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

UFC 97 Redemption; The Greatest MMA Card of all time?

Silva goes for the record book while Shogun and Iceman seek relevancy.

While UFC 97 may not be the greatest card of all time on paper...I dig it's vibe. It makes me think of an Acorn. An evil, smelly Acorn. Yes, it smells. With 12 fights with top notch MMA talent, you are bound to get more than a few gems. Gems being great fights.

Prediction = Potential. 97 has the potential to be an amazing card. In fact, it has the potential to be the best MMA card of all time. There...I said it. In fact, the best so far is a better way to phrase that.

It could be the best MMA card up to this point. No Shit.

Some reasons why...

12 fights. No further explanation required.

No Brainer: It's really fun to watch Anderson fight. By just being on the card he makes it worth buying. Plus, after the Cote fight, he is looking to establish his rightful place...leaving no question that he is the best fighter on the planet. This is his reputation...his legacy. He takes this very seriously. Look for him to address any issues pertinent to that matter...by smashing Leites right in the face. On multiple occasions. Silva wins by convincingly brutal stoppage in Round 2.

Cheick Mate: If Mr. Congo can get past Antoni...he needs to be considered for a shot or a shot for a shot. Dana wants to go to France? Wrap your head around this: A Heavyweight Championship fight held in Paris. Dude. The UFC is a global brand and imagine the press from having the fight card in Paris...every star in Europe (plus some from the US) will be there. Cheick wins by ref stoppage in round 2....goes on to the HW Title before the year 2010 is over. Write the shit down.

TUF Love: Krzysztof Soszynski is totally psyched. He will grind out a decision over "All American"

Kool and the Kang: Dennis Kang is not as psyched as Krzysztof. For Dennis Kang...this is what some would call...A Money Fight. The people that would not call it a Money fight are fools. Kang is pissed...takes it out on Prof. X, wins via sub in the first round.

Say it ain't so: Two aging legends try to prove that they are both still relevant. For right now...they are. This is the lynch pin of the fight card. If these guys bring their "A" games this will be a sick card (see over the top statement above). Write it down. However, if this fight is a repeat of Shogun/Coleman someone is out of the UFC. Chuck takes this. TKO Round 3

WEC Light Heavyweight champion: Sink or Swim. Last time we saw Cantwell he was reminding us why some people hate this sport. "what's that you say? Oh, you say you broke it?" Asshole. Look for Cane to take this in round 3 via ref stoppage.

TUF love, Part 2; Return of the Love: I hope Eliot wins. I also hope for nightly motorboats. That does not happen. Annoying pretty boy via Sub in the 2nd round.

The Return of the Crow: So Much Promise. Running out of time...another "Money Fight". Textbook. Ed Herman really needs this fight as well. Loser may be out of the UFC. Sleeper pick for fight of the night. The Crow wins via Split Decision.

He Beat Anderson Silva: His fight may not be televised. Ryo "Piranha" Chonan will walk away with a W. Unanimous Decision.

Slug fest: This will be the best fight that is not broadcast on PPV. It's a Lock...you know what fight this is without me even saying the names.

and...a few more fights. However, those were not as intriguing and spawned zero words.

97 has the potential to be an amazing card. In fact, it has the potential to be the best MMA card of all time. There...I said it. In fact, the best so far is a better way to phrase that.

Then again, it may totally suck. I'll watch either way.

Tom Atencio and Affliction continue to make stupid moves

Strikeforce has learned to compete with the UFC and still maintain the Goliaths respect (at least in public and at least for the time being) Affliction failed "Not Pissing off Dana White 101"...in fact they skipped the class, burned the book and held a rally outside of the school.

As Fiveouncesofpain.com originally reported (excerpts):

Affliction Entertainment is currently engaged in preliminary discussions regarding the possibility of promoting its third-ever event on Saturday, July 11. Such a booking would put the promotion in direct competition with the UFC’s historic UFC 100 pay-per-view event.

Several fighters and managers have been approached by Affliction officials about the possibility of accepting restructured contracts in order to compete on the show.

Meetings are expected to take place within the next several weeks regarding a possible television partner for the proposed event. If enough fighters were willing to accept a reduced rate to compete on the show and if a deal with a suitable television partner could be reached, the door would then be open for Affliction to go head-to-head with UFC 100.

One source also indicated to us that the possible July event for Affliction could be the company’s last MMA show, with the popular lifestyle clothing label looking to “go out with a bang” by going up against UFC 100.

When contacted by FiveOuncesOfPain.com for comment, Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio said he could neither confirm or deny our report.

Great Idea...grab all your talent and have them burn the UFC bridge while...earning less money? If any fighter agrees to that then it's their own fault.

Granted...the UFC is the worst offender of counter programming. However, that does not make it wise to return the favor out of spite to "go out with a bang".

At some point in the future, I hope that the Affliction business plan is reviewed at a University somewhere in the course "How not to compete with the UFC"

Stick to making t-shirts Tom

Bill Goldberg is the worst MMA announcer ever

After catching a rerun of Elite XC (Lawler v. Rua) it is clear to me that Bill Goldberg did some major damage to the retarded beast that was ProElite V1.0. More to the larger issue and undeniable fact: Goldberg is (was?) the worst MMA announcer ever.

Way worse than Tito. At least with Titos incompetence as an announcer there is also some humor...I mean there is some entertainment value attached to his gems of wisdom.As well documented by Cagepotato.com:

"Well, like I said, you show your hand-speed time and time again Vitor, 185 pounds, lady and gentlemen, let's give Vitor Belfort a round of applause, an awesome 105 pounder, you just beat the number two guy in the world, buddy, you're on top of the world tonight!"

"Wow! That’s all I got to say. Vitor at 185 pounds. I don’t know. I see him beating the, uh, what was it, Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart because you have two great boxers, and, man, that was amazing. That was the old Vitor Belfort that we all want to see. Him at 131 years old. He’s back for vengeance."

I mean...that s*** is funny in a very Michael Scott sort of way.

But with Goldberg...there is just...agony. There is nothing funny about inappropriate yelling, forced camaraderie and uncomfortable lack of MMA knowledge. It's the trifecta of annoyance...nothing funny about it.

Keep him away from the Mike that is near the cage and no one gets annoyed.

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.

Welcome to the UFC Mr. Condit

Ricardo Almeida and a few recent TUF grads including the venerable Junie "please think I'm crazy" Browning. PLUS the kick off of the lastest TUF season...USA vs. UK. All of this for the low price of nothing...totally free.

Sign me up.

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

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.

Jason Guida is OK with Being a Can

As reported by MMAJUNKIE.COM

With Ken Shamrock's recent suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for a failed drug test, the hybrid boxing/MMA event "March Badness" was left with a hole in the evening's MMA main event.

According to a new report from VERSUS.com, that void has been filled by former "TUF" cast member Jason Guida (17-19), who will now take on Bobby Lashley (1-0).

How embarrassing.

The worlds most dangerous man gets clipped for the juice and they plug in...Jason Guida. Granted Bobby Lashley is unproven but he can't be happy about this. Instead of the UFC hall of fame variety Can to beat on (Ken Shamrock)...he gets the underachieving brother who can't make weight for the ultimate fighter (Jason "I'll never be as good as my brother" Guida).

If MMA can make it through this...it's not going anywhere.

Beware the Crane Kick

would Daniel LaRusso contend for a MMA belt?


In all reality...the answer is no. However, let's forget about reality and take a walk down Miyagi lane.


Can't you see The Karate Kid making an entrance at a WEC show...cheesy 80s music blasting as he is followed in by The Wise Old Asian and his privileged blond girlfriend...maybe even his Mom and Hispanic buddy would make the walk as well....Daniel, all the while, with that fake look of innocent bewilderment that says "I wish I was back in Jersey..."


Maybe instead of just one opponent...he could fight the entire Cobra Kai dojo (where incidentally...there is no pain...SENSAI!). They would all walk in together, brimming with overconfidence, jacked up on No Dose, itching to sweep his left knee all while the soundtrack to the "Lost Boys" plays at full blast.


In real life, he would need to work on his takedown defense but real life can be such a drag. I much prefer to picture him alluding punches and kicks ala Machida and then catching some serious air when Crane Kicking each and every member of the Kais into Movie Style Unconsciousness.

You ARE the best around...nothings going to EVER keep you down.

Upon winning the match (matches?) he would be mobbed by his wholesome if unintimidating entourage and then it's off to the "Golf n Stuff" for a date or maybe the beach for the obligatory bon fire where he would be unceremoniously attacked by his rivals on low grade mini bikes...

And just like every good 80s movie...wait for the sequel where he will take a small pack of ferrets in a strange combat club in Taiwan.

Worse movies have been made...wax on.

Why I care, the Final Chapter

I have discovered and am now a completely devoted fan of a sport that consistently delivers everything that is primal about enjoying sports. Clarity of a victor…physical struggle, skill, hard work, rivalry, honesty…purity. Emotion. It makes me care and I’m down with that.

It makes me care like I care about the Red Sox, no Joke. This coming from a Life long fan that has been to 19 of the last 20 opening days (only missing one when my son was born). With the Sox, as a fan, I have been crushed and elated and pissed and proud and crushed. Make no mistake…it’s all good. You need to feel the “Crushed” or it is impossible to feel the “Elated”.

Imagine taking all the sporting contests in the world and shooting them all through the type of filter that they use to get salt out of ocean water (a very strong one) and after all the excess crap was filtered out what you had left was the purest elements of sport on the planet.

I have seen the product of such a process and it is Mixed Martial Arts.

and THAT is why I care.

Why I care Part IV

At the core of every sporting event is emotion.

The avalanche of this reality has had me subconsciously seeking a higher purity of sporting competition. I was on a quest for that elusive raw emotion that has been delivered so many times in the past yet can’t be forced into appearing on demand.

It’s the reason why we love rivalries…because they are highly effectively at conjuring up the potent, brilliantly raw emotion of sport.
Red Sox / Yankees is one of the best examples…every game gets better because the story-line continues to grow.

More blatantly…rivalries are so prolific in this arena because they are the result of mixing competition with history.

Why do I care Part III

Think of your favorite sports team…any sport.

Ok, good. So, think about a time when that team wasn’t playing well.
Examples: The New York Yankees in the 80’s, The Oakland Raiders the last 5 years, The 76 Tampa Bay Bucs…you get the idea.

Can you feel it? It’s so bad that you want to avoid Sports Center as to avoid any coverage of their poor play. Well…you would probably still watch it but you would turn away at the first mention of your ailing club.

The Embarrassment, Empty blackness, Thick Morose, complete and utter hopelessness…that may be a bit overboard.

Amazingly, most can remember having that feeling at some point…Now think of a time where that same team lost an extremely important game…maybe even after they were winning.

Ok, hold that feeling. Good.

The pain, it gets sharper…it lingers. Truly heartbreaking. Depressing. All true sports fans know of the pain of which I speak.

Now think of a time where your team was on top of the world. i.e. The 2004 Boston Red Sox, The Jordan era Chicago Bulls and The New England Patriots since 2000. Feels good, no?

Why do I care. Part II

Relatively speaking, this Sport is as Pure as it gets if you are looking for competition. In the age of Baseball Steroids, NFL convicts and NBA brats...MMA (in it's current form) is a true contest that taps into the core of every Mammal walking erect with opposable thumbs.

One on One. Are you confident in your own ability to engage with and subdue another human? There is no place to hide. There are no teammates to take the blame. You must stand alone and you must compete.

If there is an absence of purity...you may be entertained but you will not be moved with emotion. RE: Harlem Globetrotters. No emotion = No one really cares. That's what most guys on the couch with a beer really hate to admit, the reason why they love sports is because it's emotional.

Why do I care. Part I

For the cognizant portion of my 38 years on this planet...I have been a huge sports fan. More specifically; a fan of competition. I can watch and enjoy any sport at any level, as long as the competition is real. However, over the past 5 years my passion for watching and analyzing MMA has been unparalleled and unrivaled. I am an absolute 100% fight freak.

Why? Why do I care so much? Why do I, a Vice President of a Marketing company with a wife and 2 kids, endlessly surf the web for the latest news on MMA...even if it's that a 3rd rate fighter in a lower rung organization has a hang-nail...I need to know. Why? The answer is simple: Purity of competition.

The most important question for all of MMA LAND...

...is can the growth trend continue?” I can tell you right now that I do not know the answer. However, I know that if the answer is yes then MMA will eventually be one of the most popular sports in the world. “Socceresque”, global popularity.

However, if the fan base does not continue to grow the sport will eventually end up the very same way it started; an underground cult.

For anyone who is thinking of that scenario as a good thing, you are sorely mistaken and foolish.

If the new fans simply dry up it would start a chain reaction of economies that would result in a sad shell of a formerly great and promising sport. As fast as this sport soared in popularity…it could decline twice as fast.

In the immortal words of Christopher Cross circa 1981 “I know it’s crazy, but it’s true”. The quality of MMA as a sport has a direct correlation with the quality of athletes. This should not be surprising to anyone as that equation would hold true in any sport. The point is that the best athletes are (at least in part) fighting for the money.

You can try and kid yourself that there are fighters that “don’t do it for the money” that notion is truly false. Name one that would continue to fight…long term…for free. It simply could not happen…life is not free. Therefore the higher the prize the better the athlete. George St. Pierre is a perfect example of a guy who could have played any sport and played it well…an unreal athlete…and has chosen to fight.

No new fans = No new deals with Sponsors
No new deals with Sponsors =

Without continued fan growth, MMAs