Punch Drunk Hangover 10.13.08: Controversy Creates Crass

Posted by Bren Oliver on 10.13.2008

Thoughts on Jared Shaw's lacking professionalism, updates to "UFC Fight Night 16", Affliction's newest main event and forthcoming show, and the firestorm surrounding allegations of EliteXC attempting to "fix" the Slice/Petruzelli fight. Those things and more, plus this week's "Monday Morning Moment of Zen" featuring old school PRIDE action are all just a click away!



Good morning, afternoon, evening, or whatever in-between time your eyes have found their way to the Punch Drunk Hangover! As is the case most Mondays, I'm here with another one-stop shop for catching up on Mixed Martial Arts news, hoping as always to help you escape from the doldroms of an average Monday like a good grab to the nether regions, waking you up and making your day that much more exciting! Have no fear...the technique is Bas Rutten approved!!!





I hope you all enjoyed your weekend off from Mixed Martial Arts and had an opportunity to catch up on any sleep you'd been missing as of late. True, Jason Guida had a chance to embarass himself again on national television (as he did in his ShoXC bout), and XTreme Couture helped promote another evening of action this past Saturday in Vegas at the "Night of Combat II" event with Jay Hieron, John Alessio, and Mike Pyle emerging victorious in their respective fights. Still, with back-to-back UFC events on the horizon, last weekend was an opportunity to get away from the cage and focus on something else - maybe like my hometown Texas Longhorns beating the Oklahoma Sooners in an incredible game and earning themselves a #1 National Ranking?!? Shameless schilling aside, just because there weren't any major MMA events to speak of doesn't mean there weren't plenty of stories to be found involving the sport's goings-on.

The one matter that seemed to dominate the headlines was part of the "hangover" (no relation) from "EliteXC: Heat". As if the controversy created by Ken Shamrock's last-minute withdrawl from the event, Gina Carano's continuing battle with making 140 pounds, Kimbo Slice being knocked out in less than fifteen seconds by a Light Heavyweight who likes dressing in semi-drag on Halloween, and Jared Shaw's immature public response to the referee's officiating weren't enough, Seth "Smoothie King" Petruzelli went on an Orlando radio show and indicated he was told he would be paid more to stand with Kimbo than were he to submit him. Before long he issued a second statement clarifying his point, coincidentally around the same time the story started picking up steam in the MMA community, and stated he actually meant the money was in coordinance with being bumped up the card and that a "knockout" bonus was offered which is standard practice for the company; that his radio interview was the product of a still-lingering buzz from the night before. His words were backed up by EliteXC's Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen and each man has since repeatedly said no bonus was ever offered along with a requirement for Petruzelli to stand.

I suppose I should be shocked, but I came to the point where the EliteXC circus can no longer cause my jaw to drop more than a half-inch when they brought Nick Diaz into the ring after KJ Noons' championship win. Their emphasis seems to be on creating more of a sports-entertainment business than one focusing purely on Mixed Martial Arts. From that standpoint I am not surprised to hear some sort of inpropriety may have taken place behind the curtains, far from the CBS camera's view. However, I don't feel it was more than the wink of an eye, and certainly nothing along the lines of "fixing" a fight. Did EliteXC officials want Petruzelli test his striking against Slice's? Sure, and maybe it was due to an underlying interest in trying to provide Kimbo with a favorable match-up, but I have no reason to believe Lappen or Jared Shaw told Petruzelli it would be in his best interest to stand. After all, can a knockout not be achieved from the mount? We saw "Ninja" Rua's lights get turned out with his back to the canvas at the same event so there's no reason to believe Petruzelli couldn't have taken advantage of Kimbo's poor grappling skills to attempt the same.

My one problem with EliteXC's policy is the notion a bonus is not awarded for a submission-based victory. Dana White recently said they're missing the point of MMA when jiujitsu is relegated to black-sheep status - that EliteXC should promote kickboxing if the submitting an opponent isn't put on the same pedestal as knocking someone out. I couldn't agree more with the UFC President. To me, the beauty of Mixed Martial Arts has not only been in precise striking, but the technique and balance involved when things hit the mat. Masterpieces are painted with numerous strokes of the brush, not one broad flick of the wrist.

There's my three cents on the matter - now time to give my spin on a handful of other subjects gracing the headlines this past week. I'd love to hear your thoughts on things, so feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment at the bottom of the page.


The following medley of items were reported between October 6th, 2008 and October 12th, 2008:


FiveOuncesOfPain.com is reporting that Brian Stann has been removed from the upcoming UFC Fight Night 16 "UFC Fights For The Troops" card due to an injured foot. Stann was set to square off against Steve Cantwell, a fighter he has already faced twice. Stann defeated Cantwell back at WEC 26 via TKO in just 41 seconds. However, when the two rematched earlier this year at WEC 35, Cantwell defeated Stann via second round TKO to become the new WEC Light Heavyweight Champion.


I'm not sure how wise it would have been to match Brian Stann, who would be an overwhelming crowd favorite given his career in the military, against a fighter who absolutely crushed him in August a la Steve Cantwell. Can you imagine how deflated the audience would be if the result repeated itself? I know Stann knocked Cantwell out in their first fight, but the USMC Captain can't necessarily rely on a quick knockout to make up for his still-developing skills. While the Silver-Star-winning Stann was busy risking his life for his country, his MMA peers were in the Gym immersed in grappling classes and jiujitsu techniques, spending hours on end refining their striking. Cantwell was able to expose some holes in Stann's stand-up at WEC 35 and is the organization's last Light Heavyweight Champion as a result of it (due to the WEC doing away with its 205-pound and 185-pound weight-classes). In some ways, the "All-American" Stann is a clean-cut Kimbo Slice - a charismatic fighter with a tremendous backstory but whose hype was more rooted in what he'd done outside of the cage as opposed to inside it.

Still, it's a shame Stann won't be able to fight in front of his fellow soldiers at "Fight Night 16". I'm sure the crowd reaction would have been something to truly behold. The numbers would clearly be different, but I imagine the peoples' embrace would have been akin to that of the fans in Montreal when Georges St. Pierre won back his UFC Welterweight Championship.


MMAJunkie.com recently sat down with Renato "Babalu" Sobral's manager, Richard Wilner, and he confirmed that Babalu will take on Bobby Southworth for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title on November 21st. Babalu was scheduled to face Southworth back at the "Strikeforce At The Mansion" show in September but was sidelined by an injury. The fight will now go down at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.


It feels like it's been awhile since Strikeforce held an event in San Jose so it's nice to see Scott Coker's group head back to their home. It's unfortunate Frank Shamrock and Cung Le won't be in action on the 21st, but UFC veteran Renato Sobral vs. TUF 1 bad-guy Bobby Southworth isn't too shabby of a likely co-headliner. I trust it won't be atop the event, as I believe Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson will be defending his title and will probably be involved in a more marketable bout than Sobral/Southworth. I'd also wager Thomson's fight will be more competitive and almost definitely more entertaining. I'm guessing you'll see someone from DREAM come over. Mitsuhiro Ishida, who has a win over former Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melendez and, like Thomson, was victorious in Hef's backyard, seems a logical choice. Truly, DREAM can provide a plethora of interesting, emulous match-ups for "Punk" - JZ Calvancante, Shinya Aoki, and Joachim Hansen to name a few.

Back to Bobby vs. "Babalu", I can't see the two fighters going a full five rounds, and I'd say it's very probable that Sobral will finish Southworth within the first ten minutes of action. Southworth is coming of an injury and looked lackluster against Anthony Ruiz in June. Sobral has twenty-one more career wins than the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion with only two more losses. He's fought, and beaten, some of the top 205-pound Mixed Martial Artists in the sport. He's felt the spotlight of being in the main event of a UFC PPV. "Babalu" is simply a class above Southworth when it comes to every facet of his game.


The UFC has confirmed the card for UFC Fight Night 16 "UFC Fights For The Troops" on December 10 at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C. The card will feature Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the main event, as well as Frank Edgar taking on Matt Wiman and Mike Swick facing Jonathan Goulet.


The UFC has put together a very nice event for the North Carolina crowd and, even more importantly, a show of appreciation for the brave men and women serving in the military. Whether or not you agree with the politics of our current administration, it's impossible to deny the courage soldiers show and the loss felt by their loved ones when something goes wrong. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which "Fight Night 16" will raise money for, has donated over $20 Million to families of military personnel who lost their lives in service. As frustrated as we MMA fans often are at the UFC's antics, especially in relation to Dana White, it needs to be noted that they also do a lot of good f*cking stuff too.

The three big fights on the card are all solid with a special emphasis on the clash between Cabbage Patch Kid Josh Koscheck and current flavor-of-the-month Yoshiyuki Yoshida. It's not that I doubt Yoshida's skills, but it's hard to deny he's become one of those guys people in the MMA community have started lavishing praise on in order to sound informed. Perhaps Yoshida will become the heir apparent to Georges St. Pierre's Welterweight throne, but currently he's a 34-year old fighter with a 9-2 record and no wins over established MMA stars. Yes, he beat Akira Kikuchi and Katsuya Inoue. That being said, neither is anywhere close to a current "Top 10" list. Josh Koscheck may not be a guy you'd want to hang out with, but his wrestling ability and improving stand-up are undeniable. Yoshida's two losses have both been the result of a decision and there's no doubt in my mind "Kos" can take him down to the mat, keep him there, and then pepper him with shots while he rides out the clock.

I think Swick will handle Goulet with relative ease. The Houstonian was very good at 185-pounds and has looked even better now that he's dropped to the Welterweight division. He has consecutive wins over tough opponents in the form of Marcus Davis and Josh Burkman, while Goulet isn't an easy draw but tends to struggle against superior competition instead of rise to the occasion. I think the other match-up is a bit tougher to pick though I imagine most people would immediately pick Frank Edgar to win based on his reputation. However, "Handsome" Matt Wiman is riding a four-fight win streak and knocked Thiago Tavares out in his last Octagon appearance. I also found out he and Roger Huerta fought to a decision back in 2005. I'm a bit surprised the arena didn't explode from the high-levels of estrogen that no doubt must have been found throughout the crowd. Anyways, my point is that Matt Wiman is a fairly good Mixed Martial Artist and will enter the cage standing four inches taller than Edgar. I've always felt Frankie would be better suited for the WEC's Featherweight Divison and would eventually give Urijah Faber a run for his money if he did so. He seems too reliant on his wrestling ability against 155-pounders which has led to a high number of decisions on his record. I honestly think the size disadvantage he'll have against Wiman could come into play, as it did when Edgar faced Gray Maynard, and lead to his second career loss come this December.


Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio sat down with Sherdog.com earlier today and filled everybody in on the upcoming Affliction card set for early-2009. He confirmed that the show will not feature any boxing. Affliction had recently partnered up with Golden Boy Promotions and there was a rumor floating around that a possible rematch between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito could possibly go down on Affliction's next card. He also mentioned that a full fight card and a date should be announced next week. Andrei Arlovski vs. Fedor Emelianenko will serve as the show's main event. The date for the card is currently rumored to be January 24th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.


Assuming I'm able to get credentials again, as I did to "Affliction: Banned", you can rest assured I plan I being in Anaheim on January 24th and plopped down at a media table inside the Honda Center. The first event was fun, the media were treated like professionals, and I don't see any reason their second offering should be any different. I don't expect the card to be as stacked as it was last July but I could care less given the main event between Emelianenko and Arlovski. "The Pitbull" has looked crisp in his last three fights while Fedor is...well...Fedor. His only known weakness is a love for ice cream cones. Arlovski, on the other hand, has been shown to have a weak jaw and tasted the sting of a knockout four times in his career. Emelianenko's power was shown, and attested to by the victim himself, at "Affliction: Banned" when the Russian Red Devil teed off on Tim Sylvia's huge melon. Then again, what will Fedor's answer be for Arlovski's smorgasbord of strikes and overall athleticism? Will Andrei try to pace himself or come aggressive? It's an interesting pairing to be sure and one I'll be tuning in for whether I'm cageside or beer-in-hand on a couch.

It should also be noted that I'm pleased to hear "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" will be composed strictly of MMA fights. I have nothing against the sport of boxing, but I'd like to see the godfather of skull-n-wings clothing ease its way into cards featuring both Mixed Martial Arts and the "sweet science". I look forward to seeing the other fights Atencio puts together, and, according to the Affliction V.P. himself, we should expect some answers on that front in the coming days. If I had to guess, I could see Gegard Mousasi fighting Vitor Belfort at the event, as well as Matt Lindland vs. Jake Shields, based on past rumors. Also expect former IFL fighters Vladimir Matyushenko and Chris Horodecki to be in action.


Jibber-Jabber:

The following soundbyte was delivered over the past week...


Jared Shaw, to Five Ounces of Pain, on his controversial reaction to Kimbo Slice's loss...

"I wasn't necessarily angry, I just want to have the right decisions at all times. From my vantage point it looked like the second punch was to the back of the head, which is a foul. That could hit a fighter's equilibrium and mess them up. And you turn him over and you punch him a couple of times and the ref stops it because there's no recovery time after that. So I just asked the ref to please look at the video. I asked Thomas Milloy to please look at the video. And Kimbo's camp will take their own look at the video. I can't file a protest myself but I think his camp will look at it and decide on their own. I just wanted to make sure the ref saw it from the proper vantage point because I want to make sure we have the right calls at all times.

I think Seth Petruzelli definitely had a nice, clean first punch but… Look, I don't say refs make the wrong calls because the hardest job in the business is that of the referee. He's got to make that stoppage. He's got to decide when to break fighters up. And none of us know because none of are in there - unless some of us have reffed - but you don't know what you're seeing and how quick you're seeing it. So I never go against a referee's decision but sometimes decisions are rendered and they might not be the correct call. Not that it's going to get overturned but maybe it's more reason to see a rematch. I don't know. I saw something and I pointed it out. I saw it again and I still feel what I saw is the same thing but it's not up to me."





The above clip definitely shows Jared Shaw wasn't "necessarily" angry. In fact, his anger was quite unnecessary. I agree with his assessment of the situation from a very basic standpoint regarding a hammer-fist Petruzelli dropped on the back of Slice's head, but I didn't feel the blow was anything that would have merited anything beyond a verbal warning. It didn't by any means appear to be intentional. Apparently, Shaw is also a physiologist, as he has discovered a new part of the human body - the "equilibrium" - as in Kimbo Slice may have been hit in his "equilibrium".

Look, Dana White isn't above expressing his disappointment in a referee's officiating. He's not one to rant and rave in front of a live audience, but White has certainly voiced displeasure in past decisions, stoppages, and point-deductions. In the NFL they absolutely review the job every on-field official does after each football game, and I'm sure Roger Goodell would be the first to admit when a call has been screwed up. However, the difference in those approaches compared to Jared Shaw's on-screen meltdown is two-fold.

First, Shaw was captured on tape looking more like, at best, a drunken fan and, at worst, like a child in mid tantrum than a top representative of EliteXC. If he'd opted to act professionally and maintain an outwardly cool presence, even if his blood was boiling at the time, this discussion wouldn't even exist. Secondly, Jared Shaw lets his personal relationship with Kimbo Slice take priority over his business obligations. Dana White is good friends with Chuck Liddell, yet someone with an average understanding of the UFC would never know that because White doesn't attempt to constantly include himself in Chuck's life. When the cameras are on, Dana treats Liddell like every other UFC superstar. Shaw, on the other hand, seems to want to be Slice's "boy"; wants to roll in his "posse". Whenever an executive is that personally invested in one of their employees, and unable to control his/her emotions in a business environment as a result of it, you can definitely expect some sort of trouble to arise. Case in point, Jared Shaw's reaction to Kimbo Slice's loss.


Kim Couture talks to an ESPN radio station about Gina Carano's weigh-in at "Heat"...

"I feel bad that she had to do that. I think they could have handled it differently. ... She would have much rather had me up there then Jared Shaw -- Skala -- in the background trying to peek over the towel. I thought that was pretty low. Yeah, he's got a little bit of an obsession with Gina Carano, as most guys do. He was trying to sneak a peek. It was ridiculous."


Fun Fact - The word "$kala" is Hebrew for "Federline-esque". Here's the moment in question:





I believe Jared Shaw is standing directly behind the toweled Carano, wearing what looks to be a black sweater with a white, collared shirt underneath. For more reference, look for the only guy in the background who is looking at Carano (Jimmy Lennon and Jeremy Lappen are looking away) whose eyes get to be big as dinner plates. However, moreso than Shaw, what's up with the guy in front row wearing the white T-Shirt and holding a few documents in his hand...and how can I get his phone number in addition to that of a police sketch artist. He looks to be much more of a pervert than Jared Shaw. I mean hey, he's only the EliteXC Vice President. It's not as if he should behave in a professional manner, right?

Point blank - EliteXC needs to can Jared Shaw faster than they pushed his father out of the company's driver seat. He does absolutely nothing to benefit the organization and has come off as nothing more than a spoiled, pompous horse's arse since he was little more than a guy conducting in-arena interviews during early ProElite events. I'm not sure what his qualifications are or if he has a college degree. Even my friend Mr. Wikipedia can't provide any relevant information pertaining to why he's a good choice to be a multi-million dollar company's Vice President. I know why he got that job. It has to do with the four-letter word that is his last name - Shaw. I simply don't know why he's still in the role. His involvement on such a high level hurts the credibility of EliteXC and creates the perception of a poorly run company. Those are two things the organization simply can't afford, especially after losing close to $60 Million dollars as they have thus far in their venture.


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That's about all she wrote for this week's Hangover. Till next time Punch Drunk buckaroos, here's your "Monday Morning Moment of Zen" - as a testament to my earlier statement of appreciation where grappling is concerned, I present a masterclass on the matter featuring Carlos Newton and Kazushi Sakuraba (via PRIDE 3 in 1998).


This Sakuraba guy might have a future in MMA...





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