Your MMA News, My Views 6.29.09: The ‘Short Notice Replacement’ Edition
Posted by Larry Csonka on 06.29.2009
411’s Larry Csonka is back to discuss the Ultimate Chaos that was the Lashley vs. Sapp PPV, questions what is next for Bobby Lashley, discusses Erin Toughill fighting for Strikeforce and how August 15th could be even bigger for women’s MMA, shares his top 10 favorite fighters from the Ultimate Fighter, quick hits on Tito Ortiz, Din Thomas, Roger Gracie and Limp Bizkit, and then asks, “Why isn’t Joe Riggs in the UFC?” Check out the full column for all the details!
-This week in Your MMA News, My Views…
Gina Carano Welcomes You…
Lashley vs. Sapp Thoughts…
Erin Toughill Set For August 15th
QUICK HITS~!
LINKZ~!
My Favorite Ultimate Fighters
Why isn't Joe Riggs in the UFC?
A Moment With Bas…
The MMA Calendar (Thanks Tool)
GINA CARANO WELCOMES YOU~!
SAPP vs. LASHLEY THOUGHTS
PRODUCTION: So the first thing I have to discuss about this show was the production value, or rather, the LACK of production value. This shit as just bad. First of all, they had people running the cameras and direction that have never shot a major show. We open up with a grainy 1990's WCW feel, and a wide shot of EMPTY SEATS on the "hard camera" side. First of all, why would you show that? Secondly, why didn't they move people? Dear God, bush league from the opening moment. Next was the quality audio, which provided me with a nice "BBUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" for 2-hours. QUALITY! Next, next was the ring announcer. When his mic was working, which was about 50/50, he constantly made mistakes. Didn't read proper weights, never read records and or weight divisions, and also gave wrong rounds of victory. Dude, unacceptable. And then, then there was the commentary. Col. Bob Sherman, Seth Petruzelli and Dave Ferguson. Who ever hired Col. Bob Sherman, needs to be fired. Horrible, just horrible. When Seth Petruzelli and Dave Ferguson weren't kissing Tom Atencio's ass, they were too busy putting over the GREAT ACTION even when it was clear that they were being faker than fake. Have some integrity, calling fights a train wreck and a "co-main eventer" doughy does your product no favors. Here is the bottom line, these small companies that continually try to do PPV will always fail. First of all, they don't have TV, and without TV they will never be able to properly promote and sell a PPV. That's a fact. Art of War and Yamma say hi. The other thing is that while thy can't be the UFC, or even Affliction, you cannot do PPV and put on such a shit production. I felt ripped off of my $30 for the show. I mean, this was some 1990's late night NWA Upstate North Dakota shit here. Stop wasting your money on PPV, which will never make a dime, and try for a deal with HDNet. The same amount of people will see it, because the only orders you got were a couple hundred MMA Writers covering the event. Your welcome.
Tom Atencio (1-0) vs. Randy Hedderick (0-0) I will give Tom Atencio credit, for as much as I disagree with him as an MMA promoter and for as much as I generally disagree with him, the man put on a hell of a fight, especially at age 42. I have mad respect for him fighting. Sure his opponent was 0-0, but he was old and only 1-0, so it evens out. he got rocked, came back and eventually dominated the 2nd round, making his opponent quite before the third round. This was a great performance. Unfortunately this was partially ruined for me due to Seth Petruzelli and Dave Ferguson kissing his ass and the "promo" on Dana White. Drop it man, you did your thing, you earned respect, leave it at that.
DOWN GOES RIZZO Pedro Rizzo (16-8) vs. Gilbert Yvel (35-13-3) was not only the co-main event, but also an important fight, because if the winner came out with no injuries, they would be headed to Affliction Trilogy to face Paul Buentello, payday baby. Yvel has a past as a brawler and incomplete MMA fighter, and also known for his controversial DQ's. Rizzo at one time was a top heavyweight, but various personal issues ruined him. Well, two things I took from this. Rizzo is officially done, and Yvel has learned. As expected, Rizzo took him down, but Yvel stayed relaxed, was able to escape and then knocked him the FUCK out. Personally the officiating was poor as the ref should have been in there sooner, as Rizzo took too many shots while down, but Yvel looked great and now heads to a higher profile fight.
LASHLEY vs. SAPP: So we came to the main event, Sapp vs. Lashley. This was roughly what people expected. Sapp rushed Lashley, Lashley took him down, and pounded him out for the win. More poor officiating was Sapp tapping, the ref missing it, Lashley beating him some more and then Sapp tapping again to escape. Sapp them put over Lashley, collected his big ass paycheck and then went home happy. Some have criticized Lashley for staying in half guard to do his punishment, but I am not one of them. Some people, like Couture, prefer half guard for their attacking. Sapp is a huge guy, and likely could have escaped the side control. Lashley was dominating from the position, no need to switch in my opinion. Another win for Lashley, who is now 4-0 and showing that he may be a damn good heavyweight prospect.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR LASHLEY?: And now that Lashley is 4-0, the question being asked is, what is next? Well, Roberto seems rather grounded. He had the right plan for Bob Sapp and executed that. He is already back in the gym, working on the things that he knows he needs to work onto become a well rounded fighter, because he admits that he has more tests to pass. He also said that he wants two more fights this year, which would be six fights in a year's time. Roberto has been busy. Lashley is doing well, and you'd have to think that Strikeforce has their eye on him. While Dana wants nothing to do with him WHILE he is associated with wrestling (TNA) Strikeforce I feel would take him and work with him in that regard. Strikeforce is looking to build their heavyweight division, with Brett Rogers, Alistair Overeem, Lavar Johnson and the addition of Roger Gracie. Lashley would be a great pick up for them at this time, and be a name that people would recognize on say, a CBS show. All in all, Lashley has handled his MMA run very well thus far, and the Sapp win was a good one for his record.
ERIN TOUGHILL SET FOR AUGUST 15th
In Friday's column I was discussing Sarah Kaufman and her victory over Shayna Baszler at the Strikeforce Challengers event, and how I felt that she needs to get into the title mix. I said that Kaufman fights at 135, and the Strikeforce Women's Title will be 145. I also said that she could be a strong contender for either Gina or Cyborg, but she will be a bit undersized. I also mentioned a fight with Erin Toughill because she was supposed to fight on August 15th The feeling is that it would work out great to crown the champion and contender on the same night. I seemed to ruffle a little bit of feathers unintentionally…
From Jamie: I am optimistic that there will be more than one title for women in time. A 135 class actually makes a lot of sense because there is probably more available depth there than at 145.
From a Guest Erin Toughill is pushing hard to get down to 145 and I believe she'll make it but a match up between Kaufman and Toughill would be very bad for Kaufman. If you think she's undersized against Gina and Cyborg, she would be massively undersized against Toughill who is probably a much more experience and just as skilled striker.
Now, as far as Jamie goes, I HOPE that there will be a 130 or 135 title for the ladies. The talent pool is growing, but if there is only a 145 title, ladies like Rosi Sexton will be left out, and that would be a shame. I do want another title, I am a big supporter of women's MMA, they have proven that they can out on good fights, and it is one of the few things that Strikeforce can offer that the UFC can't.
As far as the comment from out guest, I want to make it clear that I am not over looking Toughill. My discussion last week was centered on Sarah Kaufman due to the fact that she just fought, she won, and I was discussing contenders. Also take note that I said Kaufman vs. Toughill would be a great #1 contender's fight. I just wanted to clarify that.
But what about Erin Toughill, what does she bring to the table? First of all, drink that beautiful women in guys, and then be polite because she will kick your ass. First of all, as mentioned by our guest, Toughill would likely have the striking advantage. Yes Kaufman has made a reputation on her striking, but Toughill is a former boxer with 12 pro fights, going 8-2-2 (Draw and No Contest). Her victories were all decisions, which speaks to her cardio and striking skills, but not her power. Although that changes when you look at her MMA record. She is 10-2-1 in MMA, losing her 3rd fight in 2000 and her other loss was in 2004, which was a DQ loss. Four of her 10 victories have come the was ok (T)KO, showing that her striking skills combined with the smaller gloves make here power threat in MMA.
She has fought 4 times since 2006, going 4-0, 2 by decision, 2 by TKO. Her opponents were a combined 14-11. While Toughill will provide a challenge for Kaufman, Kaufman also provides a big challenge for Toughill. Toughill has fought 10-times since 2006, going 10-0, so she has been more active. 8 wins by (T)KO and two recently by decision. Like Toughill, she is 4-0, 2 by decision, 2 by TKO, in her last 4 fights. Her opponents were a combined 25-18-1.
To me the bottom line is this. Sarah Kaufman sustained no serious injuries in her last bout, and if she is up for it, Strikeforce needs to make this fight. Strikeforce has the chance to do something huge on August 15th with Carano vs. Cyborg. But they could do even more for Women's MMA by also having the Kaufman vs. Toughill fight on the card as well. Two to women's bouts, crowing the first champions, setting up that champion's first contender, the ladies truly showcased for the first time. Make it happen.
And if Carano and Toughill win…
Wet dream…
And a hell of a fight.
QUICK HITS
Arlovski stays, because I love that picture!
Tito says he is close to signing with Strikeforce…: At last night's UCFC event in Pittsburgh, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz was the guest of honor and between fights he entered the ring to address the crowd. Ortiz stated that he is extremely close to signing a four-fight deal with Strikeforce, and he hopes to face current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral at an October event. Ortiz also mentioned that if he does sign with Strikeforce he would like the fourth fight on his deal to be a catchweight bout against the world's #1 heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko. We've heard that before. All joking aside, Tito has NAME VALUE, and if they could get him on a couple of CBS shows, it would be a good boost for the company. As for the fight with Fedor, have your will ready son.
Din didn't fight and is pissed…: Din Thomas was supposed to be on the card for The Ultimate Chaos show. Thomas, a former UFC fighter pulled out of the show when he became very ill trying to cut weight. He weighed in at 146.6 pounds, slightly over the maximum allowed 146 for his fight. Apparently he was under the impression he would be fighting, and then started rehydrating after weigh-ins. Then he was told he needed to make 146, and after rehydration, at the request of his opponent. He tried to do cut again, but ended up needing medical attention and the fight was canceled. What bullshit, I mean, I hate when guys miss weight, but we're talking 0.6 pounds. Also, some have mocked him for getting sick, but he had already cut big time to get to that, and then trying to cut again after already beginning his rehydration screwed up his body. I feel bad for Din, he SHOULD have made the weight, but I also think that Javier Vaquez and his team could have been more forgiving. For a guy that wanted the fight "really bad", he apparently didn't want it that bad, now did he?
Roger Gracie debuts for Strikeforce on August 15th…: It was reported some time ago that Roger Gracie was close to signing with Strikeforce. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker conformed this in a recent report by Sports Illustrated. Roger Gracie holds a 2-0 MMA record, and won the 2005 ADCC World Championships at 98 Kilograms. Gracie also won the open-weight division by becoming the first man to submit all 8 of his opponents. If he signs with Strikeforce, Coker has stated that he will be brought along slowly through the ShoMMA: Strikeforce: Challenger Series events. Coker hopes to have Gracie under contract and have an opponent for him in the fall. Well, that changed as he will be on the August 15th card, likely on the undercard. Gracie has the pedigree and has talent, and Strikeforce needs to build their heavyweight division big time, so this is a good move. I will be interested to see Gracie's Strikeforce debut. He and Lavar Johnson could be the building ground of the division, behind Rogers and Overeem. Could be…
Limp Bizkit out of UFC 100 weekend: Hey guys, you just missed a chance to matter again! Seriously, you were given a chance to be part of a huge event, and then you decided you were too good for the beach and such. And guys, NO ONE made plans to come to Vegas that weekend JUST FOR YOU. Add into this that there were rights issues, and UFC said fuck it, too much trouble. I agree, go play for Affliction. Nah, you guys will bitch too much about what ever they want you to do as well.
411 MMA LINKZ~!
Lots of great stuff to read this week from the 411 MMA crew!
MY TOP 10 FAVORITE FIGHTERS FROM THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER
10. Gray Maynard
9. Matt Hamill
8. Michael Bisping
7. Shonie Carter
6. WAR MACHINE!
5. Josh Koscheck
4. Rashad Evans
3. Matt Serra
2. Forrest Griffin
1. Kenny Florian
Share Yours~!
WHY ISN'T JOE RIGGS IN THE UFC??? A feature where discuss various fighters that could or should be under the Zuffa banner.
This one ends up being more of a fan request, coming off of Riggs' recent victory over Phil Baroni, and since I am one to make the people happy, here we go. Joe Riggs has been fighting since 2001, and in the last 8-years, he has competed in 40 MMA fights. Riggs is 30-10 overall, and since I like to look at the present, he is 9-6 since 2005. Riggs has dropped to Welterweight and is 3-1 in his last four fights. Lets look at some of the key wins and losses in his busy career:
KEY WINS
* HERB FUCKING DEAN via Submission due to strikes in 2003
* Nick Diaz via Decision in 2006
* Chris Lytle via RD2 TKO (Cut) in 2005
* Kendall Grove via RD1 KO in 2004
* Joe Doerksen via RD2 Submission in 2004
KEY LOSES
* Diego Sanchez via RD1 KO in 2006
* Mick Swick via RD1 Submission in 2006
* Matt Hughes via RD1 Submission in 2005
* Kazuo Misaki via RD 2 TKO in 2008
Now I know that he HAS been a part of the WEC and UFC, some will point that out, but that doesn't matter like Vitor Belfort last week. Riggs is a combined 6-5 in the two companies during his time there. When you look at the victories, they are wins over good guys that have had some level of success, and Herb Dean. Oh come on, how could I NOT include the victory over Herb Dean, that's just too awesome. But when you look at his losses, I think that they tell the story of why he is not backing the UFC. When Riggs steps up in competition, he loses, and loses badly. Swick and Hughes with the first round submissions, and Diego knocked him out. when you are 6-5 and you fail to in against top competition, and you aren't wacky Clay Guida, you are not long for the UFC.
Joe Riggs is far from a bad fighter, but he wouldn't find much success in the UF these days, that's just an honest opinion. I could be wrong, I have been before, but I think he is better off staying in Strikeforce. Honestly, I could see them running a catchweight bout with Nick Diaz to play off of the loss Diaz suffered against him in 2006.
A MOMENT WITH BAS…
7/11 - UFC 100
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET
7/20 - DREAM 10: Welterweight GP 2nd Round
On HDNet (time TBA)
8/1 - Affliction: Trilogy
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET
8/2 – Sengoku 9th Battle
On HDNet (time TBA)
8/8 - UFC 101: Declaration
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET
8/9 - WEC 42: Torres vs. Bowles
Live on Versus (time TBA)
8/15 - Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg
Live on Showtime at 10 pm ET
"Honestly, I could see them running a catchweight bout with Nick Diaz to play off of the loss Diaz suffered against him in 2006."
________________________________________
Wouldn't this be the rubber match? I thought Nick won the rematch they had at the hospital that night.
Posted By: cyks (Guest) on June 29, 2009 at 12:03 AM
(was guest commenter re: Kaufman/Toughhill) Awesome discussion on the variables in that match up.
What I personally want to see? Erin Toughhill talking trash, on a female fighter message board she has NOT be afraid to let her opinons and thoughts fly... it's kinda awesome (and people get in a tizzy about it.)
From the same board, Toughhill thinks she has the answer to Cyborg and she is a bit annoyed that as one of the founders of women's MMA that Carano gets more attention than her.
I'd love to see either fight.
Posted By: Del (Guest) on June 29, 2009 at 12:46 AM
Sapp is the toughest man I've ever seen. Especially considering his size.
Posted By: Quentin T. (Guest) on June 29, 2009 at 11:12 AM
man i'd love to see that herb dean vs riggs fight lol
Posted By: wylun (Guest) on June 29, 2009 at 12:15 PM
I second the notion of continuing to expand women's mma, though Cyborg's comment about fighting men one day on the conference call is not helpful to their cause. No other major sport is sexually integrated, so I don't see why MMA of all things would be the first.
Anyway, I didn't realize until reading this article that Roger Gracie is a heavyweight. This adds a whole other level of excitement to his hype. Shame he isn't on TUF this season.
Overall, nice article as usual, however I must say that the typos were everywhere in this one; they just make it a little awkward to read at times.
Posted By: guest guest (Guest) on June 29, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Bas > Then Human kind
Posted By: Guest#2647 (Guest) on June 29, 2009 at 02:39 PM
