411 MMA Fact or Fiction 06.18.08: EliteXC Better Off Cutting Nick Diaz, Time for Sakuraba to Retire and More!

Posted by Bren Oliver on 06.18.2008

Can Michael Bisping go five full minutes against Anderson Silva? Is the IFL ready to head the way of the dinosaur? Should Kazushi Sakuraba call it a career? Will Donald Trump's involvement with Affliction give the company an extra boost? 411Mania MMA columnists Jonathan Solomon and...well...me, Bren Oliver, discuss these topics and more in this week's Fact or Fiction - all just a click away!

Over the past weekend, EliteXC, DREAM, and Monte Cox's Adrenaline promotion left a number of impressions on fans of Mixed Martial Arts with emotions ranging from elation to disgust. With highlights like the wonderful fight between Hideo Tokoro and Darren Uyenoyama at DREAM 4 and low points like the unnecessary scrum at the end of KJ Noons' Elite XC Lightweight Championship defense, viewers of the events no doubt came away with an opinion or two. After all, with nearly 25 televised fights to pick from, how couldn't they?

Two of those very folks are none other than the brave souls offering their thoughts this week. And, for those of you reading this print who are as prone to agree with the column contributors as tell them how full of sh*t they are, your voices were heard and we will soon be implementing a way to feature the opinions of actual readers in future "Fact or Fiction" submissions. Stay tuned for an official announcement in the next week or two!

Back to this Wednesday's edition, I've once again stepped into "Fact or Fiction" Arena to test my worth against a worthy adversary. Other than this weekly work of art, you can also check out my quick fix for all-things MMA, the "Punch Drunk Hangover", every Monday morning. Joining me is a fresh-faced rookie who swings a big bat, and writes a damn fine WEC recap with his "WEC Wrekcage Report", Jonathan Solomon. Now the introductions are out of the way, on we go to the creamy center of this literary confection.

Fellow 411Mania columnist...are you ready? Then, America, with an enlarged heart and an empty skull, I say unto you the words of my Uncle...


ALLEZ FACT OR FICTION!!!!!!!


1. The IFL will go out of business within the next six months.


Jonathan Solomon: FACT. Last week, IFL stock was closing at $0.02 a share. I'm not a financial wiz but I do know a company barely keeping its head above water is not long for this world in condition like that. The fact that they began cutting some of their staff (in addition to cancelling the Jersey show) only means they have no intention of running a show in the near future. I can't see them getting investors to save the promotion. Why would anyone put money into the company at this point? Add to everything else, their CEO actually said MMA was akin to gay foreplay. Yep, that's a way to endear yourself to the MMA world, fighters and fans alike. R.I.P. IFL, it was nice while it lasted.


Bren Oliver: FACT. The topic could have stated the IFL flatlined "yesterday" and I would still struggle to say the organization's demise is anything other than pure fact. Opportunities were squandered at every turn - problems compounded by the failure of the "team" concept to catch on with the viewing public. The IFL threw everything they had at the wall and, unfortunately for them, none of it stuck. The switch from a traditional ring to a hexagonal structure was simply another attempt at implementing a new gimmick in hopes fans would be drawn to their product, though one being introduced a tad too late given the IFL's current residence in the ICU. They may drag out the proceedings for a few more months, perhaps in a last ditch attempt to round up financial support, but ultimately you can stick a fork in the IFL because they're done. Have Herb Dean step in and end things if necessary. In this case, an early stoppage would be anything but premature.


SCORE: 1 for 1.


2. Though he's 2-0 at 185 pounds, and looked sharp in each victory, Michael Bisping would not last a full round against UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.


Jonathan Solomon: FICTION. Anderson Silva is the best fighter in the world, no question. Michael Bisping is a solid fighter and would probably be destroyed by Silva over the course of a fight. It would be an exciting fight, but Bisping would definitely last at least five minutes. The only issue is, in the past when Bisping got into trouble early, he was able to settle down and win the fight. If that were to happen against Silva, he wouldn't last. I'd bet Bisping wouldn't underestimate Silva like he has done to some of his opponents in the past.


Bren Oliver: FACT. Um yeah, I'd say it's a safe bet to say "The Count" wouldn't underestimate the best pound-for-pound competitor in MMA. Rich Franklin fought Anderson Silva twice and lasted a total of approximately nine minutes. Dan Henderson stepped up against Silva, and while the former Olympian controlled him in the first round, "The Spider" ultimately ended things before the second frame of the fight had concluded. Michael Bisping is no Rich Franklin and he certainly isn't "Hendo" either. The primary concern I have relates to Bisping's bread and butter (or is it "tea and crumpets") - his striking. It's no secret "The Spider" excels in the area of leaving his opponents KTFO'd. Like fellow Brazilian Giselle Bundchen's hind-quarters, Silva's stand-up is near perfect, and I can't see the likeable Brit beating the champ at his own game. Bisping has a ways to go before proving to me that he's ready for the challenge Anderson provides. Defeating a "Top 10" opponent would probably be a good first step on that journey. A full round against Silva? Hell, as things currently stand, I'm not sure he can even last a full minute against him.


SCORE: 1 for 2.


3. Donald Trump's affiliation with the "Affliction" brand will have a significant, positive impact on the company's future success.


Jonathan Solomon: FACT. Say what you want about The Donald, but his involvement can't be a negative for the company. The Donald Trump brand is famous and gives Affliction a stamp of approval to a segment of people who wouldn't otherwise know or care. Even if he is able to simply promote the brand and the July 19th show. He would add some hype and PPV buys, it would have to be considered success. Nobody expects Affliction as fight promoters to make any money in 2008. Without Trump's pockets and brand, Affliction's future would be in question after July 19th. Let's face it, Trump is a wealthy man. Unless Affliction as a promotion totally fails out of the gate, they will be around for at least a year (and have more than one show). That's more than anyone could say before Trump got involved.


Bren Oliver: FACT. I'm not 100% sure what Affliction's financial situation is, so I can't say with certainty that they'd be one-and-done without Trump's partnership, but I agree his involvement is a good thing from an overall perspective. Beyond the financial resources and mainstream appeal he provides, "The Donald" also owns a number of venues where Affliction events can take place. I assume this would eliminate certain fees/contracts associated with renting arenas. Additionally, Donald Trump is an egomaniac and has no problem with shameless self-promotion when it comes to things he's involved with. If Trump is indeed passionate about seeing Affliction succeed, and it's not simply a short-term investment on his part, he will do whatever is necessary in order to have his vision realized. And, on a final note, I believe he has the personality to stand up to Dana White in the court of public opinion. He may not drive as many censors into early retirement as the UFC President, but Donald Trump has never been afraid to verbally snipe individuals he dislikes or point out flaws in their product as matter-of-factly as he deems necessary.


SCORE: 2 for 3.


---SWITCH!!!---


4. Given his regular marijuana use, his weighing in nine-pounds heavy against Corbbrey, and his display of immaturity after KJ Noons' title defense, EliteXC would be better off avoiding future risk by parting ways with Nick Diaz as opposed to allowing him to remain under contract.


Bren Oliver: FICTION. The more and more I learn about the situation at the end of the EliteXC show, the less and less I find myself directing any blame towards Nick Diaz. EliteXC should have known it was a potentially volatile situation given the result of the previous fight between the two, and beyond that it was inappropriate given the importance of the night in KJ Noons' young career. Instead of ending the evening with a "feel good" moment - a young kid winning a huge title-fight in front of his family and fellow Hawaiins - the Shaws opted to take the cheap route by staging a verbal confrontation in hopes of promoting their eventual rematch. Even though I feel Noons vs. Diaz II would have sold itself based on their talent and bad blood, if EliteXC's executives felt the extra spin was absolutely necessary, it was something they could have done in the post-event press conference. Furthermore, Nate Diaz was the one who threw the water bottle at Noons' camp (thus inciting the melee), and I felt KJ's crew was as culpable as Nate in how things went down. Noons' father had no business confronting a professional fighter, especially while in his son's spotlight, and I have also seen pictures of someone from "City Boxing" actually sucker-punching Nick Diaz in the ribs. The shots afterwards show the same man squaring up to punch Diaz in the face and then missing the shot. Based on the pictures, and the profiles on "City Boxing", it appears the cheap-shot artist is Baruch, so in a perfect world I'd prefer him to never again be allowed to corner Noons at an EliteXC event. Attacking one of their contracted fighters should not be tolerated.

I apologize for ranting on the matter, but I felt it was important in relation to the topic of Diaz's wicked ways and his future in EliteXC. Diaz has always been known as a loose cannon and will never be an animated Disney character. He speaks his mind and lives his life according to values he's set for himself regardless of what public expectations may be. If he tests clean for his fights, and shows up at 160 pounds from here on out, I don't see any reason as to why EliteXC should part ways with him without something more severe to base it on.


Jonathan Solomon: FICTION. EXC knew of Diaz's marijuana history and his classless behavior when they originally signed him. I'm not Nick Diaz's biggest fan but the guy is an interesting character. With the weight, there is nobody to blame but Diaz. Fighters have to be held accountable for not making weight. No question about that. I place part of the blame for the wild end to the KJ Noons' title defense at the feet of EXC. I doubt Diaz told Gary Shaw he was going to go out there if Noons retained. It's a hype machine. It just so happens Noons' dad couldn't keep his composure in the face of the immature Diaz brothers. Everyone knows Nick Diaz is not the classiest guy in MMA. What did EXC expect was going to happen? Besides, now they have a money fight between Noons and Diaz that people want to see. If Diaz loses to Noons again and is not keen on returning to middleweight, then we should revisit this question.


SCORE: 3 for 4.


5. Shinya Aoki is a bigger threat to beating BJ Penn than any UFC Lightweight currently under contract.


Bren Oliver: FACT. When one of the UFC's current Lightweights invents his own submission, as Shinya did at DREAM 4, I will reconsider my stance. However, until the Huertaplata is debuted, I have a hard time seeing "El Matador" or any other 155 pound UFC fighter beating the rainbow-tighted (other than of course current-champ BJ Penn). His striking may need work, but it is hard to argue there is another Lightweight who is more creative or adept when it comes to applying submissions. So, as I believe Aoki could defeat every Lightweight in the UFC save for "The Prodigy", he's naturally a bigger threat to Penn than anyone under Zuffa contract.


Jonathan Solomon: FICTION. The threats inside the UFC to Penn's championship are Kenny Florian, Roger Huerta and Tyson Griffin (Uriah Faber watch out). All pose a serious threat to Penn and I think either one of them have the chance to defeat Penn on any given Saturday. Florian and Huerta will fight at UFC 87 with the winner getting a shot at Penn, most likely. Aoki is a great fighter and one of the best lightweights in the world, but the three mentioned earlier are no pushovers. Right now, they pose as much of a threat to Penn as Aoki.


SCORE: 3 for 5.


6. Beloved may he be, after the beatdown he took from Melvin Manhoef, it is time for Kazushi Sakuraba to finally retire.


Bren Oliver: FACT. I hate to pull an "Iole" and call for a man to step away from MMA competition, but I have to put aside my love for what "Saku" brings to the sport and think about his long-term health. At DREAM 4, Melvin Manhoef was a semi-truck flying down the highway and Sakuraba was a deer in his headlights. While few Middleweights have Manhoef's power or overwhelming style of attack, I can't see the Japanese icon beating any relevant competitors to give fans a final grand moment. He has become the football player who doesn't know when to hang up his cleats. Like All-Time Rusher Emmitt Smith playing for the Arizona Cardinals, I don't want to see Sakuraba at 45 fighting for some pathetic YAMMA-clone. I am not calling for him to hang up his mask this very instant, but I am hoping he finishes things off with a bout against Kiyoshi Tamura (as fans have been long been wishing to see) on New Year's Eve. If not, certainly no more than one or two more fights.


Jonathan Solomon: FACT. Strictly from a concerned perspective, I don't want to see Sakuraba seriously injured. I hope he will not spend the latter days of his life in constant agony and unaware of who or where he is. It is tough to watch him knowing how hurt he is. You wonder if there are any people around him only considering his health. It seems barring something unforseen, Japanese MMA will continue to book him to get eyeballs watching and asses in seats. From a skill standpoint, he has not beaten any serious experienced fighters in their prime in about two years.


SCORE: 4 for 6.


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Join us next week when two more participants take a look at Dana White's "groundbreaking" announcement, the Ultimate Fighter Season 8 Finale (including limo-gate), the potential of Anderson Silva at Light Heavyweight, and other issues lingering out there in the Mixed Martial Arts' world ...