Author: Alexander Metalis

The Notion That Proving Yourself in the UFC Is Necessary for a Fighter’s Legacy

Like it or not, Zuffa practically has a monopoly on MMA. Zuffa brass owns the premier fighting leagues, the UFC and Strikeforce, and no other leagues will ever match their prestige or success.   It’s nifty to have a collection of world-…

Like it or not, Zuffa practically has a monopoly on MMA. Zuffa brass owns the premier fighting leagues, the UFC and Strikeforce, and no other leagues will ever match their prestige or success.  

It’s nifty to have a collection of world-class fighters battling one another within one supreme organization. However, this uneven distribution of talent presents trouble for fighters unlit by Zuffa’s prevailing spotlight. 

Sadly, since Zuffa employs the best talent, fighters who forge careers away from Lorenzo Fertitta’s empire are discredited by fans. “Who cares about (insert beleaguered fighter’s) record? He was beating up useless cans in Japan,” an incredulous Sherdogger spouts daily.

It’s an unsavory notion that the careers of outstanding fighters should be trivialized. However, there is truth to be derived from this sentiment. I mean, who’s to say that terrific fighters like Shinya Aoki wouldn’t look so terrific if they had been pit against the “best in the world”?

Aoki holds recent victories over Yokai Sithoar, Satoru Kitaoka and Rich Clementi. The wizardly grappler would be tested by stalwarts like Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone and Frankie Edgar if he were signed by the UFC. Which list of fighters is more formidable?

That’s not to say Shinya couldn’t do well against UFC lightweights, but how can we properly rate his ability if he’s not testing himself against them? In the eyes of fight fans, beating Yokai Sithoar is like punching a paraplegic baby. 

Fedor Emelianenko is another blatant example of fan scrutiny. “The Last Emperor” was bested in three consecutive Strikeforce bouts. In response, “Zuffa zombies” crapped on Fedor’s whole career. They fail to acknowledge the possibility that Fedor is past his prime or that he had a few rough nights. Since he didn’t perform well under the Zuffa banner, Fedor’s legendary accolades in Pride are trivialized by many.

There’s only one way to block the onslaught of negativity upon scorned fighters: They need to prove themselves in the UFC. That’s it. Disbelieving fight fans won’t be sated until fighters who sparkle outside the UFC continue to shine in the big leagues. 

What’s keeping standouts in Bellator and M-1 Global from boarding the UFC’s eminent ship? Pay is good, if not better, in organizations other than Zuffa. Also, some fighters don’t want to be displaced from comfortable surroundings and family overseas.

Cuban wrecking machine Hector Lombard recently signed with the UFC. Lombard has been coined as a “can crusher” by keyboard warriors on MMA message boards, a fighter whose career is fraudulent because he’s been feeding on unworthy foes.    

Perhaps Lombard grew sick of fight fans questioning his legacy. And if other talented fighters feel the same way as Lombard, they’ll have to sign their soul to Zuffa, too.   

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UFC 146: Ranking the Dominance of the Past Seven Heavyweight Champs

Junior Dos Santos has yet to encounter trouble in the UFC. The towering Brazilian has utilized his boxing, and little else, to dispatch his eight UFC foes with ease. His punching proficiency shines in the octagon. Junior comes into his May 26 cham…

Junior Dos Santos has yet to encounter trouble in the UFC. The towering Brazilian has utilized his boxing, and little else, to dispatch his eight UFC foes with ease. His punching proficiency shines in the octagon. 

Junior comes into his May 26 championship bout with Frank Mir as the strong favorite. His betting line is listed at -550 on 5dimes.com, meaning a risk of $550 on Junior will win the wagerer only $100. 

Unlike many of his peers, Dos Santos is almost unanimously liked. The gentle giant defuses trash talkers with his disarming demeanor and sweetness, a contrast to some of his fellow UFC champs; polarizing characters like Jon Jones and Anderson Silva. 

With his sparkling track record in mind, many are hailing Dos Santos as the man to clean out the division, just as many thought Cain Velasquez would do the same.

In fact, many thought Brock Lesnar would hold the belt for a long time, too.

See a trend? 

One thing that UFC history has taught us is that the heavyweight belt tends to get around. The coveted gold has yet to be defended more than three times by the same man, and no more than two times consecutively. The heavyweight division has yet to see a true “dominator”.

“Dominance” is a word we like to associate with fighters. Who’s the most dominant heavyweight champ of all time? Given how often the strap changes waists, can the word “dominant” really be used to describe any UFC heavyweight champion?

Sure it can. 

Here’s a ranking of the past seven UFC heavyweight champs based on their “dominance” in the UFC. 

Quantifying “dominance” is subjective. Since no heavyweight has an outstanding number of title defenses, title defenses aren’t the most important variable here.      

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UFC on Fox 3: John Lineker Came to Fight Without Corner Men or Gear

Even before getting choked out by Louis Gaudinot on Saturday night, John Lineker had a pained look on his face. Pain be damned, the Brazilian prospect brawled his heart out against Gaudinot. Although he was tapped out in the second round, it’s am…

Even before getting choked out by Louis Gaudinot on Saturday night, John Lineker had a pained look on his face.

Pain be damned, the Brazilian prospect brawled his heart out against Gaudinot. Although he was tapped out in the second round, it’s amazing Lineker fought as well as he did, given his pre-fight tribulations.

Matheus Aquino, a friend of Lineker and manager of Bellator’s Pitbull brothers, revealed startling information on his Twitter account. Lineker came to the US by himself because his corner men had visa issues.

But it gets worse. The diminutive Brazilian came without training equipment, and he didn’t have a mouthpiece or a cup, both of which he had to borrow at Saturday’s venue. Furthermore, Lineker had no sponsors, and if not for some last minute help from Brazilian Top Team, his situation would have been worse. 

Without the counsel of his trusty corner men, Lineker tested the volatile science of cutting weight by himself.

The tiny brawler was hopeless; he didn’t know how to cut the weight properly, and at a sauna days before the fight, fellow weigh-cutters thought the former Jungle Fight bantamweight champion was “dying.”

“Hands of Stone” had never cut to 125 pounds before.

Somehow, he made it to fight night intact, and put on a gutsy performance against TUF veteran Gaudinot. Lineker threw more punches in the first round than I have ever seen a fighter throw. His combinations were lightning, and he was unrelenting despite his horrible pre-fight circumstances.

Hopefully, Lineker uses the $65,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus wisely and joins a solid camp that will look after him better.

On Saturday, the kid showed promising skills and the heart of a warrior. 

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Melvin Guillard: Slumping Contender or Scatterbrained Underachiever?

Melvin Guillard isn’t that good.Doesn’t that seem impossible? Melvin’s hands are cocked and loaded—certified weapons. The former cokehead possesses blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy with his striking, a rare mix that reminds me of…

Melvin Guillard isn’t that good.

Doesn’t that seem impossible? Melvin’s hands are cocked and loaded—certified weapons. The former cokehead possesses blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy with his striking, a rare mix that reminds me of a certain arachnid in the middleweight division.

But Melvin Guillard will never seriously contend for a title, let alone garner the success Anderson Silva has. Despite his God-given athleticism, “The Young Assassin” is resigned to mediocrity.   

Guillard has amassed 11 wins in the octagon against six losses, a “good” record. People with the athletic talent of Melvin Paul Guillard Jr. are supposed to do better than “good.”

At times, he channels his inner beast: He’s finished 19 of his 29 victories by (T)KO. Frankly, he makes fighters who try to stand with him look meek and stupid. But if the UFC was an idiot contest, Melvin would win. Hands down.

All six of Melvin’s defeats in the UFC have come by way of submission. He’s just not up to par with his ground skills. He looks like a child when his fights hit the mat, even after 17 UFC bouts. He serves his neck and limbs on a platter to hungry submission sharks, without fail.

Okay, so he’s not especially well-rounded, but he even sets the table for his limb-hungry foes. In his last fight with Jim Miller, he attempted three telegraphed flying knees in the first round, begging to be taken down, and choked. Miller obliged after being lit up like a lamp the entire first round.

Melvin, learn how to win. You don’t need a highlight-reel KO to move up the lightweight ladder.

Guillard is booked for a fight with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt/gorilla Fabricio Camoes at UFC 148, on the undercard. UFC executives are implicitly begging him to train his submission defense.

Melvin has the gifts needed to shine in the octagon. But until he trains his grappling or learns to avoid his weaknesses, Melvin will never reach UFC gold.  

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Does Frank Mir Have a Chance Against Junior Dos Santos?

For good reason, heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos will come in to his May 26 bout with Frank Mir as the heavy favorite. The amiable Brazilian juggernaut has hardly seen trouble throughout his eight UFC bouts. He’s stopped six of his eight f…

For good reason, heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos will come in to his May 26 bout with Frank Mir as the heavy favorite. The amiable Brazilian juggernaut has hardly seen trouble throughout his eight UFC bouts. He’s stopped six of his eight foes using his lethal boxing, having thus far been able to stifle any grapplers. 

However, Frank Mir may provide Dos Santos’ toughest test to date.

Mir’s grappling is slept on, but it’s truly special. He’s the all-time leader in submission victories for a heavyweight in the UFC with eight. Further to the point, Mir recently took home the right arm of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner MMA has ever seen in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

As a Brazilian, Dos Santos is practically obligated to train BJJ extensively, but we have yet to see his prowess on the ground in the UFC. It’s probably safe to say his ground game doesn’t sparkle as brightly as Mir’s, who’s also forced notable heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Brock Lesnar to tap furiously. 

Sure, Mir won’t have the easiest time getting inside of Dos Santos’ range and taking this fight to the ground, but exactly how great is the champion’s takedown defense?  His fight with esteemed wrestler Cain Velasquez was over before Cain could work his takedowns. NCAA Division II wrestler Shane Carwin was content to waddle on the outside of Dos Santos’ range and let his face become Swiss cheese, but even a battered Carwin was successful with a takedown attempt late in that fight.

Mir doesn’t pose the most clever takedowns and he doesn’t have the best chin, but through suffocating pressure and tenacity he may be able to get this fight to the ground and showcase his superior grappling acumen.

Fans have written off Frank Mir’s chances in this fight, but his ground game might just be Dos Santos’ kryptonite. There’s good value to be had with a bet on Mir. 

Frank Mir leads UFC heavyweights in all-time wins with 14. 

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