The MMA News Report 09.17.08
Posted by Morgan Marx on 09.17.2008
A WEC champion talks future fights, Strikeforce finalizes its card, and DREAM adds a title finalist to its next event. Plus, thoughts on he Ultimate Fighter 8, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and terrible fight picks...
INTRODUCTION
Slow news week for a change. Oddly enough, all three of our stories this week deal with non-UFC promotions. Well, I suppose the WEC is a Zuffa organization, but a kinder, gentler, well-liked one at that. Without a witty introduction, let's just get to the report shall we?
THE READERS QUESTION
The Reader's Question: Who's your pick for season eight of TUF? Are you going with a front runner? Or an Amir Sadollah-like dark horse?
NEWS LEG KICKS
Torres Eyes December Return
WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres is looking for a December return to action, according to comments made to MMAWeekly.com. While a title challenger has yet to be appointed by the WEC, Torres believes that Manny Tapia will be his next test.
Said Torres:
They have a long list of guys for me to fight, but I think the guy next in line is going to be Manny Tapia. I think him first and then after that, whoever.
Torres has quickly risen from an underground sensation to one of the top rated pound-for-pound fighters in the game. After winning the title from Chase Beebe by first round submission, Torres engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Yoshiro Maeda that will likely end up on many "best fight" lists.
Tapia, undefeated at 10-0-1, was slated to face Torres before an injury delayed the fight. Though a solid fighter, Tapia would enter a title challenge as a significant underdog. Torres also mentioned Brian Bowles and WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber as potential opponents.
The fact that Torres can name three high-profile potential fights speaks volumes about the depth of the WEC's lower weight classes. Torres has already emerged as a star in his own right, but a victory over Faber would make him the face of the WEC.
South African fighter Trevor Prangley has been announced as Anthony Ruiz's opponent at Strikeforce at the Mansion II, according to MMAWeekly.com
Prangley's addition caps off an odd run of injury replacements. First, Renato Sobral was scheduled to take on Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth at the event. When Southworth pulled out with an injury, Ruiz stepped in. Then Sobral reported a leg injury, opening the door for Prangley.
Prangley last fought at the Strikeforce event in November of last year, losing out in a four man middleweight tournament to Jorge Santiago. At 17-5, Prangley is an experienced veteran that has faced major league competition. Unfortunately, this fight lacks the luster of the proposed Sobral v. Southworth affair.
Strikeforce at the Mansion II takes place September 20 from Beverly Hills. Fighters appearing on the card include Josh Thompson, Mitsuhiro Ishida, and Cory Devela.
Shinya Aoki, coming off an upset loss at DREAM 5, makes a quick return to action, rounding out the DREAM 6 card. Aoki will face WEC veteran Todd Moore, according to the DREAM official site.
Having bested GZ Cavalcante early in the tournament, Aoki was favored to win the DREAM lightweight Grand Prix. Unfortunately, a loss to injury replacement Joachim Hansen in the event's final derailed such plans. Aoki will hope to get back to winning ways against Moore.
Moore sports a gaudy 9-2, however both losses occurred in the WEC. After taking John Alessio to a decision in his first appearance Moore was submitted by Team Takedown wrestler Shane Roller at WEC 35 in August. Aoki will represent an even bigger challenge for the Texas-based fighter, though a win would certainly improve his recognition.
DREAM 6 presents a pretty stacked card. Aoki finds himself along other big names such as Mirko Filipovic, Sergei Kharitonov, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Hayato Sakurai. Also, the Middleweight GP finals will take place, featuring Ronaldo Jacare Souza, Zelg Galesic, Gegard Mousasi, and Melvin Manhoef.
DREAM 6 takes place September 23 and airs on HDNet at some ungodly hour of the night/early morning
Over the past seven seasons, The Ultimate Fighter has been many things to many people. A cheap ratings ploy. A drama-obsessed misrepresentation of the sport. A training ground for the next generation of UFC stars. Decent television on a boring Wednesday night.
The success of fighters like Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans (and, to a lesser extent, Joe Stevenson and Josh Koscheck) altered the complaints. Fans that complained about the relative merits of the first season's cast mates now complain that the show has gone downhill in recent seasons, graduating fewer and fewer participants to the UFC.
Last season, Amir Sadollah turned such complaints inside out when he rose from the least experienced tryout to the eventual show winner. Amir's improbable victory, coupled with a greater emphasis on in-cage activity (Jesse Taylor's antics be damned), breathed some life into the series.
Now, the show returns, focusing on light heavyweights and lightweights. Some familiar names can be found among the housemates – from Rashad Evans' brother Lance to former IFL competitor Krzysztof Soszynski (please, please don't let that be a name I have to type for months to come). While others sport records like 1-0 and 2-2, reputable camps such as AKA, ATT, and Team Quest are well represented.
Personally, the biggest draw for the season is the coaches selected to lead this motley crew of participants. Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira differ significantly from previous pairings. There are no manufactured rivalries, overblown personalities, or off-putting attitudes associated with either man. The two represent the strongest coaching pair since the inaugural season featuring Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell.
Mir offers a wealth of MMA knowledge and a real love for the sport. His work as a color commentator for the WEC, while sometimes a little shaky, always displays a real passion for the art of MMA. The combined jiu jitsu knowledge of Mir and Nogueira dwarfs that of previous seasons. Both men understand the intricacies of the sport, and both men want to share that knowledge.
In pre-show promos, Mir comes off as well-spoken, humble, and dedicated to coaching. He's spoken about his desire to move into the training aspect of MMA once his fight career ends. This differs from coaches from previous seasons (Rampage Jackson most notable) who seemed to have little interest in training the cast members.
Mir also seems intent on bringing in a real coaching staff to work with his charges. Jiu jitsu aces Robert Drysdale and Demian Maia have already been confirmed as member's of Mir's staff, and the former heavyweight champ name checked Greg Jackson, Dan Henderson, and Marcus Aurelio as possible guest coaches as well. Mir went beyond "his guys" when selecting coaching partners, finding fighters with even more to offer his team.
Nogueira will also be offering his fighters a unique experience. His head trainer is described as an "old guy" good at massage and his strength coach is from Romania. Nogueira casually referred to Amaury Bitetti, a Carlson Gracie Jr. disciple, as "some guy from Brazil."
His English, though sometimes choppy, will certainly get the job done, especially with subtitles to aid viewers that really struggle with his accent. In books like A Fighter's Heart, Nogueira comes across as charismatic and outgoing. Hopefully, his personality cuts through the language barrier and increases his popularity among US MMA fans that merely know the man for his in-ring achievements.
While TUF 8 will certainly have its drawbacks (please don't describer another moment as "the most shocking event…ever!!!"), I'm cautiously optimistic about the season. We all may have some complaints about the show and its format, but as an MMA fan, I certainly don't mind wasting 45 minutes a week with fighters that may never make the big time. The presence of Mir and Nogueira has heightened my interest, and who knows, we might get lucky with another Amir-like run.
Plus, with DVR, you can always skip those terrible Manswers commercials…
Awful Fight Night Picks:
Nate Diaz over Josh Neer (though hopefully Neer does enough to earn another fight)
Mac Danzig over Clay Guida (Hopefully working with Couture and Maynard allows Mac to get off his back)
Alan Belcher over Ed Herman
Eric Schafer over Houston Alexander
Alessio Sakara over Joe Vedepo (If I keep picking him, eventually I'll have to be right)
Wilson Gouveia over Ryan Jensen
Joe Lauzon over Kyle Bradley
Jason Brilz over Brad Morris
Mike Massenzio over Drew McFedries
Dan Miller over Rob Kimmons
CONCLUSION
Take care, enjoy tonight's card. Perhaps next week things won't be quite as slow around here.
