411 MMA Smacktalk 07.30.07: Duck Duck Sheep
Posted by Damian Sarcuni on 07.30.2007
Sometimes, you can't believe everything you read.
Welcome to Smacktalk, the weekly news report that shows MMA news and rumors from point of view of the keyboard bad asses. I am Damian Sarcuni and thanks to the power of the internet, Jose Chavez is joining me this week.
During a nice solid news week the format is always the same. They Say is the news item reported, You Say are comments and feedback from around the net, and We Say is our opinions on each topic. Let's begin.
They say
In a recent interview with sherdog.com, Vadim Finkelstein, manager for Pride Heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, stated that he was not happy with the way his team was treated by Bodog Fight. He also stated that the UFC was rigid in its negotiations and that if they did not budge, Fedor would sign with another organization. At this rate, we may not see Fedor Emelianenko fight in the United States any time soon.
You say
Fedor not signing with the UFC, meh, worse things have happened before. I don't care. The UFC has signed a ton of Pride talent and they are constantly bringing in new fighters. One top fighter not signing isn't the end of the world. - dredd57, sherdog.net
I think Finkelstein sounds like a really smart man. The bottom line is that Fedor has other values besides money. I really like the fact that they really negotiate instead of just blindly taking the offer with the most cash. I don't think the interview made Finkelstein seem difficult. Rather it seems like the UFC acts exactly like they see themselves, i.e. as a monopoly. - larf, forums.mmaweekly.com
We say
Damian: With due respect to both sides, this is really a bunch of needless whining. I'm sure the UFC would like nothing more than to throw a couple hundred thousand dollars at Fedor and have the number one fighter in the world in their pocket, and at the same time I'm sure Fedor's people would love to get a stranglehold on the exploding Russian MMA circuit. Neither of these things is going to happen though, and its time for both sides to pony up and start making some concessions. Fedor will be just fine without the UFC and vice versa, but both sides will be better off working with each other and they know that.
Jose: It's probably going to take awhile, but eventually you will see Fedor with Zuffa. I believe his status as worlds greatest fighter can only be tested there, and the demand for him is infinite. I just wish we could see him remain active before he makes his decision.
They say
Certain websites have been reporting that Chuck Liddell was recently given a choice of which opponent to face in his next UFC fight. These sites claim that Liddell passed up possible opponents such as Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Kazuhiro Nakamura, and Lyoto Machida, choosing instead to face the far less popular Keith Jardine.
You say
If that site is going to steal stories Dave Meltzer wrote about a week and a half ago without credit and with horrible grammar, the least they could do is not misrepresent what was said. Chuck was not "presented" with those four names. Those are the four names that were considered by UFC. It wasn't like Chuck had the pick of his choice and he took Jardine over Shogun. - Todd, forums.mmaweekly.net
Even if he did pick it, who can blame him. It is a business as well as a sport. The reward for a win over Shogun, Nak, or Machida is not even close to what knocking out Jardine brings. And we all know the risk difference. If I am Liddell, I take Jardine all day, and keep telling the UFC if they want me to fight the top fighters, make sure the average fan is aware of the significance. – PrisonYard, forums.mmaweekly.net
We say
Damian: I specifically included this item because I wanted to make a point about media integrity in MMA. The websites posting this story have provided no credible source for it. This is not news, it is some kid's opinion and yet that kid decided he was going to put that opinion in the news column of his website in big bold letters to attract more hits. As the MMA world continues to grow, please do not fall for this needless sensationalism. Anyone out there can tell you where the credible sources are, and I'm proud to put 411mania among them. These over hyping wannabes can go stick it.
Jose: Even if its true, I do not see what the big deal is. Liddell is coming off a loss, and Jardine is hardly a pushover even if he lost quickly in his last fight. So did Liddell! I wouldn't say Machida would be ready for a fight with the former champion just yet. I'd like to see him beat someone in the top 10 before he fights Liddell.
They say
mmaweekly.com has reported that Mark Coleman is looking to return to the UFC in the near feature, with two fights still left on his Pride contract (which Zuffa Inc. purchased).
You say
He could make a mess if he had a good night.....look at what McCully did.....Hell, let him fight McCully or Mir. Honestly, though, he'll never really compete with the top 5 IMO, so he should hang it up and become one of the top trainers. - DonFrye, forums.mmanewsy.com
The guy is fighting more than half his life can't blame him,he has more fight in him,i'm alway entertained when he fights. coleman is the man - pezz, forums.mmanews.com
We say
Damian: Coleman is one of the most entertaining wrestlers in the MMA ring today if nothing else. His Olympic past and marketable attitude lend credibility to the MMA sport. If anything I want to see him get in the UFC just to find out if he can take Tim Sylvia down. There's still a lot of potential for this guy and who knows, maybe we'll even get to see him do a little standup before he retires. I can see no reason for the hammer to hang it up just yet.
Jose: Everytime Mark Coleman is fighting, its interesting. The perennial underdog, Mark has always been thrown to the wolves after losing the bid to become Pride HW champion to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Some of his performances have been strong. His first fight with Fedor showed him manhandling the champion for most of their action packed 3 minute bout. This has led many to believe he always has a chance against anyone. Although his cardio and the lack of four point attacks will severely limit him, I for one cannot wait to see "The Hammer" in the UFC. If he can get any of his opponents on the ground they could be in a world of trouble. Here's hoping the UFC won't throw him in there with Nog in his first bout, which would be a pretty useless waste of good talent. He just needs the right opponent.
They say
The fight network is reporting that Mirko Crocop is now training with international heavyweight Ricco Rodriguez. Crocop has asked Ricco to teach him some of the finer points of fighting in a cage, such as getting out from the bottom and ground and pound techniques in preparation for his upcoming fight with Cheick Kongo at UFC 75. There are also reports that Crocop has been traveling to Holland to refine his striking game as well.
You say
Jesus Christ! Cro Cop is bringing in the entire MMA world. First GnP, now he is learning Muay Thai. Cro Cop is going for broke. I won't be surprised if he gets a 2nd BJJ person in his gym other than Fabricio – Ramma, forums.mmanews.com
We say
Damian: Ehhhh is Ricco really the best choice here? I guess there's no better person to have laying on you in the cage for training purposes, but he's not exactly the cutting edge fighter I would have working with Crocop. Regardless, this is a good start for the Croat and it is nice to know he wants to evolve his game. The question in the back of everyone's mind now is "will it be enough?" Will Crocop flush out his game enough to wear he isn't in a constant danger on the ground or in a cage? The answer depends on the man's attitude and will, and that will make it all the more interesting to watch.
Jose: Well, it's a good sign for sure, but Mirko really needs to be more offensive on the ground. Werdum may have shown him how to survive better and he has shown improvement(his GNP on Barnett and Yoshida looked pretty impressive). The one thing we haven't seen him do is go for a takedown. Kongo is just asking to get taken down. We've seen fighters who really don't have much other than takedowns totally stifle Cheik Kongo. I think Crocop would surprise a lot of fighters if he worked on this aspect.
And we're out. Stay tuned to 411 all this week for in depth coverage of the IFL semi-finals courtesy of myself, Jose, and 411's own Lotfi Sariahmed, and much more from the rest of the team all week! Thanks for reading.
