The Fightin’ Stance News: 08.15.08: Be More Constructive With Your Feedback
Posted by on 08.15.2008
Fedor officially not the greatest fighter in the world. Dana opens up and speaks candidly for the first time. ShoXC is tonight, get your preview right here. Strikeforce announces details for their next two events. All this plus the updated MMA Calendar, new fight announcements, and a special look at the best of the rest from “The Ultimate Fighter.”
It's Friday and I am back with The Fightin' Stance News. My name is Adam Tool and since I'm running a bit late at the moment and getting closer and closer to my deadline, we'll keep this uber-brief and instead jump right into the news. Ready? Then…
He's Good, But Not As Good As He Could Be
I do love using that picture.
In a recent interview with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, Fedor Emelianenko showed just how humble he is with this comment:
I don't consider myself on top of the pedestal. I have certain weaknesses and I make certain mistakes. Of course, that is frustrating, because like any athlete, I strive to get better each day. I know a lot of the media and the fans want to say I'm the best. I appreciate that, but that's not how I consider myself."
You see fanboys? He does appreciate you saying that he's the greatest, but it's not something he believes. Can we all just agree then that Anderson Silva is the best in the world right now?
Fedor also said that he hasn't seen much of Silva, GSP, or BJ Penn, but he did say that he saw holes in their game while praising their technical abilities.
Iole also got UFC President Dana White to give his opinion, and he said this:
"He's not the best pound-for-pound fighter, not even close, but he's one of the four or five best heavyweights. But we all have to thank him for getting rid of Tim Sylvia. He'd been stinking out the joint the last couple of years and Fedor did everyone a favor by beating him so easily and getting rid of him."
I don't consider him at the top, but he's a pretty solid number two right now. At the moment Fedor is taking some time off due to a hand injury suffered during the 36 second mauling of Sylvia. He will most likely be facing the winner of Arlovski/Barnett at some point in December or January.
Want more from Dana? Cast your eyes on down the page a line or two…
The Mouth That Just Won't Quit
I should just make this a regular feature. "Hey guess what guys, Dana White gave ANOTHER outspoken interview! What are the odds?" Obviously the man knows how to make good quotes, and there are plenty to be had in the newest issue of Playboy that is out on stands today. Now I'm promoting MMA and women with no clothes on! It really is the best of both worlds.
On the UFC's rise in popularity compared to major sports
"What are the major sports in America right now? The NFL and Major League Baseball, with the NBA third. The NHL was fourth, but now we're fourth, and we're still in our infancy. Our ratings on Spike TV beat most of the major sports in our 18-to-34 demo. Last year we beat four Monday Night Football games in the demo. In eight years, the UFC will be bigger than the NFL, bigger than World Cup soccer. It will be the biggest sport in the world."
Well I really don't think they've got any chance of topping the NFL (we Americans sure love our football after all), but I see no reason they can't overtake the MLB or the NBA. Basketball ratings have been in steady decline ever since players not named Jordan stopped showing up, and baseball sucks anyways.
On the two billionaires currently jumping into the MMA game
"Mark Cuban's a smart guy. He's passionate about basketball, but I don't think he gives a shit about mixed martial arts. He sees some quick money in it. Trump's different. I have a ton of respect for him. When the Fertittas bought the UFC, most venues wouldn't deal with us. We were outlaws. Out first event was at the Trump Taj Mahal, and Trump actually came to the fights. You'll never hear me say a bad word about Donald Trump. He can have my seats anytime."
Yes, Dana we get it. You guys created the business (at least in America). Can we drop it already?
On his favorite punching-bag, Tito Ortiz
"That big-mouthed bitch, that clown. Back when he had the title, he refused to fight Chuck Liddell. He sat on the sidelines for a year and a half, crying, ‘Aww, I don't have any money!' So I brought him back and made him a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. That year he made more than $6 million, yet he bitches about me. Well, I put up with Tito's shit when he was a decent fighter, but now he's not and I don't have to… Did you see what a wall flower he was on [The Celebrity Apprentice]? The guy has no presence. He was the idiot hiding in the back. If he actually did something, people would know how stupid he is."
Wait, I just realized he went through that whole rant without saying fuck. It's a new record.
My Spell Checker Hates ShoXC
There can be no doubt that for an MMA fan, this has been the greatest summer ever. Nearly every week there has been some kind of event (and in several cases, two or three) to watch. However that trend is nearly at an end, as there are no major shows scheduled until September 6th and UFC 88.
Tonight is your last bit of televised mixed-martial arts for the summer, and it comes your way courtesy of EliteXC and their ShoXC spotlight series. The broadcast begins at 11 pm ET, and will be live on Showtime. Here's a quick look at the lineup:
Hamman and Puganuma met back on ShoXC in April, and their fight lasted fifteen seconds. Suganuma hit Hamman with an overhand right, then delivered what Hamman called "the weirdest flying knee I have ever seen." Suganuma does train with BJ Penn, so who knows what else he has in his arsenal. The ref stopped the fight right away, Hamman popped back up, and CONTROVERSY~! was in the air. They'll meet again and who knows what will happen tonight?
Camoes is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter (and he's Brazilian! What are the odds?) who made his debut on the April ShoXC event with a TKO win over Joe Camacho. Sam "The Squeeze" Morgan is on a two fight losing streak against Cung Le in Strikeforce and Paul Daley on ShoXC's January event. Let's just say Camoes will likely win this one, and it will probably be in short fashion.
Diabate is probably best known for being on the receiving end of some nasty foot stomps (remember those?) courtesy of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in PRIDE. Fletcher is 1-1 on ShoXC, with his most recent fight being a decision win over Aaron Rosa in March.
Since both promotions are under the ProElite banner, there will be a King Of The Cage middleweight title defense, as Keith "KO Kid" Berry puts his belt on the line against Liazama. Lizama will be fighting for the first time in exactly one year, as his last fight (and EliteXC debut) was August 15th one year ago.
EliteXC is adding a 130 pound women's division, and the first fight will be former IFL assistant coach Debi Percell will welcome U.K. fighter Rosi Sexton. Purcell hasn't fought since February of 2006, where she got her first ever loss against Hitomi Akano. Rosi Sexton easily has the best name of anyone on this show, and she seems to be huge in England. Check the fan page!
The (Strike)Force Will Be With You…Always
Strikeforce made the news a bunch this week, firming up fights and fighters for their show next month and announcing intentions to make their way a little further west than California. The west-coast promotion will be heading to Denver, Colorado for the first time with Strikeforce: Payback on October 3rd.
Let's back up a minute and talk about what's going down on September 20th. It will be the company's second live event held at the Playboy Mansion. I'm sure Hef and his three girlfriends will be on hand to watch the action, at least until Hef's bedtime. How great is bedtime for Hugh Hefner?
Sorry, didn't mean to get off track. FIGHTING!
The show will be headlined by the light heavyweight champion Bobby Southworth defending his belt against Renato "Babalu" Sobral. If you remember Babalu made an appearance at last year's Playboy show (right after he got the boot from the UFC) to announce he had signed a deal with Strikeforce. Since then though he has fought on the debut show for Affliction (where he scored a decision win over Mike Whitehead), and this fight will be his Strikeforce debut.
Also at the House That Hef Built, Joe "Diesel" Riggs will welcome PRIDE veteran Kazuo "Gabaka Hitman" Misaki to the U.S. for the first time. Company officials also stated that newly-crowned Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson will also be on the show, as will undefeated lightweight Billy Evangelista. Thomson and Evangelista are not facing one another, and no opponents have been named for either fighter. Both fighters are coming off of wins in June, where Thomson defeated Gilbert Melendez to claim the lightweight strap, while Evangelista is 7-0 with his most recent win over Nam Phan.
Also, 411mania's own Bren Oliver plans to attend the show live. At the Playboy Mansion. In somewhat-related news, I hate Bren Oliver with the fire of a thousand suns.
As I mentioned Strikeforce will be in Colorado at the Broomfield Event Center (in Broomfield, natch) on October 3rd. The show will air live on HDNet (for you special people with HD TV's) and the main event is a rematch between Duane "Bang" Ludwig and Sam Morgan. These two met under the Ring Of Fire banner in April of 2005 where Ludwig scored a knockout win over Morgan in under a minute. Ludwig is coming off a loss to Takonori Gomi at Sengoku I, while Morgan will either be on a three-fight losing streak or a one-fight winning streak after tonight's ShoXC card.
Also on the card in the Mile High City will be two well-known and outspoken competitors. Phil "NY Badass" Baroni is currently 2-0 since dropping to welterweight, which brings his record back up above the .500 mark. Good job Phil! An opponent has not been named, but I'm sure Baroni will have plenty of nasty things to say about whoever it is.
Stepping out of the broadcast booth and back into the cage will be veteran fighter, and semi-professional Kurt Angle impersonator, Frank Trigg. Again, no opponent has been named. Trigg is currently focusing on his upcoming bout with Makoto Takimoto at Sengoku 4 next weekend, and says he won't even look at his Strikeforce contract until he gets back from Japan.
The Other "TUF" Guys
Who knew?
When "The Ultimate Fighter" started airing, who could have predicted the impact it would have not only on the UFC, but on the entire sport of mixed-martial arts?
Obviously Dana and co. couldn't have been prouder of the show than this past month when season 1 winner Forrest Griffin became the new UFC light heavyweight champion. To rise to the top in one of the thickest divisions in the company is a tremendous accomplishment.
But I'm not here to talk about Forrest Griffin today.
A few months ago I did a profile piece on the champions of "The Ultimate Fighter." After this past weekend though I felt compelled to talk a bit more about the guys that didn't quite make it all the way. These are all fighters that participated in the show, lived in the house, and lost along the way to the octagon. Well, except for Matt Hamill. But we'll get to him in a minute. First I wanted to spotlight a man whose star is certainly on the rise. Not only is he the co-host of ESPN's "MMA Live," he also got one of the biggest wins of his career just six days ago.
Kenny Florian
Season: 1 (middleweights) Eliminated: In the finals by Diego Sanchez
Back in October of 2006, Kenny Florian had the chance to make history by becoming the first "Ultimate Fighter" alum to wear UFC gold. He came up short, losing a decision to Sean Sherk for the vacant UFC lightweight championship. The loss didn't stop him though, as Florian would go on to win his next five fights. That includes his big win over Roger Huerta this past weekend, which was the first time in his career Florian had won via decision (because he finishes fights. That's kind of his thing). It now appears that "KenFlo" will get a second chance at a UFC title sometime down the line. He may have to wait a little while for BJ Penn to challenge Georges St. Pierre, but he's already announced plans to fight again in December. If he does go up against Penn there's no doubt Florian will be the underdog, but that's the label he's had since he first showed up at the "Ultimate Fighter" house.
Marcus Davis
Season: 2 (welterweights) Eliminated: In the quarter-finals by Joe Stevenson
I doubt anybody really gave Marcus Davis much of a chance for success following his stint on the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter." After all, he lost in his opening round match against Joe Stevenson, followed by a loss to Melvin Guillard at the show's Finale. Following his run on the show, Davis went back to the drawing board and trained in all aspects of the game. He didn't want to be just a boxer anymore, so he worked hard to learn jiu-jitsu and wrestling and now considers himself a true mixed-martial artist. He then proceeded to rack up an amazing 11 fight win streak (including six wins in the UFC), before suffering a decision loss to Mike Swick a few months ago. Davis still has a chance to become an elite welterweight in the UFC, and he should be exciting to watch no matter what.
Matt Wiman
Season: 5 (lightweights) Eliminated: In the quarter-finals by Manny Gamburyan
Before showing up on Spike, Matt Wiman made his UFC debut against Spencer Fisher at UFC 60. The end of the fight was one of the greatest highlight-reel knockouts we've ever seen. Unfortunately Wiman was on the receiving end of that knockout, as Fisher delivered a picture-perfect flying knee. Wiman got another chance in the octagon as a member of Team Penn on the fifth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," but a disappointing decision loss to Manny Gamburyan ended his run in the tournament. Wiman went on to win his next three fights in the octagon, before surprising everyone with a KO win over the highly regard Thiago Tavares at UFC 85. With that win "Handsome" Matt showed people why he belongs in the UFC, and there's no doubt that we will all be watching him much more closely in the future.
Keith Jardine
Season: 2 (heavyweights) Eliminated: In the semi-finals by Rashad Evans
Quick question: Who was the first "Ultimate Fighter" cast member to headline a UFC pay-per-view (remember: season 4 doesn‘t count)? The answer is pretty obvious if you look at the name directly above. Yes, Keith Jardine was the first man in UFC history to come up through the "TUF" system and appear in a PPV main event. Of course, he wasn't the main attraction. That was his opponent Chuck Liddell, and nobody gave "The Dean Of Mean" a chance in hell of beating the former longtime light heavyweight champion. But odds don't make fights, the fighters themselves do. Jardine worked a smart gameplan and came away with the biggest win of his career. Unfortunately, it was followed by a devastating loss against Wanderlei Silva. Jardine still has yet to find some consistency, but he'll get a shot at redemption when he faces Brandon Vera at UFC 90.
Ben Saunders
Season: 6 (welterweights) Eliminated: In the quarter-finals by Tommy Speer
Every season of "The Ultimate Fighter" seems to have one of them: the jokester. He's the guy that most people assume was placed in the house by the show's producers, and he'll have little to no chance of making it once the fighting starts. Ben Saunders is the exception to the rule. He spent his days in the house smiling and having a good time, but once he got in the cage he was clearly all business. He couldn't get past the much stronger Tommy Speer in the tournament, but he followed up his run on the show by beating Dan Barrera (again) at the Finale. He got his second chance in the octagon last weekend where he scored a submission win over Ryan Thomas. He may not have much experience yet, but with his easy-going personality and his ever-improving skillset, I have a feeling we'll be seeing much more of "Berserk" Ben in the future.
Josh Koscheck
Season: 1 (middleweights) Eliminated: In the semi-finals by Diego Sanchez
Josh Koscheck entered the world of mixed-martial arts with a wrestling pedigree that was second to none. He came into the "Ultimate Fighter" household and immediately began to rub people the wrong way, butting heads with Chris Leben and Diego Sanchez. Koscheck wasn't able to get the win over Sanchez in the semi-finals, but he went on to compete at the show's Finale where he got a KO victory over Chris Sanford. "Kos" followed that up with wins over Pete Spratt, Dave Menne, and even his old nemesis Sanchez (giving the season 1 champion his first ever loss). After that fight Koscheck prepared for the biggest challenge of his career against Georges St. Pierre. He didn't win (but in most cases, losing to GSP is nothing to be ashamed of), and had to start again back at the bottom. Koscheck has since won his last two fights, and is already a fixture on most top ten welterweight rankings. You may not like him, but you have to respect his talent.
Matt Hamill
Season: 3 (light heavyweights) Eliminated: Due to injury suffered in his quarter-final fight
Speaking of fighters with outstanding wrestling backgrounds, we come to Matt Hamill. Not only is Hamill an amazing athlete, he has accomplished so much in his life despite the fact that he was born deaf. Some people (including Michael Bisping) believe that Hamill got special treatment on the show because of his disability. However that debate is pointless since it's all in the past now. Similarly there are people that believe Hamill won in his UFC 75 fight against Bisping, but again it's a subject that is useless to debate. Next month "The Hammer" will face the toughest opponent of his young career as he will square off against former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 88. A win against "Ace" would certainly increase his profile, and would likely put him in the upper-tier at light heavyweight. If that wasn't enough, 2009 will see the release of a movie based on his life.
Chris Leben
Season: 1 (middleweights) Eliminated: In the quarter-finals by Josh Koscheck, in the semi-finals by Kenny Florian
Is there any fighter in the history of "The Ultimate Fighter" that has polarized people more than Chris Leben? I don't think so. Peeing on beds, punching out windows, and crying on camera are just a few of the actions that made Leben so popular/hated amongst fans of the show. He got two chances in the tournament, but was beaten both times. When he came back for the Finale he scored 95 second TKO win over Jason Thacker (who had been the recipient of Leben's "bed-wetting"). Leben would go on to win his next four fights and looked to be lining up for a middleweight title shot. Unfortunately he had the task of welcoming Anderson Silva to the octagon, and as a result Leben was knocked out for the first (and only) time in his career. Following back-to-back losses against Jason MacDonald and Kalib Starnes, Leben made his big changes in his personal and professional life and came back better than ever with an amazing win over Terry Martin at Fight Night 11. In October Leben will get his first shot at a major main-event, when he faces Michael Bisping in the headlining bout of UFC 89. Fans will be expecting an all-out war, and I think we can safely assume that "The Crippler" will give it to us.
Gray Maynard
Season: 5 (lightweights) Eliminated: In the semi-finals by Nate Diaz
Gray Maynard was one of the favorites to win the whole thing when he entered the house for season five of "The Ultimate Fighter." His coach, BJ Penn, even picked Maynard to make it to the finals. Unfortunately for BJ and Gray, he ran into the submission skills of eventual season-winner Nate Diaz. At the show's Finale, Maynard was involved a bizarre no-contest against former teammate Rob Emerson. He followed that up with a 9 second knockout of Joe Veres at Fight Night 11, followed by a decision win over Dennis Siver at Fight Night 12. When UFC matchmaker Joe Silva contacted Gray about appearing at Fight Night 13, Maynard made the request to fight rising lightweight contender Frank Edgar. As has been a theme when discussing all of the "TUF" cast-members, Gray was a huge underdog. He out-wrestled and out-pointed Edgar to get the biggest win of his life by handing "The Answer" his first loss. With the win Maynard jumps right into the thick of a crowded lightweight division, and who knows? He may just be facing his former coach someday down the line.
-EliteXC officials announced that Wilson Reis and Bao Quach will meet on September 20th to determine the first EliteXC bantamweight champion (with a 140 lbs. weight limit).
-Rampage Jackson's arraignment was scheduled for today, but it has now been postponed pending further investigations into his case. The delay is partially due to the fact that Jackson's actions took place in several different counties.
-Sources close to both fighters have confirmed that Pete "Drago" Sell will be dropping down to welterweight to face Josh "The People's Warrior" Burkman at UFC 90.
-A heavyweight showdown between Ben Rothwell and Pedro Rizzo has been confirmed for Affliction's second event in October.
-Jake Shields was apparently offered a fight with John Alessio at EliteXC's 9/20 show, but he says he's got another offer that he's really excited about. This has led to speculation that Shields will be a part of Affliction's second show.
-Kenny Florian made some comments earlier this week that hinted at a big move for "MMA Live," saying that he thought they were close to making a deal to be added to one of the networks scheduled. However an ESPN spokesman shot down the rumor by saying that "MMA Live" will remain a web-based show for now.
-Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le should be done filming the new movie "Tekken" in time for him to return to fighting in early 2009.
I Keep My Pimp Hand Strong
Sure I'm great, but why not check out some of our other fine writers?
The Joker to my Penguin, Jeremy Lambert has your Cardio Freak News.
Fresh off his big win a few weeks ago, Carlos Condit is the subject of our latest 411 Fighter Profile courtesy of Ryan Seymour.
Dustin James has the somewhat predictable Middleweights in the latest 411 Rankings.
Reuel Mante has his Spotlight out again, and it's shining on Brock Lesnar.
Two men enter, one man leaves. You know the law. It's 411 Fact Or Fiction.
We're doing more and more video reviews, so check out Jeremy Lambert's review of EliteXC: Renegade and my review of Rumble On The Rock 8.
Tonight - EliteXC presents ShoXC
Live on Showtime at 11 pm ET
9/6 - Adrenaline MMA II
Live on HDNet (time TBA)
9/6 - UFC 88: Breakthrough
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET
9/10 - WEC: Faber vs. Brown
Live on Versus at 9 pm ET
9/17 - UFC Fight Night 15
Live on Spike at 9 pm ET
9/20 - EliteXC: Showdown
Live on Showtime at 10 pm
9/20 - Strikeforce: Playboy At The Mansion II
Broadcast TBA
9/26 - EliteXC Presents ShoXC
Live on Showtime at 11 pm ET
9/26 - DREAM 6: Middleweight Grand Prix Finals
Live on HDNet (time TBA)
10/3 - Strikeforce: Payback
Live on HDNet (time TBA)
10/4 - EliteXC Saturday Night Fights
Live on CBS at 9 pm ET
10/11 - Affliction II
Live on PPV (time TBA)
10/18 - UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben
On Spike at 9 pm ET
10/25 - UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET
New Zealand's third best comedy-folk duo
Flight Of The Conchords - "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros"
Regarding my earlier comment vis-à-vis hating Bren, I should clarify that I don't actually hate him with the fire of a thousand suns. He's good people and he was recently promoted to Co-Editor for the MMA Zone (Csonka is still the man in charge though, we can never forget that. He certainly wouldn't let us). In honor of Bren and his newly acquired powers, please enjoy this animated gif of Gina Carano (in her Crush-garb) shaking her ass on the Joust podium:
That's good clean fun for the whole family right there. Come back next week. I'll be here. Until then…
You gotta wonder who Fedor considers best. We all know Fedor's only true weakness is ice cream.
Posted By: BK (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 02:34 AM
Anderson Silva, best in the world? ROTFLMAO. No one has EVER beaten Fedor. The one loss he does have on his record was incorrectly deemed such instead of a no contest (it was an illegal blow that cut him). There's something about GSP I just can't stand, but he's avenged every loss he's ever had. Right now, Silva's just the current flavor of the month. When he faces anyone like a Big Nog or Cro Cop (2003-2005) then we'll talk. Yes, he beat Franklin, but Franklin was too stupid and overconfident to realize his stand up doesn't compare.
Posted By: William (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 04:57 AM
"when he faces anyone like a Big Nog or Cro Cop (2003-2005) then we'll talk"
Unfortunately, that's why we have something called weight class..
He won't be facing them unless he moves to heavyweight, which as you may (or probably may not) have noticed, is impossible.
"Anderson Silva, best in the world? ROTFLMAO. No one has EVER beaten Fedor."
Now you're confusing 2 things, best fighter P4P TODAY, and best fighter EVER...
As far as best fighter ever, i think Fedor wins this hands down, since he only has one (very conterversial) loss to his record..
But the argument is about P4P TODAY.. And in case you didn't know, not only is Anderson Silva undefeated in the UFC, but he never went past the second round, beating top level competition. And no it's not only Rich Franklin (Twice btw).. In case you didn't know, Dan Henderson was the Pride LH and Middleweight champion, and he got choked out by Anderson Silva.. I'm also hoping you don't consider guys like Nate Marquardt cans..
P4P, Silva is the best in the world today..
Fedor, well he's probably the greatest ever..
Posted By: Samer (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 09:05 AM
Fedors weakness
1. Ice cream
2. Geese
3. ducks
4. Tims big head
5. bad sweaters
that is all!
Big nog is a heavyweight, so is cro cop (its not 2003 or 2005 anymore its 2008 going on 9),
William about silva and franklin. Like franklins ground game was so much better than Andersons... Frankling wasnt in Andrsons league in any way stand up, clinch, ground, dominoes, chinese checkers, water polo, Marco polo, titly winks nothing. Anderson silva is the best middleweight in the world period. Who has silva not beaten that can take him. I'll wait. Theres a good case to give him the P4P title. Honestly I'd rather see GSP Vs Silva then GSP Vs. Penn. I want Florian Vs. Penn right now.
Posted By: Guest#6473 (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 09:20 AM
. He will most likely be facing the winner of Arlovski/Barnett at some point in December or January.
I thought Fedor was doing his usual freakshow match in Japan an NYE.
and LOL @ aruging over who's the best.
Posted By: Guest#7025 (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 11:47 AM
I agree with BK - I wonder who Fedor thinks is the top of the heap.
Posted By: Rod Oracheski (Registered) on August 15, 2008 at 03:41 PM
Fedor's weakness: BROCK LESNAR
Let the comments come.....
Posted By: Guest#8972 (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 03:42 PM
"Fedors weakness
1. Ice cream
2. Geese
3. ducks
4. Tims big head
5. bad sweaters
that is all!"
Incredible! You need to make lists everyday.
And Dana going without using his favorite noun/verb for that long in an interview? No way. Now I have a good excuse to buy this issue.
Posted By: Steve Gustafson (Registered) on August 15, 2008 at 04:12 PM
it's nice to see dana white/joe rogan kool aid drinking at its finest. Anderson silva cuts from 220 to fight in mma's weakest division. He's lost to three certifiable cans. the only great fighter he has ever fought was dan henderson and hendo was 39 at fight time. please do not tell me that rich franklin, travis lutter, or nate marquardt (no one has the balls to mention leben) are great fighters...so who has anderson defeated to prove that he is the greatest? i personally have BJ and GSP ahead of silva in all aspects of fighting, strength of competition, quality of wins and p4p.
Only an idiot would take what fedor said to heart. Fedor is humble, gracious and shy...he would never utter the words, "i'm the greatest". Tool, you are consistently the least logical, knowledgeable and informed writer on this site and i'm embarrassed that i have spent any time reading your column.
Posted By: romano (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 04:43 PM
Pound for Pound the BEST FIGHTER in the world is THE one who is THE MOST GIFTED, TALENTED and has NEVER EVER BEEN DOMINATED in CONVINCING WAYS AND is dominating TOP TALENTS THE SAME
Anderson Silva has been submitted by not one but TWO Japanese CANS , he is not even worth lacing Fedor's boots
FEDOR totally OWNS the ultra overrated Anderson Silva in any form and shape possible
BEST P4P BY A HUGE MARGIN = FEDOR EMILIANENKO !
Posted By: Guest#9621 (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 05:08 PM
"Can we all just agree then that Anderson Silva is the best in the world right now?"
Hahaha, no.
Posted By: Vallejo (Guest) on August 15, 2008 at 11:47 PM
Anderson could be the p4p best mma fighter if he'd stop fighting cans in the middleweight division.
Posted By: huh (Guest) on August 16, 2008 at 02:10 AM
Just because Fedor is humble doesn't mean he can't be wrong.
He IS the best p4p fighter on the planet today. It's not even close. This isn't getting it confused with "best ever", this is a statement of fact.
Silva's walking around weight is about 215. Fedor came in at 230 for Sylvia. Let Silva come in without worrying about cutting weight - he should be at his strongest then, right?
Fedor can come in at 230 again, no problem. That's a 15 lbs. weight difference. Not that big of a deal considering Fedor just gave up over 30 lbs. to Tim Silvia.
Now, given that they can be so close in weight, think about what would happen if they actually faced off.
Fedor would destroy Silva. Absolutely destroy him. Anderson Silva has NOTHING to offer to slow Fedor down.
I know that p4p lists aren't necessarily about "who beats who" but when the two in question are close enough in weight that a match between them would be realistic, then it should enter the equation.
Silva vs. Fedor would be a massacre. If you don't think so, you haven't been watching MMA or are in denial.
Until somebody beats him or he shows SOME sign of slipping, Fedor's the best in the world right now.
Posted By: DaFranchise (Registered) on August 16, 2008 at 10:26 AM
I agree fedor is probaly the top P4P fighter but I belive silva may be second. Would love to see these two go at though. Be interesting..
Posted By: Guest#1882 (Guest) on August 17, 2008 at 04:35 PM
