Punch Drunk Hangover 2.18.08: Tank's for the Memories...
Posted by Bren Oliver on 02.18.2008
Read ahead for Bren Oliver's thoughts on Kimbo dropping a tank-busting bomb at EliteXC, the emergence of the DREAMS promotion in Japan, Chris Leben re-signing with the UFC, Kim Couture risking her face, Cro Cop leaving the Octagon, and Steve Mazagatti's unhealthy influence on WEC 32 . Those things and more, plus this week's "Monday Morning Moment of Zen", are all just a click ahead!
Good morning, afternoon, evening, or whatever in-between time it is that your eyes have found their way to the Punch Drunk Hangover! I'm here with another one-stop shop for catching up on last week's Mixed Martial Arts news. As you may or may not have noticed, I was an absentee columnist last week, and thus your waking hours this past Monday could not be graced, dis or otherwise, with a fresh cup o' PDH. I was lucky enough to fall victim to the flu and find myself with a three-digit temperature for a few days. While I'm better now, I still have a different fever...and that's one for the flava of Mixed Martial Arts!
I missed a few solid morsels of MMA news during my virus-induced hiatus so here are a few "Quick Hits" on an item or two that caught my attention:
- The UFC is issuing their own set of rankings? That makes as much sense as the NBA's Western Conference ranking the best players in the NBA while omitting the likes of Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, Chauncy Billups, and Dwight Howard simply because they play in the East. Dana White is clueless if he thinks fight-fans are stupid enough to buy the UFC rankings as being more as a way for him to legitimize who the in-company contenders are to his in-company champions.
- Good to hear the UFC is shooting for an event in either Boston or NYC before the end of the year. Both cities will act as great venues for the sport. Personally, I'm excited about the prospect of a live UFC event emanating from Madison Square Garden. The energy would be off the charts and it would show the world that Mixed Martial Arts truly has arrived.
- I can't blame Fedor for being upset with Dana White as far as White's constant verbal assaults on Emelianenko and his camp. Emelianenko is as respectful an individual as you'll find in MMA. He is not one to get into pissing contests, except perhaps somewhere in the Russian wilderness after a long night of vodka consumption. However, Fedor should understand Dana has never been anything other than a brash, foul-mouthed individual with an intense drive who isn't afraid to run over his competitors. Asking White to behave in a mature way is like asking a leopard to change its spots to stripes.
- Don Frye vs. Oleg Taktarov at the debut show for YAMMA Pit Fighting? I hear Cialis is already lined up as a sponser for the event.
Anyways, that's my three cents. I'd love to hear what you think so feel free to shoot me a line via email or the "Comments" section underneath the column. Now on to my humble opinion on a variety of subjects rearing their ugly heads over the past seven days...
The following medley of items were reported between February 11th, 2008 and February 17th, 2008:
Kevin Randleman recently stated on the PunchDrunkGamer forums that he has officially signed with World Victory Road and will be fighting Jeff Monson in either June or July (as well as in a warm up fight in the next few months).
In case there's any confusion, I have as much to do with the PunchDrunkGamer forums as Kevin Randleman's urine has to do with that of a human specimin - absolutely nothing. World Victory Road is a logical place for Randleman to land because it's in Japan where drug testing is non-existent and he can make a bunch of cash based on past accomplishments in MMA. I think a fight against Monson would be solid match-making by WVR, and pleasing to the Japanese fans, though with the wrestling base of both men there certainly is the potential for the bout to turn into an exhibition on wet blankets. Randleman has been out of action for more than a year, and it's been twenty-seven months since his last victory, so fans shouldn't have very high expectations for "The Monster" returning to MMA competition.
Patrick Cote, the UFC middleweight who was set to be a big draw for the organization's debut in Canada in April, has been forced to pull out of his scheduled UFC 83 fight due to a sprained knee that he suffered slipping on some ice.
Cote's replacement on the UFC 83 show has been named as Jason Day, a King Of The Cage veteran and fighter on many of the smaller Canadian shows, including a recent victory over former UFC veteran David "The Crow" Loiseau. Day is in the midst of a four-fight winning streak, with his most recent loss coming ironically enough against Cote at a TKO show in Montreal in June of 2007. No word on whether Day will be facing Belcher or another opponent on the April fight card.
If ever one was to make a case for the mental aspect of fighting being a major determining factor in one's MMA success, David Louiseau would be a major player as far as I'm concerned. Has anyone fallen further in such a short time? "The Crow" seemed to be the next Middleweight superstar during his UFC run in 2005 and has since lost four of his last five including two of three since being dropped by Zuffa. It's as if he forgot how to win after his intense five-round war against Rich Franklin at UFC 58.
As far as the other two Canadians mentioned in this piece, it's unfortunate Cote had to pull out of UFC 83 with such a freak-injury. The crowd would have eaten him up like Mac-N-Cheese with a side of ketchup, plus a win over Belcher might have solidified him as a contender to the Middleweight Championship. I don't know much about Jason Day, but he clearly has a chance to make a name for himself on a UFC PPV in front of his countrymen. It's a great opportunity, but one that comes with the trappings of a intense pressure.
THQ has announced that they will be revealing more details about the upcoming UFC video game at UFC 84 on May 24. UFC 84 is currently set to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and is likely to feature a main event of BJ Penn vs. Sean Sherk.
I won't be surprised if the details will involve some sort of simulated bout between Penn and Sherk. The original glimpse fans got featuring "Rampage" Jackson and Chuck Liddell in action was a nice preview, so I'm very interested in seeing how the game has progressed since then as it seems like we've been waiting forever for its release.
Kim Couture, wife of UFC Hall of Famer Randy "The Natural" Couture will have her MMA debut broadcast by HDNet Fights, directly following the IFL coverage from the network on Feb. 29. She is making her MMA debut at a Muay Thai/boxing "smoker" that is being hosted by the Extreme Couture gym and the event on HDNet will be entitled "HDNet Fights: The Debut of Kim Couture"
"Smoker" is a term that could be used to describe Mrs. Couture as well as the type of bout she's debuting in. Randy definitely picks 'em well, and I don't just mean the winner of fights. For those of you who missed Kim Couture and Gina Carano as guests on last week's "Inside MMA", all I can say is HD never looked so good!
As far as her "MMA debut", I could do without all the attention it's getting. I frankly think it's a way for HDNet Fights to kiss Randy Couture's ass and further-ensure his eventual fight against Fedor Emelianenko will take place on their airwaves. I'm perfectly okay with them doing such a thing, but it insults my intelligence as a fight-fan to think I should actually be excited about an exhibition contest featuring the wife of a superstar.
During an interview with UFC.com recently, Chris Leben announced that he has re-signed with the UFC. Leben also mentions that the deal is for 2 years. A few weeks back there were reports that Leben was looking to leave the UFC and possibly join ICON.
Win or lose, Chris Leben will always show up and deliver and exciting fight. It's for that purpose the UFC re-signed him. Personality goes an extremely long way in the industry. It creates individuals out of the tattooed massive clump of fighters walking the Earth. Add to his colorful exterior the stone-hands with which he pursues his glory and you've got a man custom built for the UFC fanbase. Leben will likely never be champion, but he will always be a fighter who stands out in the crowd and cashes a ton of Zuffa paychecks in the process.
It has been announced that due to ligament tears suffered in his leg, Stephan Bonnar will be forced to withdraw from his April 2 fight with Matt Hamill, and will require full ligament replacement surgery. The injury occurred while Bonnar was training some jiu-jitsu for the upcoming fight and will keep him out of action for up to six months.
I was looking forward to Bonnar taking on Hamill, as I felt it would be a test for both men and an opportunity to show fans each was ready for the next step up in competition. I hope Stephan's recovery goes well and I'm sure "The American Psycho" will be back in action on the earlier end of the prognosis. I don't know if his previous steroid use has anything to do with the injury occurring, but I would understand if people felt it was possible simply because it's a question that will always linger over an athlete who has been caught juicing.
I've read that Tim Boetsch is stepping into Bonnar's place to face Hamill. I think he'll be overmatched, as "The Hammer" has proven he's a far more game opponent than David Heath (who Boetsch faced at UFC 81), but then again I'm not sure it's ever safe to discount someone who did the following to another grown man...
World Victory Road announced that they have signed former PRIDE veteran Kazuyuki Fujita. Fujita is expected to fight on the upcoming World Victory Road's Sengoku card to be held on March 5th in Tokyo. An opponent has yet to be named. Fujita may be best known for his overhand right that nearly knocked out Fedor Emelianenko.
If there was ever any doubt Fedor is a bad man, how cool is it to have other fighters be known as the person who ALMOST did something to you? I actually prefer to think of Fujita by his other nickname, "Ironhead", as to me he's best known as the guy whose skull is medically documented as being thicker than the average human being's. Fujita is a Japanese icon and the fans will treat him as such on March 5th. I've always felt he was a classy invididual and I'll be happy to see him get the kind of respect he deserves.
FEG announced a collaboration with Dream Stage Entertainment Inc., the former producers of PRIDE Fighting Championship at a press conference on February 13th in Japan. The new MMA organization will be known as Dream and will replace the Hero's MMA division of K-1. The press conference announced the various events that will be run by the new company, as well as the weight classes, which will closely mirror the UFC's current weight class structure.
The other big news from the press conference was the announcement that Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic has been released from his UFC contract and has signed with the new Dream promotion. Filipovic, who attended the press conference in person, has been training since coming off of his surgery to repair his nasal passage and the new company is hopeful that he will be able to fight on their March 15 debut card.
Talk about a (Cro) Cop-out. It's been incredible to watch the UFC's big-boy division crumble over the last nine months. It went from a place where there was great hope and potential to a barren landscape in the blink of an eye. And, with the impending departure of Andre Arlovski, the horizon is bleak as well.
I'm glad to see the formulation of legitimate Japanese promotions in the post-PRIDE era and March 15th keeps sounding better and better. If Mirko is prepared to fight in a month then the afore-mentioned "Ironhead" Fujita seems like the perfect opponent to pair him against. It would be a welcome sight to fans of PRIDE and a competitive bout to boot. Couple that with the appearance of Denis Kang on the card, and a Lightweight Tournament guaranteed to feature Shina Aoki taking on JZ Calvancante, and you're looking at pretty much a "must see" MMA event in mid-March that doesn't feature Dana White as puppetmaster.
World Victory Road has announced that Takanori Gomi will be fighting Duane Ludwig on the upcoming SENGOKU card which will be held March 5th in Tokyo
March is going to be a helluva month for Mixed Martial Arts! Ludwig is a good opponent for "The Fireball Kid", as he's a name people recognize and also not quite at Gomi's level from a skill standpoint. Gomi will be looking to show the world he is still the top Lightweight in the business and his overturned-loss to Nick Diaz was merely the result of a contact high having caused a momentary lapse in focus. I think he'll handle Ludwig fairly easily and send the Tokyo fans home with smiles on their faces.
Member's of Alexandre Franca Nogueira's camp have announced that the former Shooto champion will sign with the WEC real soon. Nogueira is currently 13-4-2 and is considered the "master of the guillotine choke". Nogueira has never competed outside of Japan and at one time was considered the best Featherweight in MMA.
"At one time" must mean in 2000, which is like saying "at one time, Nat at the Peach Pit was considered relevant", because I can't find a block of time since then when Nogueira was all that impressive. He's lost two of his last three fights and is 7-4-1 over the last seven years. However, I think he'll add depth to a growing WEC Featherweight division, and I am extremely pleased with the promotion's direction regarding the 145-pound weightclass.
Leonard Garcia, who scored a first round TKO over Hiroyuki Takaya at WEC 32, made an appearance on TAGG Radio yesterday and announced his intentions of fighting WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber.
I think Garcia is getting a little ahead of himself. He has not proven he can hang with Faber and I was not impressed with his TKO at WEC 32. Garcia's fight with Huerta was as good as they come, so from that standpoint I can see why he wants Faber, but Urijah is a beast at 145-pounds and I do not believe Garcia possesses the technique necessary to beat him. I think Cub Swanson makes sense as a future opponent for Garcia based on their styles. Chance Farrar is another possibility. The WEC Featherweight mountain is a steep one to climb. There's no need to rush Leonard Garcia up to the peak when he's yet to even firmly plant his feet in the division.
UFC veteran Joe Riggs has announced that he will take the place of the injured Cedrick Mark and face off against Cory Devela at the February 23rd Strikeforce show in Tacoma, Washington at the Tacoma Dome.
I wish Joe Riggs a ton of luck on February 23rd! He has had a rough stretch as of late, personally and professional, and by all accounts is a very nice guy. I think he'll perform well against Cory Devela and I like his chances to walk away the victor. In case you've forgotten, this show is being broadcast live on HDNet next Saturday night, so make sure to tune in and catch Bob Sapp in all his hi-def glory!
M-1 Global and the new upstart MMA promotion "DREAMS" announced that they have reached a business deal that could lead to Fedor Emelianenko competing in the new "DREAMS" promotion. The business deal is rumored to be a talent exchange deal that would lead to both companies sharing fighters. Fedor Emelianenko and UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie have both publicly announced that they would like to compete in the new DREAMS promotion.
This is great news for MMA fans, as it appears an authentic replacement for PRIDE has finally surfaced! Those longing for the return of the pageantry of Mixed Martial Arts in Japan, whose appetites were simply whetted with New Year's Eve's Yarennoka, can now lace up their cloth diapers and start beating oversized drums cause, baby, it's back!!!
I wonder if this week's news regarding DREAMS and M-1, let alone World Victory Road, have gotten any play in the inner confines of the UFC corporate structure. They seem to be in the same place they were when PRIDE was a functioning entity, where a company (multiple companies as the case may be) is cornering the Japanese MMA market with plans for huge events featuring contracted talent while pulling in American viewership along the way. Also, I fully expect Mark Cuban to jump all over this opportunity and find a way to broadcast DREAMS/M-1 events live on HDNet.
After EliteXC "Street Certified" last night where Kimbo Slice knocked out Tank Abbott in 43 seconds, EliteXC President Gary Shaw announced that Kimbo Slice's next fight could be at an EliteXC event in either April or May. He didn't elaborate on a possible opponent, but the EliteXC announcers mentioned the winner of Ken Shamrock/Robert Berry as a potential fight for Kimbo.
At first glimpse I can't help but laugh at the notion of Kimbo Slice fighting Ken Shamrock. I understand some would view it as being similar to Lesnar vs. Mir, where Shamrock would play the role of a guy who could easily use his experience to find a submission opening and lock on to Kimbo, but Shamrock is a shell of his former self and Mir is still a relatively young man. I have a hard time seeing any other result than Slice mauling Shamrock and I pray for Ken, for his family, that he does not decide to take a fight against Kimbo....and I pray for his daughter to give me a phone call!
From EliteXC: Street Certified...
I have not seen the entire EliteXC event yet, but I was able to catch Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott and I'd say it delivered everything it was supposed to. This animated GIF seems to agree with me...
The crowd was into it and seemed ready to riot after a few early stoppages, but their man delivered in the end and everyone went home happy...well, everyone but Tank. He went home with a sore jaw. It's still difficult to say where Kimbo is as a Mixed Martial Artist, but EliteXC has done a commendable job on lining up his fights thus far. Tank Abbott and Bo Cantrell were both opponents whose skillsets accentuated Kimbo's talents and reduced the possibility of holes in his game being exposed. Had the UFC done the same with Brock Lesnar he would likely be 2-0 and a more valueable asset than he already is. I think EliteXC will continue to build Kimbo up through match-making and I could see his next opponent being perhaps James "The Colossus" Thompson. Regardless of Thompson's loss to Brett Rogers, he is a well-known fighter whose style is a perfect match-up for Slice's continued ascension in the ranks.
I'd also like to see Kimbo step into the cage against Paul Buentello. Buentello would provide for a good indicator of where Slice is as an overall fighter.
From WEC 32...
Manny Tapia def. Antonio Banuelos - Judges' Decision
I enjoyed this fight, and was glad there was a genuine result instead of a draw (as was mistakingly announced). However, I'm curious to know why Steve Mazagatti warned Tapia twice about strikes to the back of Banuelos' head without stopping the fight and deducting a point. Is it too much to ask for some consistency in his officiating if I'm to believe he did not pull a "Homer" in the Lesnar/Mir fight from UFC 81?
Miguel Torres def. Chase Beebe - RD 1 - Submission
Beautiful, and creative, display of jiujitsu by Torres which Beebe clearly had no answer for. It's not often you see someone go in and humble a champion in such a fashion. Torres is 21-1 and avenged the only loss of his professional career by submitting Ryan Ackerman in the first round of a later rematch. I'll be interested to see if he ventures up a weightclass at some point and tests his talent against "The California Kid", Urijah Faber.
Leonard Garcia def. Hiroyuki Takaya - RD 1 - TKO
Garcia's successful debut at 145-pounds bodes well for the young fighter, though he did not get much of a chance to display his talents given the quick finish of Takaya. I felt the stoppage was a bit premature, as Takaya should have been given a chance to continue (or at least "turtle up"), but it seemed fairly clear Garcia was ready to finish the job and I don't blame the referee for protecting a fighter if he felt it was in his best interest. If Garcia can get two more wins at Lightweight, the WEC's premeire division, I think he'll have proven himself a contender for Faber's belt.
Jamie Varner def. "Razor" Rob McCullough - RD 3 - TKO
I hate that my strongest reaction to watching Varner's win over McCullough is related to a man who wasn't even wearing five-ounce gloves. Mazagatti, you Mazagattz-to-go. The allowance of Jamie Varner's "timeout" was ridiculous. It was bush league. It deprived "Razor Rob" of the opportunity to finish Varner off and may have ultimately cost him his WEC Championship. The proper call is to retrieve the mouthpiece during a stoppage in action....you know, as opposed to directly after a fighter's jaw has just been reshuffled Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em-style.
As far as the actual fighter, Varner did look good and I was somewhat surprised by McCullough's hesitancy to exchange in the first two rounds of the fight. He clearly had an answer for Varner's takedowns, and was perhaps simply pacing himself, but I felt he could have been more aggressive in the opening 7-8 minutes of the bout. I admired McCullough's heart in attempting to shrug off the knockdowns in the eventual sequence that saw him lose his title. Varner was deserving of his win, regardless of Mazagatti's blown call, and deserves kudos for his heads-up move of calling for time after his mouthpiece was sent flying. I'm fairly sure his first defense is going to come against McCullough so he should maximize the enjoyment of his belt while he has it.
Carlos Condit def. Carlo Prater - RD 1 - Submission
Carlos Condit is one of my favorite fighters and my enjoyment of his appearances grows with each match. He seems like a nice, humble kid who steps through the cage doors and suddenly becomes a raging psycho. Normally that can make for a bad combination, but in the world of Mixed Martial Arts it makes for a fearsome competitor who has perhaps the best staredown in the sport. I also dig that his mother accompanies him to the ring. Condit has expressed interest in testing out the UFC and I think he'll do well if he decides to go that route. He's young, marketable, and is a well-rounded fighter. I think he would instantly find a place in the upper-echelon of the division, facing guys like Fitch, Koscheck, St. Pierre, Serra, and Parisyan, and I wouldn't bet against him defeating any one of them.
As a bonus in this week's column, here's a bout between Frank Trigg and Carlos Condit from "Rumble on the Rock 9"...
Jibber-Jabber:
The following soundbyte was delivered over the past week...
A message from Tim Sylvia on rumors about him leaving the UFC to fight with his manager Monte Cox's promotion, M-1 Global...
"well let me just start off by saying people r f***ed up by saying that i want to leave the ufc. I dont its my home and i would love to be there for the rest of my carear. Second I didnt say i wanted or even was thinking about m1 u guys (forum users) asked about it and I told u my manager runs it thats it, so please dont take shit out of context. Some of u people are going to get me in trouble with the ufc."
Those Miletich products sure are wordsmiths, aren't they? Between Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia, I'd say, combined, they write at a tenth-grade level. How can we take Sylvia serious when he responds to allegations with a message better suited for a comment section on a fifteen-year old girl's MySpace page? No, Tim-eh, the forumers who are speculating on your interest in joining M-1 are not going to get you in trouble with Dana and crew. It's your absolute lack of personality and waivering success against the top level of opponents that's going to cost you your UFC career.
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That's about all she wrote for this week's Hangover. Till next time, Punch Drunk buckaroos, here's your "Monday Morning MMA Moment of Zen" - a newsreel on Gracie Jiujitsu from the 1950s!
In other news, Little Orphan Annie often practiced Muay Thai before drinking a frosty glass of Ovaltine!
