Bleacher Report - Articles by Danny Burnham

Jackson Not on Your Average "Rampage"

Danny Burnham — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:11:50 -0400

It has been announced that former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will coach the 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" opposite another former champ, TUF alum Rashad Evans.

Rampage had already been slated to be the first challenger of newly crowned LHW Champion Lyoto Machida, but opted to pass up the chance to reclaim the throne in exchange for a shot at Evans.

Now the obvious question looms. Why would a fighter pass up a title shot? Easy. He's a fighter in the truest sense of the word. While being a World Champion is great, a title is not at the top of his priority list; he wants to beat up Rashad Evans.

It could be said that Jackson is on a mission, but it could also be called a "rampage."

It all started when Evans (who was the LHW champion at the time) entered the cage at UFC 96 after Jackson's win over Keith Jardine.

The two stood nose-to-nose and engaged in a lengthy verbal sparring match. Joe Rogan's mic was wedged between the two so everyone watching could get in on the fun.

The fact that Jardine is a training partner of Evans may have added fuel to the fire. After all, if you had just watched your buddy lose a fight, you'd probably have a thing or two to say to the guy that beat him.

The two were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 100 in July, but after a game of musical fight cards, the match was bumped up to 98.

Rampage was forced to withdraw from the fight due to the short turnaround time and a laundry list of nagging injuries. Machida stepped in and the rest, as they say, is history.

This will be Jackson's second stint on The Ultimate Fighter. While serving as a coach opposite Forrest Griffin in Season 7 of TUF, he was very vocal about his disdain for the position, and said he would never do it again.

Obviously, he couldn't pass on the chance to square off with Evans. The two former champions are scheduled to lock horns on Dec. 12.

Thales Leites: The "Other Guy" in Saturday's UFC 97 Main Event

Danny Burnham — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:06:51 -0400

On Saturday night, UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva looks to make history within the organization at UFC 97 “Redemption.”

Currently tied with John Fitch and Royce Gracie for the most consecutive UFC wins with eight, Silva would stand alone with a win on Saturday. “The Spider” is also one title defense away from tying Matt Hughes and Tito Ortiz for the most in the history of the organization with five consecutively.

An aspect of Silva’s eight UFC wins is that none of them have gone past the midway point of the fight, with only Patrick Cote lasting until the third round. The only thing more impressive than that is the names that have fallen victim to the Brazilian.

Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt, Chris Leben, and Rich Franklin (twice) have all come up on the short end of their respective matches with Silva. His most recent fight (the win over Cote) was a less-than-stellar performance, but "The Spider" is unlikely to have two bad outings in a row.

At the end of this career, Silva will undoubtedly be talked about among the greats to ever step into the octagon, but he won’t be alone in the cage on Saturday.

The “other guy” in this fight is up-and-coming challenger Thales Leites.

Leites is riding a win streak of his own. After losing his UFC debut, the 27-year-old Brazilian has rolled off five consecutive victories, which includes wins over Nate Marquardt and Drew McFedries.

With an overall record of 14-1, Leites is known for taking fights to the ground. Nine of his wins come by way of submission.

And with only two victories by way of knockout, Leites is unlikely to stand and trade with Silva, who is believed by many to be one of the most dangerous strikers in the sport.

Instead, Leites will most likely attempt to take the fight to the mat and control the tempo from there with his exceptional Jiu-Jitsu skills. If he can do that, he has a shot to stop Silv, and take his career to the next level as UFC Middleweight Champion.

BCS: We're Stuck With It

Danny Burnham — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:07:21 -0500

College football conference commissioners don't care about the fans.

At least, that's the best conclusion that can be drawn after meetings back in May of this year among the 11 Division 1A football conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director. Only two conferences voted in favor of the playoff, the SEC and ACC.

The Pac-10 and Big 10 have long been outspoken against any type of playoff that may endanger their beloved Rose Bowl. The Big East, Big 12, WAC, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, and Notre Dame also announced that they wanted no part of a playoff.

Why would they? Under the current format 68 teams are selected to participate in 34 bowl games at the end of the season. That means 34 teams can call themselves "Bowl Champion" after the dust has settled in January, because somebody has to win these things.

For Conferences like the Mountain West, the Western Athletic Conference or the Sun Belt, (who will likely never participate in a BCS championship game) a few of their teams can still hang their hat on winning the Backdoor bowl sponsored by Ray's Sack 'n' Shack instead of just losing in a true National Tournament.

The question asked by many people would be, who wouldn't want a shot at the national championship via year-end tournament? Why settle of a second rate bowl in the middle of nowhere? For the teams in the smaller conferences, being a “bowl champion” is important on more than one level.

One reason, and maybe the biggest, is money.

Last season, the lowest payout that any bowl game offered was the New Orleans Bowl at $350,000, with the money to be divided between the participating conferences teams. The highest, of course, were the BCS games at $17 million each.

Schools like Utah State or Louisiana Lafayette would be more than happy to take a cut of the money from a 10th rate bowl rather than just going home at season’s end empty handed and watching the playoffs on television.

On the subject of money, TV networks would also take a hit under the playoff format. Under the current system, there are 34 games on various networks, so everybody gets a slice, while a playoff would likely be dominated by one network, cutting the rest out of their share of the revenue.

Another reason for teams settling on the Biscuit Bowl is recruiting.

For a team to be able to say we won a bowl game last year carries some weight in the war for top prospects. Now, from the grown up point of view, more than half the teams in the country participate in bowl games, and half of those teams win. So really, how prestigious is it? But colleges aren’t recruiting “grown-ups” they are recruiting 17-year-old kids, and the bowl champion card is an easier play to make in that demographic.

The next question in this argument is, what is the alternative?

Well, we could go back to the old system where the two top ranked teams may not even meet in the post season and a clear-cut national champion is even foggier. Let’s not do that again.

Another alternative would be the plus one system. Where all the bowl games are played, then the top two teams go on to play in a championship game. Which, if you think about it really isn’t all that different from the system that we currently loathe.

The system that is probably the most widely agreed upon by fans is a tournament. There are a couple of ways to do this also. The champions of the 11 conferences could have an automatic bid, with the next five teams according to rank could be admitted.

The money could still be split up among the teams respective conferences, so everyone could still get a cut in full Socialist fashion.

The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) takes the top 16 ranked teams in the country and puts them in a playoff.

That way, at the end of the playoff the best team would stand alone, as undisputed champion.

The biggest problem with the current system is that it isn’t designed to find out which team comes in first place. It’s designed to see who comes in second. The two “best” teams are put in a championship game with the winner finishing first and the loser second. It shouldn’t matter who comes in second.

If you have ever looked at a tournament bracket, you have seen that there is only one line at the end. No matter how many teams you started out with, 16, 32, 64,128, there is only one at the end.

And that’s the way it should be.

Plaxico Burress: When Will It End?

Danny Burnham — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:16:25 -0500

Plaxico Burress was hospitalized late Friday night after an apparently accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Anyone care to guess where Plax' was at the time of the incident? He was at a place called 'The Latin Quarter', an establishment in Manhattan: That's right folks, a night club.

Now it's anyone's guess as to how Burress' gun went off, or why he was carrying it. For that matter it's anyone's guess as to why NFL players still visit night clubs. The bottom line here is the same that it's always been. NFL players and night clubs equals trouble.

How many times have we seen it in the headlines, "Pro athlete (insert athlete's name) was arrested following an incident in a night club"? What's it going to take for these guys to realize, "Hey, it CAN happen to me"?

As far as Burress is concerned, this is not his first appearance in the headlines this season, it's not even his first time in a negative light. He has been fined three times for various idiocy. Violating team rules, abusing an official, and refusing to practice at mini-camp are on all the list, but this time he as really shot himself in the foot. Pardon the pun.

Burress was already ruled out of this week's match-up with the Redskins because of a hamstring injury, but has since been ruled out indefinitely after being shot.

2008 hasn't been the most productive season of his career. He snagged 10 balls for 133 yards in the Giants season opener, and had five grabs for 81 yards and a score the next week against St. Louis. Since then, has hasn't managed more than four catches in a game.

He certainly won't be doing his team any favors now.

ESPN The Magazine recently published an article about how professional athletes feel the need to defend themselves. There's probably something to be said for that, as it's entirely possible that these guys get tested on a regular basis. People probably approach these guys thinking, "Pro athlete huh? I bet he ain't so tough". Many times however, these guys put themselves in that position by hanging out in places like night clubs.

Maybe one of these days, professional athletes will learn. Maybe it will take league commissioners or team general managers outlawing night club visits. Either way, as long as it's occurring, there will be headlines, and they won't be good.

Note to Roger Goodell: Let Michael Vick Play

Danny Burnham — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:06:46 -0500

With his recent guilty plea to animal cruelty charges in a Virginia court, there has been much speculation about Michael Vick's return to the NFL. His projected release date of July 20 would be just in time for him to report to an NFL training camp. His release could even be moved up with the plea.

While there are many who believe Vick should not be allowed to return to the NFL, it must be said that he isn't as bad as some who have been arrested and returned to the league.

In a data table compiled by the San Diego Union-Tribune, there have been 385 arrests among NFL players since 2000. Of those, 163 were repeat offenders, i.e. guys who were given (at least) a second chance.

Care to guess how many of those arrests were one Michael Dwayne Vick? One. That's right: Just one time was this guy hauled in out of 385 total arrests of NFL players.

Dog fighting is a disgusting, despicable crime, but at the end of the day, it's not a crime against humanity. Now before the PETA types start in, I'm not saying it's better to hurt a dog than a human. It's just really not as big of a deal.

There are an average of 43 arrests per year among NFL players, and about 21 of those are violent crimes—violent crimes against other human beings. Many of these guys serve a game or two suspension and do a little community service, and they're back on the field without any more questions.

Let's take a look at some of these offenders.

May 20, 2007: New York Jets CB/KR Justin Miller was arrested at 4:20am after assaulting a woman in a night club and running from the cops. Sure, Justin was trying to punch a man, but the guy ducked and Miller's fist found a woman's face—but does that really make it any better? No one ever spoke up against Miller's return to the field.

July 26, 2007: Carolina OT Jeremy Bridges pointed a gun at a Charlotte strip club employee. He was suspended two games and was fined $500. Wait, $500? That can't be right, let me check... Yes, he was fined a mere $500 for threatening another human being's life. Maybe they were hoping the whopping 60-day suspended jail sentence and 60 days of community service would teach him.

Aug. 5, 2007: Buffalo DE Anthony Hargrove was charged with resisting arrest, harassment, and criminal mischief after striking a police officer at yet another night club. Hargrove was forced to pay a staggering $300 fine and perform 200 hours of community service.

July 17, 2007: Michael Vick was arrested for violating federal laws on dog fighting. He was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. He was barred from training camp and indefinitely suspended by the NFL.

In other words, it's not so bad to punch women or police officers, or to wave guns around and resist arrest, but if you so much as kick your dog, you're going to the big house. It just doesn't make sense.

If we stop and think about it, Michael Vick will play football again. It may come as a shock to some, but there are leagues out there besides the NFL. The Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League come to mind.

After his bout with the law and the NFL, Ricky Williams landed on a Canadian team roster. It would probably be a shot in the arm for a team's attendance in one of these "Secondary" leagues.

Even lower on the totem pole are minor indoor football leagues. The players' salaries can range from $100 to $500 per game, and they are allowed to "chase their dream" as long as their body holds up.

There are leagues like the CIFL (Continental Indoor Football League), the SIFL (Southern Indoor Football League), and the AIFA (American Indoor Football Association). Surely one of these P.T. Barnum "wannabes" would sign Vick, if only to bring attention to his team.

The bottom line is that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is taking a tough stance on player conduct. But he could be a little more judicious about picking his battles.

After Vick serves his time in prison, he should be done with his punishment and allowed to move on with his life—and it would be better for the NFL to have him in the fold than for him to be out helping to promote a competing league.

Not Franklin's Fault: The Real Reason Auburn's Offense is Struggling

Danny Burnham — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:03:50 -0400

Looks like it wasn't Tony Franklin's fault after all. Auburn lost a game yesterday to Arkansas 25-20, after yet another low offensive output.

The Tiger offense could only manage one touchdown, a one yard run by QB Kodi Burns.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Auburn used two signal callers yesterday, Burns, and Chris Todd, who combined for 10-for-28 passing for 137 yards and three interceptions. Those numbers aren't good no matter what kind of offense, or who is calling the plays.

Seven Tiger receivers caught passes in the game, but none of them had more than two catches. It could be said that the attack was balanced, but there just wasn't much to go around.

The ground game has been the Tiger's strong suit in the past, but they aren't exactly breaking records there either. Ben Tate was the team's leading rusher with 32 yards on eight carries.

So what's really wrong with the offense? They struggled last season, so they brought in a new coordinator, with a new system and the struggles continued. They fired the coordinator, and handed the play calling duties to someone else, and still couldn't manage to get things going.

The offense works. When Franklin was at Troy University, they put up big numbers against a handful of SEC teams. And when he was at Kentucky, they did that every week.

What has happened since then? Has the rest of college football caught up with the system? Since just last year? That's doubtful. Has Franklin faded as a coach? Again in less than one year, that's not the problem either. If Franklin was indeed the problem, it would have been cured against Arkansas, right? That didn't happen.

Maybe it's the offensive assistants? Most of them have been at Auburn as long as Tuberville, and hadn't previously coached the spread system. Maybe if Franklin had been allowed to bring some of the assistants that had been with him previously, and had experience installing the system, things would have been different.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to numbers. 10-for-28 137 yards three interceptions. Those numbers say that Auburn just does not have the type of football players it takes to run this system.

In recent years, the numbers say that Auburn doesn't have the type of football players to run any system with much success. And that goes back to the head coach. Maybe he should have fired the recruiting coordinator, instead of the play caller.

Tony Franklin, Scapegoat: Why Auburn Deserves to Lose Every Game This Season

Danny Burnham — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:57:26 -0400

Auburn's offense is ranked 104th overall in the country, and something had to give. Something, or somebody?

On Wednesday, Auburn fired first year offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, who brought with him the spread offense that the Tigers have run this season.

Things haven't taken off as quickly as expected, but of course Auburn people probably expected a National championship this year. Keep in mind, this is the same bunch that can't decide what their mascot is.

Folks, the offense works, but it doesn't work miracles.

The "Air Raid" is certainly capable of running up big numbers against SEC-caliber talent. In 2007, it rolled up 26 points against Arkansas, 31 against Florida, and 34 on Georgia. That team was Troy University, and they by no means have the same athletes that most SEC teams have. The sky is the limit if you actually put SEC players at the helm.

The proof is in the pudding. In 2000, when Franklin was the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky, the Wildcats finished the season ranked second nationally in passing offense and 11th overall.

During his time at Kentucky, Franklin had three different starting quarterbacks—Tim Couch, Dusty Bonner, and Jared Lorenzen—all of which led the SEC in passing at some point in their career, and all three of whom played at the next level. Couch broke many NCAA, SEC, and Kentucky records, and Lorenzen went on to break several of those.

System quarterbacks? From a numbers standpoint, you betcha, but let's not say that like it's a bad thing. They still have to go out and make the throws.

Franklin spent the 2003 season as head coach of the Lexington Horsemen of the National Indoor Football League, where he led the team to the playoffs in their inaugural season with an average of 53 points per game with Dusty Bonner as his quarterback—one of his "system" guys.

In 2006 Franklin was hired as offensive coordinator at Troy University. He helped turn around a Trojan offense that had previously ranked last in the Sun Belt Conference to one that ranked second in the league, leading the team to a conference title.

In 2007 Troy finished 16th nationally in total offense, and the Trojans won their second consecutive Sun Belt crown.

In those two years, Trojan quarterback Omar Haugabook shattered school and conference records. Another "product of the system," Omar threw for over 5,000 yards and 39 touchdowns in two years in Franklin's system.

Since leaving Troy, it seems that Franklin has forgotten how to coach football and is to blame for Auburn's lack of offensive productivity.

Wait a second. That doesn't sound right to me either.

Maybe it's the fact that it takes system guys to run an offense like the spread: linemen who can pass block in their sleep, receivers that run crisp routes and make catches, and running backs who can both catch and block.

Last but not least, it takes a quarterback who can run the whole system.

Kentucky and Troy already had these people in place. Auburn could have given him a year or two to recruit the right players.

With the offense that Auburn has been in, the players just don't fit in the new system. They have linemen whose sole purpose in life is to blow people off the ball, receivers who can block in space, running backs that lower their shoulder for two more yards, and a quarterback who is really good at carrying out play fakes.

There's certainly nothing wrong with that—it just doesn't translate to the spread.

In my first year of high school coaching, we ran this exact offense. We went to seminars led by Franklin, who broke down every step of the thing.

Each player on the field wears a wristband with his assignments on it. A coach signals in a number from the sideline, and the player finds the number on his band with the corresponding assignment. Pretty simple stuff. It's all spelled out for each player.

The only way it doesn't work is if you don't have the players.

The day after Auburn's loss to Vanderbilt, head coach Tommy Tuberville defended Franklin and his system. A couple of days later, Franklin was out. We can't say that someone in the Auburn athletic department pulled rank on Tuberville, but we can think it. If that's not the case, then Tuberville is just a liar.

Tuberville was quoted on ESPN.com as saying, "(Franklin's firing is) not going to change our philosophy. This is a good offense. Our guys like it. They understand it. They're getting better at it." Which could be translated as: "We have your system, so we don't need you and your hefty salary anymore."

Either way, this is a shady situation, and Tony Franklin is the scapegoat, forced to bear the brunt of the frustration of the Tiger nation.

Kimbo's EliteXC Main Event Loss to Seth Petruzelli Not an Upset

Danny Burnham — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:01:00 -0400

To anyone that follows the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, it should have been no surprise when Kimbo Slice folded up like a lawn chair on Saturday night against Seth Petruzelli.

To those who thought Kimbo would dominate the EliteXC main event because they've seen him beat up countless stiffs on Youtube, get with the program. This guy has been fed a steady stream of tomato can opponents whose styles played into his favor, not to mention fighters that were either past their primes, or never had one.

Kimbo was scheduled to face off against Ken Shamrock on Saturday. Shamrock was yet another over-the-hill former superstar to be propped up against Kimbo. In spite of the fact that he has lost his last five fights and eight of his last 10, he is still a recognizable name in the sport.

If Kimbo wins, he has a victory over a legend in the sport, a member of the UFC hall of fame. Never mind the guy hasn't won a fight since 2004 and is 44 years old. EliteXC needed to solidify their cash cow with a victory over a recognizable fighter. Shamrock was forced to withdraw from the event at the last minute due to injury.

Enter Seth Petruzelli.....Literally.

Seth "The Silver-back" Petruzelli showed up at the arena on Saturday as little more than a spectator. Upon arriving, he was informed by EliteXC officials that he would be a participant in the main event.

Petruzelli was touted in pre-fight introductions as a UFC veteran, and a participant in "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV series. Sure he is a UFC veteran, if you consider 0-2 in "The Octagon" a veteran.

The only "quality" win on his record came against Dan "The Beast" Severn back in 2004, when Severn was already 50 years old.

He has losses to Wilson Gouveia and Matt Hamil, the only other quality opponents on his resume. Not to mention he hadn't fought since October of 2007.

This guy couldn't possibly beat Kimbo, could he? He sure could, and it only took 10 seconds.

Why? Because even with very short notice, he appeared to have a strategy, and dictated the pace in the very short fight. Something that Kimbo hasn't seen yet. A couple of front kicks by Petruzelli allowed him the space he needed to keep Kimbo away and land a few bombs of his own. Kimbo hit the mat, ate a few more punches, and the fight was stopped and Petruzelli's hand was raised.

The fight commentator made ridiculous statements like "Most incredible victory in the history of MMA" and "...shocked the entire world of MMA." That's what they would have us believe. That this fight was on the level of Muhammed Ali vs. Ken Norton, or Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas.

Not really. This was going to happen, it was just a matter of time. Kimbo would be matched up against a real fighter, and he would lose. But what does it say about his ability if some guy can just show up and beat his socks off in 10 seconds?

The fact is that he just isn't as good as advertised by EliteXC. The cash cow has been slaughtered. How he, and EliteXC bounce back will be interesting to watch.

Will they move on to a new flag bearer, or will they try to bill the fight as a fluke and continue to ride Kimbo, and try to prop him up with the best in the sport? Only time will tell.

Georgia Bulldogs Announcer Larry Munson Hangs up the Microphone

Danny Burnham — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:23:46 -0400

Larry Munson announced his retirement on Monday after calling Georgia Bulldogs football games for 43 seasons.

Munson, who turns 86 next week, gave up road trips last season due to declining health. He suffers from acute arthritis and back problems. He had a fall last year that resulted in a subdural hematoma. He also underwent brain surgery back in April. He called only two Georgia home games this season before deciding to walk away altogether.

Munson's longtime assistant Scott Howard will take over the play-by-play duties, while former UGA quarterback Eric Zeier will handle the color commentary.

For more on the retirement of Larry Munson including reactions from two former Georgia Bulldog football players go here:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/60825-follow-up-larry-munson-steps-down-after-over-40-years-as-voice-of-the-dawgs

2008 Notre Dame Football: Irish Eyes Smiling Once Again?

Danny Burnham — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:48:32 -0400

In spite of a loss to Michigan State this weekend, Notre Dame football fans have reason to believe that this season will be much better than last.

After three games the Irish sit at 2-1 having beaten San Diego State in their season opener, and dropped the Michigan Wolverines last week. They haven't been the prettiest wins, the Irish did what it took to get by San Diego State by a score of 21-13, and used six Michigan turnovers, including linebacker Brian Smith's 35-yard fumble return for a touchdown, to roll up a 35-17 victory over the Wolverines. They dropped a 23-7 decision to Michigan State in their third game of the season.

The young Irish offense has been slow thus far, averaging just over 18 points per game. The passing attack has carried most of the load going for 208 yards per game on the arm of Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen,(55-for-96 626 yards 6TD's six Int's) while the team's leading rusher Sophomore Robert Hughes has 142 yards on 41 carries in three games. A meager average of 47 yards per game, that's just over half of the teams average of 78 yards per game on the ground.

The Irish receiving corps is lead by Sophomore wideout Golden Tate who has 15 catches for 303 yards and two scores. Tate is complimented by Freshman Michael Floyd who has 10 grabs of his own for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Head coach Charlies Weis, and offensive coordinator Michael Haywood will have to find a way to jump start the rushing attack. Without one, opponents will be able to focus on the Irish passing attack, and putting pressure on their quarterback. The boys in blue will also have to cut back on turnovers having already given away nine.

Defensively, the Irish have performed well, allowing just over 17 points per game. The Senior heavy unit is lead by safeties Kyle McKarthy and David Bruton who have 33, and 30 tackles respectively. Bruton also has one interception.

Leading the linebackers is Maurice Crum. The fifth year senior has totalled 19 total tackles thus far including two for loss.

Up front, Senior defensive end Pat Kuntz is the anchor on the line. Kuntz has seven tackles over the three games with one for loss.

Junior linebacker Toryan Smith has missed every game this season with a shoulder injury, and his return will provide a shot in the arm in the form of speed in the middle of the Irish defense.

The defense has forced eight turnovers, and will need to continue to play at a high level while the offense continues to work out the bugs that go along with having underclassmen in key positions.

Strength of schedule is a point of ridicule for the anti-Irish crowd. USC stands alone as the only real power on the schedule. At this point in the game, it's wise for Notre Dame to play a softer schedule. They are trying to build experience on a very young offense, and that doesn't come easy playing top 10 teams every week.

In the grand scheme of things, a seven or eight win season is a real possibility for this team. As the weeks go by, expect the defense to keep the Irish in the game while Jimmy Clausen and the rest of the offense continue to improve, and lead their team to back to a bowl game.

When Will Fedor Emelianenko Take on a Top Fighter?

Danny Burnham — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:26:57 -0400

I would just like to go on record as saying I am sick of hearing about how Fedor is the greatest fighter in the world, or how he is the baddest man on the planet, or how he can slam a revolving door, or walk on water.

Sports is a "What have you done for me lately?" business, and don't anybody start with that "He beat Tim Sylvia" noise. I think that if I trained a little in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I would have half a chance against the Maine-iac myself.

Sylvia has lost three of his last four fights and hasn't won consecutive fights since 2006. Sure, he was ranked in the top 10 in the world, but good heavyweights in the sport are few and far between.

He beat Antonio Nogueira twice by decision, unable to put "Minotauro" away in either fight. Since the 12/31/04 matchup with Nog, Fedor hasn't really beaten anyone of any stature in the sport.

Tsuyoshi Kohsaka on 4/3/05 was 26-18, not exactly the best record. Then there was Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic on 8/28/05, who has now lost two of his last three and proved himself to be overrated when he came to the UFC.

On 12/31/05 he defeated Wagner Da Conceicao, who is 5-4. On 10/21/06 he defeated Mark Coleman, who is 15-8 and doesn't have many notable wins himself.

He handled Mark Hunt on 12/31/06, but Hunt has a meager record of 5-4. Matt Lindland was his next victim on 4/14/07. Lindland does have a record of 21-5, but was giving up over 30 pounds to Fedor.

And before beating Tim Syliva in his most recent fight, Fedor submitted Hong Man Choi in a fight that was little more than a freak show on 12/31/07.

Emelianenko may well be the best fighter on earth. He has beaten notable fighters in the past, but his record of late isn't much of a supporting argument.

Perhaps now that Randy Couture has returned to the UFC we can all see the fight that we've wanted to see for a long time. Or maybe we can see Fedor vs. Nog again, or Fedor vs. Frank Mir.

Until he fights (and beats) some names that are big in the sport right now, many people will still be skeptical of his status among the best in the business.

Randy "The Natural" Couture Returns to UFC to Take on Brock Lesnar at UFC 91

Danny Burnham — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:18:49 -0400

He's back!

Randy Couture will make his return to the UFC (after a highly publicized legal battle with the promotion) at UFC 91 on Nov. 15.

The fight could be the biggest fight in the history of the UFC, not only because of Couture's popularity and the fact that fight fans want to see him in the octagon again, but also because of his opponent: Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar is a huge draw because of the built-in fanbase that he brings with him from professional wrestling. He may well go on to be one of the best fighters the sport has ever seen, and Couture is already held in such regard.

The fight could be billed as Past vs. Future, New vs. Old, and so on and so on.

The event, which was rumored to take place in Portland, Oregon, will take place in Las Vegas, the home base of the UFC.

It looks like the end of the legal battle between Couture and the UFC. Until this announcement was made, the two sides were in arbitration hearings to determine whether or not Couture could fight outside of the UFC.

In Couture's absence, the UFC had crowned Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira heavyweight champion. Nogueira was scheduled to fight Frank Mir for the title in December.

Since Couture is back he retains the title and will defend it against Lesnar instead. The Nogueira/Mir fight will still take place, with the winner of that fight facing the winner of the Couture/Lesnar fight sometime in 2009.

With Lesnar's record of (only) 2-1, some may find it strange that he is being allowed a shot at the title. But once again the UFC is doing a great job of making the fights that fans want to see.

What else could this fight lead to? Couture vs. Nogueira, or Mir? Maybe this opens the door for Fedor Emelianenko to come to the UFC. Maybe the fight can finally be made between him and Randy Couture, or Brock Lesnar. Or Lesnar and Nogueira.

Dana White could just put all of those names in a hat and draw them out to see which fights should be made. Any of those would be a huge draw.

No matter how things turn out, this is a much needed shot in the arm for the Heavyweight division of the UFC.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Pleads Not Guilty to Six Counts

Danny Burnham — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:54:23 -0400

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has plead not guilty to six charges (two felony, four misdemeanor) stemming from a July 15 police chase in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The incident occurred 10 days after Jackson lost the title to Forrest Griffin by decision.

According to reports, Jackson was involved in an accident in a Ford F-350 Turbo Diesel with his UFC promotional picure on the side, and left the scene. Police chased him as he hit two more cars before coming to a stop with a blown tire.

He was charged with felonies counts of evading while driving recklessly and evading a peace officer, three misdemeanor counts of hit and run, and one misdemeanor count of driving recklessly. He could spend up to three years in jail if convicted.

Jackson is currently free on $25,000 bond, which was posted by UFC president Dana White.

A pretrial date of Oct. 9 has been scheduled for the case.

Spokespeople for Jackson claim that he had not eaten in the days leading up to the incident, and had only consumed energy drinks, resulting in a state of delirium.

Jackson is rumored to have a matchup with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 92 in December.

Dan Henderson Returns to Action at UFC 88 in Atlanta

Danny Burnham — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 05:07:21 -0400

After losing his last two fights, Dan "Hollywood" Henderson looks to rebound in Atlanta, GA on Sept. 6 at UFC 88.

One might start to question a fighter's ability after dropping two consecutive bouts. MMA isn't really a sport where athletes rebound easily from slumps.

Relax. He has lost two in a row, but they were both title fights, and they were in two different weight divisions.

The first was to UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and the second was to the fighter that many consider the best pound for pound fighter in the world, UFC Middleweight Champ Anderson Silva.

So Henderson hasn't exactly been dropping fights to tomato can opponents. Let's take a look at his record to clear up any confusion.

Henderson is best known as a wrestler. No not the kind that "hit" each other with chairs and use fake blood. He is a two-time Olympian Greco Roman wrestler.

He is also a three-time winner of the Senior Division National Championship, a Junior World Champion, a three-time medalist in the Pan American games with one gold, two-time World Cup Silver medalist, and a three-time USA University National Champion.

Get it? The guy can wrestle.

Next question: "Yea, but that doesn't always translate to MMA—how is he as a fighter?"

Answer: Not bad. He only has two wins in the UFC and hasn't won a fight with the company in 10 years, but he has been busy in that time.

Henderson, from Temecula, CA, is the only man ever to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously. After winning the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships 183-pound title in 2005, he went on to knockout Wanderlei Silva in February of 2007 to win the 205-pound title as well, making history in his sport.

He rolled up 13 wins during his time with PRIDE, with another seven wins coming in other promotions.

Because of his versatility, Henderson is often mentioned among the best pound for pound fighters in the world.

With an overall MMA record of 22-7, Hollywood has racked up wins over some of the best in the business: the aforementioned Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, current UFC Heavyweight Champ Antonio Nogueira, Murilio Rua, Renato Sobral, and Renzo Gracie, whose familiy pioneered the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

As much as Henderson is known as a wrestler, he only has one win by submission, with 10 coming by way of knockout. He's not just a puncher with weight on one big haymaker—he has proven knockout power in both hands.

He has suffered seven career defeats, but they were all either by submission or decision. With one of the stiffest chins in the business, Henderson has never been knocked out.

On Sept. 6 in Atlanta, Henderson will face off against a fighter who is pretty good in his own right.

Submission specialist Rousimar Palhares brings an impressive 17-1 record into the contest. While the names of his opponents aren't quite as impressive as Henderson's, Palhares is a dangerous fighter.

The key to the fight is whether Palhares can get the fight to the mat before Henderson connects on a home run shot. Even if he does make it to the ground, Heno isn't exactly out of his element.

If Henderson wins the fight, it will be the first step towards the top of the middleweight division and another shot at Anderson Silva's title.

Rashad Evans: The "Other Guy" in the UFC 88 Main Event

Danny Burnham — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:20:44 -0400

At UFC 88 Breakthrough on Sept. 6 the MMA world will witness the return of the sport's biggest star. Chuck Liddell steps back into the Octagon for the first time since his dramatic win over Wanderlei Silva, back in December of 2007.

The former UFC light-heavyweight champion Liddell was scheduled to fight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 85 on June 7. Rua, however, had to withdraw due to injury. He was replaced by Rashad Evans, but the bout was scrapped when Liddell was forced to withdraw with an injury of his own.

With both fighters healthy, the Liddell/Evans matchup is set for Sept. 6 in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be the state's first UFC event.

Liddell's record speaks for itself. He has 21-5 with victories over some of the biggest names in the sport.

He held the light-heavyweight championship for over a year, defending it four times. He has two wins over Randy Couture and another two over Tito Ortiz. Wanderlei Silva, Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, and Jeremy Horn are also on the list.

Few would argue that Chuck Liddell is the main attraction. There is, however, another guy in this fight: Rashad Evans.

Evans holds a very impressive record of his own. He has victories over Michael Bisping, Jason Lambert, and Stephan Bonner. He won The Ultimate Fighter season two as a heavyweight, and battled former champion Tito Ortiz to a draw.

Many people even thought Evans should have won that fight. The bout was scored 28-28 on all three judges' cards, but Ortiz was penalized a point early on for grabbing the fence to avoid a takedown.

Rashad has one other thing in his bio that even Chuck Liddell does not. He has never lost.

With an overall record of 16-0-1, Rashad is 6-0-1 in the UFC, with four wins coming by decision, and two more by way of knockout. One of those knockouts was a very impressive kick to Sean Salmon's head. Evans also holds a knockout victory over Jason Lambert, who was riding an eight-fight win streak at the time.

In spite of his proven knockout ability, Evans is known primarily as a wrestler. While at Niagara County Community College, he won the 2000 junior college national championship as a freshman in the 165 lbs. class.

He then transferred to Michigan State where he was a three-year starter for the Spartans. In 2005 he became an assistant coach for the school's wrestling program.

He now trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico and will most certainly be in top physical condition for the biggest fight of his career.

Evans will need to be at the top of his game if he hopes to beat Liddell. On the other side of that coin, Liddell will need to be at the top of his game if he hopes to beat "the other guy" in this fight.

James Irvin: The "Other Guy" in Saturday's UFC Event

Danny Burnham — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:52:00 -0400

Most of the hype surrounding Saturday night's UFC live television event is centered on Middle-weight Champion Anderson Silva, who is making his debut in the Light Heavy-weight division.

Many believe Silva to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He has cleaned out the Middle-weight division and is an impressive 6-0 in the UFC. Silva isn't just knocking out patsies, he has handled some of the best fighters in the world.

Nate Marquart, Chris Leben, Dan Henderson, and Rich Franklin (twice) are just a few of the names that weren't mentioned by the ring announcer after an Anderson Silva fight.

Silva is so confident in his ability that he even challenged boxing champion Roy Jones, Jr. to a match on his own terms.

Anderson Silva is a great fighter, there's no arguing that. But what about the "other guy" in Saturday night's match? His name is James "The Sandman" Irvin.

Irvin is an accomplished fighter in his own right. He has an overall record of 14-4 with one no contest, and 10 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

The heavy-handed fighter from Sacramento, California is no stranger to changing divisions himself. Irvin is a former WEC Heavy-weight champion (before Zuffa bought the WEC and eliminated the division) who vacated his crown to fight in the UFC.

Irvin has wins over the likes of former WEC Light Heavy-weight champion Doug Marshall, Terry Martin, and Houston Alexander. In the match with Alexander, Irvin tied the UFC record for the fastest knockout, disposing of his opponent in only eight seconds by way of Superman punch.

With ability like that, Irvin should not be taken lightly, even against a fighter of Silva's talents.

Irvin may also hold the distinction for the strangest ending to a fight. In June of 2006, before he came to the UFC, he and his opponent fell out of cage through a gate that was left unlocked resulting in a no contest.

The UFC thinks highly of his ability. Saturday in Las Vegas will be the second time that the UFC has scheduled him in a main event.

Irvin was scheduled to replace Chuck Liddell on what seemed to be a snake bitten UFC 85 card in London, against Rashad Evans (who himself was a replacement for Mauricio Rua), but was unable to make the fight after sustaining a foot injury. Irvin is now healed up (no pun intended) and ready to go.

Silva will be looking to test the waters in the 205-pound division on Saturday, but don't expect James Irvin to dust off the welcome mat.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Former UFC Champ, Arrested

Danny Burnham — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:45:42 -0400

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was arrested Tuesday following a traffic accident in Newport Beach California. TMZ.com reports that Jackson gave himself up after allegedly striking several vehicles and fleeing the scene. The site listed the charges as felony hit and run, and felony evading arrest, but those were not confirmed.

TMZ has photos of the former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion lying face down behind his truck as the police close in on him with guns drawn. The truck is a four-wheel drive Ford Turbo Diesel with the fighter's picture on the side.

Jackson held the title until July 5 when he lost to Forrest Griffin. He won the title by knocking out Chuck Liddell on May 26, 2007, and had one title defense against Dan Henderson on September 5, 2007.

Kimbo Slice: Hope or Hype?

Danny Burnham — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:32:48 -0400

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has a 3-0 record in professional MMA. While some think this is quite the accomplishment for the former street brawler, there is another side of the story that may say otherwise.

Kimbo's professional MMA debut took place on November 11, 2007 against Bo Cantrell in an EliteXC promotion. Kimbo won the fight only 19 seconds into the opening round as Cantrell crumbled to the mat under the force of multiple strikes.

Cantrell carried a record of 10-11 into the fight, having lost his last four fights leading up to the bout with Kimbo, all of them in the first round. His last win came in December 2006 as he defeated Cal Worsham, who himself sported a less than impressive 11-9 record.

Kimbo's next match up came in February 2008 against former UFC star David "Tank" Abbott. Tank, 42, made a name for himself in the early days of the UFC, when one style of fighting was enough to get by. Abbott was 9-14 at the time of the fight. He had lost his last three fights in a row, with his last win coming in May 2005. He also dropped his last four decisions leading up to that fight.

His last consecutive wins took place on December 12, 1998 and May 15, 1999.

It was to be a classic battle between two guys known for throwing heavy leather and going toe to toe. However, it didn't quite work out that way. Kimbo connected with a bomb that brought the fight to an end only 43 seconds after it started.

Kimbo's most recent fight took place on May 31, 2008 in another EliteXC promotion. This time, it was on a nationwide stage, as CBS was broadcasting the fledgling sport for the first time on network television in prime time. His opponent was James Thompson.

Kimbo won the fight by TKO—the referee stopped the fight at 38 seconds in the third round.

Thompson came into the fight with a 14-9 record, having lost three of his last four bouts, with all three losses coming by knockout in the first round. In fact, eight of his nine career losses were by knockout, with five of those ending in the first round.

There was some controversy surrounding the fight. As Kimbo found himself taking some punishment late in the second round, some onlookers thought that Kimbo had tapped out, while others said he was signaling to the referee that he was still in the fight.

The contest ended quickly in the third round when Kimbo connected with a shot that bloodied Thompson's cauliflower ear, prompting the ref to stop the fight.

There was some speculation that the fight was stopped too soon, and that Thompson was still defending himself. Even the commentators questioned the call.

We are all left to wonder what the future holds for Kimbo.

Right now, EliteXC promoter Gary Shaw, and Furguson's trainer Bas Ruten, are doing an excellent job of keeping him out of harm's way with a series of opponents that are either passed their prime, or never really had one.

But, what happens when they run out of patsies? What happens if Kimbo has to step into the cage against Tim Syliva or Fedor Emilianenko? Will he be ready for such opponents?

Andre Arlovski just left the UFC as a free agent, as did Tito Ortiz. Both are former UFC champions, and would be good tests for Kimbo. There is already some bad blood between Furguson and Ortiz, with both men taking verbal jabs at each other.

It would be a good draw or an EliteXC event, but it may be a little more of a fighter than Kimbo's experience has him ready for at this point.

No matter what happens, one thing is for sure. Love him or hate him, Kimbo is on the map, and people are watching.