Bleacher Report - MMA

Brock Lesnar Will Be Fighting in Six Months

Josh Sanchez — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:58:39 -0500

Originally contributed to Sanchoplata.com:

Since Brock Lesnar first pulled out of UFC 106 people have been looking for answers. The more we found out, the more we noticed that Lesnar in much worse health than initially imagined. Lesnar has been living for over a year with a hole in his intestine and he finally had surgery to correct the issue.

UFC commissioner Dana White has said that Brock Lesnar will never fight again. Everytime he is asked the question he responds, "I don't know. We will have to wait and see." Wait no longer.

Brock's longtime friend and Jiu-Jitsu coach, Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros, said that Lesnar is "is getting better and that is the most important thing ... He will be fine and be fighting again within six months. I can just say that the heavyweights can stop laughing and get ready to start crying because the champion will be back soon."

Brock Lesnar has yet to release a statement on the situation himself, but his friends seem to be taking a hands on approach. A friend let the media know Lesnar was at home recovering from surgery , and now Comprido is saying Lesnar will in fact fight again.

Everything sounds positive, so let us hope there are no complications during recovery.

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Pound for Pound: Who's Really the No.1 Ultimate Fighter?

Brad — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:25 -0500

What if? It's an age old question.

What if Kevin Dyson didn't get tackled by the Rams in the Super Bowl?

What if Babe Ruth struck out after calling his shot?

What if that my mom and dad didn't hook up in the back of the van at that Journey concert? Creepy? Yes.

Anyway, one can always ask what if. Here is a what if to ponder. What if the UFC decided to have brawl for it all tournament with no weight classes? A luck of the draw tournament to decide who the Ultimate Fighter really is.

This is how it was back in the day, 1993 to be exact, when Royce Gracie won the very first tournament. But just imagine it today, sixteen or twenty of your top fighters. Throw them against each other, no judges decisions, and 25 minutes to get it done (equivalent to five, five minute rounds).

If a fighter could not get it done in the 25 minutes than there would be another five minute round. All of the current rules would be enforced, minus judges decisions.

Here's how the tournament would work. Take your 16 top fighters from the various weight classes, consisting of all of your division champions plus 4 wild card entries for guys who would be outside of the top rankings but still in the UFC.

In today's UFC, clearly a tournament situation like this would not work because a guy like Kenny Florian or BJ would get crushed by a guy like Carwin or Lesnar or sat on by Roy Nelson. But in theory, a smaller fighter with really good technical skills and excellent cardiovascular conditioning, could outlast, and possibly defeat a stronger, bigger opponent.

What follows is a list of the fighters whom I think would make for an interesting tournament.

1. Brock Lesnar: I realize he's laid up right now but he is still a champion. Besides, someone has to play Darth Vader.

2. Anderson Silva: Listed as the P4P king by many people, it's time for him to prove it. Probably the odds on favorite to win it all.

3. Georges St. Pierre: It would be interesting to see No. 2 versus No.3. A complete MMA fighter with good striking skills, good ground skills, and he can submit anyone.

4. Lyoto Machida: He could possible pull the Royce Gracie and take it all. Dangerous and elusive. Plus, we recently discovered he has striking power.

5. Rashad Evans: A good wrestler with decent striking skills.

6. Shane Carwin: Always dangerous in the early going. An excellent striker with hands of granite

7. Mauricio Rua: Another good all around Brazilian fighter. Skilled in BJJ and a good striker.

8. Cain Velasquez: A good striker, perhaps a dark horse winner.

9. BJ Penn: The smallest guy in the tournament. He has world class BJJ skills and excellent endurance

10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Nog has made a living in brutal wars and would feel right at home in a situation like this.

11. Frank Mir: One of the best in submissions. He also has decent striking skills.

12. Randy Couture: He maybe 46, but you can never rule him out of a fight.

13. Rich Franklin: Former champ has good striking and submission skills.

14. Dan Henderson*:A very good wrestler and an excellent striker.

15. Vanderlei Silva: Another dangerous striker. He's also just terrifying.

16. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson*: BA Barracus himself. A dangerous fighter all around.

Wild Card Entries

1. Kimbo Slice: Not all that much experience, but this type of setting would be a benefit to him. He's a very dangerous striker.

2. Michael Bisping: A good kick boxer with some striking mixed in. Has good endurance as well.

3. Josh Koshchek: A good wrestler and striker.

4. Tito Ortiz: Puts butts in the seats. A ground and pound specialist.

Here's a list of only twenty UFC fighters. It's exciting to just imagine the possibilities. Who would be on your list, and who would you pick to win?

*No longer under UFC contract

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Creature vs. Creature: How Anthony Johnson Can "Rumble" His Way to a Title Shot

Robert Gardner — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:03:06 -0500

UFC 106 started out as one of the most anticipated fight cards of the year but over the past few weeks has been overhauled multiple times due to injuries and fighter health issues.

While the final result may not be the fight card fans were hoping for, this is still a card with some intriguing matchups.

The matchup that has to have fans salivating is between welterweight title contender Josh Koscheck and the explosive youngster Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Johnson is one of the fastest rising stars of the sport and is coming for more less than a month after his destruction of judoka Yoshiyuki Yoshida.

Johnson has the physical gifts and potential to be a serious challenger to Georges St-Pierre’s title, but everyone knows potential means nothing if it is wasted. Just look at the technically gifted Brandon Vera; he has the skill and the confidence to be a great fighter, but he lacks the ability to impose his will and fails to come into fights fully prepared.

Johnson is not Vera, though, as the man they call "Rumble" has the drive and the hunger that will push him to achieve his full potential.

This will be the biggest test of Johnson’s career. Koscheck is a four-time Division I All-American wrestler and a former national champion. Since making the transition to MMA, "Kos" has developed into a dangerous fighter. He eats, sleeps, and breaths MMA now, and when he steps into the cage Saturday night, he will be looking to prove he is worthy of a shot at GSP’s belt.

Too bad for Koscheck, though, because the man standing across the cage from him will be Anthony Johnson.

Rumble has a pretty impressive wrestling background, but it is his standup that makes him so dangerous. Johnson has been under the tutelage of former Strikeforce middleweight champion and sanshou world champion Cung Le. Le has been able to harness Johnson’s raw ability and is slowly turning him into one of the most dynamic strikers in all of MMA.

In order for Johnson to come away victorious, he will need to utilize all of his physical gifts. Being one of the largest welterweights in the UFC, he will need to use that size and strength advantage to punish Koscheck during every clinch and takedown situation.

Rumble needs to force Koscheck to fight his kind of fight. With Kos being deeply in love with his striking as of late, that should not be too difficult.

Johnson will keep this fight upright and punish the blond bomber. With far superior striking and otherworldly athleticism, Johnson will KO Kos.

My friend E. Spencer Kyte has a differing opinion on the outcome; please take a look and judge for yourself.

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Creature vs. Creature: How Josh Koscheck Can Beat Anthony Johnson

E. Spencer Kyte — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:27 -0500

Another event, another installment of Creature vs. Creature courtesy of yours truly and my partner-in-crime, Robert Gardner.

While the main event has the marquee names, the hastily put together co-main event is the fight everyone is most looking forward to, us included, as perennial contender Josh Koscheck takes on rapidly rising prospect Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.

Many are exceptionally high on the talented Johnson, myself included, and with good reason. Over his seven fights in the UFC (5-2, 8-2 overall), the Georgia native has shown dangerous striking and incredible quickness. In addition, Johnson is a massive welterweight, though that proved problematic last time around.

Though Johnson's future is certainly bright, Koscheck is no slouch and will pose a serious roadblock to Rumble's ascent.

Despite his recent love affair with striking, Koscheck is a dominant wrestler.

The former multi-time All-American should return to his wrestling roots and or risk suffering the same fate. While Johnson possesses solid wrestling of his own, it pales in comparison to Koscheck's, and taking this fight to the ground removes the chances of getting KTFO by one of the top strikers in the division.

In addition to utilizing his superior ground skills, the American Kickboxing Academy product should look to make this a marathon, not a sprint.

As previously mentioned, Johnson is a massive welterweight, walking around in the area of 200 pounds before training camp begins. A knee injury before his last bout—four weeks ago at UFC 104—caused him to miss weight by six pounds.

Despite the quick turnaround, Johnson was back up in the neighborhood of 180 pounds at the start of the week, and the effects of repeatedly cutting big weight will certainly take a toll on a fighter's body.

Conversely, weight has never been a problem for Koscheck, and we've seen him go the distance before against the likes of Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez, and welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.

Make no mistake about it: This is a dangerous bout for both fighters, and Koscheck enters the cage with more to lose than his up-and-coming opponent.

The winner most likely moves one step closer to a title shot, while the loser moves back down the ladder to regroup.

Three losses in five fights certainly doesn't look good on anyone's resume, regardless of who they come against.

If Koscheck wants to avoid that scenario, he needs to follow the blueprint above or else he'll be left looking up at the lights wondering what went wrong.

For the other side of the story, check out Robert Gardner's thoughts on what will make Johnson successful on Saturday.

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Karo Parisyan Needs Our Support, Not Our Blind Disgust

Sterling Spiars — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:27:39 -0500

As a fan, it's easy to let your heated emotions take control and cause you to unjustly lash out at an athlete that seems to be squandering his career opportunities. Such is the case for Karo "The Heat" Parisyan.

As you may all know, Parisyan recently pulled out of his UFC 106 bout with the returning Dustin Hazelett.

At first, it was unclear as to why, as no details were given, but the lack of information didn't stop passionate fans from tearing into Parisyan with little compassion.

Details did finally surface, and it appears that Parisyan has had a very difficult time kicking his addiction to painkillers.

So instead of carrying out the fight, only to fail the urine test afterwards, Parisyan decided the best thing to do is to come clean and avoid the post-fight piss test that he would have surely failed.

In my book, that was the smartest move he could of made in the given circumstances, and for that, he has forever earned my respect.

Still, even after the truth came out, Parisyan is receiving heavy criticism at the hands of the fans.

One thing that we need to consider is that, despite being a skilled MMA fighter, Parisyan is still human. When a majority of the fighting community is crashing down on you, it can be very difficult to deal with in your vulnerable times.

It's not like he was taking the pills for pure enjoyment, he got stuck on them while undergoing rehab for his injuries. Parisyan admitted that he wanted to get off of the drugs, but the demon on the shoulder kept bringing him back.

The perfect life that Parisyan had established was seemingly flushed down the toilet, this is drug addiction at it's worst.

Take some time and think about your own personal life, is there anybody that you know in the same situation?

I have friends that have battled drug addiction, some coming away victorious while the others fell prey to their deadly vice. It is a very sad situation that only gets worse when your supposed loved ones turn their back on you. I have seen that happen firsthand and knows how it can be equally painful for the loved ones surrounding the victim.

So, I implore all of you to take a moment and think about what Karo Parisyan is going through. Despite blowing a number of second chances, Parisyan still needs all of our support and prayers.

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UFC 105 Fight Week Previews: Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin

E. Spencer Kyte — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:33:00 -0500

A lot of people are lamenting this bout being atop the marquee for UFC 106.

They complain about two fighters coming in on losing streaks; one not having stepped into the cage for over a year, the other coming off an embarrassing defeat less than four months ago.

While this may not be the best main event the sport has ever seen, injuries and illness are to blame, not Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin. Besides, the inclusion of Griffin over the aging Mark Coleman is an upgrade, and the last time these two met in the center of the Octagon, fight fans were treated to a tremendous back-and-forth bout.

Now, Tito's healthy and Forrest has something to prove. Expect a repeat of Round 1.

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"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) vs. "The Original Ultimate Fighter" Forrest Griffin (16-6-0)

Tito Ortiz is Team Punishment; he is the driving force behind the camp. And while he certainly has a wealth of experience and a routine that works for him up in Big Bear, Forrest Griffin's affiliation with Xtreme Couture gets the nod in the opening assessment category.

While Ortiz can bring in any number of well-known partners in advance of this bout, Griffin spends each day working with some of the best in the business, not to mention striking coach Ron Frazier, wrestling coach Neil Melanson, and grappling/jiu-jitsu instructor Robert Drysdale.

Thankfully, the 2007 ADCC Absolute champ didn't make any bold predictions heading into this bout.

Experience and strength of schedule fall to the longest reigning UFC light heavyweight champion in history. While some will diminish Tito's run atop the 205 pound division because it involved a good year or two of dodging friend and challenger Chuck Liddell, Ortiz still handily beat every opponent put before him over a three-and-a-half year span, including earning the belt over Wanderlei Silva.

Of course, he also has the edge head-to-head against Griffin as well, though some would argue differently.

Their first fight was one that cemented Griffin's standing as a fan favorite and helped begin his transformation into an eventual champion. For Ortiz, it was the last good win of his impressive career, and a win that was achieved with a back that required major surgery.

But things have changed this time around, as Griffin is no longer the brawler who simply tried to trade blows with his opponents that Tito fought the first time. Though he's lost his last two fights, Griffin has matured into a more technical fighter, at least he had previous to the Anderson Silva debacle.

That being said, Ortiz is essentially a big bag of question marks coming into this fight, as more than 18 months have passed since we last saw him in the ring, losing a unanimous decision to current light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

While Ortiz is always one to sell himself to the hilt and do what is necessary to hype a fight, who can truly say how much the back problems affected him all this time. Could a surgically-repaired back lead to a return to relevance for Ortiz?

Obviously, this isn't the fight the UFC and fans were hoping to have as the Main Event of UFC 106; it wasn't even the fight originally booked for Ortiz in the first place.

But in terms of last minute replacements and compared to the likes of UFC 97 (cough Thales Leites cough), this really isn't that bad of a bout.

Chances are that by the time Sunday rolls around, you'll have been pleasantly surprised.

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Couture vs. Vera II Goes Down Tonight

E. Spencer Kyte — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Lost in the shuffle of last weekend's UFC 105 and the impending UFC 106 tomorrow night, the next installment of the Strikeforce Challengers series hits Kansas City, Kansas, tonight with a familiar fight on the card: Couture vs. Vera.

Last weekend was the men, tonight it's the ladies, as Kerry Vera and Kim Couture meet in the co-main event.

Vera is the wife of UFC light heavyweight Brandon Vera, while many will recognize "Sugar Free" as the now ex-wife of Hall of Famer Randy Couture. Both still new to competition, they will each be looking further establish themselves individually and escape the fighting shadows cast by their current and former significant others, respectively.

While Vera and Couture are the most recognizable names on the fight card, the main event offers another chance to catch one of the top welterweight prospects in the business, as undefeated American Top Team member Tyron Woodley takes to the cage against Rudy Bears.

The main also features a light heavyweight showdown between Aaron Rosa and Black House member Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, and the return of Kevin Casey, a fighter most notable for his association with Reality TV uber-douche Spencer Pratt.

Much like the WEC card of a few nights ago and WEC cards in general, the Challenger Series has routinely delivered high-quality MMA despite being drastically under the radar, and tonight will be no different.

Watch the events unfold live on Showtime, or if you're in the Kansas City area, tickets are still available at the Memorial Hall box office.

Photo courtesy of Esther Lin / Strikeforce.

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Could a Little "Hollywood" and Some "Heat" Push Strikeforce in 2010?

Chris Gagnon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:56:53 -0500

When well-known free agents like Dan Henderson and Karo Parisyan hit the open market at the same time, a fledgling company could roll the dice and go for its next step forward.

It could be a dangerous move, but Strikeforce can make some waves by signing Henderson and Parisyan.

Given the age of Dan Henderson (not that it’s really shown) and the unpredictability of Karo Parisyan, signing these two right now could turn out to be a step in the right direction, a huge disappointment—should Henderson come in and lose right away and Parysian, well does what Parisyan does – or a one’s good and one’s not deal.

In the world of free agents, these two are possibly the equivalent to Matt Holliday and Jason Bay. Neither Henderson nor Parisyan will get contracts worth $180 million, but both should receive more than healthy compensation for their services.

Parisyan’s best bet is with Strikeforce. After Dana White’s “subtle” tweet, we know he wouldn’t even be hired by the UFC to clean blood off the Bud Light logo.

It would be in Strikeforce’s best interest to make this pick up as well. Its welterweight division has some depth, but Parisyan could legitimize it some more. Marius Zaromskis, Parisyan, Jay Hieron, Joe Riggs and the occasional Jake Shields could make for some interesting matchups.

Remember Parisyan’s split decision win over the cannabis kid, Nick Diaz?

That’s rematch that a lot of people could enjoy. Both fighters hold nothing back during interviews, or in the ring. The chirping in the ring before, during and after the 14 oz. bullets fly would be more than entertaining. What is possible a given is that if Parisyan wins it’s a decision, he’s only stopped one fighter since 2003. If Diaz emerges the victor, expect someone to get flipped off after an exciting fight.

However, based on history, this fight could very well be scheduled and Parisyan unexpectedly pulls out. It’s happened before, yesterday to be exact.

This is where Strikeforce has the problem. If the company signs Parisyan, it’s watching a wrench teetering on plank, wondering when that wrench is going to fall into the organizations gears. Things could go well for two fights and then that wrench falls, and not being the UFC, Strikeforce can’t afford to remain a player if a fight is hyped to the point of no return and then falls through.

Risk vs. reward might be the only fight that organizations tie to Parisyan for a long time.

On the other hand, Henderson is the much safer, more expensive, better drawing investment.

Yes he’s on the wrong side of 39, but it hasn’t been apparent. He doesn’t look as though he’s ready to stop and he can still throw that mean overhand right, or use his grappling if he sees fit.

Does Henderson fit in Strikeforce? Sure.

Both of his divisions (MW and LHW) have some interesting fights. Shields at middleweight, Gegard Mousasi at light heavyweight, Renato Sobral, Ronaldo Souza, Robbi Lawler, even Diaz.

I would pay for any one of those fights over watching two senior citizens wrestle to determine the end of festivus (that’s UFC 109 by the way).

Henderson doesn’t have a history of injuries and hasn’t gained a reputation of pulling out of fights. He also always shows up in shape, great cardio and a smart game plan. He’s as game a fighter as there are, so he’s likely to provide a good return on Strikeforce’s investment, should they sign him.

The only problem in this scenario is if he beats Mousasi upon arriving. Strikeforce needs some time to build a stronger light heavyweight division before unleashing Henderson upon it. Then again, he’s probably happier to stay at middleweight anyways, which in terms of fights is better for both the fighter and the organization.

There’s not much Strikeforce has to lose with two very recognizable names in the U.S., but a lot damage could be done should Henderson begin to show his age and Parisyan continues his trend while on a growing company’s roster.

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Who Are the Real Contenders in the UFC's Light-Heavyweight Division?

Bryan Levick — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:32:49 -0500

While doing some research for a future article, I started going down the list of the UFC's light heavyweights. A thought popped into my head: Who will take on the winner of Machida-Rua II, which is rumored to take place in May?

Unless Rua wins by a controversial decision, a third matchup would probably be saved for sometime down the road.

The first fighter who came to mind was Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Unfortunately, for the time being, Mr. Jackson is on sabbatical. I am pretty sure at some point he and Dana will make nice but until that time, I need to go with realistic options.

A lot hinges on who comes out victorious on May 1. If Machida is still holding the strap that would eliminate Rashad Evans. I don't know about you, but would a second fight really go any different than the first? Now a matchup pitting Evans against Shogun would be very interesting.

On one hand, you have the aggressive Muay Thai striking of Rua and on the other hand you have the patient counter striking of Evans. When it comes down to it, it is my belief that Rua has better all around skills. Now, if Evans were to utilize his superior wrestling, then maybe he could become a two time champion.

Another interesting matchup, if Rua were to win, would be Forrest Griffin. As is the case with Rua defeating Machida, Griffin would have to be successful in his bout against Tito Ortiz tomorrow night.

The storyline is already set. Griffin looking to prove that the first fight with Rua was not a fluke nor was it due to any lingering injuries that Shogun may have had. Rua would be looking to prove that his injuries were significant and that he is the superior fighter.

A fight like that would sell a boatload of pay-per-views. Not only is there the revenge factor, but Griffin has shown time and time again that he is a huge draw.

Tito Ortiz, what does he have left in that 34 year old body? Did the back surgery give him the necessary spring in his legs that his double leg takedowns require? We will find out tomorrow night.

If Machida is still champion, then the UFC can sell a Ortiz-Machida rematch. Many of you may remember their first fight, Machida thoroughly dominated the former champion, that is until there were a few precious seconds left.

With under a minute remaining, Ortiz shocked Machida and the world by slapping on a triangle choke that nearly finished the Karate master.

As the story goes, Machida was able to slip out and was awarded a unanimous decision for his trouble. None the less, Ortiz has been talking about it ever since and if he defeats Griffin, the UFC has another potential blockbuster rematch on their hands.

Would the fans want to see a Ortiz-Rua bout? Why not, especially if Ortiz is back to being the dominating wrestler that he used to be. I for one, would love to see it.

Of course, there is always Randy Couture. He is scheduled to face fellow Hall of Famer, Mark Coleman at UFC 109. If he were to win, that would make him 2-0 in his return to the light heavyweight division.

The Natural has spoken many times of his desire to try and solve the Machida puzzle. Would the UFC go back to the well once again? At 46 years old, there isn't much time left and title opportunities are normally few and far between, except if you are Couture.

The same could be said of a potential Rua-Couture matchup. Defeating an icon, albeit and aging icon such as Couture, would benefit Rua greatly. If he is to be a successful champion in the UFC, he needs to become more marketable. Nothing showcases a fighter better than a showdown with Captain America.

Also under consideration would be Rich Franklin. He would need a solid win as an actual light heavyweight rather than fighting at catchweight bouts. The UFC could market a Franklin-Machida matchup, the two have met before back on New Year's Eve in 2003.

Machida handed Ace his first career loss via a second round TKO. Many believe the outcome would generally be the same, but Franklin is as popular with fans as anyone.

The winner of tomorrow night's Luiz Cane-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira bout could receive some consideration. Cane has slowly but surely been building himself up over the past two years.

As far as Nogueira is concerned, he brings an impressive resume into the octagon with him, along with big name recognition. How cool would it be to have a pay-per-view with a possibility of the two Nogueira brothers fighting for a title!

Anderson Silva is only a possibility, well at least according to him, if Rua were to win. The Spider has stated time and time again that he has no interest in fighting Machida. To be honest with you, it is my belief that he would rather walk away than fight one of his teammates.

Rua on the other hand is a different story, the two have traded verbal barbs in the past. It doesn't matter where the animosity started, this is a fight that the fans would love to see.

Those are the only fighters I can think of at this time who would receive any consideration. My future pick would be Jon Jones but he is a few fights off from being thrust into title consideration.

There is always Dan Henderson, that is if he comes to his senses and resigns with the organization. At this stage of his career, the UFC is the only place that makes sense for him.

Did I leave anyone out? If so, who, and why do you think they deserve consideration?

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MMA or Triathlons: The Real Ironmen

Brad — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:26:04 -0500

The word Ironman gets thrown around a lot in the realm of sports. Whether it is a nickname for Cal Ripken, describing a gutsy player like Brett Favre, or an athlete who has been at the top of their respective sport for a long time.

I've heard Randy Couture called the Ironman of MMA. As a triathlete myself, I am not offended at all by any of these people being labeled Ironmen. However, let's examine what it takes to be an Ironman triathlete, as well as what it takes to be a mixed martial artist, and you can decide who the real Ironmen are.

Let's begin with a little history lesson. The sport of triathlon has been around in various forms since the invention of the bicycle. However, in 1977, the idea for the Ironman triathlon came about during an award ceremony at a relay race in Oahu, HI, to answer the question: Who is the better athlete; swimmers, cyclists, or runners?

A Navy Commander, John Collins, came up with the rules; swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full 26.2-mile marathon. In 1978 the Ironman triathlon was born. 12 people finished the race, with the winner finishing in just under 12 hours at 11:46:58.

Now let's look at the history of MMA. MMA started off in kind of the same way as the Ironman triathlon. The goal was to hold tournaments to see which discipline of the martial arts was the best. These contests date back for centuries, but we will focus on the time span of 1900 to present day.

The Gracie family could be considered the driving force behind modern MMA with Vale Tudo events dating back to the 1920s. The birth of MMA as we see it today happened in 1993 with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The first Ultimate Fighting tournament was won by Royce Gracie.

As you're reading this, I'm sure your asking yourself what's your point?

The point of this article is to show you how these two sports, which seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, are in fact very similar. These two sports require more discipline, training, and more out of their athletes than any other sport out there. Football players all claim they are modern day gladiators fighting in the trenches, facing career-ending injuries at any time.

Maybe they do, but explain to me why then you see your favorite running back run for three yards, get tackled, and then stand on the side line for the next three plays. The football season is only four or five months long. MMA and triathlon have no offseasons.

Yes, any sport has its risks and injuries, but they do not require the level of commitment and self-sacrifice that is required to call yourself an Ironman or a mixed martial artist.

Like I previously stated, our sports do not allow us the luxury of an offseason. There may be those few weeks without competition, but it's those few weeks you get to lick your wounds, dust yourself off and prepare for the next battle.

A typical MMA fighter fights about every eight to 12 weeks or roughly four or five times per year. Now keep in mind that an MMA training camp is usually about six weeks at least. That leaves very little down time.

As a triathlete myself, I average eight to 10 races per year. Along with that are 5k races and half marathons to train for as well. This year alone, I have already raced no less that 14 times. A typical training cycle lasts eight weeks with peaks every four weeks and one taper week and one complete rest week every two months.

A typical training week for me as a "rank and file amateur" is about 18 hours a week between running, biking, weights, swimming, and some cross training. In the fall and winter, when swimming is not really an option, I cross train by doing martial arts. It keeps my muscles balanced and well as keeping me flexible and all around mentally strong.

Being mentally and physically strong is the common thread that binds triathletes and MMA fighters together. It has been said that up to 90 percent of any sport is mental. I tend to believe that. If you step into a cage or ring with any self-doubt about what you are doing, you are likely just waiting to be temporally separated from consciousness.

The same goes for triathlon. If you are standing at the edge of the water worrying about what is happening or whom you are up against then you have already lost. Self-doubt in any form is a killer. People may call it being cocky or whatever but there is absolutely nothing wrong with having self-confidence.

That's what doing all of those striking and take-down drills, running, and interval training until you puke instills in you. Pain is the result of weakness leaving your body.

On a side note both of our sports are highly misunderstood. How many times have you heard, "That's totally gay!" while watching a UFC match? On the flipside, imagine being on a four-hour bike training ride and having some hillbilly, slackjawed redneck throw a beer bottle at you, yelling, "Queer."

"Git-r dun" indeed, sir.

I also wanted to give thanks to Stoker for some input on this article.

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Spiars' Quick Picks: UFC 106

Sterling Spiars — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:22:59 -0500

We're only moments away from Zuffa's third card in the span of eight days, and while the headlining fight might not be main-event material, there are a number of fights that can make this card worth watching.

Unfortunately, the fight between Karo Parisyan and Dustin Hazelett has been pulled from the card completely, with no replacement fight, but as always, the show must go on.

Away with the bad and in with the good, the UFC has decided to continue in it's trend of preliminary bouts aired live on Spike TV.

So whether you are buying the card, watching it at your local sports bar, or living the pirate lifestyle, UFC 106 will offer us all a night of great fights that look bleak on paper.

MAIN CARD

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz: Tito Ortiz

One thing that is often said about Forrest Griffin, is that he has a tremendous heart. He has squared off against some of the best light-heavyweight fighters in the world, without any doubt, and without any hesitation.

His gas tank is large enough to carry him through any three round war, enabling him to push the pace from any area of the fight. If he hits the ground, he has a solid guard full of submissions and sweeps.

With a solid training camp behind him, sparring with MMA legend, Randy Couture, Griffin's takedown defense going in to this fight might be at an all-time high.

While he has gained a lot of fans with his wild striking, it appears that Griffin hasn't polished off the guns enough in his progression as a fighter.

Tito Ortiz should be looking to take advantage of the disheartened Griffin, not through his dominant ground-and-pound, but through his hands.

Although Ortiz has shown the world that his take downs are top notch with his near inescapable clinch, his biggest threat to Griffin may be his striking.

Ortiz is a very smart fighter who usually comes in with an effective game plan, and there is a good chance that he knows Griffin is working hard on improving his takedown defense, so Ortiz will likely come in with a noticeable difference in his combinations.

Another advantage for Ortiz is that, even though he has said this before, he is claiming to be 100% healthy coming into this fight. Add in his jet-sized gas tank, and fight fans might be treated to another dose of punishment prescribed by Tito Ortiz.

Anthony Johnson vs. Josh Koscheck: Anthony Johnson

Since hitting a road block against Georges St. Pierre, Josh Koscheck has been travelling the bumpy road in his quest towards the belt.

He has upped his skill level from being a relentless, NCAA Division 1 wrestler into a ruthless, all-around fighter. Despite this, Koscheck has been unable to string together a number of wins since his loss to St. Pierre.

It seems that Koscheck's plan will remain the same as his last few fights, use his wrestling in reverse to keep this fight standing, and look for the devastating knockout.

He has the attributes to accomplish this blueprint, but it has backfired on him before, mostly against bigger and stronger fighters.

Bigger and stronger, does that sound like anyone in the welterweight division?

Anthony Johnson is undoubtedly the largest fighter competing in the 170 pound weight class, clearly evident by his failed weight cut at UFC 104.

His hands are heavy, and probably made of stone, possibly turning this fight into an old-fashioned slugfest.

Johnson is not only strong, but he brings in speed to match, proficiently combining them with his Cung Le-inspired striking.

Anthony Johnson just might come in and shock the world this Saturday, leaving Koscheck dazed and confused, wondering how he can put the pieces back together.

Phil Baroni vs. Amir Sadollah: Phil Baroni

Amir Sadollah fell flat on his face against Johny Hendricks in his most recent fight, and he is in desperate need of a win to show that he deserved the TUF contract.

Sadollah has a black belt in Sambo, with an under-appreciated ground attack. He has all of the tools to get inside with the clinch and take the fight down to where he can finish it.

The question is, can he get past the brutal hands of Phil Baroni?

With a sub-par record of 13-11, Baroni has never been in the talks of best pound-for-pound fighters, well, at least outside of his fantasy world of, "I'm the best evah!"

That being said, he has flaunted some of the deadliest hands in the sport. He wings them at his opponent's dome as fast as a speeding bullet, leaving welts and bruises as evidence.

If Baroni can connect before his stamina runs low, expect another highlight reel knockout, courtesy of "The New York Badass."

Luis Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: Antonio Nogueira

Luis Cane has shown all of the developing tools of a star in the making, and this is exactly the type of fight he needs to prove this to be true.

He can almost be dubbed the southpaw version of Dan Henderson with his lethal left hand. Mixed in with effective combinations and his dazzling hand speed, Cane has what it takes to strike with the best of the light-heavyweight division.

And although fans rarely get to see a ground attack from Cane, he is no slouch in that department either, carrying a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Cane chooses to use his jiu-jitsu only when necessary, aggressively keeping the fight on the feet, which in the end, may ultimately be his down fall.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira has established himself to be one of the better boxers in the sport of MMA.

The variety of combinations unleashed usually keeps his opponent guessing, and frustrated outside of the range. When they are able to get into reach, Nogueira is very effective with the counter-punch, making him that much more dangerous.

He is remarkably tough to take down, and if his back does hit the mat, he is in no danger there as well.

Nogueira, like his twin brother Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, is a black-belt practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

He also trains with some elite fighters such as his brother, Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Junior dos Santos, Paulo Filho, and Ronaldo Souza.

Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann: Paulo Thiago

Volkmann has a tough test ahead of him in his UFC debut, which will also air live on the main card.

He might have some first-time jitters, but the three-time All American wrestler out of Minnesota has been competing ever since he was a child.

Like most wrestlers, Volkmann is extremely strong and he is able to get the take down when he wants it.

His striking is clean and very quick, but he mainly uses it to obtain his clinch and work his wrestling game.

However, Volkmann might want to avoid the clinch completely against Paulo Thiago, who is a proud owner of a black belt in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Thiago earned a name by submitting fighters left and right, but he stole some thunder when he knocked out the highly-recognizable welterweight, Josh Koscheck.

He was unable to take advantage of his huge victory, falling prey to another dominant wrestler, Jon Fitch.

This is Thiago's chance to beat a strong, dominant wrestler, to once again prove that he has a chance in any fight against the division's top welterweights.

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders: Marcus Davis

Ben Saunders sank in his attempt to swim with the big sharks.

His strength and reach should is a tough task for plenty of welterweight fighters, and if he is able to gain a clinch, his muay thai is outright dangerous.

With American Top Team on his side, Saunders has the right assets to become a name inside the division, but he has another tough task ahead of him.

Marcus Davis is coming off of an upsetting loss, and he will be looking to put that behind him with a convincing victory over Saunders.

A boxer at heart and soul, Davis has very quick, clean strikes that should be able to get him past the telegraphed striking of Saunders.

Davis may experience some trouble if he falls prey to the clinch, but he has the chin and recovery skills to bypass any damage done.

Kendall Grove vs. Jake Rosholt: Jake Rosholt

The lanky Kendall Grove has effectively turned his tall, awkward body into an efficient Muay Thai machine.

If he put as much work into training this art as he did with his jiu-jitsu, Grove could be a very deadly opponent.

Grove learns some of the game's tricks from one of the best, training under B.J. Penn, which could spell trouble for his opponent.

Although his first loss came at the hands of a skilled grappler, Jake Rosholt is the type of fighter who improves dramatically after each performance, regardless of the outcome.

The four-time All American wrestler has an unbelievable amount of core strength, taking fighters down at will.

His patient, unappreciated ground game will likely keep the fight on the mat, where Rosholt might capitalize on an impatient mistake by Grove.

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

Brian Foster vs. Brock Larson: Brock Larson

Fabricio Camoes vs. Caol Uno: Fabricio Camoes

Jason Dent vs. George Sotiropoulos: George Sotiropoulos

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Four Reasons Why Brock Lesnar Could Never Beat Fedor Emelianenko

Jason Eisenhorn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:14:29 -0500

I've wanted to write this article for awhile now, and in lieu of recent events, we may never see this epic match up. I hope Brock Lesnar recovers for his own sake, and for the sake of history.

Also, in the name of full disclosure: I am a big Fedor Emelianenko fan.

4. Base experience

Let's start off by comparing the fighters' base martial art or original fighting style.

Lesnar wrestled on a national level in college for three years.

He was a two-time NJCAA All-American, a two-time NCAA All-American, and a two-time Big Ten Conference champion. With impressive win records, Brock rarely lost in the sport of college wrestling, and his talent here should not be overlooked.

In comparison, Fedor Emelianenko has been fighting in Russian and world Sambo competitions for twelve years, winning first place seven times nationally, and four times internationally. Not to mention taking a gold in the 1997 Russian judo championships.

With over a decade of competing on the Russian national and international stage his pedigree of competition is second to none.

Comparing those two bodies of work alone paints a picture, but let's think about how these base styles transition to MMA.

Lots of wrestlers have learned striking and become great MMA fighters—Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck and Matt Hamill, to name a few. Wrestling is one of the best base skills to have as an MMA fighter, but it doesn't guarantee there won't be holes in your game.

Sambo, however, naturally transitions to MMA because it teaches striking, striking to grappling, chokes, and dirty boxing. It also includes folk wrestling, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, judo, and jujitsu.

Sambo is basically the Russian military's version of mixed martial arts and makes a fighter well rounded right from the start.

Obviously, Emelianenko has the advantage here. He has fought longer against better competition, and won more accolades in his base martial art.

3. MMA experience

Moving on to actual MMA experience.

There are some direct comparisons between Emelianenko and Lesnar based on previous opponents, so let's look there first.

Lesnar beat Heath Herring in a unanimous decision in the twilight of Heath's career in the UFC. Emelianenko finished Herring off in Round one at Pride by T.K.O. when Herring was still a threatening fighter back in 2002.

Many say that Lesnar's victory over Randy Couture cemented his credibility in the MMA world. I take issue with the notion that Randy Couture is still a dangerous fighter.

Couture's last fight against Brandon Vera showed the world that even at 205 pounds, Couture just can't deal damage or even get take downs anymore. His age and size did not make him a legitimate test for a super heavyweight like Lesnar.

Seeing Emelianenko demolish a younger, larger man in Chicago on Nov. 7th leaves no doubt in my mind on the outcome of a Couture vs Fedor bout.

Frank Mir was the closest Lesnar ever came to true competition and he has already lost to him once due to a fairly quick submission. Some argue that Lesnar might have won the first time if not for poor refereeing by Steve Stopagatti.

In the rematch Lesnar overpowered Mir and completely obliterated him with hammer fists, winning his heavyweight title in the UFC. Mir is a great heavyweight, and I give Lesnar his due for beating him.

Emelianenko is the WAMMA, PRIDE, and RINGS heavyweight champion.

He has fought every style the sport of MMA has to offer. From wrestlers to Mauy Thai specialists, from American boxers to ground and pound kings, he always outshines the competition.

"The Last Emperor" has been rocked by hard punches and crippling slams, put into tight submissions while bleeding all over the mat, but has never wavered or crumbled before any man.

His experience in MMA cannot be questioned, and his supremacy as a heavyweight is unmatched in the sport. Emelianenko is undefeated for almost a decade.

Clearly when talking about MMA experience the nod must go to him.

2. Physical attributes

This is where Lesnar should shine, but let's look at all the variables.

Both men are explosive and powerful, but Lesnar is larger by almost 40 pounds.

Having to cut weight to make 265, Lesnar usually comes into the ring at 280 plus, whereas Emelianenko's fighting weight is around 233. He does not cut weight and I believe this is where a lot of his explosive nature comes from.

Would Lesnars' size be a problem for the "Russian Experiment?"

Emelianenko has tossed around big men before, from Hong-Man Choi (319 lbs), Tim Silva (287), Gary Goodridge (250), and Mark Hunt (280). He has never had a problem controlling big fighters inside the ring.

His recent fight with Brett Rogers left no doubt in my mind he could handle Lesnar's size. Tossing Rogers from the hip or pushing him off the cage, even slipping up and under him when Rogers was on top, Emelianenko has the power to keep the fight where he wants it.

I really do not think Lesnar's wrestling pedigree could match Emelianenko's loose style mastery of Sambo, and even if Lesnar got on top of Emelianenko, he could explode out in a way that no other fighter has done before.

Lesnar, on the other hand, would have big problems striking with Emelianenko.

The Russian has shown with his last two fights, and in many other bouts in his past, that his fists have true knockout power. His Sambo casting is furious and brings the full power of his hips and legs into each crunching punch.

Although Lesnar is the larger man, bristling with muscle, I think Emelianenko's explosive speed and controlling skill would negate any weight advantage Lesnar would have on top.

From previous fights, I would have to again acknowledge Emelianenko as the winner.

1. Mental power

Fighting truly is a mental game, and Lesnar and Emelianenko are polar opposites.

One man is the definition of calm in a sport defined by chaos, while the other is brash, loud, and overbearing.

Where Emelianenko often holds up the hands of his defeated enemies, Lesnar hurls verbal abuse and foams at the mouth after he wins.

I think the mental edge, an element that Emelianenko brings to all his fights, would ultimately be the deciding factor in this clash of titans.

He comes from a reality of humble stoicism, and fought initially to feed his family. Emelianenko aspires to be MMA's greatest ambassador to the world and prove that not all fighters are savage brutes.

Many in the sport have commented on his lack of emotions and concentration inside the ring. Emelianenko's mental concentration is on a level that no other fighter in mixed martial arts has displayed. The ability to shrug off all pain and never show weakness during a fight is a huge bonus in his arsenal.

Lesnar possess great drive to compete and win, but spent many years as a "fake" wrestler, performing scripts and stunts to jeering crowds that care nothing about true combat sports.

Some question his commitment to the sport due to tendency to quit in other areas in the past. This could be debated, but the simple fact is that he has not devoted his entire life to MMA like Emelianenko has.

In short, Lesnar does not posses a diverse enough mixed martial art pedigree, the pure MMA experience, or the mental edge needed to defeat the Last Emperor. Any advantage Lesnar has in size, Emelianenko could negate with his skills and endurance.

Perhaps in five or six years, when Emelianenko is older and Lesnar has some real tests under his belt, things could turn out differently.

As things stand now I see no real advantage for Lesnar against Emelianenko of MMA.

Lesnar is now recovering from an intestinal issue, and his future in the sport is in doubt. Perhaps he will recover and fight again, but will he compete on the same level? Only time will tell.

If I had to call a matchup between these two titanic fighters?

Emelianenko would win by knockout in the second round.

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UFC 105 Losers: What's Next?

Robert Gardner — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:11:59 -0500

Now that we have taken some time to let the outcomes of UFC 105 sink in, it’s time to take a look at what the next moves should be for the main card losers. What fights would make the most sense for the UFC?

Aaron Riley

After being completely overwhelmed and dominated by TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson, Riley is now just 2-4 in his UFC career. Even though he may not have a winning record inside the octagon, it is unlikely that he is in danger of being cut. Riley tends to be in exciting fights and that is a quality the UFC appreciates.

In looking over the lightweight rankings and upcoming fights, the best move for the UFC would be to match Riley up with TUF 9 runner-up Andre Winner. Winner also competed at UFC 105, knocking out Roli Delgado in the first round.

This is not a PPV main card matchup but would easily be a great addition to a UFN card. Riley is a fighter that could pose a lot of problems for Winner. If Riley could manage a win over the TUF contestant it would move him back into that middle-tier mix of the lightweight division.

James Wilks

TUF 9 welterweight winner James Wilks’ UFC debut wasn't nearly as successful as his counterparts but he did show flashes of brilliance. Ultimately, Wilks just did not have enough gas in the tank and was stopped by Matt Brown.

The goal for the UFC now has to be to put Wilks in a position to win; having TUF winners losing back-to-back fights to start their UFC career isn’t exactly what the Zuffa brass wants to see. Jonathan Goulet is just the man for the job. Goulet is just talented enough not to be considered a complete “Can” but is an opponent that Wilks should defeat.

While Goulet is not a fighter to be overlooked, Wilks has the tools to put him away early. In fact, all ten of Goulet’s losses have come by way of stoppage. Wilks would be able to pick Goulet apart on the feet before taking him down and ending the fight via submission.

Denis Kang

Kang is a well respected and talented fighter who has defeated some of the best the sport has to offer but at UFC 105 he ran into a buzz saw named Michael Bisping. Bisping entered their fight having been brutally knocked out by Dan Henderson in his last outing and had an obvious chip on his shoulder.

Kang may not be someone who will ever compete for the middleweight title but he is a valuable commodity in the UFC as main card filler.

The most intriguing matchup right off hand would have to be a showdown with Nate Quarry. It’s not a fight that would catapult either into title contention but rather solidify who the middleweight gatekeeper will be moving forward.

Quarry v. Kang could easily round out a PPV card or even carry a UFN.

Kang would have a clear advantage in the submission game but Quarry’s wrestling would be more than enough to keep this a standing affair. With both fighters having no problem mixing it up, it would be a match that fans could really get behind.

Mike Swick

About midway through the first round in his fight against Dan Hardy, it was apparent that something was a little off. Swick just did not seem to have his usual confidence about him in the cage. Nothing has been reported; it just looked as if something was not right.

Having said that, Dan Hardy went out and won that fight. Hardy constantly beat Swick to the punch and dictated the pace of the entire fight. Hardy was smart in not allowing Swick to open up his speedy arsenal; instead he forced Swick into a methodical chess match.

With Hardy earning a title shot against Georges St. Pierre, Swick now moves to the back of the line. His next opponent should be the winner of the Paul Daley and Carlos Condit match. Daley and Condit are currently scheduled to meet inside the octagon for UFC 108 in early January.

Both Daley and Condit pose unique threats to Swick. Daley is the more explosive striker while Condit is a well-rounded submission ace. Either matchup has UFN main event written all over it. A win for Swick would put his name back into title consideration while a loss would send him tumbling out of the UFC welterweight top-ten all together.

Brandon Vera

The truth is, Brandon Vera will likely never live up to the hype or reach his full potential. Vera came into UFC 105 with grandiose dreams of demolishing a legend. He left UFC 105 with another loss and the dark cloud of doubt hanging over his head.

There were many chances for Vera to take over his fight with Couture but instead he was constantly controlled and pressed against the cage. Vera displayed excellent wrestling and devastating body kicks but was unable to capitalize. Couture brought the fight to Vera, who did little to stop Couture from dictating the action.

A win over Couture could have easily sent Vera into the UFC light-heavyweight top ten, but he now continues to lurk just outside. Vera’s next opponent needs to be someone who will not only challenge him but gage what the rest of his UFC career will look like. Vladimir Matyushenko is that kind of fighter and would more than adequately fill the role.

Matyushenko is a strong wrestler with solid striking who would love to get a big win over a name opponent like Vera. If Vera ever intends to become the champion he says he will be then he will need to show that spark and fire against Matyushenko. Until Vera can string some wins together against quality opponents, he will always be a disappointment.

For a look at where the UFC 105 winners should go from here, take a look at the breakdown Sterling Spiars has put together.

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UFC 105 Winners: What's Next?

Sterling Spiars — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:50:52 -0500

UFC 105 featured a slew of fighters, coming from a variety of sections on the championship road. Some needed a big win to help further themselves in their championship quest, while others needed a win just to keep the unemployment bug at bay.

Randy Couture

Pre UFC 105, many people thought that if Randy Couture won his fight with Brandon Vera, that he would be granted a title shot against Lyoto Machida. However, a number of factors turned that scenario into a fart in a hurricane.

One reason is that Machida has already verbally agreed to fight Mauricio Rua in a rematch for the light-heavyweight championship. Another reason is that Couture did not win impressively. So in the end, Couture has agreed to fight UFC Hall of Fame fighter, Mark Coleman at UFC 109.

While it still might be a good fight for Couture, a better fight in terms of entertainment value and promotional dollars could have came by way of Rich Franklin.

Both fighters are huge draws among the UFC faithful, even though both have fallen out of any sort of title picture.

Oh well, UFC has always had a plan with Couture and this is certainly a part of it.

Michael Bisping

TUF 3 winner, Michael Bisping was in desperate need of a win over Denis Kang. In the eyes of many, he was in limbo and on his way out of the contender picture, and he knew that he had to win big or go home crying.

With another T.K.O. victory added to his resume, Bisping is ready for another crack at a top middleweight, probably a guy around the bottom of the top ten though.

His next match might be against the likes of Yushin Okami, a guy that was considered the true middleweight contender before his loss to Chael Sonnen.

Another likely opponent could be Patrick Cote once he is fully recovered from his injuries, or possibly even the winner between Alan Belcher and Wilson Gouveia.

But with Bisping's ability to keep the fight standing, and the recognition of Okami, it seems that Okami would be the perfect opponent to get Bisping back on track towards a title shot.

Matt Brown

Not many people were giving Matt Brown a chance in his fight against TUF 9 winner, James Wilks. It doesn't make sense, considering that Brown always brings 200 percent into the fight, regardless of his opponent.

In an exciting back-and-forth match-up, Brown came out victorious and showed that he was ready for a slight step up in competition.

A fighter that would bring a challenge to Brown would be in the form of Yoshiyuki Yoshida, even though most fans would doubt that due to his recent KO's at the hands of Josh Koscheck and Anthony Johnson.

Yoshida truly is a solid fighter with some lethal skills, and if Brown were able to steal a victory in this fight, he could end up being one fight away from the welterweight division's top ten.

Another possible opponent could lie in the form of fellow 105 winner, John Hathaway.

Ross Pearson

Like with fellow TUF 9 winner James Wilks, people were saying that Pearson was being fed to the wolves in his official UFC debut. Pearson then went on to prove the doubters wrong on his way towards an impressive victory over Greg Jackson product, Aaron Riley.

Although his victory was very impressive, Pearson is still near the bottom of the barrel in the lightweight division and his next opponent will likely be in that same market.

A fight that seems to make the most sense is against TUF 6 winner, Mac Danzig.

It would be a huge test against Pearson's ground and clinch game against a tougher opponent, and this fight could draw some interest with the TUF winner vs. TUF winner aspect.

Another possible opponent could be Thiago Tavares, who has fallen into the depths of the division.

Terry Etim

With Couture immediately signing on to his next fight, and Dan Hardy being named the number one contender against Georges St. Pierre, a little bit of the spotlight takes aim at Terry Etim.

Etim has been steadily climbing up the lightweight ranks since losing his first two fights in his young career. He has earned four straight victories over some decent opponents, and he has proved he is only a number of steps away from being a contender.

A stiff test could come from Kurt Pellegrino, who has proved himself to be an exceptional wrestler and Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner, which are two areas of concern for Etim.

Another possible opponent could be Spencer Fisher, who would likely stand and trade punches and kicks with Etim.

Both guys would be a huge test for Etim, and a victory could leap frog him up to the border of the top ten.

This article is in collaboration with fellow B/R writer, Robert Gardner. See who the losers of UFC 105 might fight.

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The Real Reason Brock Lesnar Is Sick: A Hole in His Intestine

Joe Burgett — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:10:54 -0500

In a very eerie story, UFC President Dana White told Yahoo! Sports today that Brock Lesnar's real reason for being out was a hole in his intestine. This is not a good thing, whatsoever.

Apparently the surgery the other day was to repair the hole at the same time they dealt with his diverticulitis. They must have seen the hole when they went in to repair the digestive issue. It is said that Lesnar may need to go back in for another surgery.

It also turns that Lesnar has not been 100 percent for an entire year. Here is the Yahoo! article's quote from White on Lesnar:

"Brock was in big pain, he was hurting...We don’t know if he’ll ever fight again. He had a hole in his intestine. The [stuff] was leaking into his stomach. That’s what was causing him so much pain. That and he had abscesses. The doctor told him he hasn’t been right for a year. His immune system has been trying to fight this thing and that’s why he was susceptible to getting sick...We’ll find out more next week. We’re going to send him to the Mayo Clinic for a couple of days. I don’t know what to say. It’s looking better now than last week, but what that means, I don’t know."

Lesnar is scheduled to visit the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., early next week for a series of tests. They will most likely do some wonderful endoscopies and colonoscopies. If they are smart, they will make him swallow a camera.

See, there is this pill that the gastrointestinologists have developed. It is basically a camera in pill form. They hook you up with patches and whatnot, then have a tape record everything going on.

The wires connected to the patches are also connected to a belt you wear. You then eat something they make up for you that is radioactive. It doesn't hurt you; it is just something that you can eat and they can follow on tape.

It's pretty much an all-day thing, but it is the best way to check everything out in the stomach, intestines, colon, and bowels. The procedure may find more things in Lesnar we don't know about.

The part of the story I thought was most compelling was White mentioning that Lesnar has not been 100 percent all year and that the hole has been there for some time.

This means that he unknowingly has been fighting with this condition, only carrying a slight notion that something was wrong. Lesnar is lucky he got mono, the illness which spurred doctors to thoroughly check him out.

The one thing that people need to keep in mind is that if Lesnar would have gotten hit numerous times exactly where the hole was before, he may have died. The intestines would have given up as the hole got bigger. The more impact they took, the worse it was for Lesnar.

The hole is said to be smaller than people think. However, it could easily get bigger. Especially when you take a lot of blows.

It is a good thing he was so dominant and was beating everyone so severely. I don't mean "beat" as in win, but "beat" as in the literal term of beating someone up. That is Lesnar's style, which probably kept him alive.

The fighter will probably compete again, as the hole can be repaired. However, it will take time to heal. But this is not the only issue with Lesnar. He is not just going to the Mayo Clinic because he wants to be put up by UFC in a nice hospital room for a few days.

He is going there to do these tests to see what else could be wrong. As of now, diverticulitis and a hole in his intestine were the two things found. Now we will have to wait and see if anything else comes about.

Lesnar's trainer, Greg Nelson, spoke to the Star Tribune this week and said, "No one can tell, but it seems right now it's something he'll definitely recover from."

Nelson stressed that it's too early to tell when Lesnar will fight again. This appears to be "damage control" from Lesnar's camp, according to some.

Of course, White, ever the promoter, said of Brock Lesnar's future in the Octagon: "If he's done what he's done at less than 100 percent, then imagine how he'll be if he is 100 percent."

Good job, White. Keep everyone's hopes up on Lesnar. However, we should keep that in mind. We have seen Lesnar dominate fights with a hole in his intestine. Whenever he gets back, I hope I'll see a more dominating Brock Lesnar.

All I have to say is: "Here Comes the Pain."

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Karo Parisyan Out Of UFC 106 and The UFC-Updated

Bryan Levick — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:49:07 -0500

According to a report on MMA Junkie, Karo Parisyan has pulled out of his UFC 106 bout with Dustin Hazelett. In a twitter message posted by UFC President Dana White just a short time ago, the sometimes outlandish executive had this to say about Parisyan:

"Karo Parisyan has [expletive] over the UFC, the fans, and his opponent again!!!" White wrote. "He will not be fighting Saturday or ever again in the UFC!!"

This is not the first time that Parisyan has pulled out of a fight on a last moment's notice. Back in August of 2008 he gave the UFC a mere one day's notice before he told them he would be unable to take on Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 87.

He claimed he had hurt his back while training for the fight.

Parisyan was set to return to the octagon after a nine month layoff. He had been suspended following UFC 94 in January. He had defeated Dong Hyun Kim, but the result was later overturned to a draw as Parisyan was suspended for using painkillers without a prescription.

It is not known at this time whether or not Hazelett will remain on the card against a new opponent.

I was just informed by our very own Brian Oswald that White released another tweet, he has stated that Hazelett will be paid in full, including a win bonus.

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An Underutilized Gesture in Life: The Tapout

Todd Jackson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:25:18 -0500

In the fight game, for many fighters, there comes a point in a match where they feel they can not press on any longer. They signify their willingness to end a fight with a simple gesture: the tapout.

Whether it be fear of loss of limb, or simply to avoid further pain and discomfort at the hands of their opponent, they tap to indicate that they prefer the fight cease at that given moment.

The tapout saves many fighters many ailments. No sooner than they begin to tap, the official rushes to their aid to save them any further punishment at the hands of their adversary.

After sitting around thinking about the effectiveness of the tapout, I began to wonder why we don't use the tapout in more areas of life? Imagine for a moment if you will, a world that responded to tapping as a universal sign that whatever it is that is going on would end.

No means the same thing all over the world, maybe a tapout should, too.

How useful would a tapout be, say, in a situation with a loved one. Say your lady has decided to set up a trap that includes asking you what you think of what she's wearing tonight, even though she has already made up her mind to change regardless of what you say.

It would go a little something like this: "Honey, how do I look in this?" "Wow, you look great!" might be a response a man might give. "Look how big this makes my butt look, were you even looking at me?" the little lady might respond. Now this is the crossroads, no answer is correct from this point forward, I assure you.

And for the record, a big butt is not a detriment by default, let's be honest here, folks. The pressure is mounting to come up with a righteous and thoughtful response.

Tapout!

In rushes Herb Dean to save the man from further abuse and destruction, he waves his hands over his head. and there you have it, end of discussion. A man is saved from what was surely a situation that could have turned ugly very quick.

Love is not the only place where a tapout could be utilized. How about our jobs? Your boss approaches you about about some minuscule issue that really does not warrant much attention at all.

Even still, your boss must "manage" your shortcomings and throw them up in your face to make themselves feel more important. Honestly, this is grounds to have a point taken away, but the point system is a discussion for another article.

The boss begins to rant about how you should really aspire to be more like them, perfect in every way. As your boss proceeds to tell all about why your performance is not up to snuff, even though you slam dunked the job you were doing, you calmly look them right in the eyes, extend your hand, and you tap.

Steve Mazzagatti has seen enough, there is no need for you to endure further abuse in this situation; he rushes to your aid, shoves the boss back in their corner, and the issue is over. You're free to go on about your day without the pointless nagging that surely would have continued without a tap.

You're driving your bad ass, tricked out ride at approximately too friggin' fast for your own safety. In your rear view mirror you note the flashing of blue and red lights. This is indicative of your need to pull over and face the music for your poor judgement.

Mr. "I got picked on in high school, but now I have a gun and you're going to give me respect regardless of if you like it or not," taps on your window with his Desert Eagle. You roll your window down and he asks, "Do you now how fast you were going, boy?"

Your answer: "Not fast enough, obviously; you were able to catch up to me."

He does not approve and asks you to step out of the vehicle. You're on your way to the after party (more on this later) and you just don't have time to be messing with ole Haas this evening. You tapout. Dan Merogliotta is not going to allow this to continue any further. Mr. caterpillar mustache is going to have to find someone else to bother this evening and you're free to go.

Your friend is moving. We all love to help our friends out, but there are certain aspects to friendship that are not as enjoyable as others. Your buddy calls you up and asks what you're doing this weekend. Unsuspecting of a possible move, you answer is "nothing." "Great!" your friend replies, "Can you help me move?" Now had you known he was moving, you could have come up with a great excuse given a little time to think about it.

His cunning approach has you staring forward like a deer in headlights; got to think quick, how can you get out of this? You may not be doing anything this weekend, but the last thing you want to do is spend all day in a wrestling match with couches and another person's mattresses. I don't know about you, but I'm particular to my own dust mites, thank you very much.

So you do what any person would do in a hopeless situation you can not escape. You tapout. Big John McCarthy jumps between the two of you, and it is all over. Your obligation is immediately relieved by a simple tapout, very nice and not a moment too soon. Now your weekend is once again yours. Now you can sit around and play Modern Warfare and eat Ramen noodles all weekend long, without interruption.

These are but a few examples of points in life where we might wish we had the option to tapout and move on to something more enjoyable, like the after party. Hey, win, lose, or draw, there is always an after party. Why not make it mandatory after every situation resolved by tapout.

So I call on my fellow MMA enthusiasts to help me implement this highly useful tool in our everyday lives. The first time you do it, they may look at you strange, but eventually they will get the picture. And remember the structure here people, obnoxious situation, tapout, after party.

Anytime one taps, go have a beer shortly there after. Let me know how this works out for you. Feel free to leave any further tapout worthy examples in the comment section below; these are but a few.

And now, folks, I tap!

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UFC 106 Fight Week Previews: Anthony Johnson vs. Josh Koscheck

E. Spencer Kyte — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:12:00 -0500

Quickly put together in the wake of Brock Lesnar's inability to headline UFC 106, this is a welterweight matchup many fans have been looking forward to since it was announced.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson is widely considered one of the top prospects in the sport, an entertaining young striker who many feel is destined for greatness and championship gold.

Standing across the cage will be the always eager to fight Josh Koscheck, an Ultimate Fighter One alum who is never afraid to speak his mind or test himself against the best available opponents.

This fight may have been a reactionary move, but it's a good one and could certainly end up proving to be the most exciting fight of the night.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (8-2-0) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-4-0)

Without question, Koscheck takes the opening element of analysis—training team—as he is a part of the welterweight trio that works together with Dave Camarillo and "Crazy" Bob Cook at American Kickboxing Academy, while Johnson doesn't present any real team affiliation.

Along with Jon Fitch and Mike Swick, the three all reside inside the Top 10 in the division and work well together, preparing each other for their upcoming fights along with the rest of the AKA team.

Experience and strength of schedule certainly come out as wins for Koscheck as well, as the bleach-blond battler will be making his 16th appearance inside the Octagon, twice as many as his opponent.

While Johnson has certainly delivered some memorable finishes inside the cage, Koscheck has faced the far stiffer competition, having gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Frank Trigg, Thiago Alves and Dustin Hazelett, in addition to having spent 15 minutes fending off divisional kingpin Georges St-Pierre.

Johnson's most noteworthy win to date came in his last fight against the one opponent he shares with Koscheck, Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida.

As impressive as Johnson's striking was in the brief amount of time it took to knockout Yoshida, it was also a carbon copy of Koscheck's performance against the Japanese fighter at UFC Fight for the Troops last December. Johnson may have been a little quicker to the finish line, but this isn't a race.

Where Johnson earns his one edge in this matchup is in the style department.

Both are accomplished wrestlers, and while Koscheck certainly owns an advantage if the fight goes to the ground, he's shown a penchant for punching as of late and that could spell danger against a lightning-quick powerhouse like Johnson.

A lot of attention will be paid to this bout even before the step into the ring, as Friday's weigh-in will be under the microscope when it comes to Johnson.

Last time out, a knee injury and new weight-cutting routine left him an unacceptable six pounds overweight, leading many to wonder whether his future resides in the middleweight division.

While Johnson insists that he'll come in on weight without issue this time around, many are taking a wait-and-see approach.

If you're placing bets on which bout produces the "Knockout of the Night," this is the horse you want to be backing.

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The Prognosticator Is at It Again: UFC 106 Predictions

Marcus Walker — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:32:27 -0500

I know, I know. Too many previews. But after my sterling performance on my UFC 105 picks, did you really think I was going to let a much better card on paper slip through my fingertips without letting you, my dear reader, know whats going to happen?

Of course you didn’t. I guarantee you at least seven correct picks, or I'll shave my head and run around in a Speedo like Ikuhisa Minowa.

*puts on Mike Goldberg mask* and HEEERE WEEEE GOOO!!

(Sorry. That was totally uncalled for.)

Paulo Thiago (11-1) vs. Jacob Volkmann (9-0)

The Thiago-Koscheck KO is still my favorite MMA moment of 2009.

I love everything about it. The condescending commentary directed towards Thiago (Joe Rogan is slowly turning into Tommy Heinsohn. When he likes a fighter, he can’t hide it…and when he dislikes a fighter, he can’t hide it, either). The bombs Thiago took with his chin straight up in the air like he was checking out a chick in the 25th row. The way Koscheck walked in with his hands down. The face Koscheck made as he began sitting up, hereby known as the Josh Koscheck “the ref better jump in in the next two seconds or my head is going through the canvas like a meteor crashing into the Earth” face. And my favorite part: Rogan’s call. He was just like “what?” That pretty much summed up everyone's feelings.

The thing is, Thiago is a jiu-jitsu guy. So is Volkmann. When you match up guys with similar styles, one of two things happens: 1. the combatants play to their strengths (in this case, a submission festival) or 2. the combatants concede that their strengths are even, negate that fact, and just swing for the fences like two drunken guys at a bar. I think that scenario one is more plausible here. Even though Thiago KO’d Koscheck, he looked like he wished the fight was on the ground the entire time. I’ll take Thiago by decision in a sub-fest.

Quick post-script: these are two weird looking guys. Thiago looks like a Tekken 6 character, and Volkmann looks like what would happen if you fed a mob goon ten Red Bulls and kept him away from sunlight for a solid year. As you’ve probably noticed, I love playing the “MMA fighter lookalike game”, and I may have found my equal: my friend Ignacio. Watching UFC 105, he compared James Wilks to a Wii avatar and Roli Delgado to something that cant be printed here. High comedy.

My point? This is definitely a future column. Try to contain your excitement.

Random tangent: I pay as much attention to body language and facial expressions as I do to what fighters are actually doing. This leads to me saying things like “Gonzaga looks sad” and “Mike Bisping should consider a switch to decaf.”

I think it’s a huge indicator of things to come. For example, when Antoni Hardonk fought Pat Barry live on Spike, he looked angry and tense, which is the complete opposite of his demeanor, and refused to touch gloves with Barry. Then he went out and looked awful. Coincidence? Maybe. But it sure didn’t seem like it.

Kendall Grove (10-6) vs. Jake Rosholt (6-1)

Kendall Grove looks like a tattooed Burt. That’s first off. Second, this is a classic “winner gets to be the middleweight gatekeeper for the next year, loser gets his release granted and headlines some sleazy card in Jersey a month later” fight.

Since a promising 2-0 start since winning season three of the Ultimate Fighter, Grove has gone a lukewarm 3-3 since. When he’s on, he’s hell to deal with: a 6’6" middleweight, all arms and legs, with good jiu jitsu skills and a solid clinch game to boot. But he’s a bit of a frontrunner: If you hit him hard once, he’s either going down like he’s been tasered, or he’s playing it safe for the rest of the fight. He’s like the Vince Carter of MMA.

Jake Rosholt, desperately trying to shed the “just another wrestler” tag, looked relatively impressive in putting an always-game Chris Leben to sleep in his last fight.

He’s only got seven professional fights to his name, but the Leben fight proved that he belongs in the octagon. However, he was quickly submitted by Dan Miller in his first UFC bout, and Grove is good with submissions, so this fight is a pick ‘em in my mind.

Grove hasn’t fought even a decent wrestler since Ed Herman on the TUF 3 Finale. It’s been a while, right? So I think Rosholt takes Grove down after eating a few on his feet and pounds him out. Rosholt by TKO in round number two.

Jason Dent (28-9) vs. George Sotiropoulos (12-2)

Dent has four consecutive submission wins, including two via my favorite tap-inducer: the anaconda choke. Sotiropoulos is good with submissions as well, and I think they’ll go back and forth on the ground before the more grizzled Dent overpowers the undersized Sotiropoulos and hits him in the head repeatedly before earning the third round TKO stoppage.

Brock Larson (29-3) vs. Brian Foster (12-4)

I don’t have much to say about this fight other than this: They are feeding Foster to Larson after Larson unexpectedly crapped the bed against the unknown Mike Pierce.

This is a showcase fight through and through. Foster comes to fight and will not hesitate to swing for the bleachers, but Larson has the cred, experience, size, skill, and grit. Larson by submission in the first round.

Fabricio Camoes (10-4) vs. Caol Uno (25-12-4)

Uno looked abysmal in his UFC 99 bout with Spencer Fisher. Maybe it’s because they don’t let him wear his Nike’s in the octagon. Whatever. Uno has a ludicrous amount of experience; he was out saving the galaxy when Camoes’ grandfather was in diapers. Yes, that was probably the most cringe-inducing and embarrassing Star Trek reference ever recorded in print, but dammit, it made me laugh. I know I’m a geek. I know this.

Uno’s resume is surprisingly decorated, and his career has become pretty predictable: When he takes chances in fights, he gets knocked out because he has no chin (he tried his Three Ninjas routine on BJ Penn, and 11 painful seconds later, he was more out of it than Crispin Glover when he tried to kick David Letterman. And wow, Star Trek AND Three Ninjas references in the same column? You’re really getting your money's worth, huh?) When he doesn’t take chances, and takes his time, few fighters are more methodical or technically sound.

Camoes’ credentials are that he was submitted by Gleison Tibau, and that he TKO’d someone named “Joe Camacho”. That has to be a stage name. He also won an eight man tournament in 2006 by defeating three men in one night, including veterans Jean Silva and Luciano Azevedo. It takes guts to fight more than once on the same night.

Even though Uno is prone to walking into knockout blows, I think he will yet again play it safe here and go for the top control lay and prey special. However, Camoes will thwart that by taking chances on his feet and on the mat and outpointing good ol’ Uno soundly, 30-27. I even gave you a score.

Ben Saunders (7-1-2) vs. Marcus Davis (16-5)

Aesthetically, this fight is going to look strange. Davis is 5’8" with little reach, and he always stays tight with his punches. Saunders is a legitimate 6’2" and could probably reach me from wherever he is right now.

Not exactly Semmy Schilt vs. Akira Shoji, although I would put it in the same ballpark (but it’d have to be a spacious ballpark, like Comerica. Schilt vs. Shoji might never be topped. I love Japan.)

The only thing Davis really has to watch out for are Saunders’ telephone pole legs. Saunders is good with knees from the clinch, but if the fight ends up there he’ll also have to be wary of Davis crosses coming from well below him.

I thought Saunders folded a little bit in the Swick fight, and I can’t justify taking him here. He’s a talented fighter, no question, but Davis has the experience, strikes and submissions if he needs them. Davis by submission in the third round.

Phil Baroni (13-11) vs. Amir Sadollah (1-1)

Hey, it’s a Phil Baroni sighting! Wow! He was this previous era’s token “one dimensional puncher who scored some highlight reel knockouts and therefore artificially inflated his value to outside promotions.” I love when that happens. It’s like what happened during the 2005 NBA playoffs, when Jerome James played hard (for the first time in his career) for 11 consecutive games (imagine!) and slithered his way into $33 million from the Knicks the following year, followed by him immediately sucking and mailing in games again.

But hey, Baroni has experience galore, decent fundamental wrestling, and a pretty strong chin. Also, you do not want to catch a Baroni hook on the Jay Leno. You thought Amir got taken out by Johny Hendricks…watch what happens if Baroni clips him.

Of course, that’s a big “if.” Amir Sadollah is known for capitalizing on what most fans would agree is the all-time weakest cast in 10 seasons of the Ultimate Fighter, winning the show and the respect of his peers in the process.

The man had no previous professional experience. He scored a controversial “submission” of CB Dollaway, where CB only tapped once. And then Hendricks beat him in 29 seconds, although the stoppage was a little hasty. That's his whole career. It’s not a lot to go off of.

This is quite the clash of styles and mindsets. Baroni has taken beatings from way more lethal fighters than Sadollah, so he doesn’t have to worry about catching one here. He really just has to watch himself if and when the fight hits the ground; Amir is pretty crafty down there.

The question with Sadollah is how he’ll respond to Baroni coming forward like Michael Jackson’s accusers. Can he take a shot? Can he elude Baroni’s punches? If the answer to those two questions is yes, then I’ll take Amir by decision.

For some reason, though, something tells me that Amir will once again wilt under the pressure of his more aggressive foe. Baroni by TKO in the second round after a back and forth battle.

Luiz Cane (10-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3)

Can we start calling Banha “Night Train?” You have to admit, Luiz “Night Train” Cane has a great ring to it. It would make him sound like 15% cooler. Whatever we call him, though, the fact is that he has what easily is the toughest fight of his career on his hands with the long limbed 'Lil Nog.

Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira has fought a who’s who of high caliber mixed martial artists, and he’s beaten most of them. He has superb boxing skills, and he’s a BJJ wizard from the bottom position. However, since his shocking upset loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (the biggest MMA upset in the history of gambling), he’s fought (get ready, this list is full of doozies) Todd Gouwenberg, Dion Staring, Vladdy Matyushenko, Moise Rimbon, and the immortal Edwin Dewees. I think it’s safe to say Cane is a healthy step up in competition.

Meanwhile, Night Train Cane (See, that sounds great, right? ADMIT THAT IT SOUNDS GREAT!!) has handled the B and C level fighters the UFC has given him thus far, but whoever takes this one should get in line for a future title shot. These guys are good.

I could see this being the Fight of the Night. Both guys are astute at using their reach (Cane with his kicks, 'Lil Nog with his hands), although 'Lil Nog is more cerebral while Cane always has a look on his face like he just found out that he knocked up a hooker.

Bottom line is, this is a tough fight for 'Lil Nog. Cane is better in the clinch, better with his kicks, keeps his hands nice and high and doesn’t waste movements like so many other fighters. Although I don’t see a finish here, I think Night Train takes this by decision and then slaps Joe Rogan hard across the face before realizing that the fight is over.

Josh Koscheck (13-4) vs. Anthony Johnson (8-2)

Hands down, my favorite fight on the card. This boils down to one thing, and one thing only: will Josh Koscheck resort back to his wrestling? Hey, Josh? I know you can't hear me, but do you want to win this fight? Use your wrestling! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, USE YOUR WRESTLING!!

Of course, nothing would make me happier than a Rumble KO, but I have grown to appreciate Koscheck for two things. First, it’s ridiculous how much better his stand-up has gotten over the years. Second, the guy still has the best shot in MMA. When he wants to take you down, he is going to take you down. However, his hairstyle is tragic.

Johnson has proven to be an absolute dynamo when it comes to his stand up. Ever since his brutal demolition of Tommy Speer, I knew he was going to make some noise in the welterweight division. That was a video game knockout.

He has an explosive style, but unlike many top shelf strikers, his style is not smooth. It is rather herky jerky, to be honest. To quote my friend Matt, Johnson has a “twitch” that is difficult to time and risky to try to disrupt. He has yet to be truly rocked in his UFC career, and while Koscheck has the power to do just that, I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to play with fire.

I don’t want to overanalyze this one, because I could see it going in a variety of directions. Both guys are dangerous, and both guys have legitimate outs to win this fight, but I’m going with my gut and picking Johnson to win by TKO midway through the second round. He is ready for bigger and better things.

Karo Parisyan (18-5) vs. Dustin Hazelett (12-4)

McLovin returns! I’m pumped. Why do they call him McLovin? He bears no resemblance to the Superbad scene-stealer…he’s more like a mutant Justin Timberlake.

Anyway, Hazelett was on a roll before he got hurt, showcasing a spectacular array of “wait, the human arm isn’t supposed to bend that way!” submissions, as well as much improved striking, which I think he’ll want to put on display here.

Why? Because Karo Parisyan’s standup just isn’t that good, yet he often insists on standing and banging, even when it’s detrimental to his ability to win the fight. Hazelett will have a reach advantage, but you know Karo has at least one absurdly good judo throw in him. On the ground, both are skilled, although Hazelett loves submissions while Karo likes to ground and pound.

(Quick tangent I wanted to put in print before it becomes too dated: Karo just has a terrible attitude. After he was stopped by Thiago Alves, he got up and stomped around like an eight year old who was just denied a Happy Meal from McDonalds. It wasn’t a bad stoppage at all, either; I distinctly remember Karo’s body going limp for a second. Then three seconds later, he’s throwing a tantrum. He and Ken Shamrock should get together and swap “Come on, I wasn’t out!” stories.)

I can’t see Karo Parisyan being submitted, but I can’t see him stopping Dustin on his feet or on the ground. I think Hazelett out-positions Karo over three rounds and wins a decision.

(Late update: Parisyan is out of this fight. Hazelett will get Karo's money. Damn it all. Now Karo and Shamrock can trade "Come on, I wasn't out!" stories AND "Lets' see how many ways I can screw up a great oppurtunity" stories.)

Forrest Griffin (16-6) vs. Tito Ortiz (15-6-1)

Let me start out by saying that I cant get enough of this UFC 106 promo. You know the one I mean: it’s got the guy with the goofy voice doing the whole “Tito Ortiz looks to regain his footing and make another run at the Light Heavyweight title” routine, followed by Ortiz throwing a “devestating” right hand that is reminiscent of a man throwing a shot put that’s too heavy.

I love how Tito tries to make it seem like he could actually win the title again. They created this division specifically for him, back when the only other guys were Vladdy Matyushenko, Evan Tanner, and a bunch of cadavers.

I never understood the whole Tito Ortiz thing. He has good takedowns and good ground and pound, but I can honestly think of at least fifteen guys who are better at both things. I think it must be the whole “blond hair, flaming shorts, ex-porn star wife who now weighs less than a can of Mickeys, ‘brash’ personality that couldn’t be more painfully staged” gimmick. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. It can't possibly be because of his fighting prowess. It just cant.

Forrest looks to redeem himself from a surreal loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 102. He’s going to win this fight. Even though he’s had a rough go of it lately, he’s fought way more high caliber opponents, whereas Tito just talks about how he wants to fight high caliber opponents. Big difference.

I see Forrest pumping his jab in the first round, watching Ortiz tire himself out, then slamming 438 kicks into his thigh over the next two rounds as Tito pretends that he wants to throw hands.

Sure, Ortiz might claim to be “injury free”, but he’ll never be “excuse free.” That will be proved after he loses a decision and gives Rogan something right out of his “excuse jukebox,”, something like, “yeah, I tore my ACL in the second round” as he’s showered with boos from drunken hooligans who know damn well that you can’t fight on a torn ACL. Griffin by decision.

UFC 105: 8-3

Combined predictions record: 19-18

Main Event predictions record: 2-0

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UFC Heavyweight Division's Road To Recovery Goes Through Randy Couture

Bryan Levick — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:57:43 -0500

I know this is crazy, especially when we are talking about a man that is 46 years old, but that man is Randy Couture and he has amazed us all before.

Now that the UFC has seen their heavyweight division go from impressive to in trouble, will the organization once again go back to "The Natural" to help bail them out?

It wouldn't surprise me at all, whenever the UFC comes calling, Couture seems to answer.

A month ago this wasn't an article I would have considered writing. Nogueira was coming off a win over Couture. Big Nog looked outstanding and ready to challenge UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar for the title.

Now here we are just a few short weeks removed, and both men are on the shelf for the time being.

At this point I won't even begin to speculate whether or not Lesnar will ever fight again.

As far as Nogueira is concerned, this is the second major staph infection he has had in less than a year. We all saw how it affected him the last time as he was dominated by Frank Mir at UFC 92.

With Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic basically finished as a viable contender and Ben Rothwell beaten by Cain Velasquez, let's take a look at the rest of the division's heavyweight contenders.

Frank Mir is coming off a loss to Lesnar at UFC 100, where he was battered and beaten to a pulp. Lesnar showed what a dominating wrestler could do to Mir.

I would imagine that Carwin and Velasquez, if given the opportunity, would follow the blueprint drawn up by Lesnar.

Cheick Kongo was thrown around like a rag doll by Velasquez at UFC 99. He is set to face Mir at UFC 107 next month, and even if he somehow wins, it would take him a few more victories over solid contenders to be considered for a run at the gold.

Junior dos Santos is a fighter I really like. His striking may be the best in the division and training with Team Blackhouse will certainly help his ground game. With that being said, he hasn't defeated anyone of significance.

He knocked out Fabricio Werdum in his debut at UFC 90, which sent Werdum packing.

He defeated Stefan Struve at UFC 99 and then picked apart an aging, washed up Cro-Cop at UFC 104. I need to see him against either Velasquez or Carwin to gauge where he is really at.

Carwin and Velasquez are the top two dogs right now and it looks as though they may face each other for the interim title while Lesnar decides if and when he will be back.Who does the winner face in his first defense?

Todd Duffee and Paul Buentello were scheduled to face off next month, but Duffee suffered an injury. Buentello will now take on Struve instead. Either way, Duffee could be a one-hit wonder or he could be the next great heavyweight. It is way too early to tell.

The only free agent that comes to mind is Andrei Arlovski. He needs to win a few fights before jumping back into the fire. Training with Greg Jackson was the best move he could have made but he is not the answer at this point in time.

That brings me back to Couture. He did lose his last two bouts as a heavyweight, but he was more than competitive. I believe he has given Lesnar his toughest fight to date. Yes, Mir did defeat him, but let's face it, things could have been a lot different if Mazzagatti wasn't such a moron!

To me, Couture did what he had to do against Brandon Vera last week. He knew better than to leave any openings for Vera's Muay Thai attack.

At 14 years his senior, Couture was able to muscle Vera against the fence and utilize some dirty boxing to gain a controversial decision. In my book, a win is a win.

I am not here to tell everyone that Couture will capture his fourth heavyweight title. What I am here to say is that while the division's top guns are licking their wounds, why not give Couture an opportunity to help fill the void? Fans still flock in droves to watch him compete.

What would you rather see, a fight between Couture and Mark Coleman or Couture battling dos Santos or Velasquez?

The UFC needs help and who better to call on than "Captain America?"

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WEC 44 Results: Jose Aldo Stuns Mike Brown To Win Featherweight Title

Josh Nason — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:45:09 -0500

Jose Aldo made it look easy in dispatching of WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown at WEC 44 Wednesday night, winning the title via second round TKO after getting Brown's back and unloading punches until the referee stopped the fight.

Simply put, Aldo was dominant and didn't let the champion get comfortable in the first round, aggressively striking and throwing his signature flying knee. There was no controversy in the stop as Brown looked overmatched.

Jose Aldo has officially arrived, and I am looking forward to his first defense of the gold, which I assume to be against Urijah Faber in the spring.

Here's how the whole card broke down:

Jose Aldo def. Mike Brown by second round TKO (1:20) to win WEC Featherweight Title

Maybe the key is to make no eye contact before the fight as Aldo stared at the ground during the mid-ring touch-up. He pressed the action early with leg kicks and punches. I guess it was a bad sign early that Brown—a wrestling stud—couldn't take Aldo down.

Brown began to look more comfortable near the end of the round and threw some straight kicks to the gut, but Aldo still won the round, 10-9.

In the second round, Aldo grounded Brown and eventually mounted him. Brown uncharacteristically gave Aldo his back and it was game over. Aldo started throwing hard punches to the side of Brown's head while sneaking in some to the face with no response or real defense.

Shocking? Yes. But Aldo is good...really good. Post-fight, Brown looked beaten, swollen with some blood from his nose.

The crowd just sat on their hands when Aldo won. I don't know if the Vegas crowd at the Palms was just that bad or big Mike Brown fans, but they couldn't have cared less about the Aldo victory.

Manny Gamburyan def. Leonard Garcia by unanimous decision

Good fight, but how did one judge give all three rounds to Gamburyan? Two judges had it 29-28 for Manny.

First: MG seems perfect for the WEC...both guys looks in great shape. A low blow got Garcia a bit pissed, but the announcers made a good point that MG is 5'5"so knee strikes are risky for him. Garcia's height and reach advantage is definitely working in his advantage. He seems calm and confident.

Second: MG got Garcia down late in the round and landed some punches and attempted a guillotine. Garcia got up but I think MG stole the round with another takedown and some standing punches to end the round.

Third: At one point, Garcia stood with his arms down and was looking for Manny to hit him, which he did but didn't tag him that hard. Man, Garcia is intense. MG got the takedown around the 2:25 mark and capitalized. Manny's ground game is taking over as Garcia is trapped. Nice win.

Karen Darabedyan def. Rob McCullough by split decision

This was a great fight that featured a second round that was outstanding. McCullough was hyper-active in the first round and Darabedyan was content to just wait and then strike with precision the last 90 seconds, opening up a cut on McCullough's nose, winning the round.

The second round was just plain awesome. Darabedyan landed some nasty elbows in one of the few times the fight went to the ground, but McCullough was able to open a cut under his right eye. Most of the round was both guys trading and connecting with hard punches that kept finding their mark. Just awesome!

In the third, there was action but no real damage done. Both guys seemed content to keep it a stand-up war with 90 percent punches and 10 percent kicks. The third seemed like each guy was afraid to make THE one big mistake.

KD earned the split decision, but it could have gone either way. Scores were 30-27 KD, 30-27 RM and 29-28 KD.

Shane Roller defeated Danny Castillo via third round submission (1:26)

Decent fight that was very competitive. Roller got the mount in the second round and was laying in punches but Castillo survived with good defense, not giving Roller his face or ears. Roller got Castillo's back in the third and sunk in a guillotine choke. Castillo held on for a while, but eventually had to tap.

Kamal Shalorus def. Will Kerr via first round TKO (1:26)

Shalorus was dominant in his beatdown of Kerr, opening up a nasty gash under his right eye. The end came when Shalorus connected with an overhand right and landed a left hook that was enough for ref Steve Mazzagatti to end the fight. Both men were making their WEC debut.

Josh Nason has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to Fight Magazine and Bleacher Report and appears regularly on Fight Network Radio. Follow him on Twitter.

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Jose Aldo Defeats Mike Brown

Kevin Hatfield — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:41:02 -0500

In what many called the biggest fight until the new year, Jose Aldo stunned the MMA world by dismantling Mike Brown.

The fight was called two minutes into the second round by the referee, and Jose Aldo was crowned the new WEC feather weight champion.

Aldo was able to get on top of Brown in the second round and landed many powerful punches to the head before the ref stopped the match.

This now leaves an interesting future for the WEC feather weight division. Will we see fan favorite Urijah Faber scheduled to take on Aldo for the title? Or could we possibly see an extremely intriguing Brown vs. Faber III.

Whichever the case, this leaves the WEC with some very potentially exciting matches.

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WEC 44 Main Card Recap: A New Champion Is Crowned

Josh Sanchez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:39:49 -0500

This article was originally contributed to Sanchoplata.com

The WEC never disappoints and tonight was no different. In an action packed fight, we saw a handful of upsets and the crowning of a new champion.

Jose Aldo used his unbelievable Muay Thai skills and his unmatched speed to completely overwhelm the strong Mike Brown in the main event. We all knew that Aldo was an explosive striker, but his balance and takedown defense shined through, as he was able to keep the fight standing and pick apart the former champion.

Aldo seems to be the future of the featherweight division. He has won his last six fights by TKO or KO, and he hasn't recorded a loss since 2005. At only 23 years of age, Aldo has the ability to remain at the very top for a long time. His technical striking and superhuman speed will give any man in his division the fight of their life.

Both the Leonard Garcia vs. Manny Gamburyan and the Karen Darabedyan vs. Rob McCullough fights went to decision with Gamburyan and Darabedyan pulling out the victories.

Garcia came out quick and pressed the action early, but midway through the second round Gamburyan was able to score a handful of take downs. Gamburyan was able to control the fight in the final frame as he grounded out a unanimous decision victory.

Darabedyan made his promotional debut against the former lightweight champion, Razor Rob. Darabedyan was spectacular in his first WEC fight, as he let his hands go and walked away with a split decision win.

The other main card fight was a bout between Danny Castillo and Shane Roller. It was a back and forth fight. Castillo was in serious trouble late in the second-round as he was getting pounded on by Roller, but his heart and determination led him to the third round with a chance to win the fight. In the end, Roller prevailed as he sunk in a rear-naked choke at the 3:32 mark in the final round.

The WEC always puts on a good event. After this night of endless mixed martial arts action, one can only be even more excited for the Strikeforce Challengers Series on Showtime Friday night and UFC 106: Griffin vs. Ortiz II this Saturday on Pay-Per View.

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Is MMA Destined To Suffer the Same Fate as Boxing?

Oliver Suarez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:23:00 -0500

MMA is one of the fastest growing sports today, especially within the younger generation. UFC and its promotional machine are mostly responsible for its popularity.

They have made the sport very visible and its athletes seem to be more approachable than their boxing counterparts. Also, MMA pay-per-view fights regularly draw numbers that only a few boxers such as Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, and Oscar De la Hoya can match.

HBO and others can learn a few things on how UFC produces their shows. Boxing promoters also must improve the quality of their undercards since typical UFC pay per view cards are usually stacked from top to bottom.

As a result of MMA’s success many of its fans have been too quick to judge boxing as a dying sport. They say MMA is on its way to replace boxing as the main entertainment fighting. But MMA is still young and there are already signs that it may suffer the same fate as boxing.

Many MMA fans often mention that boxing promoters only care about the money and not the sport. But that can also be said for MMA or UFC. Why do you think Fedor Emelianenko has not fought in a UFC card? It’s because he does not want to sign an exclusive contract with UFC. Dana White does not want to co-promote a Fedor fight and share any profits. Just like in boxing, some fights may never happen due to politics and money.

When a new MMA organization pops up, Dana White is always so quick to criticize or threaten it. Remember White’s reaction when Affliction first started? When Strikeforce signed Fedor, Dana White basically questioned Fedor’s greatness and mocked Strikeforce. He is no different than the promoters in boxing.

Sooner or later many of the big fights will be much more difficult to set up. In boxing, a number of fights often fall short during negotiations because of money or promotional problems. UFC will soon face those problems. Their fighters are grossly underpaid considering the success of their pay per view cards.

Do you think MMA fighters will continue to sacrifice their health without getting proper compensation for their services? I mean Lyoto Machida only got paid $200,000 for UFC 104 and he is one of their biggest stars. That’s chump change compared to what Pacquiao and Mayweather make.

Fighters in UFC also must sign a licensing agreement with Zuffa Inc, where they basically give up their opportunities to make money on their own image. In boxing, the fighters don’t have to sign any licensing agreement. Floyd and Pacquiao make tons of money outside the sport via endorsements because they have control over the use of their own image.

Critics of boxing also point out the fact that boxing often lacks a legitimate champion in its weight classes, which is true because of the number of politics governing bodies. What is worse is there could be multiple champions in a certain weight class just from one governing body. In the WBA alone you can have a "champion in recess”, “interim champion,” “regular champion,” and “superchampion.”

But MMA also has the same problem. Of course almost everyone considers Fedor the best Heavyweight in MMA, but how can we know for sure when he hasn’t fought the likes of Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, or Shane Carwin.

How can MMA fans truly know who the best in each division is, when fighters from different companies do not fight each other? What if Lesnar moves to a new organization before fighting Velasquez or Carwin? Can we still proclaim him the best in his division?

MMA fans also point out the corruption in boxing including controversial decisions such as the Juan Diaz Vs Paul Malignaggi fight. But what about the Lyoto Machida Vs Shogun Rua fight?

The same problems in boxing also exist in the sport of MMA. The different fighting organizations such as UFC and Strikeforce are the counterparts of the governing bodies in boxing. They each have their own agenda and it may not always be for the better of the sport and fans. MMA is a great sport but its fans should not count out boxing just yet.

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Brock Lesnnar Will Not Be The Next Bo Jackson, Hopefully

Colin Linneweber — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:51:38 -0500

UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar was released from a hospital in Bismark, ND, Tuesday and he is currently recovering at his home in Minnesota from Mononucleosis and a serious bacterial infection in his intestinal tract.

Last month, Lesnar (4-1), the 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion at the University of Minnesota, was forced to cancel his scheduled title defense at UFC 106 against Shane Carwin (11-0) due to a previously undisclosed illness.

The bout versus Carwin, 34, was almost immediately rescheduled for UFC 108 in early-2010.

However, Lesnar, 32, indefinitely postponed his slated match with Carwin last week because his illness had yet to subside.

“Brock’s very, very sick,” UFC President Dana White told TMZ. “He’s not well and he’s not going to be getting well anytime soon.”

White said that Lesnar’s condition would necessitate “major surgery.”

Last July in Las Vegas, Lesnar avenged his only defeat as a professional mixed martial artist when he pulverized past titlist Frank Mir (12-4) with strikes and won by TKO in the second round.

Lesnar, a former three-time WWE champion who was invited to try out for the Minnesota Vikings in 2004, is UFC’s glittering attraction and he seemed destined to dominate his division for the foreseeable future.

“There’s a possibility Lesnar will never fight again,” said White of the native of South Dakota.

If Lesnar is unable to return to UFC, it will be one of the most premature and unfortunate retirements in recent sports history.

In January 1991, spectacular Los Angeles Raiders running back Bo Jackson suffered a serious hip injury during a playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jackson, a young 28-year-old at the time he was injured, was an all-time elite athlete who absolutely excelled on both the gridiron for the Raiders and on the baseball diamond for the Kansas City Royals.

The trauma Jackson suffered to his hip was so severe that he was obligated to instantly retire from the sport of football and he was relegated to simply being a designated hitter in 1993 for his new team, the Chicago White Sox.

Jackson, the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner, would have inevitably continued to dominate his two sports for many years had he not been so badly wounded.

Unfortunately, Jackson was never physically able to maximize his potential and his legacy is not nearly as accomplished as it should have been on the field.

If Lesnar never again enters the octagon, the sport of MMA will be deprived of watching a prime superstar in a similar manner to the way that football and baseball were when they lost Jackson nearly 20 years ago.

“This is who I am,” Lesnar once said. “I am a fighter.”

As Nike made clear, Bo Jackson “knew” sports and he thrived competing in them.

Brock Lesnar knows how to fight and that is one of the reasons he is nicknamed, “The Next Big Thing.”

Fans of mixed martial arts should hope that “The Next Big Thing” is not the second coming of Bo Jackson.

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Tito Ortiz: The Self-Promoting Champion of Guerrilla Marketing

James Ryan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:21:01 -0500

There's an old expression that always comes to mind whenever I think of Tito Ortiz: Court attention at all cost.

"Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger; more colourful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses."

As much as I tend to dislike Tito Ortiz as a fighter (and his unsavoury antics both inside and outside of the Octagon), I have to give credit where credit is due. Tito Ortiz, the self-described “Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” is all about self-promotion, and no doubt thanks to the assistance of his new wife Jenna Jameson (world famous pornographic film star), he has in fact become quite good at it.

So what exactly is guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing can be any unconventional way of performing promotional activities on a very low-to-non-existent budget. Such promotions are sometimes designed so that the target audience is often left unaware they have even been marketed to and it may therefore be considered a form of subliminal marketing (but not always).

Instead of money (and a focus on a more conventional means of advertising such as radio and television), the primary investments of Guerrilla Marketing would only have to be time, energy, and an enormous amount of creative imagination.

Let’s examine motivation for a moment:

Motivation and each person's desire to succeed (or not) is a very interesting facet to our every day part of life.

We are all driven to do things based on the pain/pleasure principle, which essentially means that we are all driven to do things based more on the avoidance of pain. Only when the benefit can outweigh the risk and potential harm, will people truly act in accordance with their goals.

For Tito, the pain of losing his fight against Forrest Griffin at the upcoming UFC 106 event is far outweighed by the amount of publicity and product awareness that Tito will no doubt generate for his company “Punishment Athletics .” The money and notoriety far outweighs any potential embarrassment that could come as a result of losing the fight (something that Tito is all too familiar with).

Consider these examples, comparing two very well-known MMA fighters:

Both of these men are former UFC Champions and both are arguably at the end of their careers—but only one of them fights for the glory and challenge of overcoming the odds and being his personal best, while the other is clearly only looking to garner as much attention as he can for himself and his upstart enterprise.

At the age of 46, Randy “The Natural” Couture returned to the UFC Light Heavyweight Division and immediately declared an interest in fighting Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (UFC LHW Champion). At this stage in his career, I think that a lot of people would agree that Randy Couture has very little to prove to anybody but to himself, perhaps.

At the age of 35, Tito Ortiz is set to make his much anticipated return (yes—I’m joking) to the Light Heavyweight Division this upcoming Saturday at UFC 106. For a man determined to regain his dominance as a top professional fighter, wouldn’t it make more sense that he, too, would want to send out a challenge (or at least a strong and public desire to challenge) directed towards the current champion Machida (a man who had already beaten Ortiz at UFC 84)?

Instead, Ortiz calls out the likes of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell (retired?), to whom he had already lost to, convincingly, on two separate occasions—UFC 47 and UFC 66.

The biggest question is: why?

The quickest and easiest answer is: publicity.

The ultimate effect: When people think about MMA, they naturally think about guys like Tito Ortiz. His name has become branded and synonymous with MMA. At this stage in his career (much like Randy Couture), the wins and losses have little to no effect on his public perception or reputation.

While none of this probably comes as much of a surprise to many, I would have to think that if I were a betting man, I would put all of my money on Forrest Griffin to win this weekend.

Forrest’s motivation is very strong, indeed. Just ask Michael “The Count” Bisping about the pressure associated with overcoming the dark shadow of public humiliation and embarrassment. For Forrest, it’s much more serious than selling a few hats and t-shirts.

Stick to broadcasting, Tito—it’s unfortunately what you do best at this stage in your career (and no, I don’t think that you’re very good at it, but we’ll just have to examine that together another time, I'm afraid).

Peace.

These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others.

Check them out at: www.mrjamesryan.com

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MMA Media: Responsible Reporting Required

E. Spencer Kyte — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:59:00 -0500

Back in the beginning of things as an MMA writer, back -to-back days were spent discussing ways to further legitimize the sport in the eyes of the general public and the mainstream.

Since then, much has been discussed and in roads have been made, with the sport growing daily and creeping closer to garnering more substantial coverage.

In addition to needing more positive stories covered the mainstream, the sport will additionally never be taken seriously if pieces like this courtesy of UK-based MMA Bay do not stopped being circulated:

Canadian Health System Blamed for Severity of Lesnar's Illness .

Please note: my objection to this piece has nothing to do with my nationality or my attitude towards Brock Lesnar. I would take equal offense to this gossip-mongering nonsense if I were from another country and wished ill upon the UFC champion as I do now as a Canadian member of Team Lesnar .

Let's start with the fact that the source for the information is Lesnar's chiropractor, Larry Novotny, who certainly doesn't stand to gain anything from getting his name out there in one of the biggest sports stories going...

Here is what Larry had to say:

His symptoms became severe while in Canada, which because of their health care system made it difficult to manage. And at this point it's a possibility that it could jeopardize his career.

I don't know if you've ever looked into the Health Care System here in Canada, but it's pretty solid. The last time the World Health Organization compiled rankings , Canada came in at No. 30.

While that was admittedly back in 2000 (they've ceased producing such rankings due to the enormity of the task), Canada's ranking was seven places higher than our neighbors to the South, you know, the country Lesnar calls home. The one without universal health care.

Something tells me that a lot hasn't changed since then, making Novotny's statement that about our health care system making things more difficult to manage make absolutely no sense.

Simply put, we have a better health care system here in Canada, and while I can attest first-hand that staffing levels are below what nurses would like (source: my wife...the nurse), the situation is the same throughout North America.

Disagreement with a chiropractor's views on the Canadian Health Care System aside, the fact that MMA Bay runs with this "story" in the first place is what frustrates me even more.

In 13 seconds of Google'ing, I was able to find those WHO stats which, at the very least, create speculation about the validity of the statements made by Mr. Novotny. A third grader could put together that kind of search, so what stops MMA Bay from doing the same?

The answer is readers and hits to their website.

This pseudo-story is surely getting the attention they desired, as the story came across my desk via an MMA news wire service, meaning it's making it's way through the masses, valid or not.

Additionally, the few comments that are contained on the site itself are all calls of "bull--" as they should be, but that doesn't stop them.

Personally, I see this as reckless reporting and a blatant push for hollow hits to their website and story, and think that this approach to news is another of the impediments to our sport taking up its place in the mainstream.

If those of us who love the sport can't care enough to accurately report the news and shy away from baseless speculation and empty stories simply to draw attention, how can we expect the mainstream to feel obliged to do the same?

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UFC 109: Battle for the Best Senior Citizen

Jared Leatzow — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:54:17 -0500

UFC fighters, Randy Couture and Mark Coleman have both recently verbally agreed to fight one another at UFC 109.

This event marks in my opinion something I have been wishing would happen for a long time two of the oldest saltiest dogs in the sport doing battle. Randy Couture a UFC fan favorite will no longer have the mma pundits questioning how long he can outrun time when he faces Coleman, because both men are in their forties.

It would be incredible if the UFC announced a creation of a senior citizen belt, but of course this is simply a wish that will never be fullfilled.

So lets break down this fight down, both men are top wrestlers who have competed in the highest level possible in the sport, and both men posses a not-so-technical striking game that is usually utilized mostly to put people away while they are on the ground.

Also both men have been UFC champions, but here is where the similarities stop.

Mark Coleman was a UFC tournament champion, meaning he had to fight multiple opponents in one night. Also Coleman was the first Pride champion as well, and one the PRIDE GP in 2000 meaning that he had to fight a semi-final and final match all on the same night.

Couture made a good run as well in the UFC, where he won UFC 13 heavyweight tournament and would eventually claim the heavyweight title from Maurice Smith at UFC Japan. Maurice Smith was at the time the current heavyweight champion and had just won the belt from Coleman himself.

Couture achievements continued as well when he beat Chuck Liddell for the light-heavyweight belt and then eventually later in his career won back his heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia.

So on paper it may appear that Couture has had a better run as a competitor but I would not count out Coleman in this one. First it is important to look at the the quality of fighters each person has fought in their career.

First thing is first Coleman fought and lost too Fedor Emilianenko twice, and has also lost to Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera. Couture has never fought Fedor but has lost to Noguira.

Coleman has beaten Don Frye, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Gary Goodridge, Igor Volvchachyen, Kazuyuki Fujita, Dan Severen, and Alan Goes. All names that may not seem important now but where big back in the day.

However, Coleman has lost too Pete Williams, Maurice Smith, Mirko Filopvic,Pedro Rizzo and his most embaressing loss came to the hands of Nobuhiko Takada. All quality opponents at the time excluding the loss to Takada.

Couture has beaten Maurice Smith, Vitor Belfort as well as lost to him, Pedro Rizzo, Chuck Liddell,Kevin Randleman, Tsyushi Khosaka and Jeremy Horn to name a few. All very notable fighters all very dominant at the time they were fighting.

Couture has also lost to Enson Inoue,Valentijn Overeem, Chuck Liddell, Josh Barnett, Ricco Rodriguez, and Brock Lesnar.

So overall it would appear that Couture has had much more impressive victories but the guys that he lost too where essentially about the same when considering the times he fought them.

So on paper it would appear that Couture would have the advantage based on experience and quality of opponents. However, I love Coleman and can't see the guy losing this one he has hearts, guts, and a willingness to win.

Sure Coleman told a reporter that he was a little scared to fight a guy like Brock Lesnar and Couture actually did fight Lesnar, but the guy fought Fedor twice, and he has some real character and fights for his family.

It would nice to have a new old man in the sport who can beat up the young guys.

The guys got heart and I'm rooting for Coleman.

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Forrest Griffin-Tito Ortiz 2: The Meaningless Main Event

Jesse Motiff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:19:37 -0500

Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin are unquestionably two of the most popular fighters ever to step inside the Octagon. Even in defeat, both men are cheered wildly as if they had just won a championship.

The two will face off for the second time in their careers on Saturday night, main eventing UFC 106. Given the recent history of each man, does their fight this weekend even mean anything?

Dana White is a walking contradiction; even the most novice fan understands that. For the past couple of years he has verbally bashed Ortiz proclaiming to anyone that would listen that Ortiz was finished as a fighter. White wanted everyone to believe Ortiz would never fight in the UFC again.

After Ortiz couldn't find employment elsewhere, White decided to capitalize on Ortiz's name recognition and re-sign him to a contract with the UFC. On top of that, he sticks a fighter whom he told the world had nothing left into the main event for his return fight.

White is every bit the promoter of Vince McMahon. He will do whatever he can to make a buck. However, even White's most adamant supporters must be wondering how it makes sense to bash a man for two years and tear him down as a fighter only to give him a spot in the main event of a pay-per-view. It is simply bad business to try and get others to belief in something you have spent so much time trying to break down.

Ortiz hasn't fought since he lost to Lyoto Machida in May 2008. Worse yet, he hasn't won a fight in over three years when he knocked out Ken Shamrock in October 2006. Fighting someone the caliber of Griffin could become very dangerous for a fighter with so much ring rust.

Forrest Griffin has had his own sets of problems in recent months. White basically fed him to the wolves when he pitted him against Anderson Silva. Griffin was the perfect big-name punching bag that could boost Silva's presence in the light-heavyweight division. Griffin not only was beaten by a superior fighter, he was humiliated.

This led Griffin to test his cardio after the fight by running out of the cage prior to the results becoming official, leaving some to speculate he ran straight back to Georgia. At least he still had his book to promote and was cover boy of the UFC video game.

It has been over two years since Griffin's last convincing victory. He's lost his last two fights and although he beat Rampage Jackson for the UFC light-heavyweight title, it was a decision that many fans disagreed with.

Even a big win over Ortiz won't put him in line for a title fight with Machida. White could stick Griffin and Ortiz in another fight to break the tie of their two battles. While neither will lose much popularity with a loss, the losing fighter would become irrelevant in talks about a future title shot.

The main event speaks to a bigger problem currently afflicting the UFC: injuries. Brock Lesnar is out indefinitely and now Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has pulled out of a fight due to injury. These may only directly affect the heavyweight division, but both fighters were slated to be in the main events of their pay-per-view which leaves White and company scrambling to throw together a replacement.

It is a problem that the UFC is adjusting to quite rapidly. Brandon Vera is a decent fighter but he is in no position to main event a pay-per-view. The same can be said for Mark Coleman when he fights Randy Couture at UFC 109. How long can White put on sub-par main events before fans being to tune out?

There are a few good storylines heading into this weekend's fights. Josh Koscheck versus Anthony Johnson has the potential to be a great fight. It will also be interesting to see how Antonio Rogerio Nogueira adapts to his first fight for the UFC.

Fans may be excited to see the return of Tito Ortiz and how Forrest Griffin will respond after two devastating losses. Unfortunately, to see the two fight each other isn't worth what the UFC is expecting fans to pay to watch it.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here .

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UFC 106 Fight Week Preview: Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni

E. Spencer Kyte — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:54:00 -0500

Am I the only one who looks at this picture of Phil Baroni and immediately thinks of a stylized-MMA version of "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff?

While Jason "Mayhem" Miller brings flare to the fight game, he additionally backs it up inside the cage and has a number of quality wins to speak of.

Baroni? Not so much.

Pair that with Amir "The UFC Segment Host" Sadollah and you have a very, very unappealing fight that has been promoted to the main card, courtesy of a number of injuries and illnesses and the name recognition of two middle-of-the-pack-at-best fighters.

Can you tell how excited I am?

Amir Sadollah (1-1) vs. "The New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni (13-11-0)

Remember last week when my predictions for the first two fights on the UFC 105 card were horribly wrong and lacked depth?

Well, the shocking lack of depth returns, and we'll see about the results later in the week.

This could certainly be a very exciting fight, as Baroni has seriously heavy hands and Sadollah showed—albeit against one of the worst seasons of TUF competition out there—some skills, but standing and with submission.

That being said, the TUF 7 winner lasted just 29 seconds in his official UFC debut against Johny Hendricks at UFC 101, and while he is extremely charismatic, self-deprecating, and people seem to like him, none of those things help him in the cage.

As for Baroni, the last fight he won with any relevance whatsoever was quite some time ago depending on your opinions of Yuki Kondo, Ryo Chonan and Ikuhisa Minowa. If those guys don't register with you, we're going all the way back to UFC 39 where Baroni beat the first middleweight champ, Dave Menne.

That was in 2002.

Now, he's lost a boatload of name-brand fights since then, dropping bouts to Matt Lindland, Evan Tanner, Kazuo Misaki, and Frank Shamrock, but just like Sadollah's smile doesn't help his cause, the list of guys that have beaten Baroni doesn't change the fact that he's a bare minimum of two years removed from being relevant.

How Jake Rosholt beats Chris Leben on the PPV portion of UFC 101 and gets relegated to the preliminaries when these two come in off losses and get middle of the broadcast coverage is beyond me...

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