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Thursday, September 27, 2007

Sylvia-Vera Serves As Tantalizing Precursor To Main Event

For as much hype as is swirling around Silva-Franklin (as well there should be), there is equally little being dedicated to the next most important fight on the card, Sylvia-Vera. Sylvia is still reeling from his loss to Couture while Vera is undefeated and on the fast track to a title shot. With Cro Cop's loss and Nogueira's less than stellar performance (and even worse promoting), this looks to be the bout which will feed the fans their new #1 contender. Of course, nothing has been announced (expect that at the post-conference), but I can't imagine anything else happening.

If Sylvia wins (which he isn't "supposed" to, just like Jardine and Forrest weren't "supposed" to), the fans will have to deal with Couture-Sylvia II. If Sylvia were to pull that off, it would be just about the worst thing that could happen to the UFC's Heavyweight division. Right now, Dana White only has two marketable champs, and he doesn't need that knocked down to two. In fact, I would be comfortable arguing that if Sylvia manages to beat Couture, not only will Cro Cop get a title shot, Fedor will be signed. White won't have a choice.

If Vera wins, we'll have an awesome showdown between young and old, and no matter who wins, fans should expect to see a rematch. White and the UFC have been waiting to get Vera involved in the title picture for some time now, and he'll offer a fresh face to combat the disappointments of CC and Big Nog. Look for White to build Vera into his Golden Boy, pitting him against the PRIDE HWs.

Although Silva-Franklin should be really fun, make sure to keep an eye on this bout too. It might just steal the fight of the night away from the Middleweights, and provides insight into a far more interesting and deep division.

Monday, September 24, 2007

UFC 76 Provides Further Shake Up For LHWs

UFC 76 was a wild night of big upsets, big names, and big breakouts.

Big Upset: Keith Jardine over Chuck Liddell. This was supposed to be the Chuck's two wins en route to a LHW title shot. Instead, he was beaten by split (albeit uncontroversial) decision. No Bisping-Hamill screams here, The Iceman just got beat. Where does he go from here? After spending years beating up on UFC alums, he's had a real problem with PRIDE guys and younger fighters. Maybe a match up with Shogun? Who knows...it's tough to sell a Liddell fight these days. (Never thought I'd say that one).

Big Upset: Forrest Griffin over Shogun Rua. And THIS was supposed to be Rua's tune up so White could justify sending him over to Rampage for a title shot. Now what does White do? Hendo just lost; he can't justify Liddell, Wanderlei, or Rua. Major credit needs to go to Forrest here, he didn't just catch Shogun or get lucky. He soundly beat the 23 year old prodigy.

Big Name: Wanderlei Silva was in attendance, on hand to challenge Liddell once he beat Jardine. Talk about a change of plans. Instead, Wandy went home and challenged Forrest to a fight in order to avenge the loss of his good friend, Shogun. Now, that would be a fight.

Big Breakout: Jon Fitch. Fitch withstood all Diego Sanchez had to offer and won a split decision. He's starting to take down bigger and bigger names and he'll be rewarded soon. Look for him to be third in line for a WW title shot (GSP, Parisyan, Fitch).

Big Breakout: Lyoto Machida. The man who holds wins over BJ Penn and Rich Franklin, Machida spent last night dominating Nakamura (no slouch of an opponent). Considering the recent drop off of, well, everyone in the LHW, he might in line for a title shot soon. He also trains with Anderson Silva over at the Black House camp, so you know the man can fight.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

UFC 76 Results

UFC 76 results are in, and it was a WILD night in California.

Keith Jardine defeats Chuck Liddell via split decision

Forrest Griffin defeats Mauricio “Shogun” Rua via submission (rear naked choke) in round three

Jon Fitch defeats Diego Sanchez via split decision

Ryoto Machida defeats Kazuhiro Nakamura via unanimous decision

Tyson Griffin defeats Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision

Rich Clementi defeats Anthony Johnson via submission (rear naked choke) in round two

Jeremy Stephens defeats Diego Saraiva via unanimous decision

Christian Wellisch defeats Scott Junk via submission (heel hook) in round one

Matt Wiman defeats Michihiro Omigawa via unanimous decision

More coverage to come tomorrow!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Ultimate Fight Night 11 Results


  • Kenny Florian def. Din Thomas via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 1, 4:31
  • Chris Leben def. Terry Martin via KO (punch) — Round 3, 3:56
  • Nate Diaz def. Junior Assuncao via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 4:10
  • Nate Quarry def. Pete Sell via TKO (punch) — Round 3, 0:44
  • Luke Cummo def. Edilberto Crocota via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 1:45
  • Cole Miller def. Leonard Garcia via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Gray Maynard def. Joe Veres via KO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:09
  • Thiago Alves def. Kuniyoshi Hironaka via submission (verbal/strikes) — Round 2, 4:04
  • Dustin Hazelett def. Jonathan Goulet via submission (armbar) — Round 1, 1:14

Monday, September 17, 2007

EliteXC Heads Towards Top

After putting on an extremely successful partnership event with Strikeforce last month (Baroni v. Shamrock), EliteXC once again showed it deserves to hang with the big boys last week. UFC ex-patriots Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz combined along with fighters such as Ninja Rua and Gina Carano (the sport's most popular female fighter) to put on a show which was recognized as having superior matchmaking and an excellent production value.

And with PRIDE's buyout, the IFL offering a very different form of MMA, and WEC being technically owned by Zuffa, it's easy to see why many herald EliteXC as the only real competition. The praise is well deserved, considering that their fighters rival the WEC and they've landed an exclusive deal with SHOWTIME, which seems to not have enough programming to fill their slots. The result? EliteXC on SHOWTIME at least once a day.

While it's still way too early to tell, if EliteXC can keep signing fighters (Sokoudjou, anyone?) and marketing the package properly (as an alternative to expensive, overhyped UFC programming), they should be able to effectively develop their niche in the world of MMA.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Bisping Wants Hamill Rematch

Not content to let the scorned Hamill request first, Michael Bisping has jumped the gun and asked for the rematch on his own. He cited constant critiques from the media as his reason to attempt to settle the controversy. He spoke to The Sun, and said this:

"I’m getting so much shit. I got the decision, I went through the fight and I got the win – it’s not like I went out there and got knocked out in 30 seconds. I think people need to realize that. It was a good, exciting fight and I think people are focusing on the negatives and not looking at the positives."

Bisping admitted that Hamill was improved but also noted that he doesn't need any controversy surrounding his wins. He wants them to be unanimous and definitive. And so now it will be up to Hamill, the man who said Bisping's punches didn't connect during the famed second round, to either accept and make this a certainty or wait for Dana White to declare it on his own.

It will be interesting to see whether or not this rematch takes place in Bisping's home country of England. Many cited a home field advantage for the Brit and suggested that the location played into the judge's decision. Additionally, the UFC has been using Bisping as their star in a campaign to win support in Europe. To have him lose there could be disastrous to their plans. On the flip side, if they let Bisping fight Hamill in England and he happens to win by decision, the credibility of the UFC could be challenged. White is far better off putting his Euro tour on hold just to have this in a neutral U.S. locale.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Is The Ultimate Fighter Good For The Sport?

Stroll into just about any Sherdog forum, wait for a white belt to say something stupid, and then watch as the rest of the posters blast him with chants of "TUF NOOB." The logic behind this pedantic insult is that the white belt (a relatively new writer) has only been watching since the UFC went mainstream (The Ultimate Finale 1). Is it such a bad thing to have recently jumped on the bandwagon? After all, no sport can maintain its popularity without some semblance of turnover among its fans. In the eyes of veteran Sherdoggers, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) reality series has done nothing for the sport except cheapen it and make it accessible to legions of idiots.

I disagree, and I actually think that TUF has done more for the sport than almost anything else. I'd rank it right up there with the PRIDE buyout, showing live events on SpikeTV, and the UFC 40 fight between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. The cable television finale of the first season did a 1.9 share (HUGE) and brought us what is considered to be one of the most exciting UFC events of all time (Griffin-Bonnar). They picked a great time to put on that kind of show, as the UFC probably picked up more new fans that night than in any previous night in its existence.

The second and third seasons brought us some young guns such as Bisping and Rashad Evans, both of which have managed to make controversial waves during their thus-far short careers. Recently-embarrassed contenders Kendall Grove and Keith Jardine came from these two seasons as well. Okay, so we have big fights, big ratings, and big names...but no champions.

That's until season 4, which was designed to give a number of UFC vets who had never won a title shot the opportunity to fight a champion. Travis Lutter won among the middleweights and was expertly submitted (big surprise) by Anderson Silva. The Welterweight winner, Matt Serra, got a shot at Georges St. Pierre, and he's still champion.

We're yet to see Diaz or Lauzon (TUF 5 guys) make a huge splash, but I wouldn't bet against them. My point is that while The Ultimate Fighter has brought us some less than knowledgeable fans, it's okay because we were all that ignorant at one point or another. Some of the most renowned experts had Sylvia over Couture, so it's tough to ever say that someone doesn't know what they're talking about. Whether or not you agree with that, you can't deny that The Ultimate Fighter has brought us some talented fighters, many exciting fights, and even one of our current champions.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Which Schools Dominate The UFC?

As with any sport, the way to win has developed over time. In baseball, good pitching used to rule the day whereas now, teams rely on sluggers to pound the ball to victory. In basketball, quick passes and good defense used to win championships. Now, deadly shooting and high-flying moves do the trick. The same goes for a sport like Mixed Martial Arts. I've defined the sport into three main categories during its short history, with a different school of fighting dominating the game, eventually ending at the hybridized style we see from almost every fighter today.

It doesn't take an expert to figure out that Gracie Jiu Jitsu (a slight variation on classic Jiu Jitsu), as utilized by Royce Gracie, was the single most imposing force in early UFC. This style, based on joint locks and body control, was perfect for smaller fighters facing much larger and stronger opponents. Royce highlighted the style's strengths during a fight with Dan Severn, in which he submitted the man 70 pounds his heavier. And oh yeah, between 1993 and 1994, Gracie won 11 fights by submission and won the UFC 1, UFC 2, and UFC 4 tournaments. Most of these were against strictly boxers or strictly wrestlers, and Gracie's grappling technique proved to be superior.

Gracie's grappling, with a slight twist, ruled the Middle Ages of the UFC, manifested in Miletich Fighting Systems. Founded by former Light/Welterweight Pat Miletich, MFS incorporates BJJ (thanks, Gracie family), Sambo, Judo, and Boxing for a more improved Mixed Maertial Artist who is dangerous on his feet and the ground. We saw a changing of the guard at UFC 60 as MFSer Matt Hughes was able to take down Royce Gracie and then debilitate him with a BJJ move. It was beautiful in its irony, and signified that Royce's prowess on the ground was no longer enough to win a fight. MFS fighters, including Hughes (former Welterweight champ), Rich Franklin (former Middleweight champ), and Tim Sylvia (former Heavyweight champ) helped to make this fighting system (the first true hybrid) and extremely successful one until very recently.

Look closely at the previous paragraph and you'll notice that all the MFS guys are FORMER champs. What happened? Fighters like Rampage Jackson, Georges St. Pierre, and Chuck Liddell have become so adept at forcing other fighters to fight their fight that they don't need to hybridize. Of course, GSP is dangerous anywhere, but he can also control a fight to the point where if he wants it to go to the ground, that's where it goes. If he wants to stand up, take a guess where the fight is going to end... Liddell has perfected his sprawl to the point where he never goes down. His fights always stay on the feet which serve him well until...he comes upon a another guy who doesn't want to go to the ground, and is an even more dangerous striker. I used to say that the new UFC fighter is a perfectly balanced and hybridized figher who can adapt to any situation or opponent. I'd like to correct that statement. The NEW UFC fighter is the one who is a master at his craft and can make everyone else try to match his style. See: Sean Sherk, Matt Serra, Anderson Silva, Rampage Jackson, Randy Couture. They all have something in common and it's not the fact that they're champions.

Monday, September 10, 2007

UFC 75 Results

So maybe it wasn't the explosive card most expected, but it provided enough big hits, big submissions, and controversy to classify it as a quality event.

Houston Alexander vs. Alessio Sakara
Alexander continued his post-Jardine KO rise to the top with another dominating performance, this time over more-than-competent Sakara. He should start to get some legitimate contenders in his sights if he continues this run.

Marcus Davis vs. Paul Taylor

I'm going to go ahead and call this the most exciting fight of the night. The Irish Hand Grenade (Davis) took an early lead only to barely get knocked out later in the first round. He fought hard from the Brits guard, eventually ceasing the pounding and ending the fight with what later won "Submission of the night."

Cheick Kongo vs. Mirko Filipovic
Kongo flat out dominated Cro Cop in this three round decision. When striking, Kongo didn't let himself get in CC's range while delivering inside leg kick after inside leg kick. On the ground, where Kongo was supposed to be most suspect, he seemed in control, even though CC had put in weeks with guru Dean Lister. Kongo looked like the former Champion while CC looked confused, nervous, and overwhelmed.

Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill
Although this fight has garnered much controversy, it wasn't as close as some media outlets make it sound. Each fighter had his moments during the fight in a see saw battle that had Bisping ending strong. Personally, I had the fight 29-28 Hamill. No one agreed with me, as two judges put it 29-28 Bisping and one had 30-27 Hamill. I'd expect to see a rematch.

Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson
In the most anticipated bout of the evening, Jackson and Henderson exchanged some flurries but generally remained limited in their exertion. Jackson did win definitively, but it wasn't a bad loss for Henderson, at it was his first trip inside The Octagon. With Liddell and Hendo out of the way, Jackson can now set his sights on Shogun and Wanderlei, two guys who absolutely destroyed him in PRIDE.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Martial Arts School Finder Version 2 [BETA] has Arrived!



















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Thursday, September 6, 2007

UFC Fight Night 11 Features Best Of TUFers

Despite the appearances of Chris Leben and Nate Quarry, two of the most disappointing TUF alums, UFC Fight Night 11 is shaping up to be a decent card with four other (physically competent) TUFers.

Kenny Florian, TUF 1 finalist and participant in an awesome bloodbath with current LW Champ Sean Sherk, will take on Din Thomas in the main event of the evening. This should be a great fight, with both guys looking for one last push in their respective careers. Both are good fighters and both have suffered some big losses in the UFC. Recently, they've been exhibiting winning ways and they'll collide on their way back to the top in a very uncertain LW division. It's anyones for the taking and these two guys are well aware of that fact.

The TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz will face his first real test in Brazilian Junior Assuncao. Even though his Gamburyan win was less than impressive, Diaz was without a doubt the most technically impressive fighter on the series. After all, his brother is Gogoplata-master Nick Diaz...what would you expect? He'll get a chance to validate his status in the UFC with a tough test here.

Two other TUF5ers, Gray Maynard and Cole Miller, both of whom displayed great promise during the series will battle at UFC FN 11, just not against each other. In an attempt to give the younger talent a push, Maynard will go to battle against unknown Joe Veres while Cole will lay the smack down on Leonard Garcia.

The TUF alums that separate themselves from the very large pack (possibly doing so at this very event) will set themselves up for some bigger fights and potential title shots in the future. After all, it was current Middleweight Champ Anderson Silva who embarrassed Chris Leben at Ultimate Fight Night 5. What may seem like a small event in between PPVs might very well be a coming out party for the next UFC Champ.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Fedor Meeting Goes Poorly

A UFC source who spoke to FIGHT! Magazine contributor Sam Caplan said that the big Thursday meeting with Fedor did not go well. According to UFC Junkie, there were a variety of sources that said a deal was tentative:
A variety of reports today stated...that a tentative deal worth about $2 million per fight had been reached. However, Caplan reports that his source gave no indication that a deal was imminent.
Caplan's report, along with the little that Dana White admitted to knowing, culminate in a less than favorite report regarding the possibility of having Fedor in the company anytime soon. This is despite the fact that White acknowledged Fedor would receive an immediate title shot if he signed:
During Thursday’s UFC 75 media conference call, UFC President Dana White said that if Emelianenko signs with the organization, he could be next in line for a title shot with current champ Randy Couture. White, though, gave no indication that a deal was close, and even joked that the conference call members should “put in a good word” for him.
"Could be" in Dana White language usually means "is definite" and there are few things in mixed martial arts less definite than the deservedness of Fedor Emelianenko, a man who has beat the two fighters that can lay claim to a shot at Fedor's belt (Nogueira, Cro Cop). Couture-Fedor would probably draw one of the largest buy rates in the history of the sport and would be yet another boost for the unfazeable progress of mixed martial arts.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Finding the Right MMA Training Schools

One never just starts competing in MMA out of the blue. Typically, a fighter will train several years before he ever steps into the MMA ring.

The most important aspect of starting out in MMA is locating the right place to train. First, conduct a web search and or look in the yellow pages for MMA schools in the area. If you can't find that, search for quality Brazilian jiu-jitsu schools or Muay Thai schools. You can learn some very good fighting skills to start out with. Even a season of wrestling can get you in shape and provide some critical combat experience.

If you are very serious about training in MMA, you may have to join a few different schools like myself to get the complete range of skills you need to compete. I currently train at one school for BJJ, another for Muay Thai, and another for boxing. It is up to me and my trainers to put the skills all together for MMA. At these different schools you will meet other people with various backgrounds in striking and wrestling. Seek out their advice and utilize them as training partners.

When you find a place, make sure the instructor is reputable and knowledgeable about MMA. Ask for their credentials and review their background. Also, speak and train with their students.

Right now, the MMA, BJJ or Muay Thai community is small enough so that an instructor's lineage can always be verified. If after conducting your research, you are still unsure about your potential instructor's credentials, ask for their instructor's information.

Get on the Internet and ask questions in forums found on MMA.tv. sherdog.com or www.jiujitsugear.com/forum/index.php. They can be very helpful in finding the right school or providing you other relevant information.

You want to join a MMA school that teaches you how to effectively fight from all ranges of combat. That means you will need to know how to proficiently strike, wrestle and grapple on the ground. Also, you must learn the rules of the event you are competing in.

Since getting beat is all part of the training process, a fertile learning environment where people are willing to help improve your overall skills and answer your questions is strongly recommended.

Championship belts or trophies are not a reliable indicator of whether the school is good or not. Great champions and great teachers can be two different things. It has been in my experience that schools with "tough guy" attitudes or the traditional martial arts schools who do not train for real MMA fights, are places where relevant skills are lacking. Those with big egos or people who teach old school and impractical self-defense techniques are often kidding themselves into thinking they know how to fight.

You want to be around fighters who have been in the ring and know what it is like to compete against another skilled MMA fighter. Don't be fooled by wild claims of death touches and ranks. Today's MMA champions are not concerned with black belts or ranking in martial arts systems. They are focused on earning championship belts and sport rankings.

Safety and training smart is a prime consideration when practicing techniques or sparring. Your training sessions, especially your sparring sessions should always be monitored - so nobody gets out of control or gets out of hand. Knowing how to train is just as important as learning the techniques.

Drilling is an important component of training sessions. Practicing the basics and fundamentals can be boring, but this makes the difference between good fighters and great ones. The great ones execute all the little thing perfect where the good ones just become a jack of all trades and masters of nothing. It is imperative that you carry out proper technique without having to do it at full speed or muscle your way through the technique for it to work. Nobody should get injured during drilling techniques. Listen to your instructor and know when it is time to tap out. Learn how to fall properly to avoid injuries.

Being a tough guy when it comes to resisting a move will only get you to the hospital or will take you out of training. It is also important that you let your opponent do the move on you with resistance, so both you and your partner benefit. Later, you will have your time to spar with full resistance. It is ok to tap when sparring and you should certainly tap when drilling submissions. Watch the more advanced students to see how they train and ask them for advice.

When sparring, you and your partner should be under control. You should be aware of your breathe, conscious of your surroundings and not be moving wildly or carelessly. Grunting, flailing arms or legs or employing "cheap" moves like twisting fingers or other small joints, pinching, biting, striking the groin, hard strikes, holding on to submissions or putting on submissions carelessly have no place in training sessions. As a result, you will most likely get kicked out of the school or can make you a target for retaliation.

Your training goal is to always be technical and under control when sparring. This will make you a better fighter and more aware competitor when it comes to the real thing. If you have a problem with a fellow student, be sure to talk to them about it. If that does not work, ask the advice of one of the senior students or instructors.

Author:
Kenny Florian

Republished with permission from
Kenny Florian. Please visit Kenny Florian's web site at http://www.kennyflorian.com