Punch Drunk Hangover 2.25.08: A Masterpiece in the Midwest

Posted by Bren Oliver on 02.25.2008

Read ahead for Bren Oliver's thoughts on the upcoming showdown between Dan Henderson and Anderson Silva, Herb Dean's inexcusible error at MFC, the taming of Bob "The Beast" Sapp at Strikeforce, an incredible Fight Night XIII card, Mark Cuban's involvement in the Couture lawsuit, and Karo Parisyan putting "the heat" on Jon Fitch. Those things and more, plus this week's "Monday Morning Moment of Zen" featuring Bas Rutten and Frank Shamrock, 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.

The major buzz this week, rightfully so, surrounds the forthcoming battle between the top two Middleweights on the face of the Earth - Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson. Both men are champions at the weight class, though Silva's title holds a bit more relevance considering the front of it reads UFC. He also has been a Brazillian buzzsaw at 185 pounds, whereas Henderson hasn't been quite as dominant and even lost his last fight at Middleweight, against Kazuo Misaki, but held on to his championship because the defeat came in the PRIDE Grand Prix.

It's difficult to figure out exactly how this fight will unfold because both men are absolute warriors who are able to win from any position. Henderson's jaw has shown great resilience throughout his career and has allowed him to be one of the few competitors in the sport who can claim to have never been victim to a TKO or knockout after twenty-eight professional fights. However, Anderson Silva is a striker unlike any other and considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world (myself included). He rarely has a chance to show his jiujitsu skills, which are plentiful, because he's too busy knocking his opponents out with kicks, punches, knees, and elbows. "The Spider" has likely got a ton of fans in the plastic surgery community if you know what I mean, though in Henderson's favor, at least he's got less teeth to knock out than the average fighter would. He's definitely got a hockey player's smile. That being said, if any fighter can deliver "Hollywood" his first lapse of consciousness in Mixed Martial Arts, there's no better candidate to do so than Anderson Silva.

I expect Dan Henderson to clinch and take Silva down as often as possible. He's well-rounded enough to avoid submission attempts and needs to take away any distance allowing "The Spider" to wind up and strike. I look to the last time Anderson Silva was finished, a highlight reel submission by Ryo Chonan back in 2004, and think back to how the overall fight unfolded. Chonan was getting absolutely killed on his feet, but he was able to absorb punishment and close the gap more than once. When he had Silva on the ground he did a good job working him over and repeated the process enough to likely have won a decision had the fight gone to the judges. Another thing Chonan did throughout the bout was fire a number of kicks to Silva's leading leg, softening it up to not only assist his takedown attempts, but which also opened up the flying scissor-lock he grounded Anderson with, then heel-hooked his way to victory within seconds of.

Unfortunately I will likely not have an opportunity to view this fight until after it has already taken place. This sad sidenote is as painful to absorb as any Anderson Silva face-shuffling knee, for I will be involved in bachelor party shenanigans for a good friend of mine. The silver-lining is that it's taking place in New Orleans so I'll be surrounded by enough booze, seafood, jazz music, and savory feminine parts to keep myself distracted and away from the results. And, since I'm a optimist, I'm going to hold out hope we may find a bar broadcasting the event. Just in case though, make sure you enjoy it a little extra for we poor souls who may not be viewing what will no doubt be one of the greatest MMA fights of the last ten years.





Anyways, that's my three cents. I'd love to hear what you think about Silva vs. Henderson, and UFC 82 in general, 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 18th, 2008 and February 24th, 2008:


EliteXC Lightweight Nick Diaz will be taking on Muhsin Corbbrey at the April 26th EliteXC event in Honolulu, Hawaii. Diaz last fought for EliteXC in November where he suffered an upset loss to KJ Noons. Corbbrey is currently 6-2 as a pro and last fought Bobby McMaster in October and won by submission.


The last time Nick Diaz's name came up it was in relation to KJ Noons' alleged rejection of a proposed rematch against the polarizing Gracie Jiujitsu fighter who wears a constant scowl on his face. I personally would love some clarification on exactly how a champion can refuse to defend his belt against an individual the promotion he's working for has declared to be the top challenger. I would not be surprised at all if Gary Shaw, EliteXC's President, was the one who indeed axed Diaz vs. Noons II given Diaz's display of poor sportsmanship after the original bout against Noons, as well as the opportunity to build up the rematch as being an even bigger fight if both men find success in their forthcoming bouts.

Focusing on Diaz's contest against Muhsin Corbbrey, as it is the subject of this news blurb, I like the match-making for a few reasons. First and foremost it's a winnable fight for Nick Diaz and will allow him to start building his career momentum back up. Corbbrey is a skilled opponent who is surrounded by buzz, but he lacks the experience and overall ability Diaz possesses. It will be interesting to see if the surgery Nick recently underwent to fix scar tissue on his face, a factor causing him to be cut more easily and which perhaps ultimately cost him the EliteXC Lightweight Championship given the fight's stoppage for the afore-mentioned reason. The second aspect to this match-up which I appreciate is the opportunity it's giving Corbbrey. Nick Diaz is bar none the biggest name he's faced thus far in his young career. A win over Diaz would no doubt open future doors for Corbbrey, plus move him to 3-0 in EliteXC competition and ultimately one step closer to challenging for a big shiny beltbuckle.


Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, the first ever UFC Heavyweight Champion, will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at UFC 82 in Columbus, Ohio. Coleman is 15-8 as a pro, and his last fight was in 2006 where he lost to Fedor Emelianenko via armbar.


For those of you who think this means Coleman will be returning to action, please check your wishes at the door because Dana White has also said Tank Abbott is a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame and there's no way Abbott's pot-belly will ever venture it's way back into the Octagon and compete. I won't be shocked if Coleman eventually gets an opportunity, as I think Dana White views him as a poor man's Randy Couture and is eager to wipe "The Natural" from fans' collective memory given the ongoing litigation between both camps. I'm just saying those of you thirsting for "The Hammer" to step back into the UFC and fight shouldn't get your hopes up until something other than his Hall of Fame induction is officially announced. Plus, with World Victory Road and DREAMS springing up in Japan, wouldn't it make more sense for Coleman to return to the Land of the Rising Sun given that the bulk of his success came on Japanese soil?

Coleman was 6-3 in the UFC which is hardly a HoF-worthy record. However, with the UFC owning PRIDE, I suppose they also own his accomplishments in the promotion and Coleman was absolutely a player inside the white-matted square circle. For example, he won the 2000 Grand Prix, and that's not something to take lightly. Couple that accomplishment with the fact he essentially created the "ground and pound" style so many Mixed Martial Artists rely on to this day and Coleman truly becomes one of the forefathers of MMA. I think he deserves the recognition he'll be receiving next Saturday night and I'm certain the fans in Columbus, even those who have never seen him fight, will show plenty of respect for the former Ohio State Buckeye.


The Fight Network is reporting that Fabricio Werdum could be facing Brandon Vera at the upcoming UFC 85 show scheduled to take place in London, England. It now looks as though Werdum's rumored title shot will be put on hold. Werdum's last fight was a 2nd round TKO over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 80. Vera's last fight was a decision loss to Tim Sylvia at UFC 77.


I can't help but wonder if Dana White is still holding out hope in having Randy Couture fight in the UFC one last time against "Minotauro" Nogueira. The UFC President went from stating Werdum was next in line to fight for the Heavyweight Championship to setting him up against a fighter who lost his last bout against a guy, Tim Sylvia, who lost to the champion. It makes no sense for Vera to act as contender if he beats Werdum so, again, I wonder if Dana White is praying for a miracle involving Couture and "Big Nog". The only other contender worth considering is Cheick Kongo, who in his own right has his work cut out for him against Heath Herring, because Andre Arlovski seems to be as good as gone even if he beats 10-0 Jake O'Brien at UFC 82.

I think Werdum vs. Vera should be a nice fight, where both men are well-rounded with a slight striking advantage to "The Truth", Vera, and a bit of an edge on the ground for Werdum. Both men desperately need the win to merit consideration as a true title-contender. I see Vera pushing the pace and eventually knocking Werdum out, but I will not bat an eyelash if Fabricio builds on his solid performance against Gonzaga and finds a way to finish off Vera. If that happens, I truly hope Brandon considers dropping down to Light Heavyweight as he generally steps on the scale somewhere in the 220s which is extremely small for a division featuring a few guys who would have 30-40 pound weight advantages if they were to lock horns in the Octagon.


Ultimate Fighter 5 contestant Manny Gamburyan will be facing Jeff Cox at the upcoming UFC Fight Night XIII show in Colorado. In addition, UFC Fight Night XIII will be expanded from a two-hour broadcast to three hours based on the immense depth of the card.


To me this signals the build to a rematch between Ultimate Fighter V finalists Nate Diaz and Manny Gamburyan. Karo's cousin was handling Diaz at the TUF 5 Finale before dislocating his shoulder in the second round and tapping out to injury. Both young men are blue chippers in the Lightweight Division and know they need to eventually square off again to eliminate any lingering questions about who is the better fighter.

Manny should have no trouble handling Cox who has yet to win a professional fight, sitting with a career record of 0-2, and who will also be dropping down in weight as he normally fights at 170 pounds. Diaz, on the other hand, will be facing Kurt Pellegrino at the same event who is an extremely game opponent. By the way, when Pellegrino vs. Diaz isn't listed as being a televised bout, talk about an AMAZING card!

Kudos to Spike TV on extending the broadcast by the way. I'm quite certain the ratings will reflect the fans' appreciation for the decision to do so. The UFC is treating fans in Colorado to twelve scheduled fights while featuring names like Clay Guida, Din Thomas, Marcus Aurelio, Spencer Fisher, Kenny Florian, Houston Alexander, Nate Diaz, Kurt Pellegrino, Frankie Edgar, and Josh Neer. I commend Spike, and the UFC, for allowing fans at home to be part of such a special event. There are literally five or six of the "Top 20" Lightweights in the world who will be seing action on April 2nd, at a "Fight Night" no less, and that's truly a feat to behold.


Sherdog is reporting that the reason HDNet Fights sued Zuffa last week (in a lawsuit that seeks declaratory relief of Couture's promotional contract with the UFC) is due in fact that the company has come to terms on a contract with Randy Couture that is set to start once his UFC contract expires. When that happens, the company is expected to try and schedule a fight between Couture and Fedor Emelianenko in Dallas, Texas.


As a native Texan who lives three hours away from Dallas I can't even begin to fathom the possibility of Couture facing Fedor Emelianenko essentially taking place in my backyard. Couple that with my having attended a past HDNet Fights event, and feeling somewhat confident in my ability to garner exclusive 411Mania access to their future shows, and I've found myself to be as giddy as a schoolgirl at the possibility of viewing this epic event from cageside. Excuse me whilst I cartwheel!

Sorry, but while the Kevin Ioles and Steve Sieverts of the world may enjoy the sport and do a fine job covering it, I actually find genuine joy in watching MMA competition and I will always consider myself a fan first, journalist second. If you see a guy somewhere in the crowd at Couture vs. Emelianenko with a pen and a pad, who has stolen the Cheshire Cat's smile for an evening, rest assured he will be flying the 411Mania MMA Zone banner.

I like HDNet's move in terms of legally forcing the UFC to reveal when Couture's contract will expire. It prevents Zuffa from dragging their feet on the issue and creates a finite date for not only "The Natural", but for fans who are desperately ready for a solution to the legal issues between Couture and the company he made his name in. Mark Cuban got to where he is in life through hard work, determination, a remarkable business acumen, and somewhere in the mix, a very strong legal team. Having his backing in this matter is as much as Randy Couture could have ever hoped.


The UFC has released Middleweight Dave Terrell (6-2) from his contract. Terrell last fought in 2006 when he submitted Scott Smith in the first round. However, Terrell pulled out of a fight with Yushin Okami at UFC 62 with a sinus infection, a UFC 66 fight with Okami due to an elbow injury, and also a UFC 78 fight with Ed Herman because of an ankle injury. Terrell has come out and said that he was unhappy with the pay on his current contract anyways and is looking to sign with EliteXC or another MMA organization as soon as possible.


I don't know why Terrell would think he is going to make as much, or more, in EliteXC or a different promotion given he hasn't competed in MMA in nearly two full years. His stated displeasure is nothing more than attempted posturing as far as I'm concerned. The money is definitely out there for guys who are deserving, but Terrell isn't going to see any big paychecks until he proves he still has what it takes to be successful in Mixed Martial Arts. Pulling out of three straight fights with injuries and having a twenty-two month layoff in action doesn't exactly inspire confidence in his ability to do so.


Justin McCulley made an appearance on "Inside MMA" recently and announced that he is going to be fighting Brock Lesnar at UFC 85 in London, England. The fight has yet to be confirmed by the UFC. McCulley is a former pro wrestler who use to wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling and was in a tag team with Chyna.


I watch "Inside MMA" every week and McCulley, while never mentioning a specific name, definitely insinuated there were talks in the works to put together a fight between himself and Brock Lesnar (who he referred to as something like "a big guy who just came over from a wrestling promotion"). McCulley also expressed a genuine interest in seeing the bout take place. While I fully expect Lesnar to destroy McCulley if they do indeed face off in the Octagon, I will say that McCulley has a bright future in MMA broadcasting if he ever gets an opportunity to step out of the ring and into the booth. His appearances on "Inside MMA" are always insightful, he's well-spoken, and he always comes in as prepared as the hosts of the show in terms of notes/facts.


EliteXC Lightweight champion KJ Noons will be defending his title against Yves Edwards at the EliteXC show set to take place April 26th in Honolulu, Hawaii. Yves Edwards is currently riding a three fight win streak.


This fight should turn out to be a stand-up battle, though I can see Edwards taking it to the ground since he's a much better jiujitsu practitioner than Noons. I'm happy to see Yves Edwards revitalize his MMA career and get an opportunity at a significant championship on live television. American Top Team genuinely deserves the credit they often receive in terms of being a world class training center. While I think Noons has a bright future in MMA, I'm sure I'll find myself rooting for Yves to take the next step in his comeback which is akin to Randy Couture's, though on a smaller level. After all, how can you not cheer for a guy who won his last fight in the following manner...





Wanderlei Silva announced on his website Friday that he will be signing a contract to fight Keith Jardine at UFC 84 in Las Vegas on May 24. Silva also announced that he is currently training with Randy Couture to prepare for the fight.


I think the UFC is putting "The Axe Murderer" at serious risk of finding himself on a four-fight losing streak in inking this bout against Jardine. I think "The Dean of Mean" is every-bit as skilled on his feet as Wanderlei and out-punched Chuck Liddell, an individual who clearly had Silva's number when the two exchanged strikes at UFC 79. It's a great fight for Jardine in the sense he'll again be the underdog, as he was against "The Iceman", and therefore it becomes a win-win situation for him. If Wandy gives Jardine the "Houston Alexander" treatment and brutally knocks him out then Jardine is losing to a man he's expected to be beaten by. If he whips Silva's tail, possibly leaving him out cold on the canvas in the process, then Keith has defeated Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell in back-to-back fights, as well as floored current Light Heavyweight Championship contender Forrest Griffin at UFC 66, and will have clearly established himself as next in line for a shot at UFC gold.


Hermes Franca has announced via his message board that he has been officially released from the UFC. Franca last fought for the UFC in July against Sean Sherk in a fight where Franca lost and both fighters tested positive for anabolic steroids. Franca hopes to return to fighting in July when his suspension ends.


This is a curious move by the UFC. I think it sends a bad message if Franca was released due to steroid use simply because he admitted it, like a man, while Sean Sherk denied it without ever proving his innocence. Franca is a talented fighter who will excel regardless of the promotion he fights for. Given his passion for the sport and colorful personality I think the UFC's loss will definitely be another organization's gain.


From Maximum Fighting Championship...

Jesse Forbes def. Chris Camozzi - Submission - RD 3


I'm only highlighting two fights from the MFC's card from February 22nd because I felt they likely carried the most interest from readers (and frankly I wasn't interested in recapping bouts between the multitude of guys who were making pro debuts or lacking a win on their professional record). All in all it was a good show with a great crowd, plus Jason MacDonald made a few appearances, so I look forward to future MFC events on HDNet Fights.

Forbes vs. Camozzi was easily fight of the night and is worth viewing if you can find a copy of it out there in the land o' the internet. Camozzi beat Forbes up from the get go and opened a number of cuts on the TUF alumnus' face. Forbes was literally painting the canvas red and wore his crimson mask throughout the fight. It was actually somewhat disappointing to see Forbes show such little improvement since an opportunity like the Ultimate Fighter. Anyways, the one-sided brutality made for great drama, as Camozzi couldn't find a way to finish Forbes off. He was easily on his way to winning a unanimous decision when he made a "rookie" mistake and got overly aggressive instead of riding out the victory. With three minutes left in the fight, Forbes saw an opening, locked in a textbook armbar, and the rest was history. Hopefully Camozzi will use this defeat as a learning experience instead of going the other way with things and letting the loss affect his mental state in a negative way.


Ryan Ford def. Pete Spratt - Submission - RD 2


Big John McCarthy, where fore art thou? Another live event, another horrendous officiating blunder. However, instead of Steve Mazzagatz-to-go being the culprit, Herb Dean is this week's goat and claims ownership to an unfortunate example of professional prowess. To set the scene, Pete Spratt was more-or-less dominating Ryan Ford throughout the first round. He answered every takedown attempt and even put Ford on his back a few times. The fight's initial frame was expiring with Ford in Spratt's guard when the bell clearly sounded. Now, when I say "clearly", I mean it was very audible on the broadcast and even the fighters heard it given their body language at the time. However, as perhaps a dreadlock was in his ear, Herb Dean started to motion to split Spratt and Ford up, when he then decides to hesitate for 5-10 seconds. Ford realizes what is going on and decides to drop a few elbows on Pete's head who is caught completely off-guard. When the bell signaling the end of the round was rung, Spratt relaxed his posture and quit defending. Ford later went on to say it wasn't his fault the referee didn't hear the bell, and while I find his taking advantage of Dean's error to be somewhat disgusting, he is right in the sense he didn't technically do anything wrong. Because of this, the fight was left in an awkward position where Spratt was injured by the elbows but Dean refused to deduct a point or allow a "No Contest" because he hadn't ended the round yet. It is inexcusible for a referee to alter the outcome of a fight due to his ineptitude and it's disappointing to see Dean make such an egregious mistake.

Spratt, who needed additional time to recover after the first round, was came into the second round a different fighter and it didn't take long for Ford to take advantage of his changed state. I genuinely felt bad for Spratt who was seemingly in the process of putting together a nice string of wins and injecting some new life into his MMA career. Ford, on the other hand, definitely has the look and personality to be a major player in Mixed Martial Arts. He is 5-0 with five finishes, covered with tattoos, looks like an action-movie thug, and shaves crazy designs into his hair. I will be shocked if he's not fighting for EliteXC or the UFC by the end of 2008.


From Strikeforce at the Dome...


Jorge Masvidal def. Ryan Healy - Judges' Decision


Overall I found Strikeforce's venture into Tacoma, Washington to be fairly boring and, between the two, I thought HDNet's broadcast of MFC to be more entertaining as a whole even though it lacked the starpower found on the Strikeforce card. However, I did enjoy the pairing of Frank Trigg and Kenny Rice. If HDNet Fights could somehow get Bas Rutten into the booth at future events, along with Trigg and Rice, I think they'd have the best broadcast team in Mixed Martial Arts by a fair margain.

Masvidal and Healy was a fairly exciting three-round battle on a night filled with snoozefests and slumber-inducing judges' decisions. Healy came out sharp and controlled about 2/3 of the first round. However, Masvidal soon got into his rhythm and took over the fight, scoring some nice punches and work on the ground. Healy seemed to be hindered by a broken nose he brought into the fight, which Masvidal gladly worked on, and I wonder if perhaps his hindered ability to breathe was a factor in his conditioning. It would make sense given Masvidal's ability to press his own pace after the first few minutes of the fight had expired.


Maurice Smith def. Rick Roufus - Submission - RD 1


This fight went as I expected it would. While the pure striking of K-1 would have worked to Rick Roufus' advantage, Maurice Smith is a veteran of both kickboxing and MMA. I felt his experience lent itself to recognizing opportunities Roufus, who was making his Mixed Martial Arts debut, would not be able to identify or defend. Such was the case with the kimura Maurice Smith was able to lock in and that was that.


Cory Devela def. Joe Riggs - TKO - RD 1


I was looking forward to this fight moreso than any other on the card, Sapp vs. Nortje included, and it certainly delivered in the sense it was the most memorable of the night. Devela is an up-and-coming fighter who has won six fights in a row. He is 8-1 with his only career loss coming to TUF 3 Finalist Ed Herman back in 2004. He pummeled Lodune Sincaid at SuperFights 21 in December so I was interested to see how he'd fare against someone the caliber of Joe "Diesel" Riggs. Apparently, the answer is that he'd fare pretty damn well!

The judo throw that ended Riggs' night was a thing of beauty. While it's unfortunate "Diesel" was injured in the process, Devela's technique was spot-on and could not have been executed more perfectly. I would be shocked if the finish didn't earn him an opportunity to fight at a future EliteXC or UFC event. Here's the move I'm referring to in all its glory...





I was glad to hear Joe Riggs was alright as it's never a comfortable feeling to see a person removed from the cage via stretcher. I appreciate Strikeforce treating fighter safety with such regard and it goes to show what a classy, legitimate promotion they are. Apparently Riggs has been suffering from back problems for quite awhile and the impact of the slam agitated something in his spine. That's obviously an area of the human body one can never be too careful with so his submission to Devela is more than understandable. Hopefully he will fully recover and be back in action sooner than later. My best wishes go out to him and his family.


Jan Nortje def. Bob Sapp - TKO - RD 1


It was somewhat surprising a ringmaster didn't take Jimmy Lennon's place during the pre-fight announcements given the circus atmosphere that always surrounds bouts between Super Heavyweights. Sapp was in full "Beast" mode, throwing in goofy laughter throughout the night's many promotional videos, and definitely won "Entrance of the Night" by walking down to the ring while doing his best "Nature Boy" Ric Flair impression complete with robe and entrance music. There was even a "woo" or two from the audience. The only thing missing was a blonde wig...and scripted victory.

Nortje came out swinging and was able to use the reach his 6'10" frame provides to its full advantage. Sapp did his best to eliminate it by bull-rushing him from the start, but Nortje was eventually able to seperate and pick big Bob apart with a number of strikes. The following clip says it all...





Jibber-Jabber:

The following soundbytes were delivered over the past week...

From Wanderlei Silva on the rumors he might be dropping down to Middleweight...

If Henderson wins that fight (against Anderson Silva), I wouldn't think twice to drop down my weight to face him again, I respect him a lot, but I have him inside my throat since our last fight because I wasn't in my best day on that occasion. I am thinking seriously (about changing) my weight class in the UFC because I am too short and the athletes in my weight class are 1.90 meters (6'3") tall. At the moment, I am 1.80 meters (5'11)"


I'm not sure how much height has to do with it, but I would be all for Wanderlei Silva dropping down to fight at 185 pounds. The Middleweight division could use the depth and it's clear Silva is smaller now than he was in PRIDE. We can only speculate as to why he's lost the weight. While you're busy thinking about why Wandy may not be as muscular as he was in Japan, please excuse me for a second while I get a big glass of juice.

Ahhh, that's better. As I was saying before, I'm highly supportive of Silva fighting at 185 pounds and it would give him a whole new set of interesting opponents to play with. Off the top of my head I can think of a number of bouts I'd like to see him take at Middleweight. Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin, and Nate Marquardt would be at the top of my list.


Karo Parisyan addressing rumors he ducked a fight against Jon Fitch...

"That is bullcrap, that is like, absurd, I have never been offered to fight Jon Fitch in my life. Joe Silva has never called me and said ‘Karo, would you fight Jon Fitch?' Jon Fitch is starting to get on my nerves with his camp. I'd like to say right now is, who in the hell is Jon Fitch? All of a sudden he's beaten Diego Sanchez that I lost to and that makes him mister tough guy, like he can challenge me and if I don't take the challenge that means I'm afraid? These guys were in their mom's stomach when Karo Parisyan was fighting in MMA…I'd like to clear this up with everybody, there is no way in my life I've ever ducked or dodged any opponent…"


How can you not love Karo Parisyan? He's a helluva Mixed Martial Artist and acts as a walking soundbyte too. The bit about fighting MMA when other guys where still in utero is classic! People may have gotten the idea Parisyan was ducking Jon Fitch when he stated on "Inside MMA" that he felt he needed to take an opponent he viewed as an easier win in order to solidify his shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship as opposed to facing the American Kickboxing Academy, and Purdue University, product. And sorry, Karo fans, but that does pretty much sound like your boy doesn't want to risk his place in line against someone of Fitch's ilk. I understand he got screwed out of his title shot against Matt Hughes back in 2005 but he lost to Diego Sanchez and thereby sacrificed his top contendership, right or wrong, in the process.


Matt Serra, to MMAJunkie, on his approach to facing Georges St. Pierre at UFC 83...

"(St. Pierre) is a very talented guy, you know. I've just seen both fights with Koscheck and Hughes, it's almost that - it's not that I care about being disrespectful to Hughes - but it's almost like I see two guys that want to get hit less than GSP. The last guy, besides myself, that gave GSP all he could handle was B.J. (Penn) because B.J. don't give a f*ck. And, I think that's the attitude you have to have."


I agree with Serra as far as pressing "Rush" to perform but it takes a lot of guts to step forward when squaring off against a man with GSP's arsenal of strikes. I think his ego may be a bit over-inflated if he feels he gave St. Pierre "all he could handle", at least in comparison to Penn's performance against the Interim Welterweight Champion at UFC 58. Serra landed a nice punch behind St. Pierre's ear and the young Canadian's gameplan unraveled. Duplicating the result is going to be extremely difficult.


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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" - Bas Rutten vs. Frank Shamrock from one of the trio of Pancrase fights between the two. Make sure to keep your eyes open for the tackle between the ring ropes and down to the floor at around the 5:00 mark...

Is that legal?!?

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