September 10th, Spike TV, MMA history will be made. Rampage Jackson will take on Dan Henderson at UFC 75 in a title unification match. This will combine the Pride Middleweight Title and the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. How big is Rampage vs. Henderson? How will this fight affect the UFC and the sport of MMA?
I'm not sure if anybody realizes this...but we are less then 10 days away from one of the biggest fights in MMA history. Actually, probably the biggest. UFC vs. PRIDE...Title vs. Title...Jackson vs. Henderson. This title unification bout is bound to be an instant classic. Even if it's a horrible fight, the sheer meaning of it takes it beyond any regular main event.
The rest of this card looks less then impressive. With Cro Cop and Bisping heavily favored in their respective fights, all of the focus is turned onto the main event (if Kongo beats Filipovic then I might just stop watching).
Either way, Jackson vs. Henderson needs to be hyped more. I've only seen about 3 advertisements for it on television, and I'm wondering why I haven't seen a dozen more. This is the biggest moment inMMA history here! For free! On Spike TV! Advertisements need to be everywhere.
This free event is great for UFC because it is a win/big win situation. The fight doesn't have to be a good fight for it to be monumental...but if it is a good fight, then the UFC might gain thousands of fans. Just the fact that they didn't make this a pay-per-view will bring many new fans into the sport.
Mark it on the calender folks. UFC 75...September 8th...watch history being made on Spike TV.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
UFC 75=History
UFC Balance Of Power Regains Normalcy
With the wins of Randy Couture and Georges St. Pierre on Saturday night, the pair finalized UFC's return to general predictability (a good thing) following a span of upsets which stretched from 68 to 71, effectively throwing three of the five title pictures in disarray. With Sherk's win (let's forget about the steroids for a moment), Couture's first successful defense of the HW title, and St. Pierre displaying his ability to shake the Serra blues, it appears that we can start narrowing the talent into some Superfights.
No need to give Gonzaga another title shot now. And after St. Pierre's dismantling of Koscheck, it's obvious that St. Pierre and Hughes are the only guys who deserve to be on the top of that division. Not Sanchez, not Kos, not Parisyan, and certainly none of the other guys who were said to be in line for a title shot. Just the best of the best. Had Koscheck won the fight on Saturday, it would've taken even more legitimacy from the division and possibly...just possibly set up for Koscheck-Serra. Instead of being forced to witness that eyesore, it looks as if we're on track for GSP-Hughes III, which is the best fight for the fighters, the fans, and of course, the sport.
Couture's huge win marks the reality of his second coming in the UFC as he has now dispatched of two contenders (Sylvia and Gonzaga) who have at times been heralded as greats, but have now been reduced to pawns. This is significant because now Couture can start wading through the real contenders, the PRIDE guys. Similar to the Koscheck-Serra scenario, I think I speak for everyone when I say we really dodged a bullet with the potential Gonzaga-Nogueira matchup. Instead, we should be treated to Couture-CC, Couture-Nog, or even Couture-Fedor. With CC's recent loss and Nog's less than stellar opening show, there really is no contender in the UFC who should be considered a favorite against "The Natural." It may be up to White to sign someone who can fill these shoes.
The narrowing of competition continues at UFC 75 with the Henderson-Rampage match, a virtual win-win for the UFC. With a Liddell and Shogun wins at 76, the UFC should be set up perfectly for a winter to remember. Silva and Franklin will kick things off with what should be a war. We will most likely see Shogun against the winner of Rampage-Henderson. Couture will almost definitely fight Cro Cop or Nogueira. And barring something amazing happening, Hughes will get another crack at GSP. It may have not been the most exciting event in the world, but UFC 74 has now set the stage for the success that is to come.
(Originally published on martialbase.com)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
IRISH WHIP FIGHTING EXCLUSIVE: CUNG LE INTERVIEW
I had a chance to speak to one of Strikeforce’s and quickly rising MMA star Cung Le. Holding three bronze medals in San Shou kickboxing, Le started fighting in K-1 and has now broken into the MMA scene. Le has had four spectacular fights, most recently knocking out MMA veteran Tony Frkylund. Le is best known for his sharp striking and San Shou kickboxing. See what Le had to say about facing Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson and his talked about matchup against MMA legend Frank Shamrock! An interview by Masson Liang
Masson Liang: How difficult was the transition from San Shou kickboxing to mixed martial arts?
Cung Le: It was not that hard to transition from San Shou to mixed martial arts. I just had to work on my ground and putting it together.
ML: What ultimately made you decide you wanted to transition from your traditional styles to mixed martial arts?
CL: My trainer Javier Mendez talked me into it.
ML: Thus far, you have four incredible knockouts in your MMA career. What do you have to say to critics who question your skills on the ground (BJJ, wrestling, etc.)?
CL: I don't have anything to say to the critics who question my ground game. I will just focus on what I do best and improve on what I need to improve on to be a complete fighter.
ML: Having fought 4 MMA matches now, how would you say your knowledge of submission grapplng and Jiu-jitsu is now? And how much Brazilian Jiu Jitsu do you incorporate into your usual training regimen today?
CL: I have more knowledge every time I step into the cage and into training with the whole MMA game. I love to train and incorporate as much as I could in my regimen.
ML: Who would you say your toughest opponent has been in MMA thus far and why?
CL: It is between Tony and Brian Warren.
ML: You mentioned the possibility of facing Frank Shamrock if both of you won your fights at the last Strikeforce event. Now that you've both come out victorious, what is the status of the fight between you and Frank Shamrock? Any word on that yet?
CL: I think the status of the Frank Shamrock fight will be next year sometime.
ML: We know Strikeforce is fairly leninent when it comes to fighting outside of their organization, do you have any fights outside of Strikeforce lined up yet?
CL: I do not have any fights line up right now.
ML: Is there a possibility of moving to another organization, maybe the UFC or WEC, after your Strikeforce contract expires?
CL: You never know!
ML: How do you think you match up with UFC's current middleweight champion Anderson Silva? or PRIDE's middleweight champion Dan "Dangerous" Henderson?
CL: I don't know how I would match up until I step into the ring with the UFC or Pride Champion. They both are very well rounded and make great fights.
ML: We know you have some interest in acting, is that something you'd pursue after your fighting career?
CL: That is my other focus right now in my career.
ML: Taking a quick look around IrishWhipFighting.com, what do you think of the site?
CL: I like it!
ML: Well Cung, we can't thank you enough for your time, are there any sponsors you'd like to thank? Or any other shout outs you'd like to give?
CL: I would like to thank the Irish Whip fans for all your support!
White: Fedor Won't Relate To UFC Fans
I even had to build up Cro Cop. It's taking a while for us to do that. After we introduce him to our fans, then you can do that kind of a thing.
Dana White, while talking about the most talented free agent (and martial artist) in the universe, said that he just wouldn't relate to UFC fans. Now whether this is simply an excuse for the lack of contract or White actually believes this, no one knows. But what is known is that the man simply recognized by his first name, Fedor, needs a place to fight. Never has one man been so dominant. Even Matt Hughes suffered a legendary defeat at the hands of BJ Penn at UFC 46, but Fedor has no such blemish.
White compared Fedor's potential entrance to that of Cro Cop, citing over and over again that for whatever reason, Fedor is simply not ready:The hard core fans who know who Fedor is are a minority. Believe me when I tell you that. My (UFC) fans don't know who he is. I'd have to build him up. You can't just say 'Fedor's here,' and open the doors and expect people to come in. It doesn't work that way.
Okay, so there's probably something to be said for the bloodthirsty fans who come to the events just to see a knockout. But for every one of those, I'd bet that there are two fans who have taken the time to understand the intricacies of the ground game and other minutia of the sport. It is growing rapidly and newer fans will take the time to learn MMA the right way. Whether or not White thinks Fedor can relate to these fans (it obvious he doesn't), he has a duty to the fans to bring Fedor in. When Zuffa purchased PRIDE, White made it clear that his intention was to huddle the world's best under one tent. Until Fedor is under that tent, White hasn't done anything.
Originally published on martialbase.com
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
GSP To Get Title Shot In Canada
In Canada's first-ever UFC event (the expansion continues...), former Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre will get the opportunity to regain his title. He'll face the winner of the Hughes-Serra bout in a fight that is expected to take place at the Bell Centre sometime during the spring.
During the announcement-filled post-UFC 74 conference, White announced that St. Pierre would get the title shot (as was expected) and that it would come in St. Pierre's home country (not as expected). The UFC is doing an excellent job of utilizing fighter's hometowns in order to boost buys and attendance. Attendance is less of an issue considering recent events have been sold out, but total exposure is still something that White and the Fertitta seek. One look at the use of Bisping in England-based events is enough evidence of this trend.
The UFC can't lose with this set up, as no matter who St. Pierre gets, it's the second or third fight in a series. Statistics show that rematches and trilogies are by far the most profitable ventures for the UFC. In St. Pierre's rematch, they could have either. With the wins by Couture and St. Pierre at UFC 74, coupled with Sherk's title justification at 73, the UFC is back on track to make a splash in the next year.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
IRISH WHIP FIGHTING EXCLUSIVE: RAMEAU THIERRY SOKOUDJOU INTERVIEW
BZ: Having been the underdog for both you Nogueira and Arona fight, do you enjoy having the underdog role better and being able to shut up all your critics? BZ: How hard was the transition from the gi in Judo to the no-gi situation in MMA? Do you find a lot of your judo techniques ineffective now that the gi is not present? BZ: Do you prefer fighting in a cage or in the traditional ring? BZ: How did you originally meet Dan and was he the one who really sparked your interest in MMA? BZ: Have you gotten a chance to help your manager and fellow Team Quest fighter, Dan Henderson train for his upcoming bout with BZ: How do you think BZ: If the money was right and the opportunity arose, would you ever step up to the plate to fight Dan Henderson for the belt? BZ: Absolutely. (Laughs) BZ: Hell, I’d fight Dan Henderson if the money were right. BZ: Who in your opinion is the greatest of all time? BZ: Do you think Fedor is unbeatable? If not, what are his weaknesses? BZ: How do you rank yourself amongst the other fighters in your weight class? BZ: Yep. Tell me you’re better than all of them. BZ: So, you’re only 23 years of age, and you’ve obviously got a huge future in front of you. Are there any other specific goals or things you want to accomplish outside of your fighting career? BZ: Now, what is your take on this ongoing steroid issue amongst fighters? BZ: Are there any sponsors you’d like to thank? Or anything we can plug for you? BZ: Anything you’d like to say to your fans? BZ: Okay, I have to ask flat out. Are you signing with the UFC? BZ: Give me a call when you know where you’re headed. We’d love to be the ones to break the story. BZ: Sounds like a plan. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me tonight. BZ: Talk to you later…
I caught up with The African Assassin late last week to discuss his contract situation, the EliteXC fall out, the prospect of fighting Dan Henderson, his thoughts on Fedor, and more! He's one of the least interviewed and most talked about stars in all of MMA and he had some extremely interesting things to say during the course of our half hour conversation. Sokoudjou opens up inside!
Ben Zeidler: Do you still have family in West Africa or have they all moved to the
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou: I actually still have family all around the world. I’ve got family in
BZ: With your two most recent knockouts putting you near the top of the Light Heavyweights, who is next in your crosshairs? Who do you have the most desire to fight?
RTS: At this point, I don’t really know. I’m not tied down to anyone or any organization. I wanted Shogun, but as of now, no one is lined up. I don’t have a job, man! (Laughs) It’s hard to call anyone out when you don’t have a job.
RTS: It really doesn’t matter to me, you know? Every time I take a fight, I’m going to beat the other guy whether I’m the underdog or not. No matter who he is, I just want to fight the best guys and have good fights.
BZ: You've certainly showed MMA critics and fans around the world that you can strike, but you’re also 2001 US Open Judo Champion; do you plan on utilizing your judo skills more often in your fights to come?
RTS: You know, it’s all about strategy. Nogueira and Arona are Jiu-Jitsu guys and I thought I’d have to do that. I thought I’d have to be with them on the ground and I trained for that. You don’t always know how the fight is going to go, but I do train for the strengths of other fighters.
RTS: (Laughs) Even as of today, I tried a judo throw and I got yelled at. I’m still making the transition and learning what I can do and what I can’t.
BZ: Are there specific skills (be it wrestling, jiu jitsu, boxing, etc.) that you plan on focusing more so than others?
RTS: It really depends on who I’m fighting. Whether it’s a boxer or a wrestler, I’ll train differently to get ready for a specific fighter. What the other guy can do changes my game plan, and what my training looks like.
BZ: In your words, what happened with the EliteXC deal?
RTS: There were too many changes on the contract. And I guess the details were never hammered out. Man, I’m not a lawyer and they hand me some 20 page contract for me and Parsons to look over, but that’s not my job. My job is to fight. We had a lawyer check it out; I don’t know exactly what happened but we chose not to sign. I just want to train and get ready instead of dealing with contracts.
BZ: Leader of your Team Quest camp, Ryan Parsons, stated that you are now waiting to sign with K-1, is still the case?
RTS: I’m unemployed…that’s all I can say right now. I wish I could tell you, man.
RTS: Wherever the money is, man! Cage or ring, I don’t care, baby! I guess, though, that the cage is easier for me because I can lean on it when I get tired. But when it comes down to it, no matter where I am, the guy across the ring from me is a fighter and so it doesn’t really matter.
RTS: I met him in November before his Nakamura fight. They were looking for a judo guy to help him train and they called me in and he beat me up bad. I was 240 and he was 183 and he still beat me up pretty bad. Then, they called me in again before
RTS: We started a couple weeks ago and he’s beating everyone in the room and working hard. He’ll be ready.
BZ: Will you be in
RTS: I'll probably be in his corner if he wants me there. It would be a great honor.
RTS: Come on now! Obviously, Dan will win the fight quite easily.
RTS: Well, would you pay to see Dan knock me out?
RTS: (Laughs) He beats me up enough in practice and I don’t need to be embarrassed on TV.
RTS: Shit…that would suck, man.
RTS: It takes a lot to step into the cage and give everything up so I’d have to say everyone. Everyone who trains to fight. So many guys put everything into training and never get their first fight.
RTS: No one is unbeatable, it takes the right guy with the right strategy. When Cro Cop fought him, he was able to show us that Fedor isn't perfect and I think that if the right striker came along, he would be able to beat him. He’s human so someone will come up with a game plan and someone will beat him.
RTS: I’m just another fighter. (Laughs) You’d like it if I said I was the best, wouldn’t you.
RTS: (Laughs) No way, man. You know how to figure that out? Get us all in a tournament and have a point system based on type of win and strength of win. The numbers will tell you who is the best. To me, it doesn’t make sense because I come from a judo background and other guys do not. We all have our own strengths. There’s a difference between being in the Olympics and different MMA organizations. It is all too different to have rankings. Rankings don’t mean anything to me, I’m just a fighter.
RTS: I’d like to get a degree. All of my brothers have two masters and I want to go back to school. Maybe I’ll become a doctor.
RTS: Cheating has always been a part of the game. Lots of people say if you don’t cheat, you aren’t trying hard enough. Some people just make the wrong decisions and I’m not familiar with those kinds of things. I think it’s bad for the sport because those guys who are doing it…what will happen next, you know? Everyone will do it and it will get out of control.
RTS: Yeah, go check out africanassassin.com
RTS: I hope to have two fights by the end of the year. I just want to entertain people and have a good fight, that’s it.
RTS: I wish I could tell you tonight, man. I wish I could tell you tomorrow, but as of today Ryan Parson is still working on it.
RTS: All right man, send me a text or write to me on myspace with your email and I will keep you updated and let you know as soon as I find out where I’m going.
RTS: No problem, man.
RTS: Okay, sounds good.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
UFC 74 LIVE RESULTS & UPDATES
Throughout the evening of August 25, 2007, Irish Whip Fighting will be providing up-to-the-minute updates for every televised fight at UFC 74. With St. Pierre rebounding from the Serra loss and Couture taking on Cro Cop killer Gabriel Gonzaga, this won't be a card to miss. Updates start at 10 PM EST.
Randy Couture defeats Gabriel Gonzaga in the third round via TKO
Georges St. Pierre defeats Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision
Roger Huerta defeats Alberto Crane via technical knockout (strikes) in round three
Joe Stevenson defeats Kurt Pellegrino via unanimous decision
Patrick Cote defeats Kendall Grove via technical knockout (strikes) in round one
Renato “Babalu” Sobral defeats David Heath via submission (anaconda choke) in round two
Frank Mir defeats Antoni Hardonk via submission (kimura) in round one
Thales Leites defeats Ryan Jensen via submission (armbar) in round one
Clay Guida defeats Marcus Aurelio via split decision
UFC 74 Preview: GSP-Kos
On March 4, 2006, the world watched as two twenty-something welterweights tested their mettle inside the Octagon in what many thought was a contest to determine who would dominate the division for the next several years.
Georges St. Pierre, the then-universally regarded heir apparent to the 170-pound kingdom, faced former champion B.J. Penn. The fight lived up to expectations as the pair waged a memorable three-round war. In the end, St-Pierre’s ability to take the fight to the mat and maintain top position was enough to squeak out the narrowest of split decisions, one that many fans and pundits vigorously disputed.
The stage was set for an immediate rematch, if not an Ali-Frazier three-fight series. But a rematch wasn’t in the cards – not in the short term anyway. Penn, despite the loss, replaced an injured GSP in an unsuccessful title challenge against then-champion Matt Hughes at UFC 63. Two months later, GSP fulfilled his destiny by taking the title away from Hughes in a one-sided thrashing at UFC 65.
Still, fans wanted closure. With GSP ruling the division and Penn featured as coach on the hit reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, a rematch seemed natural for late 2007. But Matt Serra threw a wrench into those plans by dethroning GSP last April, in what must be considered the upset of the year.
While the rest of the world focused on GSP and Penn as the 170-pound kingpins, another man was hard at work building his welterweight resume in an attempt to add his name to the mix. Josh Koscheck won five straight UFC fights between the time GSP and Penn squared off in early 2006 and Serra’s dramatic upset victory last April, culminating with a dominating, albeit conservative, win over previously unbeaten division darling Diego Sanchez.
Koscheck wants desperately to not only win the welterweight crown but also to dominate the division like future Hall of Fame fighter Matt Hughes. He believes that he is the best in the world, and Kos is ready to step up and prove it by facing the very best that the division has to offer.
Tonight, he will get that chance, as the AKA standout faces St-Pierre in a fight that may very well establish a new division heir apparent.
Then again, it may reestablish GSP as the man to beat, and the clear next-in-line to challenge the winner of Serra-Hughes for UFC gold.
Let’s break it down.
Koscheck’s wrestling pedigree speaks for itself – former undefeated NCAA National Champion and four-time Division I All American at Edinboro University. Everyone knows about his vaunted takedown skills and his ground-and-pound game.
Nevertheless, this isn’t GSP’s first rodeo against a big-time wrestler. At UFC 54, he faced Frank Trigg, a highly skilled wrestler in his own right, and basically fought the perfect fight.
GSP used his height and length advantage to keep Trigg on the end of very sharp, straight punches, effectively forcing the former collegiate wrestler to attempt a sloppy takedown from well outside the optimal double-leg shot range. GSP used his tremendous reflexes and refined takedown defense to easily shuck Trigg’s attempt and then take down the skilled wrestler.
Once on the ground, GSP used good solid position with his hips to control the top position and dominated the action with a vicious ground-and-pound assault. Trigg simply had no answers from his back, and he soon succumbed to the beating by giving up his back and getting choked out.
The fight lasted less than five minutes.
GSP proved that his win wasn’t a fluke when he basically followed the exact same game plan against another dominant wrestler, Sean Sherk. And he did it again two fights later in his win over undoubtedly the greatest 170-pound UFC combatant in history –Hughes.
Three dominant wrestlers. Three lopsided wins inside the distance. There is little doubt that GSP will attempt to employ the exact same game plan against Kos on Saturday night.
In other words, he will look to establish the jab early in an attempt to keep Kos off balance, thereby causing the world class wrestler to shoot from outside the safe zone. GSP will then attempt to turn the tide by putting Kos on his back for the first time in his career, thus asking him the one question that no wrestler turned mixed martial artist wants to answer:
Can he fight effectively from his back – a position that wrestlers like Kos spend their whole lives training to avoid?
GSP certainly wants to find out because that gives him the best chance at winning.
Kos has jaw-dropping wrestling skills. So if he decides to bring the fight to the ground, the odds of GSP defending the takedown for more than a few fleeting moments seems unlikely, at best.
Yet, as Kos found out against Sanchez, merely taking a guy down is not always the way to win a fight. It may actually prove to be a major mistake if GSP is able to exploit a flaw that Kos has yet to completely shake.
After taking down Sanchez in his last fight, Kos quickly worked to pass his guard. He pushed down on Sanchez’s knee and prepared to move to half guard. But instead of remaining conservative and methodical, Kos tried to jump into side mount, something he has done successfully in the past.
Sanchez quickly exploited the mistake by using Kos’s temporary lapse of balance to seep him and snake around to his back. Kos may have dominated the fight against Sanchez. But for those 10 seconds or so where Sanchez had his back, Kos was in very real trouble.
Again, Kos will take down GSP at some point in the fight. He would be well served to pound away inside GSP’s guard, but that isn’t likely going to happen. Kos will want to end the fight, so he will almost surely look to pass in that situation. GSP needs to anticipate Kos trying to jump into side mount and be prepared to sweep the AKA fighter so that he can bring the ruckus from the top position – again, the best position for him to win the fight.
Koscheck is rapidly becoming a well rounded mixed martial artist, rather than a wrestler who competes in the UFC. In his last fight, he only attempted a single takedown against Sanchez – something he completed with relative ease. He opted instead to stand and box for over 14 minutes of a 15-minute fight, something very few predicted.
Granted, his decision to keep the fight on the feet was due to the fact that Sanchez has tremendous sweeps and black belt level jiu-jitsu. So it made sense for Kos to fight him where he was weakest.
GSP is far, far from a weak standup fighter. He would greatly prefer it if Kos came out hell bent on making the affair a kickboxing contest. GSP would accept that invitation any day of the week and twice on Sundays because he knows without question that he has the advantage in that situation.
But GSP also knows with equal certainty that he will struggle in the bout if Kos truly commits to taking him down and keeping him there. He has a decent enough defensive guard, but he isn’t the kind of fighter who is going to pull out a slick submission win from his back, a la Sanchez, Nick Diaz or Matt Serra. And he certainly isn’t going to have the same sort of success defending Koscheck’s takedown attempts that he enjoyed against Trigg, Sherk and Hughes. Those guys are good enough wrestlers, but they each fall well short of Kos in both takedowns and overall wrestling skills.
If Kos remains committed to the takedown throughout the fight and avoids telegraphing his shots, things should go very well for him tonight.
The greatest thing about being a dominant wrestler is that it opens up lots of opportunities to land scud missiles on the feet.
Watch Randy Couture versus Tim Sylvia again. While Couture is a serviceable standup fighter, he certainly isn’t a danger on the feet. Yet, he blasted Sylvia again and again with huge right hands. Why? The answer is a simple one: Sylvia was so preoccupied with defending the takedown that he wasn’t focused on avoiding right hands. When Couture’s big strikes forced Sylvia to focus on defending against right hands, Couture took him down.
Couture’s game plan was so effective that it rendered Sylvia virtually passive for the rest of the fight, basically allowing Couture to completely dominate the action.
Kos can do the same thing against GSP.
If he comes out and shoots right away, GSP will mostly likely be prepared to sprawl and brawl. And a few stuffed takedown attempts could play on Kos’s psyche. By contrast, if he comes out and fakes a shot and follows that up with one of those wicked overhand rights, Kos will, at the very least, confuse GSP, opening the door for easier takedown opportunities. At best, he will win by knockout.
Saturday’s bout is a major fight to help sort out the power structure of the UFC welterweight division. Is Georges St-Pierre ready to resume is title reign? Is this the era of Josh Koscheck?
Styles make fights, and this one seems to favor Koscheck, but anything can happen once the cage door closes.
Originally published on UFC.com.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Does Bisping Deserve Better?
TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping, who is now set to take on Matt Hamill at UFC 75, has routinely expressed his displeasure with this opponent, citing that he should be facing only the best in his climb to the top. The undefeated Brit had this to say on the topic: “And if he’s hoping that I’m gonna cut corners in training he’ll be very upset when he reads this – because I’m going to Big Bear to train for a month with Rampage Jackson. That’s how keen I am to put on the performance of my life and smash this arrogant egomaniac to bits. I’ve done a complete 180 – I’ve never been so excited and motivated for a fight in my career because I am fighting a guy I can’t stand personally. No way am I losing to this egomaniac – and I am really excited to go to California to train with a fighter of the level of Rampage.”
Bisping also mentioned that he considers it a step backwards since he won The Ultimate Fighter and Hamill did not. Some have called this brash, but I've got to agree...for a number of reasons. First, Bisping is essentially the only real link the UFC has to England. They poured more money into their UFC 70 event than any other in history (as far as advertising goes) in a bid to win over all of Europe. Who was their poster boy? Bisping. Who are they planning the UFC 75 pre-fight activities around? You guessed it. Using Bisping for 2 of 6 fights and then handing him Matt Hamill is plain highway robbery.
Another undefeated TUF fighter, Rashad Evans, got to fight Tito Ortiz and immediately make a name for himself. Bisping has been stuck beating up on old UFC Legends and new guys who no one knows. Had he been offered an opponent of Ortiz's caliber, and been able to pull off a win, he would without a doubt be in higher regard among UFC matchmakers and Sherdoggers alike. Even if Bisping was given his original opponent of Ken Shamrock, he would have been able to make a statement by beating one of the true Legends and start to receive some real attention.
Since none of these decisions have gone Bisping's way, it'll be up to him to prove everyone wrong and make Matt Hamill into his own personal example.
Article originally posted on MartialBase.com
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Brandon Vera to Fight Tim Sylvia
A pretty exciting match-up has been added to UFC 77: Hostile Territory. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia will square off against Brandon Vera, who's making his return to The Octagon.
Tim Sylvia last fought at UFC 68, where he was defeated and had his Heavyweight title taken away by Randy Couture.
Brandon Vera is making his long awaited return to The Octagon after a nearly 12-month hiatus, due to management and contract issues.
UFC 77: Hostile Territory is scheduled for October 20, 2007 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinatti, Ohio. The main event features UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva defending his title against Rich Franklin in a rematch.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Greg Jackson Welcomes St. Pierre
According to The Fight Network, Former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre has found himself a new camp to train at. Pierre has official become part of Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
From The Fight Network:Highly regarded New Mexico coach Greg Jackson says he and his fighters expect to log a lot of air miles to Montreal in the coming months, with the recent addition of Quebec native Georges St. Pierre to his stable. St. Pierre recently dropped his trainer, ex-Soviet Special Forces sniper Victor Vargotsky, in favor of the Albuquerque-based Jackson, who mentors fighters like Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt and Keith Jardine. St. Pierre hosted the trio for a two-week training camp at his home in Candiac. St. Pierre… feels he made the best decision to help himself evolve as a fighter.
Under Jackson's camp are many well-known fighters, such as: Rashad Evans, Jason McDonald, Nathan Marquardt, Keith Jardine, and Joey Villasenor.
Georges St. Pierre most recently lost his WW title to Matt Serra by TKO at UFC 69.
Pierre is set to face Josh Koscheck at UFC 74, set to take place on August 25. Headlining the card will be current UFC HW champ Randy Couture, as he will put his belt on the line against Gabriel Gonzaga.
Friday, August 17, 2007
IRISH WHIP FIGHTING EXCLUSIVE: TITO ORTIZ INTERVIEW
BZ: Was Rashad tougher than you had expected? Were you impressed at all by his wrestling abilities? BZ: Is it tough training for a fight you already won? BZ: You're getting into the habit of having to beat guys more than once. First, Shamrock and hopefully, Rashad next. BZ: You'll have to catch him first. BZ: Who are you looking forward to fighting after Rashad? Is it still Shogun? BZ: How about a third bout against Liddell or a second against Randy? Are there any rematches that you really want? BZ: How do you think a rematch would go down if you fought Frank today? BZ: Since we're on the Shamrock topic, everyone saw you and Ken embrace each other after the last fight. Is the bad blood between you two over now? BZ: Is it true that you bet against Rampage in his rematch with Liddell? BZ: How did you see Liddell winning prior to the fight? BZ: What's your prediction for Rampage's next fight with Hendo? BZ: Henderson's never been knocked out. BZ: How do you respond to the critics that say you've spent too much time fighting an old Ken Shamrock? BZ: Sometimes you need the girl to come along and put everything in perspective. BZ: Who do you see as the "next big thing" in the light heavyweight division? And where do you rank yourself among the 205's? BZ: You're not exactly a fan favorite with the Sherdoggers. Any comments on that? BZ: Yep, the Matt Serra one just floored me. BZ: Is your relationship with Dana White damaged enough where it could potentially lead to you signing with another organization or are you too loyal to the fans of the UFC? BZ: I'd go as far as saying that your UFC 40 fight against Shamrock was the number one turning point in the success of the UFC. BZ: How about the boxing match with Dana? What happened there? BZ: I just got done watching UFC 68 and every time he throws that first punch, I can't believe it. It's incredible. 
The first true poster boy of the UFC and 5-time defender of the Light Heavyweight Championship, Tito Ortiz, recently sat down for a long chat with Irish Whip Fighting. He discussed everything from his fight with Rashad, the rematch, boxing with Dana White, Fedor in the UFC, and more. An Interview By Ben Zeidler
Ben Zeidler: What is the biggest difference in the fight game now as opposed to when you were starting out?
Tito Ortiz: Well I think it's a lot more well-rounded now. You used to just have jiu-jitsu guys, just really good wrestlers and strikers. After a while, you started having a lot of better guys like: Frank Shamrock, Chuck Liddell, Guy Mezger. You know the boxing and kick-boxing, wrestling and having it all together. I think that's what fighters are doing now and showing what can happen.
TO: No, not really. He's exactly what I trained for. Well, his strength was a little less, I thought he'd be stronger but, he wasn't. As far as his quickness, I knew that he'd be that fast but, I got a few wrestlers to train with, Aaron Simpsons from Arizona State actually had the same speed as Rashad and so I was able to defend pretty well.
TO: I don't think of it like that. Rashad knows who won; it's just a little icing on the cake. He pretty much was just running away the whole time.
TO: Yeah, it looks like these guys don't listen the first time.
BZ: Did the draw for the Rashad fight come as a complete surprise to you or did you kind of sense that happening after the fence grabbing point deduction?
TO: You know at the time I thought it was a draw and I thought it was the right decision, but after watching it afterwards 5 or 6 times I think I should have won the first round. I dominated completely, the second round we tied, third round tied, I got a takedown in the beginning and he got one in the last 10 seconds. I think I might have won 1 of the 3 rounds.
BZ: Do you plan to change your game plan in your next fight against Rashad Evans or will it relatively similar?
TO: It's going to come down to wrestling and work on my striking. I mean, not too much to change really, you know be a little bit more aggressive. I know he's going to come in being in great shape.
BZ: Which way do you expect to finish Rashad the second time around? I'm assuming you won't let it go to a decision...
TO: (Laughs) Definitely not a decision! No way is it going in the judges hands. I see me knocking him out or submitting him in the second or third, maybe even the first. I'll impose my will on him whenever I want. Yeah let's hope so, I plan to try a lot of submissions, you know? Wrestlers make a lot of mistakes and don't learn to defend these submissions too well.
TO: (Laughs) I know, right? I won't let him run away this time.
TO: Um yeah, that'll be awesome. Shogun, Wanderlei, you know any of the top guys. There's a lot of tops guys that I haven't gotten a chance to fight yet and I think I'd do good against. I've fought Wanderlei before and it was a good match up and I think the fans would love it.
TO: Yeah definitely, any of those are possibilities. I would love them, whatever I have to do to get the world title, that's what's going to have to happen.
BZ: Did you get a chance to see Frank Shamrock's last fight against Baroni? Were you impressed at all with his performance?
TO: Oh of course, I paid the PPV dollars to see that, it was a damn good fight, really good fight. I thought it was hilarious when Frank made a point that he was going to make Baroni go to sleep, I thought "Oh the old Frank is back," Frank showed that he's still a champ at heart.
TO: You know to be honest with you, I don't think he'd last the second or third round. I think he'd get crushed. I'm too big for him, he's lighter, that would be a good one.
TO: I would say the bad blood is over. I'm just pretty much going on with my career.
TO: Um yeah, I actually did it was just a little gamble; it wasn't to say I wanted Rampage to lose or anything like that. I will spend the same amount of money again, it was exciting just for the fight, and he dominated very well and very quick and shocked the world. I'm glad he did that, he deserves the world title.
TO: Before the fight, I thought Liddell would be able to strike and stay away like usual. But I've never seen Liddell back up like that before and that's when I thought it was going to be a quick fight for him.
BZ: We know that you and Rampage are good friends. If you were offered the opportunity, and the money were right, would you fight him?
TO: You know, if that was my job I think me and Rampage would have to talk about it. Personally, I wouldn't like to fight him but if we were on a collision course, I'd sit down with Rampage and we would figure it out.
TO: You know, I think Rampage will have the chance to knock him out. He's a lot bigger than Hendo. Hendo would definitely need to work the clinch position to win, like Wanderlei and Shogun did. As a trainer and a fighter, I'd say this is where he needs to expose him.
TO: Hendo is a tough, tough guy. But, I still think Rampage will have the chance to knock him out.
TO: Well before the fight started I heard everyone say that Shamrock was going to kick my butt but after I dominated him three times, then everyone had to talk smack. I mean, I don't really listen to those guys; I'm going to finish my career how I want. I stopped him quicker than anyone else has done in the past.
BZ: You recently bought a house in Big Bear from De La hoya, have you ever trained with him or would you plan on it in the future?
TO: No, I never trained with him...not sure about in the future. My main thing is MMA, so there's a big difference between that and boxing. I purchased it as an investment, thank God I did though. I had a sponsor that was supposed to help me out but, they pulled out at the last minute. Thank God my girl Jenna said, "Why don't you buy it? You deserve it." And so, I took that choice and did it and I'm thankful, it was a great purchase and investment.
TO: Definitely. Yeah, I came from a broke family and I work so hard for my money but sometimes it's hard for me to spend...but why not invest in land?
TO: You know, of course Shogun, Rampage, Hendo, Chuck, myself, Arona, Sokoudjou, a lot of good light heavyweights. I'm still here, people say I'm washed up, I'm 32 years old, well you know what, people have bad fights and I'm going to compete for another 3 or 4 years. I'm not going anywhere soon. (Laughs) And Rashad, I'm going to crush his face.
TO: I always have fans that say Tito is fighting someone small again, you know all these laptop warriors, they make me lose my mind, makes me laugh. They've never trained a day in their life and they're all pros all of a sudden.
BZ: Can you give us your pick for "Best Fight of the First Half of 2007"?
TO: Um, Rampage knocking out Liddell, that was the best one ever. That's something that just, I don't know, that's what fights are made of, you never know who's going to win. That one and I'd say the Matt Serra one that made me go wild.
TO: I know man, I couldn't believe it. That's why they fight the fights.
TO: I'm very loyal to the fans of UFC, to the Fertittas. That's why I took a step back and two steps forward and I've been going straight to Lorenzo. Me and Dana don't get along well in business and I'm not going to be bullied. He's constantly saying that I'm a horrible fighter, a loser, and I suck.
TO: You know, I've been doing this stuff for 10 years now, I've been putting my butt on the line for 10 years! I've been doing so damn much, I guarantee if you looked up which UFC fighter has made the most money, I guarantee it'll be me. Me and Liddell got over a million PPV buys, 1.3 million, those are astonishing numbers. They promote their greatest fighters and I'm a great fighter and Liddell's a great fighter.
TO: You know what, as of right now I'm really not thinking of that at all. I'd love for it to happen but I don't think it'll happen. He used it to become a superstar, to have that Dana White special and downplay me to make me look bad on television. He said sorry and goes on national radio and said how much of a moron me and Jenna are. I don't see how he is president of a multi million dollar company, that's why I'm working with Lorenzo now.
BZ: Who do you think is at fault for Fedor not yet being in the UFC? Dana or Fedor?
TO: Dana! Definitely Dana! Plain and simple. I know Fedor's management asked for a specific amount of money and Dana said something like, he's not popular enough in the States and Dana said no way and didn't show him any respect.
BZ: In your eyes, who is the greatest fighter of all time? Is it Fedor?
TO: Randy Couture, hands down.
TO: You know, in UFC 68, he dominated. He threw punches with no fear and won that fight.
BZ: Having fought Griffin before, how do you think he will match-up against Shogun when they meet?
TO: I hope he beats Shogun, I think it would be awesome; I'd laugh my ass off. I really think he has the tools to do it you know; he has Couture in his corner. I'd love to see that. Shogun's weakness is wrestling and I think Griffin can expose that. We all know Shogun will be coming in with great strikes and jiu-jitsu.
BZ: Obviously, the steroid issue has been a hot topic as of late. Why are all these guys stupid enough to take steroids if they know they can get caught?
TO: Yeah, right? Well, I think, why would they even take the chance? I don't know, I ask myself that. I've heard a couple interviews, if Sherk says he didn't do it, I believe him. I know he's doing a lot of vitamins and I know that stuff may have something to do with it. I'm not 100% sure what those things test as positive.
BZ: What's next after fighting, are you just looking to place all your focus on your girlfriend Jenna and your clothing line Team Punishment?
TO: Yeah well, Team Punishment and Punishment Athletics and the fight team are two different things you know, www.punishment.com check it out. I started it just as a fan asking for Tito Ortiz T-shirt and my brother said, "Man, you punished that guy!" and I said, "What did you say?" and I was, "Hmm, wow." So, I put it on my website and now it's a multi-million dollar company and everything is my idea, my design. We started getting lots of clothing, T-shirts, jackets, sweaters, and beanies, pretty much everything.
TO: Yep, you can get that right on the site too.
BZ: I heard from MMA Weekly that dress clothes are the next thing for you guys. Any comments on that?
TO: Dress clothes is the next step now on www.punishment.com, just punishment, now we're doing the dress up stuff for dinners, clubs, button-downs, Levis, fitted shirts.
TO: No problem, have a good one.
100,000 And Counting...
A little more than a month into our existence, I issued a thanks to all of our readers. We had just slowly cruised to 1,000 visitors and for us, this was a huge accomplishment. It took us just three months after that point to rack up the next 99,000. Honestly, I never thought that the site would explode as it has and I can only thank my writers (and new friends) Masson, Doug, Jagjit, Drew, and Jordan for helping The Whip to get to this point. I founded the site because I was bored in my International Relations class, and now we're getting to attend live events and talk with great guys like Chuck, Tito, and Hendo. Here's to the next 900,000! I'll check in again at a million. Until then, keep reading, commenting on the articles, and continuing to love the sport that gives us all solace from our girlfriends.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Kevin Randleman Arrested
UFC and PRIDE vet Kevin "The Monster" Randleman was arrested in Nevada today for driving under the influence, speeding, and many other charges.
MMAWeekly.com said this:The records also indicate that he was arrested on several charges including DUI, Speeding, Driving Without a Valid License, Intimidating a Public Officer, Malicious Destruction of Public Property, and others.
On October 21, 2006, Randleman suffered a loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua by kneebar and on the same day, submitted a fake urine sample to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which lacked any hormones.
Randleman was actually released from the hospital not too long ago after being treated for serious damage to his kidneys.
More recently, on February 16, 2007, Randleman's license to fight was revoked after failing to submit a urine sample.
IRISH WHIP EXCLUSIVE: ANDREI ARLOVSKI INTERVIEW
I got a chance to speak with former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei "Pitbull" Arlovski. Andrei Arlovski is ranked, by many around the world, as one of the top 10 MMA heavyweights in the world. Arlovski holds notable wins over a who's who of fighters, which include: former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, Ian Freeman, PRIDE veteran Fabricio Werdum, heavy hitter Paul Buentello, Vladimir Matyushenko and many others. Arlovski is best known for his incredible striking abilities, mobility on the feet, Sambo skills, dangerous submissions and even his unique mouthpiece, which contains two fangs, an accurate portrayal of his nickname, the "Pit Bull."
See what Andrei Arlovski had to say about his current status with the UFC, Dana White, Fedor and much, much more! An interview by Masson Liang
Masson Liang: First off, how are things between you and Patrycja shaping up? Are you guys thinking of marriage anytime soon?
Andrei Arlovski: Everything is good with us, thank you for asking. We are in love, but not thinking about marriage.
ML: How has everything been going, as far as training goes? With a nearly four-month hiatus now, are you still keeping in tip-top shape and training even though, according to Joe silva, you don't have a fight booked?
AA: I always try and keep in shape. I take a couple weeks off after a fight and then go back to the gym. I get to work on technique for boxing, jiu-jitsu and wrestling and other things that need help. I also do some weights and conditioning.
ML: Many fans are wondering where you've been. When can "Pitbull" fans expect you back inside The Octagon?
AA: Hopefully soon. I was thinking September/October, but it is up to the UFC.
ML: Even though you won your last two bouts, even nearly knocking Marcio Cruz's head off, Dana White stated that you're last showings weren't very great and that it set you back. What are your feelings toward this?
AA: My opinion and my teams opinion is that I did a good job. It’s just the opinion of Dana White.
ML: Has UFC's treatment towards you changed in the past years and would you ever consider moving to another organization?
AA: I am very glad to be with the UFC and still have contract with them. I am UFC fighter now. Everything is good.
ML: What did it feel like to win the Heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia at UFC 51? Did you expect to win via Achilles lock?
AA: It was a very happy moment. I never know how I am going to win the fight but I always have a plan.
ML: In your words, what happened in your second bout with Sylvia? Did you think the fight was over after you rocked him the first time?
AA: I went out very confident that I would win. Yes I did... I thought when I dropped him on the ground I was sure I beat him again.
ML: Many critics said you weren't as aggressive in your fight with Werdum. Is there any reason behind this? Were there any injuries or were you just playing it safe and trying to keep the fight on its feet?
AA: I just follow instructions of my coaches and go and fight. Werdum is a very skilled fighter and I had to be careful with him on the ground.
ML: With PRIDE heavyweights, "Minotauro" Nogueira and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, and many newcomers (i.e. Gabriel Gonzaga) now in the UFC, how do you rank yourself amongst the UFC Heavyweights today?
AA: It is very good for the UFC that Dana brought great fighters to the UFC. I hope that one day I will fight one of those new, big names.
ML: Is there any one particular fighter you would like to fight in the UFC? Perhaps a rematch with Tim Sylvia?
AA: I want to fight with the best and become heavyweight champion again. For sure I would like to fight with Tim Sylvia one more time if it is possible.
ML: Many people believe you match-up perfectly with "Cro Cop." How do you think you match-up with him?
AA: I think that we match up very well and if the UFC wants us to fight, we will. He is a very good fighter.
ML: In the ever-popular discussion of "Who can beat Fedor?" your name often appears. What strengths do you have that could carry you to victory over him?
AA: Thank you. When I was a champion I wanted to fight with Fedor but I don’t know that it is possible now. He is a great fighter, but I don’t think he is unbeatable.
ML: You recently landed a role as a Russian fighter in the movie "Never Submit." Can you tell us more about that?
AA: I am not doing that movie anymore.
ML: Well Andrei, we'd like to thank you so much for your time and support and we surely wish you the best in the future and are dying to see your return. Are there any sponsors you'd like to thank or anything to say to your fans?
AA: Yes. Thank you to all my fans for their support after my two losses. Please look at my web site (www.arlovski.tv) and myspace.com/arlovski for updates on me and my career.
Brandon Vera Returns to The Octagon
According to a UFC.com report, Brandon "The Truth" Vera is finally making his return to The Octagon.
After a nearly 12-month hiatus from the UFC, due to management and contract issues, Vera is looking to make his UFC return perhaps in October.
Here is what Vera had to say about his return:“I’m so excited to be back in the UFC, I have no words to describe the feeling. I realize the UFC heavyweight division is much stronger now, but I like having more challenges, and that just gives me more motivation to train. I feel that when I’m on top of my game, nobody can beat me. I have a plan to become the heavyweight champion, so I’m going to stick to the plan that my management team NCFC and both of my coaches set and win the titles. I want to prove I’m the best for my family, my friends and most of all my fans.”
Vera's opponent? Well, right now it seems as if Vera's likely opponent will be UFC's former heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. However, nothing is set in stone just yet.
Vera was offered a shot to face Tim Sylvia at UFC 68: The Uprising, but that never went through due to disputes with his former manager, Mark Dion.
Brandon Vera, currently undefeated, last won against UFC veteran Frank Mir at UFC 65: Bad Intentions. Vera completely dominated Mir via knee strikes and took the knockout victory at just 1:09 of the first round.
I will you fans posted on further developments around Vera.
Boxing Is Back!
Just when critics claimed that boxing was all but dead, the unthinkable sees to have happened. The promoters, fighters, television executives, and seedy businessmen seemed to have come together in a valiant attempt to bring boxing back to its glory days. With the next six months stacked with great fights this could indicate a change in the trend of lackluster fights and sizzling scandal. This isn't the first time boxing has been against the ropes and like a cagey old veteran, you can never count out America's oldest sport. By Doug MacEwan
News late last week that welterweights Miguel Cotto and Sugar Shane Mosley have an agreement for a fight Nov. 10 in New York is another piece in a potential 2007 rebirth of a sport that was given last rites before and after Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s dull May 5 victory over Oscar De La Hoya. Finally, a well-worn metaphor taken from boxing by politicians during every campaign and sportswriters never seen at a ringside can be applied to the battered game itself: It's about to get off the mat. With the next six months packed with super fight after superfight its clear that the boxing community has taken notice of other combat sports, particularly MMA, that have eaten into its fan base.
With the recent announcement of the Cotto-Mosley fight boxing has put an exclamation point on its claim that its back, and better than ever. In Mosley there is some of that old quickness, familiar poise and lots of smarts. In Cotto there is a chance to finally occupy a starring role that has been vacant in Puerto Rico since Felix Trinidad's retirement. It has all the elements for a classic.
Then again, there are multiple chances for more than one fall classic, with Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlik on Sept. 29, the Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera rematch Oct. 6, Mikkel Kessler vs. Joe Calzaghe on Nov. 3and Ricky Hatton vs. Mayweather on Dec. 8.
Reasons for the looming optimism rest in boxing's inherent nature. Like the boxers themselves, the business is at its best when threatened. That edgy resiliency has expressed itself in different ways through countless decades and repeated death notices.
This time around, it has one man to thank: Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Without the business threat from his mixed martial arts circuit, boxing still would be a mixed mess. For that, White already is boxing's promoter of the year. No matter what happens in 2007, there's no other contender.
Dana White and many others in the Mixed Martial Arts community would have you believe that boxing’s latest attempt to regain its fan base is too little too late. While that is yet to be seen I have a sneaking suspicion that there is too large of an investment from far too many powerful people to let that happen. In any case I look forward to watching what is sure to be the best boxing in recent memory.
Here is the Stacked Lineup
Sept.8: Fernando Vargas-Ricardo Mayorga (Showtime PPV)
Vargas' farewell fight should be a brawl against one of the most exciting and controversial fighters out there
Sept.15: Juan Manuel Marquez-Rocky Juarez (HBO PPV)
Marquez's first jr. lightweight defense headlines a stacked card.
Sept.22: Vitali Klitschko-Jameel McCline (Showtime)
Ex-heavyweight titlist Klitschko ends his 2½-year retirement against perennial contender
Sept.29: Jermain Taylor-Kelly Pavlik (HBO)
Middleweight champ Taylor faces legit No. 1 contender in the brutal Pavlik
Oct.6: Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera (HBO PPV)
This is the rematch many have anticipated since their first bout. Expect sparks to fly
Oct.6: Oleg Maskaev-Samuel Peter (Showtime)
Peter finally gets his long-awaited title shot against the tough Maskaev
Oct.13: Sultan Ibragimov-Evander Holyfield (TBA)
Holyfield goes for fifth heavyweight title. Rebirth or retirement at age 44?
Oct.13: Juan Diaz-Julio Diaz (HBO)
Lightweight unification bout between exciting young fighters
Nov.3: Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler (HBO)
Super middleweight unification bout and maybe the biggest fight in division history
Nov.10: Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley (HBO PPV)
On paper, it's the best matchup of the year. Both fighters seem to be at the top of their game
Nov.17: Joan Guzman-Humberto Soto (HBO)
Hard-core fight fan's fight as Guzman defends jr. lightweight belt against grossly underrated Soto
Dec.8: Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton (HBO PPV)
Ready for the hype? Pound-for-pound king's encore to win over Oscar De La Hoya comes against undefeated British star
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Irish Whip Fighting Exclusive: Peter Goldman, Doctor Of The Stars
Irish Whip Fighting spent some time with Dr. Peter Goldman, doctor of MMA stars the world over. He uses his special brand of "zone healing" to work on fighters such as BJ Penn and Bas Rutten. Check out his site at goldmanhealing.com and read more about Dr. Goldman's insights from the MMA scene below. An Interview By Ben Zeidler
Ben Zeidler: How did you get involved with this field of study in the first place?
Dr. Peter Goldman: After studying Economics for 4 years and working in the NYC business world for 4 more years I felt it was time to do something to help people. I enrolled in chiropractic school and the journey began.
BZ: Do you have any formal MMA training?
DPG: Black belt in Oyama full contact karate. Was one of the top middleweight fighters for Oyama in the early 1990's. Have been studying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for 5 years. I have also done some boxing and Thai boxing.
BZ: Can you tell us what a typical session with a mixed martial artist is like?
DPG: Just like any other patient except I may do a little more extremity adjusting if necessary.
BZ: And can you tell us more about "zone healing?"
DPG: Man, I love Zone Healing. According to its founder Dr. Fleet, it is a way to balance the systems of the body in a natural way. My site goldmanhealing.com explains more about this.
BZ: Being a doctor of high caliber MMA fighters, kickboxers, martial artists and boxers, which of the group usually comes in the most battered?
DPG: Kickboxers and MMA fighters.
BZ: How did you originally get involved with taking care of fighters like Bas Rutten, The Machado brothers, Verissimo and BJ Penn?
DPG: Results are what these guys want and that's what they get.
BZ: As a doctor of mixed martial artists, you probably have seen all levels of flexibility...but have you ever seen anyone as flexible as BJ Penn?
DPG: No, Eddie Bravo is close though.
BZ: What's the most rewarding experience you've had during your time in this profession?
DPG: Connecting with a patient on a Soul level and watching them transform physically, mentally, and Spiritually.
BZ: Are there fighters that you'd like to work with some day?
DPG: Peter Aerts.
BZ: Bas Rutten is well-known for his colorful personality and he's a good friend of Irish Whip Fighting. Everyone has a good Bas story. What's yours?
DPG: There are plenty of Bas stories out there, all I will add is that beyond all that he is a really good friend who is always there when you need him.
BZ: Often times you see MMA fighters shaking hands or raising the other opponents hand even after being defeated. Do you notice a more humble, down-to-earth attitude from MMA fighters than the boxers or kickboxers?
DPG: Than boxers yes; kickboxers are close to MMA fighters in this regard.
BZ: Regarding the fight or flight response, many experts say that fighters have this sense so perfectly honed that they are able to turn it on or off like a light switch. Others say that fighters can actually over train this response and at some times become too relaxed and not get as good of an adrenaline dump. From a biological/scientific standpoint, can you comment on this?
DPG: From a biological/scientific standpoint I cannot comment, but I can say that everyone is different and what works for one fighter may not for another. Everyone has to know themselves to see what works best for them.
