Marcus Davis Interview

Top Ten Welterweight Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis recently chatted with Ben Zeidler about his big winning streak, his upcoming fight with Jess Liaudin, and taking on Georges St. Pierre down the road. Originally conducted for MMA Madness

Ben Zeidler: Tell us about working with Tim Sylvia at the bar and how that led you to a career in MMA.

Marcus Davis: Yeah, sure. It was 1995 and Tim and I were doormen together at a bar. I became the GM of the bar and so I had all the doormen going to a boxing and MMA school inside a Gold's Gym. I made it mandatory that the doormen go there to train. Tim was a real big guy, about 235 pounds and playing semi pro football, but he needed to learn how to throw some hands. So I started working with Tim and he said he wanted to try the Pancrase stuff. He did three or four of those, ended up meeting Pat Miletich, and that's how it all started.

Ben Zeidler: So where did you come into the mix?

Marcus Davis: Well after Tim left, I was still training boxing. I wanted to do some MMA stuff too so I went out, trained with Tim, met Miletich, and decided that I wanted to do this.

Ben Zeidler: The man who beat you during your time on TUF, Melvin Guillard, has been having some troubles in the Octagon lately. When we talked to him the other week, he admitted that you are a much better fighter now than when he beat you. He did say, however, that he would still have the advantage. How do you see that fight going now?

Marcus Davis: You know, just like Melvin thinks he would beat me, I think I would beat him I think that my mistake against Melvin and Stevenson was, well my mistakes were two things. One, I was a much more superior striker but they took me out of my game. I waited, circled, stayed away waiting to set things up. I didn't create anything. Since then, I haven't waited. I brought it to everyone I fought and I've beat ten guys in a row. And you know, I've become a much better all around fighter during this time. I've become a good grappler, a good wrestler, I'm decent at takedowns, takedown defense, and I'm just much more well rounded. I'm more well rounded than Melvin, too. Melvin has great, explosive wrestling but his technique is sloppy. He's got no submission game and I've submitted 9 guys in my career. I've only gone the distance on two fights that I've won, I've knocked out 7 and submitted 9. I've got a good game.

Ben Zeidler: Since that fight, you're on a winning streak of over two years. What do you attribute this success to?

Marcus Davis: It's a combination of things. My game is well rounded because I train with guys to work on my weaknesses. I worked with Jorge Gurgel for fighting on my back. I used to hate being on my back and now I'm submitting people from there. Mark Delagrotti has been working with me for a long time and getting me comfortable with knees, elbows, and kicks. I worked out just last night with Kenny and Keith Florian, two jiu-jitsu black belts. I'm just filling in all the holes in my game. I'm much more confident and I create openings instead of waiting. I bring to to people. That was my issue before, but it's not a problem now.

Ben Zeidler: You've got an upcoming fight with Jess Liaudin. How do you see yourself matching up with him?

Marcus Davis: I think I match up really well with him It's a tough fight, he's very dangerous and underrated. He's got a great grappling game, decent strikes, but he tries risky stuff. He likes the flying hooks and spinning backfists. I'm more technically sound and I'm faster. I think I'm stronger than him in a lot of areas. Everywhere I read, he's telling people that he's gonna stand with me, that he's gonna knock me out. I can tell you that even if he believes he's going to stand with me, once I touch him, he's gonna switch to wrestling. I knock people out with jabs, just ask Shonie Carter. He's gonna get hit once by me and go "wow, I can't believe he hits that hard." I'm training ground, I'm training stand up, so I don't know where it's going to finish but I think he's [Liaudin] right when he says it's gonna end in the first.

Ben Zeidler: Sounds like it's gonna be an exciting fight.

Marcus Davis: Oh yeah, it'll be a good one.

Ben Zeidler: Being undefeated in UFC competition, how many fights do you think it'll take before you earn title consideration?

Marcus Davis: I'm patient so I don't really care (laughs). I fight to fight. I'm 5 wins in a row, about to be 6, so if I get up to 25 wins, at some point, I'll get a title shot. If I don't get one during my career, I'm not gonna look back and say I should have had one. I'll just say "geez, I had a great time doing that." I won't have any regrets and I'm in no rush.

Ben Zeidler: Where do you rank yourself among the other Welterweights? It seems like you're starting to creep into the top ten in a lot of polls.

Marcus Davis: You know what, that's hard to say. I didn't think I was a top 10. I thought maybe top 15. There's guys in the top 10 who I think I could beat and there's guys in the top 10 whose styles would give me trouble. It's all about styles. I could beat certain guys in the top 10 but have trouble with guys ranked below me. I'm not too concerned with all that though. You know, if I were #2, there would be 10,000 guys saying I shouldn't be there.

Ben Zeidler: Tell us a little bit about your big win against Paul Taylor. Did you expect to win by submission or was that a surprise?

Marcus Davis: No, I thought I would catch him with my hands standing up or if we hit the ground, I knew I would be able to submit him I'm a much better grappler than the guys he's fought and the guys he trains with. All the UK grapplers are way behind the ones in the United States. It's like going to Japan and they're still wearing Wrangler Jeans and listening to disco. That's where they are when it comes to the ground game.

Ben Zeidler: What'd you think of the GSP-Hughes fight? Did you go?

Marcus Davis: I didn't go. After training that day, I watched it with my manager. Man, he is scary. Just...I don't even know...un-friggin-believeable.

Ben Zeidler: So, how many years before you're ready to fight GSP?

Marcus Davis: (Laughs) You know, people ask me all the time, what if they told you that you had to fight GSP. I always say the same thing. I'd show up and fight him. GSP's wrestling is light years ahead of mine. Like I'm in Kindergarten and he's a professor at a college. He's a better kicker...a better everything. But he got caught by Matt Serra and I hit harder than him. I hit harder than anyone in the sport, I would say. Mark and I train and he wears mitts and he still says it hurts and he needs to take a break. If he made the mistake of weaving when he bobbed, he'd need help tying his shoes for two weeks. In this sport, it's whoever wants it more and who makes the right decisions.

Ben Zeidler: Any sponsors you'd like to thank? Websites you want to plug?

Marcus Davis: Irishhandgrenade.com and full contact fighter. Joe, with full contact, has been with me the whole time and I'm staying with them. I've had big offers from other companies, but my loyalty is with them.

Ben Zeidler: Anything to say to your fans?

Marcus Davis: Hey, you know what, I appreciate the support coming from the show like I did and doing a sucky sucky job. And now I have fans and having people supporting me in America and the UK has been great.

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Frank Edgar Interview

Ben Zeidler recently caught up with Frank Edgar to discuss his undefeated career, Sean Sherk’s steroid complication, and his next fight. Originally conducted for MMA Madness

Ben Zeidler: I noticed that you're from Toms River. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how you got into MMA while living in Jersey?

Frank Edgar: I pretty much lived here my whole life. I started fighting out of college in May of 2005. I found a good gym which had just been taken over by Kurt Pellegrino. I ended up with them and I've been there ever since.

BZ: So I guess you were too young for those great little league teams of the 90s?

FE: Yeah, I know a couple of kids on the teams. One of them just got drafted.

BZ: Ah, who was that?

FE: His name's Todd Frazier.

BZ: Did you play little league?

FE: (Laughs) Yeah, I played a few years. I think everyone plays little league growing up.

BZ: In your UFC debut, Tyson Griffin locked you into a pretty deep knee bar. How did you manage to fight through this and not tap out?

FE: You know, I just bit down on my mouth piece and toughed it out. That was it.

BZ: Tell us a little bit about the Spencer Fisher win. I'm assuming that went like you wanted it to.

FE: Yeah, the Spencer Fisher fight went pretty good. The game plan going in was to put him on his back. I knew I could stand with him if I had to. So I got into the first round and I didn't know I could fight like that, so I just kept doing what was working.

BZ: With a recent win over Spencer Fisher, who would you like to fight next?

FE: They kinda just tell me who I'm going to fight next. I just want it to be a step up the ladder and towards the belt.

BZ: Do feel like you get better with each fight or are you relatively stable in what you learn and pick up?

FE: I'm not even near my full ability. I'm about two and a half years in so I have a long way to go. I went back and watched my first UFC fight and I'm a lot better since then.

BZ: Your next fight hasn't been announced yet, but assuming you still train pretty hard. What do you do to stay in shape?

FE: Training for a fight is a little different than general training. I'm an assistant coach for wrestling at Rutgers [University] so I'll hit up that practice. There's some boxing and jiu-jitsu places around so I'll hit up their practices too.

BZ: Being undefeated in your MMA career, how many more wins do you think you have to get before you earn some title consideration.

FE: You know, I don't pay attention to too much of that, but I'd imagine that three or four more wins would do it. It depends on who I fight, obviously, but I imagine that would do it.

BZ: Where would you rank yourself among the 155s?

FE: I don't really know. I don't want to give myself a number because I know I can compete with anyone in the division.

BZ: What do you think about Sean Sherk testing positive for steroids?

FE: Yeah, you know he's adamant saying that he didn't do it so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. You know, it's no sweat off my back. He'll be back in a few months and he'll be right back in it. He won't have missed a beat.

BZ: Can you give us a prediction for the BJ Penn-Joe Stevenson fight?

FE: Sure. I think that if Penn comes into shape, he's on another level than anyone in the division so I'd give him the advantage. I think if Joe can take the fight into the later rounds, then that's his best bet to win.

BZ: Any sponsors you'd like to thank?

FE: Yeah mmainstructional.com and frankedgar.com.

BZ: Anything to say to the fans?

FE: Yeah, I just want to say thanks for the support and continue to keep watching. Hopefully, I'll keep entertaining.

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UFN 12 Quick Results

Newly-Middleweighted Mike Swick scrapped his way to a close decision against the dangerous Josh Burkman while Patrick Cote put a hurting on Drew McFedries.

Mike Swick vs. Josh Burkman (Swick by Unanimous Decision)

Patrick Cote vs. Drew McFedries (Cote by 1st round TKO)

Alvin Robinson vs. Nate Diaz (Diaz by 1st round Submission)

Michihiro Omigawa vs. Thiago Tavares (Tavares by Unanimous Decision)

Alberto Crane vs. Kurt Pellegrino (Pellegrino by 2nd round TKO)

Dennis Siver vs. Gray Maynard (Maynard by Unanimous Decision)

Jeremy Stephens vs. Cole Miller (Stephens by 2nd round TKO)

Joe Veres vs. Corey Hill (Hill by 2nd round TKO)

Justin Buchholz vs. Matt Wiman (Wiman by 1st round Submission)

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Swick hopes to make “Quick” work of Burkman

Welterweights Mike Swick and Josh Burkman will be doing anything but lounging at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. The two headline UFC Fight Night 12 and look to make a definitive statement live on national television. When The Ultimate Fighter alumni enter the Octagon, can Swick’s fast hands and submission prowess translate to his new division after a long lay off? Or will Burkman’s wrestling-centric game put him out of commission?

By Danny Acosta

170lbs. is a new frontier for Mike Swick. The Texas-born fighter began his career at his natural weight of 185lbs. before moving to 205lbs to star in season one of The Ultimate Fighter. Time in the UFC allowed for the California-based fighter to return to his natural weight, but a hard fought decision loss against massive middleweight Yushin Okami forced “Quick” to buy sauna gear and enter the fray of the UFC’s most challenger-laden division.

The drop to welterweight is not of Gleison Tibau proportions. It allows Swick to be a well-sized fighter in the weight class. With “Crazy” Bob Cook in Swick’s corner, the weight cut should not deplete his cardio, speed, and strength. However, Burkman’s wrestling base proves to be a direct challenge to those three elements of the game. Takedown after takedown can neutralize the American Kickbox Academy’s speed and push his cardio into uncomfortable territory. “The People’s Warrior” is one of the division’s larger fighters—strength is his weapon.

The Utahan has demonstrated improved stand-up in his recent outings, but still needs to bring the fight to the mat to avoid Swick’s fast hands that will most likely still be loaded in his welterweight debut. A ground fight tests Swick’s submission game, which proved to be slow on the draw against Yushin Okami. The Japanese fighter is not as aggressive as the former Team Quest fighter yet he still managed to deliver vicious ground and pound that could have stopped the fight justifiably. Burkman must work on the ground, preferably against the cage, to frustrate Swick. Again, size can be Swick’s downfall as Burkman is athletic as well.

However, Burkman has a tendency to slow down in the later stanzas of the fight, while Swick has stellar cardio and strong takedown defense. Stuffed takedowns can diminish Burkman’s cardio early in the fight. Swick’s explosive stand-up typically lacks knees in his combinations. Working to the body damaged Burkman in his split decision win over Forrest Petz. If Swick retains his aggression, elusive footwork, and mixes up his strikes—including knees and body punches— against a fighter that struggled to solve the puzzle of Karo Parisyan’s winging punches, a successful arrival to 170lbs. is likely.

The featured fight of the night is a lightweight clash between Thiago Tavares and Michihiro Omigawa. Tavares is a Murilo Bustamante disciple with a powerful, technical, tireless ground attack and crisp Muay Thai to match. A tightrope loss in his last fight to Tyson Griffin will see the Brazilian eager to finish against the Yoshido Dojo fighter. Omigawa fails to arrive at the high-end of competition. His judo is enough to bring Tavares to the ground, but not much else. Look for Tavares to pick up his third UFC win.

Middleweights Patrick Cote and Drew McFedries are going to unleash their hellacious fists on each other. The French-Canadian is past his pitter-patting in the Octagon after picking up wins that eluded him inside the walls of the Octagon, including a stunning knockout over over-sized 185-pounder Kendall Grove. His Team Sitydotong muay Thai is the right combination for his devastating hands. Expect the former TKO champion to fight from a distance and employ superior technique. However, McFedries is not the type of fighter to allow his opponents breathing room. He can handle technical strikers ala Martin Kampmann and has the dynamite to find the mark on Cote’s yet-to-be-conquered chin.

Mixing in takedowns and challenging the Miletich fighter on the ground is Cote’s best bet. He is scared of no one, but he is also a smart fighter. McFedries has proved dangerous standing and docile on the ground. Cote can match strikes, especially since McFedries has displayed his chin is not unflappable. A slugfest only favors McFedries—a fight, Cote.

The recent murder of Agnes McFedries-Kennedy is the deciding factor in this fight: can Drew McFedries rise up over tragedy or is the trauma—three weeks removed—too heavy? With Cote’s mind finally aligning with his talent, there is no room for McFedries to waver. Win or lose, McFedries showcases his warrior spirit for stepping into the Octagon.

The opening bout of the night is another lightweight clash between Nate Diaz and Alvin Robinson. The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner has excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills under Cesar Gracie. The lanky fighter dominated the reality show before winning the finals due to a Manny Gamburyan injury. Submitting Junior Assuncao pits him against bulky wrestler Robinson, who holds a brown belt under UFC legend Royce Gracie.

“The Kid” struggled against Jorge Gurgel, being mounted at will. However, Diaz plays from his back. His wiry frame proves to be an advantage on the ground, but Robinson’s size poses new problems. Fortunately for Diaz, Robinson fails to utilize the cage effectively, so Diaz’s technical no-gi can lure Robinson into submission chains. In addition, Nate Diaz avoids punishment on the ground much like his older brother Nick Diaz. This is key against Robinson’s persistent punches.

The fight tips in favor of the Stockton, CA native when it comes to will. No one has broke Nate Diaz's will in a fight. Diaz’s precise boxing can break Robinson, who lacks composure under fire and the ability to fight out of a storm as Kenny Florian exposed. If Diaz employs the right gameplan, his top-flight training with Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez makes the difference in this fight. “Cooking” a strong wrestler and jiu-jitsu fighter who prefers top position is a step toward a decision loss—the only way Robinson walks away with a victory.

UFC Fight Night 12 spotlights young talent across the gamut. For Mike Swick and Josh Burkman, a win over such stellar opposition makes a strong case for elevating their contender status. Since it is Swick’s 170lbs. debut and he is coming off a loss, a win is invaluable. For Burkman, it would be the biggest win of his career as he drops his high-profile fights. These headliners hope to be quick in victory although it’s going to be difficult to make the other dead.

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Penn Rolls, Werdum Shocks In UFC 80 Event

BJ Penn worked his way to an efficient second round choke of Joe Stevenson while Fabricio Werdum shocked oddsmakers with a stunning series of punches.

• Sam Stout def. Per Eklund via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27, 30-27).
• Alessio Sakara def. James Lee via TKO (punches) at 1:30 of Round 1.
• Paul Kelly def. Paul Taylor via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
• Antoni Hardonk def. Colin Robinson via TKO (strikes) at 0:17 of Round 1.
• Jorge Rivera def. Kendall Grove via TKO (strikes) at 1:20 of Round 1.
• Wilson Gouveia def. Jason Lambert via knockout (punch) at 0:37 of Round 1.
• Marcus Davis def. Jess Liaudin via KO (punch) at 1:04 of Round 1.
• Fabricio Werdum def. Gabriel Gonzaga via TKO (strikes) at 4:34 of Round 2.
• B.J. Penn def. Joe Stevenson via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:02 of Round 2 to become UFC lightweight champion.

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UFC 80 Predictions

Ben Zeidler examines the match ups that will take place this weekend at UFC 80. Danny Acosta already took care of the analysis, so we'll stick to picks here. I'll fill in the chart once the event takes place.

Matchup	Prediction	Result	C/I
Joe Stevenson vs. BJ Penn	Penn Submission	?	?
Jason Lambert vs. Wilson Gouveia	Lambert KO/TKO	?	?
Fabricio Werdum vs. Gabriel Gonzaga	Gonzaga Unanimous Decision	?	?
Jess Liaudin vs. Marcus Davis	Davis KO/TKO	?	?
Kendall Grove vs. Jorge Rivera	Grove Submission	?	?
Sam Stout vs. Per Eklund	Stout KO/TKO	?	?
Colin Robinson vs. Antoni Hardonk	Hardonk Unanimous Decision	?	?
Paul Taylor vs. Paul Kelly	Taylor Unanimous Decision	?	?
Alessio Sakara vs. James Lee	Sakara KO/TKO	?	?
	? out of 9 correct	Overall percentage for this event:	??%

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Penn and Stevenson to star in ‘Rapid Fire’ clash

B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson must travel across the Atlantic Ocean to take the vacant lightweight title at UFC 80 in Newcastle, England. For Stevenson, a wealth of experience, a distinct side advantage, and a relentless attack make his claim to the gold legitimate. But the enigma that is “The Prodigy” has reemerged and is looking to establish himself as pound-for-pound the best in the world. After five-rounds of battle, who will be at the top of the sport’s most frenetic division?

By Danny Acosta

B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson’s road to the 155lbs. title are polar opposites.

“Daddy” entered into MMA at the age of 16, fighting on Native American reservations with parental consent. He amassed a wealth of experience and titles in King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge before jumping up to welterweight to join The Ultimate Fighter 2 cast, where he defeated Luke Cummo to earn his spot in the UFC. A disappointing loss to Josh Neer at 170lbs. has been his only loss in Octagon. He then entered the re-established lightweight division against uncrowned king Yves Edwards and won via technical knockout (cut). Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Melvin Guillard, and Kurt Pellegrino were the next fighters to suffer defeat at the hands of the Las Vegan. Stevenson hopes to add Penn to that list.

B.J. Penn’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pedigree saw him make his MMA debut in the UFC. He dominated his way to a title shot against Jens Pulver in only his fourth professional fight. As a challenger, he was the favorite. He lost. Since the heartbreak of losing to Jens Pulver, his career has read like a Jack Kerouac novel—talented yet reckless. Avenging his loss against “Lil’ Evil” in his last outing and return to lightweight, Penn seems poised to claim the title that has haunted his career.

The Hilo boy has a standing and ground advantage. While Stevenson landed a crisp jab that put Guillard on his back, “The Young Assassin” overextended himself, losing his balance, and leaving himself open for a flooring shot. Penn is too technical and too poised to end up on the wrong side of a punch. The California-born fighter’s stocky build and jerky boxing style opens him up to be picked apart from the outside. It also forces him to be on the attack, attempting to close the distance, and be more explosive in his shots. Against a man with inhuman flexibility and strong angle strikes, this will be tiresome for the twenty-five-year-old. Against an inexperienced striker like Stevenson, Penn’s sturdy chin and heavy hands can guide him to victory.

Stevenson needs to force Penn against the fence and keep him there. Stuffed against the cage, the powerful and tireless fighter’s ground and pound can punish and neutralize Penn’s world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Anywhere else, “Daddy” will struggle as he did against superior grappler Kurt Pellegrino.

However, this title bout holds the same definitive factor: cardio. Penn has earned a reputation for tiring out, while Stevenson willed his way to a unanimous decision over Pellegrino. Yet Stevenson has never seen five rounds like Penn. While he has more experience than the twenty-nine-year old, he has not seen the high profile, high-pressure fights Penn has. Both bring strong mental game into the fight, but both are at the most critical juncture in their careers on the biggest stage in fighting. With Sean Sherk next in line and being the first lightweights to headline a card since the division reemerged, mentality is just as important as technique and cardio in this clash.

The featured fight of the night pits Gabriel Gonzaga battles Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight bout. Both are coming off disappointing losses and this rematch promises the winner a title shot in the near future. “Napao” has progressed immensely since being stopped by Werdum in 2003, mainly in the striking department. The Pride veteran has not been slacking either, but a string of inactivity hinders his chances against a hungry and consistent Team Link star.

The Wander Braga black belt has a size advantage over Werdum, but standing with the Mirko Crocop’s former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor can see him excel. The Chute Boxer can stand and trade yet he lacks the power to endanger the former title challenger. Add Gonzaga’s heavy hands and superior wrestling and going to the ground seems less likely for the Rio de Janeiro native, where Werdum can lure, tire, and stop Gonzaga as he’s done before.

In welterweight action, Marcus Davis takes on Jess Liaudin. “The Irish Hand Grenade” has a well-rounded skill set that includes heavy, technical hands, solid wrestling and an improving ground game. “The Joker” too sports a well-rounded game, but prefers to stand. Rising to the occasion has characterized Davis’ UFC wins against Forrest Petz, Shonie Carter, Pete Spratt, Jason Tan, and Paul Taylor. The Frenchman based out of London has failed to do the same, dropping fights against Paul Taylor, Shonie Carter, and Abul Mohamed. But like Maine’s favorite fighter, he is on impressive win streak, including an armbar over Dennis Siver.

For Davis, winning this fight would place him on a higher plain of competition in the UFC’s intense division. For Liaudin, the win would be the biggest of his career—a message of his arrival. But look for Davis’ fearless fight style and elevated ground game to stifle the more experienced fighter.

In an undercard light heavyweight battle more than six months in the making due to injury, Wilson Gouveia challenges Jason Lambert. The Brazilian favors the leg kick and has a good set of hands to follow. But throwing the leg kick is always a dangerous proposition against a ground and pound specialist like “The Punisher.” In his last showing, the thirty-year-old was dominated on the ground by Renato Sobral. Against the Coconut Creek, Florida black belt Lambert may face the same issues. However, “Babalu” fell victim to a vicious counter punch, a sign of his power and improving strikes.

The deciding factor is Lambert fights out of California’s North County Fight Club. He lacks the high-level training partners Gouveia finds at American Top Team. Standing and on the ground, the Fortaleza, Brazil native holds the advantage, but Lambert has an adaptable game and his wrestling can present problems for Gouveia. This fight boils down to fortitude and cardio—two elements both fighters have neither excelled at nor lacked.

The opening bout of the night is a middleweight tangle between Kendall Grove and Jorge Rivera. “Da Spyda” has the cardio to challenge Rivera, who likes to pace himself, especially during the later rounds. Both are unafraid to trade, but the Hawaiian’s elongated frame poses too many problems for the shorter striker. The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner also has tricky ground skills, where Rivera has proven uncomfortable. “El Conquistador” needs to remain elusive and punish Grove’s aggression by working from angles. Under Team Sitydotong, Rivera has the mind for it, it’s just the execution that might falter.

On a fight card loaded with finishers, B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson hope to make the loudest statement by putting their opponent to sleep. Capturing gold is not just a claim to lightweight kingship, it is a claim to pound for pound glory. For these two young fighters, a loss is not the end of the road, just another setback. But a lapse in victory in the sport’s most competitive division can send either on another brutal journey to gold—if at all.

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Mike Swick Interview

Writer Ben Zeidler recently caught up with Mike Swick to discuss his recent loss to Yushin Okami and his upcoming fight with Josh Burkman. Originally conducted for MMA Madness

MMA Madness: Tell us about your start in MMA and being on The Ultimate Fighter. What did that teach you about the sport and what did you take away from the experience?

Swick: I have been in MMA since 1997. It’s been a long road that would eventually lead to the TUF show which was my biggest break. It was amazing filming the show and after laying it all on the line, I got a UFC contract and here I am today.

MMA Madness: Many recent TUFers have been complaining about living in the house. Was that an issue with you?

Swick: No, not at all. It does have its down sides like anything else but you have to look at the bigger picture. It’s the chance to change your life and if they only knew what it could do for them, they wouldn't complain. How tough can six weeks in a mansion be? [Laughs]

MMA Madness: You've become famous with your nickname and signature move, the "Swickotine." Were you a professional wrestling fan growing up?

Swick: I watched it but wasn't a huge fan or anything. I did enjoy it though.

MMA Madness: What have you done to adjust your game after the Okami loss?

Swick: I learned so much from that fight -- mostly mentally. It was a rough road on that fight.

MMA Madness: That bout was scored very closely, two judges giving it a 29-28 result. Did you feel like you won that fight?

Swick: No, I knew I lost. I should have started that flurry sooner in the second and then if that didn't work I should have known he was coming in to take me down in the third and stay away from the cage. He had me shoved in the cage pretty good.

MMA Madness: Let's talk about your series of quick wins. In a time where more fighters seem to wait during fights or "Lay and pray," what motivates you to take it right at your opponents?

Swick: I have always been aggressive. That’s just my style.

MMA Madness: You've got Josh Burkman coming up. Do you feel that he is a good match up for you?

Swick: Yes I do and I am very excited for it.

MMA Madness: After Burkman, do you have anyone in your sights?

Swick: Only thinking about Burkman right now.

MMA Madness: Many polls have you just in the top 10. Does that mean anything to you or do you just fight to fight?

Swick: At this point I am not paying attention to that stuff. I obviously want to be the champ one day so that ranking will be great!

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Will Kimbo Continue His Run?

Internet street sensation turned MMA fighter Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (2-0) has made an impact on MMA just as he did with his Internet brawls. Kimbo gained popularity with his filmed underground street fights and sparked the interest of many internet users. In some brawls, Kimbo would fight and defeat two opponents simultaneously. The referee would even give his opponents a 30 second count to recover from the beating they had just received. In professional MMA, with some of the most heavily trained fighters in the world, it's more than a little different. An article by Don Davenport

It only took a few of these YouTube bouts before word started to spread about this Florida brawler. Kimbo then made the transition to MMA, and he couldn't have chosen a better path. He's being trained by former Pancrase and UFC Heavyweight Champion Bas Rutten. According to Bas, Kimbo has made significant improvements in his training and has all the natural tools to be a great champion. Kimbo was somewhat less eloquent: “I’ve never been like this, I’ve been out here for two weeks and I’m in top condition. I’m training with Bas and I’m ready for whatever, you guys in the Heavyweight division, there’s a new sheriff in town better believe that.”

Kimbo made his MMA debut in an exhibition bout at Cage Fury Fighting Championship 5 in June of 2007 against former World Heavyweight Champion boxer Ray Mercer. Kimbo came out very aggressively, backing Mercer into the cage and connecting with knees, punches, and elbows. He quickly defeated Mercer by...submission?? That's right, Kimbo actually choked out his opponent at 1:12 of the first round. At the end of the fight, David “Tank” Abbott and Kimbo talked about an upcoming showdown, but Kimbo was signed to a lucrative deal by EliteXC in October.

Kimbo defeated Bo Cantrell in just 19 seconds in a November fight. With this impressive win, the Tank fight found its way to the top of promoters' "to do" lists. On February 16, 2008, Kimbo will return to Miami and will face David “Tank” Abbott (10-13) in a main event.

Many fighters and critics state that Kimbo is not what MMA is about. In an interview conducted by ESPN, former UFC Lightweight Champion Tito Ortiz stated that “he’s just a big oversized guy that just knows how to punch. He is nothing compared to what we do in the octagon. If he fights guys at the top tier he will get crushed in seconds.”

Kimbo will have his chance to either prove Tito right or prove that he is here to stay.

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UFC's Light Heavyweight Division

The light heavyweight division is arguably the UFC’s strongest division. With all the talent available, it would be nice to examine which fighters are in the title hunt, which fighters are in the gray area, and which fighters are not in the title hunt. Although not meant to be a true ranking of light heavyweights, these categories can help us determine who is closest to the title and who is farthest away. The list of 16 fighters was taken from a joint UFC 75/76 website designed to examine the top 16 LHWs in the UFC. (Originally written for MMA Madness)

In title contention:

Rampage Jackson: Jackson is the most obvious choice. After all, he’s the champion. He won big at UFC 75, earned himself a coaching spot on The Ultimate Fighter, and remains as entertaining as ever.

Forrest Griffin: After some back and forth efforts earlier in his career, Forrest rebounded in a big way with a slick submission victory over top ranked Mauricio Rua. This earned him a spot coaching next to Rampage and a title shot following TUF 7.

Lyoto Machida: Machida proved that he is the real deal with a quick submission of newcomer Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 79. He’s been beating opponents up in the UFC for a few months now but due to his methodical style, not many fans have taken notice. They should now.

Chuck Liddell: The Iceman represents the first in a slew of contenders about one win away from legitimizing a title shot. Although he suffered a bad loss to Rampage and was decisioned by Keith Jardine, Liddell dominated Wanderlei Silva during their bout at UFC 79. He’s definitely back on the upswing.

Dan Henderson: Henderson didn’t lose too badly to Rampage and it’s a shame that his introduction to UFC fans was in defeat. However, before the big Wanderlei knockout, Hendo was known as “Decision Dan.” He’ll have to shed that moniker and rack up a win or two before being considered for another shot at gold. Of course, now that he’s dropping down to the middleweight division, will Henderson ever compete again at light heavyweight?

Keith Jardine: A big win over Liddell was nice, but his devastating knockout loss to Houston Alexander is still too fresh in fan’s minds. He’s definitely in the title picture, but he also needs a win or two for serious consideration. He’s also not as marketable as Liddell or Henderson, which is why they would get title shots before him.

Rashad Evans: “Sugar” hasn’t done anything wrong (winning TUF, beating Bisping), but then again, he hasn’t really done anything right. Since he hasn’t lost yet, he has to be recognized as a title contender, but he could really use an exciting win or two.

Gray: Mauricio Rua: Formerly considered the #1 light heavyweight in the world (and still #3 on my list), Rua has a good amount of work to do in convincing UFC fans that he is the real deal. In their eyes, his only fight was an embarrassing loss to Griffin in which he looked out of shape and overmatched. He needs to come out firing if he wants to be mentioned in the same breath as Rampage, whom he soundly beat in PRIDE.
Wanderlei Silva: Silva is in a similar situation as Rua. More fans are aware of his pre-UFC successes, but he’s now in the midst of a three-fight losing streak. That kind of performance won’t get you anywhere in MMA, and it’ll get you even less on a list with this kind of talent. Silva needs to turn his bus around, fast.
Matt Hamill: Poor Matt Hamill. He probably would have won his season of TUF if not for an injury and he did win his fight against Bisping, although his record doesn’t reflect it. He’s tough to market and is coming off a loss to a middle of the road, former light heavyweight in Bisping. He’s a good fighter and has tremendous potential, which is why he’s not completely out of the picture.

Out:

Tito Ortiz: Before this flurry of PRIDE fighters entered the UFC, Tito Ortiz was the #2 draw at this weight. Since then, he’s fought to a draw against Rashad Evans (is there anything worse in sports than a tie?) and hasn’t been booked again. Rumors have him matched up against Rua sometime next year, but even that will put him at a year in between fights. How can you be in contention if you never fight?

Houston Alexander: Yes, he was severely beaten by Thiago Silva at UFC 78, but it wasn’t long ago that Alexander shocked the MMA world with quick knockouts of Jardine and Alessio Sakara. He’ll need to find his winning ways and avoid the ground if he wants to move up on this list. Until then, he’s out of the title picture.

Michael Bisping: Even if it wasn’t for his “win” against Hamill and loss to Evans, Bisping would still be out of the title picture…because he’s dropped to middleweight. Have fun with Anderson Silva!

Stephan Bonnar: He’s coming off two wins, but a steroid suspension, two losses to Forrest, and one to Rashad are enough to put you solidly out of contention. He’ll need a few more years of winning and at least one win over Griffin before he’s in the hunt.

Alessio Sakara: He’s a cool 2-3 in the UFC, with losses to Houston Alexander and lesser-known Drew McFedries. Like Bonnar, it’ll be quite some time before we hear Sakara’s name mentioned in the same breath as Rampage.

Kazuhiro Nakamura: Well, he’s 0-1 in the UFC (a loss to Machida), but never fear, MMA fans! Before that, he was beaten by Mauricio Rua…and before that, he was knocked out by Wanderlei Silva…and before that, he was beaten twice by Antonio Rogerio Nogueira…and before that, well, you get the picture. My guess is that they had 15 light heavyweights and wanted an even number. Nakamura is the 16th and furthest away from the belt.

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2007 Year In Review

2007 marked the first year that Mixed Martial Arts was recognized on a somewhat level playing field with the rest of the sports world. Even though a lot of time and effort was put into the general expansion of the sport, the fighters and promoters still had enough left in the tank to make this the most compelling year the sport has ever seen. Some storylines were good for the sport while others hurt its reputation, but each provided publicity, the one thing this sport will never turn down. Originally written for MMA Madness

Story of the year: The Purchase of PRIDE. This deal, years in the making, brought just about every major fighter (with the exception of Fedor Emelianenko) under the UFC’s tent. It paved the way for dream match ups we thought we’d never see. And it added freshness to two divisions which had recently run stale. No more just Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell – suddenly, Rampage Jackson, Dan Henderson, and Wanderlei Silva were all possibilities! And with Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia closing the chapter on their trilogy, it was nearly too good to be true that the UFC was locking down both Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Okay, so it was too good to be true, but it was exciting at the time.

It wasn’t just the fighters that made this purchase so special, although they certainly added to the excitement. It was the promise that Dana White would create the Super Bowl of MMA and do his best to bring all the best fighters together under one set of rules. Finally, it meant that one organization had set itself apart from the pack and would be around for quite some time. The underlying fear of every MMA fan is that the sport will be dubbed a fad among mainstream media and end up losing the attention and money which has recently been pumped into its expansion. Hardcore fans will always love the sport, but the addition of PRIDE under the Zuffa umbrella ensured that others would be able to enjoy it too.

Honorable mentions:

1. Fight analysts were stymied all year long by what came to be known as the year of the upset. After picking Sylvia, Georges St. Pierre, Filipovic, and Liddell in straight sets (UFC 68-71), I was just about ready to throw in my keyboard and call it quits. This year, and the upsets which defined it, forced all fight fans to reconsider what they thought they knew about the sport.

2. Even though it was only of interest after July 7, 2007, steroids made up a large portion of discussion among writers, fans and fighters. Some, such as St. Pierre chose to stay silent on the subject while others, like Melvin Guillard, flat out called Sean Sherk “a coward.” Steroids divided the MMA world and were a never-ending source of debate this year.

3. Even more recent than the steroids storyline is the saga of Dana White versus Randy Couture. While the story is still in its infancy, it has provided fans with a unique look into the world of signing bonuses, contracts, and the business end of the UFC. It has also reinforced what we thought we knew about The Natural – he’ll do what he thinks is right, regardless of the impact on his wallet or his celebrity status.

4. The MMA community was shocked and saddened by the death of Sam Vasquez, the first fighter to die from combat-related injuries in a sanctioned bout. It forced us to reevaluate the dangers of the sport we love.

Fighter of the year: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Rampage won three times this year, all in convincing fashion. His first bout was a revenge fight against Marvin Eastman, the man who had handed Rampage his first career loss. Rampage outgunned Eastman to a second round TKO victory. His second fight, just four months later, was against the then-unbeatable Chuck Liddell. Rampage transitioned beautifully to this opportunity, knocking out Liddell in the first round. The path didn’t get any easier for the new champion as he then met the newly-signed Dan Henderson at UFC 75. Rampage rolled along, winning a unanimous decision and proving to all that he was the real deal. In the final success of Rampage’s tour de force year, he was named as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter season 7.

Honorable mention: Anderson Silva. The Spider won three fights as well, beating Travis Lutter, Nathan Marquardt, and Rich Franklin, finishing them all within the first two rounds. As if that wasn’t enough, Silva passed Fedor on most pound-for-pound rankings by year’s end.

Fight of the year: A late entry, but no less worthy, the UFC 79 bout between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva garners fight of the year honors. This decision isn’t based on pre-fight excitement alone, however. It was a combination of the hype and the outcome that made it such an entertaining 15 minutes. In the first round, Liddell and Silva met numerous times for sets of short, brutal exchanges. Liddell seemed to take a page out of Keith Jardine’s playbook, peppering The Axe Murderer with leg kicks. In the second round, Silva dropped Liddell twice, but Liddell shot back up both times, eventually cutting Silva badly. Liddell ended the round with a surprising take down of the BJJ black belt. The third round was slightly slower than the first two, each fighter taking a calculated approach to striking. Liddell once again got the best of the exchanges, nearly knocking out Silva with a spinning back fist. Silva recovered quickly, as he had done all night, and stalked Liddell to a decision loss. What had long been called the most anticipated fight in MMA history certainly did not disappoint.

Honorable mention: Another great late fight, the TUF 6 finale main event between Clay Guida and Roger Huerta, was just as action-packed as any 155-pound bout we had seen all year. Guida dominated most of the fight, striking and taking down Huerta at will. Huerta, however, was patient and ending up locking in a rear naked choke in the final round of action.

Knockout of the year: I hate to give one man a sweep of fighter of the year and KO of the year, but there wasn’t a knockout more meaningful and definitive than Jackson’s KO of champion Chuck Liddell. Jackson, now working with boxing instructor Juanito Ibarra, rolled under a Liddell haymaker and landed his own right hook on Liddell’s chin. Jackson followed up on the ground for good measure, forcing Big John McCarthy to jump in.

Honorable mention: It didn’t take long into the Gabriel Gonzaga-Mirko Filipovic fight to recognize that Cro Cop wasn’t himself. Gonzaga seemed to be controlling the pace of fight, connecting with more shots, and looked like the more experienced fighter. This belief was confirmed when Gonzaga swung his leg high in the air, blasting Cro Cop in the head, and knocking him out cold. The method (Cro Cop’s signature move) and the aftermath (the image of a mangled Cro Cop) made this KO one for the ages.

Submission of the year: Nick Diaz’s gogoplata over Japanese legend Takanori Gomi was just the second time the rare submission had been used in PRIDE fighting competition. The choke, usually done from the rubber guard (see Eddie Bravo’s excellent book on this guard), involves pushing the shin against the trachea of the opponent. The fight didn’t have much meaning, and the outcome was eventually overturned on drug charges, but none of this mattered to MMA purists, who delighted in the “gogo” win.

Honorable mention: When St. Pierre locked in an arm bar with just four seconds remaining in the second round of his Interim title fight against Matt Hughes, it wasn’t just St. Pierre winning another fight or even winning another title. It was St. Pierre avenging his first UFC loss in the exact same manner in which he had been beaten. Poetic justice, not grandiosity, is what made this submission so special.

2007 was spectacular but with the prospect of more talented fighters entering the ranks, younger fighters maturing to a greater degree, and stronger competition across the board, 2008 should prove to be no less enjoyable.

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Shogun, Sherk Make UFC 84 Card Great

According to different reports by MMAJunkie.com, both Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Sean Sherk have been added to a Montreal event in April. This same event is expected to host the title unification match between Georges St. Pierre and Matt Serra.

Shogun will be returning from his disappointing submission loss to Forrest Griffin and attempting to gain his first win inside the Octagon. Had Shogun won his fight at UFC 76, he would have been afforded an immediate title shot against Champion Quinton Jackson. Now, Shogun finds himself near the middle of a strong light heavyweight division and badly needing a win.

Even more urgent is the plight of Sean Sherk, who was stripped of his belt after testing positive for Nandrolone following his UFC 73 win against Hermes Franca. He has been told that his first fight back will be for the title, so this UFC 84 match up should be against either BJ Penn or Joe Stevenson. Sherk needs to win to gain back both his title and his credibility.

Georges St. Pierre and Matt Serra round out the card with their UFC 69 rematch.

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Horn To Take Over For Injured Leites

The UFC didn't say much about the switch of Jeremy Horn for Thales Leites, but the fact that it took them just a day to find a replacement shows their confidence in Horn and their goal of getting Nate Marquardt on television.

Horn, for the MMA neophyte, is one of the most experienced fighters and trainers in the sport. He's fought over 100 fights, holding wins against the likes of Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, and Vernon White. Recently, Horn's had some trouble against quality opponents, but similar to Ken Shamrock or Royce Gracie, he'll always be a dangerous fighter.

Horn has received two title opportunities during his storied career -- both of which he lost.

UFC 81 is scheduled for Saturday, February 2nd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.

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Martial Base Releases School Finder

One of the most comprehensive and easy-to-use databases to help find martial art schools is now being made available to the public, thanks to the work of one creative martial artist.

Martial Base began about a year ago (2006) and has blossomed into an excellent resource for martial art information. The guy behind the scenes developing and managing the whole project is Terry Doll who hails from upstate NY. Terry began his martial art career in Rochester, NY as a practicioner in 7 Star Praying Mantis Kungfu. He has trained with many notable and well-known instructors in the martial art arena including: Sifu Raymond Fogg, Lee Kam Wing, Ren Guang-Yi, and Chen Xiao Wang. However, it's not just who this man knows or what he can do that makes him unique -- it's his dedication to making the sport he loves available to all.

Experiences with other martial art instructors has been questionable with flawed credentials, inadequate training facilities to frauds posing as certified instructors. Based on these experiences, it inspired Terry to create Martial Base.

Martial Base is a resource for all martial art enthusiasts, practitioners and instructors to help inform and educate about martial arts. One of the biggest reasons that first-time martial arts students don't continue with the sport is a combination of the struggles highlighted above. The school finder aims to tear down the ambiguities associated with choosing a school.

Martial Base was started as a pet project by creating a mash ups of web technologies and the love of martial arts. These technologies include Google map, RSS feeds, and proprietary web services which comprise most of the web site. After analyzing website metrics, Terry discovered a trend with users seeking martial art schools. Based on the trend, he went with his gut feeling and analytical data which supported his decision to create the Martial Art School Finder.

The Martial Art School Finder is an online resource for individuals to locate martial art schools within their own geographic area. It enables a perspective student to find a martial art school that meets their needs as an individual. Also, it is a tool for martial art school owners to advertise and promote their martial art business online. Martial Base has tools which help facilitate communication between school owner and and perspective students which includes the Martial Art Virtual Lead Box which is a part of the Martial Art School Finder. Here is more information
about the Virtual Lead Box:

http://martialbase.com/martial-art-school-virtual-lead-box.cfm

In addition, the Martial Art School Finder enables a user to post reviews and rate a martial art school. The reviews are helpful because they provide informative real world experiences from another persons perspective. It is always helpful to have this type of information available when choosing a martial art school.

It is a lofty but very personal mission of Terry's to rate all martial art instructors based on their credentials, experience, and track record as a martial artist to ensure that students are getting qualified instruction. With his experience of over 10 years in the martial arts, he's had good and bad experiences with instructors. Martial Base will help facilitate communications, educate and inform the martial art community. We are always developing new tools and gadgets which will inform users about martial art schools, news and gossip. Check the site often because there are some new tools that will be rolled out by the end of the month.

These tools include a widget for the Martial Arts School Finder, an RSS feed gadget, and a Virtual Lead Box gadget. These tools are designed for web sites, blogs, networking communities which will tie in together with the Martial Art School Finder.

Stay tuned because Martial Base has some new and exciting things coming up!

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St. Pierre-Serra To Headline UFC 83

Montreal will not just hold their first UFC event in April -- they'll host their first title fight too, according to Mike Chiappetta at NBCSports.com.

Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre will meet for the UFC welterweight title during an April event in Montreal, Serra confirmed to NBCSports.com on Friday.

The 33-year-old UFC welterweight champion upset St. Pierre for the title with a first-round TKO in April 2007, and had been scheduled to defend his crown against Matt Hughes in Decmeber. But following the escalation of their rivalry during the filming of the most recent Ultimate Fighter season, Serra suffered a herniated disc, forcing him to pull out of their scheduled UFC 79 match.

St. Pierre stepped in to replace Serra, and outclassed the former champion, finishing him with a second-round armbar to become the interim champion. After the match, St. Pierre noted that he wouldn't consider himself the true champion until he beat Serra.

The Long Island native told NBCSports.com's John Moody that his back has been rapidly improving and is excited about defending the championship, albeit in St. Pierre's hometown.

The event will be the first that the UFC holds in Canada, and is tentatively scheduled for April 19 at the Bell Centre.

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Top 5 Blockbuster Events Of All Time

Even though the UFC and PRIDE FC have hosted well over 100 events combined, very few can be called blockbusters, and more often they’re labeled busts. The blockbuster, however rare, has the potential to revitalize an organization for months, and for these purposes, a blockbuster is defined as an event with a strong card and an even stronger night of fights. Although UFC 79 turned in a great card and and exciting event, it will be a few months before history casts its official judgment on the event. So, which cards in MMA history have given fans a great card as well as great fights? An article originally written for MMA Madness looks for the answer with its top 5 blockbuster events ever.

#5: PRIDE Final Conflict 2005

The card: Featured the middleweight tournament semis (and later that night, the finals). The final four in the tournament were Ricardo Arona, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio Rua, and Alistair Overeem. Silva and Rua are the two most accomplished middleweights in PRIDE history while Arona and Overeem aren’t slouches either. The pairings of Arona with Silva and Overeem with Rua were significant due to the widely known preference of the two Chute Boxe legends (Silva and Rua) to not fight one another.

Additionally, the card featured a heavyweight title fight between then-champion Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Filipovic. While Fedor was expected to retain the title, Filipovic provided the greatest challenge Fedor had ever faced. Filipovic was undefeated in over a year and had torn through such big names as Josh Barnett and Kevin Randleman. To add even more fuel to the fire, Cro Cop had knocked out Fedor’s little brother, Aleksander, with a ferocious kick to the head one year prior to the event.

The event: Wanderlei’s unanimous decision loss to Arona paved the way for Rua to dominate Overeem, and later Arona, for two consecutive knockouts. With that pair of wins, Rua solidified himself as a top 205 pounder not just in PRIDE, but also in the world.

#4: UFC 47: It’s on!

The card: One of the first few hugely advertised UFC cards, UFC 47 featured the end of the long war of words between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Ortiz, a friend and former training partner of Liddell’s, was accused of ducking The Iceman for well over a year, citing a pact the two had supposedly made not to fight one another. Liddell maintained that no such agreement ever existed.

If that wasn’t enough to put people in the seats (and it was), matchmaker Joe Silva added a truly fun match up between the highly skilled Andrei Arlovski and the thick-headed Cabbage Correira.

Finally, 21-year-old Nick Diaz was pitted against the 22-year-old phenom Robbie Lawler, who had only suffered one UFC loss at that point (an injury submission). Lawler had turned out four impressive UFC victories in addition to the loss, with two coming by TKO. Diaz had just one UFC win to his credit before UFC 47, but it was an impressive armbar victory just three months prior.

The event: The fights played out just as Silva must have envisioned. In the main event, Liddell was all over Ortiz from the start, striking at will and eventually creating the now-famous ten second video of Ortiz being pummeled against the side of the cage early in round 2. The performance solidified Liddell’s arrival (and comeback from the Couture loss), signifying that the more experienced and mature Liddell deserved a second chance at The Natural.

Arlovski peppered Cabbage early and often, quickly opening up the Hawaiian favorite. Amazingly, no matter how many times Arlovski blasted Cabbage, the big man would not go down. The crowd quickly became engaged in the sheer display of punching accuracy (from Andrei) and stone chin (from Cabbage). It took until the second round of continuous punching to drop Cabbage, resulting in an eruption from the crowd.

In what is now known as one of the greatest UFC fights of all time, Diaz and Lawler went back and forth during the first round, each gaining the advantage many times over. Diaz, the heavy underdog entering the fight, ended up pressing most of the action and chased Lawler for much of the fight. In the second round, Diaz and Lawler even began to taunt each other. Lawler lost his cool, swung wildly at Diaz, and Diaz nailed a right hook that sent Lawler crashing to the canvas.

#3: PRIDE Bushido 9

The card: Tournament-style cards are always tough to plan, but if promoters stack enough talent in these showdowns, the results are usually enjoyable. That’s exactly what happened in Bushido 9, which featured the opening rounds of the welterweight and lightweight tournaments in which the fights were two-round affairs.

The welterweight contenders included superstars such as Dan Henderson, Akihiro Gono, Ikuhisa Minowa, and Murilo Bustamante. For good measure, Phil Baroni was invited too, just in case any of the referees wanted to fight.

The lightweights were even more impressive and included Jens Pulver, Hayato Sakurai, Joachim Hansen, Takanori Gomi, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. At some point, all of them -- with the exception of Kawajiri -- have held titles (Gomi had two). PRIDE couldn’t have picked a better combination of lightweight stars to vie for the title.

The event: Generally considered one of the most exciting events in MMA history because of the two-round rule, the amount of talent, and the level of competition in the bouts, the first round of Bushido 9 featured just three decisions.

The rest of the finishes included some of the most spectacular knockouts and submissions of all time. The welterweight opening round featured a Dan Henderson KO just 22 seconds into the first round. Not to be outdone, Luiz Azeredo countered for the lightweights with his own early KO, 11 seconds into the first. In a battle of Japanese stars, Gomi and Kawajiri put on a technical display, which eventually ended with Gomi securing a rear naked choke.

In the semifinals, the action continued with both welterweights winning by KO, including a devastating session of soccer kicks from Bustamante. The lightweights turned in two unanimous decisions in the semis, but the matches were just as exciting as any of the big finishes that night.

#2: UFC 52: Liddell vs. Couture 2

The card: Easily the strongest card in UFC history, UFC 52’s main event consisted of the second meeting between then-champion Randy Couture and challenger Liddell. Liddell had been soundly outmatched and knocked out in their first meeting at UFC 43. Since then, however, Liddell had notched a few wins, including the huge knockout of Ortiz.

Another rematch/title fight came in the form of Matt Hughes versus Frank Trigg. Hughes had previously come from behind to beat Trigg via rear naked choke at UFC 43 and the bad blood was still very much alive. A war of words ensued in the weeks leading up to the event promising that something exciting would come of this fight.

In a match up of pure grapplers, wrestler Matt Lindland was scheduled to fight BJJ Black Belt Travis Lutter.

The event: Liddell reversed his fortune from UFC 43, knocking out Couture and winning the title in one fell swoop. It was both Couture’s first KO loss and Liddell’s first title. Even more exciting than the left cross which crushed Couture to the mat was the promise of a third fight to come.

Hughes and Trigg put on what many consider to be the most exciting MMA fight of all time (it gets my vote). Early in the first, Trigg mistakenly kneed Hughes in the groin. Referee Mario Yamasaki missed the blow and Trigg was able to jump on top of Hughes, nearly knocking him out and then nearly choking him out. Unbelievably, Hughes powered out of the choke, picked Trigg up, hauled him across the Octagon, and slammed him down with a thud. Hughes pounded Trigg and eventually locked in a rear naked choke, the very move which gave him the victory in their first meeting.

Lindland turned in a superior performance, beating Lutter at his own game, locking in a tight guillotine halfway through round two.

And in a surprisingly enjoyable fight, Jason “Mayhem” Miller scrapped his way to a decision loss against rising star, Georges St. Pierre.

#1: PRIDE Final Conflict 2003

The card: Similar to Bushido 9 and Final Conflict 2005, this was another tournament-style card featuring Liddell, Silva, and Quinton Jackson. And similar to the way in which Rua and Silva were destined to fight at the end of the 2005 tournament, this tournament was designed with a final match in mind: Silva vs. Liddell.

Other scheduled bouts included a big welterweight fight between Henderson and Bustamante and a #1 contender fight between Filipovic and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Fedor had already beaten Nogueira once, but only by decision. A good win by Nogueira would put him right back in line to try Fedor again. Meanwhile, Filipovic was undefeated in PRIDE at the time, holding a huge TKO victory over legend Kazushi Sakuraba.

The event: The tournament didn’t disappoint, but it did surprise, with Jackson manhandling Liddell on his way to the finals. Liddell was being beaten so badly that his own corner threw in the towel. Meanwhile, Silva had no trouble earning a decision over Hidehiko Yoshida. In the finals, it was Silva who rolled, averting early slam attempts by Rampage, and instead delivering 28 knees and three bicycle kicks en route to the win.

Meanwhile, Henderson caught Bustamante with a knee strike just 53 seconds into the bout as Bustamante shot in for a takedown. The win established Henderson as the real deal, and he would only go on to lose two more contests during his entire PRIDE career.

Nogueira turned in an equally exciting and impressive performance with his second-round arm bar over Filipovic. The win legitimized the Brazilian as the best man to challenge Fedor’s supremacy.

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Kimbo And Tank To Battle After All

ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) has learned that the long-awaited heavyweight clash between Internet street fighting legend Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and former UFC staple Tank Abbott is scheduled to be the main event of EliteXC's next show on Saturday, February 16.

The show, scheduled to air on Showtime at 10:00 p.m. ET, is slated to emanate from Miami, Florida. A venue has not been officially announced but the University of Miami has been rumored as a location.

In addition to Slice vs. Abbott, a middleweight matchup between Australian Kyle Noke and former UFC fighter Scott Smith is also scheduled. Antonio Silva and James "Colossus" Thompson are slated to compete on the card as well, in separate bouts.

Abbott and Slice had been scheduled to fight each other on October 12 in Atlantic City, NJ for the Cage Fury Fighting Championships promotion. However, the promotion ran into financial difficulties and was forced to cancel the card. The cancellation allowed Slice to become a free agent, and he signed a lucrative contract with EliteXC soon after.

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Sean Sherk Interview

Writer Ben Zeidler recently caught up with Sean Sherk to discuss just about every aspect of the steroid controversy, his feelings on BJ Penn, and the Lay ‘N Pray style he’s often criticized for. Here are the highlights of that interview. Originally conducted for MMA Madness

Ben Zeidler: What’s the story with your title being stripped considering you’re eligible to return in January? It doesn’t make sense to me.

Sean Sherk: You know, Dana basically said that he wants to stay consistent with what he has done in the past. In the past, if you did it or not, you got the belt stripped. He believes that I didn’t do it and I know that I didn’t do it, but the belt gets stripped. That’s just the way it is.

BZ: Are you pleased with the announcement that you’ll get the winner of Penn-Stevenson?

SS: I knew that already. As soon as they told me that they were taking it [the belt], they said my first fight back would be against the winner. To be honest with you, I still feel like I am champion and that this fight is for the interim title. To be the champion, you have to beat him and no one beat me yet. I still feel like the champion because no one beat me.

BZ: Who would you prefer to fight, Penn or Stevenson, and how do you match up against each?

SS: I match up real well with either, I’m a confident fighter -- I can beat anyone, and I don’t fear anyone. I like my match up with either of them. On a personal level, I’d rather fight BJ. We don’t like each other much and he’s been disrespecting me a lot, saying things about me. I don’t have any respect for someone who does that so I’d like to go in there and beat up on him.

BZ: What kinds of things has he been saying?

SS: He’s been talking garbage and talking about his title fight, saying that it is for the natural title. He’s having a good time with this whole thing. Whatever man, I have lots of stuff to say about him too. Let’s see if he wins, first. I actually think Joe has a good chance to beat him.

BZ: Yeah, people seem to be writing Joe off, but there’s a reason he got the shot at the title and he’s won a bunch in a row.

SS: The guy has won, like what, four in a row? BJs only got one win in a row. Joe is more deserving of the title shot than BJ is.

BZ: What’s been the biggest win of your career?

SS: I’ve had a series of big wins before I fought: Karo [Parisyan], [Benji] Radach, and you know, I’m on a three-fight win streak too. I don’t consider any of them to be my biggest win; it’s just a series of wins.

BZ: Many people describe your battle with Kenny Florian as their favorite MMA fight. Can you talk a little bit about that?

SS: That was a good fight and what made for a good fight was the drama that had taken place. I was fighting with a torn shoulder that I tore in training, I got a nine stitch cut on my head so there was lots of blood, and I was fighting with a lot of tenacity and intensity. It had good jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing, a mix of everything.

BZ: Let’s talk about fighting styles for a minute. What do you say to critics who accuse you of winning fights by Lay ‘N Pray?

SS: My style of fighting is mine. I’m not going to change it for anyone. You know? It is what it is. I guess, if you don’t like the way I fight, then go get a beer when I’m fighting.

BZ: Would you ever want an opportunity to avenge your losses to Matt Hughes or GSP? How do you think those fights would play out now?

SS: Of course, I’d love the opportunity to avenge a loss.

BZ: Would you go up to 170 pounds or would you want them to come down?

SS: If I had the opportunity, I would be willing to go up. I have tons of fights at 170 [pounds] so I would be fine.

BZ: Have you still been training 100% over the last four months? It has to be difficult with no clear answer as to when you’re going to fight next.

SS: I know I’m not fighting for a while so I’m not fight-training. I’m working more on strength, technical stuff, plyometrics, just maintenance. I’m just trying to get better and keep everything I have. I hope to be fighting by April, so I’ll probably start my training in January, 12 weeks out.

BZ: Dana White has spoken publicly about how poorly he feels the case against you has been handled. What are your feelings about why your case took so long?

SS: I know there was a mistake made at the testing facility. As far as the commission, they were very unprofessional. There are no rules, no regulations for them to follow. No one overlooks and sees what they are doing – they are their own boss. It is impossible to get a fair trial with them because they are judge, jury, and executioner. They strung me along and had a good time. They had fun jerking me around so I’m looking in taking this in front of a judge. I’m talking to a lawyer about continuing this. It’s tough to take the entire state of California to a judge, so I want to make sure I have a case, but that is my intention.

BZ: What will the defense against the positive test entail?

SS: We made a lot of good arguments as far as custody of testing materials. We found carry over into the machines, too. The three people who got tested before me were found to be positive. They are supposed to clean it in between each test. They did do that but what they didn’t do is test for any remaining steroids in the vial. They are supposed to do a test run after the cleaning but they screwed that up. The machine still had steroids in it! We found contamination in one of my samples, so after it came back positive, I got a blood test that was clean and I passed a polygraph. We had a lot of evidence for the commission but they just weren’t willing to listen.

BZ: Sounds like they had one job to do over at the testing facility and they screwed it up.

SS: Exactly. Are high school kids working there? You have someone’s livelihood on the line there. I’ll never fight in California again. I’ll never let labs do it again. Never again will I let my sample get tested at that facility.

BZ: Have your fans expressed that they think of you any differently?

SS: There are fair weather fans and guys who want to jump ship or whatever. I have loyal fans, though. 90% are supporting me from the emails I get and then you have the 10% who want to talk garbage. I just want to fight.

BZ: Has it hurt you financially in terms of sponsors?

SS: My sponsors pay me when I fight, and I’ve missed out on probably two fights. I’ve had sponsors tell me that they don’t want to sign me or they want to put things on hold. So I’ve missed out on fight paydays, advertising, exposure, everything is on hold. It is what it is.

BZ: If you had one thing you could say to MMA fans, what would it be?

SS: You know, the big thing is that I have to thank the fans. The UFC has backed me too and Dana has backed me. You know I didn’t take Nandro[lone]. I want to take this case further.

BZ: While we’re on the topic of Dana White, what do you think of the Randy Couture situation? I’ve talked to guys who have had very positive interactions with Dana and I’ve talked to guys, like Ken Shamrock, who accused him of doing this stuff before.

SS: I haven’t had any bad experiences with Dana. I don’t know what is going on with Dana and Randy. I guess Randy has issues with the organization. He had his reason so it is what it is. He’s 44 years old too and if he wants to fight Fedor, let him.

BZ: I’ve read that you’re a big Entourage fan. Would you ever want to appear on the show like Chuck Liddell did?

SS: Oh yeah, I’d love to do that. That’d be awesome. I’m doing a lot more of that sort of stuff. I did a movie two months ago and I’m about to start a second. I’m definitely interested in checking out that realm of the entertainment business. Being a fighter gives you a leg up when people know who you are. It makes it much easier.

BZ: What’s the movie?

SS: It’s called “Made for Each Other.” It’s a comedy and it comes out next summer. I won’t name the next one since it’s not set yet, but I just got the thumbs up from the director and we think we’re going to start shooting in January.

BZ: Let’s get some predictions for UFC 79. Liddell vs. Silva?

SS: Chuck Liddell. He’s got a lot of reach, he’s coming off of losses, [and] Chuck is a warrior. A year ago, he was the best pound-for-pound [fighter] in the world so he’s real hungry to get back to the top.

BZ: Hughes vs. St. Pierre?

SS: I could see that one going either way, you know, it’s one to one so this is the rubber match. I’ll take St. Pierre on the feet and Hughes on the ground. This will be one of the more interesting fights.

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The Lighter Side Of The UFC

I’ve always been fascinated by the UFC’s dichotomy between violence and comedy. For a sport that was born from two men beating the snot out of each other, there certainly are some funny things that go down in and out of the Octagon. As we catch our breath from UFC 67 and gear up for UFC 68, I thought it would be a welcome departure to look at some of the UFC’s funniest moments. With so many to choose from, I’ve tried to narrow down my choices to the five that can still make me laugh. A timeless article (from last year) by MMA Mania's Jesse Holland.

5. Go with the KenFlo

Kenny Florian, despite his talent, gets quite a bit of heat from UFC fans. I’m sure it has a lot to do with his stint on The Ultimate Fighter, an experience that can vault you into the main event of a pay-per-view while simultaneously branding you with a Scarlet Letter. Most of the gags are cheap and childish, like the comparisons to Ben Stiller and Kevin Richardson from The Backstreet Boys. There does exist however, one juicy nugget for which Florian can blame no one but himself. Back at UFC 64 KenFlo was pitted against the heavily favored Sean Sherk for the vacant lightweight title. Outmatched and obviously out-muscled, Florian spent most of the fight on the run. Do you remember as a child when you would tear-ass through the house and Mom would yell at you to watch where you’re going? Looks like KenFlo called in sick for that particular lesson.

While attempting to escape the shoot, Florian pulls a Mark Hominick and runs for the hills. Keep in mind an Octagon has eight sides, and boy those support beams just come out of nowhere don’t they? Wham, Bam, thank you Kenny Florian.

4. Dream Warriors
There’s knockout power, and then there’s Chuck Liddell. The Iceman’s put more people to sleep than Rick Perry (Sorry about that Texans). While most opponents go down quietly, there are the few warrior spirits who refuse to lose, even in an altered state.

At UFC 62, Renato “Babalu” Sobral decided one highlight reel knockout wasn’t enough and made the conscious decision to bumrush the sports most dangerous counter-puncher. Unfazed, Liddell kicked it into reverse and let his hands do the talking. A few bombs later, Sobral was counting sheep – or was he? Critics of the stoppage cried foul, claiming Babalu, while hurt, was still attempting a submission hold.

I understand their argument, and it is certainly valid, but if you’re going for a leg-lock, it should be on your opponent, not the referee. In his punch-drunk confusion, Babalu turned on the one man who swooped in to save him: Big John McCarthy.

I’ve seen ref’s knocked out by an errant punch in the heat of battle, but I’ve never seen one submitted. On August 26 of 2006, Big John almost became the first.
3. The Country Breakfast

Matt Hughes is known for a lot of things. Arrogance, dominance, Hollandaise sauce? The boys down at Xyience had the right idea in the beginning. The first few commercials had The Iceman (and sometimes Forrest Griffin) running uphill in the desert and talking tough into the camera. Not exactly Fellini, but we got the point. Then they decided a Clio Award was within reach and churned out that dreadful Rich Franklin piece that has him teaching class to a group of dim-witted rejects from the set of TRL. “Duh, do you use Xyience Mr. Franklin?” Blech.

And here I thought they had reached the bottom of the barrel until lo and behold there he is, the most dominant welterweight of our time, bailing hay and slurping down Farina to remind us what a good ol’ boy he is (and causing Denver Pyle to roll over in his grave). Actually, it wasn’t the Xyience bar/country breakfast parallels that had me in stitches. It was the priceless few seconds of Hughes getting out of a limousine into the onslaught of flash photography. Look closely and you’ll notice he’s standing on a red carpet as he waves to the press and his legions of fans. Yeah. Uh-huh. I know the UFC has exploded, but I don’t see Matt Hughes getting an Oscar invite just yet.

If you doubt the unintended humor of this ad you should check out this very sincere form of flattery: http://www.myspace.com/countrybreakfast.
2. The Real Huntington Beach Bad Boy

Long before Tito Ortiz ever stepped foot into the Octagon, there was another fighter from Huntington Beach that captivated fans around the world. I am referring of course to Joe Son, founder of Joesondo; his unholy and paltry mix of Tae Kwon Do and Judo. For our newer fans that never saw him in action, just picture Oddjob in a Speedo.

The first time I saw Joe Son was at UFC 4, when in true Kimo fashion he broadcast his religious beliefs by dragging a giant cross to the ring – on his back. The only problem was that Joe Son was a mere 5’4″ tall, and weighed a portly 236 pounds. By the time he reached the cage, he was already gassed. Then he had the unenviable task of facing competent Kenpo master Keith Hackney (best known as “The Giant Killer” for toppling the 6’8″ 600lb. monster Emmanuel Yarborough at UFC 3). The fight ensues and Joe Son ends up on his back, holding on to Hackney with a guillotine-turned-headlock. Hackney inexplicably decides it’s okay to violate every man-law in existence and starts firing closed-fist strikes straight into Joe Son’s genitals. These were not glancing blows -- they were direct hits. Ouch. While every male viewer at home and in person doubled over in sympathy pain, Joe Son kept right on truckin’, unfazed by the attempted murder of his Mini-Son. He eventually submitted via choke, but in defeat carved out his name in the annals of UFC lore. Joe Son: Balls of Steel.

1. Shit Happens. No Really, It Does.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Holy Grail of UFC comedy. Would you be surprised if I told you it involved former Heavyweight Champ Tim Sylvia? Of course not.

It happened a few years ago at Ultimate Fight Night 3. The Maine-iac faced off against Brazilian roadblock Assuerio Silva. His performance left a lot to be desired, especially considering his previous fight ended with a highlight-worthy head kick to Tra Telligman. In fact, it was the shittiest performance since Kevin Randleman defeated Renato Sobral at UFC 35. Yes, I mean that literally.

Never one to shy away from self-deprecating humor (just see his stint on Blind Date for proof of that), Sylvia goes on the MMAweekly radio show and admits to the world that he was a little under the weather that night and in fact, had soiled himself during the contest. Whatever they pay the guy who cleans the floor of the cage after the fights, it couldn’t possibly be enough.

So to anyone who thinks it was a dumb idea for Travis Lutter to admit he was unmotivated to fight for the title (instead of acting devastated and pretending he really tried to make weight), I give you the undisputed champion of dumb admissions. Informing the world you were ill and as a result turned in a sub-par performance is both understandable and acceptable. Conceding that your performance was hampered by chocolate trunks, is not.

And for the safety of digested lunches everywhere, this is one comedic moment that will not be accompanied by video.

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UFC 79 Analysis

The UFC 79 card was definitely exciting, but what exactly does it mean for the UFC and its fighters? Ben Zeidler examines the subject.

Liddell is back!

Chuck Liddell is back in full force, utterly dominating Wanderlei Silva for three straight rounds. Sure, he didn't knock The Axe Murderer out cold, but the performance was solid enough to declare The Iceman officially on the rebound from his Rampage loss earlier this year.

St. Pierre takes the crown

Georges St. Pierre beat Hughes with the very move he was beaten by more than two years ago. In doing this, he established himself as the clear top Welterweight and looks to be steamrolling towards avenging the Serra loss.

Sokoudjou NOT the real deal, Machida is though...

The aura surrounding Sokoudjou's two quick knockouts earlier this year was dispelled as Machida showed the extent of his ability in a dominant submission victory. Sokoudjou goes back to the drawing board, Machida goes to the top 4 of the division.

Sylvia-Nogueira for interim belt

It's been long rumored, but it's now confirmed that Tim Sylvia will get a shot as his old belt, but he'll have to go through top 3 HW Nogueira first. This will be the second of three interim titles which will be awarded between December and March.

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