Punch Drunk Hangover 11.26.07: Two Men Interim, One Man Leaves
Posted by Bren Oliver on 11.26.2007
Read ahead for Bren Oliver's thoughts on the surprising equity in MMA paydays regardless of promotion, M-1 Global's tribute to PRIDE FC including Fedor Emelianenko's opponent, the epic rubber-match between Hughes and St. Pierre at UFC 79, and a tribute to former UFC ring girl Ali Sonoma who announced her retirement this past week....with photographic evidence!
Hello to all and welcome to the post-Thanksgiving edition of the Punch Drunk Hangover. I trust everyone reading has finished digesting last Thursday's meal, though I understand if some leftover gobbler and fixins are lingering somewhere in your fridge. The turkey-and-mashed-potato sandwich is alright by me!
It's been an exciting seven days, for while many of us were off from work and school this past week, the world of Mixed Martial Arts is one that never sleeps. There were plenty of interesting things said by fighters and promotions alike, a standard CSAC suspension for drug use, a look into 2008 as the future pertains to MMA, and an unfortunate injury leading to a very fortunate rematch between two former UFC Welterweight Champions. A disc (or two) in Matt Serra's back has prevented him from fighting a "dick" in an eight-sided cage, a term the current UFC champ has used numerous times to describe Matt Hughes and swears is more fallus than fallacy.
In the immediate aftermath of the announcement of Serra's injured back and subsequent withdrawl from UFC 79 a number of names were tossed around in conjunction with potential opponents for the Illinois farm boy. I don't believe enough time passed for there ever to be discussion of Hughes, himself, pulling out of UFC 79 and waiting out Serra's rehabilitation. For that I give him full credit, as he essentially would have been, and as it turns out is, putting a title shot to the side in order to fight someone who isn't champion. The risk of losing the contest, and thus an opportunity at an actual championship match, is a glaring factor in the equation.
The first two names thrown out there by Yahoo Sports' Dave Meltzer were Thiago "Pitbull" Silva and Jon "Ain't No B*tch" Fitch. Okay, I made up Fitch's nickname, but shouldn't every fighter have one? Regardless, the former Purdue Boilermaker has a few other names he goes by and I'm not simply referring to his XBox Live handle, another arena he absoultely competes in. The title I'm thinking of for Fitch has everything to do with titles and that's "UFC Championship Contender". He is on fire in the 170-pound division and a foe to be feared. However, talk of a battle between Midwest wrestlers fizzled out, and Hughes vs. Fitch lay to the wayside. Rumors have Fitch as being out of the country in late December as is for personal matters.
Thiago Silva would have been an interesting opponent for Hughes but he competed a week ago at UFC 78 and Matt Hughes is at the point in his career where he doesn't need filler fights. Alves is not yet on the level of the afore mentioned Hughes, Karo Parisyan, Jon Fitch, or the man who would eventually step in, to much surprise, and provide UFC 79 with an equally good (if not better) main event picture - Georges "Rush" St. Pierre.
Other than being completely bad ass from a fan's standpoint, the decision to have St. Pierre and Hughes face each other makes absolute sense from a divisional perspective. GSP was already in line to fight the winner of Hughes vs. Serra in mid-2008. The layoff was considered to be lengthy but worthwhile for a young fighter deserving a chance to redeem himself and take back the Welterweight strap. People might question why the MFS-schooled fighter would choose to face someone as well-rounded as St. Pierre, an individual who is considered to be the cream of the 170-pound crop, but I'm not surprised at his willingness to take the fight.
I'm positive St. Pierre has been on Hughes' mind since "Rush" scrambled his brain with a perfectly timed shinbone. As much as Matt Hughes talks, fans may have noticed he doesn't tend to discuss the title-loss at UFC 65. Hughes is also an athlete and competitor. When the opportunity presented itself, he wasn't about to back down from a chance to erase any doubt he is the best Welterweight in the UFC.
The lone negative I've heared discussed is the shortened period of training for both Hughes and St. Pierre. It's rare a fight as big as their scheduled bout at UFC 79 is booked less than six weeks out. However, I don't think the length of time will matter, as both men keep themselves in great shape and are very familiar with each other from their past two throwdowns in the Octagon. We fans should take a second to realize how blessed we are to be getting GSP vs. Hughes III at UFC 79. We've definitely received our Christmas present from Uncle Dana this year wrapped in the shiny bows and paper of Las Vegas, HiDef resolution included.
The one thing I dislike about the situation is another "interim" title situation as is the case with both Hughes/St. Pierre and Penn/Stevenson. In Sherk's case it's understandable but in Serra's I find it rather disrespectful. I haven't heard anything about his back keeping him out for an extended period of time or him being unable to fight in mid-2008. It doesn't seem right to say they have to determine an "undisputed champion", as Dana White stated on UFC.com, when the actual champ has never lost the belt or had it contested for reasons other than, in Serra's case, injury.
That's my three cents on the matter. 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 November 19th, 2007 and November 25th, 2007:
Earlier today, the California State Athletic Commission released the following financial information related to the Strikeforce event on November 16th featuring a four-man tournament, a championship match, and the always-entertaining Cung Le:
Jorge Santiago - $15,000
Falaniko Vitale - $20,000
Trevor Prangley - $30,000
Sean Salmon - $5,000
Luke Stewart - $5,000 + $5,000 win bonus
Bobby Southworth - $10,000
Brian Schwartz - $30,000
Paul Buentello - $20,000
Alistair Overeem - $30,000
Sam Morgan - $10,000
Cung Le - $50,000
Look over the above figures. What do you see? A handful of nice pay-days? Look deeper. Fact of the matter is, the salaries dished out at November 16th's Strikeforce event aren't too different than those paid to UFC fighters at any given Fight Night, Pay Per View, or TUF Finale.
Sam Morgan and Bobby Southworth probably made twice the amount they'd have taken home having fought in the UFC and their $10,000 is on par with fighters like Diego Sanchez and Keith Jardine as recently as UFC 76. Bump up to Paul Buentello and Falaniko Vitale making twenty grand and you're at the level of guys like Jon Fitch and Forrest Griffin. Trevor Prangley made $30,000 as did Brian Schwartz who, while a significant name on the SoCal kickboxing scene, was making his MMA debut (a decision loss). Both those men took home more cash in defeat than Yushin Okami, Alan Belcher, or Josh Burkman walked away with at UFC 77. Cung Le's $50,000 was more than Rich Franklin makes per fight (not including any kind of bonus figure).
I think it's important to pay attention to the numbers because I promise you the fighters, and their managers, certainly are. The UFC is the leading name in MMA, yet a regional promotion with no national television exposure can stream an event live on Yahoo and pay its fighters the same amounts. No, of course there's no six-figure superstar salary to be had in Strikeforce, but there also is no PPV revenue from which to pull and increase the size of fighters' checks. The UFC raked in $200+ million in revenue last year so they have more money to play with.
My point is that Dana White and company need to reassess the current contractual structure of their roster if they truly hope to continue delivering the best fighters in the best fights. There is little reason, outside of national exposure, for a fighter to sign exclusively with Zuffa when he can make the same amount (if not more) with a smaller promotion allowing for more personal freedom. Let's not forget that Randy Couture cited salary issues as one of the reasons for his resignation. The other was respect. And, to be realistic, the majority of professional athletes equate respect with cold, hard cash.
To White's credit I will say there has been a noticeable increase in Mixed Martial Artists' salaries who have signed newer contracts, as well as in the size of bonus payouts, so I feel confident fighters paychecks will soon start reflecting the stream of money the company making. If not, then rest assured you will continue to see the world's top talent spread out across the globe.
Widely reported as a number one contenders match for Rampage's Light-Heavyweight UFC Title, UFC 78's victor Rashad Evans is no longer (and possibly never was) in line for the next crack at the gold. An audio clip of Dana White reveals that Rampage has some other contender to look forward to next, and it definately isn't Rashad Evans. While Dana would not elaborate on who it could be, the likely suitors have to be Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine, and possibly Wanderlei Silva (provided he defeats Chuck Liddell in December).
This isn't surprising at all. Rashad Evans has yet to beat an actual contender to the championship or excite fans with his in-Octagon performances. If he had Sean Salmon'd Michael Bisping at UFC 78 he might have found his way into conversation on the matter, but Evans plodded his way to another win via judges' decision and reminded fans of why they were down on him prior to his win over Jason Lambert.
Griffin, Jardine, and Wanderlei Silva are all suitable contenders to Rampage's championship though I believe Jardine needs to beat another person with name value and do it convincingly. His wins over Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin are nice, but the image of his mouthpiece being flung across the ring after Houston Alexander crushed him is far too fresh in my memory. I think Thiago Silva is also a legitimate contender with another win or two. If I had a Joe Silva voodoo doll I would probably find a way to make the UFC matchmaker book "Rampage" Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin because it would draw a ton of money, then have Jardine fight Wanderlei Silva (assuming he's victorious at UFC 79). If Liddell beats "The Axe Murderer" then give him Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans, or a healthy "Shogun" Rua. That would sort out the Light Heavyweight division rather nicely as far as immediate contenders. Rua was to be offered a title shot if he beat Griffin, as was the case in Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga, so there's no reason Forrest doesn't deserve the opportunity...not to mention the pre-fight hype between Rampage and Griffin would be epic!
The following fighters received an additional $55,000 each on top of regular take-home pay as a result of being awarded for their performances in the Octagon at UFC 78:
Akihiro Gono (Submission of the Night)
Ed Herman (Knockout of the Night)
Chris Lytle (Fight of the Night)
Thiago Alves (Fight of the Night)
It's worth noting the $55,000 is around a 40% increase in pay since bonuses of $40,000 were dished out at UFC 77.
As mentioned earlier in my column, it's nice to see an increase in pay for the top performers at events, and I imagine the $55,000 might have had something to do with the sold out arena in New Jersey. This makes two "Fight of the Night" bouts in a row not making the televised portion of the card. I wonder if it has more to do with luck/timing than acting as a draw for people to purchase the online feature allowing fans to view a streaming live feed of the preliminary fights. Ed Herman didn't deserve his bonus as far as I'm concerned, as I was much more impressed by Thiago Silva's ability to knockout the frightening Houston Alexander than Herman's put-away shot on Doerksen. Gono's submission was absolutely sweet and I look forward to his next fight in the Octagon, one which will almost definitely be on the top half of the card.
Joe Doerksen suffered a broken orbital bone during his loss against Ed Herman this past weekend at UFC 78. The injury occured after Herman hit Doerksen with a knee to the face in Round 1. It is very likely that Doerksen could miss several months.
Watching a replay of highlights from UFC 78, the damage to Doerksen's orbital bone is not surprising in terms of the swelling around his eye after the fight's intitial stanza. I never like to see people go down to injury so I'm definitely hoping the MMA veteran has as speedy a recovery as possible. He not only stepped up on late notice to replace David Terrell at the event but gave Herman all he could handle until the final knockout punch.
It was announced today on Sherdog.com's radio broadcast that Fedor Emelianenko (26-1) will be fighting Hong-Man Choi (1-0) during M-1's Global debut show to be held on New Year's Eve. Choi is 7'2, 352 lbs and was scheduled to fight Brock Lesnar back in June, yet wasn't medically cleared.
What?!? Fedor fighting an inferior opponent in a freak-show bout to appease Japanese fans?!? It really is a tribute to the PRIDE FC! Though I've heard Ricardo Arona is still a legitimate possibility to be Emelianenko's opponent on New Year's Eve, I'm holding out hope that Choi ends up as Fedor's opponent. What sound would be louder if the "Techno Goliath" somehow finds a way to beat Fedor - the shrieks of glee emanating from Dana White's Las Vegas home or the collective death rattles of fanboys committing hara-kiri? And yes, I know it's extremely unlikely Emelianenko will lose, but then again December 31st, 2007 is still 2007 and what better way to end the "Year of the Upset" than with the sport's biggest to date?
The following excerpt comes from Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com:
"After a historic 2007, UFC President Dana White is not resting on his company's laurels in 2008, as he announced at Saturday's UFC 78 post-fight press conference in Newark, New Jersey that former two-division PRIDE Champion Dan Henderson will drop from 205 pounds to 185 to tackle UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, considered by many to be the best pound for pound fighter in the sport. White said this anticipated super fight will take place in March."
And on the 8th day, God said, "Let there be Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson..."
Excuse me for getting religious, but the announcement of the world's top two Middleweights toe-to-toe in the Octagon is an event of Biblical proportions as far as I'm concerned. This will be a rare occasion where fans will get to find out who is the best 185-pound fighter in the world. There are only two or three other contenders to Silva's Middleweight Championship, but there is not a single man in MMA who poses as big a threat to defeating the talented UFC champion than Dan Henderson. If Silva ends up dismantling Henderson as he has every opponent so far in the UFC I don't think there can be any question he's a better pound-for-pound fighter than Fedor Emelianenko.
In a press release sent out by the IFL this morning, IFL Co-Founder and CEO Gareb Shamus has resigned from the company effective immediately. No reason was given for his resignation but Shamus will remain with the IFL as a consultant.
Jay Larkin, who was recently hired as President and Chief Operating Officer back in September, will take over as acting CEO.
Is it wrong I get some sort of silly, immature satisfaction out of repeating the name "Gareb Shamus" over and over? It's even better if you attempt a Scottish accent while you say it. Try it with me one time, won't you? Gareb Shamus. The only thing better would be if his middle name was McGuillicutty.
I'm not really sure how his resignation affects the IFL and there are 411Mania writers better equipped to address the subject who have more intimate knowledge of the promotion. However, I will say it's usually a negative thing when a company's CEO immediately resigns, whether that means internally at the organization or with him personally. Hopefully more information on this subject will come forth so speculation on the matter can be put to rest.
Jon Fitch has apparently been offered a fight against Akihiro Gono at UFC 82 on March 1, 2008. However, it is being reported that Fitch is instead asking for a fight against Karo Parisyan. Gono and Parisyan are both coming off of victories at UFC 78. Fitch has won 14 straight fights
Fitch would be fighting on the Silva/Henderson card meaning this bout would likely be the secondary main event on the televised portion of the event. Karo Parisyan makes much more sense as an opponent because the result of a fight between the two would offer a clear contender to the winner of Serra vs. GSP/Hughes and his UFC Welterweight Championship. I don't believe Gono offers Fitch anything as an opponent in terms of build towards the title. However, Josh Koscheck has mentioned an interest in fighting on the same card as his AKA teammate (Fitch), so why not match him up against Gono as a third fight at UFC 82? That pairing would give each man an opportunity to elevate himself in the division and would likely be a very entertaining contest.
Yushin Okami, whose contract status was in limbo after his recent win over Jason MacDonald, has re-signed to a new contract with the UFC, according to numerous sources.
Good news for the UFC's Middleweight Division! I was disappointed to hear Okami was likely going to sign elsewhere so the Zuffa brass did the right thing by finding a way to keep him inside the eight-sided cage. Yushin Okami is one of the top 185-pound fighters in the world and could definitely make a run for the title at some point in the near future.
Based on information from the company's recent press conference, and a website dedicated to the event, it appears as though former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko will not be the only familiar face from the now-defunct fighting organization showing up this New Year's Eve to step into the ring and entertain Japanese fans once again. Currently stated to be on the card:
- Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez
- Ricardo Arona (still a possible opponent for Fedor)
- Hyato "Mach" Sakurai
- Shinya Aoki
- Kazuo Misaki
- Mitsuhiro Ishida
- Tatsuya Kawajiri
- Joachim Hansen
Unique PRIDE announcer Lenne Hardt was also in attendance at the M-1 press conference and it is believed she may be working as the event's announcer.
If M-1 can deliver the names it's advertising I will be impressed enough to find a way to catch this show as I would advise all MMA fans to do as well. It sounds like the event could be a nice throwback to PRIDE FC even going so far as to bring Lenne Hardt into the picture. I'll absolutely have a smile on my face as soon as the red-headed Hardt utters the first syllable in a long string of them as she announces each individual fighter.
Bryson Kamaka, who last competed on November 16, 2007 in San Jose for StrikeForce, has tested positive for marijuana. His suspension period runs from the conclusion of the bout on November 16, 2007 through February 14, 2008. He has been fined $500.
Kamaka is from a family of Mixed Martial Artists, having two brothers (Kai and Brennan) who are also professional MMA fighters. He dropped to 5-9 overall after a knockout loss to Luke Stewart at last week's Strikeforce show.
No real news here. He's from Hawaii and fighting in California. Let's just say Mixed Martial Arts, hula dancing, and pineapples aren't the only island traditions out there in the 50th State. And, of course, the CSAC has started to develop its own tradition in fighters coming back with positive drug testing samples.
However, I will say Kamaka makes a great case for those out there who don't see marijuana as a "performance enhancing" drug. He's lost nearly twice as many as won and was knocked out at Strikeforce in less than twenty seconds. Would he only have lasted fifteen ticks without a few puffs of the sticky-icky?
When Sean Salmon was knocked out cold this past week by Jorge Santiago (at Strikeforce), 411Mania was first to report he would be replaced against Team Quest's Jason "Mayhem" Miller at the December 15th HD Net Fights event. We are now first to bring you news of his replacement...
IFL fighter, and Chuck Liddell protégé Tim Kennedy will be stepping in to replace the injured Salmon. Kennedy is 8-0 in his last eight fights, boasting a 2-0 record in IFL, with his streak including "Mayhem" in a 2003 decision victory over Jason Miller.
I know this sounds lame, but there really is a sense of pride (and twinge of adrenaline) when 411Mania is first to bring news to the mainstream public. We're just your friendly, neighborhood MMA News/Opinion site so anything with a semblance of being a "scoop" gives me satisfaction and I applaud my co-zoners for their work on all levels.
On to the actual news, I'm not sure why but I actually like this fight moreso than the original Salmon vs. Miller match-up. I suppose it's because I never gave Sean Salmon a chance whereas I think Kennedy could surprise some people. I also like any chance a noteworthy fighter, such as Jason "Mayhem" Miller, receives to avenge an early career loss. I want to also add, for those who don't know, that "Mayhem" lost to Kennedy by decision in the finals of a one-night tournament where Miller submitted 411Mania's #8 Middleweight Denis Kang previously in the night. I plan on being at "HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon" on December 15th and any MMA fans who can make it to Dallas should come check it out as well. The show is reasonably priced compared to larger events and I guarantee you won't be disappointed with Trigg, Miller, Yves Edwards, or 6-0 CB Dollaway on the card.
After suffering a herniated disc in his back during training, Matt Serra, the current UFC Welterweight Champion has had to withdraw from his much-anticipated December 29th showdown with Matt Hughes.
Serra, who was set to make his first defense of the title since defeating Georges St. Pierre in April for the belt, had apparently finished a training session and, while demonstrating a move, herniated the disc.
I wish Matt Serra well, but in all honesty his injury may have ultimately been a positive thing for the UFC. It has allowed a clear contender to be sorted out instead of allowing question marks to surround the way Hughes, Serra, and St. Pierre would have unfolded without the replacement match being made at UFC 79. "The Terror-uh" has an extraordinary ability to overcome adversity and I have a great deal of respect for him. If anyone will be prepared to fight after a year layoff it will be the Jersey jits master, Serra.
Former UFC & PRIDE veteran, Oleg Taktarov (14-5-2), will be making his return to MMA on November 30th. He will be fighting on BodogFight's second 2007 card to be held in Russia. He is currently scheduled to compete against another UFC & PRIDE veteran, John Marsh (7-6).
Taktarov last competed in MMA in February of 1998. He was the UFC 6 tournament champion back in 1995. He has also appeared in the movies "Bad Boys II", "44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout", "15 Minutes", & "Rollerball (2002)".
Ummmmm, yay? What he did ten years ago at UFC 6 was great and deserves praise. Rollerball, on the other hand....not so great. BodogFight needs to go away. They offer little to nothing in terms of production or entertainment value. Their biggest accomplishment to date is putting together Fedor and Matt Lindland. Calvin Ayre can keep that trophy polished on his shelf. Beyond that the MMA world would not blink if his promotion disappeared tomorrow.
According to sources within both camps who have confirmed the fight, "Razor" Rob McCullough is set to defend his WEC Lightweight Championship in February against Jaime Varner, who made his WEC debut in August of this year.
Varner (13-2, 2 NC), the former UFC veteran, comes into this fight off of his win over Sherron Leggett at WEC 29, while McCullough (15-3) will be coming in off of his destruction of Richard Crunkilton at WEC 30 in September.
I think this should make for an entertaining fight and I'll be more than happy to watch McCullough and Varner fight in early 2008. WEC deserves better than the "Versus" network. I'd like to see the promotion make it on to a legitimate cable channel by the end of next year.
Alan Belcher has confirmed that he will be fighting against former Pride and UFC veteran Ricardo Almeida at UFC 81 February 2, in Las Vegas.
Belcher (11-3), fresh off of his TKO victory over Kailb Starnes at UFC 77, is looking to solidfy himself at the top of the Middleweight class and possibly earn a title shot in 2008. Although Belcher's record in the UFC is only 3-2, he's coming off of two very impressive wins and is looking to add a third win in a row against Almeida.
Almeida (8-2) makes his return to Mixed Martial Arts after three years on the sidelines as he fought his last bout in 2004, a win over Ryo Chonan, in Pride. Almeida also fought in the UFC during 2001-2002 and amassed a 1-2 record, defeating Eugene Jackson but losing to both Matt Lindland and Andrei Semenov.
This makes for a nice undercard bout on the televised portion of the "Superbowl" card headlined by Brock Lesnar taking on Frank Mir. Belcher is a tough draw for a returning Almeida, though "The Talent" would be unwise to underestimate a man with the Brazlian's skillset. He has beaten the already mentioned Chonan, as well as fellows like Nate Marquardt, Kazuo Misaki, and "Punk" Minowa - all men with reputations Belcher can't nearly match in terms of fighters he's faced or defeated.
Patrick Cote (11-4) recently announced that he will be fighting Drew McFedries (6-2) at the next UFC Fight Night set for Wednesday, January 23rd. Cote's last fight was a TKO victory over Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Groves.
This is a dangerous fight for Cote but he's the type of guy who isn't afraid to face any opponent. If he wasn't intimidated by facing Tito Ortiz as a late replacement earlier in his career he certainly won't shy off from the chance to square off against Drew McFedries. Both men have knockout power and aren't afraid to throw so I doubt this bout will see the judges' scorecards let alone the third round. I'll be interested to see how recovered McFedries is from a nasty staph infection earlier this year causing a large chunk of his leg to be removed.
The King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Champion James Lee (13-2) recently announced that he has signed a deal with the UFC. He also announced that he will be debuting at UFC 80 against Alessio Sakara (11-6). Lee hasn't lost a fight in over 4 years, and is currently on a 9 fight win streak.
It looks like the UFC's Light Heavyweight division has added a bit more depth. Lee's signing is clearly a move made for the promotion's UK audience and will offer British fans a familiar face when the UFC ventures into Europe (as is the case with UFC 80). Lee tends to submit opponents and has never been knocked out, while Sakara relies on his boxing and has won the majority of his fights by TKO/KO, so this should be a great stylistic encounter.
Neither result caused me to flinch. I think Arroyo could end up as a suprise finalist, as George and Mac are currently the two favorites, and he may even stand on top at season's end. He has decent striking, but also possesses a very well-rounded submission and wrestling game, and those things make for a good combination when it comes to winning fights. Arroyo also appears to have a great attitude in training, and about life in general, so he definitely could end up opening some eyes as an underdog in the semi-finals.
George's experience played a factor in his bout against Hightower. I actually see Richie as perhaps someone who "overthinks" when it comes to fighting and doesn't let his skills naturally flow. It was nice to see Hightower shave off his multi-colored mop. By the way, isn't "Richie" the perfect name for him? Watch TUF and tell me if any of you could see him as a "Rick". Back to the winner of the fight, he with the Scrabble-friendly last name surprised me with the submission as I expected him to knock Hightower out. I was extremely impressed with Sotiropolous' striking in the fight against Jared Rollins and thought Richie would meet the same fate as J-Rock.
Speaking of Rollins, next week we get the expected in-house fight advertised at the start of the season, and apparently John "War Machine" Koppenhaver is the individual tackling Jared after being pushed. I'm assuming it gets broken up before any kind of repeat of last season's jackass-fest between Marlon Sims and Noah Thomas based on the following news bit...
The following is the official card for The Ultimate Fighter 6 finale set to happen on December 8th:
Roger Huerta (19-1-1) vs. Clay Guida (22-8)
- I'm positive Huerta is going down in this fight though it won't be for lack of effort. Both of these guys are the future of MMA at 155-pounds and fans are going to be treated to an incredible fight on December 8th.
Jared Rollins (5-3) vs. John Koppenhaver (4-1)
- Hence my earlier statement about guessing the TUF 6 house-fight isn't too severe. The UFC would not have either man on this card, let alone facing each other, if the confrontation turned into anything extremely violent.
Troy Mandaloniz (2-1) vs. Richie Hightower (7-1)
- I think this is a relatively even pairing with "Rude Boy" (Mandaloniz) getting the edge in terms of striking ability. Dana White said it best last week though. How does someone who trains with BJ Penn have so little ground game?
Dorian Price (7-2) vs. Roman Mitichyan (3-1)
- If Roman Mitichyan's name sounds familiar it's not because you got drunk one night and caught a Karo Parisyan replay on UFC Unleashed. He's the guy who broke his elbow at the start of TUF 6, an injury eventually opening the door for "War Machine" to enter the contest. I had a good feeling Dana would give him a chance after healing from the injury and I think he'll pay the favor back with a win over Price. Never doubt an Armenian MMA fighter!
Paul Georgieff (5-1) vs. Jonathan Goulet (19-9)
Who did Paul Georgieff piss off in the UFC? First, the poor kid gets knocked out cold within days of finding his childhood friend, and cousin, has died. Then he basically disappears from every future Ultimate Fighter 6 episode. Now he draws Goulet in his debut? Every other TUF guy facess a fellow season participant while Georgieff is thrown to a guy with 28 career fights and a ton of experience against seasoned competition?
Jibber-Jabber:
The following soundbytes were delivered over the past week...
Matt Hughes, in his blog, on Matt Serra's injury...
"As of now, Matt Serra is out of the fight because of a herniated disc in his lower back. I believe Serra is actually hurt, so I don't think this is just a ploy not to fight. Before my Royce fight, I had three bulged discs that I was able to repair enough to fight. As everybody knows you never go into a fight 100%. So, I'm just going to continue to train until I find out what's next.
How much of an egomaniac do you have to be to think Matt Serra would fake an injury in order to get out of a chance to fight? Hughes constantly delivers silver-tongued prose, or at least to attempts to on something like a 11th Grade level, and it tarnishes his character in terms of the respect fans carry for him. He maintains a "holier than thou" attitude, stating he doesn't feel the need to badmouth people, then implies Serra is somehow less of a man because he's been sidelined by a herniated disc.
More of Hughes' blog, as this time he touches on this past week's episode of the Ultimate Fighter...
This week, Matt Serra decided not to corner any of his team members in their quarterfinal fight against each other. I thought that was a total lack of respect for his fighters and somewhat for the sport. He's on that show to coach. No matter who's on his team, no matter who he's told to coach, I think you should coach. In any sport, you never know who's gonna get hurt, who's gonna get traded - you never know. To me, it was very obvious that he did that because he didn't want to corner against George (Sotiropoulos) or Matt (Arroyo) - his two favorite guys. That just showed a big lack of respect for the other guys that were on his team. I had to corner two of Serra's guys, Matt and Richie (Hightower), and when you're in that role, you just do the best you can. What does your opponent like to do, what are his favorite moves? Find out as much about your opponent as you possibly can, find out what they've already worked on for a game plan, and either build off that, or give your fighter instruction on the same game plan. There's a lot more to being a cornerman than just telling people to breathe, which is about all I hear out of Serra. I just think he could have helped those guys, and that's why I wanted Richie and Troy (Mandaloniz) with me. I wanted to corner those guys because I knew that Matt (Serra) wasn't gonna help those guys out. But I didn't get my way. I think I could have come up with a gameplan where at least they had a coach on their side. Against Matt (Arroyo), Troy didn't have a coach on his side and actually, Matt (Serra) was going over gameplans with Matt (Arroyo) instead of Troy, which was terrible
How does Hughes know Serra went over gameplans exclusively with Troy instead of with both fighters? I never got that impression. Could it be that perhaps Matty isn't too familiar with the way television shows work in terms of editing? If all Hughes hears out of Serra is "breathe", he apparently needs to juice his cauliflower ears, though even just reminding fighters to inhale and exhale would certainly be more than is ever heard from Hughes' cornering...well, other than constant bitching about following a game plan.
The coaches' challenge was this week, and in the match with Serra, I didn't have fun with it. Number one, I'm a terrible bowler. I've tried bowling like five times in my life and I'm terrible every time, so it wasn't any fun for me - it was just a competition, and they forced me to bowl. I would have never picked bowling with Serra.
Doesn't Matt Hughes sound like a ton of fun to hang out with? Those with an affinity for baling hay and shoveling cow patties not withstanding, I don't think so either.
BJ Penn on UFC.com regarding Sean Sherk's criticism of the "interim" UFC Lightweight Championship...
"If he's gonna sit there and say this is a fake belt, he just tested positive for steroids, so what more can I say?"
Baby Jay is becoming more and more of a soundbyte machine! I definitely enjoy Penn's response to Sherk's statement about the "interim championship". While I am not a fan of the concept, Sean Sherk is one of the last people who can verbally defecate on the situation the UFC has been put in because he subscribes to a diet of supplements and bison meat. BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson is as good as any title fight and "The Muscle Shark" can do his talking once his name has been cleared or suspension served.
BJ Penn discussing his fight with Joe Stevenson in the same interview...
"I know this guy and he (Stevenson) brings some things to the table. He was the Ultimate Fighter champion, he's got 40 fights, and he's done a lot of things. He's got a great choke, he's got great foot locks, he isn't gonna be scared to throw his punches at me, and he's gonna be coming. I know it ain't gonna be easy, but I've got to go out there and do this."
I'm extremely excited about Penn vs. Stevenson. I believe they match-up well with Stevenson's edge being wrestling and Penn's being, obviously, jiujitsu. BJ will be comfortable working from his back and has insane flexibility allowing him to defend numerous ground assaults. I've heard rumors UFC 80 may end up broadcast in CBS primetime, with tape delay of course, as a possible solution to a lack of original programming due to the writers' guild strike. As long as I can see BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson somewhere I'll be a happy camper.
Karo Parisyan, to MMAWeekly, on the booing he heard after his UFC 78 fighter against Ryo Chonan...
"People don't talk about Matt Hughes, the all American boy, laying on top of Chris Lytle, holding him down, but Karo fights a guy that's beaten our middleweight champion before, and I still got a couple of good throws, landed some elbows, better ground and pound and everyone is like ‘Karo is boring this fight, he should have done more.' Give me a freaking break. This is not one of my best performances. It is a good victory over a very tough guy."
Bravo Mr. Parisyan! Karo is absolutely on point. Fans booing his bout against Chonan were wrong for doing so, though I suppose we all reserve the right to criticize or cheer the fights as soon as a ticket has been purchased. Still, Chonan vs. Parisyan was exactly what should have been expected - a game of MMA chess where both men have enough technical ability to finish an opponent at any time. People who wanted to see a quick knockout should have got up and used the restroom in time for Alexander vs. Silva if they weren't prepared to see two masters work against each other in the alloted time span.
Matt Serra on Georges St. Pierre replacing him at UFC 79 (against Matt Hughes)...
""I can't believe the position this puts me in. I'm actually rooting for Matt Hughes so I can beat his ass."
If you can't tell this statement is tongue-in-cheek. I'm positive Serra is not rooting for Hughes to beat Georges St. Pierre. While Serra and GSP had their differences shortly after the UFC 69 title fight between the two, the two men have since patched up their relationship and there is a mutual respect between the two. St. Pierre respects what Serra accomplished and the Renzo Gracie trained jiujitsu fighter wants to give the young Canadian a chance at redemption. Serra's beef with Hughes is more of a personal nature where he genuinely dislikes the former Miletich Welterweight ace. He will get a chance to fight both of them barring some sort of career-threatening injury so I'm pretty sure in private circles Serra will tell you he's hoping to see "Rush" lay Hughes out with another kick to the head.
From the MySpace page of blonde beauty and former UFC Ring Girl Ali Sonoma...
"I am no longer a ring girl for UFC. I am proud to say I am moving up to bigger and better things. There is always a time when you get comfortable at a job. You seem to lose focus on what your main goal is. I guess I got a little comfortable myself, of course, I loved the fights, loved the experience, but my real dream is to actually speak on camera, to act, not just shake my booty for the crowd."
Apparently the new ring girl at UFC 78 was not just a treat for the Jersey fans but in fact Ms. Sonoma's replacement. If such is the case I must express my disappointment, especially with the lack of Rachelle Leah these days, though Arianny Celeste is still around to keep heterosexual male fans drooling. Yes, Josh Burkman, you are "da man"!
Back to Ali, she always stood out with her blonde hair and big smile, so I feel it's only fitting to close out this week's Punch Drunk Hangover with a tribute to the future Mrs. Diego Sanchez given her future absence from the UFC ringside. We at 411Mania wish you the best of luck in your career and look forward to all future "National Lampoons" features you make a special appearance in, spreads in "Maxim" and "FHM", and every single speaking part on "Two and a Half Men" or comperable bad sitcom. Another female may be holding up a card, looking cute, and circling the cage...but Ms. Sonoma, no woman can ever fill your tube top and booty shorts. For your services to the sport, let me speak for the entire Mixed Martial Arts community when I say an emphatic, "Thank you!"
Memories, light the corners of my mind...
Misty water-colored memories, of the way we were.
Scattered pictures, of the smiles we left behind...
Smiles we gave to one another, for the way we were.
Ali Sonoma - UFC Ring Girl (2006 - 2007)
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Thanks for browsing another edition of the PDH. We're two weekends away from a K-1 event and the Ultimate Fighter 6 finale, plus we'll find out who fills the last semi-final spot this weekwhen Ben Saunders and Tommy Speer (I'm rooting for Saunders by the way) settle their score in the cage. After that, MMA fans will be treated to a top notch 12/12 WEC card featuring Jens Pulver, Urijah Faber, and Paulo Filho, plus HDNet Fights on December 15th where Frank Trigg and "Mayhem" Miller step into action. The year will close out with two huge events in the form of UFC 79 and M-1 Global's NYE show in Japan. Yes, the next thirty days are going to be a great time in Mixed Martial Arts, and I hope to see you all along the way. Tune in next week, every week...same 411-time, same 411-channel...er...web address!
