Planet Tapout 5.13.08: IFL's Hex and a Preview!

Posted by Lotfi Sariahmed on 05.13.2008

So "The Hex" is the newest creation of the IFL and it's drawn some quizzical reactions from fans and pundits alike. In the latest edition of Planet Tapout, 411Mania's Lotfi Sariahmed tries to figure out the reasons behind the move and also previews the IFL's next event this Friday! All that plus Miscellaneous Musings and This Week in Fight Picks in the latest edition!

Welcome to the MMA column that just graduated to move into the "real world" (though what does that really mean exactly?). It's Planet Tapout here at 411Mania.com and this is the man who somehow managed to finagle a degree out of school, Lotfi Sariahmed. No mailbag this week as my thoughts on Dream left something to be desired on your end. But that's ok, there's always next week. Don't forget about comments and the email remains the same at [e-mail] . Now lets get to this week's Planet Tapout!

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, The Hex!



In a move that screams of wanting to be loved, the IFL announced that it would unveil the six-sided ring at its next event in New Jersey in August. Looking around for reaction from the rest of the MMA world, very few have had anything substantial to say about it outside of this one piece from Fightlinker. Obviously they're less than pleased.

At first I heard about the announcement and I was somewhere between stupefied and incensed. A six-sided ring is begging the comparisons for the IFL to become the TNA to the WWE's UFC. Why make the focus of your organization a gimmick? Didn't we just do this with Yamma? How did that work out?

I had the chance to talk to IFL CEO Jay Larkin not too long ago. In that interview, Larkin told me that the IFL's put on some good fight cards…but people haven't come. So if you put on the best events you can and people still don't come, what do people really want to see?

With the move to "The Hex," it seems like the IFL is focusing more on the bells and whistles rather than the actual fights themselves. That's also another thing Larkin discussed in our interview. Do the fans really just want to see the bells and whistles? We'll soon find out with "The Hex" because it's a move that says, "We don't know what to do anymore." And to a large extent I could understand that train of thought. The IFL has certainly tried its best to separate itself as a top MMA organization. But the team concept didn't really bring in a lot of people and a network TV deal with MyNetwork didn't do much to help matters. You also can't help but think this was a big move financially as well with Throwdown's name suddenly all over "The Hex" and the IFL. The organization's next event is part of its "Summer Throwdown." So who knows how much this move helps the IFL financially.

I think if you talk to Larkin privately about this issue, I'd be surprised if he were still behind it 100%. I understand the need to separate the IFL from the growing list of organizations including Affliction, Dream, World Victory Road and others. But I don't think this is the solution at all. Each of these organizations, including EliteXC, are trying to protect this small piece of turf they have to eventually try and compete with the UFC. But the problem is, that's not going to happen without some form of cross-promotion.

EliteXC and Dream will be sharing fighters and that's a nice start. But more needs to be done. Affliction is trying to put on the best one card it possibly can while paying money hand over fist for fighters. Then what? EliteXC has the CBS deal but can they just throw Kimbo in as the main event for these four fight cards and be successful? What's Dream going to do after this Middleweight Tournament? World Victory Road is hoping to be successful thanks to Roger Gracie and Hidehiko Yoshida. This is another issue Larkin talked to me about in the aforementioned interview. If these smaller organizations don't cross-promote, the IFL included, it won't matter if they made a dodecagon (12-sided figure).

With all that said, the IFL's last event before "The Hex" is on Friday in Connecticut and Planet Tapout is here with your preview.



It's a different card from the sense that even the camp matchups won't be predominantly featured. There's no real outline in terms of what camps are competing and more so than any other card in the IFL's past, this card is really just the undercard and then the three championship bouts. So lets get started with the undercard:

Undercard Bouts
There are a lot of interesting bouts on the undercard with a lot of names MMA fans should be familiar with. But the best fight on the card will be between Danillo Villefort and Mike Massenzio. Villefort is the first notable fighter to come from the IFL Draft held during the "off-season." For those of you still holding onto the IFL's camp philosophy, he's a part of Mario Sperry's World Class Fight Center but he fights out of American Top Team. Villefort's won his last two fights and this will be his first fight in 2008. Massenzio comes in with more experience and a 10-1 record overall in MMA. His one loss comes to Jay Coleman in the second fight of his career. Massenzio has wins over Dan Miller and Dante Rivera, both of whom are IFL vets. In Rivera's case he's currently fighting on the latest season of TUF and Dan Miller is fighting Ryan McGivern for the IFL's Middleweight belt on the same card. He's going into this fight with a nine-bout win streak and is finally getting his shot on a big stage with the IFL. I like Massenzio because of his experience but this wrestler will have some problems with Villefort who is a great BJJ guy.

Looking at the rest of the undercard, this could be a potentially banner day for Team Quest. Four fights on the card in total (Ryan Schultz is defending his lightweight belt) and the three undercard fights should favor the Team Quest fighter. For those of you that have paid any attention to the IFL, you know about Matt Horwich. He started the year as the IFL's middleweight champ after beating Benji Radach. Then he lost the belt to Ryan McGivern to start 2008 and now he's back on the road to get back what he lost. He faces a man in Joey Guel who doesn't have much to hang his hat on outside of wins over Jess Liaudin and Chris Clements at least three years ago.

Aaron Stark's another Team Quest guy on the card taking on Lamont Lister. Stark doesn't have an impressive record at 5-4 but he does have wins over Reese Andy and Alex Schoenauer. But he's facing a guy in Lamont Lister who has quite possibly an even less impressive resume. On top of that he's coming off a win in Yamma Pit Fighting and on principle I can't pick him to win.

The third undercard bout featuring a Team Quest guy has Zac George fighting Josh Souder. He only has two losses in his fourteen-fight career against Deividas Taurosevicius and Mike Joy in his last bout. George is a guy who has a lot of skills but you're waiting for him to give you that big breakthrough. Souder looks to be a guy that shouldn't challenge George too much. He's 6-2 in MMA and hasn't fought since July of 2006.

Championship Bouts

IFL Heavyweight Title
Roy Nelson (C) v. Brad Imes

It's better than Nelson v. Branden Lee Hinkle but it's hardly something I'm going to get excited about. Brad Imes is still very much that fighter who made it as far as he did on TUF 2 because he was tall. Don't get me wrong he's improved since. He won four straight fights in 2007 by submission including two by gogoplata. But Imes' biggest win came against Bo Cantrell. Roy Nelson, despite his appearance, is a more talented and experienced fighter. The only way Imes takes this belt is if Nelson is really poorly prepared to deal with Imes' size. Imes' will continue to improve, he's only 31, and this fight will help him do that. But right now Nelson is still searching for that one guy who could give him a run for his money.


IFL Middleweight Title
Ryan McGivern (C) v. Dan Miller
I don't like the IFL's middleweight division outside of Benji Radach. After Matt Horwich disposed of him last year, I don't know if I should be too high on his bandwagon either. I think anyone could pick off anyone else in this division and I don't think it speaks to parity as much as it speaks to there not being enough well-rounded fighters. McGivern could knock Miller's head off into next week but Miller could just as easily submit him if the bout ever got to the ground. Neither fighter is anything special in the other man's strong suit so it'll be interesting to see what develops. If I didn't feel so confident in the belt switching hands in this next bout, I'd pick Miller to upset McGivern here. All that said, I'll give McGivern's camp its due and say Team Miletich will have McGivern prepared to defend his belt here.


IFL Lightweight Title
Ryan Schultz (C) v. Deividas Taurosevicius
I like Ryan Schultz. I promise you I do. But it just seems as if I'm picking against him time and again in these fights. This latest one is no different. I need an upset pick on these cards and I think Deividas Taurosevicius can do it. Schultz is a very good wrestler and could very well grind out a decision victory over "Russian Dave." All you have to do is look back to Schultz's beating over Horodecki to understand that. But Savant Young was supposed to do the same to DT. Taurosevicius is the most talented among the very talented IFL lightweights. He has the skills on the ground to compete with Schultz and I think his stand-up is much better than the Team Quest fighter. So I have Taurosevicius in this bout but I'll make you a deal. If Schultz does win, I won't pick against him in the IFL again.


Miscellaneous Musings!
●Planet Tapout is officially on the hype wagon for UFC 84. I give you one of BJ Penn's training sessions.



Next week's my last Planet Tapout for a while but you can bet I'll have some opinions on that fight.

●I give you a VERY interesting excerpt courtesy of BloodyElbow.com from Dr. Johnny Benjamin on EliteXC's first foray on CBS come the end of the month:

"The problem is most people are going to see it - they're going to see it for the first time - and they don't understand it. And, I guarantee you the Monday after that event all the screams of "It's a bloodspot" and "It's human cockfighting" - remember all those things that MMA has tried to extricate themselves from, all those labels? Man. Just wait for the paper on Monday after that event.

And, why? It's because I think the promoters have not really cared, to be honest with you, or really maybe even considered - I don't know if they care or not - but I don't think they've considered what's going to happen if Gina Carano gets her face opened up and America has to see a girl with a bloody face. Now what you're doing is you are going to be in crisis control mode.

Instead of educating the population saying, "You know what? Girls get cut all the time. Girls serve in the military. Women do all these things and, guess what, [it's] not a big deal." Those cuts, they may be bloody, and just because something creates blood doesn't mean it's particularly dangerous - it may be a bit gory for your taste but physicians are very good at stitching up cuts. Can't remember the last time someone died from a cut on their face or a bloody nose. Now, it may be a bit shocking for you to see for the first time but hardly makes it dangerous.

But, you need to tell the mainstream public that before it happens. Not after because nobody's listening then. Because now I was mortified when I thought, "Did you see what happened to that pretty girl?"

The doctor could end up being pretty spot on. Just look at the three showcase fights on this card. Kimbo's made his name by knocking people out cold. What if he takes down James Thompson? Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith have made their names (though with Smith to a lesser extent) by what they could do with their fists. If you don't think there a Robbie Lawler v. Nick Diaz-like knockout in that bout, you're insane. Then there's Gina Carano v. Kaitlin Young. If this fight ends up being fight of the night, like many predict, one of these women could get beat up pretty well. And I understand to those of us that read this column it doesn't seem like much. But women fighting in any combat sport isn't exactly mainstream. So just imagine if Gina Carano gets her face smashed in. May 31st is coming up…and the MMA world is anxiously holding its breath.

●This Dream lightweight tournament is going to have an insane final four. Shinya Aoki (most likely), Tatsuya Kawajiri, Eddie Alvarez and Caol Uno are probably going to be the four guys and Uno is going to go in with the longest odds to win it all. But Uno just beat Ishida. I might be drinking the Alvarez kool-aid but I like Alvarez to take it come Dream 5.

●After not fighting for all of 2007 with contract issues and such, Josh Barnett is back to fighting and fighting a lot. He should handle Jeff Monson easily at Sengoku II this weekend. And then in the middle of July he'll be fighting Pedro Rizzo. He should be 3-0 for 2008 come July 20th. But it would be nice if he fought stronger opponents to wrap up his 2008.

●If Roger Gracie can beat Yuki Kondo on that Sengoku card; it's time for people to take notice if you haven't already.

●If GSP were really that upset about the UFC would he need Tito Ortiz to speak on his behalf?

●So Minotauro Nogueira and Frank Mir will be the coaches for TUF 8. Forget what this means for the season because maybe five people still care about the actual show. But it's funny that by putting this heavyweight strap basically on ice until the end of the year, it really doesn't hurt the division. Is Frank Mir deserving of a title shot? Probably not yet. But this will certainly give that bout some steam and might actually give us a #1 contender at heavyweight…emphasis on might.

●After the Kimbo Slice piece the World Wide Leader did on E:60 last week, I'll be tuning in for their Gina Carano piece tonight. As you all should be as well. Here's the Kimbo piece.



This Week in Fight Picks!
IFL: New Blood New Battles!
Aaron Stark over Lamont Lister
Nick Calandrino over John Howard
Zac George over Josh Souder
Matt Horwich over Joey Guel
Frank Latina over John Franchi
Mike Massenzio over Danillo Villefort
IFL Heavyweight Title: Roy Nelson over Brad Imes
IFL Middleweight Title: Ryan McGivern over Dan Miller
IFL Lightweight Title: Deividas Taurosevicius over Ryan Schultz


World Victory Road: Sengoku II!
Roger Gracie over Yuki Kondo
Kevin Randleman over Ryo Kawamura
Yoshihiro Nakao over Jim York
Mike Pyle over Dan Hornbuckle
Eiji Mitsuoka over Kwang Hee Lee
Satoru Kitaoka over Ian Schaffa
Jorge Santiago over Yuki Sasaki
Josh Barnett over Jeff Monson


That's it for this week on Planet Tapout! Next week will be my last edition of Planet Tapout for the foreseeable future. So if there's anything you want me to get into for next week's column, let me know. Don't forget about the mailbag and comments. Send me your thoughts, loving, hateful and otherwise. The email address is [e-mail] .

We like Meehan. He made the banner. So in return go read his column. He's good people.

The Planet Tapout Army is growing! Won't you join us on MySpace?

Make sure you come back next Tuesday for another edition of Planet Tapout! This week in MMA gives us KOTC on the 15th, the IFL and X-1 events on Friday, a bunch of small shows on Saturday including NAAFS, KOTC, ZST 18, ADCC, RFL, CCFC, AMC and Xtreme MMA. Then Sunday features the second installment of Sengoku and another Shooto card. Enjoy the fights everyone.