Punch Drunk Hangover 10.29.07: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charles Bennett!
Posted by Bren Oliver on 10.29.2007
Monday has arrived and with it comes the Punch Drunk Hangover, your quick reference guide to news related highlights from the past week coupled with unfiltered opinions from Bren Oliver - the taller, hairier, more-masculine Katie Couric of 411Mania's MMA Zone. Read ahead for my thoughts on the Couture/UFC dueling press conferences, the bankroll dished out at UFC 77, Fedor's contract announcement, and why signing Brock Lesnar may turn out to be a Heavyweight-sized mistake.
Amazingly enough we've reached the tail-end of October which means Halloween is only a few days away. I imagine I wasn't the only one this weekend who was celebrating Olde Hallow's Eve a few days early while partaking in a few sixteen ounce cups full of pumpkin juice. This week's Punch Drunk Hangover promises to be full of both tricks and treats, as so often the world of Mixed Martial Arts news is, but before getting into the sugary goodness of PDH I want to take a second to address something in order to avoid any future speculation on the matter. I want to explain the situation for anyone who has noticed my material being white-washed from the 411Mania News Archives. Long story short, I'm admittedly new to the world of "journalism", and I misunderstood exactly what rights crediting a source entailed an individual to. Apparently it's a no-no to directly copy another outlet's work even if their name/company is attached to the information and it's not claimed as your own. It was a mistake I won't make again and I apologize to all affected parties.
Moving forward, I wanted to talk a bit about the UFC's attempt to turn Brock Lesnar into their promotion's "Next Big Thing". I believe Lesnar should have a fair amount of success in the Octagon. Fighters with a wrestling base, especially one with Brock's pedigree, often do better in MMA than those coming from a pure Jiujitsu, Boxing, or Muay Thai background. Wrestling allows the individual an opportunity to take his opponent down. Mark Coleman introduced the world to "ground and pound" and the rest was history. Men like Tito Ortiz, Matt Hamill, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, "Rampage" Jackson, and others have succeeded at Mixed Martial Arts primarily because of their wrestling ability. However, I think an unfair amount of expectations are heaped on Lesnar's broad shoulders, and I sincerely believe there's a very real possibility signing him to a contract might eventually result in more bad than good.
I have two primary concerns relating to Lesnar's future, the first of which has to do with his ability to sustain a career in MMA. Even the greatest wrestlers struggled in the beginning. It takes years of training in multiple disciplines to have a polished enough game to compete with the world's top fighters. Lesnar has a lot of catching-up to do. He may take his opponents down with ease because of his wrestling background, but how good is his defense? Can he avoid getting locked into an Arm Bar or Triangle Choke? Will he be composed enough to back out of a guard instead of hastily going in for the kill? Does he know how to avoid taking a knee when shooting in? These intricate, important aspects to MMA don't develop over night. For most individuals they don't develop over years and years. Lesnar will be fighting against men who are younger than him and who have been training Mixed Martial Arts for a longer period of time. Another aspect to how successful his career will be has to do with his drive to compete if he loses a bout. Lesnar has quit football and professional wrestling. It's his life, and his prerogative, but it's very possible his desire to compete in MMA might follow the same route. I seem to remember him taking football very seriously when giving it a go.
The second concern I have about the UFC signing Lesnar is the actual breakdown of his contract. We won't know how much he's making per showing until the end of February. This is an important point because I guarantee the figure will send a message to other fighters. What if Lesnar is making comperable to Randy Couture's salary? Will a 1-0 former WWE Superstar doubling the income of fighters who have actually proven themselves in the Octagon rub people the wrong way? The last thing the UFC needs is more fighters to go the way of "The Natural".
That's my three cents. Feel free to toss a few coins of your own in my direction by contacting the email address at the bottom of this column. Now on to my humble opinion on a variety of subjects rearing their ugly heads over the past seven days. File your final TPS report, check your Fantasy Football score one last time, and settle into your cubicle - here comes this week's Punch Drunk Hangover...
The following medley of items were reported between October 22nd, 2007 and October 28th, 2007:
Rich Franklin is scheduled to undergo surgery today for a broken nose suffered in his fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 77 on Saturday.
Rich Franklin's doctor should send Anderson Silva a "Thank You" card or, in the spirit of Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) from "The Office", a nice gift basket. The UFC Middleweight has certainly made the medical practitioner a fair bit of cash over the past twelve months. At least Rich's beak wasn't as bad as the fault-line "The Spider" turned it into in their first encounter. It will be interesting to see Franklin when he returns, as being dominated twice by his division's champion may have forever altered his mental state. We already know Silva has permanantly changed Franklin's physical state circa schnozz-area.
Rich Franklin's publicity manager stated the following in the latest issue of the Cincinnati Enquirer:
"There will be more fights coming. This won't be his last fight in the UFC, that's for sure…. He has been knocked down off the top of the ladder but he'll work his way back up. He'll recover. You'll see a lot more of Rich in the future, that's for sure."
Um, isn't a publicity manager's job to...you know...promote his/her client? Of course this individual is going to say Rich Franklin will be back, badder and better than ever before. When "Ace" makes a public statement through UFC pertaining to his future is when I'll believe for sure he's going to fight again. I believe Franklin would be well-served by a lengthy layoff where he can fill Couture's role as a spokesperson, plus step into the booth every now and then, while the Middleweight division sorts itself out. He's intelligent, has a face that plays well for television, and obviously has some insight into fighting and what it's like to be UFC Champion. I don't doubt at all Rich might take a year off and then attempt a comeback.
M-1 held a press conference today in New York to discuss details on their new promotion:
- They will allow their fighters, including Fedor, to work for other promotions such as UFC. They believe that MMA is headed to open doors between promotions.
Riiiight....I am sure M-1 would allow UFC to contract Fedor out for a few fights. Actually, I don't doubt the organization would, but I guarantee they'd request a huge cut of the PPV's revenue or expect some sort of contractual exchange in return. Dana White isn't going to bite on any sort of partnership with an organization unless Zuffa is purchasing it or the UFC is significantly benefitting from the deal.
- M-1 offered the "UFC Champion" (Randy Couture) $1 million more than what he was earning for a fight with Fedor.
This statement might actually offer some insight into the fallout between the still-Heavyweight Champion and the UFC. Hypothetically, let's say someone in the M-1 office contacted Randy Couture's representatives and stated they'd give him a million dollars on top of his current per-fight salary (plus whatever other revenue percentages he was earning). That could have been enough to plant the seed eventually sprouting into Couture's leaving the company. There was already past tension between the sides which the agent could have built on. What rational person in Randy's position wouldn't listen when someone approaches and says, "This company signing Fedor will give you the million, plus they told me the UFC was offering Emelianenko more as a signing bonus than you make per fight..."?
- M-1 is planning three shows outside of the U.S. in 2008.
And how many are they planning inside the borders of the United States? It seems pretty obvious at least one of the shows will take place in Russia, though I wouldn't be surprised if two M-1 cards emenate from the land of the Kremlin. Can you imagine the scene if the easily-asscoiated "Rocky IV" scenario between Couture and Fedor comes to fruition and it actually takes place from Moscow!?!? The undercard could involve two vodka vendors, Fedor's fifth cousin, and a drunken dancing bear in a ballerina outfit and I would still be throwing my PPV bucks down on the table.
- They said that everything was put together in the last ten weeks after Fedor's camp was upset with UFC's offer.
M-1 did in ten weeks what the UFC, the place supposedly featuring the world's best fighters, could not do in ten months. There is a difference between good business sense and egocentric hard-headedness. This situation with Fedor is a prime example.
- M-1 states they are as big in Europe as UFC is in the U.S.
Which is why they've more or less never been heard of prior to signing Fedor? My understanding is "Cage Rage" is the only MMA promotion in Europe rivaling the popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Perhaps neither organization tests well in the Ukraine?
- They said that UFC doesn't treat their fighters well and that UFC isn't global.
I don't entirely disagree with this statement. The Octagon may be recognized around the world, but I don't think Dana and company will truly be "global" until we see modern events in places like Japan, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Canada. It's hard for me to be too critical of the UFC's payout structure to fighters, an issue many people raise with the company's treatment of those who compete in the cage, because we're typically limited to the athletic commission's report as opposed to the total amount of money a fighter earns. I don't necessarily think curtain jerking fighters are taking home part of the live gate or get bonuses based on PPV buys, but I guarantee the possibility is there for those who are successful enough in the Octagon.
- It was stated the plan is for Fedor to fight in the U.S. in February.
I won't be surprised if this event takes place on the same weekend Brock Lesnar is rumored to be debuting for the UFC. It looks like that Sunday's Superbowl may not be the only event featuring a clash between Heavyweights. Be prepared for Dana to stack that card to try and draw money away from M-1's event.
UFC.com has confirmed that Chuck Liddell will be fighting Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79: "Nemesis" on December 29, 2007.
There will be some out there who don't believe this fight will actually happen until both men step into the Octagon and the cage-door closes. I've said before I don't like this pairing (currently) in terms of a career move for either fighter, but I think without a doubt the fans will be treated to one hell of a real life Rock 'Em-Sock 'Em Robot throwdown. It's a lose-lose for Liddell and Silva outside of the nice paycheck each man will take home. I won't elaborate too much, as I've talked about it before and will no doubt mention it again as UFC 79 grows closer, but essentially this creates a situation where one man will be 0-3 in his last three fights and the other will have only won over a man on an 0-3 streak.
When it comes to the actual fight I think the bout favors Wanderlei Silva. He has had time to rest, transition into the United States, and heal up from his losses to Dan Henderson and Cro Cop. Liddell is coming off two losses, one of which came to a guy (Jardine) who he should have beaten. It's hard to fault Silva for losing to Mirko or "Hendo", especially given he'd just come off the brutal knockout loss to the Heavyweight Croatian.
UFC 77 Payouts:
Tim Sylvia: $200,000
Anderson Silva: $120,000
Brandon Vera: $100,000
Rich Franklin: $45,000
Something looks wrong when Rich Franklin isn't making half of what Brandon Vera takes home, though I wouldn't be surprised if there's some under-the-table money Dana White provides to the former UFC Middleweight Champion. The event was in Cincinatti and Franklin was no doubt a huge draw to fans in attendance. Anderson Silva wouldn't have even made Vera's salary without the devestating finish of Franklin. However, people need to keep in mind these fighters sign contracts, and whereas Franklin has been signed for awhile and Silva is still on his pre-title paperwork, Vera recently finished his new deal with the UFC. It's completely normal for an athlete whose ink is still fresh to make more than a veteran who is still on an older deal.
MMAWeekly is reporting that Dean Lister (9-5) is set to take on Jordan Radev (11-2) at UFC 79 on December 29th in Las Vegas.
I always enjoy watching Lister fight even if his style isn't what many would consider to be exciting. I don't think he'll have too much trouble submitting, or at least eeking out a decision, against Radev. The Bulgarian's only other Octagon appearance to date featured him getting decimated by Drew McFedries in thirty seconds last June at Fight Night 10.
Strikeforce just sent out a correction stating the November 16 tournament featuring Trevor Prangley, Falaniko Vitale, Yuki Sasaki, and Jorge Santiago will in fact consist of two, five minute rounds, not the initially stated two minute rounds. The 11/16 event is scheduled to also feature Paul Buentello vs. Alistair Overeem for the organization's Heavyweight Championship as well as San Shou sensation Cung Le in action.
Strikeforce looks to be putting on another decent card. I like the tournament idea. The competition looks to be relatively even so it's hard to say there's a favorite. I will personally be rooting for Jorge Santiago. I had a chance to talk with him backstage after he'd defeated Jeremy Horn at "Art of War 3" and he was a very nice guy. Buentello vs. Overeem should be fun without a knockout nearly guaranteed given both men's styles and Cung Le is always worth watching. There may not be a more entertaining fighter in MMA.
There has been a great deal of concern about the use of street drugs and anabolic/masking agents when it comes to athletic competitions and Mixed Martial Arts is no different. The California State Athletic Commission released information to 411Mania today documenting the CSAC Drug Violations from 3/30/07 to 9/30/07 (half-way into their first year of introducing more rigorous testing). In the words of a CSAC official the results were "very scary".
- While twenty more boxing events were tested (56 to 36), 33 of 43 the total violations were related to Mixed Martial Arts (eight from boxing and two from kickboxing events)
I can't imagine the numbers would be too different if every athletic commission tested as stringently as the CSAC. I'm not surprised drug use is more frequently found in MMA than boxing. It's a newer, less regulated sport where cards can often be found taking place in the middle of a bar or club. For every fighter who lives healthy and trains as hard as any world class athlete there are two or three who live somewhat of a "rock star" lifestyle. The most disappointing part of this statistic to me is the percentage of violations being so high in Mixed Martial Arts when compared to there being 1/3 more boxing cards taking place.
- Thirteen total violations were related to anabolic/masking agents while twenty-eight of the violations were from "drugs of abuse" such as cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, etc.
Street drugs are cheap and fun to party with. Steroids are more expensive and can shrink your testicles. A violation for a street drug draws a fine and 4-6 month suspension. Anabolic agents are a mandatory yearlong suspension. A lot of these guys live check-to-check. Is it any surprise there are almost twice the "drugs of abuse" violations?
- One violation relates to an athlete who refused to test
Culprit, thy name is Johnnie Morton.
- One violation relates to an athlete who altered the test kit with tap water (confirmed by a lab)
"Uh no commissioner, I never cheated. I just drank a few extra AquaFinas that day..."
- Twenty-four of thirty "drugs of abuse" results were related to athletes testing positive for marijuana
So essentially four out of every five positive "drugs of abuse" results relates to marijuana. It still amuses me how much of an outcry about steroids there was a few months ago, yet you still hear very little chatter when it comes to the problem of Mixed Martial Mary Jane. Pot is more accepted in our culture than steroids, and perhaps we're more understanding of fighters needing to numb the pain or deal with anxiety, but at the end of the day it's still against the rules (and law).
- Five of thirteen "anabolic/masking agents" violations showed multiple steroids in a single violation
The answer is two-fold for those wondering why fighters would use multiple types of steroids instead of limiting their intake to one specific type. Firstly, the suspension received only applies to the violation and not number of anabolic/masking agents found in the offender's system. Secondly, steroid use by athletes is often "stacked", a process where the individual believes different types of steroids work together to produce greater effects than each drug taken on its own.
Spike TV sent out a press release highlighting the newly extended television deal with the UFC. Besides an extention of The Ultimate Fighter into a 12th season, a new telelvision show will debut featuring live, weekly fights.
It's good to hear we can expect more seasons of the Ultimate Fighter on Spike, though I'd love it if the network would upgrade to an HD signal on regular cable systems. TUF has been a great tool to introduce fighters to the public, as well as show the sport in a (usually) positive light. I'd like to see them come up with a more productive way to address the free time which tends to turn into house-wrecking and binge drinking. I'd like to see team competitions brought back as the show had during the first two seasons. The Stevenson/Whitehead "Scarecrow" challenge will always stand out to me as a defining moment on TUF.
I, of course, love the idea of a weekly show with live fights. I'll be interested to see the format. It's quite an undertaking to put on an event, even a small one, every seven days. I'd be happy with a monthly show featuring lesser known guys similar to what EliteXC does with ShoXC.
Randy Couture held a press conference today, speaking out about why he quit the UFC. Here are some notes from the press conference:
On the UFC & Zuffa - "I've had issues with Zuffa and the company since they bought it. (We) got off on the wrong foot over the ancillary rights in my contract and signing away my name and image, which then led to the video game and having myself pulled out of the video game, pulled out of the ad campaigns with Carmen Electra and all those things. Because I wasn't willing to just sign those things away like most fighters had done to date at that point, I think that immediately put me on the outs with the manager, with Dana and the people that own the company."
I would be upset too if I was pulled off a campaign with Carmen Electra. On a serious note, I never realized there were still unresolved feelings stemming so far back. Couture always seemed like such a happy-go-lucky guy on every broadcast.
On the contract/money situation - Couture confirmed that during his fight with Gabriel Gonzaga he earned a base salary of $250,000 (PPV bonuses unpaid). In his fights with Tim Sylvia & Chuck Liddell, Couture "amounted about $500,000". He mentions he was set to make $750,000 per fight on his current contract.
I don't think Couture's value truly skyrocketed until after his retirement. His accolades prior to the announcement after his third fight against Liddell go without saying. That being said, a lot of the things he'd done occurred prior to the UFC's explosion in popularity. The public was just beginning their love affair with the multiple-time champion when he hung up his gloves. Post-retirement his exposure in the UFC continued to grow as did fans' adulation. Onlookers couldn't help but like Randy and appreciate his commentary. Diehard fans couldn't help but remember his one-time greatness. When he finally came back against Sylvia his stock had since skyrocketed. He won the championship and at that exact moment Dana White should have found a way to do anything it took to make Couture happy. Randy's iconic status was cemented in his victory of Sylvia - not as a mere icon of the UFC but the lone icon in MMA.
On Fedor Emelianenenko - Couture mentioned that Fedor was offered more money as a signing bonus than Couture ever received in an actual fight. Randy Couture made mention of the fact that before he came back to fight Tim Sylvia for the UFC Heavyweight Title, BoDog Fights offered him $3 million to fight Fedor Emelianenko. Couture mentioned that was the most amount of money he has ever been offered for a fight.
I wish Randy would have elaborated as to the reasons he turned down BoDog's deal. If the current "War of the Roses" between Couture and Dana White has so much to do with the UFC's inability to sign Fedor, plus the money being offered, then why pass on the opportunity to fight Emelianenko for that amount of cash?
Last Wednesday's edition of The Ultimate Fighter scored a 1.2 cable rating. That improves upon last week's 1.15. The show was also up against game one of the World Series.
It's good to hear the rating went up, albeit ever so slightly, against the World Series. Ratings mean a lot to television executives. Drawing consistently, especially against something so significant, is the kind of thing possibly one day ushering in a day of MMA on network television.
Joachim Hansen announced recently that he has signed with Shooto, a Japanese MMA organization. Hansen announced that he will be fighting Eiji Mitsuoka on November 8, 2007 at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gym in Tokyo, Japan. Hansen also announced that he recently turned down a contract offer from the UFC.
I have a feeling money had something to do with Hansen turning down the UFC's offer. I believe a large aspect to Zuffa's business rationale when it comes to signing folks is, "He's never done anything in the Octagon so he must not be that good." Joachim Hansen is every bit "that good". He would have been a great addition to the UFC's roster. Chalk it up as another blown opportunity to sign a ranked fighter.
Rumors have surfaced that Jeff Monson may be Fedor's first opponent in M-1. The former UFC Heavyweight Contender confirmed the possibility in a recent interview with Sherdog.
Color me unimpressed. Jeff Monson was dismantled by Pedro Rizzo in his last fight. I'm supposed to buy him as a legitimate threat to Fedor's legend? I like seeing "The Snowman" compete, and wouldn't mind seeing this bout take place, but I don't see how Emelianenko benefits from the fight. It certainly won't re-solidify his reputation in my book. I guess I should just be happy Monson is actually a Heavyweight...
After Javier Vazquez (11-2) defeated JC Pennington with a rear naked choke in Round 1 of ShowXC's Elite Challenger Series III, Vazquez announced his retirement from MMA. Vazquez said the reason he is retiring is he wants to spend more time with his family and concentrate on coaching. He also made mention that MMA had become too much of a job.
Good for Vazquez! Submitting an opponent at a SHOXC event and then announcing your retirement from MMA is the equivalent of hitting a game-winning homerun for the Toledo Mudhens before packing up your cleats and calling it a Minor League career. I'm happy for Vazquez and respect the fact he wants to focus on spending time with his family. Best of luck "Showtime"! The world won't be the same without your pink cowboy hat and matching robe!
The following information relates to the UFC's conference call on 10/25...
Dana White:
- White confirmed that they did not reach a deal with HBO. There will me 6 seasons of TUF upcoming and a new live fight show that is being worked on. Ultimate Fight Nights will be moved around geographically. Dana said he has no regrets about the HBO deal because both sides were trying to protect their brands. He feels they will still have a deal someday. The Ultimate Fighter has exceeded expectations. The two most important reality shows are American Idol and The Ultimate Fighter. You can watch TUF winners and American Idol winners and follow them through their careers. Dana and the people at Spike TV have talked about keeping the show fresh and changing up the format a lot.
Good news about the Fight Night locations being moved around. I'm interested to see how the format might change. I'd like to see an "All Star" competition with fighters who were on earlier TUF installments but didn't find success in the Octagon outside of their season. I think Dana White forgot to mention "The Real World" as one of the most important reality shows. I know I've certainly followed some of the female's Playboy-modeling careers after the cameras shut down...
- White will not declare the UFC heavyweight title vacant until Randy Couture declares his retirement face to face. He believes they will work it out, Couture IS the champion. Dana left Couture a message while Randy was in South Africa. "He's pissed at me and I'm going to give him time to cool down." White said he has nothing but respect for Randy Couture and that the people at the Pro Elite organization are media whores who will do anything to get people to click on their web site. Couture never said he is going anywhere else, so Dana is confident they will make up soon. Dana said "Part of me is surprised but I'm not surprised because I've dealt with his agent. He's with a bottom feeder agency. It's Hollywood bullshit. I've dealt with it before."
I can't help but smile at the "face to face" comment. I like that White feels the sides could still work out their differences but calling Couture's representation bottom-feeders isn't probably the best first step to ironing things out. It may be true, but nothing positive is going to come of this situation unless both sides are ready to make some concessions.
- Asked about a potential deal with ESPN, Dana said they have been good to the UFC as far as coverage, but they won't look for cable deals with anyone. They're with Spike but they are not stopping the UFC's growth or locking it down.
I was hoping to possibly see the UFC work something out with ESPN, where perhaps the new show White mentioned earlier in the press conference would find a home, but I'm not surprised the two companies didn't finalize anything.
- Dana said Andrei Arlovski hasn't been forgotten but he's on the bench right now. They want to get him back in the mix but they have 250 fighters under contract. "I'll fly out to Chicago tomorrow to talk to Arlovski [if he wants to meet]."
MMA isn't basketball, football, soccer, or baseball. It's an individual sport. There is no "bench". Andre Arlovski is not part of a team. He is the company's contracted employee. I think the "250 fighters" comment is garbage. There aren't two hundred fighters in the Heavyweight division. Andrei Arlovski is one of the world's best Heavyweights. He defeated Werdum, regardless of how tentative he was, and was very close to finishing Tim Sylvia in their first rematch. With Randy Couture's future in a funk this is perfect time to push a fan-favorite like Arlovski.
- Ticket sales for UFC 78 are fantastic and are going to sell out. The card is stacked with talent.
What, no "Bisping vs. Evans is a great main event" comment? This could be an unprecedented showing of Dana struggling to BS the public...
- Asked about M-1, Dana said he's seen more companies come in and out over the last 8 years, and there's no difference now. M-1 doesn't know what they are doing. "It's a half-ass compliment, we make it look easy. The IFL came in, went public, they are on their way out. A lot of cash will be burned in the next few years."
He's right. A lot of MMA organizations will definitely burn up cash trying to grab hold of the MMA money train. Remember what a big deal it was when "Rampage" Jackson signed with the WFA instead of the UFC? How long did that last?
- Brock Lesnar's first fight will be Super Bowl Saturday. He's famous for being in the WWE, but fighters had better take him seriously. Guys with good wrestling backgrounds do well in the UFC. They'll bring him in against someone who can test him. People who come into the UFC don't get tomato cans. It was never an idea to bring WWE guys in. They're incredible athletes, but you have to learn too many styles. Lesnar is another story. A lot of people will be interested to see if Lesnar can really fight.
White better be careful about marketing it as taking place on "Super Bowl" Saturday. The NFL is not too fond of people making money off their event and has been known to fine bars having "Super Bowl" parties. Truly he could call it "UFC 82: Tea Party Throwdown" and I'll be tuning in. Consider me part of that group he refers to as being interested to see if Lesnar can "really fight".
- The UFC is where everybody wants to be. Dana said he needs smaller leagues to exist that bring in young talent, that then move up to the UFC.
Everybody wants to be in the UFC...except Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture, Takanori Gomi, Denis Kang, Robbie Lawler, Nick Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, Matt Lindland, Aleks Emelianenko, Mark Hunt, Joachim Hansen, Cung Le, and the list goes on and on.
- The UFC is working on a UK TV deal. Hoping by early 2008 it'll be done and get rid of the 24 fight delay. 4 or 5 shows in the UK next year.
I'm all for continuing to expand into a more-global entity. Let's hope four or five of those UK shows are on Spike TV for free courtesy of a tape delay...
- "Fedor sucks. He's not even top 5. Randy Couture is the number 1 fighter in the world."
...and the collective MMA community laughed, then called Armando Garcia of the CSAC and asked him to test Dana White for drug use.
- Dana started ranting about other organizations and how they have not built up other fighters, they just buy existing ones. He yelled about K-1, B-1, M-1, and said that at the end of the day he is good to his fighters and loves the sport. "You can't live fight by fight. We've built a brand with superstars. When people tune in the UFC, they know they will get good fights."
White has a point about creating a brand with the UFC. It's bigger than any individual which is why Randy Couture can leave but, while it creates problems, it doesn't fold the company. On the other hand, K-1, B-1, and M-1 sound more like vitamins or chemical compounds than fight promotions.
- Forrest Griffin needs shoulder surgery, but he is in line for title shot.
I hope this means the affable Griffin is "Rampage" Jackson's next opponent. I don't know if Forrest necessarily deserves the title shot right now, but the fight will sell a ton of PPV buys on name-value alone and the promotion leading up to the event would be legendary.
- Dana is still working on getting TV deals in Japan.
The UFC definitely needs to venture more heavily into Japan. They robbed the region of PRIDE. The least they can do is find a way to put on an event in the Land of the Rising Sun.
- Asked about Fedor Emelianenko and failing to sign him up, Dana said the deal was never about Fedor, it was about his managers. It fell apart because it was about them, they're full of shit about the numbers, and Vadim is a "fuckin' liar. I don't want him in the UFC." Dana thinks that's what happened with Couture too. "The Couture issue is bigger than money, but we'll see what happens."
Funny how the head of M-1 talks about Vadim as though he's a brilliant visionary while White views him as a puddle of diarrhea. I suppose one man's treasure is another man's corn-laced excrement...
- Dana says steroids are a hot topic now. You lose the ability to make a living for a year if you use. "You've got to be an absolute jackass to use steroids in combat sports."
Let's re-visit this statement after Sean Sherk, White's friend who the UFC President has defended, appeals his suspension for steroids this Wednesday in front of the CSAC.
- Money is always an issue, but we make things right with guys. "I'm never going to screw anyone over. It isn't just a business. We care about these guys. If you aren't having fun and not happy with us, I don't want you with us anyway."
So White wants fighters who aren't happy to leave, yet he's confident he can work something out with Randy Couture? Dana White is truly a master of speaking with both sides of his mouth.
Chuck Liddell:
- After Silva won the title in Pride, Chuck wanted to fight him. He thought it was a great mix of styles. Liddell said, "I want to prove I can KO Silva and get back in title contention."
Sorry Chuck, but you've got to do a lot more than knockout Wandy to legitimately get back in title contention.
- On retirement - "No, I always want to go out there and prove myself."
Even when you're 65? You're more than halfway there Chuck. Maybe not this year, and maybe not next year, but at some point in the near future it's time to say goodbye to the fans. The sport is starting to pass you by.
- Not looking to change his game plan, training isn't the problem, he just lost his timing. Chuck made a few adjustments, nothing spectacular.
When you've been knocked silly by two fighters, one of which is supposed to be far below your skill level, it might be time to at least re-examine your game plan. I don't think he'll need to change it up too much to deal with Wanderlei Silva's style. These guys are going to throw bombs and one of them is going to sleep. Case closed.
- After his last fight Chuck was back in the gym a week later, checking his body. He felt fine.
I thought his trainer said he was back in the Gym the following day? Regardless, I'm impressed he felt fine a week later given the war he went through with Jardine, but I'm glad his recovery has gone well and he came out of the fight without injury. December 29th should be a blast!
Wanderlei Silva:
- For Silva, this is an opportunity to go back to the top; he wants to KO Chuck and get a shot at the belt.
I think Silva would be a legitimate contender if he knocks out Liddell simply because he beat the current LHW champ (Jackson) twice in PRIDE and he would be 1-0 in his UFC reincarnation.
- Andrei Galvo has improved Silva's jiu-jitsu and ground techniques. "Chuck is going to have a problem with me."
For some reason I don't see much jits or ground fighting coming into play when Chuck and Wanderlei step into the cage. I'd say it's more likely we'll be treated to something out of the old Batman television show...
BAM! WHAP! SMACK! CRACK! WHAM!
- "Fighting is fighting but right now I train in the cage. I want to do my best for my fans."
It's good news for Silva fans that he's training in a cage and avoiding Mirko's mistakes.
- "I'm still young and next year I want to get back to the top. The next two may be the best in my career."
I'm glad to hear Silva is in such a positive place mentally and physically. There were very real questions about his future after Dan Henderson left him staring up at the Las Vegas lights last February. I'd definitely like to see him take on Forrest Griffin at some point during his UFC stint.
Brock Lesnar:
- Brock said he is an amateur athlete with pride and dignity; he wants to rise to the occasion of given opportunities.
He seems to have the right attitude about entering the UFC.
- Can anyone outwrestle Brock? "Hopefully not. My wrestling won't carry me to the championship; I need to be well rounded."
This is another positive example his approach to fighting. He understands how important submissions skills, cardio, and solid striking base are when it comes to winning fights. If he can use his strength and wrestling to take opponents down, while also being able to defend himself, Lesnar is going to give a lot of fighters a great deal of trouble.
- Brock mentioned that usually fighters go to the WWE after being pro. He's won one MMA fight "He was a tuna can but whatever." Brock said he wants to prove that he should be taken seriously; "It isn't a joke for me. I'm not setting myself up for defeat."
I like that he acknowledges he hasn't accomplished anything in MMA but is ready to show the world he means business.
- Is Brock pleased to be out of the WWE given the number of wrestler deaths? "Absolutely! I'm still alive!"
Somehow I don't think we'll be seeing a Shooting Star Press off the fencing at any point in the UFC...
- "I'll leave the promoting to the promoters and I'll just do the fighting."
I don't believe this statement for a second. Lesnar has great self-promotional skills and his humility in this comment is no exception. Brock knows how to "talk" and you'll definitely see that as his career unfolds. Find his trash-talk about Tim Sylvia if you doubt it...
- Brock said the UFC was big back in 2000 he would have considered it but he had a six figure contract waiting for me. "I tried wrestling, I didn't like it, and I'm doing what I was put on this earth to do which is to be a fighter."
Hard to blame a 22-23 year old for signing a six-figure deal. Life has a funny way of unfolding.
- Comparing his training now to his previous training, Brock said his training is longer so he can go 15 or 25 minutes in a fight. "It's common sense. In college we trained to go overtime, double and triple overtime. As a fighter, I always train for a 25 minute fight."
Lesnar's ability to go three full rounds, let alone five, has been in question since he first mentioned he was venturing into MMA. He's a muscular guy and a frame like his requires a lot of oxygen to keep going for extended periods of time. Time will tell how good his conditioning actually is.
- Brock said he needs to be well rounded to fight. "I was a good wrestler and I believe I still am." Today Brock weighed in at 276lbs, down from almost 300. There is a loss in muscle mass and the training is different with more conditioning.
I don't doubt Brock's ability to cut weight if need be. One of the advantages wrestlers entering MMA have over other disciplines is their ability to drop pounds because it's such a big part of amateur wrestling competition.
From the Ultimate Fighter VI...
Ben Saunders def. Dan Barrera - Judges' Decision
Dan Barrera is a scary guy and I'm not saying that simply because he's cut from marble, a former soldier, or has a great deal of skill when it comes to fighting. He frightens me in a "Postal Worker Rampage" way. I believe he joked around on the episode about friends/family telling him he needs medication. There's a reason for that. It's because he needs medication.
That being said, Dan seems like a nice guy regardless of how strange his actions might be, and I have to believe his wife's frantic phone call weighed on his mind no matter how much he played it off to others. Ben on the other hand seems more than happy to share his emotions with viewers, as evident by the large grin he wore through the episode's fight. I don't think the judges' decision was as bad as Hughes and Dana White made it out to be. Matt Hughes' antics towards Keith Kizer and the NSAC were childish at best. Barerra may have floored Saunders with a punch but it was the only damage he did in the first round. Beyond the momentary stunning Ben asserted his will throughout the entire fight and picked Dan apart with a variety of strikes.
I look forward to this week's episode. It looks like Matt Hughes should be in prime "jackass" form.
From the 10/28 K-1 Hero's Event...
- Shungo Oyama defeated Carlos Newton, Win via submission
Carlos Newton was said to look like a shell of his former self in his bout. It's a shame his talent-level has taken a dive. Newton appeared to have a ton of potential but was never able to take it to the next level. Having lost six of his last seven fights I'd say it's time for him to call it quits.
- Kim Min-Soo defeated Ikuhisa Minowa, Win via TKO
Fans might remember Min Soo Kim as the guy Brock Lesnar pounded out at K-1 Dynamite. It appeared as though "Punk" Minowa was enjoying a career resurgence after winning six of seven fights but losing to Kim shows he's definitely better off these days facing far lesser competition. I'm still waiting for his fight against a six-armed alien...
- Yoon Dong Sik defeated Fabio Silva, Win via submission
It's nice to see Dong Sik Yoon pull off a three-fight win streak after starting his career 0-4. His fight against Melvin Manhoef at K-1 Dynamite was one of the most memorable contests of 2007. It may not have been a "war of attrition", but the simple fact Yoon held his own against Manhoef's onslaught and ultimately submitted the whirling dervish was a great moment in MMA.
- Zelg Galesic defeated Kin Tai Ei, Win via TKO
This was apparently the one fight that went according to plan. Galesic throws bombs but has relatively poor submission defense. It's no surprise he won the bout via TKO. I'd like to see him on an EliteXC card or essentially anywhere broadcasting from a North American timezone.
- Yoshihiro Akiyama defeated Denis Kang (411mania's 6th rated Middleweight), Win via KO
This result was somewhat surprising as Denis Kang is one of the top 185 fighters in the world. I think it's safe to say Akiyama will be making the next go-round of 411Mania's Middleweight rankings. He is 10-1 and has won his last nine fights (not including a No Contest). For quick reference, Akiyama faced Kazushi Sakuraba in December of 2006 in a bout that went to decision. It was originally scheduled to take place earlier in the year but, as fans may remember, Sakuraba was granted time to recover after a scary situation while training where he vomited blood and fainted (leading to speculation about the condition of his spine/brain). Back to the actual fight and its outcome, Sakuraba complained the Japanese judoka's legs were greased. Eventually video surfaced of Akiyama applying lotion to his skin and the fight was ultimately ruled a "No Contest".
Soundbytes
The following quotes are attributed to some great work from 411Mania's Damien Sarcuni who had the opportunity to speak with PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko, M-1 chairman Mitchell Maxwell, and MMA personalities Frank Trigg and Mauro Renallo (full versions here and here).
Mitchell Maxwell
"I never saw an MMA fight until 10 weeks ago. I was aware of the UFC, I was aware of Spike television, I was aware of the outlets but I never saw an actual fight. I'm not actually a big boxing fan to begin with, though I was interested in Sugar Ray Leonard and Mohammed Ali and those guys, I just never really followed fighting on the B level."
That bodes well for M-1. The guy running it hadn't seen a MMA fight until mid-July of this year. Somehow I doubt he has a "Best of PRIDE" collection at home under review. He's not even a boxing fan. Somewhere Dana White is smiling and furiously muttering the F-word...
"In terms of the fan friendly nature, basically what is presented to the MMA fan right now is a ring or a cage, which is basically like going to Gleason's gym and watching a fight. There's no elegance to the experience, no additional entertainment value to the experience, and there's no theatricality to the experience. We do that very well in my business, and we will be bringing a tremendous amount of theatricality to the evening. So if you wanted to bring your girlfriend, she'll have something to watch. I'm not saying it's going to be Chippendale's, but she'll have something that is in addition to the experience of watching a fight. "
Strike #2 for Mitchell Maxwell. Never, and I mean never, reference Chippendale's in any capacity when talking about a product geared towards the male audience. I'm all for showmanship, but statements like that will have certain MMA fans are wondering if competitors are going to be asked to wear bowties while fighting.
Mauro Renallo
"As you know I work with Showtime in the Pro Elite and Elite XC promotions. I think people would be nuts not to try and follow what Pride did in terms of their production values in Japan and the amount of talent that they were able to assemble. Do I think that anything will ever equal Pride Fighting Championships in terms of the overall production value and the fact that they were able to deliver such high quality talent? I don't know.
I think the organizations now are such that you're going to see so many fragmented rosters we even see now with the UFC. They have certain divisions that are on fire like the lightweight division but now the sudden resignation of Randy Couture and the adding of Brock Lesnar as you mentioned, their heavyweight division is still kind of come si come sa. The middleweight division: who's next for Anderson Silva? It seems the star fighters are going where the money is as they should. It still the sport in its embryonic stage for the most part and the money isn't what boxing is or maybe other professional sports but we're starting to see at the higher tier that fighters are beginning to earn seven figures per fight."
I appreciate what Renallo means to MMA and comments like these affirm my notion of his contribution to the sport. I like his thoughts on the "fragmented" state of certain divisions and the difficulty in providing a true show packed with "high quality talent" from start to finish.
Frank Trigg
"That's one of the things that Pride FC did very well was when they had a guy like Fedor who doesn't talk much; he's very respectful, he just happens to be around. He's the Pillsbury dough boy: his hair is barely combed; he looks like he just woke up from a winter's nap. He goes "Hey I'm gonna rip this guy's arm off" and he rips the guy's arm off, beats him to death with it and goes back and drinks some more honey and you're like "What the hell just happened?!" A guy like that is perfect because he's completely the opposite of what you expect but he's so vicious in the ring. "
I don't have much to offer on this quote from Trigg other than I love the analogy. Fedor knows how to apply a wicked arm-bar so I won't be surprised if one day Emlianenko does in fact rip his opponent's arm off and beats him with it.
"It's a little rough because you expect Rich Franklin to do a lot better, and he did, he got into the second round. Rich's boxing style and athletic style is very difficult and the guy that beats Anderson Silva is going be like a Frank Trigg, Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland, a guy that knows how to wrestle and dirty box, in great cardio shape and doesn't mind being inside, just tough hard nosed guys. A lot of the fighters in today's market, and I think Rich Franklin is one of the guys that falls into it, they don't really like to fight. They want to perform. So after looking at Oscar De La Hoya who likes to perform, he's a sweet science boxing guy, but a Mayweather, Winky Wright, Hatton, these guys go in there and some point go "I'm kind of getting his a little bit and I'm getting beat up a little bit, so I'm going to put my head down, shrug my shoulders, and I'm going to go in there and start banging guys up, try and turn this thing into a fight." You have to do that. You have to get a little bit mean, a little bit tight, and that's what Henderson and Trigg bring to the table is that we're kind of mean.
At some point you beat me up I'm going to turn it into a fight and I'm just going to start swinging for the fences and try to take a guy's eyes out of his socket. A lot of fighters don't do that, so the dynamic of it, is that Silva's untouchable. Well, he's untouchable because you don't have Lindland or Trigg in the UFC, and Henderson doesn't want to drop down to 185. There's really no one else in the division, I think Nathan Marquardt had the best shot because hand wise he had the ability but then again he doesn't because he got run over."
Sorry "Twinkle Toes", but you are no Matt Lindland or Dan Henderson, and you would make the beating Rich Franklin took come off as a two girls slap-fighting compared to what Anderson Silva would do to you if you stepped into the Octagon with him. Robbie Lawler highlighted you. Trigg is good on commentary and a solid fighter. He's not a title contender in the UFC.
"I have no stance with anyone right now as Mauro Renallo walks in and looks to punch me in the head…he's a big gay douche bag! *laughs* It's one of those situations where I'm standing with anybody, I'm not doing anything at all I'm just standing around trying to find a new job broadcast wise and a new job fighting wise. Right now I have neither one and there are a couple of offers on the table, we turned a couple down and we're trying to filter our way through it. With the ICON purchase I kind of got left in the dust and then with the purchase of Pride it cut my broadcasting career down as well because Zuffa decided not to continue broadcast wise."
I think it's a matter of time before Trigg signs somewhere to fight again. He's good at promoting his bouts and his talent is undeniable. I love the verbal jab at Renallo. It's clear the oft-paired duo have a great sense of rapport with each other.
Fedor Emelianenko
"Yes, well all I can say is Alexander is one head taller than Dan Bobish (laughs) so he was stronger!"
I felt this quote was important because it shows Emelianenko does actually laugh. This is a landmark moment, people!
"*smiles* Well if we are drinking vodka, I definitley won, But it was just a friendly conversation really; we didn't have a goal to over drink each other but we had lots of fun."
A smile! More personality from the PRIDE Heavyweight Champion? Leave it to 411Mania to draw it out of him! This comment was in regards to a question about a challenge from a fellow Heavyweight (Josh Barnett) relating to a vodka-drinking contest.
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Before departing I must leave you with this...
Look into my eyes! 411Mania's Sarcuni provides photographic proof Fedor is actually a T-1000 Terminator Robot...
Thanks for tuning in to another edition of the Punch Drunk Hangover. I hope you've laughed, gained some insight on the world of MMA, and maybe even found a block of your Monday a little more enjoyable than the doldrums of your cubicle or desktop. Have a fun, safe, razor-blade free Halloween! Make sure to watch a fight this Wednesday involving one of the following men - Michael "The Count" Bisping, Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva, Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez, Jay Jack "O'Lantern", Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia, Kevin "The Monster" Randleman, or one of the many fighters with a Halloween-themed nick name. See you next Monday! Ya'll come back now, ya hear?
Send questions, comments, or any other Halloween-themed fighter names to:
