The Tap-Out! 01.23.07

Posted by Caleb Newby on 01.23.2007

Finally, The Tap-Out returns to 411! In this edition, 411's Caleb Newby takes an in depth look at free agent middleweight Matt "The Law" Lindland and his upcoming battle with unstoppable heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko.

History

To long time mixed martial arts fans and hardcore fans alike, Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling silver medalist Matt Lindland is a well known and well respected as a fighter, yet is unknown to the majority of American fans. Lindland's departure from the UFC during the early boom may have given his some recognition, but as the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind," and Lindland has been out of the UFC's sight since August of 2005.

Widely considered the number one contender to Rich Franklin's UFC Middleweight Championship, Lindland was dropped from the UFC for breaking terms within his contract regarding sponsorships and endorsements. Widely considered as an additional reason for why he was dropped and never brought back is the theory that the UFC considers his style "too boring" for the new UFC fan and didn't want Lindland to defeat the popular and exciting Franklin.

Since Lindland's departure, fans have seen Franklin devastate foes with his striking only to be demolished in kind by UFC newcomer Anderson Silva with one of the most impressive Muay Thai demonstrations in recent memory. Middleweights Kendall Grove, Chris Leben, Jason MacDonald, and Nathan Marquardt have since taken center stage along with Silva and Franklin to form the core of the UFC middleweight division.

So it may come to a surprise to learn that Lindland is often ranked as the #1 middleweight in the world by industry experts, #2 occasionally, and certainly top 5 by even the most critical pundit. Looking back at Lindland's record since leaving the UFC (his current MMA record stands at 19-4 overall) you will find a 4-1 record with all four victories coming by stoppage and his sole loss by a very close and debatable split decision. It's important to note that loss was in the now defunct WFA to continually ranked top 10 light-heavyweight Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Lindland's contract was thought to have been bought out in the recent acquisition of the WFA by the UFC. Lindland later commented that his contract had ended a month before and therefore was a free agent.

Future

Lindland is continuing his coaching of the IFL's second place team from 2006, the Portland Wolfpack. After defeating Jeremy Horn via strikes last September Lindland will have his sights set on fellow IFL coach and former UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Newton on February 2.

While the Lindland/Newton fight is interesting, a relatively shocking announcement was made from Bodog Fight that Lindland would be taking on none other than Fedor Emelianenko on April 6 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Bodog Fight, initially scheduling Fedor to fight former UFC Heavyweight contender Jeff "The Anarchist Snowman" Monson, has switched the bout to a much more interesting match-up.

As it has been said before, with Fedor you don't expect him to lose; you instead gauge the likelihood his opponent has of pulling off the upset as Fedor isn't going to be an underdog. Outside of a Mirko Cro Cop rematch or an intriguing Josh Barnett bout, there are few fighters that would even receive a remotely close betting line from Vegas odds makers. So if Fedor's opponent isn't going to be either of the aforementioned, it should be at least someone who brings a level of buzz to the card, which Lindland does in spades.

Lindland has stated several times he wants to fight the best out there, whether at his natural weight class or not. Accepting a fight with Fedor, in Russia of all places, certainly demonstrates Lindland's commitment to seeking out the best as one can't climb a higher mountain than Mount Fedor.

There is no doubt Lindland expects he can win this match, but what is the worst that will happen if he does lose to the Russian favorite? Lindland certainly isn't expected to win this fight, and it is a two weight class jump that can't hurt his middleweight stock. Who hasn't lost to Fedor?

Then again, if Lindland does the impossible and somehow topples the giant, the tag of "boring" will not apply. No, in that case Lindland will be able to name his price and choose who he wishes to fight for.

Yes, it's a great time to be Matt Lindland.


What do you think?

The upcoming Lindland/Fedor fight brings up a few interesting scenarios. I'd like to know who you think has the best chance at moving up two weight classes and dethroning that division's king. For arguments sake we'll use both Lindland as well as Anderson Silva as middleweight seems to be the most disputed for a number one.

So who has the best chance?

Lindland against Fedor or A. Silva against Fedor?
GSP against Liddell?
Gomi against either Lindland or A. Silva?

Let me know.


I'm back

As some of you may know, I've been away from writing about MMA for several months due to commitments in the games zone as the editor in chief. We've gone through a lot of growth over the past months and things have started to stabilize.

With that, I've wanted to pick back up my writing on MMA here for 411. I have a potentially unhealthy love for the sport and truly want to see its coverage expanded to greater heights.

I can't talk about all of the plans we have cooking for future MMA coverage, but a rundown of what I can say…

As most of you know, Sam Caplan has (somewhat) recently started a tremendous weekly column, Five Ounces of Pain. Look for it every Thursday.

My Take On by none other than "Wrestling Zone" Larry Csonka has made its MMA themed debut, which I believe is more than a one time phenomenon.

Damian Sarcuni's Fight Story should also be making its return in the next couple of weeks. You can also, of course, find his Angry Gaming column in the Games Zone each week.

The Tap-Out! should also be coming back on a regular basis, tentatively scheduled for Mondays.

Keep your eyes peeled for an interview with Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez as well. I should hopefully have that up and done in the next week.

And finally, we will be bringing back the 411 MMA Roundtable for UFC and Pride PPVs.

What you can do to help

Any type of column you'd like to see? Fighter profiles, opinion articles, ranting and raving... whatever type of column you'd like to see here, let me know so I can gauge what's in the most demand.

Or better yet, apply to become a MMA writer at 411. Send a sample article to me or Ashish (preferably both of us) and we'll take a look at it.


Remember, Ultimate Fight Night on Spike this Thursday!