411 MMA Fact or Fiction 01.06.10: Gomi in UFC, UFC 108, WEC 46 & MORE!

Posted by Jeremy Lambert on 01.06.2010

Is Rashad Evans the favorite against Rampage Jackson? Is Takanori Gomi one fight away from challenging for the UFC Lightweight title? Who turned in the most impressive performance at UFC 108? 411 MMA writers Larry Csonka and Jeremy Lambert debate those topics and more in this week's edition of 411 MMA Fact or Fiction!

The first show of the new decade is in the books with UFC delivering a great UFC 108 event. The year of MMA rolls on this week with WEC 46 on Sunday and UFC Fight Night on Monday.

To debate those topics and more this week we have one legend of 411 and one self-proclaimed legend of 411 MMA. The first man needs no introduction but I'd feel bad if I didn't give him one, he's a living legend, he's larger than life, he's so many things that this column would be 500 pages long if I kept listing them, he's THE Larry Csonka. His opponent is yours truly, THE Cardio Freak, Jeremy Lambert.

In the words of John McCarthy…LET'S GET IT ON!

1. Paul Daley turned in the most impressive performance at UFC 108.

Larry Csonka: FICTION. I promise to leave the discussion of "weight missing" for my own column, which runs right here, tomorrow, on 411mania/mma~! But while I think that Junior Dos Santos and Rashad Evans both looked good, as did Paul Daley, I will say that Sam Stout was the man that came out of UFC 108 with the most impressive performance. Again, Daley looked good, but Hazelett decided to stand with him, and besides the awesome rolling LYGER kick to start off the fight, he offered nothing. Sam Stout not only had the best performance of the night, but this was the best Sam Stout I have ever seen. Lauzon looked impressive early, and almost had him finished, but Stout came back, survived the cut, and from there put on a clinic that Bas Rutten would have been proud of. TO DA LIVA~! Liver shots, combos, hard and whipping leg kicks were all on display, and this fight made me love MMA. Lauzon was tired, obviously from the long layoff, and he will come back better than ever. But UFC 108 was the night of Sam Stout.

Jeremy Lambert: FICTION. There were a lot of impressive performances at UFC 108 but I was impressed with Cole Miller. He was coming off a KO loss, he got dropped early by Dan Lauzon, he survived, and then he pulled off one of the most creative submissions in MMA history and the submission of the year. Dos Santos and Daley were very impressive with their KO victories, Jim Miller and Martin Kampmann turned in a good all-around performances, and Sam Stout looked great with improved takedown and ground defense as well as putting on a striking clinic (and I love me some striking clinics) but to be rocked, come back, and pull off an inverted triangle finished with a kimura? That's impressive.

SCORE: 1 for 1.

2. Urijah Faber will get a Featherweight title shot with a win over Rafael Assuncao.

Larry Csonka: FICTION. I was all set to go with Fact here, but then I really thought about it, and I will go fiction. Faber has been a ratings hit for the company, and while the title fight may make sense, I feel that there is a better path. If Faber beats Assuncao, and Mike Brown beats Anthony Morrison, I think that the WEC should go for Brown vs. Faber III. They have the history, their last fight was awesome, and if both guys come out of WEC 46 ok, I say stack them onto WEC 47 in March. Faber is a great fighter, but I think that before we talk title contention, he has to face his personal demon, Mike Brown, and beat him. But that's just one man's opinion.

Jeremy Lambert: FACT. If the question were stated "should get" a title shot then I would have said fiction because I'm not sure he should get a title shot after losing the last two title fights and being 2-2 in his last four (pending a win on Sunday). But it says "will get" and there is no doubt in my mind that if Urijah Faber wins on Sunday, he will fight Jose Aldo for the Featherweight title later this year. Faber is by far the biggest star in the company and Faber vs. Aldo is the biggest fight the company can put on. There's no point in trying to delay that fight by risking Faber to a loss or Aldo losing the belt to someone who they haven't built up that well. Book fights when you have them and WEC will have it if Faber beats Assuncao.

SCORE: 1 for 2.

3. Takanori Gomi is one win away from challenging BJ Penn for the Lightweight title.

Larry Csonka: FACT. I say fact, which may not be popular, but I have my reasons. While Gomi is 2-2 in his last four fights, which is causing many people to say that he is worthless and past his prime, I say that he is very marketable. The UFC marketing machine is great at making guys look like contenders. If Gomi gets his win, which he is reportedly set to face Florian, then they have a marketable fight. They can go deep into the PRIDE video library, they can feature him on the PRIDE show, and they can portray him as the beast that he was at one time. And then they can discuss the 2003 fight with Penn, and play off of the fact that the fight was an eternity ago and that things are different for both guys. They can make Gomi look like a beast, look like a threat, and with BJ becoming a good PPV draw, they can do great business with the fight. Does Gomi deserve it? Well, if Maynard beats Diaz no, but Gray Maynard vs. Penn isn't buys. Gomi vs. Penn can and likely will mean buys. And as much as some may hate it, the UFC is in the business of making money.

Jeremy Lambert: FACT. I don't think it matter who he beats either. They could feed him someone like Spencer Fisher (and that would be a fun fight) and if Gomi wins he'll move on to fight Penn. As Larry said, what helps Gomi is his PRIDE reputation and all the PRIDE footage UFC has of him beating guys and doing so impressively. I'm disappointed that Gomi will likely be fighting Kenny Florian for the title shot because they potentially ruins the Gomi vs. Penn 2 fight and doesn't really give Penn a new challenger (does anyone want to see Penn vs. Florian 2?) He should fight Frankie Edgar in his first fight, the winner gets a title shot, and no matter who wins it's a fresh challenger for Penn.

SCORE: 2 for 3.

Video Intermission



4. You favor Rashad Evans in his upcoming fight with Quinton Jackson.

Jeremy Lambert: FICTION. Not after what I saw at UFC 108. Evans was able to bully around Thiago Silva because Thiago Silva didn't seem to know what he was doing in the clinch and doesn't have a wrestling background. Quinton Jackson has been in the clinch with guys like Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland and he does a wrestling background. The big advantage Evans would have would be speed and a game plan (I think it's common knowledge that the way to beat Jackson is with good movement and leg kicks) but will that be enough to offset Jackson's power, size, and strength? I don't think it will.

Larry Csonka: FICTION. I have to agree with Jeremy here. First of all, he is right about Rampage's experience. I will also agree that Rashad has the speed, but while he won at UFC 108, it wasn't impressive. Yes he scored with numerous takedowns, but Silva reportedly had a back injury heading into the fight. That limited his wrestling training, takedown defense and cardio. Next, it wasn't like there was great set up to these takedowns. Rashad just used his base wrestling ability, and against a guy like Rampage, that won't work. Finally, going into a fight with Rampage, Rashad really should have used the fight to work his leg kicks. Rampage has a shitty defense against those, and is Rashad could develop that, along with his speed and wrestling ability, then I would have said yes. But while I think that Rashad has a good chance of winning, I would not go as far as to favor him in the fight.

SCORE: 3 for 4.


5. Jamie Varner vs. Ben Henderson will be the best fight of the upcoming week.

Jeremy Lambert: FICTION. It would be very easy to say fact to this one because they're both coming off fight of the year candidates with Donald Cerrone but looking at the week ahead in MMA that includes WEC and UFC, there are a lot of really good fights with the potential to be exciting. The one fight that I think has the most potential is Efrain Escudero vs. Evan Dunham. Both guys seem to have a future in the Lightweight division, they both train with some of the best fighters in the world, and they're both undefeated. They've both proven that they're not afraid to throw hands and that they have power, they're both good wrestlers, and they both have jiu-jitsu skills. It has all the potential to be a 15 minute war with both guys pushing the pace and neither one slowing down.

Larry Csonka: FACT. While Escudero vs. Evan Dunham will likely have a good fight, Jamie Varner vs. Ben Henderson looks to be my fight of the weekend. While Varner will have ring rust, I think much like Josh Thomson, he will come in as prepared as possible and looking to bang and prove himself. Plus, Ben Henderson is full electricity when he fights, and I just think that they will have a great fight. Yeah, I don't really have anything else to add, other than writing at 3Am isn't as easy as it used to be.

SCORE: 3 for 5.

6. James Toney wouldn't last one round in the UFC.

Jeremy Lambert: FACT. If he fights a wrestler he'll be put on his back and pounded out. if he fights a grappler he'll be taken down and submitted. If he fights a striker then someone will get knocked out. Either way I can't imagine any boxer lasting one round in MMA because the MMA fighter will either put him on his back and the boxer will be done quickly or the MMA fighter will try to prove something by standing and one of them will end up KO'd. Unless he fights Houston Alexander of course.

Larry Csonka: FACT. No disrespect intended, but James Toney is going to be 42 years old this year, and while some guys have done well in MMA at an older age, learning the game at this stage doesn't sound like a good idea. And Jeremy has it right, a wrestler or ground based guy takes him to the floor and subs him, or you do a freak fight with Kimbo or a striker and they throw for the fences, and it is still over before round one ends. I have a ton of respect for Toney, who has over 83 fights to his credit, but stay out of MMA man, or at least go to Japan and do it.

SCORE: 4 for 6.

Larry and I agree more often than not but it's safe to say that neither of us lacked a killer instinct.

Come back next week as two more writers debate the latest happenings in MMA in 411 MMA Fact or Fiction.

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