How did I do in my UFC 107 picks?

Another great night of fights. I was surprised by how great Mir looked. He destroyed Congo. Here is how I did in my picks...

Palhares won, although this was on the prelim and it did not air he won and so Palhares +1

Hendrix beat Funch same deal, an unaired prelim but I picked it so...Hendrix +1

Belcher blasted Gouveia in the first round so Belcher +1

Florian absolutely handled Guida so I was wrong Guida -1

Fitch won decision over Pierce so as I called Fitch +1

BJ destroyed Digo..I mean he busted him up and the doc stopped it in the fifth. Diego was completely outclassed. I wonder who they will feed BJ next? Penn +1

So I went 5 and 1 for my public picks for UFC 107. This brings my overall public picks record to 15 right and 11 wrong!

Who will win UFC 107?

I know that this blog is supposed to be more than just predictions and I hope to be more disciplined and get back to writing some collumns about various topics in the Wide World of MMA. But with the frequency of cards this time of year neccistates these constant prediction entries. So here goes with the picks...

Rousimar Palhares vs. Lucio Linhares...OK I will be honest here. I am not to knowledgeable about Linhares but I know that Palhares is a tough customer after what I witnessed in his fight against Hendo. My pick Palhares.

I tried to do my due dilligence on Ricardo "Golden Boy" Funch. But with the state of MMA as it is, it is often hard to find tape of fighters performance on smaller shows and I did not see much oh Funch. I know that he is a Braziliam out of the Link MMA gym in Mass. I do know about Johny "Baconator Hendrix. He is a D1 National Champ and has heavy hands as shown by his destruction of Amir "Holla for" Sadollah. My hypothetcial money is on Hendrix here. He is a huge favorite but we all know in MMA any thing can happen. I just think that Hendrix has the power to punch Funch. (get it?) Pick Hendrix

Belcher vs. Gouveia...this is a tough one. But fighters are vets with good records. Both aree well versed on the feet and on the ground. I was impressed with Belcher even in defeat against Akiyama, who I feel is very good. My gut more than anything else says Belcher in this one (get it, get it?). My pick Belcher

Florian vs. Guida... I am really excited for this match up. Florian and Guida are two stars of the 155 division and I am really conflicte dabout this pick. Both guys are coming off of loses and boh guys have recently switched camps. Florian has left Dellagote for TriStar while Guida has joined Greg "Genghis Khan" Jackson in New Mexico. I am not sure I see how Florian wins this fight. Clay has a granite chin. We have seen him rocked and cut to hell but he just keeps coming foreward like a mini- juggernaut. I guess Florian could submit him as Huerta, as Florian is good on the ground. BUT I just don't see it. I expect a replay of the Florain vs. Sherk title fight with Clay taking Kenny down and rinding out the decison. Either way it is guaranteed to be a war. My pick Guida

John Fitch vs. Mike Pierce... Pierce looked great against Brock Larson but I fell that the wrestling and experience will be just to much for Pierce. I pick Fitch by decision.

In the main event B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez... After watching the prefight hype I know one thing if it were a weird off instead of a fight Diego and his yes cartwheels would win hands down...BUT since it is a fight I think Beej is a stone cold lock. He is better on the feet, his hands are crisper with more power, he is better on the ground, he has more championship experience. Additionally this is his scond camp with Mav Marvinovich handling his conditioning. BJ has looked great in all the vlogs I have seen coming into this fight. He looks to be in great shape and focused. I think that Diego will come out swinging like in his fight vs. Guida, but I think that BJ will weather the storm, survive and submit Diego in the later rounds. BJ will lose one day, just not today. My pick BJ.

Well stay tuned for the results. I know you cannot wait. Haters!

How did I do in my TUF 10 Finale Picks?

Well TUF 10 just ended and I am sitting down to discuss how horribly I did in my picks. Lets review shall we...

Nelson vs. Schaub...I was correct that Roys experience would shine through. He knocked Schaub out in the second round cold and Dana had to begrudgingly give my fellow fat man the TUF 10 glass trophy. Nelson +1

Matt Hamil vs. Jon Jones...Here is where I get pissed and trash my computer. Bones Jones was destroying Hamil. He had him mounted and dropped hundreds of punches and elbows. Then he dropped to 12-6 elbows and Mazzagati steps in to issue a point deduction. Hamil cannot get up or stand, his eyes are closed and his shoulder is injured. Mazzagati utilizes INSTANT REPLAY for the first time ever in the UFC and decides to DQ Jones and give the win to Hamil, who cannot see, cannot move his arm and has to be helped from the cage by TWO guys! I cannot believe this nonsense. Hamil -1

Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander...I know, I know wrong again. Alexander did nothing except circle and throw out some weak leg kicks. He got rag dolled and mounted by Kimbo in the second and then had the balls to look surprised that he lost the decision. Alexander joins Dennis Kang in the I will never bet on this guy again club. Slice -1

I didn;t get to se the Wren Madsen fight but I did read the recap on MMA Junkie and apparently it was a close split decision. Just my Luck. Madsen -1

Frankie Edgar vs. Veach... I did not know much about Veach but I knew plenty about Edgar's boxing and sure enough he caught Veach and then submitted him. Yeah for me.... Edgar +1

That means for the event I went 2 right and 3 wrong (although we were all robbed on that Jones fight.)

Overall that puts me at 10 right and 10 wrong since I started my public picks. Pretty pathetic for a hardcore. I guess I should have stayed away from Wren since I only knew him from the show and he looked solid on the show while Madsen looked suspect. I was robbed on the Jones pick as he was killing Hamil before the illegal blows and he was even asking Mazzagatti to stop the fight. I know, excuses, excuses. Alexander needs to disappear and Edgar needs to fight a legit 155 to get on a title run. Until next time...

Overall record 10-10

Who will win the TUF 10 Finale?

It is always best to do your blog from work...just kidding. It is snowing outside and I am getting ready for a great day of college football and MMA. Here are my picks for tonights TUF 10 finale.

Roy "Big Country-Big Belly" Nelson vs. Brendon Schaub...Schaub looks like a good prospect but Roy just has too much experience. I really pulling for Roy since it seems like Dana hates him and so it would be funny if he won the show. My pick is that Roy will get him down and submit him...winner Roy Nelson

Matt Hamil vs. Jon Jones... Hamil has great wrestling and his struking has improved. That being said their is a lot of buzz around Jones as he is unorthodox and dynamic. He has said in interviews that he comes up with some of his techniques by watching stuff on You Tube. Funny huh? I think Jones will pull it out a take another step forward. Winner...Jones

Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander...This match up features two big punchers each with glass jaws. Kimbo seems to be working with a good team at ATT but I read his interview about doing the weight cut on his own and struggling has me concerned how much guidance he is receiving and just how willing he is to listen. For all of Alexander's faults I think he is more well rounded and I think he will leg kick Kimbo to death. Winner...Alexander

Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach...I have never heard at Veach and it took UFC forever to get his picture up. I could be shocked but ususally that is not a good sign. I cannot pick an unknown agianst an Octagon Vet. like Edgar who has a great motor, good boxing and wrestling. Winner..Edgar

John Madsen vs. Justin Wren...Wren has better Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu... I pick Wren

Those are my picks...stay tuned to see how bad I go up in flames!

Excited about the 2 hour TUF 10 finale?

Tomorrow is the 2 hour season 10 TUF finale. While I have been underwhelmed by this seasons much hyped heavyweights, my little sister pick, the gargantuan Marcus Jones, is still alive and kicking in the tourney so she is hoping he makes it to the final. I still think that the wily Veteran Roy "Big belly, Big Country" Nelson will win the whole show much to the chagrin of headman Dana White.

The two hour of fights will be followed by a free live fight night on Spike on Saturday night. Horror of horrors- I will be at a company X-Mas party and not able to watch that fight live. Thank god for DVR.

The main event of the Saturday night TUF finale will be Jon "Bones" Jones vs. Matt "Born Deaf in the USA" Hamil. I am still mulling this fight over in my mind but stay tuned loyal fans for my prediction, and remember always reverse bet me. Many friends have become millionaires by taking whatever fighter I pick to LOSE a fight as a winner. The same could happen to you. Just remember always bizarro bet my picks.

Until next time- keep your hands up and your chin down.

How did I do with my UFC 106 Picks?

I know, I know...not another picks thread. But I go on record with my picks so it is only fair to evaluate.

Ortiz vs. Griffin- I picked Forrest by decision and I was correct. +1

Anthony Johnson vs. Koscheik...I though Kos would knock him out but after a bizarre fight it is clear that AJ never could find his rhythm. AJ was penalized for an illegal blow and an eyepoke and then was poked himself. He ended up getting RNC and we got to listen to Kos call out Dan Hardy. -1

Lil Nog looked great against Cane and I called the fight right although I was shocked athow sharp Lil' Nog's striking looked. I cannot wait for his next fight. +1

Sadollah vs. Baroni...I picked Amir adn I was right. Baroni looked fatigued as always and Amir's Muay Thai looked improved. I would like to see Amir vs. Matt Brown. +1

Saunders vs. Davis...Davis had never been knocked out and I picked him to win so guess what, he was knocked out... -1

Rossholt vs. Grove....I picked Rossholt and he was dominating until he got caught in a quick triangle. I was disappointed because he looked good and I was really pulling for him. -1

Over all UFC 106 score 3 and 3
Over all public picks....(drum roll)...
8-7 !!! still hanging on the plus side, just barely but still hanging.

Who Will Win UFC 106?

Wow another UFC so soon? It was just a week ago I was making UFC 105 picks. But, hey I am not complaining! This is going to be a great next couple of months full of great cards. Now on to my picks. I have a good feeling about a few.

Ortiz vs. Griffin- In this fight I think that Griffin will avenge his earlier loss. He is going to be hungry for a win after his embarrassment at the hands of Anderson Silva and he will want to make a statement again. I think that Forrest will be able to stuff Tito's shot and win the fight on the feet. Tito is claiming that his back is 100% but I feel that I have heard that before. I predict Forrest Griffin by decision.

Anthony Johnson vs Josh Koscheik- AJ vs. Kos is a fight that I cannot wait for. lot of buzz around AJ going into this fight as people are talking about him as a potential good match up for GSP. The question is will Kos be able to take AJ down and GNP him. AJ has some wrestling cred but nowhere near the same level as Kos. That being said Kos has joined a long list of wrestlers who seem to have fallen in love with their hands. I predict that Kos will try to stand and bang with AJ. If that happens Kos is going to sleep. It is a close fight but I think that AJ will be bigger and stronger and more athletic. I said last posting about AJ that it is time for him to step up in comp. This is that step. I think he will make it. Pick AJ by KO

Luiz Cane vs. Lil' Nog- The former heavyweight Champ Nogueira's twin brother makes his long awaited Octagon debut. Cane is a tough opponent, but I think that Lil Nog comes out on top in this one and starts making waves in the division. I haven't done my homework on this ne- instead just going on my gut. Lil Nog's Jiu Jitsu will be too much for Cane and I think that Cane will get subbed. Lil Nog by sub.

Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni- When I heard that Baroni was back in the UFC I said "WHAT??" Who has he beaten to earn his way back to the big show. Amir looked terrible his last fight and I think they have served him a name on a plate to start to build his name back up. Amir wins by TKO.

Saunders vs. Marcus Davis- Saunders is in over his head in this fight and Marcus is coming off of a tough loss to Hardy. I think that Davis experience will show. Pick - Marcus Davis.

Jake Rosholt vs. Kendal Grove- Kendal has been inconsistent at best while the Team Takedown fighters under the tutelage of Marc Laimon are on a roll. Rosholt teammates Shane Roller just subbed his last opponent and Johny Hendricks finished of his with a KO. Rosholt Subbed Ed Herman in his last fight and I think that this one is head that same route. I don't think Kendal will get caught but Rosholt will do enough to win. Pick Rosholt.

How did I do in my UFC 105 picks?

The answer: terrible. I went 0-3. I guess I am glad that I am using hypothetical dollars. Kang got finished by Bisping after dominating the first round. I learned my lesson on Kang and he joins the (I will never bet on this guy again club). Swick clearly lost a decision to Hardy who neutralized Swick and looked impressive. I was really surprised at how good Hardy looked and at had bad Swick did. And Coutre beat Vera. At least that is what the judges said. I couldn't believe it. I was in shock as was everyone in the basement. But we are seeing these strange decisions a lot lately. I need to watch the fight again to really evaluate it, but watching it once I though Vera clearly won the fight.

Oh well- that puts my overall record since making picks public at UFC 104 5-4. Pretty impressive huh? I bet you can't wait to see how wrong my UFC 105 picks are. Stay tuned haters.

Who Will Win UFC 105?

I don't have too many picks for UFC 105. It is in Britain and so it has several European fighters that I am not too familiar with. It also has several fights that just seem to close to call. But I did want to go on record real quick with my picks so I can keep track later of how I did.

Dennis Kang vs. Michael Bisping- In this one I am picking Kang. He is faster, he is more athletic, he trains with ATT, he has heavy hands, and he is ready to break out. Kang has been hot and cold but when he has looked good he has looked really good. Bisping has the pressure of fighting at home. He is also coming off of a crushing knockout. There is a good chance he will be gun shy. I just don't see ways in which Bisping can win unless he gets a home town decision. After all who has Bisping beaten? If Kang comes out aggressive he can win this fight. I am thinking submission!

Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy- Mike Swick is more experienced, focused, comes from a great camp (AKA) and is a dynamic fighter. Swick realizes this is his title contention shot and he won't let it slip by. Hardy has knock out power but we haven't seen his ground game really (or least I haven't) and Swick will put him on his back and look to finish the fight. Swick is a heavy favorite and I would have to agree. Look at Swick's record in the UFC. It is sick. I don't see how Swick losses this fight.

Brandon Vera vs. Randy Couture- So here is where I go off the deep end. I am doing something that you shouldn't do...ever... I am betting against Randy. I think that Vera is more focused. He looks in shape, he seems more mature and dedicated. I think that a different Vera will show up then we have seen. After a couple of losses this might be the fight where Randy's age starts to show. Vera will keep it on the feet and put it to Randy. I know, I know -how could I pick against Captain America? I hear what you are saying...I will probably regret it but I pick Vera to win....(insert regret here)

Of course this means my three pick parlay would be Vera, Swick and Kang. Of course this is just in hypothetical dollars. Stay tuned to see how I do.

Why does Dana White hate Roy Nelson?

I just watched another episode of The Ultimate Fighter 10 and Roy Nelson won a controversial majority decision against Justin Wren. This of course brought the hate out from Dana White. Dana said that "The only exciting part of that fight was when Justin Wren was beating his (Nelson's ass)." This paired up with his statements from previous episodes that Nelson rubbed him the wrong way and that he was not impressed with his first fight, makes me wonder what does Dana have against Nelson.

Was their a beef between the two before the show started? Does Dana just hate fat people? Or is Dana mad that Nelson beat Kimbo Slice? It seems that Dana would be happy that Kimbo was beaten early because during Kimbo's Elite XC days White made a point to explain that Kimbo was not a real fighter. However maybe Dana is lamenting the huge ratings the show could have had if Kimbo had not been eliminated so early and still was an active participant.

If Nelson keeps winning unexciting fights all the way to the TUF finale and beyond will this be enough to push Dana over the edge. I don't know but I am now on the Roy Nelson bandwagon hoping that three more boring decisions take him all the way to the promised land of the six figure UFC contract. I am not a Roy fan, I just want to see if Dana flips out on a door ala Rampage if he wins the show.

A WEC- The Ultimate Fighter?

As the 10th season of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER drags on with one sloppy heavyweight fight after another, I would like to suggest that Zuffa shake things up a bit. I know that they are already casting light heavys and middle weights for the 11th season but I would like to suggest that for the 12th season (if there is one) that Zuffa consider using it's 145 or 135 lbs division. It might be even a good weigh to launch the long awaited 125lbs fly weight division.

If Zuffa decided to use 125lbs it would be an excellent way to introduce a wider audience to some of the players at that weight while they create the division. One thing for sure the smaller guys will fight like hell and won't gas out after 3 minutes like this seasons heavy weights. The rumor mill is buzzing that Miguel Torres will be on Rumored UFC card in Mexico in April. If that is the case, more mixed cards will be on the way. This seems like a logical step if ZUFFA is serious about the potential merger of the two promotions. I for one would like to see the two companies remain distinct entities but by putting some WEC fighters on a series of TUF it could bring some added exposure to the WEC.

How did I do in my UFC 104 Picks?

Well first of Okami really disappointed. He got taken down at will by Sonnene and did nothing offensive. But like I predicted it was a boring fight. I guess now we say bye bye to Okami. Poor Okami we barely knew thee.-1

I was right about Bader he did not crush like I called but he did beat Eric the Red. Time for Bader to step up in competition. +1

AJ by KO over Yoshida. I called it and it came true but I think everyone called that fight. Again I think now is the time for AJ to step up in competition and take on a Fitch or Kos. +1

Joe Stevenson stopped Spencer Fisher. Again I called this victory as well. Nice to be me. Stevenson looked good and I hope to see him continue to do well. +1

Cain put Rothwell down and dominated. I predicted the Cain victory but not the TKO. Cain is legit. He needs to keep moving up the ladder. I wonder who is next? +1

I was right to pick Lyoto to win as the judges did give him the decision over Shogun. I picked the winer right but I think the judges got it wrong. It was a close fight but I think Shogun was more precise and more accurate in the 5th round. I cannot wait for the rematch. Maybe it will be a wake up call for Machida? +1

Overall 5 and 1 not too bad. I also hit my Machida, Bader, AJ and Cain parlay!!! Now if I only wasn't playing with hypothetical dollars....

Who Will Win UFC 104?

I try and post my picks before the each UFC PPV. I won't pick every fight just ones I have a good feeling about. My picks for tonights fights are as follows.

Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen- I pick Okami in this one. Should be a boring fight but I pick Okami to keep winning.

Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer- Bader is better in every area. Bader by crush.

Anthony Jonson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida-AJ came in over weight but should dominate...he might have to go up to 185lbs. I hope the cut did not hurt AJ too much. I pick Johnson buy KO.

Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher- I went back and forth on this one. I really couldn't decide. I know that Fisher has opened up a new gym and has not been working with Milletich anymore. I also know that Joe Daddy has been working with Greg Jackson. I think Joe Stevenson will submit the King Fisher.

Cain Velaquez vs. Ben Rothwell- I worry about this one to. Rothwell has heavy hands but I think Cain will put him on his back and win a decision.

Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua- Lyoto will knock Shogun out. Lock...

my 4 fight parlay would be Machida, Velaquez,Johnson, and Bader.

UFC in VA?

The rumor mill is grinding on and the latest rumor I am excited about is that the UFC is coming to my neck of the woods. The rumor is that the UFC is coming to Farifax, VA on Monday January 11. Although nothing is official I am getting excited already. I hope that I have enough Christmas Cash left over to spring for some good tickets for me and the kids. I hope I can get good seats. I am very excited right now about the prospect of seeing the cage live, going to the weigh in, meeting some fighters etc. I cannot wait.

In a side note the article also mentioned that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva lives in Northern VA! I had no idea that the man behind the curtain at the UFC lived in VA. Well lets hope that th rumors are true.

How do you score submission attempts?

Last night was WEC 43 Cerrone v. B. Henderson 1. It was a great fight and while I thought it was a close fight, I felt that Cerrone won. Of course Henderson won a decision and today the MMA boards are buzzing with debate about who won and why. In the fight Henderson was caught in an assortment of very deep submission attempts. In the last round it seemed like his shoulder was dislocated , but he popped up obviously uninjured.

In arguing the decision many fans point out that the attempts were just that- attempts and as such should count for nothing since they were not successful. The argument is that they should score like like missed strikes, nothing.

I disagree. Sub attempts are different than strikes and sub attempts should be scored differently. A sub attempt basically puts one fighter on the defensive. While they fight off the sub attempt they are not being offensive, they are merely trying to survive. Because of this the sub attempt should count for something, the sub artist is controlling position and trying to finish the fight. Because of these factors sub attempts should count for something when judging a fight.

Afterall when going for sub you are controlling the fight and aggresively tribg to end it. This should not be ignored by judges who reward lay and pray tactics.

Hey Marc Laimon...How good is Shinya Aoki?

Marc Laimon is the head trainer at Cobra Kai JuJistu in Las Vegas. He is an expert grappler and trainer and has trained many of the top level MMA fighters in the UFC and other Organizations. Currently he is training UFC fighters Johny Hendricks and Jake Rosholt. Laimon was also the Grappling Coach for the first few seasons of The Ultimate Fighter TV show. He has competed in and coached JuJitsu at its highest levels. I wanted to find out what an expert thinks about Shinya Aoki's BJJ- so I asked him how Aoki would do in the UFC...since Aoki has been talking about it a lot lately. He answered me- so I posted it.

Hey Marc Laimon-

Just how good is Aoki's BJJ? A lot of people seem to pretty down on him, saying that he wouldn't beat anybody in the UFC etc. I was looking for an expert opinion on his skills.I was wondering where do you think he would rank in the UFC? Top 10, middle of the pack or gate keeper?

Marc Laimon answers-


"I think aoki is very good! His bjj is sick, has been improving stand up , and is very fun to watch. I am a fan of his. I think he is very technical and makes bjj work in mma. With that being said he has been a guy who has got very favorable match ups in Japan. He tends to fight guys that are not great at BJJ, and tends to exploit guys that do not pressure his guard, but rather lay in it and eventually get caught. He fought smart against shaolin and was able to beat him with better striking I really wanted to see how his guard held up to shaolin's passing, but I didn't get to see it.
I don't think he matches up well with a lot of UFC guys I think their is a short list of guys he can beat. I think he would beat clay guida, cause he does not pressure the guard and I think aoki sans pants could still tap him. Great style match up for aoki. Another guys that Aoki matches up well with is Gray, Gray like to lay in guard and I think Aoki could catch him like diaz did, but Gray might be able to try to keep it standing, but he does not posses the bjj pedigree to do anything to Aoki on the ground

Sherk on the other hand really pressures the guard and has passed florian and franca's guards. Not good match up for aoki. BJ, Diego, Edgar Tyson would all beat him easy. This is just off the top of my head. I thinks some mid tier guys he would match up better with, but I 'm to tired to look....good night"


Thanks Marc for answering my question...plus remember to check out the mmajunkie.com forums were Marc can be found answering questions for fans.

What did he say?

Just for fun, here are some things usually heard at our regular UFC PPV get together.

"See what they are doing here is reminiscing back to the gladiator days, trying to show that these fighters are the modern day equivalent of gladiators." Someone ALWAYS says this during the corny UFC opening. That opening and music needs to be updated.

"This fight could be fight of the night." Someone usually says this before every fight as a joke. After all every fight could be fight of the night.

"Go to your corner Georges." Usually said after someone is rocked, harkening back to Penn vs. St. Pierre 1 when BJ told this to Georges after round 1.

"Demian Maia is my favorite fighter right now." I said this about 10 seconds before Maia gets knocked out with one punch in Marquardt v. Maia (ouch)

"I bet you one hypothetical dollar so and so will win." Said when we are so broke we don't even have a dollar to bet.

"Now would be a good time to employ pressure point attacks or death touches. Or illegal ninja moves taught by the government." said as a joke

"Hit him in t he groin, you'll get one free warning!" Again a joke usually yelled out when the clinch is stalled against the cage.

Should the WEC and the UFC merge?

Zuffa owns the WEC and the UFC and in recent weeks there has been some speculation that Zuffa would fold the WEC under the UFC banner and just present all the shows under a unified UFC promotion. It seemed that the company was headed in this direction over the past year when the WEC slowly eliminated their Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, and Welterweight divisions. Dana White recently answered a question about WEC absorption by saying that it was being considered.

There are many fans that would like to see the best Lightweight fighters from the WEC go into the UFC and just have ZUFFA own everything under one banner. I do not want to see that happen for one big reason. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I love the WEC events. Focusing on the smaller weights gives a place for those athletes to shine. WEC events never disappoint and their cards are always full of fast paced and exciting fights. Not only that but they have had some great fights in the Lightweight Division and have some more on the horizon (perhaps Varner v. Cerrone 2). If anything the WEC lightweight Division could be a feeder division to the UFC. Dominant WEC champions could make their way to the UFC lightweight division. The lightweight division is stacked in the UFC and fighter who are n a losing streak, but still have strong skills and fan interest could be shifted over to the WEC to get back on track. The WEC could continue to be the home of the best 145lbs and 135lbers in the world.

The WEC has a feel all of its own and it has a great product. I think that ZUFFA should carry on as it has been since the WEC is doing a great job putting on great fights in HD on free TV on Versus.

I can't wait until they add a 125lbs division. Reed Harris the President of WEC said it is on the way. That is the kind of change Zuffa should make, leave the rest alone.

The UFC in Japan??

Dana White recently was asked if the UFC was headed back to Japan. He responded by saying that there "are people in Japan who want to kill me." I am curious how much White is really threatened by Japanese organized crime? Why would the Yakuza want to kill White anyway? How much of this threat is real and how much of it is hyperbole? Does the Yakuza have that big of a vested interest in Japanese promotions like Dream and Sengoku? If they do, than how much stock can we put in the outcomes of those fights as being legitimate?

I might be blowing Whites comments out of porportion or just taking them out of context. White might simply mean that Japanese fans hate him for dismatling Pride and will do him bodily harm when his plane touches down over there. That seems to be a strange take on the quiet and conservative Japanese MMA fan base however.

This post is more questions than answers. But stay tuned fight fans because one way or another the UFC will end up in Japan eventually.

What is the future of MMA?

We all know that in the words of UFC announcer Goldy that MMA is on a "meteoric rise". Put aside for a moment logic, which dictates that meteors actually fall and do not rise, and really think about how big can this sport get. Well, people all throughout the world and for all of history love to watch fights. The little picture in my About Me section is a close up of the wrapped hands of a statue dating to sometime around 200 B.C entitled "The Boxer" or "The Pugilist". With this piece of Hellenistic art as evidence, it is a given that people throughout the world have always been fascinated by some form of hand to hand combat.

In every corner of the globe, mankind has engaged in some type of striking or grappling for entertainment or ritual. MMA takes all of these regionally grown, and developed styles put in the crucible of reality, and has begun to produce Olympic caliber, professional athletes that are truly a hybrid of regional styles. Guys that are experts in Thai kickboxing, and American Catch Wrestling, and Brazilian Jujitsu, and Japanese Karate, and on and on and on. Modern MMA is an example of the globalization of pugilism.

That being said, just how big can MMA get? If there is one sport that most humans on the planet, everywhere have at least some cultural connection to, it is MMA. People everywhere love fights. In America we love football, in Canada they love Hockey...these are great sports that many people are passionate about. But huge swaths of the world could care less. They have little understanding and little appreciation for the intricacies of the games that fans in America or Canada grew up playing and being passionate about. Foreign fans often don't value a game they did not grow up watching or playing. Try to get an American excited about Cricket. But people everywhere can understand and appreciate fights.

Why, because world wide we have all seen and often probably been in a fight. So while American Football can only get so big, what is the limit on MMA? White and the UFC are already thinking globally putting on shows in Europe. MMA is growing in China and already established in Korea and Japan. Where is the roof? What stops this sport from continuing to grow on a global scale? What stops this sport from becoming bigger than baseball...bigger than soccer even? You heard me right one day, perhaps in my grand kids lifetime MMA will be bigger than soccer throughout the world. It is too exciting, to fast, to simple not to be. Maybe? We can still screw it up.

We are in the infancy of the sport still and we are just now seeing the truly hybrid fighters emerge. Imagine what the fighters will be like two generations from now when their is real money in this sport to attract all the best athletes from a young age. Imagine the caliber of fighters who will exist when fighters start getting well balanced training in multiple disciplines for MMA, from a young age. Most of our athletes now came from one discipline and then tried to transition it to MMA. Like the Collegiate wrestlers learning striking, or the kick boxer trying to learn Jujitsu for a MMA career. Can you imagine what the future athletes will look like when they started training wrestling, Muay Thai, boxing and Brazilian Jujitsu FOR MMA in childhood. We cannot begin to imagine these athletes and what they will be able to accomplish in the ring or the cage, much like the athletes and fans of American football during the era of the leather helmets could not imagine a Ben Rothlesberger or a Mario Williams.

So if the future athlete is nearly unimaginable and the popularity of the sport seems limitless, what can we guess about the future of MMA. We can guess that the stigma that marred the sport in the past is just that in the past. We can figure that new fans find MMA everyday. And we can hypothesis that one day in the distant future some amazing athlete probably not yet born will be standing on a podium somewhere, listening to his countries anthem playing, holding the first Olympic Gold Medal in MMA closely to his chest.

UFC 2009 Undisputed: Why not more downloadable fighters?

For any of you who play and love UFC Undisputed on the X- Box 360 I have a simple question. Why is Zuffa and THQ not flooding the market with down-loadable characters? They should be selling classic fighters like Shamrock, Royce Gracie, etc. for Microsoft points. What UFC fan wouldn't love to add some classic fighters to their roosters as well as some new up and comers who did not make the game but are now making waves. I don't understand how difficult it would be to add down-loadable TUF winners and others. It would make a great game that much better.

While we are on the topic of UFC Undisputed, there are already training sessions in the ring. Since Zuffa owns Pride why not have a Pride mode when you could stage a classic Pride fight in the white Pride ring? They have to add this to the next version of the game. IT doesn't make sense not to include it.

Why did I like Pride FC?

My first exposure to Pride FC was on the Fox Sports New pride show hosed by Frank Trigg and Jay Glazer. I never saw a Pride PPV but I did watch the highlight shows and I have to say that I was always impressed with Pride. Even in the highlight package show the grandiosity of the Pride FC shows was evident. Everything was larger than life, like the Street Fighter video game came to life. I liked the white ring and the blue gloves. The announcer lady was crazy and the show was so over the top with pyrotechnics and laser lights. Pride shows were held in huge arenas and the Japanese crowd was generally eerily quite. The whole thing was ridiculous and strange and quintessentially Japanese. Pride did a great job with the choreographed fighters intros and the tournaments were always very exciting because it felt like a movie, the toughest guys from around the globe meet in a tournament. It seemed like Enter the Dragon but instead of an island it was in an huge arena in Japan.

Of course the UFC bought Pride and closed it down. I am not sure why. White has said that it is hard to do busy with the Japanese...although this statement may be true if slightly stereotypical, I always felt like there was more to the story of Prides demise. It probably will all come out one day. Since the demise of Pride I have often wondered if the UFC would ever resurrect it in one form or another. The UFC wants to expand back into the Japanese market and I wonder if they won't due so under the guise of Pride one day? Many fans were talking about the fact that Lorenzo Fertita was sporting a Pride t-shirt at the UFC FAN EXPO around the time of UFC 100. Was this just a fashion statement or a sign of things to come??

I will keep wondering what happened to Pride and if it will ever come back in some shape or form. In the meantime I think I will add a Pride T-shirt to my Christmas list.

Best Radio Show Ever?

I have a horrible commute to work on I95 everyday. Northern VA has the worse traffic in America outside of LA and the only thing that often keeps me going is listening to a terrific podcast- MMA Junkie Radio. MMA Junkie Radio is available to down load free on ITunes everyday and you can also listen live. The podcast is excellent because of the personalities of the Host Gorgeous George and his brother/producer Gooze. The two are usually joined by MMA Insider John Morgan. The three also bring in daily big name MMA fighters for interviews. The show takes place in Vegas and they have had numerous fighters as in studio guests where they can get a little more in depth with fighters than a quick phone interview allow.

The show is full of humor and is pretty free flowing. It feels like friends sitting around and talking about fights and fighters. While it is a laid back, casual show that is often light on production, it is high on content. The show has huge guests off of big wins and loses. For example a topic of one show right after the Bisping vs. Hendo fight was Hendo's last blow on Bisping and whether it was a cheap shot. Caller after caller debated what was going on in Hendo's mind before he threw the last punch, then George said "you know what lets call him and find out." Within minutes Hendo was on the phone explaining his mindset at the end of the fight. No other show is that connected to make that happen while still being independent enough to be critical of big name promotions if they see fit.

John Morgan brings a big dose of journalistic integrity to the show as well as breaking news live as the show goes on. This timely coverage is impressive and useful for fans of a sport that for some reason big time sports media outlets still don't cover enough.

So consider this a plug for a show that I completely enjoy everyday. If you are a fan of MMA than you probably will as well- so check it out.

The "Ten Pound Proposal"?

A hot topic in the MMA world right now is whether or not the UFC should institute new weight classes. As the frequency of catch weight 195 lbs. fights rises , think Franklin vs. Belfort or Franklin vs. Wanderlei, some wonder if the UFC might be considering adding a 195 lbs division. Many feel that adding weight divisions will lead MMA into the muddled waters that boxing is mired in. Critics of adding division believe that it will confuse the fans and add complexity to already entangled rankings in the divisions. However if done correctly adding weight classes will be benefit both fans and fighters.

Here is my proposal. (It is not really mine. I stole it from Gorgeous George of MMA Junkie Radio.) It is simple. A weight class every ten pounds. The WEC is already adding 125 lbs., they already have 135 lbs, 145 lbs. and 155 lbs. The UFC should eliminate the 170 lbs division and swap it for a 165 lbs and a 175 lbs divisions. The 185 lbs already exist and adding a 195 lbs wouldn't be too difficult. They have the 205 lbs. class and it should be followed by a 235 lbs class. The heavy weight division should be for those giants residing between the 235- 265 weight.

The "ten pound proposal" would allow fighter to fight at their more natural weights. Fighters making big cuts down to 170 could fight with more strength- not having to cut all the way down to 170. Some fighters have already voiced their desire to fight at the 195 lbs class if it came into existence. Guys who cut way down to 185 ,but are too small for the 205 class would fit in nicely in the 195 lbs. class. Allowing fighters to fight at a weight that is more comfortable for them could lead to better fights.

The biggest change is adding the 205-235 lbs class. Often it has been said that this sport is still in the "leather helmet" days of its existence. The sport is changing right before our eyes. As MMA grows and gets more mainstream there has been an influx of the athletes who are big, big guys who are also really athletic. These fighters have replaced the beer belly brawlers of the first wave of MMA fighters (think Tank Abbot) and the smaller, faster technique driven second wave (think Randy Coutre or Frank Mir). This new, third wave of heavyweights like Brock Lesner and the ex NFLers on season ten of TUF seems to be the future of the heavyweight division. What these Goliaths lack in experience they make up in sheer enormity and athletic ability.

The 205-235 division would give new life to lot of fighters who are too big to ever think about making 205 but unable to fight in the cage against behemoths cutting weight to make 265 and coming into the cage at 290 of muscle. As the heavyweight division stands now you have 235 lbs. guys fighting against 285-290lbser. Often this is just too much weight disparity. Imagine Brian Bowles fighting Nate Marquart. Would anyone consider that fight with its 50 lbs weight disparity a fair fight?

More weight classes means more belts, more championship fights and even more exciting match ups. As the UFC grows and puts on an ever increasing roster of shows, these new weight classes will help stack cards and give more fighters a chance to demonstrate their abilities. The "ten pound proposal" is a win/win for fans and fighters.

Rampage Retires?

The biggest story in the MMA over the last 24 hours is the supposed retirement of former light heavyweight champion Quinton Rampage Jackson. Jackson posted on his blog that his argument with Dana White has escalated to the point that he wants to walk away from the sport to pursue acting. Rampage was scheduled to fight in his hometown of Memphis against Rashad Evans but has backed out of the fight in order to film the upcoming A-Team movie.

Of course it remains to be seen if we really have seen the last of Rampage in a cage or if this is just another in a series of break-up/make-up sagas that White and numerous other fighters have gone through over the years, think Tito Ortiz, John Fitch or Ken Shamrock. I personally believe that we have not seen the last big Page slam in the UFC. However the more pressing question is if Page is crazy or disloyal for walking away from the UFC to play B.A. Baracus?

While I will miss Page in the cage if we have indeed seen the last of him, I have to say that I understand his reasoning. As Page pointed out in his blog- fighters have a limited shelf life and only he knows the wear and tear on his body. If he feels he is done and he can't put his heart in it because he would rather be doing something else- than I support his decision to walk away. Although I respect MMAJUNKIE.com insider John Morgans' opinion. I have to disagree with him on this issue.

Morgan stated on the MMA JUNKIE Radio show that because the UFC had supported Rampage through his legal issues than Rampage should show loyalty to the UFC and live up to his contract to fight in Memphis, Page's hometown. While I see John's point I have to ask who wants to see a Rampage fight when his heart and mind are not in it? Fighting is too hard and all consuming to not be 100% dedicated. All one has to do is look at the demise of Mirko Crocop's career to see what it looks like when a fighter would rather be fishing than fighting. I do not want to see Rampage get into the cage if that is the case.

I also think that Page's reasoning on thinking about life after fighting is sound. Best case scenario the A-Team movie is a hit and spawns big payday sequels ala the Charlies Angels movies. If that is the case and Rampage shines, then maybe, just maybe a career in action- comedies in Hollywood does beckon. Stranger things have happened. Who can blame Page for pursuing his dream?

White says he is tired of fighters that want to act, and he wants fighters that want to fight. While I agree in that I want to see dedicated fighters, what about guys who did give it their all for years and then want to branch out from the sport in their own way as their career winds down. Do we as fans discard these fighters and turn our backs on them? Do we dissrespect the same guys who gave us so much enjoyment when they were laying it on the line in the cage? Rampage says that many fans turned on him when he announced he was backing out of the fight and he cited that as one of the reasons he was leaving the sport. Well, there is at least one fan who understands the logic behind his decision. So good luck Page. I hope to see you in the cage but if not I will see you in the theater.

The First Post

This is the first post of a new blog all about MMA. First lets be clear, I am not a fighter, a trainer, or any kind of expert. I am just purely a fan. I am not a journalist nor do I have any inside information on MMA. What I do have is an infinite amount of enthusiasm for the fastest growing sport in the world. This blog will just be a place for me to write my thoughts on MMA and the exciting and growing phenomenon that is MMA. Please read and hopefully enjoy my musings on the greatest sport in the world.