Five Rounds Of News 11.08.07
Posted by Randy Harrison on 11.08.2007
Kimbo Slice and Brock Lesnar ready for their big debuts, the UFC partially solves their Lightweight title situation, and celebrities want to get their fight on. Those stories and much more including the return of El Guapo Says, in the debut edition of Five Rounds Of News! Yes, this is my first time, so please promise to be gentle.
Introduction
Hey everyone, and welcome to the newest news column in the 411mania.com MMA zone, Five Rounds of News. I'm Randy Harrison, the current author of The Sprawl and Brawl Video Review and I'm making my first leap into the realm of weekly MMA news columns. I was bitten by the news bug when I filled in for Larry last week on his Your News, My Views column and noticed that there was a free day or two in the scheudle. After talking to Celeb Newby, esteemed editor in chief of the MMA zone, he, in his infinite Newbness, decided that I would be perfect for the job. I believe the exact word he used was "default" but I was too busy with my own thoughts of fame to be totally sure. Either way, I'm here now and I'd like to thank Newbs for the opportunity to strut my stuff a little bit, and I hope that I can do him and the zone proud, or at the very least not fuck things up too badly. Also Newbs, I think that Five Rounds of News is a WAY better title for a column than Five Grams of Hurt but I thank you for your "efforts" in helping me during the naming process. I really enjoyed the laughs.
As for the name and the concept of this little news column, think of this report as the main event, championship fight of news reports as each week, I'll be taking five rounds to look at the top five stories of the week as I see them, and give opinions and thoughts on what it all means. Between rounds there will be lots going on as well with plenty of features, fun, and even more news and sprinkled throughout will be pictures, videos, and anything else you could possibly think of cramming into a column. You know that closet in your house that you want to put that ONE more thing into but you're too afraid to open the door, unless you wish to be buried under an avalanche of your own useless crap. This column is going to be even FULLER than that closet my friends, and that's pretty damn full of crap..I mean...not that the column is going to be crap but that it's going to be as full as the closet. Heh..nice save Randy. Anyhow, I'm sure you're wondering when the news is going to kick in so let's ring the bell and get our Five Rounds underway.
Round One
Elite XC invades Texas!
Elite XC is ready to crown its second champion on Saturday night as they put on their next Showtime extravaganza Renegade, in the fighting city of Corpus Christi, TX. Nick Diaz is set to face off against KJ Noons for the newly created Elite XC Lightweight Championship and Kimbo Slice makes his professional MMA debut against Bo Cantrell. This card looks to be stacked with heralded welterweight Jake Shields also putting in an appearance and Yves Edwards trying to continue his comeback to the top of the sport.
I for one, think that Diaz/Noons has a chance to be one of the best fights of the year as Noons is more than willing to stand and trade with just about anyone and Diaz is best known for his rat-a-tat punching style and willingness to bang with the best, as he showed in his win..errrr..no contest against Takanori Gomi at Pride 33. Diaz looked a little weak in his last fight against Mike Aina in Hawaii at the last Elite XC event but as it turns out, after the event he was diagnosed as having a staph infection and was subsquently treated and cleared leading to the fight Saturday night.
Which brings us to Kimbo Slice. He's been the subject of a LOT of debate amongst MMA fans and media as no one can tell if he's truly looking to take the sport seriously or if he even deserves the chance to be in the sport in the first place. For those of you who don't know, Kimbo rose to fame in combat circles via a series of illegal bareknuckle streetfights that were videotaped and became internet sensations.
In my opinion, he became legitimate the second Bas Rutten took him on as a student. I can't say that I agree with Mr. Slice's methods of gaining entry into the sport but since he has began training he's been nothing but respectful and in every interview Bas has stated that he's shocked at the amount of talent that Slice has and that he has the ability to go far in MMA. That's pretty heady praise from someone who has been King of Pancrase, UFC Heavyweight Champion, amongst his other titles and crowns. I doubt that Bas would be saying it if he didn't believe it so I think there's a real chance that Slice could prove to be the real deal down the road. I'm looking forward to seeing him as well as the event as a whole, and look for 411mania.com's Roundtable Preview of Elite XC's Renegade coming at the end of the week.
Random Strikes
Random strikes is up next and this section is going to be pretty much anything I can think of, from extra news bits that don't make the rounds, to fight videos or anything else fight related. This week with Kimbo Slice preparing to make his debut with Elite XC, we'll use this space to take a look back at his first foray into MMA with his bout against Ray Mercer from earlier this year. While technically not a true MMA match as the rules, I believe, were amended it's still worth it to take a look, if not only to know what to expect when he steps into the cage this Saturday. So I now give you, the man, the myth....THE SLICE!!
Round Two
Brock Lesnar's Opponent Finally Revealed!
The rumors have been swirling since Brock was announced to the crowd as the newest UFC Heavyweight signing about who he would be facing in his first fight on his contract. Those rumors have turned into fact and the fact is a very interesting one. Brock will be facing former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir in his debut fight in the octagon on Superbowl weekend at UFC 81.
As much of a polarizing character as Kimbo Slice is in the world of MMA, Lesnar may be even moreso , and interestingly enough, both men's stories are parallel to each other in that they have both taken the path less traveled to the sport. Thankfully for both men, instead of coming in with an attitude of entitlement they appear to be full of respect for the sport and it's combatants as well as the dedication it takes to train in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.
This could fight for Lesnar could go either one of two ways (I know a shocking insight, in that he will either win or he will lose but hear me out). In the weeks leading up to the fight he'll either be heralded going into it for wanting a real challenge instead of taking a fight against some lesser opponent, or he'll be castigated for being thrown so high up the rankings instead of having to work his way up the totem pole. After the fight, if he wins he'll be lauded as the "Real Deal" or perhaps "The Next Big Thing" which I would love to see as he's got the talent and the pedigree that he should be viewed as such. If he loses, then he is an overrated pro-wrestling wannabe that got in way over his head and got what he deserved.
I've always thought that Lesnar was being legitimate in his pursuit of an MMA career, going so far as to train for almost a full year before his first fight when people were clamoring to see him immediately. He could have grabbed some bum off the street and pounded him out in about 20 seconds a month after starting training to get a big payday, but instead he's putting the time in and learning the craft, and that speaks a lot to his commitment to the sport. This fight will most certainly be a test for him and if the Frank Mir who won the Heavyweight Championship shows up, there's a good chance that Brock could lose in his debut. However, if a motivated, well-trained, well-prepared Lesnar shows up on Super Bowl weekend, I can easily see him crushing Mir, using his size advantage and superior wrestling to unleash some vicious ground and pound. The Era of Lesnar could be fast approaching and it could launch MMA even further into the lexicon of mainstream entertainment.
El Guapo Says...
My all-time favorite fighter is Bas Rutten. With that being said, he's not only an excellent fighter and trainer but a damned entertaining personality. El Guapo Says is going to be my little section to pay tribute to the fighter and the man, with fight videos from his storied career, from his multiple instructional dvd's, pictures, random Bas quotes, or anything else I can think of. Imagine it as my shrine to Bas, just without the candles, the lock of his hair, or the restraining order. This video is of a fight that Bas had in Pancrase with a fighter by the name of Jason DeLucia who has been around from the beginning days of the UFC. He and Bas had a bit of a feud going into this fight and you can hear on the commentary he provides, the lack of respect Bas perceived from DeLucia and his need to punish that diserespect with the dreaded LIVER SHOT!!
Today...El Guapo says!!! Tell the truth, Jason. Just tell the truth.
Round Three
The IFL Has A "Grand" Time In Chicago!
The IFL Grand Prix began this past Saturday in Chicago as the semi-finals were held in the Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight Championship tournaments, and the Championship belt was handed out in the Light Heavyweight class as well. It was a big night for the IFL for another reason as it was their first time being broadcast live on primetime network television. In the main event title bout, Vladimir Matyushenko outpointed Alex Schoenauer for a unanimous decision and claimed the IFL Light Heavyweight Championship and possibly the gaudiest belt I've seen this side of a red light district in what could politely be described as a workman-like effort. I don't want to say that it was boring but it essentially consisted of 12 minutes of Matyushenko taking Schoenauer down at will and laying on him landing some ticky-tack strikes. I don't think that was exactly what the IFL had in mind when they wanted a live main event but I digress. I know what you're all thinking right now and that is "What's that godawful belt look like Randy?" Well I'm glad you asked, voice inside my head, because now I give you all Exhibit A!
Yes ladies and gentlemen, that's snakeskin. Smell the class people!!
Also on the televised portion of the card Chris Horodecki and Bart Palaszewski, faced off in a rematch of their epic encounter from earlier this year which was won by Horodecki by split decision. This was the first live fight the IFL ever showed and it was a GREAT choice. A ton of action, knockdowns, close submission attempts, and 12 minutes of furious fighting that led to another split decision win for Horodecki. All in all, watching it on TV, the IFL looked like a big time promotion on the night, despite the lack of action in the main event, and if they can keep gaining momentum there could be hope for them yet to be competing with the big dogs of MMA though they still have a long way to go.
With that being said, all is not rosy on the horizon for the IFL, as their television ratings for the live broadcast topped out at a 0.4 for the hour-long show. While granted Saturday nights are death for television, it's also the night that fight fans ALWAYS equate with live fights and if there are live fights that they want to see, they will find them. The fact that the IFL is on a smaller network that not everyone can get in their area and that it was their first live televised event on it are two valid reasons for there being little to no bump in the ratings from their usual IFL Battleground broadcasts, but the blame also lies in the fact that it was hardly marketed outside of the hardcore MMA fan.
If they could have been able to tap into even a little of the mainstream exposure the UFC has received in the past year, they could have had a chance to make a much bigger impact on the MMA landscape but instead had to settle for playing to their usual fan base without growing too much outside of it. Consider it a missed opportunity for the IFL in that regard, and hopefully their next live event will get some more marketing behind it and make a bit more of a splash.
With Sean Sherk's status as champion still up in the air after the delay in his CSAC hearing on his positive steroid test, and various legitimate contenders in the division cooling their heels, the UFC has decided to have a match-up to determine an interim UFC Lightweight Champion. BJ Penn is set to battle Joe "Daddy" Stevenson at UFC 80 in Newcastle, England in a five round contest for the immediate bragging rights in the 155 pound division and the possibility to become the champion outright or to unify the belts against Sherk depending on the ruling the CSAC doles out in the near future.
While I agree that the Lightweight title situation has been in limbo for too long and something like this needed to be done to have a title fight at 155 pounds, I disagree with Dana White and the UFC for not merely stripping Sherk of the title and allowing this fight to be for the undisputed Lightweight Championship. If Sherk is ultimately proven innocent, he would immediately receive the opportunity to regain his belt against either Stevenson or Penn in a fight that would have happened anyways had he held onto the belt. If his suspension is upheld and he's out of the UFC for a longer period of time then there is no need for a messy situation where the UFC has to wipe the egg off of their face to strip the championship in one of their divisions from a known steroid user because they already have their new champion crowned. There is no reason that this fight shouldn't be for the undisputed Lightweight Championship and I hold out hope that between now and then it will be made so.
As for the fight itself, I see it being a lot like a smaller version of BJ Penn's two fights against another vaunted wrestler, Matt Hughes. Will Stevenson be able to take BJ down and avoid his submissions to unleash some ground and pound, or pick Penn apart standing in the later rounds like Hughes did in the second fight vs. Penn? Or will Penn be able to sprawl out of Stevenson's takedown attempts, use his superior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu if he IS taken to the mat, and work his way to a submission victory like he did against Hughes in their first fight. Both men have some underrated stand-up skills and this fight is ultimately going to come down to gas. Stevenson is a cardio beast as most wrestlers are, and Penn....well we all know what kind of issues Penn has had in the past. If he shows up ready to go for five rounds I don't see any way that Stevenson will be able to overcome him, but if Penn gasses like he did in the second Hughes fight, as well as against GSP, then Joe Daddy could become the new kingpin of the UFC's lightest weight class.
Random Strikes Part Deux
More video goodness, and while I realize that I also had this video in this week's edition of Sprawl and Brawl (available for reading at the link provided, wink wink), I have to put it here again because it's just an absolutely crazy story that I don't think enough people have heard and that you have to really hear to believe. Once again I give you the WEC Bantamweight Champion Urijah Faber and...
Urijah's Story
Round Five
It's Like Dancing With The Stars, Just With More VIOLENCE!
Stars In The Cage, a new MMA reality show venture that is looking to pair up-and-coming MMA fighters with celebrities to be coached by some of the best MMA coaches around was announced earlier this week. While there are no celebrities or fighters attached at the moment, and no one is sure if it will even air, shooting on the show is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2008. There have been rumors that perhaps Mark Burnett, the man behind Survivor, was looking to throw his hat into the cage with a celebrity MMA show of his own. Some names bandied about like Jose Canseco and Herschel Walker are also rumored to be tied into the apparent celebrity MMA craze.
I think that if they're fully trained and padded up like real fighters who are in training or sparring and they take it seriously it can't do a lot of harm. It would be a chance for some exposure for the sport and if there is a concept that pairs legitimate fighters with the celebrities I would be on board that much more, as I am all about exposure for the unknown talent across the world.
However, I also think that everyone's greatest fear is that any show like this will turn the sport of mixed martial arts into a joke, and come off more like Fox's televised abortion of a program, Celebrity Boxing. If this ends up being the case or even remotely near the case, they can keep that shit off of my television and I will gladly continue watching Bodog, IFL, Elite XC, UFC, and all of the other legitimate MMA organizations that grace our idiot boxes every week. The very notion of Jonny Fairplay vs. Danny Bonaduce under MMA rules makes me want to sit in a bathtub and seriously consider going up the highway instead of across the river. It's still early and there's lots of unknowns on who is going to be involved in reality TV MMA and it will be a while before anything makes it to the airwaves but it's definitely something to keep an eye on in the weeks and months ahead.
Post-Fight Wrap-Up
That's all for the premiere edition of Five Rounds folks. I hope that you all enjoyed and I thank you all for reading. If there's anything you'd like to see, thought was great, thought was garbage or anything at all feel free to hit me with some feedback as at this point there is still a bit of a static nature to the column as I try to find the format and features that work the best. I for one think that this was an awesome debut and I can't wait to see what I come up with next week. I'll see you all again in just seven short days for the real deal, the fight of the night, and the main event of MMA news, Five Rounds of News!
