The Most Ironic Man on the Planet

Legendary Russian mixed martial artist Fedor Emelianenko, dubbed "The Baddest Man on the Planet" by Western media, frankly isn't a good fit for the UFC. For all the growth in the MMA audience for which Dana White and Zuffa is responsible, the hyper-macho blood thirst cultivated by their marketing partners does as much to prevent its mainstream acceptance.

Fedor has little use for this characterization of what he thinks of ultimately as a sport and nothing more:

Aggression is not something generated by this or that sport; it's personalities that are aggressive. And it's a general rule everywhere, not only in sports, but in everyday life too. If people are used to being rude to each other, being hostile, they will be the same in their everyday life. This is why, of course, things do happen. Fighters often tend to forget they are primarily human beings. They're so carried away with the show, that they become engulfed by this inexplicable aggression, or a show of aggression which is meant to attract attention. I'm not a supporter of such things.

(link to interview)

Unburdened by delusions of omnipotence, Fedor quite naturally has lost very few fights. Still, it strikes me as ironic that the fighter most likely to win any given fight is the one who seems to place the least existential value on the fight's outcome.

UFC 123 Wrap-Up

After an extended dry spell, UFC 123 has compelled me to weigh in on some of the organization's top fighters and the state of MMA in general.

What Happened

The co-main event, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida vs. Quentin "Rampage" Jackson, predictably went the distance in a competitive if cautious fight featuring two former champions looking to rebound. Machida, an elusive and defensive fighter well-known for his confounding combination of sumo and karate, employed a more conservative strategy than usual against a fighter whom, in all fairness, he may not match up very well against. Machida's abrupt countering style - charging in head first - got him in big trouble in May when Brazilian chute box veteran Mauricio "Shogun" Rua saw it coming and timed a big overhand to knock out The Dragon in his first title defense. Jackson, arguably the division's stand-up fighter, had little trouble finding his range but played a smart fight and took the proper angles to land the occasional shot and keep Machida back-pedaling. Machida, meanwhile, showed flashes of brilliance with a 3rd-round flurry and big take-down, but it was too little, too late in the eyes of the judges, who awarded a split-decision victory to the more aggressive Jackson.

What I Think It Means

The fight game continues to evolve. Machida's defensive, unorthodox style confused enough fighters for enough fights to become the champion, but nonetheless proved too static to weather a single title defense against a fighter with a more dynamic approach to fighting. People have solved Machida's strategy; Shogun exposed his greatest weaknesses and exploited them - not once, but twice. Rampage Jackson, employing both patience and an advantage in the striking game, demonstrated once more that "fighting to win" trumps "fighting not to lose" every time. As dominant as George St. Pierre is at welterweight, the sport will inevitably evolve beyond his increasingly conservative, wrestling-oriented style of fighting.

What Else Happened

BJ Penn, whom Freddie Roach called the best boxer in MMA, finally did something with those dangerous hands of his and knocked out Matt Hughes at welterweight. What I assumed was a nostalgic retirement-party rubber match for the two former champions turned out instead to be a rebirth of "The Prodigy" Penn at 170lbs after being driven from the UFC's lightweight division by Frankie Edgar.

George "Who?" Sotiropoulos, a Greek Australian TUF alumnus, continues to make his case to the UFC's apparently deaf ears for a spot in 155-pound title contention. After a disappointing fluke knockout against the show's eventual runner-up, Sotiropoulos has been born again hard. Since TUF, Sotiropoulos has torn through the division like wet toilet paper, destroying Roman Mitichyan, George Roop, the hard-punching Jason Dent, Joe Stevenson, and Kurt Pellegrino to amass a 5-0 record entering Saturday's fight against the prodigious young Joe Lauzon. Lauzon, who criticized Sotiropoulos' style as "safe," opened the first round aggressively with some success landing shots before being controlled against the cage by Sotiropoulos. The second round really showed marked contrast in the two fighters' level of preparation, as Lauzon sucked wind while Sotiropoulos picked up speed and changed levels. Once the fight went to the ground, it was only a matter of time and the dangerous Sotiropoulos outworked Lauzon to secure a kimura arm lock and tap in round two.

What I Think It Means

Regarding Penn - who knows. BJ Penn is an odd cat, an eccentric guy. When his head is in it, he's arguably the most well-rounded fighter and skilled fighter on the planet. He entered the arena mumbling to himself and abruptly tried to flee the cage after knocking out Matt Hughes in 21 seconds. Penn is an enigma and will likely stay that way. Dana White has announced Penn will next face Jon Fitch at welterweight. Fitch, a taller 170-pounder, provides possibly the best example of what some fans call "lay-and-pray," a one-dimensional fighting style which relies on success take downs to secure the decision victory. White's decision could be viewed as retaliatory or punitive, as Fitch has repeatedly demanded a shot at the title while simultaneously refusing to face his training partner and fellow contender Josh Koscheck. Whatever his reasoning, if nothing else the stylistic match-up is an exciting one, as Penn's diverse and skilled game have proven to be an advantage against nearly all fighters. This is the fight the fans want to see; the division's most boring fighter vs. the division's most enigmatic, talented and arguably dangerous fighter.

Regarding Sotiropoulos - I don't even know where to start. This guy is just great...his pre- and post-fight interviews demonstrate maturity, respect for his opponents and his employer, and in general just a pretty balanced outlook on life in general. With his lanky old-man physique and knee braces, he's not much to look at, but it stands in perfect contrast to a fighting style defined by superior conditioning, diligent training and cast-iron determination. George Sotiropoulos does not have Frankie Edgar's speed or Gray Maynard's strength or Nate Diaz' confidence, but he apparently he doesn't need them. He wins by working harder AND smarter. Why the UFC has rewarded his efforts by matching him laterally against Dennis Siver, cut from the UFC in 2008 only to be re-signed last year - is a mystery. I don't think anyone, after watching Sotiropoulos submit Joe Lauzon, would have visualized Siver standing between Sotiropoulos and the lightweight title shot, but it's a moot point. It doesn't matter what I think, it matters what the UFC brass thinks, and the last person in the world who is going to complain about it is George Sotiropoulos. Look for big things from George in 2011.

Machida Calls For Do-Over Via Rashad Evans Rematch

The championship belt many thought karate revivalist Lyoto Machida would hang onto for a while is now the property of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, who looks to sit on it for a while as he undergoes another knee surgery.

Shogun's decisive victory over Machida laid to rest any questions about the former PRIDE legend's potential. Shogun shocked the world last year, literally kicking away Machida's former aura of invincibility. Robbed of the victory many felt he earned the first time, Rua walked into the Octagon this May resolved to

The unfortunate effect of Machida's devastating knockout loss is that the concussion seems to have either erased his memory or altered his judgement. Machida's management is apparently now interested in an "interim" title fight with Rashad Evans, the same fighter Machida knocked out to win the title originally. Evans, a solid contender and technically the first in line for a title shot at Shogun, has nonetheless turned in lackluster lay-and-pray wins in his last two outings against Thiago Silva and Rampage Evans.

The first problem with a Machida-Evans rematch is the notion that a newly-dethroned champion in any division can simply demand an instant shot at the title. Even George St. Pierre, whom most agree simply didn't show up to fight a disrespected Matt Serra, had to earn his dinner by manhandling Josh Koscheck and then destroying Matt Hughes before he earned a rematch with Serra. In fairness to a very competitive 205lb division, Machida needs to get in line and prove he can still swim in the deep end before he gets a shot at redemption.

The second problem with this rematch is that it denies Evans the fruit of his lay-and-pray efforts: a fight with Mauricio Rua. Rules are rules, and there's no rule that says a fighter can't rely heavily on wrestling ability to win fights. Evans, while not an exciting fighter lately, has earned his shot at Shogun's belt, and - Machida - the guy Shogun annihilated to become champion - is in no position to make this demand of Evans and the UFC's matchmakers.

The third problem is more subjective. Machida, in their first outing, matched very well against a tentative and jittery Evans, who got away from his bread-and-butter wrestling ability and tried to trade strikes with an accomplished competitive karate-man. Machida's camp probably like their chances against Evans, and see a rematch with him as an easy way to leap-frog over the rest of the division's contenders back to a title shot with Shogun.

In lobbying for a Shogun rubber match by way of Rashad Evans, Machida's camp is exercising the "Do over!" impulse some fighters demonstrate immediately after a devastating loss, eager to erase the moment from our collective consciousness with a spectacular Mulligan rematch. I haven't ever seen good things ever come of this phenomenon, as it demonstrates emotional binding or attachment. Fighters who tether themselves to an ideal - whether that is a stubborn and inflexible game plan, a refusal to retire, or a personal need to be described by others as the world's greatest - are attempting to secure outcomes of events beyond their control. That's reality.

I would personally like to see Machida rematch Thiago Silva, who has certainly earned his own shot at redemption, or perhaps a tune-up fight against Rampage Jackson. By having to earn his shot the old-fashioned way, like everyone else, Machida will demonstrate the character of a champion by acknowledging his fall and then quietly picking himself up again. I look forward to seeing that happen.

UFC 1 Lowlights and Highlights

I just watched YouTube footage of UFC 1, with former PKA champion kick boxer and movie star Bill "Superfoot" Wallace in the broadcast booth. Royce Gracie tapped out pro boxer Art Jimmerson, who looked a little out of his element being smothered by a Brazilian in a gi.

Wallace's botched introduction more than made up for it. Watch and enjoy as dinner makes a break for it at the 13-second mark:

UFC 113: Rua's Rock Beats Machida's Scissors

Former PRIDE legend Mauricio "Shogun" Rua seized the UFC light heavyweight title in stunning fashion Saturday night, bringing dramatic closure to months of debate and speculation.

Rua's title challenge last October gave the heretofore unbeaten Lyoto Machida his most competitive fight to date in the Octagon, a five-round war that left "The Dragon" battered and exhausted. With an unscathed Rua smiling in anticipation of having his hand raised in victory, Bruce Buffer instead announced Machida as the winner by unanimous decision to a chorus of boos.

Many fans, analysts, and fighters felt Rua's relentless pace, physical conditioning and barrage of devastating kicks did more to score him points, an opinion shared even by outspoken UFC head Dana White. White immediately called for a rematch, while Rua returned home, unscathed, to quietly formulate a plan to improve upon apparent perfection.

Rua returned to face Machida for the second time this past weekend, and brought with him an unwavering determination to decide the outcome of the fight without involving the judges. Both fighters clearly did their homework; Machida began timing Rua's leg kicks to set up a counter immediately and also took Rua down early in the fight, while Rua showed excellent scrambling in anticipation of a ground fight. The fight looked to be every bit as active and competitive as their first.

It was Rua, however, who won the high-stakes strategic gamble that has been described by MMA writer Darren Wong as "rock, paper and scissors." Machida, who after October's title defense was left with broken ribs, welts and deep bruising, wagered that Rua would again rely on the kicks he had so much success with in their first fight. It seems that Rua, on the other hand, anticipated this adjustment on the part of the Machida camp and instead used those expectations to set up his boxing. Rua gambled that Machida would be so focused on timing and countering his kicks that he'd leave himself vulnerable, and that is precisely what happened.

As Machida delivered his trademark straight left, Rua slipped the punch and came over the top with a hard overhand right on the side of Machida's head that buckled the champ's knees. Rua wasted no time and pounced, finishing the champ with four or five clean strikes from the full mount position before Yves Lavigne could step in to yank him off his motionless opponent.

After a slow start which included lackluster performances against Forrest Griffin and Mark Coleman, Mauricio Rua has been born again hard as the UFC's undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the world. The division's belt has changed hands five times in the past three years, but after Saturday night's dominating and aggressive performance by Shogun, I can't see him going anywhere for a while. Rua looks every bit the part of the best 205-lb fighter in the world.

Fedor's Most Dangerous Opponent: His Management

I'm saying it now: the enigmatic Russian heavyweight fighting legend known as Fedor Emelianenko is in danger of becoming irrelevant.

I will give Dana White his due credit. He saw two years ago an erratic pattern of questionable decision-making from Fedor's handlers, and after talks to acquire Fedor fell through, the UFC president angered fans all over the world when he referred to the PRIDE legend as "a farce."

It turns out Dana White was right. While the UFC's heavyweight picture becomes increasingly complicated due to the incredible depth and parity in the division, Strikeforce scrounges around to find reputable advertising partners to support broadcasts of "title" fights with any name fighter who will give sign a contract with them.

Get this. Strikeforce is talking about matching Fedor - ostensibly the world's #1 pound-for-pound fighter and top heavyweight - against Fabricio Werdum, an accomplished and competitive heavyweight who most recently ground out a split decision against Antonion "Bigfoot" Silva. Meanwhile, Emelianenko's most recent victim, Brett Rogers, is fighting a puffy Dutch powerlifter and K-1 kickboxer for the frickin' belt.

I don't get it. I may be only a fan of MMA, but this doesn't make any sense. Shouldn't the #1 heavyweight be facing the world's #2 heavyweight? Werdum, who was cut by the UFC after being stopped by hammer-fisted contender Junior Dos Santos, is a good fighter, but he isn't #2 by any stretch of the imagination. His presence in the MMA Weekly world heavyweight top-10 at all might be open to debate.

Brock Lesnar...Shane Carwin...Junior Dos Santos...Cain Velasquez. These fighters all have one thing in common: (A.) they've won against top-level talent, and (B.) done so convincingly. These fighters represent the only opponents worthy of fighting for the title of "greatest heavyweight on the planet."

Sigh...I've come to the conclusion that the opponent most likely to defeat Fedor is his management. Assuming they are responsible for his latest career decisions, they are the ones who are most likely to dethrone him as the world's top heavyweight and arguable top fighter in any weight class.

I may have considered myself Fedor's greatest fan, but I'm so completely disgusted with his management right now. It doesn't matter if he's not willfully dodging the UFC's menacing talent pool, because the net effect is the same. At the end of the day, the fans don't get to see the top guy fighting the top guys, and that sucks.

WEC 48: "No Way Jose" Aldo Chops Down Former Champ Faber

I just got finished watching Jose Aldo literally kick the crap out of Urijah Faber. As I watched this fight, it occurred to me that I might be watching the ascending curve of a Hubbert's Peak of leg kicks in MMA. Lately, more fights are being decided by leg kicks...Lyoto Machida, Manhoef vs. Lawler, Hughes vs. Renzo, and now Jose Aldo. It wasn't too long ago that Forrest Griffin, won a title by chopping down Rampage Jackson's lead leg with sickening Louisville Slugger leg kicks. Thiago Alves' stegosaurus-tail-whip looked like it was going to hobble Josh Koscheck.

I kind of expect to see two things happen now. First, more fighters will start to employ leg kicks. Second, this will drive the evolution of standup to something maybe more tentative or involving more footwork. Too many guys lose fights standing in place absorbing leg kicks on the lead leg. I don't know if they think they can sacrifice it for positioning, or if the leg is numb after the first few kicks, but if I were playing fighters against one another in a video game I'd be retreating out of their range. (Remember the arcade version of Capcom's Street Fighter? There was always some fucker who would win fight after fight doing the same stupid-but-devastatingly-effective move over and over and over again.)

Once people start to catch on and the fight game evolves, I expect to see a new and exciting striking game.

Renzo Gracie: Good Fighter, Great Speaker

Visiting Yahoo's MMA UFC section I saw a video clip of this UFC 112 publicity event. Prior to this I'd heard of Renzo Gracie, didn't know much about him aside from his underwhelming disqualification win over Frank Shamrock and his association with Matt Serra.

I was surprised to find Renzo's talk very entertaining; anyone can watch this video and learn something about how to make a concise point in an engaging fashion. The guy is a natural-born public speaker:

Good instruction is about communication, and if this is any indication Renzo is probably an outstanding teacher.

Post-UFC 111 Reflections on Shane Carwin and Dan Hardy

UFC 111 was entertaining but first let me air a couple grievances:

• My predictions about Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera show how much little I know about Jones' game. That kid has killer instinct. He also has a violent streak that I find disturbing; he makes graphically violent use of his elbows in a way that I think will probably influence a change in MMA rules.
• I watched UFC 111 standing up at Buffalo Wild Wings. The place was packed, we ordered wings and ate them standing up like poor grad students with no furniture. The service was terrible, too. How hard is it to nuke some mini-corn dogs? What can you do. People have endured greater hardships. :)

UFC 111: Dan is Hardy

Dan Hardy was GAME. The kid is tough, and even with absolutely no wrestling skills he's a excellent matchup for GSP. He went five rounds with the champ and took little visible damage (connective tissue notwithstanding.) He successfully escaped from what looked like deep armbar and kimura attempts by St. Pierre and ended the fight with a smile on his face. While we didn't get to see him land any real significant shots, he looked light on his feet and quick enough to get inside and out, easily matching GSP's quickness. If he gets some functional wrestling skills into his repertoire I wouldn't not be the least bit surprised to see a rematch. The division and the sport need more tough, respectful fighters like this and the fans will always tune in to see the guy who wants to end fights.

UFC 111: Another Smothertastic GSP Title Defense

I love GSP, he's well-rounded, polite, respectful, and just great for the sport. But he's become a little boring to watch lately. Fortunately, St. Pierre seems to be painfully aware of his frustrating inability to finish his last few opponents. Is he playing it safe? Probably not; there's nowhere to hide at the top of the division. Is he being conservative on the feet? Definitely. He knows that when two guys stand in front of one another and just throw haymakers, the first one to connect wins. That's not fighting, that's foolhardy.

Still, he's garnered some criticism for his reliance on wrestling, and is clearly upset at the perception that his reliance on his dominant wrestling is the "easy way out." Someone somewhere pointed Anderson Silva's snoozer against Thales "Crabman" Leites, and how Forrest Griffin paid the price for the criticism that followed. While St. Pierre demonstrated unequivocal dominance over his challenger, he was extremely critical of his own inability to finish the underdog Hardy.

I think George's next opponent should probably stock up on Band-Aids and Ibuprofen.

UFC 111: Shane Carwin Changes Middle Name to "F*cking"

Holy crap, Shane. This is reality; have we met? Seriously, we all knew Carwin was undefeated, we all knew his wins have all been first-round KO's, but did anyone see expect to see such explosive finishing power from a guy that size? Plenty of fighters know how to tie opponents up and wear them down in a clinch to eke out that "W" but rarely do we ever get to see such a devastatingly effective application of dirty boxing. Carwin didn't win because he's bigger or stronger; he won the fight because he's talented as a fighter. That work he did against the cage, getting wrist control and then delivering the uppercuts...it just defies description. I'm hesitant to keep rambling on because if this fight was any indication, there's more where that came from and we may see it in July. If there's a heavyweight opponent tailor-made for Brock Lesnar, it's Shane F*cking Carwin.

UFC 111: Frank Mir - Oh, The Humanity

Watching an unconscious Frank Mir, face down on the canvas, get pummeled by Shane Carwin was a horrific experience. After his brutal defeat by Lesnar, it warmed my heart to see Frank bounce back against Cheik Kongo. It's clear to me after this fight, however, that Mir will have to employ a very different strategy in order to be competitive against this new crop of heavyweight fighters. He may never match their strength or quickness, nor their killer instinct. What Frank has that other heavyweights lack is a world-class submissions game, and I can see him having success in the division with a renewed focus on grappling. Of course, what do I know? I've never set foot in the cage. As an avid fan, I just like Frank, and I'd like to see him win again. I wanted to see him win Saturday, but my guess is he'll be the first to say the better man won. I hope he bounces back with a string of wins before he retires a legend, hopefully to the broadcasting booth.

UFC on Versus: Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera - Predictions

UFC is airs a free event on the Versus network tomorrow (Sunday, March 21st.) Former up-and-comer Brandon "The Truth" Vera faces current up-and-comer Jon "Bones" Jones, a 205-lb non-title bout. Considering the popularity/notoriety of these two fighters, chances are probably good that the winner of this matchup is only another win away from being the top light-heavyweight contender.

Brandon Vera, God love him, is for some reason one fighter fans love to hate. He may have inherited this role from Tim Sylvia after being clinched to a decision by the former UFC heavyweight champion in a clinchy snoozer. Vera, an athletic fighter with a large but unimposing frame, never quite looked the part of a legitimate heavyweight and after his loss to Sylvia he dropped to 205lbs. Vera has looked fast at light-heavyweight but his more conservative style hasn't won him any fans nor many fights, as he's dropped two decisions to Couture and Jardine. Vera needs to turn on the charm; he's under-performing and he knows it.

Jon Jones, his opponent, is probably the more talented fighter but is rough around the edges. A decision victory over iron man Stephan Bonnar showed us a dazzling array of striking and grappling skills, but also showed us room for improvement when he ran out of gas in round three and spent the rest of the time dodging advances.

Here's how I give the respective advantages in this fight:

Talent: Jones

Skill: Tie

Aggression: Jones

Experience: Vera

Size: Vera

It's a split. If Vera plays a conservative fight again, his experience and cardio may let him grind out a close decision.

Either way, I can't see this fight being finished via submission or TKO. Both of these fighters are simply too conservative; I can't see this fight going to the ground, and I definitely don't see these two standing and trading.

In the card's other featured fight, Brazilian heavyweights Gabe Gonzaga and Junior Dos Santos face off to determine who hops in line as the next contender.

Gabriel Gonzaga is a well-rounded heavyweight who will go down in history as the Man Who Cro-Copped Cro Cop. He has a lot of experience facing top division talent, but his knockout loss last year to Shane Carwin - a fight he was hitherto doing well in - leave a lot questions.

Junior Dos Santos is a heavyweight who doesn't need to be well-rounded, because he is a punching machine. No other heavyweight has hands as fast and heavy as Dos Santos, who punished Cro Cop into semi-retirement, and then battered new signee Gilbert Yvel right back out of the organization. Dos Santos is more than like a Cyberdine Systems Model T-101 sent from the future to knock out Brock Lesnar.

Predictions: Vera by close decision, Dos Santos by knockout.

What I Learned from WEC 47

WEC 47 was bittersweet and poignant, suspenseful and anticlimactic.  I was reminded was reminded that styles are what make fights, and I learned that a perceived advantage means nothing when push comes to shove.

Fans of former bantamweight champion Miguel Torres were eager to see the lanky East Chicago brawler return to form and earn a shot at rematching the man who clobbered him senseless, Brian Bowles.  

Standing in the way, however, was up-and-comer Joseph Benavidez, a compact powerhouse who left no question that he'd done his homework.  Towering over his smaller opponent, Torres was expected to give Benavidez fits with his reach, but Benavidez had no trouble getting inside.  He easily danced away from most of Torres' wicked jabs, negating the former champion's 12" reach advantage, and scored easy takedowns with superior speed and quickness.  Benavidez' compact physicality seemed to make it difficult for Torres to mount any submission attempts from the bottom position, and spent most of the time on his back scrambling to his feet or trying to avoid damage, which eventually came in the form of an elbow.  Bloodied and overwhelmed, the emotional Torres charged Benavidez only to get caught in an iron choke, where he tapped out.

Hindsight being 20/20, it was a matchup that favored Benavidez.  Torres, a notoriously emotional fighter with a haphazard style that gets him banged up, was coming off not just a loss but a vicious first-round knockout.  Combined with his tendency to perhaps over-train, the emotional intangibles were against him.  Stylistically, we've never seen Torres do real well against quicker and more compact fighters with superior strength and wrestling.  His submission skills proved useless against an opponent who, for practical purposes, didn't have long enough arms to even arm bar.

In the main event, Brian Bowles faced challenger Dominic Cruz, a former featherweight undefeated at 135lbs.  Cruz' elusive but effective "monkey on meth" offense confused the audience, the camera operators, and most of all his opponent.  Bowles, who apparently broke his hand on the first punch, wasn't able to establish any rhythm against Cruz.  After not answering the bell for round 3, Cruz was given the TKO.  

An unsatisfying victory because of the injury, but that notwithstanding, Cruz' footwork, counter-punching and incredible timing combined with excellent wrestling were likely going to overwhelm Bowles anyway.  His game plan and execution were a lot to overcome, broken hand or not.

Cruz looks now to defend against Benavidez, whom he defeated via decision on his way to the belt.

The WEC is replete with sub-lightweight talent, and styles as a factor in the outcome of any given matchup seem to be amplified at these lighter weights.  Something about the speed, the power-to-weight ratios...I'm sure there's a calculus function that describes the relationship.  Anyway pretty exciting stuff to watch.

Let's hope Miguel gets back on track.  Anymore he may be at a distinct disadvantage at bantamweight, with his lanky physique and brawling style.  Cruz, Benavidez and Bowles have enough talent between them to keep Torres away from the 135-lb belt.