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.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Top 5 Blockbuster Events Of All Time
Monday, December 31, 2007
Yarennoka! Preview
A bevy of former PRIDE fighters will meet tonight in a joint venture between M-1 and old PRIDE executives. In another twist of joint programming, the fights will be shown on Mark Cuban's HDNet.
Even though JZ Calvancante was forced to pull out of the event, top fighters Tatsuya Kawajiri, Gilbert Melendez, Shinya Aoki, and Hayato Sakurai (three of which are IWF ranked) will be at the event, although none facing one another. Wins on their parts should help their rankings, which have recently fallen due to inactivity.
Top HW Fedor Emelianenko will also be in attendance, facing Hong Man Choi in the night's main event.
(Heavyweight): Roman Zentsov vs. Mike Russow
(Lightweight): Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Luiz Azeredo
(Middleweight): Makoto Takimoto vs. Murilo Bustamante
(Lightweight): Gilbert Melendez vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
(Middleweight): Kazuo Misaki vs Yoshihiro Akiyama
(Lightweight): Hayato Sakurai vs. Hidehiko Hasegawa
(Lightweight): Shinya Aoki vs. Bu-kyung Jung
(Heavyweight): Fedor Emelianenko vs. Hong-Man Choi
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Aoki-Calvancante Fight Taken Off M-1 Card
The highly anticipated match up between Shinya Aoki and JZ Calvancante, two IWF-ranked fighters, has been canceled, according to this Sherdog report. Don't fear, MMA fans! The card still features two IWF-ranked fighters in Gilbert Melendez (also #9 P4P) and Hayato Sakurai in separate fights.
It's still unclear as to why the fight has been taken off the card, although it's possible that recent surgery performed on JZ may be the case. As recently as December 5th, both fighters were still talking as though it was going to happen. Despite these conjectures, nothing has been confirmed.
The event still features, in addition to the Fedor-Choi laughstock, a collection of some of the brightest Lightweights and Welterweights in the world.
Gilbert Melendez and Hayato Sakurai will have more than their hands full when they meet Mitsuhiro Ishida and Hidehiko Hasegawa, respectively. In another interesting fight, formerly ranked Lightweight Tatsuya Kawajiri will look to rebound from a recent loss and gain his place back on our top ten.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Slow Period For MMA News
It's been a slow month or so for mixed martial arts news, as obscure HDNet and HERO'S results flood the pages of most MMA-dedicated blogs. But it wasn't always like this. As recently as this past summer, it always seemed like a blockbuster match was being announced or a superstar fighter was being signed. Recently, however, the excitement seems to be missing from MMA. And here's why:
Rivalries Resolved
The major rivalries that were responsible for UFC's popularity surge over the last year have been dying out. Interest has waned, one fighter won the majority of the contests, or one fighter so emphatically beat his opponent that there is no clear need for a rematch. Any way you break it down, Liddell/Ortiz, Penn/Pulver, and many others just aren't as fun as they used to be. These rivalries ending wouldn't be a problem (after all, good things do need to come to an end) if they were replaced with equally entertaining rivalries. You can't tell me that I'm supposed to watch Liddell take on Ortiz and Rampage and then enjoy a Keith Jardine fight. It's not happening. From top to bottom in the UFC, eras have come to an end, with the obvious exception of Hughes/GSP which has only taken a detour to the grave due a freak win by Matt Serra. Everything else, however (Couture/Sylvia, Silva/Franklin, etc.) has gone by the wayside in the last few months. It's made for odd match ups, like Ortiz/Evans, that would never have been booked last year.
PRIDE Is Dead
The competition bred by PRIDE was not solely successful in creating a "What If?" atmosphere. It also served to force the UFC to constantly examine what they were doing and how they could make it better. As recently as February of this year, PRIDE held an event headlined by Henderson and Wanderlei in Las Vegas. For the UFC, that was enough warning. They chose to buy out PRIDE before it threatened their stateside hegemony. But when the Ferttitas bought out PRIDE, they also opted out of being forced into making improvements to their own organization. Had PRIDE made the successful jump to the States (and it looked as if they would, with a 2 million dollar gate), White and Co. would have to work overtime to come up with new ways to sell fights, new rivalries, new fighter personas, and everything else it takes to remain afloat in a competitive business environment. Now, they need none of this, instead choosing to move at their own pace and headlining each card with just one super fight instead of many. If PRIDE were still an independent entity, we never would have seen a card like UFC 77, with one main event and countless other battles with little significance. And we would certainly never see a UFC 78, consisting of a main event that deserves to be either a swing bout at a PPV or a main event at a Fight Night. Surely it shouldn't be the main attraction at New Jersey's first event since UFC 53! It is, unfortunately, and this has come about simply because White has the option to make it this way. No one is forcing his hand as PRIDE had started to do earlier this year.
Fighters Signed
Back when the Rampage Jackson/Mirko Filipovic signings were announced, it was as if a bomb had been dropped on the MMA world. Acquiring such free agent talent automatically meant a myriad of new matches in two different divisions. It was exciting and it was new. Then came Nogueira, Henderson, Shogun, and Wanderlei. The novelty was destroyed as essentially every big name was brought under one roof. And while there's something to be said for accumulating the biggest names in order to create the best match ups, there's also an interesting element in having great fighters that exist outside of the world's best organization. With the exception of Fedor, there are very few "What If?" scenarios that are still worth contemplating. The Light Heavyweights have all but been swept up (with the exception of Soukoudjou, who doesn't look like he's going anywhere soon), and the rest of the divisions don't warrant signing (see Kang's recent KO loss and Filho's near-loss). With no free agents left, every fight is a possibility and no fights are impossible. For a sport built on unpredictability, that's a scary thought.
Bad Booking
As a paying customer, I believe that every fight on a PPV card should have title implications or at least be exciting. At the most recent event, UFC 77, other than the title fight and the Sylvia-Vera bout (which I'll agree had title ramifications, but sure as hell wasn't exciting), nothing that was televised was worth an ounce of the fan's time. Stephan Bonnar provided fans with an exciting, unimportant bout, while the two remaining fights on the main card contained neither excitement nor title consideration. Even more frustrating to the fans, the more exciting fighters (Jason MacDonald and Demian Maia) were kept on the under card in Machida-like fashion. The UFC 78 card is so weak that on the website, it specifies "This fight has massive implications!" as though the UFC needs to convince people that the statement is true. The UFC would like you to focus on the fact that both men are TUF winners and are technically undefeated. What you should be focusing on is that most analysts believe Bisping lost his last fight, and Evans stalled his way to a draw with Tito Ortiz. The secondary fight on the card appears to be the Parisyan-Chonan bout, which appears to have absolutely no implications, unless there's some obscure connection I'm missing. If anyone can hype a fight and make it seem worthwhile, it's certainly the UFC P.R. machine. Apparently, when you market events this well, you don't even need to book interesting fights.
However, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it comes in the form of UFC 79. Whether this incredible event is just plain luck, a UFC reaction to bad buys for UFC 77 and UFC 78 (anyone else see the three-pack they've been pushing on PPV subscribers?), or it marks the dawn of the post-PRIDE era, no one can be sure. What the UFC needs in order to make a successful transition in completely unchartered waters is a set of great fights at this event. It was just last December that Liddell v. Ortiz II took place, providing the UFC with enough momentum to remain viable throughout the year. If they can get another blockbuster out of Hughes, Liddell, and Wanderlei, they might just be able to repeat.
Originally written for MMAMadness.com
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
PRIDE Fighters At A Disadvantage
With the past losses of Mirko Filipovic, the near loss of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and the current loss of Mauricio Rua, it is easy to see the pattern developing. For one reason or another (Quinton Jackson being the exception), these PRIDE guys are having trouble translating their skills to the Octagon. Are the PRIDE fighters overrated, are the UFC fighters better than we all thought, or is it something else entirely?
It’s possible that the PRIDE fighters are overrated, but it’s hard to justify when you consider that they’re all world-class athletes who have been fighting their entire lives. Cro Cop doesn’t just knock out Wanderlei Silva, switch boats to the UFC, and then just forget how to fight. Similarly, Nogueira shouldn’t go from hanging with Fedor to barely beating journeyman Heath Herring. It just doesn’t make logical sense. And while Shogun looked absolutely brilliant at times against Griffin (with his rolls, submission attempts and strikes), he looked downright tentative at others. Where is the man who went so hard at Rampage Jackson, he looked as if he wanted to knock the current champs head clear off his body? The skills are there, and so that leads me to believe that it must be another factor.
Could it be that the UFC fighters have improved? I think this seems more likely. UFC fighters are long past the days of specializing in just one mixed martial arts field, and are constantly improving and expanding their collective repertoire, and therefore, becoming downright lethal weapons in the Octagon. Another factor that I believe is aiding the improvement of UFC fighters is The Ultimate Fighter.
A venerable playground for newbies and veterans alike (ask Matt Serra), TUF allows fighters to train with guys better than them, fight more than three times in a year, and have access to some of the best facilities in the world. By participating in TUF (as recent winner Forrest Griffin and current champ Matt Serra both did), fighters avoid what is known as The Chuck Liddell Syndrome. For those of you unfamiliar, Chuck is the best guy in his camp. He doesn’t bring in Judo experts to test him with Judo or Boxers to test him with Boxing. TUF combats this by having fighters train with coaches who are leaps and bounds better than they are. They have no choice but to get better. Fighting often also helps the participants to have a greater level of comfort in the Octagon. Instead of having had three fights in a year, a guy coming out of the show may have up to eight under his belt. When you fight that often, there’s no rust or surprises. The final point goes without saying – having access to the training facilities of the UFC put the fighters at an advantage over anyone working with a specific camp, no matter how talented the trainers are.
Even more likely than the idea that improved fighters is contributing to the downfall of PRIDE guys is the possibility that the new environment has thrown all these guys off. Now, they’ve fought in front of crowds before, some even larger in size than those in the UFC. There’s only one major difference. Japanese crowds are dead silent. They are quiet and respectful, usually waiting for the biggest of knockdowns or the end of a fight to cheer their favorite star. Enter: American crowds. Just picture going from the serene, poetic landscape of a stadium in Tokyo to the drunken chaos that is an American sporting event. Fans yell, boo, and throw inanimate objects at will – sometimes, even following a victory.
In an exclusive interview with MMA Madness, Kenny Florian spoke of this difference: “PRIDE fighters have had to adjust to the rule changes, to the environment changes, and everything else. It comes down to the same factors in every event: first, MMA is unpredictable and second, styles make fights.” Florian touches upon something more telling than just the rowdy fans. Perhaps it’s the Octagon that’s throwing these guys for a loop. They’re used to leaning against ropes (which have more give than a cage), and can utilize corners to trap an opponent (see: Wanderlei-Rampage). Perhaps the new environment has them so distracted that they fail to follow their game plan or stay focused.
Rule changes probably have the fighters in a tizzy as well. Different round and time structure, no kicking a downed opponent, elbows are now allowed, and most importantly, the Shogun Stomp has been outlawed. This can’t sit well for a number of fighters (including some of the best) who previously relied on these very moves. Additionally, drug testing is much stricter in the UFC than in PRIDE. Now I’m not saying any of PRIDE’s guys were juicing, but if they were, they’re having a very difficult time of it now.
No matter the reason, it’s clear that some of the most successful PRIDE fighters are having trouble in the UFC. And interestingly enough, it’s the one fighter who had trouble defeating PRIDE’s best who is now champion. Perhaps Florian is right: styles do make fights, and most of the transfers’ styles just aren’t right for the UFC’s Octagon and their newly-improved warriors.
(Originally written for MMAMadness.com)
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.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
W. Silva Set To Return to the UFC in December
The Axe Murderer confirms his return to the UFC...
Former PRIDE FC Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva will return to the Octagon for the first time in more than seven years sometime in December, according to an exclusive interview with Tatame.com prior to his relocation to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here’s a snip from “The Axe Murderer:”
“I’m sad to leave behind my friends and family, but im going to open the doors for a lot of Brazilians, and once I’m settled down there if anyone needs help of wants to get in touch with me, I’ll be available…. I was going to debut in September [in the UFC], but i asked to be moved to December. I still don’t know who is going to be my opponent, but that doesn’t matter, I’ve never chosen my opponents.”
It will be more of a “return” and not so much a “debut” in the UFC for the 205-pound ChuteBoxe standout. He has two fights inside the Octagon to his credit — albeit both are losses to Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz back in 1998 and 2000, respectively.
Since that time, however, he has gone on to become one of the most well-known, decorated and feared fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts with nearly 30 fights (most of them wins) in PRIDE FC.
Currently riding a rare two-fight losing streak to stars Mirko Cro Cop and Dan Henderson, Silva was very close to fighting former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell at UFC 76: “Knockout” in September. However, the deal fell apart when Silva turned down the fight because of his upcoming move to the United States.
According to him, he wouldn’t have had enough time to train and be ready for the blockbuster bout.
There is currently a UFC show booked for Sin City on the weekend before New Year’s Eve in December. UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra will defend his title against Matt Hughes that evening. Adding Silva to that pay-per-view (PPV) card against Liddell — even though UFC President Dana White has mention he doesn’t see the “fight happening” after the latest setback — would no doubt be a monster.
Perhaps the biggest in the history of the promotion.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The Transition From PRIDE To UFC
As more and more PRIDE fighters continue to pour into the UFC organization, it has become apparent that the transition from PRIDE to the UFC is a much more difficult one then first suspected. When the deal was initially struck between the two organizations not much was made about how the fighters would respond to not only a different rule set, but a whole different environment. Much like any other top level athlete, fighters are creatures of habit. Any little change in environment can make a huge impact when it comes to a fighters performance. So why has the transition between the two organizations been such a tough one so far?
From a fans perspective the differences between the two different organizations seems minimal. So what if theres an octagon instead of a ring? So what if the UFC has 3 x 5 minute rounds instead of PRIDES 20 minute fight which features a 10 minute first round with 2 subsequent 5 minute rounds? While these differences may seem insignificant for the fans the fact of the matter is that when your a fighter, even the smallest differences are amplified. Anything that can take you out of your normal routine could affect your performance.
One fighter who was particularly vocal about adjusting to the ways of the UFC was Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Rampage admitted that he was more nervous then he usually is before a fight when he made his UFC debut against Marvin Eastman. After his win over Eastman, Rampage reportedly asked for a few more fights to adjust to the UFC. Instead, the UFC offered him a title fight against Chuck Liddell. Rampage accepted the fight and the rest is history.
On the other hand, some fighters have had a much tougher time adjusting. When Mirko "Cro Cop" first announced his intention to fight in the UFC, fans were quick to label him as the uncrowned king of the UFC heavy weight division. Many people thought he would simply walk through the division before becoming champion. Well, it didn't quite work out like that. In his first fight against Eddie Sanchez, he was just simply too much for his opponent. His next fight was against the Brazilian, Gabriel Gonzaga. In what was one of the most shocking KO's in all of MMA, Gabriel Gonzaga knocked out Cro Cop with a high kick that would make even the Croation Sensation proud.
To some, the transition was an easy one. Guys like Anderson Silva and Quinton Jackson have made it look easy as both now hold the titles in their respective divisions. Others like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria, Fabricio Werdum, and Heath Herring haven't had the smoothest transition to the UFC, although Herring rebounded from his rocky start by almost delivering a KO in Bog Nog's debut. However, these fighters shouldn't be overlooked. All three are world-class athletes and after some time, should be able to really feel comfortable in an octagon.
In the coming months, MMA fans will be treated to great match ups featuring the best that both organizations have to offer. At UFC 75, Dan Henderson will fight Quinton Jackson. Henderson should find himself right at home when he steps into the octagon. After all, he did fight in the UFC early in his career. Henderson's ability to speak English and thus, fully understand the rule changes, should assist his transition. Another dynamite signing for the UFC was that of the young Chute Boxe star, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Rua is the number one ranked 205 pound fighter based on www.mmaweekly.com rankings. Alot of people are anticipating Rua to have very hard time adjusting to the UFC, mainly because he wont be able to deliver those vicious soccer kicks that the Chute Boxe academy is famous for. However, Rua is a very versatile fighter, young, and willing to learn.
The bottom line on the matter is that yes, it is a difficult transition. From the cage to the rules and everything in between. Some fighters handle it well, and others not so well. Where would you rather fight, PRIDE or UFC? If you ask that question to all of the fighters that have and are planning to transfer over to the UFC, I'm sure that you will pretty much get the same response out of all them: "I dont care, I just want to fight." And thats what the fans want to hear.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Ranking The PRIDE FC Light Heavyweights
Prior to Zuffa's buyout of PRIDE and its stars, one could easily suggest that PRIDE held the most stacked Light heavyweight division of all-time. Between veterans Wanderlei Silva, Ricardo Arona, and Dan Henderson along with newcomers Quinton Jackson and Mauricio Rua (pictured), you'd be hard pressed to find a more stellar group of fighters. Yes, they're all superstars in their own right, but who is the best?
In order to rank the Light heavyweights, I chose the top guys (in my opinion) and looked at their "quality wins," meaning a win against any other member of the group. With apologies to Alistair Overeem and Ninja Rua, I went through the quality wins of the following fighters (in no order): Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Ricardo Arona, Quinton Jackson, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. After examining their quality wins, I was able to eliminate two from contention and rank the top 5.
Not enough information: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. Little Nog had as many contests as some of the other fighters (3 contests against quality opponents), but only beat Dan Henderson while dropping contests to Mauricio Rua (who hasn't) and a recent one to wonder kid Sokoudjou. I felt that not only was there not enough information to make a determination on Little Nog, but if I had to make a decision, his 1-2 record wouldn't be enough to crack the Top 5. Sokoudjou, in his own right, is extremely impressive, but is only 5 contests into his MMA career. Granted, two of these are against Little Nog and Arona, but that isn't enough for me to place the "African Assassin" among the Top 5. Perhaps if he had beat Wandy and Hendo, that would be a different story, but he hasn't...not yet, at least.
5: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Despite all the hoopla surrounding his dual wins against Chuck Liddell and infamous powerbomb of Arona, Rampage has done little else for himself. Since the Liddell wins don't count as quality victories (one came outside the auspices of PRIDE in addition to Liddell not being among the quality fighters), Rampage has just one quality win to show for himself (Arona) to go along with his loss to Shogun Rua and two losses to Wanderlei Silva. This 1-4 record was just decent enough to put him above Sokoudjou and into the Top 5.
4: Dan "Hollywood" Henderson. He does wield and impresive victory over Wanderlei Silva, but similar to Jackson, Henderson has little else to his name. His most recent win is the only one of its kind against a quality opponent while he holds a loss to Wanderlei, Little Nog, and Arona. His record stands at 1-3, with his only win coming against an opponent he's also lost to. Good, but not Shogun good.
3: Ricardo "Brazilian Tiger" Arona. At first, I thought that this spot was a little high for Arona. He, like everyone else, holds a loss to Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua along with downright beatings from Rampage and Sokoudjou. However, he's the only man to ever beat BOTH Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson. And for that, I believe he deserves a top spot. His record comes in at 2-4, good enough to pull him in ahead of Henderson.
2: Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva. Originally, this spot was Wandy's. Then it was Shogun's. And now, it goes back to Wanderlei Silva. I looked at Shogun and Silva's quality wins and found that they've both beat Arona and Rampage (twice for Wanderlei). The discrepancy came when looking at who else they had beat, and of course, who they have lost to. Other than the matches listed previously, Silva's only other quality win came against Henderson while Shogun's came against Little Nogueira. In 2005, Little Nog beat Henderson. Point for Shogun. Now, to the losses. Silva has lost to two quality opponents (Arona and Henderson) while Shogun has lost to...oh, right. No one. Point to Shogun. Wanderlei is damn impressive, but considering his recent losing streak and less than perfect 4-2 record, he falls in at number two.
1: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. How can you argue wth three quality wins (Arona, Rampage, Little Nog) and no losses against quality opponents? It's not likely that Shogun would fight Wanderlei as they are both Chute Boxe students, but a bout with Henderson following UFC 75 isn't out of the question at all. If Shogun managed to win that match up, he would solidify himself at the top of every 205 lb. ranking in the world. And oh yeah, he's just 25 years old.
Post below with your thoughts on my rankings!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Nick Diaz Returns Sept.15 in EliteXC
Nick Diaz will finally fight after a six month suspension due to a positive marijuana test which ruled his impressive gogoplata submission win over Takanori Gomi at PRIDE 33 a No Contest. Nick Diaz is ready to make a triumphant return on September 15th, this time at Elite XC's show in Hawaii.
EliteXC's event will take place in the beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii and its main event will feature EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo "Ninja" Rua versus ICON middleweight champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler.
Nick Diaz recently challenged StrikeForce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock, who most recently defeated Phil Baroni in stunning fashion, to a middleweight show down. However, EliteXC president Gary Shaw has confirmed that Diaz will be fighting at September's show at 160lbs.
Nick Diaz's opponent for September 15th has not yet been determined.
Nick Diaz's last fight before his suspension was at PRIDE 33 against PRIDE's current lightweight champion Takanori Gomi in a non-title fight, which took place on February 24 in Las Vegas. Diaz had originally won the fight by a gogoplata submission, which was the second successful attempt in PRIDE's history. After the fight, the NSAC declared that Diaz had tested positive for marijuana and ruled his win a "No Contest" along with a six month suspension and a fine of $3,000.
Nick Diaz's younger brother, Nate Diaz, recently won The Ultimate Fighter 5 television series.
Updates on Nick Diaz's opponent for September 15th should be announced soon.
The Lianger
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Society Geared For MMA
A new angle on why MMA has surpassed boxing as America's dominant combat sport by Doug MacEwan
As an avid fan of both boxing and MMA, I have taken notice of all the different theories as to why MMA has replaced boxing as the most popular combat sport in the world. On the surface you hear the talk of the rampant corruption in boxing turning long time fans away, but wasn’t it Don King who promoted “The Rumble in the Jungle” during boxing’s golden age? And furthermore isn’t it the Ultimate Fighting Championship, undoubtedly MMA’s most popular organization, that is run by two casino owners with alleged connections to the New Orleans mob?
I have also listened to many an argument about the apparent brutality of MMA drawing today’s blood thirsty masses away from the more sterilized boxing environment, but anyone who has watched Gatti vs. Ward or Corrales vs. Castillo 1 can tell you that there is plenty if not more violence over the course of a twelve round boxing match as compared to a three or five round MMA fight. This theory is supported by the fact that no MMA athlete has ever died as a result of fight related injuries while boxing produces unfortunate deaths year after year.
So why are we tuning into MMA and tuning out the “sweet science”? The answer suddenly came to me this morning as I was checking my email on my new i phone while watching old UFC clips on youtube while using tivo to fast forwarding through lulls in action in last nights fight between Bernard Hopkins and Ronald “Winky” Wright . We have become an instant gratification society that wants their e-mail, their coffee, their television, and especially their knockouts RIGHT NOW!!! We move so fast these days that we find a twelve round chess matches between two boxers (no matter the skill level) to be boring. We are so over stimulated these days that we can only commit all of our focus on one fight for about ten minutes before we get up to check our myspace or fast forward to the next fight. The UFC, and MMA in general, is much better geared to entertain our society where stimulation of all shapes forms and sizes is bombarding from every direction. We don’t have time to wait for boxers to feel each other out for three rounds…..we want to see a high kick to the head in the first three minutes so we can respond to all twenty text messages before the next fight starts. Even UFC fans constantly boo the fighters when they lock up on the ground fighting for better positioning to sink in a tight submission.
I realize how oversimplified my explanation is, but you can’t deny the facts….we want action and we want it now. From the day TIVO came out and gave the viewer the ability to fast forward through commercials, our society changed. I still love boxing and will continue to fork over $50 for the big PPV events, but I don’t see the trend of MMA being the premier contact sport ever changing, and it would not surprise me if it was absorbed into MMA altogether some day. The truth is twelve rounds of chess-like action no longer fits with main stream society, and I am surprised it has taken the likes of HBO and ESPN so long to hop on board with MMA. I think an ex girlfriend summed it up best as she was breaking up with me: “you’re like a little puppy that stops playing with one ball as soon as another ball come racing across the floor….” and even though her comment had nothing to do with boxing or MMA, I kept hearing that over and over in my head as I paused the Hopkins-Wright fight ten at least times to check if I could find a particular highlight of last years PRIDE “Open Weight Grand Prix”.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Top 5 Fighters Of The Last 5 Years
Here are the top 5 fighters for the past 5 years according to a point system created by Sherdogger "TheComebackKid." The system is designed to give more points for beating better fighters (which explains the curious list of names in 2007's list) while losing less points for being beaten by better fighters. The actual formula is at the bottom. This is really interesting stuff.
2003:
Wanderlei Silva - 525 pts
Randy Couture - 500 pts
Fedor Emelianenko - 480 pts
Antonio Rodrigo Nog - 425 pts
Quinton Jackson - 410 pts
2004:
BJ Penn - 590 pts
Takanori Gomi - 515 pts
Mirko Filipovic - 385 pts
Fedor Emelianenko - 355 pts
Dan Henderson - 305 pts
2005:
Mauricio Rua - 825 pts
Georges St. Pierre - 515 pts
Andrei Arlovski - 460 pts
Chuck Liddell - 415 pts
Wanderlei Silva - 400 pts
2006:
Tim Sylvia - 650 pts
Mirko Filipovic - 580 pts
Chuck Liddell - 570 pts
Josh Barnett - 550pts
Shinya Aoki - 500 pts
2007, so far:
R. T. Sokoudjou - 500 pts
Quinton Jackson - 335 pts
Matt Serra - 300 pts
Dan Henderson - 300 pts
Randy Couture - 250 pts
G. Gonzaga - 250 pts
The point formula for this system goes as follows:
Wins:
vs Top 5 - 200pts, 50 bonus pts for KO or Sub
vs Top 10 - 150 pts, 40 bonus pts for KO or Sub
vs Top 20 - 100 pts, 25 bonus pts for KO or Sub
vs Unranked - 20 pts, 35 pts for KO or Sub
Losses:
vs Top 5 - (-25) pts, (-15) more for KO or Sub
vs Top 10 - (-50) pts, (-25) more for KO or Sub
vs Top 20 - (-75) pts, (-40) more for KO or Sub
vs Unranked - (100) pts, (-50) more for KO or Sub
Bonus Pts:
50 bonus pts for winning Pride or UFC Belt or Tournament
Let's hear those comments! Is this just what MMA needs? Or is it pointless and oversimplified?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Title Unification Bouts
As is readily apparent by now, the UFC 75 Champion vs. Champion bout will unify the UFC and PRIDE titles. I don't think I'd be going out on a limb in suggesting that this type of event will become a trend. From UFC 44: Undisputed to Professional Wrestling to Boxing...well, actually, forget about Boxing...my point is that title unification is here to stay! In that light, I'm going to take a look at the bouts that would take place in order to unify the current UFC and PRIDE belts.
Since the weight classes for UFC and PRIDE overlap, weights will be used rather than traditional names for all classes but Heavyweight.
Heavyweight: Randy Couture (UFC) vs. Fedor Emelianenko (PRIDE)
As much as I love "The Natural," I think that this is a disaster for the veteran. Fedor is too calm, too skilled, and too strong. He's got a great chin, wicked submissions, and striking to boot. Sports Illustrated used to do a segment where they would take a body part from 8 of the best quarterbacks in the league in order to create what was supposed to be the ultimate quarterback. If they did a similar exercise for MMA, Fedor would be created. He's way too much for Randy to handle.
Title unified under: Fedor Emelianenko
205 pounds: Quinton Jackson (UFC) vs. Dan Henderson (PRIDE)
I like Dan Henderson and I'm not calling his KO of Wandy a fluke...but I don't know if he could do it again. Hendo's lost to Arona and both Nogueiras in PRIDE competition while Rampage nearly killed Arona. Rampage is just too powerful for Henderson to handle and has more momentum coming off of Liddell than Henderson does off of Silva.
Title unified under: Quinton Jackson
185 pounds: Anderson Silva (UFC) vs. Dan Henderson (PRIDE)
No love for Hollywood today...whereas Rampage is too strong for Henderson to control, Silva is too quick and accurate for Henderson to keep up with. Silva is able to use his lanky reach to keep Henderson at a good enough distance for the Muay Thai Dream Team member to pick his spots and land knees en route to a brutal finish.
Title unified under: Anderson Silva
170 pounds: Matt Serra (UFC) vs. VACANT
Since PRIDE does not have a Light heavyweight division, instead knocking Middleweight to 205 pounds and Welterweight to 185 pounds, Matt Serra has no one to fight and retains his belt in this ambiguous weight class.
Title unified under: Matt Serra
155 pounds: Sean Sherk (UFC) vs. Takanori Gomi (PRIDE)
Although Sherk probably dominates in the take down portion of the fight, I don't think that his LNP stands up to the experience Gomi has gained by fighting guys like Hellboy Hansen and BJ Penn (especially since Sherk's been fighting Florian and Huerta). We all know Sherk can last five rounds, but Gomi is an absolute finisher with only one of his last four wins going to a decision.
Title unified under: Takanori Gomi
Post your thoughts below!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
MMA Motivational Posters
The following are some downright hilarious "MMA Motivational Posters." They're all a parody of those motivational posters you see in offices -- they usually say "success" or "teamwork" or something stupid like that. Anyway, here are a few that need to be hanging in The Irish Whip e-office. Remember to comment with your favorite!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
An Irish Whip Exclusive: The Bas Rutten Interview
Last week, I sat down with the one and only King of Pancrase, "El Guapo," Bas Rutten. He had some fascinating things to say about the current state of MMA, his family, projects he's working on, and of course, The Irish Whip. Follow the link below to see our exclusive interview.
Ben Zeidler: Would you say that watching Enter The Dragon was your biggest inspiration in getting involved with Mixed Martial Arts, or was there something earlier than that?
Bas Rutten: Yes, Enter the Dragon was the first time I got introduced to martial arts.
BZ: How has your experience been during your time as a coach in the IFL? How do you think the "team MMA" concept will play a role in MMA in the future?
BR:The coaching experience was great! I love it when I teach and the guys do what I say and win their fight, its very cool to do, you create this special relationship with them and its great when it pays off. The team format is great! These guys always have training partners and everybody is like a big family, we go to the movies together, dinner, breakfast and lunch, we even went on a fishing trip in Mexico, really cool. I wished that the team concept was there when I was fighting, all the guys have their own strengths and they pass it on to eachother so they get really strong, everybody tells the other fighters their secret techniques because they want to win as a team. Normally they wouldn't do that. Also, they are certain to fight at least 5 fights a year, winning or losing, so for the fighters its great. They also have a monthly pay check, so they don't have to do a job on the side plus if they get injured, that pay check keeps coming....
BZ: We at The Irish Whip loved The Eliminator, do you plan on making more movies in the future?
BR: I am working on getting my own movie done, its a real good story and I have already three or maybe even four A class actors who want to be in it. Let's hope it works out, its really cool, you watch!
BZ: What are your opinions on the recent upsets in the past UFC events?
BR: Upsets happen, I always say, this is MMA, anything can happen. Upsets are good also, makes both fighters, the winner AND loser, better.
BZ: Being one the best and most colorful commentators of MMA, is there a chance that you could replace Mike Goldberg?
BR: I like Mike Goldberg, I am happy with the IFL right now but the phone doesn't stop ringing. I have so many offers its crazy! It's really cool, it means that I am doing something good right? The IFL is great for me, so when it's good, I am happy!
BZ: Being a long time commentator for PRIDE FC and familiar with the "PRIDE scene," do you think the merging of UFC and PRIDE is a good or bad thing for mixed martial arts as a whole?
BR: For the fans, it's great! The UFC can give them great fights. But I believe competition is great also, they need more organizations otherwise if you are locked up and if you lose a few fights, your career is over. There are too many good fighters, so in order for them to compete on a regular base, they HAVE to win, that's a lot of pressure. So again, competition is great!
BZ: Who do you feel is the toughest opponent and what do you consider the biggest/best win of your career?
BR: My toughest opponent was Funaki, I knocked him down 4 times and he kept coming, the whole place was chanting: Funaki, Funaki! Than my final knee to his head kept him down, I was exhausted! For me that was also my biggest win because he beat me before and this was a re-match. Of course, my fight for the UFC Heavyweight title was also important for me, it was controversial, but I knew I won, John Mc Carthy said that he didn't stand us up because I was working from the back. Also when Kevin Randleman said in an interview that after I kicked him in the liver he couldn't do anything anymore, it made me feel good. Kevin is a great guy.
BZ: It's been reported that you've been contacted by WWE for potential work there. What are the factors that weighed into your decision not to pursue that option?
BR: The WWE offered me very good money but I had to do 220 shows a year!? My wife had just given birth to our second daughter, I wanted to see her grow up, so I said no. With that schedule I could have never done that, 220 shows a year and that's WITHOUT the traveling.
BZ: Please tell us about the training center that you are opening up with Randy Couture in Hollywood.
BR: Legends is a treally cool training center, I am on the road so much so I cannot be there to teach classes as much as I would like to be. The week of July 9-13 I am in Los Angeles so I can teach then. It's really a really good place, great teachers besides Randy and myself, there is Chris Reilly, who is also one of the owners, he's a great striking coach! Also Jeremy Williams (the coach from the "Contender") is a great instructor, Jason Miller, Karo Parisian, they all teach there and it provides an electric atmosphere with intense training capabilities with instructors who really know the fight game.
BZ: Your bar fight videos have taken on something of a cult following due to your use of original catchphrases. Are you pleased with the type of exposure they have received?
BR: I love the bar fighting DVD, when I saw the clip with the sounds on youtube, I was crying from laughing. I know its very good though, I have bodyguards, police officers, bouncers etc all emailing me how much it helps them. It's straight to the point, no BS. Funny story, I was sitting in the lounge at United airlines and this group of guys were looking at me, suddenly they got up and came to me, so I got up because I thought something was going down, they said that everything was OK and that they were Air Marshals and than they pulled out the Bas Rutten street fighting DVD, they asked me to sign them. How cool was that?! I sent them free Big DVD's of Combat, I mean, these guys protect all of us!
BZ: How did you find out about The Irish Whip and do you plan to continue following it as a reliable source for mixed martial arts news?
BR:The Irish Whip? I was surfing the internet and came to it, a really good site about MMA, I love it, very new news, and that's what the fans want right? Of course I book marked it and I will be back for sure!
BZ: We know you've been doing a ton of work with MMAtoday.com. What's been the most fun part of working with them and are there any big projects coming up on the site that you can tell us about?
BR: MMA Today a great online channel with many video clips all about fighting inside AND outside the ring or cage. You watch what happens in about three weeks, than the site is going to be what we really want it to be like and you will freak out! We have great ideas and now it's coming, sorry, its a surprise! I am going with some other fighters on Tuesday at the movie premiere party in Hollywood for the feature film, "Captivity". You will get to see really good footage from that as we will be shooting on the red carpet and inside the premiere party.
BZ: Can you give us any predictions for tomorrow's UFC 73 event?
BR: I am sorry for the UFC event, I don't like to do predictions because I know a lot of these guys. I can tell you that its going to be a great show though!!
BZ: Thanks so much for talking with us today. We really appreciate you taking the time.
BR: Thanks guys, Godspeed and party on!!
MMA Senior Superlatives
At the end of most high school senior years, the class will vote on a number of characteristics (Best eyes, most likely to be President, etc). We've done something similar, but it's been slightly tailored to all of your MMA favorites.
After each category, you'll see my pick (B:) and Masson's pick (M:). Props to Masson for the idea. The first set are the ones we didn't agree on. The second set are the ones on which we found a consensus.
Best Overall Striking-B: Wanderlei Silva, M: A. Silva
Best KO Power-B: Chuck Liddell, M: Dan Henderson
Best Kicks-B: Mirko Filipovic, M: Cung Le
Best Elbows-B: Kenny Florian, M: Georges St. Pierre
Best Submissions-B: B.J. Penn, M: A. Rodrigo Nogueira
Best Recovery-B: Matt Hughes, M: A. Rodrigo Nogueira
Strongest (overall)-B: Rampage Jackson, M: Bob Sapp
Most Complete Fighter-B: Georges St. Pierre, M: Fedor
Coolest Under Pressure-B: Georges St. Pierre, M: Fedor
Best Ground and Pound-B: Tito Ortiz, M: Fedor
Most Athletic-B: Sean Sherk, M: Georges St. Pierre
Best Cardio-B: Tito Ortiz, M: Sean Sherk
Best Entrance-B: Tito Ortiz (UFC 40), M: Genki Sudo
Biggest Villain-B: Frank Trigg, M: Tito Ortiz
Most Popular-B: Chuck Liddell, M: Chuck Liddell
Greatest of All Time-B: Fedor Emelianenko, M: Fedor Emelianenko
Best Punches-B: Anderson Silva, M: Anderson Silva
Best Hand Speed-B: Vitor Belfort, M: Anderson Silva
Best Knees-B: Wanderlei Silva, M: Wanderlei Silva
Best Chin-B: Mark Hunt, M: Mark Hunt
Strongest (p4p)-B: Sean Sherk, M: Sean Sherk
Best Takedowns-B: Sean Sherk, M: Sean Sherk
Best Body Control-B: B.J. Penn, M: B.J. Penn
Best Footwork: B: Georges St. Pierre, M: Georges St. Pierre
Best Fighter To Never Hold a Belt-B: Shogun, M: Shogun
Best Dressed-B: Genki Sudo, M: Genki Sudo
Funniest-B: Rampage Jackson, M: Rampage Jackson
Teacher's Pet-B: Chuck Liddell, M: Chuck Liddell
Smartest-B: Randy Couture, M: Randy Couture
Most Creative Fighter-B: Genki Sudo, M: Genki Sudo
Biggest Ego-B: Phil Baroni, M: Phil Baroni
Let the comments begin!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Fights That Need To Happen
In this article, I'd like to highlight some of the most anticipated fights in MMA today. One has never occurred but just seems like such a good idea. Others went down once and were incredible or ended too quickly -- either way, the fans are demanding a rematch. And some have gone two fights, each fighter has taken one, and the world wouldn't be right without a fitting end to the trilogy. Here they are, MMA fans...you may begin to dream...
Matt Hughes-Georges St. Pierre III
Hughes submitted a young St. Pierre at UFC 50 in a bout which is probably as well recognized for George's eerie calmness and stability under Hughes' guard as it is for the spectacular arm bar which ended the fight with just seconds left in the first round. MMA fans knew they had seen something different. Someone had just fought Hughes, didn't panic, and even showed his own moments of brilliance (something Matt usually squashed early on). And so the rematch was set. At UFC 65, St. Pierre was the more confident fighter, striking his way to a stoppage after a series of unintentional low blows. Unintentional? Tell that to the Hughes camp, who has been itching for a third fight ever since. Provided Hughes prevails over Serra and St. Pierre defeats Koscheck, this fight will be all but a certainty come Spring of 2008.
Percentage chance of it happening in the future: 90%
Matt Hughes-B.J. Penn III
A similar scenario to the St. Pierre duo, but it all happened backwards here. At UFC 46, Penn shocked the world with a submission victory over the highly-favored champ. At UFC 63, Hughes was the champion again and it looked to be going the same way as Penn stopped the legendary Hughes take downs and forced the country boy to strike (where Penn has the obvious advantage). However, Hughes escaped the first two rounds as his Miletich conditioning dragged him into the third round where he pounded a then-tired Penn to a Big John stoppage. Two great fights and a split. With Penn's recent move to Lightweight, it doesn't look like it'll be happening very soon. Penn and Hughes are both veterans and are most likely reaching the end of their careers. If this is going to happen, it needs to happen soon.
Percentage chance of it happening in the future: 50%
Chuck Liddell-Rampage Jackson II
Maybe this is just my admiration and respect for The Iceman talking, but I just don't think Rampage is the better fighter. Oh, and I don't count that PRIDE bout as Liddell-Jackson I. No cage? No thanks. The fight at UFC 71 was, as far as I'm concerned, the first time these two men have fought. Liddell got off his game plan, was timid, and got caught. Simple as that. GSP just got caught, didn't he? And we all know he's still better than Serra. You'd be hard pressed to find two more exciting guys than Liddell and Rampage. The UFC could throw this match on every single card for the next two years and it would sell, even if Rampage won every time. In my book, this fight has only happened once and I'm dying to see it happen again. Mark my words, Liddell WILL NOT retire without his last shot at Rampage.
Percentage chance of it happening in the future: 90%
Chuck Liddell-Wanderlei Silva I
This was supposed to be the superfight to end all superfights, and was even announced during a UFC event before it fell through. Of course, this was before PRIDE 33 and UFC 71, when both these men were on the top of their respective companies. Still, the similar aggression displayed by both men would make for an awesome fight. They'd come out swinging and someone would go down...early. I'm talking Frye-Takayama kind of a war. If I had more room, I'd add Liddell-Silva II even without the result of the first. It's going to be so good, you'll want a second and a third. This fight is all but booked for later this year.
Percentage chance of it happening in the future: 99%
Wanderlei Silva-Dan Henderson III
Dan Henderson had a good career before PRIDE 33, but nothing to put him among the pantheon of greats. He had a split record against Big Nog, had beaten Ninja Rua, a Gracie, and Vitor Belfort, and of course, lost to Wandy once. A string of victories found him in position to take on Wanderlei once again, and at PRIDE 33, Henderson stopped Silva with a nasty left hook en route to becoming the first-ever fighter in MMA history to hold simultaneous belts in two different divisions. With both men now in the UFC (or so it seems...), a Silva victory over Liddell and a Henderson victory over Jackson should set these men up to meet again. Even if it doesn't go as planned, safe bets are on a third fight.
Percentage chance of it happening in the future: 75%
Fedor Emelianenko-Mirko Filipovic II
With wins over Mark Coleman, Josh Barnett, and Wanderlei Silva, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic seemed like just the man to fill the tall task of taking on undefeated Fedor Emelianenko. And he did just that, despite losing a close decision to Fedor. Throughout the fight, Cro Cop matched Fedor's every move and humanized him in a way that no opponent has ever done. No crafty submission from Fedor. No left leg kick from Cro Cop. Just two of MMA's best in a chess match for the ages. In my recent article on the Top PRIDE Fights Of All Time, all four writers chose the first bout for their lists, making it one of three unanimous choices. However, with Fedor stalling and not really fighting anyone coupled with Cro Cop's recent and devastating loss, it is difficult to tell when, if ever, this fight will occur.
Percentage chance of it happening in the future: 10%
That's all, folks. Post thoughts and insults on the comment board please.
Other fights receiving consideration:
* Hughes-Trigg III
* Fedor-Big Nog IV
* Diaz-Parisyan II
* Sanchez-Parisyan II
* Penn-Sherk I
* Griffin-Bonnar II
* Fedor-Couture I
* Gonzaga-Cro Cop II
* Arlovski-Fedor I
* St. Pierre-Sakuraba I
UFC vs. PRIDE: An Interpromotional Event
Some of the most novel ideas in MMA history have been created through the development of team events. The very first PRIDE Bushido event was billed as Team Japan vs. Team Gracie. UFC 58 was called U.S.A. vs. Japan. The IFL is nearing the end of an extremely successful season and will soon break into the black. Meanwhile, most MMA events are dominated by fight teams or "camps" going at one another and comparing victories. With all this taking place, it is surprising to me that there was never an interpromotional event between the UFC and PRIDE. If there was one, what would it look like? Who would fight? And most importantly, who would win. It's harder to talk about this now, with the recent popularity of jumping ship to the UFC. Since it'll never happen on its own, I bring you the fight card for the first ever, completely made up UFC vs. PRIDE event card. It's been developed as if it were six months ago...when PRIDE had Shogun, Rampage, and The Axe Murderer under its jurisdiction. Whether the recent rash of signings is a good or bad thing is, of course, another discussion for a different five-part article. Anyway, after each bout, I'll tell you who I think will win and by what means. What this means for you, the readers, is that you comment after the article and do the same.
Preliminary Card
Heavyweight-Tim Sylvia vs. Mirko Filipovic
Filipovic wins via Unanimous Decision (PRIDE 1-0)
Lightweight-Sean Sherk vs. Takanori Gomi
Sherk wins via 1st round KO (TIE 1-1)
Catchweight-Anderson Silva vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Anderson wins via 2nd round TKO (UFC 2-1)
Welterweight-Georges St. Pierre vs. Hayato Sakurai
St. Pierre wins via 1st round submission (UFC-3-1)
Light Heavyweight-Rashad Evans vs. Quinton Jackson
Jackson wins via 1st round TKO (UFC 3-2)
Main Card
Light Heavyweight-Tito Ortiz vs. Mauricio Rua
Rua wins via 2nd round TKO (TIE 3-3)
Heavyweight-Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nogueira wins via Unanimous Decision (PRIDE 4-3)
Heavyweight-Andrei Arlovski vs. Fedor Emelianenko
Emelianenko wins via Split Decision (PRIDE 5-3)
Middleweight-Matt Hughes vs. Dan Henderson
Hughes wins via 3rd round TKO (PRIDE 5-4)
Light heavyweight-Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
Liddell wins via 2nd round KO (TIE 5-5)
The final result is a 5-5 split, not surprising considering the amount of talented that has been concentrated between the world's premier fight organizations. Let's hear those results, fight fans...before this article gets bumped off the main page.
