains MMA. I live in a town that has 600 people in it, and I can find three MMA training centers within 20 miles. That leads me to believe that he is nowhere near serious about actually making a transition.

How cocky is Rahman if he honestly believes that this transition can be done in two to three months with no training other than boxing? Can he stand toe to toe and slug with the best in the sport...very likely, he would probably even knock most of them if not all of them out.

What about the Thai clinch? What about take downs? What about leg kicks...for that matter the kicking game all together? Let's see how well he would fare against Cro Cop.

The sponsor even commented on Ray Mercer, not being the caliber of boxer that Rahman is. Mercer may not have a lucky punch KO of Lennox Lewis, but that really doesn't make Rahman an elite fighter like they tend to think it does.

If Rahman decides to take this seriously, then I would watch and be happy for him if he succeeds, but I just have this feeling that he will be over-hyped and a huge flop.

Fighting Your Future Self

Jason Cottier — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:53:28 -0500

I have recently taken note of a few fights that have gone on that the winning fighter actually fought a mirror image of what their career was heading toward. These fights should have just been like shadow boxing...You are fighting yourself, and in the near future.

Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott

Both Kimbo Slice and Tank Abbott gained fame through fighting in an MMA environment with no actual MMA skill. They both claimed fame for knocking out opponents, but Kimbo has started his slide by getting KO'd by a fighter that he should have easily eaten to a bloody pulp.

I am not sure that Kimbo can ever equal the wins of Abbott at nine, but he certainly could reach the sad percentage of wins.

Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie

Matt Hughes was the greatest champion in his weight class against the greatest champion of all time...before there were Weight classes. Unfortunately for Royce, a solid BJJ game doesn't get you very far if you have nothing else to back it up.

So Hughes bat a seemingly helpless Gracie...Then had the same thing happen to him over and over again shortly there after.

Mauricio Rua vs. Mark Coleman

Future vision maybe not. Both were considered top of the game at one time. Both are now washed up and should retire. The fight was pure garbage and it was like watching two couch potatoes fight over the remote, between the wheezing, gasping, and breaks you pretty much got sick to your stomach.

Excuses will be made for each fighter, but the fact is they both knew they had a fight coming up, and couldn't make it out of the first round without gassing. It was like watching Randy Johnson hit a baseball, or Shaq shoot a free throw. You are supposed to be a professional athlete.

Keith Jardine vs. Chuck Liddell

Keith Jardine fought a guy that put together an impressive resume before a hard slide to the middle of the pack...Keith will probably never make it out of the middle of the pack, but he will have the time to be extremely overrated once he slides further down toward the bottom.

Once you get around the unorthodox style, you are left with a chin to tee off on.

BJ Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre More Than Just Entertainment

Jason Cottier — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 02:48:34 -0500

Anyone who is a regular on the Bleacher Report has surely noticed the obvious "bad blood" between two of the members. A man known as the Flyin' Hawaiian, and his arch nemesis GGU. These two have been trolling one another for a while now.

I was personally part of the boiling point that eventually happened between these two writers. There were some comments made on a previous article of mine that I was reading and seeing that they were on my article I decided to stick my nose in the middle of it.

This comment from Flyin' Hawaiian got the rivalry spilling over to my article:

GG you silly little inbred. You really need to make up your mind.

Quotes from GG the inbred:

"Even Fedor has lost a fight."

"GSP is a wuss compared to Urijah. He would rather dance around for the first couple minutes of the fight."

Those are all comments you left on one of my articles.

Can Fedor lose, or has he already lost? Can GSP lose, or is he a wuss?

I know it's hard for you to think being inbred and everything, but at least be consistent. Now go back to your cage.

They went back and forth for a while, and Flyin' convinced GG to write his own article.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/112034-3-reasons-why-bj-penn-will-lose-to-gsp-at-ufc-94

Of course the rivalry spilled over to that page, where I somewhat mediated, somewhat stirred it up a little to get everything out in the open.

Eventually the two ended up seeing each other's point and what was at one point a possible bet to select a winner and call it done has now seemed to be a harmless competition between the two.

Now that these two have settled their rivalry they can both look back and laugh at what they have written about one another. So what seemed to be two guys hating each other has turned out to have a Disney type of ending with apologies and the whole nine yards. They both even knew I was writing the article about them and at one point the article was questioned, because they said that there would be nothing to write about.

Well I personally think it is something to write about two fans of MMA setting aside their rivalry and understanding that their opinions would differ, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I am putting this article under the humor section...if you read what they have written you will understand why.

Are Superheroes Real?

Jason Cottier — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:18:01 -0500

The more everyone rants and raves about certain fighters the more I am starting to think that they honestly believe that these fighters are not human. I have been hearing this since the UFC started. People are actually getting worked up and telling people that they are stupid if they don't see eye to eye on the hero status of their favortie fighter.

Royce Gracie, AKA Boa Constrictor.

Everyone thought this guy was superhuman. It didn't matter who you were, this guy was going to tap you out. Then reality set in and he just happened to be a guy who was really good at BJJ, and we weren't used to that yet.

Ken Shamrock, AKA Super Grip...he never lets go.

This guy never really deserved the respect he got. He was one of the first well rounded fighter, that was about it. At the first sign of evolution in the sport he was left in the dust.

Tito Ortiz, AKA Mr. Photogenic...type in UFC while trying to write and article, and 90% of the pictures will be of Mr. Photogenic.

The only reason this guy wasn't regaurded more as super human was his attitude.

Matt Hughes, AKA The Country Bumpkin he has been known to make racial comments and pose with racial white supraemacist symbols, but he pretends to be such a country idiot that he has no idea.

I have always though Matt Hughes was a bit of an ass, and couldn't wait for his day to come and plummet to the bottom of the ranks...it is still enjoyable.

Chuck Liddell, AKA Leggs Pantyhose...had a good run then to the trash.

Can do you remember back not too long ago when all of the hardcore Liddell fans were talking about how Liddell is unstoppable? Do you remember making the excuses for him after his loss to Jackson? Do you remember making excuses for him after losing to Jardine? Now do you remember realizing that he is nothing more than a counter puncher with good power?

Lyoto Machida, AKA Tryptophan man Look up in the sky it's a bird, it...plane, zzzzzzzzz, it's Lyoto Machida.

This guy is eventually going to lose...probably in a super boring fight, imagine that. Then everyone that is pumping him up will turn their back on him and start calling him boring too.

Brock Lesnar, AKA The Flash...in the pan.

Yeah he's big, strong, and really quick for his size. He does in fact feel pain...do you remember the look of pain on his face when he was in Frank's leg lock. Do you remember the way he was about to cry when he realized he was bleeding...No you remember the way he took Frank down and looked like a wild beast, and the way he barely clipped Randy in the sweet spot and put him out.

Fedor Emilianenko, AKA the Red Raider...He surprised a lot of people with his wins, now the day is coming where people will get surprised by his loss...just like Texas Tech in the bowl game.

He hasn't fought an actual fight in so long, how would you know if is still the same fighter he once was? He caught Tim Sylvia in the beginning of the fight and put him out...big deal. Anyone can catch someone, and that doesn't make a dominant performance.

Georges St. Pierre, AKA Mr. Nice Guy he is a hell of a nice guy.

He is a great fighter, but with no one giving BJ Penn a chance at all in their upcoming fight, makes me wonder what the hell is going on? Well you have the ones that really don't have a clue saying he beat him once he can do it again...he won a paper thin split decision, that he could have just as easily lost.

And ask Wanderlei Silva "if you beat someone once, or even twice for that matter, does it guarantee you a win?" He might say yes, but it would be because Rampage scrambled his brains further. Then there are some that say St. Pierre is evolving more and more every day, and Penn has hit a plateau...did anyone know he had the hands like he did when he dismantled the steroid shark?

Anderson Silva, AKA Brazillian Patriot...he's great, but not perfect.

Here is a man that really doesn't want to do this anymore. He has had quite a few dominant performances, and the last time he really looked bad was against Cote, and he just didn't quite look like himself...he didn't really look bad. This man has been beaten before and I am not talking about a cut or controversial decision he has been beaten. Therefore letting everyone know that he is indeed human.

For all anyone knows the first five could win their next match and the last five could lose their next five, but when you use the terms that there is no way so and so can beat whoever you are talking about it just goes to show that you will be more butt hurt about your favorite losing than the man was himself.

Remember that they are just men all of them, and any man can beat any other on any given day...It makes no sense that you would honestly think highly enough of someone that you have never met before that you would actually start an argument about it. Let alone if someone started bad mouthing to them do you think they would care...probably not.

So remember they they are all just men. Not superheroes.

UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson

Jason Cottier — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:46:50 -0500

This time I am not going to waste my time trying to predict who is going to do what on the under card. Any fighter that I do know on the under card I don't know anything about the man he is fighting. So instead of searching Sherdog and trying to figure out a fighter's style then searching the Internet for videos including the fighter, I am going to keep it simple this time.

Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle

I have been reading a bit about this match and most everyone tends to believe that this is a stand up war in the making. If that were the case I would definitely give the advantage to Marcus Davis. Chris Lytle doesn't have anywhere near the power that his nick name "lights out" suggests.

Marcus Davis by KO/TKO.

Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares

This is a gimme match for Palhares. He is going to be built up by beating the "UFC Legend" Jeremy Horn. I honestly cannot remember seeing Jeremy Horn win a match. I have put so much faith in Jeremy Horn, and he has never pulled through for me.

Palhares by submission.

Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang

Denis Kang by KO/TKO.

Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio Rua

Last fight between these two ended in a freak accident that then erupted between the two camps. Rua may not the same fighter he was in Japan. Coleman may be too old.

Coleman by TKO-G-N-P.

Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson

Rich Franklin is more well rounded than Henderson, but Henderson stands a better chance in my mind of being able to finish the fight on the feet, or the ground. This is a tough one to call, and I have seen it recently...I am going to just flip a coin

Heads

Franklin by decision.

Funny KO's in MMA and Boxing

Jason Cottier — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:15:20 -0500

I know that I have already written an article about Zab Judah getting knocked out, and how funny it was, but I had to write about more funny knock outs that I have witnessed in my day as a fan of both boxing and MMA.

The photo at the top looks to me like Judah is holding his groin in pain, and writing a second article mentioning his actions in the fight with Kostya Tszyu was a bit of a low blow, but I just decided to run with this and write another article.

This time I will give Judah the respect of not including the commentary by Cedric The Entertainer and just post the actual knock out itself. I have to put this at the first spot, because it still makes me laugh every time I watch it.

Next would definitely have to be Andrei Arlovski's TKO of Marcio Cruz...unfortunately I couldn't find this one anywhere, but if anyone can find it, I would be happy if they could tell me where. Cruz had Arlovski down on his back and the referee had stopped the fighters to call attention to something...can't quite remember exactly what it was.

Andrei, laying on his back, holds his fist up like "Hey as soon as he starts us again, I am going to punch you in the face with this hand right here." The referee started the fight again and Arlovski punched Cruz in the face with the hand he was holding directly in front of him, and that was pretty much all she wrote for Marcio in that fight.

The next is a boxer that gets knocked out so bad he still thinks he is fighting. I didn't see this fight unfold, but it has been a favorite on my YouTube page for quite some time now.

Now, we come to Bob Sapp vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. The knock out itself wasn't as funny as Bob Sapp's "he broketed my nose" reaction...just like The Longest Yard.

I apologize to every MMA fan, as well as boxing fans that read this, because I am going to add Kimbo on this one...and he isn't getting KO's himself. He is fighting a guy who thinks he is a true badass. This guy goes as far as to crack his arthritic knuckles in the camera...if arthritis makes you a badass, I am going to start my grandmother in training today. The guy even looks like he is trying the Popeye speed bag punch at times.

There are several more that I am just drawing a blank on right now. I would really appreciate more. If anyone has any more suggestions, I will look them up.

Why I Think Keith Jardine Can Beat Lyoto Machida

Jason Cottier — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:18:15 -0500

Now before we start here I am NOT a Keith Jardine fan...in fact I am growing more and more in the direction of hating to watch Jardine fight. Jardine hasn't had one of his fights finished with his eyes open recently. I just really get tired of seeing fighters fight for points and that is exactly what Jardine seems to have adopted to.

Lyoto Machida is a very technical counter striker. The ways to beat a technical striker is to either have a better technique than they do, which no one seems to be able to do. Therefore I am giving up hope of seeing him get his lights turned out by a regular striker in the UFC.

Another way is to be so unorthodox that he has no clue what to do...that leads me to Jardine. Jardine looks like an orangatan with a nervous twitch when he fights. I think Jardine is just ugly enough with his style that he may be able to get to Machida easier than any other fighter could.

No matter how the fight goes I really don't think it would be considered for any of the special "of the night" categories...unless they create a decision of the night category.

This is a fight that should be added to one of the upcoming fight cards. There are people that do not give Machida the credit that some say he deserves...I am one of them. If Machida could beat someone so completely unorthodox that he looks like he has no clue what he's doing then I personally would say he's more than just a counter striker.

Either way it would drop one of these two fighters out of the title picture for the time being and that would be good enough for me...because I am really not looking forward to five rounds of boring action any time soon. Should either happen to win the title.

Top 10 Moments in Sports of 2008

Jason Cottier — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:52:28 -0500

I know that there are several of these floating around. I figure I would do my best to put the events in that I liked the most. 2008 had several events worthy of note, but I placed the 10 that I think were the best of the year.

In absolutely no order.

The Patriots get knocked off their high horse. The New England Patriots were beaten in the Super Bowl by an "inferior" team. I cannot say that I enjoyed every minute of this game, but I did love the end of it.
The Men's 4X100 relay. The Olympics were a time of great achievement, especially for Michael Phelps, but this was the greatest moment of the entire games in my opinion.

The part that tops it off was the way the French said the reason they assembled that team was to crush the Americans...didn't quite work out that way.

The massive come-from-behind victory, by a relative unknown, topped off the proverbial slap in the face of the arrogant French swimmers.
Manny Pacquiao's destruction of Oscar De La Hoya. Oscar has always come across as a cocky punk of a fighter, who was a bit over rated.

He would spend so much time dodging tough fights, and if he finally did sign one he would get beat...not really a big surprise that that is what happened here, but it did, and I found great humor in it.
The Philadelphia Phillies Win the World Series. I liked the Tampa Rays, but with everyone backing the American League before the Division series was over, it was nice to see a National League team win the World Series.

I mean if you think about it, your team would look more powerful offensively if you had a guy that got paid just to bat and never had to put on a glove.
Tim Lincecum Wins NL CY Young Award. With all the talk of CC Sabathia and Johan Santana, I really couldn't see a relative no name in Tim Lincecum winning any kind of award. He had no team backing him.

Pitchers on a losing team usually get little respect. This guy was a beast, and the high profile players had to take a back seat to him...well done.
Troy Polamalu's comments on "legendary players". At first it sounded like hardcore trash talk just reading through his comments...until you finished it. He said that past NFL greats wouldn't be able to play the way that made them great in today's game.

"When you see guys like Dick Butkus, the Ronnie Lotts, the Jack Tatums, these guys really went after people," Polamalu told reporters.

"Now, they couldn't survive in this type of game. They wouldn't have enough money. They'd be paying fines all the time and they'd be suspended for a year after they do it two games in a row. It's kind of ridiculous."

However, Polamalu made it clear he doesn't defend players who take cheap shots.
UFC Fight Night Fight for the Troops. I was at one time a member of the US Army, and while I was a member, I never found a group that didn't know about the UFC.

Well with that vast number of fans in the military, the UFC gave something back. The fight card wasn't great to be honest, but it was great for a company like the UFC to be giving something back...even if it was just for tax write-off purposes.
Vitali Klitschko Returns. Vitali Klitschko returned after four and a half years to dominate Samuel Peter, a top heavyweight, and remind everyone why he was a top heavyweight when he was active in the past.
Mike Singletary is the Man. Everyone remembers the great football player Singletary. He was one of the most intense players I have ever seen in my life.

I can remember watching him as a kid and seeing him on the side line...he looked like a normal man, until he put on his helmet, then his eyes seemed to bug out with a rage that he wanted to crush someone.

He worked hard, wasn't the flashy type, and got the job done. One would expect that would be what he expects from his players.

Well Vernon Davis was apparently clueless to that. After making a few bonehead plays that ended up hurting the 49ers, Singletary decided to treat him like a child if he was going to act like one.

Singletary called him out during the game and sent him to the locker room...everyone criticized Mike for it, but have you noticed Davis has seemed to clean up his act?
Frank Shamrock Calls Out Ken Shamrock on live TV. There was so much hype surrounding Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice. An over hyped fighter against a living legend that just happened to be an idiot.

Ken decided to have a contract dispute with EliteXC the night of his fight. Ken, being the idiot I referred to him as earlier, decided to go train angry...like an idiot.

He ended up opening a gash in his head during training, the night of the fight...like an idiot. And his fight with Kimbo had to be scratched and a replacement fighter be put in his place.

While doing an interview, Frank referred to Ken as a disgrace to the family name...on live TV. Now Ken, the washed up, past his prime like seven years ago fighter, wants to fight his younger, more talented brother...like an idiot.

Now for everyone that wants to comment about the order that they are in, I already said that they are in no order, so it is not a 1-10 list, it is just 10 things I am noting...If you still cannot get that...you can get angry and go train, because you obviously fit the criteria...see that was a joke.

One of Boxing's Funniest Moments

Jason Cottier — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:34:10 -0500

While suffering through another bout of my recent insomnia I decided to look through the old DVR files. I saw a standup bit that I had DVR'd so long ago and saved, but never watched.

I had forgotten that I had even recorded this standup from Cedric the Entertainer off of Comedy Central's secret stash.

I watched it and he talked about Zab Judah's knockout loss to Kostya Tszyu...now I vaguely remember watching that unfold as it happened. Well tonight I have been hitting Youtube pretty hard, because I am having another episode of sleepless nights.

I remembered the bit, so I decided to look and see if it was posted on Youtube. Not only did I find the actual knockout and laugh at this, but I also found a post on there to where Ced was actually saying doing the bit during the knockout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX4VysAzRII

Quinton Jackson's Thoughts on Kimbo Slice

Jason Cottier — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:14:03 -0500

I was bored tonight and I decided to play around on Youtube for a while. I always look for something funny so I can share it with all of my friends. I saw a video on the titled Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on Kimbo.

I knew I had to watch an interview of Rampage about Kimbo...now I know that had to be funny. It's about a minute and a half or so, and the video came originally from strictlyfighting.com.

The interview begins with the interviewer telling Jackson that Kimbo admires Jackson. Jackson returns with he admires Kimbo for what he has done, because they basically both started out as street fighters. It was the way he adds well I wasn't beating people up for money or anything...I mean I was a kid and he is a grown ass man. That was my first laugh.

Rampage then goes on to give Kimbo some respect for him working hard and trying to turn his life around...I noticed that he didn't give him props for his fighting, but he did give him props for becoming a household name. They also pointed out that Kimbo has had a larger audience for his debut on national tv than Rampage ever has.

The final chuckle that I got to where I realized that I had to write something on here about it was. Rampage talking about how Kimbo worked himself up to be a household name in a short period of time, then added and to look like that he deserves it.

You should really watch the video, because I really just remember bits and pieces of it and I really can't give it justice.

UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 Prediction

Jason Cottier — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:37:39 -0500

Winter break for me means I get to write more on here. I have missed predicting the last few UFC events, but now that I have a little free time I am going to take care of business...so all of my fans can breathe easy, because I am back.

Dan Evensen versus Pat Barry

Dan Evensen has more experience and has fought in the UFC before. They say that a good fighter learns more from his losses than he does from his wins, so I am thinking maybe Danny boy learned a little something by getting beat up by Cheick Kongo.

Evensen, by TKO

Ryo Chonan versus Brad Blackburn

I am just going to lay it out. I am definitely not going to count out a guy that has won a match with a flying scissor heel hook...and against Anderson Silva none the less.

Chonan, by submission

Matt Hammil versus Reese Andy

I am going to give the advantage to Matt Hammil on this one. Matt Hammil has looked very impressive in all of the fights I have watched, except for Rich Franklin, but Rich is a stud and we can't count that against him. Reese Andy looked tough against the skeleton formerly known as Brandon Vera in their fight, but Brandon looked sick from cutting all of that weight.

Hammil, by submission

Antoni Hardonk versus Mike Wessel

Antoni Hardonk is coming off two straight TKO's, and I think that he will make it three.

Hardonk, by TKO

Yushin Okami versus Dean Lister

Dean Lister is amazing on the ground, but Okami is said to be amazingly strong. I do not really know that Lister can handle a fighter that is that strong. I can easily see this one going to the judges, but it could go either way on the score cards.

Okami, split decision

Cheick Kongo versus Mustapha Al Turk

This fight is going to be hard to call, because of Al Turk being from the Cage Rage promotion I have never had the chance to see him fight before. I was able to see his record, which is impressive since two of his losses came at the beginning of his career.

I was also able to determine that I have not really witnessed any of his opponents in action. I do know that Cheick Kongo has the ability to be a badass, and that is what I will go on here.

Kongo, by TKO

Wanderlei Silva versus Quinton Jackson

Wanderlei has had Quinton's number in the past, but the past is the past and that was in Pride where the rules are different. I expect this fight to be a war. Rampage has gone to the Wolfslair to train. From what I have read about the Wolfslair it is supposed to be one of the best new fight teams to join. I am going to have to say that Quinton will snap his losing streak to Wanderlei this night.

Rampage, by TKO/KO

CB Dollaway versus Mike Massenzio

First off I have to ask myself why the UFC has this fight listed on the fight card higher than the Rampage vs. Silva fight. Maybe because Dollaway actually pulled off a Peruvian Necktie in one of his matches...I thought it was just a myth.

On a serious note, Dollaway looks impressive...most of the time, and I think now that he is in the UFC he will really step it up and start showing the potential that he showed on TUF, until he fought Amir.

Dollaway, by submission

Antonio Rodrigo Nogeira versus Frank Mir

I really hate calling fights between two submission fighters. Big Nog has in my opinion shown that he has great hands. He really doesn't have much power, but he keeps his hands in your face, so I really have to give him credit there...nobody else seems to. Frank Mir has shown some ability to stand, but I really can't remember him standing that much.

This fight is going to be decided on the ground anyway, but I guess I subliminally wanted to look like I was going to break this fight down and really get to the grit of it and choose a winner. I am going to have to go with the man who is more revered for his submission game.

Nogeira, by submission

Forrest Griffin versus Rashad Evans

Forrest Griffin has not displayed any real punching power, as far as I have seen anyway. Rashad has shown to have KO power since he did lay Chuck Liddell smooth out recently, but I don't think he will be able to draw Forrest in like he did Chuck. I think Forrest will have to keep this fight standing, and just outpoint Rashad hoping Rashad makes a mistake.

Forrest Griffin, by decision

I would have gotten a better picture for this, but now when you type UFC into the search engine you get pictures of UFC fighters handing out awards, or Tito Ortiz hugged up with Jenna Jamison.

MMA Fighters Inspire New Mixed Drink Names

Jason Cottier — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:21:15 -0500

This is an idea I got from a British MMA magazine I ended up finding at the store. When I read the few they had in there I laughed hysterically. I will include those in this article.

The Josh Koscheck: It makes you feel very accomplished, even though you are doing very little.

The Sean Sherk: It looked like orange juice...how was I supposed to know the effect it would have?

The Chuck Liddell: Your friends used to be knocked out by it years ago, but a natural tolerance pretty much makes it look like a sissy drink.

The Greg Jackson: The one that makes the Chuck Liddell look weak...no matter how you mix it.

The Wanderlei Silva: You try to be macho with this one, but it hits like a buzz saw, and you wake up the next morning regretting everything.

One time I tried to make a Chuck Liddell, but I went a little overboard with the Tequila, so like everyone else I was thinking Chuck, but ended up with a Rashad Evans.

The Brock Lesnar: After a few of these you'll be on top of the world...too bad it won't last very long.

The Tim Sylvia: It runs right through you.

The Houston Alexander: It looks really good at first, but after a couple you realize it's missing something.

The Mirko Cro Cop: You hear about how good they are til you experience it for yourself, then it's letdown city.

The Jesse Taylor: You piss yourself and get kicked out, and no one cares.

The Roger Huerta: After a few you think you are 10 feet tall, but for some reason you have followers that believe the same thing.

The Ken Shamrock: You don't realize that you should have quit a long time ago.

The Urijah Faber: It looks so weak, but you definitely do not want to underestimate it.

The Lodune Sincaid: Lots of fruit in this one.

The Krzystof Soszynski: It takes way too long to make and the only one that will enjoy it is you.

Wrestling in the Sport of MMA—What Happened?

Jason Cottier — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:52:14 -0500

I will come out and say it now—I miss the days of Tito Ortiz. I also miss the days of Don Frye. Guys with wrestling backgrounds actually used to finish fights.

Back then, if Tito got a guy on the ground, he had a relentless ground and pound that actually finished the fight, which was the same with Frye. Now a guy gets someone on the ground, throws a few elbows, opens a cut, and lays in a cuddled position for the remainder of the fight and is praised for doing so.

It has gotten to the point where the only way we can see a wrestler finish a fight is if the other fighter is close to equal on wrestling skill, or the other fighter is a BJJ expert, and the wrestler avoids take downs and lands a hay maker.

Has the defense to G-N-P improved that much...well if you landed something that cut your opponent, you are obviously doing damage. If a wrestler is going head up with a striker, then you know unless the striker catches the wrestler with a good punch, you are going to see a snuggle fest brought on by the wrestler.

I hear things about dominating performances in the ring by wrestlers, because the wrestler took a man down seven times in the fight. That also goes to show that the guy either escaped seven times, or the fight got so boring that the ref restarted the fight seven times.

Then you have people like Joe Rogan getting upset because the fight gets restarted. Joe went on to say, "I don't see why they are standing them up...they are fighting."

Sometimes two fighters get into a stalemate on the ground because their skills are almost equal. THAT IS WHY THEY ARE RESTARTING THE DAMN FIGHT SO SOMEONE CAN GET AN ADVANTAGE!!!

If someone wants to see two guys throw punches the whole time, there is kickboxing. If someone wants to watch BJJ fighters roll around looking for a submission, there are BJJ tournaments. There is also wrestling that you can watch on ESPN from time to time. MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts. Fighters supposedly have evolved to become well rounded fighters, but there are several that have not.

Landing a big punch and finishing a fight doesn't make you a great striker, unless you are Brock Lesnar or Josh Koscheck, because I hear about their stand up skill all of the time. There is a huge difference in having striking skill and having power.

Having a great take down defense doesn't make you a good wrestler, as well as a general knowledge of submissions make you a submission fighter. After watching Junie Browning fight Effrain on TUF, I realized that I have to say something. Everyone rejoiced after seeing Junie "get his ass kicked."

I saw two guys half ass trade punches, and one man lay on top of another and eventually choke him out. Junie was laying on his back with Effrain on top of him. Junie had his arms out to his side as if to ask the ref when are you going to restart this damn thing...the fight never got restarted. I wanted to see Junie get his ass kicked for real.

I watched a fight with Dan Henderson against Palhares in which Henderson, the wrestler, was up against a BJJ expert. Instead of Palhares setting up takedown attempts, he charged in blind a few times and then decided to roll on the ground with his legs behind his ears. That was the part I used to hate the most about MMA.

Back in the dark ages of MMA, between the controversial beginning and when things got turned around, I had a serious hatred for BJJ fighters, but since then there have been fighters coming from Brazil with BJJ mastery skills, as well as the ability to fight on their feet too.

I personally want to see more fights restarted if the fight is going no where. Maybe this will encourage wrestlers to actually use the ground and pound to soften up their opponents to finish the fight...the way it used to be used rather than soften up their opponent so that way they can't escape the boring hugging match that is taking place.

If you are a fan that thinks that what I have been describing is a dominant performance, are you also one that believes that you can't leave it up to the judges? Anything can happen on a judges scorecard...right? So, why is someone not trying to actually end the fight a dominant performance?

Justin Levens Found Dead

Jason Cottier — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:29:45 -0500

Justin Levens and his wife were found dead in his Southern California apartment on Wednesday.

The police believe it to be a murder suicide. At first I was going to pay tribute to his fights, and all of that, but if this were in fact a murder suicide, then all of his fighting doesn't mean anything—he was a murderer and a coward.

If it is ruled to be something other than a murder suicide, then I will write an article in tribute to him, but as it stands now, this is all I can do.

Urijah Faber Runs Into A Brick Wall

Jason Cottier — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:31:43 -0500

Where the hell did this Mike Brown come from? Faber was considered, not only the top 145-pound fighter in the world, but he was also on the lists for top pound-for-pound. Then here comes Mike Brown.

I thought Faber would teach Brown a lesson. I never once thought that Faber would even have a little trouble with this guy. I should have expected it...Filho having his obvious mental problems, and not really showing up to fight. Jens Pulver getting KO'd by Leonard Garcia... That was only Garcia's third KO/TKO. I didn't completely rule out Garcia from winning that fight, but by KO??

Then Faber meets a 145-pound version of Ivan Drago. Every time Brown hit Faber it had an effect on him. Faber's speed was no match for Brown's beastly strength. I wonder what Brown walks around at normally, because he was huge... not an excuse, he made weight so he deserved it, but wow.

Brown is an extremely grizzled 33 years old, and I thought he was just another fighter brought in to keep Faber fighting and bringing in viewers. I was shocked by almost the entire WEC card in general, and that makes it for sure, one of the most entertaining cards I have watched.

HDNet Purchases IFL...Well, What's Left of It

Jason Cottier — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:30:30 -0400

HDNet, which is owned by Mark Cuban, and is becoming known as being "the MMA" television station has recently bought out the IFL. Since most of the IFL's fighters have signed with other companies, they didn't get much as far as contract fighters go.

They did, on the other hand, get the video and picture archives. They also got the network deal with Fox Sports Network, although HDNet wouldn't need that since they are, in turn, a television station.

The teams and the ring were all property of the IFL, so they are now the property of Mark Cuban's franchise. Now, with HDNet owning a fight league all it's own, we would be able to possibly have a new MMA competition that is at least worth watching.

I was never a big fan of the IFL...To be honest, I thought it sucked. I thought the fighters were either washed up or never really should have had that much attention to begin with.

They were offered an opportunity of a lifetime to train with an MMA legend, and still, for the most part, nothing really came out of the organization, but with EliteXC going under, and a lot of fighters now looking for homes, maybe the IFL re-starting is for the best.

This will be a place for fighters that aren't quite up to standard of the UFC to improve and maybe make something of themselves. As well as fighters like Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler, and Scott Smith, who had their chance, and now after finding a new home lost it again.

I think, with the mid-level fighters like Terry Martin, Paul Buentello, and so forth, that seem to just be bouncing around, it should be a good deal for the fans to at least see some good fights on there, as well as to see these guys focus more with a legend in their training.

I am really trying to look on the bright side here, but I am not sure how well even a financial genius like Cuban can compete with Zuffa.

The Fight I Didn't Want to See May Have an Upside

Jason Cottier — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:25:00 -0400

Dan Henderson is going to fight Rich Franklin at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland. Hendo and Ace are two of my favorite fighters.

I definitely don't want to see Franklin succumb to one of Henderson's heavy hands, but I also wouldn't want to see Henderson lose three of his last four fights in the UFC. To see a legend that still has what it takes to put on a good fight and have his future with the UFC in jeopardy makes me uneasy.

Dan would definitely keep the fight standing as long as he wants. Franklin doesn't have the ability to take down a wrestler as good as Henderson. So the advantage should be with Rich, but it really isn't.

Franklin can more than take care of himself on his feet, but he has been rocked before in fights he was dominating. He was able to recover, but he hasn't been hit by Henderson yet.

I don't want to see my favorite fighters lose, but when they fight each other, I have no choice...I am definitely going to watch it.

I have read on Sherdog.com, that the winner will face Michael Bisping next. I have made it no secret, that I don't like Bisping. I can't wait to see Bisping have his ass-kicked properly as he calls it.

Whoever wins this battle will have an excellent chance of doing just that. So it is possible that the winner of two of my favorites has a chance to solidify himself as my favorite, by whipping Bisping's ass properly.

Roy Williams Trade May Have Been A Huge MIstake

Jason Cottier — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:47:48 -0400

The Dallas Cowboys have acquired Roy Williams in a recent trade with the Detroit Lions.

First off, the 'boys gave up more than a first round draft pick for this "play-maker". So basically the Cowboys are getting rid of possible young talent that would pay off in the future.

Dallas already has a big name play maker at wide receiver. The field isn't big enough for two big shots playing at the same position, especially a position like wide receiver where more plays will go to one over the other. So two big names is definitely over kill there.

Roy Williams is also known for his mouth, like his counterpart Terrell Owens. So maybe there should be a rule in place on the Dallas sidelines where anyone not playing defense should have to change their socks every series. Maybe even wearing rain boots.

TO's crying would create a puddle, but with the possibility of Williams crying too, that's a flash flood in the making. And Dallas will really be having injury problems when trench foot is in the picture.

Michael Bisping Deserves a Title Shot

Jason Cottier — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:48:54 -0400

There is no one in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's middleweight division that deserves a title shot more than Michael Bisping. No matter what the outcome of his upcoming fight with Chris Leben, Bisping is very worthy of fighting Anderson Silva.

Bisping's brash attitude and cockiness on the hit TV series The Ultimate Fighter got me to notice him, and got me to look forward to seeing him in a big fight.

The way he defeated Matt Hammil, and his response to reporters after the fight that said Bisping "stole" a decision win was exactly what I expected from Mike.

Bisping's interviews where he says that he may have lost to Rashad Evans, but he was never beaten by anyone, really drives the point home. Many people believe that Hammil not only won that fight, but decisively beat Bisping in all aspects of that fight. Bisping is quick to defend himself and say that fight showed how he was a complete fighter while Hammil is only a wrestler.

All that being established, I think "The Count" is a perfect candidate to get his lights knocked out by Silva. I actually wish he would have stayed and fought at the light heavyweight level so Hammil could have taken out frustrations on him.

The only thing I would like to see more than Bisping getting a title shot is for Leben to beat him unmercifully for two full rounds, and the majority of the third, only to be knocked out with less than a minute remaining in the third round.

Maybe if Leben knocks him completely out, Bisping can't say he hasn't been beaten, but I'm sure he will come up with an excuse as to why it happened.