The MMA News Report 6.27.07
Posted by Morgan Marx on 06.27.2007
UFC 74 is officially announced, Shogun Rua gets an official debut date, and Michael Bisping is officially not fighting Ken Shamrock. All this, plus thoughts on the TUF 5 finale and that other Shamrock inside.
INTRODUCTION
First, I hope everyone took a moment to offer your thoughts or prayers to all those affected by the Benoit tragedy. It's a just a horrific story in every way.
As for today's column, we have the usual assortment of news, opinion, and conjecture. I changed a couple of things. First, you may have noticed last week the inclusion of a "Reader's Question" in the mailbag section. If you did notice, you didn't respond. I don't know if this is a feature that may interest you, dear readers. So if it is, send me your replies.
Second, I'm going to try and stay away from reporting rumors in the News section. Because of the format of my column, I don't want to report things that will immediately be refuted the next day. So any rumored events will now go under the Quick Hits section of the News, while the larger stories will have credible sources attributed to them.
That's it for housekeeping. Let's get to the column.
MAILBAG
All right, so no one answered the "Reader Question" I posted last week. Is this a good idea? Is this a feature you might be interested in? Let me know. If not, this will be the last week we try it out.
Elsewhere, Brian Heath had some issues with my commentary on the Gracie family. Here's Brian:
While Royce may have stayed in the game longer or too long if you will than others you tend to discount Rickson(who in most peoples eyes is one of the greatest fighters period), Grandmaster Helio, Carlos, Royler, and though you give him a little credit, Renzo. These men have been involved with what is now known as MMA for decades. People tend to forget about them because they didn't fight on PPV or for some huge company they fought to prove themselves. As I said before Royce disgraced himself for pissing dirty and for that I understand everyone going after him(I have as well) but to cast that shadow over the whole family is ridiculous. Do you remember this being said about Militech Fighting Systems when Sylvia used steroids? I don't. This is about individual fuck-ups and it should have been left at that.
You raised a great point Brian. That's true, people did not go after MFS after Tim Sylvia's positive test. However, I was using the example as more of another black mark on the Gracies. I think it's an argument without a true answer. You say Rickson Gracie is one of the greatest fighters, I say he's 11-0 primarily because he fought 8 men with losing career records.
The Gracies view their system as the best in world. It's a limited view. No one can compete in today's MMA without incorporating multiple aspects of traditional fighting styles. Gracie jiu jitsu is no more or less important than boxing, wrestling, muay thai and all the other forms of combat that different fighters employ.
Anyway, here's this week's reader question. Let me know what you think about continuing the series:
Reader's Question: Which The Ultimate Fighter 5 cast member do you think has the most potential in the UFC?
NEWS Penn Earns Title Shot
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Following his destruction of original UFC lightweight titleholder Jens Pulver, former welterweight champion BJ Penn has earned a shot at whomever holds the 155 belt. While appearing on ESPNews Dana White confirmed that Penn gas been granted a title shot. Current champ Sean Sherk will face challenger Hermes Franca at July's UFC 73: Stacked. Penn could face the winner as soon as this October.
What this does to Penn's plans to move back up to welterweight will remain to be seen. While Penn wants another chance to defeat welterweight title challenger Matt Hughes, there are many, many viable title challengers at the 170-weight class. I'm merely speculating here, but a victory at 155 could possibly give Penn the chance to request a champion versus champion match. Would the UFC pit two of its title holders against one another? Well, the original plans for the second season of The Ultimate Fighter called for champions Matt Hughes and Rich Franklin to fight. So who knows…
With an official press release, the UFC has filled in the gap between Stacked and Champion v. Champion. UFC 74: Respect will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on August 25th. The card is headlined by Randy Couture's first heavyweight title defense following his stunning upset of Tim Sylvia in March. Couture, the first man to hold the heavyweight belt on 3 different occasions, will look to extend his storybook run with another victory over a younger, larger opponent. His challenger is coming off an upset of his own. Gabriel Gonzaga shocked fight fans by taking a page from Mirko Filipovic's own book, KOing the feared striker with a right kick to the head.
While a potential match-up between Co Cop and Couture was expected, Gonzaga might present the greater challenge for the UFC legend. Gonzaga, a BJJ black belt, has a highly skilled ground game. With his victory over Cro Cop, Gonzaga reinforced the fact that his striking is catching up to his submissions. Though Gonzaga holds a record of 8-1, he was slightly overshadowed by the numerous additions the UFC has made to the heavyweight division. With a win over Couture, Gonzaga will cement his place at the top of the weight class.
Elsewhere on the card, Georges St-Pierre looks to earn another shot at the welterweight title by beating rising The Ultimate Fighter veteran Josh Koscheck. The winner is promised a match against either current champion Matt Serra or Matt Hughes. Additional rumored participants include Diego Sanchez, Joe Stevenson, and Kurt Pellegrino. Tickets for UFC 74 go on sale Sunday, July 8th.
Bisping Will Fight Hamill, UFC Not Planning Shamrock Return
Apparently, Ticketmaster is a reliable source for UFC news. Last week, we talked about rumors that UFC Hall of Fame resident Ken Shamrock would make his return to the octagon against Michael Bisping. Thankfully, those rumors are false. UFC's official website has Bisping scheduled to fight fellow TUF competitor Matt Hamill at UFC 75.
Hamill, a 3 time NCAA wrestling champion, has repeatedly requested a fight versus Bisping. Hamill has alleged that Bisping would not have won the TUF crown (and the 6 figure contract that comes with it) were it not for an injury Hamill sustained during filming. Bisping, had dismissed such a fight, calling it a step back for his career.
I tend to agree with "The Count" on this one. Bisping will enter the fight with everything to lose: an undefeated record, title hopes, and a position as the face of the UFC's global franchise. While it's time for Bisping to face tougher competition, Hamill won't provide any of the name recognition that comes with facing a dangerous opponent. Should Hamill win, Bisping's star will be damaged. There will be no moral defeat, like Forrest Griffin's razor thin loss to Tito Ortiz.
As for the Shamrock situation, though the fighter himself made claims that he's discussing a possible return to action, Dana White stated otherwise. In a brief statement to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports, White said that the UFC has not spoken to Shamrock, and was not planning to use him. Shamrock has lost 6 of his last 7 fights dating back to 2002. In fact, Shamrock has lost his last 4 fights without making it out of the first round in any. White said he is considering releasing Shamrock from his contract with the UFC.
It's no surprise that Tito Ortiz and UFC President Dana White don't always see eye to eye. Both men are alpha dogs with larger than life egos. But it's also no surprise that the two businessmen have an appreciation for how they benefit each other. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, White spoke of Ortiz in a slightly more positive way than we might be accustomed to. Said White:
Do I need Tito Ortiz to continue to grow my business? No. Tito's always an interesting character, but Tito's a good fighter, and he deserves to be in the UFC. I can see Tito Ortiz finishing his career in the UFC. We're always going to butt heads, but as long as he's one of the top fighters in the world, he'll stay in the UFC.
The promotion for the next UFC PPV backs up this statement. Though the card for UFC 73 is loaded with talent, including champions Anderson Silva and Sean Sherk, Tito Ortiz is the face on the advertisements. Ortiz is scheduled to fight Rashad Evans in what could be a title elimination fight. Yet whether Ortiz remains among the division's elite, or slips down below the title contenders, he will continue to be a big draw for whatever organization he fights in. White has stated that he has yet to begin contract negotiations with Ortiz, who will have 2 fights remaining on his current contract.
Shogun to debut at UFC 76; White after Fedor According to The Oregonian, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will make his UFC debut this September at UFC 76. Rua, arguably the top rated light heavyweight in the world, will immediately jump into title contention. UFC 76 is scheduled to take place in Anaheim, CA. Elsewhere in the article, UFC President Dana White reiterated that the organization is close to signing Fedor Emelianenko. Sources:The Oregonian
Sokoudjou to EliteXC? Sherdog has reported that Remeau Thierry Sokoudjou signed a four fight contract with Showtime's EliteXC. However, in the same article it says that Sokoudjou's camp had received the contract offer, but had not yet signed. So maybe this isn't a done deal. Sokoudjou is one of MMA's hottest prospects. The 23-year-old has upsets over Ricardo Arona and Rogerio Nogueria to his name.
Hughes v. Serra to take place in December? The date for Matt Serra's first welterweight title defense is apparently harder to predict than Serra's upset title win. First it would be after the conclusion of TUF6. Then it was this November in New Jersey. But, according to a post credited to Matt Hughes on his official forum, the fight will take place this New Year's Eve. While I'm always somewhat suspect of fighters posting on messageboards, this seems like fairly credible information. I had no idea how popular Matt's messageboard was…
While no major upsets occurred, the TUF finale has to go down as one of the more bizarre nights in UFC's still brief history on Spike TV. A goldenboy was almost upset, two fights were marred by self-inflicted injuries, and we saw both a newly dedicated BJ Penn and the same old dickish BJ Penn. Here are some thoughts from the show.
BJ Penn v. Jens Pulver:
I don't think anyone truly thought Jens Pulver remains in the same league as BJ Penn. The only mystery coming into the fight was whether Penn would show up in good condition. Once I heard he was within 4lbs of making weight a week before the fight, I figured he would roll through Pulver. And that he did. From the opening bell Penn was the aggressor. He looked much larger than Pulver (who had difficulty even getting up to 155lbs) and landed much harder strikes. I thought the fight was over when Penn appeared to lock in the arm bar. For a second, I think we all feared he was actually going to break Pulver's left shoulder. Some have said Penn intentionally let it go. I don't think that's the case, Penn just ended up in an awkward position and lost it while trying to cinch it in.
However, I do think Penn wasn't looking for a quick victory. It really did look like he was trying to inflict punishment on Pulver, to prove that he was above his opponent. Penn landed some nasty elbows from the bottom instead of going right for the triangle. Later, when Penn had taken Pulver's back in Rd2, Joe Rogan remarked how Pulver was giving up the arm. Penn ignored it, choosing instead to rain down punches to Pulver's head. Ultimately, he locked in the beautiful choke (how crazy was the leg control of Pulver's arm?) and did just what BJ Penn fans expected of him.
So where will the two men go now? Pulver will move down to 145 and enter the WEC. I have to echo the thoughts of my fellow 411 writer Lotfi Sariahmed and wonder what exactly Pulver will accomplish. While there are a few intriguing match-ups in that division, I think Pulver will have big problems even at that weight. Urijah Faber will dominate Jens Pulver just as effectively as BJ Penn did.
As for Penn, I don't mind that he's already planning a move back up to 170. Penn needs a goal to be motivated. If his heart isn't in the challenges at 155, then he won't prepare and he might as well not compete. With a couple losses at 170 to avenge, hopefully Penn rededicates himself to dominating the class. Look at the potential match-ups in the division. I would love to see Penn take on any of the top competitors, especially Sanchez, Parisyan and Fitch. I'm a huge Penn fan and I would love to see him earn another shot at both GSP and Matt Hughes. Like many, I think Penn would have won both fights had he just put in a little more effort (ok, a lot more effort). Here's hoping we won't have to make excuses for him anymore
Nathan Diaz v. Manny Gamburyan:
What's to say? It's a shame an injury decided such an important fight, but this is just the reason why Manny Gamburyan hasn't succeeded earlier. If you can't stay healthy, you can't achieve much. Ask David Terrell, who's also planning a UFC comeback. I also don't want to hear about how "Manny definitely would have won" was it not for the injury. You can never assume what will happen in a fight like that, especially because Diaz tends to look overwhelmed before finding a submission and grabbing the victory. He did it to both Cory Hill and Gray Maynard on the show. He might have caught Gamburyan eventually. Joe Lauzon v. Brandon Melendez
: Another good win for Lauzon. If he's able to make the move to Hawaii and train with BJ Penn, watch out. The sky is the limit. Gray Maynard v. Rob Emerson
: What is it with the UFC and unconventional endings to fights? I don't have a problem with the call. While Emerson clearly tapped, I don't think you can award the fight to Maynard. He was unconscious the moment his head hit the mat, which was before the tap. If Emerson had just held on another 4 seconds, he might have won. I have to disagree with those comparing the fight to the historic Hughes v. Newton finish. That was a case of both fighters finishing the other simultaneously. I'm a big Matt Hughes fan, but he was clearly choked unconscious by his opponent. Neither man should have been awarded the victory. I still can't believe that wasn't ruled a draw. In this case, Maynard did the damage to himself, and the ruling was correct. Roger Huerta v. Doug Evans: Since the fight, Huerta has admitted that the attention from the SI cover and the short notice for the fight hindered his training. I'm glad he takes responsibility for his actions. However, I think this was a case of Evans being much better than we expected rather than Huerta looking past his opponent. It's hard to tell which newcomers the UFC brings in are legitimate contenders and which are fodder. Much like Anthony Johnson from the last Fight Night Live card, Evans is likely much better than we originally thought. Credit Huerta for surviving the initial onslaught and finishing his opponent. It's something the likes of Chad Reiner and Keith Jardine weren't able to do.
Frank Shamrock
Just a quick note about Frank Shamrock's victory in EliteXC. First, I want to give credit to Shamrock for scoring the decisive victory over Phil Baroni. It's something I didn't think he'd be able to do. However, I wasn't wowed by his performance and I don't think this is the start of some Indian Summer where Shamrock returns to his former level of ability. I think Baroni is a good fighter. He's not great, but he's been in there with some of the best in the world at 185. However, that was not the same Phil Baroni we're used to seeing. I don't know what the problem was. Maybe Baroni was injured, maybe he psyched himself out with all the hype. I haven't heard any excuses from Baroni and I doubt we will. But something was off, and he didn't take the fight to Shamrock like I expected. In fact, I don't think he would have made it out of the first round were it not for the stoppage after the illegal punch.
Shamrock looked good, but not great. Shamrock didn't use effective combinations, his takedown defense was still lacking, and all the showmanship during the fight (like miming taking a nap) just confirmed how arrogant and disrespectful Shamrock is. We're not going to see him take on any Top 10 middleweights so we won't really know how good he is. It's good for EliteXC that Shamrock won. There are still lots of old school fans who want to see Shamrock hang with the new, well-rounded MMA competitors.
Clearly, what Shamrock is interested in is money. He won't find UFC money in the EliteXC, and we'll never see him in the UFC again. Here's an interesting thought though. Say Tito Ortiz looses to Rashad Evans in a few weeks. Say he finishes out his UFC contract knowing he'll never get another try at the belt. Say he signs with the EliteXC in search of a big paycheck. Will we ever see a rematch between Ortiz and Shamrock?
CONCLUSION
All right, that's it for this edition. Next week we'll preview the card for UFC 73 as well as all the usual stuff. Have a good one people.
