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(REAL MAN OF GENIUS)

January 28th 2012 we salute you, Chael Sonnen, one testicle,convicted white collar felon,disputed UFC MW CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.

(ONE TESTICLE!)

On the cusp of the a long awaited rematch with the hated Michael Jackson impersonator Anderson Silva, you must first dispose of the the equally hated and faded Michael "The Count" Bisping. Fortunately for you there is no athletic commission,leave of absense,jury of your peers,"doctor",or nation of offended Brazilians that can stand in the way of your destiny. With a mouth that knows no limits and a keen sense of trolling that can fire up the keyboard warriors of the internet in a nanosecond, you cannot be denied your path of glory.(Except by way of triangle choke.)

(FAKE TAP THAT SHIT!)

In these desperate times, it's good to know there is a man that reflects the real American, one of untruths,misjustice, and the Murican way. Because we're all not a bunch of goody two shoes, and goddammit even the British fans hate Bisping. Sit back, stroke that fake belt, monitor those TRT levels and wrestlehump that wanker to victory. MAKE AMERICA PROUD. Remember, inside all of us is an asshole just like you.

(MR CHAEL SONNEN ONE TESTICLE,CONVICTED WHITE COLLAR FELON, DISPUTED UFC MW CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!!)

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You can view the original post on my blog here.

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People often think that nobody cares about the female divisions and that they aren't draws, that nobody will pay to see them. If I'm being honest, I'd mostly agree. It's not that women don't have the potential to be big draws (I actually think they have more potential than most men), it's just that the UFC and Strikeforce haven't really invested enough in them to see returns.

I started on this line of thinking when I heard Ronda say this:

My reflex was to think: "Keep" bringing them in? Her last fight against Julia Budd was the least watched Strikeforce event ever, and she was featured as the co-main event. Never mind paying to see her fight, people barely tuned in for free to watch her.

But there's some dishonesty in that thinking. It hardly tells the whole story.

Continue reading this post »

Bisping and Sonnen both have a reputation, deserved or not, as guys who can’t finish fights. Bisping’s preferred jab and jog strategy sees him land a high volume of low power strikes, while Sonnen prefers to maintain top control and land enough low power ground and pound to avoid a stand up. These strategies have served these men well. Even when they don’t finish fights, they tend to make it to the decision, and decisions favor them.

Nick Diaz once said something like, “the guy who looks more fucked up at the end of the fight is the loser.” This one sentence expresses the entirety of Stockton Rules—a popular alternate rule for radical fight fans who think that hurting someone is the point of fighting, and are tired of fighters winning because of whatever “octagon control” is. Under Stockton Rules, Sonnen and Bisping are both big losers.

Sonnen has two notable fights in his current UFC run where he controlled his opponents from the top, scored points, and won rounds under the unified rules, but would have lost under Stockton rules. One was against Anderson Silva. Sonnen was close to a dominant decision victory before falling victim to his classic blunder: getting choked with a triangle. The other was against Nate Marquardt. Sonnen actually managed to not get choked and won a decision. But after both fights, despite supposedly dominating his opponents, Sonnen looked extremely fucked up. Despite proclaiming that he can punch holes in peoples’ faces (or, at least, Anderson Silva’s) Sonnen has failed to punch even bruises into anyone’s face, while Marquardt and Silva both managed to elbow cuts into his face from their backs.

Bisping may be an even greater Stockton Rules loser. To paraphrase Jorge Rivera, “Every fight you’ve won a decision in, you’ve lost.” The man has a point. Watching Michael Bisping win decisions after reeling around the cage eating power punches like crumpets from men like Akiyama and Hamill, it’s easy to think that landing more punches than your unscathed opponent shouldn’t be enough to win.

If both men try to implement their prime strategies, their ability to win under unified rules leaves us with something of a stalemate. Conventionally, takedowns score higher than dozens of jabs, which obviously favors Sonnen’s preferred strategy. But with neither fighter actually capable of hurting the other with their A games, we’re sure to have a Stockton rules stalemate.

But what if they don’t end up using their primary attacks?

As it happens, under Stockton rules at least, both men’s ancillary weapons might be better than their primary weapons. Sonnen recently bragged that he’s never been out struck. He did try pulling guard against Terry Martin, but he was injured, and the point is debateable. That it actually is debateable is a)unnerving, and b) a testament to how good a striker Sonnen really is. While Anderson Silva got the better of Sonnen overall in their fight, Sonnen managed the impossible by actually stumbling Anderson. Chael has a singular aversion to the truth, but when madmen hint at the truth it’s always profound.

Bisping is like a bizzarro world Sonnen. For all the power he lacks in his standing strikes, he can sure beat the shit out of a grounded opponent. His fight with Dennis Kang is probably the best example of this. Kang lit Bisping up for the first round, knocking him down and making him look like a chump. In the second, Bisping took a page out of his fellow Wolfslair fighter, Kongo’s, book by pretending to be a wrestler when he got out struck. The result was Bisping brutalizing Kang and making him look like a chump. For another example, look no further than Bisping’s crushing knee that changed the course of his fight with Jorge Rivera. Devastating power.

For fans of Stockton rules, this could be a fight with no real winner, where nobody gets fucked up. On the other hand, both of these guys could end up actually hurting each other if, for whatever reason, they choose to fight outside of their typical styles. Sonnen could Hendo Bisping. Bisping could manage to ground Sonnen and smash him, legally or not. For what it’s worth, I think the former is far more likely. Bisping getting Sonnen down is a long shot, and keeping him down is longer.

But if either fighter successfully implements his primary strategy, will anyone actually enjoy this fight?

Exclusive Story HERE from my article in the Statesman Journal which was printing on 1-23-12. Below is a sample!

Chael spoke about the process of bringing the sport to the attention of the state of Oregon as at the time he was beginning to host and promote his own Oregon based fight company, the Full Contact Fighting Federation.

“We were trying to bring in mixed martial arts and the commissions didn't fully know how to look at that. So there was a battle, there was some real resistance. I ended up in court seven times against the state of Oregon, and defeated them all seven times. And we finally started to say to the state, 'Hey, why don't you guys start to regulate this as well'. It's real easy to break those preconceived notions, and begin to welcome the regulations and the business side of the sport.”

“Oregon is a leader in MMA, a founder in many different areas. We went out and got a law changed, and I challenge anyone out there to even explain that process. It's an extremely sophisticated process,

and we got it done because the state wanted to do it. The governor liked it, the congress liked it, the senate liked it, and we've opened up a lot of opportunity.”

El Conquistador signs with AARP –The Joker returns – McKee vs. Crumbleweight July 4th @ Nathan's!

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Any advice, additions, or changes are always greatly appreciated.

WOO WOO WOO! I have been talking about this for a few months but it is finally happening! Long story short, I was born with cerebral palsy and am a former JUCO wrestler, and have been missing the competition for a long time. This past fall I was stuck in Texas for a month after flying home to buy a car and got a raw deal, and also a MRSA staph infection. I lost most of my savings before finally getting back to Ohio. I had to find a job, but before that had an epiphany brought on by UFC 139. After seeing the greatest fight of all time, I realized that despite my disability I cannot let myself be one of those middle aged men 30 years from now with the whole woulda, shoulda, coulda routine. I had to fight. I got a job as a Student Staff Supervisor, as well as got back into grad school at my University, and finally have the money to start training! I called Fight Club Pittsburgh today, after checking them out in person a month ago, and am going on the 2nd of February for a one on one interview with a trainer to see where my skills are. They have a Renzo Gracie BB that teaches Jiu Jitsu as well so I am hoping in addition to fight-oriented grappling to get involved with BJJ, as everything I have heard says that more than any other martial art BJJ can turn disadvantages into advantages. I am so amped up for this you all have no idea! I am so glad that this is finally happening, and this journey will be a blast!

About halfway through the UFC's first live go-round on FX last Friday, a compelling thought hit me. Actually, two compelling thoughts hit me. The first was that Christian Morecraft reminds me of Paul Varelans. His striking is truly ghastly to watch, he's okay but clunky on the floor, and he's too big for his own good. All he's missing is a skintight black tee shirt and an infantile Cal Worsham throwing baby punches at him. Okay, fine ... I didn't come up with this thought on my own. But it sure did make me chuckle heartily.

The second thought was much more, for lack of a better word, "macro". When I threw myself into the world of mixed martial arts, PRIDE was the organization to beat, and the UFC was little more than a casino attraction. To hammer this point home, here are the first 5 main events I remember: the Griffin-Bonnar slopfest; Liddell exacting his revenge on Randy Couture; Andrei Arlovski defending his title against JUSTIN EILERS (who had LOST HIS PREVIOUS FIGHT ... imagine if this happened now); Nate Marquardt's dry humping of Ivan Salaverry; Chuck Liddell beating the eyesight out of Jeremy Horn. Not exactly a list riddled with A-List guys.

Read the rest here ...

Thanks for reading.

@JackSlackMMA

It is no secret around here that I have a great affinity for strikers, particularly those who can make wrestlers think twice about spamming takedown attempts. There is an embarrassment of riches in terms of talented strikers now entering the sport of MMA, simply because of the declining state of kickboxing and the growing purses and exposure of Mixed Martial Arts competition. My fondness of Japanese MMA stems from my fandom in the PRIDE FC days, and my taking up wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Tokyo while over there training my striking, and I have made sure to keep up to date with the current crop of talent working it's way through Shooto in hopes of DREAM FC returning to the form PRIDE FC was on. For the die hard fans of JMMA this list will provide nothing new, but those who are perhaps only familiar with the major U.S. promotions, this will provide an interesting little guide to some of the more entertaining fighters Asia has to offer.

Mamoru "The Fro" Yamaguchi

One of the premier names in the flyweight (125 lbs) division for the last five years, a Shooto champion and one of the most dynamic fighters in Japanese MMA. Mamoru Yamaguchi fights in Thai style shorts and is responsible for more dropped or KOd opponents in Shooto's oversized (5 oz.) gloves than anyone at 125lbs.The first time I saw Yamaguchi fight I realised two things; the first was that the Japanese can grow afros - quite impressive ones at that, and the second was that in the 125 pound division, which is so little heard about due to lack of explosive finishes or big names, KOs can happen. I happened to discover Yamaguchi through his fight in Shooto with Stonnie Dennis, which Yamaguchi finished by establishing the Thai clinch on Dennis' neck, pushing him into the ropes, and knocking him out cold with a beautiful head kick.

Yamaguchi's hands are as fast an furious as you'd expect from a flyweight fighter, and his kicks are heavy, but what is most interesting about Yamaguchi to die hard fans is that he, just as Anderson Silva has done, has negated the majority of his opponent's takedown attempts through mastery of the clinch from a striking perspective. Watch his destruction of Frank Baca as the latter struggles to gain underhooks on the smaller, craftier Yamaguchi.

Much of Yamaguchi's success from a technical perspective is not from his superior fighting at range, but rather in his ability to fight out of the clinch.

Continues at http://www.headkicklegend.com/2012/1/27/2752523/great-and-obscure-strikers-1-mamoru-yamaguchi#

Jack Slack now blogs at his brand new website www.fightsgoneby.com

He can also be found on Twitter @JackSlackMMA

We caught up with Chael Sonnen this week at the UFC Open work outs at Chicago Boxing Club. Bisping had a couple words for Sonnen, and we believe this is going to be one hell of a fight fans!!! UFC on Fox at the United Center is coming up in a few days so lets make it happen guys. Chael is one hell of a guy on and off camera.

Bisping interrupts Chael during his interview with Cage Fanatic (via cagefanatic)

So many times, last minute injuries or switch-ups can derail even the best UFC cards. Everyone remembers the famous UFC 108: “Catasrof*ck” disaster, where the promotion shuffled through about 50,000 or so main events before settling on Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva. This was back when Rashad was only a year removed from his last title fight, and Thiago’s urine didn’t melt through commission testing cups like acidic Alien blood.

This Saturday’s “UFC on Fox” is the rare example of a last-minute switch-up that actually benefitted the UFC. Now, thanks to the cruel machinations of the fight gods (and the bone chips in Mark Munoz’s arm) we get something of a dream fight: Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping. The ultimate British “bad boy” vs. the gangster from Oregon. The only two guys left at middleweight who Anderson Silva hasn’t completely scratched off his “to-do list”.

Oh, were that this fight had the full two months of build-up, instead of just a couple weeks. The trash talk would have been epic. Instead, we’ll have to settle for “you can’t defend submissions and your balls don’t work!” vs. “you’d be speaking German if not for my forebears!” It’s like either guy went onto the UG, searched for their opponent’s name, and just copied whatever they found there.

Thank heavens Chael Sonnen had the good sense to show up to media events with a fake world title and start calling out everyone with a pulse – otherwise, us fans would have no reason to care about this fight.

From a promotional standpoint, it doesn’t get much better than this fight for the UFC. Sonnen might be the hottest property at middleweight, and having him fight Bisping, who all Yanks seem to hate like tea and taxes, is absolutely ideal. He can spout his ridiculous trash talk, raise hackles, and be as outrageous as he wants – all it will do it get the American faithful even more in his corner some Saturday.

And this is a perfect situation for Bisping as well. For so long, the UFC has tried to find a way to put England’s most popular fighter into a world title fight. A win here would finally make that dream a reality. Plus, a win over someone like Sonnen would add a ton of credibility for Mike’s case for a title shot.

To go by the odds makers, Chael Sonnen should run over Mike Bisping, and this accords with most fans thoughts as well. It’s a simple formula: Sonnen is perhaps the best wrestler at middleweight, and Bisping is British. Case closed.

Except that Bisping has an extremely underrated guard, and Sonnen isn’t exactly immune to getting tapped in the guard. He’s also a better wrestler than most would give him credit for. I’m not saying he’s going to stuff every Sonnen takedown, or that Bisping is going to pull Shinya Aoki-esque submissions off from his guard.

But he has a shot. And if he can answer the challenge of Sonnen’s wrestling, he’ll have as good a shot as anyone at beating Anderson Silva.

Ok, that’s not really true, since Andy won’t be looking to take him down. Rather, he’ll be looking to knock him cold with a move he thought up while he was walking to the cage. And Bisping was once rocked by Charles McCarthy. So there’s that.

By Elton Hobson