411 MMA Fact or Fiction 12.03.08: New UFC Weight Division, Biggest December Fight, The Release of Gurgel and Soko, and MORE!

Posted by Jeremy Lambert on 12.03.2008

Was the release of Jorge Gurgel more shocking than the release of Sokoudjou? Is Matt Lindland bitter? Does the UFC need to split the Heavyweight Division? 411Mania MMA writers Jeffrey Harris and Matt McEwen discuss these topics and more in this weeks edition of MMA Fact or Fiction.

It's been a slow time in MMA after UFC 91 but it's now December and there are FOUR Zuffa shows, three of them being free and the other being one of the best looking UFC cards on paper. It all kicks off tonight with WEC: 37 featuring what should be some AWESOME fights. Everyone make sure to check that out tonight and check out two hours of The Ultimate Fighter right after WEC. It's a stacked Wednesday folks and it's an even more stacked December.

Kicking off the December Fact or Fiction is a first time player that I know you've already grown to love. He's known to be Vile in his interview series with TUF 8 competitors. Welcome Jeffrey Harris. His opponent won't got down easy though as he never Hits the Mat. He is Matt McEwen.

In the words of John McCarthy…LET'S GET IT ON!


1. The release of Jorge Gurgel was more surprising than Sokoudjou?

Jeffrey Harris: FICTION. Not totally. Sokoudjou did at least win one fight in the UFC over Pride FC vet, Nakamura. I would say that Sokoudjou deserved at least one more fight before getting totally cut. And look at Houston Alexander who still seems to have a job despite losing several light heavyweight bouts pretty quickly. They should've made an Alexander/Sokodjou fight in a loser leaves town match. It is sort of ironic though that Gurgel gets fight of the night honors from the UFC in his last fight with the company before getting his walking papers. Even with EliteXC gone, there are still options for fighters out there to make a living and there's still the chance of going back to the UFC eventually. Sokodjou came onto the scene in 2007 with huge TKO victories over big names in Pride FC with Rodrigo Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. He seemed to just lack the fire (or maybe gas) in the UFC.

Matt McEwen: FACT. I say true, but it depends on how big your scope is when you look at this one. If you look at it over the short term, it is more surprising. While Gurgel has a less than stellar record inside the Octagon, his fights were rarely boring and he is coming of a "Fight of the Night" performance. Sokoudjou, on the other hand, has been finished convincingly twice and has looked hesitant at times. In the long view though, who would have though even a year ago that this would be legit question? Sokoudjou was one of the hottest prospects in the sport and had some big wins, while Gurgel was...well Gurgel. So, at this point true, but mostly because so much of the shine has been taken off of Sokoudjou's star in the past year.

SCORE: 0 for 1. Now Soko has more time to reclaim his crown as the King of the Jungle.


2. After pulling out of a rematch with Alistair Overeem, Mirko "Cro Cop" will never fight a Top 10 Heavyweight again?

Jeffrey Harris: FICTION. Well according to the news report, the Cro Cop/Overeem fight will still take place in 2009 at some point. Never is such a strong, arbitrary word. Who is to say that Cro Cop will never face a top 10 heavyweight again such as Overeem or someone from Affliction or even UFC for that matter? Fabricio Werdum also just go his walking papers from UFC, and that would definitely be an interesting clash considering both guys are Pride FC vets, yet that's a bout that has never taken place. Werdum has also beaten Cro Cop's potential opponent, Overeem as well as UFC fighters Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera and was considered a top contender for the UFC Heavyweight Title before his surprising TKO loss to Junior dos Santos.

Matt McEwen:FICTION. I think this fight is going take place sometime in 2009 I think. Of course, Overeem is likely to be the ONLY top 10 heavyweight Cro Cop ever faces again as I think there is little chance that he will be fighting for much longer, let alone for a promotion that can match up against some of the better fighters in the weight class. As we've seen many times, the guys who are dynamic strikers in MMA are the ones who suffer the most dramatic drop offs in their skills and their records, and Cro Cop is no different.

SCORE: 1 for 2. As a fan of Cro Cop, I hope he returns to the days of "Rght kick, hospital. Left kick, cemetery"


3. Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver 2 is smart booking by WEC?

Jeffrey Harris: FACT. Definitely. Both guys are coming off of two really tough TKO losses in the first rounds of their fights on the same show. And the writing is pretty much on the wall. Jens Pulver probably isn't going to be around much longer. He's been pretty much dominated and over-powered by many of these new, younger fighters. So do this fight now while there's still some strong buzz over the first fight, which was a top rated fight and considered by many to be a FOTYC for the MMA industry. And hey, just maybe Pulver could prove us wrong and surprise us after Faber dominated him in a big decision victory in their WEC Featherweight Title fight. Who ever wins, most likely favor gets back on the winning track toward a WEC Featherweight Title shot.

Matt McEwen: FACT. Why not rematch the biggest fight in the promotions history while they still can? Both guys are coming off of big losses, so it makes for an interesting back drop to the fight and, let's be honest, Pulver doesn't have that much time left really. It will be really interesting to see if Pulver feels the need to make a statement after losing the title and goes for the kill this time around, as opposed to the patient beating he handed Pulver last time out.

SCORE: 2 for 3. All Faber needs is the cornrows to return to Superman form.


SWEEP!!!!


4. "Fighting Politics: The Matt Lindland Story" makes Lindland look bitter against Dana White and Zuffa?

Matt McEwen: FACT, but with a disclaimer: I haven't seen the doc yet. I'm just guessing that Lindland will come across as bitter because, well, he kind of comes across as bitter in general if you ask me. Seems like a real nice guy, but cranky. I'd imagine he is a bit bitter too - he, Josh Barnett and Fedor are the only three guys out there who have stood up to the UFC machine, though each has been run over by it in turn, Lindland more than the others. He missed out on his prime earning years because of his issues, and now is getting left behind as the sport grows and he gets older.

Jeffrey Harris: FACT. "I would never do that. It would kill jobs!" - Matt Lindland. Sorry, couldn't resist. But I will answer the question with another question. Does Michael Bay love cars? Umm, yeah. But this is mainly based off the trailers. There looks like a definite skew to the doc. footage. A more even-handed or objective documentary would at least attempt to get some sort of official statement or interview with UFC about the matter. The footage makes it looks like the UFC needed some sort of cheap excuse to get rid of Lindland for advertising a gambling shirt. I remember Dana White talking about a similar issue with Ricco Rodriguez and his exit from the UFC after sporting a casino/gambling tattoo which apparently could've gotten the UFC in really big trouble. Sort of like how in commercial, movie, and TV shoots the performers can't have logos showing anywhere on their clothing which have to be covered up.

SCORE: 3 for 4. No one buys that UFC released Lindland because they thought he would beat Rich Franklin? Anyone? Bueller?


5. UFC should split the Heavyweight division in two, capping one division at 230 pounds and the other at 265 pounds?

Matt McEwen: FICTION. I think they should create a cruiserweight division, but not at 230, but rather the cut off should be 225. If you go as high as 230 with the division, you start to create exactly what this division is trying to correct - too big a size discrepancy. At 225, the larger light heavyweights - Liddell, Griffin, Bonnar - would be able to move up and compete with the smaller heavys - Couture, Vera (the poster boy for this size) - and create a really talented division. All that being said, I don't see this division coming into being anytime soon unfortunately. And, as Couture showed, a 225lb man can hang with a 275lb beast for a while and not be dominated.

Jeffrey Harris: FICTION. Why? Because of Brock Lesnar? Brock Lesnar is one guy. Cheick Kongo still has some ways to prove himself as a true heavyweight monster beast. Splitting up the heavyweight division at a time when the heavyweight division is really not that deep is absolutely ridiculous. Does this basically make a 206-230 pound division like a cruiserweight division? Why? Because Brandon Vera now sucks at light heavyweight and at heavyweight? Because Randy Couture lost to Brock Lesnar? Big whoop. Randy Couture before the Lesnar fight beat two guys who were much bigger than him who many would think a guy like Couture in his 40's coming in at 220 pounds would have no realistic chance of beating? The only thing I would say is maybe, MAYBE expand the limits of light heavyweight. But splitting heavyweight into heavyweight and cruiserweight is ridiculous and not fully awesome.

SCORE: 4 for 5. Every rule must be changed because of Brock Lesnar. We now need same day weigh ins, regulation gloves only, no more tattoo's on your chest, and the list goes on.


6. Of all the big December fights, Jackson vs. Silva 3 interests you the most?

Matt McEwen: FICTION. I think it's about fourth on my list right now, but given the three fights ahead of it, that is not an insult. I'm a huge fan of the ground game, so I'm eagerly anticipating Miguel Torres/Manny Tapia Wednesday night and Nogeuria/Mir, and I'm also really interested in how Griffin/Evans is going to play out. Ask me again at the end of the month and it could very well be the case that Jackons/Silva put on the best and most memorable fight of the month though, and it wouldn't surprise me. Damn....what a good month of fights coming up...

Jeffrey Harris: FICTION. It's an interesting fight no question, but it's also a fight we've still seen twice before. I'm somewhat more interested in how a first time heavyweight bout like Mir/Nogueira is going to go down and if it will really be a tough, competitive battle or not. However, being a huge Okami fan I'm very invested in the fight with Dean Lister which is apparently being dubbed by many as a "loser leaves town" match. That seems very odd considering that Okami is 4-1 in the UFC and won his last two fights, not to mention was in line with a title shot against Anderson Silva before he injured his hand and Cote got the spot instead. There's been some suggestion that the UFC doesn't want another non-English speaking foreigner going for the title. Don't know about that, but it would be very curious if either guy would be forced out of the UFC following a loss. Lister's also 4-1 and has won his last two fights. We know with the recent releases that UFC wants to trim the roster of losing fighters but c'mon, you've got at least one primed Middleweight Title contender in Okami who has a built-in storyline for a title bout with Anderson Silva, and another Pride and UFC vet who usually wins his fights.

SCORE: 5 for 6. "Thanks my friends. Thanks for coming. My pleasure."


And that does it for this weeks Fact or Fiction. Harris and Ewen almost ended up closer than Rich Franklin and Jorge Gurgel but fell just short. It's only a matter of time before you two end up in the sauna together though.

Come back next week when two more MMA writers discuss the weeks latest news in the MMA world.