Intelligently Defending 12.20.07: An Intelligently Defending Christmas List

Posted by Ken Kobel on 12.20.2007

It's the time of the year where letters flood the North Pole like a tsumani. Here at Intelligently Defending we are ready to send ours to the man himself. So join us in this edition as we send Jolly Old St. Nick our Christmas list.

Dear Santa,

You and I have had a rocky relationship over the years. And let's be honest, it's entirely your fault. You have screwed me over every Christmas since the days when I wore Pampers.

Every year I wake up on Christmas morning and run to the tree with dreams of great treasures -- only to have my hopes crushed time and time again.

Remember back in '92 when all I wanted was an officially licensed ‘Batman Utility Belt?' It would have made me the coolest kid on the block.

But instead, you gave me a sweater with a big bird knitted on it. You should have seen the beatings the kids gave me at school over this.

How about in '99? My Christmas list clearly asked for a copy of Green Day's ‘Nimrod.' It was highlighted and underlined for crying out loud!

So you can imagine my delight when I opened a copy of the Spice Girls' ‘Spiceworld.' The word spread through my middle school like wildfire. It did wonders for my already laughable reputation with the ladies.

Even just last year, at age 21, you couldn't resist sticking it to me again. All I wanted was an IPod and -- as always -- my pleas fell on deaf ears.

What did you give me? A brand-spanking new Walkman. Well congratulations because I seriously can't think of a more useless present. Hell, my 12-year-old brother didn't even know what a Walkman was when he saw it!

For shame Santa – for shame.

Still, I am willing to forget all of the misery you have caused me over the years and let bygones be bygones. That is, if you can come through for me this year.

This is not a cry for a handout because I deserve to be rewarded. I have been an extra good boy these past twelve months. We are talking record breaking levels. I have been nice to my parents. My Sunday Church attendance has been through the roof. And my profanity-laced tirades have been kept to a minimum as I watch the Giants once again collapse in the second half of the NFL season.

I am not even asking for presents that you need to put under my tree. What I'm asking for are gifts in the world of mixed-martial arts. These may sound like a stretch, but your magic powers allow you to do things like circle the world in a single night. Surely, finagling these requests will be a piece of cake.

Let's begin:

1) I want Karo Parisyan to fight Jon Fitch

Did you catch Karo's recent interview on ‘Inside MMA?' Probably not, right? You're very busy this time of year.

I'll sum up one of the major points Parisyan made during the show. And I quote:

"Jon Fitch? I still think I can beat Jon Fitch. I think I have more tools to beat Jon Fitch. I have tremendous respect for him, but I still think I can beat him… but I need an easier fight than Jon Fitch so I can basically have a high percentage of beating (the opponent) and getting a title shot."

Are you kidding me?

First off, Karo doesn't even deserve a title shot – no matter what him or his fans say.

He has not beaten a top-ten welterweight and failed in his only attempt to do so – the Diego Sanchez fight. His last three wins have been over Ryo Chonan, Josh Burkman, and Drew Fickett. None of those fighters are even on the title picture radar. So why is he getting a shot at the gold?

There are fans who think he deserves a shot because an injury forced him out of his scheduled UFC 56 title fight with Matt Hughes – but sometimes that's life. In some injury cases your title shot will be waiting for you when you heal -- such as in the case of Georges St. Pierre' second fight with Matt Hughes. GSP's resume was stellar at this point and taking away his shot would have been a travesty. In other cases when your credentials aren't as strong, like Karo's, you need to work your way back up – which he failed to do by losing to Sanchez.

Second, what on Earth is this ‘high percentage of winning' nonsense?

Santa, you see me when I'm sleeping and you know when I'm awake – so you are obviously aware that I dislike Matt Hughes, but I will give the man credit. When Matt Serra withdrew from their scheduled UFC 79 title fight did Hughes say ‘I need an opponent that I will have a high percent chance of beating?' Hell no! He said put me against GSP and let me avenge my loss. This is the attitude of the greatest UFC champion of all time – and should be the attitude all fighters strive to have.

‘I still think I can beat him (Fitch),' says Parisyan. Well then man-up and take the fight if it's offered to you.

Jon Fitch is one of the hottest fighters in the UFC. He is on a 14-fight win streak and most recently defeated Diego Sanchez – who beat Karo. It is close; but Fitch's current resume puts him above Parisyan in terms of title contention.

A fight between the two would decide a clear cut challenger for the title after Matt Serra fights the winner of Hughes/GSP 3.

2) I want B.J. Penn to beat Joe Stevenson

Now don't get me wrong Nick, I'm a fan of Joe Stevenson. He is a great fighter, has been on a tear since dropping to lightweight, and is a classy guy. Still, I would really like you to somehow make it so that B.J. beats him in England at UFC 80. In all fairness, Penn probably won't need your help – but you can never tell which B.J. will be stepping into the octagon.

Truth be told, the only reason I want him to beat Stevenson so badly is because of who he would fight next – former champion Sean Sherk.

A fight between the two would be a new peak for the lightweight division.

Sherk looked like an unstoppable monster before his steroid suspension. We will have to wait to see what he looks like upon his return, but my money says that little will have changed. In fact, he may be even more dangerous because he now has something to prove.

B.J. has made his disdain for Sherk well-known, calling the former champ a ‘roider' in a recent interview. The trash talk will have reached epic proportions by the time this fight happens. The stage will be set for the biggest bout in UFC lightweight division history and a ‘big-fight atmosphere' will be in the air.

Can B.J. stop Sherk's takedowns? Can Sean stand with Penn? Is Sherk the same fighter when off the juice? Is B.J. in good enough shape to go five rounds?

We need answers Santa, but it all starts in England on January 19th.

3) I want Matt Lindland back in the UFC

A few weeks ago I wouldn't have even bothered you with this request. It would have been too far-fetched and I like to keep my list practical. (This is why I never bothered asking you for a real-life penguin, even though I would have killed for one back in the day.)

As it turns out though, it now appears Lindland's return to the UFC is an actual possibility -- so can you please make it happen?

Lindland and Dana White met at a recent WEC event and both men confirmed that they spoke about possibly bringing ‘The Law' back to the octagon.

This would be a huge signing for the UFC as Lindland is one of the top ranked middleweights in the world with his world-class wrestling and great clinch game.

If brought back, Matt would make a huge addition to the 185-pound division which although thin, is starting to take shape with Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, Yushin Okami, Ricardo Almeida, Michael Bisping, and Nathan Marquardt.

Perhaps best of all, Lindland would provide a great challenger to champion Anderson Silva.

Silva will have all he can handle at UFC 82 when he fights Dan Henderson. A win for the Brazilian is anything but guaranteed. However, if Anderson does come away with a victory, Lindland would make the perfect opponent.

The UFC desperately needs new stars to emerge and lead the organization in the coming years. If Silva were able to put together a string of victories over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, and Matt Lindland he would become one of those stars. A win-streak of that nature would solidify Anderson as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet – especially with Fedor off fighting the likes of Hong Man Choi. Couple this in with ‘The Spider's' jaw-dropping style and the UFC would have a marketing juggernaut on their hands.

Lindland would also have plenty to gain from a possible title shot. No matter if the fight came against Silva or Henderson, it would give Matt a chance to prove that despite not fighting in the big organizations he is still the best in the world at 185-pounds.

At age 37, time is running out for ‘The Law,' so let's get him back in the UFC as soon as possible. If Dana refuses to let it happen, be sure to leave a nice lump of coal in his stocking.

4) I want the death of Sam Vasquez to be an isolated incident

Kris, this is my most important request.

On November 30, Sam Vasquez became the first fighter to die as a result of a state-sanctioned MMA event. It was a painful reminder of how risky the sport can be for its participants. Reports have blamed this tragedy on a pre-existing blood clot found in the fighters head. This may be the case, but it doesn't matter at this point. The fact still remains that Sam lost his life.

A minority of fans are upset by this tragedy because of the media backlash it could bring the sport – these fans are upset for the wrong reason.

I -- like the vast majority of fans – am upset by this event because Sam's 7-year-old son will be waking up this Christmas without his father. This breaks my heart worse than anything else in MMA ever has before.

Mixed-martial arts is one of the greatest sports in the world, but it is also one of the most dangerous. The sad story of Sam Vasquez illustrates this point to its fullest. Hopefully, Sam's tragedy will prove to be the exception and not the rule.

So Santa, if you give me nothing else, at least give me the hope that all fighters will complete the year without serious injury and enjoy Christmas 2008 with their families.

Sincerely,
Ken Kobel

P.S. I could still use that Batman Utility Belt. So if there is some extra room on the sled, hook a brother up.

What's on your list?

It isn't too late to let Santa know what you want for Christmas. Give your MMA wishlist for the coming year in the comments section below, or just critique mine. No registration is required to leave a comment.

Last Week's Comments

Speaking of comments, here are a few from last week's column titled ‘UFC Lightweight Division Ready for a Huge 2008' :

Thickbrow wrote:

My favorite fight to watch was Griffin vs Thiago. Griffin is able to escape out of ANYTHING :) As for the fighter I think is going to have a great run in 2008 i would have to say Clay Guida. He was dominating that match till the 3rd round when he got caught with that knee. I could see them giving him some good fights in 2008 because of his entertainment factor and ability to put on great fights. If he wins these he will catapult back up the rankings and be in line for a title shot.

- Griffin/Tavares at UFC 76 was an excellent fight. Griffin is a contender and Tavares is someone we definitely need to keep an eye on in 2008. I hope Guida has a good year as well. He always excites and the UFC never gives him an easy fight. I was heart-broken when he lost at TUF6 finale. He left it all in the ring.

411mania's own Matt McEwen wrote:

As for the best fight of 2007 at 155, I'd say it's a toss up between Edgar/Griffin and Guida/Griffin, but like you said, it seemed almost every show featured a great lightweight battle. Looking ahead to 2008, I don't know that you can pick one guy and say he's going to go on a run, because any of the top 10 in the division could beat anyone else on any given day. That being said, Penn is a potential world beater at 155, IF he stays motivated, as you mentioned. In the end though, it doesn't matter since it should be another great year for the most exciting division in the UFC.

- I agree 100% with your B.J. Penn analysis. He has as much talent as anyone in the world. It is such a shame to see him sucking wind after two rounds. It's almost like it comes so easy to him that he doesn't even bother to train. Hopefully, we will see a new and improved ‘Prodigy' in 2008.

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