The Fightin’ Stance News 01.16.09: Tag, You’re It!

Posted by  on 01.16.2009

This week in The Fightin’ Stance we’ve got the latest news on the arrest of Jeff Monson, a bunch of possible match-ups for Fight Night 18, the possible resurrection of EliteXC, and more! We'll also take a closer look at tomorrow night's action in Ireland, with a full preview of UFC 93!



Welcome back to The Fightin' Stance News. I'm Adam Tool and it's time for another one of those stretches that's packed with MMA. We've got UFC 93 this week, Affliction and WEC next week, UFC 94 the following week, and another Fight Night the week after that. But before we can get to any of that…



Raging Against The Machine

Another week, and I'm reporting on another fighter's legal troubles. This is becoming quite a disturbing trend. This story however, may be the most interesting of them all.

Former UFC Heavyweight Championship contender Jeff Monson has had a warrant issued for his arrest on felony charges of first-degree malicious mischief. The cause of all this trouble?



That's Monson spraying an anarchy symbol on Washington's state capitol. The picture was taken as part of an article for the November 2008 issue of ESPN The Magazine, who ran the photo along with a caption identifying Monson. The warrant was issued on Wednesday and it carries a $19,000 cleaning fee to remove the graffiti. If convicted, Monson faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.

Monson was contacted by The Olympian and he admitted to spraying the graffiti. He said the tag was put up as a protest to the war in Iraq and economic inequality at home and abroad. Monson said,

"Every great movement in the United States, from civil rights, women's rights, the labor movement, has been the result of people standing up and breaking the law, refusing to stand at the back of the bus, refusing to stand aside when the government asks you to get off their property. And now, these people are seen as pioneers. But at the time, they were criminals — they were literally criminals. I'm not here to advocate for myself; at some point you have to stand up."

Monson said that he has taken part in protests against the war before, and he wants to be clear about his political beliefs.

"When a country's committing an illegal war, you're not supposed to stand aside."

Monson also said that he recently returned from Nicaragua, where he witnessed the worst poverty he's ever seen.

"We're completely complicit, it's all about consumerism. We want cheap TVs, we want cheap clothes, we want cheap Nikes. We're exploiting these people."

Monson said that he has contacted Washington state police about the warrant, but at this point he's not sure what the next step is.

Monson last competed for the UFC in November 2006, where he lost to Tim Sylvia. Since then he has appeared in PRIDE, Sengoku, and most recently in Mixed Fighting Alliance this past December where he scored a decision win over Ricco Rodriguez.

It's funny, because I've known about Jeff Monson for a long time. However I'd never really done any research on him so I was unaware that he was such an outspoken political activist and anarchist. It's rare to see one of this sport's participants taking such a strong stance on major issues, and I hope that Monson can resolve this matter quickly and easily. Nobody should go to jail for 10 years just because of a little spray paint. Clean it up and move on.

Speculation And Rumors Taking The Place Of Actual News



With Fight Night 17 coming up in a few more weeks, more and more details are starting to leak out about the UFC's next free event on Spike (after UFC 95 of course). At the moment it's believed that Fight Night 18 will go down on April 1st in Nashville, TN. The UFC has yet to announce the event officially, so we'll be dealing in unconfirmed reports for this section.

As far as the fights go, the UFC is doing their usual thing of filling up the Fight Night card with up-and-comers and "Ultimate Fighter" cast-members. Currently both of the newest "Ultimate Fighter" champions are expected to be in action, although the fights are not confirmed.

Lightweight champion Efrain Escudero will get thrown right to the wolves, as the faces the double-tough Jeremy Stephens. Stephens will be looking to capitalize on his "Knockout of the Night" performance against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 91. Escudero will look to improve his undefeated record to 12-0 after winning the season's tournament with a decision victory over Phillipe Nover.

Season 8 light heavyweight champion Ryan "Darth" Bader will also be making his first post-TUF appearance in the octagon. Bader's opponent will be the returning Carmelo Marrero. Marrero made waves with a win over Cheick Kongo at UFC 64, but he followed that up with losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Wilson Gouveia. He last competed in the WEC, and with the dissolution of the WEC light heavyweight ranks, he now finds himself back in the UFC. Bader won the light heavyweight tournament with an early TKO of the heavily-favored Vinicius Magalhaes, and he is 8-0 as a professional fighter.

As I reported last week, season 8 cast-member Junie Browning will take on season 5 cast-member Cole Miller. We can also expect to see the return of Melvin Guillard, as he takes on UFC newcomer Ronys Torres. Ryan Jensen will try to get his first win inside the octagon as he welcomes UFC newcomer Steve Steinbeiss. Finally, two WEC middleweights will make their UFC debuts against one another when Aaron Simpson takes on Tim McKenzie. There are also reports that lightweight fighter Tyson Griffin will be on the card, although an opponent has not been finalized.

It's believed that the show will precede the season premiere of "The Ultimate Fighter." Again, the UFC and Spike have not formally announced any specific start date for the new season.

This Shit Will Never End



We're going to talk about EliteXC now. Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are. After all, the company has basically been out of business for several months now. The thing is, they're not completely out of business. EliteXC still has a CEO, Chuck Champion, and a lawyer. This skeleton staff is still responsible for the day-to-day operations of ProElite, but at the moment the only real operation they're undertaking is trying to sell the company.

King of the Cage president Terry Trebilcock and his company, with backing from private investors, is one of the businesses that's interested in ProElite's assets. The major part of those assets are the fighter contracts and broadcast deals with CBS/Showtime. Considering the fact that King of the Cage was purchased and brought under the ProElite banner (and is one of the only promotions still operating), there is some speculation that KOTC is funding the operating expenses for the current version of ProElite.

Trebilcock has said that one of the factors slowing down ProElite's potential sale is the current CEO, Champion. However Trebilcock is confident that a deal will be reached and in fact he's already lining up possible venues for a show in March.

At the moment though, it's also under question as to whether or not the new version of EliteXC will still have any fighters to represent it. A group of fighter managers, including Ken Pavia, Ed Soares, and Monte Cox, have banded together as the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association. The MMAFA has written a letter seeking acknowledgment from EliteXC that its promotional agreements have been terminated. The group is hoping to avoid litigation, but they have prepared a draft of complaint and forwarded that along as well. According to the letter, EliteXC has a limited time to voluntarily release all of their fighters, and should they refuse, MMAFA will file a formal complaint. Soares explained the reason for their actions:

"This situation has gone on entirely too long. I can't have my fighters left in the dark and unable to sign with any promotion they choose."

Another manager, Rob Maysey, says that the collective actions of the MMAFA are being done with their fighters' best interests in mind.

"Unfortunately, individual litigation is cost prohibitive for our members. While it is our intention to reduce any unneeded expense. MMAFA has reached out to and contacted top litigation counsel and is prepared to litigate this matter to a conclusion. Fighters and their families have been put in an unfortunate position and are unfairly bearing the burden of EliteXC's situation."

The managers have their point, as this entire situation with ProElite has left a number of fighters, including Jake Shields, Gina Carano, and Robbie Lawler, unable to fight during the peak portion of their careers. Even if the remaining assets are sold off, that new owner is going to inherit the same problems that plagued the original EliteXC. The company name is basically worthless, and there are very few legitimate stars to build the promotion around (particularly now that the aura around Kimbo Slice is gone). Should we see the return of EliteXC I have no doubt that it would be a temporary solution, sort of like putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound.

UFC 93: FRANKLIN VS. HENDERSON PREVIEWICATION

Main Event
Rich "Ace" Franklin vs. Dan "Hollywood" Henderson

The Facts:
-Henderson is coming off a win over Rousimar Palhares at UFC 88. He is 3-2 in his UFC career.
-Franklin is on a two fight win streak after beating Travis Lutter and Matt Hamill. He is 11-2 in the UFC, with both losses coming against Anderson Silva.
-The winner of this fight will become the second coach (opposite Michael Bisping) on the next "Ultimate Fighter."
-All three of Franklin's career losses have come via TKO, while Henderson has never been finished with strikes.

The Pick: While this card may not appeal to many PPV buyers, the main event is a fight that should intrigue most fans of the sport. Two of the world's best middleweights, fighting at light heavyweight, with the winner going back down to middleweight. It doesn't make much sense to me either, but I'm not in charge of the UFC. Breaking this one down I see clear advantages in just about every area for Henderson. Franklin is most comfortable on his feet, yet he's likely to find himself in trouble should he decide to slug it out with "Hendo." It's well known that Henderson possesses a lethal right hand and a chin of granite, so how can Franklin win? Henderson is the better wrestler by far, and neither man has much in the way of submission skills. I'll be interested to see what kind of gameplan Franklin brings into the fight, but in the end I'm taking Henderson by TKO in round 2.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Mark "The Hammer" Coleman

The Facts:
-These two met at PRIDE 31, where Coleman won by TKO after Rua broke his arm while defending a takedown.
-Rua has not fought since losing by submission to Forrest Griffin at UFC 76.
-Coleman has not fought since his submission loss to Fedor Emelianenko at PRIDE 32. He has not been in the octagon in over 10 years.
-This is Coleman's first fight at light heavyweight.

The Pick: Your co-main event features one guy that hasn't fought in 16 months, taking on another guy that hasn't fought in over two years. Of course there is the intrigue of their previous meeting, and the near-riot that ensued afterwards. With only one fight in the octagon, there are still some questions as to how well "Shogun" has adjusted his style. Is he comfortable in the cage? Can he dominate opponents without using foot stomps or soccer kicks? There are even more questions hanging over the head of Coleman, the UFC Hall Of Famer who hasn't been inside the octagon in over 10 years. Should Coleman resort to his tried-and-true ground and pound, he'll need to be careful as Rua is very dangerous off of his back. If this one stays standing, I have to lean towards the younger, quicker fighter to get the advantage. In any case, my money is on "Shogun" to put on an impressive performance so he can truly make his mark with the UFC faithful. My pick is Rua by TKO in round 1.

Denis Kang vs. Alan "The Talent" Belcher

The Facts:
-Kang is making his UFC debut. He is a veteran of PRIDE, DREAM, and Pancrase.
-Belcher is coming off of his split decision win over Ed Herman at Fight Night 15.
-Kang is on a two fight win streak with victories over Marvin Eastman and Jae Young Kim.

The Pick: It's the UFC debut of KAAAAANG! For those that don't know, Kang brings a somewhat dubious record into his octagon debut. He holds significant wins over Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Akihiro Gono, and Amar Suloev. He has also lost to guys like Gegard Mousasi, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Jason "Mayhem" Miller. With his record there are few that think Kang can make a serious impact in the UFC middleweight ranks, but first he'll need to get past Alan Belcher. In my eyes Belcher is on a two fight losing streak (as I think Ed Herman should've won their Fight Night 15 meeting), and the most significant win on his record is Kalib Friggin' Starnes. Belcher does have the always infamous "puncher's chance," but I see this one as being Kang's fight to lose. With that being said, I'm taking Kang by submission in round 2.

Jeremy "Gumby" Horn vs. Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares

The Facts:
-Horn is on a two fight losing streak, and has lost by guillotine choke in both of his last two UFC fights (against Nate Marquardt and Dean Lister).
-Palhares is coming off a decision loss to Dan Henderson.
-Both fighters have a majority of their wins by submission.
-Horn will be competing in his 104th professional fight.

The Pick: You got to wonder just why Jeremy Horn keeps doing it. After 10,000 professional fights the guy still wants to compete at the highest levels of the sport, despite the fact that he is 0-2 in his latest UFC run. I firmly believe that Palhares will get the win here, as he's younger and stronger than Horn. Both fighters favor submissions, but Palhares has the stronger pedigree in BJJ (while Horn has more experience applying his submission skills to MMA). I have little doubt as to who will be the winner, and I'm more interested to see if Horn loses his third straight fight via guillotine choke. Regardless of how he gets it done, my pick is Palhares by submission in round 1.

Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis vs. Chris "Lights Out" Lytle

The Facts:
-Both fighters are coming off of wins at UFC 89. Davis defeated Paul Kelly while Lytle beat Paul Taylor.
-Despite the fact that he is known as a striker, Davis has a majority of his wins by submission.
-Lytle has never been finished by strikes or submission, as his two TKO losses came as a result of a cut and a doctor's stoppage.

The Pick: I would bet dollars to donuts that this one will end up being the "Fight of the Night." Both fighters are known for letting their hands go early and often, and each man has an incredibly tough chin. Davis recently gave an interview where he said that he wants to repeat the success of Griffin vs. Bonnar, where they have a fight that people are talking about for years to come. Given both men's track records I think that's entirely possible. As for the winner, I have to take Davis. He's extremely pumped about fighting in front of the Irish crowd, and I predict that they'll give him a hero's welcome when he enters the arena. That will translate into him giving everything he's got from bell-to-bell. Lytle has always been a solid fighter but Davis is simply better. I don't know if he'll get the finish, but I'm taking Davis by unanimous decision.

The Undercard:
Martin "Hitman" Kampmann vs. Alexandre "Baixinho" Barros
Eric "Red" Schafer vs. Antonio "Samuray" Mendes
Tomasz "Gorilla" Drwal vs. Ivan "Il Terrible" Serati
Tom "The Tank" Egan vs. John "The Hitman" Hathaway
Denis Siver vs. Nate Mohr

The Facts:
-This is Kampmann's debut at welterweight. He is coming off of a loss to Nate Marquardt.
-Barros is on a nine fight win streak.
-Schafer is on a three fight win streak following his submission victory over Houston Alexander at Fight Night 15.
-Mendes is coming off a submission loss to Thiago Silva.
-Drwal has not fought since losing to Thiago Silva at UFC 75.
-Serati is on a four fight win streak.
-Egan and Hathaway are both undefeated.
-Both of Mohr's last two losses came via Achilles lock.
-Siver has lost his last two fights in the UFC.
-Barros, Serati, Egan, and Hathaway are making their UFC debuts.

The Picks:
Kampmann, TKO, Rd. 1
Schafer, Submission, Rd. 2
Drwal, TKO, Rd. 1
Hathaway, Submission, Rd. 1
Siver, Submission, Rd. 1



-The WEC has officially announced that WEC 39 will take place on March 1st in Corpus Christi, TX. The show will be headlined by the first WEC Featherweight Championship defense for Mike Brown, as he takes on Leonard Garcia. Also on the card is a rematch for the WEC Welterweight Championship when Carlos Condit defends his belt against Brock Larson. The show will air live on Versus.

-At this point it is all but certain that the UFC has set a new all-time single year PPV record. If the numbers from Dana White are accurate, the UFC has sold $290 million in PPVs. This would beat the WWE's worldwide record of $260 million set in 2001, and HBO Boxing's domestic record of $255 million set last year.

-There was talk of doing Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva II at UFC 96, but Silva has expressed an interest in only fighting every six months and will not be returning until June or July.

-UFC 94 is officially a sell-out, with all 14,000 tickets sold.

-It currently appears that the UFC has big plans for their show on May 23rd. At the moment Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra has been confirmed by both fighters, and it appears that the UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Championship bout between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir could headline the show. There's also the possibility of Chuck Liddell facing the winner of tomorrow's Rua/Coleman fight.

-We've also got early reports of possible match-ups for UFC 100, which is currently expected to take place on July 4th. The show could be headlined by Rashad Evans vs. Rampage Jackson, as well as the Michael Bisping vs. Rich Franklin/Dan Henderson fight. Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn are also being talked about for the show.

-A light heavyweight clash between Matt Hamill and UFC newcomer Mark Munoz has been added to UFC 96. Munoz is currently 5-0 in his career after posting two victories during his time in the WEC.

-After receiving surgery on a broken finger, Forrest Griffin will be out of action until August at the earliest.

-12 of the participants at UFC 92 have tested clean, according to the NSAC. Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Yushin Okami, and Matt Hamill were amongst the fighters tested.

-Mark Hominick has been forced to pull out of his Affliction: Day of Reckoning bout with LC Davis due to an injury. Taking Hominick's place in the featherweight bout will be former EliteXC competitor Bao Quach.



1/17 - UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson
On PPV at 10 pm ET

1/21 - UFC Primetime: St. Pierre vs. Penn Part 2
On Spike at 10 pm ET

1/24 - Affliction: Day Of Reckoning
Live on PPV at 9 pm ET

1/24 - UFC 91 Re-broadcast
On Spike at 9 pm ET

1/25 - WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone
Live on Versus at 9:30 ET

1/31 - UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET

2/7 - UFC Fight Night 17
Live on Spike at 9 pm ET

2/21 - UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson
On Spike at 9 pm ET

3/1 - WEC 39: Brown vs. Garcia
Live on Versus (time TBA)

3/7 - UFC 96
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET

4/1 - Fight Night 18
Live on Spike (time TBA)

That would be all that I've got for you this week, but come back next week as I'll have previews of Affliction: Day Of Reckoning and WEC 38. We'll also cover any news that you need to know, so until then…


Sources: MMAJunkie.com, Sherdog.com, Fiveouncesofpain.com, MMAWeekly.com, TheOlympian.com