Bloody Elbow: FanPosts

Next MMA Fighter To Die?

2009-07-05T01:40:48Z

In the past couple of weeks, the ancient prophecy is slowly becoming true. Celebrities have been dying left and right. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, and now even Steve McNair have all died very recently. Sadly, I think that it's only a matter of time before an Mixed Martial Artist will suffer the same destiny that these other big names in entertainment and sports have.

Naturally, I think us MMA fans should do what we all have done best over the years - speculate and bet on the next fighter to die, and how they will suffer their untimely demise. Will it be Tito Ortiz after he received an unnoticed infection of Hepatitis B from his girlfriend, Jenna Jameson? Or will Yoshihiro Akiyama suffocate in an orgy, being crushed under the weight of 30 Japanese models? Or perhaps will Ken Shamrock die of old age? We can only find out in time, and hopefully mmalogic comes in here and shows me how to pull a profit 85% of the time.

(PS If you didn't notice, this is a joke post and is meant only for fun. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone)

Poll

Who will be the next to die?

A Message For Our Troops

2009-07-04T21:08:20Z

I'm a liberal. Actually, I'm a flaming liberal. I detest a lot of the things that have gone on over the past decade with regards to American foreign policy, I was strongly opposed to the war in Iraq before it even began, and I've always felt that Afghanistan was neglected as a priority under the previous Administration.

On this Independence Day, I wanted to take a moment and make clear that this isn't the 1960's anymore. Veterans returning home don't have to worry about hippies calling them murderers and spitting on them. The public has finally moved to a place where, while we can hate the mission and the commanders all day, the soldiers are respected for following orders that may directly jeopardize their lives. Without them, we wouldn't be able to sit around and bullshit about mixed martial arts all day.

Take a moment and be thankful for all that the United States Armed Forces has done. If you see anyone in their fatigues or uniform, shake their hand and say 'thank you.' Help their kids by donating to their classrooms. Above all else, don't hold whatever beliefs you have about why they are where they are or what they are being directed to do against them. They don't choose the mission - they just win it. On behalf of Bloody Elbow and the rest of the online MMA community, I extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all you do. Thanks, troops.

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley

2009-07-04T20:55:25Z

These two fighters will forever be linked due to their former professions.... While we know they aren't going to fight anytime soon, THIS LINK talks about the differences between the two fighters and why Lashley is not in the UFC!

I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts about this one. Especially those that claim Lashley is the next big thing. The link really tells the truth about Lashley!

Once upon a time I posted a piece entitled Brock Lesnar vs. Kimbo Slice, in it I compared the lives of the two influential fighters. Round two comes to us thanks to the emergence of Bobby Lashley. These two are monsters of men, they both have wrestling backgrounds (in more ways than one), and both are super stars. Tons of people around the MMA world consider these guys to be eerily similar, but they are actually very different!

Talking about Brock

Brock Lesnar(#4 IWMMAR) is a two time NCAA All American. His athleticism and size have helped him earn his share of the UFC’s Heavyweight title, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.

Lesnar started his MMA career with a dominating win over Min Soo Kim. It may have been dominating, but Kim is currently 3-6 and has never been considered a solid pro fighter. That would be Brock’s last tune up fight. Up next was Frank Mir. Mir proved to much for the much bigger Lesnar. It showed that Lesnar was not going to win on size and wrestling alone, and that he still needed work. I contribute that loss the the world class ground game and game plan plan of Mir....

Talking about Lashley

Although Lashley has a better record, he has been fighting guys that mid tier UFC heavys would have destroyed. In his first fight he took on Joshua Franklin. He didn’t have a 3-6 record, but he was making his pro debut, and he hasn’t fought since the December of 08 fight.

Four months later Lashley was fighting again, this time against a surprisingly game Jason Guida. Yes, the same one from TUF. It says something when you are remembered for the negatives of TUF instead of the positives. This is the same Guide that couldn’t make weight. Lashley was supposed to finish Guida but he was unable to do so. Guida does have close to 40 pro fights, but he has lost 17 of them. Not a record that screams impressive opposition.

Bobby then moved on to fight Mike Cook. Cook has a 7-4 record, but has never defeated anyone that has more wins than losses. He is beating up on guys that aren’t even average… Again, not the greatest challenger.

Exclusive: An Interview With "The Veteran Voice of the Octagon" Bruce Buffer

2009-07-04T12:01:40Z

Bruce Buffer has been the UFC's announcer and an iconic figure in the sport for more than a decade. He has captured the attention and admiration of fans by the unique style and enthusiasm that he brings every single time he steps into the octagon.

His path to the UFC started when he was managing the career of his half-brother, Michael Buffer, and got him a spot as the announcer for UFC's 5, 6 and 7. Contractual obligations then prevented him from renewing Michael's contract, so Bruce renegotiated for himself to announce instead. He then got his first UFC announcing gig at UFC 8, and the rest is history.

Aside from working for the UFC, Bruce Buffer has a lot of stuff going on that not many fans know about. He's also a businessman, a manager, and a professional poker player. He also surfs and is trained in several martial art forms. He has trained in Muay Thai for several years, has a black belt in Tang Soo Doo, and has backgrounds in judo and jiu jitsu. He has participated in a few smokers a couple of years back, and as we found out recently when he spoke to Luke Thomas, also had the better in an exchange with UFC welterweight Frank Trigg.

The biggest card in UFC history is coming up and I got to ask a few questions to one of the permanent icons in the sport, the "Veteran Voice of the Octagon", Bruce Buffer:

Anton Tabuena: I'm sure you've gotten your share of unique experiences and milestones throughout the years, but what do you consider as your most memorable moment in the UFC?

Bruce Buffer: I have seen so many amazing moments over the last 14 years that I have forgotten more than I can remember. This is why the UFC is so great and so pure because there are so many great moments that when I think I just saw the greatest fight ever another great fight comes along to make that night monumental. Therefore every night is memorable to me.

Anton Tabuena: The one thing that a lot of people don't know about you, is your skill and love for Poker. How did your poker career start and how is it going now?

Bruce Buffer: My father taught me how to play poker when I was 8 years old and I first started playing cash games with my brother Brian when I was 14. We made pretty good money back then and it paved the way for the high stakes tournament and No Limit poker cash game world's in which I play now. I can tell you every day I played, where I played and how much I profited or lost plus the net income for the year on any given day. I treat it like a business and I do quite well, which is a good thing, thanks to the Poker God's.

Anton Tabuena: It is evident in your enthusiasm and in the way you announce fights, that you are really enjoying what you are doing. How big an MMA fan are you? How much MMA outside the UFC do you watch and how often do you visit MMA sites/blogs?

Bruce Buffer: I am a huge passionate fan of MMA but mainly the UFC... honeslty except for certain fights, I only watch the UFC as when not traveling or announcing for the UFC I have so many other business endeavors that I like to relax, workout, enjoy my hobbies, surf, plus have fun or socialize outside the MMA world. I like to visit MMA.tv, Sherdog.com where my radio show is on Tuesdays and other sites for the news and updates of the UFC and all going on in MMA.

Anton Tabuena: Lots of fans have been clamoring for the "Buffer 360" to happen in UFC 100. So far you have been non-committal on doing it, but with the event fast approaching, have you decided on it yet? ...Will me begging for it, convince you to push through with the 360? (cause I'll take one for the team and do what it takes! haha)

Bruce Buffer: The "360" is something I can do but will not decide to do until that exact millisecond I do or do not do it in front of 12,000+ screaming fans and millions watching on TV as it cannot be rehearsed, it has to be felt and performed by me only if I deem the moment to be right... If I think about it or rehearse it, then it will not work. This is the way I have always announced and I am not about to change what works for me. Although if there is ever an event worthy of such a risky move, it is UFC 100 and if I do it, I will never do it again.

Anton Tabuena: You have a background in several Martial Art Forms like Muay Thai, Judo, Tang Soo Doo, and a bit of Jiu Jitsu. If you would take on Joe Rogan or Dana White in an MMA match, what would your strategy be and how do you think would you fare against them?

Bruce Buffer: For Joe it would be to stand up and keep him at the end of my punches and kicks because if he got me on the ground I'm done... Joe is a very highly and diversely trained individual and a very tough man... it would make for a good pay per view sales but my fighting days are over unless backed into a corner and is the only way out, but I'm always prepared.

Dana is also a very tough man who I feel is more adept at boxing and striking... I would also keep him outside and wear him down with multiple kicks followed up with punches and neither of us would want to go to the ground. Be assured that the man behind the UFC is one tough monkey who I'm sure is very street smart coming from South Boston where you have to be tough to survive in that environment... Dana will never back down from a fight because it is in his blood... I definitely know a real street tough man when I see one and he is the real deal.

Anton Tabuena: Thanks again for making the time. Anything else you want to add or say to your fans in closing?

Bruce Buffer: Thank you Anton... Yes I would like to invite everyone to read my blog at www.BufferZone.net and also come to Sherdog.com and listen to my radio show called "IT"S TIME!" live on Tuesdays at 2:00 PST/5:00 EST... Listen, laugh and call as we talk about everything in life you want to talk about in and out of the Octagon. Cheers to all the great fans of MMA and the UFC!

Dan Miller vs. Aaron Simpson Possible for UFN 19 in September

2009-07-04T14:52:48Z

Promoted from the FanPosts by Kid Nate.

Two of the UFC's rising young middleweights may meet at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City on September 19th, as a bout featuring Aaron "A-Train" Simpson (5-0, 1-0 UFC) and Dan Miller (11-2, 3-1 UFC) is in the works for the event, according to MMA Junkie:

Simpson first posted news of the bout on his Facebook page. However, perhaps jumping the gun before he got the greenlight to officially announce the fight, he later issued a disclaimer: "Sorry. That was not official. Still waiting."

Simpson has an outstanding wrestling pedigree as a two-time All American and former coach at Arizona State, and now as a wrestling instructor and full-time fighter at Arizona Combat Sports, but his heavy hands have gotten the most notice in his MMA career. With five (T)KO stoppages in five career fights, including a first-round victory over Tim McKenzie in his UFC debut which earned him a Knockout-of-the-Night bonus, Simpson has proven to be as dangerous on the feet as he is with his takedowns.

Miller is a submission specialist and a product of Jamie Cruz and Mike Constantino's AMA Fight Club in northern New Jersey, along with his brother and UFC lightweight, Jim Miller. The BJJ brown belt was thought to be on a tear through the UFC's 185-lb ranks after three straight victories, but a recent decision loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC 98 derailed those plans for Miller, and showed he was unable to utilize his vaunted submission game when faced with the suffocating top control of the Team Quest-trained Sonnen.

Although some may think that this bout will end up like Sonnen vs. Miller, Simpson has shown more of a willingness to stand and trade rather than resort to his excellent wrestling, despite his less than-refined striking. Miller has shown adequate stand-up skills, and he may be able to stun Simpson on the feet in order to get top-position on the ground where his submissions are most dangerous. Simpson is more than capable of holding Miller down for three rounds if he chooses to shoot, but he is far less experienced than Sonnen, and if his submission defense is anything like fellow wrestling standout Jake Rosholt's, the "A-Train" may be tapping before long.

Mixed Martial Artwork: Bruce Buffer

2009-07-04T03:38:29Z

"Bruce Buffer" by Rising-Phoenix87

"Swick vs Buffer" by DickStarr

UFC 100 is coming so i decided to make another edition of Mixed Martial Artwork that was to be focused on one of the key figures in the card, the "Veteran Voice of the Octagon", Bruce Buffer. The first piece by Rising-Phoenix87 was done in photoshop. He went to the UFC card in Dublin and had it signed by Bruce himself. The second piece is a traditional drawing of Bruce Buffer and Mike Swick playing poker. One thing most fans don't know about them is that they are both very talented pro/semi-pro poker players. The artist was commissioned to do this, hence the full-tilt poker logos.... Here's to hoping we see the Buffer360 on UFC 100.

click the picture to see it's full size. I guarantee you, It looks a lot better that way.

The first edition of MMArtwork about UFC 100 can be found here: Mixed Martial Artwork: Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre

Be sure to give them your thoughts and compliments in the comments section or on their deviantart page . I'm sure they'll be reading them

Mixed Martial Artwork is a series here in Bloody Elbow that features several MMA artwork from some very talented artists from all over the globe. Be sure to follow the links to see the full size image.

UFC 100 Preview: Striking Coach Ken Hahn Talks Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar

2009-07-04T11:30:14Z

Promoted from the FanPosts by Kid Nate.

Frank Mir's striking coach talked to MMAWeekly:

"I think the best thing for Brock would be get as crazy as possible and come out of the box like that. That’s how he’s going to beat Frank. If he tries to get technical and try to play the striking game, he’ll get crushed. If he tries to do the jiu-jitsu game, he’ll get crushed. He hasn’t been training long enough. How can somebody get better in six months?

We’re not gonna throw kicks like we did in the first fight. In the first fight, he was still a little anxious with me and wanted to show he had learned. It’s a beginner’s mistake; why are you gonna throw a kick in the open field? This time, I think he’s going to feel him out, box him, frustrate him, because I think Brock’s going to throw hands and try to knock him out and I don’t see how that’s going to happen. Brock has no kicks, so we’re not worried about his kicks or knees. It will probably be a boxing match, then Brock will get hit with something, and get submitted or knocked out. Then in the third or fourth round, here come the low kicks, so we can further frustrate him. The biggest thing is if Frank stays relaxed and moves laterally, you’ll see a seminar."

Kehn Hahn is among several others who think that Frank Mir can use Brock's relative lack of experience to overcome his size and strength advantage.

UFC 100 coverage

Poll

What say you?

Rampage vs. Rashad Evans to Headline UFC 107; UFC 108 Scheduled for January 2nd in Las Vegas

2009-07-03T20:50:29Z

via www.thefightaddict.com

This was totally expected, and now it's been confirmed. UFC 107 will take place in Memphis, TN at the FedEx Forum sometime in mid-December. The main event will feature the long-awaited battle between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans. MMA Frenzy has the story:

Former light heavyweight champions Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans, rivals who are appearing as opposing coaches on upcoming tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, will headline UFC 107 in December in Jackson’s hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Details on the bout were first confirmed by Jackson in a recent YouTube video and the UFC’s Marc Ratner tells MMAjunkie that the pay-per-view event will take place on December 12 or 19 at the 19,000-seat FedEx Forum in Memphis.

Last time we saw Rampage in the octagon he defeated Keith Jardine in UFC 96, with Rashad commentating with Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. We got the trash-talking which gave Joe Rogan a raging....okay let me stop there.

Rashad Evans got his ass brutally kicked and got KTFO'd by Lyoto Machida in UFC 98, relinquishing his light-heavyweight belt to the Brazilian. It was his first loss in his pro-MMA career and it is definitely a KO of the Year candidate. UFC 98 would've been Rashad/Rampage, but the latter suffered torn ligaments in his jaw and could not fight.

Both men are coaches in TUF 10 for the heavyweights, so this fight will take place after TUF 10 Finale on Spike.

Once upon a time Rampage was to face the winner of Evans/Machida, but that isn't the case anymore. Besides, Machida would've beaten Rampage into the padding of the ring.

But wait! There's more! UFC 108 will be in Las Vegas to kick off 2010.

The UFC’s traditional year-end event, UFC 108, is now expected to take place on January 2 in Las Vegas, according to the UFC’s Marc Ratner, who confirmed the likely date on Wednesday with MMAjunkie.

A venue has not yet been set for the pay-per-view event and no bouts are even rumored for the card, which is typically the promotion’s most-stacked of the year.

Instead of an Ultimate 2009 this has to take place in January 2010 or else the weigh-ins would take place on Christmas Day.

So to summarize, the November to December calendar is completely stacked. UFC 105 is going to be on Spike TV on 11/14, UFC 106 the week after on PPV in Vegas, TUF 10 Finale 12/5 live on Spike, and UFC 107: Black on Black Beatdown in December. Lastly, 2010 kicks off with UFC 108 so that our nearly insatiable appetite for MMA gets an instantaneous response.

I'm going with Rampage TKO 2.

I'm so happy right now.

The Nod - who from BE is heading to UFC 100 & the Fan Expo?

2009-07-03T19:40:05Z

Okay, here's the deal; my editors at ESPN have approved me as the photographer in the slot for UFC 100; I'm also covering the fan expo for a European magazine and they're particularly interested in capturing the vibrance and atmosphere of the show.

Soooooo - in the finest tradition of european photojournalism, I'll be hunting around for those unique fans with stories to tell about their passion for all things UFC - and should there be anyone here on the BE community that is "larger than life" well, make yourself known to me in this post :)

Will we see the "Buffer 360" at UFC 100?

2009-07-03T18:54:44Z

With UFC 100 right around the corner, one of the biggest unanswered questions still remains. Will we see the "Buffer 360" during the Main Event introductions? A few months back Nick Thomas posted a fanshot HERE of Buffer and Rogan discussing the possibility of this new patented move. Should he choose to unveil the 360, it will be the biggest thing since Ben Stiller's character released his "Magnum" look in the movie Zoolander. If Buffer chooses to bust it out, few will even care, about the outcome of the Heavyweight Title battle between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir. In the video Rogan says he will "Sh*t his pants" if the 360 comes to life. Me too Joe, me too...

Poll

Will we see the "Buffer 360" at UFC 100?

UFC Makes CroCop "Offer He Can't Refuse"?

2009-07-03T16:58:46Z

http://www.index.hr/sport/clanak/ekskluzivno-vlasnik-ufca-dosao-po-cro-copa-u-zagreb/440197.aspx

Translation via the UG - I'm trying to find another online translator:

INDEX learn that Lorenzo Fertita, big boss and the owner of UFC's day in the morning private plane arrived at Zagreb airport Pleso. Immediately after landing sent to the house of Mirko Filipovic, where he spent two hours in talks with the Croatian fighters. After that, the smiling faces returned to the Pleso, where ga is a waiting aircraft, that the odletio in an unknown direction.

Filipovi? received a bid which is non-refundable

There is no doubt that the Fertita from America potegnuo even to Zagreb to the Croatian privolio Gladiator to change his opinion and sign a new contract with the strongest world organization. Tells us that the Cro Cop got an offer that is simply non-refundable. Although Filipovic remained unavailable for comment, it is clear that large can turn. Cro Copa will almost certainly re-look at the strongest MMA competition that the world currently knows, although it was announced that Filipovic will sign a contract with the Japanese Dream.

Fertita only by the greatest fighters

Remember, Cro Cop said after the fight against Al Turk refused to deal with Americans who are too rarely offered him the fight as the frequency of our fighters at the moment, when he finally zalije?io all the injuries, it is not suitable. Filipovic said that he was UFC's titles teškaška life's dream, but that does not plan to wait six months until the next fight. Obviously they are in the American organization Mirko decided this time to offer terms that suit him more. That Cro Cop is extremely important, evidenced by the fact that the big boss Lorenzo Fertita even personally came to Zagreb by Filipovic. This is practically a precedent because it almost always does such direktor UFC's Dana White.

Spencer Fisher Headed to the WEC?

2009-07-03T15:33:30Z

According to the UG:

"Maybe to the WEC, what do you guys think?”

Win Caol Uno Decision (Unanimous) UFC 99 6/13/2009 3 5:00
Win Shannon Gugerty Submission (Triangle Choke) UFC 90 10/25/2008 3 3:56
Win Jeremy Stephens Decision (Unanimous) Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale 6/21/2008 3 5:00

I dont understand why Fisher would want to move down to the WEC. Its obvious that they make less money in that promotion, and since he's won his last 3 fights, I see no need. Not to sure if he would drop to 145lbs, or try to make a run for the WEC lightweight tilte.

BloodyElbow FunnyBone Contest VIII: Yoshihiro Akiyama Results

2009-07-03T11:35:10Z

Congratulations to judonerd for getting 20% of the votes and for coming up with the most creative caption in the BloodyElbow FunnyBone Contest VIII: Yoshihiro Akiyama.

judonerd , by coming up with the sexiest caption, becomes the NEW BloodyElbow FunnyBone Contest Champion!

2nd Place:

Mike Fagan, became the second staff member to win a FunnyBone belt by coming up with the second place entry:

Concerned about a potential worldwide simultaneous orgasm, the photographer asked Akiyama to hold up a surfboard in an attempt to conceal his sexiest of sexies.

3rd Place:

poundnground didn't get to win a belt, but he won a chance to get beat up in the TUF house for some bread.

He placed third with his entry:

MR. ZOG’S SEX WAX - "DAMN SEXY"

Props and Special Awards:

Mike Fagan, and Nick Thomas both get the "Dana White Award" for being staff members that are brave enough to get in to the middle of the action..

iiowyn, last edition's champ failed to defend his title, but he managed to bring the sexy with this slightly illegal, but ultra sexy entry.. He wins the first ever "Sexyama" Award..

Major minus sexy points to all those who missed joining in on the sexiest FunnyBone Contest in JPEG Belt history..

The Official UFC 100 Bloody Elbow Meet-up Thread

2009-07-03T05:45:35Z

via www.jackbook.com

I know there will be several of us in Vegas next week to attend the Fanfest and/or fights and I would be interested in meeting with anyone who wants to. I'm not sure where the best place would be and how to coordinate it so I'm counting on everyone's help to hash things out in the comments. I'll be flying in Friday morning so either Friday or Saturday would be fine with me. Some ideas would be to meet at the fan expo, meet before or after the weigh ins, meet friday evening at a bar, or I'm open to anywhere else that you guys would prefer. I'm not trying to be the guy in charge of everything, I just want to get everyone else's opinion so those of us interested in meeting can get the details worked out ahead of time. I finally got my ticket for the fight today, I'll be in section 223 row C. I'd be happy to give my email and phone number out for anyone who wants it. Please let me know, it'd be great to spend some time in Vegas with other real MMA fans, I'm fu**ing cised for this event.

Quiet Before the Storm: St. Pierre-Alves

2009-07-03T02:30:23Z

There are a few huge UFC fights coming our way in the next 5 weeks, including three title fights - in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions.

But it's interesting to consider that while Florian-Penn is more than a month away, and Bisping-Henderson is an undercard fight on UFC 100, both of those fights - not to mention Lesnar-Mir - have been the subject of more "chatter" in the MMA blogosphere and forums recently than another fight which is a week away and as big or bigger than any of them: Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves.

GSP is by all accounts one of the top five pound for pound fighters in the game. He arguably hasn't even peaked yet as a fighter, yet he's already in the conversation for the most dominant welterweight in UFC history. He is coming off of his biggest victory - a four-round annihilation of fellow P4P contender BJ Penn - and is 11-1 in the past four and a half years. And in one week, he's facing arguably his biggest challenge in Thiago "Pitbull" Alves. Yet for the relative press this bout is receiving, you would think GSP and Alves were an undercard gatekeeper fight.

The reason why is not incomprehensible. The other big fights all have subplot drama and a fair amount of smack talk to hype them.

Florian-Penn has the intrigue of the clear #1 contender fighting the champ; speculation regarding how Penn will recover from the mauling he took from GSP; allegations that Florian tipped Penn to "greasing" by GSP, and the always-provocative subplot of GSP helping Florian train for the fight.

Mir-Lesnar is a second title fight and is the upcoming fight with a lopsided proportion of ink dedicated to it, fires that have remained stoked by both combatants as they have waged their back-and-forth verbal jousting through the MMA press. It has the further appeal of the grudge match, the freakshow element with Brock's physique and previous life in pro wrestling, the title unification aspect which will likely see both guys' camps carry a belt into the cage, questions about how far Lesnar has evolved since his first loss to Mir - just to name a few.

Henderson-Bisping isn't even a title fight - at best it will be a title contending fight - but it has also gotten its share of attention due to the two being opposing coaches on TUF and waging their own war of words. The UFC manufactures rivalries at times, and this is one that clearly rolled off the factory belts via the "country vs. country" theme of TUF season 9.

Against the backdrop of all of those, the 170-pound title fight that is GSP-Alves has barely made a ripple. Despite the greatness of a dominant champ who will eventually retire as one of the best to enter a ring or cage, facing his toughest test, you can be forgiven for practically forgetting this fight is about to happen if you take your talking points from the MMA media. The reason why is straightforward - while the three fights named above all have at least one or two main plots and multiple subplots, GSP-Alves has one basic plot: who is going to win this fantastic stylistic matchup and emerge as the welterweight champion of the UFC?

It's a purist's fight. It carries little subplot intrigue, essentially no trash talking, two very respectful and dedicated athletes, and sells itself entirely on the stylistic clash of these two dominant fighters. The fight is likely to hinge on whether GSP will be able to put Alves on his back often enough and keep him there long enough - while taking minimal damage on the feet from Alves' brutal muay thai skills - to wear him out as the fight progresses. If GSP can accomplish this, he will win a decision or possibly stop Alves. If he can't, Alves - being the most dangerous and varied striker by far that GSP has faced - could well stop Georges in the stand-up game.

To me this fight has at least one additional point of interest which hasn't been much discussed. GSP has been methodically cleaning out the welterweight division. Referring to the USA Today/SB Nation welterweight rankings, St. Pierre has soundly dominated #3 Fitch in a 25-minute fight; destroyed #5 Hughes twice, brutally stopping him both times; outwrestled and dominated #8 Koscheck; and avenged his loss to #18 Serra with a two-round stoppage. Beyond Alves, this leaves only Kampmann and Swick as imminent UFC challengers. These two are tapped to square off at UFC 103 in September; the winner would in my mind be the #1 challenger. I think either would pose problems for GSP to solve, but are neither as well rounded as Penn and Fitch nor as dangerous as Alves. After that there is a dropoff; I believe Paulo Thiago, Dan Hardy, Karo Parisyan, Brock Larson, Dustin Hazelett are at least 2-3 solid wins from a title shot.

So, characterizing the title-contender queue as a series of hills to get up and over, I view Alves as the last mountain for GSP for the foreseeable future; and should he take the summit, he will have a downhill vantage point to survey any likely near-future challenge. This in itself makes this fight worthwhile to me, as the 170-pound weight class has long been viewed as one of the deepest in MMA and its upper echelon is on the verge of being almost totally cleaned out by Georges St. Pierre.

Subplots are great. Trash talk and side intrigue in MMA is terrific, and I love it as much as the next guy. But save a little room in your anticipation for Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves. It's one of the biggest MMA fights of this generation, and it's just over a week away.

My UFC 100 Betting picks

2009-07-03T01:04:00Z

OK bitches... here are my picks:

Take all your money and split it evenly on the following:

Mark Coleman

Bisping

Belcher

With this allocation I calculate a less than 10% chance of losing money and a 90% chance of being in profit.

I have Brock at an 85% probability of winning - if he fights smart it is improbable for him to lose. The line here is not worth it.

GSP vs Alves has unknown variables of great implication. If GSP can take Alves down its game over. If GSP can't he still has a chance on the feet but not as good as Thiago's chances.

Can a Healthy Tito Ortiz Battle Back to Relevancy?

2009-07-02T20:19:16Z

It's a question that isn't that hard for many fans to answer considering all of the outlandish and ridiculous quotes from Tito Ortiz that we've seen over the last couple of years. From completely fumbling the commentating duties at Affliction: Day of Reckoning to telling fans about how he wants to fight Fedor, most fans blithely sweep away any thoughts that Ortiz could truly become relevant once again.

Interestingly enough, some of Ortiz's past performances in the UFC do spin some positivity into the answer to the question. Some fans would mention the fact that he was one of the only fighters to put current UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida into any real danger during his run toward the title. Other fans would point out that he had former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans beat in their matchup at UFC 73 until he grabbed the fence and received a point deduction. If Ortiz had not received the deduction, we probably wouldn't be talking about Rashad Evans as a former champion right now, but rather a possible contender.

While I wouldn't put a huge amount of emphasis on those bouts as a sure sign that Ortiz can come back into the fight game and instantly vault himself into relevancy, there are a few factors that could add to the possibility that Ortiz will, in fact, regain a dominating position in the rankings.

First and foremost, Ortiz hasn't been healthy in quite a long time. Specifically, his back has been a major component as to why he's claimed his performance has dropped off. We've all heard the stories about how it has hindered his training and kept him out of the sport, but there are quite a few fans who truly believe Ortiz's claims are simply excuses.

I'd be more inclined to believe that Ortiz's style could be the problem when looking back on those fights, and it isn't hard for someone to do a little research into his past reign in the UFC to see why. Ortiz's wrestling ability coupled with his strength was a staple of his skill set, and even though he has managed to change his style in bigger matchups to suit a more "exciting" battle, Ortiz hasn't added much to his skill set. That's a huge problem when we see the guys at the top having very dynamic skill sets that include not only wrestling, but boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

In retrospect however, a healthy Tito Ortiz with solid take downs and strength can be a formidable opponent to anyone currently outside the UFC, and many of the fighters making their way up into the upper-echelon of the UFC's own division.

With all of that said, Ortiz will still remain relevant as a fighter who can draw in fans. Reportedly, Ortiz is in talks with Strikeforce regarding his return to the sport with a 100% healthy back. I believe this is a solid acquisition if Strikeforce can swing his salary because he will have a broad fanbase in California, a state that Strikeforce tends to hold events, and he also peaks casual fan interest. He'll also be able to headline events for the promotion, and his self-promotion is relentless. He'll create animosity and controversy out of thin air if it will sell more tickets and grab more viewers.

Does that mean he can battle back into relevancy as a top-notch light heavyweight in the world? It's possible, but many questions remain unanswered about his health and skills in the cage. If he was truly hurt in the past, a 100% Tito Ortiz can only perform even better, and that brings up questions as to whether he could have dominated Rashad Evans with a fully healthy back. I don't believe he would have defeated Lyoto Machida, but I'm interested to see how he could fair against anybody that Strikeforce could bring in to fight him.

Fighters like Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Mike Whitehead, or even potentially Vladimir Matyushenko could be opponents for Ortiz in Strikeforce, and if Strikeforce could leverage some of Afflction's talent like Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, I'd be more than willing to watch those two battle it out in the cage. I wouldn't mind seeing some sort of catchweight bout with Vitor Belfort as a rematch of their UFC 51 battle either.

Winning some of those fights would put him back into the top ten rankings, albeit just barely. The most interesting part about the potential deal with Strikeforce is that the UFC has the chance to match the deal, so we may see Ortiz back in the UFC as well. That'd be a much more promising endeavour for him if he truly intends to make an impact in the division, but I wonder if Ortiz is simply looking for a payday without actually taking on top competition. It wouldn't surprise me.

Poll

Can a Healthy Tito Ortiz Battle Back to Relevancy?

Should the UFC create a "Super Heavyweight" division?

2009-07-02T21:14:35Z

With all the hype going into UFC100 behind Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir, it got me thinking about the last few times Brock Lesnar has fought. I will be the first to say that any fighter should use his or her best abilities to beat an opponent, whether it's speed, power, reach or in Brock's case, his SIZE. It is pretty obvious to me that his size or weight has partially got him where he is today in the UFC. I think you will be hard pressed to find anybody who actually thinks Brock has more MMA skills/tools than say Randy Couture, but yet Brock was able to finsh him in Donkey Kong fashion. My suggesting a "super hw" division isn't just because of Brock, he is just the obvious example. There is a lot of guys that would fit into this division should it be created. Lets say there was a HW division from 205 to 240 lbs. That would put the SHW division from 240 to whatever the ceiling weight limit would be. I think they should have it be around 275-280 lbs. Lets take a look at who would currently fit into this category of SH. The number I am using are directly off the UFC's website for their current roster of HW fighters.

Mostapha Al-Turk 242 lbs.
Shane Carwin 262 lbs.
Gabriel Gonzaga 242 lbs.
Tim Hague 265 lbs.
Antoni Hardonk 245 lbs.
Heath Herring 250 lbs.
Cheick Kongo 240 lbs.
Brock Lesnar 265 lbs.
Justin McCully 240 lbs.
Frank Mir 240 lbs.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 240 lbs. (I just realized he has every vowel in his last name)
Cain Velasquez 240 lbs.
Mike Wessel 260 lbs.

All of these fighters, plus not to mention some of the big boys that will be coming in after the next TUF season, would in my opinion make for enough decent match-ups to carry its own division. I realize some of these guys would cut and try to get down to the HW division, but maybe some would bulk up a little bit and try their chance as a SHW first. Not only would this create a new division, but maybe it would entice some 205's to come up and try their luck at HW. Once again for fun sake, lets look at who maybe would take the shot at jumping to HW from 205.

Houston Alexander
Rashad Evans
Forrest Griffin
Matt Hamil
Rampage Jackson
Chuck Liddell
Shogun Rua
Thaigo Silva
Brandon Vera

Compile those possible names with the left over lighter HW from the original division and I think you have yourself enough big names to keep the interest in all divisions. Hopefully, it would create a small ripple effect down though out the other divisions and let guys that normally cut a bit too much weight feel more comfortable in fighting up a class. I think eventually the UFC will need this to create new and exciting match ups without having to have "catch weight" fights. With the weight classes as they are now things could get stale faster than they can develop new talent, so i think 155, 170, 185, 205, 240 and 275 just makes sense. Now on to your thoughts...here is the poll!

Poll

Should the UFC develop the SUPER HEAVY WEIGHT division?

UFC 101: Making the Case for More East Coast UFC Events

2009-07-02T20:02:26Z

Promoted from the FanPosts by Kid Nate

Cross posted at MMA4Real.

I wrote a while ago about why I thought Zuffa should come back to North Carolina after how successful the UFC: Fight For The Troops event had been. I spoke about the huge military presence we have in the state. Not only that, but it's a great central location for East coast fans. The East coast fans seem to get forgotten about at times, but when the UFC does come, we come out in droves. Often to somewhat less stacked events than our Western counterparts get to witness. However, we were treated to UFC 88 last year in Atlanta, GA, which I had the honor of attending (it was a great card). That event (with no title fight) had almost 15,000 fans in attendance with a gate of over 2.5 million dollars. UFC 78 also sported similar numbers emanating from New Jersey, in what most people thought to be a lackluster card. Ultimate Fight Night 17 was held in Florida and had close to 8,000 fans in attendance with a gate of close to $450,000.

Now MMAJunkie is reporting in regards to UFC 101 (which will take place in Pennsylvania) that UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner has the following to say:

"We put tickets on sale, I believe sometime at the end of April or early May, and we've sold almost 14,000 tickets," Ratner said. "It's the biggest event in Pennsylvania history, as far as a live gate, already." "We've sold over $3 million worth of tickets," Ratner said of UFC 101.

So that event is already over $3 million dollars at the gate, and it's still over a month away? On paper, this event is looking really solid with the UFC lightweight title on the line between Kenny Florian and BJ Penn. Also, Anderson Silva will take on former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. The rest of the card will feature what should be solid fights. So the proof is in the pudding: if East coast fans are given the same quality as the West coast fans, there's no reason why Zuffa shouldn't be coming to the East coast more often...coughs...North Carolina :)

Cross posted at MMA4Real.

UPDATE (by Kid Nate): While we're talking about big time MMA on the East coast, I thought I'd jump in and add a couple of thing to this post from my fellow SB Nation MMA blogger Zak Woods at Watch Kalib Run has been OWNING the story of the attempt to pass regulation in NY. He's also got some insight on why the Philly UFC is selling so well.

From that last one, dated January 21, 2009, when most authorities were saying the UFC was going to succeed in getting regulation passed in New York in 2009, here's what the WKR crew was saying:

Will MMA become legalized in New York in 2009?

ZW: No, but it will be close. The New York Assembly is notorious for being bogged down in deadlock. With a 15 billion dollar deficit over the next two years, that they are required by law to balance, it will take up a lot of legislative hours. Not a big deal with 12 months right to pass legislation right? Wrong, the Assembly ends its session in June. So while MMA legislation might get out of committee, I don't think it will pass the floor and be signed into law by June. But I am a big pessimist.

MC: As a lifelong New York resident, this is a deeply personal issue for me, because I'd love to head to Madison Square Garden for a UFC event. However, I doubt it will happen. The gears in Albany move extremely slowly and the UFC simply doesn't have the allies here to make it happen yet.

My advice to Zuffa - get labor and the NY tourism industry and labor on your side. People plan entire vacations around UFC events, and that means business for hotels, restaurants, shops, and hot dog vendors.

The UFC's top public affairs guy is still holding out hope for NY this year, but it doesn't look good.

UFC Fan Expo Chuck Liddell Action Figure Exclusive Announced! Limited to 500 Pieces!

2009-07-02T17:21:01Z

Jakks Pacific has just announced a Chuck Liddell UFC Fan Expo Exclusive figure limited to just 500 pieces!

Enrique Ruvalcaba, Director of Fight Brand Marketing at Jakks Pacific just posted all of the details on his blog at MMAFigs.com along with an exclusive photo of the figure itself! The only place you can find this figure is at the UFC Fan Expo July 9th & 10th at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas!

Here is the blog post with all of the details:

Hey all,

Happy 1st of July! I wanted to take a minute to post some news about our upcoming show at the UFC Fan Expo and our exclusive figure that we are releasing to support the first ever public display of our UFC toy line. Stop by booth #427 on July 10th or 11th and get an exclusive first look at our full line of products being released this fall. We’ll have all of our exciting launch items on display: Wave 0 and Wave 1 deluxe figures, basic and Official Scale Octagon playsets, wearable belts and examples of our new packaging look!

In addition, we will have live fighter signings! I can’t mention any names, but you can bet that they are some of the greatest fighters in MMA history!

If that’s not enough, we’ve worked hard to bring you an awesome exclusive with several important differences from other exclusives we’ve done in the past:

Platinum Edition Chuck Liddell– With this being the platinum anniversary of UFC, we thought it fitting to create a “Platinum Edition” figure that we could sell to the public. See the below flyer for an exclusive first look at the figure.
Available to everyone – Our previous exclusive for NYTF was a special give-away that only a few key accounts and media outlets were able to get their hands on. This exclusive figure will be available for purchase by anyone at the show. The first 250 figures go on sale at 10:00 am on Friday followed on Saturday by the second set of 250.
Serialized numbering– In the past, we’ve stickered all figures the same way “1:500.” For this exclusive, we are numbering each figure individually! So, if you are the first person in line, you get the very first figure! Person #2 gets the second and so on…

Well, I really hope to see you there. Come by, meet the fighters, see the new toy line, ask us questions and hang out with us. We might even have a few other surprises for you at the show!

Take care,

Enrique

Source: MMAFigs.com