The MMA News Report 08.06.08
Posted by Morgan Marx on 08.06.2008
Affliction lands several new stars including the biggest free agent in MMA, a former UFC champ returns to the cage, and one of MMA’s most controversial figures makes his way to the big screen. Plus, three thoughts on UFC 87: St-Pierre v. Fitch!
THE READERS QUESTION
The Reader's Question: Is Tito Ortiz still a draw for you? Would you purchase an Affliction card because of Tito's participation?
NEWS LEG KICKS
Affliction Lands Ortiz
Affliction is expected to announce the signing of former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz, possibly at a Wednesday press conference. Ortiz is expected to take part in the company's next show this fall, according to SI.com
Details about Ortiz's new deal are unknown at this time. However, Ortiz's contract is expected to be one of the highest in the sport's history. Says Ortiz:
I guarantee you that my contract will be like no other. It will be a ground-breaking record contract for sure, without a doubt. It's going to be a long-term deal where I put my heart and soul into the company and help build them.
Following the debut of Affliction: Banned, an event Ortiz attended, speculation suggested Ortiz was a likely signing for the company. Renato Sobral hinted at a possible showdown with Ortiz, a fight Ortiz seems to favor. Frank Shamrock and Antonio Rogerio Nogueria are also possible opponents.
Since his departure from the UFC following a loss to Lyoto Machida, Ortiz's destination has been one of the biggest stories in MMA. Though his in-cage results have been lacking in recent years, there's no denying that Ortiz is still one of the biggest personalities in MMA. Pay-per-view buy rates for events featuring Ortiz routinely reside in the top 10 best selling MMA events.
This has to be considered a huge risk for Affliction. The biggest story line emerging from Banned was whether or not the company could afford to keep paying the massive salaries found on the card. Investing "historic" money in an aging Ortiz, a fighter without a win since 2006, might spell the death knell for the clothing company.
However, Ortiz showed resiliency in the Machida fight, almost securing a fight-winning triangle near the end of the match. If Ortiz is healthy (and that's a big "if") there's no doubt that fans would be interested in his fights. Hardcore fans supported Babalu vociferously at Affliction: Banned. Frank Shamrock is a known commodity both among long time fans and newcomers. It's a risky gamble, but one that could pay huge dividends in Las Vegas, October 11, at Affliction's next show.
In other Affliction news, the fledgling company has signed former IFL champions Vladimir Matyushenko and Roy Nelson to appear on its next fight card. Matyushenko is expected to rematch Antonio Rogerio Nogueira while Nelson will likely face fellow Affliction debutante Jay White.
Matyushenko could be seen making the rounds at Affliction: Banned. His inclusion bolsters the company's light heavyweight ranks. The IFL champion adds depth to the division and matches up well against fellow top 205ers Nogueria, Sobral, and (possibly) Ortiz.
Nogueira impressed at his Affliction debut, manhandling the overmatched Edwin Dewees en route to victory. At the time, a bout between Nogueria and Sobral was expected, but the former-training partners seemed hesitant to fight. Matyushenko and Ortiz's possible signings allow Sobral and Nogueria to remain apart.
Nelson compiled a 6-1 record in the IFL, dropping his lone loss to former heavyweight champion (and current Affliction star) Ben Rothwell. Known for both his prodigious punching power and belly, Nelson will look to extend his winning streak to six in a row against White. White, a member of Xtreme Couture, is a decorated grappler with a mixed MMA record. Losses to notable fighters such as Jeff Monson, Jake O'Brien, and Christian Wellisch mar his record, but his considerable ground skills should test Nelson's weakest area. Or, White will succumb to another one minute KO.
To reiterate, Affliction: Day of Reckoning will take place October 11 in Las Vegas. The event is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight clash between Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett.
Former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk will make his return to the cage against rising challenger Tyson Griffin, according to MMAWeekly.com. The two will do battle at UFC 90, taking place this October in Chicago.
Sherk, who was stripped of his title following a positive test for banned substances, made his first post-suspension appearance against current champion BJ Penn. Unable to take Penn to the mat, Sherk was felled at the close of the third round by a knee-punch combo, resulting in a TKO loss.
Griffin has been on a hot streak, winning four consecutive fights, including a recent domination of Marcus Aurelio. At 12-1 overall, Griffin is seen as a future title contender. A win over Sherk would likely vault him into the UFC's top five.
If there's a negative about this fight, it may be the competitor's propensity for decision victories. Both fighters are muscular wrestlers, and while it may be an unfair characterization, they both have a tendency to hold fights on the mat. It will be interesting to see how the two size up against one another. Sherk had troubles against larger wrestlers Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre, but will Griffin have the size to emulate that game plan?
Earlier this year I mentioned a Sports Illustrated article that centered on former UFC competitor Lee "Lightening" Murray. The talented British striker amassed an 8-2-1 record in MMA, with a UFC victory over Jorge Rivera and a decision loss to Anderson Silva, which, in hindsight, is somewhat impressive.
However, the article focused on Murray's post-MMA exploits: namely, the coordination of the largest cash robbery in history. Allegedly, Murray organized an attack on Securitas AB and made off with $92 million in 2006. The story ended with Murray in jail in Morocco, awaiting extradition hearings. As of this date, no decision has been made in Murray's case.
Now, SI.com is reporting that Murray's story will be the first developed as a motion picture by a new venture focused on brining Sports Illustrated's stories to the movies. Of course, no dates, directors, writers, or anyone else associated with making an actual movie are associated with the release. Still, it's an interesting development.
I was surprised that the MMA blogosphere didn't make more of the story. The article was well written and interesting. Murray emerged as a captivating figure, both in the cage and as a thief. His action's certainly aren't commendable (the group allegedly terrorized hostages before making off with the cash), but in an age of anti-heroes, it's a great tale.
If you haven't read the article, I still highly recommend it. Breaking the Bank by L. Jon Wertheim appeared in the April 14 issue of SI, this year.
The end is the beginning is the end. Five events ago, Forrest Griffin shocked MMA fans by upsetting Quinton Jackson to capture the UFC light heavyweight title. UFC 86 kicked off a packed July that featured events from at least five major promotions. Affliction debuted to mixed reviews, Elite XC improved in every area but the ratings, DREAM featured a surprise tournament winner, and the WEC continued its streak of solid cards. Now, the UFC closes the month with the solitary card of August, UFC 87.
The cards of July offered numerous talking points for MMA fans to discuss. While Griffin's victory reshaped the landscape of the 205 division, Jackson's later incidents dominated conversation. Affliction served up an entertaining night of fights, but the talk centered on the likelihood of the promotion emerging as a legitimate threat to the UFC throne. Elite XC finally offered a card MMA purists could get behind, but the flux amid the ProElite hire ups was more interesting.
For UFC 87, the talk centers on the fights. The number one welterweight will be decided when Georges St-Pierre and Jon Fitch square off. The evolution of Brock Lesnar will take another step as he faces the durable Heath Herring. Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta will do battle to decide the next sacrificial lamb for BJ Penn to dispose of. It's refreshing to find an event where the actual in cage action takes precedence over larger issues.
What's that? A disgruntled Huerta has been complaining about the UFC pay scale and per diem amounts? So not every discussion focuses on the actual fighting? Sigh…
1. How can you break down St-Pierre v. Fitch? I'm intrigued to see how the MMA experts (namely Luke Thomas, Jordan Breen and Sam Caplan) call the UFC 87 main event. Will statistical analysis or tape watching sessions reveal a likely winner in this bout? With two evenly matched competitors, each sporting a sterling record, how can you pick a favorite?
Like many, I expect St-Pierre to win. But that decision isn't based on some definitive edge I think the champion carries into this fight. St-Pierre is the more dynamic striker, but his preference is the ground game. Fitch carries the better credentials (college wrestling experience, trains at a fantastic camp) but St-Pierre uses sheer athleticism and freakish innate talent to negate such advantages.
Interestingly, you can't really compare records between the fighters. Though entering this fight at a combined 33-4, with each fighter having defeated three worldwide top 10 ranked welterweights, they don't share any opponents. Perhaps that's due to the rumors of UFC fighters ducking Fitch. Whatever the case, it's hard to play MMA math to determine a winner on Saturday night.
Without a doubt, St-Pierre and Fitch enter the night as the two top welterweights in the land. Recent wins by Jake Shields and Carlos Condit have impressed, but the gap between the second tier fighters and the top is wide. However, perhaps there is an equally wide gulf between St-Pierre and Fitch. If St-Pierre thoroughly trounces the AKA product, will we have to rethink the welterweight rankings? How about the pound for pound list?
St-Pierre certainly belongs in the P4P discussion alongside Fedor and Anderson Silva. To this point, the only thing preventing GSP from cracking the top two has been the presence of actual challengers for his gold. Silva and Fedor have eliminated just about every other fighter in contention for their titles. If St-Pierre takes out Fitch in Minnesota, he will enter that same elite club.
2. Will it be one step forward for Lesnar, or two steps back? Ahh, isn't this a much more palatable version of Brock Lesnar? Leading up to his UFC debut, the former WWE superstar dominated the pre-event hype. His showdown with former UFC champ Frank Mir overshadowed Minotauro's championship victory. Pretty much every discussion of the event broke down into some argument about Lesnar's merits as an MMA fighter, and whether he was worth the attention and cash.
Isn't it great what a humbling submission loss can do for a fighter? Lesnar is certainly a draw for UFC 87, but at much better scale. All three major fights are being given an equal share of coverage. Lesnar is being treated as just another fighter. Sure, a freakishly large fighter with an overbearing personality, but still, I like how this version of Lesnar is playing out.
Coming into his showdown with Heath Herring, we still have numerous questions about The Next Big Thing. Following his bout with Mir, we know Lesnar hits like a truck, is tremendously strong, and has terrible submission recognition skills. We don't know how his cardio stacks up, whether his standup is coming along, and whether he has anything to offer besides devastating hammer fists. When was the last time someone mentioned devastating hammer fists?
I still think Herring is a bit of a challenge for a fighter making only his third appearance. Would Kimbo be given a shot at upsetting The Texas Crazy Horse? While Herring struggled mightily against Jake O'Brien, he's faced large wrestlers like Mark Kerr and Tom Erickson before (granted, that was at the beginning of the end for both fighters). Herring is difficult to finish, well-rounded, and not afraid to scrap. He presents a much different challenge than Frank Mir.
Still, I think this is Lesnar's fight to lose. While Mir took advantage of the biggest hole in Lesnar's developing game, Herring seems unwilling to capitalize on those kinds of strategies. While I commend his willingness to put on a good show (as opposed to going for the sure victory), one has to wonder whether that liability will catch him against Lesnar. Can Herring keep the fight standing? Should it hit the mat, will he be able to maneuver for a choke?
Whether or not you support Lesnar, these are exciting questions. His fight with Mir was a thrilling 90 seconds. No one really knows how Lesnar v. Herring will play out, and that's the beauty of an MMA fight. If Lesnar wins, I hope he's not rushed up the food chain too quickly. Should he lose, I hope he's given a chance to feast on the Carmello Marrero's of the world, like fellow new heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin. Whatever the case, I doubt this will be Lesnar's swan song in the UFC, regardless of his massive salary and the way they dumped Mirko Filipovic.
3. Has Roger Huerta let it go to his head? The fight between Roger Huerta and Kenny Florian was supposed to be a simple affair. The two lightweights would vie for the number one contender role. Both fighters have a tendency to be exciting. With little to no bad blood between the two men, it was an athletic contest at the core.
That was before Roger Huerta openly criticized the UFC for its pay scale and MMA for the way endorsements work.
Now, one can view the fight as a good hat v. bad hat showdown, with Florian embodying the UFC company man and Huerta playing the rebel. Florian is constantly described as the epitome of the modern MMA fighter. Educated, well spoken, good in front of the camera (especially on ESPN), Florian represents the UFC with class and dignity. Huerta is known for his tough upbringing, his drive and determination, and now, for his willingness to speak up. Also, while Florian has done everything in his power to maximize his talent (including changing the way he lives and restricting his personal life), Huerta is involved with the Tekkan movie.
Is it fair to paint Huerta as the villain? Of course not. Huerta merely expressed sentiments that many UFC fighters and MMA competitors share. It's not a stretch to assume that Florian probably shared some of those same gripes as he worked his way through the notoriously low TUF contracts.
While Huerta's comments in Fight! magazine (my pick for best MMA magazine, hands down) have received a ton of attention, they don't change the fundamental nature of this fight with Florian. It's still an athletic contest with a title shot on the line. It will be interesting to see if Huerta's comments generate any sort of response from the UFC, but it will be more interesting to see how he handles Florian's wrestling, muay Thai, and sharp elbows.
That's all for this brief look at the co-co-headlining fights for this Saturday's UFC 87. My terrible fight picks will follow in 411's roundtable, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to side with Kenny Florian for the first time ever. That means you should run out and place your money on Huerta, right now.
CONCLUSION
Thanks again for stopping by. Next week we'll look back at UFC 87 and feature a brief review of Titleshot: Into the Shark Tank of Mixed Martial Arts by Kelly Crigger. Take care.
