Passing The Guard 06.28.08: Don't Let The Door Hit You...

Posted by Stephen DeAugustino on 06.28.2008

The MMA world may be losing some big names as several fighters contemplate retirement. Who, why, and when? All of that inside, plus a review of The Ultimate Fighter Finale and much more!

Hi oh! Welcome to another edition of Passing the Guard, you're weekly MMA news column. This week, we will do without a preview and concentrate on news as there was plenty of it this week. For some odd reason, the recurring theme of the past few days has been retirement. Three fighters have announced retirement or are contemplating it, another big name receives a career hampering injury, and a "fan favorite" higher up is rumored to be on the way out. Just don't let the door hit ya, big guy. All of that coming up, but first, a quick review of the Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike.



Reviews


The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale

Last weekend the seventh season of the Ultimate Fighter came to a close live on SpikeTV, and while it wasn't exactly the best showing the UFC has made on the tube, it was entertaining enough to sit through. Here is a brief recap on what went down within the eight sides last Saturday.


Andrew Mcfedries defeats Marvin Eastman by way of Technical Knockout in the first round.
For some reason, Eastman seems content on leaving his wrestling roots behind as his last few within the UFC were predominantly of the standing nature. This fight was no exception, as we saw reflections of his rematch with current champion Quinton Jackson. Eastman came out solid for thirty seconds or so, and then Drew was able to connect with a nice punch that dazed Eastman into reeling away from the Miletich product. Eastman would attempted a desperation single leg in which he succeeded to grasp, but unfortunately ended up leaving his chin wide open for a right hook that sent "The Beastman" to the floor. The fight would be stopped at the 1:08 mark. It's really hard to say where Marvin Eastman should go from here; clearly he has no chance of cracking into title contention with the UFC. Right now, he is looking more like a gatekeeper, sitting outside the top ten and simply fighting any one that needs a rebound from a loss (see Terry Martin and Drew Mcfedries). On the other hand, Mcfedries looked very impressive, and seems to be on his way back up.


Matt Riddle defeats Dante Rivera by way of Decision.
Anyone that watched the show could see this coming from a mile away. Within the first few episodes, it was clear that there was some tension between Riddle and Rivera, most likely because of Riddle's immature demeanor clashing against Dante's older ego. Regardless of my haphazard psychoanalysis, the two bumped heads last Saturday, but probably not as impressively as fans were hoping for. What viewers saw for three rounds was essentially Riddle taking the fight to the ground and keeping it there while Dante attempted a few submissions, all without success. By this method, Riddle would grind out to a decision. One of the more impressive aspects of the fight have had to been Matt's improved submission defense. Tim Credeur eliminated Matt on the show due to a poorly defended armbar, however between the time the show ended and the finale, it seems like Matt was able to improve his ground game significantly. A young fighter with a solid wrestling base, improved submission game, and strong KO power is a good combination for a bright future.


Spencer Fisher defeats Jeremy Stephens by way of Decision.
Spencer Fisher acquired a much needed win Saturday when he took control over Jeremy Stephens for a three round decision. Sure, Fisher put on a good show again Sam Stout at UFN 10, but when "The King" lost to Frankie Edgar who in turn lost to Gray Maynard, it kind of left some of the lightweight division in a mess. Fisher was able to control Stephens, something that is no small feet as Stephen has built himself a strong fan base strictly on his reputation as an explosive fighter. Fisher was able to manipulate the stand up game and keep it where he wanted it, and when the fight hit the ground, Fisher did as he pleased while Stephens sat on his back for most of the rounds. Fisher was even able to get off some creative elbow strikes from the half guard. From the stare down, where Spencer was seen smiling a "Wooing" around, to the final bell, the fight was all Fisher.



Diego Sanchez defeats Luigi Fioravanti by way of Technical Knockout in the third round.
In what would have to be his best performance, Diego Sanchez put on an impressive show of striking ability in his TKO win over American Top Teamer Luigi Fioravanti. Leading up to the third round stoppage, Diego dominated on the feet where it was kept by Fioravanti's great takedown defense. It was clear that was the game plan for Luigi; having a great sprawl would neutralize Diego's ground and pound and of course compliment Fioravanti's ability on the feet. However, like about everyone on planet Earth except Diego, Luigi underestimated the striking ability of "The Nightmare". A few head kicks and stiff punches later, the outplayed Fioravanti would be on the receiving end of a shin to the temple and a knee to the nose that would eventually end the fight at 4:07 into the final round. The question is, is this the performance he has been looking for that will place him back into title contention? Some people seem to think so. With the win, rumors have been circulating that Sanchez will get the winner of GSP and Jon Fitch



Amir Sadollah defeats CB Dollaway by way of Submission in the first round.
Despite the outcome of the actual show, it is fair to say that Sadollah was still an underdog coming into this fight. The charismatic Muay Thai practitioner was utterly taking a beating in the first meeting, and somehow managed to slip in a quick armbar late into the third round. The second fight looked as if it may start off like the first one did; Amir was clearly more well versed on his feet than Dollaway, but Sadollah really had nothing in his bag of tricks that could stop the All-American's takedown. What he did have however was that same swift armbar from the guard, and he managed to unleash it much quicker this time around than the previous outing. The fight was stopped with a little over three minutes into the round, but not without controversy. CB gives a clear tap once the armbar is locked in, but immediately after stops and begins to defend. Dollaway's argument is that he didn't tap three times, which is usually used to indicate a submission. "With the tap, I didn't fully commit to the tap, but I did hit him once. I guess they ruled that a tap. I thought you had to go on and start tapping out. I did hit him once. Right as I did that, I felt my arm get into a position where I could get out. At that point Herb (Dean) ruled it as a tap out." Dollaway commented in a post fight interview. We have seen "feint" taps used before in Pride, but the UFC has always been very strict about the topic. We have seen fights stopped on a single tap before, so as to why Dollaway is surprised at the outcome, is unknown. Regardless, Sadollah is really something. The only other person that comes to mind when you think of great Muay Thai striking and awesome Jujitsu is Anderson Silva, the current pound-for-pound king of the world. Could Sadollah follow that same road? It will be interesting to wait and see.



Kendall Grove defeats Evan Tanner by way of Decision.
This fight lived up to everything it was thought to be, which really wasn't much. Tanner has been out of it for a few years now and Grove has had a run of poor performances himself as of late. However, the fight did have its moments. Among the poor takedown attempts by Tanner and Grove's repetitive jab, fans were able to see the single-leg counter knee, not once, but twice, that was made famous by Urijah Faber last month. On top of that, the action went up on the incline as soon as it hit the clinch on the fence; Tanner's dirty boxing vs. Grove's Muay Thai clinch was something fun to watch. Plus just looking at Tanner's beard was enough to probably keep most people's attention. I don't see Tanner being competitive again; either he steps down in the near future or takes up the role of Jeremy Horn for the middleweights, simply fighting every now and then on the under card to draw some extra buys. Even Grove is a bit suspect after this performance. Yes, the TUF winner did obtain a victory over a veteran, but it will take more than a split decision win over an aged competitor to rebound from his previous two beatings. Grove declared his losses helped his career tremendously. We will have to wait until his next few fights to see that statement come into fruition.



Dustin Hazelett defeats Josh Burkman by way of Submission in the second round.
Wow. I should just stop everything right there, because that is all anyone needs to know about this fight, or more specifically, Dustin Hazelett. It was a real shame this fight was not televised. Granted, it was on the UFC website for free, but the thought of hundreds of people missing out on this fight is just upsetting. Why all the ruckus? In my preview of this fight last week, I forewarned of Hazelett's underrated grappling ability. Even that, was an understatement. I never though "Mcclovin" had it in him to pull of what he did. The first round of the fight has Burkman and Hazelett striking a little bit, with Josh showing off some of his power with some big haymakers and heavy kicks. The fight eventually goes to the ground, where a little foreshadowing takes place in the form of a beautiful submission flow from Dustin. Starting at rubber guard, Hazelett transfers to an omoplata, to side choke, and then to an anaconda choke before Burkman makes his way out. The second round appears to be more of the same, with Burkaman throwing heavy and Dustin pulling guard a few times. With 28 seconds left in the round, Burkman has Hazelett up against the fence when Dustin whizzers down and ankle picks Burkman to the ground. As the All-State wrestler stands up, Hazelett flips his leg over the whizzer and pulls it out into an armbar. The fight stops with 14 seconds left in the round. I would have to contest that the armbar that Hazelett hit Saturday night may be the nicest armbar ever hit in MMA. It's right up there with Aurelio's armbar win over Ryan Roberts. I'll post both so that you can be the judge; I want to hear what you guys think. Regardless, with this win Hazeltte has put himself back in the title race. A fight with Sanchez or Karo would be fun to watch. As for Burkman? "I'm going to do everything I possibly can to make sure this fight doesn't go to a decision. I'll even retire if it does go to a decision. I can't have them anymore." The way the fight ended, maybe Burkman would have been happy with a decision.



News

Diaz vs. Denny scheduled EliteXC "Unfinished Business"
After what happened at "Return of the King", you would think Nick Diaz's next opponent would have to be KJ Noons. It was almost like Gary Shaw was trying his hardest to make the fight a reality by toting Diaz out to the ring to stir controversy. Some sites even reported that the fight was a definite after EliteXC pulled Diaz out of the DREAM 5 card. However, it seems the rematch will have to wait as Diaz is scheduled to fight Thomas Denny at the next CBS EliteXC show on July 26th. Taking place in Stockton California, Diaz's hometown, the fight will most likely be another attempted by Shaw to blow the fight up even more. Denny has been in the fight game for a long time, standing against names like Georges St. Pierre, Chris Lytle, Joe Stevenson, and Duane Ludwig, but he is hardly a match for the older Diaz brother. Don't be surprised if KJ makes an "appearance".


Brandon Vera turns down fight with Machida at UFN 14
Most know that Vera is in fact slated to fight at Ultimate Fight Night 14 on July 19th for his light heavyweight debut against Reese Andy, however that was not the original intention. According to Brazilian MMA magazine Tatame, Vera was offered to fight division stand out Lyoto Machida, however declined to take up the fight. "It's true. I was offered to fight at [UFC Fight Night 14], but Brandon Vera did not want want it. I do not know what happened, but he did not accept the fight." Machida states. A fight between the two fighters would have been a huge boost to the UFN card and would have possibly been the slingshot that would launch Machida into a title fight; "The Dragon" is undefeated in his career and since coming to the UFC has racked up wins over Kazuhiro Nakamura, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Tito Ortiz. It is still unknown as to why Vera declined, but something about the previous statement may have something to do with it.


Jeff Monson calls out Kimbo Slice

Jeff Monson is angry. Who can really blame him? Monson is one of the many heavyweights that are much more skilled than Kimbo, but yet have not had the attention or spotlight that the YouTube star has. Humorously enough, the angry Monson posted his rant on YouTube for the EliteXC star to see, claiming "he knows the f**ker doesn't read". A fight between Monson and Slice would be something to the chagrin of the MMA community, as Monson would be by far the best opponent Slice has faced. However, the chances of this fight happening are slim to none. Shaw has already showed a desire to shelter the cash cow spectacle that is Kimbo Slice, and with that said, he would never let Monson anywhere near him.


Baroni makes his way to welterweight for Cage Rage 27
Phill Baroni has had a rough time with things recently, but will try and better his luck with a move to 170 for Cage Rage 27. Baroni's opponent will be Scott Jansen, a relatively new fighter with a 3-2 record. Cage Rage, which is owned by EliteXC, would be a good place for Baroni to recoup from his three consecutive losses. The welterweight division there is relatively thin compared to other organizations, and Baroni will have an additional advantage with his size. "The New York Bad Ass" has lost five of his last seven fights and most recently, as stated earlier, three consecutive losses to Frank Shamrock, Kala Hose, and Joey Villasenor.


MMA veteran Ivan Salaverry retires
Long time fighter and UFC regular Ivan Salaverry recently announced his retirement after his submission loss to Rousimar Palhares. "Basically, I am just not prioritizing fighting anymore," Salaverry told Sherdog.com. "Even though I love fighting and I had a great run and I enjoyed it, I've transitioned to other things. There are quite a few variables as to why I stepped away and not just one. I'm older now; I'm 37 and not 27. I also have some injuries that are just not recovering, too. And within that scope, I have my school and my two kids. Fighting is not just a priority anymore." Including his loss to Palharaes, Ivan has gone 1-3 in his last four fights, however in reality Salaverry has had a very successful career in mixed martial arts. Known as a pioneer, the submission specialist has done many things for the sport. He retires with nothing left to prove.


Rumor: Gary Shaw on his way out
According to MMAPayout, Gary Shaw may be enjoying his final days at EliteXC at this very moment. "Speculation within the MMA industry suggests that Gary Shaw's days at ProElite may be numbered. Rumors suggest that Shaw may be out by the end of the summer, possibly soon after the July 26 CBS event. Multiple sources have told MMAPayout.com that the expected move is another example of CBS's growing influence on the company. Santa Monica Capital Partners, the largest shareholder in the company, is also believed to have taken a more active role in the company of late." CBS has apparently become a very large part of ProElite, which gives them a rather large say on company issues. As part of the deal between ProElite and CBS, CBS is entitled to 500,000 shares of the company every time it goes on public television. This makes CBS the second largest shareholder of the company. Also according to the site, CBS has already flexed it's muscle in controlling the MMA organization; CBS is the reason the next network show was pushed up from October to July.


Herring talks Lesnar, Lesnar trains with Medeiros
Originally intended to be Mark Coleman vs. Lesnar, the fight was cut due to a knee injury sustained by the much older Coleman a few weeks ago. However, that did not stop Joe Silva, who signed Heath Herring up to face the former pro-wrestler at UFC 87 in August. Coming off a win over Cheick Kongo, Herring was able to shed some light on how he is training for the fight. "I actually am working a little bit of ground now, but we're also training stand-up as well. Not to slack off in any area. We're trying to be as well rounded as possible. I have a feeling he might want to come out and try to throw just a little bit, and I'm hoping he does and we've got to make him pay when he does. I've been down at Randy's (Couture) a lot. Actually, Randy's really helped me out so far. I really have got to give him a lot of credit for helping me out and kind of helping me with takedown defense and things like that." Herring may be at a disadvantage here as he is know more as a striker than anything else, but with a little background in sambo, Heath will not be totally defenseless on the ground. Heath has fought and beaten accomplished wrestlers in the past, such as Tom Erickson and Mark Kerr. Lesnar on the other hand has picked up his training as well. Since his submission loss to Frank Mir, "The Next Big Thing" has started to train with seven-time Mundials champion and ADCC regular Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros in an attempted to approve the gaping hole in his ground game.



Big John McCarthy set to Announce Affliction: Banned
Last week Big John went on to express his distaste for the UFC's move to try and counter Affliction's first ever card with UFN 14. However, Big John's actions are easily explained as this week it was announced that McCarthy will in fact be working with the very organization he was defending, not as a referee, but as an announcer. McCarthy will be working alongside long time Pride host and current commentator of EliteXC Mauro Ranallo. Since retiring from referring, McCarthy has begun work with The Fight Network and has also opened up his own training center in California. Affliction: Banned is set for July 19th and will feature a heavyweight title bout with Fedor Emelianenko taking on Tim Sylvia.


Evan Tanner contemplating retirement.
After his loss to TUF winner Kendal Grove, former champion and long time fighter Evan Tanner may be hanging it up in the near future. The cause? Health issues. "I've been having some serious health problems for a while now, they've caused me some problems in my daily life and have seriously affected my training. I obviously haven't been the same guy in the ring." Said Tanner in a recent blog post on UFC.com. "I'm going to be taking a little time off to see a doctor. If we can't get this health issue figured out, I'm done, I'm retiring. I don't want to step back into the Octagon unless I'm 100%, and I can give the fans the type of fight they deserve to see." Tanner was at one point on of the most feared middleweights in the UFC, compiling a 31-4 record with wins over Phil Baroni, Robbie Lawler, Paul Buentello, and Heath Herring, but recently has had some difficulties getting back into the mix. However, Tanner is hoping for the best. "I don't see it coming to that though. Tomorrow I'm hopping on the bike, and riding up to Oregon to visit the good doctor. I've got a good feeling about things."


Matt Hughes confirms knee injury following loss to Alves.

Anyone watching Hughes's knee following his knockout loss to Thiago Alves could of told you it was hurt, but it has been confirmed this past week on Matt's official website. "I found out my results, I've got a totally torn MCL that is still attached to my femur. I've got a partially torn PCL. They really think that the PCL will repair itself and that MCL has a chance of repairing itself. So we're going to hold off on surgery right now. I am going to get a second opinion this week, so that might change; but for now we're going to hold off on surgery." This is real bad for Hughes, as he has already stated that he only has one or two fights left in him. Now with this injury, a potential fight with current nemesis Matt Serra will either be postponed to next year, where it will lose most of the allure it has now, or will be canceled altogether. Hughes also stated on his site that he would post news of the second opinion and his final decision later on in the week.



Cung Le talks movie deal, possible leave from MMA
Strikeforce champion Cung Le has discovered a new avenue for success, and it has nothing to do with spinning heel kicks or brutal leg sweeps. In a recent interview with TopGunMMA, Le has expressed his desire for acting, as well as his first movie appearance. "I train full-time but I just landed a big movie role with Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster. It's been pretty exciting for me. I didn't even get the role for my fighting abilities. I actually auditioned and I got it off straight acting…I just landed the role. They just made their offer last Friday and I think as soon as we get with the studio then we're going to basically do a huge press release." Said Le.

As to what exactly the film will be about; "No, it's science fiction. It's almost like Earth is dying and basically the Earth is out of resources and they send out a Noah's Ark with all these pods with humans to keep them alive and young for a long time to populate another planet. A group of six teams, and every team wakes up every three years. I mean, every three years they go back to sleep and then the next team wakes up to make sure the reactor is working. I don't want to give the whole story away, but the ship crashes on another planet, which you don't know where it crashed. It's actually underneath somewhere. It's so big, you can't get off, you can't even look out. The ships been down for a while and the reactor is dying and there are these cannibals that are on board and we don't even know how they're on there. Could they be from the incubators? Because there was animals, experiments, stuff like that. It doesn't say how but the team is trying to turn back on the reactor. My characters actually one of the leads that saves Ben Foster a couple times. A lot of action. It's really awesome. I just can't give away the whole movie but, it's hard to explain without giving away some stuff in it. Science fiction." Sounds, interesting.

Cung also touched on his apparently short future in MMA. "Yeah, so I feel like I am at a crossroads. I feel like I still got a couple more good fights in me but at the same time I have to be smart. I'm at a crossroads. I can't stretch myself too thin. I gotta be smart about things. Right now the door is open for Hollywood and it's not like any fighters out there get this kind of opportunity and pass it up because he or she wants to fight." "There's a lot of great fighters out there. Of course, there's the great Anderson Silva but that matchup doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen. He's UFC, I'm Strikeforce. In the meantime, my next opponent is this movie."


Henderson vs. Palhares rumored to take place at UFC 88
After dropping his last two titles against Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson will supposedly make a return to the Octagon this September, however it will be at middleweight. Henderson has said time and time again he would prefer to compete at the 205 division, but instead will be facing Brazilian Top Teamer Rousimar Palhares at 185. Most recently defeating now retired veteran Ivan Salaverry, Palhares is widely known as one of the most effective submission fighters to recently come out of Brazil. Six of his last Eight victories come by way of submission, including two in one night where he claimed the Fury FC middleweight title. A win over Henderson will propel the Brazilian into title contention. UFC 88 will take place on September 6th at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. Also scheduled to fight is Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans.


Random Pass

Yes, I am still a bit depressed that my idol, Kazushi Sakuraba, was pounded into oblivion at DREAM 4. And no, I am not willing to give it up. In order to make myself feel better, and for you'r viewing pleasure (but more so to make me feel better), here is Sakuraba and Quinton Jackson going at it for a Japanese movie titled Nagurimono. Pretty cool stuff.


And you can't get out from under the weather unless you take a hearty dose of Dan Miragliotta screw up; four our of five doctors recommend it!



Ah, much better. Well that about does it for this weeks report. Check back in next week from an in depth preview of 86 plus all of the news you need to know. Until next time, you've just Passed the Guard.