Battle of the Silvas, Anderson vs Wand: Why it makes sense and why Dana White has no other option.

Stuff doesn't always work out the way you want it to.

Girls, work, health, money...MMA Pay per view events from the top fighting promotion featuring the Best pound for pound fighter alive.

Deal with it.

In reality, aside from the "shadow sparring" main event, most of UFC 97 was above average (more on that Tuesday). It was Above Average with a few glimmers of awesome. Typically that would be enough to keep everyone happy. The only problem is that we were all expecting a Superhero in Black and Yellow shorts. Twice now we have been left waiting. Instead of a superhero, we see a regular old Human Being.

Why?

Is he too good? No one wants to engage standing up so nothing happens. Based on that thought alone, you could make the argument that "The Spider" is just as much to blame as his terrified opponents. Right? I mean when Thales refused to attack...Silva should have gone on the offensive...right? No sir, that is wrong.

Is he too smart?. He does not need to win in spectacular fashion, he only has to win. Thales knew he was losing in the 3rd and 4th...why not go for broke? What is the worst that can happen? The best thing would have been a lucky shot or maybe another take down. So what if he gets clipped? He was losing anyway and he knew it. He was hoping that Andersons ego was going to get the better of him and it did not. Here is the problem...Smart Champ = Boring fights highly probable.

Is Dana Stumped?. Dana has not met a problem that he has ever been afraid of confronting (and sometimes fixing) with his non PC mouth. Until now. Yes, I know he has said he was ashamed...didn't want to go to the press meeting...so on and so forth...however he seems to be unwilling to directly slam Silva. Simply saying "I don't know what's going on" and that Anderson "needs a challenge". Almost any other fighter would get full frontal Dana...Spider gets the PG version...on lithium and bong hits. Shit, this is a guy who told BJ to stop whining and get in the gym.

Does Silva Care? Dana knows that Silva is going to Boxing PPV valhalla with Rpy Jones Jr. after his UFC contract is over so he needs to cash in of his P4P gem now...RIGHT FUCKING NOW. Which brings the big question: Who does he fight next?

GSP? Maybe...certainly some day. Not if Alves beats GSP first....either way it's too far away.

Maia? No thanks...saw that movie before.

Bisbing? Henderson? Perhaps. But he will need to fight before the winner of that fight is known.

He needs a fighter that will FIGHT...a fighter not afraid to lose...a fighter like Chuck Liddell had Chuck not lost then retired...a fighter whose style spawned the nickname "The Axe Murderer". That is the only answer to the AS puzzle...Wanderlei Silva.

Either at 185 (War is declared??!!) or at 205 which would leave the door open for Maia to get his shot at the 185 belt. If Anderson wins the battle...he earns his fans respect back (and Danas) and no one could fault Wandy for losing to the best. Plus, if they did fight at 205 Wandy can still make a run at 185 after the fight...regardless of the outcome.

Write this down...print it out. That is the next fight that the UFC offer to the Spider. Don't agree? Tell me why it does not make sense.

It does make sense...you know it, I know it, everyone knows it. Including the Silva

Kenny Florian will be the next UFC LW Champ

BJ Penn is going down...the only question now is when?

As reported on MMAJUNKIE.COM: (excerpts)

As rumors continue to circulate regarding a UFC 101 main event between Penn and top contender Kenny Florian (11-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), the challenger said on the latest episode of ESPN.com's "MMA Live," he's still waiting to secure the deal.

"At the end of the day, I just want this fight to be signed," Florian said. "Let's get an event, let's get a date, and let's make it happen."

Florian, currently riding a six-fight win streak in the UFC, then clarified that nothing was finalized, but that he was hopeful for the bout.

"Hopefully it is true," Florian said. "Aug. 8, it's supposed to be in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center, which would be phenomenal for me. I'm from the East Coast."

Later in the episode Florian answered a viewer mail question which asked if the events of "Greasegate" made a third bout between Penn and UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (18-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) a marketable option for the organization.

Florian had a simple answer.

"I think the fans want to see Penn against Florian," Florian said.

I think Kenny is 100% correct.

No one really wants to see GSP beat up BJ...again. Only to have BJ think of some other excuse why he lost. BJ: Stick to 155. And while you're at it...beware of Kenny Florian. What happens when Kenny beats BJ? Is BJ going to insist that Kenny is an alien from outer space and that he cheated by channelling his alien laser beam when BJ was on his back.

There is no good reason for this fight not to happen and when it does there will be a new LW Champ.

Lyoto Machida, Cage Fighter with Elusive Tendancies

What would happen if Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida were to
fight himself?

Clearly there would be the potential for a very boring fight. It certainly would not have the pace of a Guida v Guida or a GSP v GSP.

Now, For the record, I love watching him fight and I think he will be a legitimate contender for years. I also like the fact that his base is Karate and that he DIDN'T wrestle in college. Having a diverse mix of top fighters is better for everyone and in that regard, Machida is a breath of fresh air.

He is perceived as a "boring" fighter by some fans...8 of his 14 fights have gone to the Judges scorecard. People like seeing fights finished...plain and simple. However, there is also a group that find his style intelligently elusive...a progression in the evolution of the Mixed Martial Artist.

A big part of Machidas game is waiting for his opponent to strike and then mounting his offense as a counter. In some cases, he just skips the counter strike part altogether...simply moving away from his opponent. As "elusive" as he is...he is also very deft in picking apart the holes in his opponents defense and has the ability to mount a devastating offense (Silva UFC 94, Ortiz UFC 84, Franklin 2003 Inoki Festival etc...) when given the opportunity.

Problem is...if both fighters have the same strategy and they are both waiting for a punch to be thrown from the other guy...that could a while for some action. Even when/if the punch is thrown...the "Other Machida" could simply move away and not counter.

Not exactly a crowd pleasing combination. With that said 2 of his last 3 fights have been finished...choking out Soko and knocking out Thiago Silva with a vicious, last second punch.

Styles make fights and that's why his last fight against Thiago Silva was such a great match up...Silva is a very aggressive striker facing someone who loves to react to strikes. His upcoming title fight against "Sugar" Rashad Evans has the same potential.

What will happen when he faces a fighter with a similar strategy? Who knows...that's one of the reasons why this sport is so amazing...a infinite number of possibilities and outcomes all while being very unpredictable.

A the end of the day, he is a great fighter who has not lost an MMA match while facing "A" grade competition.

It's hard to argue with that.

NSAC...as Spike Lee Says...Do the Right Thing

GSP is a better fighter than BJ Penn.

If they fought 100 times GSP would win 95 of those fights. He is bigger, stronger, quicker and has much better cardio. That fact is not sitting well with BJ "The Prodigy" Penn. So upset was BJ that he latched on to a lapse in judgment by GSPs corner and rode it all the way to a formal complaint.

While I will agree that there is some good that can come from this...Vaseline needs to be handled with more care...the fact that GSP would have won that fight regardless needs to rise above everything else.

Keith Kizer and the rest of the NSAC need to put a procedure in place to avoid this from happening again but they should not overturn the victory or fine or suspend GSP. To do so would validate the ego-centric rants of the king of all Sore Losers = BJ PENN.

GSP > BJ

Video Game Envy...

EA wants to play too...

As reported by kotaku.com

Electronic Arts has long been rumored to have eyes for a mixed martial arts title. IGN got to the EA Sports chief at a launch event and asked, obliquely, if that was so.

Phrasing the question as "which sport he'd like to see EA Sports tackle next," Moore said that, while they're "incredibly excited" about Fight Night, boxing is fading into the distance.

"Boxing, for me, sadly feels like it's the past of fighting and Mixed Martial Arts feels like it's the future of fighting. So when we look at where people's attention is going, that's something we keep a very close eye on."

THQ has the license for an Ultimate Fighting Championship game until 2011, but there are, conceivably, ways to go ahead with an MMA title without UFC branding, just like there are football games out there without NFL licensing. Whatever the case, Moore's comments were pretty direct that mixed martial arts will be part of his division's next big leap.

EA Sports Mixed Martial Arts Title in the Works? [IGN via GoNintendo]

First off...Moore is right. Boxing is a dying sport and MMA is the next evolutionary step of combat sports.

What's more....Zuffa has control over the fighters in Undisputed FOREVER...yes that forever...as in always. It's called perpetuity which is latin for "by the balls". If ANY company wants to make a UFC game with any of those fighters...Zuffa gets a piece. Like him or hate him, Dana White is not stupid. I still can't wait to play this game.

Run Forrest Run!

There is a lot riding on the upcoming THQ videogame...UFC undisputed. THQ has hit rocky times financially and the UFC have not entered the game market in almost a decade. This will either help to save THQ and help to continue Mr Whites dominance of the MMA landscape OR it will push a THQ into deeper waters and well...Zuffa will still be dominant.

One component...what fighter will grace the cover has been decided:

From IGN.com:

March 13, 2009 - THQ and Zuffa today announced that Forrest Griffin has been tapped to appear on the worldwide cover of UFC 2009 Undisputed. Griffin is a former light heavyweight champion after winning his UFC contract on Spike TV "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show in 2005.

Canada will see a special cover that will only be available to Canucks. It features Georges St-Pierre, a Quebec native. St-Pierre is currently the welterweight champion and was recently named Canada's Athlete of the Year for 2008.

By the looks of what is out there...I think both companies are all set...I can't wait to play this game and then have my 10 year old son beat me.

For more on the production of the game and its features go to THQ's official UFC Undispited web site

For the original IGN story, head over to IGN.com

Training...it's not just for fighters anymore

Once upon a time if you were hitting a punching bag or training in a gym with a punching bag...you were there for one purpose; To Fight.

Not anymore.

The South County Times online reports:

"We call it a fun boot camp," said Finney, owner of Finney's Kickboxing and Boxing, one of the premier training gyms in St. Louis. The gym specializes in teaching novices and professionals alike the fine art of boxing, kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

"Out of more than 300 of our members, only 10 percent are professional fighters and at least 40 percent are women," Finney said. "Most people don't want to fight, but they want to train like a fighter."

"What draws people here is the extensive cardio training they get, along with strengthening their core, while at the same time learning important techniques and timing of how to protect themselves," Finney said. "There is no other place in St. Louis you can go to get this kind of high-level instruction with a professional fighter as your trainer."

This is great for two reasons. Number 1: Less fat people...we have far too many in this great land of ours. Number 2: Better fighters...The more athletes (of all ages) that are exposed to the benefits of training as a fighter, the higher the likelihood that a few will choose that path.
Better athletes = better fighters. Better Fighters = Better Fights. Better Fights = More Fans. More Fans = Sustainable Growth.

We are witnessing the evolution of the sport. From Tank Abbott to GSP and beyond.

..Who will be the UFC Champs in two years?

Consider this; two years ago the champs were as follows:

HW: Timmy
LHW: Liddell
MW: Rich Franklin/Silva
WW: Matt Hughes/GSP
LW: Sean Sherk

Two years may seem like a long time but it goes by quick and a lot can change. It makes you think about which fighters have the desire, physical ability and training to end up on top in two years.

It's much more difficult than trying to predict who will win a certain fight that is already set as you need to place your opinion on the entire landscape of the sport...not just the UFC.

Who will the UFC sign over the next four years that may end up a Champ? What Current champ (if any) can hang on that long? What current member of TUF (if any) will hold a belt? the list of questions is long...the possibilities are endless as are the opinions.

Here are mine:

HW: Fedor
LHW: Machida
MW: Anderson Silva
WW: GSP
LW: Kenny Florian

I know that MW and WW seem like cop outs but I just don't see anyone beating GSP or Spider. Two years is 6-8 title defenses (maybe less with injuries) and I can't see any contenders that pose a serious threat to either. Oh yeah...I almost forgot...if you think that Anderson Silva will be retired in 2010 seek help. It will not happen.

Kenny is a long shot...I realize this. But he certainly has the desire...gets better each time he fights and has great trainers. Plus...he’s from Boston. Go Sox.

The UFC will eventually sign Fedor...it will happen, simple economics will prevail. When he does get signed...he will win the belt and keep it.

Call Machida what you will...boring, the ever popular "elusive" etc...but he is for real and if he gets the belt he is the type that could have a long, long run.

Once again...just my opinions.

What are yours?

The best fighter on the planet Earth