Bleacher Report - Articles by Doug Drexler

If You Were Dana White For a Day

Doug Drexler — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:45:44 -0500

Everyone has their own unique fantasies. There are some better left in your deepest, darkest hiding place. But there are others that are fun to discuss in a thought provoking way.

Most hardcore MMA fans are more than willing to admit that they would love to sit in Dana White’s place for a day, to wield power over the biggest, most influential MMA promotion in the world, and make the decisions that would impact the future of our beloved sport.

When placing yourself in Dana White’s shoes, however, you realize that decisions must be made from a business perspective, not simply as a fan. If he was unable to separate those two positions, the UFC would not exist today. So place yourself in the position of being President of the UFC, not the president of the UFC Fan Club.

What would you do specifically if given this fantasy-like opportunity? Would you try to sign a top level fighter not currently on the UFC roster (besides Fedor)? Would you host a show in a location the UFC has never ventured into to date? Would you promote specific fighters differently than Dana White? What business decisions would you make differently than Dana?

Don’t forget that there are some things in the sport that are beyond the control of Dana White or anyone else in the UFC. The state athletic commissions control the referees, length and number of rounds, rules, etc. But there are other things that are determine by the UFC such as the fighting arena (octagon), weight classes, contracts, matchups, etc.

This is not meant to be a Dana White bashing party. There are plenty of other sites that facilitate that type of nonsense. This is intended to be a constructive and thoughtful discussion of what you would do if given the opportunity to fill in as President of the UFC for a day.

Should Jens Pulver Hang Up the Gloves?

Doug Drexler — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:28:35 -0500

There is a fighter who will go down as legendary when history finishes writing his story, and the final chapter may be nearing completion. I'm not referring to Paulo Filho or Urijah Faber, even though they both entered their respective fights as champions and left with a loss. They will have better nights. On the other hand, I'm not sure Jens Pulver has much to look forward to in his MMA career.

Last night, Pulver lost to Leonard Garcia via TKO in the first round of their contest to determine the No. 1 WEC featherweight contender.

Pulver became the first-ever UFC lightweight champion by defeating Caol Uno at UFC 30 in February, 2001. The following year, he left the UFC over a contract dispute and competed around the globe for a multitude of promotions.

He returned to the UFC in September, 2006 with a respectable 21-6-1 record. Before his first fight back, he was already scheduled to coach a season on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter. The UFC matched him up with relatively unknown lightweight Joe Lauzon to introduce him to newer fans and set up a bigger match with BJ Penn following the reality show.

The plan backfired. Pulver was TKO’d in the first round. The UFC, however, went through with Pulver and Penn coaching the reality show, and competing in a rematch following the show. Again, Pulver was dominated. This time, Penn beat him at his own game. He continuously punished Pulver in the striking game and finished him with a choke.

Following the loss to Penn, Pulver moved down to featherweight to compete in the WEC in hope of returning to glory at his more natural fighting weight. A quick submission victory over Cub Swanson showed apparent promise that Pulver was ready to fight for the belt.

Pulver’s title fight against Urijah Faber may very well win “Fight of the Year” honors. It was a five-round war dominated by Faber, but displayed Pulver’s heart and earned the respect of fight fans.

The matchup against Leonard Garcia last night can be viewed as nothing less than a test by Joe Silva to find out if Pulver is still able to get past a fighter many would consider a gatekeeper. It was a match designed for Pulver to win.

Garcia loves to slug it out. His fight against Roger Huerta was a candidate for “Fight of the Year” in 2007. Even though Garcia was dominated, he hung tough enough to absorb the punishment and take the fight to a decision. WEC officials had to hoping for a similar outcome.

The plan was ruined again. Pulver was unable to absorb the stiff combinations put together by Garcia. He lost via TKO in the first round. Again. The speed and footwork from Pulver was absent. There was no head movement. There was no life.

Pulver has had a career most fighters could only dream about. He has worn UFC gold. He has competed around the world for promotions such as the UFC, Pride FC, Hook 'n' Shoot, Shooto, and the IFL. But losing four out of his last five fights should cause him to reconsider his future.

He will be turning 34 years old next month. Strikers tend to lose their effectiveness earlier than grapplers. They depend on lightning-quick reflexes in their hands and feet. When those reflexes slow in the slightest, their ability to compete at the highest level is compromised. Ask Chuck Liddell.

Pulver, for the good of your health and reputation, consider retirement before you are forced into it. I want to remember you for the legendary fights you have competed in across the world. I don’t want to remember you as losing to guys who were given to you on a silver platter.

Is Randy Couture-Brock Lesnar Really the Best Fight on the UFC 91 Card?

Doug Drexler — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:06:59 -0500

On Nov. 15, UFC 91 will feature a heavyweight title fight between Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar. While the main event is getting most of the attention from the hype machine, it may not be the most exciting fight on the card that night. Two other fights on the main card will most likely be action packed battles leaving fans wanting more.

A lightweight match between Kenny Florian and Joe Stevenson will earn the winner a fight against Sean Sherk for the No. 1 contender status. Both fighters earned their way into the UFC by way of the Spike TV reality show The Ultimate Fighter.

Florian lost in the Season One finale to Diego Sanchez (185 pound division). Stevenson defeated Luke Cummo to win Season Two (170 pound division). Both fighters have since dropped to the lightweight division (155 pounds) and found success.

Florian, known for his technical Muay Thai and slick submissions, is on a five-fight win streak and has won eight of his last nine fights. The only setback in that period is a decision loss to Sherk in a title fight in October of 2006. All but one of his wins have been finished prior to a decision.

He will enjoy a height and reach advantage and will try to keep Stevenson at a distance to utilize his powerful leg kicks. If Stevenson can close the distance, Florian will use the Thai clinch to land knees and elbows.

While Stevenson is the underdog on paper, never underestimate his ability to win a fight from any position. His never-give-up toughness in a submission loss to BJ Penn earned him a lot of respect in the fight world. He is relentless in his attack.

If he can close the distance, he will try to take the fight to the ground with his strength and wrestling advantage. And if he manages to get the fight to the ground in top position, he is more than capable of ending it by delivering powerful punches and elbows.

Both fighters are well-versed in submissions, so it is doubtful either fighter will have an advantage there. The fight will most likely be decided by where it takes place. If Florian can keep it standing and maintain distance for striking, he will emerge with a knockout. If Stevenson can close the distance and use his wrestling to take the fight to the mat, he should be able to keep a positional advantage and win a decision.

Another fight that will likely be a topic of conversation for fight fans following UFC 91 is a middleweight bout between Nate Quarry (10-2-0) and Demian Maia (8-0-0). Quarry gained notoriety following his appearance on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Due to injury, he wasn’t able to fight on the show. However, he was a voice of reason amidst the chaos in the house.

Following the reality show, he won his first three UFC fights in a combined 6:34. Four out of his five last wins have come via knockout. While Quarry is comfortable on the ground, he has only two wins by submission. He will clearly want to keep this fight standing to use his powerful hands and superior boxing technique to wear down his opponent and deliver a knockout blow.

Demian Maia entered the UFC as a highly regarded submission specialist with world-class skills on the ground. He is undefeated with three wins in the UFC, all by way of submission. His last opponent, Jason MacDonald, was known for his own submission game, but was no match for Maia once the fight hit the ground.

Many pundits expect Maia to quickly submit Quarry, but the result of the fight will hinge on Quarry’s takedown defense. Quarry has never fought against an opponent with the submission skills of Maia. Likewise, Maia has never fought against someone with the punching prowess of Quarry. He will have to be more wary of Quarry’s power than any other opponent he has faced to date.

Both of these battles have the potential to end by way of knockout or submission. You will likely see stand-up fighting mixed with some grappling. Broken nose? Busted lip? Elbow tendons stretched? Red-faced fighter tapping because he can’t breathe? All of the above are possible results.

No matter what your preference, you’ll walk away from UFC 91 enjoying more than just a mega-hyped heavyweight title fight. You’ll know that the smaller guys can produce some great fights, too!