Five Rounds Of News 04.04.08
Posted by Randy Harrison on 04.04.2008
Strikeforce and the UFC deliver two great fight cards and the IFL looks to follow suit this weekend in New Jersey. Fedor wants way too much money, The Ultimate Fighter returns and Tim Sylvia and Ben Rothwell find a new home to ply their trade. All of this and a huge IFL video preview in the Friday Night Delight, Five Rounds Of News!!!
Introduction
Howdy folks, and welcome to another edition of the main event, championship fight of MMA news, Five Rounds of News! I'm Randy "Twinkletoes" Harrison and we've got a HUGE report lined up with news on the recent Strikeforce and UFC cards, a look ahead to the IFL big show from New Jersey, Tim Sylvia and Ben Rothwell's latest signings the latest season of TUF and SOOOOOO much more. I mean this thing is going to be epic! Like the War and Peace of MMA news, just without all of the war...and the peace...and um....RING THE BELL!! The Five Rounds starts right NOW!!!
Round One
The UFC Takes Their Show On The Road
The UFC came back from one of their longer hiatuses that I can remember and decided that to pay us back they had to put on one of the best free cards that has ever been shown on Spike TV. On paper it looked like a fantastic card and in the Octagon it didn't disappoint either. The Colorado crowd was rabid for their first taste of the UFC's brand of Mixed Martial Arts in nearly fifteen years and they showed appreciation all night for everything (except the referees, which we'll get to later). There were six fights scheduled for the live three-hour broadcast, so let's take a look at the results of those action-packed fights!!
James Irvin def. Houston Alexander
Nothing like starting the show with a bang huh? They expected this one to be an action fight, which was why they threw it on first, but NO ONE expected it to be a record-setting performance from Irvin. He came out and caught Alexander with the first Superman punch he threw and put him down. He followed it up with three MONSTER shots that seemed to knock Alexander out and then wake him right back up. It was silly to see Alexander after the fight trying to deny that he was out when his arms were Matua'd up in the air for a good second or so before Irvin punched him again and woke him up. Fighter saftey is the name of the game and I have no problem with this stoppage whatsoever. Houston is looking more and more like a guy that got too much too soon and became either complacent or cocky and it's costing him fights now. One more loss and we could be seeing the last of Mr. Alexander. As for Irvin, it's good to see him in a fight that finished instead of an injury or a DQ and like I said in the roundtable, he's a good gatekeeper for the division and a tough test for anybody at 205. It's up to him whether he can turn himself into more.
Nate Diaz def. Kurt Pellegrino
I was looking like the smartest guy in the world for a good long while in this fight as Pellegrino was taking Diaz to school for the first seven minutes of the fight or so. He battered, bloodied, and abused the younger Diaz brother through the entire first round, coming near to a stoppage as he landed a ton of rapid-fire punches to the head of Nate. Diaz, to his credit, weathered the storm and managed to get a double-fuck-you triangle choke on Pellegrino out of a slam to get the win. The problem though seems to be that Diaz has a style a lot like Nick, where he takes punishment for awhile and then decides to turn it on and finish. The problem with that being that like Nick showed, it will leave you succeptible to being cut by the slightest of shots down the road and that could cause problems for young Nate if he ends up getting title shots in the future, or even fights against guys like Lauzon, Florian or Sherk, who ALL know how to use elbows very well. A big win for Diaz in his toughest test to date, but I'd still like to see a little more killer instinct out of him. Great moment when he locked in that triangle though, that was like an audition for Never Back Down II or something.
Matt Hamill def. Tim Boetsch
Matt Hamill proved me wrong. I didn't think he'd have the chops to survive on the feet against Boetsch, and honestly if Boetsch hadn't gassed out so horribly I think I might have been proven right, but Hamill took his best shots and then turned it on for the win. Boetsch did well in the first round with the knees, but couldn't avoid Hamill's wrestling strength and the fight ended up on the ground where Hamill just sucked all of the energy out of Boetsch in a couple of minutes. This is one of the fights that I think altitude played a MAJOR factor in, and it showed that Hamill has a ton of heart and a ton of cardio to be able to do what he did at that altitude. I apologize for not having a better transcription of his interview in the Fight Night report, but between him being deaf and that lip that nearly got split in half by a Boetsch knee, it was hard to even understand a word of it. I apparently missed a bunch about him not wanting the fight to go to the judges, which is smart for him. A good win that gets back a lot of the momentum he lost at UFC 75 and it will be interesting to see if he takes a step up in competiton soon like Rashad Evans did against Tito last summer. I think he's ready for it.
Thiago Alves def. Karo Parisyan
As much as the fight gutted me because I'm a huge Karo fan, after the way he's been acting the past couple of months I can't say that it was totally unexpected. Not because he slacked off or anything, just that Karma has a way of being a hideous bitch goddess at the WORST possible times, and this was the worst possible time for Karo. He tried to protect his title shot and instead ended up being beaten by Alves in a big upset. Everyone thought that Karo was automatic and going to go through the motions to another decision win, but that changed with one big knee from Alves to Parisyan's jaw. Now, in this instance, I will say that the stoppage seemed a little quick as Karo didn't seem to be THAT hurt from any of the strikes, but the fight was stopped and Parisyan is now left to pick up the pieces and try to continue on in his hunt for the title shot that has eluded him for the better part of two and a half years. It will be interesting to see where this win puts Alves though, as Rogan made it sound like he might be getting nearer to a title shot. I don't think he's THAT close yet, but another win over a quality welterweight near the top of the division and he just might be. Maybe Alves/Serra after GSP creams him.
Gray Maynard def. Frank Edgar
Size trumps all most times in the UFC, where guys are usually so evenly matched that even the slightest difference in size can play a huge factor, and this fight was the perfect example of that. These two have incredibly similar skillsets and I thought, and still think, that Edgar had the advantage when the fight was standing. The problem he had was that when they got in close, Maynard was just too big and too strong and was able to stuff Edgar's takedowns, while scoring a bunch of his own. The two BIG slams in the third round sealed the deal for me and for a lot of others and I had this one the same as the judges, 30-27 for Maynard. The thing of it is that even though it was 3-0 in rounds for Maynard, this fight was a LOT closer than that and it was a really good action fight, in terms of grappling and mat action. It looks like this might end up leapfrogging Maynard over Edgar at the bottom of the top in the division, and who each guy fights next is going to be huge. Call me crazy but I think that Edgar/Huerta would be a really entertaining fight.
Kenny Florian def. Joe Lauzon
The main event certainly delivered on the action and I'd have to say that both guys look better for having been in this fight. Lauzon showed that he can hang with one of the better fighters in the entire division and even had Florian in a little bit of trouble in the first round (got to work on tightening up those leglocks, Joe), while Florian continued to show that he's turned into a fight FINISHER and that he's getting better and better the more he trains with Mark DellaGrotte. Florian deserves to be the guy to take on the winner of Penn/Sherk and either way it looks to be an excellent fight. If it's Sherk, then I think that Florian has a REAL chance to avenge his previous loss and earn the title by beating Sherk, which he tried to do oh so long ago. If it's Penn, then we can see if Florian will keep the fight standing to try to exploit BJ's purported lack of stand-up skills, or if he'll be willing to go move for move on the mat in a jiu-jitsu battle. Congratulations to Florian for cementing his title shot and I'm really looking forward to seeing who he faces and when it will happen.
All in all, it was an excellent Fight Night card, and the impressive streak of Free TV shows continues with the TUF finale in December, the WEC shows and now this Fight Night show. There are going to be some big shoes for Elite XC to fill come the end of May, because Zuffa has been on a ROLL when it comes to Free TV cards in the past four months.
Random Strikes
§ During an interview with KHTK 1140AM in Sacramento, Kurt Angle mentioned that him and Randy Couture are both signed with a promotion, but he wouldn't mention who. Angle said his submission match with Couture will happen in the fall and most likely in California.
Angle also mentioned that he would consider fighting Brock Lesnar, but the money would have to be great due to their friendship.
Dear Kurt,
Sit down and SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!
Regards,
Randy
§ Kenny Florian, Joe Lauzon, Nate Diaz, and James Irvin all received bonuses for their performances at UFC Fight Night 13 on Wednesday. Irvin won "Knockout of the Night" after knocking out Houston Alexander in 8 seconds. Diaz won "Submission of the Night" after submitting Kurt Pellegrino and even flexing for the camera before his opponent tapped. Florian and Lauzon won "Fight of the Night" honors.
Each fighter will receive a bonus of $20,000.
I agree with all of those bonuses, and 20,000 actually sounds like a pretty good number for a Fight Night show, where payouts and bonuses usually seem to be a little lower. Congratulations to all these guys on their performances and their bonuses. Good on ya!!!
§ Donruss is planning to release a new line of MMA trading cards, featuring Randy Couture, Matt Serra, Georges St. Pierre, Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Houston Alexander and Urijah Faber. The cards are planned for a summer release.
Sweet-ASS!! I used to love collecting hockey cards with my dad when I was younger and this is probably something that I could really get into, as long as it's fairly reasonably priced. Thank you Donruss, for stepping up and filling a niche that was missing in the marketing of MMA and allowing me to re-visit my youth in an updated form.
§ The YAMMA Pit Fighting card has been announced and sets up like so. There will be two "Master's Superfights," which will be two five-minute rounds each:
* Oleg Taktarov vs. Mark Kerr
* Eric "Butter Bean" Esch vs. Gary Goodridge
- There is also a Heavyweight Tournament scheduled, with the quarterfinal and semifinal matches being one five-minute round each, while the championship bout will be the standard three five-minute rounds. The tournament will feature:
* Marcelo Pereira
* Sherman Pendergarst
* Ricco Rodriguez
* Tony Sylvester
* Chris Tuscherer
* Travis Wiuff
* Alexey Oleynik
* George Bush
This thing is going to be a disaster. It's since come out that Gary Goodridge is out of the card and is now going to feature Pat Smith stepping in again, this time to fight Butterbean in one of the Masters Superfights. Ugh. As far as the tournament goes, the favorites have to be Ricco Rodriguez, after his performance against Antonio Silva in Elite XC recently, or George Bush, who will more than likely waterboard his way to three straight submission victories. This just in, I'm being told that it's not THAT George Bush. Too bad, cause it would have been cool to see someone feed W. some fists.
§ During a recent interview with The Sun, Chuck Liddell had some harsh comments for EliteXC's Kimbo Slice:
"Kimbo's one of those guys who doesn't have any ground game, He's training and he's learning but he's been built up as such a big star, and that's the thing that bothers me.
People talk about him like he's the next great thing when he really hasn't done anything. He's been built up because of the Internet and him beating a bunch of guys on the street.
I could make some impressive knockout videos too if you let me walk outside and just punch people and knock them out -- "hey you, come fight! F*** we can make a highlight reel tomorrow and go round beating people up and talking about it. We could just go up to people and start dropping them. Wow!"
He does raise a bit of a valid point. Everyone seems to completely forget about Kimbo's lack of a ground game because he hasn't been matched up with anyone who can exploit that hole. I don't think that it's as much of a sacrilege as Chuck is making it out to be, but I do agree that the people that are anointing Kimbo as the savior of MMA are doing so WAY too soon.
§ Adam Swift is reporting that ESPN & UFC executives recently met to discuss a "strategic partnership". He then had the following quote regarding UFC's place on Spike:
"While Spike is the official cable home of the UFC, there is no longer an ABC Sports division, only ESPN on ABC, leading to speculation that such a partnership could lead to live events on ABC."
That would be huge for the UFC as they would align themselves with both a broadcast network power, as well as the largest sports channel and possibly the largest cable channel out of them all. As big as the deals for Elite XC and Strikeforce have been, a deal between the UFC and ABC/ESPN would be huge and would probably trump both of the previous network deals. Now to see if it actually happens as the UFC has been the subject of rumors like this before that have failed to come to fruition.
§ According to NBC News affiliate KCBD, WEC featherweight Leonard Garcia was one of 13 people arrested as members of a drug trafficking ring. According to the report, the ring spans from Lubbock to El Paso Texas (about 350 miles). The District Attorney's Office seized about two kilograms of cocaine in the operation as well as drug trafficking paraphernalia and firearms.
According to KCBD's report, three of the 13 people arrested could face 40 years in prison and a two million dollar fine while the others could face life in prison and a four million dollar fine. The report did not say where Garcia stood in that group.
A real shame as Garcia seemed like he had a ton of potential and was primed for big things in the WEC Featherweight division. It remains to be seen how big a part he played in this whole thing, and what kind of time, if any he'll get, but it's still a shame to see him throw away a promising career for the black hole of nothing that is drugs. Hopefully a lesson learned to all the up and coming fighters out there to focus on their careers and stay away from the extra-curricular shit. Leonard Garica, this is for you....
§ EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw announced during an interview on The Lights Out Show that EliteXC is currently in negotiations with Fedor Emelianenko, however his asking price may be too high. It was reported last week that EliteXC offered Fedor a four fight deal worth seven figures (now being reported as $300-500 thousand), but Shaw says Fedor is looking to earn $2 million per fight. His new asking price may cause some organizations to drop out of the Fedor free agent market.
Talk about a guy who is going a little mad with the power of free agency. I appreciate that he's a big-name and one of the best fighters in the world, but he really needs to stop and consider that any organization that can pay him that kind of money for one fight will not be able to afford any other quality talent and as such will probably fold soon afterwards. He needs to realize that he's not the only guy in the world that can headline an MMA card and that there are a lot more guys who have done it successfully in the United States besides him.
Round Two
Shamrock Gets Cung'd
What a fight. That's about all I could think for a solid ten or fifteen minutes after watching that fight. Both fighters left every ounce of themselves in that cage and they put on a hell of a show for a more than appreciative hometown crowd. They traded punches, kicks and knees for the better part of fifteen minutes and it probably could have kept going had Shamrock not been injured. It's a shame about the injury because that fight looked like it was only going to get better. Shamrock had taken a lot of punishment and shots in the first two rounds, but about midway through the third it looked like he had his timing down and he was really starting to turn the tide in the stand-up battle. I honestly think it would have continued with Shamrock winning the third and fourth rounds and then surprising Le with a takedown to ground and pound out a decision, but unfortunately we'll never know. Shamrock showed a ton of heart standing in there with a striker as dangerous as Le and he gave as good as he got as the fight wore on, turning me from someone who had trouble stomaching him as of late, into an actual Shamrock fan. A great performance from both men, and I'm CERTAIN that we'll be seeing a rematch of this fight down the road once Frank is healthy again.
As for the rest of the card on Showtime, here's a quick breakdown.
Joe Villasenor def. Ryan Jensen
In a fight that was supposed to feature Cyborg Santos, Villasenor decided to go all Terminator on Jensen's ass and eliminate him with EXTREME prejudice. He dropped Jensen and put him out cold with a wicked right hand at the end of the first, after doing more than enough to win the round and he showed that he should be the next guy in line to face the winner of the Lawler/Smith Middleweight Championship bout on CBS next month. He's got all of the skills to be able to avoid the punching power of either of those guys, and can also throw with power of his own, which is a dangerous combination for two pure strikers like Lawler or Smith. A very exciting fight and a statement win from Villasenor with the highlight reel KO.
Wayne Cole def. Mike Kyle
This was an ownage to the tenth power. Kyle showed a HUGE amount of ring rust, giving up side control way too easily once Cole took him down, and then seeming like he had forgotten how to defend an armbar in his time away from the cage. Cole had the hold but it was improperly applied until Kyle turned the wrong way and ended up locking it in further, essentially forcing himself to tap. I was watching it and wondering why the hell he turned the way that he did, but I guess it can just be chalked up to not being used to being in a "live fire" situation after spending so long doing training drills. That's not to take anything away from Cole though, because this was an impressive win for him against a guy that had 20 pounds on him at fight time. The biggest thing for Cole though is that he really has to look at fighting at light heavy, or even dropping a lot to get to middleweight, because he is undersized for the heavyweight division and that is going to end up costing him huge at some point when he gets in there with a guy like Antonio Silva.
Gilbert Melendez def. Gabe Lemley
I admire Lemley's heart, but this was legalized assault. Melendez is a top-ten and possibly soon, a top-five lightweight and he showed that he learned a LOT from his loss at Yarennoka. There was not timidity to his game and he pressed forward for the entire fight, more than likely earning a 10-8 round in the first before stopping the fight in the second. I think that the loss in Japan was the best thing that could have happened to Melendez, because he looked like a MUCH more focused and much more determined fighter than he did either in his fight in Japan, or in his fight at the Playboy Mansion last September. He had a NASTY killer instinct in this one and just picked Lemley apart for seven minutes straight. I am salivating at the thought of Melendez/Thomson coming up down the road and I would love to see Melendez/Aoki or Melendez/Calvancante someday, or even Melendez against some of the UFC's better lightweights. I truly believe that Melendez has all the tools to be one of the best lightweight fighters in history.
Drew Fickett def. Jae Suk Kim
This fight came about after a rash of late pull-outs and force-outs left both men without an opponent for the evening. Fickett had the size advantage and he used it to his full advantage in this fight, sweeping off of a Kim takedown and setting up the beginning of the end with that top position, eventually locking in the guillotine. An impressive showing from Fickett and it just cements his status as the guy that will take on Jake Shields for the EXC Welterweight Title in June. As good as the fight was, I have to say that his pre-fight posedown and post-fight interview were absolutely TREMENDOUS!!! He honestly seemed like he'd been to Nick Diaz' pharmacist when he was interviewing with Goldberg and then talking with Shields in the face-off. Dropping down to do one push-up, awesome, doing his flexy pose again to show off his one ab, priceless. Name-dropping an 80's television show and making it sound almost menacing. Greatest thing I've ever seen. YEEEEEEEEARGGGHHHHHH KNIGHT RIDER!!!!
All told, it was an entertaining night of fights from San Jose, though a little disappointing, based on what the card could have been. Every guy on the show gave a ton of effort and had a ton of heart though, and the main event delievered what I feel is the fight of the year so far, due to the excitement, the anticipation, the heat from the crowd and the "big-fight" atmosphere that surrounded the entire evening leading up to Shamrock/Le. A great showing from Strikeforce and it will be fun to see what they cook up for their next show.
Thank Jeebus For The Interwebs
Thank Jeebus For The Interwebs returns and after the Price Is Right horn earlier when we were discussing Leonard Garcia, it's time to take another look at TPIR and a classic clip that never fails to make me laugh whenever I see it. It's not so much the first time that the clip runs through, but the second time when they slow down the audio. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE IIIIIIIIIIIIT COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMES!!!!
I realize I'm a child in that nosepicking is still funny to me, but what can I say, I'm a simple, simple man. Back to the MMA!!!
Round Three
IFL Live Event Preview Time!!
The IFL continues their 2008 season from New Jersey on Friday night and like their first card of the year, this one feature three big title fights spread out over the card, as well as two more camp vs. camp battles as American Top Team takes on Miletich Fighting Systems, and Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu takes on Midwest Combat. It should be a great night of IFL action from a brand-new venue for them and right now I'll give my take on (the royalty check is in the mail, Larry) the three championship bouts that will be the crown jewels of the ten-fight card.
Patterson is going to be looking to use the homefield advantage to walk out of this fight as the IFL's Light Heavyweight Champion, and I'd say that he has as good a shot as anyone, quite frankly. I love Patterson because he has exciting fights and has yet to go to a decision in his IFL or MMA career. He's great on the ground and loves to use his chokes, so look for him to be trying to get this fight down to the mat early and often and for him to try to stop the runaway train that is Matyushenko. Vladdy has won his last seven fights and nine of his last ten, on the way to the IFL crown, and he's going to be looking to test the chin of Patterson with his vaunted power punches. Matyushenko has also proven that he is not slouch on the ground, like in his fight against Alex Schoenauer where he won the title. This one will more than likely not make it to a decision and if I had to put some money down, I'd say that Patterson will put up a strong fight, but Matyushenko will just be too much for him to handle and "The Janitor" will disappoint the hometown crowd by keeping his IFL Championship.
Lierley makes his return from injury and will be fighting his first fight at 145 pounds with a title hanging in the balance. Fabiano was the beneficiary of the IFL's decision to add in a lighter weight class and became the champion with a submission win over LC Davis to take the newly-minted Featherweight strap. Fabiano has a ton of skills on the mat and will definitely be looking to work his jiu-jitsu on the floor against an inexperienced Lierley. For his part, Lierley is going to be trying to avoid the takedown and perhaps try to score some takedowns of his own to execute a little ground and pound. His best strategy though, is to keep this fight standing and keep Fabiano's immense arsenal of submissions and holds out of play at all times. Lierley has shown that he has the ability to put on a "fight of the year" type performance in his bout against Chris Horodecki, but he's going to have to fight smart and possibly a little boring to get past Fabiano in this one. Lierley started out with a strong ground background coming into MMA and he's going to have to use them, along with a strong jab to try to string out a win. I don't think he'll be able to do it though as Fabiano is on too much of a roll and he's just too strong on the mat. Look for this one to go two or three rounds, but not much longer as Fabiano will lock in a submission.
This is probably the closest of all three title fights and it's shaping up to be possibly the best title fight in the young history of the IFL. Miller is known as a lighter weight fighter, but he's stepping up to face the current champ Jay Hieron in what should be a great contest between two well-rounded mixed martial artists. Hieron trains with Xtreme Couture and that means that he's going to have a tank to go twenty minutes if need be. Hieron started out primarily as a wrestler but has grown into a complete fighter with really good stand-up skills as well. Miller has an aggressive style and explosive power in his right hand, but he hasn't fought in nearly an entire year, so it could be a situation where he has a bit of ring rust and will have to try to shake it off during the biggest fight of his career. Hieron is on a roll and looked good in his fight against Delson Heleno before Heleno had to succumb to a leg injury between the first and second rounds and he's possibly one of the best athletes that there is in the IFL today. I've met the man and I enjoyed spending a few minutes talking to him so that makes him my pick. Call me biased, but I'm a Hieron man all the way and I think that he'll take Miller by decision in a exciting fight that should go from the mat to the feet on more than a few occasions.
Many other great fights and fighters will dot the card including Bart Palaszewski, Chris Horodecki, Brad Blackburn, and Carmelo Marerro, and we should get to see at least nine or possibly all ten fights with how well HDNet sets up their broadcasts, so I'm more than happy to get to cover this card for 411mania and I can't wait to see it live and in glorious HD!!
Links In The Cage
Lots of content and TONS of new faces in the MMA zone this week thanks to the 411mania.com New Talent Initiative, so we've got plenty of links to get to!! All of the new guys are named in their links underneath my yammering and they've all got the Five Rounds Seal of Approval!! Check 'em all out folks, you won't be disappointed!!
Tim Sylvia and Ben Rothwell Feel Some Adrenaline!!
The biggest news on the contract front this week comes from the former M-1Global promotion run by Midwest promoter Monte Cox, who announced that they have signed both former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia and former IFL superstar Ben Rothwell to deals to fight in a newly-named Adrenaline MMA promotion, which I believe will have it's home base in the Chicago area. They also feature Jeff Monson as part of their promotion and he will be main eventing the first card for the new outfit, tabbed for June 14th in Chicago, against former PRIDE and Yarennoka veteran, Mike Russow. Rothwell and Sylvia are both scheduled to be on the card as well against yet to be named opponents.
To me this is just another in the myriad of smaller promotions that is trying to get their fingers into the lucrative MMA pie. It's almost a reversal of how things were in the old pro wrestling system, where instead of things starting out with the large number of independent promotions that were eventually swallowed up by one or two larger ones, the situation is that out of a one or two promotion monopoly, a TON of smaller promotions are springing up. It seems like any clown with a few thousand dollars to rent out a building, a couple hundred thousand to buy some talent and a cage setup is getting into the MMA business these days. I'm not lumping Monte Cox in with that kind of person, but without a depth of talent, any promoter will fail when it comes to MMA.
It's great for Cox to have Tim Sylvia and Ben Rothwell, especially Rothwell who has been one of the more sought-after free agents since he split away from the IFL late last year. However, who does he have after these two. Sure he's got Jeff Monson, but I don't see three guys filling out an entire division. This looks like an organization that will have one "money" fight in Sylvia and Rothwell and then a whole lot of nothing. Bodog FIGHT swore up and down that they were the future of MMA and they brought in Fedor Emelianenko for their money fight against Matt Lindland. Now, months later, it looks like Bodog is getting out of the fight business altogether, and I see the same thing happening with this new Adrenaline promotion. Once you've got your two crown jewels to fight each other, there's nothing left for them in the promotion unless a new upstart shocks the world overnight and joins Sylvia and Rothwell in the upper echelon.
Again, I'm not at all suggesting that Monte Cox is some fly-by-night, cheapskate who won't know how to run a promotion. If anyone should know what it takes to put together a solid MMA card, it's Monte Cox. His problem will lie in that he'll have two superstars in one division, and not even so much as a name fighter in any of the other divisions. Today's MMA fan is very savvy and knows who is ranked where, who is a good fighter, and more importantly, who isn't. When they see a card featuring Tim Sylvia vs. a can, Ben Rothwell vs. a can, Mike Russow vs. Jeff Monson and then a bunch of other fighters they've never heard of, you can be sure that only the hardest of hardcore will order it and even that's a stretch. If this card ends up making it to PPV, look for about 10-15,000 buys, barely enough to cover expenses and the contracts of the two big stars, and for the promotion to quietly fade into the sunset.
I'd love to be proven wrong because I am all for having as many strong MMA promotions as possible, both here and abroad, but honestly I can't think of too many guys that are top guys in this business that aren't already signed to any of the big promotions like the IFL, UFC, Strikeforce, Elite XC, etc., and I can think of even less when you count in all of the international promotions. The only way I can see Adrenaline making any sort of splash is if they work the cross-promotion angle, like M-1 Global did with Yarennoka. That however opens up a new set of problems because like I said with the show from Japan on New Year's Eve, what happens when the promotion finally moves to hold their own card with exclusively Adrenaline talent, and it falls flat because all of the big names from the co-promoted card are under contract elsewhere.
One way or the other, I'll be watching the June 14th card, be it co-promoted or Adrenaline-exclusive, on PPV, HDNet or on the interwebs. I'll be watching, but it's also safe to say that my expectations will be fairly low. Not to say that I think they'll fail, but that I'd rather have my expectations be exceeded than to come in expecting too much from the new promotion and end up disappointed. Good luck to Cox, Rothwell, Sylvia and all of the rest, because I have a feeling they'll need it.
Random Strikes Part Deux
A HUGE IFL Preview here for you with videos from EVERY fighter taking part in the IFL Championship bouts on HDNet. Enjoy the videos to get yourself ready for all of the great fights, and enjoy the fights themselves, peeps!!
Jamal Patterson vs. Matt Horwich - April 29, 2006
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira – August 8, 2002
Shad Lierley vs. Chris Horodecki – June 1, 2007
Wagnney Fabiano vs. LC Davis – December 29, 2007
Mark Miller vs. Reiner Hernandez – May 20, 2006
Jay Hieron vs. Delson Heleno – December 29, 2007
Round Five
32 Fighters Face A "TUF" Task
Directly after the great UFC Fight Night card, we got the debut of the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Forrest Griffin as the coaches, leading to their UFC 86 Light Heavyweight Championship bout this July. This year's season started with a twist as thirty-two fighters showed up at the UFC training facility in Las Vegas, unaware that they would have to win a qualifying fight, just to get into the vaunted Ultimate Fighter house and be one of the sixteen fighters eligible to win the six-figure UFC contract. I kind of like the twist and while I agree with Dana White that it's annoying that there have been guys in previous seasons that end up flaking out for various reasons, I don't think that this "win to get in" fight is going to stop that kind of thing, since most guys have a problem with the isolation of the house setup and even after winning their fight, the guys still have no idea what to expect once they get into the house. Great idea, just a poor explanation as to the reasoning behind it.
Moving on to the coaches, there wasn't a lot of interaction between them on this particular episode though if we're to go by what Joe Rogan said during the Fight Night broadcast, that should change as the season progresses. I'm not sure how these two are going to do now that I've seen them at work because Jackson looked a little like he thought he was above the process, while Griffin looked a little like he had no idea what he was doing. Most of the guys previously have had at least some level of experience in training fighters or working with higher-level trainers, and this seems like the first season where we have two guys that are exclusively fighters with no real ties to any particular training methods or with anything that they can bring to these guys. Sure, Jackson trains with Juanito Ibarra, but Ibarra is not exactly well-known in the MMA circles yet, or at least not as proven as guys like Pat Miletich or the Gracies, so it will be interesting to see what they can bring to the table to help these young fighters prepare for careers in the UFC. It will also be interesting to see who each fighter has chosen to help them as their assistants and who they'll bring in as any potential guest coaches.
As for the fighters, it's still a little too early to get a gauge on any of them because the show was just rapid-fire fights without any real background or info on them, but so far Mike Dolce and Amir Sadollah look like two of the stronger competitors. Once things get past next week and the eight other prelim fights, they'll break up into the customary teams of eight and it will be a little easier to get a look at the guys and be able to see who looks strong and who looks like they just won't have enough to get the job done. All of the guys sure look hungry, though some of them are relying on eking out decisions rather than finishing their fights. I don't blame them on one hand because if you fight exciting and lose, you're out on your ass before you even get to the house, but like Dana White said about one of them, "It looks like two turtles fucking". It's well-known that the UFC appreciates winners, but they also appreciate finishers just as much, if not more, so some of these guys may have to develop a killer instinct if they're going to get very far in the tournament.
So far, it looks like an entertaining enough season and I like the new format because it means that we get spared the usual frat-boy antics of the house for at least another week. I have the over/under on six weeks before that house gets all trashed to shit. I would LOVE to have Dana White show up a day after those delinquents fuck up his fancy house and have a foldout sheet of about thirty pages, itemizing every piece of damage and what each guy is on the hook for. I'm sick of seeing them trash a REALLY nice house, and REALLY nice shit, just because they're bored, and with no reprecussions. If they can't come up with the bill to pay the damage they can pack their shit and get out. You're there to train, not make an ass of yourself on national television. I can imagine that it must be hard to live so isolated for such a length of time, but there has to be a better way to occupy yourself. I suppose I can always hope that this year will be different, but I suspect that it won't be.
Good start to the season with the first show, and I can't wait to get past the prelims and get into the team dynamics to see what happens in terms of the picks and who feels like they've got the better team. Be sure to check out Jeremy Lambert's TUF Season 7 episode reports every Thursday after each new episode of The Ultimate Fighter, all the way up to the Ultimate Finale.
Post Fight Wrap-Up
That does it for another week everyone, and I thank you for taking the time to stop in on my little piece of the 411 universe. Be sure to join me next week for a look back at the ShoXC and IFL cards, as well as whatever else makes news in the wild world of MMA. It's rapidly getting to my favorite time of year as the NHL playoffs are getting set to begin, and MMA is in full swing with a ton of cards through the next couple of months. It will be a busy time to be sure, but a ton of fun as well. If you haven't checked out hockey, you don't know what you're missing as it's a lot like MMA as it can feature the beauty of a tic-tac-toe passing play or the brutality of an open-ice bodycheck, much like MMA can have the beauty of a slick jiu-jitsu submission or the brutality of a one-punch knockout. I'm sure I'll slowly start integrating a little bit of NHL playoff news through the report as they continue, but as always, the focus will remain on MMA, so no worries fight fans. I will not forsake you for the frozen pastime of my home and native land. Anyhow, be sure to stop by in seven short days for another installment of the main event, championship fight of MMA news, Five Rounds Of News. Enjoy the fights everyone!! Good night Springton, there will be no encores!!
Be sure to check out my fellow Canuck, Joe Ferraro and his "Showdown" radio show, every Thursday at 10 PM EST, on FAN 590 or the archives of the show at Showdown Entertainment.
you're the only person I've ever heard that has tried to claim that BJ Penn has a lack of standup skills. Did you see what he did to GSP's face? (supposedly one of the best strikers in the welterweight division)
Posted By: soo (Guest) on April 04, 2008 at 06:18 AM
"his arms were Matua'd up in the air"
I literally laughed out loud in my office when I read this. What a classic UFC reference. Tank destroyed that MOFO
Posted By: HBK (Guest) on April 04, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Does anyone else think nate diaz is terrible for the sport? He has a horrible attitude and sportsmanship. He comes across as an adult with the mind of a spoiled child. I was so pissed when he got a victory over a class act like pelligrino.
Posted By: guest guest (Guest) on April 04, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Did I piss in your Corn Flakes or something?!? It's like you've linked every article on this site EXCEPT the Punch Drunk Hangover! lol
Posted By: Bren Oliver (Guest) on April 04, 2008 at 12:48 PM
"Maybe Alves/Serra after GSP creams him."
Okay, I know that GSP is P4P one of the best, and I know that Serra is a huge underdog, but am I the only thinks that Serra may be in GSP's head even more now that he has that win over him? I honestly thin k that GSP trying to avoid a mistake like he made in the first fight may cause him to make a mistake like he did in the first fight?
Don't take this as me being a Serra fanboy or a GSP hater, as quite the opposite is true. I am a GSP fan, and not so much a fan of Serra. I just ant to point out that nobody gave Forest a chance against Shogun either.
Posted By: Toddo (Guest) on April 04, 2008 at 02:35 PM
Shogun came in horrbile which gave Forrest a decent amount of luck and his hard training. He was able to wather Shogun's stand up and once he gassed, he used his cardio to man-handle him. For some reason I do not believe GSP will come in lousy shape. I do believe he will destroy Serra if standing....but to the ground Serra will catch him in a submission, Serra has real sick jiu-jitsu skills.
Posted By: TJ (Guest) on April 04, 2008 at 03:31 PM
