The Fightin’ Stance News 09.05.08: Captain America Is Not Dead
Posted by Adam Tool on 09.05.2008
Read on for thoughts on the Couture/Lesnar fight and the ramifications it could have on the sport. More fights are being added to UFC 91, and we’ve got the latest. DREAM 6 is less than three weeks away and the card is set, do you know who’s fighting? All this, plus a full preview of UFC 88 in this week’s Fightin’ Stance News!
Welcome back to The Fightin' Stance News. I'm Adam Tool, and I'm a pretty happy camper these days. Things are going well in my life, there's another awesome UFC card this weekend, and…
THE CHAMP IS HERE!
…Randy Couture is back. Last year when Couture announced he was resigning from the UFC a little part of me was left crying on the inside. Since then the rest of the UFC's weight classes flourished and prospered, while the heavyweight division was on its last legs. For proof of that, look no further than your current #1 contender for the interim belt: Frank Mir.
When the news broke earlier this week that "The Natural" would be coming back, with a new deal, to fight Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight belt, a smile crossed my face that hasn't left since. Some people may want to focus on the negatives (hello, comments section), but I'd like to point out some of the positives that this new deal will result in:
The UFC heavyweight division is relevant once more. Following Couture's departure late last year the UFC heavyweight ranks took a severe pounding. The champion resigned, followed closely by Cro Cop, Sylvia, and Arlovski. While the division may not have the star power it once had, the return of Couture gives the company a marquee name to lead things (no disrespect to Big Nog, but he's still somewhat of an unknown amongst North American fans).
Couture's legacy is intact. He may be one of the most well-known and beloved fighters in the company's history, but after his resignation last year the consensus opinion of Randy Couture has suffered somewhat. Now that he's back in the house where he's most well-known, Couture can fight the big names, score some nice paydays, and when he's ready he'll leave the sport with his head held high.
The UFC heavyweight title means something again. When Couture left while he was still champion, it resulted in the UFC scrambling to fill that void. They still recognized Couture as their champion, but since they didn't know if/when he would be coming back the interim title was created. Now we can look forward to a mini-tournament to crown a new undisputed heavyweight champion, and whether it's Couture, Lesnar, Nogueira, or Mir, nobody can claim that the champion hasn't earned his place.
Brock Lesnar isn't going anywhere. Assuming that Lesnar was initially signed to the standard three-fight deal, the bout with Couture will be the last fight on his contract. Of course, the UFC never puts guys in a title fight unless they have that fighter locked up, so it's safe to assume that Lesnar has signed a contract extension. Based on his incredible drawing power alone, he's certainly worth the money. It doesn't hurt that he's got tremendous skills as well.
I'm excited for the fight, and hopefully you are as well. I know there is a vocal anti-Brock sentiment out on the internet, and I'll agree that it is pretty unheard of to see a guy with only three professional fights getting a title shot in the UFC. However as we should all know Brock is an exception to most rules.
Of course, how many fighters at Couture's age are still winning major titles and demanding big contracts? The answer's easy.
Just one.
Is There Anything Else?
Yes, there is.
Now that UFC 91 has a headliner, in the coming days we should be seeing more and more fights added to the show. Here's a quick look at the current card:
Florian is taking a risk by putting his #1 contender status on the line against Stevenson. After his HUMBLING at the hands of BJ Penn earlier this year, you can be sure that Joe "Daddy" is ready to get back into the mix at 155 lbs. Amir Sadollah will make his first octagon appearance since shocking the world and winning season 7 of "The Ultimate Fighter." His rumored opponent Catone currently trains with UFC middleweight Ricardo Almeida. Even though his octagon record isn't impressive, Stephens is a little scrapper and he seems to get better every time we see him. Currently the word is that "Lil Heathen" will be stepping into the cage with another UFC newcomer Rafael dos Anjos, a Brazilian submission specialist (OMG NO WAY) currently on a nine fight win streak. Finally we have Couture's last opponent fighting on the show when Gonzaga welcomes yet another fighter to the octagon in Josh Hendricks. Hendricks is a heavy-handed fighter out of Ohio who is currently undefeated in his last ten fights.
Life Is But A DREAM
The card for DREAM's upcoming show on September 23rd has been finalized, and it's looking pretty swell. The company is under pressure from their Japanese broadcasters to pull in a strong rating if they want to stick around, but of course things are all kosher here in America since HDNet doesn't have much of a reason to care how their ratings do. Regardless, here's the card:
Middleweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals
Zelg Galesic vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza
Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi Middleweight Grand Prix Finals
Galesic/Souza vs. Manhoef/Mousasi DREAM Welterweight Championship
Nick Diaz vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai Middleweight GP Reserve Bout
Andrews Nakahara vs. Dong Sik Yoon
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Alistair Overeem
Sergei Kharitonov vs. Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga
Hideo Tokoro vs. Atsushi Yamamoto
Personally, my money is on Jacare to take the whole thing. Manhoef and Mousasi could really go either way, but Melvin has been on a tear lately and is my pick to move on to the finals. With KJ Noons taking his ball and going home, that leaves Diaz to finally make the trip back to Japan to face Sakurai for the first DREAM welterweight championship. I expect fireworks of the largest variety. Cro Cop vs. Overeem is a battle that's been building since the very first DREAM event, and hopefully it will deliver.
Monkeys Need Love Too
One of the sport's most outspoken performers is still without a home. Tito Ortiz has been a free agent for over a month now, yet there is still no word as to when or where his next fight will be. He had announced a deal with Affliction, but company officials quickly pointed out that Ortiz was in fact not signed as of yet.
Here's a quick rundown of where Tito be heading:
UFC: Even though the bad blood is no doubt still there between Ortiz and UFC President Dana White, the truth of the matter is that Ortiz has not fought outside of the octagon in almost 10 years. He's still a recognizable name amongst UFC fans and now that White's role in the front office has been reduced somewhat, there's a good chance we could see Tito back home sooner than later. After all, we all thought Couture would never come back, right?
Affliction: Affliction has a lot of momentum on their side, but they also have their share of problems. After dolling out over $3 million in fighter salaries for their debut show, Affliction VP Tom Atencio was quick to point out that the company will be looking to reduce costs for any future events. There are rumors that Tito is seeking $1 million per fight, and I don't see any way that Affliction (or any other company) is going to be willing to pony up that kind of dough.
EliteXC: Right now EliteXC (and their parent company ProElite) are in a tough spot. Their recently released financial report indicates that they may not survive into next year. The upcoming CBS special is do or die for them, and only if the show is a massive success would they even think about paying Tito's healthy price tag. There's also the fact that EXC has no real light heavyweight division to speak of, so about the only marquee fight they'd be able to put together is a rematch with Frank Shamrock. With the company losing money hand over fist, the idea of signing Ortiz seems highly unlikely at this point.
AFL: The AFL is the dark horse in this little race. The organization made headlines earlier this year by signing former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley, but other than that there really isn't much to talk about. They could use an established veteran like Ortiz to help bring in the crowds, but again it all comes back to the chedda'. Does a regional promotion like that really have the kind of cash to bring a former UFC light heavyweight champion in?
DREAM/World Victory Road: Hey Tito, how's your Japanese? The possibility is there for Ortiz to make the journey halfway across the world and find a home in one of the promotions trying to fill the PRIDE void. However I'd count this as highly unlikely for two reasons: First, Tito has only fought in Japan twice before so his drawing power over there is questionable at best. Two, Ortiz is getting ready to have a child with his girlfriend Jenna Jameson and I don't think he'd want to spend so much time away from his newborn son or daughter.
The running theme throughout all this is money. Tito wants a lot of it, and nobody else besides the UFC has the funds to pay him what he thinks he's worth. I believe we will see Ortiz back inside the octagon sooner than later, or we won't ever see him fight again.
UFC 88: BREAKTHROUGH PREVIEWICATION
Main Event Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell vs. "Sugar" Rashad Evans
The Facts:
-Liddell is coming off a decision win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79.
-Evans is undefeated in 12 professional fights. He is coming off a decision win over Michael Bisping at UFC 78.
-Both guys will be fighting for the first time this year.
-The winner of this fight could be next in line for a light heavyweight title shot.
The Pick: Rashad Evans is a good fighter. He won "The Ultimate Fighter" tournament. He's still undefeated. But I'm still having trouble figuring out exactly how Evans can win this fight. Chuck gives wrestlers fits, because they can't take him down (and if they do, he just stands right back up). With that being the case most wrestlers try to stand and trade with Liddell. Unless your name is Randy Couture this is almost certainly a bad idea. Chuck isn't the same kind of sure thing he was even a year ago, but I'm still taking Liddell via TKO in round 1.
Rich "Ace" Franklin vs. Matt "The Hammer" Hamill
The Facts:
-Franklin is coming off a win over Travis Lutter at UFC 83.
-Hamill is coming off his win over Tim Boetsch at Fight Night 13.
-This will be Franklin's first fight at light heavyweight in over three years.
-This will only be Hamill's sixth professional fight.
-Franklin has only lost to two men in his career: Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida.
The Pick: What do you do when you're one of the top guys in a division, but the guy ahead of you seems to have your number? If you're Rich Franklin, you move back up to your old weight class. As a middleweight Franklin's career had stagnated. Now with the move back to light heavyweight there is a whole new slate of fights available to him. First he's got to get past the rock-hard Matt Hamill, who may have the distinction of being the best wrestler Franklin has ever faced. Regardless of weight class though, "Ace" is still one of the best fighters in the UFC so I'm taking Franklin by TKO in round 3.
Nate "The Great" Marquardt vs. Martin "Hitman" Kampmann
The Facts:
-Kampmann is on a nine fight winning streak.
-Marquardt is coming off a decision loss to Thales Leites at UFC 85.
-Marquardt has won 15 fights via submission, while Kampmann has never been submitted.
The Pick: It's worth mentioning that there are several fights on this card that are tough to pick, this one probably being the toughest (with MacDonald/Lambert coming in second). Marquardt has been impressive in the UFC unless he's facing Anderson Silva or getting point deductions. Kampmann had a 15 month layoff but came back at UFC 85 with an impressive showing. Both guys could be one or two fights away from a date with Silva, but first they'll need to have their hand raised on Saturday. Should this one go to the ground Marquardt will have the edge, but Kampmann has pretty good BJJ skills himself. I do think we'll see this one stay on the feet more than not so I'm taking Kampmann by decision.
Dan "Hollywood" Henderson vs. Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares
The Facts:
-Henderson is currently on a two fight losing streak. His last fight was a submission loss to Anderson Silva.
-Palhares made his octagon debut at UFC 84 where he submitted Ivan Salaverry.
-Neither fighter has ever been knocked out in their professional fighting career.
The Pick: Someone that's never watched a second of PRIDE might just be wondering what the big deal is with Dan Henderson. Sure he came into the UFC with two belts, but he's lost them both to Rampage Jackson and Anderson Silva. This is the fight where Hendo needs to re-establish himself for the North American audience. Palhares isn't a big name, but I'm sure Joe Rogan will take plenty of time pointing out just how dangerous his BJJ skills are. Henderson has experienced success and defeat when facing grapplers, so he should be able to defend most anything Palhares tries to catch him with. Palhares hasn't really had his chin tested, particularly against a guy with the type of power Henderson has. In any case I think Dan will keep this one standing for as long as it takes so I'm going with Henderson by TKO in round 2. One last thought: why are Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin on the same card but not fighting each other?
Karo "The Heat" Parisyan vs. Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida
The Facts:
-Parisyan is coming off a loss to Thiago Alves at Fight Night 13.
-Yoshida made his octagon debut at UFC 84 where he submitted Jon Koppenhaver.
-Half of Parisyan's wins have come via decision.
-Yoshida is on a nine fight win streak.
The Pick: Without a doubt, Karo Parisyan is one of the most polarizing figures within the UFC ranks. He's known for his hot temper and somewhat boring fighting style, but it's hard to argue with his results. Sure he's fallen to guys like Sanchez and Alves, but he's racked up some nice wins as well. Yoshida will be looking to use "The Heat" as a stepping stone towards the top of the 170 lbs. pack. Both guys are well-versed in Judo (Karo more so for sure) but Yoshida works more ground and pound while Parisyan tends to favor the lay and pray. I know the guy I want to win, and so I'm taking Yoshida by TKO in round 1.
The Undercard: Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald vs. Jason "The Punisher" Lambert Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch vs. Mike Patt Roan "Jucao" Carneiro vs. Ryo "Pirahna" Chonan Thiago Tavares vs. Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" Kim vs. Matt Brown
The Facts:
-MacDonald is coming off a loss against Demian Maia at UFC 87.
-Lambert will be making his middleweight debut. He is currently on a two fight losing streak.
-Boetsch is coming off a loss to Matt Hamill at Fight Night 13.
-Patt is taking this fight on short notice and most recently fought just three weeks ago.
-Patt is the only fighter on the card making his UFC debut.
-Carneiro is coming off a KO loss to Matt Wiman while Chonan lost by decision against Karo Parisyan in his UFC debut.
-Carneiro and Chonan met in early 2005 where Chonan won by TKO due to a cut.
-Tavares is 3-2 in the UFC. He is coming off a KO loss to Matt Wiman at UFC 85.
-Pellegrino is 3-3 in the octagon and is coming off a loss to Nate Diaz at Fight Night 13.
-Kim is undefeated in eleven professional fights. He made his octagon debut with a win over Jason Tan at UFC 84.
-Brown is coming off of a win over Matt Arroyo at The Ultimate Finale.
The Picks: MacDonald, submission, round 3 Boetsch, TKO, round 1 Chonan, decision Tavares, submission, round 2 Kim, TKO, round 2
-Affliction has announced a new broadcast deal with HDNet. The terms were not specified but for now HDNet will air 60-90 minute specials that air directly before the PPV event, starting with "Day of Reckoning" on October 11th. So far the only confirmed fights for the special are Roy Nelson vs. Paul Buentello and Mike Pyle vs. Jason High.
-Gleison Tibau has been forced to pull out of his upcoming bout with Hermes Franca at UFC 90. Taking Tibau's place will be Franca's American Top Team training partner Marcus Aurelio. Franca is coming off his decision loss to Frank Edgar at Fight Night 14 while Aurelio was on the losing end of a decision against Tyson Griffin at UFC 86.
-In other UFC injury news, Jeremy Horn has been forced to pull out of his upcoming bout with Wilson Gouevia at Fight Night 15. Taking Horn's place will by Ryan Jensen. Jensen is currently 0-2 in the UFC with losses to Demian Maia and Thales Leites.
-Things aren't good around EliteXC these days, and now the company is scrambling to fix an upcoming title fight. Bo Quach and Wilson Reis were scheduled to compete for the first EliteXC bantamweight championship at ShoXC on September 26th, but Quach has suffered an injury. Reis has stated that he will still be fighting for the vacant title against KOTC flyweight champion Abel Cullum.
-Paulo Filho has squashed rumors of a potential fight with longtime teammate Anderson Silva. The possibility of the fight was suggested by the two fighter's manager, Ed Soares. However he clearly was just seeing the dollar signs and Filho has again stated that he will never fight his friend.
I Keep My Pimp Hand Strong
Sure I'm great, but why not check out some of our other fine writers?
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Jonathan Solomon plays devil's advocate in this week's MMA Juggernaut.
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
9/17 - The Ultimate Fighter: Team Mir vs. Team Nogueira
On Spike at 11 pm ET
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: Day Of Reckoning
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
11/15 - UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET
Hopefully everyone reading this was smart enough to stay away from Disaster Movie, but in case you really need to know how bad this "film" is, check out this review
My musical tastes favor the indie scene more these days, but there's still a little metal-head living inside me.
Metallica – "The Day That Never Comes"
And so we reach the end of another column, and hopefully we're all a little richer for the experience. Don't forget that in addition to UFC 88 on Saturday, Zuffa is also bringing us another WEC event on Wednesday. Of course, I'm sure Bren and Morgan will talk more about that next week. I'll see you back here in seven days, until then…
