The MMA News Report 6.20.07
Posted by Morgan Marx on 06.20.2007
One MMA legend is set to return. Another might be facing a lengthy lay off. Will Pride ever rebound? Thoughts on both UFC 72 and the TUF finale. And the debut of the “Reader’s Question.” Or as I like to call it, “Shameless Stretch for Mail.”
INTRODUCTION
So UFC 72 wasn't nearly the disaster some predicted. While it may not go down in history as one of the most exciting cards the UFC has every presented, it was an enjoyable 2.5 hours. I certainly didn't mind shelling out my last 50$ on the card, especially because MMA looks so good in HD. I hope you enjoyed the fights whether you paid for the show or watched them on Dailymotion the moment they were uploaded. I hope you're as excited about the Penn v. Pulver showdown on Saturday as I am. Let's get to the column.
MAILBAG
Lynsey (who is most definitely not my girlfriend) asked this from the couch while we were watching UFC 72:
I don't like how much blood there is and how it stays on the mat. Why are they allowed to elbow like that?
That's actually a very insightful question Lynsey, I'm glad you asked with no prompting from myself. At UFC 72 we watched as Ed Herman split the bridge of Scott Smith's nose wide open with a nasty elbow. Joe Rogan mentioned how elbows can prematurely end exciting fights with their propensity for opening cuts. Will the UFC consider changing the rules?
It seems like the UFC (and Dana White) are pretty happy with the rules as they stand. White proudly points to the UFC's safety record. And the scariest moments that occur are usually the result of high kicks (ask Sean Salmon or Mirko Cro Cop) or punches (like the ones that Drew McFedries landed).
But the sight of a fighter leaking blood all over the place is one that some mainstream fans might find hard to take. While a cut can look horrific without actually being dangerous, perception can be truth. I wouldn't be surprised if the UFC eventually considers outlawing elbows on the ground. No one wants to see a championship fight ended due to a cut that someone can fight through.
Do you have a thought about this subject? Or about how UFC 72 sucked/was great? Or a question that you can't seem to find an answer to? Please, don't hesitate to write in. You don't want my girlfriend asking all of the mailbag questions, do you? To stir up some debate and mailbag fodder, I might start asking questions of you guys. Here's one to get you started:
The Reader's Question: If BJ Penn defeats Jens Pulver this Saturday, should he stay at lightweight? And if so, will he regain the belt?
Let me know what you think, and next week we will discuss your opinions and the fight itself.
NEWS
Ken Shamrock Down for the Count?
Apparently, Ticketmaster is not a credible source for MMA news. Last week, an official press release from the site claimed that Michael Bisping, confirmed to be appearing on the UFC 75 card taking place in London, would be facing fellow The Ultimate Fighter cast mate Matt Hamill. Hamill has been openly appealing for a shot at the TUF winner, claiming Bisping would not have won if Hamill hadn't been injured.
However, The Fight Network has reported that Bisping will instead face off against his opposing coach from the series, MMA legend Ken Shamrock. While the news is somewhat surprising, in an interview with NBC Sports Shamrock did confirm he is negotiating with the UFC about a return. While he did not specify an opponent, Bisping might be the choice.
At first glance, the pairing does not seem to make much sense. Shamrock has looked terrible in his most recent fights, and basically retired following his definitive 3rd loss to Tito Ortiz. What would Bisping gain from beating Shamrock? While Shamrock still carries name value, we wouldn't learn anything knew about Bisping if he were to run through Ken.
However, the fight with Hamill is not flawless either. Hamill would present a much greater challenge for Bisping, and doesn't carry any of the recognition that Shamrock does. A loss to Hamill would totally derail the momentum Bisping has built with his undefeated record. Bisping is one of the keys to the UFC's plan for global expansion, and I'm not sure the organization would want to risk damaging their prized bauble.
While fans might not be clamoring for a Bisping v. Shamrock match, it might accomplish several things for the UFC. Bisping would get a feather for his cap, and would hold a victory over a UFC legend (much like Rich Franklin). Bisping's record would not get smudged. And the UFC could promote the event with a name UK MMA fans will immediately recognize.
Gracie Doesn't Just Test Positive for Steroids, He Breaks the Test
According to the California State Athletic Commission, Royce Gracie didn't just test positive for an elevated level of Nandrolone, his test results were greater than the laboratory could calculate. Sherdog states that an athlete could carry an elevated level of the common anabolic steroid, which usually holds at about 6 ng/mL (I'm not a science type either, so bear with me people). Both of Gracie's samples rated at over 50 ng/mL. The CSAC states the results were so high, "it would not register on the laboratory's calibrator."
Gracie has stated he has never taken a banned substance. And with such a high positive test, perhaps both of Gracie's samples (improbably) were contaminated. However, it looks to be another black eye on the Gracie legacy.
Sam Caplan, of CBS Sportsline fame, recently wrote an insightful and scathing commentary on the Gracie name. It's an interesting read (that can be found Here) that I tend to echo. As more and more mainstream fans flock to MMA, the Gracie family will undoubtedly lose a bit of their luster. While Royce will forever be celebrated for his accomplishments when the sport was in its fledgling years, newer fans may just remember him as the man outclassed by Matt Hughes.
If the results are accurate, for Gracie to disrespect the honor of the competition by taking a banned steroid says a lot about the way he and his family look at the sport.
In a brief addendum to a column about the upcoming Baroni v. Shamrock fight, Steve Sievert of the Houston Chronicle tossed in a bit of news with far greater impact on the world of MMA. While talking to Dana White about some of the proposed plans for how the Pride situation will be handled, Sievert brought up the dissolution of the brand.
"It's a possibility," White said. "There's a lot of different things we could do right now. That is definitely one of the possibilities."
With the number of top competitors jumping to the UFC, it might be a foregone conclusion that Pride is effectively over. In addition to the likes of Rampage Jackson, Mirko Filipovic, Shogun Rua and others the UFC has already landed, fighters like Shinya Aoki, Fedor Emelianenko, and Hayato Sakurai may also be on their way. Who's left to fight in Pride?
The Dan Henderson situation is also somewhat confusing. The winner of the Henderson v. Rampage match will unify the two light heavyweight championships. Has anyone said what this will do to fighters in the weightclass of the winning competitor? If Henderson wins, will he stay in the UFC to defend the belt? And will Pride, should it still exist, do away with the light heavyweight division?
There are still a lot of questions to be answered about how this whole scenario will work out. We'll just have to stay tuned.
The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale
I haven't talked too too much about TUF this season, but I've been watching as most UFC die hards have (or haven't depending on which week's ratings we're analyzing). While this season has been entertaining, I don't think it's quite the breakout that the pre-season hype made it out to be. We've seen some good fights this year, and the level of competition is arguably the best yet (mainly due to the several UFC veterans participating). In the end, we're going to end up with 4 or 5 talented UFC fighters out of the season. Joe Lauzon has already made a name for himself by KOing Jens Pulver. His performance on the show backed up his ability, even if he lost to a game Manny Gamburyan. Nate Diaz will be a star, win or lose in the final. Gray Manard will be able to trouble anyone with his wrestling, but needs to work on the finer aspects of MMA.
Beyond those 3, we have some question marks. Is Manny Gamburyan going to end up like Kenny Florian, a finalist who succeeds regardless of expectations? Or is he a Josh Haynes, someone out of his depth who got lucky? Corey Hill will eventually get a shot once he's healed, but you have to wonder if a move to welterweight wouldn't help. He'd still hold a huge height advantage. Cole Miller and Matt Wiman might have nice little runs in the UFC in them.
The problem for all these guys is the depth that exists at lightweight. Fighters like Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Joe Stevenson, and Spencer Fisher all reside in or near the top 5. Other young guns like Thiago Tavares, Tyson Griffin, and Frankie Edgar are at least equally as talented as the top TUF fighters. It's hard to see where these guys will fit in.
Is this the most talented class of TUF fighters? I think Diaz and Lauzon will be top-flight title challengers eventually. Beyond that, I'm not so sure. I think the nod has to go to season 2 so far. Rashad Evans could be one fight away from a legitimate title shot (as opposed to say a non-legitimate title shot for Nate Quarry). Keith Jardine is clearly a talent, regardless of his disaster versus Houston Alexander. Joe Stevenson is also in line for a title shot soon. And don't forget Marcus Davis, who is making noise in a stacked division. Toss in Josh Burkman and Melvin Guillard, who have had their ups and downs, and I think that's the best class so far.
The season 5 guys are limited by their weight. Lightweight is stacked and a move to welterweight won't help that much. So by force of elimination, we're not going to see fighters succeeding at multiple weight classes like seasons past.
Also, the TUF final is somewhat overshadowed by the BJ Penn v. Jens Pulver match. I can not wait for this fight. I'm a huge BJ Penn fan and I would love to see a motivated Penn finally live up to his potential. I thought he won his fight versus GSP (though I can certainly see why he lost the decision) and of course, he almost had Matt Hughes submitted again. If it takes a grudge match to motivate Penn to train properly, then great. Sign him up for as many grudge matches as possible. I think Jens Pulver is an interesting man who has a great future as a coach. But it looks like his skills have faded more than Penn's over the years. Reports have Penn already within 4 pounds of making weight, which lends credence to the fact that he is in shape for this fight. If that's the case, I expect Penn to overwhelm Pulver on the ground. Prediction: Penn by Submission, Round 1.
UFC 72 Main Card
Just to add some thoughts on this past Saturday's UFC PPV event…
Rich Franklin v. Yushin Okami: I agree that it's a shame Okami waited so long to apply some pressure to Franklin. But lets give Rich some credit for avoiding situations that would have allowed Okami to capitalize on a mistake. Most fighters talk about the need to take something positive from a loss, to learn from defeat. Rich Franklin seems to apply the same principle to his victories, always noting something he can improve, or a mistake that needs to be corrected. While everyone focused on a potential rematch with Anderson Silva, who was probably watching and rooting for Okami (so he could avenge his DQ loss), I wonder if Nate Marquardt tuned in. If he did, he must be pleased with how that 3rd round went. That's the first time we've really seen Franklin in trouble on the ground. Since Marquardt is arguably a better version of Okami, I bet he was taking notes.
Hector Ramirez v. Forrest Griffin: Forrest Griffin has to be one of the most interesting fighters out there. Every time he opens his mouth, the unexpected comes out. I couldn't tell if he was really being serious with his post-fight comments. There's no shame in winning smart. Forrest implemented a great game plan and negated his opponent's strengths. Are we surprised that a Randy Couture-trained fighter put on a technically perfect show like that? With the way he was received by the Northern Irish fans, I wonder if the UFC has considered a Forrest Griffin v. Michael Bisping match in the UK? That would probably top the gate record.
Rory Singer v. Jason MacDonald: A good win for Jason MacDonald, tho continually beating TUF fighters won't prepare him for the Rich Franklins of the world. Although, if the UFC is really going to run with the whole "TUF Killer" persona, maybe a fight with Kendall Grove should be booked.
Clay Guida v. Tyson Griffin: This is the first time I've gone 5 for 5 in my picks for an event, probably because all the favorites won. And that should be considered a technicality, because Clay Guida did everything in his power to take a decision victory over Tyson Griffin. I generally think the judging in the UFC is credible, but how did they give two rounds to Griffin? I don't think the result was a travesty, but it was definitely a shock. The lightweight division is arguably more talented than the welterweight division right now. Just try to list a Top 5. Plus we have BJ Penn dropping down (for who knows how long) and a plethora of young, talented fighters like Guida, Griffin, Edgar and Tavares. Whew.
Ed Herman v. Scott Smith: Ed Herman seems to be coming in to his own, and deserves credit for a mostly dominant performance against Smith. Still, he almost got caught on the ground again. Herman is so strong with both his ground and pound and his submission game, but he has to improve his submission defense. Scott Smith was either too tired or not skilled enough to finish off the choke, but other fighters have managed to catch Herman in flash submissions and force him to tap. So long as he shores up that one hole, he could end up being a title challenger in a weak weight class.
CONCLUSION
Enjoy the fights, I'll be back next week with news and comments following the finale. Then we start looking forward to one of the best UFC cards ever put together. Lets hope the fights live up to the potential.
