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Will Brooks Could Be the Most Underrated Champion in MMA Right Now

Mixed martial arts has a number of champions across the sport. Those within the Ultimate Fighting Championship are usually recognized as the cream of the crop. However, that does not mean that other men and women do not deserve recognition. Will Brooks…

With a 15-1 professional record, it’s interesting that Brooks still flies under the radar with many mixed martial arts fans. His breakthrough moment came at Bellator 120 when he became the interim lightweight champion. This win didn’t come without controversy, as many felt that Michael Chandler defeated Brooks in the bout—so much so that judge Rob Hinds defended his decision to award the fifth round to Brooks in an interview with MMA Mania’s Michael Stets.

“Looking at the full five minutes, what Chandler did the last minute and 15, or whatever it is, wasn’t more effective than the effectiveness that Will Brooks [displayed] through that entire round up until then,” Hinds said in the interview. “That’s why I saw Round 5 going Will Brooks’ way.”

Brooks didn’t need the judges the second time around, as he would finish Chandler at Bellator 131. Still, that performance has not been enough to make Brooks a major star in the sport. He expects that to change with more dominant defenses of the lightweight title.

“[I plan on] making sure people understand this is not something that just happened,” Brooks was quoted as saying in a Sherdog.com report by Tristen Critchfield. “This is a long story; I’m going to be around for a very long time, and I’m always going to get better.”

Brooks has continued to look better with every outing since joining Bellator in 2013. Now, as the champion, he will defend his title against former WEC competitor Dave Jansen at Bellator 136. Jansen has not been impressed with Brooks and his rise to fame in MMA.

“It’s very evident to me that he’s dishonest with himself, dishonest with others. He comes off as a bit of a phony,” Jansen said in a separate piece by Critchfield. “I feel Will Brooks’ fear, and that’s genuine, and that’s coming across in the interviews I have seen.”

Whether or not Brooks is afraid of the challenger will remain to be seen on Friday night.

This is a promising time for Brooks to put on a spectacular performance during his defense against Jansen. Over in the UFC, Anthony Pettis has been unseated as the lightweight champion by Rafael dos Anjos. Pettis was expected to become a superstar worthy of the nickname “Showtime,” but losing the belt puts a major snag in those plans.

Even though Brooks fights for Bellator, with proper placement, he could become the face of the lightweight division. Viacom, Bellator’s parent company, has the ability and funds to promote its stars, but the company has yet to find a champion with the desire to promote himself or herself just as much. Brooks seems like the man to fit that mold.

“This is just the beginning for me,” Brooks told Critchfield. “People are going to see not just what I do in mixed martial arts, but what I do outside of mixed martial arts.”

“The Time Is Now” has become a mantra used by the UFC to describe their efforts to grow in 2015. However, Brooks can use the same saying as he enters his title fight at Bellator 136 to pave his way toward becoming a star in the sport.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ronny Markes out of WSOF 20 main event; David Branch gets new opponent

World Series of Fighting 20 has lost yet another competitor during fight week.
Three days after Melvin Guillard was pulled from the card, headliner Ronny Markes dropped out of the main event Thursday, the day of weigh-ins, WSOF executive vic…

World Series of Fighting 20 has lost yet another competitor during fight week.

Three days after Melvin Guillard was pulled from the card, headliner Ronny Markes dropped out of the main event Thursday, the day of weigh-ins, WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel Aziz told MMAFighting.com. Markes is in the hospital, Abdel Aziz said. It was immediately unclear what was ailing him.

David Branch will remain on the card and face Jesse McElligott in the main event. Branch-Markes was supposed to be part of WSOF’s light heavyweight title tournament, but Abdel Aziz is not sure if that will stay in place with Markes being out.

WSOF 20 is scheduled for Friday night at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn., and will air live on NBC Sports Network.

Guillard was yanked from his WSOF 20 co-main event with Ozzy Dugulubgov on Monday after the UFC veteran did not provide the adequate medical documentation in time to fight. Dugulubgov will now meet Luis Montoya and a bout between Nick Newell and Joe Condon was upgraded to the main event.

McElligott (5-1) will make his WSOF debut on the card. The 24-year-old Massachusetts resident was supposed to meet Steve Skrzat at the event originally. He’s on a two-fight winning streak.

Branch (15-3) is actually the World Series of Fighting middleweight champion, but he is moving up in an effort to win two belts.

WSOF 19 on March 28 was also struck with the illness bug. Matt Hamill had to pull out of the co-main event against Thiago Silva after he ended up in the hospital the day of the fight. Teddy Holder filled in and ended up pulling off a huge upset by knocking Silva out in the first round.

McElligott will try to pull off an even bigger stunner Friday night.

Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar reminisce about ER visit, their ill-fated rematch and Viagra

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar were not friends before their historic fight at the Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale. They actually barely even spoke to each other on the first season of the UFC’s reality show.
“Why get close to the guy?” Griffi…

“Why get close to the guy?” Griffin told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “He’s on the other team. You know some time you’re gonna end up fighting him.”

Of course, that did end up happening. April 9 marks the 10-year anniversary of the classic battle between the two men that changed the course of MMA history. Without Griffin and Bonnar tearing down the house at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, there might not have been an Ultimate Fighter season two. And without that, there might not be a UFC today.

Griffin and Bonnar waxed nostalgic on The MMA Hour, mostly about their relationship, which was actually forged at first inside the Octagon and then in the emergency room afterward.

He was like two [beds] over, so I was just walked over and was like, ‘Hey man what’s up? What you got?’ I was like, ‘Dude you messed my nose up,'” Griffin said.

The two have been friends ever since, so much so that Bonnar named his son Griffin in honor of his partner in combat.

Griffin won that night 10 years ago by unanimous decision. But there were really no losers. Both men earned UFC contracts, because the fight was that good. It still goes down as one of the greatest in UFC history.

“Honestly I knew it was close, so I knew it was kind of a toss up,” Bonnar said. “I knew there was a chance I could get the nod. When he got the nod, I can’t even say I was that disappointed.

“I was genuinely happy for him. He fought a great fight. I said that right afterwards.”

Before UFC president Dana White announced both men would earn contracts, Bonnar was already thinking about life after fighting. At that point, there were very few fighters in the UFC and Bonnar felt like this was his only shot to make it.

“[I thought], now what am I gonna do with my life?” Bonnar said. “This was a good experience. I had fun, but time to move on. I was kind of thinking about what I was gonna do next outside of fighting. It kind of caught me by surprise.”

The two went on to have very solid careers and both men were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in part because of that magical night. Griffin, 35, won the light heavyweight title in 2008. Bonnar, 38, compiled a solid 8-7 record in the UFC over seven years. Both are retired now, but Bonnar fell to Tito Ortiz in Bellator last November. It’s doubtful he’ll return unless something very interesting comes along, he said.

The back-and-forth fight will forever be part of their legacies. It was wild and violent, yet still holds up as a fantastic fight today a decade later. Griffin came out hot, but admittedly tired badly in the second round only to be saved by a stoppage to check out a bloody cut.

“I absolutely gassed,” Griffin said. “I was done in that second round. I felt great in that first round. I felt sharp, I felt quick.

“The stoppage for blood was the best thing that happened to me. I was so gassed.”

The two fought again a year later and the bout could not produce the fireworks the first did. Griffin and Bonnar both have regrets about that one, even taking it in the first place. They were asked on short notice. Griffin said he had to cancel a USO tour and Bonnar needed elbow surgery.

It got worse 10 days out of the fight. Bonnar got cut in training and needed 12 stitches. He was flown out to Las Vegas by the UFC and doctors told him he couldn’t compete. A few days later, though, Bonnar was drinking at a Cubs game with his father and White called him — the UFC really needed the rematch to go down at UFC 62.

“Then I was like, ‘Eh, what the hell?” Bonnar said. “[The cut] was another concern in the fight. Oh I don’t want him to bust this cut open. I better not be too aggressive.”

Even if the second bout didn’t live up to the lofty expectations the two will always have the TUF 1 Finale. And the ER afterward.

“Hanging out in the emergency room, I really remember that,” Bonnar said. “I had never tried Viagra before and Forrest gave me some.”

Griffin laughed.

“That was a long time ago,” he said, “before I met my wife.”

Luke Rockhold Slams ‘Cheater’ Anderson Silva, Discusses UFC Drug Testing

UFC middleweight Luke Rockhold believes Anderson Silva and every fighter in the organisation should receive a four-year suspension if they are found guilty of doping.
Silva failed drug tests before and after his win over Nick Diaz, but fighters su…

UFC middleweight Luke Rockhold believes Anderson Silva and every fighter in the organisation should receive a four-year suspension if they are found guilty of doping.

Silva failed drug tests before and after his win over Nick Diaz, but fighters such as Anthony Pettis have suggested the Brazilian wouldn’t knowingly do wrong. Rockhold doesn’t share the same opinion, as Damon Martin of Fox Sports reported:

I don’t understand it. A cheater is a cheater to me and he should pay the penalties, it should be no different. Everybody looks at it different because he [Silva] doesn’t have the physique that shows off like Vitor [Belfort] and a lot of other guys have a lot more size to them. I think people just didn’t want to believe because they looked up to him for so long. A cheater’s a cheater in my book.

Rockhold wants the UFC’s new measures—which specify a four-year suspension—to make a difference. He suggests the seriousness of the sport makes rigorous anti-doping measures essential, per Martin:

I’m 100-percent behind it. I’m on board for four years. A lot of people say they should never come back. If you cheat in this sport, you should feel it. Take away a huge f—–g portion of their career because this is fighting.

We’re not playing ball sports here. You’re coming in here with a deadly weapon. We’re not shooting basketballs. We’re out there fighting and trying to hurt each other. One year, two years, I think four years is great.

In March, Pettis admitted he “just can’t see” Silva consciously cheating, per Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting. Silva didn’t fail a drug test during his rise to prominence between 2006 and 2012, and Pettis suggests only casual observers believe he willingly broke the rules, Al-Shatti reported:

The casual fans (are doing that), you know? Like, ‘oh, he’s been cheating his whole career.’ They have no idea, watching him in the UFC when it was just his first fight, they don’t know what it takes to get where he’s at. So people are so quick and easy to judge, and nobody knows what’s going on.

That last point is perhaps the most important for Rockhold, who believes the UFC cannot ease into introducing its new policy.

“I’m excited to see what they’re planning on doing,” Rockhold said, according to Martin. “They are talking about extending penalties and suspensions, but they started right off the bat with a one-year suspension of Hector Lombard, which is no different than what they did before.”

Rockhold remains skeptical. UFC featherweight Conor McGregor previously reinforced his concerns when suggesting doping is “Brazilian culture” in the lead-up to his title fight with Jose Aldo, Matt Erickson and Rick Lee of MMAJunkie reported.

UFC women’s bantamweight champions Ronda Rousey is among those who believes more testing will positively impact the sport, per Fox Sports:

Many fans will certainly applaud Rockhold‘s comments. Any unfair advantage in MMA must be banished, but it’s likely the sport faces a long and arduous journey against drugs. As we’ve seen with the dismantling of Lance Armstrong’s cycling career, a legendary name cannot be forgiven because of successes.

Silva is still preparing his defense, but if the UFC’s new rules come to pass and he is destined to be seriously punished, he could be used as an example to all up-and-coming stars.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Clay Guida on Wrestling, President Obama and the Direction of MMA

Clay Guida is coming off of a unanimous-decision victory over Robbie Peralta at UFC Fight Night in Fairfax, Virginia. Next to the belching in between rounds, his post-fight speech caught a bit of attention. Bleacher Report asked him to elaborate on tho…

Bleacher Report: You said you had a sloppy fight. What was it about your performance that made you unsatisfied?

Clay Guida: A true champion and athlete is never satisfied with their performance. You can always do more and always improve. My wrestling needed some work. There were times where I could have gotten the takedown quicker or pulled him off the cage faster. That’s an opponent I should finish nine out of 10.

Robbie is tough. He hit hard and cut me open a little bit. I knew better than to trade with him.

To answer your question, I’m not satisfied with my victory. I always want to finish and try new things. The wrestling was a difference in the fight.

B/R: How has working with Team Alpha Male improved your wrestling?

CG: I split my time with Glendale, wrestling with some very tough Eastern European wrestlers, and at Ultimate Fitness at Team Alpha Male, wrestling with very successful collegiate and international wrestlers. I get to wrestle with more guys my size with more successful backgrounds, and that’s a recipe for improvement and success.

B/R: Why do you feel that fans give no credit to an intense grappling contest during a MMA battle?

CG: I would say the respect isn’t given to where it’s deserved. I think it’s because they’ve been spoiled with so many wild fights, sloppy striking matches, bloody boxing and kickboxing bouts, and over-the-top knockouts. That is what they’re used to, and that’s what they want to see.

The real true PRIDE fans, the real true old-school UFC fans that were built on the Dan Severns, the Royce Gracies, the Matt Hugheses and BJ Penns…the ones that know what the ground and stand-up game is and can leverage and balance both, those are the ones that the sport is all about. Sure, it’s also for the new fans who are watching on pay-per-view, Fight Pass or Fox Sports, as well.

The fans cheer louder and give more respect to the kickboxers, muay thai guys and strikers, but the sport wouldn’t be here for the wrestlers. It wouldn’t be as dynamic without the great wrestlers and jiu-jitsu practitioners.

B/R: What do you think can be done to help MMA fans better appreciate the grappling aspect in general?

CG: Start watching college wrestling. Start getting your kids into youth wrestling programs. Get educated and find out what the toughest sport in the world is. Realize that it’s the hardest-working sport that demands the most time and sacrifice, builds the most character and discipline.

People will respect what wrestling has to offer to this world. It will take educating themselves on more than just guys in there swinging for the fences.

B/R: How do you hope to educate fans in appreciating grappling?

CG: Just by spreading the word and telling people how it’s changed my life. Without wrestling, I wouldn’t know what MMA is, doing this interview or be in the UFC. Wrestling is what brought me here, and I came to the UFC to create financial stability.

I was never a standout in high school and college wrestling. But it helped me get to this place in my career.

These NCAA All-Americans realize the same thing, and they’re battle-tested through collegiate wrestling. Without that, 90 percent of them wouldn’t be in the UFC.

B/R: Which wrestlers do you think are on the rise in the MMA landscape?

CG: Lance Palmer is a teammate of mine that is over at the World Series of Fighting who is a champion at 145 pounds. He has a fight coming up in June.

Ben Askren, who is the welterweight champion at ONE. He’s just a pure animal.

There are many Russian fighters coming up in the UFC that are making a big name for themselves.

Also, Will Brooks, Michael Chandler…the list goes on and on.

Not every wrestler is going to be a Division I champion. Some guys may never make it to the Olympics. MMA provides another avenue for those wrestlers to continue their careers.

B/R: You called out President Obama during your post-fight speech. I know it wasn’t a political dig, but not many Presidents have attended a combat sporting event. Why did you feel that it was important for him to come visit you guys in Fairfax?

CG: I just wanted to make him aware of college wrestling. I know President Obama is aware of college wrestling, but it would be cool to see more of our leaders more vocal about the sport.

Do I see him being front row at a fight anytime soon? Probably not. But I want him to realize that we’re not a bunch of Neanderthals; MMA is a skilled sport. I know he’s a sports fan. Many of these other athletes are doing MMA training and do similar cross-training that we do.

MMA isn’t underground anymore. Fox Sports isn’t underground. I know he passes it out on TV once in a while; maybe throw a tweet out there or something.

The UFC is coming to Chicago. I’m from Chicago; he’s from Chicago. It would be cool to see him support some local fights.

B/R: Do you plan on making a run at the lightweight crown? Do you plan on staying at featherweight? Or are you going to bounce back and forth between both divisions?

CG: Ideally, it would be cool to do some superfights at both divisions. I’m not asking the UFC to cater to anybody. Or call me the utility guy. I’d like some bigger fights. I don’t expect them to give me a shot at [Rafael] dos Anjos. I fought seven or eight of the top 10 in the division.

I’m unimpressed with my performance at 145. 3-2 is not impressive.

It’s all good. I’m just excited about where this sport is going. It’s the fastest growing sport in the world.

B/R: Thanks for talking with me today.

All quotes obtained firsthand, via interview, unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Georges St-Pierre: If I decide to return to the UFC, ‘I believe I can still be on top’

Georges St-Pierre is still in a state of semi-retirement with no decision yet on a comeback. However, the former UFC welterweight champion believes that if he were to come back he could still be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in th…

GSP told Chael Sonnen on his “You’re Welcome” podcast this week that if he decides to make a return he would be very confident in returning to his previous form.

“I believe if I ever want to come back and fight I could be the best in mixed martial arts, if I find the fun and I have the feel for it again,” St-Pierre said. “If I train hard and I have the pleasure to do it, I believe I can still be on top.”

Sonnen asked St-Pierre whether he would be interested in competing in grappling events like Metamoris. GSP said he wasn’t too sure about those, because of his competitive mindset. Although, he would leave the door open for potential grappling superfights.

“I like to compete to the highest level,” he said. “If I do something, I do it because I want to be the best at it. I do not believe with my age and the time that I have left in my prime I could be the best in the grappling department.”

St-Pierre, 33, has not fought since beating Johny Hendricks to retain the UFC welterweight title at UFC 167 on Nov 16, 2013. One month later, GSP announced that he would be stepping away from the sport with no return date given, citing personal issues.

“Rush” has continued training, though, and actually tore his ACL last year at his Tristar Gym in Montreal. St-Pierre was cleared to return to training earlier this year, and he has started up again, but not for competition. GSP said he has been helping out some of the other team members at Tristar and plans on assisting in Rory MacDonald’s training camp coming up.

MacDonald challenges Robbie Lawler for the same welterweight title St-Pierre used to hold in the co-main event of UFC 189 on July 11 in Las Vegas.

“Lawler, he’s a dangerous guy,” St-Pierre said. “Anything can happen. I truly believe if Rory comes with his best game he’s better than Lawler and better than Hendricks as well. But it’s not the best fighter who wins the fight, it’s the guy that will fight the best the night of the fight.”

St-Pierre and MacDonald said they would never fight each other, so if MacDonald does become champion it would be interesting to see who GSP would fight if he does decide to come back.

“I believe he can be champion,” St-Pierre said of MacDonald. “I’ll be very happy if Rory can take the belt.”

St-Pierre (25-2), who has not lost a fight since 2007, has stated that he will not return to the UFC until it bulks up its performance-enhancing drug policy. The promotion has made serious steps in that direction, announcing a more stringent program and hiring former BALCO investigator Jeff Novitzky to spearhead the initiative.

Still, UFC president Dana White said recently that he now believes St-Pierre will not come back, because he no longer has the hunger. GSP disagreed with that statement in an interview with the Winnipeg Sun last week.

“[He] says he’s sure I won’t come back, that’s his opinion,” St-Pierre told the paper. “I train, I keep myself in shape. I have marks on my body because my body bruises easily and I’m training hard.

“It doesn’t mean I’m coming back, but it doesn’t mean I’m not coming back. I’m thinking about it.”