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Editorial: Pennsylvania Athletic Commission Dropped The Ball At UFC Fight Night 83

dbag

To those who have ever fought MMA in the north east of the USA know the headaches involved in the state of Pennsylvania. This was made public by Brian Stann this weekend via twitter. He was appalled enough to tweet some of the issues that UFC fighters had to endure this past weekend in Pittsburgh. The main culprit of the constant fiascos is the commissioner Greg Sirb.

https://twitter.com/BrianStann/status/701160376612888576

https://twitter.com/BrianStann/status/701174779047501824

As a fighter myself from the state of Pennsylvania but now resides in Florida, I have felt the wrath of this man and his absolute ridiculous power trip. This will allow me to shed some real light on the problems he has caused. I hold him personally responsible for ruining two weekends of my career.

I don’t want to make this personal but it surely is and when I saw those tweets from Brian Stann this weekend, it vindicated everything I felt and experienced dealing with Sirb. He can actually ruin the fighters entire experience and has done so many times hearing many promoters stories over the years. Stann’s comments ignited an anger in me that has sat for a few years. You try to forget but when you are “wronged”, it never goes away then infuriates me finding out he still is up to his old tricks.

Here is the way the process is supposed to take place during weigh-ins and this is consistent everywhere you go. There are no exceptions to this process and it’s pretty much set in stone. The fighters expect it to be run this way because they are the ones that have weight cuts and have to plan around the protocol. If things change they suffer and their process becomes more difficult and that could affect their performance on fight night that they have been preparing for 6 to 8 weeks. When big money is on the line and UFC contracts are in balance, this is serious business.

  • The fighters show up the night before the event for weigh-ins and physicals. At this time they fill out paper work and go through physicals. Most fighters are on weight at this time and just going thru the motions waiting for their time to step on the scale. It’s done every where the same and no state or commission makes their own rules. It’s the commissioner’s job to schedule and organize the entire process.
  • After the fighters weigh-in, they are free to eat , sleep and relax anyway they seem fit. It is also customary for the fighters to sleep in on fight day because of the exhaustion of making weight and traveling the days plus the long day of stress ahead. They usually do not have to be at the venue until that evening no earlier than 6pm for sign in and a meeting. This gives each and every fighter a fair shake to come away with a victory.

Brian Stann tweeted that the doctors were late and the fighters weight cut was interrupted when they finally showed as they were forced to stop thus stopping there sweat and then building back up again. Obviously Greg Sirb dropped the ball and mis-scheduled everything. You could call it a mistake but it’s happened repeatedly and it’s mostly because he makes his own rules. He holds himself and his way above protocol with no concern or respect for the participants or organization. This is the exact reason the UFC rarely comes to Pittsburgh and choose Newark,New Jersey over Philadelphia. The UFC grew tired of his antics and choose not to deal with the commission.

https://twitter.com/BrianStann/status/701174970576199688

https://twitter.com/BrianStann/status/701176193580597248

The second thing Brian Stann tweeted was the female fighters were subjected to last minute specific tests after their weigh in when they were ready to eat. So this is another example of doing things his way out of the ordinary and different from any other state or athletic commission on earth. Those female fighters were ready to leave and eat but were subjected to more unforeseen testing. That is WRONG !

Please realize the UFC puts events on all over the world and there has never been an issue of doctors being late or any protocol being interrupted. This is just gross example and proved exactly what I always thought.

In 2012 at a World Cagefighting Championship held in a Greensburg, Pennsylvania, I was scheduled for the main event. I expected a certain process just like my previous 10 plus pro fights but I was completely wrong. I showed up at weigh ins the evening before and Greg Sirb was not there nor were the doctors. This card was a professional/amateur combo event so there were only 3 pro fights scheduled and therefore Greg Sirb scheduled all of us to show up the next morning at 9AM. That meant other pro fighters had to drive in an hour leaving their house by 8am on fight day !!!! They are forced to wake up at 8am to drive to a physical that should have been done the night before when weighing in. That is obscene really.

As I stated earlier, this is completely wrong and not in the contract but Sirb scheduled the doctor to look at all of us at the same time. Since amateurs weigh in same day, the pros were thrown right in to that group. So basically I am an experienced Pro MMA fighter in the Main Event and my schedule, preparation and fight day wake up time is the same as the amateurs meaning I could be side by side with a debut amateur waiting for my turn. That is completely unfair but it got worse.

The next morning when I showed up to the “physical”, Greg Sirb brought the 6 pros up front and handed us a paper to sign and said, “Ok guys, see you at 4pm for the physical”. Sirb woke us up to sign a piece of paper only to cut our day even shorter telling us to come back way earlier than expected! I should have walked from the card at that point but had a lot of family and friends that I sold tickets to coming. My rest and prep was being severely interrupted as was my opponents but as an older fighter from out of state, I needed a smooth process. Couple this with the fact he barely approved the fight due to me being inactive for a year. My opponent had the same record and fights as myself and I had to call and plead to let me fight. I am in super shape and train all the time and this guy judges me from six states away not to mention I was 2-0 in PA at that point. Dealing with him was already exhausting.

Let’s not forget the other pro fighters that drove in for weigh ins then came back to sign a piece of paper to only be told to be back at 4pm. This is completely wrong.

He made his own rules and schedule to suit him. When I asked him why we were there to sign a piece of paper on fight day. He replied by saying he likes to see the fighters in the morning. That is pure disrespect and disregard for the fighters preparation and their time but it got worse.

If your sleep was interrupted to wake up after a restless night then you’re infuriated by the fact you are up to sign a piece of paper then told to return at 4pm, I ask all you fighters out there…. When do you eat your last meal before the fight ? If your packing any food or eating before, you probably have to leave the hotel at 2:30 to have to time to get the venue or you eat a quick lunch and starve they the doctors then rush off to eat right after.

The Doctors giving the physicals did not show until 5pm thus putting us all behind for out pre-fight meal. Not to mention he moved the show start time up to 7 from 7:30. He probably did that to allow him to get home sooner.

I could go on and on about my personal experience and the lack of sleep and meal time prep he caused me and others on that card that evening. It was my first fight back after a while and in my hometown. I surely did not need to feel like I was fighting Greg Sirb and his undermining ways that weekend. I was so upset and mad at him that few days on top of the other factors, I did not perform even close to my potential and that is upsetting.

But who do you appeal to or file a complaint to ? There is no one higher. The next year he would not approve a fight I was matched up with saying the guy was 3-4 and not good enough. That is laughable considering the money on the purse and the fact I was 40 years old and my opponent would have been younger than 30. Not to mention I was inactive that full year as well. Heaven forbid I have a builder fight to gain confidence or start a streak.

So if your keeping track, one year I am not active enough and the next I am too good for the opponent. It makes zero sense.

This what I mean by him holding back the PA fighters. He will not work with fighters to reach a bigger stage. He is there to crush your hopes and ruin your chances. I know a guy in Florida and many others who have fought 3-18 guys and another who fought a 3-8 guy in the WSOF card in Tampa but I am discouraged as many others on fighting anyone short of a future UFC bid for peanuts.

This is Greg Sirb’s way of control. He has zero fights and claims he was a good wrestling back in the day but who knows. He will surely fill you in. All I know is he does more bad than good and should be removed. The state of Delaware already ceased using him as the PA commission covered their events.

Now he most likely made the UFC brass have no desire to come back thus ruining many fighters chances of moving up. Take note of the lack of PA guys on the undercard and Pittsburgh guys in the UFC. They do not get the exposure due to this ego maniac blocking their progress.

Let me explain it more thoroughly for everyone. Greg Sirb does not care about MMA not does he endorse events across the state. He obviously wants to keep the sport down and make it difficult to “rise up” both individually and as a sport. He must know what people think of him and can read all the negative comments online. He just does not care and makes his own rules. He thinks he is a sheriff of a small town and the UFC is a visitor. I guarantee Dana White lost a lot of sleep concerning this event.

One more example would be forcing out of state fighters to do all their medicals in PA. He has demanded that fighters see his doctors to get cleared.

If you want more examples and don’t believe me, just Google “Greg Sirb”. You will find more than you bargained for. Maybe someone will be smart enough to start a petition soon to push him out. That would be the best news for PA and the northeast MMA allowing fighters a fair shake in climbing the ranks into bigger promotions. Otherwise as Connor McGregor would say, “This state is stuck in the mud.”

The views expressed in this editorial are solely those of the author, James Brasco. 

dbag

To those who have ever fought MMA in the north east of the USA know the headaches involved in the state of Pennsylvania. This was made public by Brian Stann this weekend via twitter. He was appalled enough to tweet some of the issues that UFC fighters had to endure this past weekend in Pittsburgh. The main culprit of the constant fiascos is the commissioner Greg Sirb.

As a fighter myself from the state of Pennsylvania but now resides in Florida, I have felt the wrath of this man and his absolute ridiculous power trip. This will allow me to shed some real light on the problems he has caused. I hold him personally responsible for ruining two weekends of my career.

I don’t want to make this personal but it surely is and when I saw those tweets from Brian Stann this weekend, it vindicated everything I felt and experienced dealing with Sirb. He can actually ruin the fighters entire experience and has done so many times hearing many promoters stories over the years. Stann’s comments ignited an anger in me that has sat for a few years. You try to forget but when you are “wronged”, it never goes away then infuriates me finding out he still is up to his old tricks.

Here is the way the process is supposed to take place during weigh-ins and this is consistent everywhere you go. There are no exceptions to this process and it’s pretty much set in stone. The fighters expect it to be run this way because they are the ones that have weight cuts and have to plan around the protocol. If things change they suffer and their process becomes more difficult and that could affect their performance on fight night that they have been preparing for 6 to 8 weeks. When big money is on the line and UFC contracts are in balance, this is serious business.

  • The fighters show up the night before the event for weigh-ins and physicals. At this time they fill out paper work and go through physicals. Most fighters are on weight at this time and just going thru the motions waiting for their time to step on the scale. It’s done every where the same and no state or commission makes their own rules. It’s the commissioner’s job to schedule and organize the entire process.
  • After the fighters weigh-in, they are free to eat , sleep and relax anyway they seem fit. It is also customary for the fighters to sleep in on fight day because of the exhaustion of making weight and traveling the days plus the long day of stress ahead. They usually do not have to be at the venue until that evening no earlier than 6pm for sign in and a meeting. This gives each and every fighter a fair shake to come away with a victory.

Brian Stann tweeted that the doctors were late and the fighters weight cut was interrupted when they finally showed as they were forced to stop thus stopping there sweat and then building back up again. Obviously Greg Sirb dropped the ball and mis-scheduled everything. You could call it a mistake but it’s happened repeatedly and it’s mostly because he makes his own rules. He holds himself and his way above protocol with no concern or respect for the participants or organization. This is the exact reason the UFC rarely comes to Pittsburgh and choose Newark,New Jersey over Philadelphia. The UFC grew tired of his antics and choose not to deal with the commission.

The second thing Brian Stann tweeted was the female fighters were subjected to last minute specific tests after their weigh in when they were ready to eat. So this is another example of doing things his way out of the ordinary and different from any other state or athletic commission on earth. Those female fighters were ready to leave and eat but were subjected to more unforeseen testing. That is WRONG !

Please realize the UFC puts events on all over the world and there has never been an issue of doctors being late or any protocol being interrupted. This is just gross example and proved exactly what I always thought.

In 2012 at a World Cagefighting Championship held in a Greensburg, Pennsylvania, I was scheduled for the main event. I expected a certain process just like my previous 10 plus pro fights but I was completely wrong. I showed up at weigh ins the evening before and Greg Sirb was not there nor were the doctors. This card was a professional/amateur combo event so there were only 3 pro fights scheduled and therefore Greg Sirb scheduled all of us to show up the next morning at 9AM. That meant other pro fighters had to drive in an hour leaving their house by 8am on fight day !!!! They are forced to wake up at 8am to drive to a physical that should have been done the night before when weighing in. That is obscene really.

As I stated earlier, this is completely wrong and not in the contract but Sirb scheduled the doctor to look at all of us at the same time. Since amateurs weigh in same day, the pros were thrown right in to that group. So basically I am an experienced Pro MMA fighter in the Main Event and my schedule, preparation and fight day wake up time is the same as the amateurs meaning I could be side by side with a debut amateur waiting for my turn. That is completely unfair but it got worse.

The next morning when I showed up to the “physical”, Greg Sirb brought the 6 pros up front and handed us a paper to sign and said, “Ok guys, see you at 4pm for the physical”. Sirb woke us up to sign a piece of paper only to cut our day even shorter telling us to come back way earlier than expected! I should have walked from the card at that point but had a lot of family and friends that I sold tickets to coming. My rest and prep was being severely interrupted as was my opponents but as an older fighter from out of state, I needed a smooth process. Couple this with the fact he barely approved the fight due to me being inactive for a year. My opponent had the same record and fights as myself and I had to call and plead to let me fight. I am in super shape and train all the time and this guy judges me from six states away not to mention I was 2-0 in PA at that point. Dealing with him was already exhausting.

Let’s not forget the other pro fighters that drove in for weigh ins then came back to sign a piece of paper to only be told to be back at 4pm. This is completely wrong.

He made his own rules and schedule to suit him. When I asked him why we were there to sign a piece of paper on fight day. He replied by saying he likes to see the fighters in the morning. That is pure disrespect and disregard for the fighters preparation and their time but it got worse.

If your sleep was interrupted to wake up after a restless night then you’re infuriated by the fact you are up to sign a piece of paper then told to return at 4pm, I ask all you fighters out there…. When do you eat your last meal before the fight ? If your packing any food or eating before, you probably have to leave the hotel at 2:30 to have to time to get the venue or you eat a quick lunch and starve they the doctors then rush off to eat right after.

The Doctors giving the physicals did not show until 5pm thus putting us all behind for out pre-fight meal. Not to mention he moved the show start time up to 7 from 7:30. He probably did that to allow him to get home sooner.

I could go on and on about my personal experience and the lack of sleep and meal time prep he caused me and others on that card that evening. It was my first fight back after a while and in my hometown. I surely did not need to feel like I was fighting Greg Sirb and his undermining ways that weekend. I was so upset and mad at him that few days on top of the other factors, I did not perform even close to my potential and that is upsetting.

But who do you appeal to or file a complaint to ? There is no one higher. The next year he would not approve a fight I was matched up with saying the guy was 3-4 and not good enough. That is laughable considering the money on the purse and the fact I was 40 years old and my opponent would have been younger than 30. Not to mention I was inactive that full year as well. Heaven forbid I have a builder fight to gain confidence or start a streak.

So if your keeping track, one year I am not active enough and the next I am too good for the opponent. It makes zero sense.

This what I mean by him holding back the PA fighters. He will not work with fighters to reach a bigger stage. He is there to crush your hopes and ruin your chances. I know a guy in Florida and many others who have fought 3-18 guys and another who fought a 3-8 guy in the WSOF card in Tampa but I am discouraged as many others on fighting anyone short of a future UFC bid for peanuts.

This is Greg Sirb’s way of control. He has zero fights and claims he was a good wrestling back in the day but who knows. He will surely fill you in. All I know is he does more bad than good and should be removed. The state of Delaware already ceased using him as the PA commission covered their events.

Now he most likely made the UFC brass have no desire to come back thus ruining many fighters chances of moving up. Take note of the lack of PA guys on the undercard and Pittsburgh guys in the UFC. They do not get the exposure due to this ego maniac blocking their progress.

Let me explain it more thoroughly for everyone. Greg Sirb does not care about MMA not does he endorse events across the state. He obviously wants to keep the sport down and make it difficult to “rise up” both individually and as a sport. He must know what people think of him and can read all the negative comments online. He just does not care and makes his own rules. He thinks he is a sheriff of a small town and the UFC is a visitor. I guarantee Dana White lost a lot of sleep concerning this event.

One more example would be forcing out of state fighters to do all their medicals in PA. He has demanded that fighters see his doctors to get cleared.

If you want more examples and don’t believe me, just Google “Greg Sirb”. You will find more than you bargained for. Maybe someone will be smart enough to start a petition soon to push him out. That would be the best news for PA and the northeast MMA allowing fighters a fair shake in climbing the ranks into bigger promotions. Otherwise as Connor McGregor would say, “This state is stuck in the mud.”

The views expressed in this editorial are solely those of the author, James Brasco. 

Tweet of the day: Dana White blasts referee for late stoppage in UFC headliner

The UFC president took to Twitter to criticize referee Mario Yamasaki for what he believes was a late stoppage in Sunday’s main event fight between ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and ‘Cowboy’ Oliveira.

UFC president Dana White has always been the first one to criticize referees who have failed during one of his fight nights one way or another. This time around, in the aftermath of Sunday’s UFC event in Pittsburgh, it was veteran referee Mario Yamasaki who earned the wrath of the world’s leading MMA organization’s outspoken head honcho.

In the evening’s headlining bout between Donald Cerrone and Alex Oliveira, Yamasaki stepped in considerably late while Oliveira desperately tapped in a triangle choke by the “Cowboy”.

It didn’t take long for White to blast Yamasaki on twitter.

10 taps before Yamasaki stops it after @Cowboycerrone tells him!!! And he was looking right at it……WOW!!!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) 22. Februar 2016

The referees are instated by the respective athletic commissions and are no UFC employees. White has a history of publicly criticizing officials and regularly venting his anger after early or late stoppages, as well as questionable decisions by the judges. Steve Mazzagatti in particular has been on the wrong end of a White tirade time and time again. Yamasaki has yet to comment on the situation.

The UFC president took to Twitter to criticize referee Mario Yamasaki for what he believes was a late stoppage in Sunday’s main event fight between ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and ‘Cowboy’ Oliveira.

UFC president Dana White has always been the first one to criticize referees who have failed during one of his fight nights one way or another. This time around, in the aftermath of Sunday’s UFC event in Pittsburgh, it was veteran referee Mario Yamasaki who earned the wrath of the world’s leading MMA organization’s outspoken head honcho.

In the evening’s headlining bout between Donald Cerrone and Alex Oliveira, Yamasaki stepped in considerably late while Oliveira desperately tapped in a triangle choke by the “Cowboy”.

It didn’t take long for White to blast Yamasaki on twitter.

The referees are instated by the respective athletic commissions and are no UFC employees. White has a history of publicly criticizing officials and regularly venting his anger after early or late stoppages, as well as questionable decisions by the judges. Steve Mazzagatti in particular has been on the wrong end of a White tirade time and time again. Yamasaki has yet to comment on the situation.

Joe Rogan: “It’s Ridiculous For CM Punk To Fight In UFC, I Don’t Understand This Whole Thing”

https://youtu.be/oq2x8SC9RGo

After what has felt like an eternity of promotion without anything to really promote, UFC was dealt the unfortunate blow of finally pulling the trigger in terms of beginning the process of determining the opponent and ev…

cm-punk

https://youtu.be/oq2x8SC9RGo

After what has felt like an eternity of promotion without anything to really promote, UFC was dealt the unfortunate blow of finally pulling the trigger in terms of beginning the process of determining the opponent and event for CM Punk’s Octagon debut only for the former WWE Superstar to suffer yet another injury-related setback. For Joe Rogan, it appears to be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back as it pertains to the whole “CM Punk experiment.”

The longtime UFC announcer gave his candid thoughts on the situation during the most recent episode of his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, focusing primarily on the fact that Punk is making his MMA fighting debut on the biggest and most respected stage in the industry with no real martial arts background to warrant such an opportunity.

Rogan offered the following unfiltered opinion regarding Punk skipping the normal process of earning a spot on the UFC roster, which traditionally includes a lifetime of dedicated martial arts training combined with the difficult task of ascending through the ranks by fighting on lower-level MMA events.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with that guy,” said a brutally honest Joe Rogan, who in addition to being an accomplished comedian and actor, is a lifelong martial artist with a particularly respectable past in Tae Kwon Do. “I don’t understand this whole thing. I also think it’s ridiculous for him to fight in the UFC. I think he should fight in a small organization. Take a fight in a small organization, build yourself up. I have always said that’s what should have happened with Brock Lesnar.”

Punk was finally set to fight an officially announced opponent, as Mickey Gall worked his way into the spot by catching the eye of Dana White on the UFC President’s new “Dana White: Lookin’ For A Fight” reality show. The clever initiative taken by the MMA prospect resulted in him signing with the premiere MMA promotion in North America after only one professional MMA fight, which led to an even more impressive first fight inside the Octagon.

Gall defeated MMA journalist and journeyman fighter Mike Jackson in a preliminary fight set up by White with the guaranteed first shot against Punk on-the-line. Gall needed just 45 seconds to knock down and choke out Jackson, before taking part in a post-match stare down with Punk inside the cage.

Unfortunately for those who were actually eagerly anticipating the fight for the past year-plus — a group that continues to get smaller as time goes by — the Punk-Gall fight rumored for UFC 199 appears to be off for the time being, at least in terms of the June date of the final pay-per-view show ahead of the landmark UFC 200 event scheduled for July 9th.

You can check out the latest edition of the aforementioned “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, which also features an in-studio interview with UFC Hall Of Famer Bas Rutten, via the YouTube player embedded above.

Dana White Is Unhappy With Cerrone vs. Oliveira Stoppage

If you were watching UFC Fight Night 83, you may have noticed a number of concerning errors. UFC president Dana White did, and he wasn’t too amused… UFC Fight Night 83 was for the most part a great card, with some riveting finishes and rousing battles in a number of divisions. The tale of the

The post Dana White Is Unhappy With Cerrone vs. Oliveira Stoppage appeared first on LowKick MMA.

If you were watching UFC Fight Night 83, you may have noticed a number of concerning errors. UFC president Dana White did, and he wasn’t too amused…

UFC Fight Night 83 was for the most part a great card, with some riveting finishes and rousing battles in a number of divisions. The tale of the night came in the main event though, as two cowboys in Donald Cerrone and Alex Oliveira faced off. Cerrone was making his welterweight debut after a brutally unsuccessful lightweight title shot last December, and in his Brazilian counterpart he faced a late replacement that could have really rocked the boat with an upset.

As it was, the ‘Cowboy’ of old showed up, dragged Oliveira to the mat and sunk in a triangle choke from the mount. Just half way through round one and the bout was all over, and a jubilant Cerrone celebrated the rekindling of his winning ways. But it wasn’t all roses in the main event, at least not where the referee was concerned. The Brazilian appeared to tap almost right away when the choke hold sunk in and Cerrone rolled with his back to the mat, but it was some time before the referee reacted.

USATSI_9130002_168380322_lowres-640x427[1]

As the referee Mario Yamasaki moved to get a better view, Cerrone was pointing wildly to indicate Oliveira had tapped, at that point the ref intervened. Oliveira never went out, but it was a little concerning to see he’d tapped about ten times before being released. Check out what UFC president Dana White thought of the stoppage:

And it wasn’t his only blunder of the evening either, Mario Yamasaki had made a pretty rough job of the end of Cody Garbrandt’s fight too. As Augusto Mendes lay helpless on the mat from some punishment, the referee appeared to stop the fight, but then seemingly changed his mind. Garbrandt continued with his gruesome beatdown on Mendes, who was by this time out cold.

Here’s what ‘No Love’ said about the stoppage, via MMAFighting.com:

“He was definitely knocked out,” Garbrandt said in the post-fight press conference. “His eyes were rolling in the back of his head. He wasn’t even looking at me. So I threw my hands up, it was done. And Mario stepped in, so I was like, ‘OK, he didn’t touch me, so I’m gonna keep hitting him, finish the job.’ … He’s a dead man laying.”

Thoughts?

mario_yamasaki_fighters_only_world_mixed_martial_tjhwbdwmlcdl.0[1]

The post Dana White Is Unhappy With Cerrone vs. Oliveira Stoppage appeared first on LowKick MMA.

UFC Fight Night 83 results recap: Cody Garbrandt vs Augusto Mendes fight review and analysis

Last night (Sun., Feb. 21, 2016), Cody Garbrandt and Augusto Mendes squared off at UFC Fight Night 83 inside Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In a stellar performance, Garbrandt knocked his opponent out. FOR VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS…

Last night (Sun., Feb. 21, 2016), Cody Garbrandt and Augusto Mendes squared off at UFC Fight Night 83 inside Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In a stellar performance, Garbrandt knocked his opponent out. FOR VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF LAST NIGHT’S FINISH CLICK HERE.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight prospects Cody Garbrandt and Augusto Mendes battled in a catchweight bout last night (Feb. 21, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 83 inside Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It’s been a strange week for “No Love.” After preparing to scrap with a heavy-handed brawler, he instead found himself inside the Octagon with one of the finest jiu-jitsu fighters in the sport.

Of course, “Tanquinho” likely had an equally interesting week, as he went from not being booked at all to fighting just six days later. Regardless of the short-notice and weight cut mishap, Mendes had a chance to really make a name for himself in this bout.

Garbrandt started the fight quickly, scoring with some kicks and quick punches. A couple minutes into the bout, Garbrandt scored with a big punch that dropped “Tanquinho,” who attempted to transition into an omoplata.

“No Love” wisely backed away and the fighters returned to their feet.

After a few more small exchanges, Garbrandt struck violently. Mendes looked like he wanted to throw a low kick and hesitated, allowing his opponent to spring into a combinations of quick, powerful punches. The first right hand missed, but Garbrandt’s next two punches connected clean and sent his opponent falling senseless to the mat.

Referee Mario Yamasaki did his best to interrupt by half stopping the fight and getting in the way, but nonetheless the fight was over moments later.

This is the best Garbrandt could make of this situation. He went from being the lesser known fighter looking to take out a big name to the favorite against a skilled underdog. In that situation, a violent finish is the only way to still look good.

“No Love” made it happen.

While the Team Alpha Male representative’s striking looked fast and dangerous, his defense was equally impressive. For much of the fight, Garbrandt made his opponent miss easily, showing off a strong gauge of distance and some slick head movement.

After this win, there’s no doubt that Garbrandt will get his stand up war with John Lineker.

There’s not much to analyze here for Mendes. He came in on short-notice against a highly talented opponent, and things did not go well for him. That’s to be expected, as a Mendes upset would’ve been rather shocking.

Still, “Tanquinho’s” game plan really didn’t make sense. If there was ever a time to desperately jump at the takedown, it was here. Instead, he decided to largely strike with Garbrandt, and he paid the price.

Regardless, it was a strange situation for Mendes. He deserves another opportunity with a full camp to show his full potential.

Last night, Cody Garbrandt violently finished his opponent in the first round. Is “No Love” a future contender?

For complete UFC Fight Night 83 “Cerrone vs Oliveira” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

UFC Announces “Unstoppable” Global Launch Event On Eve Of UFC 196 On 3/4

https://youtu.be/Bp6GGSua8Lc

Following last year’s successful “Go Big” campaign to kick-off and promote the first few months of a stacked first quarter of fights UFC had lined up, the promotion will be repeating the promotional practice as a way of …

dana-white-go-big-launch-event

https://youtu.be/Bp6GGSua8Lc

Following last year’s successful “Go Big” campaign to kick-off and promote the first few months of a stacked first quarter of fights UFC had lined up, the promotion will be repeating the promotional practice as a way of introducing and hyping up their 2016 second quarter, which is a stacked chunk of time in its’ own right.

UFC issued a press release this week to announce their “UFC: Unstoppable” global launch, which is officially scheduled to kick off with a major press conference loaded with superstar talent on March 4, 2016 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In a smart strategic move, UFC scheduled the beginning of their “Unstoppable” global launch on the 3/4 date in Vegas, which is exactly when and where the official UFC 196 weigh-ins will be taking place.

UFC will piggy-bank off of the expected significant audience that will already be tuned in to watch the final stop for Conor McGregor, Rafael dos Anjos, Holly Holm and Miesha Tate before the foursome do battle in the UFC 196 main and co-main events.

Officially announced to attend the “Unstoppable” global launch on the eve of UFC 196 thus far are Dana White, Junior Dos Santos, Ben Rothwell, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Tony Ferguson, Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, Henry Cejudo, Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman. Additional names are expected to be officially announced later this week.