What Does Rampage's Arrest Mean For MMA?

Within hours of Rampage’s latest tragedy, the MMA world was abuzz, discussing the largest victim of all – itself. Once everyone knew that Rampage wasn’t hurt nor did he hurt anyone else, the discussion inevitably turned to the unwanted publicity’s effect on the sport. Chris Leben had been sentenced to 90 days in jail, but he’s what Evan Williams is to Jack Daniels. Leben drew a blog post here and there, but there was no media firestorm and non-MMA outlets weren’t covering the story. But this is (was) MMA biggest star, its biggest mouth, and its biggest champion. When the biggest mouth goes down for the count, you can expect to hear something.

The actual effect on Rampage will be little, if anything. Early reports had Dana White posting bail for ‘page, so you know he can’t be too mad. You can expect that Rampage will be downplayed as the legitimate star that he is while all of the legal stuff gets settled out, but when he’s cleared, expect to see his “troubles” included in the hype video for his next fight. In his absence, pending a win at UFC 88, you can plan to see Liddell like you saw him before he lost the belt to Rampage. On every billboard, on every magazine, and on every special. It’ll be like he never left. Forrest should also get a nice opportunity to continue his rise to stardom, and it should be easier without the immediate rematch.

Now, onto the real question: what does this do for MMA? Hopefully, not much. And since Rampage didn’t injure anyone, wasn’t drunk or high, and didn’t run once he stopped the car, it might be able to be parlayed into more of a misunderstanding. Without a doubt, there will be those who denounce MMA and its stars, suggesting that this is the kind of behavior the company promotes. However, I don’t expect that attitude to grab any sure foothold. Other stars like Liddell and Forrest will shine in Rampage’s absence, showing the true colors of the sport and its fighters. The key for the UFC, and really MMA in general, is to show that this was an isolated incident.

If Gary Shaw and other promoters use Rampage’s difficulties to help draw negative attention to the UFC, they will only be hurting themselves. For the majority of fans, the UFC is MMA, and if you can convince them that the UFC isn’t a good product due to its sometimes-criminal stars, then you’ll be pushing them away from the product entirely. Other promotions need the UFC to do well in order for them to have a chance to do well, if that makes sense.

It’s unclear exactly how this will affect the sport as a whole, but one point is certain: we don’t need this type of attention again.

The Ultimate Fighter 7 Mixes It Up

On the surface, the biggest change to this season of The Ultimate Fighter appears to be the addition of 16 more fighters, bringing the total to 32. However, the most significant change isn’t the number of fighters as much as it is how they will be showcased. The first two episodes will feature a whirlwind of action, as every single fighter will be forced to enter battle from the start. In past seasons, it would take a few episodes to get into the action. By that time this season, half the original cast will be gone.

The upside to this idea is that it means (hopefully) that the lesser deserving fighters will be weeded out early, leaving only those who want and deserve to be there. The 16 initial fights spread across two episodes also has the possibility of pulling in new fans who might have been previously disenchanted by the slower pace of the opening episodes.

Unfortunately, the negatives of opening the season in this manner outnumber the positives. First, it’s entirely possible that some of the better fighters could be ousted before they even see the house. Previously, the better fighters got some formal training from the legendary coaches before they were thrown into the octagon. Now, they’ll be forced to showcase their abilities from the start, ring rust and all.

Even worse, the UFC has promised us “highlights” of the first 16 fights. This might be sufficient for the casual fan that doesn’t understand the flow and pacing of a mixed martial arts fight. But for veteran fans, or even those who have been around since TUF 1, this highlight format will be wholly unsatisfying.

The idea behind the new format is to open with 16 exciting fights, one after another. It’s a nice concept, but if fans can’t enjoy the entire fights and top contenders get knocked out early, the change won’t have been worth it.

Once the season gets past this opening hurdle, it should resemble many of the other seasons, containing a vast continuum of fighter experiences. The usual 0-0 fighters will be there, but you’ll also get a fair share of IFL and World Fighting Championship guys. It’s far too early to pick favorites to win, but a few to at least keep an eye on include Brandon Sene (IFL experience, Gracie Black Belt) and Gerald Harris (IFL experience, 4-1 MMA record).

I’ll be back in touch throughout the season to update the progress of the fighters and, of course, our two coaches.

The Ultimate Coach (Part 2)

At first glance, Rampage's path to being named an Ultimate Coach might seem a bit odd. He struggled in PRIDE, knocked out one of the biggest stars on the planet, and then defeated the man who knocked out Wanderlei. However, the man formally known as Quinton holds no candle to Forrest Griffin.

With all of his successes in the Octagon, it's easy to forget that Forrest started his UFC journey as a TUF alum. He won the very first installment of the show with a scintillating three-round slugfest against Stephen Bonnar. The fight was so exciting that it's viewership actually increased during the fight -- people were calling their friends and telling them to watch what was happening. Many recognize this fight as one of the greatest of all time, and even more recognize it as fight that saved the UFC. If nothing else, it at least set the groundwork for the future seasons of this popular series. In other words, Forrest got himself a job that he didn't even know he was applying for.

Ever since that fight against Stephen Bonnar, Griffin's career has been up and down, but it's always been one thing -- exciting. Whether he was knocking out legendary Elvis Sinosic or losing a close but exciting decision to Tito Ortiz (called the fight of the year in 2005), Griffin has done it with a tough guy "I just want to fight" attitude. This is one of the reasons, along with his "everyman" personality, that makes him a great choice for both the show and the title shot.

However, it wasn't long ago that Griffin seemed to be out of the title picture and certainly out of sorts. At UFC 66, he was knocked out early by Keith Jardine, which handed him a second loss in three fights. It appeared that he was destined to remain in that middle class of 205 pounders. He rebounded with an expected win against Hector Ramirez. Unfortunately (or at least it seemed unfortunate at the time), he was booked against newcomer and #1 ranked LHW Mauricio "Shogun" Rua It was well known that if Rua won, he was going to be granted a title shot against Rampage Jackson. In other words, Forrest was the stepping stone. But when the bell rang, all conventions changed. Shogun looked out matched, out cardioed, and out just about anything else you could be. Forrest appeared to be cruising to a decision when, late in the third and final round, he ripped the decision out of the judges hands when he secured a deep Rear Naked Choke for the submission victory.

Forrest earned his initial TUF victory over Bonnar and there's no question that he earned the right to coach against Rampage Jackson in TUF 7. It should be an exciting season with two talented and entertaining coaches.

The Ultimate Coach (Part 1)

All of the past seasons of The Ultimate Fighter have featured some of the biggest money earners and long-time legends as coaches. Names like Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Ken Shamrock are just some of the stars who have coached the up-and-coming fighters in the world's premiere fighting reality show. This season, the seventh installment of the popular reality series, should prove to be different. And it all starts with one of the coaches, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

He hasn't been around that long (just three UFC fights), but his appearances have made an indelible mark on both the sport and the organization. He's not one of the biggest money earners or the most well known fighters, but when you don't lose in nearly three years, knock out Chuck Liddell, and have the best sense of humor in the sport, it's easy to rise to the top. And that's exactly what Jackson has done.

After a quick tune up against Marvin Eastman, Jackson made everyone forget about his PRIDE appearances as he made short work of then-unbeatable Liddell. Before the fight, it was easy to call Jackson just another contender, considering his embarrassing losses at the hands of Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua. The knockout of Liddell and subsequent decision of Henderson erased all doubts as to who is the top 205 pounder. It's even made MMA analysts question how the ex-Chute Boxe prodigies would far against the seemingly-changed Jackson.

We may get to see Rampage avenge those brutal losses, but not until he finishes with The Ultimate Fighter and Forrest Griffin. While he's not as well known to the sports world as an Ortiz or Liddell, it should take about ten minutes into the first episode for UFC exes to realize they made a great decision. Jackson's explosive combination of fists and personality should make for excellent coaching and even better television.

Unfortunately, the end of this reality road won't be easy. He'll be rewarded for his coaching and ratings increase with a tough match up against fan favorite Forrest Griffin, who is fresh off a win against the man who destroyed Rampage, Mauricio Rua. This will certainly be a point of discussion when their title fight rolls around.

Check back next week for Part 2 of The Ultimate Coach as we examine Forrest Griffin and his unusual path to coaching stardom.

New UFC 75/76 Site Highlights Stacked LHWs

In another brilliant business move by someone at the top of Zuffa, the sites for UFC 75 & 76 have been combined into a slick flash design intended to highlight the strength of the Light Heavyweight division. Both events feature LHWs as their main event as well as a myriad of LHWs on the undercard.

The power at the top of the division is obvious, with PRIDE's transfers making the old UFC 205 pounders look weak at best. Of the top 5 fighters in the division, only one (Liddell) is a UFC original. Of course, Liddell's lost twice to the weakest of the PRIDE guys (Rampage). Add in Wanderlei, Henderson, and Shogun, and this division is easily the strongest in MMA history.

Like most fans, I'm able to note the strength of the division, but usually only focus on the top. I overlook all the rest of the guys, who, if they were in any other division, would be one of the best. The Lightweight division has two or three excellent fighters. The Welterweight division has about five and the Middleweights have two (maybe three...). By my count, and with assistance of the new site, the Light Heavyweights have a whopping nine solid guys. I left out these seven, which made UFC's list of sixteen total: Alessio Sakara, Renato Sobral, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Keith Jardine, Matt Hamill, Forrest Griffin, and Houston Alexander.

Even with my omissions, the Light Heavyweight division is light years ahead of all others, even the Heavyweight division which has five solid guys. This incredible strength of talent will make UFC 75 and UFC 76 two very exciting shows, which are cleverly highlighted by the UFC marketing machine.

Wanderlei Silva To Fight In December

Dana White has confirmed that he's landed the biggest 205 pound free agent out there, as he announced on a Las Vegas television program, "We've got Wanderlei Silva." Despite suffering back-to-back knockouts (albeit to world-class fighters Filipovic and Henderson), Silva was still one of the most coveted names out there. He was rumored to fight Chuck Liddell at UFC 76, but talks fell through, leading White to name Keith Jardine as Silva's replacement. It seems as if all hope for the Liddell-Silva superfight was lost; that is, until now. It appears that following Liddell's massacre (I pray) of Jardine at UFC 76, he'll face Silva in December. It could happen on the same card as Hughes-Serra, which would certainly be worth the $50.

This won't be Silva's first trip to the Octagon, however. He's 1-2 in UFC bouts, with a decision loss to Tito Ortiz and a BRUTAL first round KO by the fast hands of Vitor Belfort (the "old Vitor," as sherdoggers like to say). Since then, he's torn through most of PRIDE's Middleweight division (remember, they don't have LHWs), owning two huge wins over Rampage Jackson as well as a decision over Dan Henderson. While Silva may exhibit some slight UFC jitters (see this article for others who did), he'll probably be able to settle in by the second round or so. It will be up to Liddell to not let him see that second round. While it's too early to predict anything, it is easy to see how the UFC LHW division is shaping up to be the best in MMA history.

With Silva and Liddell along with Rampage and Henderson (UFC 75 opponents), Zuffa has commandeered the four major players in MMA today. Add in Tito Ortiz, who is still a force to be reckoned with, in addition to young guns Bisping, Evans, and Shogun, and you've got years and years of solid fights. Even more convincing, the UFC has shown an international edge as of late, giving more press to guys like Lyoto Machida. I'd expect that the winner of Liddell-Silva will get the winner of Rampage-Hendo. Shogun will most likely fight whoever comes out of that war zone. No matter how it plays out, we should be looking at some awesome fights for the next year and even more exposure for the glorious sport of mixed martial arts.