Punch Drunk Hangover 10.27.08: I've Got the October Pay-Per-Blues

Posted by Bren Oliver on 10.27.2008

Read ahead for Bren Oliver's thoughts on the UFC's back-to-back lackluster PPV offerings, the downfall of EliteXC, Michael Bisping as an Ultimate Fighter coach, Luke Cummo's arrest, and Strikeforce's apparently bright future. Those things and more, plus this week's "Monday Morning Moment of Zen" featuring proof Gracies win by more means than submission, 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!!!





While Halloween isn't here just yet, I won't have an opportunity to formally wish you a Happy Pumpkin Day before it arrives, so let me take a second to extend my hopes for your 31st to be as sweet as the confections it's known for delivering. MMA and Halloween aren't always too far removed from each other, as the holiday and events can be seen as festive occasions with iconic, eerily similar figures such as an unshaven Andrei Arlovski and the Wolfman or a pumpkin and Tito Ortiz's head. The UFC seems to also be clued into the relationship between Mixed Martial Arts and Old Hallow's Eve and proved such to be true with two boo-heavy events over the past month. Neither October show was truly horrific in nature, but I'd say they were definitely both filled with more tricks than treats, and my face probably would have looked like the guy from the "Scream" films after UFC 89 if I'd paid $45 for the card.

Starting with Michael Bisping's most-recent return to England, I found Chris Lytle vs. Paul Taylor to be the only genuinely enjoyable bout out of those aired on Spike. Each man showed a ton of heart and left everything in the cage. The situation also was a reminder of the overwhelming respect most Mixed Martial Artists have for each other, as the mutual admiration between both men was clear once the third round ended and Lytle gave a great deal of praise to Taylor in his post-fight interview. Luis Cane looked good against Sokoudjou though I've always felt "The African Assassin" was overrated, viewing him as being more of a "Bubble" Light Heavyweight than a "Top 10" guy. His knockouts of Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona were impressive, but neither win revealed much about the judoka other than his ability to pack a punch. I've also seen his fight against Glover Teixeira which was less-than impressive. When put to the test, as he was against Lyoto Machida and Luis Cane, he's crumbled, and from that standpoint I think Sokoudjou has a victim of his hype instead of being given a chance to truly grow as a fighter. Also biting off more than he could chew at UFC 89 was Paul Kelly. There was no doubt in my mind Marcus Davis' experience and overall ability would easily win out over Kelly's barroom-brawling mentality and therefore wasn't at all surprised by the pseudo-Irishman's win.

As far as the co-headlining fights, Vera vs. Jardine was extremely disappointing from an entertainment standpoint. Both men are known for letting their hands go and, win or lose, delivering a highlight in the process. Their bout was a fifteen-minute feeling out process with neither man ever being put in serious danger or imposing his will on the other. "The Dean of Mean" did little to improve his stock amongst 205-pounders other than by getting a win, while Brandon Vera finds his career at a crossroads and might end up seeking employment elsewhere before the conclusion of 2009. I'm not sure if he's lost confidence in his ability, is still shaking off ring-rust from his yearlong absence from competition, or is still being affected by fighting as a Light Heavyweight, but he has to turn things around because, as it stands, "The Truth" is being handled. Michael Bisping looked good against Chris Leben, but he did little to answer criticism regarding his ability to finish good opponents and still has a ways to go before being considered a threat to Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, or any other top 185-pound fighter. Leben showed how little he's improved since debuting in the Octagon three-and-a-half years ago by continuing to plod forward with an open-stance and absorb damage up the middle. "The Crippler" has an entertaining personality and possesses the ability to separate men from consciousness, but he'll never be a well-rounded Mixed Martial Artist nor a threat to any UFC Championship. The one-sided outcome to Bisping/Leben was a smear of flavorless frosting on an otherwise bland cake. Truly, the only saving graces of UFC 89 were Taylor/Lytle and the fact it was on Spike TV, and I say that as someone who always looks for a silver-lining to any cloud...or a Silva-lining in the case of the cumulonimbus-laden UFC 90.

This past Saturday night, I found myself again trying to find positive things to say about the show after it wrapped up ten-minutes early. Overall, the televised match-ups were certainly better than UFC 89, though I'm unsure as to why Clementi vs. Maynard was being featured over undercard bouts with more potential like Hermes Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio or Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries (even if it was still shown later in the night). Neither man is known for being a particularly entertaining fighter, plus it didn't help that each individual's core strength was neutralized by the other's (Clementi/jiujitsu and Maynard/wrestling) which left for some uninspired striking exchanges between the two. I enjoyed all three rounds of Griffin vs. Sherk and was impressed by how little wrestling took place. I thought the pairing originally created a real possibility of being a wet-blanket convention and instead featured quite a bit of exciting stand-up instead. Sherk showed he is still the second-best competitor in the UFC Lightweight group with wins over two of the division's top contenders (Tyson Griffin and Ken Florian). He may not be able to beat BJ Penn, but "The Muscle Shark" is definitely on his way to a rematch against "The Prodigy" unless Florian has vastly improved over the last two years or Joe Stevenson ups his striking another level.

Fabricio Werdum's physical condition was disappointing, looking more like he'd spent time with Karo Parisyan or Roy Nelson than in Chute Boxe camp. I'm not sure if he underestimated "Cigano" or was affected by an injury while training for the bout, but Werdum came into the fight flabby and seemed poorly prepared in general. Along with his pride, Fabricio left a guaranteed UFC Heavyweight title-shot in the cage after dos Santos flattened him with an uppercut. However, in Werdum's defense, he at least gave way to the televised card's only legitimate finish, and for that I sincerely thank him.





The fighters' fellow Brazilian, Thiago Alves, also did his part to make UFC 90 a memorable show by smashing Josh Koscheck for three straight rounds. I thought Alves' performance against "Kos", who still deserves a ton of credit for taking the fight on late notice, was equally as dominating as Georges St. Pierre's outing against the Ultimate Fighter Season One alumnus. "The (Non-Belarusian) Pitbull" should absolutely be next in line to fight for the UFC Welterweight Championship, though I won't be surprised if Alves gets put in the Octagon against Jon Fitch, Diego Sanchez, or Yoshiyuki Yoshida beforehand in order to prevent him from sitting on the sidelines for more than six months while Penn/St. Pierre settle their score. Not only would it allow the young American Top Team fighter from further establishing himself as the UFC's top 170-pound contender, but it would give him another opportunity to prove to fans he's able to consistently weigh-in within the division's parameters.








Moving on to UFC 90's Middleweight Championship affair, I was only disappointed in the outcome and not so much in Anderson Silva's performance leading up to Cote's injury. It appeared clear to me that "The Spider" was a bit apprehensive to fully engage, likely because of Cote's heavy hands, but made the most of every strike he threw and could have finished the Canadian off at any time if he'd committed to the attack. I laugh at the notion Cote somehow deserves credit for "taking" Silva into the third round, as no other UFC fighter had done previously, because he wasn't fending off the Brazilian phenom's assault for ten minutes prior to entering the fight's eleventh minute. It's a shame Patrick's knee gave out, but in truth it almost certainly helped avoid the inevitable knockout Silva would have delivered as soon as he decided to move forward instead of dance around Cote's hands. Still, regardless of outcome, the fight did little to satisfy fans' appetite for destruction whether they were sitting at home or in attendance at the arena. And, while I'm not a proponent of booing fighters and dislike the practive in general, I have a hard time faulting the Illinois crowd for their behavior. In general, it's a recipe for boredom when two-thirds of a card's results end up as unanimous decisions, as was the case this past Saturday at UFC 90.

There's my three cents on the last two weekends' "action" - 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 20th, 2008 and October 26th, 2008:


According to Fighters Only Magazine, Michael Bisping will be a coach on the next season of "The Ultimate Fighter". The ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" will feature a "U.S. vs. U.K." format and will start taping in January. Bisping appeared on the third season of the show and was the winner of the Light Heavyweight division.


The UFC needs to freshen up the Ultimate Fighter format and turning it into a competition between nations is a smart way to go. I actually wish they'd taken it one step further and made it USA vs. The World as a means of deepening the talent pool. It's truly a shame Japan and Brazil - two countries which without there would be no MMA - are left in the cold while the UK is basking in the warmth of the spotlight. I guess it pays to be an English-speaking nation, eh?

Bisping is not only the obvious selection for the United Kingdom's coach but a great choice as well. He's extremely talented, has an entertaining personality, and understands the "TUF" experience based on his roots in the show. In a lot of ways he is the British equivalent of Season Seven coach Forrest Griffin. It's rumored either Dan Henderson or Rich Franklin will be the American coach depending on which man wins at UFC 93. Each would be an excellent fit, with Franklin being a UFC icon and Henderson being a former Team USA Olympic wrestler. The only problem I can see is the possibility "Ace" beats both Henderson and then Michael Bisping, as it's clear the UFC is interested in using the Ultimate Fighter as a way to hype a future bout between the coaches. Were that scenario to unfold, Franklin would have to be considered the top Middleweight contender, yet there is little interest in seeing Rich having his face rearranged by Anderson Silva for a third time. The only cure to that ailment, which again is only a problem if Rich Franklin beats both Henderson and Bisping, would be for Dana White to give him a Light Heavyweight title-shot to appease those who felt Franklin had earned some sort of opportunity to win gold. I understand critics might feel it was unfair since Rich would have beaten a Middleweight to attain the match-up, but let's not forget that, prior to dropping down a weightclass, Michael Bisping was 14-1 as a 205-pounder with his only loss coming via decision against current top LHW contender Rashad Evans.


Rachelle Leah was scheduled to be an Octagon ring-card girl at UFC 90 in order to help publicize her Playboy cover but did not act as such for unknown reasons. There will also be a Rachelle Leah UFC Jakks action figure releasing soon.


The Edith Labelles of the world come and go but there will only be one Rachelle Leah. My celebrity-crush on Rachelle has never been a secret. In fact, it's often been a focal point of my column...at least until that whole "restraining order" fiasco. Similar to Gina Carano, but without the combat skills, she's always exhibited both a sexy and an athletic, almost tomboyish side. Rachelle seems like the kind of girl who looks ridiculously hot in a slinky dress but would rather watch football on the couch, beer in hand, than go to a ballet or broadway show. When I heard she was going to be posing nude in Playboy I certainly found myself paying full attention. Er...was that "TMI"?!? Moving on...

I've seen the pics now and, while nice, they're not as great as I'd hoped. She looks beautiful, but there are far too few and the ones I perused (while looking for an article *ahem*) weren't anything special. Isn't it funny how life often works that way; that the mystery of what's underneath is often better than the reality? I'm certain I'd get in trouble for providing a NSFW link in my column, but if anyone is interested in objectifying Ms. Leah's body and judging for themselves, give "Google" a try and I'm sure you'll come across the shots. You swine.

As far as the actual above news item, I was thrilled Rachelle was rumored to be donning her spandex booty-shorts and halter-top and equally disappointed to see her sitting in the crowd fully-clothed. Chicago is the true home of Playboy, even if Hugh Hefner no longer resides there, so the pairing of UFC 90 in conjunction with her spread made perfect sense. Regarding the "Jakks" action-figure built in the form of the "All-Access" hostess, the joke writes itself does it not? I wonder if it comes with a Kung-Fu grip...


The ratings for last Saturday's "Strikeforce On NBC" show (which aired the Trevor Prangley vs. Anthony Ruiz fight from the Playboy Mansion show) earned a record 1.1 million viewers. The show airs at 2:00 AM in most areas of the country.


I believe the "Saturday Night Live" airing immediately prior to the above "Strikeforce on NBC" episode was also the highest rated SNL in the show's history, a jump likely based on the appearance of Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin on the heels of Tina Fey's uncanny impersonations of her on previous episodes. I wonder if there could have been some carryover viewership involved, as I can't imagine the Prangley vs. Ruiz bout would have spiked numbers unless their showing at the Playboy Mansion had been immediately followed by a submission-grappling affair between Centerfolds. I also think the bump might have been influenced by fans who had watched UFC 89 earlier in the night, were up late on a Saturday night, and might have still been crazing a little more Mixed Martial Arts before calling it an evening.

No matter the reason, it's a positive sign for the partnership between Strikeforce and NBC. I've said on more than one occasion I felt the two companies would eventually put together a live event based on early indicators of success where "Strikeforce on NBC" was concerned coupled with the potential shown by the EliteXC/CBS partnership. While Strikeforce may not have Kimbo Slice or Gina Carano (who got her start in Strikeforce) to pull in casual viewers, they have been able to build a support base amongst knowledgeable MMA fans and people who are only familiar with what they've seen in syndication, as well as proven themselves successful when it comes to marketing events. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker understands what it takes to build a profitable MMA promotion and that in itself says a lot considering how poorly its peers have done (minus the UFC). In addition to the business sense behind Strikeforce, they also have a roster featuring mainstream-stars-in-the-making like Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez, and Cung Le. Add in Frank Shamrock, Kazuo Misaki, Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, plus a partnership with DREAM bringing in guys like Mitsuhirio Ishida, Shinya Aoki, and Tatsuya Kawajiri, the newly available EliteXC fighters, and I think it's possible for Strikeforce and NBC to create something extremely special with the right planning and push. Are you telling me you wouldn't tune into a live card co-headlined by any combination of Cung Le vs. Kazuo Misaki, Josh Thomson vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida, Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki, and Gina Carano vs. Cris "Cyborg" Santos? Hell, I'd probably even pay for a card featuring those fights...

...which is why people need to pay close attention to the future of Strikeforce/NBC and the promise they bring in terms of being a viable alternative to the UFC.


UFC Welterweight Luke Cummo was arrested in New York on a Driving While Intoxicated charge. He was arrested last week (October 13-20) in Nassau County as part of a DWI initiative to crack down on drunk drivers. Cummo will be posting a statement soon on his website, lukecummo.com, to explain the charge


My sources tell me Cummo got hammered on cheap American Lite Beer, possibly of the Coors, Budweiser, or Natural variety. However, his defense lawyer plans to argue that his client mistook the pitcher for his own urine due to its contents' piss-like taste, thereby consuming them under the premise of a dietary benefit.

For more insight into the matter, the following is an April 2007 quote from Cummo on why he believes in drinking his yellowish-goodness...


"I am posting about this subject because someone had asked for some info. Actually I wanted to keep it a secret because I feel it is an advantage for me in the Octagon.

I drink all that I can of my own urine. It has many advantages. It contains hormones, minerals, and elements that bind moisture to protein. Basically it is a recycling of things so that they can have another chance to get where they are destined. If you were to drink something, your body will want to excrete liquid in order to maintain a certain level of hydration. So it filters the blood and the urine may contain things that didn't get a chance to get where they were going.

When you drank something and twenty minutes later got the urge to pee, what you peed out was extremely superior in comparison to what you drank. Any harmful byproducts are excreted in the feces. Someone just beginnning urine therapy might have a wonderful laxative effect as the elements in the urine are exactly what is needed in the digestive tract to heal."


Punch Drunk Hangover - Mixed Martial Arts news and the joy of learning, together as one!


Less than two years following the formation of ProElite, Inc., the group notified employees and fighters on October 20th it was shutting its doors effective immediately, multiple sources confirmed to Sports Illustrated. ProElite was an entertainment and media company founded in partnership with Showtime Networks and spearheaded by the Mixed Martial Arts promotional brand EliteXC. Representatives for ProElite, EliteXC and Showtime did not return calls for comment


I suppose ProElite's demise deserves a little more respect than a mere mention in my column, especially following a joke about Luke Cummo's drinking problem (you pick the substance), but I felt I'd treat it as I'd interpreted the reaction around the internet which is to say ho-hum. I suppose fans' mild reaction to the news should have been expected. The company had appeared to have been burning for so long that when it finally collapsed into ash last week, it happened with little more than a flicker of light. Few companies lose $60 Million in eighteen months and recover to become a hugely successful enterprise. Even fewer stake their public perception on a 34-year old MMA rookie's main event performances against mediocre competition, inflating his balloon with hundreds of thousands of dollars without being prepared for it to pop. Seth Petruzelli burst the bubble with his off-balance punch and off-color remarks on radio the following day. In many ways he is to blame for ProElite's woes. In many ways he is to thank.

It seems clear MMA needs a corporate alternative to the UFC, if for no other reason to educate people on the merits of using the term "Mixed Martial Arts" as opposed to "ultimate fighting" when describing the sport. ProElite was equally transparent in its inability to do so. They hemmoraged money buying small fight organizations and large executive offices, were primarily run by a boxing promoter without any genuine personal investment in MMA prior to EliteXC and his pompous, annoying son, and did a poor job of marketing their talented fighters alongside their lesser-skilled, more-YouTubed ones. To be quite honest, whenever I lead with EliteXC news in PDH or "Fact or Fiction", I found they were the least-commented-on columns I produced. There was a disconnect between MMA fans and EliteXC, for whatever reasons, and it was very apparent to me both in what I saw from the company and fans alike. It was as if EliteXC felt entitled to success in the MMA community without ever showing us they deserved it. For every landmark move they made, such as putting Mixed Martial Arts on primtime network television, they followed it up with an announcement Kimbo Slice would be fighting a washed-up competitor or having Nick Diaz spoil KJ Noons' title-win over Yves Edwards.

I appreciate the increase in profile they offered to people like Gina Carano, Jake Shields, and Robbie Lawler, as well as the money all the fighters were able to make, but I'm ultimately happy to see EliteXC fall off the map as long as it means a better-run MMA company (ahem - Strikeforce) can learn from the mistakes that were made and, perhaps over the next 5-10 years, create an "AFL" to the UFC's "NFL". Remember, this is still a young sport, and there's no reason we can't one day see a situation where the best fights truly take place without promotional conflicts getting in the way. It will just take someone other than Jared "$kala" Shaw to lead the charge.


Strikeforce has announced that Josh Thomson will defend his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship against Yves Edwards on November 21 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The fight will be a rematch from UFC 49 where Edwards defeated Thomson via KO. Edwards is coming off a first round TKO loss to KJ Noons back in June at EliteXC's "Return of the King". Thomson is currently riding an 8-fight win streak with wins over Gilbert Melendez, Ashe Bowman, and Duane Ludwig.


I like what Strikeforce is doing here, as I don't necessarily think Yves Edwards is anywhere near being the top contender in the promotion's 155-pound weightclass, but he's a solid opponent with a good reputation and a highlight-reel win over the division's 16-2 champion (Thomson). Mitsuhiro Ishida is more-deserving of the title-shot based on his recent Strikeforce-related "W" and previous win over former champ Gilbert Melendez, but I'd wager he'll be fighting in Japan on December 31st and isn't available to compete in late November. Speaking of Melendez, he only has one fight remaining on his contract, so that also puts him out of the fight against Thomson since Strikeforce naturally can't risk a free agent being their current champion. So, with those two individuals being out of the mix, I think Yves Edwards is definitely a suitable contender as opposed to someone with less name-value like Billy Evangelista. He'll provide a legitimate test for Thomson as well as an opportunity for the champ to avenge a loss on the main-event stage. All in all, another good move by Strikeforce...and yes, I promise they are not paying me for today's lovefest.


Jibber-Jabber:

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


Dana White comments to ESPN Radio about Anderson Silva's performance at UFC 90...

A lot of people thought he was playing and goofing around but that's not his personality. Guys come out sometimes and they're not in their rhythm. For some reason, they can't pull the trigger and I think that's what happened to Anderson tonight. What else am I supposed to believe? Am I supposed to believe that he came out to not throw one punch or not do anything for three rounds? I don't believe that. I've known this guy for over two years, he's anything but disrespectful."


I understand why some people feel Anderson Silva was toying with Cote, but I felt his apprehension may have been more out of respect for the Canadian's power than as a means of disrespecting Patrick as a fighter. I thought he was waiting for Cote to commit to a series of strikes which would then open up the opportunity for Silva to either use his speed and counter the punches, or to latch onto Cote and unleash knees inside the clinch. All the head-bobbing and hand-waiving were just ways for Silva to bait the former Ultimate Fighter finalist into making a mistake or, if nothing else, distracting Cote with an unorthadox approach to stand-up. Whenever Silva did decide to attack Cote, his strikes were accurate and powerful, and I am certain many of the same blows would have rendered other fighters loopy if not unconscious. Regardless of how it appeared to the average viewer, I truly believe there was strategy behind Anderson's behavior over the bout's duration and it had nothing to do with considering Cote an inferior opponent.

Plus, if Anderson Silva's goal was to dance inside the Octagon, I think it would have looked a little something like this...






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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" - Renzo Gracie declawing the "Russian Bear", Oleg Taktarov. Let the bare-knuckled bad-assery commence!

Face, meet fist. Fist, face.






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